PSBJ November 2019

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November 2019

OFF-SITE MEETS HOUSING DEMANDS Meet the UK's first mid-rise modular cross-laminated timber (CLT) building

Fire protection

Loud and clear

All-inclusive design

How solutions offered by off-site can be applied to fire protection and safety

Well-equipped learning environments for pupils with special hearing needs

Future-proofed and adaptable kitchens to suit the everchanging needs of tenants

Mediation Training Programme A facilitative and evaluative approach to mediation in the built environment Highly practical and intensive, the RICS Mediation Training Programme will prepare you to mediate the most complex disputes to the highest standards across land, property, construction and infrastructure.

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Welcome Note Editor

Hannah Woodger hannah@crossplatformmedia.co.uk

Print & Digital Advertising Sam Ball

sam@crossplatformmedia.co.uk

Jim Moore jim@crossplatformmedia.co.uk

Print Design Manager Jack Witcomb

jack@crossplatformmedia.co.uk

Digital Design Manager David Perry

david@crossplatformmedia.co.uk

Production Assistant Philip Coyle

Waugh Thistleton Architects' Watts Grove is a landmark project which will be the UK’s first mid-rise CLT modular scheme. See page 08.

philip@crossplatformmedia.co.uk

Accounts

Jackie Dearman jackie@crossplatformmedia.co.uk

Sales Support & Administrator Klare Porter

klare@crossplatformmedia.co.uk

Publisher Sam Ball

sam@crossplatformmedia.co.uk Published by

Cross Platform Media Ltd.

Barham Court, Teston, Maidstone, Kent, ME18 5BZ T: 01622 232725 www.psbj.co.uk

Welcome to the November issue of PSBJ...

In a damning report published at the end of October by retired Judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales Sir Martin Moore-Bick, it has been revealed that the Grenfell Tower cladding did not comply with Building Regulations and was the “principal” reason for the fire’s rapid and “profoundly shocking” spread.

Since the tragedy in 2017, the industry has been striving to promote and advocate the importance of fire safety in new-build and refurbishment projects across all sectors. Among the supporters is fire-retardant technology firm, Zeroignition, whose recent study highlights serious differences in knowledge on fire prevention. Architects in the UK, Germany and France were asked about their knowledge and understanding of four common terms relating to buildings and fire protection.

Across the three countries, only 3% of architects were able to correctly define the four basic fire protection terms: active fire protection, passive fire protection, fire resistance and reaction to fire. Some countries fare better than others depending on the basic fire term in question but it is clear fire knowledge is lacking across the board. Professional bodies, and the construction industry as a whole, need to invest more and tackle the issue.

In PSBJ’s dedicated Fire Protection focus this month, Zeroignition looks at the benefits of MMC and how the solutions offered by adopting an off-site approach can be applied to fire protection and safety. Turn to page 36 to find out more.

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 Cross Platform 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.

Elsewhere in this issue, we bring you the latest topics and discussions on KBB, DampProofing, Acoustics and Landscaping. You will also find a dedicated focus on each of the four key areas of the public sector build market – Healthcare, Leisure, Housing and Education.

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 search www.psbj.co.uk.

Hannah

Hannah Woodger | Editor | hannah@crossplatformmedia.co.uk Follow us on Twitter:

@psbjmagazine

Download the PSBJ app for iPhone, iPad & Android Search 'PSBJ'

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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 Waugh Thistleton Architects reflects on Watts Grove – a landmark project which will be the UK’s first mid-rise CLT modular scheme, precision engineered in Swan Housing’s factory.

12 Housing Three new affordable housing developments, designed by Bell Phillips Architects for Sutton Council, have welcomed their first residents.

16 Leisure Lilly Elbra, Marketing Manager at Timberplay, takes a look at the current climate for play, and the threats it is facing.

22

18 Healthcare

22 Education

26 Technical Focus

Daniel Sturch of Alpha Heating Innovation outlines the benefits of modern condensing cascade systems, a proven way to long-term efficiency savings.

Trox air management systems are bestin-class for BREEAM 'Excellent'-rated Collaborative Teaching Laboratory (CTL) at the University of Birmingham.

Architect Nicolas Tye shares his insight on the specific considerations a Passive Houseaccredited roof requires.

20 Talking Point

24 Legal & Business

Vincent de Rul, Director of Energy Solutions at EDF Energy, explains how £27.7m of energy savings are waiting to be unlocked by public sector buildings in the UK.

Tina Chander, Partner and Head of the Employment team at leading Midlands law firm Wright Hassall, comments on strengthening workers’ rights with evolving employment laws.

Multigenerational living is on the increase and it’s never too late to start designing adaptable and accessible kitchens that are suitable for everyone, as Symphony explains.

28 KBB

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Contents

18 12 34 Acoustics

28 30 Damp-Proofing Paul Harrington, Head of Residential Sales at Elta Fans, explains how installers can help landlords to prepare for the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018.

32 Landscaping Loughborough University has unveiled its new state-of-the-art sport pitches, installed by a world-leading sports surface provider and pitch partner, SIS Pitches.

Adrian James of Adrian James Acoustics reflects on the importance of well-equipped learning environments for those pupils with special hearing or communication needs.

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36 Fire Protection Zeroignition looks at the benefits of MMC and how the solutions offered by adopting an off-site approach can be applied to fire protection and safety.

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

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SETTING THE STANDARD FOR SCAFFOLDING The NASC is the national trade body for access and scaffolding in the UK and has been setting the industry benchmark for nearly 80 years. Our full contracting members are among the best in the business, accounting for the vast majority of the UK’s scaffolding spend – with a total annual turnover in excess of £2 billion – and are independently audited every year.

For demonstrably safe, skilled and compliant contractors it has to be NASC. www.nasc.org.uk

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News

INDUSTRY UPDATES

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

Greenwood Centre houses the first Centre for Independent Living The Greenwood Centre, part of Camden Council’s Community Investment Programme (CIP), its plan for investing over £1bn in building schools, homes and community facilities in Camden, is the first of its kind in the borough, with its services enriching lives since its opening earlier this year. Designed by multi-award-winning architecture and building consultancy practice AHR, the £18m centre, which houses Camden’s first Centre for Independent Living (CIL), is run by disabled people for disabled people, offering specialist advice and support, opportunities for professional development, and spaces to learn new skills, be active, form relationships and grow in independence.

WaiLun Ho, Director at AHR, said: “The Greenwood Centre is a unique and inspiring place and seeing it in use is really rewarding.

We enjoyed working closely with Camden Council, care specialists and those who use the centre services to develop the design, and the diverse communication needs within our user groups led us to tailor new methods of sharing our ideas. This has enabled the centre to truly honour the community’s aspirations, and we are very proud of this comfortable, safe and welcoming resource.”

New facilities come another step closer for Girvan Primary School Work is provisionally set to begin in October of next year on modern facilities for the students and teachers at Sacred Heart Primary School in Girvan. The project includes the demolition of the existing school and erection of a new building to accommodate 125 pupils on the same site. The cost of

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construction is estimated at £3.6m, and subject to planning consent, work is expected to be completed by October 2021. Morrison Construction has been named preferred contractor on the project, which has been developed by South Ayrshire Council alongside hub South West, the publicprivate partnership focused on building community infrastructure within Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Dumfries & Galloway. As part of the remit, the programme for delivering the project will include consultation and engagement sessions with a range of stakeholders including staff, parents, children, local councillors and the wider community.

Pupils and staff from Sacred Heart are now settled in their temporary accommodation at Girvan Primary School, where they will remain until the new building is ready.

Architect chalks up another school success in Morpeth Award-winning architect, Howarth Litchfield of Durham (HL), is celebrating the completion of another first school for Northumberland County Council (NCC). The £6m Morpeth First School, which started on site last autumn, is now complete, with the school opening on time for all pupils at the beginning of the academic year. Built on the former fire station site at Loansdean and replacing the 108-year-old Goosehill First School, the new school includes playing fields, a multi-use games area (MUGA), a main hall, staff room, offices, kitchen, toilets and parking spaces which can also be used by the public for any events which take place in its community space, which is accessible outside of school hours. The education project for children aged five to nine years is one of several in which HL has been involved recently for NCC. The practice has worked on five other educational projects as part of the £52m reorganisation of schools in the Ponteland area, which saw its team working on schools at Heddon-on-the-Wall, Whalton, Belsay and Stamfordham plus two in Ponteland.

Pembrey Country Park celebrates summer success Following a £1.4m investment in a new visitor centre, function room and cafe, Carmarthenshire County Council is celebrating at Pembrey Country Park. “Pembrey Country Park has always been one of Wales’ top visitor attractions but this summer has been extraordinary in terms of the number of visitors and income generated,” explains Neil Thomas, Senior Outdoor Recreation Manager. “Over the summer holidays we have experienced a 10% increase in footfall and a 15% uplift in revenue on last year. There is little doubt that our success is due to the improvements we have made to our facilities. The natural beauty of the park, with its 500 acres of woodland and eight miles of golden sands, has always attracted visitors but we felt we were not supporting the natural beauty with fit-for-purpose amenities.

For example, we offered limited on-site catering provision, in particular for the large numbers of guests staying on our caravan site. We were missing a trick from a customer experience and revenue generation point of venue.”

Rich Millard joins Max Associates Max Associates has bolstered its senior team, announcing the appointment of Rich Millard, one of the most experienced leisure professionals in the business, as Associate Director. In this new role, Millard will be responsible for supporting the visibility and growth of Max Associates, predominantly in the public sector. Drawing on his 40 years’ leisure and sport sector experience, Millard will work with the senior management team to identify emerging market opportunities and to grow the local authority client portfolio. He will act as brand ambassador and respond to opportunities to place Max Associates at the heart of progressive leisure provision and the ever-evolving needs of the market. The announcement follows Millard’s recent retirement from his full-time role as Partnership Director at Places Leisure. There, Millard was responsible for formulating and maintaining partnerships with key sector players such as NGBs, Sport England and ukactive to ensure Places Leisure continued to deliver against its ambition to create active places and healthy people in partnership with local authorities.

Henry Riley appointed to work on leisure scheme Work is gathering pace on two schemes that will transform the Northumberland leisure and lifestyle scene. Henry Riley has been appointed lead consultant on a project to bring a £21m leisure centre to Morpeth.

The Newcastle division of the international property and construction consultancy will provide quantity surveying, employer’s agent and principal designer services for the scheme, which will see the creation of a new centre with a 25m swimming pool, sports hall, spa facilities, fitness suite and studios.

It will also have a new community services hub that will include a library, customer service centre and adult learning area.

Meanwhile, a £20m project to build a new leisure centre in Berwick has been given the green light by planners. The existing Swan Centre is being demolished in phases to ensure continuity of leisure services for local residents and replaced with a new facility with a 25m swimming pool, sports hall, an outdoor all-weather football pitch, fitness suite, fitness studios and spa facilities. Construction work is due to start by the end of this year, with the centre operational in 2021.

Ashford Borough Council’s ‘Danemore’ scheme shortlisted for multiple awards Ashford Borough Council’s reputation in the housing sector continues to earn plaudits, with the authority shortlisted in the national Inside Housing awards and also in a host of categories at the annual Kent Housing Group (KHG) awards. Inside Housing’s panel of expert judges has shortlisted the council for its new sheltered housing scheme at Danemore in Tenterden in the best older people’s housing development (up to 50 homes) category. The winners will be announced on 27th November at The Intercontinental O2 Hotel in London.

Danemore is also nominated for an award in the Excellence in Development category in the Kent Housing Group Awards. The scheme is designed to be dementia-friendly throughout, taking into account colour schemes, light, corridor lengths, patterns and

borough. The London Borough of Waltham Forest, which has ambitions to be the greenest borough in London, has invested more than £2.4m on energy efficiency improvements over the last decade. These improvements have helped the council to reduce its carbon emissions by 2721 tonnes of CO2 a year, which is equivalent to taking over 530 cars off the streets of Waltham Forest per annum. The financial savings generated from the improved energy efficiency, which are estimated at £525,645 annually, will help to offset possible future increases in wholesale energy costs. The energy reduction projects carried out by the council have an average pay-back of around 3.8 years and will be repaid from savings made on energy bills. Over a 10year lifecycle the council expects to save £5250,000 in reduced energy costs and generate a CO2 savings of 27,000 tonnes.

News

memory shelves. It recognises the needs of an ageing population – by 2026, it’s anticipated that around 40% of the residents of Ashford borough will be aged over 50. These awards celebrate outstanding individuals, teams or projects who have delivered against the odds or gone that ‘extra mile’ to ensure excellent service for the residents and communities across Kent and Medway.

Brentwood Borough Council and Morgan Sindall Investments establish partnership Brentwood Borough Council has formed a joint venture Property Development Partnership between Morgan Sindall Investments and the council’s own property company, Seven Arches Investments. The joint venture is to be known as Brentwood Development Partnership. The 50:50 JV will provide new homes, mixed-use developments, public spaces, commercial and leisure facilities on the council’s substantial portfolio of land. Through the partnership, Morgan Sindall Investments will deliver funding and commercial expertise to bring forward redevelopment at pace and scale that will transform the borough. With a potential contract value of up to £1bn, the partnership’s concession period is for 30 years. The announcement marks the latest long-term local authority partnership that Morgan Sindall Investments has entered into. The company will draw on its strong track record of working in collaboration with councils across the UK. Its current JVs include partnerships in Bournemouth, Hertfordshire and in Slough, where funds raised from land receipts and development profits have helped to prevent cuts to frontline services.

Waltham Forest Council supports £2.4m energy efficiency upgrades A local authority in North East London is on track to significantly reduce its carbon emissions after investing in a range of energy efficiency measures across the

Stepnell starts on site at new sports hub Construction has started on a new £6m sports hub at a prestigious, academically non-selective state boarding school in Woking. Award-winning construction firm Stepnell has been appointed by Gordon’s School to build a new sporting facility for the pupils and staff, which will be delivered over a 36-week programme.

The ultra-modern build – designed by NVB Architects – will include a 1223m2 sports hall with associated changing rooms and supporting spaces. Stepnell will also be installing a new all-weather pitch with the help of S&C Slatter to provide a highquality playing surface for both football and rugby. As specialist sector expert, Stepnell has significant experience of the complexities of educational construction and has been working to anticipate risks and opportunities to help Gordon’s School maximise the whole life value of its investment. The sports hall – based on the recommendations set out by Sport England guidance – will combine with the new allweather pitch, the school’s existing hockey pitch, netball courts and established playing fields to create a sports hub for the school to help promote and strengthen its ‘sport for all’ approach.

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Upfront

Modular factory

MEETING HOUSING DEMANDS WITH OFF-SITE CONSTRUCTION Client: Swan Housing Location: Various Architect: Waugh Thistleton Architects

The world is in the midst of a housing crisis with unprecedented global mass migration to cities. The UN predicts that 66% of the world’s population will be resident in urban areas by 2050. In order to deal with this flow of people, the way housing is delivered in our cities needs to be addressed with more high density, mid- to high-rise buildings required. the same time, a A tgradual decline in construction productivity presents further challenges in meeting the growing demand for homes. In the last 50 years, manufacturing productivity has increased by 230%, while the construction industry is 19% less productive. In the UK, fewer homes are being built each year.

With fewer people wanting to work in construction, the demand for homes continues to outstrip supply.

The housing and labour crises must be addressed within the context of the global climate emergency. Changes to Building Regulations have resulted in a significant reduction in the operational energy used in buildings; however, no legislation exists requiring reduced embodied energy in construction.

The production and use of cement is responsible for approximately 8% of

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the world’s CO2 emissions, a figure that will increase if urban construction trends continue, so the implications of building sufficient homes to meet demand in terms of climate change are considerable while urban structures are predominately built in steel and concrete. If we are to meet the zero-carbon target by 2050, alternative sustainable building materials must be used to reduce waste and emissions caused by the fabric of the new homes we build.

Developers, housing providers and Government are waking up to the need for change. Since the HRA borrowing cap was removed in 2018, local authorities are once again building social housing, and as landlords, they demand high-quality, low-maintenance, fast solutions which are future-proofed to adapt to ever-changing environmental legislation.

Over the last few years, Waugh Thistleton Architects has been working with Swan Housing, a social housing provider and industry leader, to develop its proprietary modular home solution. Drawing on the efficient, high-quality production methods developed by ship, aircraft and car production, off-site manufacture addresses some of the failings of traditional construction.

In its state-of-the-art hightech factory in Essex, Swan Housing has created an off-site modular manufacturing approach known as the NU build system.

Taking advantage of production repetition common with assembly line manufacturing, the system uses precision engineering and the latest modular construction techniques to produce highly efficient, factory-made homes that are indistinguishable from traditionally built homes when complete. Built in only six weeks, half the time taken to construct a traditional home, they are

assembled and fitted-out in the factory, and delivered to site complete with kitchens, bathrooms and windows leaving the on-site team to add the external cladding and connect the modular homes to services.

What sets the Swan Housing system apart is that it uses crosslaminated timber (CLT), rather than steel, and as such offers the opportunity to deliver housing both quickly and sustainably.

Traditionally, timber has not been used for high-density buildings; however, the development of mass timber products over the last decade has enabled timber to compete structurally at scale. Highly engineered products such as CLT, glulam and laminated veneer lumber (LVL) overcome many of the issues associated with traditional timber frame and have positioned wood as one way in which the housing demand can be met without negatively impacting on our environment.

Upfront Image © Picture Plane

Timber, nature’s own building material, is both replenishable and sustainable. As trees grow, they sequester carbon within their very fabric, essentially creating a carbon store.

Therefore, if we build in timber, as opposed to using traditional materials with high levels of embodied carbon, we can save an average of 40 tonnes of CO2 per dwelling.

Waugh Thistleton Architects and Swan Housing are currently on site with a NuBuild modular scheme at Watts Grove in Tower Hamlets. This pioneering development will be the first mid-rise modular CLT building to complete in the UK. While the 65 homes on this East London site are clad in traditional brick and tiles, and will integrate into the neighbouring streets, unlike neighbouring buildings, the structure will lock away 1857 tonnes of CO2, and effectively be a long-term carbon store.

Watts Grove

Image © Picture Plane Watts Grove

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Upfront

Image © Will Pryce Murray Grove

The Swan NuBuild system has a pipeline of over 8000 homes.

Using CLT modular at this scale, the impact on the environment can make a vital difference.

Waugh Thistleton Architects has believed in the benefits of off-site construction since 2003 when the practice happened to come across CLT whilst working

on a small house extension in a restricted urban site. The practice hasn’t looked back.

With the delivery of Murray Grove in 2009 – the first building to use engineered timber at scale in the UK, Waugh Thistleton Architects demonstrated that CLT was a viable alternative to concrete

Image © Will Pryce Murray Grove

Image © Will Pryce Murray Grove

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and steel and spearheaded a global movement in the use of engineered timber.

Since the completion of this ground-breaking project, Waugh Thistleton Architects has been pivotal in pushing boundaries in the design and development of commercial and residential timber buildings, advocating globally for a shift in mindset and the importance of prioritising low-carbon construction.

Clients are beginning to realise that sustainability in property development has moved from nice to have to need to have status. Innovative delivery solutions are emerging such as PLACE’s (Pan-London Accommodation Collaborative Enterprise) new approach to tackling homelessness through acquiring modular temporary accommodation, and Pocket Living’s homes for local first-time buyers at less than 20% market value. Both are reimagining the delivery of housing using off-site methods of construction.

The benefits of off-site and modular construction are clear: Since most of the work is completed at the factory, time on site is significantly reduced, minimising the lengthy disruption, noise and dust pollution associated with a traditional building site. This has significant benefits for local authorities who often own tight sites in densely populated areas.

The manufacturing times of elements in the factory are reduced compared to a traditional on-site build. Information generated by Building Information Modelling (BIM) allows the factory to order products ‘just in time’ with the benefit of a consistent material and labour supply chain.

The factory environment means that short days and bad weather do not interfere with production.

Each module can be constructed in a clean and controlled environment with the necessary tools and materials close at hand. The construction process under factory conditions can offer a level of quality and consistency that traditional construction cannot compete with.

Factories offer workers regular hours along with a safe and clean working environment.

Improved conditions attract more diverse workers to the construction industry, and if, like Swan, the factories are located close to the sites where the modules are required, there can be employment benefits to the local economy.

To achieve these benefits; however, a radical change in the way construction is considered and delivered is required. Offsite construction requires new skills and a different approach.

Construction becomes more about quality and logistics, demanding a fundamental change in the mindset and skillset of clients, consultants and contractors in the industry.

It is crucial clients specify off-site construction methods early, and designs must be carried out with off-site manufacturers in mind; otherwise, designers will generally design the way they always have, resulting in the same answers.

Through their collaboration with Swan, Waugh Thistleton Architects has developed a series of guides which outline how design teams can work to optimise their approach for modular construction, and clarify how designing for modular impacts on the traditional design process and RIBA workstages.

Electronic copies of the ‘Modular Design Guide’ are available from Waugh Thistleton. 

 www.waughthistleton.com

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Housing

DESIGNING DIFFERENTLY

At the Century House development, the architects have designed 15 modestly scaled two-bed and three-bed houses for affordable rent

Tackling the ‘housing’ issue is one of the main focuses of every single local council in London.

Whether it is an issue of quality or simply a shortage, it is key for the welfare of local residents that these problems are addressed.

London Borough of T heSutton has set an example, directly commissioning the new housing as part of a programme of new council housing on the edge of south west London.

Working in collaboration with Bell

Phillips Architects, the council has provided 93 homes across three sites all of which have now welcomed their first residents.

It’s important to note that the majority of the homes will be retained by the council.

The terraces vary in height from two storeys for two-bed homes, to three storeys

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Architecturally, Bell Phillips has drawn on the local context to make a very specific and tailored response to location.

Across all three sites, there is a shared agenda to provide well-designed new homes that explore established typologies.

The Century House development occupies a site which was formerly a disused youth centre and play area. The site is hemmed in by the rear gardens of neighbouring postwar terraced houses. To address this context, the architects have designed 15 modestly scaled two-bed and three-bed houses for affordable rent, arranged as three short terraces.

Bell Phillips’ contemporary interpretation of traditional terraces features irregular and asymmetric sawtooth brick elevations, these enliven the streetscape and contrast with the surrounding vernacular.

The terraces vary in height from two storeys for two-bed homes, to three storeys where attic space within an increased roof pitch is used to provide an additional bedroom and storage space.

The design also pays close attention to the experience of urban realm, street-facing gable ends provide a strong street presence. At key points, such as the corners where routes around and into the development merge, the designs have added design touches to aid wayfinding. A rusticated brick plinth at ground floor level is a considered move by the architects adding visual interest whilst functionally marking out garden separations.

As is a hallmark across all three sites, Bell Phillips has not sacrificed small details, but instead embraced every opportunity to add extra value. An example of this is the purpose-built steel screens which hide services such as meter cupboards, while enhancing the front elevation of each home.

The homes have been designed to comply or exceed the London Housing Design Guide Standards: each features a spacious living/dining area overlooking a rear garden, and a separate kitchen facing onto  the street to provide passive

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Housing Walking past the scheme at street level, it’s easy to forget that Ludlow Lodge is predominantly social housing

surveillance. Each home has generous storage and circulation space, including a covered entrance lobby with space for cycle storage.

Finding space for a few more homes, the second site in Richmond Green now provides 21 new family homes on the edge of a post-war housing estate. These homes will have a privileged view, overlooking open land and the River Wandle.

A row of one-bed bungalows formerly occupied the site, not adding much to the Beddington Village conservation area.

Bell Phillips’ new scheme has been arranged as a ‘staggered terrace’ of semi-detached houses. Pairs of two- and three-bed houses, offset from one another, are connected to neighbouring pairs by a single-storey dining room which encloses a shared courtyard.

Pitched roofs undulate across the site, working to create a strong rhythm along the shallow crescent.

The houses are clad in brick, while pink render to the courtyards provides a contrasting texture and tone. A large number of mature trees have been retained, enhancing the development’s contribution to the pristine surroundings.

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Inside each home, the spacious living and dining area enjoys dual aspect views and opens on to a generous rear garden. As with Century House, kitchens are arranged facing onto the street to bring in light and provide passive surveillance. There is a close community feel to these spaces, the shared access driveway becomes a moment for residents to meet and contribute to the full experience of this tight knit set of homes.

The design is indicative of the way in which Bell Phillips has worked to add in elements that will ensure that the scheme is more sustainable in the longterm. Having used materials and surfaces that are robust, the architects have ensured that site maintenance is minimal, which adds further benefits for all residents.

Ludlow Lodge is the largest of the three sites, providing 57 apartments on the site of a former council-owned care home.

In and amongst the development there is a mixture of one-, twoand three-bed homes adjacent to the Holy Trinity conservation area.

Bell Phillips Architects’ scheme is arranged as five pavilion blocks which vary in height between three and five storeys,

offering a suitable backdrop to an adjacent Grade II listed Holy Trinity Church, and responding to the scale of neighbouring apartment buildings. A staggered arrangement and gaps between the blocks break down their volumes, and the development introduces more green space than currently on the site. Pitched roof forms reference the church and its vicarage, complementing the development’s conservation area setting. Brick cladding reflects the predominance of brick in existing nearby buildings, while tall windows and prominent dormers – articulated with metal fins – create a strong vertical rhythm across the building’s elevations. This rhythm mirrors that of the church, and creates a campus feeling across the old and new buildings.

Each apartment has a large open-plan living, dining and kitchen area, leading from a large hallway with an added provision of storage space.

Throughout this scheme Bell Phillips has shown a commitment to design homes that are able to grow with the users as their needs and requirements change.

Spacious balconies to each apartment provide residents with a sheltered external space

that is generous enough for outside dining. Looking over a shared communal green, the relationship between private and public amenity spaces is intended to intensify the social bonds between residents and allow for passive surveillance.

Walking past the scheme at street level, it’s easy to forget that Ludlow Lodge is predominantly social housing, as Bell Phillips has created facades with elegant proportions and generous glazing. These large windows to each apartment allow the homes to be bathed in natural light, a key requirement for health and wellbeing.

Director at Bell Phillips, Hari Phillips, noted that while there are key differences between the approach to design and urban strategy across the three sites, they share thoughtful intent to provide long lasting quality.

Hopefully the architects’ efforts will pay off and these new homes will avoid needless cycles of housing regeneration. According to Hari: “Sutton Council has been a great client, allowing us to demonstrate that social housing provision and highquality architecture can go hand in hand.” 

 www.bellphillips.com

The second site in Richmond Green now provides 21 new family homes on the edge of a post-war housing estate

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Leisure

Timberplay has a dedicated maintenance service, which clients can sign up to at a level suitable for the usage of their play area

THE ONGOING PRESERVATION OF PLAY Lilly Elbra, Marketing Manager at Timberplay, takes a look at the current climate for play, and the threats it is facing. nation’s parks are T hein peril.

With the rate of playground closures at an all-time high, maintenance is in the spotlight with high ongoing costs being identified as the primary cause of playgrounds being decommissioned. With the health of our children at risk,

it is more important than ever that doorstep play facilities are available for all, and addressing the issue of maintenance is a key element of the ongoing preservation of play.

A large scale research program carried out by The Association of Play Industries

(API) recently highlighted the alarming rate of closures. By 2020 there will have been a 44% decrease in spend on play, and around 500 play areas will have been closed nationally. Cash strapped local authorities do not have the manpower or the budgets to ensure that the play

Cash strapped local authorities do not have the manpower or the budgets to ensure that the play areas are being kept in a safe condition

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areas are being kept in a safe condition, so the alternative is simply to rip out the equipment.

Paul Collings, Managing Director at Timberplay, comments: “Maintenance should be a key consideration in any play development.

Typically clients focus all of their budget into the initial design, creating a play area that delivers the ‘wow factor’ without any consideration for how this will look a few years down the line. Whereas this is understandable, it is a shortcoming that needs addressing, particularly when local authorities are struggling with diminishing budgets.”

Of course maintenance costs will vary from project to project, but in terms of ball park figures, it is prudent to allow between 5% and 10% of the initial cost as an ongoing maintenance budget.

German play supplier, Richter Spielgeräte manufactures some of the most highly regarded play equipment in the world.

Although the initial cost is high, great efforts have been made to ensure that the product will perform over the long term.

However, wear and tear is unavoidable, which is why they try to isolate the parts that are likely to deteriorate so that these elements can be easily replaced, minimising the repair costs and ensuring longevity of the products.

Timberplay has a dedicated maintenance service, which clients can sign up to at a level suitable for the usage of their play area. Although waterplay is one of the most beneficial sources of play it can also be one of the most susceptible to maintenance issues.

Maintenance Manager, Steve Juggins comments: “To a certain extent waterplay is a victim of its own success.

The popularity and fantastic play value of this type of equipment can sometimes result in unexpected repair costs. The likelihood of this scenario can easily be avoided if the parks management adopt the policy of pre-planned, routine maintenance.

Leisure Maintenance is in the spotlight with high ongoing costs being identified as the primary cause of playgrounds being decommissioned

“The main problem occurs when the recommended winter decommissioning procedure is not implemented.

Freezing conditions can have a detrimental effect on the internal parts of the equipment which often lead to the failure of that particular valve. When the potentially problematic weather has passed, the equipment can be re-commissioned the following spring.

“Timberplay and Richter therefore strongly advise that park managers follow these recommendations in order to preserve longevity and reliability of the equipment.”

In addition to offering a de-commissioning/recommissioning service for waterplay, Timberplay is more than happy to instruct the park managers and staff on how to carry out this procedure as a one-off at no extra cost.

With so many variables in play it cannot be as simple as creating a standard maintenance package that can be applied to every play area.

If the play area has loose fill safety surfacing this will require more attention to ensure levels are kept topped up. With sand, pea gravel and wood chip though, the play value realised by these substances as opposed to wet pour makes this extra effort worthwhile every time.

David Yearley, Head of Play Safety, RoSPA Play Safety, comments on creating your

own individual maintenance program: “It is vital to the safety of playgrounds to establish a suitable inspection and maintenance schedule.

“The frequency of routine inspections and routine maintenance will depend upon several factors, including: the levels of use, the levels of misuse, the type of equipment and surfacing, weather conditions, anti-social behaviour and recommendations from the manufacturer. Prepare to be reactive to what you find.

“If your playground is always in good condition without any problems then it may be acceptable to relax the inspection and maintenance frequency. If it is always showing signs of misuse or vandalism then you must increase the frequency in order to resolve problems before they lead to injury.

“As an example, it may be that your playground is always littered with broken glass after the weekend. In which case, instead of inspecting it weekly on a Wednesday consider moving the inspection to a Sunday or Monday. This does not necessarily increase the quantity or frequency of inspection, but ensures timeliness within existing budgets.”

Although each play area will have its own particular demands, it is imperative that as a society we get to

grips with this. The rate of playground closures currently happening on a national scale represents a failure of our children and young people.

With emerging health issues on the rise with our younger generations, playgrounds serve a very significant purpose, and one that public authorities cannot undervalue.

For many children, a visit to a neighbourhood play park is one of the only physical activities they regularly participate in, moreover play areas also provide a fundamental space for building community interaction. A nation without play spaces will be a poorer place for everyone. 

 www.timberplay.com

It is prudent to allow between 5% and 10% of the initial project cost as an ongoing maintenance budget

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Healthcare

Operating 24/7, the NHS is one of the UK’s most energy intensive organisations spending more than £750m on energy each year

outputs between 54.8 and 121.7kW. However, when up to eight boilers are used in cascade, installers can create cascade systems of over 970kW – more than enough to supply sufficient heat for most goodsized hospitals.

Greater efficiency

PRESCRIBING AN ENERGY CURE FOR THE NHS Operating 24/7, the NHS is one of the UK’s most energy intensive organisations spending more than £750m on energy each year. For NHS trusts in search of ways to cut costs and reduce energy consumption, Daniel Sturch of Alpha Heating Innovation outlines the benefits of modern condensing cascade systems, a proven way to long-term efficiency savings. the energy M odernising infrastructure of the NHS estate is one way for our health service to spend less on energy and more on patients.

Trusts looking to improve the efficiency of their older, existing heating systems, or who need to replace broken or irreparable appliances, will find that the technology available to replace their existing appliances has changed significantly in recent years.

The Energy-related Products Directive (ErPD), introduced to the UK on 26th September 2015, established minimum energy performance standards for all energy-consuming products, including boilers, with outputs between 70kW and 400kW. The non-condensing boiler technology typically installed in hospitals before this date is unable to meet these standards, and so has been phased out and replaced with condensing appliances instead. Now, NHS Trusts who are looking to

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upgrade their heating and lower their energy costs must consider installing a new system based on condensing boiler technology, rather than relying on the same technology they previously had.

For those commercial Gas Safe registered-installers being asked to upgrade or retrofit hospital heating systems, cascade boilers offer a practical solution to ensure they comply with the new regulations, while also providing the high efficiencies that their clients require.

A cascade heating system comprises a number of condensing boilers connected through hydraulic and gas pipework, linking each boiler and flue together. The engineer then uses modern controls to ensure they operate efficiently in sequence, providing peak load heat outputs when needed, and modulating down as much as possible when they are not required. Cascade boilers can be wall-hung or freestanding or supplied

pre-fitted into purpose-built freestanding frames to make them faster and easier to install.

While each individual boiler offers a certain level of central heating output, when several boilers are sequenced to work together in cascade they can create a system with a total heat output that is far higher.

Condensing boilers have

The main benefit of specifying a new cascade system for a hospital comes from the stepchange in efficiency it offers.

Modern condensing cascade systems are significantly more efficient on initial installation, offering 96% efficiencies, compared with the lower efficiencies offered by older boilers that could have been as little as 50% to 60%. This means that even a like-forlike installation in terms of potential output would improve the hospital’s overall efficiency substantially.

Installing like-for-like systems used to be a popular choice in retrofit situations, as the engineer could be reasonably sure that the system would provide sufficient warmth for the hospital, so long as the original installer had correctly calculated the system load and the occupants had not already been experiencing problems with insufficient heat.

However, the new requirements of the ErPD mean that, in many cases, like-for-like appliances will no longer be possible. Even if these appliances were still on the market, specifying a simple

Trusts looking to improve the efficiency of their older, existing heating systems will find that the technology available has changed significantly in recent years

Healthcare For NHS Trusts looking for ways to improve their efficiency, upgrading their heating to a cascade boiler system offers a great opportunity to make significant savings

‘like-for-like’ installation is no longer considered best practice, especially in a hospital that has been open for a long time, as it fails to take full advantage of just how efficient commercial condensing boilers can be when fitted in cascade.

There are two main reasons why engineers will need to do more than just swap out the boilers. Firstly, while modern condensing boilers are significantly more efficient than the boilers they are likely to be replacing, to take full advantage of that potential, the system must be designed so that the boilers operate in condensing mode for as long as possible.

This may require wider changes to the system design that would not have been necessary when the original system was installed.

Condensing boilers will only operate in condensing mode, and therefore at peak efficiency, when the return temperature of the water (also known as the Dew point) is 55°C or lower.

Peak heat Installers should find out when the building’s energy usage is likely to be at its highest, and under what circumstances, to best calculate its peak

heat demand during the coldest time of the year. This may require them to spend time with the NHS Trust and facilities or building maintenance department to work out exactly when the system is most likely to need to operate at full capacity.

Is it during weekends when the Accident & Emergency Department is likely to be at its busiest? Or does this hospital specialise in planned, routine operations? In which case, weekdays during office hours are likely to be busier.

How does the heating system need to react to changes in occupancy patterns?

Then, the installer must assess how much heat is lost through the fabric of the building, and factor that into their system design.

The system must be able to satisfy the building’s peak heat demand at the coldest time of the year, while still being able to modulate down to lower temperatures and operate more efficiently when that heat demand is reduced.

For example, a condensing boiler with a modulation range of 1:10 means the maximum possible output of 55kW can be

reduced to just 5.5kW if there is a lower system demand. For a cascade installation of five such boilers working together, the modulation range improves five-fold, resulting in a possible modulation of 50:1.

This high modulation ratio means the boilers can be commissioned to operate at part-load for longer, matching the system demand far more closely at all times. This means each boiler is less taxed, reducing the wear and tear on the components.

For example, a heat load requirement of 90kW could be satisfied using a cascade system of four 50kW boilers, each modulated down to operate at 22.5kW. With each boiler running at part-load, fuel efficiency rates would be high.

Alternatively, if the hospital does not have the budget to install four boilers at once, a two-boiler cascade system could be fitted instead, with one 70kW model operating at full load, and the second boiler modulated down to 20kW. A cascade system can only provide heat that closely matches the changing heat load using the correct controls, to ensure they modulate together

to match the load and keep the boilers in condensing mode for as long as possible.

With a carefully designed system of controls to monitor the energy demand and ensure that the design temperature differential between the flow and return water temperatures is maintained, the cascade boilers will accurately respond to the exact heat demand placed on them by the occupants, delivering impressive efficiencies at all times.

Purchasing a cascade system from one manufacturer means the installer can be confident that all the components and controls will work together seamlessly, rather than trying to build a system themselves from disparate products that are not designed to work together.

For NHS Trusts looking for ways to improve their efficiency, lower overheads and increase profits, upgrading their heating to a cascade boiler system offers a great opportunity to make significant savings in the long term, while also enjoying the reassurance that their heating system will be reliable for years to come. 

 www.alpha-innovation.co.uk

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Talking Point

Public sector buildings can make significant energy savings across their processes by optimising their operational schedules

THE KEY TO UNLOCKING ENERGY SAVINGS Vincent de Rul, Director of Energy Solutions at EDF Energy, explains how £27.7m of energy savings are waiting to be unlocked by public sector buildings in the UK.

Vincent de Rul has been the Director of Energy Solutions at EDF Energy for over two years, having previously held a variety of other roles at the company. He has a passion for helping businesses make simple changes to increase their energy efficiency – saving money on their bills and reducing their carbon footprint.

UK has committed T heto becoming carbon

With the rise of renewable energy capabilities, we need to support the grid and help organisations adapt to this change

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neutral by 2050. For this to happen, positive changes need to be made. The time for electrification is now, meaning that there will be more demand than ever on the energy system. Advancements, such as the increasing distribution of electric vehicles, mean that everyone will have to learn to be more efficient in their use of energy if the country’s grid is going to manage the increased stresses put upon it.

With the rise of renewable energy capabilities, we need to support the grid and help organisations adapt to this change. Our vision is to be an efficient, responsible energy company, champions

Talking Point EDF Energy has found that the majority of public sector buildings can still make meaningful carbon reductions that result in significant savings, through very simple changes

of low-carbon growth and a key partner to public sector organisations on the road to a low-carbon future.

For a long time now, energy efficiency has been at the forefront of the national debate, with many people believing that they have either made the most of the changes available to them, or that other suggested changes are too hard to implement.

Working with a variety of organisations across the public sector, however, we have found that the majority of public sector buildings can still make meaningful carbon reductions that result in significant savings, through very simple changes.

First and foremost, it is vital that customers have all the data and information they need surrounding their energy usage, not only for awareness but also to help them make meaningful savings on their energy bills. As a company, we are passionate about helping customers access and understand this information, giving them the knowledge to make the necessary changes.

Using our remote monitoring tool, PowerReport, we measured data across business sites and pinpointed where and how energy is being consumed.

The analysis identified five energy conservation measures that could benefit the sites, which some could install all at once. These measures primarily focus on the savings available through lighting and cooling systems. Lighting savings can easily be made through installing low-energy lighting or installing occupancy sensors to shut off lights automatically.

Retrofitting Enhanced Ventilation Controls and using energy efficient air conditioners will ensure heating and cooling systems are operating at their most efficient.

Public sector buildings can also make significant energy savings across their processes by optimising their operational schedules, perhaps by altering the time at which heating turns off at night or on in the morning. By using tools such as PowerReport, we are providing the knowledge to empower businesses to take control of their energy usage.

The analysis covered over 2500 schools, hospitals and police stations, revealing the potential for total savings of a staggering £27.7m per year across the public sector sites.

These changes could create total average savings of £49,600 per site – a significant saving just waiting to be unlocked.

It’s not just the money that can be saved, but also the planet.

These can play a substantial role in reducing carbon emissions across the UK. Through energy saving measures, public sector buildings could save a total of 91,809 tonnes of CO2 per year.

This is equivalent to the savings that would be gained from planting nearly 2.3 million square meters of woodland, or to the carbon emissions generated from 49,896 flights between London and Sydney. As pressure mounts on businesses to dramatically improve their climate credentials, it’s time to adapt our traditional energy behaviour.

Importantly, the environmental and financial benefits often come hand-inhand. 64% of the sites analysed could make both significant cost and emissions savings simply by

using energy efficient lighting.

On average, this change could create annual savings of £10,007 per site, while reducing carbon emissions by 32 tonnes per year.

This new data only reflects a relatively small proportion of the UK’s public sector estate, meaning that the financial and environmental savings will be vastly higher across the nation. If all UK public sector organisations incorporated these simple and easy changes, operating budgets will increase, while emissions dramatically decrease.

Many may be concerned that implementing these changes will be expensive or detrimental to the operation of their organisations, but this simply isn’t the case. Many of these changes will only incur a small cost, which will swiftly be recuperated through energy savings. There are many routes that public sector organisations can take to a low-carbon future. Reaching this nationwide goal is not as much of a daunting task as some may think, with most journeys beginning with a simple change that can be made by everyone. 

 www.edfenergy.com

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Education

The new-build facility represents an investment of over £40m in the field of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)

Image ©Hufton+Crow

TROX AIR MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS BEST IN CLASS

TROX EASYLAB air management systems, VAV units, and fume cupboard controllers have been chosen to optimise energy efficiency at the new BREEAM ‘Excellent’-rated Collaborative Teaching Laboratory (CTL) at the University of Birmingham.

GLT

LonWorks / BACnet / Modbus

Communication cable

TAM-RMF

Extractor arm Room control panel

On/Off Fume cupboard 1

Fume cupboard 2

Fume cupboard 3...n

TROX installed EASYLAB room air management systems incorporating 88 TROX VAV (Variable Air Volume) units

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in August 2018, C ompleted the new-build facility represents an investment of over £40m in the field of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The new CTL building has a striking design, using large amounts of glass to reflect the spirit of collaboration and community engagement driving the project, and featuring a large angled brise-soleil made from gold anodised aluminium which projects over the main entrance. The three-storey 72,120ft2 building is constructed in a variety of materials and forms, to represent three different internal environments of the laboratories (the dry lab, the wet lab and the e-lab).

‘Collaboration’ holds a double meaning for this project.

In addition to promoting interdisciplinary engagement across the different departments of the university, the new building is designed, internally, to lower the amount of redundancy present when running multiple singledisciplinary labs. The aim is to create spaces that are utilised for a greater percentage of the time, with the ambition of achieving occupation rates of up to 70%.

For the parties involved in the design and installation of the building services, including consulting engineer Couch Perry Wilkes and M&E contractor Imtech, the energy efficiency of

Education Image ©Hufton+Crow The building is constructed in a variety of materials and forms, to represent three different internal environments (the dry lab, the wet lab and the e-lab)

the research spaces was a major priority. The energy consumption of laboratories is often three to four times that of offices on a square metre basis, due to higher cooling loads and the requirement for larger volumes of conditioned air for equipment such as fume cupboards.

This can mean that laboratory buildings are responsible for between 50% and 80% of the total energy-related (nonresidential) carbon emissions of research-intensive universities.

To meet the demanding criteria for the new CTL, laboratory air management specialist TROX was approached to provide best-in-class solutions capable of optimising energy efficiency whilst maintaining the appropriate safety and comfort conditions for building occupants.

The new facility houses nine purpose-designed laboratory spaces ranging in size, scope and purpose. To maximise environmental performance of these areas TROX installed EASYLAB room air management systems incorporating 88 TROX VAV (Variable Air Volume) units.

The TROX EASYLAB systems manage the supply and extract controllers to provide a rapid response to changes in extract volumes by the technical extract (for example fume cupboards) to ensure the correct air flow balance and

room pressure at all times in the laboratories. This significantly improves energy efficiency, as it prevents unnecessary supply of conditioned air to the space.

TROX also supplied equipment capable of optimising the lifecycle costs of the university’s extensive investment in scientific hardware. For example, one large space in the CTL includes no less than 50 fume cupboards.

To optimise energy efficiency of these pieces of equipment, TROX’s air management system divides the lab into five zones, each with 10 fume cupboards fitted with TROX EASYLAB TVLKtype fume cupboard controllers.

Sash distance sensors control the volume flow rates based on the height of the sashes, and TROX BE-SEG-02 user displays, with traffic light warning systems and audible alarms, contribute to safe working procedures.

Each zone features two supply air VAV units which track the extract air, ensuring the maintenance of correct leakage flows. By matching the supply of air to the changing requirements of the space these features reduce over-supply and wastage of conditioned air, ensuring that research can be carried out safely in the space whilst achieving the optimum level of environmental and financial performance.

The open bench area features eight dedicated EASYLAB VAV units, switched locally, to provide

LEV extract with local fault and alarm indication. All the units in the project feature a BACnet MS/TP interface card, allowing the University Estates team to monitor the specialist lab air management systems via the site’s BMS. The levels of efficiency made possible by the TROX air management systems have contributed to the outstanding levels of environmental performance of the new building as a whole. The building boasts an ‘A’ EPC rating and has been rated ‘Excellent’ by BREEAM.

Ian Thomas, Product Technical Manager – Air Products at TROX UK, commented: “It’s a pleasure to be involved in a forward-thinking project such as the Collaborative Teaching Laboratory facility at the University of Birmingham.

The logistics of the project offer considerable efficiency improvements over running multiple single-disciplinary labs, and we are extremely proud to have been able to support that vision with our equipment.” 

 www.troxuk.co.uk

TROX Type TVLK

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Legal & Business

Tina Chander is a Partner and Head of the Employment team at leading Midlands law firm, Wright Hassall and deals with contentious and noncontentious employment law issues. She acts for employers of all sizes from small businesses to large national and international businesses, advising in connection with all aspects of employment tribunal proceedings and appeals.

STRENGTHENING WORKERS’ RIGHTS WITH EVOLVING EMPLOYMENT LAWS

The Government unveiled its Good Work Plan in December 2018 as a direct and carefully detailed strategy to strengthen worker’s rights

Since 2010, the UK has experienced lower unemployment rates across every region, underpinned by a strong and innovative labour market that has seized on new opportunities. employment law E xisting and policy framework has found a balance between flexibility and worker protections, placing UK-based construction businesses in a strong position to benefit from the new industrial revolution.

Out with the old, in with the new The Government unveiled its Good Work Plan in December 2018 as a direct and carefully detailed strategy to strengthen worker’s rights and change employment laws.

Labelled as ‘the biggest package of workplace reforms for over 20 years’, the plan builds on the Taylor Review recommendations of February 2018 and outlines an intention to improve conditions for agency, zero-hour and other atypical workers.

Requesting stable contracts One of the main issues addressed is ‘one-sided flexibility’, which recognises some businesses have transferred too much business risk to the individual.

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New legislation will give workers the right to request a more stable contract, allowing them to benefit from flexible working, without the financial uncertainty.

Those happy to work varied hours each week can do so, but others will be allowed to request a fixed working pattern after 26 weeks of service, giving workers greater control over their own lives.

For those working zero-hour contracts, this change will allow them to request a contract that guarantees a minimum number of weekly hours, which is crucial when looking to secure a mortgage.

Repealing Swedish derogation The Good Work Plan also addresses Swedish derogation, which currently allows agency workers to exchange their right to be paid equally to permanent counterparts in return for a contract guaranteeing pay between assignments.

Although the original intentions of Swedish

derogation were to offer reassurance that individuals would still earn during quieter periods, some employers have been using this opt-out to reduce the size of their pay bill.

The Government aims to repeal Swedish derogation with new legislation, banning the use of this type of contract to withhold equal pay rights.

Instead, long-term agency workers will receive equal wages to those of permanent employees.

Tougher enforcement measures In order to create a level playing field between businesses, there needs to be effective enforcement.

The Government plans to extend state enforcement for vulnerable workers, introducing tough financial penalties and an approach that already applies to underpayment of the National Minimum Wage.

This involves increasing enforcement protections for agency workers where they

have pay withheld or unclear deductions made, while new legislation will increase the maximum penalty imposed during employment tribunals.

Preparing for the future With the arrival of the Good Work Plan and ongoing consultation regarding employment laws and legislation, 2019 has been a crucial year for businesses and workers alike.

It’s important that organisations take the time to review the changes and understand the requirements outlined in the new legislation, as non-compliance could cost organisations financially and damage their reputation.

If you’re unsure about the Good Work Plan and wider developments, it is important to consult a legal team with significant experience of employment law and the imminent changes. 

 www.wrighthassall.co.uk

LET IT RAIN! Johnstone’s Smooth Masonry, for Quick Rain Resistance.

Unpredictable weather conditions making it difficult to schedule exterior projects and keep them on track? Now you can confidently schedule your exterior projects in all seasons thanks to the new Johnstone’s Smooth Masonry with Quick Rain Resistance technology. Johnstone’s improved Smooth Masonry is now rain resistant after 20 minutes and can be applied in temperatures from 2°C and rising. With 15 years BBA approval, Johnstone’s Smooth Masonry provides a cost effective solution that extends the maintenance proposition therefore, reducing the total maintenance cost over the age of the building.

Visit www.johnstonestrade.com to find out more.

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Technical Focus

Roof Maker's fixed flat Passive House rooflight is unique to the UK, using innovative triple glazed Reflex glass to prevent heat loss

the last few years, O ver Tye Architects has seen

ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND LONGEVITY ALL UNDER ONE ROOF As the Passive House Standard continues to grow in popularity, not only for residential but increasingly for commercial developments, Architect Nicolas Tye shares his knowledge on the specific considerations a Passive House-accredited roof requires.

Tye Architects work with manufacturers such as Roof Maker, which offers a Passive House-accredited fixed flat rooflight

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a significant increase in the number of both residential and commercial projects it receives with energy efficiency top of the agenda as part of the building’s construction specification.

Initially considered a trend, the Passive House standard is now becoming far more prevalent, with more than 30,000 buildings worldwide holding the Passive House accreditation.

While my architectural firm originally received requests for one-off private dwellings looking to achieve the Passive House standard to primarily cut heating bills, there has been a significant influx in recent years for projects within the local authority environment, such as schools and other commercial buildings, to be built to the Passive House standard.

Of the residential projects, there’s an interesting divide between those who are striving to officially achieve the Passive House rating and those who are simply influenced by the practice and are wanting to create a thermally-efficient home without having to go through the procedure of an official accreditation.

This is indicative of the positive impact the Passive House standard is having on both Europe and specifically the UK, as homeowners and local authorities are increasingly looking to construct buildings led by ecological designs to provide cleaner air inside than out.

As the Passive House standard supports the construction of entirely energy-efficient buildings that minimise heating demand by using energy sources from inside the property, such as the body heat from residents or solar heat that enters through windows, it traditionally eliminates the requirement for heating and manual ventilation systems. This dramatically reduces energy use and carbon emissions, thereby decreasing energy costs, while also supporting the building’s ongoing health and overall indoor air quality.

Technical Focus

The Passive House standard requires a different approach to be taken with regard to the building’s overall design by reconsidering the quality of the building components specified.

There are five main areas that architects should consider when undertaking a Passive House build: airtightness, thermal bridge-free design, thermal insulation, Passive House windows and adequate ventilation with heat recovery.

The Passive House Institute (PHI) outlines that the recommended maximum U-values for walls, floors and roofs is 0.15W/m2K. With regard to roofs, in particular, manufacturers are proactively and proficiently creating high-quality building materials that offer maximum energy efficiency, while also diminishing the loss of heat via the roof due to radiation. These products must, of course, be Passive House-certified and are listed on the PHI website.

With regard to the design and build of a Passive House roof, the structure itself must be entirely airtight, requiring high levels of insulation and the elimination of all thermal bridges to ensure the maximum permitted U-value isn’t exceeded. The roof’s specifications will, of course, be dependent on the build itself, but they must also ensure a maximum of 0.6 air changes per hour at 50 Pascals pressure (ACH50) to ensure adequate airtightness is achieved.

The PHI also states that the highest U-value for complete

window installations remains at 0.85W/m2K. For the design of roofs in particular, this requires the specification of rooflights that are either triple or quadruple glazed to ensure they do not exceed the maximum U-value. To achieve this, we work with manufacturers such as Roof Maker, which offers a Passive House-accredited fixed flat rooflight. Specifying a product such as this ensures we can be confident that we are well within the PHI’s requirements to achieve complete energy and solar gain efficiencies.

Typically, the installation of windows, doors and rooflights is where the greatest level of energy is expected to be lost, due to the glazing present and the breaks between the frame and the glass offering the opportunity for heat to escape.

Therefore, the frames must be well insulated and fitted with low-e glazing filled with argon or krypton to prevent heat transfer.

For most cool-temperate climates, this requires a U-value

Patented design 'stepped' glazing to create superior thermal performance

The aluminium construction offers maximum strength for increased longevity

of 0.80W/m2K or less, with g-values around 50%.

In residential builds, the roof space of a property is now often used as an additional living space, usually an extra bedroom. To ensure it conforms to all Passive House requirements, thermal comfort of the space must be met during both winter and summer, with not more than 10% of the hours in a given year exceeding 25°C. The premise of thermal comfort is that it can be achieved solely by postheating or post-cooling the fresh air mass through efficient indoor air quality conditions.

This removes the requirement for additional recirculation of air through manual ventilation systems such as opening rooflights and windows. To ensure this, it requires adequate insulation of the building’s envelope to ensure the desired level of warmth can be achieved within the property.

In order to obtain the Passive House standard, the roof space must also feature an adequate ventilation strategy, allowing for good indoor air quality and energy savings. At least 75% of the heat from the exhaust air should be transferred to the fresh air again by means of a heat exchanger. This should be situated within the roof of the building to ensure the successful exchange between the exhaust air within the building and the fresh air outside of the building.

The PHI states Passive House is a “building standard that is truly energy-efficient, comfortable, affordable and ecological at the same time”.

This provides architects with the ideal opportunity to continue to revolutionise the expectations and realisations of both residential and commercial constructions to pave the way for a more energy-efficient future. 

 www.roof-maker.co.uk

When viewed under thermal imaging:

High-performance insulation

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KBB

Multigenerational households provide many opportunities for those living together

DESIGNING FOR EVERYONE Multigenerational living is on the increase and it’s never too late to start designing adaptable and accessible kitchens that are suitable for everyone. Local authorities and housing associations face all the same problems as housebuilders, with the added problems of ensuring the right balance between requirements and budgets.

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As the population continues to age, local authorities are now trying to incorporate the future needs of tenants

house prices W ith increasing and the

An opportunity for local authorities?

How to make a house an accessible home?

cost of childcare and caring for the elderly continuing to rise, there is set to be greater demand on local authorities and housing associations to provide multigenerational homes. They will need to factor in kitchens that have the longevity and adaptability to suit the ever-changing requirements of their customers and users over time.

According to the National House Building Council (NHBC) the number of multigenerational households increased between 2009 and 2014. Financial considerations, older children being unable to get on the housing ladder, or simply wanting to live together to enable the purchase of a larger property, were all reasons cited for choosing multigenerational living.

Multigenerational households provide many opportunities for those living together.

From helping with childcare, to offering support or caring for an elderly relative, it can lead to a decrease in social care intervention. Research shows that living together is beneficial to the health and wellbeing of older generations as it helps to tackle problems like loneliness and isolation.

The NHBC states that 1.8 million households contain two or more adult generations, and that number is increasing. Yet housing continues to be built around the traditional housing layout without consideration to the shift towards multigenerational living or the needs of those who require more accessible properties.

The kitchen has always been the central hub of the home, but where builders have the ADM standard to work to for bathrooms, the guidance is less clear for kitchens. Local authorities, housebuilders, or anyone involved in housebuilding or adapting existing properties should work with designers and manufacturers to have the know-how and experience to apply the correct design principles to multigenerational kitchens.

Adam Thomas is a leading UK designer of accessible kitchens and a founding member of the 4G movement. He says: “Designers are largely ignoring multigenerational kitchen design, they don’t seem to understand how crucial effective ergonomics are for

individual requirements in a multigenerational kitchen, especially if there is a disabled person within the household.

“Symphony Group are introducing my design philosophy into their existing kitchen offer, rather than having it as a separate special range. People of any ability can now have the same service whenever they want to replace their kitchen.”

As the population continues to age, local authorities are trying to incorporate the future needs of tenants.

Whilst this sounds like an impossible feat to provide houses that cover accessibility for all, simply starting at the beginning with the kitchen design can ensure flexibility for customers today and for years to come. 

 www.symphony-group.co.uk

The world leader in timber preservation technology ®

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TRIED AND TRUSTED METHOD OF PRESERVING TIMBER AGAINST FUNGAL DECAY AND INSECT ATTACK, FOR INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL TIMBER THE ORIGINAL WOOD PRESERVATIVE AND STILL THE BEST 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

Damp-Proofing

an estimated 20% of W ith the UK population now

New PIV unit provides energy efficient condensation curing

HOMING IN ON DOMESTIC VENTILATION REGULATION With issues of condensation and damp prevalent in rented properties across the UK, Paul Harrington, Head of Residential Sales at Elta Fans, explains how installers can help landlords to prepare for the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 and lead the way when it comes to avoiding issues associated with poor ventilation.

living in rental accommodation, it is inevitable that any new legislation affecting this sector would attract its fair share of attention. Case in point is the heavily publicised Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 which will affect most landlords and tenants.

Having come into force earlier this year, the Act seeks to ensure that rented properties are fit for human habitation, or in other words, safe, healthy and free from things that could cause serious harm.

While we hope that most landlords keep their properties in acceptable condition, this new legislation will ensure that this actually is the case. For example, according to the latest English Housing Survey, in 2017, 13% of dwellings in the social rented sector failed to meet the Decent Homes Standard which is lower than the proportion of private rented (25%) and owner occupied (19%) homes.

Whether renting privately, from a housing association or through a local council, the new Homes Act gives tenants more control when it comes to the living conditions of their properties.

The courts will decide whether a property is fit for human habitation by considering matters which are set out in section 10 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, including if there is a serious problem with damp and if there’s not adequate ventilation. If a property is deemed to be unsuitable for human habitation, the court can enforce compulsory improvement to the condition of the property and even offer compensation to the tenant.

Take responsibility

The link between condensation dampness, mould growth and adequate ventilation is well established

30

While manufacturers can help to demystify the new standards, it is actually designers, installers and building owners which have a responsibility under current Building Regulations to ensure compliance.

The link between condensation dampness, mould growth and adequate ventilation is well established.

Therefore, when landlords spot issues like these in their

Damp-Proofing

properties, they are likely to seek the advice of suitably qualified and experienced ventilation professionals. As such, it is key for installers to get to grips with the changes so they can advise their customers.

Understand the regulations With numerous regulatory requirements and guidance documents related to providing ventilation in existing homes, there is a lot of information for installers, building owners and designers to navigate – and that’s before the new Homes Act is considered.

While Approved Document F and the accompanying Domestic Ventilation Compliance Guide are often considered the most important documentation relating to ventilation, it’s important to have an understanding of all building regulations and how they interact with each other. For example, Approved Document L1B relating to the conservation of fuel and power in existing dwellings, Approved Document A which covers the structural elements of a building and Approved Document B detailing fire safety are all of importance when it comes to the specification and installation of ventilation equipment.

Before investing in or even researching the latest ventilation products and systems, it is crucial for both landlords (social and private) and installers to spend time educating themselves on the Building Regulations and guidance documents associated with designing and installing ventilation systems into new and existing homes.

For landlords, having a full understanding of the UK’s regulations is critical to assessing whether the existing ventilation strategy in a home is adequate, if tenant lifestyle is a contributing factor to conditions, and if the surveyors, contractors and manufacturers they engage with are suitably qualified. What’s more, it will help to ensure the products specified and used are compliant with regulations and essentially that they can rest easy knowing they have fulfilled their obligations.

The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 seeks to ensure that rented properties are fit for human habitation

It equally presents a great opportunity for contractors if they apply the regulations correctly to be in a position to educate landlords, with landlords able to rely on installers if issues associated with ventilation do occur.

Familiarity with the latest products While manufacturers should keep abreast of legislative changes and adapt their products accordingly, in the case of the Homes Act, they aren’t held responsible if a ventilation product isn’t compliant. As such, if an installed ventilation system is discovered to be noncompliant, it could be the installer that is potentially at fault.

Approved Document F refers to four commonly adopted home ventilation strategies including background ventilation and intermittent extract fans, continuous mechanical extract ventilation (MEV), Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) and passive stack ventilation as well as various alternative approaches such as Positive Input Ventilation (PIV).

While all of these solutions can be appropriate depending on the application and

installation, installers should be paying close attention to the ventilation performance and energy consumption of these techniques to ensure they are compliant. In any case, ventilation should be controllable in order to maintain indoor air quality and avoid wasting energy.

With the Homes Act making specific reference to ventilation, both landlords and contractors should have a general awareness given that

they are likely to be dealing with cases where a tenant claims their ventilation system is inadequate.

By understanding and applying regulations correctly while working closely with manufacturers to ensure the products they install are compliant, installers will be well placed to become an asset to their customers who are social or private landlords. 

 www.eltafans.com

Approved Document F refers to four commonly adopted home ventilation strategies as well as various alternative approaches such as Positive Input Ventilation (PIV)

31

Landscaping

The pitch is designed to the highest possible standard, ensuring matches are fast-paced and exciting to both play in and for spectators to watch

NEW ELITE SURFACE FOR SPORTS FACILITY Loughborough University has unveiled its new state-of-the-art sport pitches, installed by a world-leading sports surface provider and pitch partner, SIS Pitches. in summer 2019, I nstalled the new elite level waterbased hockey surface is the first of its kind in the UK and has been designed specifically to encourage speed of play. The full-size pitch harnesses the latest innovations and was manufactured at the company’s state-of-the-art £1.8m headquarters in Cumbria.

The SISTurf Xcel Ultra surface is the product of SIS Pitches’ continuous pursuit of high-quality

and innovative surfaces. The combination of a high-grade, polyethylene polymer, 10-ended texturised yarn and optimised turf construction provides a truly elitelevel system, with exceptional ball speed and uniformity, as well as outstanding durability.

SIS Pitches has also recently installed SISGrass hybrid technology into the newly-built pitch at the Loughborough University Stadium. The pitch

SIS Pitches has been named as the official partner for all Loughborough University’s Stadium pitches

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consists of 95% natural grass supported with 5% synthetic fibres and is the same style of pitch as used at the 2018 World Cup. The football pitch was the first in the UK to be installed using a new-to-market, 100% electric machine from SISGrass. This innovation can stitch a full-size football pitch in just seven days, a huge step forward in reducing the environmental footprint of each pitch installation.

SIS Pitches has been named as the official partner for all Loughborough University’s Stadium pitches. As part of this remit, it will also sponsor the Women’s Hockey first-team in a multi-year deal, following last season’s promotion to the Investec Women’s Hockey League Premier Division.

Brett Holland, Women’s Hockey Performance Head Coach, said: “We are thrilled with the installation of a new elite level playing surface here at Loughborough. The pitch is designed to the highest possible standard, ensuring matches are fast-paced and exciting to both play in and for spectators to watch.

“The squad achieved fantastic things last season which culminated in promotion to the Premier Division and winning British Universities College Sport (BUCS) gold. It’s brilliant news for everyone involved that we have the surface to continue with this momentum for the new campaign.”

Richard Allen, Director of Football, Loughborough University, added: “The new pitch will take our football offer to the next level and help showcase the excellent facilities we already have on offer. The durability of the surface will give more opportunities for our students to experience playing at the stadium, which will undoubtedly help their personal development as footballers.”

Joe Shaw, Sales Manager at SIS Pitches, added: “Loughborough University are the leading sports university in the UK and one of the leading institutions worldwide in relation to research, technology and performance in sport.

“This partnership represents a unique opportunity for us to work together with Loughborough University’s elite staff and athletes to maximise our product quality, delivery, service and to conduct key research into athlete performance and interaction with natural, hybrid and synthetic surfaces in a variety of sports.” 

 www.sispitches.com

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The world leader in timber preservation technology

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THE PROVEN LEACH RESISTANT FIRE PROTECTION TREATMENT FOR TIMBER AND SHINGLES ENHANCED PERFORMANCE FOR EXTERIOR TIMBER 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

33

Acoustics

There is a steady increase in classrooms being designed to the SEN standard

is marginally more expensive than Class C, but is much more efficient so that overall the cost will be lower.

Dry-lined walls can provide good sound insulation and useful low-frequency absorption at no extra cost. If you need more low-frequency absorption, proprietary bass pads can be installed above ceilings and rafts.

DESIGNING CLASSROOMS FOR SPECIAL NEEDS Adrian James BSc FIOA, of Adrian James Acoustics Ltd, reflects on the importance of well-equipped learning environments for those pupils with special hearing or communication needs. of school children 2 5% nationally are classified as pupils with special hearing and communication needs.

That comprises about 6% with hearing or visual impairment, autistic spectrum disorder, ADHD or other disorders, and 19% for whom English is not their first language.

According to the DfE’s Building Bulletin 93 Acoustic Design of Schools, these pupils should be taught in classrooms meeting the SEN standard, with lower noise levels and better room acoustics than mainstream classrooms. 15 years after BB93 was published, however, most pupils with special needs are still taught in classrooms which barely comply with the mainstream standard. This is because compliance with BB93 is only a legal requirement under building regulations for schools built since 2003, and even in those schools, derogations are encouraged. Ultimately, of course, the reason is cost; budgets for school building have now been cut so far that the DfE’s own design standards are unattainable.

There are, however, two incentives – a carrot and a stick – for schools to provide better acoustics for SEN.

34

The carrot is the knowledge that better classroom acoustics allow pupils to understand better, leading to better academic results and, incidentally, better health for teachers and pupils alike.

The stick is the dreaded SEND Tribunal, which almost invariably finds state school provision to be inadequate for individual pupils with special needs, who are then moved to special or independent schools at huge expense to the education authority.

It comes as a shock to many education authorities that it is not enough to provide an acoustically excellent special needs unit where pupils might spend 10% of their time, if the rest of their teaching is in large mainstream classes where they cannot understand most of what is happening.

Consequently we are seeing a steady increase in classrooms being designed to the SEN standard. The good news is that this standard is achievable at surprisingly little extra cost by following some simple guidance: Use acoustics consultants who are experienced in this type of design, and get them involved early to advise on room locations, shapes and sizes.

Do not rely on ventilation through opening windows facing busy roads.

Keep the room volumes down. Large rooms with high ceilings are naturally more reverberant and need more absorbent treatment. Children with special needs should generally be taught in smaller classes anyway.

You will need acoustic absorption overhead. This can be a conventional suspended ceiling or individual rafts or baffles.

These are very efficient because both sides are absorptive.

Use Class A absorption; this

Whatever the ceiling type, you will probably need some acoustically absorbent wall panels as well. Pinboards and noticeboards are not acoustically absorbent.

Conventional reverberation time calculations do not work in this type of room. Your acoustics consultant should create a 3D acoustic computer model for each type of classroom.

Acoustically absorbent and diffusing furniture and fittings help, and should be included in the acoustician’s calculations and commissioning.

Measure the end result during commissioning; the results will inform your next design.

And finally, feel the satisfaction of knowing that you are not just doing your job properly, but providing a good teaching and learning environment for people who really need it. 

25% of school children nationally are classified as pupils with special hearing and communication needs

 www.association-ofnoise-consultants.co.uk

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35

Fire Protection

One in three architects were unable to correctly define the concept of active fire protection

the 200,000 homes O fbuilt each year in the

ADOPTING A SYSTEM-LED APPROACH TO FIRE PROTECTION Recently, the National Housing Federation found that more than 8 million people in England are living in an unaffordable, insecure or unsuitable home. This is increasing pressure on contractors to deliver bigger, quicker and cheaper builds. Ian King, Chief Commercial Officer at Zeroignition, looks at the benefits of modern methods of construction and how the solutions offered by adopting an off-site approach can be applied to fire protection and safety.

36

UK, around 15,000 are modular.

With fewer lorry deliveries to the building site, modular constructions have a lower carbon footprint and nearby residents are exposed to less noise and visual pollution. The whole off-site construction process can also be completed in roughly half the time of a traditional build.

Furthermore, modular construction allows for the standardising of housing design, making production more efficient. There is an important lesson to be learned here in how off-site manufacturers use monitored and checked components to ensure products meet performance specifications.

By introducing quality checks and tests during component assembly in the factory setting, it’s easy to develop and implement industry-standard certifications.

When taken to the construction site for installation, the workforce will be fully qualified to execute the build, having up-to-date knowledge of the products and the building as a “system”.

This approach can be adopted for fire protection design.

The system-led approach to fire protection A system-led fire protection design method involves checking that the specified components work both individually and holistically.

System components will generally include: Active fire protection – measures triggering a response, such as sprinkler systems and smoke alarms Passive fire protection – measures to slow down or contain fire, such as fire doors and fire-retardant materials.

A system-led approach can combine compartmentation – for example, with fire doors, sprinkler systems and FRrated OSB board – followed by assessing each component

for its individual performance, as well as how it works in combination with other components.

It’s clear, however, that enforcing a system-led approach to fire protection design can only take place if there’s a drastic improvement in key knowledge across the industry.

Fire protection awareness must improve We recently announced a raft of alarming findings from a study of fire protection awareness among architects and specifiers.

The basic fire protection terms mentioned earlier, “active fire protection” and “passive fire protection” are linked with the standard terms “reaction to fire” and “fire resistance”.

However, a huge 92% of UK architects were unable to define them.

One in three architects were unable to correctly define the concept of active fire protection, while more than half couldn’t give an accurate definition of passive fire protection. A similar number were unable to explain “reaction to fire” protection, and almost three-quarters were unable to define “fire resistance”.

None of the architects interviewed said they had had comprehensive fire protection training; 8% said they’ve had no training whatsoever.

Our findings come as an industry-wide shock. Architects are responsible for designing reliable, robust buildings and there’s clearly a lack of understanding when it comes to fire basics – which is worrying to say the least.

Architects, their employers and the professional bodies need to invest in ensuring this vital knowledge is fully distributed, absorbed and practised.

The traditional approach needs to change Construction projects are incredibly complex involving a myriad of decisions. Each choice has a knock-on effect and there can be unforeseen results when a systematic approach to fire protection isn’t adopted.

Fire Protection While architects know that a methodical way is best, there’s clearly some scepticism as to how achievable this is. There is still more to be done by manufacturers and architectural bodies to ensure that best practice is fully established and followed.

Beyond this, the construction industry needs to learn from other industries, such as automotive and aviation, which focus on a checklist approach to reduce harm to passengers.

If people rely on memory, mistakes happen and the simple action of checking off points can stop fire planning elements being missed.

With a third of architects saying their current employer doesn’t spend enough on fire protection training, there’s clearly an opportunity for the construction and manufacturing sectors to step in to the breach and help fund such training.

Beyond this, we need to look to the latest in communications theory and understanding decision making to ensure that fire communications are presented in a way that sticks, and use nudge theory to ensure that it’s easier to do the right thing.

Only when fire protection is taken with the extreme seriousness it deserves can we start looking at new approaches to construction that reinforce a building’s primary role: keeping people safe and secure. 

 www.zeroignition.com

Zeroignition recently announced a raft of alarming findings from a study of fire protection awareness among architects and specifiers

Enforcing a system-led approach to fire protection design can only take place if there’s a drastic improvement in key knowledge across the industry

Construction projects are incredibly complex involving a myriad of decisions.

Each choice has a knock-on effect and there can be unforeseen results when a systematic approach to fire protection isn’t adopted.

37

Roofing, Cladding & Insulation

Anomatch is a perfect match for London’s new West End square

The design also features decorative curved “shadow gap” channels between the tiles, deep panels at the foot of the walkways and soffit-style panels across the width forming a small ceiling.

The designers were keen to ensure colour compatibility between these panels and the gates and also between the various extruded, folded, curved and welded aluminium sections used. An excellent visual and functional finish was essential as much of the material is at eye level and below.

“Powdertech Anomatch achieves a similar appearance to anodising, enhancing the metal with a soft sheen,” explained Powdertech Director, Richard Besant. “The finish provides excellent colour stability and consistency between batches, irrespective of the origin or grade of the substrate metal and negates any differences in base material grain. Anodising cannot achieve this consistency across different substrates.”

After viewing several sample sections, the client selected Anomatch 543, a light bronze shade with a metallic sheen to complement the entrance gates. Powdertech coated a total of 700m2 of straight and curved 118 x 100mm aluminium channel sections and access/ channel cover panels and soffit panels.

©Make Architects

A former post office warehouse occupying 2.3 acres just north of Oxford Street, has been transformed into the first new square in London in many years.

Rathbone Square is a lively new addition to London’s West End, with 242,800ft2 of Grade A office space, 140 private residential apartments and carefully selected cafes,

shops and restaurants. Attractive arched walkways at two corners are lined with jade glazed ceramic tiles which contrast well with brass gates and posts at the entrances.

 www.powdertechcorby.co.uk  pcl@powdertech.co.uk  01536 400890

Rooflight solutions support college upgrade project

London Bridge redevelopment stands test of time London Bridge station reopened last year following a vast £1bn redevelopment, which included multiple facades and glass lift shafts held together by Sikasil structural silicone. As well as being able to provide the strength of bond needed, the Sikasil UV and weathering resistance meant it was the perfect product for long-term durability. Throughout the project, architectural glass specialist OAG continued to work closely with Sika, who provided in-house testing at its specialist facility in Welwyn Garden City. The project proved to be particularly challenging due to the large size of the glass panels and the fact that the facade had to be incredibly robust, able to resist strong pressure up to the level of a bomb-blast.

 www.sika.co.uk/facades  01707 394444

38

Holy Cross College in Bury, Manchester, has undergone a period of renovation and extension to provide upgraded facilities for its students. Two X-Span canopies, a thermally-enhanced self-supporting rooflight, were specified over the student walkways with 25mm, five wall X-structured protected polycarbonate providing the glazing solution. This allowed natural light to penetrate into the student circulation area and access to the coffee shop. In addition, two X3 rooflights were specified in the main building. Both had double glazed glass, argon-filled units providing enhanced thermal protection. This thermally broken metal system, provides an insulated barrier within the frame, offers considerable flexibility whilst complying with Part L of the Building Regulations.

 www.xtralite.co.uk

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Sto cladding specified for housing upgrade A major project to refurbish and upgrade housing stock has seen a BBA-certified external wall insulation system from Sto applied to 135 homes in Basildon. The installation of the StxTherm Protect system forms part of a £2.2m project to regenerate the borough’s Craylands and Fryerns housing estates. StxTherm Protect is an extremely rugged and BBA-certified external wall insulation system that delivers outstanding thermal protection, and is designed to meet strict fire protection requirements. It combines non-combustible mineral-fibre insulation board with a mineralic reinforcing coat, glass-fibre reinforcing mesh and high-performance decorative finishes, and it was applied to the properties using a combination of Sto’s mechanical fixings and Multibond adhesive.

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The Village Green Medical Centre in Great Denham was built in 1994 using a modular building system for the speed of construction benefits. Planning authorities agreed to the project on the condition that the building would eventually be over clad with a finish that would blend in with the surrounding residential area.

Roofing, Cladding & Insulation

Village medical centre rejuvenated with Eurobrick

slips and corners and a Smooth Brown brick slip plinth detail.

The surgery had to remain open during the project and the contract was completed in six weeks using an innovative mixture of access solutions as well as out-of-hours working to minimise disruption to patients.

Paul Fereday of ICS commented: “The overall finish has given this modular building a new lease of life with an appearance that blends in well with the surrounding new residential development. Towards the end of the project, many of the people visiting the medical centre commented on how much the appearance had improved.”

Today, the building stands proud with a mixed real brick and timber-effect finish.

Eurobrick’s P-Clad system was used for

the ground floor by Industrial Contracting Services (ICS), which installed circa 315m² of the system with Rustic Inferno Multi brick

 www.eurobrick.co.uk  info@eurobrick.co.uk  0117 971 7117

Kalwall leads the way in retrofit design Kalwall translucent cladding, exclusively available in the UK and Ireland from Structura UK, has helped transform a former marble processing plant into an amazing space for the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, USA. Designed by Cope Associates, the new facilities services complex has totally revitalised and refreshed the original 1908 building and the use of Kalwall has helped the project’s LEED Silver Certification.

The interior of this 8500m2 building is now bathed with diffused daylight through the Kalwall panels fitted into the original clerestory encircling the central hall. The Kalwall keeps the interior free from glare and hotspots and the stark contrasts of light and shade. It also specifically helps the computer users by keeping direct sunlight and glare off their screens, making it more restful and reducing eye fatigue.

Furthermore, Kalwall’s insulation properties mean U-values of up to 0.28 W/m2K can be achieved. This is as energyefficient as a normal cavity wall and four times better than insulated glass units.

Therefore, there is less of a demand for artificial heating and cooling, while the translucence reduces the need for artificial lighting.

Kalwall is a popular choice for retrofit projects. The strong and lightweight panels are factory prefabricated to the exact size needed for each project. They are easily retrofitted into existing spaces and can often use the existing substrate, saving both time and money on removal and new fabrication.

This, coupled with the low-maintenance

colour stable, UV-resistant and self-cleaning surface, has the additional advantage that ongoing maintenance is kept to a minimum, thereby avoiding cost and disruption.  www.structura-uk.com/kalwall  mail@structura.co.uk  01233 501504

39

Floors, Walls & Ceilings

Rockfon at revolutionary Passivhaus Harris Academy 4000m2 of high-performance Rockfon ceiling and wall systems make a valuable contribution to the innovative £40m Harris Academy Sutton, South London – the first secondary school in the country to be built to Passivhaus energy performance standards, pioneered in the early 1990s by German designers to achieve comfortable buildings that use 80% less energy.

The main tenets of Passivhaus ideology include high-performance multi-layered glazing, increased insulation to create air-tight interiors, and the use of natural and recycled building materials. Along with mechanical ventilation, this style of construction results in major savings on energy costs year-on-year and provides excellent air quality and stable temperatures for students and staff.

At Harris Academy, exposed concrete or cross-laminated timber soffits are used. Project architect Architype wanted to expose as much of these materials as possible for both aesthetic and practical reasons. Rockfon Tropic and Rockfon Blanka ceiling tiles were used to great effect with their superb sound absorption properties

in these staff and teaching spaces, helping create happy, healthy interior environments.

Throughout the school’s communal areas, innovative and versatile, frameless, acoustic, Rockfon Eclipse rectangular islands are installed either singularly or suspended from the soffit in a continuous run, to control reverberation and retain a view of the exposed soffits. Their smooth, deep-matt, super white surface provides high light reflection, light diffusion and anti-static properties.

Elsewhere, Rockfon Samson is used as wall panels in the sports hall to provide a highly resilient, impact-resistant surface which offers Class A sound absorption – vital where noise levels could otherwise impact on communication and the enjoyment of group activities.

Childcare institutions with sound design The design of spaces for children is intriguing because of the permanent influence it can have on them. A new online theme

by Danish acoustic panel manufacturer Troldtekt explores through articles and expert interviews how good acoustics plays its part when designing these areas. Of course, other factors such as colour, shapes, robustness and finish also have an impact, but so does sound.

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Rockfon Koral ceiling tiles were used in the school WCs and changing rooms where their superior moisture-resistant properties and wipe-clean surface were paramount.

In the kitchens and food tech rooms, the highly durable Rockfon Hygienic was the perfect fit. Both ranges will withstand frequent cleaning and are guaranteed to retain their dimensional stability and shape in demanding, humid conditions.  www.rockfon.co.uk  info@rockfon.co.uk  0208 222 7457

Studies such as Bronzaft and McCarthy (1975) have shown the effect noise has on wellbeing and learning – this is the reason why the products of specialist manufacturers like Troldtekt are specified to solve the problems of noise and reverberated sounds. If acoustic absorption is ineffective, discomfort and irritation will result from the reverberations. If it is designed well, the participant’s interest will increase.

In an interview with Troldtekt, Danish Education Psychologist Mille Sylvest comments: “It’s very important to be aware of noise when designing facilities. Noise affects stress levels for both children and staff because nobody can endure spending long periods of time in a noisy environment. Lower energy levels, more sick leave and poorer learning outcomes are the direct results of noise.”

Specified throughout the UK and Europe, the benefits of 100% Troldtekt natural woodwool panels include high sound absorption, high durability, natural breathability, low-cost life cycle performance and sustainability. This high performance is recognised by their Cradle to Cradle certification at Silver level. Available in various sizes and in four grades from extreme fine to coarse, the panels can be left untreated or painted in virtually any RAL colour.  www.troldtekt.co.uk  info@troldtekt.co.uk  01978 664255

Gradus future-proofs cancer treatment centre Contract interior specialist Gradus has supplied and installed a range of bespoke wall protection solutions at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust’s ground-breaking new Proton Beam Therapy (PBT) Centre, providing it with invisible protection to futureproof it against everyday damage for years to come.

The wall protection products were provided as part of Gradus’s supply-and-fit service, which sees the company work closely with its customers to design, manufacture and install the best possible solution for their needs.

In cooperation with The Christie and the centre’s main building contractor, Gradus supplied and installed its SureProtect Pure hygienic wall cladding in White and Iceberg shades. Specially designed to create

Patient-centred ethos boosts wellbeing at hospital Altro revisited Hillingdon Hospital, London, to see the lasting impact of products used to create patient-centred, healing, safe and homely environments in several departments.

The Paediatric A&E was transformed just over three years ago. Architect and healthcare specialist interior designer Georgia Burt of GBS Health worked closely with the hospital, lead designers

Oxford Architects and with Altro on the project, with the aim to create a healing environment that would be comfortable, friendly, non-clinical and focus on wellbeing at a time of great stress.

Floors, Walls & Ceilings

an impermeable barrier to moisture and bacteria, SureProtect Pure is the perfect solution for healthcare environments. Its smooth, easy-to-clean surface makes it especially hygienic and ensures it meets ‘Health Building Note 00-09: Infection control in the built environment’.

In various areas of the five-storey site, Gradus also fitted a range of other wall protection products: full-height 90° corner guards to protect vulnerable corners; 200mm wall guards to protect the walls; and bed head protectors behind the beds to protect the vital medical equipment used to support patients. All were supplied in Alum or Chalk colours to blend into the background and complement the overall design of the facility, ensuring a well-protected and aesthetically pleasing building.

In addition, in areas that will be used by potentially vulnerable patients, Gradus installed its combination rails – handrails that combine with wall guard elements to offer both support and protection. In line with BS 8300-2:2018 and Approved Document M, the handrails were supplied in Shale colour to offer a 30 points LRV difference from the wall to which it is attached, ensuring suitable contrast for support and direction.  www.gradus.com  01625 428922

Georgia says: “Being in hospital can be an upsetting and frightening experience for everyone, but especially for children.”

Following a series of interactive consultation meetings with clinical and service users, a unique interior wayfinding strategy and supporting arts programme was developed. Using a combination of lighting, layout, materials, colour and artwork, a welcoming environment was created which has helped reduce anxiety at this stressful time for patients and carers.

Hillingdon’s Stoke Unit has also been vastly improved thanks to Georgia and Altro’s input, with the refurbishment of a bed bay, and also of the gymnasium; the area where important assessment and rehabilitation work takes place.

Altro Serenade acoustic smooth flooring was used, with large nature scenes reproduced on Altro Whiterock Digiclad to create a patientcentred biophilic design, to bring the outside in.

Altro Serenade is ideal for spaces where comfort underfoot and impact sound reduction are paramount for patients. It is 3.9mm thick and has 19 dB impact sound reduction. Along the walls of the gym is an image of a bluebell wood, in Altro Whiterock Digiclad. In the Stroke unit bed bays, a wildflower meadow runs along the entire wall above the bedheads.  www.altro.co.uk  enquiries@altro.com  01462 489516

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Focus & Innovation

Offsite Solutions awarded £3m contract for 32-storey scheme

Offsite Solutions, a leading bathroom pod manufacturer, has been awarded a £3m contract

by Wates Construction to supply 440 bespoke steel-framed bathroom pods for Anthology’s Hale Works development in Tottenham Hale, London. Offsite Solutions is manufacturing two pod types for the Hale Works – a bathroom and an en-suite shower room, which will be delivered to site in phases until summer 2020. Fully fitted-out in the factory, the pods will have a dark wood-effect finish to the mirrored cabinet, open shelving unit and bath panel, a heated towel rail, large porcelain floor and wall tiles, LED downlighting, composite stone vanity top, overhead and hand-held showers, and contemporary square-edged, semi-recessed basin.

 www.offsitesolutions.com

 info@offsitesolutions.com

 01278 780807

Specifying for multi-faith facilities

Choosing the right washroom products for public sector buildings has never been more important but with the stainless steel anti-ligature range, your choice of style is matched by robust functionality. The range includes toilet paper, soap, paper towel dispensers and a mirror. The innovative wall plate and dispenser combination creates a recess to house the dispenser. The rounded edges and corners also work to reduce the potential for a ligature to be attached. Designed in conjunction with industry experts at The Anti Ligature Shop, Dudley Industries’ design team have created sector-leading dispensers that can help protect and enhance independence for users.

 www.dudleyindustries.com

 sales@dudleyindustries.com

 01253 738311

Commonwealth Games springboard for future fencing gold A champion Olympic fencer is geared up for the opportunities afforded by the 2022 Commonwealth Games coming to Birmingham in three years. Fencing manufacturer Zaun supplied 23km of permanent fencing for various stadia at the London 2012 Olympics.

And it then secured the Athletes Village, Chris Hoy Velodrome, Celtic Park, Hampden Park, Troyglen, Kelvin Grove Lawn Bowls and the SECC at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Owner Alastair Henman says: “The feedback we got from the Glasgow 2014 Organising Committee, Police Scotland and the Home Office was very positive. So, we are hoping to capitalise on that, our London Olympics experience and a host of keynote political summits to secure more major events in the future.“

 www.zaun.co.uk  sales@zaun.co.uk  01902 796699

Consort Claudgen launches new electric heating brochure Consort Claudgen has launched its latest heat brochure which includes a host of new heating controls and heaters in its product range. The 48-page brochure features motion-activated and waterproof run-back time controllers, new heater models in the electronic sevenday timer range and advanced wireless controllers which are now compatible with Consort’s RX and SL heaters. As well as several other new products, it showcases heaters with safety monitoring features. All of these are detailed in the brochure along with the established panel and fan heaters, convectors, LST heaters, air curtains, downflows and towel rails.

 www.consortepl.com  sales@consortepl.com  01646 692172

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Helifix to exhibit at London Build 2019 Helifix, a market leader in the design and manufacture of specialist helical wall ties, fixings and masonry repair systems, will be exhibiting at London Build from 27 to 28th November 2019, Olympia, London on stand number C28. Helifix will be showcasing its range of concealed, non-disruptive products and installation techniques alongside the Helifix Micro-Pile system – an efficient, economical and non-disruptive method of foundation stabilisation. The sales and technical teams will be available on the stand to discuss any project-specific requirements and answer any questions visitors may have.

 www.helifix.co.uk  sales@helifix.co.uk  0208 735 5200

Focus & Innovation

NASC launches 2020 Yearbook

Sime launches stainless-steel flues for high-rises

A boiler manufacturer has developed a stainless-steel gas boiler flue suitable for use in high-rise buildings. Sime has responded to the new ‘Class A’ requirements in line with the revised Building Regulations relating to fire safety and is pleased to announce that its stainless-steel flues are now available.

The flues are fully compliant with the high-rise combustibles ban and are made from high-quality stainless-steel, a more durable and non-corrosive alternative to other non-combustible materials such as aluminium. Sime’s John Moran says: “Ours is the only stainless-steel flue that meets the Class A requirements. It is a more effective material for a flue of this kind as it is more hard-wearing and will not corrode.”

 www.sime.co.uk  enquiries@sime.co.uk  0345 901 1114

The NASC has launched its 2020 yearbook – showcasing more confederation news and updates than ever before. The yearbook features a round-up of NASC standing committee outputs, more than 30 pages of NASC awards submissions and a comprehensive listing of full contracting NASC members. Robin James, NASC Managing Director, said: “We are delighted to launch the NASC yearbook, which is this year more keenly targeted at key decision makers in the construction supply chain, with editorial focused on raising awareness and understanding of what the NASC does, examples of the expertise and innovation shown by our members and why all this matters to the wider construction industry.”

 www.nasc.org.uk

 enquiries@nasc.org.uk

 0207 822 7400

Deanestor acquires Havelock International brands One of the UK’s best-known school furniture and fit-out brands has been acquired out of administration by contract furniture specialist, Deanestor. Havelock Europa Plc was listed on the main London Stock Exchange for 31 years, from 1987 to 2018 with a peak turnover of £138m in 2008. In 2001 Havelock Europa Plc acquired ESA McIntosh Ltd. Havelock International was incorporated in 2016. In 2018 the business of Havelock Europa was sold to Havelock International Ltd. Richard Tonkinson, Executive Director of Deanestor, says: “As one of the UK’s leading school fit-out specialists, Deanestor is well placed to build on Havelock’s long history and market position, and continue to service its client base for primary and secondary education projects.”

 www.deanestor.co.uk/havelock

 enquiries@deanestor.com

 01623 420041

Advantage Tennis Mesh - Now Available with Super Rebound

(t): +44 (0)1902 796 699 | (e): info@zaun.co.uk | (w): www.zaun.co.uk Tennis Mesh 185mm x 122mm.indd 1

22/06/2015 10:49:37

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Focus & Innovation

APPROPRIATE TOILET SPECIFICATION CAN HELP MEET SPECIAL NEEDS Local authorities are being encouraged to look to school toilets to help address the requirements of the growing numbers of pupils with special needs.

Britain’s only C losomat, manufacturer of smart toilets for disabled people of all ages, maintains its equipment enables pupils with special needs to deal with their intimate hygiene with little or no intervention from support

staff. A Closomat toilet can be used as a conventional WC. It has additional, integrated washing and drying functions, eliminating the need to manually wipe and ensuring optimum hygiene. Thus it delivers optimum cleanliness for all pupils, and future-proofs

a school, whether or not it currently has SEND pupils on its roll.

Closomat’s call follows new figures showing that the number of pupils with special needs has risen for the third year in a row, now standing at almost 15%

of the total pupil population in England alone, and as the Government signals additional SEND funding.

“The Government’s latest briefing paper* specifically itemises using the toilet as typical of the support a child might receive,” observes Robin Tuffley, Closomat Marketing Manager. “School specification requirements already state that toilet facilities must be adequate with regard to any special requirements a pupil may have.

Evidence shows that a lack of suitable toilet facilities impacts on the health and wellbeing of pupils and staff. It affects pupils’ ability to learn and develop their social and care skills. Suitable toilets that children feel happy to use can help achieve better value and use of resources.

“We all recognise that school budgets are under pressure, but something as simple as providing the most appropriate toilet solution to help pupils ‘go’ without support makes best use of staff resources too. Research shows in primary schools alone, teachers spend one million hours – almost 460,000 days – each year cleaning children after they’ve been to the toilet. The cost of installing a wash and dry/ smart toilet is quickly amortised against the enhanced availability of staff for practical teaching and classroom support.”

Closomat’s specialist toilets are just part of a range of resources to help schools optimise pupil independence and hygiene. Its website, www. closomat.co.uk, includes case studies, white papers, typical layouts and specification clauses.

The company’s team can provide a complete, CDMcompliant service encompassing everything required for a successful, enabling WC: design advice to ensure appropriate regulatory compliance with optimum user suitability, site survey, supply, install, commissioning and subsequent (in-house) service and maintenance packages.

 www.closomat.co.uk  info@clos-o-mat.com  0161 969 1199 House of Commons Briefing Paper: Special

*

Educational Needs: support in England no 07020, published 02/10/19

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Ancon to exhibit at London Build 2019

Four networked MxPro 5 fire panels from global systems leader, Advanced, are now protecting one of Serbia’s most prestigious higher education facilities. The project at the University of Belgrade’s School of Electrical Engineering, involved installing a fire system to reliably protect lives and property while respecting the value and authenticity of its 1920s features.

Thanks to their performance, quality and ease of use, a network of three of Advanced’s four-loop and one of its one-loop MxPro 5 fire panels, including over 1000 Argus detectors, were chosen to protect the entirety of this top educational and scientific institution, including the facilities of civil design, mechanical and electrical engineering. MxPro 5 is the leading multiprotocol fire system solution and was recently certified to the EN 54 standard

by FM (Factory Mutual). It offers customers a choice of two panel ranges, four detector protocols and a completely open installer network, backed up by free training and support. MxPro panels can be used in single-loop, single-panel format or easily configured into high-speed, multi-loop networks of up to 200 nodes covering huge areas.

Ancon – a designer and manufacturer of essential steel components providing strength and stability to buildings and structures around the world – will showcase products including Ancon’s range of insulated balcony connectors, helping building designers meet their thermal performance aspirations whilst still boasting Class A1 non-combustible insulation, reinforcement and steelwork, making it fully compliant with The Building (Amendment) Regulations 2018. Ancon offers a wide range of products fully compliant with The Building (Amendment) Regulations 2018 – the Government’s ban on combustible materials in external walls. Find out more at London Build on 27th and 28th November 2019, Olympia, London – stand number C28.

Focus & Innovation

Advanced protects the engineers of tomorrow

 www.ancon.co.uk  info@ancon.co.uk  0114 275 5224

 www.advancedco.com  jmountain@advancedco.com  0345 894 7000

A guide to reducing ligature risks A new guide on anti-ligature solutions in mental health and secure sectors is now available to download. A need has arisen for psychiatric wards, high-security units, and prisons to reduce ligature risks, which is currently accounting for 77% of suicide cases in the UK. Despite this alarming statistic, there is a lack of information on regulations and best practices. Contour has aimed to address this in its free guide, which covers key definitions, statistics, official guidance and risk control. Download a free copy today: http://bit.ly/33f8Mze.

 www.contourheating.co.uk

 sales@contourheating.co.uk

NASC signs Armed Forces Covenant  01952 290498

Flagship customers feeling the benefit of renewable heating project Residents of Quayside Court in Lakenheath, Suffolk, are enjoying warm homes with significantly lower heating bills, thanks to a new communal ground source heat pump. In partnership with East Anglia’s largest heating company, Gasway Services, part of Flagship Group, Norfolk-based renewable heating expert Finn Geotherm has completed yet another district heating system.

The new district heating scheme uses one central ground source heat pump system to provide heating and hot water for all homes on the estate. Heat is collected from under the ground via 14 boreholes installed beneath the parking area and two Lämpöässä EMI 43 ground source heat pumps generate all the heating and hot water for each home.

 www.finn-geotherm.co.uk

 info@finn-geotherm.co.uk

 01953 453240

The NASC has further strengthened its connection with the military by signing the Armed Forces Covenant.

By signing the covenant, the NASC has made a formal commitment to promote career and training opportunities in the scaffolding industry to ex-military personnel. This cements an existing NASC objective to engage more regularly with the Armed Forces and the creation of a £150,000 funding pot dedicated to the training of ex-services personnel.

NASC Vice President, Lynn Way, said: “We are proud to have signed the Armed Forces Covenant, making our commitment to encouraging Armed Forces personnel into taking up roles within the scaffolding industry official.”

 www.nasc.org.uk  enquiries@nasc.org.uk  0207 822 7400

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Focus & Innovation

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

University of Leeds Innovation Hub

Heath Hindmarch is Chairman of PSP Architectural – one of the UK’s leading providers of rainscreen facade systems, metal fabrications and bespoke full building envelope solutions. All manufacturing processes take place in a precision-controlled advanced manufacturing facility in Shildon, County Durham.

The company’s architectural and aluminium manufacturing divisions also collaborate with their experienced design team in Cramlington, Newcastle Upon Tyne, to maintain premium quality throughout all processes, from design to manufacture, to transportation of finished systems.

FROM ENERGY EFFICIENCY TO CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION

Climate change is at the top of the construction agenda, and it is now not only important to achieve high levels of energy efficiency and sustainability, but architects must also consider how to mitigate the impact of natural hazards. Heath Hindmarch, Chairman of PSP Architectural, discusses the part facades can play in not only making buildings architecturally appealing but also resilient. are experiencing more W eextreme periods of heat, increased rainfall and violent storms – now buildings in the UK not only have to be airtight to reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption but also be able to stand up to the rigours of extreme weather conditions.

From energy efficiency to climate change mitigation, facades have a dual role to play.

In addition to aesthetics, robust systems have the ability to meaningfully contribute to the building envelope. Our systems at PSP Architectural have been CWCT tested, ensuring they meet rigorous industry standards and are resilient against extreme weather conditions.

The business case for adapting buildings for climate change is strong. A milder climate will reduce the durability of building materials – wetter winters and sudden heavy downpours make tough rainscreen systems even more important. Our rainscreen facade systems provide an aesthetically pleasing, robust external envelope solution that

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is fully drained and ventilated, which means they are designed to allow ventilation and drainage to the wall cavity. Well-designed panels allow airflow through the cavity to assist with water removal which then drains out at the base and allows for thermal movement.

We provide a comprehensive range of integrated metal rainscreen facade systems that can be adapted to suit specific needs and provide a solution for almost any building type. With increasing temperatures, it is essential that the correct support grid system is specified to allow for thermal and structural movement. Both standard and specialised rainwater systems are available and can include anti-climb pipes and fascias. All systems are manufactured to meet stringent requirements for public sector schemes where aesthetics, resistance to vandalism and security are all key requirements of the specification.

Climate change is a major concern, and we all have a part to play in reducing our impact

on the environment. The UK leads the world when it comes to tackling climate change, cutting emissions further than any other G7 country on a per person basis – 42% since 1990. PSP Architectural is fully committed to continual improvement to enhance our environmental performance.

New sports complex at Solent University

We work with consultants and regulatory authorities to seek advice and assistance to ensure our Environmental Management Programme is delivered to its full potential.

 www.pspuk.com  info@pspuk.com  01388 770490

Focus & Innovation

Hauraton drainage systems at Bonus Arena – Hull Venue

Built on brownfield land located on the edge of the main shopping district in Hull and adjacent to Princes Quay, the Bonus Arena – Hull Venue and its associated multi-storey car park were opened in August 2018.

The £36m development progresses the legacy of the social and economic impact generated by Hull’s 2017 UK City of Culture status.

The Arena, designed by AFL Architects, is a state-of-the-art music and events complex with a flexible capacity of up to 3500 people. The facility can provide a venue for concerts or corporate conferences in an 800-seat auditorium.

A 2000m² adaptable space can be utilised for sporting events or exhibitions and trade shows.

Surrounding the Bonus Arena is a public realm laid with grey stone paving and landscaped by re-form landscape architecture Ltd with trees, lawns, flowerbeds and permanent stone seating.

An effective surface water drainage system was essential to ensure all-weather access to the venue. 140m of Hauraton RECYFIX PRO 100 channels with FIBRETEC heel-safe gratings were chosen for the job which blended well with the stone paving and would resist damage from applied grit rock salt in freezing weather.

The material, PA-GF used to make the FIBRETEC grating, was especially developed

by Hauraton; the tough, UV-resistant, fibrereinforced moulding offers high stability and huge strength for its weight. Complying with loading category Class C250 (BSEN 1433), the grating can easily take the weight of commercial delivery vehicles. The design is a real innovation as its non-corrosive material provides a visually appealing surface finish that retains its colour.

 www.hauraton.com  janine.kennedy@hauraton.com  01582 501380

Stand alone energy saving controls for heating and cooling Danlers manufactures a range of quality controls for switching a variety of HVAC loads – the switches are wall mounted, hard wired and easy to install.

Its range of Heater Boost Switches automatically turns the load off after a selected time period has elapsed. Designed for use with immersion heaters and heated towel rails etc. Meanwhile, PIR Thermostat Controls combine an adjustable room thermostat with a passive infrared person detector. If somebody is present in the room, the heating unit is switched on to achieve the selected thermostat temperature. If nobody is present, the room temperature is allowed to fall to a set-back temperature. Also available for cooling loads.

 www.danlers.co.uk

 sales@danlers.co.uk

 01249 443377

OMNIE solutions selected for sustainable and stylish Cornish development

A building services contractor has put together a package of renewable and underfloor heating products, from the OMNIE range, to meet the energy and comfort ambitions for a housing development on the Cornish coast. The properties are being constructed by builder, Karn Havos Developments, while Sadler and Bourne from Liskard is the long-term supplier of OMNIE’s products. While the company has experience of installing OMNIE’s ground source heat pumps on other sites in Devon and beyond, conditions at Bedruthan led the firm to propose the use of the compact, high-performance LWD50 air source heat pumps along with 50mm Foilboard Floating panels over concrete subfloors, connected via the manufacturer’s Precision-Flo manifolds.

 www.omnie.co.uk

 projects@omnie.co.uk

 01392 363605

Crown’s Clean Extreme has opacity covered Crown Trade has introduced an upgraded Ultimate Opacity formulation to its popular range of Clean Extreme Stain Resistant Scrubbable Matt emulsions which offers excellent coverage, increased scrubbability and a flawless finish. The new high opacity formulation is available on Crown Trade’s Clean Extreme Stain Resistant Scrubbable Matt, as well as the matt versions of its Clean Extreme Anti-Bacterial and Mould Inhibiting paints. Developed to not only match but exceed the performance characteristics of the popular Clean Extreme range, the new water-based Ultimate Opacity option offers increased scrubbability and excellent flow as well as being quick-drying and low-odour.

 www.crowntrade.co.uk  info@crowntrade.co.uk  0330 024 0297

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