Robert May Developments specified two moulded bargeboard trims from The Heritage Collection, MBT1 and the Ripley 18mm OG Thickboard, together with joint trims and decorative finials from the extensive Hometrim range. The products were quick and easy to install and maintained the Victorian style of the house.

Hometrim is a comprehensive range of stylish roofline products fashioned from weatherproof PVC, which can add value to any style of building. Unlike their timber equivalents, Hometrim products will never need painting or patching and will not warp, twist or rot. There is no requirement to paint the products, since they are already finished with a smooth, semi gloss surface in white, which has high weather performance and is maintenance free.

A range of styles is available, including The Heritage Collection, which is modelled on the designs of traditional timber products and makes traditional style and detailing available to modern homes.

Robert May, Managing Director at Robert May Developments, comments, 'We are always keen to maintain the character of the area in which we build homes and to specify products that will give our customers long-term quality and a low-maintenance property that is easy to live in now, and easy to sell-on in the future.'

To give total quality assurance, Hometrim products are kite marked to BS7619 and L.B. Plastics operates a network of Hometrim Approved Installers under the Registered Guarantee Scheme.

PILKINGTON ARCHITECTURAL FOUND IN VATICAN CITY

Pilkington Architectural is well used to dealing with specific, often out of the ordinary, project requirements and working with specifiers to design glazing solutions to meet them. This was particularly true of Pilkington's involvement with the Vatican Museum project for which two 11m tall Pilkington PlanarTM walls were designed and constructed.

The sensitive historical nature of the surroundings demanded a construction that was as unobtrusive as possible, neither outlandish nor mundane and one that would accentuate the exhibition space within the museum and help maximise the natural light available. In addition to the aesthetics of the project, security was also a major concern and any material chosen would have to guarantee maximum security and safety for the museum visitors.

The specifiers decided on a facade with discreet fittings as the most suitable design and the Pilkington PlanarTM system was selected as the ideal solution. A working group was then formed comprising the engineering team, Pilkington and Teleya - the company commissioned to carry out the work.

The main glass section is Ilm high and, to ensure a 2m clearance from the floor, a support structure was built that had cantilever beams set in the upper edge 8m from the ground. The Pilkington PlanarTM sheets were suspended from this structure and to accommodate any expansion in the floor slabs, a joint made from antifriction material was incorporated.

The glass specification for the facade was a 20mm Pilkington OptifloatTM clear laminate comprising a 12mm toughened and heat soaked outer glass, a 2mm resin interlayer and a 6mm heat strengthened inner pane.
Pilkington developed stainless steel fittings to allow a form of rotational freedom enabling the complex geometry of the facade to be achieved. To create the lightest structure possible, experts from Pilkington and Teleya, in conjunction with the engineering director, developed and calculated in 3D the glass mullion support structure and the conical shape of the glazed surfaces.

Mathematical models were used to analyse the different behaviour of glass, steel and joints, calculating each load and stress point to determine exact pressures on the structure. This allowed the finest and most attractive glass components to be used, particularly for the monolithic glass mullion support structure.

The contracting authority for the project was the Government of the Vatican City, architect was Facchini, construction manager was Arlotti and Cattivelli - Ing.Fausto, Bagnolo (RE) was responsible for engineering.Contact: Phil Savage, Pilkington Architectural.
Tel: 01744 692 378
Fax: 01744 451 326
Email: contact@pilkington.com
Web: www.pilkington.com

No space like dome

The Gordon Riggs Garden Centre, Rochdale, has undergone a transformation thanks to Ultraspan, the commercial division of Ultraframe plc. Owner Peter Rigg wanted not only to expand the premises, but also to give it a whole new look. The resulting structure, designed and built by Ultraspan, not only optimises the space available but is also a stylish addition to the existing building.

Since space was at a premium, the new structure was designed over two floors. This involved increasing the eaves height to 5m but doubled the available floor space. As a result a new cafe could be created within the new building that affords expansive views of the surrounding countryside.
The focal point of the new structure is a 10m high dome. Manufactured from curved steel and aluminium and glazed in clear polycarbonate, it had to be completely assembled and then lifted into position by a 150 tonne crane.

The first floor is constructed on a steel frame and finished in cast concrete. This not only complies with fire regulations but also provides effective sound proofing between the floors. Access to the first floor is via a lift or spiral staircase, while high-level louvres provide good airflow throughout the structure. ln addition, the dome's central finial, as well as being highly decorative, also acts as a lightning conductor.

As a result of its transfomation this long established garden centre has grown in popularity and increased its turnover, as well as becoming a local landmark.

Peter Rigg, owner of the garden centre said: 'The new structure has proved to be a great success in helping to increase sales and it is also much more aesthetically pleasing. We were extremely impressed with the capabilities of Ultraspan in designing and building such an unusual technical structure'

Contact: Alison Elliott, Ultraframe (UK) Ltd.
Tel: 01200 452375
Fax: 01200 414646
Email: sales@ultraspan.co.uk
Web: www.ultraspan.co.uk

The British Museum

When the British Library relocated to its new building in St Pancras, it was the beginning of the transformation of the Great Court at the British Museum. Through an innovative use of laminated glass Foster & Partners transformed the space into the hub of the museum.

The book stacks that were once around the Great Court have been demolished. The area now provides access to all parts of the museum and houses galleries, exhibition and education spaces, as well as shops and restaurants. The restoration includes an undulating laminated glass dome covering a two acre area, greater in size than that of St Paul's.

The dome consists of a filigree canopy of steel latticework and double-glazed laminated glass panels. The steel lattice supports 3,312 triangular laminated glass panels, the size of which were determined by a computer generated mathematical model, as each panel had to be a different size and shape to fit the complex form.

The laminated glazed units combine body-tinted glass with a white dot fritted pattern, giving a high performance shading coefficient to reduce solar gain, but transmitting a high proportion of the visible spectrum. Comprising of an outer sheet of lOmm thick toughened glass, a 16mm air-filled cavity, an inner laminated glass panel comprising two sheets of 6mm clear float glass with two clear PVB interlayers, with a low-e coating on the surface facing the cavity, the total thickness of the panel is 38.6mm.

The roof glazing system is designed to be walked on to carry out routine maintenance. The use of laminated glass in the lower panel means the operatives can walk on the panels in complete safety. They are protected by the laminated glass should the toughened outer sheet fail. Similarly, the laminated glass also protects people in the court below from being hurt by falling debris if the toughened layer should give way.

PILKINGTON ARCHITECTURAL OFFERS FOCUS
FORM AND FUNCTION

The extensive use of Pilkington Architectural's bespoke structural glazing systems has helped to produce one of Poland's most visually stunning buildings, the Focus Building in Warsaw, which is now the largest implementation of Pilkington PlanarTM in the country.

The classic 'form versus function' debate was very much evident in this 10-storey office project. In addition to selecting a material for its aesthetic properties, the freezing temperatures and city centre location called for a system that would also offer thermal and acoustic benefits. The use of double glazed and single glazed Pilkington PlanarTM systems enabled the building to be both attractive and practical and offered peace of mind with the tried and tested system.

Each side of the cuboid building features a completely different design, which, although still maintaining a strong Polish character makes the building stand out from its neighbours.

One of the most striking aspects of the building is a four-storey winter garden located above the entrance. To give uninterrupted views south from this and also to provide maximum light and protection, it was agreed that glass would be the ideal material.

The front, south facing facade features a Pilkington PlanarTM system consisting of a double skin curtain wall constructed of over 2100m2 12mm Pilkington OptifloatTM clear heat soaked toughened safety glass. A further 500m2 of Pilkington PlanarTM was installed to other elevations, 180m2 of which was supplied in double glazing units incorporating a laminated inner leaf.

The main entrance leads in turn to a large rectangular atrium, covered by a glass roof and situated around the atrium are a restaurant, cafe, fitness club, conference centre and a number of retail outlets.

The glass was fixed using Pilkington's 902 fittings. These fix directly to the secondary structure by means of Pilkington PlanarTM spring plate brackets, or castings, and can accommodate any angle of slope - making them ideal for roofs and canopies.

The Pilkington PlanarTM system comprises glass, fittings and support structure, each with a variety of options enabling the best possible solution to be achieved for every application. The system provides a flush glass surface using countersunk holes, stainless steel fittings to fix back the glass facade to the structure instead of the conventional framing systems. The result is a fully engineered system with the minimum of structure and the maximum visual clarity. A silicone seal between adjacent panels provides weatherproofing.

Architect for the Focus Building project was Stefan Kurylowicz of Autorska Pracownia Architecktury Kurylowicz & Associates, the installer was Mostostal Warszawa, Structural Engineers were Biurro Projectow and General Contractor, Mostosal Export SA.

HansenGlass treads the boards at Caesar's Palace

Glass stair treads and balustrades have been supplied by HansenGlass to stunning effect at Caesar's Palace Restaurant in Liverpool.

FortPlusTM toughened and laminated glass panels were supplied to construct a two-tiered staircase, as part of the renovation of Liverpool's largest restaurant. lnstalled by Peter Richards Group of Birkenhead, 19mm FortPlusTM double glazed panels were used to create the balustrades and stair treads with 15mm double glazed FortPlusTM for the mid-storey platform. Architect and designer for the project was Robin Clayton Partnership Ltd, Liverpool.

Designed to complement the contemporary interior of the two-storey building, the glass was sand blasted for aesthetic appeal while preventing the disfiguration of the glass through heavy usage.

FortPlusTM heat soaked toughened glass is ideal for use in balustrade and flooring applications as it is five times stronger than ordinary glass. FortPlusTM has been developed to ensure optimum safety for the public in a variety of critical locations and is fully tested to conform to British Standards, lnternational Safety Standards and Building Regulations.

Email: sales@hansenglass.co.uk

Web: www.hansengroup.co.uk

Laminated Protection for the Great Glass House

When architects Foster & Partners were looking for a way to protect The Great Glass House they chose laminated glass. Manufactured in a variety of thicknesses, the resilient nature of laminated glass makes it an ideal choice for the largest single-span glasshouse in the world.

The Great Glass House is located within the National Botanic Garden of Wales, a new 230 hectare park in Carmarthenshire, Central Wales. The structure is home to 100,000 plants and 10,000 species, all of which thrive in the Mediterranean climate, maintained, in part, by the presence of the laminated glass roof.

The roof is glazed with trapezoidal 4m x 1.5m single glazed panels of 16.8mm polyvinyl butyral (PVB) laminated glass. In all, the oval glass dome measures 95m long and 55m wide. The domed roof is a simple continuous arched form, maximising light transmission, minimising maintenance and making efficient use of materials.

In plan the roof is an ellipse: at the base it is tilted up to open up views of the countryside to the south, and to create a natural grass bank to the north. This helps protect the glasshouse from northerly weather.

The laminated glass panels are silicone bonded at their edges to a natural silver anodised aluminium sub frame, which, in turn, is clamped to a main framing system. Designed as a low maintenance structure, the aluminium frames are fitted with a continuous track to which a safety harness system can be fixed. This means the laminated glass panel roof can be walked on for cleaning and routine maintenance.

Laminated glass derives its durability from a PVB interlayer - Solutia are major suppliers of PVB under its brand name Saflex.

Find out more about Architectural Glazing services from the website:
www.vanceva.com

THE PROTECTION OF THE CHURCH...

When the Holy Trinity Church in Claygate, near Esher was extended recently the safety of the congregation was paramount.

Glaverbel's 11mm thick Pyrobelite fire-resistant glass was specified to doors and screens to the rear of the knave.

Pyrobel and Pyrobelite have high clarity of vision for a specialist glass. However, in a fire the intumescent layers in this laminated glass turn opaque, forming a barrier and minimising any radiated heat from the fire on the other side of the glass. Pyrobel retains its integrity in a fire situation so flames, smoke and poisonous gases are contained. Pyrobelite conforms to BS476: Part 22 and even more stringent continental standards.

The Glaverbel Pyrobelite glass was installed at Holy Trinity by Rankins Glass, London's oldest specialist glass company. The effectiveness of fire resistant glass depends on very particular glazing skills only available from a limited number of companies.

Further details from Glaverbel UK's Rugby office on Tel: 01788 535353 or fax: 01788 560853, e-mail: gvb.uk@glaverbel.com.

Or visit the Rankins Glass website: www.rankinsglass.co.uk

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