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Features March 2008
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NICF
is main sponsor of Floors Expo and new Irish Awards
The National Institute of Carpet and Floor Layers (NICF) has chosen
the Floors Expo at Dublin’s RDS 16-17 April 2008 to launch
The Irish Flooring Industry Awards.
The Awards programme is for excellence in various categories.
These include best retailers, wholesalers and representatives
that will be chosen by phone calls and a mystery shopper.
There will also be Awards to reward the best carpet, vinyl, wood
floor and rug on show at the exhibition. Floor Expo trade visitors
will vote for this category.
Richard Heighton master fitter of the NICF in Ireland which co-sponsors
Floors Expo said: “This is a very exciting time for all
the flooring industry in Ireland to have an award scheme launching
in Ireland and have such a well known organisation officiating.
The awards will coincide with the NICF ‘s Irish membership
drive.”
Certificates will be awarded to the top 3 in each category and
the winner will also receive a trophy.
The Awards programme was set up for businesses, but now we are
also looking to reward individuals for their installation skills.”
The top 3 overall installers will qualify to take part in the
2009 European installer of the year competition representing the
Irish team at the Domotex trade show in Germany in January 2009.
Sebastian
Conran joins Wayne Hemingway as host at The Tile & Stone Show
2008
Acclaimed British Designer, Sebastian Conran is to host an inspirational
seminar at The Tile & Stone Show 2008/Floorstyle 08. Joining
Wayne Hemingway in the exclusive seminar line-up, Sebastian will
explore “the price of everything and the value of nothing”*:
design and its commercial application’ on the show’s
second day, Monday 30 June, at ExCeL London. The event is set
to attract leading architects and interior designers from the
UK and overseas.
Director of product and graphic design studio, Conran & Partners,
Sebastian’s career spans incandescent punk to iconic product
design. As a student representive on the Governing Council, he
gave the Sex Pistols their first ever booking and, subsequently,
designed record sleeves and promotional material for the Clash.
By 1978 Sebastian was working with leading consultancy, Wolff
Olins, before being recruited as Mothercare’s Head of Product
Design in 1981. Five years later, he founded Sebastian Conran
Associates, which merged with S.C.A in 1999 to form Conran &
Partners. Many of Sebastian’s technical innovations have
been patented and his studio has received numerous design, marketing
and innovation awards, including in the last three year’s
alone three iF Product Design Awards, D&AD product design
selections and Elle Decoration’s Iconic Product of the Year
Award.
As well as an outstanding career and enormous industry acclaim,
Sebastian has written numerous books, articles and papers, and
has taught furniture design at the Royal College of Art. He lectures
and judges many national and international design awards, and
is an active member of numerous bodies; an Honorary Fellow of
the Royal College of Art and a Fellow of both the Royal Society
of Arts and Chartered Society of Designers.
Sponsors announced for The Tile & Stone Show and Floorstyle
2008
Sponsors for The Tile & Stone Show 2008 and new sister exhibition,
Floorstyle 2008 have been announced. They will include the Royal
Institute of British Architects, the Contract Flooring Association,
the National Institute of Carpet & Floor Layers, the Flooring
Industry Training Association and The Tile Association.
Exhibition Organiser, Stuart Bourne commented, “We’re
delighted to have these high calibre sponsors and media partners
on board and are really excited about next year’s shows.
We’ve already got a number of high profile exhibitors signed
up and our relationships with these industry bodies, and prestige
trade titles, will increase our profile and coverage even more.”
The Tile & Stone Show and Floorstyle 08 will take place at
ExCeL London from Sunday 29 June to Tuesday 1 July.
For more information visit www.thetileandstoneshow.co.uk
Bona
DCS instrumental in protecting valuable recital organ
 BonaKemi’s
unique Dust Care System (DCS) helped a flooring contractor secure
a valuable contract in a highly dust-sensitive environment.
The contract involved the sanding and re-sealing of the stage
in Manchester’s prestigious Bridgewater Hall, the city’s
acclaimed international concert hall. Contractors, Floors-2-Go
were given only a short window of opportunity in the concert hall’s
busy programme to complete the work and, crucially, had to give
an undertaking not to generate any dust which might damage the
hall’s magnificent recital organ, a remarkable 22 ton instrument
which is integrated into the architecture of the building, measures
45’ wide and is worth £1.2 million.
Previously, when Floors-2-Go installed the floor, the organ was
‘tented’, which was a time consuming and expensive
operation. BonaKemi’s technical team ensured them that using
the DCS to contain dust generated by sanding the floor would render
this unnecessary.
George Sidgwick, the hall’s Facilities Manager, explained,
“The floor was in a poor condition due to the considerable
wear it receives during more than 250 performances each year.
Particular culprits are cellists who forget to use protective
pads on their spikes!”
Floors-2-Go used the DCS Single, a powerful portable vacuum unit
which, in its pre-launch tests, removed 99.996% of dust from the
working environment. By connecting an edge sander and belt sander
to the DCS unit at the same time, the Floors-2-Go team were able
to work very quickly.
Floors-2-Go Contracts Director, Andy Acton said, “As we
worked, the DCS unit drew all the dust away from the machines,
the abrasives and the floor. As a result, the abrasive worked
more effectively and all the dust was safely collected inside
the unit.”
After sanding, the solid American Red Oak floor was recoated with
Bona Mega lacquer and the contract completed within the given
timescale. George Sidgwick said, “The DCS was brilliant!
I expected some dust to be generated but the system outperformed
my expectations.”
For contractors working on larger projects such as museums, airports
or shopping centres, BonaKemi also supplies the DCS Multi, a trailer
based vacuum system which is parked outside a building and can
be connected up to three sanding machines inside. The trailer
is also designed to store sanding machines, and other tools and
materials.
BonaKemi distributors can supply more details about both DCS systems,
alternatively contractors can call BonaKemi direct on 01908 399740
to arrange a demonstration.
mFLOR:
wood flooring detail, perfect for retail
 Designers
and specifiers looking for alternative contemporary flooring solutions
for the retail environment are turning to mFLOR’s realistic
and hard-wearing floorcovering range.
The mFLOR collection is highly suited to demanding environments,
offering slip resistant qualities and low maintenance to a wide
variety of retail environments. The flooring can be used in a
wide variety of locations including book shops, car show rooms,
fashion retailers, department stores and many more retail outlets.
The mFLOR range is manufactured using a unique embossing system
that matches the grain and knots found in natural timber. The
designs originate from a number of pinewood scans chosen to maximise
the number of different boards visible in the floor and therefore
producing a more natural appearance to many rival products.
Nick Atkins, one of the founders of mFLOR, said:
“Designers and specifiers come to us because we can offer
the best of both worlds. A highly realistic surface which is both
practical and elegant.”
The resilient floorcoverings are designed for commercial use and
offer superior wear qualities which are suitable for heavy duty
areas in retails stores. Along with the durability elements, the
outstanding comfort levels of the flooring lead to a pleasing
retail experience.
For further information visit www.mflor.eu/uk
Amtico
brings the outdoors in
A range of new flooring designs that reflects an increasing movement
towards natural and reclaimed looks has been launched by Amtico.
The Amtico Fruitwoods collection features Sapwood Maple and Rustic
Cherry flooring that allows designers to celebrate the imperfections
of natural wood. The naturally inspired flooring maintains a light
and airy scheme whilst acting as a practical solution to high
traffic areas. Sapwood Maple features lots of choppy subtle colour
movement whereas Rustic Cherry has warm soft reddish tones with
imperfections and knots.
Amtico Cork has been launched as designers look to experiment
with different materials for an organic natural look. It can be
cut into a variety of formats and tile sizes to add a natural
and warm feel to interior spaces. The cork flooring has a marbled
effect with a subtle but distinctive swirly organic grain in a
natural cinnamon colour.
John Oakes, commercial marketing manager for Amtico, said:
"Both these new products capture the inherent qualities of
the natural product but unlike the real thing, won't change over
time. Fruitwoods and Cork highlight the innovative and unique
style that Amtico International is renowned for."
Amtico International has 40 years' experience in designing, engineering
and manufacturing flooring solutions for industry and business
as well as domestic environments.
To find out more visit www.amtico.com
Bathroom
Pod giant Baudet, opens UK office
France-based Baudet SA, the leading provider of GRP self-contained
bathroom pods to universities and hostels, has just opened a new
UK office and showroom in Birmingham.
Baudet has more than 17 years’ experience manufacturing
prefabricated pods, supplying over 100,000 units worldwide. The
company’s pods offer a high-quality, cost-effective and
extremely practical solution for ‘drop-in and go’
ready-made bathrooms across a multitude of multi-dwelling occupancy
installations including hotels, hospitals and halls of residences.
To date Baudet has cornered almost 25 percent of the UK education
marketplace. Previous projects can be found throughout the UK
in halls of residences at universities including Cambridge, Imperial
College, London, Birmingham, Durham and Edinburgh. Last year alone
3000 students at nine universities enjoyed the benefits of brand
new private facilities in their halls of residence.
A further 400 units have been installed this year in UK hotels.
By opening the facility located in Coleshill, Warwickshire, Baudet
will be able to focus directly on its UK clients and ensure contractors
and architects get all the technical information, design assistance
and after-care they need to ensure their projects run on time
and to budget. Simon Merckel has been appointed general manager,
bringing with him over 19 years of experience in the UK construction
industry.
“We’re really making a name for ourselves in the UK
market and felt that the time was right to launch a base here,”
said Simon. “By cutting out the middle man, we can offer
invaluable, specialist support to our clients at the same time
as growing the business. It’s great to join the company
at such an exciting phase of its development.”
Commenting on the decision to open a UK office, chairman of the
Baudet Group Benoit Durand said, “ We are already a leading
player in the UK pod marketplace. As a result of setting up our
own operation in Britain, our aim is to become the market leader
within the next three years through delivering unrivalled quality
of service and product to customers.”
The office has already clinched its first orders to supply 76
units for student accommodation in Preston City Centre for private
developer, Sharples Limited, and 144 units for Provian Construction
Ltd., building a new accommodation block at Greenwich University.
Baudet’s range of high quality pods is manufactured in France
ready for quick on-site installation of under three hours per
unit. The interior finish of the pods can be specified to suit
the design requirements of each development with a fully bespoke
option available on high volume orders (over 200 pods). The pods
are extremely hygienic because of the specialist polyester gel
coat material used, making them an ideal solution for hospital
refurbishments or new-builds.
Further information is available from Baudet UK on 01675 463810,
email info@baudet-uk.com, or by visiting the company’s website
at www.baudet-uk.com
Sense™:
connect, build, play and grow. Intelligent design made simple.“
 You
should be able to build furniture intuitively; with no tools;
with no instructions,” states Daniel Korb on the concept
behind his exciting new table range for Herman Miller. Sense,
a radically new and unique concept in systems furniture design,
is the result of more than three years of collaborative engineering
and design development between Herman Miller and Korb’s
Switzerland-based firm, Korb+Korb. Sense has been designed as
a modern solution to workplace and home office environment needs
through its innovative design, unique aesthetics, and industry-leading
engineering. It combines simplicity with speed, offering users
a modular systems solution that can be easily specified, ordered
and installed. The Plug+Play build concept means all components
simply lock, click or snap into place without the use of any tools,
making it a fully-flexible platform that can be built, broken
down and re-assembled quickly and easily. This design concept
ensures that Sense is a product that not only complements the
office landscape today but can accommodate changing facility and
resourcing needs.
“As Charles Eames once said: The details are details. They
make the product. The connections, the connections, the connections.
It will, in the end, be these details that give the product its
life”comments Bob Wood, International Vice President of
Research, Design and Development for Herman Miller. “With
Sense, Daniel Korb has captured the essence of simple connections
and intelligent details, through problem-solving design.”
“To fully understand Sense you must interact with it,”
says Korb. “It allows organisations to encourage individuality
in the office; in an otherwise standardised layout.. Put simply,
it just makes Sense.”
Connect
All good design starts with an idea. Harnessing the power of the
idea turns design into reality. Sense uses a monobeam structure
that is replicated across the product. Components intuitively
connect to create the look the user wants.
Build
Intelligently engineered components have eliminated the need for
tools, allowing sense to be built in seconds. All components are
designed using a Plug+Play approach resulting in a range of tables
that are quick and easy to build.
Play
Colourful and fun, sense provides a modern solution to workplace
needs. Customise the working space and change accessories to suit
the needs of the user. All accessories effortlessly ‘drop’
on to either the screen or toolbar allowing the user to play with
technology, paper trays, white boards and pin boards to accommodate
their working preferences.
Grow
Create multiple configurations. Sense satisfies requirements for
simple stand-alone tables, team environments and optimised working
clusters, including 120° formations. Designed to work today
and be changed for tomorrow, Sense grows with business. Update
as needs change. Its designed to be easy.
Environment
Sense is the latest product to have been developed according to
Herman Miller’s demanding Design for the Environment (DfE)
protocols, emphasising sustainable processes, materials, and recyclability.
The material composition of Sense ensures that waste material
is minimised, component sharing is maximised and that all parts
can be fully reused or recycled following use.
Steelcase
showcases its latest design creations
 Steelcase
has celebrated the opening of its new UK headquarters by showcasing
its latest ‘design works in progress’ additions to
the B Free Lounge and other futuristic creations such as ‘The
Drawing table’.
The new flagship space - called WorkLife London - is a state-of-the-art
show room, sales office and resource centre dedicated to the future
of office environments.
It provides a fully immersive customer environment to introduce
new product lines while presenting conceptual workplace strategies
that have emerged from recent research work.
The B Free Lounge was the first family of furniture to transform
traditional office ‘dead’ zones including corridors,
receptions, lobbies, cafeterias, breakout areas and hallways into
spaces that support chance interactions and encourage creative
and strategic decision making.
Mark Spragg, Managing Director of Steelcase said: “We are
constantly trying to improve our existing product ranges to make
sure they stay future proof. What better way for us to ensure
this than to put early stage concepts out to the jury for verdict
in our new flagship space.”
The ‘Energy Bar’, ‘The Cloud’ and ‘Wings’
are just some of the new design concepts for the B Free Lounge
- the result of extensive research and on-site observations of
users.
The Energy Bar is similar to a giant electrical plug and provides
a space where anyone can sit down with their laptop, PDA or mobile
phone to relax, work or have an informal discussion while recharging
the battery of their electrical device.
The Cloud acts as type of sound booth and provides a great space
for people to work away from others. It sends out a powerful signal
that you wish to work alone and don’t wish to be interrupted.
Wings are a series of large grey dividers used to separate space
and create different working environments in a very open space.
Marketing Director of Steelcase UK, Karin Gintz said: “This
is the kind of thing that we will see more of in offices in the
future. The workplace is changing, most offices are now open plan
and we need new ideas to create private meeting areas within this
space. At present we are just exhibiting this as a concept but
we have been inundated with requests for us to build it into our
product portfolio. ”
The Drawing table is a large high seated table with paper integrated
that allows people to be creative, generate ideas and draw. Once
the meeting is over, they can simply tear off the paper and take
it with them. This is ideal in spaces where you want to foster
creativity.
The WorkLife space also includes a series of innovative meeting
applications such as a meeting area which has been defined by
a hanging white curtain acting as a visual space divider.
On the ground floor, the three cylindrical drums hang down from
the ceiling creating a sense of privacy without using physical
walls. In each of them Steelcase is integrating different lighting,
acoustics and furniture.
Colour is introduced in the LED lighting system, which can alter
the space from formal and serious to fun and relaxed.
The futuristic additions on display at the WorkLife London showcase
the seamless integration of office furniture and technology to
animate and simplify office life.
Light
Saver
Maintaining high standards in the hospitality industry is a significant
expense. Facilities staff at Best Western Blunsdon House Hotel
in Swindon have managed to drastically reduce lighting costs –
with energy efficient LED technology. Dave Barton reports.
Q: How many maintenance staff does it take to screw in a light
bulb?
A: Four – two to hold the ladder, one to install the bulb
and another on standby with a safety net, in case he falls!
“That’s half my staff!” groans Steve Day, Facilities
Manager at the Best Western Premier Blunsdon House Hotel.
Though the droll anecdote above may be a minor exaggeration of
the truth, it is hard to deny that taking care of maintenance
needs requires a great many resources – particularly when
retaining a Best Western Premier rating.
“The Best Western brand is the best advertisement we have,”
Steve says. “Every hotel is independently owned, and out
of 300 in the UK, Blunsdon House was the second hotel in the country
to gain Premier status.”
Every year, Best Western inspectors visit the hotel. The inspection
covers everything including aesthetic and architectural standards.
Retaining the high ranking requires a significant amount of investment
and maintenance on an ongoing basis. With 116 bedrooms, a golf
course, a leisure club with pool, a beauty salon and the Pavilion
annex accommodating 48 bedrooms, maintenance is no mean feat.
Steve has eight staff on his team, responsible for the entire
estate. Continuous renovation has been necessary for the past
couple of years and as part of this, the conference centre was
revamped, and a lighting control system was installed, in order
to offer mood lighting in a number of areas of the hotel. LED
technology was recommended.
Steve and his team considered the LED bulbs available on the market,
including ranges from the world’s major lighting companies.
None came close to being able to light the tasks required. Nick
Perry – one of Greenled’s founding members –
was supplying decorative LED lights at the time, and suggested
that they consider Greenled’s new lighting range. Steve
was impressed. The Greenled “Antares” bulb far surpassed
anything that they had seen so far for light output. Nick disposed
of the ineffective bulbs and installed new Greenled lights within
a 24-hour period; just in time for the conference centre’s
re-opening by the Mayor of Swindon.
Greenled is a Gloucestershire-based company committed to reducing
energy costs, carbon emissions and improving safety by supplying
high performance, low maintenance LED light technology. James
Millar, Greenled MD, is very pleased the company has been able
to make a difference.
“Greenled lights are both cost effective and energy-efficient,”
he explains. “Blunsdon remains a committed customer, and
it’s forward-thinking like this that is taking LED lighting
further in the hospitality industry.”
To demonstrate the efficiency of the Greenled product to hotel
owner John Clifford, Steve carried out an energy audit over a
two month period. He monitored a single floor in the Pavilion
on normal power for a month, and the following month, after the
Greenled switch, he conducted another audit. A reading was taken
every day. A 75% power output saving was instantly apparent –
a significant cost saving, and an attractive prospect to the boss.
Despite the obvious benefits and savings, John took a fair amount
of convincing to make a long-term investment, as Steve explains.
“Initial outlay was the main sticking point,” he says.
“But Greenled’s five year cost analysis indicated
full return on investment in just 30 months, even less if you
factor in the labour cost for changing blown lamps.”
John was impressed. To date, 250 original halogen bulbs have been
replaced – corridors, guest bathrooms and downlighters on
a floor in the Pavilion. Other areas include the bar, leisure
club, outside canopy and bridge. RGB coloured lights are used
to maximum effect in the exterior area, while the Antares interior
lights, using only 5 Watts of energy, are direct replacements
of existing 35 Watt halogen spotlights.
“The quality of Greenled lights is not at all different
to halogens,” Steve says. “The warm white effect of
the interior downlighters is just as effective. And they are easy
to install, slotting into existing downlighter fittings”
As Greenled LEDs are cool to the touch, they are less hazardous
and reduce heat – particularly useful in guest bathrooms,
the reception desk, and in the leisure club’s cardio room
where high temperatures are a constant demand on air-conditioning.
“LED technology has improved so much in the last two years
that Greenled bulbs can be used for both decorative and task-orientated
lighting,” explains James. “Greenled LEDs convert
energy directly to light, are less hazardous than halogens and
as such little heat is generated, they dramatically reduce energy
wastage. There is no longer any viable commercial need for halogen
downlighters. Our Antares lights offer the same illumination quality
as halogen and yet save over 30 watts of energy output per bulb
– these are statistics that can’t be ignored.”
With Greenled lights, overheads, costs and energy are all drastically
reduced. Stock is also minimised as Greenled lights only need
replacing every 35,000 hours – an eight to ten year lifespan.
When the bulbs do finally fail, Greenled take them back at no
cost, and the materials are recycled. Greenled appeals to both
the pocket and the conscience. It’s the money first from
a commercial perspective, and James completely appreciates this.
“Having spoken to over fifty different top flight hotels,
the opinion is that maintenance overheads are a heavy strain on
resources – and that there’s little that can be done
to reduce them,” he says. “However, by encouraging
hotels to isolate the maintenance cost, they can quickly realise
savings. In this respect Greenled offers immediate ROI.”
An additional benefit is that Greenled lights can be financed
by no interest energy-efficiency loans over a set period.
“You can’t say no to it,” says Steve. “It’s
like someone saying ‘I’ll pay for the lights, at no
cost, and you pay me back over 2-3 years!’ By that time,
the cost savings will already be apparent, so they pay for themselves.”
Best Western hoteliers hold regional meetings on a bi-monthly
basis. When next the event is held at Blunsdon House, Greenled
intend to present a lighting seminar, explaining the benefits
of Greenled lighting, including the environmental angle.
“We never actively sought to reduce our carbon footprint,
but we’re learning quickly thanks to Greenled.” says
Steve. “Greenled lighting is the way to go – definitely.
As we roll out our long-term refurbishment programme, we are installing
Greenled lights area by area.”
New
highly versatile up and down lighting for stunning illuminations
Marl CreativeArc have announced the availability of a new dynamic
series of dual up and down light fixtures for producing powerful
illuminations to enhance any environment.
The 735 Series from Marl is designed to be mounted on a vertical
surface and can emit light in two directions, either horizontally
or vertically. The new range is suitable for both internal and
external installation making simultaneous illumination of both
buildings and pathways possible. The 735 Series is a new high
quality feature lighting which requires very low maintenance and
low power consumption, giving a very low cost of ownership over
the lifetime of the product.
Vibrant effects can be created with a choice of warm white, cold
white or RGB with colour mixing at source, creating a shadow-free
vivid illumination. The 735 Series can be fitted with different
colour light engines top and bottom. The product can be supplied
with white, RGB or monochrome red, green or blue LEDs. This enables
the sides of buildings to be washed with colourful light whilst
also illuminating the pavement, creating pools of light without
glare.
The 735 Series has reduced power consumption and long operating
life of 50,000 hours. The 12mm toughened glass lens and IP65 rating
provide total protection against dust, and a low pressure of water
from any direction. A choice of three operating powers is available
and the maximum ambient temperature is 40 degrees C.
RIDI
Adds Spice with the AIDA Vario
RIDI has launched AIDA-Vario, a luminaire specifically for the
UK corporate office market. Designed to meet the latest demands
of CIBSE LG3a and LG7 the AIDA-Vario has a unique feature: a three
position gondola section that can be lowered to maximise ceiling
illumination or fully recessed to ensure a flush ceiling line.
“The AIDA-Vario is an evolution of the AIDA-Mini range,”
says Mike Attard, Managing Director of RIDI UK, “and can
integrate with a range of other matching AIDA suspended and wall
products to create a unified lighting scheme across a project.
The adjustable AIDA gondola section gives specifier and end-client
the option of full compliance in retracted mode or an aesthetic
choice in flush mode. It is great for commercial offices as it
has been designed specifically around CIBSE LG7. The tooless and
easy to adjust gondola section also gives the user or specifier
a choice of light distribution based on their individual requirement
and room orientation.”
Each luminaire is available in a choice of matt aluminium louvre
or reeded prismatic diffuser. Reeded aluminium or satinised white
aluminium gullwings produce a softly diffused uplit canopy which
is excellent for vertical light control and gives sharp architectural
styling. The AIDA-Vario also features additional fill-in light
through the square perforations in gondola sides for a softer
and evenly spread light diffusion. For an enhanced lighting effect,
special effect colour filters can be specified to add feature
to the perforated areas.
AIIDA-Vario is offered with a universal body for a variety of
ceiling types. In addition, all luminaires are equipped with energy
saving electronic control gear for TC-L and T5 lamps with dimmable
electronic versions also available as standard options. A 3-hour
integral emergency option is also available.
RIDI UK is part of the RIDI Group, which recently celebrated 50
years as one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of affordable
architectural luminaires for commercial building applications.
Based in Germany, the RIDI Group range extends from simple bare
batten fittings through to complex luminaire systems.
For further details visit www.ridi.co.uk.
Sill
lights up Roman Baths
The Heritage Services section of Bath & North East Somerset
Council has specified Sill Lighting at the Roman Baths in the
city of Bath.
Heritage Services managers sought to replace life- expired lighting
and to conserve energy, whilst at the same time improving interpretation
and making a visit to the site a more dynamic experience for daytime
visiting and evening events. The lighting scheme is part of a
larger project to improve conservation and interpretation at this
world-famous site at the heart of the City of Bath World Heritage
Site.
Sill Lighting was selected because it provided a sympathetic,
efficient and cost effective lighting solution. Iain Johnston,
Facilities Manager for the Council’s Heritage Services,
commented, “We liked the effect Sill had created on other
prestigious sites, such as the Royal Albert Hall and the Brandenburg
Gate in Berlin. After inviting three companies to submit quotes,
we awarded Sill the contract because they created a bespoke solution
that fitted best with our requirements.”
Sill understood that any lighting solution would have to be sympathetic
to the historic ambience of the Great Bath and appreciated that
the area was not only a major tourist attraction but also a scheduled
ancient monument. Following a brief from Heritage Services, Sill
devised a lighting solution that had minimal effect on the fabric
of the site. The lighting was also designed to be robust enough
to withstand the high humidity generated by the naturally hot
water that flows into the Great Bath from the thermal spring nearby.
Designers at Sill used the company’s 020 series projectors,
which are compact in size and can be used to produce different
optical distributions. Sill was able to incorporate the lights
into the site’s existing wiring points, causing minimal
disruption to the area. The light fittings were grouped and mounted
directly onto extended gear enclosures using pan and tilt mounting
brackets, providing both vertical and horizontal adjustments.
Each group consisted of three or four wide beam 35 watt projectors,
while selected groups had an additional switched narrow beam 70
watt fitting for the purpose of highlighting specific displays
or artefacts.
As a result of the new installation, the total electrical load
of the lighting has been reduced from over 12,000 watts to just
2,760 watts. The efficiency of the lighting and the longevity
of the scheme have also been greatly increased with the new installation.
Heritage Services managers are delighted with the results. Iain
Johnston said, “The new lighting reflects a truer colour,
showing this historically important site to its best advantage.
The wattage is less than 25% of that of the original lighting,
equating to substantial savings in electricity consumption. Sill
has provided a particularly imaginative lighting solution, which
offers great flexibility. We can choose to adjust the lighting
to pick up archways and different features, and the results are
spectacular.”
Further information visit www.sill-uk.com
Turning
design into reality
by Andy Powell, managing director Spacetailors
 The
success of any interior project build requires cohesive interaction
between fit-out consultant and designer or architect in order
to turn specifications and plans into reality. A successful fit-out
requires the consultant to remain reactive whilst consistently
managing client expectations. Here Andy Powell, Managing Director
of fast track fit-out specialists Spacetailors, examines some
of the obstacles that can occur from initial design brief to completed
build, and how these are overcome.
Fit-outs are often seen as the most straightforward aspect of
a project build – the application of the finishing touches
that turns the architect’s vision on paper into bricks and
mortar.
The reality is that the fit-out stage of any interior build is
critical to its success and there are an enormous number of factors
that can, and often do, conspire to throw a project into turmoil.
Initial Design Brief
While there will always be times when fit-out consultants work
directly from specification, more and more we are finding clients
require pre-design services to ensure an accurate estimation of
both scheduling and budget.
By working closely with trusted architects, experienced fit-out
consultants can highlight any problematic areas in the brief well
in advance, sidestepping avoidable difficulties that can turn
a project sour.
The prudent client will get combined input from architect and
fit-out consultant working together from the out-set, ensuring
that the final environment is both aesthetically pleasing (and
therefore attractive to customers) and efficient to manage and
maintain.
Planning and Early Site Visit
Preliminary client requirements often do not factor in the particular
conditions of the project site. Building regulations need to be
adhered to and local planning requirements complied with. Delays
cost money so it is essential that all the relevant paper work
is completed on time, prior to contractors going on-site.
Early input from fit-out consultants can head off any potential
issues and, of course, regular site visits need to occur before
work begins.
A good example of how early site visits and prior planning ensure
the smooth running of a project build, is the current case of
a town-centre cinema build which our fit-out experts were involved
in early on during the planning stages.
As a result of initial site visits, both architect and contractor
recognised that the cinema, based in a residential area, needed
to comply with strict environmental noise regulations and its
structure therefore needed to contain and manage noise levels.
Specific attention was paid to sound transference and walls and
ceilings were prepared and correctly foam insulated well in advance
of their implementation within the building’s framework,
saving both time and cost.
Additionally, the use of sound panelled walls clearly affected
other building considerations, such as the installation of air
conditioning units and projection equipment. These had to operate
noiselessly behind the sound panelling and appropriate time was
factored into the project’s schedule to ensure that all
panelling was thoroughly sound tested.
Materials
Every client demands a finish that is both of high quality and
which is cost effective, and rightly so. A compromise should be
reached rather than sacrificing the one for the other by incorporating
unsuitable or cheap materials. In the long run, this becomes counterproductive
and remediation work can be costly and take significant time.
Similarly, designers can overlook practicalities when putting
together a brief and materials can be either not viable or even
hazardous to the environment they are being considered for. Whether
these are large oversights, such as the installation of a soft
wood dance floor in a nightclub that will invariably become dented
by high heels, or smaller, such as non-treated shower curtains
in health clubs and spas, the end result is wasted client expenses.
Again, early consul can prevent these problems from occurring
but it is also essential that on-site project managers remain
reactive to changing briefs.
Time
Fit-out projects are always time critical. Clients understandably
need designs implemented fast as this reduces man hour costs and
ensures businesses are up and running as soon as possible.
Additionally, businesses often need to remain operational during
a fit-out or refurbishment and this means best use of time in
order to get the design complete with minimal disruption.
It is important that fit-out contractors remain flexible and work
outside of normal business hours – be this overnight and/or
on weekends - in order to ensure facilities remain operational
and staff and customers alike are not impeded by the fit-out.
This necessarily means that the clean-up operation at the end
of each night needs to be immaculate. Tools need to disappear
and work areas cleared ready for when the doors open in the morning.
Dust is a major adversary to any contractor and working areas
need to remain dust-free.
There is nothing worse for a client than seeing an untidy environment
half way through a project. It gives the impression that the fit-out
is in disarray and not adhering to original design briefs.
Importantly, contractors need to install confidence in their clients
and this means ensuring tidiness whilst guaranteeing a project
runs on time to budget.
Efficient On-Site Project Management
We’ve seen how important it is to ensure every angle is
covered early on and how this requires careful, co-ordinated planning
from both architect and fit-out contractor. However, when it comes
to the actual build, when design becomes reality, efficient on-site
project management is also critical to the successful completion
of a fit-out.
No design brief can anticipate every eventuality however, by remaining
reactive, a good project manager will always look to saving time
and money ensuring work does not hugely deviate from the original
brief.
Additionally, site managers working on fast track fit-outs will
need to manage multiple contractors, from electricians to plumbers,
all working in the same area at the same time, often across multiple
sites.
Efficiency is paramount and making sure one contractor isn’t
standing around waiting for another to finish requires excellent
on-site time management.
Health and Safety Considerations
On-site project managers will always follow strict health and
safety procedures to ensure that all contractors are protected
at all times.
Additionally, experienced fit-out consultants can assist by flagging
up any concerns that may arise during the design stages of a project.
For example, accessible fire exits and Disability Discrimination
Act (DDA) regulated access should be factored into a design brief.
By working with designers and architects from the word go, fit-out
consultants can offer expert knowledge that serves the client
better, cementing good relationships and promoting repeat business.
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