THE DESIGNERS - Design news from around the world 010 NEWS - Latest news from the building industry

he Edition collection alabaster pendant lights from Atelier Alain Ellouz exude a warm, delicate character to add charm to your interior. With their sober, aerial, striking or sleek design, one element above your table offers graceful décor, or you can compose them to set the tone in kitchens, dining rooms or restaurant settings. In an expression of contemporary elegance, they defy the laws of gravity. T These pieces give the alabaster stone a weightlessness due to their wellbalanced and harmonious floating shapes . They share simple alabaster design and subtle geometrical contours. As direct light or diffused radiance, they adapt to any room thanks to their easy installation. Handcrafted by the artisans at Atelier Alain Ellouz, these lighting elements express the stone’s vibrant richness. Whether the stone is back-lit or natural, alabaster diffuses a delicate yet resonant light ideal for contemplation. The light is set at the core of the stone and passes through its deeply-ingrained patterns. edition.atelieralainellouz.com

nternational architecture and design firm Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel (ACPV) unveils the restyling of historic HQ of Italian multinational energy company ENEL, in Rome. The intervention by ACPV reimagines a building from the 1960s, rewriting it with completely different functional principles that realign it with the work needs of tomorrow - having corporate welfare, urban regeneration, innovation and sustainability at the heart of the project.

The redevelopment covers a total area of 80,000 sqm with a project designed to increase people's well-being through modern and comfortable workspaces, and enhance agile working. The lighting and air conditioning systems will guarantee the highest levels of comfort, while spaces will be distributed to increase people’s well-being through the alternation of work environments and indoor and outdoor green spaces. A gym will also be added to the existing facilities that include a kindergarten, dining areas, and an auditorium.

Working on the redevelopment of the historic Enel headquarters in Rome, ACPV's intervention brings to life a “building-city”, composed of towers that are harmonised by the newly found transparency of the building envelope. The glass of the new façade invites the eye to leap between architecture and the surrounding vegetation. The new headquarters will be built by applying innovative principles of bioclimatic, sustainable and biophilic design. A digital model (BIM) was used for the design, which collects and renders information and 3D representations of the project’s entire life cycle, allowing for a more efficient and sustainable management both of the construction site and the building. www.citterio-viel.com

NEWS Improved energy efficiency of the whole window installation, not just the frame, can be provided this SEAL IT WITH ENERGY EFFICIENT TAPES winter with ISO BLOCO 600 self-adhesive sealant tapes from ISO-Chemie. The precompressed tapes, which have been independently tested and are both BBA and Passivhaus certified, can be used on joints up to 42 mm, providing a highperformance weather tightness and thermal/acoustic insulation seal for fenestration applications. THE LATEST IN HEATING CONTROL

ISO BLOCO ONE 600 are energy rated weather tight thermal and acoustic tapes which reduce heat loss and noise ingress to a U value better or equal to the frame. This assures property and homeowners that a comprehensive ‘A’ rated installation can been completed rather than just an ‘A’ rated window supplied. www.iso-chemie.eu/en-GB/home/

The A. Proctor Group, synonymous with technically advanced thermal, acoustic and membrane solutions for the construction industry, has further extended its RIBA Approved CPD seminar collection. Aimed at architects, specifiers and contractors, attendees will receive technical advice from A. Proctor Group technical experts, providing the latest guidance on British and European Standards, compliance with Building Regulations, and learning on how to maximise performance and avoid potential failures.

Each seminar is available as an in-person seminar provided within practice or as in-depth Online Learning material to support individuals with their Continuing Professional Development.

Iain Fairnington, the Technical Director at A. Proctor Group adds, “our CPDs have proved invaluable to professionals involved in the design and construction of buildings. Through the CPD series, we aim to provide technically accurate learning based on best practices, innovation, and project examples to help individuals make informed choices when specifying product solutions for their projects.” To book a CPD visit www.proctorgroup.com/riba-cpd-seminars. ESi Controls has launched its new, top of the range, 6 Series WiFi Programmable Room Thermostat, offering the latest in heating control for homes and commercial premises here in the UK. Fully OpenTherm compatible, this new range of controls allows full control via the room thermostat or via a mobile phone or tablet, with a range of features to impress even the most demanding specifier, installer or homeowner.

It includes Optimum Start/ Stop, Domestic Hot Water (DHW) setpoint, Hot Water time and temperature control when working in conjunction with a wireless cylinder thermostat, and is an ERP Class 5 Product. www.esicontrols.co.uk

Stelrad Radiators popular CIBSE and RIBA accredited CPD programmes are still available for face-to-face presentations, but they are now also available conveniently online. You can simply go to the Stelrad website at www.stelrad.com/cpd-online-training/ open the programme at your convenience, digest the information and take the test at the end of the presentation and submit your answers.

If you’ve passed, Stelrad send a certificate for you to add the CPD points to your running total for your professional body. For more information, call 01709 578950 or email marketing@stelrad.com

Recent tests have shown that Troldtekt acoustic panels withstand moisture levels up to 98%, even when combined with high temperatures up to 40°C. These latest tests were carried out by the accredited Danish Technological Institute to the European product standard for suspended ceilings (EN 13964).

While the composition of the panels has remained unchanged, this new round of stringent testing reinforces the fact that the panels are suitable for the most demanding of wet, warm and humid environments. They do not warp over time, giving them a life span in excess of 50 years. The panels are inherently robust and durable because the combined strength of the cement coupled with the breathability of wood means the structure does not rot and acts as an anti-microbial surface resisting fungal growth and other microorganisms. www.troldtekt.co.uk

The new OSMO® F1 concealed cistern from TYDE is the first ever front access serviceable syphon cistern designed for use with WC furniture & IPS panelling. OSMO® F1 is a new innovative concealed cistern designed to be stylish, versatile and easy to fit and service with minimal disruption to WC furniture or panelling. Fitted with Turbo Edge®, the world’s most compact syphon and guaranteed to be leak-free and Hydroflo® quiet fill type AG inlet valve.

Type AB weir overflow makes the cistern fluid category 5 compliant; the only way to be compliant to water regs in standard height furniture. Factory assembled for easy install with front access for effortless service and maintenance, comes with a 10 year warranty. www.thomasdudley.co.uk/tyde

The A. Proctor Group, synonymous with technically advanced thermal, acoustic and membrane solutions for the construction industry, has introduced a RIBA Approved CPD seminar titled “Building Refurbishment, Systems for Retrofit & Conservation.” Aimed at architects, specifiers and contractors, attendees will receive technical advice from A. Proctor Group technical experts, providing the latest guidance on British and European Standards, compliance with Building Regulations, and learning on how to maximise performance and avoid potential failures.

Iain Fairnington, Technical Director, commented, “This session provides an overview of the factors to consider in refurbishment and conservation projects, including the basics of building physics as related to hygrothermal design. It also provides an overview of the standards, regulations and frameworks involved in designing for retrofit and conservation.”

Iain adds, “our CPDs have proved invaluable to professionals involved in the design and construction of buildings. Through the CPD series, we aim to provide technically accurate learning based on best practices, innovation, and project examples to help individuals make informed choices when specifying product solutions for their projects.”

Please get in touch with A. Proctor's technical department for more information on their CPDs or book a CPD on the ribacpd.com website. www.proctorgroup.com

HAURATON’s new web-based application ‘DesignSoftware’ provides construction industry professionals with quick, simple hydraulic analysis, channel sizing, project design and product specification for the company’s range of surface drainage systems (for landscape, commercial and civils projects) whilst working on their own desk-top computers, laptops and tablets. Immediate access for registration and use of this new hydraulic design software is achieved through the link: https://hydraulicdesign.hauraton.com. User-friendly and free-of-charge, HAURATON ‘DesignSoftware’ provides engineers with the flexibility to create their own drainage designs and project specifications, with just three clicks to a hydraulic calculation.

HAURATON has used their ‘in-house’ hydraulic design software to create project designs for over 30 years with total reliability. In addition to this new software application, HAURATON offers a comprehensive design service, which is also free of charge. www.hauraton.co.uk