PSBJ April 2022

Public Sector Build Journal April 2022

Healthcare

Education

Leisure

psbjmagazine.com

Issue 116

ONE OF THE HEALTHIEST BUILDINGS IN THE WORLD The Spine, the new home for the Royal College of Physicians, represents the human body through architecture

Housing

Bell Phillips Architects showcases its latest housing project

Unlocking opportunities through modern methods of construction

A look at the rise of women in construction and engineering

Wernick Group’s commitment to a sustainable future ®

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WELCOME NOTE

Editor

Hannah Woodger

hannah@redhutmedia.com

Rebecca Kemp

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Print & Digital Advertising Sam Ball

sam@redhutmedia.com

Jim Moore

jim@redhutmedia.com

Print Design Manager Jack Witcomb

jack@redhutmedia.com

Digital Design Manager Matt Morse

The Spine, the transformational new northern home for the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), has opened its doors in the Knowledge Quarter, Liverpool. See page 08.

matt@redhutmedia.com

Welcome to the April issue of PSBJ...

Accounts

Rachel Pike

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Sales Support & Statistics

Klare Ball

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Publisher Sam Ball

Spring has officially sprung, but whilst the picturesque scenes of daffodils, tulips and lambs offer fleeting moments of joy, we can’t ignore the new wave of despair that is being felt on a national and global level. The cost of living crisis is already impacting thousands of households throughout the country as energy and fuel prices continue to soar. Meanwhile, the abhorrent Russian invasion of Ukraine has shocked the world. Over the last month, we have watched in horror as the scenes of devastation have unfolded. Countless innocent civilians are losing their lives, buildings and infrastructure are being destroyed by ruthless attacks, and families are being uprooted to places of safety.

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Red Hut Media Ltd. 5 Mansion Row, Brompton, Kent, ME7 5SE

The unnecessary act of war is something we didn’t expect to experience or witness in our lifetimes ever again but, for Ukraine, defending their nation has never felt more real.

Thousands of troops have been deployed and, reflecting a cultural tradition of female independence, tens of thousands of Ukrainian women have also taken up arms. According to media reports, women constitute as much as 15 to 17% of the Ukrainian fighting force.

Whilst in these horrific circumstances, it’s humbling to hear that the strive for gender equality exists even in the face of war. Last month, International Women’s Day’s theme #BreakTheBias called for a move to end prejudices, stereotypes and discrimination facing women. In Ukraine, these women have demonstrated that a cultural shift can happen, and equality is indeed meaningful. Here at PSBJ, our thoughts are with these women and we hope for their safe return from duty.

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Meanwhile, in the magazine this month, we continue looking at the role of women but in the construction industry. On pages 20 and 21, Victaulic explores the landscape of women in engineering and construction, using two of its female sales engineers to demonstrate the thriving career opportunities available today.

PSBJ is a proud supporter of the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists.

Contributions are invited and when not accepted will be returned only if accompanied by a fully stamped and return addressed envelope. No responsibility will be taken for drawings, photographs or literary contributions during transmission or in the editor's hands. In the absence of an agreement the copyright of all contributions, literary, photographics or artistic belongs to Red Hut Media Ltd. The Publisher accepts no responsibility in respect of advertisements appearing in the magazine and the opinions expressed in editorial material or otherwise do not necessarily represent the view of the publisher. The Publisher does not accept any liability of any loss arising from the late appearance or non publication of any advertisement.

I hope you enjoy this issue. Don’t forget, you can also access all the magazine’s features, product news and supplier information on PSBJ’s user-friendly and engaging website. Fully responsive, the website allows you to read all the latest stories on-the-go either on your phone or tablet. Simply visit www.psbjmagazine.com.

Hannah

Hannah Woodger • Editor • hannah@redhutmedia.com Find us on Social Media:      @psbjmagazine

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CONTENTS

06 News

A round up of the latest industry news, including charity events, awarded contracts, completed projects and much more.

08 Upfront

The Spine, the transformational new northern home for the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), has opened its doors in the Knowledge Quarter, Liverpool.

12 Housing

Designed by Bell Phillips Architects, Riverside Road is a collection of five threebed terraced houses, built as temporary homes for Watford Borough Council.

14 Legal & Business

18 Floors, Walls & Ceilings

22 Drainage & Landscaping

16 Education

20 Talking Point

24 Healthcare

A collaborative approach lies at the heart of scaling up modern methods of construction (MMC) in the UK, comments transatlantic law firm, Womble Bond Dickinson.

Morgan Sindall Construction’s Essex business recently completed work on a comprehensive refurbishment and expansion project at Ramsden Hall Academy in Billericay, Essex.

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08 Milliken’s Laylines collection of tufted, level loop-pile modular carpet was chosen for the soft flooring throughout Harrogate Borough Council’s new civic building.

Simona Santoro and Marina Weber from Victualic look at the changing landscape of women in engineering and discuss some personal experiences from their careers to date.

Brett Landscaping illustrates how the UK’s ever-growing number of people with dementia can be helped by selecting the correct paving material.

Dealing with the pandemic has brought the relationship between the construction and healthcare industries into sharp focus, sparking new and innovative ways of working.

CONTENTS

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24

26 Technical Focus

Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School, at Elstree in Hertfordshire, makes use of the new Schöck thermally-insulating wall connection – the Sconnex type W.

28 Leisure

Developed in partnership with Alliance Leisure Services, the £18m Duncan Edwards Leisure Centre forms part of the near-£1bn Dudley regeneration programme.

30 Timber

NorDan UK shares how developers can measure and reduce the amount of embodied carbon in new-build and retrofit projects by choosing lowcarbon, high-quality building products.

32 Town & City Regeneration

Michael Grubb Studio delivers an innovative and meaningful public realm lighting strategy for Brighton’s multi-million-pound Circus Street regeneration development.

32 38 Product Showcase

A dedicated focus of industry news, products and case studies to help specifiers and local authorities make informed decisions.

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NEWS

INDUSTRY UPDATES Each month PSBJ rounds up the latest public sector construction updates, from new contracts to industry awards.

‘People architecture’ wins the day as GT3 picks up major award GT3 Architects has seen its focus on team development recognised with a prestigious national award. The firm – which has studios in Nottingham and Newcastle – has received the ‘People Development’ award at Constructing Excellence’s national ceremony, beating nominees from across the UK. The award recognises organisations that value their workforce and ensure they maximise their team’s contribution to the business, something which GT3 Architects has nurtured through its ‘people architecture’ approach. Alongside a new operations and flexible working policy introduced to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the practice appointed a designated ‘people champion’ to lead its focus on personal and professional development. Liz Clarke, Associate Director and ‘people champion’ at GT3 Architects, said: “For a practice with a fundamental goal to place people – not buildings – at the heart of our projects, processes and practice-life, COVID-19 offered us an unparalleled opportunity to prove ‘people architecture’ to be more than just a strapline.”

Ambitious council home building plans endorsed Ambitious plans for Caerphilly County Borough Council to develop new homes on two sites have been endorsed by its Housing and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee, during a remote meeting held in February. Scrutiny members endorsed, in principle, proposals to create a flagship mixed-tenure development on the site of the former Oakdale Comprehensive School and an innovative later living scheme on the former Ty Darran care home site in Risca. The council has already carried out feasibility studies to assess the suitability of the brownfield site in Oakdale and an outline planning application has been submitted. If approved, the development would be the first of its kind for the council in offering open market sales, alongside affordable and social housing. An outline planning application has also been submitted for the former Ty Darran site. The proposed new ‘later living’ building will be designed with high levels of energy efficiency to reduce tenants’ bills, whilst also reducing carbon emissions. It will also boast spacious apartments, with lift access to all floors.

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SES Engineering Services secures eighth blue light project with Willmott Dixon Engineering specialist SES Engineering Services (SES) has been appointed to undertake another blue light project – a new stateof-the-art district headquarters for Kirklees, West Yorkshire.

The appointment sees SES working again with lead contractor, Willmott Dixon and on this occasion, with West Yorkshire Police.

The project is scheduled for completion in late 2024. Located on the former Kirklees College site on Halifax Road, Dewsbury, the new-build state-of-the-art custody suite, office accommodation and adjacent car park will be a flagship project for West Yorkshire Police, and will provide face-to-face support for members of the public, as well as community accessible meeting rooms. SES was appointed following a competitive tender and interview against a Stage 3 design with the decision based on cost, capability, experience and added social value. It is the eighth blue light project SES has worked on with Willmott Dixon under the Scape framework since 2015 with two similar schemes currently on site at Nottingham and Humberside.

DBR awarded Crystal Palace Subway restoration contract DBR, one of the UK’s leading heritage construction contractors, has won the contract to undertake restoration works on the historic Crystal Palace Subway. This follows a recent decision by the London Borough of Bromley’s Executive to award the work to the conservation specialist, with valued partners, Historic England and the Friends of Crystal Palace Subway, also sitting on the panel that assess the applicants. Commencing soon, the restoration works, estimated at £3.2m, on the Grade II* Listed subway will include rebuilding existing walls and the construction of a new roof over the courtyard. Significantly, the project will see the repair of the Victorian subway, including the rebuilding of existing walls, construction of new parapet walls, and a roof structure. The proposed new roof will be visible from Crystal Palace Parade, with the subway exterior being made from glass and stainless steel, and the gable enclosed with Corten steel.

Stepnell completes first-class Brio retirement community in Gloucestershire National contractor Stepnell has completed works on behalf of Brio Retirement Living to design and build the £29m Beechwood Park – a 106-dwelling retirement living community in Stow-on-theWold, Gloucestershire. The completed Beechwood Park retirement home boasts a range of one-, two- and three-bedroomed bungalows and apartments, each cladded in Cotswold Stone, and set against a quintessential countryside backdrop within one of UK’s most desirable market towns. Sustainable living solutions have been incorporated into the design and build to include district heating, combined heat and power generation, and full home automation.

As a result, this project has been awarded BREEAM ‘Very Good’ standard rating and BRE HQM (Home Quality Mark) Level 3. Designed with a wide range of community facilities and communal areas, the retirement home is home to beautiful landscaped gardens, and includes an exercise trail, raised bed gardens and Brio’s brasserie and bar Slate & Grain. Furthermore, there is a purpose-built social space for recreational activities, club fitness suite, spa and lounge. A shuttle bus is also available for shopping trips and excursions.

RPS wins a place on CCS’ Construction Professional Services Framework RPS has announced its successful appointment by Crown Commercial Services (CCS) onto the Urban Regeneration Lot of the Construction Professional Services Framework (CPS). Making it easier for clients to work with RPS, the CPS framework is the UK’s largest public sector procurement route. CCS supports the public sector to achieve maximum commercial value when procuring common goods and services. In 2020/21, CCS helped the public sector to achieve commercial benefits equal to £2.04bn – supporting world-class public services that offer the best value for taxpayers. Chris Lavery – Director of Programme Management at RPS – comments: “We’re delighted our expertise and industry-leading knowledge has been recognised for the Urban Regeneration Lot of the CCS’s Construction Professional Services Framework. It recognises the multi-disciplinary services RPS offers for the delivery of a wide range of urban regeneration projects and enables us to provide even more value to both existing and new clients. Public sector organisations have a duty to ensure their projects are delivered to the best standard, whilst benefitting the wider community and providing the highest value.

The CPS is widely considered to be the ‘gold standard’ in public sector procurement. We look forward to bringing our expertise to support a wide range of public sector bodies to deliver major and minor building, and civil engineering projects throughout the UK.”

NEWS

Report calls for new pan-regional strategy to deliver much-needed new homes for Black Country The West Midlands has successfully delivered housing across its urban areas over the last few years, utilising brownfield land supported by the targeted release of Green Belt land to assist in meeting the shortfall in new housing that arose from Birmingham up to 2031. Despite these best efforts however, in the Black Country Authorities Black Country Plan Review consultation in 2021, it was confirmed that there is now a significant shortfall in housing land for the period up to 2039 arising from the Black Country, with nearly 29,000 dwellings needing to be delivered elsewhere. The report calls for local authorities across the West Midlands to reconsider their contributions to sustainably allocate land where housing development can take place to meet these needs. Lichfields, which compiled its report using publicly-available data and mapping, says the region has suffered for too long with an ad-hoc approach to planning and the time is right to have a pan-regional, evidencebased functional relationship approach to solving the regions unmet housing needs. The report argues that this should include a more evidence-based strategy and a formal mechanism for allocating and distributing housing development. The outcome from the report identifies those local authorities including Bromsgrove, Lichfield, Shropshire, Solihull, Stafford, Stratford-on-Avon, Telford and Wrekin, could accommodate between 1 and 13% each of the estimated almost 29,000 new homes that need to be built over the next two decades beyond the Black Country if the region’s chronic housing shortage is to be tackled.

Fully-accessible houses being built at St. Modwen Homes’ Handley Place development Local housebuilder, St. Modwen Homes, has collaborated with affordable housing provider, Alliance Homes, to build accessible quality homes for those in need in Locking. Located at St. Modwen Homes’ Handley Place development, the housebuilder is constructing three fully-accessible and wheelchair-friendly homes, designed for comfort and practicality and adhering to local requirements within Weston-super-Mare. The three brand-new additions will consist of two semi-detached and one detached home, all built with features that make movement around the home and independent living much easier than in a standard home. These homes will feature floor lifts and adjustable worktops in the kitchen, plus wetrooms and bedrooms that all function so they can be used without difficulty. Every aspect has been considered to ensure these accessible features are carefully integrated, and the entire property can be utilised with ease and comfort. What’s more, the same approach extends to furnishings and fittings, with additional provisions such as extra loading to the roofs, should a hoist be required in the future. And finally, extra consideration to switch and socket positions have been accounted for to enable residents to access them and position their appliances with ease. St. Modwen Homes is keen to provide a community with quality houses of a unique and high standard. The national and award-winning housebuilder prides itself on going above and beyond to assist its local authority and nominated affordable housing provider, Alliance Homes, with their requirements.

07

UPFRONT

TRANSFORMATIONAL NEW COLLEGE PRIORITISES WORKFORCE WELLBEING The Spine, the transformational new northern home for the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), has opened its doors in the Knowledge Quarter, Liverpool. With extensive biophilic design principles used throughout, the building is being hailed as one of the healthiest buildings in the world and is set to become one of only six WELL Platinum-accredited buildings in the UK.

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UPFRONT

T

he concept and philosophy behind the design of The Spine draw on the narrative of the human body and its abstract representation through architecture, biophilia and salutogenics.

The RCP is a pioneer in all fields of medicine and when it needed to significantly expand its facilities, it looked to create a leading example of a healthy workplace. Following an RCP-led competition, AHR was commissioned to design its new headquarters and the team took guidance from the WELL Building Standard.

The WELL Building Standard is a performance-based system for certifying and monitoring the connections between the built environment and user health and wellbeing. With the client’s brief for occupants “to be healthier when they walk out of the building than when they walk in”, this was a natural starting point for AHR Director, Robert Hopkins, to work from when designing The Spine.

Through observation within RCP’s existing facilities and a

spatial audit, AHR investigated how the college functioned. A remote team, established in Liverpool, was also consulted and a questionnaire was developed for the whole of the college. The results defined which facilities the college needed and which biophilic interventions might have a positive influence on its health and wellbeing objectives.

Biophilic buildings aim to bring occupants in tune with their surroundings. To do this requires all aspects of the building – lighting, air, water and the space itself – to evoke nature. That doesn’t necessarily mean they must be all natural, but they should have a biological reference. There is extensive evidence that demonstrates by introducing biophilic strategies into the built environment, cognitive performance is improved, stress recovery is enhanced and physiological responses, such as heart rate and blood pressure, is reduced.

Hopkins has embedded biophilic design and patterns throughout the building.

Perhaps the most prominent of these is the distinctive facade taking its influence from the human skin. The striking Voronoi pattern includes 23 million individual polygons and creates internal shadows reminiscent of a forest canopy, which move across the space throughout the day, creating a dynamic, changing environment. By the exposure to natural light, and the shifting seasons, occupants have an increased awareness of natural processes, helping them to synchronise with their circadian rhythms, ensuring that they remain connected to their natural sleep patterns.

The Spine takes its name from its striking geometric staircase, inspired by the human vertebrae. Using the staircase offers panoramic views across Liverpool, as far as Snowdonia and the Pennines, to encourage occupants to use the stairs. The symbolic references to nature throughout the building are not only visually appealing but are also proven to improve stress recovery, ultimately increasing productivity in the workplace.

There are direct visual and physical connections with nature throughout, wherever users sit in the building they can see real plants. Planting in doubleheight spaces represent the lungs of the building and act as a ‘vertical village’ breaking down the 14 floors of the building into smaller communities.

With plants selected for their air-purifying properties, when combined with highly-specified air supply and filtration systems, air quality is significantly improved which increases people’s health and cognitive performance by 10 to 20%. This will help to establish a new standard for indoor air quality in workplaces and the city.

The RCP needed a modern office space that would attract and retain a highly-skilled workforce, whilst housing some of the most advanced medical simulation facilities in the world. Not knowing what the future would hold when the building was designed in 2017, the design incorporates many features that are now perfectly suited to evolving working and learning practices. 

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UPFRONT

The adaptable space consists of a series of zones, each performing a different task, which can be mixed and matched within each office. Meeting spaces are designed to encourage crosscollaboration, reduce ‘static’ working and foster a sense of community. Private work pods and enclosed meeting booths offer places to withdraw from the main flow of activity and provide sanctuaries of contemplation.

Individual workstations are no more than 7.5m away from a window, to capitalise on the unparalleled levels of natural light and unhindered views over Liverpool, connecting occupants to their immediate surroundings and reducing stress, boredom and fatigue.

There are spaces designed specifically to host the PACES examinations and medical assessments. All the education spaces consider both physical and virtual learning. The Harvard Lecture Theatre encourages easy interaction along with places for breakout groups in a relaxed education environment. Technology features highly, including a room equipped with 18 interactive screens to allow for wider audience participation.

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UPFRONT

PROJECT FACT FILE: Interior designer: AHR Retained agent and fit-out advisor: CBRE Fit-out contractor: CBRE Contractor: Morgan Sindall Construction Owner/developer: Liverpool City Council Anchor tenant: The Royal College of Physicians Strategic advisor: Knowledge Quarter Location: Liverpool Value: £35m construction cost, £13m RCP fit-out Services: architecture, interior design, landscape design

This mixture of layouts throughout the building enables individuals to move to areas they feel most comfortable and, psychologically, they feel their personal needs are being catered for.

The ground floor is accessible to the general public with a cafe and an exhibition area which will educate the public on various health issues, as well as hosting more specialist events. World-class conference facilities and a top-floor fine-dining restaurant offers panoramic views of the city and beyond. Both dining spaces offer a highly-nutritious and premium menu, encouraging people to gather in more sociable groups when eating,

instilling a sense of community in the workplace thus improving mental health.

Liverpool City Council worked with the college to create the transformational workplace and the development has enabled the Knowledge Quarter to attract not only a highly-skilled workforce but also future leaders in science, health, technology, culture and education. This investment has already manifested in the recent opening of a Pandemic Institute in The Spine and over the next decade, it will continue to establish Liverpool as one of the world’s leading healthcare innovation districts.

Colin Sinclair, CEO of KQ Liverpool & Sciontec Developments, commented:

“Being located in Paddington Village at the heart of the Knowledge Quarter Liverpool, Innovation District, we knew that the new northern home for the Royal College of Physicians needed to be world-class and like nothing else ever built in the Liverpool city region before.”

The building is the first that targets BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ under refurbishment and fitout 2014 scheme and WELL Platinum under the version 2 pilot. The Spine is a new chapter for the RCP, which is very keen to measure both the health and economic outcomes of the design. This will add to the growing body of evidencebased design in the office and workplace sector, to help the

industry better understand the impact of biophilia on people’s wellbeing.

Dr Andrew Goddard, RCP President, adds: “The Royal College of Physicians at The Spine will deliver what our members tell us they want the most – for the college to be educating, improving and influencing – with our stateof-the-art assessment centre and educational facilities. Our major investment in The Royal College of Physicians at The Spine shows that we want to get closer to our members in the north and demonstrates that we’re all about health and healthcare right across the UK.” 

www.ahr.co.uk

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HOUSING

GAINING FROM GARAGES Bell Phillips has designed new housing on an unloved site in Watford. Here, Emma Carter, Senior Architect at Bell Phillips Architects, talks to PSBJ about the homes that have reformed the vacant plot giving insight into their e]ciencies and con4guration to futureproof the development.

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iverside Road is a collection of five threebed terraced houses, each with their own rear garden and parking space, built as temporary homes for Watford Borough Council. After having marked the site as suitable for family housing, the council worked with Bell Phillips Architects to design and build new homes that would provide an affordable solution for tenants, while also serving as a benchmark for future developments within the borough.

Bell Phillips Architects has a track record of designing affordable homes that have low energy consumption rates for local authorities; Orwell House and Levitas House being two recent examples. Going beyond policy requirements, and as part of Watford’s proactive approach to tackling climate change, the houses have been built to BRE’s Home Quality Mark. The assessment provides a star rating and reviews all aspects of new homes, including running costs, health and wellbeing benefits, and the environmental footprint associated with living

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in the home. Working with a specialist assessor throughout the design and construction stages, the homes achieve four stars, comparable to BREEAM ‘Excellent’.

To meet this high standard, the design, material specification and construction method were meticulously considered. Bell

Phillips specified a raft of passive measures to ensure that the in-use energy demand was minimised; excellent U-values and airtightness, high-performing aluminium composite windows and a whole-house MVHR system.

While the dual-aspect homes are generously proportioned and

designed for purge ventilation when necessary, the MVHR systems work to provide clean, fresh air to spaces, such as the living rooms and bedrooms, and extract stale air from the kitchen and bathrooms with minimal energy input. The windows have been sized to carefully balance natural light with the risk of solar gain. On south-facing windows, a lightweight brise soleil has been installed to further reduce any overheating risk.

Completely omitting gas from the development, each house also benefits from an ASHP and PV array, providing a renewable source of energy and space heating for the homes. Tenants also have direct access to individual off-street parking, fitted with an electric charging point to encourage the use of electric vehicles.

While the immediate context varies, with low-rise housing sitting alongside a small industrial estate to the north of the site, the terraced homes revitalise the garage site, introducing a design language complementary to the existing interwar housing estates.

HOUSING By adopting the archetypical forms common to the area, but adding contemporary ideas, Bell Phillips has avoided visual monotony.

The rich material palette includes two multi-tonal brick types that add warmth and visual interest to the terraces.

A darker grey brick provides a solid base to the scheme, neatly housing refuse, meters and external storage, while stepped red brickwork helps accentuate the fenestration along Riverside Road. The tiled roof complements the surrounding context while a hidden gutter provides simple, contemporary eaves to the front of the building.

Internally, the homes are well planned to maximise functionality. On entry to the house, a lobby hosts space for a large utility cupboard and secure bicycle storage.

The kitchen and living room are separated, allowing the living room to benefit from the full width of the property.

On the upper level, two double bedrooms and one twin bedroom provide the flexibility for home working

or accommodating young children. To futureproof the homes, the pitched-roof structure and internal stairs have been designed to allow the loft space to be easily converted into an additional bedroom, extending the capacity of the house to four bedrooms, without requiring any significant structural work.

The homes are constructed from a repeated lightweight timber frame, which is sustainable, easy to construct and has good thermal properties. Alongside timber’s environmentallyfriendly credentials as a building material, the lightweight structure also reduces the amount of concrete required within the foundations when compared to a typical brick and block structure, further lowering the building’s embodied carbon. Using MMC, rather than traditional methods, the timber frame was fabricated off site and delivered as a kit of parts for an efficient installation, minimising time on site and disruption to neighbouring properties.

Bell Phillips has reformed the site, removing vacant garages and putting in their stead outstanding, HQM-certified homes that enhance the character of the area and provide much-needed temporary housing for Watford Borough Council. Riverside Road demonstrates that even with constrained sites and budgets, careful planning, a rigorous design process and good material selection creates sustainable, affordable homes that deliver on local housing needs. 

www.bellphillips.com

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LEGAL & BUSINESS

COLLABORATION KEY TO UNLOCKING OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH MMC A collaborative approach lies at the heart of scaling up modern methods of construction (MMC) in the UK to simultaneously help solve the housing crisis and drive down construction-related greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new collaborative report from transatlantic law 4rm Womble Bond Dickinson and industry leaders.

A

s part of its re:build Britain campaign, the firm has worked closely with a range of organisations from across the housing industry to identify the challenges and opportunities around scaling up MMC in the UK and the benefits it can offer.

This viewpoint comes at a time when 340,000 new homes need to be constructed each year until 2031 to meet UK demand.

Homes England, Faithful + Gould, Bristol Housing Festival and Northumbria University contributed to the report with Womble Bond Dickinson which outlines the advantages that MMC can offer the UK and the construction industry as well as the obstacles that need to be overcome to ensure growth.

With challenges such as materials and skills shortages facing the sector and the UK, MMC presents several new opportunities for the market, including the ability to create quality homes at scale and pace with reduced labour costs and without geographical restrictions, thousands of new jobs, and lower constructionrelated carbon emissions.

The scale-up of MMC would also develop a more diverse construction industry attracting new skills and recruits. If, per year, 75,000 modular homes are constructed, it could create up

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to 50,000 new jobs – part of the puzzle is linking up education and industry – T levels also have a role to play.

Susan Dawson, Senior Lecturer in Architecture and Built Environment at Northumbria University and board member of Constructing Excellence in the North East (CENE) and report contributor, said: “A call-to-action to industry and education is needed to make a real step change.

“Education and industry need to work together to redefine our roles in the education process and establish common goals to co-develop and co-deliver currency in the curriculum.”

As part of the research, the widespread adoption of MMC in countries, such as Norway and Japan, was examined to see where successes could be replicated closer to home, taking account of a wider range of housing needs and bringing MMC into the mainstream.

As a nation, Japan has been embracing MMC for the past 50 years and, consequently, Tokyo currently has the capacity to build more houses per year than the entire of the UK. The perception of MMC outside of the UK is different too. An MMC home in Japan is an aspirational and midupper market product where

customers work with designers to develop homes that meet their specific needs.

Edward Jezeph, Senior Investments Manager at Homes England, explained that the perception of residential MMC homes in the UK so far is that it’s just for social housing and the huge benefits of flexibility and customisation are missed.

In the UK, volume housebuilding is driven by speculation, rather than being consumer-led, homes having been in high demand for so long the driver is ‘need’ rather than ‘want’. MMC, and the pace at which it can deliver homes, has the opportunity to turn the UK housing market on its head.

As well as offering bespoke private residential properties, MMC could also provide solutions to the current housing crisis in the UK. Jessie Wilde, Deputy Project Director at Bristol Housing Festival, said: “Might MMC offer a new supply chain, built around a new business model and underpinned with a new model of collaboration to supply quality, affordable, sustainable homes at pace? It certainly has the potential.”

As well as contributing to solving the housing crisis, MMC can also support the UK Government’s drive to be net

Ian Atkinson is in Womble Bond Dickinson’s construction team specialising in transactional matters. He has a wide range of experience including real estate development, site remediation, social housing, energy and infrastructure but his primary focus is on education, health and local Government regeneration projects.

zero by 2050, with the built environment contributing around 40% of the UK’s total carbon footprint. Although a full assessment of the environmental impact of MMC is yet to be completed, Stephen Wightman of Faithful + Gould said: “The potential carbon savings of manufacturing a fairly simple building in a factory, as opposed to delivering the traditional construction process to site, can be several tons or even tens of tons of CO2.”

There is also consumer demand for environmentallyfriendly homes that can be harnessed, as Ian Atkinson, Construction Partner at law firm Womble Bond Dickinson, points out: “Much like ‘help to buy’, the MMC sector may be crying out for the carrot to motivate consumers to choose a home that could contribute to netzero targets – a ‘buy to help’, if you will.”

Even though the UK is some way behind Japan and Norway in maximising the benefits of MMC, Joseph Worland, Associate Director (Housing) at Lloyds Bank, thinks the UK industry is heading in a direction where MMC will be more favoured. He said: “In the housing sector, we have seen the larger builders introduce MMC to a significant proportion of their homes, supported by ambitions on build quality and sustainability.” 

www.womblebond dickinson.com/uk

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EDUCATION

CREATING SPACES DESIGNED FOR SEMH STUDENTS The COVID-19 pandemic has stressed the importance of early-stage development for the next generation, especially at primary school level. The support children receive at school is pivotal to their progress both from an educational perspective as well as an emotional one.

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he way that our schools are designed and built has a significant impact on their ability to deliver on these developmental needs. For example, are the classrooms comfortable and practical spaces in which to learn? Does the school’s facilities meet its operational requirements and have the wider surroundings been taken into consideration?

As with all educational establishments, providing a space tailored to the development of students with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) requires a careful consideration of these questions in order to understand the needs of the pupils and how the building around them can facilitate an engaging learning experience.

Morgan Sindall Construction’s Essex business recently completed work on a comprehensive refurbishment and expansion project at Ramsden Hall Academy in Billericay, Essex, in which many of these issues had to be addressed.

Ramsden Hall Academy works with up to 100 secondary-age and Year 6 male students who have an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP) for SEMH needs. The transformational project at the academy was delivered by the tier one

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contractor for the Department for Education (DfE), and is managed by the multi-academy trust, Parallel Learning Trust.

The refurbishment and expansion work included a brand-new, three-storey residential block, which will provide beds for 40 students and bolster the academy’s ability to develop the pupil’s independent living skills.

Alongside the residential area, Morgan Sindall Construction delivered an extension to the existing teaching block, creating seven new classrooms, seven new withdrawal rooms, a learning resource centre, main assembly hall, dining hall, conference room and four new special educational needs (SEN) therapy rooms.

The brief for this project was born from the Parallel Learning Trust and Ramsden Hall Academy’s mission ‘building positive futures from new beginnings’. Working together with the academy’s stakeholders, Morgan Sindall Construction has created a space designed to help students with social, emotional and mental health needs thrive both in school and in the wider community, while simultaneously ensuring that the academy would have an efficient, sustainable and easy-to-manage site.

Enhancing the learning experience

Each aspect of the learning experience was considered by working through a typical day to identify the pupil journey and ensure safe and secure access and egress to both buildings.

To understand the complex needs and constraints within the teaching environment, Morgan Sindall Construction worked closely with academy representatives as well as ICT specialists. This collaboration was important to making sure that the design factored in a range of considerations that, if not accounted for, could affect the smooth day-to-day running of the academy. For example, this work ranged from assessing

ligature risks and potential health and safety hazards to identifying the location of data points and power supply.

It was important to ensure each child was comfortable at school, and temperature was a key part of this. The team mitigated the risk of overheating with dedicated mixed-mode ventilation, providing assisted natural ventilation to all teaching areas. This was combined with CO2 and temperature monitoring as well as simple and effective controls so that the academy’s staff could easily evaluate and manage the onsite temperature. Mechanical cooling systems were installed in any area where ventilation alone wasn’t sufficient.

EDUCATION Sound was another key consideration and the acoustics of each classroom were delivered to a higher specification so that noise would not bounce around the rooms, thereby creating calmer and quieter spaces.

Minimising the environmental impact

The new residential and teaching buildings at Ramsden Hall Academy reflect the school’s vision that its new facilities should aspire to a high standard of building services, designed to reflect its operational needs, compliance with Building Regulations and best practice for an SEMH facility, whilst also minimising energy use as much as possible.

Ramsden Hall Academy now benefits from space heating and domestic hot water from highly-efficient gas-fired condensing boilers, which serve both the residential and teaching buildings. This ensures an efficient heating distribution whilst reducing energy use as well as being a robust and easilymaintainable solution.

A number of other green building solutions were incorporated, such as using low-energy LED lighting, highly-efficient fan motors, water minimisation measures and a building energy and management system that would help to easily regulate the school’s energy demands.

The academy’s energy usage will also be lowered thanks to a passive design that ensures a generous amount of daylight is able to enter the building without causing glare or overheating and which is combined with a high standard of airtightness and natural ventilation.

Thanks to these measures, a thermal modelling survey showed that the design of the new residential building achieved 14% lower CO 2 emissions than regulation targets, while the teaching building managed 17% lower emissions.

As well as minimising the energy output, Morgan Sindall Construction aimed to leave the surrounding woodland area undisturbed. The site team took significant steps to ensure the preservation of local nature and wildlife and worked closely with ecologists to carry out extensive surveys as well as an archaeological dig.

Emma Baker, Head Teacher at Ramsden Hall Academy, said: “The new buildings have transformed the experience that our younger pupils and the residential children have at school.

“Throughout the project, the Morgan Sindall Construction Essex team worked with us to engage the pupils and that led to a real sense of ownership; the boys are proud of their new buildings. Having

two areas where food can be served simultaneously has reduced dining hall incidents massively, and now break and lunchtimes are sociable and pleasant.”

In addition to the direct benefit of the academy, the project created 86p of social value for every pound of the project’s value. This included the upskilling of the community, with four apprentices working 87 weeks between them on the project and engaging with a further 12 students from Ramsden Hall Academy, inspiring them to begin careers in construction. In addition, 37% of the project value was spent with local SMEs, meaning the community significantly benefited financially.

Giving children and their families access to SEMH schools like Ramsden Hall Academy, where all the key considerations have been taken into account, is imperative to their early development and gives them the best chance in their studies and early career development. 

www.morgansindallconstruction.com

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FLOORS, WALLS & CEILINGS

VIBRANT FLOORING PROMOTES DYNAMIC WORKING ENVIRONMENT Harrogate Borough Council was planning to create a new civic building on its edge-of-town Knapping Mount site. Situated within a wooded conservation area, the new building would allow the council to create a central and unifying hub for its numerous disparate o]ces around Harrogate.

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he council’s aim was to create a building that would help to promote a ‘One Council’ culture and provide an open, flexible and efficient space for its staff, council members and the public. At the same time, the council was also keen to take the opportunity to make a cultural shift in its working approach.

Moving from a traditional static work scenario towards a more modern, openplan working environment, it would need to provide employees with a number of alternative spaces including agile workstations, collaborative areas, high bars, a cafe and soft seating.

When designing the building’s interior, this gave architecture firm Farrell & Clark a number of clear objectives for both the visual aesthetics and for how the different interior spaces would function for its various users.

For the interior finishes, including the flooring, the design team was looking to create a contemporary and dynamic setting that would engage teams and provide a light working environment. The building’s dramatic rounded shape also meant that an organic design for the floor would flatter its curving lines.

Milliken’s Laylines collection of tufted, level loop-pile modular carpet was chosen

for the soft flooring throughout the building. The Laylines design provides a linear backdrop that injects lively and vibrant movement across the floor. With a vast choice of high-energy brights and beautifully-blended, rich neutrals included in the collection, this incredibly versatile design offers the opportunity to punctuate the floor plane with dynamic colour.

“We loved the way the Milliken Laylines design had a gradient of colour fading in and out and blending seamlessly with the field carpet. The result was a dynamic, organic ripple throughout the building,” explained Amy Fulford, Interior Designer at Farrell & Clark Architects.

The Laylines Transitions range within the collection allows designers to gently move the floorscape from one colour to another in a smooth graduation. Milliken’s Millitron digital colour placement uniquely enables this sophisticated design feature to be achieved. Farrell & Clark’s design team truly optimised the flexibility of Laylines by selecting a palette of vivid colours including blue, yellow and orange to highlight, zone and identify different areas within the building.

As well as creating a new and positive working ethos with the office design, the council was also keen to provide a welcoming and practical space that the local community could utilise. With this in mind, wayfinding was a crucial factor to ensure that the public could easily navigate the building.

The design team was able to successfully achieve this by using the Laylines design in a stylish and contemporary way to create highlighted walkways and colour-coded flooring.

The improved comfort and wellbeing of the council’s staff was also an important aspect of the new working environment.

The additional underfoot comfort of the Laylines carpet’s Comfort Lite cushion backing was a valuable product feature that would help support this aim. In the open office environment, the enhanced sound-absorbency properties of the Comfort Lite backing was another aspect that has helped contribute to the improved ambience of the space.

As a public building, sustainability was always a significant factor in the specification of the interior finishes.

Milliken’s sustainability credentials provided the assurance that the council and architectural teams were looking for. From a product perspective, the fact that the Laylines product’s Comfort Lite cushion backing is made from 90% recycled content was also an important aspect in its specification. Milliken’s new Re-Vision Closed Loop Carpet Recycling Service now offers the council the additional assurance that when it reaches the end of its life, the carpet can be disposed of responsibly and reprocessed for new carpet production. 

floors.milliken.com

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TALKING POINT

THE RISE OF WOMEN IN ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION Simona Santoro and Marina Weber, both Sales Engineers at Victualic, look at the changing landscape of women in engineering – and discuss some personal experiences from their careers to date.

Marina Weber is currently a Sales Engineer at Victaulic in Italy, with a strong background in HVAC sales consulting. She has a postgraduate diploma from the Association Union Casa in Planning and Construction of Ecological Buildings.

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Simona Santoro has worked for Victaulic for 14 years and is currently holding the position of Sales Engineer in Italy. Previously, she attended The University of Naples Federico II.

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ngineering is constantly evolving, as well as becoming increasingly important in our world. There are so many great reasons for women to be involved in this exciting and diverse field of study, with an array of thriving career opportunities available.

While the industry’s gender gap is beginning to close, there is a big discrepancy between the number of men versus women in engineering professions. With the benefits of diversity recognised more than ever, many are looking to rectify this imbalance.

Engineering is quite possibly one of the most fascinating industries to be working in right now. The rise in 3D printing technology, driverless cars, robots in the subterranean and trips to Mars all point to an exciting era ahead.

Yet despite lots of work being done to encourage more women into engineering roles, women still only make up a small percentage of the workforce.

Awareness initiatives, such as International Women in Engineering Day and femalespecific STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programmes, for example, are all helping to promote women into an industry presenting a huge diversity of interesting, exciting and rewarding roles.

According to research cited by WISE, in the UK, there are more than 50,000 women in engineering positions which is double that of the statistics from 2009. The report also points to an increase over the past 10 years in the number of female science, engineering and technology managers. However, despite women making up for half of the population, the ratio of women to men working in engineering roles is radically different, at just 12%.

Growing diversity

Despite commanding a relatively small percentage of engineering roles, the number of women in the industry is rising and for good reason. At Victaulic, we are proud to have some of the brightest talent in the construction industry on our team today. Women who are passionate about the construction industry and who are inspiring the next generation of strong leaders for our company and the industry.

Simona Santoro, Sales Engineer at Victaulic, has been working at the company for over 14 years and takes pride in sharing her commitment to shape the future of the construction industry.

Joining in 2008, Simona fell in love with her role. “Every day is different, every hour is different and that’s why I have stayed in the industry and, in particular, at Victaulic.

The role keeps me on my toes and without it I couldn’t have achieved all I have done over the past 14 years. It’s a very rewarding career but also demands a strong focus and precise action planning.”

Marina Weber, Sales Engineer at Victaulic, began her career at LG before moving to Hitachi and then joining Victaulic in 2019. Marina is driven by a passion for learning, development and inclusivity and believes her new role gives her the opportunities she desires. “At Victaulic, you are surrounded by innovators; there is always opportunity to grow and challenge your way of thinking. There is an emphasis on continuous learning which is an aspect of my career I have always valued.”

Creativity and innovation

If women aren’t attracted to the engineering and construction sectors, it means employers will have a smaller pool of potential recruits. This is to the detriment of the overall industry. A multiplicity of perspectives can spark creativity and innovation, and help organisations spot and seize new opportunities. It can also encourage organisations to challenge gender stereotypes. Creating a more diverse workforce is likely to help break down any lingering barriers to progress.

TALKING POINT

As a sales engineer, Simona works closely with colleagues across Europe and is wellversed on adapting to different cultures and ways of working. “The industry is ever changing, and what motivates me each day is the diversity of the individuals I get to work with, and the perspectives they bring to the office. I have worked with people on a plethora of different projects, from piping systems in tunnels and stations for Bologna’s high-speed railway, to chemical plants in Belgium and beyond. It’s this growth and expansion that makes it all worthwhile.”

Marina, also a sales engineer, demonstrates, supports and technically sells Victaulic’s solutions to current customers and prospects. A day’s work can be in any number of time zones or settings. “It’s a challenge every day and not just because of the work. We also have to take care of our houses and families. However, we’re supported by a developing workstyle; we don’t have ‘office time’, we are flexible.

With greater flexibility and cultural shifts, seeing a woman on a jobsite is not so uncommon. Perhaps 10 years ago it would have been, but inclusivity and the professional environment has improved and continues to. Working for a company that offers flexibility and a collaborative culture makes it manageable and enjoyable.”

Cultural shifts

It’s important to establish a positive culture from the start and young girls must be encouraged to feel like they belong in this sector. Gone are the days where images of men predominantly show up in engineering textbooks.

Fortunately, there are many signs of progression. Alongside an upsurge of female STEM programmes, we’re seeing more and more females joining the engineering progression and, more importantly, staying in the field. Now more than ever, we need to be able to inspire the next generation of female engineers as without young women, there will be no one to teach the next generation of girls.

Simona is grateful to be surrounded by professionals in the STEM fields and no one more so than her sister who works as a professor in Neuroelectronic Interfaces: “My sister is extremely talented, a risk taker who I look up to for inspiration, even if she is younger than me! It is so important for young girls to find inspiration and having more female engineers can spark interest for many.”

Marina says that culture at work and education is another critical factor, especially as engineering was once seen as a male profession. “Strong leadership throughout the industry can continue to drive a culture that will allow every engineer, regardless of gender, the same opportunities. I have never felt like there was a gender bias against me. I have always been offered the same opportunities as my male co-workers at Victaulic.” 

www.victaulic.com

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DRAINAGE & LANDSCAPING

HOW PAVING DESIGN CAN MAKE LIFE EASIER FOR DEMENTIA PATIENTS Jamie Gledhill, Engineering Technical Manager for Brett Landscaping, illustrates how the UK’s ever-growing number of people with dementia can be helped by selecting the correct paving material.

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ccording to Alzheimer’s UK, there are around 900,000 people with dementia in the UK and this figure is expected to rise to 1.6 million by 2040.

Dementia is an umbrella term and is caused when diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia and other conditions, damage the brain. As well as memory problems, dementia can also cause issues

with vision and perception, leading to problems such as a welcome mat by a door looking like a black hole.

The Equality Act and Building Regulations (Part M) make provision for people with dementia and there are some, when specifying paving for care homes and in the public realm, that can make a significant difference.

One of the key points that can be addressed by speaking to a reputable paving manufacturer is the consistency of light reflection values (LRV) throughout the landscape design.

LRV measures the amount of light reflected back from a material when illuminated by a light source.

The more light reflected, the higher the LRV. It is usually measured using a spectrophotometer.

Research by Liverpool John Moores University demonstrated that an ‘uneven’ appearance of ground surface or patches of darker tone or colour can be confusing and potentially cause accidents. The institution also described how paving patterns or changes in colour that are arbitrary can cause confusion.

It has concluded that strong paving patterns – such as chequerboard – may cause disturbance, as consistent light reflectance values are required.

When Keepmoat Homes was involved in the building of the planned dementia care facilities in Litchfield, Staffordshire, the company spoke to specialists at Brett Landscaping.

Keepmoat was working on a centre that would house up to 90 people in six buildings and needed the paving to be suitable for the residents at the centre. It required external paving which registered between 25 and 45 on the light reflective value spectrum.

Rigorous and extensive testing of the LRVs of Brett’s products enabled Keepmoat to install paving that falls within the strict parameters of the guidelines.

Testing of Brett’s Alpha Flow permeable paving systems at Brett’s manufacturing plants in Kent and Dorset, showed that the LRV was consistent on individual colour ranges.

It also revealed that the variance between all three colour ranges (Autumn Gold, Brindle and Charcoal) is ideally suited for the project.

Brett’s Alpha Flow paving is already widely used across the country for developments where developers are looking to improve surface water drainage and prevent flooding. Existing Alpha Flow pavements are also still offering between 15 and 20 years of low maintenance service.

Other than the consistency of light reflective values, Alzheimer’s UK has called for other work to help those living with dementia.

It also recommends carefully selecting materials to avoid reflective or dark surfaces which could confuse perception, planning continuous, level routes and avoiding steps if possible. 

www.brettlandscaping.co.uk

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Information will be updated when the need arises. Please ensure you have an up to date copy. All products are produced by independently owned and operated wood processing facilities. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. Koppers Performance Chemicals, Protim Solignum Limited, Fieldhouse Lane, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, SL7 1LS. Visit: www.kopperspc.eu, Email: kpc@koppers.eu, Call: +44 (0)1628 486644, Fax: +44 (0)1628 476757. Registered in England 3037845. © Copyright 2018.

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HEALTHCARE

CONSTRUCTION AND HEALTHCARE: HOW BUILDING ON RELATIONSHIPS IS KEY Dealing with the pandemic has brought the relationship between the construction and healthcare industries into sharp focus, sparking new and innovative ways of working – and the future is looking bright. That was the key message from national framework provider Pagabo’s latest ‘Building Blocks’ podcast, hosted by Executive Chairman Gerard Toplass.

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he construction industry was given a glimpse of how the future could look as a result of the Government’s plans for major investment in healthcare over the next decade, thanks to a vastly-improved, collaborative and well-integrated supply chain, which evolved during the pandemic.

The ways in which the whole industry united and problem-solved on the hoof was nothing short of impressive, adapting rapidly to ever-changing guidance to ensure as much certainty and support for clients as possible.

This was a point driven home by podcast guest Stuart McArthur, Health Sector Lead at Sir Robert McAlpine, who was also joined by John Carson, Head of Capital Development and Planning at NTW Solutions (a subsidiary of Cumbria, Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust), and Stephen Jenkins, Director at Turner and Townsend.

Throughout the conversation, the group discussed the ramifications of COVID-19, how their various projects were affected, the lessons learned, and how that all feeds into the future – particularly in relation to the benefits of frameworks.

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The challenges faced

The number one priority for any and all businesses – no matter their industry – was the health and safety of staff. This was especially true within healthcare and its associated supply chains to be able to continue to deliver critical work and services.

During the initial days of the first lockdown, many construction sites ground to a halt while clarity was provided on what work should continue. But when this clarity was provided from the Government, the industry reacted with real agility, flexibility and innovation to find ways to keep schemes going, while introducing the necessary safety measures.

Stephen Jenkins recalled the agility seen on construction sites, combining with a centralised and joined-up project management approach leading the way on solving the new problems thrown up each day. This attitude towards evolving practises and procedures in a safe and sensible way is something that was echoed in the preconstruction phase as well and is something that will certainly benefit the wider industry moving into the future.

John Carson, whose team was involved in creating the NHS Nightingale Hospital North East, also reiterated the personal impact. There had to be a focus on wellbeing and looking after people’s mental health. People have very different tolerance levels, and the pandemic had a detrimental effect on everyone due to the combined uncertainty and personal challenges they were facing.

Certainly, one of the biggest changes we have seen in the industry is the impact COVID-19 has had on both designs and costings as clients look to ‘pandemic-proof’ hospitals and other schemes, as well as considering how more remote working of staff can impact capital costs.

Knitting together relationships and futureproo4n through frameworks The real power of frameworks comes from the long-term relationships that can be built, which are, over time, continually improved to form some of the strongest working collaborations in the market.

This is something particularly pertinent in the healthcare sector, where there are hugely complex clients. With the NHS and its entities, there are multi-stakeholder environments that bring together clinical and technical expertise, and there are very rigorous and complex approvals processes to navigate too.

HEALTHCARE Clients and the frameworks that projects are procured through have all evolved over time. All have evolved to put more focus on social value, wanting to demonstrate the wider benefits from schemes – particularly large-scale healthcare projects – in the wider society.

They often provide the best value to clients, but it is important to remember that best value is about more than just costs. The benefit of frameworks is the overarching platform, broader objectives and a longerterm timescale they have, which allow behaviours to be built over time and focus to be put on values and outcomes.

This bigger picture of best value brings together strands – such as technology and carbon – that have previously been looked at in silos until very recently, when they are inherently connected. The key to unlock all of this is digital and data.

For example, the right digital construction techniques and toolkits will enable better and more adoption of modern methods of construction (MMC), along with the parallel assessment of carbon impact. The Construction Playbook – which was first published almost a year ago and has provided the whole industry with direction on a number of core best practice principles – focuses heavily on MMC and digital adoption.

These methods will combine with ongoing learnings from the supply chain, such as the

real value in repetitive design. For example, once a treatment room or seclusion suite has been designed, the knowledge is there and can be repeated – and through MMC methods, like modular construction, they can be built much more quickly.

Together, the construction and healthcare sectors continue to innovate and work together to tackle combined

issues – and create a better future for everyone, knitted together by a datadriven approach.

You can listen to the most recent episode of Pagabo’s ‘Building Blocks’ podcast on Anchor and YouTube, and for more information, visit the website below. 

www.pagabo.co.uk

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TECHNICAL FOCUS Image courtesy of cube_design

NEW SCHÖCK THERMALLYINSULATING WALL CONNECTION IN A CLASS OF ITS OWN Minimising linear thermal bridges at the wall connection to the floor, or floor slab, has been a perennial problem with reinforced concrete construction. However, a dedicated new solution – the Sconnex type W – has now been introduced by Schöck.

It is a product that offers outstanding insulation performance, combined with an exceptional loadbearing capacity.

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current high-profile project involving the new Schöck thermally-insulating wall connection is Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School, at Elstree in Hertfordshire. The school was founded in 1690 by a Royal Charter granted to the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers and over the years has been located at various sites around London. In the late 1950s, Aldenham House and 61 acres of land were purchased

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from the BBC to develop the current Elstree school location, which was opened in 1961 by the Lord Mayor of London. Haberdashers’ Aske’s is recognised as being one of the leading independent boys’ schools in the country and sets exemplary standards, not just in educational terms, but in its facilities as well. As demonstrated by the new extension to the preparatory school.

Image courtesy of cube_design

A two-storey contemporary extension This is a standalone building within the campus and Hampshire-based architecture firm cube_design was commissioned to produce a concept design for three additional classrooms, along with the relocation of changing facilities and minor alterations to the administration, staff and visitor entrance. Jane Lock-

Smith, the Founder of cube_ design and a member of the CABE Design Review Panel and RIBA Client Design Advisor within the Building Schools for the Future programme, takes up the story: “The design is respectful to the style of the existing building, but offers a contemporary twist through the use of full-height glazing and charred timber cladding.

The use of a colonnade minimises the building’s

TECHNICAL FOCUS Image courtesy of cube_design footprint whilst enabling a sense of arrival that the existing building is lacking. In our detailing, we had to take into account that around 40% of all thermal bridges in a building are caused by walls and supports, which, in turn, are responsible for about 10% of heating energy losses. The Schöck solution offers an applicationfriendly, high-quality solution that contributes to a permanently sustainable building concept.”

A serious source of linear thermal bridges

The construction of the preparatory school extension at Haberdashers’ is of reinforced concrete and, traditionally, wall connections to the floor, or floor slab, have been a major source of linear thermal bridges. The result being not just serious energy loss, but also the high risk of condensation. This can easily lead to mould growth, resulting in possible structural damage and worse, posing a health risk to the occupants. As a market leader in the development of Isokorb structural thermal breaks for balconies and other cantilever constructions, Schöck has now used this expertise to produce a thermallyinsulating wall connection that combines outstanding insulation performance with dependable load-bearing capacity.

Sconnex is a unique solution

This new thermally-insulating connection for reinforced concrete walls is unique in its ability to help meet various demanding criteria.

Sconnex type W minimises the thermal bridge between the exterior wall insulation and the insulation above the floor slab, increasing the energy efficiency of the entire building.

Thermal losses are greatly reduced and the surface temperature in the room increases to considerably more than the critical dew point temperature. Heating costs are lower, a pleasant room climate is created and the PSI of the connected reinforced concrete wall is reduced by up to 90%. The outstanding insulation performance is combined with an excellent load-bearing capacity, which transmits very highpressure, tensile and shear forces, in the longitudinal and transverse direction. This is made possible by the use of a pressure buffer consisting of ultra-high-performance, fibre-reinforced concrete. A material which achieves compressive strength levels in excess of 175 N/mm2, but with extremely good flexural strength as well.

A further important benefit is the generally significant cost reduction involved when compared to installing insulation beneath the floor slab. 

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LEISURE

DUDLEY’S FIRST NEW LEISURE CENTRE IN A GENERATION OPENS The first new leisure centre to be built in Dudley in more than 30 years opened to the public in January. Here, Alliance Leisure Services (ALS) talks to Public Sector Build Journal about the improved sports and leisure facilities as part of a wider regeneration for the town.

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eveloped in partnership with ALS, the £18m Duncan Edwards Leisure Centre forms part of the near £1bn Dudley regeneration programme, which is set to transform the town centre over the next decade. The scheme also includes a new transport interchange; an extension to the Metro line; a mixed retail, leisure and residential hub as well as a multi-million-pound revamp of Halesowen Leisure Centre and improvements to Crystal Leisure Centre in Stourbridge.

The new Duncan Edwards Leisure Centre is located on Constitution Hill and is approximately one mile from the former Dudley Leisure Centre, which closed in January. ALS and contractor ISG worked throughout the height of the pandemic to develop the new leisure centre meeting the logistical demands of operating a safe site during COVID-19, while also overcoming the unique challenges presented by the site itself.

These included poor ground conditions with voids and coal and extensive works to seal an abandoned well uncovered on the site.

The centre is named in honour of the borough’s most famous sporting son – the former England and Manchester United player, Duncan Edwards, who was born and raised in the town. It offers a 25m, eight-lane swimming pool and a teaching pool with spectator provision. A four-court sports hall is suitable for indoor football, badminton and more, while other facilities include a 100-station gym and fitness suite, two group exercise studios and the first immersive cycle studio in the area.

A wellness suite featuring power-assisted equipment from Shapemaster provides specialist support for those recovering from injury, older customers and those living with long-term health conditions.

For families with younger children, there is a soft play area with dedicated catering as well as a party room, in addition to cafe for all users of the centre.

Solar panels have been installed on the roof of the centre, which are estimated to save the local authority more than £250,000 in energy costs over the next quarter of a century.

LEISURE “Duncan Edwards Leisure Centre marks a new era in our leisure offer; this building is exceptional and we have already welcomed more than 1000 users into the facility.

It is complemented by the major redevelopments of Halesowen and Crystal leisure centres,” said Councillor Simon Phipps, cabinet member for regeneration and enterprise.

“The centre will be in close proximity to the new Metro line that is currently under construction, enabling people to connect to the local and national rail line. Timing for the centre is also fantastic, with a number of college and university campuses currently being developed in the town.

“I would like to thank everyone who has played a part in creating this new facility. It’s something for us all to be proud of and shows the regeneration of Dudley is moving in the right direction. It’s now over to the public to try the centre out for themselves and see why we’re so excited to finally open its doors.”

ALS has also refurbished Crystal Leisure Centre and is currently working on the second phase of the multi-million-pound redevelopment of Halesowen Leisure Centre as part of Dudley’s regeneration scheme.

All projects are being delivered via the UK Leisure Framework which is managed by Denbighshire Leisure.

The first phase of the Halesowen redevelopment included an extension to the gym along with new equipment, ranging from traditional treadmills, bikes, crosstrainers and stepping

machines to more advanced selfmotorised curved treadmills and power lifting equipment. The centre has also benefitted from a new wellness suite with power-assisted gym equipment and a new soft play area for younger visitors, which has been innovatively created in the spaced previously occupied by the learner pool. A new cafe and remodelling works to the centre entrance complete the first phase of the development.

Phase two includes major improvements to the swimming pool and changing areas. Measuring 33m, the pool is being transformed into two pools – a standard 25m swimming pool and a learner pool. Meanwhile, the current changing facilities are being removed and replaced with a changing village, with all works expected to be complete by the summer.

“We are delighted to see Duncan Edwards Leisure Centre come to life with an inclusive mix of facilities and services that meet local strategic outcomes and the needs of the community,” said Julia Goddard, Senior Business Development Manager at Alliance Leisure.

“Along with our work at Halesowen and Crystal leisure centres, these new and regenerated centres will dramatically improve the quality of sport and physical activity provision in Dudley to help encourage more people to adopt healthy lifestyles as the town pushes ahead with its ambitious regeneration programme.” 

www.allianceleisure.co.uk

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TIMBER

HOW CAN WE TACKLE EMBODIED CARBON?

North Norfolk MP Duncan Baker recently proposed a parliamentary bill that will make it mandatory to calculate and reduce the embodied carbon footprint of new buildings. Here, Mike Stevenson, Senior Manager of Strategic Markets at windows and doors manufacturer NorDan UK, shares how developers can measure and reduce the amount of embodied carbon in new- build and retro4t projects by choosing low- carbon, high- quality building prod it has come to reducing building W hen carbon reduction, UK legislation to date has focused more on the reduction of operational – or in-use – carbon. As a result, social landlords have sought to increase the energy and heat efficiency of new homes – and make retrospective improvements to existing properties.

Embodied carbon, the emissions from the building materials, products and the construction process itself, has seen no such legislation, and has, therefore, been a much lesser priority.

According to the World Green Building Council, construction and buildings are currently responsible for 39% of global energy-related carbon emissions: 28% from operational emissions and the remaining 11% from embodied carbon.

With increased levels of construction, and ever-improving operational efficiency, it’s projected that embodied carbon will be on a par with operational emissions by 2050.

The proposed Carbon Emissions (Buildings) Bill would require Building Regulations to be amended to limit the

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roughly 50 million tonnes of CO2 that are emitted from the materials and construction of buildings in the UK every year.

Even without the ‘stick’ of the proposed new legislation, most developers are beginning to realise that without tackling embodied carbon they will not meet the ambitious net-zero targets or those outlined in the Future Homes Standard.

But let’s be clear, we need to act: poor, short-termism specifying decisions around construction methods, products and materials curse buildings with a negative environmental impact from birth – an original carbon sin that cannot be retrieved or reduced.

Choose low-carbon materials

Embodied carbon content differs significantly between different building materials and products depending on how they are sourced and manufactured.

I’ve worked across numerous building materials over 30 years, including PVCu, aluminium and composite, and over that time I’ve built a picture of how various products deliver different types of embodied carbon – and the motivating

factors behind good and bad decision making (usually money).

Of all the materials I’ve experienced, timber is without doubt the most sustainable. Timber is a natural carbon sink, meaning that it absorbs and stores more carbon than it emits during its growth time, which makes its embodied carbon figures amongst the lowest in the industry.

When sourced responsibly and processed appropriately, timber products can offer both industry-leading sustainability credentials, a long lifespan and minimal maintenance requirements.

A standard NorDan window frame is made with more than 90% timber, with a thin aluminium cladding. The result is a window with the sustainability credentials of a timber window, but with reduced maintenance requirements and extended lifecycle of 60-plus years.

This is why NorDan windows are so robust, and contain some of the lowest embodied carbon available on the market today; they are around twice as sustainable as standard composite windows and are five times more sustainable than aluminium windows.

Measuring embodied carbon in a building product also requires tracking materials through often complex supply chains, but manufacturers can assist housing developers by providing third-party verified certification of their products, such as Environmental Products Declarations (EPDs).

EPDs are a transparent, objective report that communicate what a product is made of and how it impacts the environment across its entire lifecycle. NorDan has invested heavily in providing EDPs for its entire product range and, to date, is the only fenestration company in the UK to have done so.

TIMBER

Ask suppliers for third-party certification

Refurb over rebuild

One of the big lessons we’ve learnt with regards to embodied carbon is the value of refurbishment over rebuild. The carbon expended in demolishing and replacing a building is enormous, and will take even the most energyefficient new build decades to retrieve.

A great example is Castle Court, a large social housing tower block in Sheffield managed by The Guinness Partnership.

In the late 1980s, Sheffield City Council took the decision to refurbish the then-dilapidated 1960s development to provide athlete accommodation for the 1991 World Student Games and, beyond that, social housing.

Using the games as a catalyst for investment, the decision was taken to retrofit Castle Court to a high specification, including the installation of NorDan’s Norwegian-designed StormGuard aluminium clad windows.

30 years on, neither the facade of the building nor any of NorDan’s windows have needed maintenance or replacing. The tilt-and-drop mechanism still operates perfectly, and homes are dry, airtight and warm.

PVCu windows may have been a cheaper refurbishment option and reduced capital cost, but would have needed to be replaced at least once by now – whereas NorDan’s windows still have a further 30-year lifespan, minimum.

Today, Castle Court remains one of the most sought-after social housing developments in Sheffield. Compare this to a neighbouring tower which was demolished around the same time that Castle Court was refurbished. Imagine the embodied carbon lost? It’s a fantastic case study made more relevant and valuable by its age, and one NorDan is happy to share in further detail.

Social, financial and environmental benefits

Embodied carbon legislation and regulation changes should drive what Castle Court perfectly demonstrates; the wider benefits of specifying high-quality building products and materials, because, given enough time, social, financial and environmental values are able to align.

Tenants have warmer, more comfortable homes to live in, landlords have reduced ongoing product maintenance and costs, and, of course, there’s lower embodied and operational carbon emissions. It just makes sense. 

www.nordan.co.uk

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TOWN & CITY REGENERATION

MICHAEL GRUBB STUDIO DELIVERS PUBLIC REALM LIGHTING STRATEGY FOR BRIGHTON’S CIRCUS STREET DEVELOPMENT As an ever-evolving seaside resort, visitors and residences of Brighton have seen many improvements in recent years. One of the latest is the imaginative transformation of a formerly-disused area of the city centre into a vibrant new social, cultural and economic quarter.

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he much-heralded Circus Street development draws inspiration from Brighton’s historic agricultural laines, as well as the urban grain of the city’s older parts.

Under the ownership of regeneration specialist U+I, the development benefits

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from the creative and inspirational approach that the company is known for.

The mixed-use site includes 142 shared-ownership and private homes, 450 student accommodation bedrooms, 30,000ft 2 office space, and food, drink and retail units. It

also features the city’s first ever purpose-built dance space, which will be run by South East Dance.

Renowned architecture firm shedkm and landscape architect J & L Gibbons were appointed to deliver the project. Working in

conjunction with these two key partners, accomplished lighting design practice Michael Grubb Studio was brought into the project to deliver an innovative public realm lighting strategy and detailed technical designs for the development.

TOWN & CITY REGENERATION Brighton and Hove City Council also played an important role in the success of the project as PPP partner.

With a specialism in bespoke lighting strategies and masterplans, as well as a plethora of impressive design projects, Michael Grubb Studio was able to bring its wealth of expertise to develop the powerful lighting design solution for the multi-million-pound Circus Street public realm regeneration project.

Based on the concept that lighting should be more than just visual objects, the lighting design of Circus Street sought to relate to the surrounding public realm and architecture. With three main gateways into the development, each entrance has its own catenary lighting flow system with a super-sized pendant, shaped either as a pyramid, cube or sphere. These forms, and their materiality, are directly informed by the adjacent buildings designed by shedkm and work to assist those navigating the site by day or night.

It was also important that the lighting design blends seamlessly with the landscape design that had been curated

by J & L Gibbons, while complementing the bold, honest and vibrant culture of Brighton. Exterior lighting within the site has been carefully configured and includes a balance of both horizontal and vertical illumination. The central core and main square contain layers of architectural lighting, with each complementing the other. This includes lighting of both soft

and hard landscaping features, as well as surrounding building facades.

Michael Grubb, Founder and Managing Director of Michael Grubb Studios, said: “Brighton is such a fantastic place to live, work and visit, and is continually evolving and improving. To transform a disused area into such a stunning place, offering a multitude of purposes, is a prime example of the innovative approach to regeneration that Brighton is known for.

“The lighting scheme is a crucial element of the success of the project.

Michael Grubb Studio was delighted to be given the opportunity to be part of the expert team bringing Circus Street to fruition with a comprehensive lighting strategy encompassing detailed technical design work.”

The Circus Street site has a strong focus on sustainability and has been working towards a green future. More than 100 trees have been planted, including a mature elm as a centrepiece to symbolise regeneration and growth. The creation of the public realm including public art and associated lighting was put in place to encourage a sense of community and social interaction for those living and working there.

Rob Sloper, Development Director at U+I, said: “Circus Street is set to become one of the most desirable areas to live in Brighton. It is also appealing to creative businesses and individuals, who find inspiration in the beauty of the built and natural environment of Circus Street.”

Helen Misselbrook at shedkm added: “Brighton is a very forward-thinking and progressive city, while being proud of its history and heritage. The Circus Street development perfectly balances these elements, bringing together contemporary design with nods to Brighton’s regency elements.

“As planning architect, we intended to create a bold, yet embedded, sense of place to inspire those living, working and dancing in the new neighbourhood.

As design guardian, we endeavoured to deliver on our good faith promises made to the city.”

The project has been ongoing for a number of years, with the initial concept first imagined over seven years ago. With the landmark design now completed, Michael Grubb Studio has been integral to the regeneration of this previous brownfield site. Circus Street is creating over 400 new jobs and will add more than £200m gross value to the local economy in the next 10 years.

Michael Grubb Studio’s lighting strategy at Circus Street has successfully delivered on its core ambition of creating a meaningful environment that becomes a healthy, vibrant, sustainable community model of city life. The public realm lighting strategy reinforces these core principles by supporting the needs of people, whether local residents, students or business owners operating after dark. 

www.michaelgrubbstudio.com

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UK CONSTRUCTION WEEK PREVIEW

UK CONSTRUCTION WEEK 3RD-5TH MAY 2022

UK CONSTRUCTION WEEK LONDON TO FOCUS ON CULTURE CHANGE IN CONSTRUCTION The fundamental issue of culture change in the construction industry is the focus of a major event in May this year, with more than 25,000 people expected to come together to explore how the industry implements new behaviours, best practice and a true cultural shift in how it builds for the future.

U

K Construction Week (UKCW), the country’s largest live show for the construction industry and all its related professions and trades, is running in London at the ExCeL centre from 3rd to 5th May. Supported by sponsors including Aico, Northgate Vehicle Hire and Bosch, it will run alongside co-located events Concrete Expo (3rd to 4th May), the Offsite Show (3rd to 5th May) and Grand Designs Live (30th April to 8th May).

The show will consist of over 40,000m 2 of exhibition space, more than 300 exhibitors (600 including co-located shows), 10,000 products, 300 expert speakers, seven theatre stages, multiple specialist hubs and 150 hours of CPD content and activities.

Nathan Garnett, UKCW Event Director, says: “We’re really excited to bring UK Construction Week to London. 2022 is the year to focus on how we achieve

the systemic changes we’ve been discussing for some time and to share the learnings from the organisations who have already made a strong start.

We need to ensure there’s not a corner of construction that doesn’t know how to live its core values, implement new policies and behaviours, and be transformed by culture change.

“There’s so much to see, with many displays, exhibitors, shows and products you won’t find anywhere else. It will be a chance to celebrate the sector’s achievements and some of the best thought leaders and innovators construction has to offer. This is a must-attend event for anyone that wants to have their finger on the pulse of all things construction.”

UKCW London’s main stage programme, sponsored by COINS, will feature pioneers of culture change debating how best to foster this across the whole sector, with day one

including updates on new rules around public procurement, the new regulatory regime on building safety, the forthcoming Building Safety Act, and the new ways the industry works on projects such as prisons, hospitals, road and rail infrastructure, education buildings and housing. Day two will be a dive into digitalisation, net zero and energy futures, and day three will focus on diversity, health and wellbeing, recruitment and retention issues.

The Offsite Alliance Hub will share learnings from alliance members who work alongside leading organisations, industry bodies, Government, local authorities and housing associations to increase the uptake and delivery of offsite technologies across the residential sector.

The Digital Construction Hub will deliver workshops on best practice in digital strategy, BIM,

www.ukconstructionweek.com

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cloud computing, cybersecurity, use of Big Data and the whole range of ways in which new technology can improve productivity and profitability.

The Sustainability Hub will look at best practice in lowcarbon buildings and retrofit from Europe, regenerative design and biomimicry, hydrogen innovation, 3D printing, waste issues and building for disassembly.

The Infrastructure Hub, sponsored by CEMEX, will showcase learning from projects like HS2, Thames Tideway, Royal Docks London and the West Midlands Growth Engine, and analyse policies affecting infrastructure over the next 10 to 15 years.

Elsewhere, UKCW’s Role Models awards campaign returns for its fourth year.

An opportunity to recognise talented professionals across all areas of construction and inspire others into similar roles.

The Fix Radio Tradesperson of the Year award for the country’s leading and most innovative tradesperson will also be announced at a ceremony hosted by Clive Holland.

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ARCHITECT@WORK PREVIEW

ARCHITECT@WORK 13-14TH APRIL 2022

Eleanor Brough of Sarah Wigglesworth Architects

Joanna Simpson of Simpson Studio

Je Ahn from Studio Weave

ARCHITECT@WORK RETURNS TO THE TRUMAN BREWERY FOR 2022 EDITION Taking place on 13 and 14th April 2022, ARCHITECT@WORK reaches higher than ever before with lofty ambitions to explore air and architecture when it returns to its physical format at London’s Truman Brewery. Visitors are invited to attend and meet 76 companies showing their innovations to the architecture and specifier markets, as well as partaking in the stellar line-up of talks for which the show is known.

T

he theme for the 2022 edition is Air & Architecture, which allows the talks programme to explore a range of different projects, places and experiences. Different sessions will touch upon how we breathe and what that means for our wellbeing, as well as the lungs of cities themselves. A key highlight for the talks programme will be a session on health and wellbeing that takes a look at air, space, materials and biophilia, considering how they are key to comfortable experiences that encourage better interactions within workspaces. This talk will feature Morris+Company Director Joe Morris, speaking alongside Francesca Brady of AirRated, rising star Anouska Anquetil, who runs Aterre and Rachel Edwards of Lendlease.

With climate change making a bigger impression on every design project, it’s clear that the relationship between

architecture and landscape can play a huge role in making the built environment more inhabitable and kinder to the environment.

The ways that we retrofit our cities to accommodate this will be discussed by Eleanor Brough of Sarah Wigglesworth Architects, Katherine Erne from HTA, Joanna Simpson of Simpson Studio and Sanaa Shaikh from Native Studio.

Je Ahn from Studio Weave and Adam Scott of Freestate will focus on the everpopular draw of public space projects as good design is used to enliven places, creating a character and a focus for activity. Not only that, but we get the opportunity to reconsider what we want cities to look like, with a greater emphasis on greenery, accessibility and inclusivity.

Some of the best innovations in architecture are found in the buildings and spaces that harness our love of sport and

www.architect-at-work.co.uk

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exercise, ranging from the recent Olympics to climbing centres in skyscrapers and running tracks that weave through new developments. Peter Karn of MET Studio, Guy Hollaway from Hollaway Studio and Zoe Adeline-Lindop of AHMM will discuss how design can promote exercise when advances in digital technologies cause us to be more sedentary.

Join the presenters of Open City’s smash-hit podcast, the Londown, for a live recording of their topical show, which covers breaking stories in London’s architecture and built environment. The Londown is produced by Open City and the London Society in partnership with the Architects’ Journal.

Architecture offers so many opportunities for enclosure, but why aren’t we better utilising the air space on top of buildings to create new homes and landscapes? Emily Erlam of Erlam Studio, Nile Bridgeman from Gatti Routh Rhodes and Julia Barfield of Marks Barfield will explain how designers are using sophisticated engineering and new materials to take in our surroundings like never before.

The venue advises taking a lateral flow test prior to the show.

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DRAINAGE & LANDSCAPING

MODULAR CONCRETE PERMEABLE PAVING AND TREES IN SYNERGY Street tree planting and retention of existing trees in developments, with provision for long-term maintenance, are now embedded in planning policy.

The 2021 ‘National Planning Policy Framework’ (NPPF) for England lays out what local planning authorities (LPAs) will require, when setting local policies and also considering planning applications for all developments. The NPPF states that: “Planning policies and decisions should ensure that new streets are tree-lined and that opportunities are taken to incorporate trees elsewhere in developments.”

This is backed up by other recent Government and local guidance such as the ‘National Model Design Code’ which says: “All schemes will be expected to follow national policy by achieving a 10% net gain in biodiversity. All new streets should include street trees.”

Maintenance requirement

However, measures need to be put in place to nurture and allow trees to mature, generally for decades, enabling them to actually deliver their real potential – including net-carbon

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storage, urban cooling through shading and evapotranspiration, biodiversity and public wellbeing. So, the NPPF also requires that “appropriate measures are in place to secure the long-term maintenance of newly-planted trees, and that existing trees are retained wherever possible”.

Local planning authorities now need to incorporate long-term tree maintenance measures in their planning consents and a straightforward spatial solution, such as permeable paving, offers a holistic multifunctional solution. Urban trees and paving have traditionally been seen as in conflict. But this is not the case with concrete block permeable paving, a key sustainable drainage (SuDS) technique to reduce flood risk and make cities more liveable. CBPP offers unique opportunities to collect, attenuate and treat rainwater runoff, removing pollutants for a gradual supply of clean water irrigating green infrastructure.

Irrigation and gaseous exchange

Unlike conventional impermeable hard landscape materials, CBPP allows the same pattern of runoff transfer to the ground as natural vegetation, allowing water to reach tree and shrub roots, despite providing an attractive hard surface above.

In addition to irrigation directly from rain, with CBPP there is scope for water storage and rainwater capture away from trees and their umbrella canopies for gradual conveyance laterally to trees – essential during the summer.

In addition, CBPP enables air to reach roots and poisonous CO 2 to escape from them. The favourable environment created for tree roots avoids pavement surface disruption from upward root growth and facilitates natural growth into lower levels for stability in high winds and longevity. CBPP can be used within new-build or regeneration schemes with new tree planting and also for ‘rescuing’ mature trees. It can be used in conjunction with raingardens/ bioretention, tree-pits or proprietary systems avoiding air pipes, reservoirs or other structures for irrigation and gaseous exchange.

Beneficial relationship

A recent Interpave case study (available via www.paving.org.uk) explored the 20-year beneficial relationship between CBPP and trees at the Martlesham Park and Ride scheme. Here, concrete block permeable paving has operated efficiently with minimal maintenance amongst extensive tree planting without root disruption or other issues.

DRAINAGE & LANDSCAPING

Innovative concrete block overlay paving provides clean water to tree-planted basins at Bridget Joyce Square, London

The benefits of CBPP for trees, while retaining accessibility, are recognised by the current Code of Practice for accessibility in the external environment, BS 8300-1:2018, which states that: “Tree grilles should be avoided. Smooth or paved permeable surfaces should be used wherever practicable.”

Permeable paving can be laid level and still avoids puddles without the need for drainage gulleys. It provides a safe, firm, pot-hole-free surface for everyone – including wheelchair users and people pushing prams. Two decades of experience in the UK demonstrate the long-term performance of CBPP with minimal, if any, maintenance.

Low-intervention retrofit

Another important innovation – particularly for regeneration – is the retrofitting of CBPP as an overlay to existing, conventional road bases or other hard surfaces. These thin overlays create attractive, safe and sustainable shared surfaces. They can be particularly effective when used to supply a gradual flow of clean water horizontally into raingardens or bioretention areas with trees and other green infrastructure, via simple slot inlet/ outlets, to store water for irrigation and biodiversity, as well as SuDS. Such low-intervention techniques enable transformation of the public realm in response to the raft of recent active travel, low traffic and open space initiatives.

This approach is exemplified in Bridget Joyce Square, London, an important regeneration project designed by Robert Bray Associates (RBA) in conjunction

with McCloy Consulting for the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, which won the top prize at the 2017 Landscape Institute Awards. Here, a typical, adopted asphalt street and adjacent parking areas were transformed for community use with CBPP overlay shared surfaces and tree-planted raingarden basins – an exemplar for future urban landscapes. The basins provide water storage for SuDS to reduce overloading existing drains (in the absence of the CBPP sub-base), as well as for irrigation.

Well-established green infrastructure

Interpave revisited the project in August 2021, around five years after completion, and noted that trees and other green infrastructure were healthy, substantial

and particularly well-established. The permeable paving is also performing well and, it is understood from local sources, experienced no problems during recent extreme summer storms, despite extensive flooding nearby.

RBA founder, SuDS expert and Landscape Architect, Bob Bray, commented: “All the plants have grown really well. Birches are particularly sensitive to drought and urban heat island effect but they have thrived here and the vegetation has remained green all summer. The critical thing seems to be that even small rainfall events are captured by the permeable paving in summer and with larger events concentrated in the basins.”

0116 232 5170

www.paving.org.uk info@paving.org.uk

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SURFACES & METALS Photos: ©Peter Bennetts

SPIRALLING NORDIC BRASS Three dramatic spiral staircases clad in Nordic Brass copper alloy announce intersecting looped pathways, helping visitors to explore intuitively a new museum in Perth, Australia.

The WA Museum Boola Bardip in the Perth Cultural Centre was designed as a joint venture by international design practices Hassell + OMA. The new museum, effectively taking up a whole city block, was designed as a series of virtual ‘stories’ that guide visitors through the major galleries to experience the state’s collections. The design aims to make wandering up and down the Nordic Brass staircases, between restored heritage-listed buildings and the new contemporary development, feel seamless to visitors.

Fabricator and installer of the three Nordic Brass spiral staircases, Carter Roofing, worked closely with the architects and managing contractor Multiplex on design revisions to achieve cost-effective

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layouts, dimensioning and details while retaining the original design intent.

Sean Carter said: “Everything we do is handmade. No CAD software was used on the project for fabrication or installation... just pen, paper, tape measure, mathematics and, most of all, patience. We all loved working on it.”

As well as Nordic Brass, which can also be supplied pre-weathered, copper alloys include Nordic Bronze and the innovative Nordic Royal – an alloy of copper with aluminium and zinc, retaining its golden colour. The extensive Nordic Copper range of architectural surfaces includes Nordic Standard ‘mill finish’ and Nordic Brown pre-oxidised copper with lighter (Nordic Brown Light) or darker shades of brown.

The Nordic Blue, Nordic Green and Nordic Turquoise pre-patinated ranges have been developed with properties and colours based on the same brochantite mineralogy that can be found in natural patinas worldwide.

As well as the solid patina colours, ‘Living’ surfaces are available for each with other intensities of patina flecks revealing some of the dark oxidised background material. A wide choice of Nordic Decor mechanicallyapplied surface treatments is also available.

A growing series of ‘copper stories’ – building studies exemplifying the best in contemporary architecture – showcase the diversity of surfaces, forms and applications available with Nordic Copper today.

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ROOFING, CLADDING FOCUS & INNOVATION & INSULATION

SPORTING 2 SECURITHERM SHOWER PANEL DELIVERS STYLISH, SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE SHOWERING

DELAB E has launched a touch-free thermostatic version of its Ragship SPORT NG 2 shower panel, bringing the comfor of home to public washrooms. The new SPORT NG 2 SECUR THERM ingeniously combines the hygiene bene4ts of touch-free, electronic control with anti-scalding thermostatic technology in a stylish, yet compact, silhouette.

Inside the showerhead, a thermostatic cell blends the water at the point-of-use to a safe temperature, simultaneously ensuring user comfort and removing any scalding risk. A failsafe shuts off the hot water if the cold supply fails (and vice versa), further reducing the scalding risk. The same showerhead also houses a solenoid valve which opens and closes the water flow automatically when a hand passes in front of the sensor.

Designed specifically for public places, SECURITHERM SPORTING 2 helps combat legionella. The hot and cold water supplies connect directly to the mixing valve, removing potential dead legs where water can stagnate – ideal conditions for legionella bacteria to develop. If unused for long periods, a duty flush occurs, ensuring the water circulates within the system, also minimising stagnation.

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SPORTING 2 SECURITHERM promotes fractional showering: water only flows when required, avoiding waste due to user neglect. A pre-set 6 litres/minute flow rate guarantees water efficiency without compromising comfort, while an antiblocking system prevents voluntary waste.

Powered by batteries, the solenoid valve uses active-pulse infrared technology, ensuring low energy and water consumption, delivering up to 80% water savings compared to domestic showers.

The panel is easy to install with no electrical connection required thanks to integrated batteries. With the flow rate and detection distance preset, no additional adjustments are required on installation. Accessible filters, integrated non-return valves and standardised components ensure

maintenance is kept to a minimum. The SPORTING 2 SECURITHERM integrates recycled materials and standard parts that require minimal resource to install and maintain. And, at the end of its considerable lifespan, the materials are fully recyclable. It, therefore, has a very low environmental impact.

Intended for non-domestic use, its sleek profile is discreet, blending naturally into any architectural style.

Thanks to low water and energy consumption, building owners also benefit from lower utility bills, perfect for gyms, leisure centres, education buildings and offices that offer employee changing facilities.

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FOCUS & INNOVATION

WHY DO THE WORLD’S LEADING DANCE UNIVERSITIES AND SCHOOLS CHOOSE HARLEQUIN FLOORS? Dance students can spend hours working in a dance studio, itistheirplaceofworkandshouldoerasafeenvironment 4tforpurpose.TheRoorisadancersmostimportantwork tool and dancers need reassurance they are not going to slip and fall, that lifts can be performed safely and, on landing fromjumps,theresponseoftheRoorconsistentlyreturns the right amount of energy absorption.

It is a common assumption that a well-designed sports floor will suit the needs of dancers, but this is not the case.

There are some critical factors that distinguish the requirements of dance from those of sports played on a sports floor. Unlike sportspeople who wear increasingly high-tech air-cushioned shoes to give grip and protect against impact injuries, the modest ballet shoe has barely changed in design since the mid-18th century.

Made from soft leather, canvas or satin, the ballet shoe is very flexible, has a thin sole and offers little protection for the wearer.

But not all dance floors are the same, only a floor developed specifically for dance will do. There may be a temptation to specify floors for aesthetic or budget reasons, or to specify sports floors in the mistaken belief they will be suitable for dance but there have been some high-profile examples where floors have had to be replaced by a dance company after the building is complete and dancers have their first experience of dancing on the floors.

Harlequin is widely recognised as one of the world’s leading authorities on dance floors. As an enlightened manufacturer, Harlequin has always worked closely with the dance community to develop floors that dancers want to dance on. There is no doubt, the choice of flooring is critical. For over 40 years, Harlequin has been the performance floor of choice for the world’s most prestigious dance and performing arts companies, theatres, venues and schools.

Harlequin offers free advice to ensure dance companies, schools and venues install dance floors best suited to their particular use.

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M-AR CPD PROVIDES INVALUABLE OFFSITE INSIGHT

F. BALL SUPPORTS COVENTRY CARIBBEAN CENTRE RENOVATION Products donated by F. Ball and Co., including the company’s Stopgap 1200 Pro levelling compound, have been used to prepare subfloors as part of the renovation of the Coventry Caribbean Community Centre prior to its reopening to coincide with Coventry’s UK City of Culture status last year. Installers opted to use F. Ball’s Stopgap 1200 Pro to smooth subfloors as it can be applied directly over minimal, well-bonded old adhesive residues. In such applications, there is no need to prime surfaces beforehand. It is also moisture tolerant, meaning that it can be used to smooth rough or uneven subfloors prior to the application of a waterproof surface.

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Offsite contractor M-AR has launched a brand-new CPD module focused exclusively on modern methods of construction (MMC) and exploring how best to maximise the benefits of offsite. Typifying M-AR’s open and collaborative approach to improving standards across the industry, the new CPD is designed to provide architects, specifiers, cost consultants and end clients alike with insight on the offsite manufacture and installation process as an alternative to traditional build. The benefits of offsite, from cost predictability to programming efficiency and improved site safety are well documented so the new CPD from M-AR delves deeper into the concept of offsite. The free CPD presentation is now available and can be delivered either face-to-face or virtually by M-AR’s expert team.

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01482 635081

buildingrelationships@m-ar.co.uk

FIRE BARRIER SPECIALIST TAKES EXPANDED RANGE TO FIREX TBA Firefly is returning to London’s ExCeL Centre for this year’s FIREX (17 to 19th May) with new products to interest visitors and to build on its success of 2021 in terms of winning new business. Staff will be on the manufacturer’s stand (No. F1I044) to explain the benefits of recent launches such as Penowrap and the FR120 Access Panel, as well as its versatile Athena fire barrier, ideally suited to timber lofts. The new 600 x 600mm, IFC-certified panel has been developed to facilitate regular maintenance access to roof spaces and other fire compartments, created using the Firefly barriers and offers two hours’ fire resistance. Penowrap, meanwhile, is a lightweight and flexible wrap which complements other TBA Firefly flexible fire barrier systems.

www.tbafirefly.com

01706 758817

technical@tbafirefly.com

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ROOFING, CLADDING FOCUS & INNOVATION & INSULATION

It was vital to us that the new addition matched the look and feel of the existing building, with green, metal window surrounds and brick cladding. Inside the new building would be two science classrooms and two ‘all-purpose’ rooms.

Why was Wernick Buildings chosen to deliver the new building?

MODULAR SCHOOL BUILDING DELIVERS ON SPACE AND AESTHETICS

BR: During the procurement process, Wernick’s designs were the closest match to the school’s brief – they looked like Gartree. Wernick Buildings quoted for a two-storey, 414m² block and it was well within our budget – in fact, the quote gave us some room to specify additional features, such as reinforced flooring, triple glazing and PIR lighting.

Wernick really paid attention to every detail on the project – for example, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Wernick had included elements of the existing building in the new block without being asked.

What feedback have you received from users of the building?

EW: I’m lucky enough to teach in the new building and a few things are really clear; Gartree High School appointed modular provider Wernick to supply a first of all, we’ve noticed no difference in standalone building to accommodate an increase in students. The school the behaviour of the children and students required a seamless transition with minimal intervention from teaching stain the building, which is who are working and timely student occupation. More importantly, the building had to look the exactly what we want. part, mimicking the school’s existing building.

Teachers find the new building very comfortable – air conditioning throughout ensures a consistent temperature yearround, which is something they are not used to. Rooms are also more spacious – the whole building has an open feel to it.

Triple glazing creates a peaceful environment, which is ideal for pupils sitting exams. The quality of the finish is really excellent, it’s a lovely place to work in and we’re finding that teaching here is a real pleasure.

BR: I wanted people to see this as a permanent building, and that is exactly what we have achieved. The modular building fits in perfectly and the finish gives it that ‘wow’ factor when you walk in.

How did you find the process of working with Wernick?

With decades of experience within the UK education sector, Wernick specialises in the design and build of modern school buildings. Each project is managed

by Wernick’s dedicated construction division to ensure a thorough service and the utmost levels of health and safety.

Gartree’s Deputy Head, Ben Rackley, and Assistant Head, Edward Wilson, talk to PSBJ, describing the project and their experience of working with Wernick to procure their new building in Leicestershire.

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How did you settle on a modular solution for the new building?

BR: Before obtaining our new building, all Gartree’s classes took place within one large building. Student numbers have increased, and it was time to increase capacity by adding at least four new classrooms. A modular classroom block made sense to us due to the timescales involved. We were aware of neighbouring schools who have chosen this route, and they helped to demonstrate the speed and aesthetics achievable with this building method.

EW: Wernick provided us with a bespoke, onplan building that followed our wish for the new building very closely. I was genuinely impressed with that and impressed with what they have supplied.

BR: I had absolutely no time or inclination to manage a traditional building project, but Wernick’s dedicated construction division managed the project from start to finish. A project manager attended site every day – this was a major selling point for me. The team on site were brilliant and having the same point of contact throughout was invaluable.

www.wernick.co.uk/buildings 0800 112 4640 enquiries.buildings@wernickgroup.co.uk

NEW LOW SURFACE TEMPERATURE RADIATORS FOR THE EDUCATION SECTOR

Midlands-based safe heating product provider, Contour Heating, has launched a brand-new low surface temperature radiator that is set to provide the education sector with a cost- e ective alternative to their current heating products.

SPORTS HALL SPACE MAXIMISED WITH STYLE MOVEABLE WALL

www.contourheating.co.uk 01952 290498 sales@contourheating.co.uk

TARMAC SUPPORTS BAND OF BUILDERS GARDEN MAKEOVER

The large sports hall in the new £22.5m Whitwick and Coalville Leisure Centre offers considerable functionality thanks to a Dorma Hüppe Variflex moveable wall installed by partitioning expert, Style. Featuring semi-automatic operation with an impressive 59 dB acoustic barrier between divided areas, the wall allows the hall to be quickly separated into two dance and fitness studios or opened up to accommodate activities requiring the entire area. Ensuring a long-term return on investment, the Variflex panels are manufactured separately from the frame, allowing individual ones to be easily changed if they become damaged. This represents a highly cost-effective solution, compared to having the entire moveable wall replaced, and is an essential feature for a busy facility like this where a wide variety of sports are being enjoyed. Finished in a contemporary pearly grey laminate, the Variflex benefits from semi-automatic operation which means, once the wall has been moved into position, the acoustic seals are applied to the perfect pressure every time without the need for manual intervention.

www.style-partitions.co.uk

FOCUS & INNOVATION

Covora Lite launches alongside a range of other safe heating products as part of the all-new brochure made available earlier this year.

Aimed at helping school and nursery refurbishments working to tight budgets and timelines, its launch is in line with specification for summer heating fit-outs, providing contractors with a cost-effective low surface temperature radiator.

“Covora Lite is our most affordable low surface temperature radiator to date,” said Commercial Director, Robin Mansell. “With all the features expected from Contour’s extensive range, Covora Lite is still a premium product, but one that makes safe heating much more affordable.”

Including bullnose corners for added safety precautions, pencil-proof grilles to prevent foreign objects from entering, and with BioCote – helping protect against 99.9% of bacteria – Covora Lite low surface temperature radiators are available with a much shorter leadtime than other Contour products.

This unrivalled delivery means school projects can be made easier without the need of chasing heating product suppliers. On top of this, split delivery is also available, helping customers optimise projects and work more streamlined with other trades.

Contour Heating’s complete product range also includes other low surface temperature radiators as well as a variety of anti-ligature solutions, helping provide safer heating to a wider range of industries.

01202 874044 sales@style-partitions.co.uk

Tarmac has teamed up with Band of Builders, a national charity for tradespeople, to help transform the garden of a South Shields woman whose dog alerted her to ovarian cancer. The landscaping project, which took place last month, was supported by the team from Tarmac’s cement business and saw half a dozen voluntary tradespeople landscape Tess Robinson’s garden to make it a more peaceful and relaxing space for her to continue her recovery from chemotherapy. These volunteers – who are part of the Band of Builders community – offered their time and expertise to ensure Tess can benefit from a newly-renovated garden. The main element of the project was to build a new decked area in the garden so that Tess can sit outside and enjoy the sunshine.

Friends of Tess Robinson told her and husband Paul – who is a plasterer – about the support offered by Band of Builders.

Founded in 2016, the charity was formed to offer fellow construction workers hands-on help during challenging times and has since grown to a nationwide community offering emotional, mental and physical support.

03444 636465

www.tarmac.com packedproducts@tarmacbp.co.uk

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FOCUS & INNOVATION

AKW LAUNCHES UPGRADED DOC M RANGE AND INSTALLATION COMPLIANCY GUIDE AKW, one of the UK’s leading providers of accessibility solutions, is pleased to announce the launch of its upgraded Doc M sanitaryware range for public-use accessible toilets and washrooms.

Committed to ensuring that compliance is as straightforward as possible, AKW has also launched a design advice guide alongside the range.

Ensuring toilets and washrooms conform to Document M of the UK Building Regulations involves buying and correctly installing the appropriate products. As well as giving examples of how a fully-compliant Doc M washroom or toilet area should be designed and installed, the guide also includes the latest AKW Doc M pack options.

There are 10 AKW Doc M packs to choose from and they range from fully-compliant Doc M washrooms (including hand dryers, soap dispensers etc.) to individual toilet cubicles. As well as traditional styling, there are two contemporary Doc M packs that feature stainless-steel rails to fit in

with any modern design aesthetic.

Designed with hygiene in mind, the packs include an AKW Navlin Doc M close-coupled or low-level rimless, raised-height toilet pan, a watersaving cistern and direct flushing system. The ergonomic, soft-close toilet seat and the grab rails are also available in a range of colours to enable high colour contrast between surfaces for those with visual impairments. All of the Doc M packs feature either fixed or fold-up rails, and the washroom options are available with easy-to-use taps and British Standard BS 8300 wash basins.

Stuart Reynolds, Head of Product and Marketing at AKW, comments: “Our upgraded AKW Doc M packs offer specifiers even more choice when it comes to installing a publicuse accessible toilet or washroom.

COMPLIANCE AND A COMPETITIVE EDGE WITH CPD COURSES ASSA ABLOY Project Specification Group is inviting architects and specifiers to complete its practical RIBA-accredited training courses to remain compliant and well informed. As part of its commitment to delivering safe and secure door-opening solutions, Project Specification Group runs a comprehensive training and education programme to provide expertise and insights to help architects and specifiers secure a competitive edge. Kevin Campbell, Sales Director at Project Specification Group, explains: “It is critical for architects and specifiers to stay up to date on new legislative developments, topical industry discussion points and best practice guidelines surrounding product specification and installation. We are a RIBA-accredited training provider, catering to individual or combined CPD courses, which architects can earn points for towards their annual target. Alternatively, we deliver product training or education programmes tailored to meet your specific needs.”

Courses available include: Inclusive Design – Why should you care?; Demystifying Ironmongery; Steel Doors: Performance and Specification; Opening Your Eyes to Door Controls and Enhancing the Efficiency of BIM Door Object Development.

www.assaabloy.com/uk/en/services/training-courses 0845 223 2124

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Our Doc M guide has also been created to help make the whole process even more straightforward and can be downloaded at www.akw-ltd.co.uk/ documentation/catalogues-brochures-guides.”

www.akw-ltd.co.uk 01905 823298 sales@akw-ltd.co.uk

SETCRETE ENABLES A SUPERSMOOTH FINISH Setcrete High Performance floor-levelling compound is recommended for smoothing flooring screeds that contain underfloor heating systems, prior to the installation of a floorcovering. The levelling compound can also be used to encapsulate mesh-mounted wire underfloor heating systems installed over both screeds and well-fixed timber (plywood) subfloors. Its fibre-reinforced formulation ensures the compound will retain its integrity throughout the warming and cooling cycles of the heating system, ensuring that the supersmooth surface it delivers will remain intact and uncompromised during the lifetime of a flooring installation. The levelling compound is suitable for use over both absorbent and nonabsorbent subfloors, including sand/cement and concrete screeds, as well as granolithic, terrazzo, epoxy and polyurethane resins, ceramic and quarry tiles. Commenting on the product, Setcrete Brand Manager, Peter Wilson, said: “We always recommend that merchants include Setcrete High Performance in their levelling compound range, because of its wide-ranging capabilities and the extra assurance it gives to builders that their flooring projects won’t be compromised, especially when they involve underfloor heating and/or flexible subfloors.”

01538 361633

www.setcrete.co.uk lisa.shirley@f-ball.com

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