Firm Has Designs On New Kitchen Projects

Project:ff&e, the specialist provider of furniture, fittings and equipment, has been appointed to a trio of new projects and won a FIRA (Furniture Industry Research Association) Innovation award as a result. The Halifax-based company has been chosen to use its innovative new Fortis kitchen, the first of its kind in the UK, on three flagship projects including the refurbishment of 221 kitchens for at Aston University in Birmingham, a further 210, new and refurbished kitchens at the University of Essex in Colchester and 60 kitchens at Telford Court as part of the University of Hertfordshire’s redevelopment of their College Lane campus in Hatfield. The brief involved providing water-resistant kitchens without a cost premium to deal with the reoccurring problem of moisture reducing the lifespan of kitchen units. Because there was no existing product on the market, Project:ff&e created its own unique designs, which have recently been recognised with the FIRA innovation award. The Fortis range works by reducing liquids getting into the joints between two pieces of worktop and also running down the front of a unit, getting into the drawers and underneath the unit where it may not be noticed. Jim Shanks, business development director, Project:ff&e, said: “We are extremely proud to have been appointed to these three major contracts and to find a practical, cost-effective solution for the brief. Through our work we are well aware that kitchens often need replacing because they have absorbed moisture. “It’s a particular issue in properties with multiple occupants such as student accommodation and shared housing and can be an expensive problem to have, so we started working with FIRA to test our designs and we’re thrilled to receive an Innovation award for our efforts.”