Case Studies

Silverstone Race Track refurbishment project for Franke Sissons

For more than 60 years Silverstone has carved its mark as one of the leading motorsport venues, creating a powerful heritage around the world. Internationally renowned as the host of world class events, Silverstone is also famed for its exhilarating driving experiences, sumptuous corporate entertainment and prestigious facilities for all motor sport fans.

To align with the image of this renowned brand when it came to refurbishing Silverstone Woodlands (the official campsite of the Silverstone circuit) Franke Washroom Systems products were the first choice. Offering a quality camping experience from the moment the public arrive with purpose built shower, washing and toilet facilities the product designs required had to meet the highest specifications in terms of design and to be fit for purpose.

After many meetings on site with the client and architect, and with over 12,000 campers expected to use these products at each event, the challenge was very demanding. Eventually after a lot of hard work by the Business Development Manager responsible, Mark Wilson, the order was secured. The products chosen were 240 Aqualine self closing taps, 50 metres of custom made multiple washbasin units, 50 metres of Saturn washtroughs, 75 metres of Centinel wall hung urinals and 60 utility sinks. Many of the utility sinks being installed on the outer walls of the toilet areas for the washing of clothes and camping utensils.

A very proud mark Wilson said: “it was the ability of our team in Franke Washroom Systems in ensuring that the client’s requirements in terms of design and delivery schedule could be realised, and the market leading quality of our products which secured this order. It also built on the burgeoning reputation in the UK sanitary markets that Franke Washroom Systems are “easy to deal with” and provide products and services of world class standard. This project adds a further reference to the worldwide stadium and leisure projects portfolio we have completed and continues to create partnerships with our customers for future projects”.

Mark is now hoping to add to this success with projects for the Commonwealth Games in Scotland where similar requirements are expected at multiple venues.

Stainless steel bidets for Italian prison

Franke Sissons provided over 300 stainless steel bidets together with stainless steel WCs for a new women's prison in Italy. Franke products were selected as the solid construction and design was ideal for a prison environment and to ensure that the same appearance of the products was maintained. A bidet for women's prisons is a requirement in Italy and Franke Sissons are one of a few suppliers in Europe who can manufacture the product to the specific installation requirements.

For details of the bidet product and other stainless steel sanitary products that can be provided by Franke Sissons call the Customer Service Department on +44 (0)1246 450255.

Warwick University Kitchen installation

Franke Sissons have provides a unique on-site welding, polishing and installation service for the refurbishment of student kitchens at Warwick University. Over 80 kitchens have been fitted with stainless steel worktops and sinks that have a seamless appearance due to the expert site work that Franke Sissons has carried out. The worktops were made a two sections to the specific designs of the client, transported to site and welded together. The overall finish is a stunning kitchen for new students to enjoy and use. This project is part of an ongoing refurbishment of the kitchens on the University campus lasting over 3 years.

For details of the Warwick university installation and other special stainless steel products that can be provided by Franke Sissons call the Customer Service Department on +44 (0)1246 450255.

Meadows school urinal refurbishment

To replace an old leaking ceramic urinal an innovative solution was provided by Franke Sissons with a wall hung stainless steel urinal and waste trap cover. The new product was purpose made to fit over the existing ceramic unit and use the same water and waste services. The result is an upgrade facility with the minimum of down time for the washroom and reduced cost for the school compared to removing the existing urinal.

For details of the Meadows school installation and other stainless steel products that can be provided by Franke Sissons call the Customer Service Department on +44 (0)1246 450255.

Gdansk Stadium Project, Poland

A remarkable increase in export orders has been achieved by the company during the last 6 months, with none more significant than the order for washroom equipment received from the construction company building the new Baltic Arena Gdansk stadium in Poland. The orders, delivered just before Christmas, comprised 250 WCs, 290 urinals and 200 washbasins with the timescale between order and delivery just eight weeks! how does such business translate into an order for Franke Sissons? There are Franke businesses all over the world today and in this case, experienced sales manager Thomasz Skuropa in Germany worked with the local salesmen in Poland. It is this team whose work to meet the specification challenges set by the design architects and construction company was so successful. Stainless washroom appliances are now the favoured specification within stadiums worldwide, representing security under short bursts of heavy use. Washroom product exports have also been made to Australia, Switzerland, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Belgium, France and to Italy where supply to a new women’s prison meant the supply of 270 bidets and WCs.

New Eco Portsmouth Terminal

The new Portsmouth Cruise and Ferry terminal has achieved a BREEAM rating of “very good.” It replaces the previous Ferry Terminal build in the 1970s. The new building (officially opened in May this year) offers the modern high standards and style of an airport. A full height concourse contains shops, check in desks and the arrival departure area, while a mezzanine area offers views from the bar and cafe area.

Such a green achievement for the £16,5m facility has resulted both from its geographical position and the use of sea water for flushing in the washroom due the installation of products provided by Franke Sissons . Individual Franke Sissons stainless urinals and WCs in 316 material are used in the terminal’s washroom facilities where further savings are secured though the use of the unique AQUA3000 electronic water management system. The water valves used in the project are fully suitable for sea water use. The use of dual-flush touch free controls to flush the 4 litre WC further reduced the water consumption of the building. Stainless steel also adds to the environmentally beneficial building as it is fully recyclable and therefore ideal for modern public washrooms.

Fox & Goose pub

Visitors to the popular destination Fox & Goose pub in Brampton near Chesterfield, who have been invited to an event in the function room, will have been delighted with the makeover given to the pub’s washroom facilities. Now up to the standard of the newest west end hotels, the washrooms feature individual gents urinals in stainless steel and water saving no touch taps in the pristine wash basins. Since the pub is close to Franke Sissons headquarters in Chesterfield, the newly updated function rooms will no doubt be a relevant destination for sales demonstrations!

Forth Valley Royal Hospital

One of Britain’ major new hospitals Forth Valley Royal Hospital opened in August 2010, delivering to Scotland a major new 24 hour emergency and treatment facility. The £300m facility is the largest NHS construction project ever built in Scotland and one of the most modern and well equipped hospitals in Europe.

Franke Sissons supplied the new hospital with their modern no touch taps, sensors and spouts to nursing stations and washbasins across the wards and medical areas. The total order was for over 1000 electronic tap units.

The company also supplied stainless steel sink units, Slop hoppers, Scrub up troughs, Janitorial units and special Endoscopy sinks and cupboards. The stainless steel and water control products were installed by specialist wall panel manufacturer C & B Systems as part of their Medi-serve range of products and designs.

Dublin Courts Sanitaryware and Water Management Installation

Dublin’s New Criminal Courts project began on site in 2007 and was completed for January 2010 three months ahead of schedule. A PFI project the total cost at the end of the 25 year term as £300m. There are 22 new courts in the 11 storey building whose corridors, lifts and stairs have been laid out to ensure judiciary, defendants, solicitors and barristers do not meet before going into court. The courts encompass courts of Criminal Appeal, Special Criminal Court, Central Criminal Court and District Courts. A key element of the capacity of the new building is that up to 38 prisoners may be held on the site at any one time.

Franke Sissons supplied a package of Water Management controls and software to monitor and control the water consumption for the 38 stainless steel combination sanitation units and associated shower areas. The Water Management system is an innovative method of networking the products together to provide a central control facility for security buildings and other commercial installations requiring a reduction in water consumption and monitoring of a large number separate installations at the same time.

B2net Stadium

New Stadium has sustainability features

Chesterfield Football Club’s new b2net stadium has at its heart some of the most modern and sustainability features of any stadium in Britain. Supplied by Franke Sissons, whose manufacturing plant lies within half a mile of the stadium, the public and disabled persons washrooms incorporate stainless steel washtroughs, WCs, urinals and accessories for toilet paper, soap and paper towel dispensing, all with the latest self closing water control technology, saving water on a huge scale. The player’s dressing rooms have wall mounted shower heads and controls as well as urinals and washbasins in stainless steel. And finally, the Corporate and VIP areas of the stadium have Franke Sissons electronic taps and upmarket Stratos soap and paper towel dispensers.

Permanent water consumption savings in the new stadium are achieved in two ways. Self closing technology employed throughout the washrooms ensure taps can never be left running, while flush water for the urinals is provided from cisterns that only operate when the facility is being used. Urinal cisterns and related delivery pipework are concealed, helping to ensure that the facilities will withstand the intensive use that can be expected in a sports stadium environment.

Washtroughs and toilets within the stadium are complemented by stainless steel accessories such as grab rails, paper towel dispensers and toilet roll holders and disabled visitors enjoy the most modern Franke designed disabled washroom facilities.

Aviva Stadium, Dublin waterless urinals

Amongst the newest design principles being employed in Dublin’s new 50,000 seater Aviva stadium, is a plumbing innovation that might prove to become the most influential.

Brightwater Environmental brought stainless washroom manufacturers Franke Sissons into the contract, in order to deliver waterless urinals.

“Waterless urinals offer benefits on every level, said BrightWater Environmental director Alan Flight, “ since the primary one of less smell and simple operation is obviously preferred, it is then environmentally starred because of the removal both of substantial water pipework and a header tank for every urinal. In a project the size of Lansdown Road, this is a saving of water and materials on a colossal scale.”

A total of 165 stainless steel waterless urinal troughs have been bespoke manufactured for the contract, with each adopting the new waterless technology. Key differences between this and a conventional urinal are the increased slope of the base channel in order to eradicate all liquid, and a patented sleeve below the drain – in an easily replaceable form - that fully seals the outlet to anything but liquid.

“Stainless steel in stadia washrooms has been the preferred material in recent years, because it is both safe and secure. Now employing the waterless technology so effectively and with such an impact environmentally, we believe it is only a matter of time before this specification becomes preferred policy.” said Paul Markwell Head of Customer Marketing Services at Franke Sissons.

All the stainless products supplied were manufactured at the company’s factory in Chesterfield.