Spec Finish

Innovation Awards 2023 The inaugural 2023 FIS Innovation Awards shone a light on innovation, debunking the myth that our sector is not innovative. CELEBRATING OUR SECTORS LEADING INNOVATORS 24 www.thefis.org T HE FIS Innovation Awards took place at the Workspace Design Show on 27 February. The Awards recognise outstanding innovation in the finishes and interiors sector across various categories. The Awards comprise of four categories, Digital, Sustainability, Product - Fit Out and Product – FF&E. All of the entries for each category were independently assessed by a panel of expert judges. The audience watched as the winners and those shortlisted in the categories received congratulations for their achievements. The winners of the categories were then invited to deliver a short pitch on their innovation to the audience. It was then the audience which determined the overall 2023 Innovation of the Year. Judging panel - Joe Cilia, Technical Director, FIS - Peter Morgan, Deputy Chief Engineer, Construction & Infrastructure, MTC - Chris O’Kane, UK Technical Director, SIG - Steve Cook, National Product Manager, Willmott Dixon Construction Winner: eekowall Ltd Product: eekowall eekowall is an advanced drylining system, designed to achieve the highest levels of fire, acoustic and stability performance with virtually no wastematerials produced on site. It has been developed for high-density, mid-to-high rise residential and student accommodation schemes and can also be used for housing development. eekowall panels are manufactured off-site within strict QA procedures, so there is no risk of hidden construction defects affecting the performance of the completed partitions and linings. They can be installed extremely quickly, considerably reducing the number of operative hours required on site. This also simplifies and speeds up the site management and QA procedures, as the partitions framing and fixings etc are pre-checked in the factory and guaranteed to be correct. The project’s Golden Thread for design is also protected, as the fire rated partitions and linings are constructed under controlled conditions, with no risk of mixed brand materials being introduced to fire rated systems during the construction phase. The deflection head details have been designed to avoid any unfixed contact between metal components, removing the risk of ‘Creaking Building Syndrome’ from the partition heads, making eekowall panels the perfect choice for high rise residential towers. eekowall systems have been certified as non-combustible by Warringtonfire, so they can be installed as part of the external wall system and can meet the increased acoustic requirements typically required on today’s high-end developments. The company states that it drives better outcomes and predictability on cost, speed, and reliability, working to a 60:60 principle - 60% less labour and time compared to traditional drylining and eliminates waste on site from 35-40% (traditional) to less than 1%. Judges’ Comments The judges stated: “This new product not only delivers a fast build, but it also delivers consistency through a quality control process in a factory ensuring that the components are correctly installed as the product was tested and that the offcuts usually associated with a traditional build are managed in the factory process”. To find out more visit: www.eekowall.com Product innovation – Fit-out Shortlisted: Drywall Pro-Cut Product: Drywall Pro-Cut Drywall Pro-Cut makes essential drywall components such as deflection heads, builders work openings and door sets, in an off-site facility to improve precision, quality and installation time on-site. Produced by specialist laser guided machinery, the ready-to-fit parts are delivered to site and used in the construction of walls requiring crucial fire, acoustic and structural properties. Partnered with a drylining and fit-out contractor in the Midlands. The goal is to improve efficiency, quality and the peace of mind of knowing crucial elements will maintain integrity. To find out more visit: www.drywallpro-cut.co.uk Shortlisted: Siderise (Special Products) Ltd Product: Siderise MC Mullion Overclad The Siderise MC Mullion Overclad is a decorative mullion liner designed to provide a simple yet robust solution for enhancing the acoustic performance, or acoustic and fire performance, of curtain wall facade systems. An external treatment, it is installed over the top of curtain walling mullions where partitions abut. This substantially improves acoustic performance, with acoustic only and acoustic plus two-hour fire rated versions to choose from. To find out more visit: www.siderise.com eekowall being installed Recognising outstanding innovation in interior systems