The Bombora, Cronulla
APPLICATOR: Soleace Waterproofing
ARCHITECT: Vic Lakes Architects
The Bombora in Cronulla, NSW, are high end apartments situated at the edge of the beach. Positioned in an affluent area, neighbouring homes are often sold in excess of several million dollars.
The building features cutting edge architectural feats and promises a lifestyle for residents that is only often dreamt about. It features a sought-after penthouse balcony complete with swimming pool.
Given the luxury nature of these residences, a premium quality service and product were required.
ARDEX was selected by Soleace Waterproofing as the supplier of choice for this project, due to SystemARDEX offering and reliability of products and service.
Challenge
Despite the awe-inspiring views and close proximity to the shore, the location can pose a number of problems for the exterior of the building. Namely, the building and rooftop are often exposed to high winds and salt content in the air as well as other intense weather conditions such as high UV exposure.
Unique Elements
The unique elements comprised in this project was the need to complete the job efficiently and with durable and reliable products to withstand the distinctive environmental conditions, all without compromising on the elite aesthetic that the property needed to retain. Not only that, but the rooftop area was sizeable for a residential project, coming in at 350 square metres.
Solution
The ARDEX products used were:
ARDEX WPM 717 – WeldTec Fleece-backed Waterproofing Membrane which is a weldable and fleece backed waterproofing membrane ideal for uneven substrates. It provides excellent resistance to ageing from heat, sunlight, atmospheric pollution and ozone. It’s also beneficial in horizontal or vertical applications for waterproofing decks and roofs that have residual moisture or are not perfectly flat and smooth.
ARDEX WPM 1000 – WeldTec External Undertile Waterproofing Membrane
This product is a versatile, external undertile waterproofing membrane ideal for use on balconies, roofs, decks, under tiles, pavers, and cavity door flashings and is known for its durability.
ARDEX WPM 002 is a tough, fast-drying two-component waterproofing membrane specifically designed for use under tiles. The product has been uniquely formulated with synthetic microfibres to increase its strength and eliminate the need for a separate reinforcement mat. Due to the high-end nature of the bathrooms and internal wet areas, ARDEX WPM 002, with its proven track-record in the Australian market, was the product of choice.
ARDEX WPM 300 two-component, water-based epoxy polyamide was the ideal membrane and barrier coating which is ideal for damp or drying concrete and internal wet areas, again selected to meet the demands of the humid environment.
Hugo’s Bistro
Installer: Giacon Terrazzo
The fourth Auckland eatery for husband and wife team Joost and Clare van den Berg, Hugo’s Bistro was designed by Clare herself in collaboration with Cheshire Architects using a restrained palette of four colours – forest green, blush, brass and grey – introduced in contrasting textures, from corduroy and New Zealand cedar to a beautiful terrazzo floor created by ARDEX using PC-T polished concrete in white with colour and aggregate mixed in.
Winner of the Hospitality category in the Design Institute of New Zealand’s Best Design Awards 2017 the design of the rustic yet elegant interior was praised by the judges as “An excellent planning solution that articulates the different uses and needs of the spaces through the well-resolved detailing and joinery. The restrained palette is consistent throughout and, combined with excellent lighting, invites one to join in.”
The refit took almost a year and involved gutting the space and replacing all services and adding new steel-framed front windows and doors. Rounded oak furniture with green corduroy upholstery and a green marble bar are juxtaposed by a wall of cedar shiplap on one side and another plastered using Marmorino, an Italian plaster finish made from lime and marble dust, tinted pink. Clare decided on a terrazzo floor after seeing the floor of Amano Restaurant, a previous ARDEX project in Auckland.
When it came time to lay the stunning terrazzo floor, applicator Andrew Giacon of Giacon Terrazzo encountered problems as the concrete slabs on the floor of the historic building were suffering from moisture problems and construction joint issues. ARDEX offered on-site technical support and all issues were soon resolved using ARDEX crack treatment systems and moisture control systems.
The all-day bistro in Shortland Street opened in June, 2017, and has proved a hit with customers looking for a relaxed European style dining experience.
Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay
For the five-star Marriott Resort Momi Bay, attention to every detail was of paramount importance. ARDEX New Zealand’s total system for waterproofing and tiling provided the essentials to ensure the longevity of the luxury design.
Installer: East/West Engineering
Builder: Fletcher Pacific Construction
Architect: The Buchan Group
Located at Momi Bay, on the coast of the Fijian island of Viti Levu, the Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay is sited in the centre of a 21-hectare man-made lagoon that was once a sugar cane farm. Construction on the 250-room luxury resort began in 2016, with 92 free-standing beachside bures, 22 overwater bures and 136 rooms. The resort also includes expansive function rooms for weddings and events, marina facilities, food and beverage outlets and a range of recreational activities.
When construction began on the resort in 2016, SystemARDEX provided a total system for waterproofing and tiling the entire resort’s roofing, bathrooms, wet areas, and tiled areas. Throughout the project, Ardex New Zealand worked closely with the builder, Fletcher Pacific Construction, and the applicator, East/West Engineering, to ensure any problems were resolved during frequent site visits.
The design, by Australian architects The Buchan Group, is sensitive to the resort’s picturesque lagoon setting and showcases materials sourced locally, including rock from the site, traditional timbers and woven ceiling panels to ensure the resort looks authentic yet contemporary. Each thatched-roof bure features large glass windows and an expansive balcony to maximise the spectacular views from each room and provide ready access to the lagoon and beaches.
The spectacular five-star resort is now open and attracting visitors from all corners of the globe to its relaxed and luxurious ambience.
The British Museum, UK
The British Museum opened its doors to the public in 1759 as the first national public museum in the world. Now home to some 8 million works from a number of different cultures, the museum stands as an iconic London attraction.
After a particularly successful 2013 The British Museum reached a record-breaking total of 6.7 million visitors, up 20% from 2012. However, as the museum’s popularity has continued to grow, so has the demand to accommodate its millions of visitor’s year on year.
The Great Court restaurant is one such place which offers the museum’s visitors a chance to relax and enjoy a refined dining experience away from the hubbub of activity in the museum. In order to maintain this experience, The British Museum made the decision in November 2013 to replace the restaurant’s old flooring, as it could no longer handle the vast number of visitors coming through the restaurant every day. W B Simpson Ltd, was the chosen tiling contractor to complete the new installation, and Marc Poland, Director at W B Simpson Ltd said “We could provide and lay the desired style of tiles, however, we needed the correct products which would enable us to do this within the tight time frame given, and to the high standard expected by the museum.”
“The architect consulting on this project specified the use ARDEX a company I have worked with over the last 10 years, most notably on the London Olympic Aquatics Centre.”
Andrew Reid, National Business Development Manager at ARDEX UK, explained, “After carrying out a site visit I compiled a bespoke specification which would meet the requirements of The British Museum. ARDITEX NA and ARDEX MICROTEC X 77 were ideal for this particular project, with the rapid setting properties of ARDITEX NA, and extended open time of ARDEX MICROTEC X 77 ensuring the museum’s tight time constraints were adhered to. ARDEX-FLEX FL Tile Grout finished of the system, and is resilient against the day to day wear of a busy restaurant floor.”
Marc Poland explained, “Working with ARDEX makes our job a whole lot easier, not only are their products reliable and of premium quality, but the company is established within the industry meaning that when an unanticipated crisis arose, ARDEX had the knowledge, experience and portfolio of products to swiftly resolve it.”
“When taking up the old flooring we quickly realised that the existing screed was too weak to lay the new flooring. ARDEX was called back on to the site to evaluate the problem, and within the same day they had recommended and supplied ARDEX PSRS, a Penetrating Screed Renovation System, designed to strengthen and restore poorly compacted and low strength screeds that do not meet the required in-situ crushing resistance.” Andrew concludes “That is the advantage of using ARDEX; we not only recommend and supply high quality adhesives for the entire project, but are also equipped to deal with any unexpected problems which may arise during a project, without compromising the project’s deadline. As a result of using ARDEX The British Museum has a completely refurbished restaurant floor built to withstand its ever increasing popularity for decades to come.”
London 2012 Aquatic Centre
Having completed many prestigious leisure installations, ARDEX were delighted to work in partnership with specialist tiling contractor, W B Simpson Limited, and supply the ideal tile fixing system to assist with the completion of the iconic Aquatics Centre at the Olympic Park, London.
The Aquatics Centre was designed by the internationally acclaimed architect Zaha Hadid, who worked in conjunction with leading swimming pool architects, S & P. The breath taking 17,500 seat Aquatics Centre forms part of the gateway to the Olympic Park, and is housed beneath a distinctive wave-like curved roof. The centre houses a 50m competition pool, a 50m warm up pool, and a 25m competition diving pool, with a ‘dry’ warm-up area for divers. The project required a proven tiling solution which could help deliver fast track completion, as well as the ability to withstand the challenging environment and rigorous hygiene demands.
As with previous high profile projects, including Heathrow Airport, Kings Cross St Pancras Station, Harrods and London Zoo, it was the proven performance and versatility of ARDEX products that won favour with the contractor. In addition, the ARDEX Business Development and Technical Services teams provided on-going support at every stage of the project, from rapid response to specification writing, to installation visits and on-site testing. ARDEX’s purpose-built training facility enabled them to bring together all parties involved in the specification, from the client through to the main contractor, ensuring total confidence in the specification, and subsequent on-site application.
One of the key influences in ARDEX winning this prestigious project was the fact that ARDEX X 77 MICROTEC Flexible Floor & Wall Tile Adhesive was suitable for fixing all of the tiles in the Aquatic Centre. By using just one tile adhesive, cost savings and application time was saved. ARDEX MICROTEC X 77 has an open time of up to 60 minutes, which means you can spread larger areas of adhesive in a single application, enabling the team at the Aquatic Centre installation to work more efficiently, and allowing more time when tiling awkward areas, or cutting around fixtures and fittings in the pool and pool surrounds.
Andrew Reid, ARDEX National Business Development Manager commented, “The Aquatics Centre is an amazing facility, and one that will benefit the local community for years to come. Our tiling systems have been specified in many leisure projects, but to win the contract for the Aquatics Centre has been a great achievement, and a testimony to ARDEX’s ‘gold standard’ product range and support. The feedback from the installation team was extremely positive, and the completed venue is truly stunning.”
Garden Island Naval Base
Applicator: Protective Waterproofing
General Contractor: Duratec Australia
The Garden Island Naval Base is location North-East of the Sydney Central Business District and forms a major part of the Royal Australian Navy’s fleet with approximately half of the major fleet units using its wharves as their home ports.
Challenges:
The location of the base and scope of the project meant that work was to be completed approximately 1.5m below the Sydney Harbour waterline. An installer experienced in below ground works was required for this project as the structure had to remain completely dry due to the area being an electrical substation.
The pile caps on this project were found to be extremely poor, and there were raised mounds within the floor area that needed to be detailed. These were discovered on site during work and not detailed into the site drawings or highlighted during discussions.
Being a government project, a tight turnaround was also required. Speed of application was of primary importance for the selection of a system as the project also had a very short window for installation.
Solution:
ARDEX was able to provide a solution for below ground works by specifying ARDEX WeldTec WPM 1500 – a pre-applied, fleece-lined, weldable tanking membrane designed for below ground tanking. 300 square metres of membrane was subsequently applied for this project.
ARDEX WeldTec WPM 1500 was detailed around pile caps and a “pitch pocket” was created using off-cuts of WPM 1500. This was then filled with ARDEX flowable commercial epoxy grout system and 5/2 aggregate.
Due to the nature of the project, the ARDEX WeldTec WPM 1500 membrane was installed by an experienced below-ground membrane installer with extensive knowledge on the ARDEX WeldTec range of waterproofing membranes. An experienced ARDEX rep with knowledge on below-ground works was also on site to offer support.
2014 Commonwealth Games Swimming Pool, Glasgow
The drama of the 2014 Commonwealth Games’ swimming competition was played out at Tollcross International Swimming Centre between 23rd July until 3rd August. A significant icon in British sport, the swimming centre has played host to The Scottish Gas National Open Championships, The British Para International Meet and the 2014 British Gas Swimming Championships.
In anticipation of the arrival of the games, Tollcross International Swimming Centre’s existing facilities underwent a complete refurbishment and upgrade. However, during works to strengthen the ceiling, contractors noticed that some of the screed below the tiles on the main competition pool floor had separated from the concrete pool tank. The entire floor of the pool needed to be removed, and re-laid.
Tollcross International Swimming Centre is owned by Glasgow City Council, and Scott Faichey, Architectural Technologist for the council, was appointed to handle the project. Scott hired, Tilecraft, a specialist tiling works company that delivers high quality tiles across the whole of the UK, to lay the tiles and specified products from ARDEX.
Scott commented: “The renovations to the swimming centre were undertaken to ensure it could handle the sheer influx of competitors and spectators for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. The late realisation that the pool would need a complete refurbishment meant that it had to be completed in just 8 weeks as Tollcross was due to host the Scottish Gas National Open Championships.”
Scott continued: “I needed to identify a fast track solution which would produce high quality results, and ARDEX seemed the logical choice. Having worked with them before on the London Aquatics Centre, I knew they would be able to deliver on a tight deadline and to the high standards expected.”
Andrew Reid, National Business Development Manager at ARDEX UK, said: “ARDEX A 38 Cement for Screeds allows tiles to be fixed after only 4 hours, whereas traditional products available on the market can have a drying process anywhere from 3 weeks, to a couple of months, and with the restrictive timeframe given there simply was not the time for this lengthy drying process.”
ARDEX MICROTEC X 77 MICROTEC Flexible Wall and Floor Tile Adhesive was used to fix the tiles, and ARDEX EG 8 Cement/Epoxy Hybrid Grout and Adhesive provided the necessary chemical resistance and hygienic tile grout joints.
John Taylor, Managing Director of Tilecraft commented: “I am a big fan of ARDEX products, and had complete confidence that the refurbishment of the competition pool was carried out by quality tradesman, using a high performance product. In a project where there was no room for mistakes, it was easy to see why ARDEX UK’s industry knowledge is regarded as second to none.”
Bellus Apartments, Auckland
Installer: Ashphaltec
Builder: Kalmar
Architects: Warren & Mahoney
For the construction of the Bellus Apartments building in Stonefields, Auckland, ARDEX New Zealand worked closely with architects Warren & Mahoney, builder Kalmar, and installer Ashphaltec on resolving waterproofing issues for the 3,000m² rooftop.
Due to timing and a damp substrate, a special two-layer torch-applied system using ARDEX WPM 114 Vented Base Sheet and ARDEX WPM 189 Duo capping sheet was selected to roof the apartments. ARDEX WPM 114 allows coverage over substrates that may potentially have moisture issues — in this case, a substrate that had been left for a while, allowing water to gather in various cavities of the roof structure.
ARDEX WPM 114 has special venting properties that allow moisture to vent through channels in the membrane. The moisture will eventually make its way to an opening, such as a parapet or an ARDEX Low Rise Roof Vent, without the need for holes in the venting layer. The result for the roof of the Bellus Apartments was extremely effective.
The ARDEX WPM 114 waterproofing membrane allows greater application flexibility than many comparable products on the market. With a wide range of innovative and highly effective waterproofing solutions, an ability to work on large construction projects and incomparable expertise, it’s no surprise that ARDEX is a preferred partner for construction projects throughout New Zealand.
World’s Largest Nike Store, Abu Dhabi
Located in Yas Mall, Ferrari World, Abu Dhabi, the world’s largest Nike Store had a tight fit-out schedule in order to open in time for the Formula-1 Grand Prix Finale in 2014. ARDEX and the contractors had just 15 days to complete a 550m² polished concrete floor that is now a striking centrepiece of the 1400m² fit-out.
Working with architects Sun & Sands Dubai, the Nike in-house design team and general contractor Bond Interiors, ARDEX worked to a client brief for a floor that would be high gloss and low maintenance, using ARDEX PC-T polished concrete topping in a grey finish.
Both day and night shifts were necessary, coordinating installation and polishing teams, in order to meet the short fit-out period required, and cold water was necessary to extend the working time in 30°C heat. Meanwhile, multiple trades were working simultaneously throughout the store area, creating traffic over the unfinished floor.
The concrete had a variation ranging from zero to 3cm when checked with a laser machine. As the client wanted a seamless floor with only structural joints, a smoothing layer of ARDEX K 80 was installed with reinforcing mesh in order to reduce the risk of cracking. After ARDEX PC-T was laid, the grinding processes followed and line marking was placed using ARDEX R 35 E to create the Nike theme on the floor.
At the opening, the completed floor was much admired by the entire team from Nike Inc. Nike were so pleased by the polished result and exceptional service provided that ARDEX has since completed similar ARDEX PC-T polished concrete floors in over 70 Nike stores.
Elevate Apartments, Wellington
Builder: Stratum Management Ltd
Architect: Architecture Plus
Installer: K & R Wake Tiling Limited
Elevate Apartments, a 15 storey apartment complex in central Wellington, includes ARDEX products for floor levelling, acoustic soundproofing, undertile waterproofing, exterior waterproofing and tiling. This complete System ARDEX solution ensures all products are designed to work together for maximum performance.
The Stratum Management Ltd apartment complex was designed by Architecture Plus and completed in August 2014. Elevate Apartments offer one, two or family-sized three bedroom apartments. Bathrooms, kitchens and common areas feature both horizontal and vertical tiled surfaces creating a total of 2500m² of tiled area. The lobby and lift foyers also feature floor and wall tiling.
Dave Stewart of Stratum Management Ltd prefers to create strong relationships with the companies he works with on construction projects and has worked with ARDEX on at least 20 major projects. He specifies ARDEX products with confidence as they are ‘tried and tested’ and the technical back-up ensures that ARDEX ‘stands behind their product’. Dealing with one manufacturer for multiple applications makes the process easier and Dave has also found contractors like to work with ARDEX products.
In order to reduce the noise between floors, ARDEX DS 40 sound reduction membrane was installed as part of the floor tiling system. ARDEX LQ92 was laid as the floor levelling compound and the soundproofing was installed on top and adhered with ARDEX X56. Tiles can be installed directly over the ARDEX DS 40, meaning the floor installation time is reduced.
In each of the 82 bathrooms, ARDEX WPM 001 and WPM 002 acrylic waterproofing membranes have been used along with ARDEX X 56 adhesive for floor tiling and ARDEX MPP for wall tiling. Further soundproofing was included in the bathroom floors over the undertile waterproofing membrane. All of the tiled areas were finished with ARDEX FS-DD grout and ARDEX SE Silicone or ARDEX ST neutral cure silicone.
ARDEX Butynol was chosen as the waterproofing membrane for the balconies at Elevate Apartments. ARDEX Butynol has a proven track record in New Zealand providing resilience and dependability when it comes to membrane waterproofing and the Dove Grey colour suited the exterior colour scheme.
Elevate Apartments is just one of 20 Stratum Management Ltd projects which include complete System ARDEX solutions. The System ARDEX concept incorporates system recommendations, on-site visits and technical support and warranties, as well as complete product systems designed for reliability.