PSBJ August 2023

COMPLETE TRANSFORMATION

Former printing house now provides new health and medical building at leading university

The first stage of the 3Ts redevelopment presents complex challenges

A new era of low-carbon heating for UK tower blocks

How to keep our schools cool during a heatwave

Editor Hannah Woodger hannah@redhutmedia.com

Rebecca Kemp rebecca@redhutmedia.com

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Sam Ball sam@redhutmedia.com

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Digital Design Manager

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Publisher Sam Ball sam@redhutmedia.com Published by

Welcome to the August issue of PSBJ...

For a long time, the Government’s ageing estate has been called into question, with concerns over safety and structural stability, putting vulnerable patients and schoolchildren at risk. Sharing similar scrutiny to asbestos, reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) is the latest material under the spotlight. Likened to a chocolate Aero bar, this lightweight concrete is known to crumble and cause the collapse of buildings with potentially fatal consequences.

In a new report by the National Audit Office (NAO), it has revealed 41 hospitals contain the material and seven have been identified as being ‘structurally unsound’. What once was a firm favourite amongst builders from the 1950s-1990s, RAAC is said to have a 30-year lifespan, therefore, buildings with RAAC present are at risk of failure without urgent action taken.

Earlier this year, the NAO conducted a similar review into the condition of school buildings and identified 65 to have been built using the lightweight concrete. So far, the DfE has allocated £600m for 600 assessments to be completed by the end of this year, and funding has reportedly become available to ensure RAAC does not pose an immediate risk.

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When repairs and the provision of replacement structures are unavoidable, this puts unprecedented pressure on schools to find other solutions to house both pupils and staff with minimal disruption. In this month’s issue, PSBJ talks to modular buildings expert, Algeco, which reveals that the answer to the fastest, safest and most costeffective solution to permanent or temporary school buildings could well lie in offsite construction. Turn to page 28 to find out more.

Elsewhere in this edition, Hudson Architects discusses the solution to keeping our learning environments cool as the UK experiences a shift towards hotter summers, McBains unveils the first stage of the 3Ts redevelopment of the Royal Sussex County Hospital and Myrtha Pools explains how we can harness technology to keep our public swimming pools afloat.

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 phone or tablet. Simply visit www.psbjmagazine.com

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

06 News

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

08

Upfront

A new state-of-the-art teaching centre for health and medical students has opened its doors at the University of Worcester, delivered by multi-disciplinary design practice, BDP.

12 Education

As the UK experiences hotter summers, the challenges in keeping learning environments cool are becoming increasingly evident, explains Hudson Architects.

14 Legal & Business

A regulation overhaul is needed to accelerate ESG success in the housebuilding sector, says new research from law firm Womble Bond Dickinson and the University of Cambridge.

16

Leisure

Myrtha Pools discusses the benefits of modern methods of construction and technology in upgrading our ageing leisure centres and pool estate in the UK.

18 HVAC

Ambion Heating reflects on how innovation in low-carbon heating is needed to address the unique challenge of heating the UK’s tower blocks in a safe and sustainable way.

20 Healthcare

The Louisa Martindale Building is the newest clinical building in NHS England and the first stage of the ‘3Ts’ redevelopment of the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

22 RCI

PermaRock explains why early engagement and collaboration are essential to successfully utilising external wall insulation (EWI), one of the main energyefficiency measures.

24 Housing

Janine Nuttall, Commercial Lead at Crown Commercial Service (CCS), explains how the agency can help housing associations tackle heating inefficiencies and save residents money.

26 Paints, Coatings & Finishes

Richard Besant, Director at Powdertech (Corby), explains why considering the metal finishing process at the start of a design project will yield the best result.

28 MMC

Algeco looks at how offsite construction and temporary classrooms for hire could provide the fastest, most cost-effective route to ensuring pupils’ safety.

30 Water Management

Dr Netsanet Mebrate, Causeway Flow Product Owner, gives his top tips for implementing SuDS and explains how technology can help with its design.

32

Talking Point

David Hall, Associate Director at Boyer (part of Leaders Romans Group), reflects on the planning system over the past 50 years and identifies the flaws in the systems adopted.

34 Technical Focus

The thermal performance of the building envelope is of increasing importance, and a critical element in this is responsible design and the avoidance of thermal bridging.

36 Product Showcase

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

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INDUSTRY UPDATES

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

Construction work begins on Dundee’s new £100m community campus

Jenny Gilruth MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, witnessed construction work beginning on an integrated educational and community facility for the east end of Dundee. Pupils joined Ms Gilruth in making symbolic footprints in wet concrete to create a mark that will become a feature at the new £100m East End Community Campus. Designed by Holmes Miller for Dundee City Council, with Robertson Construction as the main contractor, the new facility will cater for around 1800 pupils from Braeview Academy and Craigie High School and their teachers, staff and the wider community. Offering an optimum environment for learning and attainment, the new 19,500m2 campus will include a variety of teaching and informal meeting spaces, a central learning plaza, presentation spaces and specialist Additional Support Needs (ASN) areas. The design also incorporates flexible spaces such as a ‘Hellerup’ staircase where pupils and staff can relax, socialise and collaborate. Facilities that the wider community can use will include a music and drama centre, cafe, library, floodlit all-weather pitches, a fitness suite and a dance studio. The indoor accommodation will be arranged around a central courtyard that provides an outdoor civic space for community and school events, breakout and relaxation. The community campus, which is due to open in time for the new academic year in August 2025, will be built to the international Passivhaus sustainable energy use standard, using responsibly-sourced materials.

Clarke Willmott hosts social housing event

Experts in the social housing sector gathered at a drinks event in Manchester, organised by national law firm Clarke Willmott, to share ideas and discuss the current issues facing the housing sector. Hosted by Clarke Willmott’s leading social housing team, which includes Lindsay Felstead, Kary Withers and Oliver Smedley, the event coincided with the end of the CIH Housing 2023 Conference and Exhibition in Manchester. Topics included governance, risk, tenant voice, the importance of social care and the cost-of-living crisis. 75 people attended Clarke Willmott’s event and, due to the popularity, the firm is planning to organise a similar gathering next year. Lindsay Felstead, Clarke Willmott Partner and Sector Co-Lead for Social Housing, said: “The CIH Housing event was fantastic and our follow-up event was a great way to round it off and catch up with key players in the social housing sector in a more relaxed environment. It is a really prominent event for the industry and we’re lucky to have an excellent presence in Manchester with our Spring Gardens office, as well as across the UK with our additional six regional offices. This leaves us well placed to be able to support the sector with any legal issues they might face and be a leading force with unrivalled experience.”

London’s newest technical college opens in Nine Elms

A pioneering new further education facility dedicated to science, technology, engineering arts and maths (STEAM) courses has opened in Nine Elms, London. The state-of-the-art building represents a significant milestone for the £100m London South Bank Technical College project, which is being delivered in two phases. Phase 2, set to complete in 2025, will encompass the construction of two additional college buildings dedicated to health, life sciences and business education. GRAHAM was appointed as the lead contractor by South Bank Colleges and works on site for the new college commenced in 2021. The project was procured through Pagabo’s £10bn Major Works Framework, and this completion marks a significant milestone, with London South Bank Technical College lauded as the UK’s first purpose-built comprehensive technical college in a generation. The new building provides a wide range of formal, informal and social learning spaces, workshops, breakout areas and a cafe. Along with a distinctive external facade featuring brickwork, curtain walling and pleated metal cladding, a standout internal design feature is the ‘digital spine’, a series of stacked double-height spaces spanning all 10 floors and interspersed with a series of collaborative learning spaces supported by the latest technology.

Works progress at new central Northampton student digs

Construction works are well underway for a new £2m high-spec student accommodation scheme in Northampton town centre. Delivered by nationwide refurbishment contractor, Fortis Vision, Orient House – a purpose-built 41-bed student building on Kettering Road – will provide accommodation where there is a chronic shortage for Northampton University. Works will include the refurbishment of an existing building to provide six one-bedroom apartments, alongside the construction of an 11,500ft2 new build comprising three floors of six cluster flats with a total of 35 individual en-suite bedrooms. The development will reinvigorate a previously-derelict town-centre building while addressing a need for purpose-built accommodation as identified by the university, and Orient House marks the beginning of Fortis Vision’s move into the new-build main contractor marketplace following extensive experience in delivering multiple refurbishments for large purpose-built accommodation. The scheme commenced for client, Abington Park Investments, in December 2022 and works are due to be completed in September 2023, in time for the new university year start.

A brand-new £21m mixed-use leisure scheme has opened its doors in the historic market town of Morpeth, Northumberland – marking the advent of a new model of leisure scheme for the UK, which combines sport and leisure with community facilities in a high-street setting. Morpeth Sports & Leisure Centre was designed by GT3 Architects and constructed by Willmott Dixon. It was funded by Northumberland County Council and delivered by Advance Northumberland – the development arm of the county council. After being awarded planning permission during the pandemic – one of the first schemes given the go ahead via a virtual planning committee meeting – construction started in autumn 2020, with the doors opening to the local community in April 2023. Located on Gas House Lane, at the edge of the town-centre conservation area and sitting beside the River Wansbeck, the impactful facility acts as a bookend to the high street. The centre incorporates a new community services hub, which includes a double-height community library, a customer service centre, plus a brand-new adult learning facility with classrooms for a number of courses. There is also a six-lane swimming pool with spectator gallery, flexible learner pool, spa facilities, a variety of fitness spaces, a multi-use sports hall and large studio space designed to hold community events and a cafe, with connections to a poetry garden and outdoor terraces that act as an important social space for families and tourists alike.

£1.3m

delivered in Bedfordshire school extension

Eight new classrooms have been added to a Bedfordshire school to accommodate more youngsters from a growing community in the next term. Further facilities, including a rest area and multi-use hall, have been included in the two-storey extension to Wixams Tree Primary School. Improved outdoor playground areas, new green and creative areas, as well as a reconfigured nursery, rest areas and a multi-use hall have also been established on the site by Hertfordshire-based construction company Willmott Dixon. Ross Taylor, Senior Operations Manager at Wilmott Dixon, said: “We have a long-running relationship with the school and Bedford Borough Council. We built Wixams Tree Primary School and Wixams Academy in 2012, so we were delighted to be back building more fantastic facilities in this growing community.” Throughout the months spent on site, the Willmott Dixon team supported the community, contributing £1.3m in social value, from time spent in staff hours working with young people, having local staff on the project and focusing on a supply chain within a small radius of the site. Natalie Sidey, Social Value Manager at Wilmott Dixon, said: “It’s not just about the bricks and mortar for Willmott Dixon. Being able to add value to the community is important for us. Social value is at the heart of what we do, which is one of the reasons we spend so much time going into schools to support the students.”

Housing is a critical part of the current NHS staffing crisis and surplus National Health Service land should be used to deliver homes for health and social care workers to support staff retention and recruitment, according to a recently-launched whitepaper. The whitepaper, titled ‘A People Driven Approach; Delivering NHS Homes’, authored by the NHS Homes Alliance – a collaboration of representatives from public and private sector organisations – sets out a vision for using the NHS estate to build affordable, high-quality and sustainable homes near to hospitals and clinics. The paper sets out proposals to deliver homes for long-term rental, retaining the freehold interest and using private sector and housing association development expertise to build housing to meet demand identified by trusts to improve retention and recruitment while protecting the long-term value and flexibility of use for the NHS. Lord Markham CBE, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care, says: “I welcome the paper from the NHS Homes Alliance, which highlights several recommendations to address the issues that have so far prevented the NHS delivering keyworker accommodation at the scale and pace that is required. I will lead a joint taskforce with the Housing Minister, Rachel Maclean, to work through the barriers identified and support the NHS to streamline delivery of this much-needed accommodation to support its vital and valuable workforce.”

A brand-new, category-C resettlement prison has completed in Leicester, delivering more than 600 permanent jobs in the local area, with a core focus on prisoner rehabilitation through skills-based training and employment opportunities. HMP Fosse Way forms part of a UK Government plan to deliver 3360 additional prison places by 2023 at Fosse Way and the recently-opened HMP Five Wells in Wellingborough. The project will initially house 1715 prisoners across a 16-acre site, with an additional cell block and ancillary building extension approved by Blaby District Council and Oadby and Wigston Borough Council last December, extending capacity further. Independent property, construction and infrastructure consultancy, Pick Everard, was appointed as lead designer for the project, providing architecture, interior design, civil engineering, building engineering, sustainability and energy, structural engineering, landscape architecture and interior design services. Tim Irons, Operations Director at Pick Everard, said: “The interior design has been closely considered, applying biophilic and salutogenic principles to support wellbeing and strengthen the identity of each space. It is a modern, sustainable custodial estate, working to BREEAM ‘Excellent’ standards, which, following its planned extension, will become one of the biggest prisons operating in the UK.”

New model of community leisure hub opens its doors

in social value

Whitepaper proposes using surplus NHS land to deliver keyworker homes

£286m prison opens to become one of the largest operating in the UK

MAJOR NEW HEALTH AND MEDICAL BUILDING OPENS AT UNIVERSITY OF WORCESTER

Named after Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, the first woman to qualify as a Physician and Surgeon in the UK, a new state-of-the-art teaching centre for health and medical students has opened its doors at the University of Worcester.

Providing outstanding facilities for the university’s health students as well as becoming the home of the university’s new Three Counties Medical School, which will welcome its first cohort of students this September, the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Building is the result of a significant refurbishment project. The adaption of an existing newspaper press building to meet the needs of the university, avoiding carbon-intensive demolition work and rebuild, has delivered significant carbon savings.

Formerly home to the Worcester News and Berrows Journal, the once drab concrete building has undergone a complete transformation over the past 12 months, with a now golden exterior and a new atrium, simulated GP consultation rooms, light and spacious social learning

spaces and a cafe with indoor and outdoor seating on the inside. The space, which once housed the giant printing press, is now home to a stunning new anatomy suite with high-tech equipment for students to learn about the human body and perform procedures in a controlled environment. The introduction of new floors and stairs, with level access, plenty of lifts and spacious toilets ensure the building is inclusive and accessible to all.

Global multi-disciplinary design practice BDP’s civil and structural engineering teams worked on the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Building, with BDP’s landscape architects responsible for the campus masterplan and public realm, which includes a ‘wellness trail’ that will form part of the campus in the future. The architect firm on the

project was Glancy Nicholls Architects (GNA) and the M&E designer was CPW. The university’s complete construction partner was Stepnell.

70% of the embodied carbon of the new health and medical school structure is from pre-existing components from the original printing house. Effective reuse of the existing foundations and frame has secured significant carbon savings when compared to the potential impact a newbuild structure would have had. Indeed, the preserved elements of the building offered a saving of embodied carbon equivalent to 612 one-way flights from London to New York, or 306 people’s consumption of meat, dairy and beer for a year, or 168 average family cars running for a year, according to a BDP report based on the Institution of Structural Engineers’ (IStructE) assessment tool, which is now used as standard by many structural engineering consultants.

In keeping with the university’s commitment to sustainability, the refurbishment has been completed to outstanding environmental specifications, achieving a Gold SKA environmental rating from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), which is specific to refurbishments and is not applicable to new builds. This continues the university’s strong track record in delivering capital projects, both new builds and refurbishments, in a sustainable way. The university achieved a Gold SKA award for the refurbishment of its Art House facility as well. A key

driver of the SKA scheme is the emphasis on end-user build quality. It puts the onus onto the wider design team to fulfil the project’s ambitions rather than focussing primarily upon the main contractor. It also extends this approach into the supply chain by clearly stating the requirements within the tender documentation.

The gold-coloured inert copper alloy cladding that has been added to the exterior is an efficient, long-lasting material providing a weathertight covering to a thick layer of insulation, making the building inexpensive to heat or to cool depending on the season.

Other key elements of BDP’s engineering approach included the upgrading of the glazing to provide a better-performing ‘curtain wall’ with a new glazed entrance way, as well as the replacement of the roof with a lighter version that allowed for the installation of solar PV panels. The overcladding of insulation to the facade, which was previously concrete cased, also improved the energy efficiency of the building.

Erik Dirdal, Civil and Structural Engineering Director at BDP, said: “This project is an excellent example of how careful repurposing and retrofitting of existing buildings can provide state-of-the-art, sustainable and accessible new facilities that, in

this case, will educate students for generations to come. By taking this approach, we avoided the need for carbon-intensive demolition work, achieving significant carbon savings when compared to a new-build approach, and ensured this iconic building provides a lasting legacy for the university.”

Professor Sally Moyle, Professor Vice Chancellor Health and Science, said up to 1500 health students would be using the new building each week. “These students, studying nursing, medicine, midwifery, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, paramedicine and more will be the backbone of tomorrow’s NHS,” she said. “The university has been investing in high-quality health courses for over 20 years because we know just how badly the country needs these graduates.”

Professor David Green CBE DL, Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive at the university, said: “We are delighted that this new facility is complete and ready for use by our health students, including our new medical students starting in September. I would like to express my sincere thanks to all the partners who have supported us, including the Clive Richards Foundation, the Kildare Trust, our local NHS partners, Worcester Town’s Fund and the Office for Students.”

Professor Sandra Nicholson, Founding Dean of the Three Counties Medical School, added: “We are looking forward to welcoming our first cohort of medical students in September who will have the opportunity to learn in this outstanding new facility. Many thanks go to our NHS partners and many others who have supported us in our journey to establish a medical school in Worcester, which will make a huge contribution to the people of this region.”

Adrian Barnes, Regional Director at complete construction partner Stepnell, added: “We are incredibly pleased with the outcome of this project to create high-quality teaching facilities for healthcare trainees, designing and building a striking and essential learning space for students.”

The new facilities complement the existing clinical simulation suite at St John’s campus. The building forms part of the university’s new Severn campus for health, wellbeing and inclusive sport, which has seen the university regenerate a largely-derelict riverside industrial estate.

Further exciting developments on the new campus are planned, including the world’s first inclusive cricket centre in partnership with the England and Wales Cricket Board, with BDP’s civil and structural engineering and landscape teams supporting, while a further building for teaching the everexpanding number of health students at

the university is also planned for construction in 2024.

The whole campus is being opened up with new cycle and pedestrian facilities, car parking and 100 electric vehicle points, which are all available for public use, as is the cafe in the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Building.

www.bdp.com

Fact file:

Client: University of Worcester

Civil and structural engineer: BDP

Architect: Glancy Nicholls Architects (GNA)

Landscape architect: BDP

M&E designer: CPW

Complete construction partner: Stepnell

Quantity surveyor: AA Projects

KEEPING OUR SCHOOLS COOL DURING A HEATWAVE

As the UK experiences a significant shift towards hotter summers, the challenges in keeping our learning environments cool for students and teachers are becoming increasingly evident. Louise Boddie, Senior Associate at Hudson Architects, explains more.

Last year, the country witnessed record-breaking temperatures, reaching 41°C in some regions. This prompted the Met Office to issue a ‘red extreme’ heat warning, resulting in school closures and disruptions. Now, as schools face limited funding and ageing infrastructure, it is crucial for us to explore ways to keep internal temperatures comfortable. Natural and passive cooling opportunities, as well as behavioural changes, can go a long way to provide comfortable learning conditions. Here, we’ll look at some quick-win passive and non-mechanical cooling methods, as well as longer-term solutions to address this issue.

Understanding sunlight

Understanding why some classrooms become unbearably hot while others stay relatively cooler often comes down to the design and orientation of school buildings. Many schools have large south-, east- and westfacing windows that provide ample warmth and natural light during autumn and winter. However, during summer heatwaves, those same windows contribute to overheating at different times of the day. The simplest way to keep the school cool is to reduce the amount of heat getting in in the first place.

While internal blinds can provide some relief, external shading is a gamechanger. It blocks the sun’s rays before they have a chance to warm the building, significantly lowering internal temperatures.

Incorporating shading on south- and west-facing facades, where heat gains are greatest, can make a huge difference. This approach is often used in warmer climates, where smaller windows and shading devices are commonly employed to reduce the amount of heat entering the building. Schools can consider cost-effective, passive measures to the areas most in need, like intelligent external shading that allows low-level sun to enter the building in the mornings, evenings and winter, while keeping direct sunlight out during summer.

Retrofitting shading devices to windows, such as overhangs, louvres and external blinds, provides much-needed relief. Going a step further and creating whole-facade solutions that reduce sun absorption through windows and walls can offer substantial benefits, but will be more costly. This could involve adding a secondary shading skin of static or moveable blinds, or louvres oriented horizontally or vertically to suit the sun’s path and building orientation. These can be constructed from timber for its low-carbon

qualities and ease of use. It’s also worth considering the building’s materiality and colour. Dark surfaces absorb heat and increase internal temperatures, so adding reflective canvases or resurfacing with lighter colours can radiate heat away.

Understanding how we use our schools

How staff and students move between and use spaces can impact temperature regulation. On hot days, movement between internal and external learning spaces encourages hot air transfer, putting more strain on mechanical cooling systems. By introducing buffer spaces and lobbies, schools can minimise heat gain and loss, reducing the transfer of hot air into the classrooms. Simple internal changes or small extensions can create these intermediate spaces. Additionally, shading structures and canopies at ground-floor level can act as cool external buffer zones, reducing heat gains and providing sheltered areas for play and learning. These structures can be retractable or fixed, contributing to both thermal comfort and increased learning space.

Sometimes, when major retrofitting or infrastructure upgrades aren’t feasible, schools can adapt their teaching and timetabling to tackle overheating.

Roots & Shoots by Hudson Architects: Vegetation and planting (Ben Blossom)

Relocating classes to cooler spaces within the centre of the building, scheduling physical activities during cooler parts of the day, and exploring opportunities for outdoor lessons under canopies or overhangs can all help mitigate heatrelated challenges.

Vegetation and planting

Trees and vegetation can be incredibly effective in reducing heat gains, providing shade and lowering surface and air temperatures through evapotranspiration, often by up to 8°. Strategic tree planting can go a long way to keeping schools cooler. Planting deciduous trees near south elevations provides shading during the summer while allowing for seasonal change and natural light during the winter. Vegetation can also be used on shading structures and trellises, creating a cooling effect as plants grow through warmer seasons. Nature-based solutions can have multiple benefits beyond heat reduction including rainwater regulation, improved air quality and increased student health and wellbeing. Take inspiration from those southern European countries where vegetation and planting are used to reduce the temperature of external spaces.

Understanding airflow

Improving ventilation and airflow is crucial for comfortable classrooms, particularly in older buildings without mechanical systems. Understanding how air flows within the school and identifying barriers to airflow can help address stuffiness. Ensuring windows can be opened and creating airflow routes,

such as installing opening rooflights, are good potential solutions as is leaving windows open overnight to cool the building for the next day. These measures not only improve air quality but also reduce the reliance on costly, carbonhungry mechanical cooling systems.

Exploring deeper retrofit options

If all else fails and the building still struggles during summer heatwaves, it may be necessary to explore deeper retrofit options. Fabric upgrades, such as external and internal insulation, and replacing single-glazed windows, can help regulate temperatures, keeping spaces warm in winter while reducing heat gains in summer. External insulation can be installed without too much disruption to teaching. While fabric improvements will go a long way to keep schools cooler, sometimes active mechanical cooling systems will also need to be explored. While we continue to adapt our construction practices to create new buildings that respond to future changes, it is equally important to give attention to the existing buildings we already have. With passive solutions, such as external shading, utilising vegetation, improving ventilation and adapting our behaviours, we can adjust and change our existing buildings just like we change our clothes and homes with the season, adding and removing layers, using rooms differently, and opening and closing blinds to keep us either cool or warm. Let’s prioritise the comfort and wellbeing of students and teachers by exploring these solutions for our existing educational infrastructure.

www.hudsonarchitects.co.uk

Sheringham Woodfields School by Hudson Architects: Internal buffer zone (Chris Taylor)

Duke Street Riverside by Hudson Architects: External shading (Joakim Boren)

Duke Street Riverside by Hudson Architects: Window shading (Joakim Boren)

REGULATION OVERHAUL NEEDED TO ACCELERATE ESG SUCCESS IN HOUSEBUILDING SECTOR

he research, titled ESG: Investing in the built environment, explores how ESG principles are impacting the operations of companies within the UK built environment sector. With a focus on the real estate, banking and investment sectors, the study aims to deepen the understanding of ESG principles and issues, highlight benefits of sustainable investing and set out certain potential hurdles. Chief among them is regulation.

The lack of clarity relating to regulation in this space is leading to differences in approach that experts say limit UK growth opportunities. The report advocates for further guidance surrounding the UK Green Taxonomy as investors and companies want clear guidelines defining environmentally-sustainable investments. Whilst environmental targets and measurement are the stand-out principle of ESG, the report outlines the risk presented by the lack of UK Green Taxonomy, which would provide clarity on sustainable activities, disclosure requirements and key performance targets.

The report also shows that the environmental aspect of ESG is taking the lion’s share of the focus and that investors could be driving this. The report cites a recent survey of 1000 sustainability investment managers across Europe revealing that, overall, investors prioritise the environmental dimension over the other dimensions of ESG.

Nicola Giddens, Partner at Womble Bond Dickinson, says: “Investor decisions are

shaping the UK housing sector and this is evidenced in the rise in green lending and sustainability-linked loans as well as the development of ESGfocused frameworks and standards to support the decarbonisation of the housebuilding sector.

“It is great to see lenders setting up benchmarks and advising national housebuilding bodies, like the UK Green Building Council, setting the bar high for what good ESG practices look like. However, this also adds further complexities and a lack of cohesion that could limit UK growth opportunities. Housebuilders are left choosing which investor-driven standards they should align themselves to, potentially missing out on vital areas that would benefit their own stakeholders, whose needs are specific in nature. A set of standards set by a bank headquartered in London may not take into account the social value that could be achieved at a regional level.”

Charlie Reid, Partner at Womble Bond Dickinson, adds: “What is clear from our research is that ESG is now guiding both investments and critical operational decisions. Unsurprisingly, concern for climate change is one of the most common drivers of ESG adoption in the companies we studied and there is rich evidence that banking and investment companies are actively engaged in the issuance of green and sustainable finance products to support net-zero or low-carbon projects.

“However, the report shows that the lack of clarity on the timing and content of

the UK Green Taxonomy must be resolved by the Government to ensure consistency and defined standards of reporting across the market. Without clear benchmarks, housebuilders have endeavoured to create their own key performance indicators and reporting against those goals which is a great start, but self-regulation is not something that is sustainable. The new legislation should help drive confidence in data and help develop the ESG lending market further.”

Dr Gemma Burgess, Director of Cambridge Centre for Housing & Planning Research, comments: “The University of Cambridge was pleased to support this research looking at how ESG investing is shaping the built environment. It shows that much good practice is emerging amongst housebuilders and investors, which is driving change in how housing is delivered and funded, but also that there are still gaps in knowledge. We need to better understand why the social and governance elements of ESG seem to be harder to define and measure and to understand how companies decide what evidence to capture in an ESG report and what standards to adopt. We need further research to explore, in particular, how companies can ensure that suppliers are delivering on their own ESG promises. Working together in partnership is the best way to create and share this evidence base to support the successful implementation of ESG investing.”

A joint study from law firm Womble Bond Dickinson and the University of Cambridge has found that clearer environmental, social and governance (ESG) regulation is needed to accelerate success and growth opportunities in the housebuilding sector.

Charlie Reid, Partner at Womble Bond Dickinson

Nicola Giddens, Partner at Womble Bond Dickinson

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HARNESSING TECHNOLOGY TO KEEP OUR PUBLIC SWIMMING POOLS AFLOAT

The new £63m funding package, unveiled in this year’s Spring Budget, was widely welcomed by UK sporting bodies, swimming organisations and private sector firms, which face the major challenge of keeping the nation’s pools afloat.

ecent analysis has shown that nearly 400 swimming pools have been lost across England since 2010, with the pandemic and rising energy costs contributing to even more recent closures. Furthermore, based on current pool build trends, the number of available pools could decrease by more than 40% – almost 2000 pools – by the end of the decade, according to Swim England, the national body for swimming, in its 2021 report ‘A Decade of Decline’.

But with the growing popularity of modern methods of construction (MMC) to build or retrofit pools coupled with new pool technologies, local authorities are being offered a vital operational lifeline. Add in a resurgence in swimming’s popularity post-COVID, and the outlook needn’t look entirely gloomy.

Securing a sustainable future

The new financial measures to ‘leisure up’ the UK pool stock were a welcome support to many leisure operators – however, the key aim will now be to make facilities more energy efficient and attractive to users, both to ensure their survival and play a part in wider carbon-reduction ambitions.

The £63m, to be managed by Sport England, will allow local authorities to apply for funding for leisure centres with pools that face immediate cost pressures, including operational and maintenance costs as well as energy bills.

Jane Nickerson, Swim England’s Chief Executive, said the fund would help facilities become more environmentally sustainable and was an important recognition of the incredibly challenging situation currently facing swimming pools and their value to local communities.

“It will, undoubtedly, make a difference for a number of vulnerable pools as they battle with increased energy costs. Pool owners and operators are committed to reducing carbon emissions and there have been many positive examples from across the country,” she added.

Harnessing the private sector’s expertise

Collaboration between the public organisations and private companies has, therefore, never been so crucial. Technology and more efficient ways of working will be a key factor in the fight to keep the UK’s leisure centres afloat as well as making them more sustainable, viable and futureproofed.

Kate Mcknight, UK & Ireland Country Manager at Myrtha Pools – a leading aquatics company that designs, manufactures and installs innovative stainless-steel, modular pools – said: “When we are brought on board by an architect, distributor, local authority or contractor, it’s important for us to really understand the needs of the client and the local community.

“We consider the development of the intended pool programme, the users and really analyse the data that partner organisations, such as Swim England, produce. This helps to make an informed decision on the profile of a pool, whether a new one is required or if we are able to refurbish an existing pool to give the client the best option for their community needs. Ultimately, we aim to ensure the most sustainable option is selected.”

Heating a swimming pool – both the water and surrounding air – accounts for nearly 40% of a facility’s running cost. As a result, a more sustainable and efficient building can have long-term operational savings as well as a lower carbon footprint.

An example of this in action is the ground-breaking leisure facility in Spelthorne, which is on track to be one of the first wet and dry Passivhaus-certified leisure centres in the world. Designed by sports and leisure expert, GT3 Architects, and Passivhaus designer, Gale & Snowden, with national contractor Willmott Dixon appointed to deliver the project, Myrtha Pools is responsible for the pool, leisure and wellness elements.

Utilising modern methods of construction, a Myrtha pool has a 45% smaller carbon footprint than traditional methods of construction – which use tile and concrete – and offers cost savings

of up to 20%. It was, therefore, a solid choice for the pioneering project, which is set to deliver energy and cost savings of up to 60% over the building’s lifecycle, and showcases the impact sustainable technology can have as well as how leisure centres can actively support a local authority’s net-zero targets.

The team will be closely monitoring the lessons learnt as well as the data generated by the facility, with a view to providing documentation around what is needed to create passive and healthy buildings within the leisure industry.

Utilising technology to maximise assets

Richard Lamburn, Head of Facilities at Swim England, said: “Swim England does a lot of work in advocating the need for swimming pools and we always aim to evidence the data, such as the increasing cost of gas and electricity, and demonstrate how technologies can reduce energy consumption costs and carbon.

“We’ve been at the forefront of looking at different technology, such as heat pumps, ceramic microfiltration, and considering the steel versus concrete argument. As a result, this year, we submitted data about such technologies to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), in partnership with Sport England.

“We were, therefore, delighted when the bank of evidence we collated and shared with DCMS directly helped to secure the recent £63m Government funding, as we showcased the impact that active investment could have on reducing carbon and energy consumption, rather than just supporting costs.

“This should hopefully give operators some breathing room and allow them to look at new ways of maximising their assets to get more people through the door.”

Looking to the future

Community leisure centres have, undoubtedly, faced a tough time over the past decade, but both Kate and Richard believe positive times lie ahead.

“COVID was massively damaging but also helped fuel a swimming resurgence,” said Kate. “I don’t know any local operator that doesn’t have a waiting list on learn-to-swim programmes. There’s a whole generation that missed out on that opportunity when leisure facilities were forced to close or run limited operations.

“Alongside this, the construction industry is intently focused on incorporating energyreducing and cost-consumption programmes into their retrofit or new-build projects. Redevelopment is shaping the market

and we’re proud to be at the forefront of helping lead this mindset alongside organisations, such as Swim England.”

Richard added: “We are passionate about ensuring that swimming is accessible to all as learning to swim at a very early age and being confident in water is a life skill, which can enable us to maintain a level of activity in later life.

“We’re cautiously optimistic about the future because of the technology and advancements that pool designers and manufacturers have made. Their work means it is possible to build pools at a much more sustainable level.”

www.myrthapools.com/ en/dealers/myrtha-pools-uk

DECARBONISING SOCIAL HOUSING: A NEW ERA OF LOW-CARBON HEATING FOR UK TOWER BLOCKS

When it comes to installing low-carbon heating in the UK’s tower blocks, heat pumps may not be the best solution. Oliver Baker, CEO of Ambion Heating, takes a closer look at an alternative that provides a costeffective and sustainable solution to decarbonising social housing.

The majority of Britain’s tower blocks were originally designed to provide affordable and safe housing to many, replacing damaged or unsanitary pre-war dwellings. However, despite the designer’s original intentions, tower blocks are now notorious for high energy bills.

Most high-rise, multi-occupancy buildings use electric storage heaters that are expensive to run and don’t provide adequate temperature control. This type of heating system presents a serious challenge in the case of social housing, where residents are particularly vulnerable to fuel poverty.

Local authorities are starting to redevelop sites to provide high-density, modern, energy-efficient social housing. As a result, local authorities, housing

associations and installers are considering new ways to help residents to reduce bills, while decarbonising social housing to meet the Government’s net-zero targets.

A key part of the answer is installing low-carbon heating within new builds and retrofit projects.

Heat pumps aren’t the only solution

At the heart of the challenge is how to replace often decades-old systems with affordable, energy-efficient technologies that keep residents out of fuel poverty. Convection electric heating systems, such as heat pumps, don’t address the high cost of energy and often have large upfront costs and a lengthy, complicated and often disruptive installation process.

In addition, a large heat pump system requires space that is often not available in multi-storey properties, requiring pipework, radiators and external condenser units. They also need regular service and maintenance, adding additional expense for providers looking for ways to reduce heating costs.

At the same time, heat pumps are not as effective in combating mould and damp issues. Combined with the age and design flaws of many tower blocks, convectional heating systems – including heat pumps – can lead to issues with damp, mould and condensation, and can cause or aggravate respiratory problems, such as asthma and allergies.

With proper renovation and the right heating system, tower blocks can provide good-quality housing for millions of people, while also helping the UK cut carbon emissions caused by inefficient home heating.

However, traditional systems are failing to ensure the whole home is adequately and efficiently heated, and options like heat pumps are considered unsuitable or impractical for smaller social housing properties.

This means that many housing providers are turning to alternatives, such as lowcarbon heat panels, as a solution.

A low-carbon and low-cost solution

Low-carbon infrared heating panels are ideal for tower blocks, as they overcome all the challenges of traditional convection systems, as well as the environmental concerns of gas

heating. Moreover, their sleek, space-saving design makes them perfect for smaller living spaces, where there is no room for a central boiler or heat pump unit.

Low-carbon heat panels can be installed in a new home or building, or retrofitted to replace an existing gas or electric heating system using the electrical mains wiring.

Infrared heat works like the sun, without the ultraviolet. It is absorbed and stored as heat by the fabric of the building and the materials within a room, which makes it easier to maintain an ambient temperature for longer.

The technology has a unique control system, which uses constant dynamic pulsing – rather than a ‘zoning’ on/off approach used by other systems – to dramatically reduce energy usage and maintain a room’s temperature within 0.1°C of its target, 24 hours a day.

Discreet infrared heat panels are then used because building materials absorb and store infrared, releasing it between pulses, making it the perfect partner for the pulsing approach.

The results of using dynamic pulsing plus the infrared panels are significant –users can expect to use 63% less electricity when compared to conventional systems – which also equates to a 63% reduction in carbon emissions.

The system also reduces the unit cost of electricity because it works best across 24 hours. This flat demand profile – there are no morning or evening energy spikes in usage – means that if a homeowner is on a

flexi tariff, the system can achieve around a 25% saving in the unit cost of their energy.

In addition, installation is quick, easy and hassle free to minimise disruption to residents, as no pipework or radiators are needed. They can be installed by any qualified electrician, and the cost of installation is half that of a heat pump. Additionally, the panels have 33 years’ average active lifespan, as opposed to 10 years for traditional convection systems.

Many housing providers are already reaping the rewards of choosing low-carbon heat panels. In an eight-storey social housing block from 1956, which contains 47 dwellings, the switch to Ambion’s solution saw energy usage drop by 80%, energy costs fall by 74% and carbon emissions cut by 80%.

Low-carbon heat panels can also provide a zero-emission solution for social housing when combined with solar PV and battery storage, until the UK can move to 100% renewable electricity in the future.

Meeting the 2050 net-zero challenge

According to the Climate Change Committee’s Sixth Carbon Budget, it is estimated that around 17% of all UK greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions come from buildings, mainly due to burning fossil fuels for heating. Therefore, it’s not surprising that the challenge of fitting the UK’s homes with greener heating systems has been, and continues to be, a key focus of recent Government policies.

To meet the UK’s legally-binding target of achieving net zero by 2050, whatever heating solution is chosen needs to be built for the future to radically reduce carbon emissions and the associated impact on the environment.

Living in a warm and safe environment is critical to our health and wellbeing. Britain’s tower blocks often get bad press, but there’s an incredible opportunity to intelligently renovate this housing stock and extend the life of these buildings as warm, comfortable and net-zero homes.

Tower blocks may pose unique heating challenges, but with forward-looking technology, new builds and refurbished tower blocks can be futureproofed and provide the affordable, sustainable and safe housing they originally were designed for.

FROM THE OLD TO THE NEW

The Louisa Martindale Building is the newest clinical building in NHS England and the first stage of the ‘3Ts’ redevelopment of the Royal Sussex County Hospital. The project involved the complex relocation of a 165-yearold, Grade II Listed chapel, which was moved piece by piece from the old site to the new building.

The new £500m facility for Trauma, Teaching and Tertiary Care at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton welcomed its first inpatients in June. The ‘3Ts’ development is the first stage of the transformation of the Royal Sussex County Hospital, one of the oldest in the country.

The Royal Sussex has provided muchneeded care for the public for almost 200 years, with the new redevelopment allowing an expansion of services and capacity for the residents of Brighton and the surrounding areas.

McBains – a construction consultancy with wide experience in the healthcare sector whose previous clients include Great Ormond Street Hospital, the Royal Berkshire NHS Trust and Nuffield Health – provided construction supervision, cost management and project management services for the delivery of the facility, working alongside the scheme’s contractor, Laing O’Rourke.

The newly-completed Stage 1 – the first and largest of the three-stage programme – saw the opening of 62,000m 2 of clinical and support accommodation in the new Louisa Martindale Building, named after the first female GP in Brighton who became one of the world’s leading gynaecologists.

The redevelopment took the front half of the hospital from the 19th to 21st

century by facilitating the decanting of services from the oldest acute ward building in the NHS – the Barry Building, which opened in 1828 – to the newest clinical building in NHS England.

The building has major new facilities for more than 30 wards and departments, new diagnostic and theatre capacity, as well as increased capacity for the departments with high demand, including neurosciences, stroke services and intensive care.

State-of-the-art, single-bed rooms

One of the major aspects is the addition of approximately 200 single-bed rooms spread across the upper floors. These rooms will provide improved accommodations for patients, and there will be four-bed bays and specialised rooms, such as radio-pharmaceutical suites and major medical equipment, including new MRIs.

The work has increased most wards by five times as much space per bed as was previously available, significantly improving patient experience and the space for doctors, nurses and support staff.

Bringing neuroscience services under one roof

Previously, all neuroscience services offered were spread over multiple sites but the new development has unified all services

under one roof in the new Louisa Martindale Building. It also houses the Intensive Care and High Dependency Units on the same floor to ensure that life-saving care can be administered as efficiently as possible.

Relocating the NHS’ oldest chapel – piece by piece

But perhaps the most complicated part of the refurbishment was the relocation of the interior of the 165-year-old, Grade II Listed chapel, which was painstakingly relocated from its previous position in the Barry Building. The chapel – the oldest operating chapel in a healthcare facility in the UK – was moved piece by piece to the new building allowing its historical significance to be preserved whilst adapting to continue serving the needs of the modern hospital.

The chapel closed its doors in its current location in the Barry Building on 9th May 2021. This marked the start of a detailed process to carefully dismantle its interior, including stonework, stainedglass windows, memorial plaques, marble flooring and ornate plasterwork.

The dismantling exercise took six months to complete and saw the intricate removal, cataloguing and storage of the chapel’s stained-glass windows, teak and marble flooring, chandelier, memorial plaques and ornate plasterwork. Each item removed

Images: ©Dare & Hier Media

was catalogued, photographed and wrapped before being taken to a secure warehouse. This was done to make sure no damage would occur to the contents. The same service was required for the re-installation.

As the chapel now sits in the new building with no access to natural light, a series of light boxes were mounted behind the windows to simulate daylight, programmed to brighten and dim throughout the day.

This highly-intrusive operation was carried out in a live hospital environment without any disruption to hospital services.

Following on from the successes of Stage 1, Stage 2 of the redevelopment is in the pre-building stage. McBains is currently leading the consultancy of the planning stages. This will remove the existing vacant buildings and construct a new Sussex Cancer Centre, providing an additional 29,000m 2 of clinical and support accommodation, offering far more availability for current and future patients, and increasing the number of chemotherapy beds and radiotherapy machines.

Steve Brooker, Project Director at McBains, said: “The completion of the entire redevelopment project will mark a remarkable achievement in modernising the Royal Sussex

County Hospital and ensuring its ability to provide worldleading care for generations to come, a project McBains is proud to have been a part of.

“The COVID-19 pandemic presented a number of challenges but through a collaborative approach –instilled into the project team by McBains – we oversaw vast improvements in the quality assurance processes, programme management and client-contractor relationships – all during a period which has experienced reduced resources, increased levels of home working and reduced availability from suppliers.

“McBains was brought into the scheme half-way through the delivery. The programme and budget was reset by others as part of a Deed of Variation.

“Since our appointment, McBains have introduced a robust change control process with the client team to ensure change goes through a governance process before any changes are agreed.

This has meant that impact to programme and budgets through change has been limited and only instructed where required following going through relevant governance routes before approval.”

www.mcbains.co.uk

THE KEY TO UNLOCKING EXTERNAL WALL INSULATION’S FULL POTENTIAL

With Government initiatives, such as the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF), providing an opportunity for local authorities, housing associations and other registered social landlords to improve the energy efficiency of their housing stock, there are many parties involved in the delivery of these schemes and many critical key processes that need to be followed. Richard Tocher, Sales Director at PermaRock, explains why early engagement and collaboration are essential to successfully utilising external wall insulation (EWI), one of the main energy-efficiency measures.

As the specification to which you must adhere to if carrying out funded works will tell you, a whole-house strategy must incorporate a fabric-first approach. PAS 2035 involves identifying areas where energy-efficiency improvements can be made and provides a framework for specifying and designing the relevant improvement measures. In the majority of funded retrofit work, there is a requirement to improve the building fabric.

Although EWI is only one of several approaches to reducing heat loss through walls, it’s one that requires precision to get right – which is where our contribution to the PAS process is imperative. That said, to get it right, an awareness of the advantages of early engagement and commitment to collaboration can make a world of difference.

Being on the front foot

A main contractor vying for the opportunity to deliver a funded social housing decarbonisation project should always engage its supply chain as early as possible. Without a strong supply chain, a contractor may be unable to satisfy a client’s requirements and mobilise quickly. Furthermore, it is critical suppliers can begin working with retrofit assessors, coordinators and designers who need to examine the stock condition and understand

what specific measures are suitable, and how they can be effectively designed to fully meet the needs of the scheme in hand.

Beyond just the suitable measures, a thorough understanding of the scheme’s properties – including archetypes, condition and occupancy – will help retrofit designers to consider how systems can interact, be compliant within PAS 2030 and PAS 2035, and at what cost.

Most clients will have already engaged with planners to establish any planning restrictions that may apply, and PermaRock, as EWI system suppliers, are particularly interested to be involved at all stages, including the initial ‘vision’ so that we can advise on appropriate material selection.

For example, whether it’s a plain render or a brickwork effect specified in the design, most aesthetics can be achieved where the desired finish may be required to match up with the in-situ look of the building. Alternatively, there is also an opportunity to depart from the original appearance, subject to planning approval.

Performance criteria is another project factor more easily met through early engagement. Despite the client deciding the performance criteria for its projects, after following Government statute first and meeting the funding requirements, EWI can be

used to futureproof investments and increase the performance and longevity of the retrofit works by, for example, targeting a lower (better) U-value.

Before making decisions, dialogue between the retrofit designer and client is required to explore how going above minimum building standards might be achieved and this is enhanced with input from an EWI provider that has been consulted early on. With new minimum energy-efficiency standards for the social housing sector currently being considered by the Government, exploring options more thoroughly now may pay off in the future when higherrated Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) are required.

Early engagement also helps to avoid assumptions and avoid potential for specifications to fall short of performance requirements. While there is often a headline vision for performance and aesthetics, every property is unique and requires its own retrofit assessment and design when following PAS 2035.

Retrofit assessments are essential for an EWI measure to be implemented most successfully, and obtaining accurate information at the earliest stage is key to success. The earlier any information gaps are identified, this can be shared, and then the best possible tailored solutions can be implemented.

Collaboration consistency

Our commitment to ensuring that works are undertaken in compliance with the PAS standards involves supporting all stakeholders – including the EWI installer – making frequent visits to the ongoing works, both to help ensure that the EWI system is being installed correctly and also to assist in advising on any detailing issues that may have

possibly been overlooked during the initial assessment and design process. This helps keep a hold on cost, feasibility and programme assurance, but the commitment doesn’t – and shouldn’t –stop there.

Best practice means having the right people in the right place at the right time. Our dedicated technical services team not only assists the designer, but also completes regular site visits, providing hands-on installation support to the site teams and installers. While this support isn’t in our contractual remit as an EWI system supplier, it is a service we provide to help to ensure the risk to our customers is minimised and our insulation solution performs to the best of its ability, investment risk for the client is reduced as a result.

Sustaining support throughout a scheme is important, being both proactive and reactive. This means early engagement with preconstruction, on site and post-project matters. Naturally, design changes are sometimes necessary, so we stay involved and support retrofit designers in amending their inputs where required.

While our approach sounds great in theory, we know it to be great in practice too. The support we have provided to, amongst others, decarbonisation turnkey solutions provider Sustainable Building Services (UK) has seen us successfully deliver to the highest retrofit standard under multiple Government schemes, including the Green Homes Grant, Local Authority Delivery (LAD) and Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Waves 1 and 2. There will be more funding in the future and it’s never too early to engage with supply chain on a best-practice mission.

www.permarock.com

HOW CCS CAN HELP HOUSING ASSOCIATIONS TACKLE HEATING INEFFICIENCIES AND SAVE RESIDENTS MONEY

Housing associations are under increased pressure to make homes more efficient and save tenants money. High energy costs combined with the rising cost-of-living expenses have increased the financial burden for all social housing residents and the potential for fuel poverty. Here, Janine Nuttall, Commercial Lead at Crown Commercial Service (CCS), unveils how its new Housing Maintenance and Repair Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) offers various services that can help reduce energy costs, achieve net zero in social housing and save residents money on their heating bills.

In the UK, housing associations collectively provide homes to around six million people – nearly one in 10 of the total population. Given the scale of social housing, housing associations can play a significant role in helping to meet the UK’s net-zero goals. Here’s why.

On a residency basis, households are bigger emitters of greenhouse gases (GCG) than any industry sector, accounting for 26% of total emissions, with around 14% of these emissions coming from domestic heating in the housing sector. Although energy-efficient housing varies depending on property age and type, the age of a property is the most significant single factor in the energy efficiency of homes.

Tackling energy efficiency in the housing sector – the challenges

Whole-home retrofit (where a tenanted property is updated to make it more energy efficient and to reduce carbon

emissions) is a significant priority for the housing sector. According to a recent report, UK housing associations will have to spend £36bn to bring all their homes up to an EPC C efficiency standard by 2030 and install the required insulation, ventilation and clean heat technologies to meet the UK Government target of reaching net zero by 2050.

The report also highlights that the energy performance of the UK’s social-rented sector is significantly better than private housing, partly because of energy-efficiency and fuel poverty regulations and partly because social landlords (RSLs) are proactively tackling the energy-efficient retrofit of their properties. The sector is already investing and driving innovation in this area. As a result, 64.3% of housing association homes already have an EPC rating of C or above.

Although tackling home energy inefficiencies is an urgent requirement, cost and scale are significant barriers

to overcome. For example, it will cost £200bn over the next 30 years to make homes more energy efficient by improving insulation and ventilation and installing energy-efficient heating and cooling systems.

Scale is also a problem. At the current pace, achieving goals to retrofit all social and fuel-poor homes by 2030 will be challenging. Local councils, calling for more actions, are keen to step in with locallytargeted programmes to tackle fuel poverty.

Accelerate action through whole-home retrofit

Repairs and maintenance have always been a hot topic in housing – it’s usually the top priority for residents because it can make or break a housing provider regarding the quality of their homes. Whole-home retrofit is the process of improving a home’s energy efficiency, comfort and sustainability.

It can involve a variety of measures, including:

Adding insulation, which can help to reduce heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer, making the home more comfortable and reducing the energy bill Installing energy-efficient appliances, which can help reduce energy bills and make the home more environmentally friendly

Replacing windows and doors, which can improve air quality and reduce noise levels, making the home more comfortable and liveable

Installing solar panels, which can generate electricity from the sun, making the home more self-sufficient and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

Housing associations also face increased scrutiny to effectively target damp and mould problems, which ties in with Awaab’s Law. Awaab’s Law requires housing associations to take steps to tackle damp and mould issues in their homes.

Whole-home retrofit can be an effective way to comply with this law, as it can help to reduce damp and mould problems, improve residents’ comfort and quality of life, and increase energy efficiency and sustainability.

Yet funding retrofitting programmes, while building new homes to meet demand, is a significant financial challenge for the social housing sector. It’s projected that retrofitting all social housing in the UK could cost as much as £104bn, with the annual cost estimated to be £3.5bn.

How CCS can help local Government improve energy efficiency in social housing

CCS’ new Housing Maintenance and Repair Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) agreement offers various services that can help reduce energy costs and achieve net zero in social housing. The new DPS provides a compliant, one-stop shop for all housing maintenance and repair aspects for both tenanted and void/vacant properties.

The DPS also offers buyers more flexibility in choosing suppliers because it allows new suppliers to be onboarded to the agreement at any time. This is especially relevant to Section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, which requires tenants and leaseholders to be consulted about works of a certain value, and allows them to nominate contractors to be considered to complete the work.

What are the benefits of using CCS’ new DPS?

Our new DPS has the agility and flexibility to meet the wider Government’s Carbon Net Zero 2050 target and any future decarbonisation legislation with whole-home retrofit and maintenance services. By implementing energy-efficient measures through retrofitting, social housing residents can benefit from reduced energy costs. Here’s how:

1. Whole-home retrofit service

Retrofit services allow housing associations and local authorities to upgrade their existing housing stock with energy-efficient measures. Retrofitting can include installing solar panels, insulation, improved ventilation and ground-source heat pumps, enhancing energy efficiency and reducing energy costs for residents. For example, installing solar panels, insulation and

ground-source heat pumps can improve the energy efficiency of social housing and give residents an average saving of 42% or £567 per household per year.

2. Access to accredited suppliers eligible for Government sustainability funding

Many customers in the housing sector will be drawing down Government funds for sustainability-related works. To draw down those funds, their supplier needs to have the PAS 2030 accreditation. Our new Housing Maintenance and Repair DPS features suppliers with PAS 2030 accreditation – where retrofit teams, including assessors, coordinators and designers, have clearlydefined responsibilities and meet accountabilities when proposing whole-house remedial works.

To complement these services, we also can offer whole-home retrofit, with our PAS 2030/2035-certified suppliers able to provide solutions to help tenants save money on energy bills and help buyers meet their net-zero goals.

3. Improved housing portfolio management

The new DPS agreement provides access to housing portfolio management services, enabling effective management of housing stock. For example, it includes handling move ins/outs, disposals and implementing a centralised service to manage and fulfil repair requests.

In addition, the agreement covers essential compliance services, such as fire safety, electrical testing and asbestos management. Ensuring compliance in these areas contributes to overall energy efficiency and safety in social housing.

4. Promotion of innovation and local supply chain

CCS recognises the importance of supporting small- and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs) and local suppliers. By working with a diverse range of suppliers, including SMEs, you can stimulate local economies, create employment opportunities and promote innovation. Engaging with local suppliers can also reduce carbon emissions and costs by minimising travel distances.

www.crowncommercial.gov.uk/agreements/RM6241

START WITH THE FINISH IN MIND

Richard Besant, Director at Powdertech (Corby), explains why considering the metal finishing process at the start of a design project will yield the best result in terms of coating appearance and integrity.

The outward appearance of a building influences its visitors, passers by and occupants in a variety of ways, both consciously and subconsciously, as it expresses the character and values of the owner and/or occupants of that building. First impressions count, influencing whether the viewer will want to use or work with that company, or live in that building.

Is it creative, sophisticated, traditional or radical? Importantly, is the building smart and well maintained? This last point will be greatly affected by the condition of the external materials and whether there is discolouration, flaking, chipping or rust staining.

Given the importance of final finish appearance, we are always surprised that this is rarely given due attention at the project start. Will the metal be powder coated, wet-painted or anodised? Even if this is clear, do the designers know how to ensure a finish that will look good and stay looking good for many years? Achieving an optimum, durable surface treatment on architectural metal elements, such as facade, soffit and cills, requires the application of simple design elements that should be carried out before the material arrives at the metal finisher. Not only will this result in the best possible surface finish but it will avoid time delays in addressing potential problems.

Although somewhat going against the grain of the creative freedom necessary for design, there are a few well-tested rules that need to be observed. These are not onerous and some are obvious but can easily be overlooked in the excitement of the creative process.

These rules include:

Metal design should eliminate water traps and allow runoff

Sharp edges should be rounded off to prevent the coating fracturing or thinning in these areas

Deep recesses in a metal fabrication should be avoided as the ‘Faraday cage effect’ can prevent the electrostaticallycharged powder from coating that area. Ideally, a recess should not be deeper than it is wide.

Suitable jigging points need to be incorporated into the design in order for the piece of metal to be suspended during powder coating

And, if galvanizing is required, then ventilation and drainage holes need to be included in the design.

I recently had a conversation with a steel fabricator that neatly summarises the design, cost and performance triangle. The conversation went something like this. Fabricator: “I have made the balustrade to the architect’s drawing and need a 25-year guarantee.” A pause from me before I asked: “Are the edges of the steel chamfered to allow complete galvanizing, avoid coating fracture and make the finish much smoother?”

The reply was: “Do I need to?” “Yes,” I answered. “Can’t do that as it will cost too much,” they replied. “Can I still have a guarantee?” I will leave it to you to fill in the blank.

Our website carries details of design considerations, and designing for powder coating is also covered in the Powdertech RIBA-accredited CPD course found here https://www. ribacpd.com/powdertech-corbyltd/17632/overview.

www.powdertechcorby.co.uk

Well-designed Juliette balconies, powder coated in 2010 and revisited in 2022 -– still looking smart

Sharp edges cause local thinning of any coating, reducing protection and, therefore, longevity

SCHOOL BUILDINGS CRISIS: WHY OFFSITE

IS THE SAFEST AND FASTEST

SOLUTION

According to a new report, 700,000 children in England are being taught in unsafe or ageing school buildings that need major repairs. Here, Oscar Jenkins, Education Specialist at Algeco, looks at how a combination of offsite construction and temporary classrooms for hire could provide the fastest, most cost-effective route to ensuring pupils’ safety.

A new report from the National Audit Office (NAO) states that, since 2021, the Department for Education (DfE) has assessed the risk of injury or death from a school building collapse as “very likely and critical”.

Significant safety risks are being posed by sewage leaks and asbestos. However, the risk of collapse is greatest in school buildings that still contain reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).

This lightweight form of concrete is prone to collapse and was used widely from the 1950s to the mid 1990s. The DfE has, so far, identified 572 schools where RAAC might be present.

Clearly, this urgent issue needs to be tackled before it’s too late. Yet schools are under unprecedented pressure to deliver results amid sweeping budget cuts and, for many, expensive repairs simply aren’t an option.

Seismic approach

We believe that the solution lies in recent advances in offsite construction. Our platform-based Seismic approach uses standardised components that are digitally designed for use across multiple types of built asset, minimising the need for bespoke components.

As part of the consortium of partners that developed Seismic, we are strong proponents of standardised, offsite construction – and for good reason. Using Seismic, we can reduce construction costs by 33%, complete projects 50% faster and reduce emissions by 50%, all with zero compromise on build quality or safety. Importantly, the approach also meets the Government’s construction 2025 targets.

Seismic is currently being utilised in a major school construction project, the £19.2m Laurance Calvert Academy in Leeds, which is achieving all of the above targets and is on schedule for completion this month.

As a permanent replacement for existing RAAC structures, this approach can deliver transformational outcomes for schools searching for the way forward.

Minimal disruption

Any major school construction project raises questions about where to house pupils and staff during the build. Hiring temporary modular classrooms is a quick and easy way to provide highquality learning environments, either to accommodate increased pupil numbers, or to act as decant facilities during the construction process.

By choosing to hire, schools benefit from a learning environment that’s there for as long as they need it, without using Capex budgets. When the school has finished with the classrooms, they’re simply taken away.

A whole range of configurations are available, offering light and airy classrooms, with modules stackable up to four storeys high. Flexible, highlyeffective teaching spaces can be created to schools’ exact requirements, and all classrooms are fully compliant with Building Regulations and DfE specifications.

Our modular classrooms provide continuity to the teaching calendar while either remediation or replacement of RAAC structures take place, minimising disruption to the school.

The risks posed to pupils by outdated and dangerous school buildings need to be addressed as a matter of urgency. Offsite construction, when combined with temporary decant facilities, offers a complete, cost-effective solution that can be delivered 50% faster than a traditional school build.

GET READY FOR SUSTAINABLE URBAN DRAINAGE

Following a review into surface water management by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Government has announced plans to make sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) mandatory for all new developments in England. Here, Dr Netsanet Mebrate, Causeway Flow Product Owner, discusses tips for implementing SuDS and explains how technology can help with its design.

The new regulations are expected to come into force in 2024 – five years after they were introduced in Wales to reduce flood risk and improve water quality.

Some regions in England, including Cambridgeshire and Oxfordshire, have already implemented a mandate for SuDS. However, there is still work to be done to encourage the adoption of SuDS more widely.

Drainage is now a top priority in the construction design process and the mandate announcement has placed added pressure on contractors to explore the possibilities of installing SuDS on all new sites.

Rethinking SuDS

Sustainable drainage expert Anthony McCloy argues that we need to change our attitude towards rainfall and, rather than view it as an issue – something that must be addressed to meet a planning condition – we should embrace it as an asset and make it a critical consideration in planning and design stages.

According to Anthony, by harnessing rainfall as an asset, developers can improve climate change resilience, facilitate biodiversity and create more interesting, useable and multi-functional amenity spaces.

He says if we can replicate what the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is telling us and acknowledge what the guidance is there to relay,

keep the water at source and allow it to slowly move through the site, it becomes something that’s much more in keeping with the local landscape and a real asset.

What’s more, all the research that’s been done to date shows that SuDS don’t cost more – they can either be cost neutral or even cost less than traditional drainage solutions.

Tips for implementing SuDS

It’s true that SuDS should inform the layout of a development. However, they should also be informed by the layout. Developers shouldn’t get as far as the detailed design stages before they decide they need to implement SuDS.

There is a wide range of data that can inform SuDS design and flood risk assessments, from planning information that planners would use as a screening tool, to more detailed data that can be accessed via the Government website about surface water and reservoirs, so

we can understand flooding from a variety of different mechanisms.

It is also possible to access Strategic Flood Risk Assessment –site-specific flood risk assessments – and look at all the documents the local authority may have, such as the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy (2019-2029), which may contain data about particular areas of flood risk that might not be representative within the modelling.

How technology can help with the design of SuDS Technology exists to support the design of SuDS, including Causeway’s Flow. Developed for organisations looking for a robust, intuitive and complete solution, Flow is a hydraulic modelling solution for the design and analysis of optimal, compliant and cost-effective storm and foul water drainage networks.

www.causeway.com/products/drainage-design

POLITICS AND HOUSEBUILDING OVER THE LAST HALF CENTURY

David Hall, Associate Director at Boyer (part of Leaders Romans Group), reflects on the planning system over the past 50 years and identifies that whilst a need for adequate housing delivery through collaboration has been recognised by Government, ultimately, it has never been achieved.

have worked in planning from 1968. Since then and, indeed, as far back as the immediate post-war period, housing has been an issue with which various Governments have struggled. This article looks at the changes within the planning system, but also the consistencies that have contributed to this struggle.

The Labour administration of Harold Wilson, in a draft whitepaper Housing Programmes 1965-70, announced that ‘the Government intends to give greater priority to housing than it had for many years. The rate of building will be pushed up as fast as resources and improving techniques allow. In 1964, 383,000 houses were completed (United Kingdom). The first objective is to reach half a million houses by 1970’.

The 1964 figure was briefly exceeded four years later, at 425,840, but by 1970 it had fallen to 362,220 and from 1971 onwards it declined fairly steadily 1; half a million homes per annum has never been achieved.

Planning for housebuilding in the 1980s was set out in three circulars: Circulars 9/80: Land for Private Housebuilding, and Circular 22/80: Development Control Policy and Practice, issued as the first acts of the new Tory administration. These were followed by Circular 15/84 Land for Housing.

The suggestion was that these circulars would ‘free up’ the planning system. The Thatcher Government sought to relax

planning controls and introduce the imperative that there must be a continuous and adequate supply of land to enable housebuilding, suggesting that planning policies should reflect demand from the market. Housebuilding climbed gradually to a peak in 1988.

The two circulars of 1980 introduced the requirement for a five-year land supply and for housing land and availability studies undertaken jointly by local authorities and the housebuilding industry. Circular 22/80 stated that in the absence of a five-year supply, there should be ‘a presumption in favour of granting planning applications for housing, except where there are clear planning objections’.

So, the matter of a five-year supply and land availability has been a political hot potato since the 1980s. At this point, there appears to have been some cooperation between housebuilders and local planning authorities, through Joint Housing Land Availability studies. However, as time progressed, the system lost any credibility as it became one in which decisions were best described as ‘planning by appeal’. Local authorities unable to demonstrate an effective five-year land supply found that Secretaries of State regularly ruled in favour of appeals brought by housebuilders.

From 1988, housing supply dropped, mainly as local authority housing was reduced substantially, and has remained at a lower level.

David Hall is an Associate Director in Boyer’s Wokingham office. David is a Chartered Town Planner and CEDR-accredited Mediator with over 50 years’ experience in both public and private sectors.

By 2001, however, the total number of new dwellings completed in England had fallen to a then-record post-war low of 174,100, compared to almost 202,510 in 1990. Developers blamed the planning system for the slow down.

Planning Policy Statement 3 was introduced to put things right – local authorities were required to identify not merely an immediate supply of deliverable housing sites for the first five years of a local development framework, but a further supply of potential development sites for the next five years, together with more sites or general locations for growth for the following five years.

PPS3 defined deliverable sites as those already available, which offered a suitable development location contributing to the creation of sustainable mixed communities and which had reasonable prospects of development within five years.

In 2007, the Government sought to achieve 240,000 new homes per annum in England (following just 208,970 in 2006). But in 2007, new homes across the UK as a whole amounted to just 223,590 and even this figure has not been met in the years following.

From the coalition of 2010-2015 to the Conservative Government of today which followed it, we have had a relatively non-interventionist approach to planning. This is most recently exemplified in the promotion of greater freedom of permitted development rights. Paradoxically, this has tended to meet with the (traditionally more interventionalist) Labour party’s approval.

So, what are the common factors over the last 55 years? The objective of building more homes has not changed, and yet, despite the numbers varying across the years, need has prevailed year on year. Another constant, and possibly the reason for unmet need, is that the politics of housebuilding has been consistently negative. As the comparison between the 1970s and ‘80s shows, deregulation is demonstrably not the answer, and the regional approach has proven the most effective way of delivering the requisite number of homes (the Duty to Cooperate is no substitute).

Successive Governments have tinkered with the problem but have been repeatedly diverted from bold decision making by political expediency. This has been evident very recently in Michael Gove’s pandering to the Government’s backbench NIMBY brigade.

So, what is the ongoing problem for housing and planning?

It seems to me that there are two fundamental issues. Firstly, location and need for development and, secondly, the administration of the system to enable that need to be delivered.

In the case of the former, location and need are predicated by demand in as much that each area should at least ‘consume its own smoke’. Once need has been established, administrative requirements to deliver housing must be put in place. It is no coincidence that when administration was simpler, delivery was more effective. When I started in planning, the Encyclopedia of Planning Law and Practice comprised three volumes. It is now running at nine.

The sad reality is that successive Governments have been long on rhetoric (as well as administration) and short on action. In the blame game that ensues, the politicians blame the housebuilder, and the housebuilders blame the system administered by the politicians: the proverbial vicious circle.

It is obvious, therefore, that to expedite delivery, the approach must be collaborative, however unpalatable that might be. The draft whitepaper Housing Programmes 1965-70, stated: “Now for the first time, the Government, the building societies and the builders have discussed together and agreed on the need for forward planning of housebuilding, and for continuous collaboration to ensure a steadily rising programme. For the first time, the prerequisites of forward planning, including adequate incentives and flexible controls, are being formulated. It should now be possible, with the new arrangements for regular consultation and review among all the interests concerned, to ensure a steadily rising housebuilding programme. From this start, a comprehensive plan covering all facets of housing policy can be evolved.”

Is this not the approach we should have been following for the last five decades?

Source: www.statista.com/statistics/746101/completion-of-new-dwellings-uk

THE IMPACT OF THERMAL BRIDGES ON INSULATION VALUES

When changes to Part L of the Building Regulations came into force last year, CO2 emissions for dwellings had to be reduced by 31% and, for other buildings, 27% – this being an interim step towards the Future Homes Standard, which becomes mandatory from 2025. As a result, designers reall y need to be aware of how significantly thermal bridges can affect insulation values, says Simon Hill, Product a nd Marketing Manager at Schöck.

Insulation values can be seriously compromised by thermal bridges, which occur in a localised area of the building envelope with significantly higher thermal conductivity than surrounding areas. Typically, where a material with high thermal conductivity penetrates the insulation layer. Cantilevered balconies are critical examples, resulting in higher heat transfer through the building assembly and colder surface temperatures on the warm side. The main consequences will be non compliance with regulations, higher energy consumption for heating, condensation and the formation of mould growth. The 2021 edition of Part L (which replaces L1A 2013) sets out the minimum thermal requirements for avoiding such issues. Thermal bridging must now be included in fabric heat loss calculations and the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) calculation (now

updated to SAP 10.2) includes the term HTB (heat loss due to thermal bridging).

Onsite audit now required

A further change involves an onsite audit for new dwellings. It is now required that an audit should be undertaken to confirm the designed details have been constructed –before different construction junctions are concealed by subsequent work. Photographs should be taken to verify that the products used are those shown in the original design. If there are substitutions, the revised specification should be reflected in the SAP calculation and in the Building Regulations England Part L compliance report (BREL report). This information needs to be signed off by the SAP assessor. General tightening

of U-values, requiring greater insulation requirements and the construction of betterperforming thermal break details, are also included in the revised Part L. Additionally, it encourages HTB assessment to be carried out through thermal calculation for a more realistic evaluation of existing thermal junctions. The default Y-value has been increased to 0.20W/ (m 2.K) to discourage generic estimations – as this does not reveal the performance of thermal break junctions, including failure to meet (fRsi) figures.

Thermal performance and structural integrity

Many designers though are still not fully aware of just how significantly thermal bridges can affect insulation performance – and the most effective way to

minimise thermal bridging at cantilever balcony detailing is to incorporate a structural thermal break from Schöck. These are highly-efficient balcony connectors that minimise the flow of thermal energy between the interior and exterior of a building, providing both structural integrity and thermal isolation of the balcony. The Schöck range of thermal break solutions is for applications as diverse as concrete-to-concrete; concrete-to-steel; steel-tosteel; renovation projects, parapets and even Passivhaus. A structural thermal break has a very specific purpose and for long-term effectiveness requires certain physical characteristics – optimum thermal insulation thickness for the application in question, load-bearing components and a combination of reinforced and stainless steel.

Part of the Hendon Waterside project

Condensation and mould growth

One consequence of thermal bridging is that cold surfaces can form condensation, resulting in both visual deterioration and structural damage. However, an even bigger concern is mould growth. To identify areas where there is a risk of condensation and, therefore, mould growth, a ‘surface temperature factor’ (fRsi) should be used. It allows surveys under any thermal conditions and compares the temperature drop across the building fabric with the total temperature drop between the inside and outside air. The recommended (fRsi) value for offices and retail premises is equal to or greater than 0.5; and to ensure higher standards for occupants in residential buildings, equal to or greater than 0.75.

Responsible design for the future is critical

The UK has set in law a target to bring all its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. As part of that journey, there is a commitment to introducing the Future Homes Standard in 2025 – and the higher performance targets of CO2 emissions being reduced by 31% for dwellings and 27% for other buildings is an interim step towards that standard. The thermal performance of the building envelope is, therefore, of increasing importance and a critical element in this is responsible design and the avoidance of thermal bridging.

Hendon Waterside is an example of challenging design demands

One current project with a challenging variety of balconies is Hendon Waterside

in north-west London, a mixed-tenure housing development. Situated alongside the Brent Reservoir, the scheme involves the regeneration of a 1960s housing estate being built in six phases and scheduled for completion in 2027. The masterplan will deliver around 2100 new homes consisting of social, affordable and private housing. These are being constructed in 23 blocks, varying in height from three to 23 storeys, along with an imposing tower building of 28 storeys – all of which offer waterside views.

Hundreds of variants in the Isokorb range

The construction of the many balconies involved vary in their design demands and to ensure the risk of thermal bridging is minimised, Schöck has supplied over 13 different product variants. As a leading international supplier of structural thermal breaks, Schöck can provide a solution to practically every connectivity detail with the hundreds of variants available in its main Isokorb range; offering planners enormous freedom of design. The Isokorb products used here are for concrete-toconcrete applications and provide optimum solutions through the use of varying tension bar arrangements. For example, one type provides cantilever balcony connections and transfers both negative moments and positive shear forces. Another is a load-bearing thermal break element for transferring shear forces on supported balconies, recessed balconies and for occasional peak shear forces.

www.schoeck.com

Example of a Schöck thermal break

Schöck thermal breaks in position for concrete-to-concrete detailing

Infrared scan of a balcony thermal bridge with higher temperatures at the exterior slab

DELABIE SET TO DELIVER £30K+ ANNUAL COST SAVINGS AT LONDON UNIVERSITY

A recent trial to reduce water consumption –following the installation of Delabie’s Tempomatic 4 intelligent urinal control plate – demonstrated 99% in water cost savings at Birkbeck, University of London, and is set to transform not only how men’s urinals are managed going forward but also, men’s and female toilets across the estate.

Birkbeck’s Building Services Manager, Spensa Wheeler, responsible for technical services contracts and facilities, is constantly striving for improved sustainability and savings. He comments: “It’s fair to say the results have been outstanding and exceeded our expectations.”

Birkbeck is a large estate of 18 separate buildings in central London, including a mix of Grade II-Listed townhouses and eight-storey 20,000ft 2 modern buildings, where much of the learning is delivered during the evening, with its premises used during the day on a commercial basis. Fluctuations in attendance means there’s always a requirement to have buildings ready for an influx and full occupancy.

Gaining control

Spensa says it was during the pandemic things came to a head: “We became even more conscious of our water usage and, in particular, the urinals’ near-constant water flow, although functioning with no occupancy for extended periods. There would always be a trickle and then an automatic flush and we had no control systems to manage this. So, we started a conversation with Delabie to gain greater control over water usage in our urinals and investigate the potential for significant savings.”

Outstanding results

For one week’s test, normal water consumption was 10.5m3. After installation of Delabie’s new Tempomatic 4 urinal flush valve, it was 0.102m3. A 99% water saving. Representing a saving of £25.93 per week for just two urinal installations1

Spensa continues: “The results were significantly better than we imagined and were beyond expectation. We were saving an eyewatering amount of water, and when we look at potentially rolling out Tempomatic 4 across 18 buildings, likely millions of litres of water in a year, this translates to several thousands of pounds worth of cost savings in water consumption alone, as can be seen here:

Number of urinals

“These figures just reflect the water savings. In addition, we know there will be a reduction in ongoing maintenance costs. We don’t expect to be having to react to leaks etc. Installation and maintenance are low. Plus, with a system that has no manual intervention, it’s also more hygienic for users too.

“In terms of payback, we are looking at 10 months for these two installations to have paid for themselves. Each system costs just a few hundred pounds to purchase, and we used our in-house labour. This means Tempomatic 4 is a really viable option. Our business case is going to the business panel with a recommendation to roll out installation across all 18 buildings, with a payback period of just six months, and a potential saving of over £30k per year. The trial has more than convinced us to progress with this, coupled with the ongoing support Delabie has provided throughout.”

The Tempomatic 4 – intelligent rinsing

The Tempomatic 4 urinal control plate is an intelligent urinal valve that detects high-frequency periods and no activity, adapting its rinse accordingly. During peak periods, only the urinal bowl is rinsed between two users. At the end of the busy period, an additional rinse takes place to clean the bowl completely and renew the water in the trap. The Tempomatic 4 urinal valve offers three programmes according to the urinal type, each with an optional hygienic duty flush. The duty flush can be programmed to take place every 12 to 24 hours after the last use to flush the pipework and prevent the crystallisation of uric acid, water stagnation and back flow due to system vacuums.

The trial

Birkbeck chose to retrofit and trial the Tempomatic 4 urinal plate in two locations in one building. One in the men’s toilet on the fifth floor, where there was a higher-use facility with access to the library and from staff, and the second in a much smaller footfall area. Birkbeck measured the output during a normal term time/working week, taking metre readings to quantify the results.

Full roll out – more savings

“We are very pleased,” reaffirms Spensa. “This one product will deliver significant savings; it looks nice and is easy to install – I can’t find a downside to the system. The range comes in multiple streamlined finishes that work well in all our buildings and with multiple colour schemes. All maintenance is accessible from the front. All in all, we would recommend the product. I’m a member of the Association of University Engineers and I will be sharing the positive results we have achieved within that forum, as well as endorsing a roll out across our multiple sites.

“We will also be looking forward to other Delabie systems that can bring us further benefits and savings, which will include direct flush for all facilities. We are keen on minimising water storage and all that goes with that, including minimising the legionella risks. We are currently amid a survey of all our assets with a view to plan some big revisions and bring both environmental benefits and costs savings to Birkbeck.”

FOOTNOTE: 1Based on 154.15p for water and 94.88p for wastewater Thames Water 2022 pricing

REIMAGINING HOW WE EDUCATE NEXT GENERATIONS IN FUTURE-FIT SPACES

Post-COVID-pandemic, 21st-century learning looks to challenge the binary perceptions of space, exploring hybrid learning through the intersection of physical, virtual, formal and informal spaces. Today’s rapidly-changing, interconnected world requires students to think differently, work differently and learn differently. Multi-use learning spaces and flexible layouts are influencing the design and application of the education environment.

At a time when children spend more and more time in front of a screen, the escape dance offers has never been more important. Dance is more than just a way of exercising and entertainment, it enables young people to gain artistic skills and discipline, it increases confidence, spatial awareness, concentration and mobility.

Dance and performing arts encourage inclusive, responsive learning but not all education environments – schools, colleges and universities – can dedicate a specialist area to this discipline.

Harlequin Liberty Switch is an innovative, versatile and multifunctional hybrid flooring solution. It enables an educational space to switch from a rigid floor to a sprung dance floor at the touch of a button, enabling the same space to be used flexibly for performing arts, drama, music and dance. It is a modular system that can be modified to meet any structural design requirements and can be custom designed. Areas of the floor can be quickly isolated to create rigid zones for the placement of pianos, tables or retractable seating, while the rest of the floor is used as a sprung dance floor.

To find out more about this versatile flooring solution, contact British Harlequin’s technical team via the details below.

uk.harlequinfloors.com

01892

514888

architects@harlequinfloors.com

TARAFLEX TRIUMPH FOR GERFLOR AT AXMINSTER LEISURE CENTRE

Specifying and installing 650m2 of Gerflor’s world-class Taraflex

Performance vinyl sports flooring in Light Cherry would turn out to be a pivotal decision for Axminster Leisure Centre in East Devon. Chris Pursey, Gerflor Area Sales Manager at the time for South West & Channel Islands, commented: “Leisure East Devon runs a number of similar sites for East Devon Council, and they have specified Taraflex on other sites, so they had full confidence in our systems.” Taraflex

Performance is a synthetic indoor sports flooring that can be specified for a wide range of sports applications, in a variety of sectors. It delivers optimal safety, comfort and performance for users, as well as being available in an extensive choice of vibrant designs, making it the ideal choice for a host of locations.

www.gerflor.co.uk 01625 428922 contractuk@gerflor.com

F. Ball and Co.’s Styccobond F41 carpet tile tackifier has been selected as part of an impressive installation at Cinch headquarters, securing Interface carpet tiles over raised access panels in the offices of one of the UK’s fastestgrowing online used car marketplaces. The solvent-free adhesive dries to create a permanently tacky film that prevents loose-lay carpet tiles from moving laterally but allows individual tiles to be lifted and replaced easily when worn or damaged, making it ideal for busy offices with high-traffic corridors and areas with chairs that have castor wheels. In this situation, it was chosen to facilitate the temporary removal of tiles to gain access to mechanical and electrical services beneath.

www.f-ball.com/en

01538 361633 mail@f-ball.co.uk

COST-EFFECTIVE WOOD RANGE FOR CEILINGS AND WALLS

With many raw material costs having soared over the past three years, architects and contractors are looking ever-more closely for cost-effective ceiling and wall solutions for their projects.

Hunter Douglas, the global architectural products company, is clear: there is no need to sacrifice quality when budgets are tighter, because its wide range of solid wood and veneered wood options enable designers to maintain the highest of standards. Its interior wood ceilings offer an unrivalled range of finishes and natural tones that promise to make your project stand out. This is because the company focuses on quality throughout the production process to ensure it delivers a superior and durable product, which translates into lower costs during the lifecycle of the product.

01604 648229

www.hunterdouglas.co.uk

info@hunterdouglas.co.uk

FLOORS, WALLS & CEILINGS

ALTRO DELIVERS ADHESIVE-FREE SOLUTION FOR COLLEGE REFURB

Altro Wood adhesive-free has been used throughout corridors and treatment rooms at the University College of Osteopathy, London, as part of a major refurbishment. Chosen for its slip resistance and comfort underfoot as well as its stylish yet homely modern feel, Altro Wood adhesive-free also provided a cost-effective, carbon-saving solution to subfloor issues.

OWA UK’S CEILING BAFFLES ARE THE SOUND CHOICE FOR NEW HEALTHCARE BUILDING

The University College of Osteopathy is the largest osteopathic educational institution in the UK, delivering professional training to students from around the world from its busy base in Borough High Street, London. A major refurbishment was needed following a fire that caused extensive cosmetic damage.

The proposed refurbishment proved to be an ideal opportunity to move away from carpet tiles to a more modern, easy-to-maintain flooring finish and, initially, a specification for loose-lay LVTs was put forward. Rob Moore of Woodmoore Flooring takes up the story: “I was one of a number of contractors asked to quote for the job, so I made a visit to the site to undertake a survey. It’s an unusual building with lots of angles and not a straight wall in sight. There was also undulation in the subfloor and irregularity in the subfloor panels.

“Because of this, I felt LVTs were not a good option, and I recommended Altro Wood adhesive-free instead. This delivers the same homely feel without the risks associated with LVTs on an undulating subfloor. I took along some samples and talked through the process and we won the job.”

Altro Wood adhesive-free is available in 18 shades, has 14 dB sound reduction, a 10-year guarantee and Altro’s one-in-amillion slip-resistance reassurance. It also offers high levels of comfort underfoot providing a safe, durable and decorative solution for busy spaces.

Another major benefit of Altro Wood adhesive-free is that it can be laid over existing substrates, so you can weld and walk on the floor the same day. Waste is minimal as you do not need to use a damp-proof membrane (DPM) or adhesive products, reducing unwanted landfill content.

www.altro.com/uk/resources/altro-guides/adhesive-free-floors

01462 480480 enquiries@altro.com

The new Paterson cancer research facility is directly connected to the hospital and has been constructed after the existing building became unusable following severe fire damage in 2017. The state-of-the-art facility has been designed by the Manchester office of BDP architect firm and features OWA UK’s acoustic ceiling baffles in the collaborative workspaces.

Leading acoustic ceiling solutions manufacturer OWA UK has supplied its high-performance Cloud acoustic baffles to create a calm and creative working space in the new Paterson Building at The Christie, a leading specialist NHS cancer care centre in Manchester.

Part of OWA UK’s established OWAconsult collection, the Cloud baffles bring both acoustic and aesthetic benefits. The clean lines of the vertical baffles are assembled creating a striking round shape, which can then be clustered together to evoke a cloud formation. As well as providing a stylish addition to the interior ceiling design, the use of OWA UK’s Cloud system has also helped to improve the acoustic comfort of the workspace. The acoustic ceiling baffles reduce reverberation and reflected sound to improve speech clarity and eliminate unwanted noise pollution.

OWA UK collaborated closely to provide technical advice to the wider project team, which comprised specialist contractor John Atkinson Acoustics and main contractor IHP (Integrated Health Projects), which is a joint venture between Vinci and Sir Robert McAlpine. This included specification and onsite support from OWA UK’s dedicated regional sales specification manager for the north and Scotland, as well as acoustic information and calculations from the manufacturer’s in-house acousticians who were able to advise the best layout and design of the ceiling baffles to meet the project’s specific requirements.

www.owa-ceilings.co.uk enquiries@owa-ceilings.co.uk

NEW RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS SECURITY CHALLENGES IN SOCIAL HOUSING PROPERTIES

New research from leading door manufacturer JELD-WEN reports high levels of security breaches in social housing properties and the challenges of maintaining safety protocols in multi-occupancy developments.

The survey collated responses from housing associations and social housing landlords to investigate the level of safety and security provided across multi-occupancy properties in the UK – including apartment blocks and communal living spaces – and to highlight the challenges facing the sector.

It found that 59% of respondents had security breaches in their properties in the last 12 months, with more than a third (34%) reporting to have had more than 20 breaches.

The main cause of security breaches was reportedly due to a tenant mistake or issue (e.g. leaving a communal door open), which accounted for 34% of all breaches, followed by faulty entrance doors for 26% of properties.

Among other industry issues, only 22% of respondents ranked security as a top priority for their organisation. The main concerns around delivering high-quality security included:

A lack of understanding among tenants about security protocols (46%)

Expense (37%)

A lack of understanding within procurement about what security products are in the market (21%).

A high proportion (60%) of landlords had received tenant concerns about the level of security offered by their property, citing poor locks or closers on main doors, security systems needing repairs, non residents gaining access and anti-social behaviour resulting in damage to entrance doors.

Of those surveyed, only 63% felt that the security measures in place in their residential

blocks were adequate. Yet despite this, and the high level of concern from tenants, only 13% of organisations surveyed are considering smart locks on communal doors – such as WiFi-enabled or keyless entry locks – compared to the 54% who aren’t.

Commenting on the findings, Glyn Hauser, R&D Senior Group Manager at JELD-WEN, said: “The survey results are a clear indicator of two major challenges facing the social housing sector today –engaging with tenants on the importance of adhering to security protocols, and instilling the responsibility of landlords and developers to ensure doorsets offer an enhanced level of security as the first stage of protection.

“It’s concerning to hear that more than a third (37%) of social housing landlords and providers think that the security measures in place in their properties are inadequate. With one burglary taking place every 13 seconds in the UK, this is simply not good enough.

“A secure, flat entrance doorset is, arguably, the most effective first line of defence, and by investing in a purposebuilt, certified doorset, we believe that landlords can elevate safety standards and rebuild confidence within their properties, so that tenants can feel safe and secure in their homes.”

The research also reports challenges in delivering high-quality fire safety in multioccupancy properties, despite fire safety regulations attracting continued scrutiny and an increasing pressure on developers and landlords to ensure better standards for residents.

Nine in 10 respondents had an inspection on internal fire doors in the last two years, with 50% finding a flaw. These include poorly-fitted doors, damage to door closers and hardware improvements required.

Choosing the correct doorset for a project can be a daunting task, but thankfully JELDWEN has a helpful guide about choosing a secure, flat entrance doorset, which can be found under its ‘blog’ section on the website.

Glyn continues: “Understandably, the housing sector continues to face many challenges, but everyone has a right to feel safe at home and the urgent need to improve fire safety and security standards cannot fall by the wayside. It has never been more important to ensure properties have the correct products and protocols in place, and by investing in a certified, purpose-built doorset, landlords have the best chance of reducing risk and keeping their tenants secure.”

JELD-WEN offers a range of dual-purpose, certified interior doorsets providing assurance that both security and fire safety have been independently evaluated by specialists.

The JELD-WEN SecureFIT and SecureSET flat entrance doorsets are dual tested and certified to provide 30-minute fire, smoke and security protection as listed under the Certifire and CertiSecure certification scheme, giving complete assurance to social housing providers, developers and construction professionals that the people, property and assets within the building are safe and secure.

www.jeld-wen.co.uk

ukdoorsets@jeldwen.com

GLASS PARTITIONING PROVIDES PRIVACY FOR MOURNERS

Rushcliffe Oaks is a new crematorium situated in open countryside in Nottinghamshire. Partitioning specialist, Style, worked with contractor, A&S Enterprises, to increase the functionality of the space between the entrance lobby and the chapel. A Dorma Hüppe Variflex semiautomatic glass moveable wall was chosen as the best option, allowing the chapel to be quickly closed off from the main entrance area whenever a funeral is in progress. Minimising possible disturbance, Variflex delivers an impressive 50 dB acoustic rating, with further privacy being offered by the inclusion of automatic blinds that are integrated into the individual glass panels. Contributing to the facility’s drive for a low carbon footprint, the Dorma Hüppe Variflex moveable wall has an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) in accordance with ISO 14025 and EN 15804, making it a highly sustainable solution. To ensure the room is fully accessible, Style increased the height of the pass door in the moveable wall to 2400mm, enabling a coffin to be easily manoeuvred into the chapel.

www.style-partitions.co.uk

01202 874044 sales@style-partitions.co.uk

STYLE GETS LUCKY WITH 13TH FIS GOLD AWARD

Style has won the coveted Contractor’s Gold award yet again at this year’s FIS awards. It makes it the 13th time that Style has won the top award and, with five silver accolades also under its belt, Style has won an incredible 18 times during its 24-year history. The award was presented at a gala dinner at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London, with Julian Sargent, Style’s Group Managing Director, picking up the award for Style’s creation of flexible office space at Reckitt Benckiser in Slough. “We are thrilled to have won the gold award for another year,” said Julian, “and this is a tribute to everyone who works at Style and their incredible professionalism and dedication. What makes this award even more special is the Skyfold we installed at Reckitt Benckiser was our 300th in the UK market, which goes to show how demand is soaring for this worldclass operable wall. I’d like to thank everyone at Style who has worked so hard to make Skyfold such a success.”

www.style-partitions.co.uk

F. BALL TAKES FLOORS UP A STEP AT SOMERSET HOUSE

F. Ball and Co.’s rapid-setting, ultrasmooth floor-finishing compound has delivered a fast-track solution for refurbishing the iconic Nelson Staircase at Somerset House, London. Contractors applied two coats of F. Ball’s Stopgap Micro Rapid floorfinishing compound to create a perfectly-smooth surface for the receipt of floorcoverings. Stone-effect LVTs were then installed on the landing and risers and treads of the stairs, and F. Ball’s Stycco Flex rapid-curing, flexible tube adhesive was used to affix Gradus stair nosings. The highstrength build up and fast curing time of the adhesive means it can secure stair nosings and trims in as little as 60 minutes, without the need for mechanical fixings.

www.f-ball.com/en

01538 361633 mail@f-ball.co.uk

01202 874044

DOMUS VENTILATION EXPANDS HRXE MVHR RANGE WITH ZEUS

sales@style-partitions.co.uk

Domus Ventilation, manufacturer of leading ventilation systems, has expanded its HRXE range of mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) units with the launch of HRXE-ZEUS. HRXE-ZEUS has been introduced to meet ventilation requirements for large residential properties, which require a more powerful system to deliver the airflow required to meet Building Regulations Part F. HRXE-ZEUS high-performance MVHR system combines supply and extract ventilation in one system. Using an advanced heat exchanger, up to 95% of the heat typically lost in waste, stale air is efficiently recovered and used to temper the fresh air drawn into the building. The filtered, pre-warmed air is distributed to areas of the home, effectively meeting part of the heating load in energy-efficient dwellings.

www.domusventilation.co.uk

vent.info@domusventilation.co.uk

COMBINE BUT ALSO SEPARATE THE OLD FROM THE NEW

To help support the installation of its new Stratton mk3 wall-hung condensing boiler onto existing heating systems, Hamworthy Heating has announced its latest range of plate heat exchangers, for increased boiler protection and performance. Plate heat exchangers separate the boiler from a secondary circuit (existing system). This prevents the risk of debris from entering the boiler, which could result in expensive maintenance intervals or even operational failure. Featuring a brazed design with no need for gaskets or supporting equipment, the latest range offers a compact solution to maximise valuable plant room space and keep the boilers operating at maximum efficiency helping to reduce the overall carbon footprint whilst protecting your investment.

www.hamworthy-heating.com

01202 662552

sales@hamworthy-heating.com

AIM’S CAVITY BARRIERS SELECTED FOR ‘PATH-BREAKING’ UNIVERSITY ACCOMMODATION

AIM (Acoustic & Insulation Manufacturing) has supplied Wall Cavity Barriers and Open-State Cavity Barriers (OSCBs), along with technical support, for a ‘path-breaking’, 900-room student accommodation development at the University of West England Bristol’s Frenchay Campus.

The new-build, low-carbon design development, which includes three buildings, six storeys high, is to help meet demand from students for high-quality on-

campus accommodation. The first rooms will be available from September 2023. Designed by Stride Treglown, the project’s main contractor is Vinci Construction.

AIM worked with Maple Sunscreening on the rainscreen facade system assembly from the ground floor upwards, which is mainly cassette panels with AIM’s OSCBs incorporated horizontally and AIM’s Wall Cavity Barriers installed vertically.

AIM also supplied and supported installer Sandford Building Contractors during the construction of the extruded polystyrene (XPS)-filled sub-floor cavity, which included a layer of AIM’s Wall Cavity Barrier directly above the XPS, and all two masonry storeys.

Designed for use within ventilated rainscreen facades and timber-frame cladding systems, AIM’s OSCBs allow free airflow and drainage and improve fire safety, providing fire resistance of up to two hours insulation and integrity in suitably supporting structures. In the event of a fire, heat activates an intumescent strip that expands quickly to fully close the cavity.

Manufactured from high-density ROCKWOOL stone wool and faced with the higher-performance intumescent strip, AIM’s OSCB range provides either a 60- or 120-minute rating for both integrity and insulation. The OSCBs are an effective barrier to the passage of hot smoke as well as fire. The AIM range has been tested to TGD 19 and the general principles of BS EN 1363-1.

AIM Wall Cavity Barriers are made from foil-faced highdensity ROCKWOOL stone wool and are suitable for use in all masonry cavity walls, as well as for firestopping between a masonry curtain wall system and a concrete floor slab. The barriers prevent the passage of heat, flame and smoke within the cavity they fill for one- or two-hour fire-resistance rating periods. They are tested to BS 476-20.

01293 582400

NEW FUNDING FOR LEISURE CENTRES MEANS NOW IS THE TIME TO UPGRADE VENTILATION

www.aimlimited.co.uk

sales@aimlimited.co.uk

Deanestor, one of the UK’s leading education fit-out specialists, has been awarded its 16th contract for Morrison Construction. The new project involves the provision of around 6000 items of loose and fitted furniture for a primary school and community hub now under construction in Aberdeen. This contract for Greyhope School and Community Hub follows the successful completion of Countesswells Primary School. Ramsay McDonald, Managing Director for Deanestor in Scotland, said: “We are delighted to be working on another school project with this award-winning construction team. It will create a truly inspirational learning environment for local children and invaluable community facilities.”

www.deanestor.co.uk/education

01623 420041 enquiries@deanestor.com

Breathing Buildings, a leading provider of controlled natural and hybrid ventilation systems, welcomed the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s announcement of a £60m fund for publiclyowned leisure centres with swimming pools. The new funding makes it the ideal time for leisure facilities to invest in energy-efficient ventilation that also enables centres to benefit from their heat gains, such as Breathing Buildings’ NVHR 1700, thus helping cut future heating bills. NVHR 1700 provides effective and energy-efficient ventilation and thermal comfort and is the ideal ventilation solution for leisure centres and other buildings with high heat gains.

www.breathingbuildings.com

01223 450060 info@breathingbuildings.com

INTRODUCING THE NEW RJ007 SLIMLINE LETTERPLATE FOR FD30 AND FD60

Lorient, a leading manufacturer of highperformance sealing systems, is delighted to offer a new slimline fire- and security-rated letterplate into its door hardware protection range. The new slimline RJ007 letterplate from Lorient combines fire and security performance with functionality and aesthetics. Designed to meet the exacting security standards of TS 008:2015, it is tested to withstand a series of physical tests based on the common methods of burglary. It features an innovative pivoting stay mechanism that reduces the opening to 37° for protection against key ‘fishing’ and lock manipulation. The RJ007 can provide up to 30 and 60 minutes of fire resistance and is tested in accordance BS 476-22:1987; and smoke tested in accordance with BS EN 1634-3:2004.

www.lorientuk.com

01626 834252

sales@lorientuk.com

DEANESTOR WINS ITS 16TH FIT-OUT CONTRACT WITH MORRISON CONSTRUCTION

“We found Tough Furniture by accident because we were initially looking for some chairs for our SEN provision... but we have stayed with them on purpose, as everything we have ever bought from them has been stylish, of excellent quality and robust. This year, in a new refurbishment, they were our go-to suppliers because we know we are making an investment in something that will last the school a long time and give the students the learning environment they deserve - safe, attractive and easy to maintain - so that their classrooms always look fabulous.   Thank you, Tough Furniture! Highly recommended for any school, but especially one as wonderful as ours!

Beth Elkins Gretton School Cambridge, UK

Designed for SEN Environments

Classroom Seating

Reception Seating

Outdoor Seating

Noticeboards

Dividing Screens

Workstations

Computer Desks

Storage Cupboards

Display Units

Heavy Duty Tables

TV Protection

Bespoke Solutions

Furniture