Leaderflush Shapland the UK’s leading performance doorset manufacturer supplied 663 doorsets to the new Bideford Community College in Devonshire under the BSF program. 1,800 pupils aged 11 to 18 years-old will be catered for at the new £44m Bideford Community College which was built on the existing site alongside the current school and is due to be open to students for the start of term September 2010. The new site includes a six-court sports hall, two multi-use games areas, an artificial turf pitch, a dance studio, and a theatre/cinema, all of which are available for out-of-hours use by the local community.

The initial design for the school won the ‘Most Sustainable School’ category at the prestigious ‘Excellence in BSF Awards’ and the aspiration of the new college is to be as close to a carbon neutral site as possible.

Architects from the NPS group specified doorsets and screens from the Leaderflush Shapland Designer range to meet performance characteristics of 60 minutes fire resistance and from the Extended Performance range to meet sound reduction levels of 38 RwdB. The doorsets were faced in light grey and black laminate and were specified with ‘VN4’ vision panels in compliance with Part M of the building regulations for disabled access requirements.

Leaderflush Shapland’s exclusive doorset core, EnduraCor, was also specified for Bideford Community College as its durability and stability make it particularly suitable for educational environments. In a recent independent test, EnduraCor was shown to be one hundred times more durable than multi-layered chipboard, achieving 1,000 more impacts than required by EN1192 Class 4 (at which point the test was stopped) as well as achieving 2,000,000 cycles, 1,000,000 more than required by EN1191 Class 8.

This highly cost-effective solution could significantly reduce ‘whole life’ repair and maintenance costs which helped contribute to Bideford Community College achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating in the BREEAM scheme, as EnduraCor is manufactured using sustainable materials and contributes to the BREEAM assessment when ordered as FSC.

Leaderflush Shapland has a wealth of knowledge in the education sector with innovative products such as EnduraCor, the doorset core truly built to last and Sentinel, Leaderflush Shapland’s hand finger protection solution, making our doorsets especially suitable for any educational application.

Some undervalue doors as design features but Longden has taken a different view with Moderne – their new and exciting contemporary design influenced door collection.

Moderne’s designer, Laura Davies, looked at the door as an artwork that could stand alone as a striking focal point. The result is a stunning collection comprising both bold and subtle contemporary designs with an understated art-deco twist that brings exciting alternatives to every customer.

And the choice does not stop there. As you would expect from a true bespoke manufacturer, the collection is anything but one of fixed designs. Architects, interior designers and specifiers can choose from an array of dramatic materials and finishes, including lavish beading and carved details as well as a new range of exotic, environmentally friendly, multi-laminar wood veneers from Alpi.

Of course, Moderne is not just about style and aesthetics. With all doors in the collection meeting the strictest technical criteria, such as fire resistance, smoke control and sound reduction, Longden Moderne brings customers design, sustainability and performance perfectly combined.

Adelaide Wharf on the Regent's Canal at Shoreditch provides a mix of affordable housing for key workers and private buyers. The scheme, which comprises 147 sustainable apartments around a central amenity space, features rainwater recycling, 'green' living roofs growing sedum plants which act as an effective insulator as well as attracting birds and insects, a wildflower meadow along the canal and high thermal efficiency.

The development is on track to win a coveted 'Excellent' rating from the Buildings Research Establishment's Ecohomes awards, the highest 'green' rating, and has already won ten awards including the RIBA National Award for Architecture.

Architects Allford Hall Monaghan Morris specified 996 Urban Edge doorsets - some primed for on-site painting and others faced in crown cut American white oak veneer.

Award winning architect Simon Allford said that the development is what good design is all about, “Intelligently planned spaces, high quality fittings and energy-efficient thinking. It’s a high performance living machine where nothing’s been overlooked – and with canalside and parkside views and a secluded courtyard garden the size of six tennis courts, you’ve got room to breathe”.

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