The Foundation Parnell is an Auckland-based luxury retirement village consisting of 46 apartments across 5 levels. The Foundation is about retirement without compromise. Everything from its prime central location to the way a kitchen drawer opens and closes is about quality, refinement, attention to detail and most importantly – comfort.
Throughout the design process, architects Peddlethorp were dedicated to considering quality and aesthetics in every detail, with accessibility always at the forefront of design to ensure comfort and ease of movement for future residents. Allproof Industries were engaged to manufacture and supply a range of solutions including shower channels, channel drain for level entry around the perimeter of the building and passive fire protection solutions.
Allproof supplied around 100 Vision shower channels with tile insert grate, all custom made to provide a perfect wall-to-wall finish at roughly 1600mm lengths. During this process, Allproof provided a high level of site support to ensure that the channels were measured, supplied and installed to the highest finish without disrupting a tight schedule. The Vision Series is supplied with a specially designed puddle flange that the plumber installs prior to waterproofing. The channel is then measured and fabricated once tiles are laid providing a specified space for the channel to be located into reducing any delays to the other trades.
Designing, detailing and constructing tiled showers / wet areas to suit an off-the-shelf channel size is nearly impossible. Minor variations in measurements occur during the construction process and outlets might not always be perfectly located in the centre due to other building elements. Additionally, the designer would have to detail the exact finished dimension of the room at the detailing stage including wall build-up of linings, membrane, tiles and. Therefore, to create a perfect wall-to-wall channel Allproof made all 100 shower channels to measure each shower space.
Allproof’s Tile Insert grate for the Vision shower channel was selected providing a discreet drainage solution maintaining the aesthetic of the bathroom while utilising the slip-resistant properties of the floor tiles on the drainage system. The channel was positioned across the entry to the shower preventing surface water from escaping the shower area and entering the main bathroom space, also removing any requirement for a hob or any level change in the floor for accessibility.
Considering the building occupants a high-performing passive fire solution was needed allowing the residents time to evacuate the building if required. Allproof’s Cast-in fire collar (CIFC) was selected providing a fully tested solution with a high-performing FRL. CIFC’s are made from 100% recycled polypropylene using clean solar energy providing an environmentally conscious passive fire system.
The Allproof Perimeter channel drain was selected for the main entrance providing a level entry for accessibility to the building and preventing surface water from entering the internal space. The Perimeter Drain is mechanically separated from the door joinery using a bracket and leg system allowing moisture to escape from the internal space through the joinery system weep holes. By selecting the Wedge Wire grate the designers benefited from the R11 slip rating and the durability of 316 stainless steel.
