It’s in the planning
Melony Rocque-Hewitt looks at how large format digital print is being incorporated into building design and refurbishment.
Printing a smoking shelter for the Mayfair Playboy Casino may sound a little bit well, ‘chavvy’ to say the least, but this job highlights an emerging trend in the digital print industry; the integration of print with the actual fabric of a building. The job was carried out for architect Jestico Whiles by Essex-based NES, which was involved with the project right from concept. Says Jon Baker, director at NES: “The client wanted to avoid stickers or self-adhesive. They didn’t want an add-on. They wanted to create something where form and function were truly one, and that’s what we did.”
Architectural integration, where print is part and parcel of the build or refurbishment, is a process that NES has been anticipating for the past six years when it acquired a building cladding company. However, it has only been in the last 18 months where it has started to take off. “What’s driving this trend is the fact that the digital print technology has finally landed. The inks, coatings, software and hardware are all now integrated making this process viable,” says Baker.
The process certainly looks more than viable at Poole Bus Station in Dorset, where NES worked in conjunction with London-based architect firm Penson to transform the concrete, dowdiness of the bus depot into something dynamic and attractive.
Penson’s scheme to breathe life into the terminus is focused around an arresting 1,000m2 of panels to form a giant snaking ceiling mural. Building this ceiling bought many challenges - the complexity of the layout and the requirement for a seamless fit and finish meant vinyl or conventional panels just wouldn’t work.
Penson turned to NES that suggested aluminium composite material (ACM) as a solution. The advantage with the material is that NES is able to print directly to the surface of the substrate and guarantee the finish. With accurate plans from an independent laser survey, the team was able to design, print and manufacture more than 400 panels accurately. The finish is exactly as the architects intended.
“We are increasingly combining printing with architectural techniques,” says Baker. “Anyone can print onto Dibond and hoardings – indeed there is some great work out there, but we are able to take it one step further; combining graphics with insulation, and waterproof panels, for example. The graphics are tied into 3D software that is mapped to the cladding. The cladding systems we use are formed from one piece of material, we cut out or CNC the flat sheets, these then go through a flatbed printer to produce the image, the panel is then folded and fabricated, thus the graphic is actually part of the building and of course has all of the relevant building warranties and certification.”
The continuing integration between print and infrastructure can be further seen when it comes to interiors where glass has become a key structural and design element.
“We are experiencing a growth in demand for glass manifestation work,” says Justin Murray at Surrey-based Pyramid Visuals. “We are involved in the process fairly early on by the architects as there are legal requirements that have to be met when it comes to creating glass walls for example. In addition to this, there are a number of other factors at play. Building a space is about the dynamic between the environment both in practical and aesthetic terms, and the interplay of this with those who use the building. All this comes under the architects remit. We, for example, are graphically-enhancing office storage doors, the look of which are decided upon at an early stage.”
One of the Pyramid’s recent jobs was work on three new buildings for NAPP Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge. Pyramid was involved in the project from creative inception producing internal glass walls, partitions, window work as well as a large number of storage doors. “The work for NAPP Pharmaceuticals is a great example of how graphics are part and parcel of a building space. With our ability to print and apply graphics to virtually any surface, we are experiencing a demand for our services in this area, but equally we expect to see the possibilities of this expand as architects and interior designers start to really push the potential of corporate and public space configurations,” comments Murray.
Alex Wilson, marketing manager at Service Graphics, also recognises how graphics are becoming a major consideration to new builds and refits right at the planning stage for many of its clients, and cites a recent job his company carried out for Ofgem in Glasgow. “The glass walls were key to the whole feel of this environment and the client asked us for window manifestation graphics and wall vinyls that would be the perfect complement to the interior. We were involved with the building developer at a much earlier stage than usual to advise on the most suitable materials and methods of application. The glass walls were constructed with a 70mm gap between them and we had to apply the window manifestations to the interior face of one pane before the second pane was installed and the wall was sealed. If we hadn't been asked for our input at such an early stage, the client would not have achieved the desired look.”
Leach Colour in West Yorkshire is a great example of a company that is continually blurring boundaries between print and environmental space. It’s magnetic display system Stik (given a Queen’s Award for Enterprise back in 2008) is used as a fundamental part of a new build or refurbishment for the international retail and automotive industries.
“The installation of our magnetic base is actually part and parcel of new store fits or refurbishments,” says managing director Richard Leach. “It is part of the capital expenditure. Stik creates floor to ceiling, edge-to-edge magnetic walls, that allows for the rapid and easy change of graphics. These magnetic walls last as long as the refit does, and saves a massive amount of installation costs.”
The successful realisation of this product as an integrated building feature says Richard Leach is in part due to the superb CNC cutting capabilities of its Kongsberg i-Cut cutting tables. “We find it dangerous to work off architectural drawings,” says Leach. “After the first fix we do our own site survey, where we undertake complicated measurements of the space taking into account obstructions and non-linear issues as well as small but vital details that may have been left off or modified from the architects’ drawings such as lights, power points, air conditioning switches or fire alarms.”
Once taken, these measurements are translated into CAD files and placed onto the Kongsberg tables where the panels are precisely cut to exactly fit the receiving area.
Leach Colour is also a well-established supplier to the museum sector and increasingly producing ‘single skin’ graphics that are often functionally part of an exhibition re-fit or build. “The concept is about integrated finishes,” says Leach. “Print is applied much earlier on in the process. The contractors want to create complex walls with integrated display cases and screens for example. These are cut and shaped according to the architectural specifications and then sent to us. Using our digital printers (or screen-printing methods, or sometimes a combination of both) we print directly to these, they are then sent back to the client and the walls are then constructed according to plans.
“Museums regard graphic information as part and parcel of the building and we are seeing this grow,” continues Leach. “Designers are becoming more ambitious, using shapes and angles in very creative ways to display artifacts. Technically, digital printers can deliver on this. We can print to virtually any rigid substrate, and can cut out very intricate patterns – the acceptance of CAD files is very significant. Five years ago we had no cutting tables, now we have two Kongsberg 3.2 x 2.m machines and they are in use virtually 24/7.”
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A great example of the fusion of style with substance has to be in acoustic management. Joining this growing sector is the newly launched Acoustic Print (www.acousticprint.co.uk), the company provides highly decorative sound-absorbing panels for hotels, restaurants, cafes, offices and the like.
Acoustic Print is the brainchild of the directors at Northern Print Management who, when looking for a specific sound management solution couldn’t find one. Acoustic Print’s managing director Martin Isen says: “As our background is marketing we approached our problem from that angle. In fact the client who asked me to look at this searched for a while for a quick fix, but it proved to be hard work”.
Acoustic Print has forged a supplier partnership with Leeds-based digital wide-format print specialist Quarmby Colour Studio where the latter is responsible for printing out all acoustic panel work on its newly acquired EFI Vutek GS 3200, while Acoustic Print itself takes care of the sales, marketing and customers. The company is approaching business owners and commercial interior designers and anticipates fulfilling the requirements of new build specifications as well as retro-fit solutions.