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Schüco Excellence Awards 2022 – hopefully a winning success

Project and Business News

Schüco Excellence Awards 2022 – hopefully a winning success

The Schüco excellence awards are well-established awards for Design and Innovation. The awards recognise outstanding projects completed with Schüco systems throughout the UK and Ireland.

The Schüco excellence awards are well-established awards for Design and Innovation. The awards recognise outstanding projects completed with Schüco systems throughout the UK and Ireland. There are ten categories for the awards, including Commercial and Mixed-Use development; Cultural building; Education, Health and Leisure building; Refurbishment and Adaptive Reuse project; Individual house; Individual house improvement; Residential development; Specialist contractor, Steel project and Sustainability. All interesting and exciting categories! Arkoni are proud to submit the Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings under the categories – Refurbishment project, Steel Project and Specialist Contractor. Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings is the world’s first iron-framed building built in 1797 and was recently awarded a grant of £20.7 million from the Heritage Lottery fund combined with Historic England, Shropshire Council and the Friends of the Flaxmill Maltings. This money restored the Grade 1 listed Main Mill and Grade 11 listed Kiln to its former glory. The mill was described by Sir Peter Luff, chairman of the Heritage Lottery Fund “as the most important building of the modern age”.   Arkoni manufactured 111, state-of-the-art thermally broken steel windows replicating the original style but offering strength, security, elegance, insulation, and complete peace of mind. They are finished in a RAL colour that matches the originals. The Schuco systems used were Jansen Arte 2 thermally broken steel windows. Due to the height of the windows, the Jansen espagnolette multi-point locking system was incorporated which allowed the vents to be secured using one handle, and this is easily accessible without having to overreach. The vents also feature a Jansen top stay to stop the windows from opening too far.

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Sam Hirst first race meeting - what a success!

Race Team Arkoni News

Sam Hirst first race meeting - what a success!

Thundersport GB - Anglesey - Qualifying this morning went well ended up starting p6 on the grid which I was very happy with.

Thundersport GB - Anglesey

Qualifying this morning went well ended up starting p6 on the grid which I was very happy with.

Race 1 came around fairly quickly and after a very shakey start and a few places dropped I got my eye in and progressed throughout the race. I ended up p3 in class. On the podium and the rider of the day. Which I am over the moon with.

Race 2 is scheduled at 5:30 today. Quick rest and I’ll be ready to go out again.


Race 2 Sunday:
I got ready to go back out after the race on Sunday morning. Full of energy and raring to go. After a better start than race 1 I got into a nice rhythm and got into a 2 way battle for 3rd in class. I was pushing and pushing but I was struggling for rear end grip and nearly lost the rear out of a few corners so I decided to settle down and not take any risks and bring it home 4th in class and 6th overall.

Race 3 Monday:
I got off to another shakey start and put myself in a position where I had to regain places and fight for it. A few laps in I was feeling good and confident in myself, after catching up to a few riders in front I was in a good position and still had more to give. With confidence growing I decided to push, with a few laps remaining I set my best time of a 1.17.1 which was 2.4 seconds quicker than my qualifying time the day before. I caught up to 3rd position and on the last lap I went for a move down the corkscrew which I couldn’t make stick and got passed back on the last corner. I ended up on the podium again 3rd in class and 4th overall.

Race 4 Monday:
I had a better start and was settling into a rhythm. However a lap later I had water on my visor looked down and the bike was running way too hot so I decided to pull up at the side of the track. Resulting in a DNF.

Overall I had an amazing weekend and to stand on the box 2 times and rider of the day. I was very happy with what I had done.

I would like to give a huge thank you to my Dad and Mick for being on the spanner’s for me this weekend. Dave for putting up with me and taking me down and his support. Sarah Porter and Mark Prentice for being on the pit board all weekend and everybody at team Arkoni.

A big well done to my team mate Max Wadsworth Racing for winning all 3 races on the 600 and new lap record holder. Also mint results on the 1000. You rode absolutely mega this weekend mate.

Next round will be Oulton Park (24th/25th September) which I can’t wait for!

Thank you to my sponsors:

Arkoni
Uroof
Specialised Group
Reighton Electrical Services
Auto Cool Services
James Street Autos

Report by

Sam Hirst

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Max's take on Round 5 Thundersport GB - Anglesey Coastal - Race Report

Race Team Arkoni News

Max's take on Round 5 Thundersport GB - Anglesey Coastal - Race Report

600 Elite Class
Qualifying - P1
Race 1 - 1st
Race 2 - 1st
Race 3 - 1st - and a new lap record!!

1000 GP1 Elite Class
Qualifying - P7
Race 1 - P7
Race 2 - P7
Race 3 - P7

Summary from Max:

Overall it was an awesome weekend for me and the team, still got a big learning curve on the BMW, but had a blast on the R6. The best from start to finish we've had in a while.

A huge well done to my teammate Sam Hirst on his first weekend (and first time on track and second time on the bike) coming away with 2x 3rd places! And a well done to Katie Hand who we've been working with, bagging a win, 2nd and 5th.

I'd also like to wish my mate Tom Collinge a speedy recovery after getting taken out by a rogue litre bike going into rocket in on the test day.

Summaries (Elite 600)

Qualifying:

After putting in some decent times in on the test day I figured I could get away with doing less laps in qualifying in hopes of saving the new tyre for the first race. I managed a 1:08.8 within around 3 laps which I was happy with so pitted in as I had the GP1 qualifying back-to-back. The GP1 qualifying wasn't as strong but still placed us 7th on the grid for the following races.

Race 1:

So I definitely need to work on my race starts. After setting off like a person doing their ACU course for the first time, I dropped to 4th on the first lap, spent a few laps settling in and made a few passes on lap 4 and 5, eventually managing to sneak by and pull a gap towards the end of the race to take the first win of the weekend.

Race 2 :

The second race start was slightly better, but unfortunately after only a few laps it was cut short due to a bad crash involving a few riders on the last corner. I hope all the riders involved make a speedy recovery.

Race 3:

For race 3 I managed to ride a slightly more defensive race, with a better start and holding 2nd place for a good 5/6 laps until Ryan ran wide at rocket in/out, allowing me to cut in tight and squeeze past him. From then on I focused on putting in some fast laps to give myself some breathing room and the plan worked, as I finished the race just over a second clear.

Race 2 - Restart (8 laps):

We knew the combination of a short distance race, being placed 3rd on the grid (for the restart) and my absolutely shocking starts would make the final race of the day difficult. I was right, after another awful start I found myself way down the order, but by the end of the first lap I'd gone from 5th to 2nd with some very tight passes, and then on the second lap I made a move on Ryan into the last corner and it worked. At about half race distance I saw I was close to lap record pace on my dash, so I figured I'd give it a go and send it and pushed as hard as I could and took the lap record by 0.2 of a second with a 1:08.269 and the race win by 5 seconds.

Race Summaries (GP1)

Another learning weekend aboard the Team Arkoni BMW S1000RR, as it was only my second race weekend on it. We made decent progress again despite some setup issues.

Race 1:

I found the starts a little easier on the BMW and having solved our clutch woes from the last round, I found myself holding 6th for the a lot of the race and held it until a mistake cost me the position, eventually placing 7th.

Race 2:

The second race start was more difficult as it was the first time trying out the launch control, and after burning my leg on the exhaust I got my head down for the first couple of laps, I tired out pretty quickly and the changes we'd made hadn't made the bike much better, so we settled for 7th again.

Race 3:

The third race start was slightly better using launch, but will definitely take some getting used to. I spent the first lap getting stood up on just about every corner and the second lap I avoided someone doing an almost MM93 style save, I managed to avoid him as he lost the front out of the hairpin at the top, but it was a close one! this upset my rhythm and lost me a fair bit of time, so I carried on a rode a safe race as the bike was still bouncing on the rear down the straight, placing 7th once more.

As always, this wouldn't have been possible without the support of my sponsors:

Arkoni Ltd
Uroof Ltd
William Hayes Ltd
Specialised Coatings Ltd
Scream Signs
International Sports Services
Autocool services Ltd

A huge thanks to my Dad, Mick, Mark, Mum, Sarah, Stu, Sean and all the rest of the family and team that all support my racing. A huge thank you to Mark at Arkoni for allowing us to take a ride on the BMW again.

Roll on Oulton Park

Report

by

Max Wadsworth

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 Proud to be winners

Project and Business News

Proud to be winners

Arkoni has been based in Brighouse, West Yorkshire since 1991 and has been involved with some pretty amazing projects. They currently employ an experienced team working in various areas of the business including design, engineering, quoting and manufacture.

 

Arkoni have been based in Brighouse, West Yorkshire since 1991 and has been involved with some pretty amazing projects. They currently employ an experienced team working in various areas of the business including design, engineering, quoting and manufacture.

One particular project, The Sevenoaks School’s Science, Technology and Global Study Centre this year has stood out as one that should be celebrated, hence their decision to enter it into the prestigious Schuco Awards – and guess what they won the category for Best Steel Work Project!

Schuco awards celebrate the collaboration between architect, fabricator and specialist contractor and showcase the very best contributions.

The Sevenoaks School Science, Technology Centre and Global Study Centre was designed to put science and technology at the heart of Sevenoaks school. This was a place to create, where innovation, curiosity and exploration are encouraged – so no ordinary solution would be on the cards.

The exterior of the building features steel windows and doors with glazing to filter the sun, black out blinds, louver and damper systems. The louvers feature an insect repellent mesh and the top of the louver features an automatic temperature controlled damper unit, to maintain a consistent temperature and air quality. These features built in by Arkoni ensure that the atmosphere is as near perfect as possible for studying.

Some of the windows were almost 10 metres long and to cope with the British weather, had to be structurally enhanced and assembled on site. Arkoni admit that a few late nights were required to figure out the best way to achieve this, they achieved it with resultant superb aesthetics and practically.

The north side of the building required a jumbo glazed door set, too large for any conventional door set system. Again, the team pulled out all the stops to design, manufacture and install one.

To complement the glazing and add extra light to the laboratories, the project required Vitrine showcases internally adjacent to the laboratories. These were constructed in steel and glazed with glazed panels that where necessary were fire rated. LED light panels featured at both the top and bottom.

Customers of Arkoni know that its attention to detail, understanding of legislation and building requirements, along with their immense technical know-how make Arkoni a winning choice for the many customers who work with it.

Congratulations to all the team for winning this prestigious award showcasing the manufacturing excellence of the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ to the nation.

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A huge step forward

Race Team Arkoni News

A huge step forward

Last weekend was a really great step forward for Team Arkoni in the GP1 class at Cadwell Park after a slow start to the season at Brands Hatch, with tyre problems at Snetterton that led to qualifying at the back of the grid.

Last weekend was a really great step forward for Team Arkoni in the GP1 class at Cadwell Park after a slow start to the season at Brands Hatch, with tyre problems at Snetterton that led to qualifying at the back of the grid.

Qualifying in the first couple of rows led to a second place in the first race, only ½ second of the leader’s pace. For the second race, some improvements were made and gaining another 2nd place were satisfactory results. Due to the weather conditions, the final race was a real lottery but Team Arkoni still came in a creditable 5th

The season is at last gaining momentum and the Team is targeting at least 1st place or podium finishes from the rest of the season.

Motorcycle racing is a full team effort with every member being instrumental in achieving success. This includes the rider, manager, mechanics and of course the people making tea and sandwiches with support from the sponsor Arkoni.

The team are now off to the Isle of Mann, competing in the post TT race on the island. The post TT event uses the Billtown circuit, which just outside Castletown and is a 4.25mile circuit using public roads.  Dave Brook thoroughly enjoys driving the circuit as the overall atmosphere on the island and using public roads is very different from track racing.

Watch out for the results at Mallory Park at the end of June where Dave feels we will be really competitive.

Come on Team Arkoni!!

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Matt Gaunt – Draughtsman extraordinaire

Project and Business News

Matt Gaunt – Draughtsman extraordinaire

Matt joined the Arkoni team as a draughtsman in 2019. After a number of years in engineering with a focus on design engineering, he has settled into ‘team Arkoni’ really well and enjoys the great atmosphere. To keep on side Matt has even put himself forward for the tea rota. Well us Yorkshire folk need our cuppas!

 

Arkoni is well known in the industry for it’s ability to come up with solutions for unusual projects and Matt is really enjoying working on the many varied and interesting projects that the company is engaged with. “Two projects are never the same, one moment we could be working on the refurbishment of a listed building, the next it could be a state-of-the-art futuristic brief, I love it  - it’s never boring and keeps my mind challenged” says Matt.

In his spare time Matt is an accomplished musician, he plays in a brass band that is ranked in the worlds top 10 and has even played at the Royal Albert Hall!

Matt is looking forward to further developing his skills at Arkoni and hopefully being involved more with many of Arkoni’s award winning projects.

 

 

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A disappointing start but victory is still the aim of the game

Race Team Arkoni News

A disappointing start but victory is still the aim of the game

A disappointing start to the season, but Brooky is not deflated. During his first race back, Dave came off his bike and has broke a bone in his hand. As it’s early in the season, Brooky is confident that he can return to the race scene with full on enthusiasm and win the silverware he desires this season.

A disappointing start to the season but Brooky is not deflated. During his first race back Dave came off his bike and has broken a bone in his hand. As it’s early in the season Brooky is confident that he can return to the race scene with full on enthusiasm and win the silverware he desires this season.

To boost morale a little we had a great write up in Club Sport News magazine. Onwards and upwards!

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Meeting the challenges of fitting glazing units to older buildings

Project and Business News

Meeting the challenges of fitting glazing units to older buildings

The challenge to sympathetically renovate an older property yet adhere to modern building regulations can be a challenging one. Many old buildings although architecturally very interesting, can be Grade 1, Grade 11* and Grade 11 listed, which can throw up all sort of aesthetic and build problems.

The challenge to sympathetically renovate an older property yet adhere to modern building regulations can be a challenging one. Many old buildings although architecturally very interesting, can be Grade 1, Grade 11* and Grade 11 listed, which can throw up all sort of aesthetic and build problems.

Arkoni have many years of experience been working alongside architects and contractors on new build projects and renovations of old properties. Many problems that can be encountered include having to fit fire or ballistic resistant frames and glass to irregular or uneven walls, the thickness of modern units and keeping the new look in line with the original. Arkoni often work alongside bodies such as Historic England to unsure that the historic nature of the building will be retained and enjoyed by generations to come.

These listed buildings can also be open to the public, for example tourist attractions or buildings that house shopping centres and town halls that may be situated in city centres. In these situations, the need to protect the public from fire or ballistic attacks, insulate the property for fuel efficiency, protect the buildings interiors from harmful UV rays and keep the property cool in summer and warm in the winter are some of the considerations while renovating with integrity.

Shrewsbury Flaxmill is a perfect example of this type of project. With the status of the world’s first iron-framed building built in 1797, the flaxmill had to be restored with care. Arkoni manufactured 111 windows for the mill that are state-of-the-art thermally broken steel windows.  The windows replicate the original style but offer strength security, elegance and insulation ready for the world today.

Naturally, the finish of the windows had to be RAL colour matched to mimic the original specification. The glazing fitted was a laminated Sunguard product incorporating the latest warm edge thermal spacer bar, which helps to reflect the sun’s rays keeping areas cool in the summer whilst protecting the building from damaging ultraviolet light. The mill is a perfect example of how new technologies and systems can be combined with traditional buildings and blend seamlessly to create a building fit for the 21st century.

Another fascinating project that Arkoni was part of was the renovation of the Old Post Office building in Liverpool. The brief for this building was different in that although the integrity of the building still had to be retained, the blend of ultra modern and original features was the desired outcome. Liverpool prides itself on being proud of its history but focuses firmly on the future and so the mix of old and new had to be embraced in this project. Arkoni manufactured and installed a stunning metal Internal feature canopy that complemented the internal roofline of this building. The canopy welcomed visitors that entered the building, which was transformed into a shopping complex aptly named the ‘Met Quarter”.  The canopy was constructed from anodised aluminium plates and bespoke patterned laser cut panels to meet with the architect’s vision. Arkoni also constructed the External feature canopy, which was also constructed from anodised aluminium with cut-outs to accommodate feature down lighting

Smaller projects are just as interesting to the Arkoni team. We are proud to have worked on many properties both large and small for private clients where modern technologies and building standards need to work alongside each other to retain the historic significance of the building. Country properties, manor houses and much more have all benefited from Arkoni’s expertise.

Read more about Shrewsbury Flaxmill here

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Restored to its former glory

Project and Business News

Restored to its former glory

In August this year we outlined the work we were commissioned to do on Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings. Read the story here

In August this year we outlined the work we were commissioned to do on Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings. Read the story here

As the world’s first iron-framed building, the Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings was awarded a grant of £20.7 million from the Heritage Lottery fund to enable site owners Historic England with project partners Shropshire Council and the Friends of the Flaxmill Maltings to restore the Grade 1 listed Main Mill and Grade 2 listed Kiln back to their former glory.

Work has proceeded at a good pace and all of the glazing is now in place. The glazing is Cool-Lite SKN solar control with the latest warm edge thermal spacer bar, which will help reflect the sun’s rays and keep the areas cool in the summer but also more importantly protect the building from damaging ultra violet light.

The restoration of the building has been done as sensitively and authentically as possible and the outcome is impressive.

The team at Arkoni are thrilled with the outcome. Mark Prentice of Arkoni said  “We felt excited and privaliged to be asked to work on this beautiful building knowing that the work we carried out, will not only help people enjoy this building again, it will also preserve it for you generations to come. The changes in glazing technologies over the last few years mean that projects like this can embrace new technologies whilst maintaining their original aesthetics – it’s impressive stuff!”

If you wish to support this wonderful building please visit Historic England by clicking here.

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New ERP System for Better Customer Efficiency

Project and Business News

New ERP System for Better Customer Efficiency

In an era where speed and efficiency are demanded without compromising on quality. Businesses have to adapt and invest in new technologies and machinery.

Arkoni are well known to have excellent customer relationships, in order to maintain and better our customer service we have invested in a new ERP system. To ensure smooth order processing, manufacturing and delivery.

In an era where speed and efficiency are demanded without compromising on quality. Businesses have to adapt and invest in new technologies and machinery.

Arkoni are well known to have excellent customer relationships, in order to maintain and better our customer service we have invested in a new ERP system. To ensure smooth order processing, manufacturing and delivery.

The new system will help manage our day-to-day business. It will integrate all facets of the operation, including product planning, development, manufacturing processes, human resources, financials and sales and marketing.

Through its dashboard it allows us to see a live snapshot in under 10 seconds. All enquiries, quotations and orders can be tracked and monitored. Route cards are raised for works orders that follow a project throughout each stage within Arkoni.

All third party purchases are logged in the system so there is complete traceability on purchased items. All of these features provide our customers with added confidence whilst enhancing the organisation's efficiency.

The systems final stage is the recording and confirmation of delivery and sign off of the finished goods. All of this is fed back into the system to let Arkoni evaluates it performance and progress.

 

 

 

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On Your Bike

Project and Business News

On Your Bike

Peloton was designed and developed in the USA to make home exercise bikes more interesting and fun. The Peloton system uses the internet so that users can race friends, join groups in training sessions all to increase their fitness without having to leave home.

Peloton was designed and developed in the USA to make home exercise bikes more interesting and fun. The Peloton system uses the internet so that users can race friends, join groups in training sessions all to increase their fitness without having to leave home.

To show how addictive these exercise units are, in the USA, ready built display units, complete with the systems installed are shipped into pre-determined sites, but unfortunately the UK doesn’t have display buildings large enough to ship these units in one piece. The Peloton company then turned to the expertise of Arkoni to design and manufacture a fabricated kit that could simply be delivered to any site and easily put together.

The first locations in the UK are based at St Pancras station London, White City, Manchester, and at Peloton stores at Canary Wharfe, Spitalfields and Kings Road, Chelsea.

The Peloton company was so pleased with the Arkoni outcome, that they intend to role out many more display units.

 

 

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Brook Back on the Podium 12 Months After Career-Threatening Crash

Race Team Arkoni News

Brook Back on the Podium 12 Months After Career-Threatening Crash

BRADFORD motorcycle racer Dave Brook took two emotional podium finishes at Anglesey – almost a year to the day that a huge crash there almost ended his career.

BRADFORD motorcycle racer Dave Brook took two emotional podium finishes at Anglesey – almost a year to the day that a huge crash there almost ended his career.

Brook missed the end of the 2017 season after a serious off at the Welsh track left him with a severely damaged leg which kept him  in hospital for almost a month as he underwent numerous operations.

He had a cage removed from the leg early this year and has been steadily working his way back to full fitness this season, improving further with every outing.

But his season finally turned the corner as he returned to the scene of the crime, qualifying third in wet conditions aboard his Team Arkoni Racing BMW.

“Getting third was a huge relief for me as there had been a power cut just before we went out which meant I didn’t have a very accurate pit board so I had to just try and be fast and smooth, which luckily was good enough for the front row,” he said.

After struggling to find a wet setting for the opening race of the weekend, Brook eventually finished sixth, but was determined to make amends on Bank Holiday Monday.

However, although the next day brought dry conditions, it also gave Brook a bigger job to do as his fastest race lap on Sunday was only quick enough to put him seventh on the grid.

After a strong start in the first race, he was quickly up to fifth position, and began to climb further through the pack, moving into third on lap 10 and second a lap later, taking second place at the chequered flag.

The final race of the weekend followed a similar pattern, and this time he fought his way up to third by the end of the fifth lap, holding the position all the way to the finish line.

“Race one was hard because we’re still finding a wet setting on the BMW and it’s just the second time I’ve ridden in the rain, so the race didn’t really pan out as planned.

 “Having to start from seventh on Monday was a pain, so I was really happy to get a second and a third from there. I had to barge my way through in the early laps to find a clear track, and then be as accurate as possible for the entire race.”

Brook’s return to the podium came a remarkable 364 days after his crash on August 28 2017, and he admits it was one of the most significant results of his career.

“Anglesey was a real milestone for me. Everyone around me has been so positive –my sponsors, family and friends. I have to admit, in 12 months I have even surprised myself at how well I’ve recovered.

“I had an amazing surgeon, Mr Forster at Leeds, he’s a great bloke who quickly realised he wasn’t dealing with a normal person.

“I went from being told I could lose my leg, wouldn’t ride a bike again and feeling an overall sense of impending doom to be standing on the podium at the same circuit 12 months later. That felt good.”

Brook is supported by Arkoni, which supplies the construction industry with a full metalworking service, from design all the way through to installation.

Managing director Mark Prentice was thrilled to see him back on the box. “Dave has impressed everyone with this stunning performance at the scene of his horrific crash last year,” he said.

“We have always believed in his ability and determination, and now he’s just shown what we all knew he was more than capable of. Up until his accident, he was a consistent frontrunner and now he’s back where he belongs.”

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Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings

Project and Business News

Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings

Arkoni is proud to be participating in this exciting project by manufacturing 111 windows that are state-of-the-art thermally broken steel windows replicating the original style but offering strength security, elegance, insulation and complete peace of mind. They will be finished in a RAL colour that matches the original specification.

Built in 1797, Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings is the world’s first iron-framed building. A grant of £20.7 million from the Heritage Lottery fund is enabling site owners Historic England and project partners Shropshire Council and the Friends of the Flaxmill Maltings to restore the Grade 1 listed Main Mill and Grade 2 listed Kiln back to their former glory.

This forerunner of the modern skyscraper is described by Sir Peter Luff, chairman of the Heritage Lottery Fund as “the most important building of the modern age”.

Arkoni is proud to be participating in this exciting project by manufacturing 111 windows that are state-of-the-art thermally broken steel windows replicating the original style but offering strength security, elegance, insulation and complete peace of mind. They will be finished in a RAL colour that matches the original specification.

The glazing will be a laminated Cool-Lite SKN solar control product with the latest warm edge thermal spacer bar, which will help reflect the sun’s rays and keep the areas cool in the summer but also more importantly protect the building from damaging ultra violet light.

Arkoni is working with the architect Fielden Clegg Bradley Studious based in Bath and the specialist builders Croft Building and Conservation Ltd, based in Cannock , Staffs, alongside Historic England who are overseeing this exciting restoration project.

Nick Hill, National Conservation Projects Manager at Historic England commented,

“Historic England is keen to ensure that the restoration of these historically significant buildings is done as sensitively and authentically as possible. Where features need fully replacing in this project, such as the windows, reputable suppliers like Arkoni are sought out to provide high quality materials which won’t look out of place on the two hundred year old Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings buildings. We look forward to seeing the new state-of-the-art windows in place.”

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Check Us Out In Action

Project and Business News

Check Us Out In Action

Take a look at us in action

Our guys have got in on the action to show you all what we do and how we do it. We hope it gives you a little insight. As always you are welcome to visit.

Take a look

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A Growing Demand Meant a New Head Office

Project and Business News

A Growing Demand Meant a New Head Office

Holmefield Farm Services based just outside York in North Yorkshire is a specialist in pig veterinary services but also caters for large animals such as cattle and sheep. In addition they supply medication and specialist veterinary feed for their patients and as such need a large warehouse to store these specialised products.

Holmefield Farm Services based just outside York in North Yorkshire is a specialist in pig veterinary services but also caters for large animals such as cattle and sheep. In addition they supply medication and specialist veterinary feed for their patients and as such need a large warehouse to store these specialised products.

As their business grew, they decided to construct a modern purpose built head office and warehouse that would suit their needs now and into the future. They liked the idea of a lovely free open space that would create a light and friendly atmosphere for staff and visitors alike. The offices were built over two floors and private offices were required as well as keeping the open space idea.

Arkoni the specialised glass and framing company were approached who suggested a plan to create separate offices using glazed screens with fire rated glass as well as constructing balustrades and fire escape staircases.

Melanie Oxtoby of Holmefield Farm Services said that “Arkoni made the whole construction process very easy, they were professional yet friendly and accommodated all of our needs with the minimum of fuss, even cleaning up after themselves every day. The end result was just what we wanted and we are all delighted with the result.”

As you can see from the photographs, the result answered all the client’s requirements and gave a modern yet practical alternative to the traditional stud walling. Glass screens can provide a light open feel to any environment and Arkoni can design and build to any requirement.

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Customers had a great day at Mallory Park

Race Team Arkoni News

Customers had a great day at Mallory Park

Our customers Angela, Paul and Gareth had a great day with the Arkoni race team at Mallory park.

It's always more fun to share these days with valued customers.

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Brook back on the pace as fitness returns

Race Team Arkoni News

Brook back on the pace as fitness returns

BRADFORD’S Dave Brook made big strides forward at Thundersport GB’s fourth round of the year as he enjoyed his best race weekend of the season at Mallory Park.

BRADFORD’S Dave Brook made big strides forward at Thundersport GB’s fourth round of the year as he enjoyed his best race weekend of the season at Mallory Park. And now he is turning his attention to his road racing debut later this month, as he heads out to contest the Southern 100 at the Isle of Man.

The Team Arkoni Racing rider is still working on his recovery following the huge crash last August, but after recently receiving good news from doctors earlier this month, he was keen to get back on board his BMW machinery for round four.

And despite a little off in Sunday’s opening race, he believes it was his best round of the year yet in terms of results and improvements.

The series’ annual trip to Mallory meant a strong grid, bolstered by British Superbike riders Richard Cooper and Billy McConnell aboard their Buildbase Suzuki machinery, and Brook was happy to qualify eighth ahead of the first race.

“The format of the meeting played into my hands because we had a rest day between testing and the race days, which gave me a chance to recover from clocking more than 100 laps on Thursday,” he said.

“Saturday’s race was pretty good, but a little problem with the brakes hampered my result and prevented me from getting through the traffic as much as I’d have liked, but I enjoyed the racing regardless.”

Finishing the race ninth, Brook had banked the seventh fastest lap time to give him a second row starting position for Sunday’s races, and he was hoping to get two strong results.

However, things didn’t quite go to plan as day two got underway. “I got a decent start and was up to fifth by mid race distance,” he explained.

“I thought I’d settle into my own race pace and chase a 52second lap but a split second decision after running slightly wide at Edwina’s forced me to run 100% throttle on what I now know are kerbs which should be avoided!

“I ended up crashing but thankfully it was just bumps and bruises, nothing serious and it certainly hasn’t done any damage. Despite the spill, I’d say it was the most enjoyable round I’ve had this year and the improvements were clear, so I’ve come away happy and pleased with the progress.”

After the off, Brook decided to sit out of the final race of the day and is now concentrating on his next outing, as he makes his Southern 100 debut later this month.

Having always fancied a go at the roads, he has finally bitten the bullet this year and, after doing some laps of the Billown Circuit on his road bike, he can’t wait to head back for the event, which runs from July 12-15.

“I’ve always wanted to try the roads and I suppose it was just an itch I had to scratch,” he added. “This year I don’t have the pressure of a championship to worry about so it’s freed up the calendar enough for me to have the time to do it.

“If I’m honest, I’ve always wanted to race the Mountain Course used for TT and the Manx, but the Southern 100 will give me the chance to see what I think of the roads without the stress of learning 37miles worth of corners.” Brook continues to be supported by Arkoni, which supplies the construction industry with a full metalworking service, from design all the way through to installation. Managing director Mark Prentice has been delighted with his progress this season. “Dave has had a tough trek getting back to fitness after his smash last year, so we’re all thrilled to hear that he feels he has really turned a corner in the last few weeks,” he said.

“The improvement was evident at Mallory as he was straight up into the top six, and now we have the new adventure of the Southern 100 to look forward to. I believe he’ll have a really strong race week out there, and I’m looking forward to seeing how he can pitch up against the regular roads riders.”

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Brook back in action at Donington Park

Race Team Arkoni News

Brook back in action at Donington Park

Bradford’s Dave Brook made his return to motorcycle racing just seven months after sustaining a serious leg injury, as the 2018 Thundersport GB series got underway at Donington Park.

The Team Arkoni Racing rider is still working on his recovery following the huge crash last August, where he suffered a badly damaged leg requiring several operations and left him fitted with a cage which wasn’t removed until January this year.

Despite missing the latter half of the year, Brook still ended 2017 in third place overall in Thundersport GB’s flagship GP1 Elite Championship.

Currently battling his way back to full fitness, Brook was able to line up in the championship’s opening round at the iconic Leicester track, where he scored three strong points finishes.

After qualifying his Team Arkoni Racing BMW in 13th spot for the first race of the season, Brook rode a careful but solid race to finish 13th.  Under the Mega Laps system, he then lined up 16th on the grid for the second and third races.

Consciously doing his best to avoid any more injury, he built up his race pace over the weekend, finishing his second race 12th and then making up a number of places in the final scrap to finish 10th.

“I was pleased with how it all went, considering I ‘m still recovering,” he said. “We were lucky enough to take the Team Arkoni Racing BMW out to Spain for some testing a few weeks earlier, but the weather wasn’t great and I only managed to get one dry session in three days.

“I had another operation in between that and the first round, so I didn’t get any more bike time until I arrived at Donington Park, so I was okay with qualifying 13th.

“But in at the first corner in the first race, I rolled off when I thought I should and everyone just rode round me! I quickly learnt from that and rectified it when I got 10th in the last one, but I’d certainly had my work cut out coming from 16th.”

Having banked a solid haul of points from the first round, Brook is now looking forward to the rest of the year, as he continues to get stronger.

“Considering I’m so soon out of surgery, I really can’t complain. I’m just glad I’ve been able to make it back so quickly and my leg felt almost comfortable which was great.

“At this point, I’ve still got to be vigilant about looking after my leg. I’m under strict surgeon’s orders to look after it over the next couple of rounds, and then I can fully commit again.”

Founded in 1991, Arkoni supplies the construction industry with a full metalworking service, from design all the way through to installation.

Based in Brighouse, West Yorkshire, the firm manufactures a range of products, including fire-rated and security-rated glazing and doors, bespoke steel glazing and architectural metalwork covering staircases, balustrades, balconies and other work.

Having been a sponsor of Brook for four years, Arkoni managing director Mark Prentice is delighted to see him back in the saddle.

“Dave was unlucky that his season ended when it did last year, particularly as he was challenging for the championship at the time,” he said. “But it’s fantastic to see him back out in action so soon.

“Dave’s always been a fighter and it’s clear by his improvements over the course of the weekend that he’s not lost that competitive edge, and I’m looking forward to watching him get even stronger over the course of the next couple of months.”

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Fire door installation program

Project and Business News

Fire door installation program

The British Woodworking Federation, in collaboration with the NPTC Group of Colleges, has introduced a new training course for the installation of fire doors. The course is designed to train students in the proper installation of fire rated doors in order to ensure they perform effectively in the event of a fire.

Currently, a large number of fire doors have been found to have deficiencies due to improper installation, potentially endangering lives.

A fire-rated door that was recovered intact from a lower floor of the Grenfell Tower was found to last only 15 minutes in tests – half as long as the intended 30 minutes.

This fire door installation qualification is the first of its kind in the UK and represents a positive step in promoting fire safety.

Arkoni is FIRAS accredited for the installation of fire rated doors, fire rated windows, curtain walling, butt glazed screens and auto sliding doors with break out and break in functions. Whilst we can assure that our fire protection systems are installed to industry standards and with the care that is achieved over extensive industry experience, we feel it is critically important that training is made more readily available to other contractors.

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Glass balustrades and balconies - let the light in

Arkoni Team At Work

Glass balustrades and balconies - let the light in

Staircases and balustrades often play an integral role in the architectural design of a structure’s interior, resulting in an increasing amount of pressure on architects to come up with impressive designs.

Glass balustrades are becoming increasingly popular in both modern architecture and are similarly popular when renovating historic buildings. Glass allows architects to maximise the use of light, which is particularly important with historic buildings that are often quite lacking in natural light.

Glass balustrades provide a light and airy interior space and can also work very well for exterior balconies to meet safety regulations without compromising on design.

The glass panels are supported using architectural metalwork, which most often requires bespoke fabrication and design in order to seamlessly integrate the balustrades into the structure.

Arkoni provides bespoke metalwork design, fabrication and installation on a range of glass balustrades, balconies and canopies. With extensive industry experience, Arkoni’s specialist fabricators are able to provide high-strength glass-supporting metalwork that does not compromise the visual appeal of the finished product.

Experienced in working with both renovations of historic buildings and new builds, Arkoni have developed a reputation for architectural glass-supporting metalwork with bespoke requirements throughout the North of England.

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