Surface Design Award – Partial

• EXTERIOR SURFACE OF THE YEAR - NEW
  This is a new category that recognises wall and surface design products including decorative, creative and inventive surfaces for the exterior of building including both commercial and residential properties.

A Unique project combining modern pre-coloured render materials with traditional decorative methods. This project tested the boundaries of what can be achieved using such new light weight materials with colour. We created London style banding usually applied to front elevations across London dwellings, across the whole bottom section of this private residential area. The client requested a solid traditional appearance with a modern contemporary feel. The level of detail had to be achieved across multiple substrates, new to old sections, variations in window and door heights, different roof heights and pitches with the banding lines perfectly complimenting the rest of the property. We also incorporated a unique designed chimney breast and separate Exterior fireplace surround, large plinth detail and custom logo design using acrylics. Cost of project £156k

Materials used incorporated PRB systems Superbrut monocouche render, applied by machine pump and float finished to achieve a flat surface not commonly seen with this type of render. Use of Sapele Hardwood timber, to form the banding effect, finished with a full silicone paint, to incorporate the Haddonstone masonry works installed through another contractor .

The use of light weight render materials through PRB systems provides a much quicker application through a pump machine than physical labour. The materials used are breathable and are self sufficient products with self cleaning properties. The company pride themselves on being a low emissions company with the leading materials in low carbon products. These renders are low maintenance.

-Weather, as this was extremely challenging with the setting times and drying stages when using this material during winter months. Additional accelerators and specific measured quantities had to be carefully gauged, depending on weather conditions for each separate day.
-Material curing between timbers was extremely hard with very little shrinkage compared to a traditional sand and cement due to the aggregate binding in the product.

This has to be the most complex projects we have ever under taken in my career to date, I most probably wont see one on this scale and type again. The highs and lows were personal and we definitely under estimated the cost, yet we didn't want to leave this project un-finished, so we ensured the property was finished to the best we could provide.
For us, we hope this leads on to further work and replenish our dent. Our business is all about good referrals and a statement portfolio.