The best of plumbing – Our favourite projects

Victoria Square Apartments Woking

As the year draws to a close, we’ve been thinking about some of our favourite plumbing projects over the years. From palaces to pubs, we’ve seen our fair share of unique installations. Here’s a roundup of our five favourites:

1. Victoria Square Apartments, Woking

Victoria Square is a transformational development in Woking, with retail, residential and hotel space offering a comfortable, modern and luxurious living experience. RWC supported the development with heating and water control solutions for its two residential towers – home to 429 apartments. Each apartment has an individual trench heating and cooling system, controlled by a JG Underfloor heating manifold, creating an energy-efficient and space-saving solution for maintaining ambient temperature.

The supply of water to each apartment is controlled by Reliance Valves’ Tenant Valve Plus. Combining a number of functions into one compact unit, its unique design includes a ball isolating valve, pressure reducing valve, double check valve, dual reading pressure gauge/test point and connection point for water meters. With space at a premium, these all-in-one valves replaced the need for numerous bulky valves, making it quicker and easier to install, especially in confined areas.

Royal Wharf London

2. Royal Wharf, London

Royal Wharf is a residential complex strategically positioned on London’s River Thames, on the east of the Canary Wharf and down water from the O2 Arena and Greenwich.

The project was inspired by the classic great estates of London and the JG Speedfit range played a key role in elevating the aesthetics by concealing pipework behind walls and removing concerns related to water hammer and pipe vibration. The flexible push-fit plumbing range also helped in accelerating the first-fix installation time, which lead to project completion within the designated timeframe.

E-smart House Cygnus Homes

3. E-Smart House, Cygnus Homes

Designed by UK based prefabricated housing manufacturer, Cygnus Homes, the E-Smart House is the affordable, eco-friendly home of the future. Built to Passivhaus standards, the E-Smart House is defined by high energy efficiency through its entire lifespan, as well as the modern aesthetic feel and the overall comfort it brings to its occupants.

Pioneering construction methods naturally need pioneering plumbing solutions, which is where RWC’s innovative SharkBite metal push-fit technology came into play. SharkBite fittings are designed to allow for the efficient, easy and flexible installation of any plumbing and heating system, while not compromising on the quality of performance and reliability of service.

Reducing installation time by 75%, RWC’s SharkBite plumbing range offered instant, tool-free connection, which made it particularly suitable for this off-site construction project. 

Blenheim Palace Oxfordshire

4. Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire

Built by Blenheim Estate Contractors, Home Farm is a stunning new residential development located at the heart of history-rich Blenheim Palace Estate, Oxfordshire, UK.

To meet the energy efficiency needs of the Home Farm development, RWC’s JG Underfloor Heating Controls is specified in all the homes. The system provides the capability of controlling multiple zones, enabling the homeowner to set heating time and temperature within each individual room resulting in considerable energy savings. This is enabled by JG Underfloor Heating Controls capability to simultaneously manage underfloor heating circuits, hot water supply and individual radiators.

Heineken

5. Heineken

Heineken decided to raise its hygiene standards and eliminate the risk of any microbiological activity in its beer lines by keeping them consistently cool.

John Guest collaborated with Heineken to develop a connector to bring extra cold beer straight from the keg to the font. Known as PolarClean, the tube-in-tube connector keeps beer lines consistently cool at brand specification temperatures, eradicating the risk of any microbiological activity, while improving carbonation control and reducing product waste.

Carrying beverages through a tube encased by another tube with coolant, the connector delivers perfectly chilled beer from the keg coupler to the beer tap without the necessity of a cold room or a secondary cooling device.

Project solutions

Take a look at the wide variety of projects we've been involved in.

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Richard Bateman

Product Marketing Manager Plumbing and Heating

About the author

A highly experienced and passionate professional, I have over 15 years' experience as a commercial and domestic plumber and hold NVQ Level 3 qualifications from City and Guilds

Since joining RWC in 2015, I began as a technical engineer, utilising my extensive knowledge to provide exceptional support. Currently, I am thrilled to be working with the marketing department as a Product Marketing Manager. 

This role allows me to combine my technical background with a keen eye for market trends, ensuring that RWC's products meet the evolving needs of the industry. With my wealth of experience and commitment to excellence, I am proud to serve as a spokesperson for RWC, sharing our innovative solutions and contributing to the growth of the plumbing and heating sector.