PSBJ December 2021

Public Sector Build Journal December 2021

Healthcare

Education

Making fire safety a primary concern in schools

Leisure

psbjmagazine.com

Issue 112

A COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY Why widespread commitment to lowering our carbon footprint is the only way to avoid the pending crisis

Housing

A spotlight on the UK’s greenest healthcare building

What will changes to Part L mean for public sector construction?

Introducing Pilkington SaniTise™, a world-first in glazing. Coated with a layer of titanium dioxide, the glass provides antimicrobial properties. Tested by leading universities it helps protect against enveloped viruses.

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WELCOME NOTE

Editor

Hannah Woodger

hannah@redhutmedia.com

Rebecca Kemp

rebecca@redhutmedia.com

Print & Digital Advertising Sam Ball

sam@redhutmedia.com

Jim Moore

jim@redhutmedia.com

Print Design Manager Jack Witcomb

jack@redhutmedia.com

Digital Design Manager Matt Morse

matt@redhutmedia.com

Accounts

Rachel Pike

accounts@redhutmedia.com

Sales Support & Statistics

Klare Ball

klare@redhutmedia.com

Publisher Sam Ball

Bell Phillips Architects discusses why we need to push embodied carbon up the agenda to truly address climate change.

See page 16.

Welcome to the December issue of PSBJ...

With 40% of global emissions coming from construction, there was no doubt the industry was waiting with bated breath for the outcomes of the eagerly-anticipated COP26 last month. The newly-dubbed ‘Glasgow Climate Pact’ produced several noticeable achievements. Countries committed to accelerating their decarbonisation plans, and agreed to strengthen their emissions-reduction targets for 2030 by next year, rather than 2025.

Concluding on a compromise over the phasing-out of coal-fired power, some have argued the talks had failed as pledges did not go far enough to meet the 1.5°C goal. Cabinet Minister Alok Sharma, who led the COP talks, commented: “The UK’s work as the COP26 presidency is really only just beginning. Over the course of the next year, we will work with countries urging them to take action and honour their promises.”

Recording a total of nearly 40,000 registered participants, this year’s event could stand to be the most well-attended COP in history. Whilst most attendees will have flown into Glasgow’s airport, many delegates will have stepped foot on the platforms of Glasgow’s redeveloped Queen Street Station.

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In this month’s issue, we showcase this spectacular space, which has been designed by BDP to support greener travel and celebrate its city. Whilst its architecture is undeniably impressive, with its striking gold anodised aluminium roof, the building itself has been shaped by the movement of its passengers. Turn to page 08 to read more about this welcoming building that celebrates those making positive, greener transport choices.

Elsewhere in this edition, safety and security hardware specialist UAP discusses the importance of enabling windows to open safely, Timberplay addresses the value of timber in creating fun and flexible community play facilities and ROCKWOOL explores what the pending alterations to Part L mean for the specification and installation of insulation.

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I hope you enjoy this issue. Don’t forget, you can also access all of 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.

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

Hannah

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

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CONTENTS

06 News

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

08 Upfront

Glasgow Queen Street, the third busiest station in Scotland, has been redeveloped to support greener travel and celebrate its city. BDP takes up the story.

12 Leisure

A leading supplier of designer street furniture, All Urban discusses why play sculptures are key to the future of our outdoor public spaces.

08

14 Healthcare

18 Floors, Walls & Ceilings

22 Legal & Business

16 Housing

20 Doors, Windows & Balustrades

24 Education

The UK’s greenest health centre, built to meet Passivhaus certification – Foleshill Health Centre in Coventry – has opened its doors to patients following completion.

Hari Phillips, Director of Bell Phillips Architects, discusses why we need to push embodied carbon up the agenda to truly address climate change.

Anthony Millington, Creative Director at Amron Architectural, explains how to bring bespoke creativity to life using metal profiled sheet

Danny Openshaw from UAP discusses the importance of enabling windows to open safely as we continue to address the challenges of COVID-19.

The shortage of key materials – especially steel – is proving so damaging that Womble Bond Dickinson says it could change the way contracts are negotiated in the UK.

With fire safety design standards under the spotlight, Karen Trigg of Allegion UK recalls the necessity of ongoing assessments and maintenance within school buildings.

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Email: info@cfa.org.uk 24/09/2021 16:25:00

CONTENTS

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12

16

26 Talking Point

Adam Jurka, National Sales Manager at wireless solutions firm Ramtech, explains how temporary wireless measures are supporting fire safety in high-rise housing.

28 KBB

Hot water taps are taking kitchen design by storm, but how can such technology be included in social housing while conforming to the necessary regulations?

30 Technical Focus

ROCKWOOL explores what the alterations to Part L mean for the specification and installation of insulation and whether the amendments need to go further.

32 Timber

Playground equipment supplier, Timberplay, discusses how children and adults alike can maintain their connection with natural materials in community play facilities.

ANEMOSTAT VISION FRAMES & DOOR LOUVRES

24 34 Product Showcase

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

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NEWS

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

Completed works on Coventry Timely progress on secondary school celebrated latest specialist academy at ribbon-cutting ceremony project in Middlesbrough Midlands-based contractor G F Tomlinson has completed the expansion and refurbishment of Cardinal Newman Catholic School in Coventry, for Coventry City Council. The completion of the project was marked with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony, with G F Tomlinson’s Managing Director, Chris Flint, and the school’s Headteacher, Emma O’Connor, in attendance, alongside representatives from Seymour Harris Architects and Coventry City Council. The occasion was celebrated with a number of short speeches from stakeholders, a vote of thanks and a blessing of the newly-refurbished school by school Chaplain Fr Pat Brennan and Canon Tom Farrell. The project, led by G F Tomlinson, consisted of the construction of a new dining hall and the refurbishment and remodelling of existing classroom and dining spaces to create optimised teaching facilities which will allow for an additional 200 places at the school – in line with the Government’s drive to provide extra student spaces in Coventry. Procured through Pagabo’s National Framework for Medium Works, this was the first scheme G F Tomlinson had been awarded through the framework in its allocated region, which covers projects between the value of £1m and £5m in the West Midlands.

Award-winning Durham-based architectural practice, Howarth Litchfield, has announced timely progress is being made on its latest multidisciplinary commission in the specialist education sector – the new £7.7m Discovery Special Academy project for the Department for Education (DfE) on behalf of Tees Valley Education Multi Academy Trust (TVEd) in Middlesbrough. Following Tilbury Douglas’ appointment by the DfE Construction Framework as main contractor to design and build the new academy, Howarth Litchfield was appointed by Tilbury Douglas as part of its team, to act as lead designer with responsibility for providing a broad range of additional services which include BIM, interior design and principal design duties. The planning application for the new school building, which has capacity for 84 pupils and is located on the former Nature’s World site, was approved in March 2021.

Work started on site in August and completion is anticipated in March 2022, ready for the start of the academic year in September 2022/23. TVEd manages five academies – four of which are mainstream primary academies, catering for four- to 11-year-olds, including two with specialist learning units.

Regulation of social Cushman & Wakefield appoints housing in England inquiry Head of Public Sector Project & launched by HCLG Committee Development Services The Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee has launched an inquiry examining the quality and regulation of social housing in England. The HCLG Committee will examine concerns about the quality of social housing, with a focus on the ability of the Regulator of Social Housing and the Housing Ombudsman to identify and address problems. The inquiry will also focus on the proposals in the Government’s social housing whitepaper aimed at improving the regulatory regime. Clive Betts, Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, said: “Stories of dilapidated social housing and tales of housing associations failing to respond to residents’ complaints call into question the effectiveness of the existing regulatory regime and how far the Government’s whitepaper proposals go to help ensure tenants are treated properly and fairly. In our inquiry, we want to explore concerns around the quality of social housing and whether the current regime for the regulation of social housing is fit for purpose.” The committee’s inquiry will also explore the financial pressures on social housing providers, amid concerns from some that the costs of building safety work and retrofitting properties to make them more energy efficient are affecting their ability to improve the quality of their social housing stock.

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Cushman & Wakefield has appointed former AECOM Director Trevor Stone to lead its UK Project & Development Services (PDS) team’s activity with public sector clients. Trevor spent more than 14 years at global infrastructure consulting firm AECOM where he was a Director and Scotland Regional Lead for its Buildings and Places team. Prior to that he spent 18 years at asset management and construction consultancy Currie & Brown, where he led the Public Private Partnerships and Banking Advisory team. Joining Cushman & Wakefield with a nationwide remit, Trevor will be responsible for driving growth in public sector engagement within the PDS team, which provides services including building consultancy, building engineering, cost consultancy, project management and design and build to property owners, developers and occupiers. He will be based at the firm’s Scottish regional hub office in Edinburgh. Trevor said: “I’m excited to be joining a firm with real momentum. The team is already delivering some outstanding work within the public sector and I look forward to bringing my extensive experience and knowledge of the sector to build on this success and deliver even greater value to our clients.”

NEWS

Construction consultant secures multidisciplinary role on key net-zero project

South Tyneside Coroner’s Court benefits from upgrade and refurbishment

Award-winning construction and property consultancy, SummersInman, has secured a multidisciplinary role to project manage and provide quantity surveying services on a research and innovation facility, which will support the region’s ongoing drive for clean energy and sustainability. The firm’s appointment follows on from plans unveiled earlier this year by Teesside University and the Tees Valley Mayor and the Tees Valley Combined Authority to develop a new £13.5m industry-led Net Zero Industry Innovation Centre (NZIIC) to support the ongoing drive for clean energy and sustainability. Appointed by Teesside University following a competitive tender submission via the NEUPC consultants’ framework (North East Universities Purchasing Consortium), this latest appointment sees SummersInman returning to steer the Net Zero Industry Innovation Centre to completion, having begun its work on the project earlier in the year when it successfully managed the project up to RIBA Stage 3. The next primary task, from RIBA Stage 4 onwards, will be to successfully select and appoint a suitable main contractor to build the scheme and once this is done, Summers-Inman will be responsible from a cost, quality and time perspective when the scheme reaches site.

Surgo Construction (Surgo), one of the North-East’s leading independent main contractors, has successfully handed over a key refurbishment project for South Tyneside Council. In February 2021, Surgo was appointed to extensively refurbish the Coroner’s Court and create new ancillary facilities for court staff, support services, families and clients. One of the most challenging elements of the scheme was the relocation of the council’s IT server which provides borough-wide internet services. The loss of this service was not an option and the careful planning of this aspect of the works formed a crucial element of the construction programme. The project also required Surgo to operate alongside the existing building services while installing state-of-the-art video links – a key feature of the refurbishment, given the prevailing pandemic guidelines around social distancing at the time – so that cases could still be conducted and caseload backlogs minimised.

Senior Coroner, Terence Carney, says that the upgraded facilities were essential to ensure his team could efficiently conduct its work, alongside the Northumbria Police Authority, the NHS and South Tyneside Council.

Cardiff installs first -of-their-kind green, affordable homes Wates Residential and Cardiff Council are installing Cardiff’s first sustainable, modular homes, at a brownfield site on Crofts Street, Plasnewydd, as the council increases its provision of affordable homes for local residents on housing waiting lists and those most in need.

The nine two-bedroom properties, which have been built off site using modern methods of construction (MMC), will be lowered onto their final position on site with all the groundworks and external hard and soft landscaping completed. This is the first time this method of offsite construction has been used by Cardiff Council to deliver permanent homes for families living in the city. The method not only enables the units to be built and installed in record time, but will also use the latest technology and construction materials to create net-zero carbon buildings that are 90% more energy efficient than standard homes built to current Building Regulations. They will be extremely airtight, meaning they are well insulated and residents will see huge savings on their bills. In recognition of their environmental credentials, the homes have achieved Grade A in Predicted Energy Efficiency and Environmental Impact (CO2) ratings.

New Caerphilly play facilities are a hit New outdoor play facilities in the Bedwas and Trethomas areas of Caerphilly are already proving to be a hit with children and young people. The children’s play area at Bryn Park received new equipment, as well as the installation of a multi-use games area (MUGA). The new facilities were funded as part of Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) programme and thanks to an additional contribution of £20,000 from Bedwas, Trethomas and Machen Community Council. Over £260m has been invested into tenants’ homes and local communities as part of the council’s WHQS programme.

This investment has included delivering a wide range of environmental improvements throughout the county borough, such as play areas, skate parks, landscaping and additional car parking. Improvements have also recently been completed at play areas in Ty Isha Terrace in Cefn Fforest, Holly Road in Ty-Sign, Cefn Road in Hengoed, Attlee Road in Blackwood, Pengam Road in Penpedairheol and Pantycelyn Street in Ystrad Mynach. A new kickwall has also been installed at Fairview, Pengam. Other play areas set to benefit from equipment upgrades include Penylan Road in Argoed and the park in Markham. Maesycwmmer’s Hill View play area will feature a new helter skelter slide.

07

UPFRONT

SHAPED BY MOVEMENT There is no greater proof that ‘people make Glasgow’ than to see the city without its crowds. The city centre has been dormant, feeling like a stage without a play. Now, the commuters and shoppers are returning from their COVID-enforced isolation and the redeveloped Glasgow Queen Street station is there to welcome them.

Edward Dymock is an Associate Architect at BDP’s Glasgow Studio and was Lead Architect for EGIP’s redevelopment of Glasgow Queen Street Station to the end of detail design. Here, he takes up the story.

Image ©Nick Caville

are, when they work C ities well, efficient systems

Image ©Nick Caville

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for living and, therefore, play an important role in our fight against climate change. It is in all of our interests that cities remain busy centres for living, commerce and leisure.

Investment in our cities and their infrastructure must both facilitate and promote a greener way of life.

To achieve both these things on its constrained city centre site, Glasgow Queen Street’s new architecture and design have been shaped by the movement of the people that will use it.

Glasgow Queen Street, the third busiest station in Scotland, has been redeveloped to support greener travel and celebrate its city. The station has been expanded to cope with significant increases in passenger numbers, aiding the transition from car to green electric trains. Its dramatic new concourse encourages this transport choice.

Before the redevelopment, I would describe Queen Street

Station as not only at the end of the line, it was at the end of its life. The station needed to be upgraded, reorganised and expanded to cope with the projected 90% increase in passenger footfalls over the next 30 years. The longer trains delivering those passengers required longer platforms.

The constraints of the tunnel throat meant a significant part of the platform extensions would be southward, displacing the concourse from beneath the train shed to the area between its fanlight and West George Street. Despite the compulsory purchase of the bedroom wing of the Millennium Copthorne Hotel, partly for the safety zones associated with new buffers, the site was still constrained. The new concourse’s architecture had to work hard to provide the functionality required.

A railway station concourse has two primary, and often contradictory, roles. It has to allow people to move and also to congregate. To achieve the former, we needed to ensure passengers would move around

UPFRONT Image ©David Barbour

the station intuitively. This meant creating a legible architecture that considers the passengers’ desired routes. Better still, the architecture would actually ‘show’ them the way.

Allowing people to congregate means not only ensuring the concourse is the right size and shape but also designing a space that intuitively suggests where people stand, sit and queue, so movement can happen simultaneously. On a larger site, we would also include retail outlets for the passengers as they wait – very much the realm of contemporary airport design and rail stations such as King’s Cross. The lion’s share of Queen Street’s retail is intended to come in a later development on its former taxi rank.

To understand how best to allow passengers to move around the site efficiently, and determine the appropriate concourse size, the design team worked with a movement specialist, Movement Strategies, to analyse the use of the old station. Bluetooth surveys and CCTV analysis were used to map passenger movement. This gave the design team insights into the percentages of passenger movements through the west-facing exit (around 70%) relative to the much smaller numbers heading to George Square and the taxi rank to the east.

Growth forecasts allowed extrapolation of the survey data to provide the

anticipated footfalls in each direction.

Given the role of the station, we focused on the peak periods for commuter flows.

We also had to ensure the concourse would cope with scenarios such as periods of perturbation – when trains are delayed and concourse populations swell.

Movement Strategies confirmed that the new concourse would need to include space occupied by the adjoining hotel’s bedroom wing and Consort House – an office building on the south-west corner of the site. Even then, space was still tight. We needed to create a design that was instinctive to use. One not cluttered by signage, but one that exploited the building form and views of the city to orientate passengers and direct them to their destination.

Having determined that most passenger movement was westward, we divided this flow between a Dundas Lane entrance (also serving the subway) and a West George Street entrance. This split allowed a level threshold to Dundas Street and a flight of stairs rising two metres from West George Street. This purposely created an area between the entrances in which we could position the ticket office, ticket machines and waiting room. We positioned the Dundas Street entrance so ScotRail trains’ livery is now visible from Glasgow’s main shopping thoroughfare, Buchanan Street. 

Image ©David Barbour



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UPFRONT Image ©Nick Caville

We aligned the George Square entrance with the end of Queen Street and made it much wider than flows required to provide the appropriate gesture to the city’s main civic space.

The low-level station was not included in the project scope, but we improved its approaches too. We allowed direct movement to its foyer from platform two and used a single gate line to access both high- and low-level platforms.

Once the concourse layout was determined, dynamic modelling software was used to check we met Network Rail’s performance requirements for crowd densities, especially the peak morning and evening flows. Each period creates its own challenges: the morning peak puts more pressure on the platforms and gate line and the evening peak puts more pressure on the concourse. Movement Strategies’ digital simulations of trains arriving and departing provided us with fascinating insights into the changing concourse densities, and allowed fine-tuning of entrance widths and the gate line shape to ensure every part of the new terrazzo floor was contributing to the concourse’s performance.

Extending and optimising the station’s layout is only one aspect of the new design.

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We wanted to create an architecture that celebrated the transition from city to train and train to city; a building that provided a memorable and warm ‘Welcome to Glasgow’.

To do this, we exploited the unique qualities of the site: its incredible views of the city centre and the presence of the historic train shed.

The train shed’s supporting structure had been hidden by previous ‘modernisation’ in the 1960s. We revealed its Corinthian columns and used flat planes of stone and aluminium to ensure new structures did not visually compete with the fine Victorian detailing. We created a new clerestory window that separated new from old and provided views of the train shed roof from within the concourse.

The glazing is positioned to provide new perspectives of the fanlight as you inspect the new customer information screen, and so that light floods into the low-level stairs.

The old Queen Street was a gloomy, depressing place.

Today, the play of light across its planes of stone and ‘gold’ anodised aluminium is a pleasure. The quality of daylight inside the train shed has been improved dramatically too.

Modelling of light during the design stage allowed

BDP’s lighting designers to understand how the lighting character would change with the time of day and the seasons. Together, we created integrated lighting solutions so the building’s striking materials provide a warm welcome on a dreich Glasgow afternoon and into the night.

Passengers are guided by energy-efficient integrated light sources and handrail lights from the platform through to the street. Lighting has become an integral part of the new station, celebrating its dramatic forms, contributing to its civic presence and reinforcing its ‘beacon-like’ quality.

Previously, on arrival at Queen Street’s platforms, the city was hidden. Now Glasgow is the star of the show. As the new concourse ceiling is angled upwards, it is the views of the historic fanlight and of the city that first greet you. Only as you approach the gate line does the drama of the form and colour of the concourse roof provide a memorable end to your journey.

The new roof is used as a unifying element that defines the extent of the concourse and signals each of its entrances.

It folds down at the George Square entrance, turns the corner at the West George Street entrance, and folds again

to guide you to the subway as you exit to Dundas Street. Here, a deep inflection in the facade ensures the roof is always ‘welcoming’ you.

BDP viewed the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme’s redevelopment of the station as an opportunity to assert Scotland’s confidence in the future of rail with a building that celebrates the passengers’ transport choice. The station is not just a welcoming, accessible building that now caters for increased footfalls, but an extrovert place with an enticing civic presence – a building that hopefully will bring a little delight and pride to all who use it.

The COVID-19 pandemic has, I hope, taught us all how fragile our relationship is to this planet. It has firmly moved the climate change debate from the realm of scientists and activists to an understanding that collective action is essential.

Rail travellers should be proud of Glasgow Queen Street. It will become the figurehead of a rapidly-greening transport network. Every passenger and visitor moving freely under its new gold roof can celebrate that they are making positive transport choices. 

www.bdp.com

UPFRONT Image ©Nick Caville

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LEISURE

THE NEW AGE OF THE PUBLIC REALM All Urban discusses why play sculptures are key to the future of our outdoor public spaces.

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public spaces are more O urimportant today than ever.

Creating inclusive public spaces

Once a part of towns and cities that many would take for granted or barely give a second thought to, in 2020, outdoor public spaces became crucial to social interaction, virtually overnight.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, our outdoor public spaces provided a place for urban residents to safely spend time out of their homes and with others.

People and communities have had to reassess the environments in which we live.

At All Urban, we want to see public realms that reflect these changes and meet the demands of our new normal.

Being forced out of our usual routines and indoor habits and spaces has made us realise that we need flexible, multifunctional and accessible areas in our cities.

Imagine a space that can adapt to the rhythm of the day. Somewhere people can work whilst their children play, where teenagers and elders alike can exercise, relax or meet others.

One company that is striving to meet the rising demand for sustainable and inclusive public spaces is moveART, a brand we are proud to have in our portfolio. Founded by Norbert Roztocki in 2015, the Swiss-based company designs play sculptures that encourage and facilitate many uses, creating stunning pieces of functional art. moveART’s latest pieces, ‘The Eye’ and ‘The Circle’, are built for our contemporary way of living. Both could be seen in one of Europe’s largest outdoor sculpture exhibitions;

the eighth Swiss Triennial Festival of Sculpture’s Bad RagARTz, which ran from May through to October 2021.

Versatile, functional and durable art The Circle is the first moveable object by moveART. The sculpture sits on a circular rail, hence the name, and can be pushed around its axis to suit the different needs of the user.

The capabilities and configurations are endless.

The Circle combines different functions, which are often contrasting, such as work and play, or exercise and relaxation, and it targets different user groups whose needs aren’t typically considered and met together.

For example, a businessman looking to catch up on emails and a family wanting to spend

time together and play.

Features, such as its table, mean The Circle can be used simultaneously as an outdoor workspace and a playground.

The Circle offers an interesting solution to the new issues we face and the need for adaptable outdoor spaces for work, leisure and socialisation. This sculpture can be sat on, lounged on, walked on and climbed on; it is versatile and durable.

Offering something for everyone, the brilliance of this piece lies in the creativity of the user. Plus, it provides a stunning visual contribution to the landscape.

In a world where outdoor living and working is both an expectation and may continue to be a requirement, having adaptable pieces like this within the public realm is essential.

LEISURE

Meeting changing requirements through movement As the past 18 months have shown, the demands of public spaces change. Flexibility is therefore key when designing for the public realm. Combine three or more ‘circles’ and you give users something with which they can freely and creatively shape their environment. Circles twist so people can move closer together, further apart (an important characteristic nowadays), or somewhere in between. They can also adapt to the position of the sun, so the user can move the circles into or out of the light as needed.

There are both social and natural aspects to this system. Most importantly, users are empowered to use their imaginations to shape their own public space. The moveability of the circles gives people the power to transform their environment into something truly personal.

Whilst this is normally the job of the landscape architect, moveART has handed freedom and choice to the user in a very safe way.

At All Urban, we are confident that highly-adaptable and interchangeable products like this are the future of a

“To be used to their full potential, public spaces need to be safe, age-friendly, accessible and inclusive for all“ – The European Commission

public space that can adjust depending on the user’s needs.

With pieces like The Circle and The Eye from moveART, the vision of the public realm looks very exciting indeed. We can see the coming together of a global shift to increased outdoor living and interactions, with the need for empowerment and choice for the user. Innovative and flexible designs combine these requirements seamlessly and create real joy for the user.

Designs for life Since joining the All Urban designer brand portfolio in 2019, moveART’s line of innovative and bespoke play sculptures has grown and grown. The design of the sculptures is inspired by the double helix (DNA), which stands for the origin of life and its metamorphosis.

Made from 100% ecological and sustainable Accoya wood, which comes with Cradle to Cradle Gold certification,

moveART sculptures are particularly robust, low maintenance and are designed to be very vandalism-proof.

We are excited to supply moveART sculptures to our clients and welcome further conversations about the products explored here and the wider range – now considered key components in the future of outdoor play. 

www.allurban.co.uk

13

HEALTHCARE

PASSIVHAUS CERTIFICATION FOR FOLESHILL HEALTH CENTRE – THE UK’S GREENEST HEALTHCARE BUILDING The UK’s greenest health centre built to meet Passivhaus certification – Foleshill Health Centre in Coventry – has opened its doors to patients following completion. £3.3m 619m Foleshill T heHealth Centre in inner-city 2

Coventry is a partnership between Department of Health and Social Care-owned Community Health Partnerships (CHP) and NHS Coventry and Warwickshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

The Foleshill Surgery GP practice team, part of Coventry and Rugby GP Alliance, began seeing patients in August 2021.

The centre has five consulting rooms and two treatment rooms for up to 10,000 patients. Foleshill is the first British healthcare building to receive Passivhaus certification.

The award-winning centre is one of the most energyefficient buildings in the NHS estate and was constructed in

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just 10 months, significantly quicker than a traditionallyconstructed building. This is the first time that NHSE&I has approved this type of building for the NHS in England, following a detailed scrutiny process. Foleshill not only leads the way for carbon emission reduction in this type of building, but also demonstrates its potential for repetition and upscaling across the future health estate, contributing to the NHS’ carbon-net-zero target, and supporting its aim to be the world’s first net-zero national health service.

Dr Peter O’Brien, Chair of Coventry and Rugby GP Alliance, said: “Committing

to and supporting a greener future will benefit our patients, their children and future generations, so we are extremely proud to be delivering primary care services to our local community from Foleshill Health Centre.”

“This is a very exciting project which has taken a lot of work to get over the line,” said Malcolm Twite, CHP Executive Director, Property Performance. “Foleshill paves the way for future sustainable developments, which will make a valuable contribution to the NHS carbon footprint target for net zero by 2045. Health estate makes up 4 to 5% of England’s carbon footprint, so

it is vital to find ways forward to reducing this. We are very proud to have led the way with our partners at Foleshill.”

Construction The project team used project management principles and processes subsequently included within the Government’s December 2020 Construction Playbook, which captures modern methods of construction (MMC), commercial best practices and sector reforms.

It was built with Portakabin modules specially designed to international Passivhaus sustainability standards, and is a major milestone for volumetric modular construction.

The modules were designed and manufactured

by Portakabin at its manufacturing facility in York.

Using exacting standards of engineering to tolerances of 1mm, the Portakabin team delivered precise control across every aspect of the project – from product design to manufacturing, measuring every resource used and any waste generated. The units were then transported to Coventry and reassembled, becoming watertight in just

HEALTHCARE three days. The final fit-out, and the addition of the insulation and roof, were completed on site.

The annual utilities’ running costs will be very low compared to a traditional build giving significant savings over its lifetime. Foleshill Health Centre has an EPC A rating (12), close to net-zero CO 2. It is expected to be BREEAM ‘Excellent’.

Passivhaus and sustainable features at Foleshill Health Centre The building is highly insulated, so it is warm in winter and cool in the summer.

The insulation exceeds the Building Regulations fabric insulation values by about 40%.

The building is very airtight; the leakage rate roughly equates to a hole the size of a golf ball across the whole building The energy-efficient features include triple-glazed windows, which can be opened if required All rooms have filtered 100% fresh air from ducts in the ceiling, supplied from ventilation units that recover heat from air leaving the building. The air is filtered to a similar standard as an operating theatre, ensuring a safe and clean environment (ISO ePM1 – June 2021).

Point-of-use electric heated domestic hot water – each sink has its own water heater There is a small heating system using air source mechanical pump (Swegon) connected to small radiators Photovoltaic (solar) panels on the roof provide electricity

All the lighting is provided by energyefficient LED lamps No fossil fuels are used in the building In addition, Foleshill Health Centre has an electric car charging point, bike racks and is close to public transport to encourage sustainable travel.

Funding and partnership The £3.3m building is a CHP-delivered, public capital-funded scheme. It has been delivered through partnership between CHP and NHS Coventry and Warwickshire CCG, without the need for debt funding or joint ventures, using the NHS SBS procurement framework. Delivery partners were Portakabin (main contractor), Tooley Foster Architects (Passivhaus specialist), AECOM as infrastructure consultants and Arden Estate Partnerships (development management).

Lee Connolly, Head of Project Design and Engineering at Portakabin, said: “This pilot project is pushing the boundaries of offsite construction within the public sector, as well as the perceptions of what can be achieved with MMC. Foleshill is showcasing the flexibility of MMC and is a bold and brave step toward creating a legacy of buildings that will help the construction industry proactively tackle climate change.”

Foleshill has won awards and accolades across the healthcare and construction sectors for its sustainable innovations, value for money and impact on future healthcare building design. 

Project timeline: August 2018 Outline Business Case approval 17 July 2020 Final Business Case approval August 2020 Works contract signed 1 September 2020 Groundwork begins on site at Foleshill September 2020 Module construction begins at the Portakabin facility in York 2 December 2020 Foundations cast 7 December 2020 14 specially-designed modules are finished in only 18 weeks 9/10/11 December 2020 Delivery and installation of modules 11 December 2020 Building watertight in only three days January to May 2021 Construction continues with insulation, lifts and stairs fitted February 2021 Power and water connected March to May 2021 Three air tests for Passivhaus certification May 2021 Solar panels fitted on the roof 4 June 2021 Practical completion 9 August 2021 GP team move in and begin seeing patients October 2021 Passivhaus certification awarded

www.communityhealthpartnerships.co.uk

15

HOUSING

CRISIS MODE Widespread commitment to lowering our construction carbon footprint is the only way to avoid the impending crisis. Hari Phillips, Director of Bell Phillips Architects, explores further. easy to find I tanyis not positives in the appalling pandemic that has consumed us over the past 18 months or so, but if there is one it is the incredible speed with which vaccines have been developed, approved and distributed across the majority of the population. It is a remarkable demonstration of how effectively Government, private businesses and the public sector can galvanise itself and work together in the face of a catastrophic crisis.

One wonders how severe the climate crisis needs to get before we see a similar response. Do we need daily televised updates from a Chris Whitty-like figure talking us through graphs of temperature change, carbon emissions, sea levels and daily climate change-related deaths? The problem with climate change is it is intangible and insidious,

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barely perceptible and distant.

Except that it is starting to feel increasingly immediate.

Extreme weather events are becoming ever-more regular occurrences; the extraordinary recent flooding in Belgium, Germany and China, heat waves in the US and forest fires in the US and Australia to name a few.

While the Government chooses to fiddle around with notions of beauty while the world burns, it is good to see that public sector clients are picking up the baton to push the envelope for operational carbon. There is no doubt that the attention focused on Norwich City Council’s Passivhaus development at Goldsmith Street, which won the Stirling Prize for architect firm Mikhail Riches last year, has demonstrated what can be achieved and raised interest in low-energy design.

For example, we have designed 134 mixed-tenure homes across six sites for Ealing Council designed to meet Passivhaus. Achieving this standard will see the homes exceed Part L by 61%, meeting Ealing’s commitment to delivering net-zero-carbon homes. Meanwhile, we are working on a major estate regeneration with Westminster Council that will deliver a mix of uses, including over 1100 new homes. These will meet the London Energy Transformation Initiative (LETI) definition of net-zero operational carbon.

It is encouraging to see more and more clients seeing these challenging targets as the norm rather than the exception.

However, operational carbon is only part of the story. If we want to keep pushing the boundaries and being ambitious, we need to urgently turn our attention towards embodied carbon. Embodied carbon is defined as the carbon emissions emitted producing a building’s materials, their transport and installation on site as well as their disposal at end of life.

With significant steps being taken to reduce operational

carbon, LETI estimates that embodied carbon can represent 40 to 70% of the whole-life carbon in a new building. Yet Building Regulations makes no mention of it, nor will you find it in planning guidance, with the exception of projects that are referable to the London Mayor. Hence it falls on the construction industry to drive standards for embodied carbon forwards.

So, how do we go about reducing embodied carbon?

One way is to limit new-build construction by refurbishing and extending existing properties, thereby making use of the embodied carbon already inherent within existing structures. Some argue that we should not be demolishing any existing buildings at all. In some cases this is an appropriate strategy, however, it is difficult to see how we can realistically deliver the number of homes required through this approach alone.

However, I would argue that we do need to be challenging each other more robustly about the relative merits of retention/refurbishment/ extension versus demolition and new build.

HOUSING Sequential testing should be undertaken to assess the relative merits of retention vs demolition and the respective whole-life carbon calculation should be part of this analysis.

Planning authorities should be requesting this analysis as a central component of planning applications. Currently, these conversations are notable by their absence.

We also need to reduce the amount of carbon used in new-build construction.

The obvious way to approach the former is to build in timber. However, the kneejerk reaction to timber construction precipitated by the Grenfell disaster has sent the industry into a tailspin.

Even the most modest timber construction is undermined by

a lack of coordination between certification, the regulatory framework and demands of insurers. Our approach to timber construction is dogged by a mentality of fear.

Compare this with the bold approach being adopted on the continent. For example, the new Centro Direzionale subway station in Naples constructed in mass timber

or proposals in France that require publicly-funded buildings to be 50% timber.

To work around the regulatory system in the UK, we need to be inventive.

For a new 14-storey community housing project in Southwark, we are working with structural engineer Morph on a hybrid steel frame with cross-laminated timber (CLT) floors that reduces embodied carbon whilst meeting Building Regulations on non-combustible materials.

The structure results in a lighter building reducing the amount of concrete required in foundations.

It’s been an exhausting 18 months, but perhaps there is light at the end of the tunnel. COVID shows us what we can achieve under extreme circumstances. There are positive signs that we’re making headway with the issue of operational carbon, but it’s not the time to pat ourselves on the back. We need to push embodied carbon up the agenda. Let’s not wait until Chris Whitty is giving daily briefings on climate change. 

www.bellphillips.com

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FLOORS, WALLS & CEILINGS

BRINGING BESPOKE CREATIVITY TO LIFE Every building project presents different requirements in terms of construction, sustainability and design. Architects and designers are always looking at more inspirational approaches to the interiors and exteriors of a space. Here, Anthony Millington, Creative Director at Amron Architectural, explains more. for creating T hemoredemand inviting spaces and the inclusion of a variety of different applications can completely transform the character of a room. Amongst these approaches, we are seeing an increase in the use of metal profiled sheet.

By using innovative technology and flexible processes, profiled sheet consists of a variety of different profiles such as sinusoidal, trapezoidal and zigzag. And equally, a wide range of materials including stainless steel, aluminum, brass and copper – all suitable for bringing bespoke creativity to life for applications including external and internal cladding, ceilings, roofs, staircases and balustrades.

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Let your ideas run free With endless design possibilities, using profiled sheet allows you to bring your vision to life. Everyone has different tastes, which is why profiled sheet offers the opportunity to stand out from the crowd. As well as an extensive range of materials, there is also an extensive range of RAL colour options.

Colour is one of the main attractions when it comes to the finishing of a product. If used correctly, it can affect the physical and emotional wellbeing of the occupants, so it is vital that colour is selected carefully to create the right mood for the space intended.

Tucked away in the gardens of a Grade II Listed churchyard, Hackney Gardens

FLOORS, WALLS & CEILINGS is home to 58 stunning apartments.

The £21m development provides a mixture of residential spaces including one- and two-bedroom apartments and family houses with private gardens. New provisions also include a community hub and a scouts facility.

The architects at DLA Architecture worked alongside Thornsett Group, The London Diocesan Fund and the Parochial Church Council of St John Hackney on this project. Specified for the exterior of these apartments was our wellTEC SZ-25/50 mirrored profiled sheet with a variable grid.

TECU brass material was used for this to give a polished and sleek finish.

The interplay between the plain, calm and uniform course of the masonry with the lively, vertical course of the profiled sheet gives a very interesting effect with the different grids and mirrored geo.

Design challenges With 60 basic shapes that can be combined as required, profiled sheet can meet any challenge. Sheets can be produced in lengths or widths of up to 5500mm and in thicknesses from 0.5 to 5mm. They are available with concealed fixtures and can be produced to meet the specific conditions of the project in question or supplied as complete components.

The Fulmar building on the Greenwich Peninsula has a distinctive form generated by the irregular plot shape, which follows the sweep of one of the primary streets nearby. The building consists of 139 residential units and over 200m 2 of commercial space, plus private amenity space and public realm, car and cycle parking. Profiled sheet was specified because of the ability to create a unique facade design and was kept consistent through a shared palette of materials, allowing it to look elegant yet modern.

Feeling inspired?

Ideal for challenging projects, due to its decorative virtues and functionality, profiled sheet can be produced in almost any metal and every finish imaginable to allow architects and designers the freedom they need to create.

Design inspiration can come from everywhere and anywhere, so a clearlydefined image of what you are looking to achieve is a good place to start before adopting the look. Metal does not just need to be used in its raw form; the ideas are endless.

If you want to bring your bespoke creativity to life in the design of your facades, roofs and walls without having to renounce high-dimensional accuracy and product quality, then profiled sheets are the design solution for you. 

www.amronarchitectural.co.uk

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DOORS, WINDOWS & BALUSTRADES

the vaccine roll W hile out and lower infection rates are helping life to return to something resembling pre-pandemic normal, public health experts are clear that we are a long way from out of the woods yet. The return to the classroom for students in March came with guidance for schools to keep windows open for ventilation and, as other public sector buildings – such as libraries, and local authority offices – have reopened to personnel and service users, the advice to allow fresh air in to disperse potential virus particles applies here too.

In many environments, where accommodation is limited to the ground floor, aside from an unseasonably chilly spring, keeping windows open is not an especially onerous requirement. For taller buildings, however, where there is a potential risk of falling – or climbing – through a window, the health risks of an unventilated space need to be balanced against the safety risks of open windows, unless the window opening is restricted: which is exactly what window restrictors are designed to do.

Why is a window restrictor the right solution?

OPENING WINDOWS FOR VENTILATION WHILE CLOSING THE LOOP ON SAFETY Danny Openshaw from UAP, the specialist in safety and security hardware for windows and doors, discusses the importance of enabling windows to open safely as we continue to address the challenges of COVID-19.

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Suitable for both retrofitting to existing windows or for installation as part of a newbuild project, window restrictors are a small and inexpensive device designed to allow windows to open far enough to provide ventilation, but not enough for a person to pass through the aperture. Widely used in settings designed to accommodate vulnerable groups, such as nurseries, hospitals and care homes, they provide the ideal safety measure when windows need to be opened to a safe, controlled degree for ventilation, which makes them more useful than ever as part of pandemic safety practice. Window restrictors are also an ideal safety solution for social housing developments, enabling ventilation for any accommodation at first floor or above.

Despite the fact that RoSPA figures indicate around 4000 children under the age of 15 fall from windows every year in the UK, there is no

DOORS, WINDOWS & BALUSTRADES legal requirement to fit window restrictors. Building Regulations Approved Document B1 refers to the fitting of window locks for safety reasons, but even this guidance only applies to new buildings or those undergoing building work and material changes of use.

The HSE, however, does provide some useful guidance, stating that window openings should be restricted to 100mm or less. This guidance also advises that window restrictors that can only be removed with the aid of a special tool or key should be selected.

RoSPA also advises that window restrictors should be fitted to all windows at, or above, first-floor level, factoring means of escape into their advice, along with risk of falling. This is particularly important in education settings, where window restrictors should be tamperproof while enabling an authorised adult to remove them quickly and easily if required.

How to choose the right window restrictor The right choice of window restrictor depends on the building use and the type of occupier and it is advisable to select the most flexible

solution to meet the property’s needs.

For schools and nurseries, a lockable window restrictor is the most appropriate choice because this provides a robust defence against children falling from windows while allowing ventilation and enabling adults to open the window fully if escape is required. It is important to select a window restrictor that is EN 13126-5:2011 + A1:2014 compliant, which means that the total opening of the whole length of the window opening must be less than 89mm when in use for child safety, and 100mm for other environments. To meet this standard, multiple restrictors may need to be fitted, depending on the size of the window.

The window restrictor should be very strong – UAP’s lockable window restrictors have been machine tested to withstand pressures of 250kg, for example – but authorised opening should be as simple as possible with a universal key for all windows. In this way, any window restrictor in the building can be released quickly in an emergency and lost keys can be replaced.

An alternative to lockable window restrictors are push-tolock models, which lock securely but can be opened without a key. These work in the same way as child-safe medicine bottles to enable convenience for adults while keeping children safe. The advantage is that no key needs to be found to fully open the window in the event of an emergency.

Finally, a fixed window restrictor can be an ideal choice for environments where there will never be a need to use windows as a means of escape. Often specified for hotels, these are a completely tamperproof option which cannot be opened once fitted and can be used in offices and other tall buildings.

Life savers Window restrictors are already common in many public sector buildings but the need to ventilate shared spaces has reiterated what a useful addition they can be for both new and existing buildings. Easy to retrofit and cost-effective, they are a simple addition to windows that could save lives. 

www.uapcorporate.com

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LEGAL & BUSINESS

MATERIALS SHORTAGES CAUSING ‘ADVERSARIAL ATMOSPHERE’ COULD REWRITE RULE BOOK Materials shortages across the construction industry are leading to contractors and developers becoming “increasingly entrenched in their views and adversarial”, lawyers at Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD) have warned. shortage of key T hematerials – especially steel – is proving so damaging that WBD says it could change the way contracts are negotiated in the UK. It was recently revealed that construction disputes have more than doubled in value in the space of just one year, with three quarters of those surveyed saying that their projects had been affected by the pandemic.

Jessica Tresham, Construction Partner at Womble Bond Dickinson, said a return to the ‘dark days of the 1980s’ could be on the cards if materials shortages aren’t resolved soon.

“Contractors and developers alike are being left in completely untenable positions because the cost of developments is varying so greatly. Steel alone is subject to price fluctuations of up to 30% – and the cost of steel is a major proportion of many modern projects,” she adds.

“Delivering a project for the agreed cost is becoming

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difficult – and in some cases, where materials can’t be sourced, completely impossible. We’ve come a long way since the ‘80s, when it felt as if everyone was sparring all the time, but this feels like the closest we’ve ever come to returning to that kind of environment.

“We talk about collaboration and flexibility when it comes to contractual negotiations, but we are seeing businesses being forced to dig their heels in, becoming increasingly entrenched and adversarial, because their very existence is being threatened by the complete unpredictability of these market forces.

“At the start of this year, we were warning people to prepare for the unexpected, and here we are. I doubt anybody could have predicted the scale of materials shortages we are now faced with,” comments Jessica.

Jessica said the shortage was undermining what should be a boom time for the construction sector in the UK.

“It’s especially bittersweet right now, because Government strategy is centred around building our way to an economic recovery. There is real, pent-up ambition to invest in major developments, in housing, in eye-catching capital projects, but that determination is being undermined by the supply crisis,” she comments.

“You can’t rebuild Britain on good intentions alone: the sector needs materials and needs them urgently.”

According to Jessica, a US-style model, in which contracts are agreed with built-in cost flexibility, could be a viable option.

“In the US, projects will be tendered for, and contracts signed, prior to costs being decided based on factors such as market forces. Perhaps this is the way we will need to go in the UK if the market is to get moving again,” she says.

Jessica has also warned that cooperation and flexibility from all parties remains the best way to progress smoothly.

Jessica Tresham is an experienced and technically-astute Construction Partner based in the Southampton and London offices of WBD. She is known in London and the South for her expertise in high-value and technicallychallenging construction and engineering-related contentious matters.

“In January, we were recommending that businesses don’t panic, that they attempt to diversify their supply chains, review their subcontractor pool and undertake a thorough assessment of forthcoming work, to include cashflow, project timeframes, quality, profit margins and contracts.

“All that advice still stands, for now. Risk management will be a major topic of conversation for the foreseeable future.

“Gather as much data as you can to create a dashboard of UK suppliers and imported materials. Continuously watch out for potential disruption.

“Think about vulnerabilities in your supply chain and how they could impact you financially and legally – consider cashflow, loan repayments, terms and contracts. How would you overcome or mitigate this?”

Jessica concludes: “Work with suppliers to agree fair payment terms to ensure sustainability of UK supply chain and to future-proof needs.” 

womblebonddickinson.com/uk

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23

EDUCATION

WHY FIRE SAFETY SHOULD BE A PRIMARY CONCERN FOR SCHOOLS To protect pupils, staff and visitors, schools must adhere to stringent fire safety regulations.

And with fire safety design standards under the spotlight, Karen Trigg of Allegion UK recalls the necessity of ongoing assessments and maintenance periods within school buildings.

UK Fire Service is T hecalled out to extinguish fires in approximately 1500 UK schools per year. Each year, these incidents – regardless of magnitude – disrupt the education of around 90,000 students, cause economic strain through physical building damage and, most significant of all, compromise safety.

In line with this, the Government recently opened consultation on proposed revisions to its non-statutory fire safety guidance in schools. The Building Bulletin 100 (BB100), as it’s known, was first introduced in 2007 and gives thought to school building design, crucially advising on how to minimise the spread of fire and make the structure adequately resistant to fire.

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Yet, the BB100 requires updating and simplifying. Many have raised concerns towards the guidance, specifically for “falling short” on active fire protection methods, such as sprinklers – which in newly-built school facilities have seen a reduction in installation from 70% in 2007 to around 15% today. With this renewed focus on legislation and schools back at full capacity, passive fire protection methods, such as fire doors and their hardware, must also be considered as part of a complete, fire safety package.

Legislation and liability As the Department of Education seeks views on the revised BB100, decision makers must be proactive in improving the fire safety standards within their own school buildings.

Fires are unpredictable, beginning in and out of school hours and across various areas of the premises too, from food tech rooms to chemistry labs where combustible materials are held. Arson is also a common offence, accounting for up to 70% of incidents in school environments for some local authority fire brigades.

In the event of a fire, should a school be considered unsafe or in breach of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, it is in danger of receiving heavy penalties and fines. Not to mention the risk of a damaged reputation. To remain compliant, decision makers must approach fire safety as a continuous process, routinely managing all areas of fire safety within their facilities to be prepared for all contingencies.

This is demonstrated in the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, where it’s stated all workplaces must designate a responsible person (RP) to ensure their building is prepared in the event of a fire. Often within education environments, this responsibility can be shared.

In local authority schools, for example, accountability can be

EDUCATION shared between the headteacher and the authority, and in private or independent schools, the responsibility often lies with the building owner. As part of their obligations, the RP must manage the ongoing compliance with fire safety legislation, while ensuring fire systems and procedures, including fire drills, are uncompromised. Additionally, the RP must possess a robust knowledge of fire safety to manage and perform regular fire safety risk assessments.

Ongoing protection A fire safety risk assessment is designed to help identify the fire hazards within an educational premises. As part of the risk assessment, the RP must inspect everything from firefighting equipment and fire doors to staff training and pupil understanding towards the school’s procedures in the event of a fire. As highlighted by the Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, a fire risk assessment consists of five steps: Identify the people at risk Identify all potential fire hazards Evaluate the risk Record the findings Review and revise.

Under the evaluation of risk stage, various areas of a school’s fire protection systems are assessed, including fire detection methods and emergency escape routes. Escape routes, for example, are fundamental in the event of a fire and rely upon passive fire protection methods, such as fire doorsets, that will require ongoing assessment and maintenance.

Under The Fire Safety Order 2005, fire doorsets in the education sector are a legislative requirement and form a critical role in providing a safer educational environment. Emergency exits conclude escape routes and should be assembled with ‘fire-rated’ doors, which can be rated to FD30 or FD60, and will delay the spread of smoke and fire by 30 and 60 minutes respectively. As part of the risk assessment process, the correct location of all fire doors – whether FD30 or FD60 – is determined based on the risk of the area (FD60s are more likely to be installed in kitchen areas, for example).

All fire doors should also be signed appropriately, with a British Standard sign attached to the face of the door on both

sides for FDKS and AFDKC (1.5m from the floor). Above all else, they must operate as intended. In the circumstance of a fire, it’s vital that fire doors close fully independently, and their hardware – including hinges, handles, door closers, locks and signage – is correctly installed and maintained.

Upon inspection of a fire door, the RP must review the certification, gaps, seals, hinges and the closing elements to ensure all is functioning appropriately. Passive fire protection is described as the backbone of fire safety, and so, in the event a fire door is

identified as defective, it’s imperative that maintenance is carried out swiftly and professionally to retain the integrity of the escape route and compartmentation.

Fire doors and their hardware are just one element of a successful fire safety strategy, and thus one stage of a fire risk assessment.

Yet, these simple, routine checks can help save lives and livelihoods. It’s true, fire safety is a significant responsibility, and it’s one that should never be overlooked. 

www.allegion.com

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TALKING POINT

WIRELESS WATCH: SUPPORTING PUBLIC SECTOR BUILDINGS WITH TEMPORARY FIRE SAFETY ALTERNATIVES In the aftermath of the fatal Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, interim safety arrangements, such as waking watches, came into place for the hundreds of buildings in the UK laden with the same dangerous cladding. Nearly four years on, residents in these properties are still relying on temporary measures in case a fire breaks out. Adam Jurka, National Sales Manager at wireless solutions firm Ramtech, explains how temporary wireless measures are supporting fire safety. soon as the role that A scladding had played in the tragedy at Grenfell Tower became apparent, it was clear something needed to be done about the numerous other buildings across the UK that now posed an evident, imminent fire risk.

Official figures illustrate the scale of the problem – there are about 300 tower blocks over 18m in height with ‘Grenfellstyle’ cladding in England alone, all waiting to be made safe.

But this is only the tip of the iceberg as it doesn’t include the Government’s estimated 1700 buildings over 18m that have other systems known to be dangerous – such as timber, high-pressure laminate and

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polystyrene cladding and insulation systems.

This has meant that the initial interim fire safety arrangements for the temporary, short-term management and mitigation from the risk of fire – intended to be in place only until replacement of the cladding could be carried out – have become the de facto fire regulations for thousands of residents living in the affected buildings.

A waking nightmare Short-term measures, such as waking watches, are costing local authorities in the public sector huge sums. Camden Council, for example, spent

more than £10.2m on waking watches across nine blocks from June 2017 to December 2019. At its most basic, waking watches or fire warden patrols involve a person or team patrolling buildings, then alerting residents to evacuate should they become aware of a fire.

Once the new Building Safety Bill proceeds through parliament, this will create a clear, proportionate framework for the design, construction and management of safer, high-quality homes in the years to come. The onus right now, however, is to better support buildings with dangerous cladding while the funding is secured and the removal is facilitated.

Adam Jurka is the UK Sales Manager at Ramtech where he is responsible for leading the national sales arm of the business and developing new project opportunities

Wireless watch Beyond waking watches, the most commonly-used method of alert is a fire alarm system operating throughout the building.

The debate around fire alarms has taken even greater weight since the latest updates to the National Fire Chiefs Council guidance on simultaneous evacuation, which emphasises the need to consider the installation of common fire alarms where the current, temporary measures are now, or are likely to be, in place for the longer term.

The installation of traditional, wired fire alarm systems have long been a challenge for the supply

TALKING POINT chain, but as technology has further advanced, wireless fire alarm systems have become increasingly reliable, adaptable and cost effective.

As this has happened, wireless systems have gradually overcome their initial limitations – such as poor battery life and connectivity issues – to become the most appropriate way of guarding a building in case of fire, with their benefits far outweighing those provided by wired systems.

Alongside being more highly tuned to smoke and heat changes than traditional systems, the ease of installation and the lack of adverse effect on the other fire safety provisions in the

building mean that wireless sensors are incredibly reliable in a crisis situation and introduce vital automation to an outdated approach.

The system in the building is, however, just one piece of the puzzle. The growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) has meant that connected devices can be brought together on one virtual platform, allowing systems such as wireless fire alarms to be managed simply and effectively.

This can be especially effective when building managers, such as those working for multiple housing and building blocks in local authorities, need to collate all relevant information in

one place and ensure that the lines of communication are swift, clear and effective.

Public sector building owners can install dust-resistant smoke and heat detectors that automatically identify fire risks, which then connect to an automated platform that can instantly raise the alarm to site managers, enabling them to take action, making the blaze more manageable and, in turn, helping to avoid serious damage and preventing potential loss of life.

In any emergency, these systems can make all relevant personnel aware of the situation as soon as possible, as well as using cloud-based data and simple-to-use mobile

to issue real-time alerts to those who may be at risk and the people who can act on the hazards as they occur.

A lesson learned?

The Grenfell Tower tragedy cast a harsh light on the fire safety industry, and the repercussions will be felt for many years to come. As the sector navigates its way through this trying time and the long-term solutions are found, public sector buildings managers must continue to prioritise safety, with wireless fire system solutions being one of the valuable temporary measures to explore. 

www.ramtechglobal.com

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KITCHENS, BEDROOMS & BATHROOMS

IN HOT WATER The convenience of having steaming hot water available literally at the turn of a tap cannot be denied, but how can such technology be included in social housing while conforming to the necessary regulations? Leanne Adamson, Marketing Manager at Abode, takes a look. water taps are taking H otkitchen design by storm.

With a wealth of practical and visual advantages to be had from this latest technology, what started out as something really only available at the top end of the market is now widely available at lower price points too. Consumers are able to enjoy the benefits that hot water taps bring and, once installed, most people wonder how they ever got along without it at all.

The benefits Being able to turn on a tap to access near-to boiling hot water means no more having to wait around for a kettle to boil, so the benefits in terms of convenience are high. And as we use our kitchens more and prepare healthy meals from scratch, it helps when

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preparing food too. There is no doubt that a hot water tap helps to save time, but it goes further than that in terms of ensuring the kitchen is accessible, something that is likely to be important when designing kitchens for social housing. With no need for lifting heavy kettles full of boiling water, this is good news for elderly residents, those with dexterity issues and households with young families too.

The style aspects of hot water taps can’t be ignored either. While the taps themselves are available in a choice of looks and finishes to suit any decor, they eradicate the need for a kettle altogether, freeing up worktop space.

The drawbacks This is all good news until you consider the building guidelines. This is because hot

water taps that deliver water at 100°C are not compliant, with developers even having to remove them and replace with standard taps later on in their projects.

The solution Fortunately though, that doesn’t mean that the advantages of hot water taps can’t be enjoyed by social housing residents.

While specifiers need to be mindful of the drawbacks, by opting for models that are WRAS-approved, compliance with all the relevant regulations can be achieved.

That’s because WRASapproved hot water taps, such as Abode Pronteau, combine style, function and safety for the best of all worlds, by delivering the steaming hot water at a maximum of 98°C. Pressurised systems can cause spluttering and inconsistency with water flow too which, when you are dealing with boiling temperatures, is not ideal.

Boilers that store the water at slightly below boiling point, such as the ProBoil 2X, ensure a predictable and regulated stream.

Delivering water at just below its boiling point is actually more beneficial all round, as studies have proven that near-to boiling rather than boiling water is best for making the perfect cup of tea or coffee. And, aside from this actually being the ideal temperature for hot drinks, it also means specifiers can comply with Part G(3) of the Building Regulations, giving consumers what they want, safely.

The Pronteau ProPure 4IN1 hot water tap from Abode delivers filtered piping hot water and filtered cold water, all from the same tap. Putting safety first, a dual-stage handle delivers filtered water at 98°C for the perfect hot drink, as well as great tasting, crystalclear filtered cold water and everyday hot and cold water.

The Pronteau Prothia Swan 3IN1 tap from Abode is the slimmest, most cost-effective steaming hot water tap yet, delivering water at 98°C, along with standard hot and cold water. The compact PB2X boiler supplied with the tap fits neatly under the sink to maximise on storage. 

www.abodedesigns.co.uk

Creating safe spaces to live, work & learn

Call 01588 674 340 www.toughfurniture.com | sales@toughfurniture.com Tough Furniture Ltd

Designed & Manufacture in the UK

TECHNICAL FOCUS

WHAT WILL CHANGES TO PART L MEAN FOR PUBLIC SECTOR CONSTRUCTION? Proof of compliance is set to be one of the major changes to Approved Document L in England next year, putting pressure on contractors to close the performance gap. But what does this mean for public sector developments, and will this change be the silver bullet? Paul Barrett, Head of Product Management at ROCKWOOL, explores what the alterations to Part L mean for the specification and installation of insulation and whether the amendments need to go further. of changes to A series Approved Document L (ADL) in England are due to come into force during 2022, acting as a stepping stone to the Future Homes Standard and as part of the journey to achieving net-zero carbon by 2050.

Following the publication of the consultation version of the guidance, some headline changes are known within the construction industry and, if moved into law, will have a significant impact on how we design and construct buildings for the public sector.

Born out of a need to close the gap between specified and as-built performance, one of these amendments will be greater scrutiny of build quality. In England, this will manifest itself as the introduction of Building Regulations Part L (BREL) and Buildings Regulations UK Part L (BRUKL) reports for dwellings and non-dwellings respectively.

While dwellings will require photographic evidence of compliance under the BREL report, the new guidance

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surrounding non-dwellings takes a different form which public sector construction stakeholders will need to be aware of.

Two BRUKL reports will be created during a building’s development, a pre-construction report which indicates planned performance and a postconstruction report which shows as-built performance.

The reports are generated and analysed by a specific software package which highlights inconsistencies between specified targets and built results, and produces a schedule of changes. The results must be countersigned by an energy assessor.

While stricter planned versus as-built performance checks are a good start, performance gaps may still occur, thus we need a more stringent methodology to determine asbuilt performance throughout a building and, in particular, properly installed insulation to ensure the required performance is achieved. To fully realise net-zero carbon by

2050, specifiers and contractors will need to do more to ensure buildings perform well into the future and key to that is the effective specification, installation and monitoring of a robust insulation solution that provides continuity of performance.

Thermal performance in the public sector It goes without saying that thermal performance is essential in public sector buildings. In schools, for example, students need to feel comfortable in order to concentrate, whether they are in small classrooms or large theatres. Likewise, teaching and support staff need optimum conditions to deliver the best education possible.

In hospitals, thermal comfort and consistency is arguably even more important as buildings must support and promote recovery for patients. For example, a 2008 paper explored the effects of temperature and thermal comfort on recovery for

patients shortly before and after an operation, which concluded that imperfect conditions could result in a longer recovery period for patients and an increased risk of infections.

While we recognise the necessity of these changes to ADL, it is also important to highlight that this may place a greater burden on contractors that must then be factored into project timescales.

However, corners cannot be cut when it comes to meeting the performance requirements of the public sector, and the forthcoming updates to ADL should help to improve the build quality.

Continuity for compliance To deliver designed performance, reduce heat loss and improve energy efficiency, continuity of insulation is critical. The first step in achieving this designed performance is to be certain that insulation is fitted contiguously and without gaps.

TECHNICAL FOCUS Stone-wool insulation makes this process easier as it is highly pliable so can be closely friction-fitted to frames, without the need for impractical levels of precision cutting. This simplicity minimises the margin for error, supporting reliable and effective thermal performance that reduces thermal bridging.

This process also applies to abutments between insulation boards, another area that can be prone to thermal leakage. The composition of stone-wool insulation allows individual slabs to knit together to create a seamless fit and the workable nature of stone-wool insulation supports the delivery of designed U-values. When using a range of stone-wool insulation solutions, a continuous fit can be achieved across the whole building envelope while also meeting wider acoustic and fire safety requirements.

Building to last While photographic evidence of installation might help with this process in part, what can’t be accounted for is how insulation will age over the life of a building.

The proposed changes to Part L encourage a greater focus on designed versus as-built performance in the immediate term, but if buildings are to maintain longterm energy efficiency, then designers should consider the ongoing performance of building materials too and especially with insulation.

To achieve this, dimensional stability is key. Buildings can naturally expand and contract over time which can lead to the formation of gaps and voids. Stone wool maintains its shape and properties over time across a wide range of temperatures, and has the resilience to accommodate building movement when fitted under compression. It has a proven ability to provide consistent performance – shown by tests even after 55 years in use – without a drop in its thermal properties.

While ADL 2022 is a step in the right direction, it does not go far enough in ensuring that buildings perform to design standard. Instead, specifiers and contractors should be raising the stakes, selecting durable insulation solutions that make robust installation easier and maintain performance longer term. By doing this, we can provide better performing buildings for future generations and minimise our environmental impact. 

www.rockwool.com

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TIMBER

THE VALUE OF TIMBER IN CREATING FUN AND FLEXIBLE COMMUNITY PLAY FACILITIES The stick – one of the most successful play features for decades, not thought about but always played with and the beginning of most children’s journey with timber. Across the globe, kids play with sticks and twigs regularly using them to throw, draw, snap and much more. being young F rom children through their development stages, timber is a material they are always in connection with. The big question for many is how can we maintain this connection with the natural material in community play facilities?

We all have fond memories of climbing trees as a child, scaling the heights of the branches to get as high as possible, feeling the wind high up and the different textures of the timber as we ascended above. The same feelings can be replicated in more formal play settings, such as playgrounds, when using timber as the main material.

Children are fascinated by the qualities that timber holds as they understand its

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link to nature and even, to some sense, the construction process of how the equipment has gone from being a tree to their favourite play pieces.

When we think of play, we often get carried away thinking of large playgrounds that were located near where we lived as children. We often forget that, actually, play can be simple and not necessarily in a prescribed setting. Using timber in play spaces can also be more informal, in a sense of providing playful pathways and routes around community areas for children to create their own play experiences.

This can be achieved in various ways such as using subtle elements like logs to promote children using their imagination, allowing them

to become the main character in their own story as they create a playful journey. It is hard to replicate these experiences using materials such as steel or plastic as they are unnatural in their environment and, therefore, become a prescriptive formal play experience in comparison to the unidentifiable placed elements of timber.

Julian Richter Senior, the Founder of renowned German play manufacturer Richter Spielgeräte, commented on the importance of children having informal play opportunities.

He said: “The aspect of selfdetermination is incredibly important for a child’s development. After all, a child’s life is play. In all situations, they need to feel they are masters

of their own little universe. This is the most precious gift we can give them.”

What is important when creating play facilities is recognising that the design must become more than just a place for children to play. To create flexible community play facilities, we must also provide opportunities for parents and carers as the dwell time of an adult supervising a child directly impacts how much time a child gets to play. The use of timber seating areas, quiet areas and informal seating, such as fallen logs and stepping logs, can help create an atmosphere for adults to enjoy whilst children play within a community space where they want to spend their downtime.

Across the world, timber is used as a material in construction. In particular, it is used for heavy-duty frames such as for buildings and bridges. It offers incredible durability which is why it is perfect for the construction of play equipment, it can withstand large amounts of users at one time making it ideal out in the community.

Alongside durability, timber play equipment also offers incredible longevity and, with the correct maintenance,

TIMBER can last decades. Not only does this make for a great investment, but it also creates a special connection as parents often have the chance to experience their children enjoying their favourite play elements from when they were a child.

Sustainability is at the forefront of the world right now and timber is also one way in which we can create flexible and sustainable community facilities. As a natural material, it can be sustainably forested, meaning that it is only felled for requirement and is re-planted to protect our forests for the future. There are also various timbers, such as Robinia or Mountain Larch, that do not require any chemical treatment and can be used naturally as play equipment. This reduces its carbon footprint but also reduces children’s contact with unnecessary chemicals. Unlike other materials, such as plastic and metal, at the end of its lifespan, timber can often be reused or can be left to rejoin the natural carbon cycle of the world.

Children don’t really want their wood to be as smooth as possible like furniture.

Instead, they want diversity

and variety. The quality of wood is naturally influenced by its surface, the structure and knotholes. This makes it the perfect material to build play equipment.

There are no two timbers that are the same, they are

all unique in their own way and children can explore the knotholes or discover small cracks. These natural abnormalities become a feature of their own in the natural wood and with these irregularities, children and

their imagination can naturally rediscover something in almost any kind of form and with a little bit of imagination, they can find faces, animals… the possibilities are endless. 

www.timberplay.com

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DOORS, WINDOWS & BALUSTRADES

CLEMENT WINDOWS GROUP MANUFACTURES OVER 200 NEW STEEL WINDOWS FOR LISTED TOWN HALL Clement Windows Group has manufactured more than 200 new steel windows for Grade II Listed Waltham Forest Town Hall.

Designed by Philip Dalton Hepworth and constructed between 1938 and 1942, Waltham Forest Town Hall is one of the best known examples of the stripped classical style of architecture in the UK. Influenced by the Modernist movement of the Bauhaus School and defined by bold massings, severe angles and a stylised reduction of classical elements, this look was frequently chosen by Governments for municipal buildings.

Clement W20 steel windows were chosen to replace all of the original steel windows at this historic building, which is the headquarters of the London Borough of Waltham Forest Town Council, as part of an extensive programme of renovation works approved in 2019.

The new steel windows are painted RAL 9010 (Pure White) and include both tophung and side-hung opening casements with complementary fittings in a dark bronze finish.

The refurbishment of the town hall is the first step in a masterplan for the future of the area, creating a welcoming heart for the community as well as a collaborative workspace for council staff.

The town hall’s Senior Project Manager, John Cattermole, commented on the project: “The team at Clement provided a great service in supplying new windows as part of the town hall refurbishment. Very specific aesthetic and energy performance criteria needed to be met when it came to the window replacement. The W20 windows supplied by Clement were able to meet all of these requirements.

“Despite the project being on site at the height of the pandemic, the windows were delivered to programme, which enabled seamless installation. Now the building has been brought back into use, really positive feedback has been received from both staff and visitors.”

clementwindows.co.uk 01428 643393 info@clementwg.co.uk

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DOORS, WINDOWS & BALUSTRADES

LEADING THE WAY FOR A BETTER PLANET As one of Scotland’s strongest fenestration companies, Sidey takes its green responsibilities seriously. In fact, the company was one of the first window and door manufacturers in Britain to gain ISO EMS 14001 accreditation and one of the first to achieve the latest EMS 14001-2015 certification, the highest environmental standard available in the UK. In 2008, Sidey set two big targets. The first was to send zero waste to landfill, and the second was to attain 100% recycling from manufacturing waste – with a goal of 10 years to achieve this. Sidey hit both targets in 2015 and has maintained them ever since.

www.sidey.co.uk

01738 505 880

info@sidey.co.uk

PAS2030 ACCREDITATION FOR THE WINDOW COMPANY (CONTRACTS) Specialist commercial installer The Window Company (Contracts) has achieved PAS2030 accreditation, which is a requirement for installing windows and doors funded by any of the Government’s energy-efficiency schemes targeting retrofit projects. With only around 5% of UK window and door installers estimated to hold PAS2030, the company has joined a fairly exclusive club.

David Thornton, Chairman at The Window Company (Contracts), said: “Many of the social housing landlords we work alongside are actively now accessing the eco-funding streams, so PAS2030 will potentially give us a significant advantage in securing new work and strengthening our position as one of the best partners in the replacement and retrofit markets.”

www.thewinco.co.uk

01245 268120

Various aluminium fenestration solutions from Senior Architectural Systems have flocked together to create The Nest, a new community sports facility in Norwich.

The new state-of-the-art sports centre features Senior’s slimline SF52 aluminium curtain wall system alongside SPW600 aluminium windows and both SPW501 and SD automatic sliding commercial doors. The fenestration package has been fabricated and installed by Senior’s supply chain partner, The Page Group. A key part of the building’s overall design is the strategic use of daylighting. This has been achieved through the use of Senior’s SF52 aluminium curtain wall to both main elevations, with the slim sightlines offered by the system helping to create an open and inviting entrance.

www.seniorarchitectural.co.uk 01709 772600 info@sasmail.co.uk

thornton@thewinco.co.uk

BRETT MARTIN ENHANCES BUILDING SECURITY WITH MARDOME TRADE Demonstrating the company’s commitment to ongoing testing for safety and security and providing homeowners with extra security and peace of mind, Brett Martin’s Mardome Trade rooflights have achieved Secured by Design accreditation. Proven to reduce burglary and crime rates by up to 87% on new-build developments, Secured

by Design (SBD) is part of Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (PCPI), a police-owned organisation that works on behalf of the Police Service to deliver a wide range of crime prevention and demand reduction initiatives across the UK. The design of the Mardome Trade rooflight is such that individual fixings are concealed inside security caps.

Removal of these caps to gain access to the fixings is extremely difficult. In addition, polycarbonate rooflights have good resistance to impact, making breakage very difficult. Commenting on the SBD accreditation, Tony Isaac, Head of Sales at Brett Martin Daylight Systems, says: “Rooflight security is an important consideration, especially for residential applications, so we’re delighted to be able to offer Secured by Design-approved products within our extensive Mardome modular rooflight range.”

www.brettmartin.com

SENIOR HELPS BUILD THE NEST

024 7660 2022 daylight@brettmartin.com

TORMAX CRACKS CYBER CRIME ACCESS Recently completed, the £9m Cyber Quarter – Midlands Centre for Cyber Security, located in Skylon Park, Hereford Enterprise Zone – was designed by Associated Architects and built

by Speller Metcalfe. TORMAX was contracted to the project

by Aluminium Sashes to deliver a contemporary four-wing automatic revolving door to the main entrance. Reliability and whisper-quiet operation is assured thanks to the world-class TORMAX 5201 door drive, which combines a powerful, high-torque motor with impeccable design credentials to minimise maintenance requirements and ensure a long working life. With a build-in height of just 140mm, the slim 5201 allows for a shallow canopy compartment allowing a truly minimalist entrance solution to be created. “An automatic revolving door allows for a smooth, free-flow of pedestrians whilst also contributing to a low carbon footprint by isolating the interior atmosphere of the building from the external elements, creating a draught-free solution,” comments Simon Roberts, Managing Director for TORMAX.

www.tormax.co.uk

01932 238040 sales@tormax.co.uk

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ROOFING, CLADDING FOCUS & INNOVATION RCI & INSULATION

DRAMATIC NORDIC COPPER A striking rooftop extension, clad in Nordic Copper from Aurubis, announces the new teaching and learning centre for Birkbeck, University of London, housed in a prominent, refurbished corner building. Architectural practice Penoyre & Prasad, a studio of Perkins&Will, discusses its design.

©Timothy Soar Penoyre & Prasad’s project revitalises the existing 1920s block by rediscovering and enhancing the original design elements whilst embracing its historical spirit. The building sits in a sensitive heritage context, diagonally opposite Sir John Soane’s Grade I Listed Holy Trinity Church, and within walking distance of Euston Road’s significant landmark buildings.

The design addresses the contrasting large scale of Euston Road and small scale of Warren Street with its surrounding residential neighbourhood. Using a form that mediates these two contexts, the refurbishment enhances the existing building.

Two distinct elements – the refurbished existing building and the new copper-clad lecture theatre – appear together as a sculptural object on a busy urban corner.

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©Graeme Bell, Aurubis

Dramatic and playful form The new lecture theatre appears as a dramatic form, its playfulness enhanced by different installation styles of copper cladding, protruding from the top of the existing building. The Nordic Standard copper is subtly different in colour – which will continue to develop naturally over time – and materiality from the existing building below, expressing the extension as a clearly distinct object and a landmark.

The bold, new copper form embraces the existing building, while its cantilevered facade extends outwards in a welcoming gesture towards the community. As night falls, the building illuminates, showcasing the activity within and expressing the significance of Birkbeck as the UK’s only evening university.

FOCUS & INNOVATION RCI ©Timothy Soar ©Timothy Soar

©Timothy Soar The building’s prominence showcases the Birkbeck brand to a broader audience and contributes to its reputation as a worldclass teaching institution.

a state-of-the-art, 180-person lecture theatre and a 25-person classroom inform the sculpted rooftop extension.

Rejuvenated existing building

As well as Nordic Standard ‘mill finish’ copper, the extensive Nordic Copper range also includes Nordic Brown with the same oxidised brown surface that otherwise develops over time in the environment. The thickness of the oxide layer determines the colour of the surface finish, with darker or lighter (Nordic Brown Light) shades of brown.

Nordic Blue, Nordic Green and Nordic Turquoise pre-patinated surfaces have been developed with properties and colours based on the same brochantite mineralogy found in natural patinas all over the world. As well as the solid patina colours, ‘Living’ surfaces are available for each colour with other intensities of patina flecks revealing some of the dark oxidised background material.

Mark Rowe, Principal at Penoyre & Prasad, comments: “Our aim for this project was to breathe new life into the existing building and give Birkbeck a dynamic presence in a prominent location. The Nordic Copperclad, twisted lecture theatre protrudes from above the building, creating a striking moment that can be recognised from afar, whilst providing the muchneeded teaching spaces.”

The new centre forms part of the university’s broader strategy to provide more high-quality teaching space. The seven-storey building accommodates a cafe that is open to the public and a learning hub for students on the ground floor and basement. Teaching and learning spaces fill the upper floors, and

Living copper surfaces

Copper alloys are growing in popularity as well, including Nordic Bronze and Nordic Brass – which can also be supplied preweathered. The innovative Nordic Royal is an alloy of copper with aluminium and zinc, giving it a rich golden through-colour and making it very stable. It has a thin protective oxide layer containing all three alloy elements when produced. As a result, the surface retains its golden colour and simply loses some of its sheen over time, as the oxide layer thickens with exposure to the atmosphere to give a matt finish.

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

www.nordiccopper.com 01875 812144 g.bell@aurubis.com

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ROOFING, CLADDING FOCUS & INNOVATION RCI & INSULATION

BRIGGSAMASCO’S EXPERTISE ENSURES SAFE, SMART DELIVERY OF HOSPITAL ROOF REFURBISHMENT The skill and flexibility of BriggsAmasco’s installation team was essential to the timely, high-specification completion of a roof refurbishment at a busy hospital site.

INNOVATIVE INSULATION SOLUTION ENSURES QUALITY FABRIC-FIRST APPROACH

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The project involved supplying a watertight, thermally-efficient system for the long-term protection of ‘Appleton Wing’, a vital area of Warrington Hospital containing operating theatres and a range of acute medical services.

On behalf of the Warrington and Halton Trust, BriggsAmasco was required to repair the existing asphalt roof and install a highperformance bitumen membrane flat-roofing system. The existing asphalt surface had reached the end of its lifespan and was starting to leak. As part of the repairs programme, BriggsAmasco’s team removed chippings from the roof in order to make good the asphalt. A new vapour control layer was then installed, followed by a tapered insulation system to enhance the roof’s falls. The installation continued with an underlay sheet and was completed with an IKO UPXL waterproofing membrane. This robust, fireretardant solution, which comes with a 30-year guarantee, was sealed by Briggs’ teams using hot air welders in a safe, torch-free application that negated the use of a naked flame.

BriggsAmasco’s team had a number of issues to overcome during the hospital’s roof refurbishment. Firstly, they were working on a live site, which was busy with hospital staff, patients and visitors at all times of the day.

The height of the tapered insulation within the new waterproofing system provided a further challenge. It required BriggsAmasco’s installers to raise the 1500m2 roof’s parapet edge by 300mm to maintain a thermal and watertight seal. With the waterproofing in-situ, Briggs completed the refurbishment by designing and implementing a man-safe system, as the roof’s previous one no longer met performance regulations.

www.briggsamasco.co.uk 0121 502 9600

ROCKWOOL LAUNCHES INTERACTIVE FIRE STOPPING STANDARD DETAILS GUIDE

Eurowall+, Recticel’s innovative full-fill cavity wall PIR board, has been chosen for a new affordable housing development. In total, 2000m2 of Eurowall+ board was installed as part of a £3.3m new-build project in Bedmond Road, Abbots Langley – a large, picturesque village in Hertfordshire. In order that the buildings achieved the regulatory U-value, the insulation needed to ensure a high-quality build whilst being simple to install. Eurowall+ met both requirements comfortably. Eurowall+ can achieve a 0.18 U-value with a 90mm-thick panel in a 100mm cavity. To reach the same thermal performance with mineral wool, for example, the project would require a much thicker insulation. Therefore, Eurowall+ helps reduce a building’s footprint; a crucial characteristic where plot size is limited. Indeed, the 10mm air gap, which is created by a 90mm Eurowall+ PIR board achieving a U-value of 0.18 W/m2K in a traditional 100mm masonry cavity wall, helps speed up installation times for a more cost-effective build in comparison with other rigid full-fill solutions.

ROCKWOOL has released a significant update to its Fire Stopping Standard Details Guide, the specifier’s go-to resource for the performance parameters of ROCKWOOL passive fire-stopping product solutions according to certified installations and applications. The guide has been relaunched in an enhanced interactive format that makes accessing standard details for the FIREPRO range quicker and easier than ever. The latest technical information and application-specific guidance has also been updated in the new Fire Stopping Standard Details Guide and to give specifiers the complete package, there is installation information, product performance data, and best practice advice for fire-stopping and penetration spacing. The guide can be downloaded through the ROCKWOOL FIREPRO Resource Hub, a dedicated knowledge centre for passive fire-stopping and fire protection. The hub hosts key literature, such as the ROCKWOOL FIREPRO book, and a suite of supporting materials including the FIREPRO Solution Finder tool, CPD opportunities and case studies.

www.recticelinsulation.com

www.rockwool.com/uk/firepro

0800 085 4079 customer.services@recticel.com

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Find out how Kingsway can help de-risk your mental health environment

Call +44 (0)1322 610 470 Email sales@kingswaygroup.co.uk

NEW

ROOFING, CLADDING FOCUS & INNOVATION & INSULATION

SPECIALIST SCHOOL COMMISSIONS THIRD ECO-BUILDING FROM TG ESCAPES Swalcliffe Park School’s first eco-building was a performing arts studio in 2016 followed by a suite of autismfriendly quiet spaces for individuals or small groups of students. Its new 470m2 building will provide a science lab and prep room, IT room, changing rooms, toilets and a large staff room.

Swalcliffe is a non-maintained specialist residential and day school for boys on the autism spectrum (10 to 19 years).

The school is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), working with over 20 local authorities. The focus of its work is improving ‘quality of life’ outcomes for the students and their families.

Staffing has increased by 30% over the last two years due to increasing numbers of students, so the school needed additional professional space to enable staff to meet and collaborate.

Principal, Rob Piner, and Vice Principal, Rob Leigh, explain their thinking in selecting TG Escapes’ modular timber frame system.

How are your existing two buildings working for you?

Really well as they are very spacious and light buildings. The spaces feel as good as when they were first made and we haven’t encountered any issues in terms of ongoing maintenance, despite significant usage over the years.

What were your considerations when choosing this solution?

What we like about the TG Escapes offering is the complete design and build package. They are very straightforward and transparent about

discussing costs and how this relates directly to the purpose of the building.

We also think the ‘green’ credentials are very important, as it is for all schools and public buildings.

In addition to this, the speed of building is much quicker than a traditional construction method and will enable us to have our new building this academic year, rather than a year down the line.

lighting and acoustics. Our experience tells us that it works well with our students who have sensory challenges.

The end result is an extremely solid building which also has total DDA compliance, enabling us to future-proof our facilities to enhance quality of life outcomes for our students and their families.

Why does this building system particularly suit your needs?

The service has been really first class. When you have a separate architect and builder, there can be issues relating to communication, differences of opinion as well as coordination. TG Escapes offers an outstanding service and all those involved in the process have been very responsive and receptive to our requirements and timelines. The construction team are very polite, you can tell they want to be here and want to do a good job.

We are really excited about getting the keys for our new building, possibly sooner than we thought, so that we can improve the quality of our provision for all who are part of our school community.

This style of building helps us to create autism-friendly spaces with wide corridors as well as sensitive heating,

How would you describe the customer service?

www.tgescapes.co.uk 0800 917 7726 info@tgescapes.co.uk

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ACO LAUNCHES V-SEPTOR TO ASSIST WITH SUDS MANAGEMENT TRAIN ACO Water Management has launched its new advanced hydrodynamic separator, the V-Septor. Throughout the construction industry, there is an onus on reducing environmental impact. This is especially true when it comes to water management, as increasing urbanisation means that more sophisticated drainage is necessary.

By removing sediment-bound contaminants, ACO’s V-Septor helps to mitigate against potential damage that can be caused by pollutants in surface water runoff. The advanced

vortex separator is designed to work in conjunction with water management systems as an integral part of the SuDS (sustainable drainage systems) management train.

01462 816666

FOCUS & INNOVATION

Nick Burchett, Regional Specification Manager at ACO Water Management, comments: “The SuDS management train requires four key steps: collect, clean, hold, release. Separators are crucial in the ‘clean’ element of water management, helping to prevent pollution from entering into soil and watercourses.

“It also performs a secondary function, as it can reduce sediment build-up in attenuation tanks downstream. When installed prior to ACO StormBrixx, for example, it decreases how often the tank has to be cleaned and maintained, because less silt is flowing down the system.”

V-Septor is available in six different sizes and, crucially, it is straightforward to integrate into existing systems as it is fitted directly into a HDPE (high-density polyethylene) chamber.

Within the V-Septor itself, maintenance is made as straightforward as possible thanks to an open, central structure that allows a suction hose to be used.

This contributes to a highly-usable hydrodynamic separator that is suitable across a wide range of applications, including warehouses, commercial and delivery yards, car parks and ports.

Nick concludes: “Sustainability is no longer something that construction projects can simply think of as an afterthought – it is central to most specification and installation decisions. Our new V-Septor is a critical component of a SuDS system that seeks to limit negative effects on the surrounding area, all the while continuing to offer optimum hydraulic capacity.”

www.aco.co.uk technologies@aco.co.uk

NEW WHITEPAPER TACKLES BUILDING SUSTAINABILITY AND OVERHEATING ISSUES

TEMPORARY HIGH-SECURITY PERIMETER PROTECTION FROM HÖRMANN UK Designed to provide the very highest security standards, Hörmann UK offers a range of HVM (hostile vehicle mitigation) systems that offer a flexible and temporary solution for the protection of entrances, outside venues and events.

The mobile vehicle blocker, OktaBlock, has been developed as a direct response to ‘vehicle-as-a-weapon’ terrorist attacks.

Designed to replace temporary concrete or similar barriers, OktaBlock provides the highest standards in safety and flexibility, whilst being easy to deploy without the costs normally associated with fixed security bollards or blockers. The recent launch of the OktaMover manual handling device makes it simple to install and remove OktaBlock, whilst providing ease of access for emergency/rescue vehicles as and when required.

With the built environment contributing 40% of the UK’s total carbon footprint and the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) warning of the dangers of overheating buildings, a new whitepaper is highlighting the importance of sustainable HVAC systems to construction professionals.

The new whitepaper, from polymer specialist REHAU, identifies issues around building overheating, air quality and sustainability, and the need to decarbonise new and existing buildings to meet net-zero targets. Citing UK Green Building Council findings that heating and cooling is responsible for large quantities of buildings’ ‘in use’ emissions, it explores the impact of sustainable HVAC systems on construction.

www.rehau.com/uk-en

01989 762600

enquiries@rehau.com

VENT-AXIA WELCOMES HOUSING OMBUDSMAN’S REPORT ON DAMP AND MOULD British ventilation manufacturer Vent-Axia is committed to improving public health by improving indoor air quality (IAQ) through ventilation, so welcomes the Housing Ombudsman’s report ‘Spotlight on Damp and Mould.

It’s not lifestyle’. The report calls for landlords to take a ‘zero-tolerance’ approach to damp and mould, as well as considering proactive actions to identify homes that have or may be at risk of developing problems. For social housing refurbishments, positive input ventilation (PIV), such as Vent-Axia’s Lo-Carbon PoziDry Pro and Lo-Carbon PoziDry Compact Pro, offers filtration up to ISO ePM2.5 70% (F7 grade). The PIV range provides a highly-effective solution to help households and landlords control condensation and mould, as well as offering high levels of air filtration.

www.hormann.co.uk 01530 516868 www.vent-axia.com

0344 856 0590

sales@vent-axia.com

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FOCUS & INNOVATION

INTRODUCING SILESTONE ETHEREAL: MARBLE-LOOK SURFACES PERFECT FOR CONTEMPORARY PROJECTS Silestone by Cosentino, a leading global hybrid mineral surface for the world of architecture and design, is excited to introduce its second collection worldwide, Ethereal, under its new corporate image.

The new Silestone emblem and character has given rise to the Ethereal collection, which is supported with a major campaign featuring entrepreneur and international fashion icon, Cindy Crawford.

Ethereal by Silestone represents a quantum leap in terms of design, innovation and sustainability, in line with the transition that Silestone is undergoing externally and internally with the development of the cutting-edge HybriQ and HybriQ+ technologies.

This evolution of Silestone has inspired Ethereal, a collection of white canvas surfaces with intricate marblelook patterns which recreate the natural beauty of the sky, perfect for both commercial and residential projects where a modern, yet timeless, aesthetic is desired.

This marble-inspired collection consists of four colours, namely Ethereal Dusk, Ethereal Haze, Ethereal Glow and Ethereal Noctis. Each colour showcases a deep, fine veining

on a white foundation and, thanks to HybriQ+ technology, they have been developed with at least 20% recycled raw materials, helping to provide an eco-friendly solution for luxury architectural or interior design projects.

Silestone Ethereal colours Ethereal Glow is simply pure, classic elegance. Its golden and grey veining merges with a tinged white foundation, with veining running through

the entire design to bring an accent of colour to every corner.

Inspired by the sunset and its igneous colours and glow, it is an evolution of Silestone’s internationally-acclaimed and widely-popular Eternal Calacatta Gold colour.

Ethereal Dusk showcases an urban look in which the bluish tone of its veining brings a modern and avant-garde touch to any space. It symbolises a unique, unforgettable and personal sunrise, with feelings of peace, solemnity and tranquility.

Ethereal Haze includes a dynamic range of grey tones to emit plenty of personality. It takes inspiration from the way the wind moves the clouds over the mountains, with the result both calm and characterful thanks to an interplay of gradients, which blend into pure neutrality.

Ethereal Noctis is synonymous with sophistication.

The tinged white foundation is broken up with short grey and black veins, providing contrast, depth, simplicity and modernity, inspired by the darkness after sunset.

Silestone: the ultimate mineral HybriQ surface Ethereal is a collection created with the exclusive and pioneering HybriQ technology

by Silestone. Launched in 2020, the production process is characterised by the company’s commitment to the environment, the circular economy and sustainable management.

The manufacturing process of Silestone with HybriQ+ uses 99% reused water from the production processes, 100% renewable electric energy and a minimum of 20% recycled raw materials in its composition, alongside mineral raw materials.

With this new composition, Silestone retains its timeless beauty, as well as its mechanical and technical performance, quality, hygiene certifications and 25-year warranty. In addition to kitchen and bathroom applications, such as a worktop or splashback, Silestone is also ideal for more ambitious interior design projects where interior cladding, furniture cladding and flooring is required.

www.cosentino.com/en-gb 01256 761229 info.uk@cosentino.com

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The world leader in timber preservation technology ®

Celcure

THE DURABLE CHOICE CELCURISED TIMBER, THE TRUSTED TIMBER PROTECTION FOR LONG STANDING PRESERVATIVE PERFORMANCE FOR MORE INFORMATION Visit: www.kopperspc.eu Email: kpc@koppers.eu Call: +44 (0)1628 486644 Fax: +44 (0)1628 476757 Protim Solignum Limited, Fieldhouse Lane Marlow, Buckinghamshire SL7 1LS ™ Protim Solignum Limited trading as Koppers Performance Chemicals. Koppers is a registered Trademark of Koppers Delaware, Inc. Whilst every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in this document, Protim Solignum Limited gives no undertaking to that effect and no responsibility can be accepted for reliance on this information.

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

by Appointment to Her Majesty The Queen Manufacturers Of Wood Preservatives Protim Solignum Ltd Marlow, Buckinghamshire