FROM HIGH-END LUXURY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES TO MULTI-MILLION POUND COMMERCIAL PROJECTS, ARCHITECTS AND SPECIFIERS ARE CHOOSING TRADITIONAL MATERIALS FOR LANDMARK PROJECTS
To create distinctive design touches when undertaking new build projects, restoration work and building extensions, more and more architects and specifiers are turning to detailing building components to enhance the kerb appeal of their homes, particularly at the front of their properties.
Examples include creating feature windows with a mix of heads, cills, mullions and jambs creating attractive window surrounds or welcoming entrance ways incorporating specially crafted porticos, porch and door surrounds.
Traditionally supplied in natural stone or brick, architects and specifiers are increasingly opting for beautifully crafted cast stone components, a perfect example of time honoured craftsmanship and technology working together in perfect harmony.
John Lambert, General Manager at Forticrete, highlights how beautifully hand-crafted cast stone can deliver the unique character and quality finish, seamlessly replicating natural stone in a cost-effective and timely way.
“Manufactured from high grade limestone and sandstone aggregates, cements, pigments and waterproofing agents, in accordance with the current British, European and the UKCSA standards, cast stone is the ideal material to add these finishing and traditional touches.
“Cast stone has long been perceived to be prone to damage causing many to opt against specifying the material. This is because in many instances it is poorly manufactured resulting in damage which becomes visible in the first couple of days from manufacture. It is during this time that it is often packed and sealed for distribution and as a result, it’s only upon delivery that any potential damage is revealed.
“However, cast stone can be produced to a high quality. With that in mind, it is vital that architects and specifiers ensure they’re sourcing cast stone from suppliers that are prematurely aging the product to improve early handling thanks to (an) innovative curing methods.
“For the architect looking to reflect their individual tastes in their material choices, they should also look to specify quality cast stone that is manufactured by hand using highly skilled craftsmen that carefully produce each piece in-house using a semi-dry or wet cast format. As the cast stone is manufactured by hand, craftsmen are able to produce a wide range of bespoke cast stone products with ease, providing architects and specifiers with the individual style they require.”
Cast stone detailing components are available in a range of colours each created to match regional differences in natural stone colour. However, bespoke cast stone components can also be created to meet design requirements.
Showing just how high performance cast stone detailing can make a dramatic difference to the overall appearance of a building, the external façade of Kennedy Court at Audley St. Elphin’s Park, a luxury retirement village in Derbyshire, has been completed using Forticrete high performance cast stone blocks in three bespoke colours.
Forticrete’s purpose-made cast stone Regency Ashlar blocks were previously specified by M2H Architects after working closely with Audley Retirement and the local planning authority for the main body of the external skin of Robinson Court, an earlier development phase.
Wienerberger has added the all new Olde Wells Rustica to its expanding range of reclaimed style bricks.
Reclaimed bricks are very popular in the UK and tend to have an air of prestige associated with them. However, reclaimed bricks do also bring an element of uncertainty – the bricks tend to come in relatively small batches so consistency of supply may be a concern but it is also difficult to determine the technical performance of bricks that were produced hundreds of years previously and have been in a building for a long time.
To enable customers to enjoy the aesthetic benefits of reclaimed bricks but give them the peace of mind you get from new bricks, Wienerberger offers a wide range of reclaimed style bricks and the introduction of the Olde Wells Rustica further enhances the collection.
Reclaimed style bricks are a safer, modern alternative to genuine reclaimed bricks. A special ‘tumbling’ process is used to recreate the aged, weathered appearance of old bricks. As they are produced to the European Standard EN771-1 they come with a great deal of certainty and performance guarantees such as frost resistance.
Ibstock, the UK’s largest brick maker, has launched the latest edition of its Ibstock-Kevington Special Shapes brochure, exhibiting its extensive range of specially designed bricks and solutions for creating stand-out designs and speeding up builds every day.
The magazine showcases the popular Ibstock-Kevington range of products for delivering stunning architectural visual effects and a ‘special’ edge to projects from either manufactured or cut and bonded brick shapes. Readers of the brochure will discover the endless design possibilities achievable through a combination of technical information and diagrams, and high resolution photography.
The products displayed in the new brochure include bullnose bricks; used for creating vertical and horizontal curves, spiral bricks; a completely unique design which uses a simple shape to create a complex and intricate finished result and Caplock; a capping and coping system that resists vandalism and improves the durability of the wall.
Andrew Halstead-Smith, Group Marketing Manager at Ibstock, says: “The new Special Shapes brochure not only makes the selection process easy, but delivers real design inspiration to support creativity across the industry.
“While brick has, for centuries, provided the traditional cladding for the UK’s buildings, its ability to move with the times and embrace changing trends and styles means it remains the construction material of choice. This brochure allows tradespeople to make informed decisions on how to meet the aesthetic and structural requirements of a building.
“The new brochure also outlines the CAD services available from Ibstock to ensure products fit bespoke specifications from customers.”
Cornish Lime has developed a new bespoke range of traditional and contemporary dry-mix mortars. Perfect for use with specialist projects, Cornerstone is fast making a name for itself with UK architects and specifiers.
Phil Brown, owner and director of Cornish Lime, says: “We have known for many years that the secret to good mortars is in the sand, and for that reason we have always stocked the largest selection of sands in the region to make available a range of ready-mixed, lime putty-based mortars. We are now in a position to supply that same extensive range of mortars as dry ready-mixed NHL mortars – you only have to add water and knock up.”
Although not the first to offer dry ready-mixed NHL mortars, the beauty of the Cornerstone range is that it is made from Cornish Lime’s own extensive range of stock sands, or to customers’ own specific requirements, dried in-house to the firm’s strict design standards rather than using stock sands from 3rd party suppliers. This ensures a high quality product is guaranteed.
Sika Multi-Stick is a new generation in hybrid polymer grab adhesive from Everbuild, designed especially for the trade with the ability to bond virtually anything to everything.
Solvent free and based on new SPUR technology, Sika Multi Stick boasts incredible initial grab, high bonding strength and excellent slip resistance and is capable of bonding almost all materials, both porous and non-porous including, brick and concrete. Suitable for both interior and exterior applications, Sika Multi Stick is completely waterproof and weatherproof and can even be applied to wet surfaces, underwater or in the rain.
Available in 350ml plastic cartridges and packaged into eye catching printed boxes, this product is sure to fly off the shelves and into toolboxes everywhere.
