Industrial Textiles & Plastics Ltd

ITP has supplied two products for a major conversion project in Beckenham, Kent, which is transforming a six-floor office complex into a range of 125 contemporary apartments.Designed by Front Architecture, The Registry is a £9.1m scheme overseen by leading specialist contractor, DRG Solutions, on behalf of property investment company, Shaviram Group. Comprising three wings in a T-shape formation, the existing building is greater than 18 metres tall and therefore subject to post-Grenfell Building Regulations which required an external wall upgrade including aluminium glazing on all elevations along with ITP’s FlameOUT® Block, an advanced vapour control layer with a fully compliant Euroclass B,s1-d0 fire safety rating.FlameOUT® Block was supplied by specialist builders merchant, Insulation Online Ltd, to provide a high-performance solution which improves air tightness and prevents moisture within the building’s warm air from reaching the insulation layer and forming interstitial condensation. Incorporating a mono-filament reinforcement scrim for excellent tensile strength and nail tear resistance, its polyethylene-based membrane is independently tested to British and international flame retardancy standards.The installation of FlameOUT® Block and other construction work have been supported by extensive scaffolding featuring another ITP product, Powerclad® FR scaffold sheeting. Manufactured from reinforced polyolefin, the sheeting is independently tested in both plain and printed form to achieve fire retardancy certification to TS 62 for external use and TS 63 for internal use. It is also tested to meet the main BS 7955 standard for scaffold sheeting.ITP Account Manager, Marisa Schofield, said:“We are delighted to be supporting two highly regarded companies, DRG Solutions and Front Architecture, in the delivery of this outstanding project. Many of our membrane specifications are secured via Insulation Online Ltd, a company which has a rich pedigree in supplying high quality solutions for the building envelope. The Registry is the latest of numerous redevelopments across the UK to feature our flame-retardant membranes in keeping with enhanced safety requirements. Residential buildings which exceed 18m in height require a minimum Euroclass B fire safety rating for vapour control layers. Our FlameOUT® Block FR system has been in high demand as it meets that requirement without compromising the other key performance functions of a vapour control layer which are vital in protecting a building’s long-term condition.”

ITP’s Powerlon® UV 145 FR façade membrane has been chosen to provide breathable solar protection for a new creative centre at the Roundhouse in London, a legendary music venue which is steeped in cultural history.From its Victorian beginnings as a steam-engine repair shed, the Roundhouse became an iconic building providing the backdrop to concerts by Jimi Hendrix, The Doors and Pink Floyd in the 1960s and 1970s. The Grade II listed venue re-opened in 2006 following a £30m refurbishment, hosting the likes of Amy Winehouse, Little Simz and The Chemical Brothers to re-establish it as one of London’s most iconic performance spaces.The site’s latest transformation has been delivered in the form of the Roundhouse Works, a new facility including three large rehearsal spaces for young theatre makers, musicians, film makers, circus and performance artists plus a dedicated podcast studio run by Transmission Roundhouse.It has doubled the capacity of the current site to support 15,000 young people. The estate includes the Ronson Studio, a specially designed space for music-based youth programmes, and the Richard Mintz Studio, a dedicated home for skills sessions, seminars, and activities for workspace users. Alongside these facilities, a new Backstage Studio will offer a triple-height studio with an aerial rig for large-scale performing arts skills development.Main contractor, Borras Construction, specified Powerlon® UV 145 FR for the façade at the Roundhouse Works, with Eden Facades overseeing the installation of timber cladding and metal profile cladding. Specialist architectural joinery company, Simpson & Liddard, also supported construction. ITP’s Powerlon® UV 145 FR is a breathable membrane engineered to provide a flame-retardant solution for the long-term protection of the building envelope. Designed for installations behind open or closed ventilated rainscreens and facades, the product is highly UV resistant with superior durability compared to conventional breather membranes. The system is independently tested to meet a Euroclass B-s3,d0 fire safety rating.ITP Account Manager, Marisa Schofield, said:“ITP are proud to be involved in the latest development of this famous world-class venue. The new centre will support young people with their early careers, providing a space for them to explore their creative interests, meet and collaborate. We have supplied our UV resistant membranes for some of London’s most exciting and creative building projects. The Roundhouse Works can now be added to that list.”Powerlon® UV 145 FR is one of a wide range of options available within ITP’s range of building protection systems. The company also supplies flame-retardant Euroclass A and B breather membranes, flame-retardant Euroclass A and B vapour control layers, roofing underlays, house wraps and ground barrier membranes.

ITP vapour control layer is ideal material for the Silk DistrictA complex of over 600 apartments in Whitechapel has become the latest landmark London development to utilise an advanced building membrane supplied by ITP.A joint venture partnership by Mount Anvil and L&Q, the Silk District is regarded as one of the capital’s top growth investment opportunities. Set around a piazza with private landscaped gardens, the scheme is part of a £300 million regeneration area and straddles two nearby conservation areas.Architects Stockwool have created a predominantly brick and reconstituted stone design forming a strong street-based frontages along with a glass and aluminium-clad tower standing at the heart of the scheme. Three residential buildings will include commercial space on their ground floor tenanted with restaurants, cafes, bars and shops. Residents will have access to 24hr concierge services, an onsite gym, screening room, flexible workspace and a roof terrace.ITP’s FlameOUT® Block Standard vapour control layer was chosen by award-winning company, PIB Contractors, to maintain the condition of the building envelope, utilising its water repellence to protect against rainwater and its high-water vapour permeability to control internal condensation. Fully compliant with all regulations, polyethylene-based FlameOUT® Block Standard has a Euroclass rating of Class B,s1-d0 meeting requirements for external walls on buildings over 18m. The product also offers excellent tensile strength in both roof and wall insulations.Danny White, Operations Director at PIB Contractors, said:“In recent years, PIB have secured contracts on many of the capital’s biggest residential projects, where we have installed ITP’s membrane systems for luxury apartment buildings in sought-after locations. High-rise construction requires membranes which meet fire safety compliance under post-Grenfell laws while performing key functions in protecting the condition of the building. FlameOUT® Block Standard certainly meets those requirements and it’s a suitably high-performance product for a prestigious project of this nature.FlameOUT® Block Standard is one of a wide range of membranes which ITP supplies to provide protection on buildings, from roof level to floor level. The company also manufactures breather membranes, roofing underlays, house wraps and ground barrier membranes.

ITP’s FlameOUT® Breathe flame-retardant breather membrane has been specified for the multi-million-pound redevelopment of the Stephenson building at Newcastle University.Built in the 1940s, Stephenson Building has a long history of training engineers. In the past 70 years, it has been the home to more than 25,000 engineering students and is well known as a highly visible gateway to the University’s engineering quarter.International architecture and engineering practice, NORR, have led the design of a project which is harnessing the building’s 70 years of heritage and transforming it into a hub for the future, creating a facility for the 21st century and beyond. The original footprint is home to a new 18,000 m2 cutting-edge building providing extensive space for education, research, innovation and industrial collaboration.Bowmer + Kirkland was appointed as the main contractor to oversee the project over two phases between September 2023 and autumn 2024. The rear of the building was demolished to make way for new-build space and the front has been retained to minimise demolition and reduce the carbon footprint. The original building’s teaching and office spaces are also being renovated.FlameOUT® Breathe was supplied via the Wolverhampton branch of builders’ merchant, M Markovitz, and installed by facade specialists, Keyclad. Providing high breathability to facilitate the release of water vapour and protect the condition of the building envelope, its advanced membrane technology combines W1-rated water tightness with a B-s1,d0 fire safety rating which is independently tested to EN 13501-1.ITP Account Manager, Caroline Collins, said:“We are delighted to contribute a specification on this project and support Keyclad, one of the industry’s leading experts in external envelope solutions. The Stephensons Building redevelopment is one of many major developments in the educational sector to utilise our flame-retardant building membranes. Our products are widely used in buildings of this nature because they provide advanced performance in their primary function along with exceptional durability and full compliance with all Building Regulations, including fire safety standards.”

The Latest Word In Digital TechnologyThe Word is a stunning new library and digital media centre designed to be the landmark focus of a £100 million regeneration of South Shields in Tyneside. Scheduled for completion in Autumn 2016, the advanced facility will include digitised archives, an immersive storytelling area, exhibition space, design studios and a rooftop terrace offering views over the river.The new North East Centre for the Written Word was designed by award-winning practice Faulkner Browns.“South Shields is a state-of-the-art modern take on a community library. The individual pages of a book were the inspiration for the building’s exterior, to be realised using an open façade system. This presented the challenge of providing full weather resistance protection to the building envelope whilst also allowing the structure to breathe,” explained director Malcolm Brown from Faulkner Browns Architects. “The Powerlon® UV Colour product achieved both of these critical technical performances, therefore allowing us to deliver our architectural ambition.”To create the visual effect of an open book, a James and Taylor terracotta baguette open rainscreen cladding system was mounted to Envirosip structural insulated timber panels. These in turn were protected by Powerlon® UV Colour (coal colourway) UV resistant membrane. According to senior project manager John Osborne of contractors Bowmer & Kirkland, “The product is excellent and is the only façade membrane on the market that could meet the design intent and warrant an open rainscreen construction in excess of 100mm. The final result has certainly delivered on the promise and met expectations of the design team and clients. In addition, the support and advice during the design and construction stage from the ITP technical team was excellent.”Powerlon® UV Colour is a polyacrylic breathable membrane, developed to provide long-term protection to the building envelope and for use on exposed installations behind timber, glass, metal or composite materials. It is available in eight standard colours offering creative design possibilities and has a 10-year guarantee.

ITP supplied an advanced vapour control layer to protect the long-term condition of the building envelope at the new 412-bedroom TRIBE Hotel near Manchester Airport.The 12,300m2  hotel has been built at the foot of the £6m pedestrian and cycle bridge connecting Airport City with Wythenshawe as part of a strategic development by Manchester Airports Group. The nine-storey building forms part of the wider hotel district which comprises a cluster of nine new properties offering more than 2,400 new hotel rooms. It is only the second TRIBE hotel to be launched in the UK.The design by Studio Moren aims to give the hotel a distinct urban identity within the Manchester Airport City Masterplan, while retaining a strong connection to the wider development. The accommodation includes four restaurant and bar areas, working spaces, a gym and a crew lounge for airline staff travelling through Manchester. The hotel’s glazed central atrium leads from the main lobby area, with many of the rooms offering views of the atrium.Main contractor, MY Construction, oversaw construction work which includes the fitting of ITP’s FlameOUT® Block Class A vapour control layer to enhance the building’s air tightness and prevent moisture within the interior’s warm air from reaching the insulation layer. With a Reflective surface for extra energy efficiency, FlameOUT® Block Class A provides a Euroclass A2-s1,d0 fire rating for enhanced safety in keeping with the minimum regulatory requirements for external wall elements such as cladding.FlameOUT® Block Class A features a glass-based woven scrim and an aluminium layer with a special coating to protect the aluminium layer from corrosion. The glass reinforcement scrim provides excellent tensile strength in wall and roof insulation.FlameOUT® Block Class A is one of an extensive range of protective membrane solutions supplied and manufactured by ITP. The company’s diverse architectural product portfolio also includes breather membranes, roofing underlays, house wraps and ground barrier membranes. ITP supplies membranes in a range of fire classes, including A1, A2 and B, s1-d0 which are fully compliant for use in high-rise and higher-risk buildings.

Creative Connectivity for Performing Arts Centre The new £12 million Performing Arts Centre, currently under construction in Berkshire at Wellington College, is an ambitious, creatively designed architectural solution for a specific brief. The new auditorium building will be linked to the existing theatre with a glass-encased “cultural living room” which will act as performance and exhibition space, green room, meeting room and lobby. The design, by Studio Seilern Architects, won the World Architecture Festival’s Future Educational Project award in 2015.Located at the edge of the Bracknell Forest, which adjoins the grounds of the historic public school, the new complex features an unusual wood façade that will connect it visually to both the forest and the Victorian-era school buildings. The rough sawn larch cladding has been stained to a natural-looking soft dark colour that blends with the forest backdrop.Protecting the building envelope behind this creative facade is Powerlon UV Colour FR, an advanced UV resistant breather membrane that is flame retardant to Class 0 (BS 476 Parts 6&7) and Class B (EN 13501-1), an important consideration for this safety critical installation. The membrane’s outstanding UV resistance, attractive colour and high specification mean that natural gaps between the vertical wooden strips of the facade do not compromise the building’s integrity. Powerlon building membranes are produced by Industrial Textiles & Plastics (ITP), a UK manufacturer with specialist expertise in flame retardant technology.“The circular form of the performing arts centre dictated a requirement for an external cladding material able to form a curve; the larch planks were chosen not just for this ability, but also to ‘blend’ into its woodland setting. The design for the cladding featured gaps between each plank and as it would be partly visible, SSA required a solid black backing membrane with UV, water and tear resistance. Powerlon UV Colour FR was specified due to its aesthetic quality and high resistance to UV exposure,” explained Christina Seilern of SSA.Realising the project are main contractors, Beard Construction. Project Manager Bob Still said, “The performing arts centre is a prestigious project for our customer and finding the most suitable and robust materials to use is always priority. The Powerlon membrane was a simple product to install with clear and concise instructions on its application. The site team found ITP very knowledgeable and helpful when investigating the best product to use and their service was quick and efficient.”

ITP has supplied Safe One®, the UK’s most advanced breather membrane, for the construction of a new radiotherapy building at Weston Park Hospital in Sheffield.A semi-derelict former coach house on Wellesley Road has been demolished to make way for a facility housing Linac equipment used for the delivery of high-energy X-rays or electrons. Part of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals’ masterplan to redevelop the site, the completed project will help to serve growing demand for treatment. The development represents one phase of a wider expansion of the hospital, which is a national centre of excellence and the only provider of radiotherapy in South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire.Façade specialists, Eden Brickwork, installed Safe One® within the external wall to provide highly durable protection against rainwater with a breathable membrane which allows the release of internal water vapour, preventing the build-up of condensation in the insulation layer. Winner of Product of the Year in the Façade 2022 Design and Engineering Awards, Safe One’s® advanced textile technology combines a W1 rating for water tightness, breathability to BS5250 standards, waterproofing of 7,000mm, UV resistance of 5,000 hours and a Euroclass A2 limited-combustible rating which represents best practice in façade fire safety.ITP Account Manager, Caroline Collins, said: “Safe One® has become a preferred specification for high-rise projects and higher-risk buildings such as hospitals. Designers, contractors and façade specialists recognise its ability to maintain the long-term condition of the building envelope while providing fire safety performance which goes above and beyond regulatory requirements. Unlike some breather membrane products on the market, Safe One’s® Euroclass A2 rating is independently age-tested as a full system, including adhesives, to ensure that safety standards aren’t compromised during the installation. The product’s exceptional longevity ensures that all key functions remain effective in the long term.”

A major creative arts centre in the heart of York St John University campus houses a high-tech 210 seat auditorium, a recital hall, critical listening theatre, and specialist areas for computer science, writing, and media production. A new atrium facing York minster has been created to link all of the teaching areas with the auditorium and is planned as a civic space, providing an area for public performances.The university appointed Kier as the main contractor to deliver a £13m new creative centre. Built across 2,600 sqm and spanning three floors, the state-of-the-art design uses timber throughout to create a warm atmosphere, whilst a glass and timber roof lets natural daylight flood into the building purposely unobstructed by interior columns. BCL Timber Projects were awarded the contract to deliver approximately 2,500sqm of external timber cladding. The project designed by Tate Harmer Architects features a striking curved auditorium wrapped in Siberian Larch.Protecting the building envelope behind this striking creative facade is ITP’s Powerlon® UV145 FR, an advanced UV resistant breather membrane that is flame retardant to Class B (EN 13501-1), engineered to provide long-term protection for the building envelope; it is breathable, water repellent and highly UV resistant with superior durability compared to conventional breather membranes.Speaking about the material specification, Marc van der Voort ITP’s MD, said “It is always great to be involved in a project that is on our doorstep, and living locally I have witnessed the site evolve and the scheme come to life. I am delighted that our material has been installed in what promises to be a spectacular building in the heart of the city”.

The Hayes branch of Lords Builders Merchants supplied ITP’s FlameOut Breathe flame-retardant breather membrane for the transformation of an iconic 1960s building in Croydon familiar to fans of the cult TV sitcom, Peep Show.Zodiac Court is being converted into contemporary apartments by development company, Common Projects. The 1960s building is divided between the first four floors of offices, which have been empty for more than 30 years, and the residential tower, Zodiac House, rising above it. As the home to Mark and Jez in Peep Show, Zodiac House is better known as the fictional Apollo House in Channel 4’s comedy classic.The whole site is being revamped with a scheme designed by renowned architect, shedkm, which will be transformational for the local area, defining a centre for Broad Green with a new common, along with community facilities. The project includes shedkm’s radical reimagining of a large derelict forecourt into ‘Broad Green Common’ comprising a community garden, new café, and a public pavilion on the corner of London Road and Charfield Road. Common Projects collaborated with community group, Big Local Broad Green, to come up with ideas for the area. With an objective to deliver something brand-new without the huge environmental impact of demolishing the existing buildings, shedkm worked with Common Projects to upgrade the existing residential tower and expertly redesign the vacant office into 78 new homes, shops, a nursery, workshops, courtyards, and shared social spaces.Multi-disciplinary construction company, Vidi Construction, has installed FlameOUT Breathe in combination with FlameOUT tape, an advanced system which provides W1 water tightness to repel rainwater and high breathability to facilitate the release of water vapour, preventing the build-up of moisture in the insulation layer. Suitable for roof and wall applications, the membrane is made from non-woven fabric with superior self-extinguishing qualities and Euroclass B,s1-d0 flame retardancy independently tested to EN 13501-1.ITP Account Manager, Marisa Schofield, said:“shekdm have applied their expertise in socially responsive design to create an exceptional regeneration project which is revitalising the Broad Green area. ITP are proud to supply a key element in the rejuvenation of these famous buildings as part of the work carried out by Vidi Construction. FlameOUT Breathe will protect the long-term condition of the building envelope to ensure that the transformation stands the test of time.”CGI courtesy shedkm/Common Projects