VIVIX® exterior façade panels part of playful design at Morrisons Kiddicare
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Astley, one of the UK’s leading creative signage manufacturers, chose VIVIX® exterior façade panels by Formica Group for the building frontage of the Morrisons Kiddicare stores in Nottingham, Merry Hill, Thurrock, Aintree and Rotherham.
“Working with the project manager and procurement teams from Kiddicare, we researched a range of materials that would fulfil the brief and achieve the desired look”, says Paul Allan, Sales Manager at Astley. “A material which looked like wood and had a real ‘feel me’ appearance was specified for the façade of the building. At the same time we needed a material that would be robust and lightweight to withstand the elements and provided the possibility of finding the right colour – VIVIX® panels proved ideal thanks to the colour choice and quality offered.”
With a decorative surface on both sides, VIVIX® panels offer opportunities to play with colour and shape. Developed in consultation with leading architects, VIVIX® architectural panels are available in plain colours with sophisticated neutrals and striking accents, nature-inspired abstract patterns and rich woodgrains. The VIVIX® range provides the possibility to create exclusive looks in a creative and cost efficient way, providing the necessary thermal insulation to bring energy efficiency up to 21st century standards. In addition to façades and cladding, VIVIX® panels are suitable for exterior applications such as balconies, decorative screening and fencing or to accent an entrance way of a building. They can be used to differentiate between floors or levels, or simply to design an innovative pattern to make a building stand out.
“Using VIVIX® panels, we inlaid coloured acrylic sections from the Kiddicare brand colour palette and used energy efficient LEDs to illuminate. These sections were then mounted on the front of the building to bring the entrance of the superstore to life”, explains further Paul Allan.
At the Nottingham store materials were trialled for their ease of application and flexibility in order to take the original design and make it signage reality. VIVIX® panels can be fabricated away from the building for efficiency, but if required they can easily be cut on site. They can be installed using a variety of fixing systems, from simple timber battens to proprietary metal systems and hung by visible face-fixing or by concealed fixing arrangements depending on the aesthetic requirement. The panels can easily be cut into a variety of shapes and sizes to express a whole variety of design concepts.
Paul Allan continues to add: “VIVIX® panels provided us with an easy to use material which ticked all the boxes of our brief – stylish, durable, and virtually maintenance free. What was also very important for us was the fact that the product is manufactured locally to our business which fits with our environmental objectives and supports the region’s economy.”
VIVIX® panels cause minimal environmental impact as determined by Formica Group’s Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). All of Formica Group’s Global manufacturing sites and distribution centres have achieved the internationally-recognised Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody (COC) certification. Formica Group is also the first laminate manufacturer in the world to be awarded the Carbon Trust’s Carbon Reduction Label.
Formica Group, the inventor of laminate, marks 100 years of invention, innovation and design leadership in 2013. Working closely with architects, designers and specifiers, Formica Group is ideally placed to offer innovative new products and decors which respond to market needs and complement current design trends.
