Originally devised by Phil Redmond, Hollyoaks instantly proved a hit with television audiences. It is based around the lives and loves of the residents and family groups of a small village just outside Chester. The cast is made up of primarily 16-35 year olds and currently has 65 main cast members. Its primetime schedules are shown on Channel 4 and E4 and currently feature 5 episodes per week. Hollyoaks’ success is in part due to its strong issue led story-telling and the subjects it touches on are gripping and often ground breaking. The programme has won many awards, including a National Television Award and in 2014 it also managed to win ‘Best British Soap’ for the first time. Since Hollyoaks’ first launch onto our TV screens back in 1995, a lot has changed. In order to keep up with the times, it was decided to refresh the special built outdoor set at the Lime Pictures studios in Childwell, Liverpool. The village, where Hollyoaks is filmed is a special built outdoor set at the studios. It was also used as the location for the TV series Grange Hill, which ended its run on 15 September 2008. The frontage, classroom and corridors are now used as Hollyoaks High School. 

In late 2017 the storyline saw a gas explosion demolish the main school building, which meant a new one had to be built. RCM were asked by Proform Systems to supply the external cladding to be applied to the Hollyoaks school building. The façade of choice was Fundermax F-Grade. These panels are a high-quality construction product, which are used especially for long-lasting balcony and façade claddings. The exterior panels are duromer high-pressure laminates (HPL) in accordance with EN 438-6 Type EDF with extremely effective weather protection. This weather protection consists of double-hardened acrylic polyurethane resins. They are produced in lamination presses under great pressure and at high temperatures. The core of each panel is flame-retardant and the surface is light fast. According to Fundermax: “Shape, colour and material all convey emotions, tell stories and inspire new ideas …. they all lend the buildings character.” In the case of the school the colours of choice were blues and yellows, giving the building an instantly recognisable finish. Telling stories is what Hollyoaks is all about and RCM are proud to have played their small part by supplying the Fundermax cladding on time for the new schedule roll-out. Established in 2004, RCM is a major supplier of complete through wall solutions to the UK construction industry. Supplying specialist building boards, façades, breather membranes and airtightness solutions, RCM offers a fully integrated approach to the building envelope whilst delivering on time and budget.