RAUTITAN chosen for luxury Edinburgh apartment development

Consultant engineering firm Blackwood Partnership Ltd, were tasked with designing and specifying a development in Edinburgh and needed every aspect of the building to be of the highest quality to match the exacting standards of the apartments’ purchasers. Added to this, all contractors involved along with the developer, AMA Newtown Ltd, had to finish the ambitious development within the allotted time schedule.

Made up of 15 high-specification luxury apartments and located in a prestigious area surrounded by green spaces, The Pavilion on Kinnear Road in Edinburgh is the latest impressive development from renowned developer and was completed in January 2020.

In this development the components under the surface, such as heating and water supply systems, had to be just as high specification as the visible aspects. With this in mind Blackwood opted for a high quality composite pipe from polymer plumbing solutions specialists REHAU to be installed by M&E Contractors Platinum (Plumbing Scotland) Ltd

Location	Edinburgh, Scotland
Type	Residential
Developer	AMA Newtown Ltd
Consultant	Blackwood partnership
Contractor	Platinum (Plumbing Scotland) Ltd
Year	2020
Product	RAUTITAN

Detailed design for the highest specification

Throughout the year and a half long design process, Blackwood specified every aspect of the complex down to the fine details, working closely with the homeowners to create their dream apartment. The bespoke element of the design process didn’t come without its challenges; however, it did ensure the satisfaction of purchasers that their new home would be exactly to their requirements and high standards.

“The detailed design started back in summer 2017 and finished in December 2018,” said Alvaro Marin, Project Engineer at Blackwood Partnership Ltd. “The properties themselves were being sold throughout the design stage so the purchasers could be involved in design of their apartment, providing a bespoke aspect of the finish of these apartments.“The specification of the kitchens and the bathrooms only came through to us about halfway through the design process. This was quite a challenge because we had to design the services around these individual kitchen and bathroom designs for each residence in the development.

The time-consuming nature of this process meant individual units and fixtures had to be fitted whilst still accessing valves and risers during the construction process, as well as for future maintenance. To complete the project within the timeframe, a solution that could quickly overcome these challenges with little disturbance to the design or end result of the development was required.

Speed and flexibility from polymer

Not originally specified for the project, the flexibility, durability and performance of REHAU’s RAUTITAN, convinced the consultant and mechanical contractor to reconsider the original specification. The quick-to-install solution was a clear choice for the contractors to address the challenges brought about by the high-specification development, and the design was adapted to include RAUTITAN instead.

“When it comes to PE-Xa pipework such as RAUTITAN, you have more durability and flexibility than you would have with metal equivalents,” said Alvaro Marin. “On top of this we were impressed by the robust jointing system and compression sleeves during a demonstration of the product from a REHAU representative. With this system you get great durability at high pressure thanks to this jointing, and, when we put it to the client, we agreed it was the clear choice for this high-specification project.”

The pipework was installed into concealed ceiling areas and delivered water to the building services such as the kitchens, bathrooms, and boiler and cylinder cupboards. Thanks to the lightweight polymer and quick, secure jointing, the system was installed quickly and easily in the space, especially given that time and space were at a premium while working alongside the other trades onsite.

“The site was very busy and we often found ourselves jumping from apartment to apartment to carry out the installation,” said Michael Moffat of Platinum (Scotland Plumbing) Ltd. “On the whole, we were able to quickly install the pipework and we had a ready supply of materials and tools available so we could get our part done without any issues.” The site was busy with other trades and so the quick jointing system allowed the installer to complete their work quickly, leaving no opportunity for human error to compromise the robustness of the system,” Marin adds. “From that point of view, using RAUTITAN helped in a project of this nature, as it removes concerns about the internal plumbing performance as well as the worries about installation issues with such complicated design.”

Going the extra mile

With time-sensitive and complex developments such as The Pavilion, the availability of construction materials and tools throughout the duration of a project is a key concern for contractors. If supply of certain materials experiences issues, entire aspects of the development can experience delays, which could hold up other processes onsite and potentially cause problems for the purchasers of the properties waiting to move in.

From the outset, the contractors were pleased with the ready supply of product, materials and tools from REHAU through regional sales manager in charge of the project, Mark Taylor. Onsite training was also provided, which meant the installer was not only comfortable with installing a product they may not be familiar with, but could also be ready to quickly install the pipework in the limited windows around the other trades present onsite.

“The support from REHAU onsite was very important for us and the M&E contractor,” said Marin. “Mark ensured that there was sufficient training for the contractor, assisted with the supply and availability of tools and material, which Platinum Ltd. found very helpful.”

“The Pavilion has been a great project for REHAU to be involved with and we were pleased that the great performance of RAUTITAN was able to convince the consultant involved to change their specification,” said Mark. “We pride ourselves on the support and training we give to contractors throughout the duration of our project, and the results of this project have been fantastic.

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