There’s more to Pendock than decorative casings and enclosures, as Architecture Today’s technical editor John Ramshaw discovers

For many architects the Pendock name is synonymous with high-quality column casings and service enclosure systems. What is perhaps less well known, is that the company has continued to evolve and diversify over the years, responding to the ever-changing needs of specifiers and the wider construction market. Today, its offering has expanded to include six distinct product lines, ranging from building linings to complete washroom systems – all backed by a comprehensive design, supply and installation service. So what building solutions are currently available from Pendock? How does the company innovate? And what does it do to add value for specifiers? Architecture Today’s technical editor, John Ramshaw, reports.

Rooflight linings from the Pendock Linea range

A history of innovation
Formed in 1987, Pendock initially produced casings and enclosure systems made from pre-formed plywood with a choice of finishes, including laminated real wood veneers. The adaptability and performance of these products meant that it was soon supplying a wide range of interior and exterior solutions aimed at concealing and/or protecting unsightly structural elements and building services. Specified on both new-build and retrofit projects, these included pipe boxing, specialist perimeter casings and radiator guards. The company has continued to add choice and scope to these core products over the years.

Pendock’s relationship with architects and specifiers runs in parallel with the introduction of new products, but their visibility increased considerably when producing a series of calendars from 1996, using drawings by gifted autistic artist, Stephen Wiltshire. Pendock’s co-sponsorship of the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2004 and 2005 also helped reinforce its profile. Earlier in 2005, Pendock launched its washroom solutions range, which broadened the company’s reach, providing a wide range of products from fast-track, next-day delivery cubicles to complete washroom and IPS panel systems. Lockers and changing rooms were added to the line-up in 2007.

Significant investment in 2014 enabled the UK-based manufacturer to further expand its product range. More recently, Pendock’s long-standing relationships with housing association and local authority specifiers have enabled it to play a key role in retrofitting fire sprinklers on social housing projects. Last year saw the introduction of Pendock’s new brand structure and a major upgrade to its website.

Perimeter casing from the Linea range

Introducing the brands
Pendock’s new branding structure amalgamates key product ranges with the aim of simplifying specification, improving website navigation, and upgrading access to product and technical information. The six new brands comprise Profiles, Radius, Linea, Washroom, SafeHeat and Ducting. They enable casing solutions to be selected and sourced from the company’s comprehensive range of standard and bespoke products, which are available in a wide choice of materials, finishes and sizes.

Pendock Profiles includes all pipe and fire sprinkler boxing products, as well as boiler casings, while Pendock Radius brings together the company’s six individual column casing types, and Pendock Linea covers its extensive range of building linings and architectural finishing products. Alongside these, Pendock Washroom provides a comprehensive range of cubicle and washroom systems to meet most washroom specifications and requirements, whilst LST radiator guards and floor ducting products can be found in the respective Pendock SafeHeat and Pendock Ducting ranges. Please click here for more detailed information about each of the brands, including product types, typical applications, materials and finishes.

Column casings from the Pendock Radius range at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham

Knowledge and expertise
By investing in people, as well as state-of-the-art production machinery, Pendock is able to deliver engineering excellence and quality across its entire product range. “The company has a very low staff turnover, which means that its workforce, from shop floor operatives to the management team have decades of experience,” says Gavin Byram, Pendock’s technical projects manager. “This provides a huge breadth and depth of knowledge; we know what is achievable and more importantly what won’t work. We also employ strict quality control procedures, which are overseen by production manager Chris Walker.”

Pilaster lining from the Linea range

Pendock’s ability to tailor existing products and/or provide completely new solutions on a project-by-project basis is perhaps one of its greatest strengths. While the company supplies an extensive range of stock products, many specifiers require bespoke designs necessitating continual research and development.

Internal 2D and 3D design capabilities can provide architects with added assistance on any element of a product or project. “By innovating and working closely with specifiers, we are able achieve not only the desired aesthetic, but also the requisite levels of robustness and durability,” added Byram

External metal boxing from the Profiles range

Pendock Contracts
Encompassing design, technical support, manufacture, supply and installation, Pendock Contracts provides a valuable means of retaining control over the casing and enclosure elements of a project. “Our products can be niche or highly specialised, and on occasion do not fit readily within typical specification documents,” explains Byram, “As such, they can fall under a number of different packages, including joinery, roofing, cladding or dry lining, with the respective trades being unsuited to the type of installation required.

Pendock Contracts provides a full turnkey solution, answering key questions of who will install our products and how this will be undertaken. The company’s approved and time-served installers have had years of experience fitting Pendock products, including specialist bespoke installations. This ensures high levels of quality and consistency, increased cost-effectiveness, and reduced risk for the project team.”

Pendock Radius column casings at Robert Stern BMW

While Pendock Contracts is particularly suited to large or complex schemes, specifiers working on smaller projects can benefit from a wealth of technical information available on the Pendock website. Downloadable DWG and PDF drawings files, together with relevant Word-based specification clauses, allow architects to easily source the necessary information for their project specifications. For non-standard products, the company can provide full design assistance, including project specific drawings and specifications – whatever the size of project.

Contact Details
For more information on Pendock’s products and services please call 01952 580590, email or visit the website.