Product category:
Walls
News Release from: Eurobond Laminates | Subject: Europanel Case Study
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 22 March 2006
New HQ for Reed Print and Design
Europanel Case Study: Research showed that Europanels were ideal because they fulfilled the brief precisely.
- Europanel Case Study Reed's new headquarters is the result of a major fire which destroyed the previous factory
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 22 Mar 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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Because of this traumatic incident, and the close involvement of insurers, sophisticated construction techniques and materials have been used to ensure the highest standards of performance and fire protection.
Europanels were chosen because they specifically met the Grade A requirement and non-plastics specification.
The new flagship facility for Reed is built on a 10 acre site next to the A1 in Washington, Tyne and Wear.
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This is on the same site where a disastrous fire totally gutted the previous building two years previously.
The 11,000sqm factory is about twice the size of the previous operation, with an infrastructure designed for future expansion by a third.
The facility accommodates all Reed's previous operations at sister sites in Sunderland and Newcastle.
Reed currently employs nearly 200 people in the north east and offers a wide range of service to blue chip clients including printing and packaging.
This is a £15 million overall investment with £8 million designated for the latest generation machinery and systems.
Because of the previous fire history, and the nature of the activity within the factory, insurers worked particularly closely with Reed in the design and construction of the building.
The company says that its design brief for the architects specified that the building be disaster proofed to the highest standards, including fire prevention, detection and containment.
As a result, it was determined that absolutely no plastics would be used in construction so that the factory's resistance to fire would be maximised The strict brief meant that architects Red Box Design needed to source suitable Grade A cladding for the administration end of the building.
Research showed that Europanels were ideal because they fulfilled the brief precisely.
With a Rockwool mineral fibre core, the panels offered the highest fire protection not only against a fire starting within the building but also against external arson.
The architects were also keen to have cost effective panels which were aesthetically pleasing and as flat as possible.
Eurobond's composite panels are attractive to architects because of the level of flatness which can be achieved.
Apart from the manufacturing process, one of the most sophisticated in Europe, a major contributing factor is the Rockwool mineral fibre core.
Because of its inert nature, the finished surface is often far superior to panels which have blown foam cores.
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