A Housing Association chose StoLotusan, the self-cleaning paint for a major repainting project on 59 homes in Pimlico, London. .
The product is said to mimic the natural effect of the lotus leaf, having the ability to repel water. When a building is coated with the paint , water droplets are unable to maintain surface contact, so the rain runs off carrying dirt particles with them.
A jointless rainscreen cladding system has been introduced by Sto into the UK market. StoVentec is a durable acrylic render finish which comprises a substructure of aluminium base fixing, mineral wool insulation and Verotec wallboards.
Combining lightweight properties and mechanical strength, Verotec boards are manufactured from 96% recycled blown glass granulate mixed with a binder and pressed into a board format, with glass fibre mesh reinforcement applied to each side.
The aluminium sub-frame can be designed to level out an uneven base wall to give a true plumb line to the external facade. With a render finish, large seamless areas can created with the cladding
Designed by HOK Sport Architecture, and colour-themed on Arsenal's red and white strip, the Emirates Stadium's internal and external wall finishes have been supplied by Sto.
Withstanding high traffic, the rear walls surrounding pitch level seating are coated with StoRend Fibre Plus in Arsenal Red. Applied directly to the semi-external brickwork, the crack-resistant, through coloured render system provides weather protection.
Fibre Plus uses a fibrous modified levelling render into which a tough reinforcing mesh is embedded.
Some 8000m of the walls and ceilings are coated in StoDecor Flex Fill over company's XXL levelling plaster base coat which was spray applied for speed.
Finishes from the Crown Trade range have been been used for a refurbishment project to convert a convalescent home in Weston-Super-Mare into a hospital.
The project included a refurbishment of the art-deco building, using products from the Sandtex Trade and Crown Trade ranges. Sandex Trade High Build was used on the older parts of the hospital, matching the new areas and provided the required consistency.
Removing odours from interior environments, by switching on a light, is possible with the use of Sto's StoClimasan Color paint.
The air-purifying effect of the product is based on photosynthesis. The process requires a photocatalyst which traps the ultraviolet light energy that triggers the transformation. In the new paint it incorporates its own Visible Light Catalysts which are triggered by strandard electric light as well as uv rays in daylight.
Developed for titanium, the photocatalytic pigments in the paint are activated by any light source and degrade odours such as industrial or cooking smells as well as stale cigarette smoke or the smells from sports locker rooms.
An eco-friendly process, only light and oxygen are required. The greater the light intensity and the surface area, the faster the reaction. As long as the painted surface is exposed to light, the photocatyltic process will go on working and will not deteriorate over time.
At Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth, StoLook Veneziano polished plaster from Sto has been installed. For the enclosed spaces of the viewing platforms, pale lilac was utilised whilst for the viewing deck a darker shade of lilac was specified, in order to prevent light reflection at night. The product is through coloured and available in 20 colour tones with smoothness achieved by direct compacted pressure.
Resembling a luxury cruise liner, the new Shoreline Resort hotel at Butlins utilised a StoTherm Classic system coated with StoSilco finishing plaster from Sto. The product was specified to withstand the marine environment at the Bognor Regis resort.
The system moulded around the exterior to achieve a seamless look. The insulation was bonded to a single skin exterior wall with no cavity required for extra insulation, maximising internal space.
The company's StoSilco finishing plaster is purpose made for weather resistance and requires low maintenance. It is available in different textures and 465 colours. The system is suited for contemporary and classic architectural styles.
Previously an extension of St Pauls Church in Worthing, the redevelopment of the building as a four-story residential building has included the use of StoTherm Classic from Sto for the external fa?ade. The new development is a ?warm wall construction? and StoTherm Classic was chosen for its thermal efficiency and weatherproofing qualities, as well as its ability to match the exterior of the adjacent church. The system protects from heat gain and prevents thermal bridging, resulting in less temperature induced stress on the building envelope.
Inspired by the lotus leaf, known for its ability to repel water, Sto has launched StoLotusan Color, an exterior paint which uses the ?lotus-effect? to ensure buildings stay cleaner for longer.
Challenging the orthodoxy that ?smooth is clean?, studies conducted by scientist Wilhelm Barthlott of Bonn University found that the lotus leaf?s microscopic ?structured? surface trapped air and caused rain drops to pearl off, taking with them any dirt on the leaf?s surface.
Using biomimetics, where technology mimics nature, Sto has applied the same principle to StoLotusan Colour, which repels water and with it dirt particles and algae, leaving the surface clean and dry.
Durability and aesthetics were factors in the specification of StoTherm Mineral M from Sto for the Greenwich Millennium Village. This through-coloured mechanically- fixed facade insulation system is inorganic, non-combustible and incorporates mineral-fibre boards and lamella. Hundreds of colours and a large selection of different surface finishes offer broad design scope, and it is suitable for all types of substrate, the company claims. The system is also said to eliminate cold bridging and its flexibility does away with the need for movement joints.
To cope with severe weather conditions, Sto?s StoTherm Classic was selected for the external wall system used on the Harts Hotel in Nottingham. At the heart of the system is a cfc- and hcfc-free, rigid expanded polystyrene foam board, bonded to the substrate using a high strength adhesive mortar. The board was flexible to meet contour needs.
London?s first ?environmental? skyscraper, the new Swiss Re Headquarters at St Mary Axe, features the StoSilent system from Sto, installed to provide a seamless, sound absorbent, environmental solution for the acoustic ceiling requirements in the conference rooms and atrium area. In the conference rooms speech audibility and the avoidance of any distractions from echo or distortion were key considerations. To achieve this several hundred m², of ceiling area was covered with StoSilent. StoSilent panel, a suspended sound absorbent board, is the core product in the system. It allows large jointless areas to be created and, when coated with acoustic fibre-free plaster, results in an appealing seamless finish.
Following problems with noise affecting its neighbours, the ?Our Dynamic Earth? complex, housed in the William Younger Centre in Edinburgh, has been soundproofed using products from Sto. Serving as an entertainment venue, The Stratosphere is predominantly a glass structure with a tented roof, was licensed for late night events but music, particularly live bands, were creating an unacceptable noise level. In response, the decision was taken to create a new purpose built soundproofed area within the Stratosphere. An ?acoustic tunnel? entranceway was created which serves as both a dramatic entrance and an acoustic attenuator to break the sound. Furthermore, a space-age looking acoustic ceiling, covering some 200m², was installed. The StoSilent Robust system includes core panels that have a high compressive strength thanks to a tough mesh reinforcement. They are also light, making them easy to handle and cut on site. The system is completed with a coat of StoSilent Superfein acoustic fibrefree plaster.