On February 27th, Valcan – manufacturer and supplier of A1 fire rated, non-combustible cladding panels and systems, hosted the inaugural Façade HUB at the Building Centre in London.
The event was collaboration between Valcan with support from their partners; Certifix Ltd and Grupo Greco Gres – manufacturers of Frontek Porcelain Cladding.
The Façade HUB aimed bring together industry leaders through an informative series of displays, presentations and networking opportunities so that attendees could improve their knowledge about important issues in construction such as new building safety regulations, how construction product information is communicated accurately, remediation works, compliance and how we should drive positive change in the construction industry.
The agenda included presentations from a variety of keynote speakers including Amanda Long, Chief Executive of The Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI), David Metcalfe, Director of the Centre for Window and Cladding Technology (CWCT), Chris Watts, Director of Noviun Architects and Arnold Tarling FRICS, Chartered Surveyor as well as presentations from Valcan, Certifix and Grupo Greco Gres.
The day began with an overview of Valcan presented by Alan Lamming, Director of the Company. As well as providing some background information of the organisation, Alan also spoke of the recent changes within Valcan, such as new services including Fabrication, how Valcan has taken steps to streamline processes and how they has updated their Mission, Vision and Values.
Alan also spoke about the introduction of Gateway 2 – a critical stage in the building control regime for higher-risk buildings, introduced under the Building Safety Act. He said,
“The introduction of Gateway 2 is a fantastic way of ensuring accountability and ensuring that there is transparency and trust that is so needed within our industry. We welcome the introduction of the Gateway 2 as it really does make sure there are consequences for providing false product information once it has been through the Gateway and will ensure a culture change in the industry.”
He also briefly touched upon Valcan’s relationship with the Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI), shortly after introducing Amanda Long, Director of CPI Ltd to the stage. She began by explaining what the role of the CCPI is and how it benefits not just manufacturers in the industry,
“People don’t realise that CCPI helps quite beyond the manufacturer, so if you’re an installer, or a specifier, or an architect, it gives you greater confidence in product information…as a duty holder you have certain responsibilities to make sure you have done your due diligence and that you are working with companies that are putting in place systems and processes to give you greater confidence that the product information you get is accurate and up to date.”
She continued,
“Assessment with the CCPI isn’t about just tickling some boxes, saying everything is perfect and giving companies a mark – there’s much more to it and much more responsibility required on the journey.”
She outlined that this process involves organisation and product set assessment, with the manufacturer obliged to participate in continuous improvement of product information and marketing every two years after receiving their CCPI mark.
The mornings presentations continued with a presentation from Marina Díaz Juárez, Head of Technical at Grupo Greco Gres with an overview of the company and an in depth look at Frontek – an A1 rated, non-combustible Extruded Porcelain Cladding panel. And is typically used on modern commercial and residential buildings where a stone façade is desired. These panels are manufactured by Grupo Greco Gres in Spain and distributed in the UK by Valcan.
Chris Watts, director of Noviun Architects completed the mornings line-up of presentations by taking the audience through the reality of working on remediation projects from the perspective of an Architect and what Noviun Architects contribution to the backlog of theses projects is. Chris commented,
“Ultimately, it won’t be tackled quickly, with the BSR process too (now 28 weeks) and the scale of the problem, it could take decades. We have a duty of care and responsibility to carry these out diligently and ultimately reduce risk.”
He continued,
“The process is leading to a further overhaul of Building Standards, Fire Safety and Building regulations with the UK leading the market”.
The afternoons presentations continued with a product and services overview from Valcan, presented by Façade Consultant Toby Green. Toby went into depth about the A1 and A2 fire rated panels and full cladding systems and what makes these the best choice for Architects, specifiers, and main contractors. He also talked about Valcan’s value-added services including full system warranties, fabrication services, toolbox talks and accredited CPDs.
Speaking about Valcan’s all-in-one services, Toby said,
“As well as being able to supply a full rainscreen cladding system including fixings and insultation from our partners Certifix, you also get a one-stop-shop point of contact and can access our other services as well which is a massive benefit – we all know the challenges using many different suppliers.”
He continued,
“One of these added benefits is our fabrication services, so we can project manage all the fabrication, get the panel schedules, talk to designers, and make sure the panels are fabricated exactly as per your designs but it also complies with the CWCT guidelines.”
Director of CWCT David Metcalfe provided an in-depth update for 2025. The CWCT has spent the past 30 years, producing guidance, carrying out research, writing standards and providing training in field of building envelopes. David focused on the responsibilities, sustainability, fire and the Building Safety Act in today’s industry.
Speaking about the Building Safety Act and Gateway 2, David said,
“As we have done previously, we are collaborating with the SFE to try and provide guidance around the Building Safety Act, and particularly Gateway 2 submissions. I don’t think anyone would argue against what the BSA is trying to achieve through this process. The question is what does this all actually mean?”
He continued,
“I think we have a bit of a problem here. The data available suggests that lots of, in fact many applications are being rejected. And of course, there will be various reasons for this. Some simply won’t have taken the process seriously enough, and therefore deserve to be rejected. Others will have tried to do the right thing, but due to the uncertainty that exists, will not have supplied the required information. Clearly this needs to change. We need to keep building, and therefore this process needs to improve.”
Arnold Tarling gave a thought-provoking presentation untitled “WYSIWYG” – meaning, What You See Is What You Get, or in this case, what ISN’T what you get. Arnold began his presentation by stating,
“We’re taught to make assumptions, and unfortunately, what you see isn’t what you get on every occasion. People out in the industry think ‘I’ve got one sheet of plaster board that will give you one hour’s fire resistance to a building. If I double the thickness with a second layer, that will make two hours fire resistance.’ It doesn’t. It’s more than one, but less than two.”
He continued,
“And I couldn’t tell you what that is without going to the manufacturers who had it tested and be able to say.”
Speaking accompanied with a slide show showing just a selection of non-compliant cladding installations he has had to investigate in the recent past that had had been clad in ACM or had not been properly installed Arnold spoke about considerations to make when carrying out remediation works or making changes to buildings that can affect the fire ratings of construction products and the compliance of a building, Arnold commented,
“When dealing with buildings we must always think ‘what am I doing? How does this change?’ So, do not follow your logic, take a step back and look at it from an engineering point of view as to what you have actually done to that building.”
The days presentations were rounded off with an overview of Certifix, presented by Carlton and Jacob Shaw which included key considerations for façade remediation projects, including aesthetic, structural, thermal performance, weather protection and movement. Included were case studies of extensive studies they’ve had to carry out, including coastal buildings and how long construction products are going to last in those environments.
The eventful day was rounded off with a relaxed drinks reception for attendees which allowed them a chance to reconnect with each other and to make new connections.
Claire Gould, Marcoms Manager for Valcan commented following the event,
“It has been fantastic to have so many people come and join us for our first Façade HUB. We’ve received fantastic feedback so far. Many attendees appreciated the networking opportunities and found our speakers’ presentations truly beneficial. We are so grateful that we were able to have such a variety of speakers from all areas of the construction industry come and take the time to present today and offer their insights. May this be the first of many Façade HUB’s Valcan host!”
To register your interest in the next Façade HUB visit www.valcan.co.uk/facade-hub/
For speaking and sponsorship opportunities contact Claire.gould@valcan.co.uk