Balustrade called into service at new fire station
Improving accessibility has always been a recurring theme in the specification of Neaco’s products and so it proved again when our balustrade systems were called into service for entrance ramps at Humberside Fire and Rescue Service’s new cutting-edge Hull Central Fire Station.
The new 24-hour, fully staffed Hull Central Fire Station on Spring Street replaces the outdated fire station on Worship Street, providing sleeping accommodation for four watches, a new training hub, meeting accommodation, high specification gym and rest areas. The £2m city centre facility was designed by Jefferson Sheard Architects as part of a multi-disciplinary team established by Mace. The brief required an accessible and welcoming facility to serve the local community and Neaco’s contribution was integral to this key design objective with powder coated aluminium handrails and balustrade to steps and two extensive ramps at the main entrance. The system was also specified with glass infill panels for a first-floor terrace whilst our stainless steel balustrade was chosen for an internal stairwell.
Jefferson Sheard Architects’ Project Lead, Mark Fannon, commented:
“Health and safety and accessibility are always key drivers on all of our designs. Neaco’s balance of form and function enabled us to fulfill our brief with a cost effective solution, whilst achieving the desired aesthetic.”
The station’s location in the heart of the city, in a high traffic flow area, presented a challenge which required multiple entrance and exit points to enable the crews to avoid congested traffic and maximise the speed of response times. The overall £3.36m project has also delivered a firefighting facility crewed by on-call staff in the village of Brough. Both stations incorporate amenities such as IT training and meeting space and gym areas which can be accessed by community groups upon appointment. Jefferson Sheard Architects is very familiar with Neaco’s products, having specified them from a wide range of past projects encompassing a variety of sectors.
Neaco’s range of handrails, balustrade and balconies offers a huge range of modular components options including a variety of stanchions, top rails and various infills including vertical rails, horizontal rails, toughened glass, tension wire and perforated panels. The company’s diverse product range also includes structural glass, adaptive bathing facilities and versatile aluminium open grilles for flooring, screening, cladding and shading applications. All products are backed by a class-leading Lifetime Guarantee.
Another luxury development features Neaco’s balustrade
A range of one and two bedroom luxury properties in Hunstanton has become the latest prestigious apartment development to feature Neaco’s contemporary glass panel balustrade systems.
The four-storey complex includes extensive terrace areas with Neaco’s balustrade combining glass infill panels with aluminium stanchions and rails specified in a grey powder coated finish. In contrast to balustrade with a painted finish, which is prone to flaking, the hard-wearing durability of the powder coating ensures that Neaco’s balustrade retains its impressive aesthetic quality. It also provides low thermal conductivity to prevent handrails from becoming extremely cold to the touch in winter conditions. The comfort of the touch is further enhanced by a modular system which is connected internally to avoid external fixtures and provide a smooth finish throughout. Comprising a variety of spacious apartment designs, the development offers a high specification throughout with communal lounge, guest suite, roof terrace, camera entry system and underfloor heating.
Neaco’s modular balustrade systems offer a huge range of components to meet virtually any design permutation and built environment. The powder coating is available in a wide choice of solid colours, metallic colours and wood-effect reproductions of natural oak grain. Other infill options include tension wire, mesh, vertical rails, horizontal rails and perforated panels. The range also includes four different stanchion styles and various handrail diameters and shapes. Systems are also available in satin polished stainless steel or an aluminium/stainless steel combination.
Neaco also design and manufacture a range of mobility bathing products including true level access showers, half height shower doors, grab rails, shower seats an drop-down support rails. Our product portfolio also includes versatile aluminium grille systems which are ideal for a wide variety of applications, including roof access walkways, terrace and balcony decking, brise soleils and cladding. All products are backed by a class-leading Lifetime Guarantee.
World-class stadium design features Techdek walkways
neaco’s Techdek aluminium grilles have been specified as maintenance access walkways totalling over 232m in length on the striking roof structure which crowns the 51,000-seat Estadio BBVA Bancomer in Monterrey, Mexico. Designed by The Kansas City-based Populous, the $200 million stadium was completed last year and is home to Club de Fútbol Monterrey. It features more premium seating than any other football stadium in Latin America and is the most expensive stadium ever built in Mexico. The venue boasts 324 suites with high-end furniture and finishes, 4,500 club seats and adjacent lounges sporting luxury food, beverage and seating options.
The aluminum-clad stadium’s design reflects the history of brewing and steel manufacturing in Monterrey with the silhouette of brewing stills inspiring an asymmetrical shape that frames the beautiful Cerro de la Silla mountain south of Monterrey. Its self-supported tripodal structure is purposefully sculptural in form and flanked by rolled steel trusses clad in aluminum, paying tribute to the steels mills that once thrived in the city. Air flow comes in via ‘gills’ in the facade, ventilating the stadium and keeping spectators and players comfortable. The cantilevered roof, which is a vast structure of 55 meters, also guarantees comfort within the stadium.
neaco’s self-draining modular grille panels are precision engineered in easy-to-handle dimensions. They are approximately one third of the weight of steel, yet offer impressive durability and load-bearing capacity, making them ideal for stadium roof walkway applications. The walkway retains a high residual value and the aluminium is fully recyclable.
Balustrade and decking make a splash at lakeside setting
Neaco’s semi-structural glass balustrade and aluminium decking systems have been extensively specified at The Slate, the University of Warwick’s impressive £4.27m conference centre occupying a waterside setting in the heart of the campus near Coventry.
Designed by Associated Architects and built by Speller Metcalfe, the single storey facility comprises 650 sqm of flexible event space, including a large multi-purpose conference room, kitchen, office and plant room. Providing a capacity of up to 400 delegates, the building maximises views of the adjoining lake with a predominance of glazing and no pillars or fixtures to obscure the outlook. Neaco’s Elan semi-structural glass with aluminium powder coated stanchions and handrails lines the full-length front terrace overlooking the lake and has been designed to accommodate the view with clear glass panel infills. Most balustrade designs secure glass infill panels in place by attaching them to the stanchions with a clip, but Elan’s glass panels are secured by a top rail above and a subtle floor channel below. The result is a sleek appearance, an economical use of materials and an easy-to-install solution. The terrace also features Neaco’s Neatdek aluminium grille decking.
Neaco’s National Sales Manager, Peter Melia, said: “We are delighted to have contributed a specification to this outstanding project. Our Elan semi-structural glass system is ideal for the purpose of maximising views, serving a vital aspect of this building. Our aluminium grilles are enjoying a major surge in demand as decking for terraces and balconies due to their efficient drainage, exceptional fire resistance, anti-slip surfaces and maintenance-free durability with a lifespan of between 60 and 100 years. These attributes give our products a clear advantage over timber, GRP and composite decking in similar applications.”
The Slate has been designed to provide tailor-made experiences and offers exclusive occupancy with completely open and fluid space. The project has been designed to BREEAM Excellent with various sustainable features including PV panels and use of the existing hot water and power system as well as extensive sheet piling and SUDS drainage due to the presence of the lake.
Neaco’s durable balustrade offers lasting visual quality
Neaco’s contemporary balustrade and balconies have been chosen for another beautiful seaside development of luxury apartments, this time on the scenic coast of Norfolk.
The complex of 31 properties features Juliet balconies, extensive balustrade to balcony terraces and a communal rooftop terrace enjoying enjoying spectacular long-distance views over the Wash bay and estuary. The balustrade and balconies include glass infill panels combined with aluminium stanchions and rails specified in a white powder coated finish.
Neaco’s National Sales Manager, Peter Melia, said: “Our aluminium balustrade is ideal for seaside developments. The powder coated finish is extremely durable and resistant to corrosion, so its aesthetic appeal is maintained in the naturally corrosive atmospheric conditions of coastal locations. The powder coated finish also makes it ideal for external use all-year-round, not just in the warmer summer months. Cold conditions can cause metal handrails to become extremely cold and uncomfortable to the touch, but the low thermal conductivity of powder coating prevents this.”
Offering a versatile modular system with a huge range of components, Neaco’s contemporary balustrade range can adapt to virtually any design permutation or installation requirement. A number of other infill options are available, including vertical or horizontal rails, tension wire, mesh and perforated panels. Neaco supplies a range of powder coated finishes, including solid colours, metallic colours and detailed wood-effect reproductions of natural oak grain. Systems are also available in satin polished stainless steel or an aluminium/stainless steel combination.
Other products in the Neaco range include adapting bathing facilities offering a choice of true level access showers, half height shower doors, grab rails, shower seats and drop-down support rails. We also manufacture a range of aluminium grilles suitable for a wide variety of uses, including decking, access walkways, solar shading louvres, balcony flooring, screening, cladding and staging. All products are backed by a class-leading Lifetime Guarantee.
Neaco access walkways specified at award-winning science facility
The University of Liverpool’s Materials Innovation Factory (MIF), an award-winning new build science research facility, is the latest high-profile development to feature an extensive specification of Neaco’s external access walkways.
Supported by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, as part of the UK Government’s Research Partnership Investment Fund, the MIF is a unique public/private partnership between the University and Unilever. Located at the heart of the campus, the £68m scheme was designed by the Fairhurst Design Group and built by BAM Construction. Neaco’s Techdek aluminium grilles provide external access walkways on four storeys of the 11,600 sq m BREEAM Excellent rated building which includes research laboratories, 126 bespoke fume cupboards, office accommodation and associated ancillary spaces building. It will house 240 researchers, including 140 university staff, a team of Unilever scientists and a broad range of other industrial and academic partners.
Fairhurst Design Group concept sought to reflect the creative processes involved in discovery and innovation. The exterior is encased by raw, imperfect, natural materials such as ‘Corten Steel’ and exposed concrete with two glass office buildings adjoining the steel laboratories. The building features flexible laboratories with interlinked workspaces and a central atrium that allows light to flood into the central offices, creating a space which functions as a social and interactive focal point.
MIF aims to revolutionise materials chemistry research and development by drawing together world-leading, multi-disciplinary research expertise, unparalleled technical facilities and a dynamic support infrastructure. The facility won `Development of the Year’ at the NW Business Insider’s Liverpool City Region Property Awards. It was described by award judges as “exactly the sort of thing the Liverpool economy needs to continue its strong growth”.
Neaco’s Techdek is one of the most versatile metal grating systems on the market and has attracted demand in a broad range of development projects in applications such as external access walkways, decking, screening, ventilation, bridge cycle and pedestrian ways, cladding, flooring, staging, balustrade infills and stair treads. Lightweight yet strong and durable, the system has a patented swage-locked construction between bars which enables high structural efficiency. It is also 100 per cent recyclable and easy to install with low-energy construction methods. Neaco’s product range also includes a wide range of modular balustrade and balcony systems.
