AAC reuses waterproof roof membrane in house built out of recycled materials.

The Waste House was built using nearly 20,000 toothbrushes, old video and music tapes, denim jeans and floppy discs among other items and materials destined for landfill.

AAC Waterproofing re-used the rubber roofing membrane it originally supplied for Channel 4’s Grand Designs programme, ‘The House That Kevin Built’, in which one of the UK’s first A+ energy-rated houses was built in just six days.

Just like the original Grand Designs house build in London, this was a great project to be part of. It was amazing to see how so many different waste materials could be put to great use.

The same architects from the Grand Designs programme worked on the Waste House, so they knew our product was green and durable enough to be reused. All we had to do was reinstall our material at the new site.

AAC Waterproofing was not the only North Wales company involved in the Waste House project. Holywell-based Kingspan also donated damaged panels that have insulated the home, together with the toothbrushes, VHS and old music tapes. Despite the Waste House’s negative carbon footprint and 85% use of recycled materials, it is one of the few homes in the UK to gain an A-rated Energy Performance Certificate.

Similar in size to a detached house, the Waste House now functions as Brighton University’s sustainability learning centre and has been used as one of the venues for the Brighton Festival.

Despite the Waste House’s negative carbon footprint and 85% use of recycled materials, it is one of the few homes in the UK to gain an A-rated Energy Performance Certificate.

Students, apprentices, local builders and school children have all been involved with the project, with the ambition to train young people around emerging green industries.

Similar in size to a detached house, the Waste House will now function as Brighton University’s sustainability learning centre and will be one of the venues for the forthcoming Brighton Festival.

AAC’s robust waterproofing system is not only a great and green solution for exposed environments, it can also be used as part of high quality design.

That is exactly what architect Simon Conder did with the conversion of Gelon Hanna House – a 1930s fisherman hut in Dungeness, Kent.

The plywood framed building was stripped back and used for all internal finishes including walls, floors, ceilings, doors and joinery. The external walls and roof were cladded in black rubber – the first insulation of its kind in the UK and, as Conder himself puts it “a technically more sophisticated version of the layers of felt and tar that are found on many of the existing buildings”.

He added: “Internally priority has been given to maximising the living areas and the house only has one small bedroom. Visitors are accommodated in a 1954 Airstream caravan which is parked next to the house, the silver of the aluminium caravan providing a striking visual contrast to the black rubber.”

We were delighted to be part of this innovative project and to be able to offer our unique product, vast experience and specialist skills to create what is a very striking property. Gelon Hanna House still stands proud on the Dungeness headland, and has been withstanding challenging weather conditions for 15 years.

Fallen Angel is an architect designed property set in its own secluded sub-tropical gardens in the picturesque village of Mousehole, Cornwall.

AAC Waterproofing was chosen to work with Studio West Architects to create the striking black rubber finish to the building. Using Prelasti EPDM, our team fitted the bespoke membrane to the roof and walls to create a stunning finish.

Prelasti has a proven 50-year life expectancy and is known to withstand the temperature extremes of such a location. It is also resistant to ozone & U.V. radiation, making it the ideal choice.

We are very proud of our team for bringing such a challenging project over the line within tight time pressures and difficult logistics.

You can see a full gallery and booking details for the holiday rental property at Fallenangelcornwall.com.

With the continued and growing emphasis on sustainability in construction we could be on the verge of a radical shift in how we think about the current stock of buildings. The time may be coming when we stop planning for building replacement, and instead plan for building reuse. That in turn would significantly change the roles of designers and builders.

Continue reading “Tate St. Ives Project” →

Learn how to market your contractor business professionally. In depth knowledge of attracting clients with online marketing strategies and deep thinking about who you want your clients to be.

Continue reading “Ysgol Bro Dysynni, Tywyn” →

Last night, Construction was honored to accept a Best Builders Award from the Associated General Contractors of Vermont for the construction of the $31.3 million Vermont Public Health Laboratory. There is so much to celebrate about this project – from both a construction and community perspective – and it was so gratifying to have that impact formally recognized in the contracting community.

Continue reading “Welsh Government Offices, Llandudno” →

A forklift used at one construction site might not be the best for another. Specific construction tasks vary, as do weight and size needs. Terrain and environmental factors can make a difference when it comes to the effectiveness of your forklift. A forklift buyers guide like this can help you find the right forklift for your needs.

Continue reading “Mini Dealership, Llandudno Junction” →

Building a wood fired clay oven is a fun project and when you get done you’ll have fun using it too. It is however a moderately challenging project. So if you aren’t of sound body and mind, get help, or don’t do it.

Continue reading “Ysgol Awel y Mynydd, Llandudno Junction” →