London’s renowned Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) was founded way back in 1852 and it’s premises in South Kensington boasts a staggering collection of more than 2.3 million artefacts. The V&A has embarked on what is being described as one of the world’s most important cultural projects with the construction of two new sites in Stratford, east London.

Due to open in 2024, what will be known as the V&A Storehouse will aim to give visitors an immersive experience by taking them behind the scenes and offering access to more of the museum’s vast collections. V&A East will open the following year with aim of celebrating making and creativity from around the world. The V&A’s new buildings will form part of a new £1.1bn development scheme which focusses upon culture, innovation, education and growth and is being constructed as part of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Maximising the benefits of steel building construction

V&A East will be founded on piled foundations with a steel frame which is an essential element of the intricate design of the building. Steel is proving to be the ideal building material for this project as one of the requirements of the brief is the need for flexible internal spaces, with long open spans which are strong enough to bear the weight of exhibits which may be hung from above.

However, it’s the building’s façade which is certain to ensure that it stands out from other buildings in the area. With a design inspired by a 1950s evening dress, the ‘pleated’ façade will consist of seven steel nodes which will provide support the exterior’s glazed and precast cladding.

Steel will also be a feature of the building’s interior which will have five floors, two steel mezzanine floors and a plant deck on the sixth level. Because the cores will be slightly offset, there will be just one row of internal columns inside the building, allowing for clear floor spans of up to 16 metres. In addition, the majority of the internal steel work will remain exposed, with decorative paint finishes applied to provide intumescent fire protection.

This is certainly an impressive project and it’s interesting to see how the benefits of steel construction are being used to maximum effect, helping to create large internal spaces and an eye-catching external structure.

Increase space with a steel framed building designed and installed by Steelwork Engineering

Happy New Year!

Running your own business often spends a lot of time thinking about how to expand and grow. The start of a New Year is the ideal time to start giving serious consideration to an expansion project. However, business growth can mean relocating to a larger business premises which, of course, results in increased costs. With this in mind, choosing to extend your business premises with a steel framed building extension or new building can prove to be a cost-effective solution, providing you with the space you need to grow.

Steel buildings are incredibly quick to erect as unlike traditional bricks and mortar building techniques, all components are designed and manufactured off-site; delivered ready to be assembled. Furthermore, steel buildings can be easily extended or adapted at a later date, therefore providing an effective long-term solution, designed to expand alongside your business.

Steel framed buildings designed and manufactured by Steelwork Engineering

At Steelwork Engineering we have decades of experience in the design and manufacture of steel framed buildings and building extensions. All of our steel components are designed and manufactured in our Yorkshire workshop before being delivered ready to be bolted together on-site. Whether you already know what you need, or would like to have your building designed for you, our team has the expertise to help.

To find out more about how we can help you find the building solutions you need to grow your business, please get in touch by calling 01535 630100 or email info@steelworkengineering.com.

Although there’s still a month to go, New Year is the time when we often make resolutions. If, like many businesses your goals for 2022 include expansion, taking on more staff and improving efficiency, we can help.

Our steel buildings and architectural products are designed to help businesses of all shapes and sizes maximise the space they have; whether through additional floor space, shelving, storage areas, an outside canopy or even a new premises. Steel offers the perfect solution to creating extra space as it is cheap to produce and construct, whilst also being versatile and cost effective in terms of construction and installation.

Steel construction offers unbeatable value

If you are considering increasing space either by building new premises or extending your existing premises, steel construction offers a cost effective solution. Steel frame buildings offer a number of advantages over buildings constructed from reinforced concrete; not least in terms of sustainability and flexibility. Steel buildings are built using a prefabricated structural frame which is manufactured off-site, ready to be constructed on-site. Construction time is reduced, helping you save site costs.

Furthermore, steel fabricated building construction allows for minimal use of slender columns. This can be used to achieve increased floor areas, suitable for re-design at a later date. Services are easily integrated, whilst maintenance is kept to an absolute minimum. The ideal way to create the space you need at an affordable price; steel framed buildings offer a versatile, cost-effective solution for all businesses.

Make the most of internal space with a mezzanine floor

If you would like to expand your usable floor space, you could find that your existing business premises have adequate head space to accommodate a mezzanine floor. Mezzanine flooring provides a proven way to help improve efficiency, helping your business to grow and adapt to ever-changing markets.

Depending on the size of your business premises, it might be possible to double or even triple your floor space, making the most of currently unused overhead space. Suitable for a wide range of uses, mezzanine flooring can provide an invaluable storage space for additional stock, housing new machinery or production lines, or additional desk space for staff. A highly effective way to create a productive, well-organised work space, installing mezzanine flooring could help your business become more competitive.

Contact Steelwork Engineering to find out more

To find out more about the benefits of mezzanine flooring, steel framed buildings or any aspect of our services or product range, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

 

 

The design of health sector buildings needs to cater for a wide range of functions, many of which often change over the course of time. As a result, choosing an approach to construction which offers flexibility and adaptability is of paramount importance. This is where steel construction comes into its own by assisting with the rapid construction of health sector buildings and extension projects.

Steel building design meets the construction demands of the health sector

When new buildings are constructed on existing hospital sites, for example, fast construction and off-site manufacturing are important requirements if disruption to the site it to be kept to a minimum. Thanks to the speed of construction offered by steel-framed buildings, this approach is the ideal choice. In addition, because the components required to make steel-framed buildings are manufactured and assembled off-site, this also offers an important way to minimise construction time on site, noise, dust and the amount of materials needed.

There are other factors which have helped to make steel construction so popular within the health sector. Cleanliness is an important consideration for health care sites and painted steel surfaces are easy to keep clean, ensuring they are free from contamination and dust. Furthermore, it is possible to design steel constructions so that they achieve the highest levels of the acoustic insulation and low vibration response required to meet strict NHS requirements.

Ensuring a comfortable environment whilst keeping energy costs as low as possible are also important factors in the construction of health sector buildings. A degree of thermal insulation can be achieved using light steel infill walls, whilst the insulation material placed on the exterior of the steel frame creates a warm frame, designed to reduce thermal bridging.

From hospitals and health centres, through to GP surgeries and diagnostic centres, steel construction offers a safe, efficient and cost-effective form of construction.