INCA Awards 2019 – Results

The INCA Awards 2019 culminated with an exciting ceremony held at the MacDonald Burlington Hotel in Birmingham, with around 160 splendidly dressed guests in attendance.

The evening event was a huge success. As with each year, entries filtered in from all over the country.  Projects were recognised for their innovative design and exceptional quality. The newly introduced Judges’ Choice Award highlighted special recognition for its unique, distinctive appearance.

A full round up of the results including all winners and highly commended projects from the event can be found below and in the INCA Awards 2019 brochure which can be found here

We have gathered feedback following the 2019 ceremony and will make every effort to ensure the next Awards are enjoyed by all our members and partners and prove to be an even better celebration of our industry in 2020!

Entries for The INCA Awards 2020 will open shortly. INCA will be focusing on sharing the successes of the award winners and those shortlisted beyond our members, ensuring that quality and excellence in EWI is recognised more widely. We hope to see you again next year.

If you would like to be associated with excellence and quality in EWI, you are now able to register your interest in INCA sponsorship. When registered, you will be first to receive the details of our new sponsorship packages along with first-refusal. Please email the secretariat on info@inca-ltd.org.uk.

Robert Phin – A.C. Whyte & Co. Ltd

Bob Phin has been at the forefront of the EWI industry, with a career spanning over 30 years. Bob joined A.C. Whyte in 1984 as a Quantity Surveyor, and within three years became director of the company. Bob delivered all QS, Estimating, Accounting, Job Costing and Contracts Management functions within his role.

In 1999, Bob took over as Managing Director of the company and focussed heavily on social housing. When Bob joined the company in 1984, the turnover was £250,000. After becoming Managing Director in the years between 2002 and 2006, the turnover increased to £13 million. In 2016 Bob decided to go part-time, and handed over the reins of the successful family business to his daughter, Jennifer Phin.

Bob has also been heavily involved in INCA over the years. Bob joined INCA in 2011 and was appointed to the board in 2014, where he went on to develop a Scottish working group to build awareness of INCA in Scotland and the benefits of EWI with key demographics. Bob’s contribution to INCA was vital, as he managed to secure a long-term partnership with Scottish Government stakeholders. Even after stepping down from the Board, he offered technical advice in support of INCA. John Carter, Former Managing Director of Alumasc said of Bob “[his] career in the EWI industry is legendary and his achievements incredible. There are few, if any, in the industry that would be more deserving of an outstanding achievement award.”

Winner

Bradley Lane
Newton Abbott
Contractor: SERS
System Designer: SPS Envirowall

Completed in 2008, this building on Bradley Lane was the first example of SPS Envirowall’s RendaClad system being utilised on a development. Despite the building’s exposed location, the render has shown no signs of aging over the last 10 years.

The judges were impressed by the attention to detail in the rendering supplied to this building in order to preserve its appearance over time

Highly Commended

Lancaster House
Rowley Regis
Contractor: Structherm

A project dating from 2009, Lancaster House is a block of flats, externally insulated and decorated with a brick effect render, including a cream and terracotta render finish. The U-value achieved was 0.3, providing significant warmth and comfort for the residents and lifting the appearance, which has been well preserved over the last 10 years.

The judges commented on the good condition that the building has maintained, and were impressed by how after all these years, the colours still look so vibrant.

Winner

Berry Court
Bournemouth
Contractor: Square 1
System Designer: SPS Envirowall

Berry Court is a multi-million pound new build residential development recently completed by Morgan Sindall. The development replaced an underused car park with high-quality apartments, and offers residents spectacular views across the town.

Completed in May 2018, the development is sympathetic to the Art Deco Heritage of Bournemouth which has been brought to life by the attractive curved feature of the building. This was achieved by the hard work and skill of the contractor, who worked to the curves using the SPS Envirowall system and its EPS boards. Therefore, they are able to be rasped, achieving a flawless, even and curved elevation to this attractive building.

Judges commented on the attractive and crisp detailing of the building, and were impressed by the retro aesthetic.

“This project has allowed for a high class quality of living in a limited amount of space.”

Highly Commended

St Vincent’s
Sheffield
Architect: Hadfield Cawkwell Davidson
Contractor: Hamilton (Building Contractors) Ltd
System Designer: Aliva UK

St Vincent’s is a modern, six storey student accommodation block, which was delivered against a very challenging design brief. The design by HCD Architects meant that the system had to be flexible enough to accommodate two thicknesses of clay slips to produce the required stepped effect, whilst the rain screen cladding coordinated through Aliva’s in-house design team, created a three colour powder coated finish to enhance and contrast with the traditional looking brick work.

The client needed a system that allowed the installation of the façade to be carried out off the critical path, so that the internal works could progress whilst the external works were being undertaken. The system allowed for shorter programme times and a reduction in overall costs over a traditionally constructed building, whilst providing the look and finish required by the Architect and Town Planners.

The judges were particularly impressed with this project as they felt that it set out a good example for the future of EWI, as the project’s alternative use to render is where they believe the industry should be heading. They also recognised the challenges that occur when working so closely to a listed building.

Build-Therm Services

Winner

Previously known as EcoTherm UK Ltd, Build-Therm Services have grown to become one of the leading façade contractors in External Wall Insulation, SFS, render and cladding. They have completed some fantastic projects over the past year, including Cardiff Bay’s Premier Inn, Heathrow’s IBIS Hotel, Portsmouth University’s Student Accommodation and many more.

System Designers had this to say about Build-Therm:

“Build-Therm have completed some excellent projects over the last year and always deliver high quality installations.”

Winner

Last year, INCA introduced an award to celebrate Component Suppliers in EWI, frequently described as the cornerstone of the industry. This award is nominated by our System Designer members. This year, the award goes to

Wemico

System Designers had this to say about Wemico:

“A fantastic range of products and solutions combined with outstanding customer support.”

Winner

This award acknowledges the importance of training to the construction industry, and EWI in particular. The award recognises an outstanding contribution to training.

Saint-Gobain Weber

Even though 2018 continued the trend seen in previous years with challenging market conditions, it proved to be yet another record-breaking year training-wise for Weber. Weber has been given the award this year for their focus on training and bridging the skills gap.

A main focus for Weber this year was to make training more accessible for delegates with learning disabilities. “We wanted to support those with dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia,” Weber Academy Manager, Rob Speke, explained. “We recognised that these conditions are quite common within the construction industry so we decided to present our training differently. For example, we found that just by simply printing things on yellow paper instead of white can be a major advantage for those who are dyslexic because it reduces the symptoms of visual stress and increases reading fluency.”

Audited by SWIGA, Weber’s training courses are delivered as per the guarantee agency’s own recommendations. This further supports the company’s belief that training and continuous development to increase skills in the industry is important. It also ensures that the quality, safety and profile of EWI systems across the UK and Ireland continue to rise.

The judges were impressed by Weber’s good distribution of training centres across the country, and their continuous commitment to improving training in the sector.

Winner

Victoria Place Theatre, London
Contractor: Novo Facades, System Designer: Sto

Victoria Place is one of the most famous theatres in London’s West End, which has recently undergone a huge face lift costing over £60 million. Externally, the theatre’s façades were extended, as was the stage house, and the existing roofscape was completely rationalised. It is clear that throughout the process great care had to be taken to preserve the existing architectural detailing and to reproduce it on the new sections of the building.

The StoDeco range of profiles are manufactured from Verolith, which is a lightweight and easily workable natural material which can be machined to create accurate reproductions of existing architectural details. The resulting profiles have excellent resistance to damage, cracking, weathering and environmental influences and, as in this case, they can be used to seamlessly restore or extend existing building façades. For this project they were finished with StoColor Maxicryl paint, which provides high water-repellence and reliable colour-fastness.

The judges were amazed by what had been achieved in this spectacular project, and thought the completed project was simply breath-taking.

Winner

Shipston High School
Contractor: Weatherseal Facades
System Designer: Dryvit UK

The original brief simply required a new teaching block. Through extensive review of the school’s estate and cost modelling, a successful new school block provided a contemporary architectural design culminating in a prominent focal building, signifying the schools new main entrance. Due to the building being an institute of education, it was crucial that the chosen cladding had to satisfy the stringent requirements for fire performance. The quality of workmanship and attention to detail delivered a successful install to this prominent focal building.

The judges were extremely impressed by this project and thought it looked incredibly elegant. They commented on the impressive window details, but also how the overall design was simple with an effective minimalist design. They agreed that this building will look great in years to come and it will be very easy to maintain its distinct style.

Highly Commended

Fisherman’s Beach
Hythe
Architect: Guy Holloway
Contractor: DS Renders
System Designer: K Systems

Fisherman’s Beach is a sea front project on the District of Shepway which incorporates a range of building types brought together for a modern and fresh appearance. The project required bespoke detailing to meet the intricate and beautiful design of the architect, which Alumasc Facades finished with Silkolitt+ – a textured 1.5mm grained contemporary lightweight silicone based product, which is ideal for use on insulation boards.

The judges believed that this project demonstrated commitment to modern construction trends. They were also impressed by the complex architecture, demonstrated by the differing sides of the building.

Winner 

Saint Gobain Weber
Product: Weberend LAC Rapid

Continuing to be recognised by the construction industry as a manufacturer of innovative high performance products, systems and technologies, Saint-Gobain Weber in 2018 launched its new rapid drying basecoat render, Weberend LAC rapid.

Along with meshcloth reinforcement, Weberend LAC rapid plays an essential role in a number of Weber External Wall Insulation systems, including high performance Webertherm XM.

One great benefit of this innovative product is that it eliminates the need to apply a primer.

The judges acknowledged that this product would be extremely beneficial for the industry, as it could take up to 72 hours of work off a project. This product is a real value to the industry.

This year for the first time, we have introduced a new award called ‘Judges’ Choice’. Our three judges, Claire Curtis-Thomas, Ruud Van Ersel and Peter Rickaby chose to award this to:

Shipston High School by Dryvit UK

This contemporary new school has a clean, modern aesthetic with minimalist detail. The judges were particularly impressed by this project, and believe it should receive special recognition for its unique, distinctive appearance.