top of page

Grespania continues to redefine architectural surfaces with ultra-thin, large-format porcelain tiles that are suitable for both interior and exterior spaces, blending beautiful design with an eco-conscious approach. Designed for contemporary architecture and interior design, Coverlam represents the evolution of porcelain: lighter, stronger, and engineered with respect for the planet.


Modern patio with a lounge chair by a pool, leading to an open living room with dining set. Gray walls, wooden pergola casting shadows.

Large-format technical stone represents the next evolution in architectural surfaces - an engineered material created from a precise blend of natural minerals and advanced compounds. Compacting under 30,000 tons of pressure and firing at over 1,200 °C fuse these components into ultra-dense slabs of exceptional strength and stability. The result is a lightweight, non-porous material that illustrates the natural beauty of stone with the superior performance, and sustainability demanded by future forward architecture and Grespania as a company.


Technical Features include:


  • Durability

  • Stain Resistance

  • UV Resistance

  • Heat Resistance

  • Hygiene

  • Design Versatility

  • Environmentally Friendly


Sustainability For The Future


Coverlam was conceived not only as a technical innovation but as a sustainability statement. Produced using more than 90% natural raw materials, and with a manufacturing process powered by renewable energy and closed-loop water recycling, Coverlam, as a product, clearly demonstrates how innovation can lead to meaningful reductions in environmental impact. Its thickness - at just 3.5 mm or 5.6 mm - means up to three times less raw material is required and significantly lower transport emissions are produced compared to traditional porcelain. 


Modern living room with dark marble accents, a fireplace, gray sofa, and armchairs. Wooden coffee table holds books. Large window shows greenery.

Every square metre of tile reflects reduced energy use, waste and resource extraction - proving that genuine design innovation can go hand in hand with a care for the environment. Grespania’s manufacturing facilities operate under stringent environmental management systems, they provide ceramic solutions that optimise efficiency and comply with the most demanding environmental standard, this is key. The result is a product line that supports LEED, BREEAM, and other sustainable building certifications internationally recognised, giving architects measurable environmental performance data they can trust. 


Facades That Benefit


When used in a ventilated facade system, Coverlam becomes an environmental gain. The ultra-thin slabs, measuring up to 1200 × 3600 mm, form a durable exterior layer that allows air to circulate between the wall and the façade. This natural ventilation reduces thermal bridges, reflects solar radiation and regulates building temperature, cutting energy consumption for both heating and cooling. There is an additional acoustic improvement with noise reduction throughout. 


Modern patio with white armchairs, beige tiles, and a glass-walled building. Steps lead to a shaded dining area. Bright, sunny day.

Even more remarkably, façades finished with the H&C Tiles photocatalytic coating from Grespania actively purify the air. The titanium-dioxide treatment reacts with sunlight to break down nitrogen oxides (NOx) and organic pollutants, effectively transforming building surfaces into self-cleaning, air-purifying membranes. 


According to Grespania’s data, 10,000 m² of treated façade neutralises as much NOx as 740 cars emit daily, equating to the purifying power of nine football pitches of green space. This dual benefit of reduced building energy demand and active air purification—making Coverlam the ideal choice for forward-thinking, sustainable architecture and design.


Technical Excellence


Behind Coverlam’s refined surface aesthetics lies robust engineering. Its porcelain composition achieves water absorption below 0.1%, delivering a high resistance to frost, UV exposure, and pollution. Despite its ultra-thin profile, it offers exceptional flexural strength thanks to its reinforced fibre mesh backing, ensuring durability in both new-build and renovation projects. It is lightweight and easy to install which allows facades and interiors to be transformed without the need for structural reinforcement or demolition, reducing waste and installation time. 


Modern kitchen with marble island, white cabinets, and elegant pendant lights. Green plants add freshness. Bright, airy ambiance.

The material is certified under ETA 24/0747, confirming its performance for exterior facades, cladding, and flooring. The large-format slabs allow seamless coverage and minimal joints, creating a calm, continuous surface that highlights the precision of contemporary architecture. The clever combination of proportion, scale, and natural finish gives designers freedom to explore materiality without compromise.


The Concepts Collections: A Unified Vision


Grespania’s Concepts Collections is inspired by a holistic design philosophy - coordinating surfaces, furniture, and architectural elements through a shared material language. Each collection offers multiple finishes, thicknesses, and applications, ensuring design continuity across all spaces. The Imperium series, for example, reflects the beauty and sophistication of marble with fine veining and a luxurious polish; it is available in formats up to 1600 × 3200 mm for large, uninterrupted flowing expanses. Meanwhile, Coverlam Top extends this concept for kitchens and furniture, offering 10 mm and 12 mm thicknesses for countertops, tables, and bespoke joinery allowing for a coherent design flow. Each tile is designed for ease of handling, the mineable side and weight of each tile enables ease of installation. Perfectly suitable for single-person installation allowing for improved efficiency on-site. This integrated approach allows architects and designers to create interiors and exteriors that continuously flow fluently - stone, metal, or cement effects translated across floors, walls, facades, and furnishings.


Modern hotel lobby with marble walls and floor, a reception desk, and wooden seating. A suitcase stands by a chair. Natural light filters in.

Design But Make It Lighter


Beyond its visual impact and endless design possibilities, Coverlam’s sustainability credentials are tangible. Its thin profile reduces CO₂ emissions from production and transport, while its long lifespan and low maintenance requirements further cut environmental impact over time. The ventilated facade system improves building performance, acoustic insulation and protects structures from weathering. Simultaneously, the self-cleaning surfaces maintain their aesthetic integrity with minimal upkeep - rainwater naturally washes away dirt and surface pollutants. Through balancing technical performance, ecological advances, and design versatility, Coverlam proves that sustainability does not require an aesthetic compromise. It represents a material evolution aligned with the architectural priorities of our time: durability, lightness, and responsibility.


A Material For The Next Generation Of Architecture


As cities grow denser and environmental regulation grows, the materials we specify matter more than ever. Coverlam’s contribution goes beyond form and function - it plays an active role in the shift toward carbon-conscious design. Each facade or interior finished in Coverlam becomes part of an architectural ecosystem that generates less waste, consumes less energy, and even cleans the air we breathe. Whether creating a serene interior or shaping a landmark facade, Coverlam stands as proof that the future of architecture lies not only in what we build, but in how we build it.


For further information, imagery, or technical data, please contact: Grespania UK | architects@grespania.co.uk |  | +44 0121 457 6900  |  www.grespania.com/en

Abode, award-winning designer and distributor of market leading kitchen sinks and taps, boiling water taps, bathroom taps and showering solutions redefine the iconic Belfast sink with the launch of OPTIMA, a brand-new Belfast sink which is made of granite and designed with a fluted apron front.

 

Water flows into a modern grey kitchen sink with a wooden board. A black plant pot and a grey cup are on the counter, creating a sleek look.

Offering a modern interpretation of an 18th century design classic, OPTIMA is available in 4 matt colours to help UK customers move away from traditional white gloss models and define the fluted front design detail. Well-suited for today’s most popular interior styles, OPTIMA is perfect in traditional and modern-Shaker kitchen schemes, which are known for their matt painted finish.

 

Elegant kitchen with water running in white sink, wooden cutting board with bok choy, knife, bowls, and green vase on white counter.

Paul Illingworth, Design Manager at Abode says, “The introduction of our new OPTIMA fluted Belfast sink responds to the growing need for essential design elements like the sink and taps to truly reflect a person’s individual style and furniture choice. In fact, the trend for fluted kitchens increased by over 200% in the past year, and our OPTIMA fluted Belfast sink provides a new way to introduce vertical grooves into the kitchen, which is fresh and timeless.”

 

With a huge range of features and benefits available, OPTIMA by Abode includes:


FLUTED APRON FRONT – Naturally durable, OPTIMA is made of granite and designed with a fluted apron front, which adds texture to the kitchen’s cleaning zone. Mirroring the market’s love of fluted design, OPTIMA takes the traditional Belfast sink from smooth to grooved, while offering a subtle mix of light and shadow. Reversible too, OPTIMA features a fluted surface on one side and smooth on the other so you can ensure the right look in your home without sacrificing the benefits.   


Modern kitchen sink with running water, black faucet, and metal rack. Gray countertop with plants, black mugs, and a coffee set.

 

4 COLOURS – Presenting 4 matt finishes that resonate with today’s most popular furniture styles, OPTIMA is available in White Granite, Grey Metallic, Black Metallic and Taupe Granite, which is a brand-new sink colour by Abode in 2025 and 100% exclusive to OPTIMA. Plus, all finish options are priced the same, so you don’t have to pay more for your favourite shade.


RINSE & OVERFLOW – No need to compromise on the size of your bowl, as OPTIMA is designed with a space-making rinse and overflow, which is used to dispose liquids when the main bowl is in use. Providing huge benefits in a compact space when either washing up, rinsing or storing your kitchen sponge, the slimline rinse gives all the benefits of a traditional 1.5 bowl sink by retaining the working depth of the main bowl. Supplied with an Abode branded overflow and 90mm waste in Stainless Steel finish, which is compatible with standard sized waste disposal units.

 

Woman rinsing a strainer at a modern kitchen sink. Lemons on a cutting board nearby, tap running, greenery on counter.

STANDARD FIT – Smaller yet deeper than its closest rival the Butler sink, OPTIMA measures H250mm x W598mm x D478 mm, making it the perfect fit for standard 600mm sink cabinets, and accommodating a compact boiler if you want to include either a 3 IN 1 or 4 IN 1 boiling water tap. Another added benefit is that OPTIMA is supplied with all pipework unlike mainstream models, where the waste and plumbing kit usually come at an cost extra to you!

 

LIGHTWEIGHT – The typical weight of a ceramic Belfast sink is 25-30kg with some weighing as much as 42kg! Easier to pick-up and manoeuvre into place, the OPTIMA sink weighs just under 20kg, which is less than the UK HSE guidelines so you can ensure the perfect fit in your kitchen.

 

ACCESSORIES – Unlike no other Belfast sink available today, OPTIMA comes with a range of custom-fit accessories to save you time and space for the things that matter. Available to buy separately or as a set, options include an FSC® Approved Prep Board that transforms your sink into a handy food prep station, a stainless steel Colander to rinse and drain items, and a rollable Flex Rack for efficient drying.

 

Gray kitchen sink with ribbed front, white faucet, and marble backsplash. Dark countertop holds green plants, utensils, and a pot.

The new OPTIMA fluted Belfast sink is available now and priced at £499 including VAT in all 4 colours. Abode complementary Sink Wastes are priced from £40, and Overflow Covers start at £15 including vat.    www.abodedesigns.co.uk

For contractors tasked with classroom refurbishments, Optimise 70 could well be the perfect recommendation. Modern school classrooms are a tough place for any floor, but the IVC Commercial Optimise 70 range might well be the perfect solution. Affordable, tough, easy to maintain and with class-leading impact noise reduction, it upgrades any classroom floor in need of replacement.


Modern interior with yellow staircase, purple seating, and large windows. "First Floor - Study Room - Library" text on wall. Bright and open.

Made in Europe by IVC, Optimise 70 is a heavy-duty (0.70mm wear layer) heterogeneous vinyl floor that delivers more than just outstanding wear characteristics. With a choice of 40 designs, including everything from wood plank and herringbone to terrazzo and bright colours, it can certainly create an inspiring classroom setting while supporting pupil concentration thanks to its 19dB of impact sound reduction. And with Sanitec anti-bacterial and Hyperguard+ protection, it’s a floor that’s hygienic and easy to maintain too.


Retro arcade room with neon Pac-Man ghosts, arcade machines, and a pinball table. Blue patterned floor, colorful chairs, and ceiling lights.

Modern lounge with blue chairs, a chess table, bookshelves, and plant decor. Light fills the space through large windows. Relaxed mood.

Jake Parks, national sales manager, IVC Commercial, says, “Today’s classroom not only needs to deliver excellent long-term value, but must also support the needs of pupils. The importance of setting a high-quality learning environment is now well recognised and so schools are looking for floors that are not only exceptionally tough and easy to look after, but that can also inspire and support the next generation. Optimise 70 has all the characteristics needed and is widely available from distributors across the UK. It is the perfect go-to classroom floor for contractors refurbishing school environments.”


Playroom with wooden floors, colorful slides, climbing wall, and soft seating. Bright, cheerful atmosphere with green accents.

Highlights in the Optimise 70 range include the ‘endless’ wood design of Elias, chevron plank of Olympus and the terrazzo looks of Cevennes and Coronet. These are well suited to a more sophisticated look for secondary settings. Standard designs such as the wood plank of Camargue and Toronto, as well as the bright colours of Rochus are ideal for primary and junior learning environments, where they can be used to create zones. Optimise 70 is available in 2m width and comes with a 12 year commercial warranty.    www.ivc-commercial.com 

bottom of page