Encasement Ltd

The versatility and choice available within our column casings range has been driven by the demands of architects and specifiers seeking to create a stylish finish to building interiors and exteriors.

A key element in the design freedom provided by our range is the choice of materials available to meet different specifications and applications. From Circa and Quadra pre-formed plywood casings, through to Polyma GRP and Gypra GRG, as well as our Forma metal range, each allows an array of specification options to be accommodated, including shapes, sizes and finishes.

Used extensively in a range of sectors including transport, health, education, retail, hotel and leisure, as well as commercial refurbishment and building re-purposing projects, our range also offers an exceptional choice of standard and bespoke manufactured options.

Projects such as Tetrosyl’s Rochdale offices; Cardiff Premier Inn, Porsche West London and Farnborough Sixth Form College, have all taken advantage of the design versatility, material options, choice of finishes and our bespoke manufacturing capabilities to meet specific requirements of each project.

In addition to these, our column casings have been installed on countless other projects throughout the UK to provide aesthetic and practical solutions for concealing structural columns and steelwork, while also helping create stylish decorative interiors and exteriors.

Alongside our wide range of products, we also offer a supply and install service, enabling us to maintain complete control over the project and provide expert installation solutions for any column casing project.

Whatever your casing requirements – We’ve got them covered.

Although health has been at the front of everyone’s minds over the past 18 months, the healthcare sector has been a key user of Encasement decorative casing solutions for many years, to help improve the interior design and add to the patient experience whilst also concealing structural elements.

As hospitals and health centres are designed around the high volumes of people in foyers, reception areas and corridors, this requires decorative casings to be highly durable to cope with staff, visitors and patients, while also being easy to clean to maintain hygiene.

To achieve the required combination of durability, aesthetics and low maintenance, several of our column casing ranges are regularly used. The pre-formed plywood ‘Circa’ and ‘Quadra’ column casings ranges, with a tough laminated finish, are used for high traffic interior applications while the metal ‘Forma’ range and ‘Polyma’ GRP casings can be used in both exterior and interior projects.

Circa and Quadra allow circular, square and rectangular profiles to be specified while also providing a wide range of finish options, with the most popular being decorative laminates which have very good resistance to damage, scuffs and scratches. They also offer specifiers a diverse palette of finishes.

Strength, durability and colour choice are also features of the Polyma GRP range. As they are produced from moulds, a high degree of design flexibility is possible with shape; size and colour options all open to specification to meet bespoke project requirements.

Projects in health centres, care homes and special care housing utilise this versatility well, as the casings are specified with elliptical profiles to minimise the casing’s footprint and allow easy access around the casing when used in corridors.

Polyma casings can also be manufactured in a range of colours to not only integrate with the interior design but also help improve safety for people with visual impairments, by adding colour and contrast, where required.

Forma aluminium or stainless-steel column casings are also extremely versatile and can be specified in circular, square, rectangular or hexagonal forms, as well as unique bespoke shapes. A wide choice of finishes is available including PPC coating in any RAL colour, as well as brushed, anodised, embossed, or textured finishes such as Rimex.

Projects at Birmingham Dental Hospital and Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow, perfectly illustrate the high degree of versatility within this range. In Birmingham, the decorative benefits of Forma are utilised in the building’s interior, with semi-elliptical casings concealing structural supports on the glazed façade, while at Northwick Park, Forma is used outside to provide weather-resistant square casings for the structural supports on the hospital’s new car park.

As retailers re-open and shoppers return to the high street, malls and retail parks, the importance of combining practicality with decorative design is still important to ensure the shopping experience is enhanced.

Decorative casings, such as column casings and wall linings, are a fundamental part of retail design and in addition to providing a practical method of concealing interior and exterior structural steelwork, they also add to a building’s aesthetics.

For almost 15 years, Encasement has been manufacturing and supplying column casing and wall lining solutions to a diverse range of retailers covering the grocery sector, homeware, clothing, furniture stores, restaurants and automotive dealerships

Our range provides architects, specifiers and designers with a wide choice of materials and finishes, as well as bespoke shapes and dimensions, so it should be no surprise that our products are used by many well-known brands. These include, Halfords, Porsche, Tesco, ASDA, Oak Furnitureland, Kia Motors and Greggs, as well as major retail parks and shopping centres across the UK.

The ‘Circa’ and ‘Quadra’ column casings ranges are manufactured from pre-formed plywood, while ‘Forma’ casing are fabricated from metal and the ‘Polyma’ and ‘Gypra’ casings are produced from moulds in glass reinforced plastic (GRP) and glass reinforced gypsum (GRG) respectively.

‘Circa’ and ‘Quadra’ allow circular, square and rectangular profiles to be specified while also providing a wide range of finish options with the most popular being decorative laminates, which have very good resistance to damage, scuffs and scratches. They also offer specifiers a diverse palette of finishes including plain colours, wood grains and metallics, as well as textured and real wood veneers.

While all our casings ranges can be used for building interiors use, ‘Polyma’ and ‘Forma’ casings are also widely used for exterior retail projects, due to their inherent weather resistance and durability.

Available in aluminium or stainless steel, ‘Forma’ casings offer a diverse range of options and can be specified in circular, square, rectangular or hexagonal forms, as well as unique bespoke shapes. A wide choice of finishes is available including PPC coating in any RAL colour, as well as brushed, anodised, embossed or textured finishes such as Rimex.

Strength, durability and colour choice are also features of the ‘Polyma’ GRP range. As they are produced from moulds, a high degree of design flexibility is possible with shape; size and colour options all open to specification to meet bespoke project requirements.

Alongside our column casings, our ‘Vecta’ building linings system provides a high quality solution for interior wall linings, bulkheads and reveals and are regularly specified for supermarkets, automotive retail, restaurant and food brands including Tesco, Prêt a Manger, Mini and Greggs.

By offering six different column casing ranges and the ‘Vecta’ decorative wall linings system, specifiers can source a range of specialised interior finish products from a single company, supported by high levels of experience in this sector. We also offer a full supply and install service to support contractors.

Where external pipework needs to be concealed and protected against the risk of accidental damage, vandalism or theft, Arma metal pipe boxing provides a tough and versatile solution that also improves aesthetics and adds a uniform finish to the project.

Already widely used in a range of social housing refurbishment applications to conceal and protect simple vertical and horizontal pipe runs, as well as more complex district heating and central boiler installations, Arma can help improve security on projects at risk from damage.

All Arma metal boxing is bespoke manufactured from strong, lightweight and corrosion resistant aluminium, to meet the dimensions and requirement of individual projects, which eases installation and improves the fit and finish.

Arma’s ‘U’ shaped channel profiles are available with either a flange or angle fixing method, enabling them to be readily secured to the external walls with suitable fixings, while lockable hinged inspection doors can also be incorporated to simplify routing maintenance on pipework.

To contrast or blend in with wall colours and surroundings, Arma can be specified with a PPC finish in any RAL paint colour. Pre-formed internal and external corners, together with joint covers and end caps are also available as part of the range. We also offer a supply and install service on the Arma product range to help simplify installation process.

Key Features

Damage protection for external pipework and services
Strong & durable aluminium construction
Range of sizes and fitting options
PPC finishes in a wide range of RAL colours
Easy to install

When it comes to durable and decorative casings for transport projects, the extensive Encasement range has them covered.

The constant footfall and traffic created by passengers, places specific demands on column casings and wall linings, as they need to be durable enough to resist scuffs and scrapes, whilst also integrating with a building’s design, whether it’s an airport, train station or bus terminus.

Our column casings and building linings have been developed to meet most transport sector projects requirements by providing a choice of materials and finishes that allow a wide range of specification options.

For interior use only, our Circa and Quadra column casings give increased versatility, as they are available in a range of standard dimensions or can be specified with bespoke sizes and shapes. Manufactured from pre-formed ply and usually specified with a tough high-pressure laminate (HPL) finish, these are regularly specified for transport hubs and related applications.

In addition, our Forma metal and Polyma GRP column casings can be specified for both interior or exterior use, as their inherent weather resistance, durable materials and an exceptionally wide choice of finishes enable even greater design freedom.

Standard sizes are available in both ranges, although they are also ideally suited for bespoke shapes and dimensions, as Forma is manufactured from aluminium or stainless steel and the Polyma range is produced from moulds, which can be specified to suit individual project requirements.

For many transport hubs, the interior walls also require a combination of protection and aesthetics to resist accidental damage, provide long life and minimise maintenance whilst also providing a decorative finish in areas, such as waiting rooms, foyers, and check-in areas.

Our Vecta building linings are manufactured to meet individual project specifications and can be specified in a range of materials, including natural, brushed, anodised or PPC coated metal, as well as compact laminate wall linings, which are available in a wide palette of colours.

These can also incorporate custom images or graphics for unique interior design or branding solutions. We also have our own contracting arm, which enables us to offer a full supply and install service to support contractors.

One of the latest hotels from the Premier Inn chain in Cardiff Bay is using bespoke ’Polyma’ GRP column casings from Encasement to conceal diagonal structural steelwork that runs along the full length of the building while adding a distinctive and colourful feature due to their bright yellow finish.

Although the successful regeneration and development of Cardiff Bay has attracted a wide range of businesses and stimulated tourism, it has also exposed a shortfall in quality hotel accommodation in the area, which the new Premier Inn is helping to address.

Designed by Holder Mathias Architects as part of the £40 million Cardiff Waterside development that also includes two office buildings, the eight-storey hotel has 210 double, twin and family rooms, together with a restaurant, bar and meeting facilities.

As Cardiff Bay includes an eclectic mix of building types and styles, ranging from ultra-modern angular office buildings to mid-nineteenth century structures, the Premier Inn’s unique exterior design reflects the area’s characteristics with the use of ’punched hole’ widows, brick style facade and Encasement’s bright yellow casings.

An integral aspect of the building’s steel frame construction is the use of diagonal square section supports below a sharp cantilevered edge on the front elevation, which is joined at the top and base to create a continuous angular design.

To conceal the structural steelwork and enhance the building’s aesthetics, Encasement’s Polyma GRP range was used, as it is weatherproof and resistant to damage, which makes it ideal for exterior use.

Encasement manufactured and installed 40 column casing sections, each measuring 400mm in diameter and 3860mm in length, together with 40 bespoke ’V’ shaped casing sections and two single casings to conceal the fixing brackets at each end.

Due to the unique casing design, all the casings were manufactured from 10mm thick GRP, which was hand-laid in moulds to give a precise form, while ensuring the casings incorporated the specified high-quality yellow RAL 1018 Gel-coat finish.

Each casing was designed to work as a two-part design, which enables the casing to be placed around the structural steelwork before being secured and the joint lines concealed using colour-matched polymer filler.

To ensure the system fitted perfectly over the steelwork, Encasement constructed a framework within the column casing, which is fixed to the steelwork and provides continuous support to each component. This also allows each casing to be secured to the frame and hold each element securely in place to provide a strong and rigid solution.

Encasement’s Managing Director, Martin Taylor, explained: “We have been involved in a wide range of projects requiring casing solutions of all shapes, sizes and materials. Some are purely for aesthetic reasons; while others take advantage of a particular material’s characteristics that overcome a specific technical challenge or meet a unique specification requirement.

“However, with this project, the casings were not only genuinely unique, to accommodate the layout of the building’s steel support structure, but also had to have good damage resistance, excellent weather-proof performance and make a bold aesthetic statement for one of the UK’s best-known hotel brands.”

He added: “The end result speaks for itself, as the finished project not only looks dramatic but also meets all the client’s technical and performance specifications. We’re delighted to have played a part in this excellent project.”

Without column casings and interior wall lining solutions, many schools, colleges and universities would be considerably less attractive and engaging learning environments, but as they are usually required to integrate with a building’s interior or exterior design, they can’t be overlooked.

Column casings and wall linings are primarily installed to conceal structural steelwork and building services while also providing a decorative and more aesthetic finish that can blend in or contrast with the decor.

However, the presence of large numbers of students and the use of decorative casings in high traffic areas, such as main entrances, common rooms, foyers, sports halls and other public spaces, has an important influence on their specification, as durability is an essential requirement for most projects.

The ability to understand and meet these demands from architects, educational design teams and specifiers have been key factors that have influenced the wide range of products manufactured and supplied by Peterborough based specialist, Encasement Ltd.

Encasement is probably best known for its extensive column casings range, which includes pre-formed plywood and glass reinforced gypsum (GRG), exclusively for interior applications, as well as aluminium, stainless steel and glass reinforced polymer (GRP) casings, which are suitable for interior and exterior for use due to their durability and inherent weather resistance.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it is the company’s ’Forma’ metal casings and ’Polyma’ GRP range that are widely used in educational buildings, where their toughness and choice of finishes make them an ideal solution. Forma, particularly, provides specifiers with an exceptional scope of options and can be specified in a range of shapes including circular, up to 1000mm diameter, or as square, rectangular, hexagonal or bespoke forms.

In addition to recent installations at Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School and St. Richard Reynolds College, which used Rimex textured aluminium, further projects at Winchester College, Birmingham University Dental School and Liverpool University’s Donnan Laboratories, have all exploited the practical and diverse decorative properties of Encasement’s ’Forma’ range.

Together with Forma, Encasement’s ’Circa’ and ’Quadra’ ranges are also used in educational building interiors. While both ranges are manufactured from FSC® certified plywood to comply with sustainability codes and environmental procurement policies, the main difference between the two types is their shape. Circa covers applications where round and extended circular forms are specified, while Quadra provides designers with the option to use square and rectangular profiles.

Their unrivalled palette of finishes, includes plain, textured and patterned laminates, from specialists such as Formica and Polyrey, together with real wood veneers. They can also be left plain for painting on site in any colour. However, a combination of diverse colour options and resistance to scuffs and scratches has made decorative laminates the most popular for education projects.

The Dame Kelly Holmes Sports Centre and Farnborough Sixth Form College are typical examples of how Quadra casings effectively conceal structural steelwork while their colourful and durable finishes enhance the interior design.

Alongside the company’s six individual ranges of column casings, its ’Vecta’ system provides a high quality solution for interior wall linings, bulkheads and reveals. Vecta has been used in a range of interior education projects, including extensive remodelling of London’s South Bank University, as well as exterior applications, such as the overhead walkway casings at St. Richard Reynolds College in Twickenham.

Encasement’s Managing Director, Martin Taylor, commented: “Column casings provide a perfect mix of practicality and aesthetics, which are essential considerations for all educational buildings.

In addition, our Vecta system allows specifiers to source a range of specialised interior finish products from a single company with high levels of expertise and experience in this sector. We also have our own contracting arm, which enables us to offer a full supply and install service to support contractors.”

An £8.1 million events building at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, is using external decorative column casings, bulkheads and parapet capping from Encasement to conceal structural steelwork and enhance the building’s exterior for the thousands of visitors it receives each year.

Designed by Glenn Howells Architects (GHA), the ’Aspects’ events building provides a permanent facility with flexible spaces at the Arboretum enabling a wide range of events to be held in the 2,500 sq.m building, which incorporates a banqueting kitchen, lounge area and configurations to host up to 500 people.

Both the main entrance canopy and the covered terrace area at the rear of the building are supported by 12 structural columns, each of which are concealed by 200mm square decorative casings from Encasement’s Forma range of metal casings.

Standing 4,500mm high, the column casings are manufactured from Alucobond®, an architectural composite that bonds an aluminium skin to a flame retardant or non-combustible core material to give a strong, lightweight and safe decorative solution.

As the building makes extensive use of glazing to provide panoramic views of the Arboretum site, Encasement also supplied a further eight Forma Alucobond ’half-column’ casings to conceal the glazing system’s external vertical supports to integrate with the building’s exterior design.

To maintain a consistent exterior finish, 20 Alucobond exterior bulkheads from Encasement’s ’Vecta’ range were supplied by the company in sections along with a series of PPC coated aluminium parapet cappings.

Martin Taylor, Encasement’s Managing Director, commented, ’’This new building is an excellent addition to the high quality visitor facilities already available at the Arboretum. The quality of the design, construction and the attention to detail is typified by the architect’s specification for the use of Alucobond for the casings solutions, which gives a perfect finish to the building.’’

Further information on the company’s range of column casings and other architectural casing products for can be obtained by visiting www.encasement.co.uk; e-mailing sales@encasement.co.uk or by calling 01733 266889.

The range of pipe boxing and casing solutions for social housing from Encasement Ltd continues to be in high demand with the growth in fire sprinkler installation; central heating upgrades and distributed heating system refurbishment projects all using the company’s specialised products.

Pre-formed plywood casings have been the preferred solution for social housing RMI for decades and with over 30 years manufacturing experience in the sector, Encasement estimates that more than 100,000 kilometres of its pipe-boxing have already been installed in social housing sites throughout the UK.

The company’s pipe boxing, boiler casings and fire sprinkler boxing are continually specified by HAs, LAs and their contractors for concealing interior pipework, while its ’Arma’ range of tough, lightweight aluminium casings are increasingly specified to conceal and protect exterior services, such as gas supply pipes, electrical cabling and distributed heating pipework.

Encasement was one of the first manufacturers and suppliers of decorative casings to achieve the FSC® Chain of Custody Certification from the Forestry Stewardship Council in 2010 and since then, the company has offered an FSC® certified option on its full range of pre-formed plywood casings to comply with customers’ sustainable procurement policies.

The company’s Riva; Versa 5 and Versa 8 ranges of pipe and fire sprinkler boxing products, together with its boiler pipe casing range, are pre-finished in white melamine so that they can be fitted quickly and easily, which removes the need for on site painting and helps save time and money on site.

Martin Taylor, Encasement’s Managing Director, explained: ’’From our experience of working with contractors on countless social housing projects where pipework needs to be concealed, we know that pipe and fire sprinkler boxing can be fitted in less than half the time of site made alternatives.”

For housing associations, local authorities and their contractors, this time saving provides a number of benefits. It helps ensure that heating systems, boilers and fire safety upgrades can be completed within shorter timescales. This minimises disruption for tenants and can also have a positive impact on improving maintenance and tenant satisfaction KPI’s.

Potentially the most important advantage is that the time taken to complete the projects can be reduced without compromising the quality or integrity of the installation, which can also help reduce costs.

’’From day one, we set out to manufacture and supply the most comprehensive range of pipe boxing and casing products for the social housing sector and we now offer more than 200 different products, profiles and sizes within our standard range, continued Martin Taylor.”

He added: ’’Our Versa range of pre-formed pipe boxing has rapidly become a key solution for concealing retro-fitted fire sprinkler pipework in flats and communal areas, whilst the launch of our flame retardant Versa ’FR’ boxing was a first for the market. Versa FR is also pre-finished in white, while our Arma aluminium casings can be specified and manufactured in any RAL colour.”

The publication of the Phase 1 report from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry in late October 2019 was yet another stark reminder, if one was needed, of the essential role that fire safety plays in all residential buildings, but particularly in high-rise blocks.

Even though the Inquiry’s Chairman has said that fire sprinkler systems will form an important part of the Phase 2 investigation this year, many pro-active HA and local authority landlords have begun implementing a major programme of fire protection upgrades, which includes the retro-fitting of fire sprinkler systems.

As sprinklers need to be located within individual flats and communal areas to suppress fires and aid escape, incorporating them in new builds is comparatively simple, as they can be integrated at the building design stage and pipework can be hidden within wall cavities and ceiling voids. For retro-fitted solutions, however, it’s not that straightforward, as in most cases the pipework will need to be surface mounted.

Once the sprinkler system pipework is installed, it needs to be concealed, as it provides a more aesthetic finish to each project and helps avoid potential complaints from tenants about unsightly orange pipes. It also serves a practical purpose of containing the components and acting as a visible barrier to potential tampering or accidental damage.

One of the main advantages of surface mounted pipework, is the simplicity and speed with which it can be installed by skilled contractors, so it’s important that the chosen method of pipe boxing is also quick and easy, as installation time and the associated costs are essential considerations on any sprinkler project. Consequently, these are key reasons why pre-formed and pre-finished solutions, such as Encasement’s Versa fire sprinkler pipe boxing, have become the preferred solution for many sprinkler contractors.

Versa ‘L’ shaped pipe boxing is manufactured from 5mm or 8mm thick plywood in a range of sizes and profiles and the system also includes dedicated accessories, such as internal and external corners, which help create an integrated finish and speeds the sprinkler installation. All that’s needed to install the sprinkler pipe boxing on site is to drill the holes for sprinkler heads, cut to length and secure to the wall or ceiling with wood battens, screws and caps.

From our experience of working with contractors on countless social housing projects where pipework needs to be concealed, Versa pipe and fire sprinkler boxing can be fitted in less than half the time of site made alternatives. Also, as it is pre-finished with durable white melamine, there’s no painting required on site, which saves further time and cost.

For housing associations, local authorities and their contractors, this time saving provides a number of benefits. It helps ensure that fire safety upgrades can be completed within shorter timescales and simultaneously minimises the disruption for tenants while the work is being carried out. Potentially the most important advantage is that the time taken to complete the projects can be reduced without compromising the quality or integrity of the installation, which can also reduce costs.

The over-riding aims must be to focus on helping save lives and enhance fire safety in high-rise residential buildings to avoid a repeat of the Grenfell tragedy. Fire sprinkler systems have an important role to play and Versa boxing solutions can make a contribution to that process in terms of effectiveness, ease of installation and economics.

One of the latest hotels from the Premier Inn chain in Cardiff Bay is using bespoke ’Polyma’ GRP column casings from Encasement to conceal diagonal structural steelwork that runs along the full length of the building, while adding a distinctive and colourful feature due to their bright yellow finish.

Although the successful regeneration and development of Cardiff Bay has attracted a wide range of businesses and stimulated tourism, it has also exposed a shortfall in quality hotel accommodation in the area, which the new Premier Inn is helping to address.

Designed by Holder Mathias Architects as part of the £40 million Cardiff Waterside development that also includes two office buildings, the eight-storey hotel has 210 double, twin and family rooms, together with a restaurant, bar and meeting facilities.

As Cardiff Bay includes an eclectic mix of building types and styles, ranging from ultra modern angular office buildings to mid-nineteenth century structures, the Premier Inn’s unique exterior design reflect the area’s characteristics with the use of ’punched hole’ widows, brick style facade and Encasement’s bright yellow casings.

An integral aspect of the building’s steel frame construction is the use of diagonal square section supports below a sharp cantilevered edge on the front elevation, which are joined at the top and base to create a continuous angular design.

To conceal the structural steelwork and enhance the building’s aesthetics, Encasement’s Polyma GRP range was used, as it is weather proof and resistant to damage, which makes it ideal for exterior use.

Encasement manufactured and installed 40 column casing sections, each measuring 400mm in diameter and 3860mm in length, together with 40 bespoke ’V’ shaped casing sections and two single casings to conceal the fixing brackets at each end.

Due to the unique casing design, all the casings were manufactured from 10mm thick GRP, which was hand-laid in moulds to give a precise form, while ensuring the casings incorporated the specified high quality yellow RAL 1018 Gel-coat finish.

Each casing was designed to work as a two-part design, which enables the casing to be placed around the structural steelwork before being secured and the joint lines concealed using colour-matched polymer filler.

To ensure the system fitted perfectly over the steelwork, Encasement constructed a framework within the column casing, which is fixed to the steelwork and provides a continuous support to each component. This also allows each casing to be secured to the frame and hold each element securely in place to provide a strong and rigid solution.

Encasement’s Managing Director, Martin Taylor, explained: “We have been involved in a wide range of projects requiring casing solutions of all shapes, sizes and materials. Some are purely for aesthetic reasons; while others take advantage of a particular material’s characteristics that overcomes a specific technical challenge or meets a unique specification requirement.

“However, with this project, the casings were not only genuinely unique, to accommodate the layout of the building’s steel support structure, but also had to have good damage resistance, excellent weather-proof performance and make a bold aesthetic statement for one of the UK’s best known hotel brands.”

He added: “The end result speaks for itself, as the finished project not only looks dramatic, but also meets all the client’s technical and performance specifications. We’re delighted to have played a part in this excellent project.”

Decorative casings solutions, such as column casings and wall linings, are a fundamental part of contemporary retail design. In addition to providing a practical method of concealing interior and exterior structural steelwork they also add to a building’s aesthetics, style and shopping experience.

This combination of practicality, versatility and decorative design has been at the centre of the wide range of retail projects that have been undertaken by Peterborough based casing solutions specialist, Encasement Ltd.

For almost 15 years, the company has been manufacturing and supplying column casing and wall lining solutions to a diverse range of retailers covering the grocery sector, home-wares, clothing, furniture stores, restaurants and automotive dealerships

As Encasement’s range provides architects, specifiers and designers with a wide choice of materials and finishes to choose from, as well as bespoke shapes and dimensions, it’s unsurprising that its products are used by many well known brands, including Debenhams, Porsche, Kia Motors, Tesco, ASDA, Oak Furnitureland and Greggs, as well as major retail parks and shopping centres across the UK.

Encasement’s column casings range includes ’Circa’ and ’Quadra’, which are manufactured from pre-formed plywood, together with the metal ’Forma’ range, ’Polyma’ and ’Gypra’ casings, which are moulded respectively from glass reinforced plastic (GRP) and glass reinforced gypsum (GRG).

In addition, the ’Metza’ range is a specialised solution that provides up to 2 hours fire protection. Originally designed for mezzanine support columns, Metza is also used in food retail fitted with corner protectors to resist scuffing and damage caused by shopping trolleys.

While every Encasement column casings is suitable for interior use, its ’Polyma’ and ’Forma’ ranges are also widely used for exterior retail projects, due to their inherent weather resistance and durability.

Available in aluminium or stainless steel, ’Forma’ casings offer a diverse range of options and can be specified as circles with diameters from 250mm up to 1000mm and in square, rectangular or hexagonal forms, as well as unique custom profiles. The choice of finishes is also very wide and in addition to PPC coating options in any RAL colour, various brushed, anodised, embossed and textured finishes are also available, including Rimex.

Strength, durability and colour choice are also features of the ’Polyma’ GRP range. This manufacturing process allows a high degree of design flexibility with shape; size and colour options all open to specification to meet bespoke project requirements, as well as standard profile options.

The versatility of ’Forma’ and ’Polyma’ makes them a common choice for retail projects and the high degree of freedom they offer enables major brands to specify colours that not only adhere to their brand guidelines, but also add to the customer experience.

However, where casings are needed for interior use only, the company's ’Circa’ and ’Quadra’ casings allow circular, square and rectangular profiles to be specified while also providing a wide range of finish options with the most popular being decorative laminated finishes. In addition to resisting damage, scuffs and scratches, they also provide the specifier with a diverse palette of finishes including plain colours, wood grains and metallics, as well as textured and real wood veneers.

Alongside the company’s column casings, its ’Vecta’ system provides a high quality solution for interior wall linings, bulkheads and reveals and is widely used in supermarkets, automotive retail, restaurant and food brands including Tesco, Prêt a Manger, Mini and Greggs.

Encasement’s Managing Director, Martin Taylor, explained: “By offering six different column casing ranges and the ’Vecta’ decorative wall linings system, specifiers are able to source a range of specialised interior finish products from a single company, supported by high levels of experience in this sector.”

He added: “Column casings provide a perfect mix of practicality and aesthetics and we’ve taken a lot of care to ensure our range meets both of these key criteria. We also have our own contracting arm, which enables us to offer a full supply and install service to support contractors”

More than four kilometres of ‘Versa 5’ pre-formed plywood fire sprinkler boxing from Encasement is being used to provide an aesthetic finish to the installation of new fire sprinkler systems at three Liberty Heights student accommodation blocks in Wolverhampton.

Operated by the UK’s second largest student accommodation provider, Liberty Living, the three blocks, one of which is 25 storeys high, provide 657 beds for students attending the nearby University of Wolverhampton and City of Wolverhampton College.

The fire sprinkler system protects corridors, kitchens, lift lobbies and public areas, in addition to the individual student rooms, and the installation was undertaken as part of an accommodation refurbishment and improvement programme by Liberty Living after acquiring the properties in early 2017.

Encasement’s pre-formed fire sprinkler boxing was chosen by the contractor as it provided a cost effective and easy to install solution to conceal the thousands of metres of orange sprinkler pipework while also providing an aesthetic finish, as the boxing is pre-finished with white melamine.

Three different sizes of 5mm thick Versa ‘L’ shaped sprinkler boxing was used on the project, as well as dedicated accessories, such as internal and external corners, to ensure that the finish to the entire sprinkler system was consistent and integrated with the building décor in each of the blocks.

To accommodate the sprinkler heads, the Versa boxing is designed to be drilled easily on-site, so that the position of the individual heads can be aligned accurately and the white cover caps can be fitted to complete the installation.

Martin Taylor, Encasement’s Managing Director, explained: “Fire safety and protection in multi-storey residential blocks is clearly a priority for many local authorities, housing associations and specialist student accommodation providers and the installation of fire sprinkler systems is an essential part of this process. We have more than 40 years experience in manufacturing and supplying pre-formed pipe boxing and decorative casings, which have been installed in countless UK and overseas projects. I’m delighted that we were chosen for Liberty Heights, which has proven to be so successful and we are currently involved in a large number of other fire sprinkler projects in social and private housing.”
www.encasement.co.uk

Saint Richard Reynolds Catholic College in Twickenham is using Encasement’s ‘Forma’ and ‘Vecta’ decorative metal casings to conceal structural steelwork around a new courtyard walkway, as part of its recently opened £14 million teaching block.

Designed by DHP Building Design Consultants and built by main contractor, Graham Construction the project involved the refurbishment of the existing Edwardian structure, alongside the construction of The Elizabeth Building to create a modern learning environment for pupils. In addition to primary and secondary classrooms, the Elizabeth Building also includes a hall, library and sixth form centre.

An integral part of the new facilities was the creation of a covered walkway along two sides of the college’s main ‘quad’ courtyard that also incorporates 14 structural support columns, which are concealed by Encasement’s rectangular ‘Forma’ decorative metal column casings and matching ceiling soffits and fascias.

Each 650mm x 990mm weatherproof column casing stands 3.74metres high and is manufactured from 1.5mm thick aluminium, which incorporates a Rimex ‘Black Pearl’ finish that combines a highly polished surface with a pattern of small circular indentations, making the casings both durable and aesthetic.

In addition to the column casings, the walkway also includes almost 70 metres of aluminium fascias and soffits at ceiling level, which use the same Rimex Black Pearl finish to conceal building services and drainage pipework. All casings solutions were not only manufactured and supplied by Encasement, but were also installed by the company’s specialist installation team.

Encasement’s Managing Director, Martin Taylor, commented: “The Black Pearl finish was an excellent decision for this project as it helps provide interest by breaking up the large surface areas of the column casings. Also, the pattern helps provide some additional rigidity to the aluminium, making it even more durable and ideal for high traffic use. The same applies to the ceiling soffits and fascia, but the main advantage of using the same material is the it integrates with the column casings and provides a uniform finish to this excellent project.”

www.encasement.co.uk

new updated and expanded brochure has been created by Encasement, which now includes details on the new Versa FR range of flame retardant fire sprinkler boxing, as well as the latest information covering the complete pipe-boxing, boiler casing and pipe protection product range for social housing, private residential and other key sectors.

This latest downloadable PDF brochure combines core product information alongside features and benefits for each product, as well as product specification data on materials, finishes, sizes and fixings, as well as schematic diagrams, dedicates accessories and project images.

Fire sprinkler boxing including Versa 5; Versa 8 and the new Versa FR products are featured in the brochure in addition to Riva, Riva ‘D’ and the extensive boiler casing ranges which are used widely in social housing heating system upgrade programmes by local authorities and housing associations. Full details on the Arma metal pipe casing range, which is designed to protect external pipes from damage and vandalism, are also included in the brochure

All of Encasement’s pre-formed plywood products are guaranteed for 2 years and are manufactured from FSC® Chain of Custody certified timber to meet UK and international, regulations and guidelines on the use of for legal and sustainable timber.

The new brochure also provides information on the company’s extensive range of pipe boxing accessories, which includes circular and rectangular access panels, pre-fabricated internal and external corners, fixings and soffit vents, as well as pipe collars and boiler casing document wallets.

Download the brochure

Encasement, has added to its extensive fire sprinkler boxing range with the launch of Versa FR, which is designed for use primarily on high rise residential projects where flame retardant boxing is required to conceal sprinkler pipework installations.

Manufactured from flame retardant Euroclass B compliant board, Versa FR is also FSC© “Chain of Custody.” certified and has a Declaration of Performance certificate following its testing to the appropriate harmonised European Standard (hEN) technical specification.

Versa FR has a white painted finish, giving a joint-less and easy to clean surface to integrate with the interiors of flats and communal areas where sprinklers are installed. It can be easily cut to length on site and drilled to accommodate fire sprinkler heads and the boxing is secured simply by screw fixing to timber battens or aluminium angles, which also allows easy access for inspection and routine sprinkler maintenance.

A range of dedicated accessories is also available including internal and external corners, as well as stop ends. Running lengths are butted end to end to ensure the integrity of the boxing. Intumescent mastic joint sealant may also be required.

Versa FR product and technical information is available alongside a new downloadable brochure , while typical sprinkler boxing installation drawings in PDF and DWG format are also available for download.

Concealing retro-fitted fire sprinkler pipework in high rise flats and communal areas, such as corridors and lift lobbies, is simple and quick using Encasement Versa 5 pipe boxing, but it’s now even easier with our latest downloadable PDF and DWG format installation drawings.

Each of the two new typical drawings has been created to provide both dimensional and physical fixing information in sectioned illustrations, which also show the positioning of the fire sprinkler pipework and the sprinkler heads in relation to the wall and ceiling.

One of the drawings provides fixing details for a standard fire sprinkler boxing application, while the other shows the installation of a metal bracket, enabling the sprinkler boxing to be secured without drilling into ceilings with old Artex finishes that may contain asbestos.

Encasement’s Managing Director, Martin Taylor, commented: “Pipework and sprinkler heads need to be concealed to not only give a more aesthetic finish to each project and avoid complaints from tenants, but to also provide a practical solution for containing the system components.”

“From our experience of working with contractors on countless social housing projects where pipework needs to be concealed, Versa boxing solutions can be fitted in less than half the time of site made alternatives and these new fixing details should help make it even simpler.”

Please follow this link to download PDF and DWG format installation drawings.

As residential fire safety, particularly in multi-storey buildings and tower blocks has been at the centre of attention since last June, the groundswell of opinion is clearly behind the installation of fire sprinkler systems as part of a multi-million pound programme of fire protection upgrades.

While discussions continue regarding how the work is being funded, it appears that local authorities and housing associations are likely to make a significant contribution to the cost, so it’s inevitable that ‘value’ and ‘cost effectiveness’ will form part of the tendering procedures that are already taking place.

No compromises

However, due to the intense public focus and scrutiny directed towards public sector housing, the safety of tenants and residents will not be compromised for reasons of economy, as ‘cost cutting’ was one of the areas of concern raised by Dame Judith Hackitt’s interim report last December.

Nevertheless, it’s clear that fire sprinkler systems are becoming an integral part of the high-rise residential environment, which should increase further as part of the proposed review of building regulations. While fire sprinklers are comparatively simple to incorporate in new builds, as they can be integrated right from the outset at the planning and design stage, for retro-installed solutions inside individual flats and for communal areas, sprinkler system pipework will need be surface mounted in most cases.

Clearly, the pipework and sprinkler heads need to be concealed to not only give a more aesthetic finish to each project and avoid complaints from tenants, but to also provide a practical purpose of containing the system components and acting as a visible barrier to potential tampering.

The cover up

When concealing the sprinkler system pipework, consideration also needs to be given to the amount of time required to install the pipe boxing, which is why pre-formed and pre-finished solutions, such as Encasement’s Versa sprinkler system pipe boxing, are increasingly specified by sprinkler system contractors.

Versa ‘L’ shaped pipe boxing is manufactured from 5mm or 8mm thick, FSC® certified and compliant timber in a range of sizes and the system also includes accessories, such as internal and external corners to help create an integrated finish to the sprinkler installation. All that’s needed to install the sprinkler pipe boxing on site is to drill the holes for sprinkler heads, cut to length and secure to the wall or ceiling with wood battens, screws and white caps.

From our experience of working with contractors on countless social housing projects where pipework needs to be concealed, Versa boxing solutions can be fitted in less than half the time of site made alternatives. Also, as they’re pre-finished with durable white melamine, there’s no painting required on site, which also saves time and cost.

Saving time and cost

This time saving provides a number of benefits. For contractors, local authorities and housing associations, the fire safety upgrades can be completed within a shorter timescale, while simultaneously minimising the disruption period for tenants while the work is being carried out.

Potentially the most important advantage is that costs can be reduced, not by ‘cutting corners’, but by cutting the time spent during the installation without compromising the quality or integrity of the installation.

When considering the scale of the sprinkler installation programmes being planned during the next 5 years, which is conservatively estimated at around 50,000 individual flats, then just a 10 minute time saving by using Versa sprinkler boxing will cumulatively save more than 2.5 years, if working an 8 hour day.

These figures are persuasive in their own right, but the important focus is rightfully on improving fire safety in high-rise residential buildings, and Versa can make a contribution to that process in terms of effectiveness, ease of installation and economics.

House builders and contractors involved in concealing pipework on new build or housing refurbishment projects, could be inadvertently contravening their own sustainability policies, as non-FSC® certified plywood boxing is still available in the UK.

Even the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has stated, ‘if you don’t know where your timber and paper come from, you could be part of the problem’ and in its procurement factsheet, there are clear recommendations on the procedures and checks that should be made when purchasing:

•Source from an FSC certified supplier. All FSC certified organisations are included within the FSC certificate database at info.fsc.org
•Check that the certificate is valid and that it covers the appropriate product categories using the database at info.fsc.org
•Specify FSC certified materials when placing your order and let your supplier know that you need them to make an FSC claim on their sale documents.
•Check that delivery notes and/or invoices clearly identify the FSC certified products and includes the supplier’s FSC certificate code.

Where plywood boxing and casings are being used on housing construction and refurbishment projects for housing associations and local authorities, there is also a risk that using non-FSC products will contravene the UK government’s ‘Timber Procurement Policy’ (TPP) guidelines.

As these products are manufactured from wood, specifiers and contractors should be stipulating that they are FSC® or PEFC certified, required by the government’s TPP as well as the latest edition of the Timber Procurement Advisory Note (TPAN) from Defra.

Defra’s guidance on compliance with the TPP states:

Government procurers and their suppliers should have documentary evidence to show the timber supplied is at a minimum from legal and sustainable sources. This evidence should include full chain of custody from the forest source(s) to the end user.

Acceptable forest certification schemes provide this evidence of legal and/or sustainable timber. Suppliers and buyers must check evidence to verify its validity. Approved schemes include the 2 international certification schemes: Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).

Encasement’s Managing Director, Martin Taylor, explained: “The TPP and TPAN guidance exists to encourage and enforce a responsible approach to global environmental issues, such as climate change, illegal de-forestation and the use of sustainably sourced timber, so it’s vital that companies are diligent about their procurement policies. As there is a risk of non-compliance, the best way of address this is to tighten the specification clauses and clearly specify only FSC Chain of Custody certified products.”

He added: “In our view FSC is the default choice and not an option,” he continued. “Today, it’s impossible to purchase non-FSC toilet paper, so why should companies still be able to supply plywood pipe boxing and casings that aren’t manufactured from FSC certified materials. We always advise specifiers to avoid the risk of non-compliance and look for the FSC Chain of Custody (COC) certificate number against each product line that is ordered and supplied. If it’s not present on the invoice and delivery note, then it’s probably not FSC.”

Local authorities, housing associations and contractor partners could be contravening the UK government’s ‘Timber Procurement Policy’ (TPP) guidelines and their own sustainability procedures if the plywood casings being used to cover fire sprinkler pipework are not FSC® certified.

With LAs and HAs across the UK focusing on fire protection and tenant safety in tower blocks, many have already started the process of installing fire sprinkler systems in high rise buildings and are using plywood casings to conceal the orange CPVC sprinkler pipework in flats and public areas.

As these products are manufactured from wood, specifiers and contractors should be stipulating that they are FSC® or PEFC certified, required by the government’s TPP as well as the latest edition of the Timber Procurement Advisory Note (TPAN) from Defra.


Defra’s guidance on compliance with the TPP states:

Government procurers and their suppliers should have documentary evidence to show the timber supplied is at a minimum from legal and sustainable sources. This evidence should include full chain of custody from the forest source(s) to the end user.

Acceptable forest certification schemes provide this evidence of legal and/or sustainable timber. Suppliers and buyers must check evidence to verify its validity. Approved schemes include the 2 international certification schemes: Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).

In addition, where LAs, HAs, contractor partners or merchants have their own ‘green’ or sustainable procurement policies in place, using and supplying non-FSC® products will also be contravening these compliance procedures.

Encasement’s Managing Director, Martin Taylor, explained: “The TPP and TPAN guidance exists to encourage and enforce a responsible approach to global environmental issues, such as climate change, illegal de-forestation and the use of sustainably sourced timber.”

He added: “Even though there is an obligation to use FSC certified boxing under TPAN, non-FSC casings are still available in the market, which presents a risk of non-compliance for specification and procurement personnel. Clearly the best way of address this is to tighten the specification clauses and specify only FSC Chain of Custody certified products.”

“In our view FSC is the default choice and not an option,” he continued. “Today, it’s impossible to purchase non-FSC toilet paper, so why should companies still be able to supply fire sprinkler casings that aren’t manufactured from FSC certified materials. We always advise specifiers to avoid the risk of non-compliance and look for the FSC Chain of Custody (COC) certificate number against each product line that is ordered and supplied. If it’s not present on the invoice and delivery note, then it’s probably not FSC. Even FSC themselves say that if you don’t know where your timber and paper come from, you could be part of the problem.”


For reference, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Procurement Factsheet, recommends the following procedures and checks when purchasing:

•Source from an FSC certified supplier. All FSC certified organisations are included within the FSC certificate database at info.fsc.org.
•Check that the certificate is valid and that it covers the appropriate product categories using the database at info.fsc.org.
•Specify FSC certified materials when placing your order and let your supplier know that you need them to make an FSC claim on their sale documents.
•Check that the delivery note and/or invoice clearly identifies the FSC certified products and includes the supplier’s FSC certificate code.

Government documents and further reading:

•A copy of the full TPAN document can be downloaded here
•Compliance is an essential part of the TPP and detailed online guidance on proving the legality and sustainability of timber and wood derived products is provided by Defra, which can be viewed here
•Download The Forest Stewardship Council’s Procurement Factsheet here
•Further downloads, links and other useful information on sustainability can be found on our website here

The easy way to fire sprinkler boxing compliance? Choose Encasement.

If you're installing or retro-fitting fire sprinkler systems in tower blocks and flats, Encasement’s ‘Versa’ pipe boxing range provides the perfect cost effective solution for concealing sprinkler pipework.

Manufactured from pre-formed FSC® certified plywood and pre-finished in a durable white melamine, our Versa ‘L’ shaped boxing is available in either 5mm or 8mm thicknesses for use inside flats or in public areas, such as stairs and lift lobbies where sprinklers are required.

Versa sprinkler pipe boxing is available in a wide range of sizes and helps save time, as there’s no fabrication or painting required on site. Just cut to the required length, drill holes for the sprinkler heads and secure to the wall or ceiling.

Our durable Versa boxing can be used with standard sprinkler heads or concealed ‘pop-out’ units with cover caps.

Encasement is the UK’s leading manufacturer of pre-formed plywood boxing and decorative casings. Whatever your requirement – we’ve got it covered.

Bespoke ’Forma’ metal casings from Encasement are helping provide an aesthetic and practical environment for shoppers at Coventry’s Central Six Retail Park by concealing structural support columns for a walkway canopy that runs the full length of the shopping area.

Central Six is a small out of town centre, which combines fashion retail, homeware and designer clothing stores with specialist shops, such as Hobbycraft and American Golf, as well as a fast food restaurant in 14 retail units.

As part of a recent refurbishment and facilities upgrade programme, Encasement supplied and installed 72 square column casings from its ’Forma’ metal casing range, which were used to conceal the existing circular structural steelwork and provide a more contemporary look to the retail centre.

Manufactured from durable 3mm thick aluminium and measuring 235mm square, each casing stands 3350mm high and is finished with an RAC 7022 Umber Grey PPC coating to not only complement the retail park’s colour scheme, but also provide additional resistance to weathering and accidental scuffing.

Encasement’s Managing Director, Martin Taylor, commented: ’Our Forma aluminium casings are widely used in the retail sector in both interior and exterior applications as they provide immense design versatility and colour options, as well as being durable and resistant to weathering when used in projects such as Central Six.’

If you're installing or retro-fitting fire sprinkler systems in tower blocks and flats, Encasement’s ‘Versa’ pipe boxing range provides the perfect cost effective solution for concealing sprinkler pipework.

Manufactured from pre-formed FSC® certified plywood and pre-finished in a durable white melamine, our Versa ‘L’ shaped boxing is available in either 5mm or 8mm thicknesses for use inside flats or in public areas, such as stairs and lift lobbies where sprinklers are required.

Versa sprinkler pipe boxing is available in a wide range of sizes and helps save time, as there’s no fabrication or painting required on site. Just cut to the required length, drill holes for the sprinkler heads and secure to the wall or ceiling.

Our durable Versa boxing can be used with standard sprinkler heads or concealed ‘pop-out’ units with cover caps.

Encasement is the UK’s leading manufacturer of pre-formed plywood boxing and decorative casings. Whatever your requirement – we’ve got it covered.

Tata Technologies’ new £20 million European Innovation and Development Centre (EIDC) in Warwick has used more than 70 ‘Forma’ aluminium column casings from Encasement to conceal structural steelwork in the three storey building.

Designed by Birmingham based architects, Webb Gray, the EIDC’s steel frame curtain-walled structure provides 60,000sq.ft of office space for around 600 staff and was built by BAM Construction on a 3.85 acre green field site.

Supplied and installed by Encasement, the column casings are used throughout the building on each of the three floors to conceal structural supports in the six extensive open plan office areas together with separate conference and presentation rooms and the ground floor restaurant.

Manufactured from 3mm thick aluminium and standing 3000mm high, the 530mm diameter ‘Forma’ casings also incorporate an acoustic lining to help dampen noise and reverberation in the office areas. They are also finished in a white PPC coating to integrate with the interior design and reflect natural light.

While some of the casings are positioned around the perimeter of each floor, adjacent to the glazed facade, many have also been integrated into the design and construction of the interior workstations, storage facilities and desktops, with cupboard units and meeting tables being built around them.

In some locations, the lower half of the column casings are concealed by modular cabinets and integral desks, while in others, the storage and drawer units are designed to be slightly narrower than the column casing diameter, leaving the full height visible on either side, giving variety to the interior layout and adjacent meeting areas.

Encasement also supplied and installed a series of semi-circular column casings, which are used in individual offices and meeting rooms where the structural steelwork forms part of the partition wall.

Encasement’s Managing Director, Martin Taylor, explained: “As Tata Technologies is a global leader in engineering services and outsourcing, as well as being part of the group that owns Jaguar Land Rover in the UK, they invariably demand high standards, so we were delighted to be awarded this project. Every aspect of the building’s design and construction exudes quality, which is particularly visible in the intelligent way our column casings have been integrated into the office furniture and work areas.”

The extensive reception and showroom area at Tetrosyl’s recently opened headquarters in Rochdale is using ‘Forma’ column casings from Encasement, which incorporate a unique ‘aerofoil’ contour to conceal the building’s structural columns while adding to the high performance interior design theme.

Tetrosyl, Europe’s largest manufacturer and supplier of car care products and the company behind a range of well known brands, including T-Cut, CarPlan and Carlube, has spent £3 million transforming the eight-storey former tax office building into its new HQ following after relocating from Bury.

An important part of the extensive refurbishment and upgrading of the city centre building, was the creation of the spacious new reception foyer, which not only presents Tetrosyl’s business to UK and international visitors, but also showcases the company’s key products and its long involvement with motorsport.

As the entrance foyer design needed to accommodate a number of existing concrete structural columns, Tetrosyl chose to turn them into a feature of the new interior by using elliptical aerofoil shaped casings from Encasement, which are manufactured from 3mm thick brushed aluminium.

In total, eight column casings from Encasement’s Forma range, were designed, manufactured and installed by the company, which measure 590mm wide by 1,575mm long and range in height from 3 metres at the rear of the reception area, up to 5 metres at the front where they flank the main entrance doors.

To accommodate the differing heights and locations, the column casings were manufactured using slightly different profiles, so that they didn’t occupy useful floor area unnecessarily. In addition, three of the casings incorporated a stepped design, to allow for a change in ceiling height.

Encasement’ s Managing Director, Martin Taylor, commented: “During our 10 year history we have been involved and a diverse range of prestige projects and Tetrosyl’ s HQ is one of the most striking, as it demonstrates how a unique column casing design can not only provide a practical solution for covering structural supports, but also add to the quality of the finished interior.”

As part of Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School’s (BVGS) recently completed £2.5 million STEM block, six ‘Forma’ circular aluminium column casings from Encasement are being used to conceal exterior structural steelwork and add a splash of colour, as each has a different PPC finish.

Based in Sutton Coldfield near Birmingham, BVGS was founded in the 16th Century and provides education for boys and girls from Key Stage 3 to Sixth Form, with the school being on of the country’s top 25 state schools for A level results.

Designed by RJA Architects, the STEM block was constructed with the aid of an Education Funding Agency grant and provides 17 new classrooms over two floors including a bespoke ICT suite, a robotics room and an extension to the existing ‘Randon art & design centre’.

The six Encasement column casings are used on the front of the building to provide a highly decorative and practical solution for concealing the building’s external structural steelwork, which is also acts as part of a covered walkway created by the building’s first floor extension.

Manufactured from 3mm thick aluminium, each 370mm diameter ‘Forma’ casing stands 3000mm high and is finished in a different PPC colour of black, purple, gold, white, blue and red, which represent the colours in the school’s crest.

Encasement’s Managing Director, Martin Taylor, commented: “Even though we regularly manufacture and supply column casings where the finish is themed for an exterior or exterior colour scheme, this is the only project we have ever undertaken where each column casing has been finished with a completely different colour.”

The extensive refurbishment and upgrading of Wolverhampton’s Mander Centre shopping mall has included both Vecta wall lining systems and ‘Forma’ column casing solutions from Encasement as part of the £35 million project.

A key part of the plans was to improve the shopper experience at the Mander centre by creating a double height full length glass atrium, which incorporates both ground floor and gallery shopping areas linked by a footbridge with escalator access.

The comprehensive revamp has also attracted a number of major retailers to the centre with H&M being one of the first to move into the new complex, while Debenhams is one of the latest with its 90,000 sq.ft department store.

To help create the high quality finish demanded by the centre’s owners, Encasement’s Vecta interior wall lining system was used to clad the atrium and mall footbridge, as well as the gallery ring beam bulkhead.

All of the panels were manufactured and installed by Encasement and are finished in white to integrate with the interior design scheme which helps create the bright, open space for retailers and shoppers.

In addition to the Vecta system, Encasement also manufactured, supplied and installed 34 Forma bespoke column casings, which use an elliptical contour design and are located around the perimeter of the ground floor and gallery shopping area to conceal structural steelwork.

Each column casings stands 3000mm high, but the profile dimensions vary depending on the size of the structural steelwork that needs to be concealed. All casings are manufactured using Alucobond® aluminium composite to provide a durable and tough surface for high traffic areas and is finished in silver grey to integrate with the colour scheme.

Encasement’s Managing Director, Martin Taylor, said: “The transformation of the centre following the refurbishment has been remarkable and it has created an excellent retail environment, as well as attracting new stores and shoppers. I’m delighted that our wall lining and column casings help add to the high quality interior, as well as serving a practical purpose of concealing steelwork and other structural components.”

Hull’s landmark Centre for Digital Innovation (C4DI) is using ‘Polyma’ GRP column casings from Encasement to conceal external structural steelwork at the building, which forms the centrepiece of the 2017 European City of City of Culture’s £15 million @TheDock development.

Designed by Leeds based architects, Enjoy Design, and owned by Hull-based regeneration company Wykeland Group, the C4DI building houses one of the UK’s leading digital tech hubs, as well as 70,000 sq.ft of office space and an external public performance space in the former dry dock.

Below the striking bronze PPC coated aluminium exterior, which also incorporates a range of sustainable and energy saving technologies, each of the building’s nine structural steel supports are concealed by a 450mm diameter Polyma glass reinforced polymer column casing.

Manufactured by Encasement to the precise specifications using hand laid GRP moulding techniques, the Polyma casings are finished in gloss RAL 7004 Signal Grey and range in height from 3,600mm up to 4,000mm to meet the building’s design parameters.

As the column casings are used externally and close to sea water, the Polyma casings are an ideal choice for this application as they are highly durable, as well as being resistant to corrosion, weathering and damage.

Encasement’s Managing Director, Martin Taylor, commented: “The regeneration around the dock area including C4DI has given a significant boost to the area and helped Hull become a key centre for tech innovation. We’re delighted to have played a part in this project, where the quality of the building design and energy saving technologies it incorporates has set the scene for the innovation centred businesses it accommodates.”

GWR Kia, the recently opened flagship car dealership for Kia Motors in West London is using 34 ‘Forma’ decorative aluminium column casings from Encasement, to conceal structural steelwork in the three-storey building, which is now the brand’s largest showroom in Europe.

Located in Brentford on the Great West Road, GWR Kia the dealership not only provides extensive sales, display and servicing areas for Kia’s wide model range, but also a full height customer reception foyer, an integral café lounge and a 17 metre x 4 metre LED display screen on the top floor, which is visible from the adjacent M4 motorway flyover.

Each of the Forma column casings, which were supplied and installed by Encasement, are manufactured from 3mm thick aluminium and coated with a pure white RAL 9010 PPC finish to integrate with the interior design scheme and adhere to Kia’s brand guidelines.

While two of the Forma column casings are 550mm diameter and stand 3,600 mm high, a further 29, measuring 500mm diameter, are used on each floor to conceal structural steelwork and range in height from 3,600mm up to 4495mm depending on the location. The final three 500mm diameter casings are located inside the main entrance and span the full floor to ceiling height of 8,100 mm.

To reach the extended height, the casings are stacked using 3,000mm standard lengths and seamlessly joined, while also being cut, trimmed and fitted around existing structural beams to provide a high quality precision finish to the interior.

Encasement’s Managing Director, Martin Taylor, explained: “The facilities at GWR Kia are exceptional and the prime location adjacent to the elevated section of the M4 makes this location extremely visible for the brand especially, when it is lit up at night. As the column casings are so visible throughout the showroom and even through the glazed facades, it was essential for Kia that the standard of installation and finish, together with the product quality, was of the highest standard and we’re delighted that they chose Encasement.”

External heating system pipework at newly refurbished and upgraded homes in Sheffield have been given extra security against tampering and damage by using tough Arma metal external pipe protection from Encasement.

Blackberry Hamlets is a small estate of 33 Sheffield City Council owned flats and following a recent refurbishment of the 40 year old properties, including the upgrading of the distributed heating system and gas pipework which is located externally on the gable ends of the buildings.

To provide a weatherproof shield and protection against accidental damage, tampering or vandalism, Encasement’s Arma metal pipe protection has been used to conceal the pipework, while still allowing access to high-level gas valves, as well as maintenance and inspection.

Manufactured from 3mm thick aluminium and standing 6.50 metres high, each bespoke manufactured casing incorporates a secure lockable hinged panel at high level, which allows authorised access for easy inspection of pipework and valves.

Each Arma casing is 350mm wide, 250mm deep and uses an RAL 8017 brown PPC finish to blend in with the surrounding brickwork. The casings also incorporate joint covers for added protection and are secured to the wall using heavy-duty fasteners.

Encasement’s Managing Director, Martin Taylor, commented: “This is exactly the type of project that Arma was designed for and has been used in countless similar social housing projects, where vulnerable pipework such as that used for gas supply, exterior distributed heating system or ground source heat pumps needs to be concealed securely.”

The recently opened Porsche Centre in West London is using 22 ‘Forma’ decorative aluminium column casings from Encasement to conceal structural steelwork that follows the contour of the showroom’s curved glazed exterior, while adding to its stylish and high quality interior design.

Located in Chiswick on the Great West Road, the Porsche Centre’s extensive two-storey showroom not only provides display areas for the different Porsche models, but also a customer reception foyer together with a number separate sales and administration offices on both floors.

The circular Forma column casings are manufactured from 3mm thick aluminium and are coated with a protective RAL 9007 metallic light grey PPC finish to integrate with the interior design scheme and brand guidelines.

While 20 of the casings are 450mm diameter and range in height from 2,396mm up 3,300mm depending on their location within the showroom and sales areas, the two other casings are 400mm diameter and stand 6,696 mm high, spanning the building’s full floor to ceiling height.

To reach the extended height, the casings are stacked using 3,000mm standard lengths and seamlessly joined, while also being cut, trimmed and fitted around existing structural beams to provide a high quality precision finish to the interior.

Encasement’ s Managing Director, Martin Taylor, commented: “When it comes to prestige and performance automotive marques, Porsche is one of the first names that comes to mind and the attention to detail within the Porsche West London facility underlines the brand’s values. Our column casing solutions have proven popular within automotive retail, as there is usually a need to cover structural steelwork in open plan showrooms and offices, such as those within Porsche, while the immense choice of finishes available, enable us to tailor the products to adhere to brand colours, as well as interior design colour schemes.”

The construction of a new sports hall and theatre at Manor Lodge School in Shenley, Hertfordshire is using 70 semi-circular ‘Circa’ column casings from Encasement to conceal structural steel work around the perimeter of the building’s interior to provide a durable, attractive and safe environment.

Manor Lodge is an independent coeducational school for early years to year 6 students and occupies a 10 acre site near the M25, which the new sports hall and theatre complex shares with the school’s original grade II listed building and modern teaching blocks.

The £2 million projects was constructed by T&B Contractors and designed by Aedifice Architects, which features a steel frame construction to provide the large, open interior space, while the exterior uses brick and wood cladding together with a planted ‘green eco-roof’ to eventually blend with its rural surroundings.

Inside the sports hall, Encasement’s column casings, which range in height from 5.0 metres up to 7.7 metres are used to conceal vertical steel supports around the building’s perimeter to create aesthetic finish to the interior that integrates with the colour scheme while reflecting the school’s own colours.

Manufactured from pre-formed plywood and finished with a highly durable Formica laminate in a Beaujolais K2046 colour, both 300mm and 500mm diameter casings were used to meet the needs of the installation and ensure the steelwork was concealed effectively.

As ‘Circa’ casings are normally supplied in 3.0 metre lengths, the column casings were stacked to achieve the necessary heights and also incorporated an aluminium feature joint as an additional design feature.

A stylish £500,000 restaurant serving high quality Pakistan and Kashmiri cuisine in Bradford is using Forma metal column casings from Encasement to conceal external structural steelwork and add a more aesthetic finish to the building’s extensive ground floor glazed facade.

Jinnah Bradford is part of the Jinnah Group, which runs nine restaurants in key towns and cities across Yorkshire, including York, Harrogate, Leeds and Selby, as well as operating United Foods, a cash and carry outlet also based in Bradford.

As the building has a large glazed facade, the Encasement column casings are designed to conceal the structural supports and provide a more integrated and attractive finish to the building’s exterior. This theme is also carried around the building to the main entrance, which is also flanked by Encasement’s decorative casings.

To achieve this, Encasement supplied and installed eight 832mm wide bespoke semi-circular ‘Forma’ column casings, which are manufactured from 3mm thick aluminium and range in height from 2988mm up to 3900mm. Every Forma casing is finished with a RAL 9006 metallic PPC coating to provide an aesthetic and durable finish while enhancing weather resistance.

Designed for use on both interior and exterior applications, Encasement’s Forma casings are regularly used to conceal exterior steelwork, as their aluminium construction makes them resistant to corrosion.

Encasement's Managing Director, Martin Taylor, explained: “Restaurants, foodservice and retail environments are areas where our column casings and wall lining solutions are widely used, as they provide a practical and versatile solution to help improve a building’s interior or exterior design while also being highly durable. The Jinnah restaurant project is an ideal demonstration of how column casings can be used to add the finishing touch and enhance the customer experience.”

Encasement is now part of Constructionline, the UK's leading procurement and supply chain management service, which helps provide efficiency savings to public and private sector buyers and the construction industry as a whole.

Constructionline uses a standardised pre-qualification questionnaire, developed by BSI, to reduce duplication within the construction industry to provide key supplier information to buyers of construction services.

For suppliers, such as Encasement, this allows them to avoid need to repeatedly duplicate standard company information for every construction tender, while giving access to more than 8,000 procurement professionals from around 2,800 buying organisations using the Constructionline database.

Encasement’s Managing Director, Martin Taylor, explained: “Being part of Constructionline’s core information database, which provides key company information to a range of prospective customers could be highly beneficial to us. Also, we don’t need to complete the same information on every tender we submit, as this information is already available to buyers, which helps streamline procurement procedures and improving the supply chain management processes for us and those buying construction services and products.”

One of London’s newest and most prestigious hotels is using bespoke hexagonal and square aluminium ‘Forma’ column casings, which were supplied and installed by Encasement, to conceal structural steelwork in its ground floor bar and restaurant areas.

The ‘Mondrian London at Sea Containers House’ hotel is part of the Morgan Hotels Group collection and is situated on London’s busy South Bank between OXO Tower and Blackfriars Bridge.

Although originally designed as a luxury hotel in the 1970s by US architect Warren Platner, it was used subsequently used as office space with one of the occupants, Sea Containers, lending its name to the building.

Leading interiors group, Design Research Studio headed by Tom Dixon, have completely transformed the building using nautical references throughout the hotel, such as an internal and external copper clad wall, inspired by the hull of a ship which features in its 1500 sq.mtr ground floor area with two riverside restaurants and a breakfast bar where Encasement’s column casings are located.

Each of the 16 column casings is manufactured from 3mm thick perforated aluminium, which is finished with a black PPC coating and lined with acoustic foam to help reduce noise and reverberations within the spacious bar area.

Standing more than 2.5 metres high, the hexagonal casings measure over 1600mm at their widest point, while the square casings, some of which also act as waiter stations within the restaurant, are 1300mm wide.

Encasement’s Managing Director, Martin Taylor, explained: “The Mondrian London is a spectacular hotel and the quality of the design is visible in every aspect of the building, from the ground floor lobby to the rooftop bar inspired by a cruise liner deck.”

He added: “We are delighted to have been part of this project and the bespoke Forma aluminium casings add to the overall design quality while also providing a practical solution to controlling background noise.”

Since the Forest Stewardship Council was founded in the early 1990s, its ‘Chain of Custody’ certification process has become recognised globally as the primary standard for sourcing sustainable timber.

Yet in spite of the UK government’s ‘Timber Procurement Policy’ guidance, which in essence, requires only independently verifiable legal and sustainable timber should be used on housing stock, there is evidence of inconsistency and a lack of awareness of this, particularly in local authority and housing association property refurbishment projects.


Where’s the issue?

Tens of thousands of local authority properties are maintained and refurbished every year, often requiring boilers and heating system pipework to be concealed. For more than 25 years, pre-formed and pre-finished plywood boxing has gradually been adopted as the preferred solution for many LAs and HAs, together with contractors, as it saves time and money compared to site made alternatives.

However, even with the move to sustainable timber, government procurement guidance and FSC certification, most if not all, LA pipe boxing specifications still do not specify the use of products manufactured from FSC certified legal and sustainable timber.

As FSC pipe boxing costs no more than the non-FSC equivalent, price is not an obstacle to specification or supply. Also, under the scope of their own sustainability policies, contractors and merchants should be purchasing and supplying FSC products in preference to non-FSC equivalents. Some would even argue that they should go further and take the responsibility of advising specifiers that legal and sustainable products are available.


Time for change

Price is clearly not a barrier to change, which should help stimulate interest from specifiers and contractors alike to adopt pipe boxing manufactured from independently verified legal and sustainable timber.

It’s likely that LAs, HAs, contractors and merchants are as focused on sustainability and sustainably sourced products, as we are at Encasement. But, for some reason it’s not being applied to the use of pre-formed pipe boxing, which is worth millions of pounds to maintenance contractors, heating engineers and merchants nationally.

Throughout the supply chain everyone has a responsibility for sustainable procurement, so in our view a lack of awareness or understanding about obligations is no defence, especially as existing government guidance has set out the policy that should be adopted.

So, what is the answer to the question of FSC, who cares? “We all should.”

If you’ve ever wondered how easy it is to save time and money boxing in boiler pipework as part of social housing heating system upgrade programmes, then Encasement’s new video shows you how.

There’s no time consuming on site fabrication, sanding or painting required. Encasement’s pre-formed plywood boiler casings are manufactured from FSC® certified sustainable timber to the exact boiler dimensions required and pre-finished with durable melamine or laminate. So they not only provide a consistent finish, but also save vital time and money on site.

Routine maintenance and boiler servicing is simplified too. The pre-formed casings are self-supporting, allowing them to be easily removed and replaced in seconds, dramatically reducing the time maintenance engineers need to be on site, and the corresponding cost.


Find out for yourself how we can save you time and money - Watch the video now.

Easy to fit pre-formed and pre-finished boiler casings from Encasement have been chosen to conceal unattractive boiler pipework in a development of 30 shared ownership apartments by Axiom Housing Association in Peterborough.

The Anson House development at Cottesmore Close provides a choice of one and two bedroom apartments and each includes an energy efficient boiler located in the kitchen area. Encasement’s boiler casings were chosen to not only provide an aesthetic and durable solution to the installation, but also enable a consistent high quality finish to be achieved in every apartment.

Manufactured from pre-formed plywood to match the boilers’ exact dimensions of 430mm wide by 200mm deep and 495mm overall height, this enabled the contractor to fit them in a matter of minutes in each apartment, rather than wasting time and money by using site made alternatives.

As the casings are free standing and held in place with a mastic sealant, they are easy to remove and re-fit without damaging them, giving easy access for routine maintenance and safety inspections. Also, each boiler casing is pre-finished in white Formica® laminate making them resistant to damage and easy to wipe clean.

Encasement’s MD, Martin Taylor explained: “The Anson House development is a perfect example of how we can save time and money on site for the heating contractor, installer and developer, while also providing a high quality and consistent finish in every apartment. Our boiler pipework casings are installed in countless projects across the UK and are proving to be the ‘casing of choice’ for many contractors as they’re easy to fit and highly cost effective.”

You can see more images from the Axiom housing association project in our boiler pipe work casing gallery. You can also view our boiler pipe work casing range in more detail.

‘The Greenhouse’, a purpose built social space for students attending Farnborough Sixth Form College, is using 20 rectangular Quadra pre-formed plywood column casings from Encasement, which include a durable ‘cactus green’ coloured laminated finish to integrate with the building’s design scheme.

Ranked as ‘outstanding’ by OFSTED, Farnborough is one of the country’s top performing sixth form colleges and is a member of the Maple Group, a partnership of 11 leading sixth form colleges in England, whose members have been named ‘State 6th Form College of The Year’ by The Sunday Times, for the past three years.

The Greenhouse is designed to blend in with the campus’s Beacon Quad area and uses large areas of glass and light coloured interior materials to create bright and contemporary environment for students to relax or work using the wi-fi access.

To help provide the large open plan space with a stylish and practical interior, each of the 20 structural steel columns in the centre and perimeter of the building have been concealed with Encasement rectangular Quadra column casings, which stand 2890mm high.

Manufactured from strong 8mm thick plywood, which is pre-formed into the Quadra’s final dimensions of 220mm x 400mm, the casings’ green Polyrey C049 bonded laminated finish is designed to resist scuffs and damage in high traffic areas. The casings also incorporate matching infill strips to give an integrated finish to the vertical joints, while also using a 100mm high grey skirting collar to add contrast to the design and integrate with other elements of the building’s interior.

Encasement’s Managing Director, Martin Taylor, explained: “The Quadra casings are the perfect solution for The Greenhouse. Not only are they designed to be strong and durable for use in public areas, but can be finished in virtually any colour to integrate or contrast with a building interior.”

He added: “Our column casing range, which includes Quadra and Circa pre-formed plywood, as well as our extensive Forma metal casings range are widely used through the education sector for interior and exterior applications in public areas, classrooms and lecture theatres, as well as for main entrances and foyers.”;

With sustainable sourcing and procurement policies now a vital part of the building products supply chain for both social housing and private residential developments, it’s good to know that Encasement is the UK’s only FSC® certified manufacturer of pre-formed plywood pipe boxing and boiler casings.

When you need to box in pipe work quickly and easily while ensuring that you’re caring for the environment and complying with your company’s sustainable procurement policy, Encasement is the clear choice.

All our FSC® boxing products carry a full ‘Chain of Custody’ certification from the Forest Stewardship Council to verify that the timber used is from sustainable and managed sources, so you don’t have to worry about compliance.

It’s quick and easy to fit on-site too. As our pipe boxing an boiler casings are pre-formed and pre-finished in durable melamine, they can be fitted in less than half the time of site made alternatives and there’s no need for painting, which saves time and money.

For FSC® compliant pipe boxing or boiler casing – Encasement has it covered.

For more information on our boiler pipe casings, please visit

http://www.encasement.co.uk/boiler-pipe-work-casing.html

http://www.encasement.co.uk/gallery_boiler-pipe-casing.aspx

View our FSC® certificate here - http://www.encasement.co.uk/files/Encasement-Ltd-FSC_Certificates.pdf

Learn more about our sustainable products - http://www.encasement.co.uk/fsc.aspx#

A major refurbishment project undertaken by Brighton & Hove Council, to create a new customer services centre for Brighton residents at Bartholomew House is using aluminium ‘Forma’ column casings from Encasement, to conceal ground floor structural columns at the £1.8 million scheme.

Designed in house by the council’s Property & Design team and constructed by its strategic partner, Westridge Construction, Bartholomew House is a five-floor building that combines the services previously provided by three separate centres into a single modern facility.

The ground floor, which has been extended as part of the project, houses the new spacious customer service centre, which includes 21 interview booths, alongside the eleven column casings from Encasement, which have been installed to not only conceal structural steelwork, but also form part of the circular seating arrangement around each column.

Each 860mm diameter column casing is manufactured from lightweight aluminium, incorporating a 1750mm diameter disc above the 2.7 metre high casing to create an aesthetic finish to the installation that matches the diameter of the circular seating design.

Bright colours have also been used throughout the interior design to enhance the contemporary look and feel of the ground floor layout and the column casings are finished in a RAL 5015 blue polyester powder coated (PPC) finish, which contrasts with the bright green seating and interior décor to help guide visitors to the correct area. A PPC finish is also applied to the ceiling level header discs, which are finished in white to help reflect light downwards onto the seating.

The entire project has been conceived as a low maintenance and adaptable, energy efficient design, which is expected to deliver a 12% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by the end of 2013 and produce around £300,000 of cost savings each year.

Encasement’s Managing Director, Martin Taylor, commented: “It’s not until you enter the refurbished and extended building that the spacious modern design of the ground floor customer services centre can be fully appreciated. The innovative seating installed around our column casings provides a practical and aesthetic solution for people waiting to be called to the interview booths, while the bright colour scheme works extremely well to create a positive environment.”

You can see more images from the Bartholomew House installation in our Column Casing gallery. See our Forma Column Casing range in more detail, or alternatively view our full range of column casing products.

With the potential for local authorities and housing associations to save tens of thousands of pounds, just by changing the way heating system and boiler pipework are concealed on site, Encasement’s Managing Director Martin Taylor provides a detailed insight on where and how the cost can be removed from the process.

In any property, whether it’s a new build or a refurbishment project, there will inevitably be some exposed pipework that will need covering for reasons of safety, in the case of hot pipes, or purely aesthetics.

However, for local authorities (LA) and housing associations (HA), where they primarily deal with older housing stock, which requires upgrading and annual maintenance, the high volumes of exposed pipework for heating systems, boilers, gas, mains water and waste can present a number of challenges.

Usually, due to the age of the properties and the nature of their construction, which predominantly uses concrete and brick, mechanical and electrical services need to be surface mounted, as they can’t easily be concealed during installation.

Given that upgrading heating systems with more energy efficient solutions in older social housing stock is important to reduce emissions and energy consumption, while improving comfort for occupants, there is also a need to ensure that the updated system is safe and looks good too.

And it’s at this point where LAs and HAs have the opportunity of either saving or wasting thousands of pounds on their annual repair, maintenance and improvement (RMI) budget, just by deciding which method to use when boxing in heating system and boiler pipework after installation.

Suffering from exposure

So how exactly can something as simple as covering exposed pipe work with pipe boxing and boiler casings have such a potentially dramatic impact on RMI budgets?

Essentially, this can be broken down into four sections:
•Manufacture – How will the boxing be made?
•Materials – What materials will be used to make the boxing?
•Methods – How will the boxing be installed and secured?
•Maintenance – How easily can the boxing be removed & replaced for servicing?

Clearly, in each of the above processes, if costs can be removed or if time can be saved, then they will have a positive effect on reducing the overall budget required to achieve the end result.

At Encasement, our approach to product design has always been to develop more cost effective solutions that can save time and money on site, although in recent years, we’ve also taken a more holistic view, as it became clear that often, the installation processes for traditional boxing can also be time consuming and inevitably costly.

Furthermore, when maintenance, servicing or routine boiler inspections are required, this can also incur further costs as the boxing needs replacing or re-manufacturing after it has been removed. This issue has again influenced our thinking to develop a better and more cost effective solution.

To get a

Birmingham’s new £50 million dental hospital and school of dentistry in Edgbaston is using 200 metres of custom designed elliptical aluminium column casings from Encasement to conceal primary structural steelwork used in the extensive feature curtain walling, which stands the full height of the four storey building.

Constructed on the site of the former BBC Pebble Mill TV studio, the new facility replaces the existing 50-year-old building adjacent to the local Children’s Hospital and is expected to treat more than 100,000 patients each year.

The large glazed facades at the front and rear of the hospital are key design features, which allow natural light into the building and their primary support structure of steel columns and beams are concealed with Encasement’s ‘Forma’ aluminium decorative casings to create a more aesthetic finish to the building’s interior.

Manufactured and installed by Encasement, every horizontal and vertical casing section, the tallest of which stands 25 metres high, was formed into a unique 1500mm deep semi-elliptical ‘aerofoil’ profile and finished in white PPC to complement building’s bright interior colour scheme.

Due to the complexity of the project, Encasement provided full CAD design assistance to develop the concept as part of the planning process prior, which not only helped during the design and manufacture stages, but also simplified the installation, as each 3 metre long ‘Forma’ casing section had to be secured to create smooth, virtually joint free finish.

Martin Taylor, Encasement’s Managing Director, explained: “This is one of the most challenging and rewarding projects we have undertaken. Not only were we working to extended heights, but the casings also used unique elliptical geometry and demanded the utmost precision when being installed to achieve the level of fit and finish required by the client.”

He added: “The end result, however, was worth all the effort and the Forma casing solution add the finishing touch to and exceptionally well designed, constructed and much needed state of the art facility, which is among the world’s best university dental hospitals.”
lt;P>You can see more images from the Edgbaston Dental Hospital installation in our Column Casing gallery. See our Forma Column Casing range in more detail, or alternatively view our full range of column casing products.

An extension to the Dame Kelly Holmes Sports Centre at Farnborough Sixth Form College to provide additional facilities for students is using Quadra pre-formed plywood column casings, which were supplied and installed by Encasement, to conceal structural steelwork and improve interior aesthetics.

Originally opened in 2007 in honour of the British double Olympic gold medallist, this latest expansion of the college’s wide-ranging sports and P.E. facilities is designed to link the Dame Kelly Holmes Centre with a separate sports hall, while also providing much needed additional recreation and social space for students.

The new annexe, which also incorporates a large foyer area, uses extensive glazed curtain walling that extends for more than 50 metres from the new entrance along the full length of the building and is supported by 16 structural columns, which are concealed by the rectangular Quadra casings.

Manufactured from strong 8mm thick pre-formed plywood, 15 of the casings measure 368mm x 200mm, while the final one is 368mm x 350mm to accommodate a double structural support. Each casing is finished in durable Formica ‘Dusty Jade’ matt green laminate. The casings also incorporate matching infill strips to give an integrated finish to the vertical joints and feature 100mm high brushed aluminium collars at ceiling and floor level.

While most of the Quadra casings stand 3.0 metres high, during installation Encasement needed to trim and tailor some casings to allow for two changes in the level of the floor, which increases along the building’s length of the extension by approximately 300mm.

Encasement’s Managing Director, Martin Taylor, explained: “This is an ideal application for Quadra casings, as they’re not only strong and durable, for use in high traffic public areas, but can be finished in virtually any colour to integrate or contrast with a building interior.”

He added: “Our Quadra and Circa pre-formed plywood column casings are just part of our extensive range, which also includes Forma metal casings and Vecta wall lining solutions, all of which are widely throughout the education sector in public areas, classrooms and lecture theatres, as well as for main entrances and foyers.”

A new fully updated column casing ‘e-brochure’ has been launched by Encasement and is now available for immediate download here.

This latest edition has expanded further to incorporate new product information and the latest project images, as well as updated technical data and specification details for architects, specifiers and contractors.

Also, as Encasement holds a full FSC® ‘Chain of Custody’ certification for its plywood products, the company’s Circa and Quadra ranges are manufactured using only FSC® certified material from sustainable sources.

Within the brochure, key information is grouped together for every product in the extensive column casing range into dedicated sections covering key features, project images, specification data and technical information.”

Photographic content for the six column casing products has also been extended and updated to represent the most up to date project installations and demonstrate the diverse scope of applications, which covers Circa, Quadra, Forma, Polyma, Gypra and Metza.

Information on the range of options for bespoke shapes, sizes and finishes, including PPC, brushed aluminium, stainless steel, laminated and veneers is also included.

‘Forma’ aluminium column casings from Encasement, which incorporate an innovative wood-grain powder coated finish effect, have helped create a distinctive and fresh look for a number of key retail brands at Biggleswade’s recently opened A1 Shopping Park.

The £110 million transformation of the London Road Retail park site began in 2013 and the site is now home to a wide range of well know retail names including M & S, TK Maxx and Boots, while also creating around 500 jobs in the area.

Within The White Way Retail Centre, which is part of the 300,000 sq.ft shopping complex, a separate self contained building has been constructed, now occupied by Halfords, Bensons Beds and Pets at Home, which incorporates a gradually sloping canopy roof supported by 11 structural columns ranging in height from 8 metres to 12.8 metres.

To improve the appearance of the extensive shop front area, Encasement manufactured a series of ‘Forma’ column casings from 3mm thick aluminium, which could be stacked and joined with virtually invisible infill strips, which made them simple to install, as well as being durable and weatherproof.

However, to meet the specification and avoid standard plain metal or painted finish solutions, Encasement chose to use an innovative word-grain powder coated finish from Powdertech Group which replicates a grained wood finish without the additional cost of using real wood posts or the ongoing maintenance.

This approach not only improved the overall aesthetics of the retail project, but also provided a much more cost effective solution when compared to manufacturing and installing wood alternative standing up to 12.8 metres high.

Encasement’s Managing Director, Martin Taylor, explained: “Part of our service has always been to provide the most effective solutions for our clients’ projects, which often involves the exploration of new technologies or techniques in manufacturing, finishing and installation to ensure we deliver best and most appropriate casing products for each individual project. In this instance, the Powdertech wood finish enabled us to create a fresh approach that was creative, practical and cost effective.”

A stylish £500,000 restaurant serving high quality Pakistan and Kashmiri cuisine in Bradford is using Forma metal column casings from Encasement to conceal external structural steelwork and add a more aesthetic finish to the building’s extensive ground floor glazed facade.

Jinnah Bradford is part of the Jinnah Group, which runs nine restaurants in key towns and cities across Yorkshire, including York, Harrogate, Leeds and Selby, as well as operating United Foods, a cash and carry outlet also based in Bradford.

As the building has a large glazed facade, the Encasement column casings are designed to conceal the structural supports and provide a more integrated and attractive finish to the building’s exterior. This theme is also carried around the building to the main entrance, which is also flanked by Encasement’s decorative casings.

To achieve this, Encasement supplied and installed eight 832mm wide bespoke semi-circular ‘Forma’ column casings, which are manufactured from 3mm thick aluminium and range in height from 2988mm up to 3900mm. Every Forma casing is finished with a RAL 9006 metallic PPC coating to provide an aesthetic and durable finish while enhancing weather resistance.

Designed for use on both interior and exterior applications, Encasement’s Forma casings are regularly used to conceal exterior steelwork, as their aluminium construction makes them resistant to corrosion. Also the casings can be finished in a wide range of the, such as the used at Jinnah, which enables them to integrate and enhance a building’s design.

Encasement's Managing Director, Martin Taylor, explained: “Restaurants, foodservice and retail environments are areas where our column casings and wall lining solutions are widely used, as they provide a practical and versatile solution to help improve a building’s interior or exterior design while also being highly durable. The Jinnah restaurant project is an ideal demonstration of how column casings can be used to add the finishing touch and enhance the customer experience.”

A high profile refurbishment and re-fit project at Leicester’s Fosse Park South Retail Centre is using four 9000mm high Forma aluminium column casings from Encasement to create new attractive shop fronts for two key furnishing brands.

Formerly a double fronted PC World store, the retail unit has been converted into two separate stores for leading specialist furnishing retailers Oak Furniture Land and Sofology, who join more than 30 other shops and restaurants at the centre.

Supplied and installed by Encasement, the 650mm wide column casings are designed to provide a practical solution to conceal structural steelwork on either side of the store entrances, while also integrating with their glazed facades and improving the aesthetics.

Each of the four bespoke column casings is manufactured from 3mm aluminium and finished with a durable white RAL 9010 PPC coating to complement the retail park’s overall design scheme while also providing further weathering protection to the corrosion resistant metal casings.

Encasement manufactured the casings to the precise curved profile required to conceal the existing steelwork, with three separate 3000mm section being stacked and jointed to reach the overall height of 9000mm. During installation, each of the three sections were installed in sequence with a virtually invisible vertical joint running the entire height of the casing.

Martin Taylor, Encasement’s Managing Director, explained: “Forma casings are an ideal solution for retail, as they can be used in either interior or exterior applications and be manufacturer in a range of standard circular or square shapes or to bespoke profiles and dimensions to suit a specific project, as utilised at Fosse Park.”

He added: “The wide range of finishes available also makes the extremely versatile, which allows designers a high degree of individuality, which is vital in retail environments.”

‘Circa’ and ‘Quadra’ pre-formed decorative column casings from Encasement are helping provide a practical, aesthetic and comfortable environment for passengers and staff using Worksop’s £3.2 million bus station.

Handling around 1 million passengers each year, the bus station is has rapidly become a landmark in the town centre since it was opened and the main building boasts a range of facilities including a café, a staffed information and ticket area, as well as free Wi-fi and CCTV monitoring for security and passenger safety. Sustainable design features, such as Solar PV cells and rainwater harvesting are also incorporated to help reduce energy consumption.

As the bus station is predominantly a glazed structure to create an open and environment and provide plenty of natural light, the designers wanted to ensure that the structural steel supports were concealed to improve the finish and attractiveness of the interior. As a result, 15 separate, circular, rectangular and square column casings from Encasement were used to meet the design brief.

All of the Encasement column casings are manufactured from pre-formed plywood, which are finished with a decorative and hard-wearing Formica F6305 ‘Limed Strand’ laminated surface. This not only makes the casings highly durable and resistant to scuffing, essential in a busy environment, but also integrates with the bus station’s interior colour scheme.

In addition to three 350mm diameter ‘Circa’ column casings, Encasement also supplied and installed two 400mm square ‘Quadra’ casings and 10 rectangular ‘Quadra’ casings measuring 250mm x 480mm.

Located around the perimeter of the bus station’s interior, the casings stand 5150mm high and were cut and fitted precisely to accommodate low level bulkheads, as well as structural beams and M&E services in the building.

Encasement’s Managing director, Martin Taylor, commented: “Circa and Quadra casings are perfectly suited to projects of this type, where the need to improve the interior aesthetics and provide a practical casing solution can be address with a single product. The versatility of our pre-formed plywood casings coupled with their cost effectiveness and durable laminated finish have been put to great use at Worksop bus station.”

If you’ve ever wondered how easy it is to save time and money boxing in boiler pipework as part of social housing heating system upgrade programmes, then Encasement’s new video shows you how.

There’s no time consuming on site fabrication, sanding or painting required. Encasement’s pre-formed plywood boiler casings are manufactured from FSC® certified sustainable timber to the exact boiler dimensions required and pre-finished with durable melamine or laminate. So they not only provide a consistent finish, but also save vital time and money on site.

Routine maintenance and boiler servicing is simplified too. The pre-formed casings are self-supporting, allowing them to be easily removed and replaced in seconds, dramatically reducing the time maintenance engineers need to be on site, and the corresponding cost.


Find out for yourself how we can save you time and money - Watch the video now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB6XiGf5bQ0


Read the full story - http://encasement.co.uk/news.aspx?year=2016&articleId=thinking-outside-the-box–saving-time-and-money

Discover more about Encasement boiler casing and pipe boxing solutions here - http://www.encasement.co.uk/pipe-boxing.html

Since the Forest Stewardship Council was founded in the early 1990s, its ‘Chain of Custody’ certification process has become recognised globally as the primary standard for sourcing sustainable timber.

Yet in spite of the UK government’s ‘Timber Procurement Policy’ guidance, which in essence, requires only independently verifiable legal and sustainable timber should be used on housing stock, there is evidence of inconsistency and a lack of awareness of this, particularly in local authority and housing association property refurbishment projects.


Where’s the issue?

Tens of thousands of local authority properties are maintained and refurbished every year, often requiring boilers and heating system pipework to be concealed. For more than 25 years, pre-formed and pre-finished plywood boxing has gradually been adopted as the preferred solution for many LAs and HAs, together with contractors, as it saves time and money compared to site made alternatives.

However, even with the move to sustainable timber, government procurement guidance and FSC certification, most if not all, LA pipe boxing specifications still do not specify the use of products manufactured from FSC certified legal and sustainable timber.

As FSC pipe boxing costs no more than the non-FSC equivalent, price is not an obstacle to specification or supply. Also, under the scope of their own sustainability policies, contractors and merchants should be purchasing and supplying FSC products in preference to non-FSC equivalents. Some would even argue that they should go further and take the responsibility of advising specifiers that legal and sustainable products are available.


Time for change

Price is clearly not a barrier to change, which should help stimulate interest from specifiers and contractors alike to adopt pipe boxing manufactured from independently verified legal and sustainable timber.

It’s likely that LAs, HAs, contractors and merchants are as focused on sustainability and sustainably sourced products, as we are at Encasement. But, for some reason it’s not being applied to the use of pre-formed pipe boxing, which is worth millions of pounds to maintenance contractors, heating engineers and merchants nationally.

Throughout the supply chain everyone has a responsibility for sustainable procurement, so in our view a lack of awareness or understanding about obligations is no defence, especially as existing government guidance has set out the policy that should be adopted.

So, what is the answer to the question of FSC, who cares? “We all should.”

Encasement is now part of Constructionline, the UK's leading procurement and supply chain management service, which helps provide efficiency savings to public and private sector buyers and the construction industry as a whole.

Constructionline uses a standardised pre-qualification questionnaire, developed by BSI, to reduce duplication within the construction industry to provide key supplier information to buyers of construction services.

For suppliers, such as Encasement, this allows them to avoid need to repeatedly duplicate standard company information for every construction tender, while giving access to more than 8,000 procurement professionals from around 2,800 buying organisations using the Constructionline database.

Encasement’s Managing Director, Martin Taylor, explained: “Being part of Constructionline’s core information database, which provides key company information to a range of prospective customers could be highly beneficial to us. Also, we don’t need to complete the same information on every tender we submit, as this information is already available to buyers, which helps streamline procurement procedures and improving the supply chain management processes for us and those buying construction services and products.”

One of London’s newest and most prestigious hotels is using bespoke hexagonal and square aluminium ‘Forma’ column casings, which were supplied and installed by Encasement, to conceal structural steelwork in its ground floor bar and restaurant areas.

The ‘Mondrian London at Sea Containers House’ hotel is part of the Morgan Hotels Group collection and is situated on London’s busy South Bank between OXO Tower and Blackfriars Bridge.

Although originally designed as a luxury hotel in the 1970s by US architect Warren Platner, it was used subsequently used as office space with one of the occupants, Sea Containers, lending its name to the building.

Leading interiors group, Design Research Studio headed by Tom Dixon, have completely transformed the building using nautical references throughout the hotel, such as an internal and external copper clad wall, inspired by the hull of a ship which features in its 1500 sq.mtr ground floor area with two riverside restaurants and a breakfast bar where Encasement’s column casings are located.

Each of the 16 column casings is manufactured from 3mm thick perforated aluminium, which is finished with a black PPC coating and lined with acoustic foam to help reduce noise and reverberations within the spacious bar area.

Standing more than 2.5 metres high, the hexagonal casings measure over 1600mm at their widest point, while the square casings, some of which also act as waiter stations within the restaurant, are 1300mm wide.

Encasement’s Managing Director, Martin Taylor, explained: “The Mondrian London is a spectacular hotel and the quality of the design is visible in every aspect of the building, from the ground floor lobby to the rooftop bar inspired by a cruise liner deck.”

He added: “We are delighted to have been part of this project and the bespoke Forma aluminium casings add to the overall design quality while also providing a practical solution to controlling background noise.”

For local authorities, housing associations and contractors, balancing obligations under Government guidelines on the use of sustainably sourced products with the need to control costs can be a challenge, but Encasement can help.
As we are UK’s only manufacturer of pre-formed plywood pipe boxing and casings products that holds an FSC® ‘Chain of Custody Certification’ from the Forest Stewardship Council, you can be compliant with your sustainable procurement policy without compromising cost or quality.
You can now specify fully compliant FSC® Chain of Custody Certified pipe boxing and boiler pipework casings from our extensive, market leading range, at the same price as non-certified pre-formed plywood products.
To learn more about our FSC® certified products or explore the UK compliance information, just click one of the links below.
Alternatively, give us a call on 01733 266889

Home
Products
Column Casing
Pipe Boxing
Boiler Pipe Work Casing
Interior Wall Linings
Furniture & Display
Perimeter & HVAC Casings
Installation
Online Shop
About Us
Company Overview
Manufacturing Overview
Customers and Projects
News
Gallery
Tech Info
Column Casing
Finishes
Fire Protection
Pipe Boxing
Finishes
Boiler Pipe Work Casing
Finishes
Interior Wall Linings
Finishes
Downloads
Product brochures
Drawings & specification clauses
Case Studies
Sustainability
FSC
UK Government Guidance
Sustainable Timber Info
Playing our part
BREEAM
Aluminium
Contact Us
Contact Us
Newsletter
Site Map
Privacy Policy
2016 News > The easy answer for FSC® compliant pipe boxing and boiler casing

The easy answer for FSC® compliant pipe boxing and boiler casing

With sustainable sourcing and procurement policies now a vital part of the building products supply chain for both social housing and private residential developments, it’s good to know that Encasement is the UK’s only FSC® certified manufacturer of pre-formed plywood pipe boxing and boiler casings.
When you need to box in pipe work quickly and easily while ensuring that you’re caring for the environment and complying with your company’s sustainable procurement policy, Encasement is the clear choice.
All our FSC® boxing products carry a full ‘Chain of Custody’ certification from the Forest Stewardship Council to verify that the timber used is from sustainable and managed sources, so you don’t have to worry about compliance.
It’s quick and easy to fit on-site too. As our pipe boxing an boiler casings are pre-formed and pre-finished in durable melamine, they can be fitted in less than half the time of site made alternatives and there’s no need for painting, which saves time and money.
For FSC® compliant pipe boxing or boiler casing – Encasement has it covered.
For more information on our boiler pipe casings, please visit
http://www.encasement.co.uk/boiler-pipe-work-casing.html
http://www.encasement.co.uk/gallery_boiler-pipe-casing.aspx

Linstone Housing Association’s recently opened office at Linwood in Renfrewshire is using a range of ‘Circa’ and ‘Forma’ column casings from Encasement, to conceal interior and exterior structural steelwork while helping create an aesthetic finish to the building’s contemporary design.
The purpose built office is located on the new Linwood Town Centre complex, adjacent to Tesco and the nearby Phoenix Retail Park and provides a centre for all of the housing association’s activities in the region including the management of its 1570 properties.
All 32 column casings are 550mm diameter and were manufactured, supplied and installed by Encasement with 19 PPC coated Forma aluminium column casings, each standing 3000mm high, being used to conceal the building’s external structural steelwork.
For the interior, Encasement’s ‘Circa’ preformed plywood column casings were used, ranging in height from 2700mm to 4100mm, which are finished in a durable laminate capable of resisting scuffs and damage in busy areas and high traffic applications.
Encasement’s MD, Martin Taylor, said: “It is more common for us to supply housing associations with our pre-formed pipe boxing and boiler pipe casings for use in their own properties, so the opportunity to supply and install our column casings for the new office building is a little unusual, even though our Forma and Circa casings are widely used in countless projects from commercial, residential and retail through to education, hotels and public buildings.”

An extensive heating system upgrade programme at a Camden Council residential block in North London is using more than 500 metres of ‘Arma’ metal pipe protection from Encasement to conceal pipework at the seven-storey building.
Tolmers Square is located close to Euston Road and provides accommodation for elderly residents and the heating improvements have been carried out as part of Camden Council’s ‘Better Homes’ initiative.
The communal boiler and distribution pipework, which runs through the stairwells and along ceilings to each flat, have been replaced to improve heating efficiency, while the pipes have also been concealed and protected with Arma casings to deter vandalism and improve aesthetics.
Arma pipe protection is manufactured using durable 1.5 mm thick aluminium, which is formed into various sizes of ‘channel’ with external fixing flanges to accommodate different heating system pipework and valves.
The Arma casing also incorporates pre-fabricated corner sections, end caps and access panels to enable the inspection and the operation of isolation valves for heating system maintenance. The casings are finished in either a brown RAL 3009 or white RAL 9010 PPC coating to help them blend with the colour scheme when installed against brickwork or covering ceiling mounted pipework runs.
Encasement’s Managing Director, Martin Taylor, said: “Arma is designed primarily to provide additional protection to external services and utilities, such as gas supply pipework and cabling and distributed heating system pipes, as used at Tolmers Square, although it is also used on copper air conditioning condenser pipework to prevent theft. Arma is extremely versatile and can be made to suit virtually any application, whether the need is to prevent vandalism or accidental damage.”

A £4 million project to refurbish and extend Winchester College’s New Hall building is using bespoke aluminium ‘Forma’ column casings, which were supplied and installed by Encasement to conceal structural columns while helping create a dramatic new entrance and foyer.
New Hall was originally constructed in 1961 as a venue for concerts, lectures and examinations for the school, which was founded in 1382 by the Bishop of Winchester, William of Wykeham, who was also the founder of New College Oxford.
The latest modifications to New Hall, which were designed by architects Barnsley, Hewitt & Mallinson (BH&M), not only incorporate a new feature entrance and foyer, but also substantial improvements to the main performance space with the inclusion of operable bleacher seats, new mechanical ventilation and changes in room geometry to enhance the buildings’ acoustics.
Four of Encasement’s 450mm diameter column casings are used as a main feature within the new entrance design and stand up to 5800mm high to conceal the structural steelwork that supports the front edge of the pitched canopy.
A further 16 casings were also supplied and installed by Encasement within other parts of the project, including the new glazed foyer area, with all 20 casings coated in a RAL 7015 grey PPC finish to integrate with New Hall’s interior design scheme.
Every Forma aluminium column casing was manufactured to the architect’s precise specifications by Encasement, which included header and skirting collars on all columns as well as special asymmetric header collars on the external casings, which were cut on site by Encasement to ensure they fitted perfectly with the sloping canopy.
Encasement’s Managing Director, Martin Taylor, commented: “Winchester College has an immense educational heritage, but is clearly looking to its future with this striking and extremely well executed entrance design as well as the other improvements carried out as part of this project.
We have considerable experience of providing a diverse range of casing solutions for both the private and state education sectors and we’re delighted to have played a part in this project, especially as our products are integral to the visual appeal of the structure.”