Awards & Standards @ THE GL@ZINE

Four Seasons Wins BBA Accreditation

K2 dealer Four Seasons Conservatories UK Ltd has gained BBA accreditation; an independent certification that guarantees the company's roof systems are precisely designed and fabricated to the highest industry standards.

Four Seasons gained accreditation by the BBA after undergoing a strict assessment of its fabrication and manufacturing processes, as well as the performance of its roof systems after fabrication. The company was also assessed on all aspects of its documentation, systems and procedures, including sales and administration systems, as well as its training and development procedures.

Four Seasons was founded four years ago by Phil Foulger, with the aim of creating a company which would provide high quality products, as well as exemplary customer service. The company has built on its reputation for quality and increased its fabrication capacity to more than 40 roofs a week since the company's creation in April 2000.

Four Seasons credits a major part of its success as a fabricator and its achievement of BBA accreditation to K2's roof system products, which enable the company to provide exceptional build quality to its customers. The fabricator also cites K2's excellent service and support as key factors in helping it build its reputation, as it is able to pass on the benefits of technical support and prompt delivery to its customers.

Phil Foulger, Director of Four Seasons comments: 'A lot of the credit goes to fellow Director Steve Scotthorne and all the staff at the Doncaster site for all their efforts put into achieving the BBA Accreditation.

'At Four Seasons, we believe in going the extra mile to keep our clients happy and this is the secret of our success. This BBA accreditation is an independent guarantee that we can provide customers with the best possible quality product and service and ensures they will return to use our services time and again'.

Paul Carter, Sales Manager of K2 comments: 'We would like to congratulate Four Seasons on its growth and success in achieving BBA accreditation. K2 believes in providing a quality product and impeccable service and we are delighted to supply our product to a fabricator who so clearly shares our aims'.

BBA News

In this month's What's New section of the BBA website there is information the latest changes to BBA Certificates as well as details of the launch of the website for the newly-formed, government authorised ELECSA scheme, and an article on a large refurbishment programme at Southampton Docks using H D Sharman's Gutterline.

New Certificates added between 13th July 2004 and 16th August 2004
04/4107 SARNALITE ROOFLIGHTS AND UPSTANDS - SARNAFIL LTD
04/4126 PREMIER PROFILES PVC-U WINDOW SYSTEM - CHAPEL WINDOWS LTD
04/4133 K2 CONSERVATORY ROOF SYSTEMS - SPECTRA CONSERVATORY ROOFS LTD
04/4134 SPECTUS PVC-U WINDOW SYSTEM - COLIN CAINE LTD

Lapsed Certificates between 13th July 2004 and 16th August 2004
89/2265 DEEPLAS PVC-U WINDOW SYSTEM - Crown Windows Ltd
92/2804 MARSHALL TUFFLEX PVC-U WINDOW SYSTEM - Mendip Windows Ltd

Suspended Certificates between 13 July 2004 and 16 August 2004
04/4088 ULTRAFRAME CONSERVATORY ROOF SYSTEM - TAYLOR MADE CONSERVATORIES LTD

During this period no reinstatements of Certificates, and no reinstatements or suspensions of Detail Sheets were actioned.

Web: http://www.bbacerts.co.uk

Broad Street Window's Day at The Royal Albert Hall

Broad Street Windows visited London in July to attend the Business in the Community Awards for Excellence. The company was presented with a ‘Highly Commended Award’ for ‘Contributions to Our Community’ for Broad Street Windows’ work in setting up a community meeting place and taking under its wing the local library services following a devastating fire.

The venue was The Royal Albert Hall with over 1600 people attending; in the last few years the Royal Albert Hall has undertaken a refurbishment to take it back to its old grand splendour.

The Awards for Excellence is sponsored by the Department of Trade and Industry in association with The Financial Times.

The section of the awards that Broad Street Windows was involved with was The BUPA Healthy Communities Awards supported by the Department of Health.

‘Six companies (mainly very large companies) reached the final from thirty semi-finalists, so we felt a little bit humbled by the whole event and to pick up the ‘Highly Commended Award’ made us feel very proud indeed.’ said Alan from Broad Street Windows.

‘The President, HRH The Prince of Wales was in attendance for the Gala Evening Event. Earlier on in the day Prince Charles with the rest of the royal family along with the Spencer family, attended the Diane Memorial opening over the road at Hyde Park, so he did not have far to travel to join us for the evening.

‘Security was impressive with 1600 people attending, all needing passports or driving licence to enter the building.

An entertaining bit came during the evening, following the champagne reception, meal and wine they expected you to cross you legs for over two hours when they locked the doors for security reasons.’

The evening started with a welcome from Julia Cleverdon, combining her touch of humour with a strong indication of how important the event is in bringing business and communities together, using their special leadership skills. Julia has attended all the regional awards, bringing support, dedication and purpose to all the events.

In attendance to present the awards were Andrew Gower, Editor of the Financial Times and Sir Steve Redgrave.

Compares for the evening, presenting a double act, were Jim Naughtie of the Today Programme, BBC and Jon Culshaw of Dead Ringers.

‘Jon used his voice impressions to entertain us and prior to the introduction of the President Prince Charles to speak, he cheekily took off a Charles voice impression.’ says Alan. ‘Charles seemed a little taken back by this but managed to counteract the impression by stating that it was such a good performance, much better than he had prepared and asked if Jon would like to continue.

'Prior to the speeches, and during the meal, entertainment was provided by a special performance from a Canadian group which originally came from street performers 'Cirque Du Soleil'. Their act included contortionists, one of whom managed to do an amazing performance inside a balloon for about ten minutes.

‘Charles gave an inspiring speech of all the excellent work that companies around the country undertake, during his speech referred to the balloon, as being the first time he had seen an act preformed in a condom!

‘Normally this would have produced an instant laugh from the audience but in Charles case it caused a moment of silence prior to the laughter. (It was as if your mother had told you a rude joke).

‘A photo session followed with Sir Steve Redgrave and Andrew Gower and when I was presented with the Award certificate it made me feel ten foot tall and very proud to walk off with this prestigious award My wife Gillian joined me to hold my hand, it wasan evening to remember forever and a day.

‘Looking back over what has happened during the last five years has given me a lot of pleasure and finding a gap in providing a much needed community project to develop which must also be needed throughout the country, I would be only too pleased to share my experiences and encourage others to take a similar path.’ concluded Alan.

Brett Martin Daylight Systems Gain BBA Technical Approval

Rooflight manufacturer, Brett Martin Daylight Systems, has been granted British Board of Agrément (BBA) approval, Certificate No 04/4114, on its entire range of glass reinforced polyester (GRP) in plane rooflights. The certification covers site assembled single, double and triple skin systems, as well as Factory Assembled Insulating Rooflights (FAIRs).

These GRP products include Safelight, with ‘Diamond’ long life surface protection, and the Trilite range with the ‘Superlife’ enhanced UV protective system. Trilite Ultra 45 and 36 offer substantially increased safety levels over Trilite 3.0, 2.4 and 1.8 sheets, the tried and tested cost-effective options. Also included are the energy efficient options, Cleartherm triple skin site assembled rooflights and Energysaver triple skin FAIRs, both offering a range of U values from 2.0 - 1.0 W/m2K.

With over 900 profiles now available to match virtually every roofing system, Brett Martin’s range of GRP rooflights provide diffused daylighting and minimise shadows - so they are suitable for commercial, industrial, retail and sporting applications.

'With an unrivalled portfolio of products and the technical expertise to match, Brett Martin Daylight Systems offers impartial advice and can provide the most appropriate solution for any rooflight application. I’m particularly pleased that we’ve gained BBA Certification for our full range of GRP in plane rooflights,' said the company’s Technical Director, Bill Hawker.

BBA Agrément Certificates provide architects, specifiers and end-users with authoritative and independent reassurance about the performance of building products. Every BBA Certificate contains important data about product durability, installation and compliance with Building Regulations.

Tel: 028 9084 9999
Email: mailto:mail@brettmartin.com
Web: http://www.brettmartin.com

Classical Conservatories in Doncaster has Quality Approach

Classical Conservatories in Doncaster, already a member of HW Plastics' Approved Installer Membership Scheme (AIMS) has recently been accredited with the Quality Mark, a scheme promoted by the Department of Trade and Industry.

The Quality Mark initiative is designed to support those companies in the building industry, who want to raise their game and play an active part in the Government's 'combat the cowboy' initiative.

Classical Conservatories business partners Eddie Moxon and Lynn Brunyee clearly see the benefits of being able to promote the Quality mark: 'We were attracted to AIMS initially because we could see the benefits of the scheme. In our market, quality is vital, price is important and service is paramount. However, our greatest asset is experience. Although we have only been in business since 2000, we have a vast number of years experience between the two of us, previuosly gained by working for companies in the glazing industry.'

The manufacturing division of the company, Classical Fabrications, has recently been involved in the manufcature and installation of windows and doors on two prestigious 'new build' sites for Redrow Homes Yorkshire Ltd.

'At the end of June, Classical Conservatories worked closely with HW Plastics to organise a trade evening at our new showroom in Doncaster.' concluded Lynn.

'We were very pleased with the response as it gave us an excellent opportunity to demonsrate, at first hand, our product offering.

'Naturally, we are proud to supply such well known companies in the industry. It is no coincidence that the rigorous inspection of staff and workmanship and regular employee training demanded by the Quality Mark, has enhanced our reputation in the market place'.

Shepley Achieves BS EN ISO 9001: 2000

Shepley Window Systems says that it is continually reviewing relevant standards within the industry and strives to achieve new accreditations to ensure differentiation for customers.

Shepley has recently been successfully audited and has achieved ISO 9001: 2000, which replaces its previous accreditation ISO 9002. ‘We were delighted to achieve ISO 9001: 2000,’ comments John Slater, quality manager for Shepley, ‘This updated accreditation is harder to achieve than the previous version as more emphasis is placed on continual improvement and customer satisfaction. More specifically, it disciplines companies to be forward thinking and trouble shoot before problems arise, hopefully ensuring that any issues that do occur, don’t get passed on to our customers’.

Accreditations not only provide Shepley installers with confidence in its products, they also help to build consumer confidence as homeowners are becoming increasingly aware of the credibility of independently assessed accreditations.

Tel: 0161 339 2433
Email: mailto:james.brisbane@shepley.com
Web: http://www.shepley.com

Masterframe's BBA Hat Trick

Masterframe, the Essex based System 10 fabricator is celebrating the achievement of BBA certification on its specially designed vertical sliding window, not just once, but three times.

Not only has the Masterframe window achieved BBA certification on its profile, which is manufactured by WHS Halo, but also on the company's method of Georgian bar application incorporating its patented Georgi-clipsR along with 20 years equivalent cycling testing on its balances.

Masterframe's managing director, Alan Burgess, says:
'Of all the window fabricators in the UK, there are just two or three that have achieved BBA certification for sliding sash windows, (most claim the system is BBA approved hoping that new build will accept a system certificate). However, Masterframe's certification is to the newer, higher standards that the BBA have recently set.'

Referring specifically to the product's Georgian bar, which now has a ten-year BBA certificate, the specifier can be assured that because the Georgi-clip wraps around the window's sealed unit to clamp the bars securely against the glass, it negates the need for relying on tape to keep the bars secure.

The window's Torso and Ultralift balances (manufactured by Caldwell Hardware) successfully passed the 20 year cycle testing, thereby setting the standards for wind-up, block and tackle and constant force balances which are themselves unlikely to fulfill the new requirements.

Commenting on the BBA certification achieved, Masterframe's Technical Manager, Ray Rabett said:
'There are many reasons why we decided to go down the route of BBA accreditation, rather than a Kitemark. In our opinion the scope of the British iStandard was not as extensive as our requirements, and therefore the BBA was the obvious alternative.

'In today's market where competition amongst V/S fabricators is growing, it is essential to demonstrate the quality of our products, including the patented benefits of Masterframe's sliding sash windows.

'Unlike many of our competitors, our products are all made to the same high standards. Providing pretension balances are requested, every client will benefit from BBA quality sash windows.'

Web: http://www.masterframe.co.uk

The Accolades Grow as GP&T Wins Top Exhibition Industry Award

Glass Processing & Technology (GP&T), the exhibition and conference launched last year for glass specifiers and industry professionals, scooped a prestigious trophy for being the best trade show to be launched during 2003. The award has special significance for being chosen from 16 entrants by exhibition industry experts, and presented before 1,200 people at the annual awards of trade body the Association of Exhibition Organisers (AEO).

Judges not only considered the number of exhibitors and visitors attending, but also more detailed criteria such as audience definition, key messages, and marketing strategy. Press coverage and copies of the marketing materials used were also dissected by the independent judging panel, which included senior executives from organisers, venues and other specialists.

Regarded by EMAP Group, one of the UK’s largest exhibition organisers, as being the company’s best launch for many years the broader recognition by the exhibition industry of the success of GP&T adds to the praise it received from the glass industry itself. Says Event Manager Stephen Redman: ‘This was the icing on the cake. We knew GP&T was a success - our customers told us that and our re-booking figures speak for themselves - but to have this acknowledgement from our peers in the industry feels great.

‘This adds to the real prize of getting it right for the glass industry, which supported GP&T and now has its own special market place at which to promote the industry and its products. This award is not just ours, but that of the glass industry too.’

A garden design student has used Ultralite 500, Ultraframe’s ‘roof in a box®’ that can achieve the lowest roof pitch attainable in a practical on-site situation, in an unusual way at this year’s Hampton Court Palace flower show. The garden design was a huge success and was awarded a silver medal from the Royal Horticultural Society.

The garden, called ‘Looking at the World through Rose Tinted Spectacles’, attracted the expert eye of presenters Charlie Dimmock and Diarmuid Gavin and has also featured on BBC TV’s Gardeners World programme.

Student designer Fern Alder who was given the chance to display at this year’s flower show with the support of Ultraframe, said: ‘The idea behind the garden is to create a fusion of hard landscaping and soft planting in bright vivid pink colour combinations. I approached the leading designer and manufacturer of conservatory roofing systems, Ultraframe, as my sponsor because I wanted to incorporate translucent sheeting and I knew that Ultraframe are the best suppliers in the business.’

As a result the garden features a massive ‘wall’ made from Ultralite 500 which encases the planting. The sheets were filled with a pink dye so that visitors to the stand could view the garden creation ‘in the pink’.

Fern continued: ‘The wall was a wonderful idea but has proved difficult to make a reality – it really has been a feat of design engineering and manufacturing on the part of Ultraframe’s technical teams.’

Helen Cole, Ultraframe Marketing Services Manager said, ‘We are delighted to be involved with Fern’s show garden. The use of a conservatory roof in this unique setting shows how configurable the Ultralite 500 product can be in an on site situation.’

Stockists & brochures: call 0500 822340

760 students at 194 European architect schools representing 34 countries have registered for the new, biannual International Velux Award, backed by an international jury counting renowned architects.

'Now we are looking forward to receiving all the projects by the deadline of 31st July and to present the winners at an Award event in Paris in October.' says the company.

With the Award 'Light of Tomorrow', Velux wants to create an international platform for dialogue between architect students across borders, as well as between students and highly esteemed architects of today. Also the teachers, who have nominated the registered projects, will have the opportunity to engage in the development of new ideas in an international context.

Award theme
This year's Award theme encourages the students to explore the virtues and values of daylight in architectural design; not only as a design feature, but also as a natural way to improve the visual comfort and the living and working conditions in newly built or renovated buildings. Craig Dykers, architect and director of Snøhetta, Norway, and one of the seven members of the jury for the International Velux Award says:

'The sun's engagement with our world remains the predominant constant in our lifetime. Within the essence of our intimate relationship with the sun, daylight does not simply refer to view; it also concerns warmth, comfort, shade and shadow. I am hoping that the International Velux Award will help to draw people's awareness to the necessity of engagement with these more invisible characteristics of our world.'

The jury will meet mid-September and evaluate all submitted projects.

Public exhibition
All submitted projects will be exhibited on the Internet in connection with the Award event in October. In 2005, the winning projects and honourable mentions will be published in an Award Yearbook. Together, these sources will provide a pool of inspiration to architects and students all over the world, and are meant to pave the way for international attention to all participating students and their teachers.

The International Velux Award
The International Velux Award is a biannual award for students of European architect schools. The Award 'Light of Tomorrow' wants to pay tribute to daylight, and encourages students and their teachers to freely explore the creative use of daylight in contemporary architecture.

The Award wants to promote projects, which seek to improve people's lives and living environment through the creative use of daylight. All types of buildings can be proposed - newly built or renovated, housing or industrial and commercial buildings. It can also be daylighting concepts, i.e. conceptual ideas or drafts on daylighting techniques in buildings. Besides, the Award wishes to establish an international forum for dialogue between the new generation of architects and the professionals of today.

The jury
The jury, representing different knowledge, experience and professional perspectives, comprises:

* Glenn Murcutt, Architect, Australia, Winner of The Pritzker Prize 2002
* Farshid Moussavi, Architect, Director, Foreign Office Architects,
* England, winner of the competition for the BBC Music Centre in London in 2003.
* Craig Dykers, Architect, Director of Snöhetta Architects, Norway. Currently designing the new opera house in Oslo.
* James F. Horan, Architect, Ireland, President of the European Association for Architectural Education (EAAE)
* Ole Bouman, Architect, the Netherlands, Editor in Chief, Archis,
* Ahmet Gülgönen, Architect, France, representative of the International Union of Architects (UIA).
* Michael Pack, managing director of Velux Germany.

Evaluation criteria
The jury will evaluate the projects following these main criteria: Visual daylight quality, innovation, aesthetics, functionality, sustainability, and interaction of buildings with their environment (climate and geography), thus involving aspects of both engineering and design as a
possibility. The weighting of the different criteria is solely up to the jury.

The Award event
The Award event will take place in October in Paris. The total prize money is 30,000 €. There will be a first prize of minimum 8,000 € for the student and 2,000 € for the teacher, as well as several second prizes of minimum 4,000 € for the student and 1,000 € for the teacher. Prizes can be a money prize or be tailored to support the students' further education or practice.

Collaboration partners
The International Velux Award is organized in cooperation with the International Union of Architects (UIA) and the European Association for Architectural Education (EAAE).

About the International Union of Architects
An international non-governmental organisation founded in Lausanne in 1948. The aim of UIA is to unite architects from all nations throughout the world, regardless of nationality, race, religion or architectural school of thought, within the federations of their national associations. UIA represents over a million architects throughout the world through national architectural associations. Read more about UIA at http://www.uia-architectes.org.

About the European Association for Architectural Education
An international non-profit association committed to the exchange of ideas and people within the field of architectural education and research. EAAE aims at improving the knowledge base and the quality of architectural and urban design education. Read more about EAAE at http://www.eaae.be.

About Velux
'Where there is light, there is life. This philosophy is at the heart of what we do, linking natural resources with human needs. For more than 60 years Velux has assisted in creating better living environments worldwide by providing daylight and fresh air. Our core product is the Velux roof window and skylight, but the system also comprises decoration and sun screening, roller shutters, flashings, installation products and solar energy. With direct representation in more than 40 countries, Velux has become one of the strongest brands within the building material industry. Our daily business is closely related to architecture, and we communicate and cooperate with a large number of architects.

Contact: Lone Ellersgaard
Tel: + 45 45 16 48 18
Web: http://www.velux.com

Heritage Glass Wins Shropshire Business Award

This years Shropshire Business Awards saw Shrewsbury-based glazing company Heritage Glass Group scoop the Best Customer Service award, an achievement that underlines the company’s commitment to providing the best service in the area. Competition was hot, with the other contenders in the category all being previous winners of the title – but Heritage Glass’ overall commitment to quality proved to be the champion on the night.

David Randall, managing director (front left) and Tony Randall (front right) with the Heritage Glass team

Director of Heritage Glass, Tony Randall said, ‘We are all delighted to have won this award, as it is excellent recognition for the whole team who work so hard on a daily basis. Everyone contributes to the impression we give to our customers, and our reputation can only be as good as the last job we carried out – so I would like to extend my thanks and gratitude to the whole team.’

In the Customer Service category, the judges were looking for evidence of customer satisfaction levels, a clear customer service policy and evidence of a thorough customer complaints procedure.

These principles are illustrated in the company’s customer care and after sales charters, which were introduced to make the buying process as simple and stress-free as possible. Sales visits are kept to just half an hour, written quotes are always provided and no follow-up calls are made – but brand managers are always available to contact if customers do need extra advice.

In addition, if problems are encountered once a job has been completed, thanks to the after sales charter, customers can be assured of a prompt response and solution.

Customer feedback forms also provide an invaluable source of information, enabling the company to gain a deeper understanding of what its customers want.

‘All these practices and more add up to a business that is heavily focussed on the needs of the customer,’ says managing director David Randall. ‘I believe that it is this approach that gives us an edge in a competitive marketplace, and why our business continues to grow each year.’

As part of the company’s ISO 9001:2000 accreditation, for the second year in succession Sliders UK commissioned BenchmarQ (a division of QMS International plc) to make an independent audit of customer satisfaction. ‘We are delighted that the result has once again been a Gold Award placing us in the highest possible category’ stated director Ian Longbottom.

Sliders UK is an independent supplier of in-line patio doors. The company is focussed on fabricators rather than installers and now supplies several of the largest companies in the UK with its bevelled and fully featured products.

For more details contact Ian or Mike at Sliders UK on 01772 698222, fax on 01772 698333 or email to mailto:sales@sliders-uk.com

Safeguard Doors, a division of Adams Rite Europe Ltd, a security solutions provider, has been awarded the prestigious and internationally recognised quality management system, IS0 9001:2000 from the Loss Prevention Certification Board. This standard is awarded in recognition of the commitment by Safeguard Doors to deliver products and systems of a consistent standard.

Safeguard Doors manufactures bespoke high quality timber composite security, blast resistant and bullet resistant doors.All doors provide levels of security which are supported by comprehensive testing evidence and Safeguard is a member of the BSIA, DMA and APPSS.

ISO 9001:2000 enhances performance through the implementation of practical and structured systems and business processes. These processes are then developed and recorded as ‘best practice’ which thereafter requires the company to continually review and improve the methods employed to deliver its products and services to further enhance customer satisfaction.

Alan Swan, Business Development Director, said: ‘We are very proud to have achieved this standard and were delighted that Richard Flint of BRE Certification Limited was able to present the certificate to us on our stand during the recent IFSEC exhibition. The requirement for a supplier or manufacturer to hold ISO 9001:2000 has become expected by many of our customers and now that both Adams Rite and Safeguard Doors have achieved this internationally recognised standard we believe it demonstrates our corporate commitment to quality and our customers.’

Tel: 0121 556 9138
Email: mailto:sales@safeguarddoors.co.uk
Web: http://www.safeguarddoors.co.uk

Cavalier Fasteners of Aldridge has won a prestigious award for 'Service Excellence' from one of its key customers, Birmingham-based Space 4 - a producer of fast-track, off-site manufactured construction systems.

A Space 4 supplier for more than four years, Cavalier Fasteners was singled out for the award by Space 4 because of its high standards in customer service and the efficiency of its processes and systems.

The company, which has been established for 17 years, provides all the fixing kits for Space 4's construction process. Predominately used on site, the availability of these products in the correct quantities and sizes and at the right time is crucial to the speed and efficiency of Space 4's on-site construction programme. Cavalier Fasteners also provides technical support across the country and supplies Space 4 with day-to-day solutions from its range of construction fixings and fasteners.

'Cavalier Fasteners has developed a highly effective ordering system which ensures the standard of product availability we need. The company has also worked with us to develop a range of fixing kit sizes which gives us the flexibility to choose from small, medium and large packages according to our needs at any one particular time', explains Peter Wazywoda, supply chain manager, Space4.

'ln Cavalier Fasteners we have a supplier that is prepared to go that one step further in coming up with a solution to meet a specific requirement. They don't give us problems, they solve them.'