One of the country's leading technology colleges has reopened following a £28.5 million project that utilised specialist glazing systems to create a stunning new approach to the school environment. Leigh Technology Academy in Dartford, Kent, which first opened in 1990, is rated academically as one of highest-achieving schools in England and Wales, with a school roll of over 1200 pupils - a flagship establishment that is pioneering new ways of learning in business, sport and science. Underlying that difference in teaching approach, glass and glazing systems from leading supplier Wrightstyle were used within the building to form transparent linkages between classrooms and common areas, and between exterior and interior spaces.

Construction sector set to benefit from the arrival of RMD Kwikform With the construction sector booming and the 2010 world cup getting ever closer, the industry has had a welcome boost, thanks to the opening of a South African division by global formwork and falsework specialist RMD Kwikform. Having previously supported the market through its business development team, RMD Kwikform has heavily invested in new premises, staff and equipment to bring its world leading product range to South Africa. To find out more about the business, its ambitious plans for the future and how it is setting up its services to tackle some of the key issues in the construction sector, leadership caught up with RMD Kwikform South Africa's new MD, Theunis Visser, an individual with an impressive background in the construction sector.

With more than a third of house buyers adding underfloor heating to their top five wish list1, the new OSMA Underfloor Heating (UFH) electric mat system from Wavin will come as a welcome addition to its already extensive range of 'genius' UFH options. The new UFH electric mat systems are available in 100W/m² and 150W/m² to accommodate different floor structures and are the perfect option for the renovation and refurbishment market. The electric mat system complements the existing OSMA UFH range giving home owners complete flexibility when it comes to choosing the right UFH option for their individual needs.

Wavin Plastics, the UK's leading supplier of plastic pipe systems and solutions, has expanded its OSMA Soil and Waste portfolio to provide increased compatibility with current waste solutions. Wavin's Solvent Weld Overflow range now includes a 21.5mm system, a new addition to the range of system sizes from Wavin for the efficient removal of overflow water from condensing boilers and cisterns. The system enables direct connection to condensing boilers and provides secure, permanent jointing from products manufactured to industry standard BS EN 1455. Offered by the new system is a comprehensive range of pipes and fittings - 29 in all, including reducer pipes to provide compatibility with other fittings and waste systems.

Bosch Security Systems is extending its Conettix family of security- and fire-alarm modules with a communications receiver/gateway module offering enhanced communication features. The new D6100i module supports internet or intranet communications over a Local-Area Network (LAN) or Wide-Area Network (WAN), plus telephone line communications over the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). Bosch's Conettix family is a complete line of security communication modules for intrusion and fire systems. Designed to provide reliable data transmission over a wide range of transmission paths and formats, the modules transmit security and fire alarms to monitoring centers and users, as well as enabling data up/download for Bosch intrusion and fire panels.

Icynene Inc. is pleased to announce that it has received European Technical Approval for its unique water blown soft foam insulation used in commercial, institutional, industrial and residential buildings for both new construction and retrofit. The certification was carried out over a period of several years at the Finnish accreditation body VTT and ratified in early 2008 by the members of EOTA, the European Organization for Technical Approvals. Icynene will now be able to use the CE mark on its labeling and other printed materials. Icynene soft foam insulation was invented in Canada in 1986 and has air barrier, insulation and acoustical properties.

Icynene Inc. is pleased to announce that it has received CPD (Continuing Professional Development) accreditation from the Royal Institute of British Architects for its talk "Control of Air Leakage - Referencing Part L of the Building Regulations". The 40 minute talk will be offered in all areas of the United Kingdom by qualified building science specialists commencing in March 2008. The talk will offer new perspectives on building design and energy savings based on recent research in building science which has changed our understanding of how buildings actually behave. Energy and moisture flows and the importance of air barrier will be examined along with the background to recent changes in the building regulations in the UK and other countries.

Distributed storage enhances reliability and performance of CCTV networks. Bosch Security Systems' new Video Recording Manager (VRM) provides centralized management and monitoring of video servers, cameras and iSCSI storage units within an IP-based CCTV network. Bosch's VRM 1.0 significantly enhances the management of storage capacity by treating storage blocks within the system at the logical or virtual level rather than the physical level. Virtualization of storage blocks allows for complete flexibility and scalability in the allocation of storage throughout the network. Recorded video is distributed over all available iSCSI RAID units on the network, rather than recording on a single storage device directly connected to an NVR.

Mid-range digital video recorders with professional-level performance. With its new Bosch Divar MR Digital Versatile Recorder (DVR), Bosch makes professional-level DVR performance more accessible to everyone. Ease-of-use and powerful functionality go together to create a convenient video management solution. It combines high quality recording with flexible system management including alarm handling, camera control and device checking capability. The Divar MR delivers real-time recording and playback in CIF resolution, as well as high resolution live viewing. 4CIF can also be used for applications where even greater detail is needed.

New "Access Personal Edition" access control software from Bosch firmly established in the market. The Access Personal Edition, the new software for access control systems from Bosch, is a modular solution that is perfectly suited for use in small and medium-sized premises, offices, production plants and military facilities. The new software also fits the bill for the German Economic Federation for Civil Servants in Bonn, seamlessly and smoothly meeting its each and every requirement. The access control system from Bosch in operation at the German Economic Federation for Civil Servants comprises Access Personal Edition and three access control panels, along with 16 card readers, which have been seamlessly integrated into the existing intercom system and adapted to its design.

Bosch Security Systems has introduced important extensions to the functionality of its DCN Wireless Discussion System. The wireless discussion units can now be combined with DCN Next Generation wired discussion units to provide an easy and efficient way of adding extra capacity to any wired DCN Next Generation conference facility. Moreover, in addition to discussion and voting facilities, the DCN Wireless system now offers 10-language interpretation capability, enabling participants to follow discussions in their native language via a channel selector on the wireless discussion units. Introduced in 2006, Bosch's DCN Wireless Discussion System has been specially designed for multi-use venues, particularly where rapid set-up and dismantling are needed for different configurations and number of participants.

Bosch Security Systems has expanded its line of Professional Series intrusion detectors with two new models that feature the multi-point anti-mask technology with integrated spray detection. This new technology utilizes patented prism lenses and active infrared detection to protect against all known forms of attack, providing superior protection against sabotage. The new detectors comply with the latest worldwide regulatory standards for detection of objects covering or placed in front of the detector. The detectors are sensitive to various materials regardless of texture or color, including fabric, paper, metal, plastic, tape and sprays.

Bosch's 500 Series conventional flush-mount smoke detectors have won a Readers' Choice award from Building Operating Management magazine. The detectors were among the products featured in Building Operating Management magazine throughout 2007 and which readers most often sought additional information about. As a result of winning this award, a special report about the 500 Series smoke detectors will appear in the January 2008 edition of Building Operating Management. The magazine is read by more than 73,000 building owners and executives responsible for four million facilities throughout North America. This is the ninth industry award the 500 Series has won since its introduction in 2005.

Open Box, a luminare from Fagerhult Lighting has been installed within Phase 1 of a refurbishment of the headquarters for clothing company Diesel situated in London. The high ceilings and open plan offices required architects Leckenby Associates to find a product that would be unobtrusive but distinctive, provide no glare and suit the contemporary style of the client. The twin 35w suspended pendant Open Box was chosen with the added accessory of an integral pull cord to provide the opportunity of individual switching within the space. Craig Leckenby explains: "We chose the Open Box as it fulfilled all the clients requirements both in its ashtetics and its functionality with the added bonus of a very competitive price for the quality of product.

From impressive glass facades at a top sporting museum to simple features at local schools, BIGStudio Glass Design have done it all, big and small The WOW factor, BIGStudio has gone from strength to strength and boast a remarkable portfolio of clients. The company's entrepreneurial outlook has resulted in the award of many major contracts, beating much larger contenders or international competitors to win such work. Previous jobs have included water features at Canary Wharf, feature screens for the Buzzard oil rig and glass facades for Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum. This year BIGStudio have been commissioned to create striking designs for Wimbledon's new Centre Court development in its luxury retail areas, champagne bar and restaurants, including a carved replica of the men's trophy in a large backlit glass wall.

Located in London, Birmingham and the Thames Valley, Morgan Lovell is the UK's best known office design, fit out and refurbishment specialist. With our own teams of project managers, designers, surveyors and construction experts, we can design, manage and deliver your entire project, with only one point of contact. Morgan Lovell&squo;s services feature: Refurbishment of an existing office or interior fit out of a new one One point of contact to check every detail Guaranteed on-time and on-budget delivery A design and build approach which is 40% faster and costs up to 15% less Whether our clients are relocating or refurbishing their offices, we manage the whole process - from the initial planning stages all the way through to the move-in day ‐ all in accordance to fixed timescales and costs agreed with the client.

Fabric fold-up doors are the best alternative for large-scale door locations requiring high-quality heat and noise insulation such as factory sheds, aircraft hangars, harbours and energy storehouses. Champion Door offers a wide variety of fold-up doors which can be designed and manufactured from standardised components according to customer specification. All Champion Door products are extremely dependable and durable, and bear the CE mark as standard. Standing at the forefront of Champion Door&squo;s aircraft hangar door range are the NK2 Double and NK4 Warm models. Their rigid frame construction makes them ideal for large-scale exterior door locations, and thanks to Champion Door&squo;s unique elevating support solution, they can cater for any hangar entrance regardless of width or length.

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Tue, 28 Feb 2006 15:00:50 GMT Tue, 28 Feb 2006 15:00:50 GMT 2008-05-14T00:00:00Z 2008-05-14T00:00:00Z http://www.designbuild-network.com/projects/Danish Maritime Muse/ Design Build Network

In 2007, the Danish Maritime Museum, which is housed at Kronborg Castle in Helsingør (Elsinore), held an open competition to design a new building for its extensive historic collection. The Danish architecture firm, Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), won with its imaginative proposal for an 'invisible' space. "The Danish Maritime Museum is housed at Kronborg Castle in Helsingør." Kronborg Castle, which was built in 1574, is a UNESCO World Heritage site located on a peninsula jutting out to sea. It is the setting for Shakespeare's Hamlet and one of Denmark's biggest tourist attractions.

2008-05-14T00:00:00Z 2008-05-14T00:00:00Z http://www.designbuild-network.com/projects/guangzhou-tv-tower/ Design Build Network

The design for the Guangzhou TV Tower in China was won by Information Based Architecture (IBA) in 2004. Architects Mark Hemel and Barbara Kuit have proposed one of the tallest buildings on the banks of the Pearl River in Guangzhou's Tianhe District, standing at a height of 610m. It is expected that once completed, the tower will have 10,000 visitors daily, especially as the city is playing host to the 2010 Asian Games. The architects aimed to design a free-form tower with a rich and human-like identity that would represent Guangzhou as a vibrant and exciting city. The non-symmetrical form portraying the building 'in movement' has led to nicknaming it 'the supermodel'.

2008-04-25T00:00:00Z 2008-04-25T00:00:00Z http://www.designbuild-network.com/projects/aberystwyth/ Design Build Network

In 2005 the University of Wales Arts Centre at Aberystwyth University developed a plan to produce 16 starter units for small business arts enterprises to encourage commercial enterprise in the area. The project, it was decided, should be constructed as many units, instead of just a single block, on a wooded plot near the main campus. Consequently the project was put forward into a design competition for architects to make suggestions for the innovative project. "Aberystwyth Arts Centre is the largest and most successful in Wales." Aberystwyth Arts Centre is the largest and most successful in Wales with a turnover of €5.