Made In Hollywood Blog

- Posted in Architectural, Extended Portfolio, Polystyrene Uses by Fran

Seating made from polystyrene covered in mosaic tiles

After speaking with a customer recently, I came to the conclusion that it was time that we featured some of the work that we create for use in the construction sector. The client was under the impression that all we made were signs and point of sale display props; he was quite surprised when I informed him that we also create a wide range of items used in building and engineering industries.
It is easy for us to show signage and giant props, as they are often used for product launches, with press photographers present to record the event. Unfortunately, we don’t get the same opportunities to take pictures of our industrial and construction items.

When I told the client that we created products as diverse as walk in showers, garden planters and concrete moulds, he found it hard to comprehend that expanded polystyrene foam (EPS) could be so versatile. So, in future, I am going to try to show more of the work that we produce in these areas, and the reasons why it is used.

Customised seat profile used in this wet room area

I will start with seating which is used in steam rooms and thermal spas.
Curved shapes can be difficult to build using traditional materials such as wood and blockwork. These are easily created in EPS by cutting solid blocks of foam with our computer-controlled  hot-wire machines. Polystyrene, also known as styrofoam, has the added advantage of being lightweight and the fact that it doesn’t rot or decay when in contact with water.
Glassfibre is also used but often people don’t like its ‘plastic feel’ and the fact that their design has to conform to certain dimensions. Custom sizes are achieved in EPS, without the added cost of fabricating specialist moulds, so that we can design a room to suit the space, rather than having to work with fixed sizes.
The seat profile and curved roof panels are plastered with a render embedded with a strengthening mesh. This durable surface can then be finished in a wide range of stone and mosaic tiles to achieve the look or texture required.
The examples in the photographs are on display at the Tilestyle showroom in Dublin and at Donabate Bathroom & Heating Centre.

If the post above doesn’t qualify for “something completely different”; did you know that Victor Lownes, who was head of Playboy UK, came up with the idea for the Monty Python film: “And Now for Something Completely Different”, which was partially filmed inside an abandoned dairy?
Well, they do say that you learn something new every day.