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Welcome to the August issue of PSBJ...
The past month has brought about significant change to the UK as the Labour Government took power and began introducing new policies under its leadership, significantly affecting the public sector.
Our new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, is focusing on various initiatives, such as improving the NHS, reducing waiting times, emphasising prevention and ending tax breaks for private schools. Policies like these are being pushed forward sooner than expected.
From social housing and British railways ownership to the Planning and Infrastructure and English Devolution Bills, we’ve gathered just a handful of reactions to last month’s King’s Speech to further understand the public sector’s views. Turn to page 36 to find out more.
Elsewhere, on page 08, GT3 Architects discusses the design of Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre, which offers state-of-the-art facilities while preserving cherished local spaces and promoting sustainability. While on page 22, Anastasia Mylona, Technical Director at CIBSE, highlights the increasing issue of overheating in homes.
Contributions
I hope you enjoy this issue. Don’t forget, you can also access 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 smartphone or tablet. Simply visit www.psbjmagazine.com.
Rebecca
Designed by GT3 Architects, Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre offers state-of-theart facilities while preserving cherished local spaces and promoting sustainability. See page 08. Rebecca Kemp • Editor
06 News
A round up of the latest industry news, including charity events, awarded contracts, completed projects and much more.
08 Upfront
Designed by GT3 Architects, Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre offers state-ofthe-art facilities while preserving cherished local spaces and promoting sustainability.
12 Talking Point
Mike Axon, Global Director of Transport at SLR, explains how integrating placemaking with transport planning is essential for fostering active travel and reducing carbon emissions.
14 Legal & Business
Phil Briggs, Head of Technical at Alsico, addresses the urgent need for inclusive, well-fitting PPE to ensure all workers are safe on site.
16 Housing
The rise of modular construction in MMC is revolutionising the building industry. With benefits like reduced waste, faster build times and superior insulation, modular techniques are proving to be a sustainable and efficient alternative to traditional methods.
18 Social Value
Using Archicad, the innovative retrofit of an outdated 1980s fire station in Suffolk underscores the power of reusing existing structures.
20
Healthcare
From water-saving technology to advanced hygiene and accessibility features, Sophie Weston from Geberit and Twyford highlights the critical role of innovative washroom solutions in healthcare.
22 Doors & Windows
Anastasia Mylona, Technical Director at CIBSE, highlights the increasing issue of overheating in homes.
24 Leisure
Chris Anderson, Technical Manager from Ansell Lighting, explains how switching to energy-efficient LEDs and implementing smart lighting solutions can significantly enhance sustainability and operational efficiencies for public leisure buildings.
Specifying CFA members for your flooring projects means you’ll gain a wealth of experience from vetted contractors with the knowledge and products to fulfil your specification with a sustainability criteria.
CFA members are part of a supply chain that includes specialist contract flooring contractors, manufacturers and distributors, all promoting the highest standards and expertise.
26 Education
With new national standards in place, Staffordshire Police Training Centre’s stateof-the-art facilities ensure that officers have the skills and training needed.
28 Drainage & Landscaping
Jacky So, ESG Director UK&I at OCS, highlights how initiatives like ‘no-mow May’ boost biodiversity by allowing green spaces to flourish naturally, providing vital support for pollinators.
30 KBB
Tom Doyle, Head of Industrial Design at AKW, discusses how social landlords can quickly and easily change adaptability by adding accessible showering solutions to tenant’s homes.
32 MMC, Offsite & Retrofit
James Gemmell, a sustainability and retrofit expert at Holmes Miller Architects, explores the urgent need to move beyond discussions and start implementing large-scale retrofitting solutions in the UK.
34 Technical Focus
Discover how SAP calculations can transform regulatory requirements into cost-effective, sustainable housing solutions with insights from Chris O’Kane, Technical Director of SIG’s 360 Team.
38 Product Guide
A dedicated focus of industry news, products and case studies to help specifiers and local authorities make informed decisions.
INDUSTRY UPDATES
Each month, PSBJ rounds up the latest public sector construction updates, from new contracts to industry awards.
Historic lido restoration marks Beard’s first project from new Southampton office
Beard has started work on restoring the historic Hilsea Lido for Portsmouth City Council. Beard was appointed to the multi-million-pound project through the Pagabo frameworks procurement process shortly after opening its new Southampton office. Mace is also driving the restoration through project and programme management services for the customer through the SCF Consult Framework. The project is expected to be completed by spring 2025, with the lido open to the public for the summer season in time for its 90th anniversary celebrations. The lido opened in 1935, hosting a demonstration by the Olympic British diving team a year later. Beard is starting the work by removing some of the fountain parts at the west end of the site, as pipework under the fountain needs to be removed. Portsmouthbased stonemason Darren Somerville is creating an exact replica of the fountain, which will be restored in pride of place in the middle of the site when the project is complete.
Phase one of landmark Skegness Tower Gardens landscape renovations now complete
Midlands contractor G F Tomlinson has finished delivering the first stage of works as part of a masterplan to reinvigorate the historic Tower Gardens in Skegness. On behalf of Skegness Town Council, which is developing the site with Heritage Lincolnshire through SCAPE’s Regional Construction Framework, G F Tomlinson worked alongside Influence Planning and Design and Gleeds to complete the initial £590k phase. The completion of the project was marked with a ribbon-cutting ceremony last month, with Deputy Town Mayor, Councillor Jimmy Brookes, Town Clerk, Steve Larner, and G F Tomlinson’s Framework Manager for SCAPE, Craig Stopper, in attendance, along with local councillors and representatives from Heritage Lincolnshire, Influence and Gleeds. The first stage of the Tower Gardens masterplan formed part of the Towns Fund Grant Scheme and was safely delivered whilst the park remained open to the public, ensuring availability for continued use of the amenities with minimal disruption.
Topping
out ceremony celebrates milestone achievement for Edward Street Hospital refurbishment
A significant milestone has recently been reached in the refurbishment of Edward Street Hospital with Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Integrated Health Projects (IHP) hosting a topping out ceremony to signify the highest point of construction of the new building. To mark the occasion, the project leads of the trust and IHP, the joint venture between VINCI Building and Sir Robert McAlpine, which is delivering the construction of the refurbishment, celebrated with staff and partners on their commitment to improving healthcare and the realisation of the significant impact the scheme will bring to local residents and the wider community. With the topping out phase completed, the focus now shifts towards the interior construction and installation of advanced medical equipment. The £50m investment was awarded to Black Country Healthcare as part of a national programme to eradicate dormitory wards.
Council housing project brings boost to Mansfield economy
New figures on work to revitalise an estate in Mansfield show that the project is boosting the local economy and local businesses massively. Mansfield District Council’s redevelopment scheme on the Bellamy estate will see 22 high-quality, affordable homes built, new shops and a new through road and green space. Under the council’s procurement policies, Mercer Building Solutions has had to include social value actions as part of its contract to deliver the project. So far, these have shown that 97.4% of the people employed on the project come from within 40 miles of the site, and 88% are from within 20 miles of Mansfield, against a target of 60%. They also show that the financial spend distribution throughout the main contractor’s supply chain is currently beating a target of 25% within the district by 2% and is exceeding a target of 75% within 30 miles by 6%.
Conlon transforms Wilmslow High School with multi-million-pound expansion
Conlon Construction has concluded a multi-year project at Wilmslow High School, facilitating a substantial increase in capacity to 360 places for the 2024/2025 academic year. Funded by Cheshire East Council and procured through the North West Construction Hub Framework, the extensive expansion permits a school transition from a 10-form to a 12-form entry, elevating its capacity to new heights. The project encompassed a diverse range of enhancements, including a striking singlestorey 1500m² extension to the main school building alongside extensive internal remodelling. Externally, upgrades to car parks, a new drop-off area and the construction of a cuttingedge 1500m² sports barn are set to enhance the school’s overall sports amenities and visitor experience. Internally, a key highlight of the project lies in the transformative redesign of the technology department, which features a central corridor linking various teaching areas while seamlessly integrating with the newly-constructed extension.
McCoy Contractors laying groundwork for major transport hub upgrade in Gloucestershire
Leading groundworks specialist McCoy Contractors is delivering the earthworks package for the £30m upgrade of the Arle Court Transport Hub (ACTH) in Cheltenham as part of the M5 Junction 10 Improvements Scheme. The project aims to support Gloucestershire’s Local Transport Plan and carbonneutral goals by enhancing the park-and-ride facility with expanded parking, electric vehicle charging points, a cafe and an indoor bus passenger terminal with amenities. Appointed by principal contractor Kier, McCoy Contractors is responsible for delivering the comprehensive groundworks package. McCoy’s scope of works for the 14,000m 2 project encompasses earthworks, foundations, ground-floor concrete slabs, external drainage, service trenching, reinforced concrete upstands and hard landscaping. The company’s expertise in groundworks construction is vital for establishing the infrastructure required for the new four-storey, wood-faced, steel-framed car park building and bus hub.
Holmes Miller scoops gold for HMP & YOI Stirling at Scottish Design Awards
Architecture firm Holmes Miller has been announced as the winner of the Health Building or Project category at the Scottish Design Awards. In what was a record for the Glasgowbased practice, it was named as a finalist in eight categories, covering each of its key sectors – education, leisure, retrofit and public building as well as Architectural Practice of the Year and Young Architect of the Year. Reflecting on its win, Holmes Miller highlighted its steadfast commitment to people-focused, sustainable architecture. Callum Houston, Managing Director at Holmes Miller, said: “It’s always inspiring to see our work being recognised by our industry peers, but having been named as finalists for a record eight categories among a pool of the best and brightest talent in Scottish architecture is a huge achievement in itself.”
Milestone reached on landmark development at Teesside University
A major milestone has been celebrated in the construction of a state-of-the-art building, which is destined to play a key role in the future learning experience of students at Teesside University. A steel-signing ceremony has been held to commemorate the installation of the final piece of steel in the £40m Digital Life building, which is being constructed in the heart of Teesside University’s Middlesbrough campus. A focal point for the University’s School of Computing, Engineering & Digital Technologies, the Digital Life building will be a catalyst for physical and digital collaboration through its learning and event spaces. Due for completion in spring 2025, Digital Life is the latest project being delivered as part of Teesside University’s transformative Campus Masterplan, which has seen over £300m invested to date as part of an ongoing drive to enhance the student and learning experience.
A COMMUNITY-LED NEW ERA FOR LEISURE AND WELLNESS IN KNARESBOROUGH
In the heart of Knaresborough, a historic market town nestled in north Yorkshire, the local swimming pool has long been a beloved community facility. Originally built in 1990 and last refurbished two decades ago, the pool had surpassed its functional lifespan, prompting North Yorkshire Council to embark on an ambitious journey of demolition and rebuild.
artnering with leisure design expert GT3 Architects, leisure developer Alliance Leisure and contractor ISG – procured through the UK Leisure Framework – the council aimed to rejuvenate the leisure facility into a modern wellness centre that would serve the community for generations to come.
People-centric design and architectural harmony with historic surroundings
To create a new centre that added real benefit to the local community, the overall design needed to be rooted in an understanding of the needs and desires of those who would be using, working in and living nearby it. Through early consultation, the brief was refined to focus on peoplebased outcomes, going beyond simply replacing an ageing pool to creating a wholly-welcoming and accessible leisure
and wellness hub that blends seamlessly with the wider community.
This also helped to shape the build programme, too. For example, the local community had a strong attachment to the green field next to the site, which highlighted a key need to protect this space. Consequently, the facility was positioned cleverly within the site to allow a phased construction approach. This not only protected the beloved green space, but also ensured the existing pool remained operational for as long as possible, with that space ultimately reused for outdoor play facilities.
The building’s exterior design was born from its unique setting. Nestled in a historic market town, next to a conservation area and close to listed residential properties, the design, ultimately, needed to blend into, and be unobtrusive to, its surroundings. Use of natural colours and materials, coupled
with a high landform, helps the building bed down in a way unimposing on the streetscape, despite the scale needed to house leisure amenities.
The facility’s mass was divided into three distinct sections of varying heights. One end of the building features red brick and pitched roofing, which mirrors the nearby residential properties and enhances sensitivity to the setting, with mature trees adding a natural boundary.
Centrally, columns discreetly echo the famous Knaresborough viaduct, using the same proportions to create familiarity with the town’s most visual landmark. This central section also features a lower form and flat roof, with the stone-coloured colonnade wrapping around the front of the building. Finally, the far end of the building, housing dry leisure amenities, features metal cladding in warm tones that tie the overall colour palette together.
Sustainability also formed a core consideration. EV charge points and bike storage encourage sustainable travel, and the all-electric centre achieves a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating thanks to its highlyefficient design.
More amenities, more accessibility
Operated by Brimhams Active, the new Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre now boasts a range of modern amenities for the community. These include a six-lane, 25m pool, a smaller activity pool with a flume, a full fitness suite and studio spaces and an immersive cycling studio – along with new changing facilities, sauna and steam room.
The key aim was to create a positive social impact with long-term prospects, with GT3’s approach to people architecture delivering value to communities now and in the future.
Inclusivity was a cornerstone of the design, ensuring that everyone can benefit from the new spaces – from sports enthusiasts to families with young children or those with mobility needs. Accessibility permeates through orientation and design, such as simplified wayfinding with all amenities easily reached from a central space, eliminating the need for long corridors. Meanwhile, extra handrails and a linear design in the wet change area make it easier to navigate and store wheelchairs or prams.
On arrival, visitors are not immediately greeted by traditional turnstiles; instead, access control is placed at specific amenities where appropriate. This allows easier public access to the new wellness spaces, particularly those designed to enhance social wellbeing and community integration, like the cafe space.
It also removes physical and psychological barriers to entry, creating a more welcoming environment, particularly vital for those with physical needs or conditions like dementia. The centre also includes an accessible Changing Places room, which is fully available to the pubic and provides specialised facilities for individuals with disabilities.
People-based outcomes drive positive response
The relationship between members of the project team were critical in success, with this scheme marking the beginning of a strong relationship between GT3 and main contractor ISG. Working with the contractor earlier in the project than from the usual Stages 3 or 4 proved advantageous, enhancing buildability and efficiency and overall success – combined with the collaborative effort to develop outcomes specific to this particular community.
The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with staff reporting an enthusiastic public reception. This is further evidenced by the centre’s increasing memberships beyond its targets, reflecting the popularity and effectiveness of the design.
Such success shows the importance of the early stages and rooting the whole approach in outcomes that make a difference to the specific community. Understanding local concerns and adapting plans to suit what the community wanted to plays into the
overall success, making sure that not only is a positive social value generated, but the community also feel actively involved in the end result.
Twin projects, unique solutions
The Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre was developed alongside Hydro – the Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre – as a sister project by the same team for the same council. Despite a similar brief, the outcomes were strikingly different due to the people-centric design that tailored solutions to the respective communities. Knaresborough’s design blends into its historic setting, while Harrogate’s bolder appearance holds a larger presence with striking shapes and a strong colour palette.
Together, these sister projects exemplify the power of creative collaboration and people-centred design, showcasing how tailored architectural solutions can meet the unique needs of different communities.
Both projects contribute significantly to the council’s vision for healthier communities, ensuring that well-loved facilities are revitalised for future generations.
The Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre – along with its sister in Harrogate – stands as a testament to the impact of thoughtful, community-focused design. By prioritising people, preserving cherished local spaces and incorporating sustainable practices, North Yorkshire Council, GT3 Architects, Alliance Leisure, ISG, Myrtha Pools and the rest of the design team together created a facility that not only meets current needs but also promises long-term benefits for the community. This project underscores the importance of engaging with local residents and adapting designs to reflect their values and aspirations, ultimately, resulting in a beloved and well-utilised community asset.
A game-changing solution
Climate change and ongoing weather extremities mean it’s time to build smarter, and the route to a resilient urban future involves making use of areas that have been traditionally underutilised: rooftops.
Polysync is a unique cloud-based system that uses real-time weather forecasting, paired with attenuation technologies, to help mitigate the effects of extreme weather events and create smart, sustainable urban drainage.
The groundbreaking solution brings a wealth of community benefits – from health, wellbeing and biodiversity to urban cooling, improved air quality and more – as well as allowing us to optimise every last drop of one of the planet’s most precious resources.
polypipe.com/cloudcontrol
& Green
PLACEMAKING, TRANSPORT PLANNING AND ACTIVE TRAVEL
Active travel is a common-sense approach in the fight against climate change, but how can we encourage more people to engage with it, and how do transport planners square the circle of a lower-carbon future with ever-changing policy? Mike Axon, Global Director of Transport at SLR, says that placemaking and transport planning need to be seen as two sides of the same coin, and that active travel still needs to be the cornerstone of any new development, particularly when considering climate change.
esigning spaces in a way that ensures easy access to pedestrianised areas, cycle paths and public transport, as well as a reduced need to travel for everyday necessities, can have a significant impact on reducing transport-related CO2 emissions. Careful planning is needed to ensure success can be made of these crucial initiatives in encouraging low-carbon travel.
As the UK attempts to get out of a housing crisis that has been decades in the making, the growing number of new settlements and sustainable urban extensions being built has seen the role of placemaking take on increasing importance.
Traditionally, placemaking hasn’t always had a particularly easy relationship with transport planning, but the better the two elements can work together, the better the solutions that can be found. The two key drivers in sustainable placemaking are social inclusion, sustainability and climate, and these are improved significantly by a joined-up transport planning approach.
Keeping it local
As transport planners, it is, therefore, incumbent on us to think about these elements when assessing options for new settlements. When looking at new settlements or community extensions, the targets set are usually around internalisation – how much of the potential residents’ activities can be undertaken within the community itself, therefore, reducing the number of trips needing to be taken in cars.
To keep this internalisation number at a high level, the real focus for transport planning sits around two key areas – leisure and education. The school run is associated with vast amounts of travel, congestion and inconvenience, but if you have schools within the local community, you are already internalising an awful lot of trips.
When it comes to leisure, there is a much broader tolerance for travel, but by designing in a way that brings people together and creates a source of community where people actually know each other, you minimise the number of trips taken for leisure. By looking at these two areas – both of which add significant load to the transport
network – and keeping them bound within the community as much as possible, you’re already internalising significant amounts of travel and making a real difference to the carbon emissions being produced.
Work and leisure
Travel to and from the workplace is often made out to be the be all and end all when it comes to looking at the transport logistics and infrastructure of a development. However, the reality is that this is only a small proportion of travel, and that’s before we take into account the spike in working from home since the pandemic.
The reasons for this are largely historical. Firstly, the data that’s been used to inform decisions has typically come from the census, which only ever looks at work travel and not leisure and education. Secondly, common practice has been to look at morning and afternoon peak periods – your traditional ‘rush hour’. This led to a mindset that life must be made as convenient as possible at those times, which, ironically, caused transport planners the biggest inconvenience.
Mike Axon is the Global Director of Transport at SLR
Fortunately, the balance has tipped towards talking about communities across the entirety of the day and how people are spending their time outside of the office. On a recent project, we made sure that from the day of first occupation, residents had access to nearby schools – in this case, in an adjacent community – and had a shop on site.
This is not standard practice, as there is limited commercial value for a shop occupier in opening when there are only a handful of people living on a development. However, it is modern placemaking 101 – providing that shop is a statement of intent as to how you mean to go on, and it’s about seeing it as infrastructure rather than an amenity that has to have immediate commercial value.
Active travel
If internalisation can be maximised, this also brings about increased opportunities for active travel – minimising carbon emissions in comparison to normal, historic settlements. Designing sites in a way that brings in concepts such as community hubs is a key part of this puzzle, ticking the boxes for both social inclusion and climate impact.
A central community location can act as a micro-consolidation centre for package deliveries, a mobility hub, a base for a community concierge team – there really are a huge range of benefits, and no need for extra car journeys.
By bringing active travel in with traditional elements of placemaking, you are creating the communities of the future and helping to contribute towards the fight against climate change. This is the way developments need to be thought about and planned, and transport planning and placemaking are two sides of that same coin.
A WE AREN’T BUILDING SAFELY IF WE AREN’T PROTECTING OUR PEOPLE
In the wake of the Grenfell tragedy in 2017, the Building Safety Review and subsequent Building Safety Act have led to a sector-wide review of the materials we use and how we use them. However, while building materials must be at the forefront of safety legislation, the provision of adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) and keeping teams safe on site is still being overlooked, says Phil Briggs, Head of Technical at Alsico workwear.
ccording to the PPE Campaign, local authorities are reporting ‘widespread issues’ with ‘ill-fitting’ personal protective equipment –particularly when it comes to genderinclusivity and PPE that caters to diverse religious and cultural norms. This urgently needs addressing if we are to make impactful, holistic change across the industry.
Inadequate protective wear can cause significant risks and greatly impact the level of protection it offers. Ill-fitting PPE can cause slips, trips and falls, entanglement in machinery, or limit the user’s range of motion, making it more difficult to carry out their job correctly and safely. Workers may also be tempted to remove items that are causing discomfort, meaning they have no protection at all in a hazardous environment. In other cases, poor-fitting PPE can contribute to the garment being ineffective for its protective purpose. For example, if a worker of a smaller stature can’t get high-visibility trousers in a shorter length, the reflective strips are unlikely to be
visible in the intended place. As a result, in order to remain compliant with the minimum requirements for visibility, some workers have to wear garments, which look different to their colleagues. Furthermore, incorrectly-worn items can also expose workers to additional risks. For example, a worker that doesn’t zip a protective garment right up to the top of their neck can leave a part of their body exposed to hazardous materials or sparks.
In many cases, PPE is also failing to keep up with the changing nature of the modern workforce. In male-dominated industries, uniforms have historically been designed to fit the male body and often come in a single fit, but these styles and proportions are not suitable for everyone in today’s diverse workforce. As a result, many workers are putting up with uncomfortable or even dangerous PPE. To tackle this outdated and ineffective approach, there needs to be a greater focus placed on providing PPE that is comfortable and appropriate for workers of different body types, genders and cultures.
Whilst PPE has traditionally been rigid and uncomfortable to wear, there has since been massive innovations in fabric technology, which mean that does not have to be the case. There are now fabrics available that offer the adequate level of protection, whilst also being lightweight, breathable and stretchy, such as ALSIFLEX. Garments made from such materials are more comfortable for wearers and more adaptable to different body types, meaning they are more likely to wear their PPE as it should be worn.
There are evident gaps in PPE provision that need addressing, and unless we address these critical shortcomings, we cannot claim to be bettering construction processes. If the diverse workforce cannot be catered for adequately, it’s not only putting these workers at risk, but it also undermines the safety and trust the sector is trying so hard to rebuild, as well as crucial efforts to diversify. For this reason, it’s time we echoed calls for more emphasis to be placed on the ‘personal’ aspect of PPE.
Phil Briggs is the Head of Technical at Alsico workwear
SUPERIOR FLUSH PERFORMANCE
WHY THE USE OF MODULAR IN MMC IS ON THE RISE
Nobody can argue that while there is still very much a place for traditional construction methods, we should be taking a closer look at modular or volumetric building – especially as mounting factors such as a shortage of labour puts further pressure on traditional construction.
odular construction has made huge progress in recent years, and its advantages are numerous. It is time to banish the misconception that it has a shorter lifespan and is of poorer quality than traditional construction methods and start exploring the various options available and their respective benefits.
The key advantage of using modular – in full or part of a project – is that it saves time and reduces construction waste because modular elements are manufactured to spec in a factory. For investors, the speed of production and assembly means that they present a faster return on investment.
If you decide that volumetric construction is a viable option for your project, it is vital to understand what you are actually buying, as not all volumetric systems or manufacturers are equal. For example, an SFS system offers a plug-and-place solution with the strength of structural steel but is very difficult to alter post-construction, whereas a hot-rolled steel system has greater adaptability. SIPs panels can be designed and manufactured to have everything in place, from pipes, electrics, windows and finishes, before they even leave the factory. Timber frame is an increasingly popular option of choice but is limited by how tall you can make a wooden structure. Then there are modular elements such as bathrooms and kitchens, which can be designed to size and spec and constructed off site as pods, which will speed up the installation process on site.
When installed correctly, most modular builds come with highefficiency heat recovery ventilation systems and superior insulation, which help negate the need for gas and fossil fuels for heating, reducing household costs and helping address the impact on climate change. In addition, better insulation creates a cleaner and more dust and damp-free environment, which will enhance the health and wellbeing of its occupants.
The offsite construction process can eliminate unnecessary waste and help to deliver a verifiably sustainable construction process from beginning to end. Modular’s carbon footprint is further neutralised when the components are produced locally, keeping transportation to a minimum.
It is time to change a previous misconception that modular buildings are boring and limiting and to look more closely at how adaptable they are. A prefabricated, single-occupant modular dwelling can provide a safe and secure living space, with scope to be modified by having additional living space and bedrooms added. Given the social housing shortage, more homes can be provided quickly and cost effectively, with modular being the answer. In fact, entire apartment blocks can be erected relatively easily in appropriate locations.
Modular construction isn’t only limited to budget housing, as advancements in innovation and technology mean that increasing numbers of luxury homes are being constructed using modular techniques, which enable custom-made designs to fit with exact space and budget requirements, limited only by what can be transported.
Airspace is also seeing an increase in modular construction because it can be assembled swiftly with minimal disruption to existing residents. Because they are more lightweight, they won’t compromise the existing structure of the original building, provided that the building has suitable MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing), load and access to lifts and stairs.
Whatever the purpose, it is still important to ensure that any modular project has the correct team behind it. Good design management from the early stages is essential to avoid costly mistakes. Careful consideration also needs to be given to planning. A common mistake is not factoring in that the modular footprint can be larger than expected due to various components, and a misjudgement of this can cause planning issues.
Comments Peter Kilby, Director of Project and Cost Management at rpa:group, a global architecture, design, project management and cost consultancy, says: “The lead time for modular can be quite long, but build time on site tends to be faster and, although modular cost can be higher, site duration is lower, so savings can be made here. One needs to consider that once a modular design is signed off, further design changes can be expensive and time consuming and not always possible. A reliable project manager helps ensure that the advantages of modular pays off and that no avoidable costs are incurred.”
Mark Cherrett, Director of Architecture, agrees. “With modular construction, there are challenges to overcome, such as space and logistics and licensing. All the design work needs to be carried
out up front with details such as the location of sockets and accessories decided in advance.” He adds that lead consultants, M&E and structural engineers should be appointed to work collaboratively on a project, to ensure a successful outcome.
Ben Foran from MY Construction Group, which owns MYFab, a specialist volumetric and MMC manufacturing business, highlights the importance of visiting manufacturers’ factories, assessing their quality control processes and finding out about their warranties and procedures. Other information to get clarity on includes finding out what technical and financial backing they have and what control a client will have over the manufacturing process, as well as whether the design and coordination of the manufacturing elements will work with onsite construction works.
Comments Ben: “MMC has multiple benefits, but none of these is a given, so spend some time working out not just the build methodology but really get under the skin of your construction partners.”
While modular construction isn’t necessarily new to the UK, uptake has still been slower than in other parts of the world. However, a surge in investment by large financial backers, such as Goldman Sachs, has resulted in accelerated UK growth. This is helping to make it more commercially viable, driving further innovation and is enabling modular construction to fast become more mainstream with an exciting future ahead.
BLUE-LIGHT BUILDING IS
GIVEN A NEW
LEASE OF LIFE
Designed and delivered by Concertus, an outdated 1980s fire station has been transformed into a new blue-light hub for Suffolk police and fire services, enabling collaborative working in a shared environment.
Part of a wider programme to upgrade facilities while reducing operational costs for all blue-light services across the county, the project set out to combine the main Ipswich buildings for Suffolk Police and Suffolk Fire and Rescue into one.
Encouraging retrofit in the public sector
Suffolk County Council’s preference is to re-use existing buildings wherever possible and initial feasibility tests were carried out to look at the financial viability of refurbishment versus building a new station.
Opting for a deep retrofit, the building was stripped back to its original structural concrete frame so that the team could refurbish and remodel the building.
“We used the existing footprint of the fire station building and completely reconfigured the layout to allow for segregation between police and fire services,” says Laura Morris De’eath, Associate at Concertus. “Meanwhile, we added an additional floor above the fire tender bay to house dormitories for firefighters on call overnight.
“Another key part of the design was the addition of a firefighter’s pole to enable fast access from the dormitories to the ground floor. This is a complex requirement, which our design teams worked into the structural and architectural plans for the building.”
Further new facilities incorporated into the design include a lecture room, interview rooms, police locker and kit bag area, public enquiry office, reception area, external help point telephone facility, car parking, including electric charging and landscaping works.
The remodelled building includes some shared areas, while other areas are completely segregated. Access control for safeguarding and data protection was a key requirement, and this was largely achieved through the installation of electronic ironmongery in certain areas of the building.
Construction challenges
The programme of works involved the complete internal and external refurbishment and reconfiguration of the existing building. For work to begin, the Princes Street Fire Service was relocated to a temporary modular building for 12 months. This involved close communication between the Concertus project manager, the fire service client and site users to ensure a seamless relocation that would not impact the emergency service.
When demolition of the original structure started, the team discovered that the existing fire station hadn’t been constructed to the original as-built design drawings. Concertus, therefore, needed
to undertake further demolition of the unstable structures and carry out a major structural redesign.
“The Archicad model was very important in helping us to address the problem with the original structure. We worked very closely with the contractor to overcome these challenges and kept the client fully involved throughout, ensuring the project was delivered as planned and within budget,” says Laura.
The impact of technology
Concertus is a multi-disciplinary practice, encompassing architecture and interiors, landscape, civil and structural engineering and building engineering.
“The whole company uses Graphisoft’s Archicad – one software is used by everybody, including architects and engineers,” explains Luke Foley, BIM Manager at Concertus. “This means the design process is highly efficient as everyone can see the most up-to-date information straight away. There is no need to wait for external consultants or engineers to send their files so that we can update the model.
“Each team works in its own Archicad model, with all models hot linked together. These are hosted in Graphisoft’s BIMcloud, ensuring seamless collaboration as everyone can see the latest information instantly.”
Critical design collaboration
“With the whole practice using Archicad across disciplines, we always model in 3D as standard from the outset,” says Laura. “We worked closely with the client throughout the feasibility, design and procurement stages of the project and used the Archicad model to demonstrate our designs.”
Designing in Archicad, the architectural and landscaping team worked with the software’s core tools while the structural engineers deployed a library of complex profiles paired with commonlyused columns and beams to develop the structural model. To model the building services, the team opted for a combination of Library Part Maker and scripting to create their Archicad objects. With each of the models complete, the multi-disciplinary team ran their models through Archicad’s collision checking to minimise the risk of clashes.
Luke continues: “Within Concertus, we use many of the out-of-the-box tools within Archicad. For this project, the renovation filters were particularly useful for looking at different design options, and the change manager tool helped us easily identify which parts of the design had changed.”
Completed in August 2022, Princes Street Fire and Police Station is the largest blue-light hub of its kind in Suffolk, with the new building providing modern and efficient accommodation for approximately 40 fire service staff and 24 police staff.
The Fire Service and Police Safer Neighbourhood Team is now operating from the new station, providing blue-light services for the whole community from the centre of Ipswich.
TRANSFORMING HEALTHCARE FACILITIES
The healthcare sector is one of the most challenging environments facing any specifying professional. It’s an industry where issues of hygiene, flexibility and regulatory compliance are as important as product quality and durability. Here, Sophie Weston, Head of Marketing at Geberit and Twyford, shares how washroom manufacturers can support the ongoing challenges that healthcare facilities face.
Hospitals are arguably the most important public sector buildings of all and, for the specifiers, installers and maintenance engineers tasked with keeping these buildings operational, they present the most challenges. Moving vulnerable people or shutting down areas of a building is not often an option, but when it is, timeframes are tight. This means that reliability, safety and ease of installation is key to finding a dependable solution.
When choosing the right washroom solutions, it’s important to find a provider that combines innovation with the highest levels of practicality and attention to detail – enabling specifiers to completely satisfy sanitaryware requirements and regulations, across all areas of the healthcare market.
Pioneering sustainable solutions
The healthcare industry is one of the UK’s largest consumers of water, using more than 50 billion cubic litres per year. While a lot of this is unavoidable due to sanitation and hygiene requirements, the washroom is the ideal place to start reducing water waste and save on utility bills in the process.
Hand hygiene is critical to reducing contamination, and even if the ergonomics of taps make it possible to operate using arms or elbows, there remains a high risk from the levers. As a result, no-touch faucets and toilets equipped with sensorbased controls and precision engineering are key to controlling infection. These devices optimise water flow, effectively reducing waste without compromising hygiene or user experience.
Twyford offers a range of healthcareapproved taps, such as its Sola infrared tap, which covers every requirement, including water-saving, temperature control, flow restriction and is BREEAM compliant. However, it’s not just taps that need to be considered. On average, a full-flush toilet uses 13 litres of water per flush compared to a dual-flush toilet, which uses four to six litres – making dual-flush technology one of the most effective ways to reduce water consumption. Manufacturers are increasingly producing dual-flush plates and cistern systems, such as the Twyford Alcona range, which features water-saving Flushwise as standard. This uses 4 or 2.6 litres for each flush; that’s 60% less water than a standard toilet.
Specifying the right urinal system can also offer real water-saving opportunities. Manufacturers are now incorporating innovations such as different operation modes, with associated low operation and maintenance costs.
Additionally, some urinal systems that use water incorporate a watersaving flush function and proximity flushes, making it ideal for heavy footfall washrooms. Flushing time is decreased when user frequency increases – so, for instance, the pre-set flush time is halved when another user approaches the urinal within one minute after the most recent flushing. Flow rate can also be reduced by changing the duration of the flush.
Our eco-friendly plumbing solutions integrate seamlessly with existing infrastructure, offering a costeffective upgrade path for healthcare facilities looking to invest in watersaving technology and enhance their sustainability credentials.
Advanced innovation
It’s also important to consider every eventuality, including behind-thewall frame technology and wall-hung sanitaryware, which will ensure pipework and cisterns are neatly concealed to save space, decrease the number of exposed surfaces and, in turn, reduce cleaning and maintenance time.
Alongside concealed cisterns and pipework, there are a number of other ways to reduce risk, such as Twyford’s revolutionary Rimfree toilets, a solution that means there’s nowhere for germs and dirt to hide, making it easier to clean, too.
Moreover, innovation extends beyond hygiene to encompass the principles of universal design and accessibility as there can be significant challenges in navigating conventional bathroom spaces. To address this issue, Twyford has developed a range of inclusive bathroom solutions that prioritise ease of use, safety and dignity for users of all abilities.
More accessible solutions
It’s imperative for healthcare facilities to foster environments that remove accessibility barriers to ensure they continue to deliver patient-centred care. For instance, Twyford’s Doc.M range features robust grab rails, raised height and long projection toilets and accessible washbasins that have all been engineered to meet the diverse needs of patients, visitors and staff alike.
The future of public-sector healthcare lies in the seamless integration of watersaving technology, advanced innovation and more accessible solutions. By incorporating all of the above, healthcare facilities can create environments that promote healing, enhance safety and support patients at their time of need.
A HOT TOPIC
Overheating is becoming an increasingly important issue for homes. Anastasia Mylona, Technical Director at CIBSE, explains the issue and outlines some potential solutions.
The summer of 2022 was hot. Very hot. During a series of heat waves, temperatures in the UK broke the 40° mark for the first time, leading the Met Office to issue its first-ever red warning for extreme heat. Government statistics show that the worst heat wave resulted in 2227 excess deaths (10.4% above average).
Extreme temperatures like this will become increasingly common if efforts to tackle global warming don’t improve. There are predictions that heatwaves could see UK temperatures reach 45° or higher by 2050.
Increasing external temperatures are likely to result in correspondinglyincreasing temperatures within homes – something that will have a direct impact on the health of occupants.
Elderly people, young children and those with pre-existing health problems are likely to suffer most as a result of higher internal temperatures; a problem often compounded because these occupants tend to spend more time in their homes
but have a reduced capacity to adapt their circumstances and their environment in order to become more comfortable.
Until Part O of the Building Regulations came into effect in 2022, there was no requirement for the explicit assessment of overheating to be considered in a home’s design. This means that millions of existing homes, many of which will have been built relatively recently in urban areas with increased insulation measures to improve winter energy efficiency, are at risk of overheating.
Overheating occurs when the heat entering a building is greater than the heat expelled, particularly when there is a reliance on natural ventilation as the primary means of heat rejection. In addition to increasing external temperatures as the result of climate change, factors that lead to overheating include heat gains from unshaded windows, heat from people and equipment and, in communal apartments, heat from uninsulated domestic hot
water pipework in communal areas. There is also the increasing problem of the urban heat island effect.
Actions of the occupier can also significantly impact the risk of overheating. In winter, a designer might reasonably expect the occupant to keep the windows closed. However, in summer, the ways in which occupant behaviour can lead to overheating are far less obvious, perhaps because occupants usually have less experience of dealing with overheating as an issue. Occupants may, for example, open windows to increase ventilation on a hot day, which may instead allow hotter outside air to enter and replace the cooler air within the dwelling.
Overheating can be worse where occupants suffer from poor mobility and are unable to draw their curtains or lower blinds for shading, or where they are reluctant to shut out the sun because they place great value on allowing natural daylight to enter their home or on maintaining views from windows.
The definition of overheating (and the methodology) used in Part O is based on the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) document TM59. Homes most likely to be affected by overheating problems are apartment buildings in city centres that have windows facing south, east or west, particularly if there is no opportunity for cross ventilation – for example, a flat that has windows only on one side.
Overheating issues are set to increase over time. Research has shown that by 2050, passive measures such as thermal mass, night-time ventilation and shading may not be effective in providing sufficient thermal comfort in homes and that active cooling systems, such as air conditioning, may be necessary in some locations in the UK.
Sales of electric fans and air conditioning units are already growing fast in the UK. Currently, around 2 to 3% of homes across the UK have air conditioning, but Government figures
suggest that up to 56% of homes in London may require air conditioning by 2050. Even in cooler locations, such as Southampton, the need for air conditioning could rise to 34% if passive measures are not integrated. Any increase in the use of residential air conditioning will potentially lead to an increase in carbon emissions from the increase in power required and put more strain on the electricity network.
So, what can be done to help prevent overheating in existing dwellings?
Shading is one of the mitigation strategies promoted by CIBSE’s TM59 methodology. CIBSE also publishes the guides, TM37: Design for improved solar shading control and TM69 Dynamic thermal modelling of basic blinds, which give guidance on how to implement this.
Modelling shows that external shading is the most highly effective method of preventing solar gains. Internal blinds are another option, although less effective. Solar control glazing can also be used to reduce solar gains, although this has the disadvantage that it will also reduce heat gains in winter when they can contribute to meeting space heating demand.
Increased ventilation is another mitigation option for overheating. Often, the cheapest and most effective way to ventilate heat from a dwelling is to open the windows. This can, however, be difficult in a noisy or polluted environment or where safety or security considerations prevent windows from being opened wide. One solution could be to use secure acousticattenuated openings to help increase ventilation rates.
Single-aspect flats are the most difficult properties to ventilate effectively because these render crossventilation impossible; such flats are common in urban areas because of pressures on developers in the past to meet density and commercial targets.
As summer temperatures in the UK continue their inexorable rise, tackling overheating in existing homes will become increasingly important. CIBSE is one of the leading sources of guidance on how buildings should perform for energy consumption and for the health and wellbeing of occupants.
SHINING A LIGHT ON EFFICIENCIES
Faced with a range of issues impacting their operation and maintenance, leisure buildings are constantly navigating challenges to continue to provide essential services to communities. In this article, PSBJ speaks with Chris Anderson, Technical Manager from Ansell Lighting, about how modernising outdated lighting systems can help to overcome many of these hurdles.
A
n integral part of everyday life, public leisure buildings provide vital space for recreation, education and socialisation. But, faced with a lack of funding, spiralling running costs, sustainability pressures and strict health and safety requirements, the challenges faced by local authorities to keep public sector leisure buildings in operation are quite formidable.
However, one area where tangible changes can be made is the modernisation of lighting infrastructure. It is widely accepted that lighting is responsible for up to 40% of a building’s overall electricity consumption so, by investing in more efficient lighting solutions, energy consumption can be significantly lowered, enhancing sustainability and cost effectiveness, too.
One very simple yet effective solution building operators can make is to ensure all existing lighting sources are switched to energy-efficient LEDs (light-emitting diodes). Using 90% less energy than incandescent bulbs and half as much as compact fluorescents, LEDs offer tangible energy savings and cost just a fraction of the price to use. For example, a 60-watt halogen light bulb costs roughly £2.50 to operate for an hour per day each year,
whilst an LED will cost just 40p for the same amount of time.
Taking energy preservation one step further, implementing a smart lighting system, alongside the use of LEDs, will optimise energy use even further. A well-planned system – the most energy-efficient lighting option available – is capable of further cutting energy consumption by up to two thirds, contributing significantly to sustainability goals and operational efficiency.
In addition to the efficacy of the actual fittings and lighting system itself, smart lighting combines automation, connectivity and intelligent control to provide incomparable energy optimisation. Every single detail of a connected lighting system can be programmed, automated or sensor controlled, ensuring energy is only ever used where and when it is needed. This is particularly useful in spaces that may be used sporadically during the day, such as in changing rooms or bathroom facilities, and ensures that lighting will not be left on unnecessarily or reliant on the manual ‘flip of a switch.’
Smart technology can be applied across both indoor and outdoor lighting circuits, optimising energy use throughout every
area of the building portfolio. From the timings of operation to the colour, brightness, intensity and combinations of lamps in use, the output of every individual light fitting within a building can be controlled to the most minute detail, meaning that energy use is controlled to this exact level, too.
In addition to cutting energy use and costs, smart lighting can also offer an array of functional benefits, making spaces more welcoming and functional for the community.
One such benefit is enhanced safety and security. Alongside automating lighting to come on when darkness falls in external spaces, such as car parks or external walkways, smart lighting can be combined with daylight harvesting fittings to further regulate energy use. Offsetting natural daylight against electric lighting to achieve targeted levels of illumination, it make spaces safer to navigate during hours of dusk or daybreak whilst only using the exact amounts of energy required. Similarly, automated lighting schedules can be used to simulate the appearance of an occupied space if it is vacant, deterring potential intruders.
Colour temperatures and lighting hues can also be individually set to create specific moods and ambiences as required. For example, in busy gyms and workout areas, lighting can be set to an energising cool, white tone to invigorate and motivate users, while in reading or crafting areas, warmer tones can be set to enhance concentration and create a cosy atmosphere. This level of customisation allows public sector leisure buildings to cater to the diverse needs and activities of their users, enhancing their overall experience and satisfaction. Smart lighting systems are incredibly user friendly, so any required changes can be easily made. Systems are simply controlled via remote control, app, voice or by using an ecosystem such as Hey Google or Amazon Alexa.
For those responsible for building maintenance, smart lighting offers many practical benefits. Dashboard controls can be used alongside the technology to carry out remote luminaire testing, highlighting any individual luminaires or drivers that are broken or unoperational. These monitors also provide a visual display of a building’s lighting system in real time, providing information about usage and further opportunities to reduce unnecessary wastage.
Modernising lighting installations in public sector leisure buildings can have a real impact on ongoing operational and maintenance challenges and is something all organisations should explore. Helping to achieve reduced energy bills, improved efficiency and sustainability, the innovative technologies will support operators to continue to provide their essential services effectively.
STAFFORDSHIRE POLICE TRAINING CENTRE UNDERGOES TRANSFORMATIVE REFURBISHMENT TO MEET NEW NATIONAL STANDARDS
To comply with the new national curriculum for safety training, Staffordshire Police Training Centre appointed Seddon to update its facilities. Chris Stanton, Site Manager at Seddon Property Services in the Midlands, discusses the experience of delivering these vital facilities to support the protection of police staff and the wider community.
In April 2023, the College of Policing mandated that all police forces across England and Wales deliver a new curriculum for safety training by April 2024. This updated curriculum requires officers to complete a minimum of 12 hours of public and personal safety training (PPST) annually, focusing on scenario-based learning.
Recognising the importance of this initiative, Staffordshire Police Training Centre contracted Seddon to update its facilities. This proactive decision positioned Staffordshire as one of the first forces in the country to establish a training environment aligned with the new holistic learning standards. With 89% of officers saying that the course was relevant to the demands of their job1, the new facilities weren’t just a requirement but a necessity to ensure the safety of police officers in their daily duties.
Addressing a pressing need
The necessity of the new training centre becomes even more apparent when considering the alarming statistics on assaults against police officers. From March
2021 to 2022 alone, there were just over 41,000 assaults on police officers in England and Wales2. The new public and personal training centre aims to tackle this issue head on by providing officers and police community support officers (PCSOs) with scenario-based safety training. This training focuses on equipping officers with the skills and strategies needed to effectively respond to challenging situations when interacting with the public, ultimately, promoting safer outcomes for both officers and the communities they serve.
Creating a one-stop shop for training
Seddon’s project team was contracted to complete a full refurbishment of the property to transform the facilities and increase the centre’s square footage. The scope of work encompassed the construction of new office spaces, four state-of-the-art classrooms, modern changing facilities, a well-equipped gym and a spacious open-plan training area designed to accommodate a variety of real-life scenarios.
Prior to the refurbishment, the gym and changing rooms were located separately from the main training facility, situated at the Staffordshire Police Headquarters. The strategic vision was to integrate these amenities within the training centre itself, creating a hub for all training activities. The idea was to not only streamline operations by providing a one-stop shop for developing skills in line with the new curriculum but also to significantly increase the centre’s capacity to accommodate a larger number of training officers.
Overcoming challenges through
collaboration
With the new curriculum starting on 1st April, the project team had a strict and relatively short timeframe to complete the full programme of work, ready for occupants to return and begin training. The project spanned 12 weeks, including a two-week Christmas break, which presented a significant challenge in terms of coordination and execution.
By maintaining open lines of communication and regularly updating the client on progress, the project team was able to address any issues promptly and make necessary adjustments to keep the project on track.
As the property was originally built in the 1940s, it had limited building records available, which made it difficult to anticipate potential issues. To address this, the team retained the shell of the old structure but constructed new walls for the classrooms, which required precise cutting and carving to ensure seamless integration with the existing building. Maintaining a close relationship with the client throughout allowed the team to understand the requirements, at the same time working towards a collective goal.
The final result
As a result of our collaborative approach with Staffordshire Police, we were pleased to achieve practical completion almost two months ahead of the 1st April deadline.
Now that the gym and other amenities are part of the training centre, officers can easily use these facilities right after their training sessions. The space has been transformed into a centralised training campus, equipped to handle more training officers and provide comprehensive skills sharing that aligns with the new curriculum. The centre’s square footage has seen a five-fold increase, with new areas dedicated to first aid training and an exciting new feature that allows for a wider variety of on-site activities. This expansion not only improves the learning experience but also ensures officers get well-rounded, hands-on training in a modern, purpose-built facility.
The revamped Staffordshire Police Training Centre is now a shining example of what a modern, comprehensive training facility should be.
Keeping the public safe
Matthew Davies, Building Surveyor at Staffordshire Police, said: “Working with a new contractor can sometimes be difficult, but Seddon exceeded our expectations. The team’s evaluations were precise, and any issues were promptly communicated and resolved, ensuring high-quality work. The team demonstrated exceptional professionalism at every stage of the project. When I returned to the site in use, I was greeted with a handshake from one of the trainers, a testament to the exceptional work facilitated by Seddon, and specifically Chris, the Project Manager.”
The impact of this refurbishment extends far beyond the walls of the training centre. By providing officers and PCSOs with a stateof-the-art facility and a curriculum tailored to real-world challenges, Staffordshire Police
is investing in the safety and wellbeing of the entire community. As these officers take to the streets, they will be better prepared to handle difficult and often dangerous situations, protect themselves and serve the public. The Staffordshire Police Training Centre’s transformation is not just a success story for the force; it’s a victory for everyone who calls Staffordshire home.
CHAMPIONING BRITISH WILDLIFE: THE BENEFITS OF CULTIVATING BIODIVERSITY IN OUR GREEN SPACES
Wildlife plays a critical role in maintaining the delicate balance of our ecosystem. And yet, there has been a significant loss of 97% of flower-rich meadows 1 in the UK since 1970 due to changes in agricultural practices and environmental policies. It’s now more important than ever that landscapers look to adopting practices that allow green spaces to grow and flourish naturally, boosting their biodiversity credentials, says Jacky So, ESG Director UK&I at OCS.
With various sites across the country participating in the ‘No-Mow May’ campaign last month, the initiative shone an all-important light on the benefits of allowing grassy spaces to flourish.
‘No-Mow May’: Let it grow In reaction to the significant loss of flower-rich meadows since 1970, ‘NoMow May’ is a conservation endeavour by
the charity Plantlife. The charity aims to encourage biodiversity in the estimated 20 million back gardens in the UK by boosting food sources for pollinators like bees and butterflies. The initiative challenges individuals and organisations to support local wildlife by refraining from mowing their lawns for one whole month, encouraging pollinators to visit and enhancing their chances of survival.
This May, a number of sites in the UK took part in the concerted effort to reintroduce wildlife to our green spaces and across their estates. This included facilities management company OCS, Cambridgeshire County Council, M&G, GKN and more, with grounds covering a total of 3190m2. The initiative provided a fantastic opportunity to boost biodiversity credentials by supporting the recovery of nature in the UK.
An abundance of benefits, supporting our bees
Leaving green spaces largely untouched encourages pollinators to visit, enhancing their chances of survival. By adjusting our mowing routines and allowing a greater variety of plants to flower, we can create an abundance of nectar – enough to support 10 times more bees and other pollinators. With 35 UK bumblebee species2 facing decline and extinction risk in the UK, this initiative becomes even more crucial. By safeguarding these pollinators, we continue our mission to protect and empower the Earth’s natural processes.
Previous participants in ‘No-Mow May’ have witnessed remarkable visitors like the red-tailed bumblebee, a social bee essential for pollination as well as criticallyendangered hoverflies, a vital pollinator species. These sightings underscore the positive impact of allowing natural growth in our outdoor areas. By maintaining natural habitats for wildlife, we also support the presence of natural predators, such as birds, spiders and predatory insects that help control pest populations.
How can landscapers cultivate biodiversity within green spaces?
Cultivating green spaces to support biodiversity doesn’t necessarily mean letting the entire garden grow wild. Landscapers can designate sections of land to be left untouched, allowing it to revert to its natural state, promoting native plant growth and providing habitats for a variety of species. Wildlife corridors such as hedgerows and buffer strips of natural vegetation along field hedges, waterways and paths can provide natural shelter and food sources, allowing wildlife to move safely between areas.
Creating no-pesticide zones to protect pollinators and planting a range of nectar-rich flowers can be instrumental in supporting bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Finally, if no mowing isn’t an option, mowing less frequently certainly still has an impact. Reduced mowing allows grasses and wildflowers to grow and set seed, supporting pollinators and other wildlife and contributing to a healthier, more vibrant ecosystem.
Many of us jump in the shower without giving it a second thought. For some, however, the shower is difficult to navigate at best and impossible at worst. Here, Tom Doyle, Head of Industrial Design at AKW, discusses how social landlords can quickly and easily change this by adding accessible showering solutions to tenant homes.
A ACCESSIBLE SHOWERING MADE EASY
t present, over half of housing association tenants in the UK have a long-term illness or impairment, and 18% of new lettings are to people with a defined disability1. Add to this the fact that 21% of disabled tenants are living in unsuitable accommodation, and there has been a 21 to 18% decline in the proportion of adapted homes in the housing association sector, and the situation is a challenging one.
Navigating the bathroom and showering
A particularly difficult area for those with mobility, dementia and visual-impairment disabilities is the bathroom. Typical issues can include problems transferring on and off the toilet or getting in and out of baths and showers, as well as altered visual perception and feeling overwhelmed or psychologically confused. While each person’s challenges will be different, there are three basic design principles that can help create a safe, cost-effective bathroom adaptation that will work for them and others they share their home with.
Three key bathroom design features need to be incorporated to promote accessible use: Adopt a bathroom design that provides physical support where needed by the user
Ensure that the design allows for products to be put in the most logical places; for instance, a shelf to allow shower gel to be easily reached in the shower
Prioritise the minimisation of clutter to increase the user friendliness of the space and reduce trip and fall hazards.
When it comes to showering, the main issues relate to having to step over the threshold into a bath to access the shower, using shower seats without armrests and trying to turn on a shower that is either too complicated to operate or with controls that are too small to see or use. Here are some straightforward ways that social landlords can make the bathroom a safer space for tenants:
Managed movement
Grab rails and shower seats with armrests promote safer movement. For those with visual impairments, use two colours where the light reflective value (LRV) difference between both colours is greater than 30. This creates the most noticeable contrast between an object and its surroundings. Grab rails and shower seats are available in a range of colours to aid those with visual impairments. Also, remember that colour contrast is best achieved with contrasting shades of the same colour rather than different colours.
Lighting the way
For those with low vision, the avoidance of shadows, dark areas and glare are key to safe movement around a bathroom. Think about having fitted LED task downlights with a narrow 30°-beam angle over specific ‘task-based areas’ such as the shower, bath, sink or toilet, such as those provided in AKW’s task lighting kit. Additional ambient lighting should also be included to maintain general light levels throughout the bathroom space.
Showering success
The controls need to be simple to understand and easy to use and, if needed, to be used with one-hand operation. There should also be obvious up and down buttons for temperature and flow control. Look for BEAB Care certified or approved by the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) showers. This is because they will reduce barriers to use for those with mobility or visual impairment issues. Maximum water temperature protection is also essential, and the shower should have a thermal cut-out device to protect the unit from overheating.
Next-generation accessible showering
AKW’s new-generation SmartCare Plus, SmartCare Lever and iTherm stylish electric showers help make showering less stressful for those with mobility or visual impairment issues or dementia. They have been designed with rounded edges to reduce the risk of fall-related injuries, illuminated LED displays to aid operation and a matt-finished central panel to enable straightforward control location for those with visual impairment and dementia. For safety, they feature thermostatically-stabilised temperature control and a thermal cut-out device. The SmartCare Plus and SmartCare Lever are BEAB Care certified, RNIB tried and tested and DSDC dementia-friendly product accredited. They can both also be controlled via a remote, wall-mounted on/off button that features flow and temperature control and has a wireless range of up to 10m, offering ultimate carer support.
Accessible showering needn’t be complicated or expensive. It just requires using solutions that have been designed with additional needs in mind. With inclusivity becoming more and more of an issue, solutions such as care showers are a useful addition for social landlords wanting to increase accessibility for tenants.
www.akw-ltd.co.uk
SOURCE:
1Housing Associations and Home Adaptations: Finding Ways to Say Yes Report, Foundations Independent Living Trust, March 2022
I GETTING RETROFIT DONE
Here, James Gemmell, a sustainability and retrofit expert at Holmes Miller Architects, explores the urgent need to move beyond discussions and start implementing large-scale retrofitting solutions in the UK.
f I had my own soapbox on which to stand and deliver a ‘call to arms’ on retrofit, I could use it to tell you the construction industry creates 40% of the UK’s carbon emissions, 80% of all buildings that need to be net zero by 2050 are already built and 11% of households are in fuel poverty – but I won’t because (as the industry has been shouting about these statistics for the past 30 years) I’m guessing you’ve heard them all before.
A lot of retrofit ‘carrots’ and a great deal of ‘sticks’ have already been tried in the form of guidance and legislation, from PAS 2035 and 2038 to the RICS Residential Retrofit Standard and the UK and Scottish Climate Change Acts. Carbon emissions are starting to fall, but much more slowly than the
rate of increase in the production of white papers, reports, calculations and reviews on the subject. Ideally, the more we talk about carbon emissions and the better educated we become, the more quickly those emissions should be reduced. But that’s not happening.
So, instead, I’d use my soapbox to broadcast a different message – that perhaps we need to stop talking so much about retrofit and start actually doing it.
As a passionate retrofit expert, what I have witnessed over the past decade is an increasing level of both enthusiasm and understanding. When our team delivers presentations, hosts workshops or corners people at drinks receptions, the feedback is always positive. The problem comes when they see that
Brookwood Villa refurbishment
Watford Town Hall
pesky little number in the bottom righthand corner of the retrofit report. While this number varies from project to project, it is somehow always too high!
While it’s commendable that Mrs Miggins swaps her ailing gas boiler for a heat pump, tackling one or two houses at a time will not get us to our national or local net-zero targets. Instead, we need to tackle one or two estates at a time, retrofitting at scale. We must continue to persuade the hubs, the local authorities, the housing associations, the NHS, the BBC and the estate managers.
“Ah but.....” I hear you cry, “what about that large number you mentioned before?” As we all know, neither local nor national Governments have the necessary funds to embark on community or estate-wide retrofits. Recent budget announcements and green pledge
U-turns have further dampened expectations. It is imperative that private investment is brought into the picture. But, due to memories of PPP and PFI, local authorities may be particularly nervous when the term ‘private finance’ is mentioned, making any fruitful discussions that much harder.
It is, therefore, heartening to see Glasgow City Council forming a green investment team, which will spend the next two years developing the council’s relationship with the private sector to help fund their retrofitting ambitions. This follows similar schemes set up by Bristol City Council and the Greater London Authority.
Holmes Miller is also working with several partners on a financial framework that will help our clients with retrofitting their estates. The first step involves detailed
research into what public funding is available, which is an evershifting world. Some grants focus on heating, some on fabric-first approaches and others on carbon reduction. We will compile a detailed list of available grants, what they are for and their deadlines to help clients bring in as much public money as possible.
As part of our estate retrofit analysis, we will also investigate district heating, PV and battery storage systems. Many local authorities have feasibility grants available for this work. PV and battery storage can be used for grid balancing, which can bring in further income. The price of electricity is measured on a halfhourly basis so, for example, when the wind is battering the windows at night, the client will be paid to take electricity from the grid. This can be stored in the battery array and then be used during the day.
After these two steps, any remaining investment required would then be delivered by a finance company and, ultimately, by the likes of a pension fund. An annual return is then calculated and paid over an agreed term.
For example, let’s take an estate where the existing fuel bill is £10m per year. Retrofitting would reduce this annual bill to £3m, but the work costs £300m – an off-putting figure. However, you might be able to bring in £100m in public monies and grants, reducing your private investment figure to £200m (or with 5% interest, £210m). If this is paid back over a 25-year period, the annual return would be £8.4m.
If you can bring in £1m a year through grid balancing, the annual fuel bill saving becomes £8m, resulting in a net annual payment of just £400k – a lot less scary.
In return for that investment, there are a myriad of benefits. Your estate is now much more efficient, healthy and has an extended life expectancy. The carbon emissions and fuel bills are significantly reduced while the reliance on fossil fuels is virtually eliminated. The building users are less tired, so they are more productive. It no longer overheats in summer, and you don’t need five layers of clothing and a hot water bottle in winter. In your child’s school, the pupils’ learning ability has increased; Margaret’s asthma is much better; Johnny’s eczema has cleared up; your arthritis is easier – and, ultimately, everyone is happier.
Graph of carbon emissions in the UK over the past 30 years
Graph of talking about emissions in the UK over the past 30 years
GETTING THE MOST FROM SAP CALCULATIONS
SAP calculations are obligatory for new-build homes to comply with Building Regulations. Chris O’Kane, Technical Director of SIG’s 360 Team, explains how they are used to develop cost-effective housing solutions.
SAP calculations are a requirement of Part L of the Building Regulations for all new-build homes in England and Wales.
SAP modelling can feel like a daunting task that must be addressed as a means of proving regulatory compliance. However, if the costs of materials are calculated alongside the energy performance criteria, the SAP process becomes an opportunity to refine a design proposal to deliver the most cost-effective, Building Regulationscompliant solution for a particular site.
The Standard Assessment Procedure for the energy rating of dwellings, SAP was first published in 1993 and has been updated periodically, most recently in 2021.
In 2007, SAP was also adopted as the methodology behind Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs). SAP calculations give a rating of 1-100+ (100 representing zero energy cost, and anything over means the building is exporting energy). The higher the figure, the lower the fuel consumption. A score of over 92 is considered excellent and results in an EPC rating of A.
The current version of SAP is 10.2, published in 2021, and applies to all dwellings starting on site from June 2023. It takes into account the proposed location and aspect of the building, fabric construction materials as well as details such as thermal junctions and the proposed heating and lighting. It is adjusted for floor area, so that it is independent of dwelling size for a given built form.
Building Regulations require a SAP calculation and a predicted EPC are submitted for new dwellings prior to the commencement of work. To prove compliance with Building Regulations, SAP
methodology compares the CO2 emissions of the proposed building (called the Dwelling Emission Rate or DER) with a digital notional building the same size and shape using a predetermined set of standardised assumptions for occupancy and behaviour. If the DER is lower than the Target Emissions Rate (TER), based on the notional dwelling, the building will comply with this element of Part L.
Since 2012, in addition to CO2 emissions, homes must also be assessed on predicted energy demand in kWh/m2/year.
Introduced in 2021, the Dwelling Primary Energy Rate (DPER) calculates how much primary energy (sourced from both renewable and non-renewable fuels) is used to heat, light, cool and ventilate the building.
Dwelling Fabric Energy Efficiency (DFEE) and Target Fabric Energy Efficiency (TFEE) were also added to the Part L requirements. Fabric Energy Efficiency considers the parts of a building that lose heat and is based on fabric U-values, airtightness and thermal bridging. DFEE and TFEE give the energy demand in kilowatt hours per m2 per year. To comply with Part L, a building’s DFEE must not be greater than the TFEE.
Since SAP takes into account a wide variety of factors, it allows designers to consider various options to arrive at the most economical solution for a Building Regulations-compliant scheme. This was the case with one social housing provider looking to comply with current Building Regulations for a housing scheme in Wales in the most cost-effective manner.
The scheme’s exposure to wind-driven rain meant that the homes’ walls had to be constructed with a cavity. Initially, the social housing provider proposed achieving the U-value requirement with a 125mm cavity part-filled with an expensive insulant.
The 360 Team at SIG took the housebuilder’s dimensioned plans and used them to calculate the areas of heat loss for the floor, roof, windows and walls. Using the housebuilder’s specification it then calculated the thermal performance of each element, expressed as a U-value, which it input into the SAP software.
Unfortunately, the software determined that the housing provider’s proposed scheme would not comply with Part L of the Building Regulations. The housebuilder did not want to increase the cavity width further because this would have significant cost implications, so SIG’s 360 Team used the Thermal Modelling Software to investigate potential alternatives.
Because SIG is a product-agnostic supplier of building materials, it was able to investigate numerous options by combining products from different manufacturers in the same way any independent SAP assessor might. However, because SIG sells these products, it was able to provide the social housing provider with an accurate estimated cost for each of these proposed options.
In this instance, SIG 360 Team’s SAP calculations determined that for the Welsh scheme, the most cost-effective Building Regulations-compliant solution was to use:
An aircrete block inner leaf in place of dense concrete blocks (which delivered a better thermal performance)
To use a cheaper, high-performance insulation to partially fill the cavity while retaining the original brick outer skin.
SIG’s compliant design proved to be less expensive than any of the solutions proposed by the housebuilder.
While considering the fabric solutions, the SIG 360 Team was also able to use the SAP modelling to investigate heating systems and renewables to assess which combination of these could provide compliant, cost-effective, sustainable living. This enabled the housing provider to have an informed conversation about how to change the design of the homes to enhance energy performance but with an added understanding of the cost implications of different options.
www.sig360.co.uk
THE FUTURE OF SAP
The methods used to calculate SAP ratings are set to change radically in 2025, although these probably will not be implemented until 2026. In December 2023, the Government published a consultation on a new methodology called the Home Energy Model. The consultation is now closed, and the first version of the Home Energy Model is set to be implemented alongside the Future Homes Standard in 2025, which is expected to bring new homes another step closer to achieving net zero.
NEW LABOUR GOVERNMENT’S VISION:
TRANSFORMING THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND
PUBLIC SECTOR
As the Labour Government begins to set its course, industry leaders offer their insights on the implications for construction, the built environment and the public realm. Here, key figures share their perspectives on the recent policy shifts, from housing and planning reforms to sustainable development and public ownership.
LOUSIE
DREW, SOCIAL HOUSING PARTNER AT LAW FIRM SHAKESPEARE MARTINEAU, ON THE KING’S SPEECH:
“The social housing sector has been crippled by never-ending waiting lists and diminishing stock levels for years. The package of reforms announced today feels like a good start, but the sector is by no means celebrating just yet.
“In recent years, there has been a shift away from local authorities building social housing to an increased reliance on developers, who have an obligation to make a percentage of their homes affordable. This means that when a plan is rejected, the local authority loses out on crucial affordable homes and has nothing in the pipeline to replace them.
“While cutting red tape for developers will help local authorities meet their targets, there are more essential
reforms that still need to be examined, such as pausing the Right to Buy scheme and giving proper resources to councils for mandatory retrofitting. By creating a holistic approach that includes targets for building as well as adequate funding for refurbishment, the Government could bring about the end of the housing crisis sooner rather than later.”
Photo by Gaman Alice on Unsplash
ANDREW GRIFFITHS, DIRECTOR OF POLICY & CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT AT PLANET MARK, ON THE KING’S SPEECH:
The National Housebuilding Programme:
“The emphasis on sustainable development and growth here is welcome. Balancing the needs of protecting our natural environment within the greenbelt and building houses is a tricky equation, but balance is achievable, particularly if the Government provides greater support and emphasis on the importance of retrofitting to upgrade unused or inefficient developments to contribute to a net-zero future. Accelerating the planning system’s adoption of lowcarbon materials and solutions for housebuilding and retrofitting will be critical to achieve our national netzero targets.”
Misson Control and GB Energy:
“The plans outlined here will unquestionably accelerate our clean energy transition if implemented well. Mission Control provides the opportunity for a far more joined-up approach to overcoming barriers and accelerating innovation in our energy systems, provided it can work in harmony with all the relevant stakeholders and has a clear mandate to meaningfully engage and move things forward with teams at DESNZ and Ofgem as well as energy and infrastructure companies without any confusion as to who is responsible for what. GB Energy will be seen as a valuable and effective partner for renewable energy projects if it can play a role in helping to speed up grid connections and planning.”
BRADLEY MARTIN, PARTNER SPECIALISING IN PUBLIC PROCUREMENT LAW AT UK AND IRELAND LAW FIRM BROWNE JACOBSON, ON THE KING’S SPEECH:
“A long-term ambition to bring rail services into public ownership is underpinned by admirable reasons, in particular, to offer better services for passengers, but such a transition features numerous practical and legal hurdles.
“Britain’s rail operation is hugely complex, with Network Rail overseeing infrastructure and a number of train operating companies running services in different regions of the country.
“The Government will take on responsibility for various contractual obligations with third parties, ranging from train manufacturers to caterers, while it will also have to ensure tens of thousands of people are successfully transferred from train operators to Great British Railways.
LAWRENCE TURNER, DIRECTOR AT BOYER, ON THE KING’S SPEECH:
“The recent announcements of the Planning and Infrastructure and the English Devolution Bills in the King’s Speech build on the Government’s pledge to get Britian building as one of the main drivers for economic growth.
“While the content of the bills is broad and lacking in detail, it is expected that much of the promised planning reform will come through a revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The advantage of Government policy over legislation is its quick implementation, with the revised NPPF expected to be in place by autumn this year. The reforms in the NPPF are likely to include specifics on mandatory housing targets, a review of the green belt and the role of local authorities and
combined authorities in planning and delivering housing.
“While the bills make no mention of these more topical planning announcements, they do include opportunities to overhaul the running of local planning authorities and planning committees. For example, one of the key elements of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill is the modernisation of planning committees and the increase in capacity of local planning authorities to deliver and improve services. While the details of what this would include or how it will be implemented are still unclear, the promise of investing in more local authority planners to speed up the planning process and decision making is a positive step towards addressing the current challenges in the system.”
“This will present a host of complexities with pensions, salaries, benefits and working arrangements that will have fluctuated between different employers but must now be standardised.
“One of the biggest challenges Great British Railways may then face is in driving cultural change once those train operating companies are effectively insourced back into the public sector, with the same people working under a new, joint organisational banner.”
BAUDERFLEX BITUMINOUS WATERPROOFING SYSTEM SPECIFIED FOR EASTBOURNE DISTRICT GENERAL HOSPITAL
Eastbourne District General Hospital was originally constructed in 1977 and has undergone several major repairs throughout its lifespan. Recently, the ageing roof required significant attention, prompting the decision to embark on a refurbishment project.
The impetus for the refurbishment came from Eastbourne District General Hospital being granted funding by the Carbon and Energy Fund (CEF) through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) for affordable, low-carbon energy-efficiency upgrades for the trust. Taking a whole building approach, the project used a wide
range of energy upgrades to target carbon savings of 4129 tonnes.
Bauder addressed critical issues, particularly the original roof’s poor performance and the lack of insulation, with a specific focus on achieving the environmental goal of carbon reduction to meet the project requirements.
Bauderflex bituminous waterproofing was specified for the refurbishment solution. In alignment with the project’s environmental objectives, the CEF-funded refurbishment targeted the roof’s insulation, which was previously non-existent. The insulation was upgraded with 120mm BauderPIR FA-TE flatboard insulation across the roof, achieving 0.18 U-value. Working closely with Clarke Roofing and Veolia, a comprehensive package was developed, including core samples, survey reports, U-value calculations, carbon saving reports, specifications and solar PV designs to form a crucial part of Veolia’s bid to secure the project.
The completed project provides a 20-year guarantee for both product and workmanship. Throughout the process, project management and workmanship were closely monitored, with over 30 interim inspections and numerous site meetings.
The roof system delivers significantly improved thermal efficiency for the building, thereby reducing heating bills and carbon emissions to achieve the project requirements of improving energy efficiency and reducing the hospital’s carbon footprint.
The successful project not only met the environmental goals set by the CEF, but also ensured there was minimal disruption to the hospital’s operations, showcasing the effectiveness of careful planning, adaptability and collaboration in complex refurbishment projects.
To learn more about this project, visit Bauder’s website or call the number below to book a meeting with a local area technical manager.
Depending on the requirements our Workstations come with a choice of full shelf storage, left or right units or no storage at all.
Our ToughSEN collection is specially designed for education facilities. Desks and Workstations help create individual secluded spaces, while seperation screens have a noise reduction feature which aims to keep the ambient noise down.
Learn more at https://www.toughfurniture.com/ product-category/toughsen/
Fixed computer Workstations come fully lockable as standard with a choice of star key locks if preferred.
Classroom screens are designed to create secluded spaces and minimise distraction, while also keeping the noise down. Visit our website for more information.
PIONEERING AND PROTECTING TIMBER THROUGHOUT THE WORLD WITH OSMO
Within many cities around the world, we can see various displays of wooden architecture that use both simple and complex design to achieve brilliant constructions made from the sustainable and versatile material, timber. Complementing such designs with protection and colour requires a specialist wood finish that will provide durability and high coverage and, in turn, longevity for the project. Osmo natural wood finishes are used around the world to protect interior and exterior wooden surfaces throughout the building industry in both residential and commercial applications.
Starting in Nagoya City, Japan, some 400,000 train passengers pass by the Kanayama Wood City Building on their daily commute to work. This cross-laminated timber (CLT) high-rise is the first building in the Nagoya Wood City Concept, which aims to increase value and promote the use of wood and wood materials by constructing several medium-scale wooden buildings around the city centre. This development concept is modelled after the Wood City project in Helsinki, Finland, and was proposed by Dr Daishi Sakaguchi of Nihon Fukushi University, who had studied in Helsinki. The exterior design features wooden louvres with varying lengths and depths, serving both aesthetic and functional purposes to embrace wood’s natural patination. These louvres are safeguarded against the elements with Osmo Natural Oil Woodstain in a bespoke colour, ensuring durability amidst wind and rain.
Over in Eastern France, we step into history at the Buvette Cachat, a timeless monument in the heart of Évian. Designed by the visionary Jean-Albert Hébrard in 1903, this ‘temple of water’ has been lovingly restored to its former glory by RL & Associés in Lyon. With over 3000m² of intricate woodwork in larch, beech and fir, every corner tells a story of craftsmanship and heritage. Protected by Osmo Natural Oil Woodstain 702 Larch, its beauty is now both preserved and enhanced for years to come.
Ending in London, where, located in the serene surroundings of Kensington Gardens, the Black Chapel Serpentine Pavilion stands as a monument to balance and contemplation. The pavilion’s impressive structure spans 201m 2, with a 16m diameter and a 10.7m height, making it the grandest Serpentine Pavilion to date. The integral support of ATOL, a premier UK fire protection entity, ensured the wood’s safety prior to finishing with Osmo Garden Colour 7505 Jet Black. This brilliant water-based, low-VOC, weather-resistant and UV-stable finish grants an elegant, opaque satin sheen to the exterior, encapsulating the pavilion’s aesthetic and protective needs.
With over 140 years of timber experience, many look towards Osmo to offer the world colour and protection when building with wood. Search ‘Osmo Recommends’ and discover which product best suits your next project. Contact the Osmo team for expert advice and wood-related knowledge.
The Buvette Cachat
The Black Chapel Serpentine Pavilion
The Kanayama Wood City Building
FIREFLY VERTICAL SYSTEMS SELECTED FOR NOTTINGHAMSHIRE HOSPITAL UPGRADE
A significant redevelopment project at Millbrook Mental Health Unit in the Sutton area of Mansfield is nearing a successful completion, with two of FIREFLY’s versatile and fully-certified systems being employed. KRASI Fire Protection’s Contract Manager, Daniel Oldacre, comments: “We put forward the APOLLO Lite 30:30 and TITAN Lite 120:60 as being appropriate to the periods of protection being sought by the project team. They were really the only products that would have worked in this situation. We have come to rely on FIREFLY systems in recent years since we moved away from mineral wool solutions.”
www.tbafirefly.com info@tba-pt.com 01706 758817
F. Ball and Co. has refreshed the visual designs of its iconic yellow buckets used for the company’s Styccobond adhesives. The new designs simplify and modernise the look of the plastic buckets, in keeping with the new smoothing compound sacks introduced last year. The product formulations remain the same. The buckets now detail coverage rates to help contractors determine how much adhesive they need and compare value with alternative products, especially where competitor products are sold by weight rather than volume. QR codes on the reverse link to detailed technical information and videos demonstrating application, as well as F. Ball’s Recommended Adhesives Guide (RAG), allowing you to easily check the compatibility of the adhesive and chosen floorcoverings.
STOCKSIGNS AND MURPHY
KENT SELF-BUILDER SHIELDS BASEMENT STRUCTURE USING WYKAMOL/TRITON SYSTEM SOLUTION
The product range offered by waterproofing and timber treatment specialist Triton Systems, part of the Wykamol Group, has proved to be the perfect fit for a Kent self-builder undertaking his first project in challenging ground conditions. He comments:
“This is a new build on a sloping site, with a semibasement built into the hillside, therefore requiring a reliable tanking system. Our architect recommended Wykamol Group, and the company’s technical design manager and area sales manager duly visited the site to discuss the appropriate specification.” The recommended solution is typical of Wykamol’s double indemnity approach, employing both tanking and internal drainage products, ensuring any water penetrating the structure is safely removed: In this case, by gravity rather than a sump pump.
www.wykamol.com
Stocksigns has renewed its contract with Murphy – one of the UK’s leading civil engineering and construction companies – to supply site signage. As part of the latest contract, all signage produced for Murphy by Stocksigns utilises Correx, a widely-recyclable corrugated sheeting that can be repurposed into protective mats for construction projects. In addition, both companies share a commitment to attaining carbon neutrality by 2030. At its production facility in Redhill, Surrey, the Stocksigns team can design and manufacture custom signage or provide a range of standard-compliant health and safety solutions. This UK production allows Murphy to benefit from short lead times with minimal hassle.
www.stocksigns.co.uk
ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS ARE TAKING OVER FROM NATURAL WOOD
West Fraser leads the way in manufacturing innovative timber panel products and has done so for decades. SterlingOSB Zero, the leading brand of OSB, is a vital component in many modern methods of construction. These are mostly off-site manufactured systems in which major building elements are produced in controlled factory conditions and delivered to the site ready for assembly. Timber floor cassettes are now commonly used in housebuilding, while structural insulated panels (SIPs) are also gaining ground. SIPs comprise two layers of OSB with a thick layer of foam insulation sandwiched between them. Though natural wood is still used in many building applications, engineered alternatives are taking over both in the development of MMC and in traditional roles.
MANOR DRIVE ACADEMY CHOOSE FERMACELL FOR NEW SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT
As part of the Manor Drive Academy development in Peterborough, architect firm Jestico + Whiles and contractor Raimondas Petrulis have specified the unique building board fermacell for the ceilings and walls in its new sports hall. Part of a range of products by James Hardie, fermacell is a fibre gypsum board that provides superior fire resistance, acoustic performance and impact strength. For the sports hall wall construction, a double-layer lining of 12.5mm fermacell was used to ensure higher levels of protection against ball impact and provide long durability. The highdensity board comes with a 20-year impact warranty and can be installed before the building watertight.
www.jameshardie.co.uk/en
F. BALL UNVEILS NEW YELLOW BUCKET DESIGNS
AKW OPENS MANUFACTURING FACILITY AND SHOWROOM IN HEART OF THE NORTH WEST
AKW is pleased to announce the opening of its sizeable new showroom and manufacturing facility in Middlewich, Cheshire.
PADDINGTON STATION IMPROVES ASSISTED TRAVEL EXPERIENCE
A new lounge, that has been designed for Network Rail passengers using the assistance programme, has opened at Paddington station. TORMAX was contracted to work with Saper Glass to manufacture and install an automatic, single sliding door system, giving clear and easy access into the Assisted Travel Lounge (ATL). Powered by the in-house designed TORMAX iMotion 2202 door drive, smooth and reliable operation is assured thanks to the innovative design of the high-torque, synchronous motor that ensures rapid response to approaching foot traffic. Featuring none of the parts that regularly wear out, such as gears and brushes, the iMotion motor offers a longer lifespan, with lower maintenance demands, than other similar door operators. Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Paddington’s Grade I-Listed structure is one of Britain’s most historically-significant railway stations. Appointed as main contractor, Consortia Group was responsible for delivering the new ATL, greatly improving accessibility within this major transport hub.
AKW is proud to continue investing in British manufacturing, and the 26,000ft2 facility will produce accessible bathroom and kitchen products across the company’s portfolio. In addition, the site includes offices, a large bathroom and kitchen showroom and client assessment centre, to enable occupational therapists, contractors and other specifiers in the North West to experience AKW’s product range in situ and receive product training as needed.
Following the acquisition of Contour Showers in 2022, it quickly became clear that the existing Contour facility in Winsford would not be able to meet AKW’s manufacturing requirements. A new production site in Total Park, Middlewich, was subsequently taken on under a longterm lease, and the layout was amended during construction to suit AKW’s needs.
Located three miles from junction 18 of the M6, AKW’s new facility is EPC A rated, and features roof-mounted solar panels, which will generate an estimated 15,000kWh of electricity per year for the site.
Alongside AKW staff, all of the Winsford site’s employees have made the move to the facility and a fuel allowance, free transport service and hybrid working have been set up to make the transition easier.
www.akw-ltd.co.uk
sales@akw-ltd.co.uk
01905 823298
SIEMENS WINS AT 2024 BCIA AWARDS
Siemens Building Products has won the ‘Technical Innovation of the Year’ category in the biggest awards scheme for the building controls and BEMS (Building & Energy Management System) industry. Siemens Wireless Room Solution won the hotly-contested Product Category, sponsored by CIBSE, as one of six finalists at the BCIA (Building Controls Industry Association) Awards dinner at The Eastside Rooms in Birmingham on 2nd May. It was the first time the awards had been presented at this venue, and almost 500 people attended the annual celebration of innovation, product development, project delivery and training in this vital sector of the construction industry. The Wireless Room Solution from Siemens features three new sensors as part of the company’s ongoing development of the company’s expanding IoT range. The battery-operated sensors allow quick and easy installation to provide important indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring, with three options available: Temperature only, temperature and relative humidity, temperature, relative humidity and CO2. With buildings being repurposed and reconfigured, the capability for ease of installation or relocation of sensors to meet new requirements without damaging walls and ceilings through rewiring is a particular advantage.
www.siemens.co.uk/buildingtechnologies
DULUX TRADE VINYL MATT: YOUR TESTED AND APPROVED, MORE SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION
Dulux Trade Vinyl Matt has been reformulated to provide specifiers and their clients with a more sustainable solution that is 99.9% VOC (volatile organic compound) free. The new product has also been tested and approved by professional decorators for added reassurance that it delivers the same great opacity and coverage as the previous formulation. Dulux Trade has reformulated its popular water-based Dulux Trade Vinyl Matt so that it is 99.9% VOC (volatile organic compound) free. This means that it has a reduced impact on indoor air quality and a lower carbon footprint when compared with the previous formulation. The enhanced sustainability benefits also make the new Dulux Trade Vinyl Matt perfect for projects that need to comply with the BREEAM and LEED accreditations – and IAC Gold certifications are also available. This can help specifiers to showcase carbon footprint reductions and deliver compliant projects with no compromise on product lifecycle or durability. Furthermore, whilst the sustainability credentials of the paint have been improved, Dulux Trade Vinyl Matt still delivers the same coverage and opacity to ensure a quality finish.
www.duluxtrade.co.uk/vinyl-matt
VENT-AXIA COMMITTED TO IMPROVING INDOOR AIR QUALITY ON CLEAN AIR DAY
Vent-Axia supported Clean Air Day on 20th June. Clean Air Day aims to improve public understanding of air pollution, build awareness of how air pollution affects our health and explain the actions we can take to tackle air pollution. Vent-Axia has been working hard to provide ventilation solutions to improve IAQ. For new-build homes, Vent-Axia’s Lo-Carbon Sentinel Econiq mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) system boasts bestin-class specific fan powers (SFPs) as low as 0.39w/ls, with up to 93% heat recovery. Designed to improve IAQ and occupants’ health, the Lo-Carbon Sentinel Econiq’s New Sentinel-X Control platform features a wide array of sensors and controls, ensuring the highest levels of IAQ.
www.vent-axia.com 0344 856 0590
METSEC UNDERLINES COMMITMENT TO ACCURATE PRODUCT INFORMATION
voestalpine Metsec has become one of the earliest adopters of the Code for Construction Products Information (CCPI), introduced by the Construction Products Association in response to Dame Judith Hackitt’s review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, set up following the Grenfell Tower tragedy. CCPI assessments are undertaken by Assessors from Construction Products Information Ltd and are carried out on a manufacturer’s specific products and systems, not the company as a whole. As such, an organisation or brand cannot, in itself, gain assessment or make any claims of conformance beyond a specific product set. To date, voestalpine Metsec has successfully achieved assessment for four of its key construction systems: SFS light-gauge galvanised steel structural framing systems and Metframe pre-panelised framing system from its Framing Division, dry lining metal framed components for gypsum plasterboard systems from its Dry Lining Division and roof, side rail and mezzanine floor systems from its Purlins Division.
GILBERTS
UPS
www.metsec.com
metsec.sfs@voestalpine.com 0121 601 6000
With growing emphasis on managing the risk of smoke and fire within building safety, Gilberts is leading the way to optimise control. To address increasing demand and exceed criteria laid down in the latest Building Regulations, Gilberts is launching a new, fully-tested range of insulated smoke and fire dampers. The insulated dampers complement Gilberts’ established Ductgard units for HVAC ductwork. The insulation element of the new dampers helps minimise the risk of heat transfer and thus the risk of fire spreading beyond the compartment. Its performance exceeds the two relevant layers of fire safety in buildings: Integrity of compartmentation and structural safety. Spring and thermal fuse activated, the insulated dampers offer fire resistance of EI30, EI60, EI90 and EI120 for general ventilation systems with walls and partitions of various ratings. Thus, they deliver effective cut-off partitioning between the fire-engulfed zone and the remaining part of the building, helping maintain the building’s integrity. The range is fully tested and certified to EN 15650, EN 13501-3 and EN 1366-2. The introduction of the insulated dampers builds on Gilberts’ 60+ years’ heritage of bringing to market advanced technology that enhances the design, safety, energy efficiency and occupier comfort of non-domestic buildings. All Gilberts’ products are designed and developed in accordance with BS EN ISO 9001:2015 quality standard in the company’s state-of-the-art 140,000ft2 facility in Blackpool.
THE STANDARD IN SMOKE AND FIRE PROTECTION www.gilbertsblackpool.com 01253 766911 info@gilbertsblackpool.com
GLASS EXCELLENCE
GLASS EXCELLENCE
With over 46 years’ experience and UK-wide coverage, Firman Glass aims to be your number one choice for commercial and industrial glass products.
Products
With over 46 years’ experience and UK-wide coverage, Firman Glass aims to be your number one choice for commercial and industrial glass products.
• Toughened glass
• Processing
• CNC shaping
• Specialist insulating glass units
• Anti–slip glass
• Fire rated glass
• Toughened glass
• Processing
• Laminated glass
• CNC shaping
• Toughened and laminated constructions
• Laminated glass
• EVA and Vanceva coloured interlays
• Fabric and decorative interlays
• Toughened and laminated constructions
• Structural interlays
• EVA and Vanceva coloured interlays
• Fabric and decorative interlays
Applications
• Structural interlays
• Glass floors
Products Applications
• Structural glazing
• Partitions
• Staircases
• Specialist insulating glass units
• UV bonding
• Electric switchable glass
• Anti–slip glass
• Fire rated glass
• Heated glass
• UV bonding
• Decorative glass
• Electric switchable glass
• Sandblasting
• Heated glass
• ColorfirmTM back painted glass
• Decorative glass
• Sandblasting
• ColorfirmTM back painted glass
• Decoration
• Treads and stringers
• Shower screens
• Wall cladding
• Splashbacks
• Staircases
• Roof lights
• Structural glazing
• Glass floors
• Balustrades
• Partitions
• Full height barriers
• Shelving
• Decoration
• Privacy
• Glass doors
• Treads and stringers
• Shower screens
• Acoustic reduction
• Roof lights
• Canopies
• Balustrades
• Full height barriers
• Canopies
• Fire rated
• Shelving
• Glass doors
• Acoustic reduction
• Fire rated
• Wall cladding
• Technical Support
• Nationwide Coverage
• Splashbacks
• Privacy
• Technical Support
• Nationwide Coverage
Further information is available from our sales and technical offices or visit www.firmanglass.com Firman Glass, 19 Bates Road, Harold Wood, Romford, Essex RM3 0JH Tel: 01708 374534 Email: sales@ rmanglass.com
Further information is available from our sales and technical offices or visit www.firmanglass.com
