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Lakesmere designs, installs and maintains wall cladding, standalone roofs and partial or complete building envelopes that incorporate glazing.

The company, which was founded 13 years ago and employs about 180 people spread across four offices in the UK, is currently working on 30 public and private sector projects.

Its most recent completed projects include the National Assembly of Wales, the Liverpool South Parkway Interchange and the Xscape indoor ski dome in Glasgow.

Chris Horsfall, a director at Lakesmere, says the company likes to get involved as early as possible in the specification process. If it doesn鈥檛, architects will already have made up their minds about their vision for the project and want it to work at any costs. It is sometimes easier to deal with contractors than architects, he says, because they鈥檙e more open to design changes. 鈥淲ith contractors we have more free rein.鈥�

He prefers to work with a blank piece of paper. 鈥淭his way, we can optimize the design of the primary structure. It saves costs on the main frame and also eliminates unnecessary future secondary support elements that would otherwise be needed to make cladding fit the architect鈥檚 vision.鈥�

Horsfall says the designs that the company has to work on are not generally very detailed. But this suits Lakesmere just fine. 鈥淚n fact,鈥� he says, 鈥渨e prefer this to too much detail, which invariably sets the design and doesn鈥檛 allow us to use our flair and experience.鈥�

The fit-out specialist has noticed an increasing trend towards sparse designs, a consequence of ever-changing 好色先生TV Regulations. It has responded to this by acquiring the latest 3D CAD technology tools to help it influence the design.

Horsfall is convinced that this approach can only have a huge benefit for clients and contractors. Employing a loyal supply chain, including the likes of Technal, Sch眉co and Kingspan, at the earliest stage, is another way to deliver projects for best value, he says.

This is essential on projects that are technically challenging. One was the 2004 refurbishment of the envelope of John Dalton tower at Manchester Metropolitan University, undertaken with Laing O鈥橰ourke. Horsfall explains how the external facade had to be stripped back to a primary concrete frame and all internal walls had to be removed and refitted after cladding.

鈥淲e had to design a lattice support frame solution that could span column to column and accept various glazing and cladding systems without loading the floors prior to internal walls being installed,鈥� he says.

鈥淭he construction had to be flexible so it could be adapted when final wall positions and acoustic conditions would be advised.鈥�

The company might be ambitious in its approach to work and the scale of projects it鈥檚 taking on, but Horsfall warns against unrealistic expectations among work partners. He says: 鈥淲hen setting your goals, whether daily or weekly, always reappraise them and reduce them by half. Most other colleagues will struggle to match your own momentum.鈥�