Spec Finish

Contractors corner Gabions, gates and grates. Metal mesh has a long tradition of outdoor use and over time, it earned a reputation as a practical, durable and versatile product thanks in part to its ability to meet a wide range of specifications. In this article, Anthony Millington, Business Development Manager at Amron Architectural brings it to interiors. 20 www.thefis.org W ITH a variety of practical exterior applications including vent panels, cages and baskets it is little wonder that metal mesh was eventually introduced to the world of interiors. Its inherently superior performance properties led to its adoption as the go-to material for radiator grilles the world over. Metal mesh is seen as an invaluable material asset in every industry from agriculture to automotive. Now, despite metal mesh’s popularity and prevalence in industrial markets, architects and interior designers now recognise its potential for architectural and creative applications. Partitions and space dividers Most recently, practices have started to implement mesh partitions in the increasingly popular open-plan office environments to replace the compartmentalised cubicles we used to see. Moveable woven and expanded mesh walls and space dividers provide a good interface between open and closed office layouts and enable airflow while providing a visible spatial division. This can have many benefits including better access to natural daylight, increased levels of concentration amongst the workforce and may even help some people curb social anxiety in the workplace. Statistics show that 40% of the population identify themselves as introverted, these partitions, albeit open/ punctured ones, have a somewhat similar psychological effect as a completely closed- off cubicle would, i.e. being walled off from the world and able to fully concentrate on tasks at hand. This, in turn, can benefit the quality of life immeasurably for those who would otherwise feel a relative level of discomfort at work and perhaps not perform as well as they could. 3 Brindley Place, Birmingham Situated in central Birmingham, 3 Brindley Place was constructed as part of a high profile 1990’s development that provided BRINGING THE OUTSIDE IN Anthony Millington, Business Development Manager at Amron Architectural www.amronarchitectural.co.uk