More Focus 鈥� Page 236
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Features
Mineral wool insulation
Knauf Insulation has launched an environmentally friendly mineral wool insulation with lower embodied energy. Using its patented 鈥淓cose Technology鈥�, the insulation has a distinctive natural brown colour 鈥� rather than yellow 鈥� as a result of a new sustainable binder made from renewable materials rather than oil-based chemicals
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FeaturesIn XS: Highlights from from XS Extreme
Some highlights from XS Extreme, a book showcasing perception-defying architecture, from the wilds of Chile to, er, Lincolnshire
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FeaturesThe big swoop: Impact of US consultants on UK firms
US consultants are huge, they鈥檙e rich and they鈥檙e looking to cut themselves a big slice of the UK market, but what does that mean for UK firms 鈥�
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FeaturesJust how bad are Dubai's labour camps?
Under UAE law, workers鈥� camps must be clean, well lit and provide 40ft2 of living space for each resident. They are also denounced as among the most inhumane in the world. Roxane McMeeken went there to find out why
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FeaturesTrustMark: a 拢22k tale of horror
This is the story of a man who gave a TrustMark-registered firm 拢22k to renovate his home. What he got for his money was two weeks鈥� worth of work, three years of hell and a wrecked house. But how did the builder keep its reassuring logo?
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FeaturesSchool acoustics: Can you hear me at the back?
Teachers are being drowned out, education is suffering, and yet acoustics in schools seem to be getting worse, not better. Stephen Kennett reports on a rules review that could change the way we build
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FeaturesChange of route
It might lack something in glamour, but right now the public sector is proving to be one of the few hotspots in a barren landscape. No wonder many construction professionals are pulling in for an extended stay
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Features
The tracker: Deceleration
The industry is still declining, but the rate has slowed, and the activity index is at an eight-month high. This may be the first step, says Experian Business Strategies, on the path to recovery
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FeaturesFirst Impressions: Schemes by Herzog & de Meuron and Zaha
Postgraduate architecture student from the Royal College of Art comments on five schemes
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FeaturesHandmade tiles
Specialist tile maker Craven Dunnill Jackfield has played a key role in the restoration of the tiled hall floor at Keble college, Oxford.
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FeaturesNylon carpets
Burmatex has launched Surface, a textured nylon loop carpet tile created with the cost-effective refurbishment of offices in mind.
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FeaturesFast learner: HOK in Kazakhstan
From the moment architect HOK won the contract to design and build a school in Kazakhstan it had 20 months to complete it. Dan Stewart finds out how it got on
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FeaturesBudget hotels: Premier Inn's purple reign
Alex Flach, the man in charge of building the Premier Inn budget hotels, says he wants to build, build, build 鈥� which should give some of you looking for work a good night鈥檚 sleep. Especially if you like purple
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FeaturesA bad time to be a new idea: tried and tested innovations
With margins heading south, there has never been a more compelling case for doing things differently. The bad news is that trailblazing innovations can be expensive. Fortunately, as Thomas Lane reports, there are some pretty good ideas already out there 鈥�
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FeaturesCountry focus: Croatia
The economy here is weathering the global recession better than most, and a shrewd firm might want to get in before the EU accession boom. Milan Momcilovic of EC Harris gives the briefing
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Features
好色先生TV pathology: Screeds
A problem with a cement-sand screed can put an entire floorspace out of action. Peter Mayer of BLP Insurance examines how it happens 鈥� and how it can be put right
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FeaturesOn repeat: standardised flooring
What if all aspects of flooring were as standardised as linoleum? Chloe Stothart reports on a drive to create a general specification for floor cassettes that could have consequences for all off-site modules
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FeaturesSlip-resistant decking
Finnforest has launched WalkSure, a slip-resistant deck board that provides a colourful alternative to traditional timber decking, suitable for use in external commercial, leisure and communal settings.
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Features
Timber frame buildings
The Swedish manufacturer, Masonite Beams, has developed a building system that allows the construction of timber-framed buildings up to eight storeys in height, with internal clear spans of up to 10m.