Countryside Environmental centre, Redditch, Worcestershire

Redditch council conceived the scheme as an environment-friendly project but the original budget of £1.2m had to be cut by about half, so some of the environmental aims were modified. Sustainable materials were used where possible: for example, the building is clad in wood and the roof is supported by timber gulam beams.

On Line Architects was asked to find ways of reducing the cost and it was carried forward as a design-and-build project. Wheatley Construction was responsible for specifying the detailing.

Ebony stained softwood windows
Emco Joinery

Light grey roof sheeting
Kilobuild Coventry

Light pine stain
Cowley Structural Timberwork

Black metal balcony balustrading
JPG Site Service

High build repair mortar
Mulsifix High Build 40 repair mortar has been developed as a structural repair product for bridges and multistorey car parks. The cementitious mortar is factory blended with an acrylic polymer and simply requires the addition of water. The mortar is said to achieve a compressive strength of 40 N/mm2, with shrinkage of less than 0.02% after 28 days.

A migratory corrosion inhibitor is incorporated in the mix to reduce corrosion to structural steel.
Weber & Broutin

Glass radiator
Fondis has developed a glass radiator system called Solaris, which comprises a translucent metallic heating layer sandwiched between two glass panels. The heating element is deposited on the inner glass layer; the second layer of toughened glass forms the outer, decorative face of the radiator. The radiator is claimed to be more efficient than standard convection radiators and is available a range of colours and finishes.
Fondis

100% recycled sound insulation
An acoustic insulation made from 100% recycled newspaper has been launched by Fillcrete. Soundcel is designed for timber frame structures, such as floors and internal or party walls, and is installed by injection into floor or wall voids. The product is said to be resistant to fire and biological attack and is free from CFCs and other toxic substances.
Fillcrete

Fluorescent luminaires
Two fluorescent luminaires called Libraline and Lento have been produced by Fagerhult Lighting. Both lights are designed for wall washing and are suitable for mounting directly onto a wall. Libraline can also be mounted on top of a display unit, and Lento can be pendant-mounted on wire. The lights are made from anodised aluminium and are available in white or aluminium enamel.
Fagerhult Lighting

Westminster facing brick
Hanson Brick has extended the company's Desimpel range of facing bricks with the addition of the Westminster Red Multi Stock. The brick is said to be reminiscent of many traditional stock bricks used in south-east England.
Hanson Brick

Double-glazed sash window
Sashworks Ventrolla has devised a double-glazed version of the traditional sash window, approved for use in historic homes and conservation areas. Double-glazed units are secured in the windows in a way that ensures the glazing bars closely match the Georgian or Victorian originals.
Sashworks Ventrolla

Impact resistant board
An impact-resistant board, Gyproc Duraline XL, has been launched by British Gypsum to replace the company's Duraline product. The board features a gypsum core, reinforced with glass fibre and an engineered paper liner making it lighter and easier to install than its predecessor. When used with the Gyproc DuraWall metal stud partition system the board is suitable for applications that require both sound insulation and impact resistance, such as hospitals or schools.
British Gypsum

Fire resistant cavity closers
Cavi30, a range of cavity closers with a 30-minute fire rating, has been launched by Cavity Trays. The closers feature non-combustible semi-rigid rock mineral wool insulation bonded with a high-performance binder. They are anchored in position with stainless steel ties and are suitable for cavities up to 100 mm wide.
Cavity Trays