Historic Cambridge college reimagined with innovative architectural design by Stanton Williams
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Welcome to the September issue of PSBJ...
The events of the past month have starkly highlighted the crucial importance of public safety. With riots, protests and fatal attacks occurring across the country throughout August, the urgency of ensuring that people feel secure in public spaces has never been more apparent. This heightened focus on safety underscores the need to consider and implement safer design features within the built environment. However, while prioritising public safety, it’s equally important to remain vigilant about sustainability and biodiversity – ensuring that our efforts to create safer spaces do not come at the expense of the environment.
In this issue, we talk to Johanna Elvidge, Head of Design at Marshalls, to explore how specifiers can effectively balance the demands of safety with the principles of sustainable design in the public realm. Through Marshalls’ research, it’s clear that concerns about public safety were already prevalent, with 77% of people admitting they consider their safety when out in public. Here, Johanna offers valuable insights and practical solutions for designing spaces that not only enhance security but also support biodiversity, proving that these objectives can coexist without compromise. For an indepth exploration of these ideas, turn to page 16 for the full story.
Additionally, this issue delves into the £21m Young’s Court development at Emmanuel College, led by Stanton Williams. This ambitious project introduces exemplary new student facilities designed to foster interaction, collaboration and sociability within the historic heart of the Cambridge Central conservation area. Spanning 5770m2 , this scheme is Emmanuel College’s most significant development in over a century, featuring residential, study and social spaces interconnected by a thoughtfully-designed network of landscaped courts and passageways that promote communal life. To discover more about this transformative project, turn to page 08
Contributions
I hope you enjoy this issue. Don’t forget, you can also access the magazine’s features, product news and supplier information on PSBJ’s user-friendly and engaging website. Fully responsive, the website allows you to read all the latest stories on the go either on your smartphone or tablet. Simply visit www.psbjmagazine.com.
The £21m Young’s Court development at Emmanuel College was led by Stanton Williams. See page 08.
Rebecca Kemp • Editor • rebecca@redhutmedia.com
06 News
A round up of the latest industry news, including charity events, awarded contracts, completed projects and much more.
08 Upfront
Stanton Williams has completed a transformative new £21m development at Emmanuel College, Cambridge.
12 Housing
Lisa Cairns, Business Development and Improvement Manager at IRT Surveys, explores how accurate data and innovative solutions like thermal imaging and specialised software are helping social housing providers meet net-zero goals.
14 HVAC
Charlie Mowbray, Senior Product Manager at Ideal Heating – Commercial, explains the benefits of commercial condensing pressure jet boilers for large heating loads and robust backup systems.
16 Town & City Regeneration
Balancing safety and sustainability in public space design is more crucial than ever. Johanna Elvidge from Marshalls explores how specifiers can create environments that protect people and the planet.
18 Healthcare
Adrian Buttress, Managing Director of PermaGroup, shares insights on selecting the right materials and maintaining high standards while managing risks during healthcare facility renovations.
20 Legal & Business
Robert Walton, Chief Product and Engineering Officer at Constructionline, debunks common myths about PPN 03/24 and its impact on public procurement.
22 Education
Simon Humphrey from OWA explains why choosing the right ceiling system is essential for both acoustics and aesthetics in educational buildings.
24 Bricks & Blocks
With its BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating, the Oasis Academy Silvertown, a new Department for Education school created by architect firm Rivington Street Studio, integrates Vandersanden’s Perla bricks.
Specifying CFA members for your flooring projects means you’ll gain a wealth of experience from vetted contractors with the knowledge and products to fulfil your specification with a sustainability criteria.
CFA members are part of a supply chain that includes specialist contract flooring contractors, manufacturers and distributors, all promoting the highest standards and expertise.
28 Leisure
The Clearing is an outdoor education space nestled within the ancient Lesnes Abbey Woods in the London Borough of Bexley.
30 BIM
Nigel Robinson, General Manager at Service Works Global (SWG), explains how the company has supported Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust by integrating BIM and CAFM into its estates management.
32 Floors, Walls & Ceilings
Lara Coutinho, Sustainability Programme Manager at Profab Access, discusses the significance of EPDs in reducing the environmental impact of buildings.
34 Talking Point
The TR19 Air specification, co-authored by Gary Nicholls of Swiftclean, sets a new standard for ventilation hygiene, ensuring regular ductwork cleaning to maintain optimal indoor air quality.
36 Technical Focus
Mike Gosling from TROX UK explores how the latest guidelines of the Building Safety Act and technical support can help architects and specifiers navigate the complexities of fire damper compliance.
38 The Flooring Show
Taking place from 15 to 17th September at the Harrogate Convention Centre, The Flooring Show has expanded.
39 Healthcare Estates
Held at Manchester Central on 8 and 9th October, the Healthcare Estates Conference, Exhibition and Awards offers unparalleled opportunities to discover cutting-edge products, network with industry leaders and attend seminars.
40 UK Construction Week
UK Construction Week returns to Birmingham’s NEC from 1st to 3rd October, bringing new features like the Roofing Expo and a hire industry showcase.
42 Product Guide
A dedicated focus of industry news, products and case studies to help specifiers and local authorities make informed decisions.
Sunray is the specifiers choice for Timber Fire Doors and passive Fire Protection. Our comprehensive Timber Door Range provides Fire Integrity from FD30 to FD120 and Security Rating of SR1 & SR2 with Fire Secure.
All Doors are bespoke enabling specialist hardware, vision panels, overpanels and of course colours and finishes. We operate in numerous sectors and provide performance specifications to meet project requirement.
INDUSTRY UPDATES
Each month, PSBJ rounds up the latest public sector construction updates, from new contracts to industry awards.
Multi-million community hub hits key milestone in Surrey
Transformative redevelopment plans are underway in Weybridge, Surrey, which will place educational, commercial and wellbeing opportunities at the heart of the community. The new Surrey County Council Weybridge Hub, located on the existing Weybridge Library site on Church Road, will include a new library, youth support service, activity area and business space in a modern multi-use environment. Integrating closely with the local community, lettable tenants will be able to make use of the commercial areas, with a bookable co-working system in place for local businesses and visiting guests. Regional broadcaster Brooklands Radio will also be a part of the new Weybridge Hub when it opens in spring 2025. Multi-disciplinary consultancy Pick Everard is working with Surrey County Council and AtkinsRealis on the project, delivering principal design, interior design, architecture and landscape architecture services. The firm is also operating as a lead designer via the Surrey Framework for RIBA Stages 1 to 3 and now as a technical advisor for RIBA Stage 4.
Construction under way on 84 new affordable homes to let
Work has started on an Ealing Council project that will provide 92 new affordable homes in Northolt and help tackle the borough’s worsening affordable housing crisis. 84 of the homes will be let at London Affordable Rent, which is priced to suit the budgets of local people on low incomes. Those homes will be available to rent by some of the almost 8000 families currently on the council’s housing waiting list. The development, which is located on the grounds of the old Northolt Grange Community Centre, also includes eight shared ownership properties. This scheme is designed to support aspiring homeowners currently unable to afford to purchase a home on the open market, by enabling them to buy a share of a home and pay rent on the remaining share. It is expected that the homes at Northolt Grange will be ready for their new occupants to move into from spring 2026.
Darlington Government hub gains planning consent
A new Government office development in Darlington has been given the go ahead by planners. The application to construct a five-storey, 10,000m 2 Government hub in Brunswick Street, put forward by the Government Property Agency (GPA), has been approved by the town planning committee. The new office on Brunswick Street will build on the success of the Darlington Economic Campus (DEC), currently comprising Feetham House and Bishopsgate House, both situated in the town centre. With works on site set to begin later this year and completion earmarked for 2027, the modern, energy-efficient office complex will be part of the wider DEC, and home to 1400 civil servants from across a number of Government departments. The campus incorporates HM Treasury, the Department for Business and Trade, for whom Darlington will be the second headquarters, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Competition and Markets Authority.
LHC welcomes in a new era of procurement product innovation
Public sector construction framework provider LHC Procurement Group (LHC) has bolstered its team with a new director of product innovation. Shona Snow joins the company, having spent over 20 years in procurement – the last 11 of which have been in the public sector. As a chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS), Shona has led several complex collaborative procurement projects across local authorities, including Surrey County Council and Southwark Council. It was during her time as a Procurement Consultant for Southwark Council that she first encountered LHC. She worked closely with LHC’s regional team on the development of the Architect Design Services (ADS1.1) framework. Upon completion of her contract, Shona was employed directly by LHC as a consultant before providing maternity cover for the then-Regional Director of LHC, Jennifer Castle. Jennifer, who is now the group’s Chief Operating Officer, says: “Shona impressed me so much that I trusted her to deliver the strategic vision for LHC London and the South East, working alongside the acting director, in my absence.”
GRAHAM completes work on new extra care scheme in Enfield
GRAHAM has completed work on the Reardon Court extra care housing scheme in Enfield, London. Reardon Court, which was awarded through the Procure Partnerships Framework, is poised to redefine independent living for residents aged 55 and older who may require extra care and support. Led by Enfield Council, the housing scheme comprises 64 one-bedroom and six twobedroom flats, all meticulously designed to ensure accessibility and comfort. Each residence is thoughtfully constructed with dual aspects, offering scenic views and natural light. The design adheres to the Housing Our Ageing Population Panel for Innovation (HAPPI) principles, prioritising resident wellbeing by maximising views into a central courtyard and surrounding parkland. At the heart of Reardon Court is a vibrant communal space fostering social interaction and community engagement. Residents have access to 24-hour onsite care, ensuring peace of mind and comprehensive support whenever needed. The central courtyard is a haven for sensory experiences, complemented by walking routes and allotments that promote an active lifestyle and connection to nature.
£10.6m net-zero school reaches new heights in Basildon
A significant educational expansion project in Essex, delivering more than 450 school places and accelerating lifelong learning in the area, has hit a key project milestone. The sustainable all-electric Chapel Hill primary school and nursery, located at George Street in Basildon, has completed its topping out ceremony, with 242 photovoltaic panels installed on its completed roof. The two-storey school, which is set to accommodate 476 pupils when it opens, will feature state-ofthe-art classrooms, a library, main hall, SEN therapy room and nursery, as well as designated science and design technology rooms and a full production kitchen. Leading multi-disciplinary consultancy Pick Everard is behind the scheme, operating as project manager and collaborating closely with Barnes Construction and Essex County Council to bring one of the six schools under the Lee Chapel Multi-Academy Trust to fruition.
Midlands contractors collaborate to provide classroom and sensory facilities for Coventry school
Regional sub-contractors are joining forces and providing all their time, labour and costs for free to offer SENCO enhancement works for the Grace Academy in Coventry – as part of its vision for the future. Led by McLaren Construction’s Midlands and North division and Opus Land, ‘The Big Build’ charitable programme of works will deliver brand-new classrooms and sensory facilities, enriching the lives of students at the academy who are in desperate need of these spaces. McLaren Construction Midlands and North and Opus Land have been supported in this community project by designers who helped provide the vision for this scheme: Architect, Webb Gray, structural engineer, SBK, mechanical and electrical engineer, CPW, and landscaper, Whiting’s, which is also providing all the landscape and raised beds works. The works will include a complete refurbishment and remodelling of existing classrooms to form larger teaching spaces and a new sensory room with access to outside spaces.
Winvic
awarded third council highways framework project
Winvic Construction, a leading main contractor specialising in the design and delivery of private and public sector construction and civil engineering projects, has begun work on the third project awarded to it under the Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) highways framework contract. Work has begun on major improvements as part of a planned five-month reconstruction exercise to fully rebuild Dysart Road in Grantham, Lincolnshire, including the junctions of adjoining side roads. As part of the proposed works, Winvic will enhance multiple assets by excavating and rebuilding the entire road in sections. It expects to utilise nearly 8000 tonnes of material during the project. Construction will include resurfacing and redevelopment of the existing carriageway and pathways. Associated drainage, kerbing and channel repairs will be carried out, and carriageway markings will additionally be refreshed. The project will cover approximately 2km, ranging from the signalised pedestrian crossing at the west end of Dysart Road to just beyond the east end of the A1 bridge.
STANTON WILLIAMS COMPLETES TRANSFORMATIVE SOCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES AT EMMANUEL COLLEGE
Stanton Williams’ £21m Young’s Court development at Emmanuel College delivers exemplary new student facilities, promoting interaction, collaboration and sociability.
S
et within the historic heart of the Cambridge Central conservation area, the 5770m2 scheme is Emmanuel College’s most significant development in over 100 years, providing residential, study and social accommodation linked by a network of landscaped courts and passageways designed to support communal life.
Since its foundation in 1584, the inherently informal, collaborative and interdisciplinary nature of Emmanuel’s collegial life has been key to fostering the spirit of intellectual discovery, which has produced alumni such as the British polymath Thomas Young (1773-1829), after whom the new development is named.
Cambridge’s rapid growth in recent decades has challenged this model of learning, in which students and scholars from different academic disciplines come together around the rituals of shared collegial life. As the city and university has expanded well beyond its historic boundaries, with new laboratories, research and teaching facilities built at increasing
distances from the collegiate centre, the opportunities for students and researchers to meet and interact with each other on a daily basis have become more limited.
Emmanuel’s new development is a response to this evolving context, making a significant step towards the college’s ambition to accommodate all undergraduate students on site and ensuring that its historic campus continues to nurture communal life, providing spaces that bring the community together and support collaboration, interaction and the exchange of ideas.
The scheme delivers a complex network of new and existing buildings and courts, as well as accommodation and social spaces, all designed to support the evolving life of the community. It creates 48 new student bedrooms and an accessible fellow’s suite across four buildings, and includes the refurbishment and extension of the Grade II-Listed Furness Lodge to provide enhanced teaching and social facilities, including new seminar rooms, an event space, music practice rooms and a new student bar.
Dr Sarah Bendall, Development Director at Emmanuel College, says: “Finding answers to complex global challenges depends on our ability to bring people together across subjects, disciplines and backgrounds. This project does just that, enabling us to host new programmes, to accommodate the majority of our undergraduate students on the main site, and to welcome postdoctoral researchers to Emmanuel.”
Conceived as a dialogue between old and new, the new facilities knit together existing spaces while adding a new layer to the historic evolution of Emmanuel’s 400-year-old collegiate setting. Mediating between the college’s historic courts and the domestic scale of the Georgian terraces and villas of Park Terrace, the design responds to its context by creating a network of more intimate gardens and courtyards and, through the use of softred brickwork, references the materiality of the more modest collegiate buildings, and the neighbouring domestic buildings.
Gavin Henderson, Principal Director at Stanton Williams, says: “At its heart, the scheme is about the spaces between buildings: A network of courts and passages, incorporating new additions and listed structures, which support sociability and provide a focus for communal life.”
Key components of the scheme
A new 150m2 Social Hub replaces the old student bar and service areas, which had reached the end of their serviceable life. Approached from the college’s entrance through Front Court and Chapman’s Gardens, this single-storey pavilion links
two existing student accommodation buildings and provides a light and inviting cafe-style setting for social learning. A wide-span glulam structure enables the space to be column free and easily adaptable to accommodate the college’s evolving needs. Fully-glazed walls provide generous views of Chapman’s Gardens to the north and the newlylandscaped South Court to the south, allowing activity to break out into the adjacent areas.
A new residential accommodation, known as Young’s Court, provides 48 student rooms and an additional fellow’s set. Clad in a brick with precast concrete lintels and cills, the new residential accommodation rises three storeys with staircases accessed from a communal court. A strongly articulated street frontage mediates between the city outside and the sheltered collegiate environment within.
The Grade II-Listed Furness Lodge has been refurbished and extended. Sitting adjacent to Young’s Court, this Georgian villa has been transformed to provide fully-accessible teaching spaces, accommodation, a new Middle Common Room for graduate students, a new double-height bar and a basement events space.
The project promotes student wellbeing by prioritising the provision of informal study settings and improved social areas. In doing so, the Young’s Court development enables the community to mix, work and gather in new ways. The less formal character of these new spaces, which serve all the college members, reflects changing student ways of working as well as the informality of Emmanuel’s friendly and inclusive community.
To promote longevity, the project adopted a fabric-first approach, incorporating high levels of insulation, airtight construction and passive design measures. Existing structures such as Furness Lodge and South Court have been retained and enhanced, while durable materials, such as brickwork and concrete, have been selected for the new buildings. An emphasis was placed on promoting wellbeing and the quality of the collegiate environment. Onsite car parking was reduced by 55%, with the remaining parking accommodated below ground, enabling the provision of over 100 new cycle parking spaces and the replacement of surface car parking across a large area of the development with highquality landscaping.
Significant work still needs to be done to address decarbonisation in the UK housing sector. Lisa Cairns, Business Development and Improvement Manager at IRT Surveys, explores how technology can help those responsible for social housing make smart retrofit decisions.
A TECHNOLOGY IS THE KEY TO SCALING DECARBONISATION IN THE HOUSING SECTOR
lthough efforts are being made to upgrade as many homes as possible to achieve an energy performance certificate (EPC) rating of C by 2035 – and to meet the UK’s net-zero goals by 2050 –decarbonisation challenges remain.
In the social housing sector, in particular, one such challenge is selecting the most beneficial energy-efficiency measures for each home, a decision impacted by several factors, from missing insulation and porous brickwork to delamination of render and waterproofing issues.
Considering that there are more than four million homes in the social housing sector, another major challenge is retrofitting properties at the scale and pace required.
The value and importance of data Key to understanding and agreeing upon the best, most optimal route to decarbonise at scale is having access to accurate data. It is only by looking at the facts and making decisions accordingly that tailored solutions, which will benefit providers, tenants and the environment, can be delivered.
One way to gather data is through thermal imaging technology, a method used to assess housing stock, which allows social housing providers to gain an accurate visual insight and subsequently make informed decisions about potential retrofitting measures.
When retrofitting, the goal should always be to take a fabric-first approach, whereby the thermal performance of a home is the first set of measures to be considered. Using thermal images to detect energy deficiencies drives smart decision-making based on facts, as it offers an accurate insight into the condition of the building fabric. This, in turn, provides a detailed understanding of a wide range of energyefficiency issues, including empty or halffilled wall cavities, defective insulation, draughts, porous brickwork, rendering and waterproofing issues and more, many of which could go undetected using other forms of survey.
To help housing providers make informed decisions, tools like MappIR – a one-of-a-kind vehicle that combines LiDAR, together with visual and thermal imaging technology to create a clear picture of the energy efficiency of buildings – are invaluable. It offers a rapid, low-cost method to survey and create an extensive and detailed map of the energy efficiency of large areas of housing, including entire streets, not to mention whole towns and cities.
The solution is particularly useful for use for area-based schemes and place-based projects, as it focuses on a large number of properties at once – it was recently used to successfully survey more than 10,500 social homes in Milton Keynes – as it can quickly and accurately look for areas of heat loss and insulation defects, check the condition of the building fabric, detect areas of damp and water ingress and identify ‘at-risk’ homes.
Data gathered on projects such as Milton Keynes is fed into specialised retrofitting software, which identifies the works required to improve the energy efficiency of each home. By using these innovative technologies, housing providers can determine which energy-efficiency measure is right for each property, accurately cost the suggested measures and match their projects to available funding.
Once underway, the software can also be used to track improvements and the decarbonisation targets, ensuring that retrofitting projects deliver the best results for tenants and the environment, while guaranteeing that work is completed in a cost-effective way.
Unlike traditional survey methods, thermal imaging is non-invasive and non-destructive, taking place without any damage to the fabric of the building.
Additionally, this method saves time as problems can be rapidly identified, allowing for remedial actions to be considered sooner, it is reliable as the images convey the truth
and it presents fewer safety risks. It is also more cost-effective and convenient as it allows for a comprehensive, single survey process to be implemented.
In another recent project, in the South of England, a thermal survey of 200 homes of various construction types was performed. After analysing the images for the condition of insulation, defects and heat loss, filtering and mapping tools were used to test various retrofit scenarios. Properties were then grouped and prioritised for retrofit and appropriate funding was identified and applied for.
Partnering with experts
Given the age and varying standards of the UK’s existing building stock, it is no secret that significant works are required to retrofit homes to meet modern performance standards and the country’s net-zero goals. For social housing providers, upgrades represent a major – and expensive – project. Understandably, the magnitude of this challenge can make it difficult for them to plan effectively and with confidence. By using innovative technologies and software, it is possible for providers to get a clear understanding of the retrofitting requirements of their entire housing stock, particularly when partnering with an experienced company, with a rich history of successfully completing projects on behalf of large organisations.
LARGE HEATING LOAD? CONSIDER A COMMERCIAL CONDENSING PRESSURE JET BOILER
Regulatory changes have removed the majority of domestic and commercial non-condensing pressure jet boilers from the market. However, those that remain, which can operate in condensing mode, can represent a good option for commercial users with large heating loads or where large capacity backup is required to support primary low-/zero-carbon heat sources, says Charlie Mowbray, Senior Product Manager at Ideal Heating – Commercial.
Boilers that operate with a pressure jet burner are common in industrial applications but, over recent years, have been largely removed from the domestic and commercial heating spheres. Several regulatory changes have been responsible for this, including the Energy-related Product (ErP) Directive, the Medium Combustion Plant Directive (MCPD) and the uplift to Building Regulations Part L. These changes are necessary to reduce emissions and improve overall energy ef fi ciency of the buildings and the systems within. Many pressure jet boilers designed to work in commercial applications have been unable to comply and have been withdrawn from the market. But not all. Those that can be operated in condensing mode are able to achieve the new, more demanding efficiencies and emission limits when matched to a suitable burner.
What is a condensing pressure jet boiler?
The term ‘pressure jet’ has become synonymous with large shell and tube boilers where a fanned burner with associated fuel controls is mounted to the combustion chamber. For a pressure jet boiler fuelled with gas, this fuel is mixed with air that is blown through the burner by a fan, and ignited at the combustion head of the burner. Burner controls ensure proper fuel/air ratio and mixing across the range of operation for efficient and complete combustion.
All commercial pressure jet burners used on gas or oil boilers work in this way, but only those that are fully able to operate in condensing mode are compliant.
Condensing pressure jet boilers, such as our Evojet range, feature a double return condensing system (connections for highor low-temperature return water), which enables them to keep the temperature
difference between the heat exchanger wall and the return water high, thus maximising the formation of condensation.
Not all pressure jet boilers can be operated in condensing mode. Those that are constructed from standard steel or iron, as opposed to high-grade stainless steel, will, in time, corrode from the condensate, which can be mildly acidic.
Why opt for a condensing pressure jet boiler?
In commercial settings, pressure jet boilers are rarely the first option to turn to as high-efficiency condensing boilers will normally suffice. Even in applications with large energy usage, high-efficiency condensing boilers can achieve several megawatts. Plus, you have the option to cascade boilers.
The problem with this approach comes when plant room space is limited as cascades can, in some instances, take up
quite a large floor area and present challenges installing all the flues and pipework to each boiler. This is where it is worth considering a condensing pressure jet boiler, which can deliver several megawatts from a single unit. Our latest Evojet models have outputs up to 3000kW.
With a reduced number of pressure jet boilers overall, due to the high capacity of each individual boiler, the system design and installation work for a pressure jet boiler can be considerably less complex in terms of the number of connections and the pipeline you have to put in, and the number of pieces of equipment you’ve got to deal with.
In the commercial sector, condensing pressure jet boilers are, therefore, most frequently suited to leisure facilities, healthcare premises and the increasingly-popular heat networks.
Important considerations
Condensing pressure jet boilers may be able to deliver high outputs from a comparatively small footprint, but they need to be considered carefully as they are not the ‘easy’ option when it comes to commercial heating.
Firstly, specialist installers and commissioning engineers are required, who have the appropriate training for this type of equipment. The people who operate and maintain them also need suitable training, especially on the health and safety aspects such as Pressure Systems Safety Regulations; these are far more complex than your typical commercial boiler.
A robust water treatment and ongoing maintenance regime is essential to ensure safe and reliable operation. Inadequate water treatment will result in scale and corrosion, reducing the efficiency of the installation and potentially reducing the working life. Furthermore, the condition of the water supply used to initially fill the system can directly impact the quality of the overall heating system, if the water treatment is not correct.
Revaluate your options
Where there is high demand for heating and hot water, delivered efficiently with minimum emissions, don’t exclude pressure jet boilers from your considerations when weighing up the best option for your application. Pressure jet boilers may have been around for some time, but modern commercial condensing pressure jet boilers and burners might well surprise you yet.
Pressure jet boiler
BALANCING SUSTAINABILITY AND SAFETY
Johanna Elvidge, Head of Design at hard landscaping specialist Marshalls, outlines how specifiers can balance safety and sustainable design in the public realm.
iven the imminent threat of climate change and the regulatory requirement for biodiversity net gain, creating environments that deliver the best outcomes for nature is becoming a higher design priority. But is there a dichotomy between what is best for nature and feelings of personal safety in the public realm? Features accompanying a biodiverse landscape, such as dense shrubbery, tall plants and low or no lighting after dusk, can sometimes compromise feelings of personal safety, for example, so how do we strike a balance?
Personal safety in public spaces
To explore, we completed primary research to understand how people feel in the public realm. Our study found that 77% of people think about their safety when out in public, at least some of the time. Among women, 84% tend to feel more vulnerable when alone (40% more than men), and 67% of those under 21 agreed they felt vulnerable alone all the time.
We also explored perceptions of safety in day versus night scenarios. Public places are avoided much more after dark than during daylight hours. Parks and gardens were considered the least safe spaces, with 80%
of people avoiding them when it’s dark – 40 times higher than in the daytime. A survey respondent stated: “Naturally, there’s a far higher chance of being mugged or assaulted at night, as it’s easier for potential perpetrators to remain unidentified. Street lighting is often patchy and inconsistent.”
While the increased focus on biodiversity and environmental design principles have undoubtedly shaped how many public spaces look today, safety and sustainability needn’t be at odds. When both factors are considered harmoniously in a design, they can complement and enhance each other.
Moreover, when people feel safe in public spaces, they are more likely to use active travel methods and public transport, which helps reduce vehicle emissions. Wellused active travel schemes can also help reduce air pollution, increase health and wellbeing and improve mental health.
Pillars for integration
To help specifiers explore these multifaceted challenges collectively, we’ve worked with leading industry partners, including the Landscape Institute, to create seven guiding design principles that can help people feel safer in public spaces, both during the day and at night.
The pillars – eyes on the street, vision and wayfinding, acoustics, accessibility, familiarity, technology and maintenance – should be considered during the feasibility and concept stages of any public space design. When considered at the project’s inception, they can be seamlessly integrated, working alongside biodiversity – and often enhancing it.
Plants and shrubbery
The choice and placement of shrubs and vegetation is one such area. In a field experiment by Evensen et al1, the impact of green space and vegetation on perceived safety was tested using the height of a hedge along a park pathway. The study showed that reducing the height of the hedge improved the immediate surrounding area for female users, making them feel safer in the park.
To support biodiversity without compromising safety, designers should consider lower-level hedges along pathways and shrubbery instead of long grasses, planters and large nectar-rich flower beds. Selected shrubs such as Cotoneaster are also an excellent choice for an inner-city park, giving the added benefit of absorbing significantly more air pollutants than many other shrubs
while also providing berries loved by birds. However, it is important to note that these shrubs are invasive and should not be used in certain areas, such as locations with chalk grasslands or adjacent woodlands.
The placement of hedges is also key, and designers should be clear about the intended purpose of the hedge. For example, planting a hedge to promote biodiversity has different requirements than planting one for safety. Birds typically will not use greenery for nesting or roosting if it’s 2m in height, and many build their nests facing north. Larger elements such as taller shrubs and trees should, therefore, be placed further away from more highly-trafficked sections of the public realm. This removes the potential for wouldbe attackers to hide close to main thoroughfares and keeps birds away from places where they are most likely to be disturbed by humans.
Acoustics
Acoustics is a further area that can positively or negatively contribute to a space’s enjoyment and sense of security. Research has demonstrated how sound can help to create a feeling of safety in public places2 by evaluating the impact of acoustics in differing ‘open’ environments, from parking garages to underground metro stations. Findings showed that certain ambient sounds – such as birdsong or human voices – help create social presence, often leading to an increased feeling of safety. Conversely, artificial nuisance sounds, such as loud traffic, can significantly negatively impact the perception of safety.
Our research also found that unwanted noise becomes more problematic at night. More than 30% of research respondents considered their awareness of sounds when out and about in public spaces during darkness. Insecurity is often heightened wherever sensory input – such as vision –is restricted through poor lighting or cramped spaces.
In practice, designers should consider how soundwaves behave when interacting with surfaces. Generally speaking, we want to avoid too much reflection and reduce excess reverberation or echo that might create a sense of unease within the space.
The use of textured materials on surfaces can help create this reflection by absorbing more sound. Angles of more prominent hard landscaping elements, such as high walling or seating, should also be considered; high, semi-circled smooth concrete walls, for instance, might direct excessive amplified sound to a focused point within a space.
Where larger expanses of hard landscaping are used, potential acoustic issues can be prevented through vegetation and plantings carefully placed throughout the space to ‘noise block’. Dense, more tightly-packed greenery is a great solution, with evergreen shrubs an excellent way to offer consistent protection while creating a visually appealing and biodiverse space.
By incorporating these principles into the early stages of public space design, we can create spaces that promote biodiversity, support safety and encourage active and sustainable modes of transport, ultimately, contributing to the wellbeing of communities and the environment.
www.marshalls.co.uk/saferspaces
SOURCES:
1Evensen, K.H.; Nordh, H.; Hassan, R.; Fyhri, A. 2021. Testing the Effect of Hedge Height on Perceived Safety-A Landscape Design Intervention. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13095063
2Krishna, A., Sayin, E., Ardelet, C., Briand, G.,and Goudey, A.; 2015, Sound and Safe: The Effect of Auditory Input on Perceived Safety of Public Spaces, International Journal of Research in Marketing
THE HEALTHCARE ESTATE: RENOVATING WITHOUT RISK
When patient, staff and visitor safety is at stake, it’s of paramount importance to ensure any healthcare building is up to scratch in terms of safety, cleanliness and maintenance. The UK’s healthcare estate has millions of people dependent on it, and so every element of its design must be in accordance with the philosophy of highquality and carefully-selected materials to protect those inside. With this in mind, Adrian Buttress, Managing Director of PermaGroup, discusses the importance of selecting the right materials when renovating the healthcare estate.
The NHS is one of the institutions that makes people proud to call the UK their home. For more than 75 years, it has provided ‘care based on need and free at the point of delivery’. The planning, effort and coordination it requires to run smoothly is hard to imagine, with around 1.5 million employees across thousands of sites.
For more than 75 years, the NHS has provided free, high-quality care to the UK with a brilliant amount of planning, effort and coordination to keep the cogs running smoothly across its thousands of sites and approximately 1.5 million employees. By the very nature of the service, it requires the lights always being on so that frontline workers can work safely, and patients can recuperate 24/7.
Decay can only be delayed
Repairs and replacements on buildings are inevitable. We cannot stop the march of time taking its toll; we can only delay it – especially in buildings that are in a constant state of use. We saw this with the Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) crises last year in which hospitals started crumbling around their workers, with 54 recorded instances as of February 20241. Situations like this mean that hospital maintenance and regeneration has now taken centre stage. However, when determining the best route forward, decision makers should consider the risks of working in a live hospital environment, with many products being potentially harmful.
Speaking from experience, we see the worst and quickest damage
occur most often on roofs, especially following retrofit installations of added features that pierce the strength of the EPDM roofing systems. Once this happens, professional help is required to re-establish it and ensure it is fit for purpose once again. When this occurs on healthcare buildings, such as hospitals, the decisions to do this need to be decisive and swift.
This is because disruption to a service is much more severely felt by a hospital’s users over somewhere like a factory, or anywhere else that can easily pause works for a time. Shutting down a wing for even a small amount of time can massively overburden the rest of the facility or those in the surrounding area as operational output must remain the same.
Adrian Buttress is the Managing Director of PermaGroup
This is why we have to be experts at avoiding this where possible, taking measures to allow care to continue to be given if we can. Though this may slow down renovations, it quickens patient care –undoubtedly a positive trade off.
The right materials for the job
Most important, however, in any renovation or repair is the materials, with potentially dangerous consequences from giving them too little consideration. The RAAC crisis illustrates this well, with several hospitals suffering extensive disruption from poor concrete. This was caused by the breaking down of the material, however, there are also multiple other factors that must be taken into account. In the healthcare sector, materials need to be ultra safe and up to standard. Toxic odours, chemicals or other hazards cannot be allowed to transmit into the building where they may harm those inside. If this happens, it puts at risk patients with weakened immune systems, maternity wards where immune systems haven’t fully developed yet and also risks contamination of much-needed healthcare provisions stored there.
In the UK, the BREEAM standards show specific guidance for contractors and site managers to follow, with material transparency being advocated for heavily, but corners being cut is not unheard of and, ultimately, it’s the hospital’s responsibility
to ensure the safety of its patients, which encompasses the quality of works completed on its facilities.
To put this into perspective, a University of Michigan study2 in 2021 found up to 55 harmful materials used on building sites with some being up to 1000 times higher than recommended. This study was carried out on residential developments building homes where people will spend hours of the day. The study recommended people to wait for several weeks before moving in following construction, however, hospitals don’t have this luxury.
What the experts say
We recommend using skilled installers who carry out multiple risk assessments before any product is opened on site, as well as seeking independent professionals who can recommend best practices and specifications to be on hand throughout the project as well.
Products like liquid roofing systems are often our preferred method. On a project where quick installation and safe materials are at the fore of considerations, certain high-quality liquid polyethylene membranes provide no odours or noxious chemicals from their installation. Additionally, the roll-on application means installation is quick and resistant within minutes, meaning minimal disruption time and minimal exposure.
Especially on buildings with complicated roofs, which is often the case with healthcare buildings, these systems also negate issues from having more seams and edges on the system, as well as the risk of less skilled contractors installing incorrectly.
However, the roof is just one element of a building that requires comprehensive care and consideration into its maintenance, and we recommend professional expertise to even the most minor works to ensure full protection for those inside. Caution and care should go hand in hand.
MYTHS BUSTED: WHAT BUSINESSES NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PPN 03/24 IN PUBLIC PROCUREMENT
Robert Walton, Chief Product and Engineering Officer at Constructionline, debunks four myths around the recently-announced PPN 03/24 and what it means for procurement processes.
arlier this year, the Government published PPN 03/24, a guidance document to standardise, improve efficiency and drive up levels of safety at the pre-qualification stage in public sector procurement, especially for work contracts.
Since its release, some misinformation has been published about what is legally required to ensure those with procurement and purchasing power remain compliant. To bring clarity to businesses, experts at Constructionline have delved into the update and decoded the jargon to debunk some myths about PPN 03/24.
Myth 1: PPN 03/24 mandates a complete shift from PAS 91 to the Common Assessment Standard
Some reports have suggested the update mandates a complete shift from PAS 91 to the Common Assessment Standard (CAS). This isn’t the case; the document says: “…Contracting authorities should use the Common Assessment Standard”.
While it may sound like semantics, it’s important to note the distinction between ‘should’ and ‘must’ in these pronouncements:
Should: Indicates a recommendation that’s generally expected to be followed
Must: Signifies a mandatory requirement. In this case, the CAS for works contracted above the £5.337m threshold is a strong recommendation by the Government, but not a legal requirement. The Building Safety Act encourages contractors to adhere to higherquality standards and becames part of the CAS on 1st July.
Myth 2: PAS 91 is outdated, and using it means non-compliance
The British Standards Institution has withdrawn PAS 91, therefore, the Government recommends using the CAS for pre-qualification questionnaires. PAS 91 is still in line with the Procurement
Regulations, and public bodies subject to those regulations can continue to use it and remain compliant. It’s worth noting that PAS 91 has faced challenges keeping pace with industry demands and regulatory changes, therefore, construction businesses should still consider the benefits of using the CAS.
Myth 3: The Common Assessment Standard is required for works contracted above £5.337m
This PPN offers specific advice on using the CAS as a pre-qualification tool when awarding contracts over £5.337m per year, subject to the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. It helps assess whether a bidder’s supply chain has effective systems to ensure reliability. Although the Government and Constructionline recommend the CAS, it is not mandatory to use that standard for public sector contracts above £5m.
Myth 4: The PPN 03/24 is irrelevant for anyone working on contracts below £5.337m
The recommendation for implementing the CAS for pre-qualification questionnaires is primarily aimed at projects exceeding £5.337m. However, that’s not to say that the PPN 03/24 shouldn’t be read and understood by procurers working on public contracts.
Constructionline partnered with Build UK to help them develop the CAS, crafted from existing systems, like PAS 91 and from expert input from clients, suppliers and trade organisations. Championed by Build UK and the Civil Engineering Association, the standard’s main objective is to create a more streamlined and consistent process for assessing the capabilities and compliance of potential suppliers. Although using the CAS is not mandatory, it still provides value for construction sector businesses involved in public procurement.
Robert Walton is the Chief Product and Engineering Officer at Constructionline
SUPERIOR FLUSH PERFORMANCE
AN EDUCATION IN CEILING SPECIFICATION
From primary and secondary schools to colleges and universities, the education sector comprises a mix of different building types but creating a comfortable interior space that supports learning and wellbeing is always a key requirement. Simon Humphrey, Technical Manager from acoustic ceiling systems manufacturer OWA, discusses the importance of smart specification and why choosing the right ceiling system for your next education project can be as easy as ABC.
Suspended ceiling systems are perfectly suited to a wide range of projects, and the education sector really showcases the range of creative options available – from cost-effective and highlydurable mineral ceiling systems that offer excellent sound absorption in noisy classrooms to innovative metal acoustic canopies and baffles that combine acoustic performance with high-end aesthetics for higher education settings.
So what are the key considerations when choosing ceiling systems, and how can specifiers be sure that the products they choose make the grade?
A is for acoustics
Acoustic performance is one of the most important considerations when choosing interior building products for use in educational buildings, and ceiling systems are no exception. The requirements are outlined in Building Bulletin 93, Acoustic Design of Schools, and it’s important to choose a ceiling system that offers the correct balance between sound absorption and sound attenuation. As the acoustic requirements will depend on the use of the room, more than one ceiling system may be required across the project as classrooms, communal spaces, sports halls or specific rooms, such as those for music lessons or quiet
study, will each need to be considered. For example, in a classroom setting, a system with a class A rating is likely to be required to ensure that the teacher can communicate with the students effectively and there is no disruption from noise coming from adjoining classrooms. In corridors and reception areas, a class C rating is usually sufficient. Similarly, in large lecture theatres, there will be a need to reduce echoes and boost speech intelligibility.
One of the most popular solutions for soundproofing in classrooms and study areas are suspended ceilings combined with high-performance ceiling tiles with excellent sound insulation properties. Acoustic suspended ceilings also have the added benefit of concealing essential pipework and utilities or, in the case of refurbishment projects, disguising an unsightly original ceiling.
B is for budgets
The use of suspended ceiling systems and mineral fibre ceiling tiles is a cost-effective option for use in a sector where budgets are notoriously stretched. These tiles, which may feature a uniform, painted, textured, visible surface can be demounted and reinstalled as needed to give service access. Also, they are easy to source and replace if they become damaged.
Choosing a product with a high density will ensure that the ceiling tiles maintain their integrity when handled over a prolonged period of time and will not develop dark patches where dust and dirt accumulate. Although costs are important, it is worth remembering that some mineral ceiling tiles have a high formaldehyde or chemical content, which can contribute to VOC (volatile organic compounds) being released into the air. It’s important to maintain good air quality and a comfortable interior environment within education settings, so any ceiling tiles specified should demonstrate compliance with BS EN 13964, which outlines the best practice requirements and test methods for suspended ceilings. A key part of this is clause 4.5.2, which relates to the formaldehyde content of ceiling tiles.
Although slightly more expensive as an initial outlay, metal ceiling tiles are also an effective choice as they offer exceptional design flexibility and enhanced durability, which can help reduce long-term maintenance costs. Constructed from robust metal such as galvanised steel or aluminium, perforated metal ceiling tiles are fitted with a sound-absorbing fleece backing to achieve class C as standard. An optional class A acoustic pad will effectively maximise sound absorption and the tiles are available in a range of perforation patterns.
C is for creativity (and reducing carbon)
Investing in metal ceiling tiles can also help meet sustainability targets. As well as looking for ceiling tiles that have a high recycled content, embodied carbon should also be considered and it is worth futureproofing your project by partnering with a manufacturer that offers products that utilise low-carbon steel, which is produced using cleaner, renewable energy.
Of course, the most appropriate type of acoustic ceiling system depends greatly on the functionality and size of the room in question and the project’s budget, but meeting these challenges doesn’t have to stifle creativity or design innovation. In terms of ceiling designs, this is where the use of acoustic baffles, rafts and canopies can make a real impact. These solutions are also effective for projects where installing a tiled suspended ceiling may not be possible and for retrofit projects where there is a need to enhance, rather than replace, the ceiling.
Acoustic baffles, rafts and canopies work much in the same way in that they are suspended via wires or rods from an existing soffit and can help reduce reverberation and reflected
sound. This makes them ideally suited for large, open-plan areas, such as lecture theatres, assembly halls and collaborative work spaces that are often found in higher education colleges and university buildings. The overall interior design scheme can also be enhanced with different configurations, shapes, colours and sizes available.
Problem solving through collaboration
When creating aspirational learning environments, it’s important to take a holistic approach to the interior design and, with ceilings playing such an integral role in both acoustics and aesthetics, close collaboration with the supply chain is vital. Through early engagement with the product manufacturers, specifiers can tap into their expertise to identify solutions for any potential problems, give help with product selection as well as suggest opportunities for value engineering. By reducing the learning curve, project teams can then fully realise the design potential for ceilings in the education sector.
www.owa-ceilings.co.uk
A VANDERSANDEN BRICKS HELP CREATE A STRIKING EDUCATIONAL SUPERBLOCK
Setting an aesthetic benchmark at the heart of the regeneration of London’s Royal Docks, Oasis Academy Silvertown is a new Department for Education school created by architect firm Rivington Street Studio. The la ndmark building serves 11-16 year olds and achieves a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating while its striking appearance owes much to the use of Vandersanden’s Perla bricks.
t the heart of an emerging community in West Silvertown, the Oasis Academy is an all-inclusive secondary school for 600 students on a constrained .25-hectare site. Arranged as a multi-storey ‘superblock’, the building incorporates outdoor social space at different levels and a full-sized sports pitch on its roof.
The warm white Perla brickwork and large openings relate to the existing and new residential properties and the monumental listed Silo D nearby. The building’s thick external walls are folded to provide a layered facade in response to the elements. A doubleheight colonnade to the North Woolwich Road acts as a visitor entrance and engenders a civic
quality to the building while also allowing for generous pedestrian movement and a deep threshold between the public domain and secure school environment.
The site is surrounded by a mix of red brick residential properties, derelict industrial land and vast stretches of masterplanned residential and commercial properties. “We wanted the academy to stand out from this landscape,” explains Éimear Murphy, Associate Director at Rivington Street Studio. “Vandersanden’s white Perla bricks give the building a monumental quality, highlighting that it’s for the community and is not an apartment block.”
Taylor Maxwell, the brick supplier, suggested Vandersanden’s Perla brick for the project. “What we really liked about Perla is that it’s not only a white brick, with no variation in the colour, but it has quite a rustic, handmade texture that gives it a warm feel rather than a shiny and engineered surface finish,” adds Murphy.
There were various challenges to creating the brickwork details. The sharp angles associated with the brick fins on the side elevations meant there were a lot of brick specials so these were scheduled with plans drawn through the fins at every other course at the different levels. The contractor then cut the bricks to the schedule. This was made possible because the Perla bricks are exactly the same colour all the way through.
For the canted reveals of the double-height colonnade to the main elevation, brick slip panels were used. Rivington Street Studio worked with the brick subcontractor to develop a bespoke detail and different mock ups were trialled. The brick slips are
seamless in appearance, matching with the full bricks used elsewhere.
The canted reveals to the windows on the south elevation were envisioned through extensive 3D modelling and the Perla bricks again proved highly versatile during construction.
To achieve a homogenous feel to the building, the mortar was matched to the brick. From a distance, the structure resembles a white cube but, as you get closer, the surface detail of the mortar joints and brick texture starts appearing. At different times of the day, the building’s appearance changes as patterns of light and shade move across the texture of the bricks.
“The Vandersanden bricks are incredibly high quality, and the through-colour simplified the construction process because the bricks could simply be cut to suit the building’s geometry,” enthuses Murphy. “Another important factor was the excellent consistency of the batches as this was essential to achieving the building’s monolithic, one-colour look.”
A NEW OUTDOOR EDUCATION SPACE FOR THE LONDON BOROUGH OF BEXLEY
The London Borough of Bexley has opened a new outdoor education space, The Clearing, in Lesnes Abbey Woods that will support sustainable woodland management, nature conservation and improve access to natural green space. The design team was led by WonKy, and the main contractor was Gransden Construction.
The Clearing is a multi-functional education space that will support woodland management and volunteers, host events that teach the importance of sustainable woodland management and nature conservation, demonstrate traditional forestry and woodworking skills to volunteers and local schools, and give children access to natural green space for outdoor recreation and learning.
Situated in southeast London on the last stop of the newly-opened Elizabeth Line, Lesnes Abbey Woods is an 88-hectare public park and ancient woodland, including a ruined abbey, in the London Borough of Bexley. The local authority appointed WonKy in 2020 to co-design an outdoor education space with its future
custodians and users, including the estate management of Lesnes Abbey Woods, local volunteer, North West Kent Countryside Partnership and Creative Nature HQ. A former council goods yard was identified as the site for The Clearing, within the ancient woodland, as the ground was previously disturbed and of low ecological value. The project team ran pilot events on the site to build the case for development and test design ideas.
A large parachute, creating an outdoor classroom and meeting place, was specified to create an all-weather space that offered covered dappled lighting in the open woodland. The act of setting up the outdoor education space is intended to be a communal activity at The Clearing.
With the aid of a catapult, the parachute is slung over a stainless-steel cable hung between the trees, then participants work together to draw and tether the parachute to a circle of wooden posts, carved by local volunteers into woodland motifs suggested by local school children.
Taking inspiration from the fishing net lofts of Hastings, a small square tower, lined internally with plywood and clad externally in Corten steel with a translucent GRP lantern, stores and dries the parachute. The top of the tower also allows for monitoring equipment to be installed so birdsong and other data can be recorded and stored.
A full-width metal roller shutter is the backdrop to a stage decking area that
can be used for demonstrations and performances both under cover and in the open air. The design makes use of a disused Corten steel shipping container, sand blasted and allowed to rust, the skin of this space blends in with the oxidised cladding of the tower.
The treadle-operated pole lathe and shave horse are considered the beating heart of a woodland’s greenwood workshop, and these items are brought out into The Clearing when in use. At other times, they are securely stored in a sheltered external store with sawtooth Corten cladding to the walls and roof. A low concrete bench surrounds the internal perimeter to offer volunteer and woodworkers a space to rest.
Corten steel, chosen as the primary cladding material, is a secure and fireresistant material used throughout the woods and public park. It weathers naturally to form a distinctive rust-red protective coating, allowing the building to blend into the ancient woodland in all seasons, especially in autumn.
The architect firm prides itself on being resourceful with budgets and sustainable with materials, and this project began life with a ‘found’ shipping container, a decommissioned military parachute and using as much chestnut and oak coppicing from the surrounding woods as possible. The approach to the specification maximised the budget and minimised the project’s carbon footprint.
FACT FILE:
Official project name: The Clearing
Location: Lesnes Abbey Woods
Client: The London Borough of Bexley
Main contractor:
Gransden Construction
Architect: WonKy
Traditional woodwork: Creative Nature
HQ and Lesnes Abbey Wood Volunteers
Structural engineer: Engineers HRW
Ecologist: ASW Ecology
Tree consultant: Down to Earth
Project completion date: May 2024
Photographer: Jim Stephenson
Architectural Photography & Films
BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING CASE STUDY: KETTERING GENERAL HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST
Here, Nigel Robinson, General Manager at Service Works Global (SWG), explains how the company has supported the FM and estates team at NHS Kettering with an integrated tech solution.
The integration of Building Information Modelling (BIM) with Computer-Aided Facilities Management (CAFM) has become an integral part of estates management for healthcare sites. BIM provides a centralised digital representation of a building’s physical and functional characteristics, which allows for improved collaboration, real-time data access and better decision-making throughout a building’s lifecycle. This integration streamlines maintenance and space planning, which leads to cost savings, improved sustainability and greater operational efficiency.
We have supported Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (NHS Kettering) since 2019 and provide a range of software solutions across its estate, including CAFM and BIM.
NHS Kettering covers just under 80,000m², with 560 beds in multiple wards. Its estates and facilities team totals 350 people and their remit includes maintenance, housekeeping, medical devices, porterage and sterile services. Well-managed maintenance routines are required to ensure optimal levels of patient care.
Our partnership began with facilities management (FM) helpdesk optimisation and planned preventative maintenance (PPM) schedules. We have since expanded the scope to meet the growing needs of an ever-changing NHS sector. BIM’s use has allowed for better workplace productivity and operational performance as well as delivering cost benefits.
Digitisation
We have laser scanned some existing buildings to digitise the trust’s estate, which helps the FM team manage building data across multiple sites. This will also be carried out at with the trust’s new Energy Centre, following its construction, and will allow Kettering to manage a state-of-theart facility from one central platform.
The next step will be to create digital twins – a virtual representation of a building and workflow space to test object accuracy before use – which will position NHS Kettering as a technology leader within NHS England.
As we digitise more of the estate, the clinical staff will be able to function more efficiently, treat more patients and provide a greater level of service overall. It also showcases best practice for other NHS estate teams on the use of BIM.
PPM and reactive maintenance schedules
Hospitals require functional assets to provide prompt treatment of patients. Estates teams must utilise maintenance schedules for ongoing asset improvements and effective PPM schedules mean hospitals like NHS Kettering can minimise asset downtime.
At NHS Kettering, there used to be about 1500 reactive works a month. By analysing and performing repeat works, this has now reduced to less than 1200 a month. Simultaneously, PPM works have increased from around 1200 a month to 1700. The trust is becoming more proactive and
reducing the time of non-availability and service interruptions.
Non-availability of assets can lead to clinic cancellations and disruptions to theatres, meaning clinicians see fewer patients. For over 12 months, the trust has had no unplanned or unmanageable interruptions, thanks to reactive maintenance schedules.
A well-managed PPM schedule also helps facilities managers to keep up with other aspects of compliance, such as Health Technical Memoranda (HTM). These documents provide guidance on the design, installation and operation of specialised building and engineering technology used in healthcare. By integrating HTM guidelines into the schedules, the estates team ensures their work consistently meets NHS England’s guidelines, which can be verified through accurate reporting.
Reporting
Gathering building information can take a long time, which can create backlogs across a hospital. Kettering NHS uses our software to access real-time data about a building, including clinical and non-clinical data, space utilisation data and room availability. QFM is also integrated with Microsoft Power BI, and the live data highlights the daily status of the hospital’s assets and equipment.
One example of a benefit of this approach is around the scheduling of engineer visits. Kettering NHS was able to analyse data to reduce engineer travel time and visits, including the costs incurred when issues arise out of hours. This has
led to a drop from an average of 40 calls a week to around 10, saving the hospital between £2000 to £4000 per week.
Compliance
The Premises Assurance Model (PAM), introduced in 2013, aids trusts in making informed development decisions to meet strict compliance standards. PAM undergoes regular updates based on ongoing policy changes and user feedback, making it challenging for older estates without BIM integration to stay current. Software provided to NHS Kettering aligns with the latest governmental guidance and compliance strategies for
asset data, matching PAM requirements and integrating with relevant PPM schedules. Operating in this way ensures that NHS Kettering can generate accurate and compliant reports for NHS England.
BIM integration within healthcare BIM is mandatory for new public sector buildings, and using it in existing buildings makes estate management much more efficient. It can be particularly in the healthcare sector, where many trusts have sprawling estates comprised of buildings of varying condition. On top of that, patient safety is paramount and safe, efficient spaces are key to this.
The overall aim is to provide one centralised location for estate information, from space utilisation to maintenance schedules. At NHS Kettering, the licence fee cost of the software is recouped by improving the productivity levels of the cleaning teams by just 2%. All other efficiencies realised across the estate are then directly reducing running costs for the team.
Digitising healthcare estates is a case of when, not if, so I’d urge estates teams to start the process now and begin reaping the rewards.
A ENHANCING SUSTAINABILITY IN ARCHITECTURE: THE CRITICAL ROLE OF EPD
Sustainability is becoming an increasingly fundamental consideration in the architectural landscape, reshaping how architects approach design and product specification.
s the construction industry strives to reduce its environmental impact, architects uphold the important responsibility of ensuring that their designs not only comply with evolving Building Regulations but also contribute positively to the environment.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) highlights that energy-efficient building technologies could reduce global energy consumption in buildings by at least 50% by 2050, significantly cutting CO 2 emissions.
Here, Lara Coutinho, Sustainability Programme Manager at Profab Access – part of the Access 360 business –discusses the importance of third-partyverified EPDs, and how products with this accreditation can provide architects with the confidence that their buildings will help to achieve a more sustainable built environment overall.
Recent updates in building standards have been implemented to help achieve a more sustainable built environment and reflect the growing importance of this within the world of architecture.
This includes the International Green Construction Code (IgCC), enforced in 2021, which provides a set of guidelines that aim to improve the sustainability and environmental performance of buildings during their design, construction and operation.
When 25% 1 of all UK carbon emissions are directly attributed to the built environment, a clear need for such guidelines is evident, with the industry, including architects, upholding a responsibility of ensuring that buildings not only meet performance expectations but also minimise environmental impact.
This is where third-party-verified EPD product verification becomes crucial.
Why EPDs?
Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are a Type III environmental declaration that provide transparent and reliable information about a product’s environmental impact throughout its lifecycle. Based on international standards such as ISO 12025 and EN 15804, it covers various key aspects, including a product’s raw materials, energy use, emissions and waste generation.
The value of EPDs lies in their ability to enable comparisons between products fulfilling the same function, thanks to the information they provide. This allows architects to make informed specification choices that are based on factual data and ensure they are specifying environmentallyfriendly options for their buildings.
EPDs can help to increase a building’s sustainability in a number of ways. Firstly, by choosing products with lower environmental impacts, a building’s overall carbon footprint can be reduced. The data EPDs allow architects to specify products that minimise the environmental impact associated with things such as raw material extraction, construction, transportation, use and end-oflife disposal, ultimately, contributing to the fight against climate change.
Additionally, thanks to being third-party verified, EPDs guarantee that data available to architects is credible and trustworthy. This negates the risk of greenwashing, where manufacturers might otherwise exaggerate their product’s sustainability benefits without substantiated evidence.
Finally, they allow architects to drive the demand for environmentally-responsible products. This can have a ripple effect on the wider manufacturing industry, incentivising manufacturers to adopt more sustainable production methods as they adapt to meet these demands, leading to non-sustainable methods becoming obsolete. This, in the long
term, can ultimately lead to industry-wide shifts in sustainability practices.
With green Building Regulations becoming a standard in both commercial and residential projects, EPD-accredited products may soon not only be desirable, but a fundamental requirement. Thus, specifying products with EPD accreditation allows architects to not only demonstrate both a commitment to building sustainability, but also ensure their buildings remain compliant throughout years to come.
In the pursuit of sustainability, every little helps When considering how they can achieve more sustainable buildings, it may be easy for architects to focus on the building elements that have the highest environmental impact; areas such as roofs, walls, HVAC systems and materials used within its structure may be a key focus here. However, it is essential that they also give consideration to smaller and often overlooked building elements, which can also make a significant difference.
Access panels and riser doors are among the many EPD-accredited products that architects can specify for their buildings. Though perhaps not a primary consideration when making environmentally-conscious decisions, it is by specifying products such as these that architects achieve small yet impactful sustainability wins, which contribute to the building’s overall environmental footprint, and help them to remain compliant with Building Regulations. When selecting products for specification and ensuring they are making the bestinformed decisions, research is key. It imperative that architects review manufacturer certifications and, where possible, should always prioritise specifying products from reputable companies that offer EPD accreditation.
With sustainability becoming a primary focus within the built environment as the world strives towards achieving climate targets, architects are among those who play a vital role in shaping the industry’s environmental impact. While sustainability can, at times, be difficult to navigate, it is through specifying of products with thirdparty certifications, such as EPDs, that architects are provided with a clear and reliable path forward.
By prioritising these products, architects can ensure their buildings meet their sustainability goals, are compliant with industry regulations and contribute to a more sustainable future. This commitment to transparency and environmental responsibility will not only enhance the quality and reputation of their projects, but also play a significant role in addressing global environmental challenges.
TR19® Air, published by the BESA, provides a clear specification for professional cleaning of ventilation systems. Gary Nicholls, MD of Swiftclean and Co-Author of both TR19® Air and TR19® Grease, examines this new publication.
For many years, ventilation hygiene was undoubtedly dependent on how diligent and enlightened each building manager was. Some systems were scrupulously maintained; others, sadly neglected. The introduction of industry guidance, first with TR17, then with TR19, has gradually brought about far greater awareness of the importance of ventilation hygiene and its effect on indoor air quality.
Since the pandemic, we are all more sharply aware of the importance of indoor air quality, so TR19 Air has, therefore, arrived at a time when ventilation hygiene is taken more seriously by all parties. Indeed, this new publication takes us a significant step from leading industry guidance to a specification everyone should comply with.
The new TR19 Air specification stipulates the need for regular cleaning of the ventilation ductwork in order to ensure that ductwork does not pollute the incoming air by harbouring airborne pollutants such as bacteria, dust or volatile organic compounds. TR19 Air highlights the importance of ventilation cleaning and compliance in maintaining a safe, healthy building.
As with its predecessors, TR19 Air requires ventilation systems to be classified as high, medium and low, depending on their usage and the areas that they serve. This classification affects the regularity of cleaning, and TR19 Air contains helpful tables giving intervals for cleaning each classification.
There are two key changes; a new emphasis on inspection and testing of the cleanliness of the ductwork; and specific advice about access, especially at the design, construction and installation stages.
In order to achieve and maintain compliance with TR19 Air, it is necessary to be able to access the entire system. This may sound obvious, but, in the past, the design and construction of systems has not always incorporated sufficient access points to
be able to clean the entire run of ductwork, especially around turns or when meeting with a fire damper.
Where ventilation ductwork passes through an internal fireresistant wall, it creates a ‘breach’ in the wall, and the ductwork itself can act as a chimney through which smoke and flames can travel. So, it is vital that this breach can be closed in the event of a fire. This is achieved by installing a fire damper, a set of steel louvres that are left open to allow air to circulate but which drop into a closed position automatically in the event of a fire, resealing the fire-resistant compartment. Clearly, it is important to ensure that these work effectively, so there is a legal requirement under BS:9999 to ‘function’ test them at least every 12 months.
TR19 Air strongly recommends that there are access points no more than 1m from each side of the fire damper – essentially an arm’s length – to ensure that drop testing and cleaning are possible. This 1m rule also applies to turns in the ductwork. In some stretches of ductwork, operatives will actually enter the ductwork in order to clean it, but climbing through a turn or angle is not usually feasible, so access to each side of the turn is required.
Additional access hatches can be retrofitted later, but this is inevitably more expensive and potentially more difficult than installing them from the outset. Ductwork may be twin walled and contain insulation materials in some sections, and FMs rarely have details of where these stretches are.
TR19 Air also warns against installing utilities such as gas pipes, water pipes or electric cables, across access hatches, causing an obstruction and preventing their use. This has occurred far too often in the past, and should not be permitted. Access also has to be safe for the technician, who will sometimes be working at height, so it must be safe for them to reach inside or to enter or exit the ductwork.
Gary Nicholls is the Managing Director of Swiftclean
Cleaning and testing should be carried out by a member of the BESCA Vent Hygiene Register. Register members can provide post-clean certification, which demonstrates compliance, forming valuable legal protection against any accusation of negligence.
We still have a lot of older ventilation systems in the UK, some of which may never have been serviced or maintained. Ventilation systems in, particular, have, in the past, too often been out of sight and out of mind when it comes to maintenance. Thankfully, this has changed a great deal thanks to the advent of the guidance document TR19 and now, the new TR19 Air specification. This new publication should help to put ductwork hygiene more firmly on the building manager’s to-do list on a regular basis.
It is to be hoped that we might see a final burst of positive retrofitting of access doors in neglected older systems to help bring them up to compliance with TR19 Air. Hopefully, non-compliant, inaccessible systems will soon be a thing of the past, especially with the BESA’s encouragement. The BESA has billed TR19 Air as a revolution in indoor air quality and, if everyone ensures that their ventilation system is compliant in the future, we hope this will very much be the case.
I MEETING BUILDING SAFETY ACT REQUIREMENTS ON FIRE DAMPERS
Changes in safety legislation have led to multiple new guidelines, which govern the way in which buildings are constructed and maintained. The Building Safety Act, brought into law in April 2022, as well as secondary legislation and reforms to existing legislation, have changed the way in which custodians of buildings must think, both during design and after construction, says Mike Gosling TIFireE, Technical Director at TROX UK.
n addition to new roles and requirements for higher-risk buildings (HRBs), there are important updates in guidance regarding fire dampers in buildings of all types. For those involved in taking on these new roles or already involved in these areas, it is important to understand this technically-complex area.
In this article, I discuss key points in relation to design and construction and accountability/responsibility. I will then summarise the key topics covered by the recently-published NAAD-22 guidance document on fire dampers and the ways in which it impacts on product selection, installation and responsibilities for safety. Finally, I will review the technical assistance in relation to fire dampers available for those with responsibility for buildings.
Firstly, with regard to design and construction, under the Building Safety Act 2022, responsibilities have increased for all dutyholders, for example, individuals and organisations that commission, design, construct or refurbish buildings. Those involved must now go beyond the requirements of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (CDM), ensuring projects are not only safe to build, use and maintain, but also making sure they are safe to occupy.
Secondly, the act also introduced the new role of accountable person, which refers to individuals or organisations that own or have responsibility for a relevant HRB during occupation as well as individuals or organisations that are responsible for the repair or maintenance of common parts of a building, for example, corridors and lobbies. Therefore, the responsibility falls on dutyholders to select “adequate and proper materials”, that are “appropriate for the circumstances in which they are used” and to integrate these within the building design to facilitate them to be “applied, used or fixed so as to adequately perform the functions
for which they are designed”. This must be achieved while ensuring that routine inspection and maintenance throughout the building’s lifetime can be achieved.
Key topics covered by NAAD-22
The NAAD-22 document covers design, selection, installation and maintenance of fire dampers. It is available for free download at https://www.naaduk. co.uk/naad22-guidance-document-app/.
In addition to providing an overview of damper types, NAAD-22 provides guidance on minimum Regulatory requirements for routine maintenance, testing and inspection of installed dampers. It also covers the installation, testing and commissioning of dampers during initial installation, as well as considerations for the correct design and selection of fire dampers. Some key areas to study are the requirements relating to system design and damper selection, and the importance of detail and quality of workmanship during installation.
As an example, the person designing and selecting the fire dampers should understand:
1. The principles of compartmentation
2. The standards and principles for testing FDs and SCDs
3. The applications of FDs and SCDs
4. The correct procedures for the selection and installation of FDs
5. Building services spatial coordination
6. The correct procedures for access to regular testing, maintenance etc. for FDs.
7. Demonstrate good behavioural and ethical competence.
Recognition is given that the required knowledge may not be held by a single party, therefore, the involvement of a manufacturer at the early stage of design, who can support the dutyholder with respect to the certified applications of the dampers, should be considered.
In the case of a new build, once the building has been designed for
compartmentalisation and the damper is being selected, the type of supporting construction into which the damper is to be installed is crucial. The manufacturer must provide a Declaration of Performance (DoP) and Installation & Operating Manual (IOM) to the dutyholder, specific to the supporting construction. Without both of these documents, there is no guarantee of performance that the installation will meet the required performance.
Failure to install a fire damper in accordance with manufacturers’ IOM, without obtaining permission for an installation deviation, will render the fire damper non compliant, with responsibility to underwrite the installation falling on those involved in this design decision. After installation, changes to the building use, which might impact upon the required damper classification, are also critical, as they could void the original installation compliance. For example, if a change in use results in a fire damper protecting an escape route, a fusible link fire damper would need to be changed to a motorised fire damper.
Technical support
Engagement with the fire damper manufacturer at an early stage is, therefore, crucial to achieve compliance. With one of Europe’s most modern fire protection laboratories, the International Centre Fire Protection Technology (ICB), TROX has developed its range of fire dampers for a wide range of supporting constructions encountered in modern buildings, from solid walls and floors to lightweight partition walls (metal and wooden stud), solid wood/CLT walls and floors, sandwich panel walls, asymmetric shaft wall, ribbed concrete and hollow deck, among others. This has resulted in thirdparty-notified body testing and certification of over 400 damper installations. So, we can assist those specifying dampers by providing proven, declared performance within an extensive range of supporting constructions and with multiple penetration seal options. The full accompanying installation details for the specific applications are available for an extremely wide range of mounting situations, and specifiers and contractors can be provided with the information necessary to ensure accurate selection and installation of TROX fire protection dampers. This is essential to enable those designated as dutyholders or accountable persons to achieve and maintain regulatory compliance and to safeguard building safety.
TROX has developed training seminars on fire damper and smoke control damper testing, classification and installation. TROX also supplies four fire damper variants to meet the requirements of varying system designs, all of which conform to the harmonised product standard (BS EN 15650), have been tested to BS EN 1366-2 / BS EN 15882-2 and classified for integrity (E), insulation (I) and leakage (S) to BS EN 13501-3.
THREE DAYS, 300+ BRANDS AND 30%
BIGGER: WHY YOU NEED TO VISIT THE FLOORING SHOW
Earlier this year, The Flooring Show announced its expansion into Hall Q, a decision that sees the show grow by 30%. Such growth is a testament to the strength of the flooring industry and cements the show as one of the UK’s largest and market-leading flooring trade events.
Open to retailers, contractors, fitters, architects, interior designers, specifiers and project managers, this is an unmissable event for anyone within the flooring industry. This year’s dates are set
for 15 to 17th September at its much-loved home of the Harrogate Convention Centre, and with over 300 brands exhibiting, The Flooring Show is the ultimate destination for flooring professionals.
Find out more about what the show has to offer:
2024 exhibitor line up
The Flooring Show’s exhibitors span the breadth of the flooring industry, attracting manufacturers and suppliers of carpet, laminate, LVT, wood, vinyl, cork, grass, SPC as well as underlay, adhesives, software, machinery and tools. The names that visitors know and love will be returning to support the three-day show, bringing with them new ranges across all types of flooring for the contract and retail markets. Suppliers include Abingdon Flooring, Adam Carpets, Associated Weavers, Ball & Young, Bostik, Cavalier Carpets, Cormar, COREtec Flooring, Kellars, Furlong Flooring, F Ball & Co, Hugh Mackay, Interfloor, Lifestyle, Likewise, Penthouse Carpets, Tarkett, Westex, Victoria Carpets & Design Floors, to name just a few.
Alongside the big names returning to the show, there are plenty of new names joining this year, including Floormart, Bjelin, T-Build Floors, Evolve Flooring, Fablon Fine Carpets & Rugs, Juvern, Peri UK, Floor Master, Tuftco, Rinos, Alsa Flooring, to name just a handful.
Design Spotlight
Located in the newly-accessed Hall Q, the Design Spotlight has been launched in response to the demand from architects, interior designers, property developers and specifiers in search of the most unique, design-oriented residential and contract flooring solutions on the market.
Fitter of the Year
This year, NICF’s Fitter of the Year Competition returns with a focus on carpets. The competition will take place over Sunday 15th and Monday 16th with the winner announced at 4pm on the Monday. They will receive a cheque for £2000, a trophy, great prizes, including a selection of tools, and one year’s free NICF Master Fitter membership.
Wool Trends Centre
Located in Hall C, meet with brands that put wool carpet at the forefront, including Westex Carpets, Adam Carpets, British Wool, Cavalier Carpets, Brintons, Axminster Carpets, Brockway Carpets, Penthouse Carpets and Ulster Carpets.
Demo Zone
The Demo Zone, run by the Flooring Industry Training Association (FITA) and supported by the Contract Flooring Association (CFA) and National Institute of Carpet & Floorlayers (NICF), is back in Hall B to impart more wisdom on the latest techniques and insights into working with the newest products on the market, via their live demonstrations across the three days of the show.
HEALTHCARE ESTATES CONFERENCE,
EXHIBITION AND AWARDS 2024
The Healthcare Conference, Exhibition and Awards take place at the Manchester Central convention complex on 8 and 9th October.
The Exhibition at Healthcare Estates is free to attend and is the place for healthcare engineering and E&FM professionals of all levels to discover the products, services and information to help them meet current and future challenges.
Attendees to the exhibition will be greeted by over 200 leading suppliers, covering every discipline related to designing, building, managing and maintaining healthcare estates and facilities. This is already one of the
Each zone features a Seminar Theatre, from where the sector’s leading associations and organisations will deliver a programme of free content on that zone’s theme, with over 60 sessions available in total.
All visitors to the event can attend the conference keynote sessions, featuring leaders from NHS England, top academics, heads of engineering-focused professional organisations and industry experts. The keynote line up for 2024 includes: Jacqui Rock, Chief Commercial Officer, NHS England; Simon Corben, Director and Head of Profession – NHS Estates, NHS England; Fiona Daly, National Deputy Director of Estates, NHS England; Matt Ward, National Estates Strategy Lead, NHS England; Michael Wood, Head of Health Economic Partnerships, NHS Confederation; Wayne Carr, Director of Estates, Facilities and Clinical Engineering, City Hospitals Independent Commercial Enterprises (CHoICE); Richard Lennard, Executive Commercial Director, New Hospital Programme; Prof. Grant Mills, Professor of Healthcare Infrastructure Delivery and Bartlett Faculty Lead for Health, UCL; Prof. Rebecca Shipley OBE, Professor of Healthcare Engineering – Department of Mechanical Engineering, UCL; James Blood, Digital Director at Stephen George + Partners (SGP); Hilary Leevers, Chief Executive, EngineeringUK; Prof. John Chudley, CEO of Engineering Council UK; Caroline Finlay, Chief Operating Officer, MTS Health; and Dr John Sandham, Executive Advisor to MTS Health and Chairman, EBME Expo.
The conference programme provides a further 40 in-depth presentations organised around five themes, reflecting key challenges affecting the healthcare estates and facilities sector:
Digital Technology & Innovation
Estates & Facilities Services
UK’s largest dedicated exhibitions for the sector, and 2024 sees further expansion with the launch of a new industry zone: Software & Smart Hospitals. This new zone joins the established zones of Design & Construction, Energy & Sustainability, HVAC & Engineering, Water & Infection Control and Facilities Management to provide visitors with comprehensive coverage of equipment, products and services to meet current and future challenges. Healthcare
Governance, Assurance & Compliance
Strategic Health & Social Care Planning
Medical Engineering & Healthcare Engineering.
A one-day conference pass is available for as little as £165 +VAT (IHEEM member rate) and provides the opportunity to complete up to 10 hours of certified CPDs.
The 2024 Healthcare Estates Awards take place on the evening of 8th October at the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel, Manchester. Awards recognising outstanding individuals, teams, products and projects in the healthcare engineering and estate management sector will be presented in 12 categories. Winners are chosen by an esteemed panel of industry experts and judged against key criteria of originality, innovation, quality of planning and execution, and delivery of desirable economic development or regeneration.
The event website below is the place to go to find more details of the event programme, the latest exhibitor list and awards shortlists, as well as to book exhibition visitor passes, conference delegate passes, and places at the awards dinner.
UK CONSTRUCTION WEEK MAKES WELCOME RETURN TO BIRMINGHAM’S NEC WITH NEW SHOW FEATURES AND DEDICATED AREAS
A new Roofing Expo and a dedicated hire industry showcase will be just two of the new features when one of the UK’s largest built environment events, UK Construction Week (UKCW), returns to Birmingham’s NEC from 1st to 3rd October.
Officially opened by Architect and Channel 4 Presenter George Clarke, the Birmingham construction show attracts over 20,000 visitors from diverse backgrounds, including architects, builders, contractors and suppliers. Visitors to UKCW span the UK and beyond, drawing international professionals
seeking the latest industry trends, innovations and networking opportunities.
With this year’s theme of growth, UKCW Birmingham will examine a myriad of topics across a range of stages and hubs, over three days of insight, innovation and inspiration.
The multi-award-winning construction show will debut a range of new features, including a new stage dedicated to net zero and sustainability, alongside the Main Stage, Digital Construction Hub, Live Demo Theatre, Skills & Training Hub, Culture Change Hub, CPD Hub and Skills and Training Hub, all highlighting the most pressing topics across the sector.
The roofing sector comes together at a new co-located Roofing Expo, which will showcase the latest solutions, engage in thought leadership and celebrate the industry.
Onsite On Hire will also be co-located with UK Construction Week Birmingham, a new hire industry showcase designed to show the very best tools, compact plant and equipment exhibitors.
This year, the show will also be partnering with National Retrofit Hub, a non-profit collaborative organisation working with the industry to enable the delivery of housing retrofit across the UK, which will be programming panel discussions across the three days.
Across the show’s three days, industry professionals and enthusiasts alike will have access to unparalleled networking, face-toface meetings with high-profile brands and knowledge-boosting seminars, workshops and CPD sessions.
UKCW Birmingham will feature hundreds of leading brands, including Artex, Kingspan, SIG, Don & Low, Biffa, Fischer Fixings, Reco Surfaces, Hexagon, PlanRadar, BetonBlock, Build Warranty, MERS, Reconomy, Ford and Utility Parts and more.
UK Construction Week Birmingham is the catalyst for growth in the built environment sector where real change can happen with the face-to-face connections forged between global players, policymakers and industry professionals across the three-day event.
To find out more and register for UKCW Birmingham for free, visit https://ukcwbirmingham-2024.reg.buzz/cabpr
Futureproof bathrooms for adaptation flexibility
Tuff Form® and Showerdec wet room formers offer superior strength and rigidity which can support a bath and bather.
Installed with a Bath-to-Tray Adaptor, this provides an easy upgrade from a conventional bathroom to a wet floor showering area when needed, allowing:
+ Family bathrooms with baths to be quickly converted into wet rooms for elderly & disabled users
+ Wet rooms to be converted back to family bathrooms
+ Elimination of DFG assessment and processing
IMPROVING HEALTHCARE SPACES WITH MODERN CONSTRUCTION METHODS
Wernick Buildings is the leading provider of modular building solutions in the UK, offering innovative and sustainable construction opti ons across various sectors. With a commitment to quality, efficiency and customer satisfaction, Wernick Buildings delivers bespoke modular buildings tailored to meet the unique needs of each client.
Over the past 12 months, Wernick Buildings has delivered a variety of projects, from fully functional hospital wards and theatres to staff accommodation. However, it is proud to showcase the successful completion of the executive offices at Southmead Hospital. This project demonstrates excellence in efficiency and innovation, with a sustainable approach to construction over traditional building techniques.
Situated within the Southmead Hospital estate in North Bristol, the executive offices stand as a testament to the seamless integration of modular construction methods with the stringent requirements of a healthcare environment.
The project, a collaboration between Wernick Buildings and the hospital,
aimed to provide modern executive office facilities that meet the highest standards of functionality and comfort to create an environment that fosters productivity for all occupants.
The objective of this project was to create additional office accommodation to alleviate space constraints on the main site, thereby facilitating the conversion of the vacated area into a much-needed clinical space. The newly-constructed building is the base for executives and support staff, with the first floor dedicated to the executive team.
Rakesh Sandhu, Sales Director of Wernick Buildings, comments:
“Leveraging Wernick’s expertise in modular construction, the project
achieved remarkable success in meeting the objectives required by the healthcare estate. This is now the second building provided by Wernick at the Southmead facility, and we are thrilled to be able to provide yet another office building.”
Additionally, Wernick Buildings is proud to announce that the Southmead offices won this year’s MMC award for the Healthcare Project of the Year Award.
A more sustainable approach to construction
One of the project’s key highlights is its emphasis on sustainability. By employing offsite construction methods, Wernick minimised waste, reduced carbon emissions and optimised resource utilisation, aligning with Southmead Hospital’s commitment to its environmental roadmap.
The nature of modular construction allowed for rapid assembly and installation, ensuring minimal disruption to hospital operations. Building modules in Wernick’s manufacturing facility in South Wales ensured very little disturbance on site.
The collaborative working methods employed throughout the project underscored Wernick Buildings’ and Southmead Hospital’s commitment to excellence.
With the completion of the Southmead Executive Offices project, Wernick Buildings reaffirms its position as a trusted partner in delivering bespoke modular building solutions that exceed client expectations.
Martin Crandon, Head of Capital Projects, said “We are delighted with the welcoming, light and open interior environment, which has exceeded our expectations. Comments from staff have all been very positive.”
More than just a box
Modular buildings are constructed in a controlled factory environment, adhering to strict quality control measures. This results in consistently high construction standards and superior craftsmanship. Additionally, the factory settings allow for meticulous attention to detail and greater accuracy during the building process. Employing these prefabricated structures guarantees long-lasting and durable buildings to futureproof any project.
BIORENEWABLES CENTRE
FIRST TO INSTALL NATURAL INSULATION CEILING PADS
Thermapad, Mayplas’ newly launched thermal insulation product for suspended ceiling systems made from UK-grown industrial hemp, h as been installed at the Biorenewables Development Centre – a subsidiary company of the University of York that works with the industry to develop, scale and commercialise bio-based products and processes.
EnviroVent has upgraded its renowned Filterless Infinity Extractor fan with an exciting new Datalogger function, plus variable speed control and a market-leading eight-year warranty as standard. The new Datalogger innovation will help social landlords to be able to better monitor fans in residents’ homes, their running conditions, energy usage and operational life, as well as allowing them to identify any potential issues. It also allows social landlords to view the time the unit has spent in trickle, boost and increased humidity modes, as well as monitor the amount of energy used. Data can be viewed from the past 30 days or 12 months to enable social housing providers to make short- or long-term comparisons. The Datalogger is now standard within EnviroVent’s Filterless Infinity fan and will be covered under its market-leading eight-year extended warranty. This means the fan is covered for any disrepair or product failure issues within that period. It also provides clarity on the running costs and energy usage associated with the fan.
With the aim of improving ceiling insulation to counter summer heat and winter cold in its offices, the Biorenewables Development Centre was seeking a product that reflected its ethos. Thermapad is part of the Performance Technology Group’s new GroundID range of products that integrate natural fibres. The group worked with the bio-based materials business IndiNature to develop the hemp ceiling pad, which is manufactured at the group company Mayplas.
Thermapad is designed for installation within metal tray-suspended ceilings and is available in a number of sizes to fit different manufacturers’ systems. It achieves thermal resistance of 2.25m²K/W, 3.40m²K/W and 4.50m²K/W depending on the thickness –100, 150 or 200mm – specified.
With a nominal bulk density of 35kg/ m3, which is comparable to conventional insulation products, Thermapad also assists in reducing sound reverberation.
450m2 of Thermapad have been installed in the centre’s first-floor suspended ceilings by the centre’s own team. “Installation has been straightforward and completed over a few weeks with minimal disruption to the colleagues working in the offices,” says Mark Corbett, Director of the Biorenewables Development Centre.
www.performancetechnologygroup.com
F. BALL SHOWCASES INNOVATIONS AT THE FLOORING SHOW
F. Ball and Co. Ltd. will use this year’s Flooring Show to showcase its latest innovations in flooring installation products, including the recently launched fast-setting, high-flow smoothing compound Stopgap 1400. A two-component smoothing compound with superior flow and self-smoothing properties, Stopgap 1400 is walk-on hard from just 90 minutes after application and ready to receive floorcoverings from 12 hours. This makes it ideal for flooring contractors who need to work quickly and efficiently, perhaps across multiple areas, including new-build developments. Visitors to Stand B1 at The Flooring Show will be able to watch live demonstrations of Stopgap 1400 and other F. Ball products delivered by the company’s training department on the stand’s live demonstration area. Also debuting at the show will be new designs for F. Ball’s iconic yellow buckets used for its Styccobond adhesives. The new designs have been introduced to modernise the look of the plastic buckets and simplify product selection, in keeping with the new smoothing compound sacks introduced last year.
www.f-ball.co.uk
STOMIX EXTERNAL WALL INSULATION SYSTEM IMPROVES ENERGY EFFICIENCY FOR RUGBY RESIDENTS
Residents in 68 homes in Rugby will benefit from more energy efficiency thanks to the installation of the Stomix external wall insulation system.
The project follows a £1m grant from the Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF), which has been match funded by Rugby Borough Council. The local authority has joined forces with E.ON to make the improvements to homes in Long Lawford and Rokeby, where fuel poverty rates are above the national average. The properties were built in the 1950s and have low energy performance due to solid wall construction.
To enhance energy efficiency and make the homes cheaper to heat, the StxTherm Robust system was specified. Part of the Stomix range, StxTherm Robust is an EPS-based external wall insulation system designed for refurbishing social housing. Ideal for low- to medium-rise housing, it prevents heat loss and eliminates thermal bridges. By insulating the outer leaf of each property, the entire structure becomes warm and dry, reducing the risk of condensation and associated mould growth.
Installed by Green Homes Solutions, the system was finished with a through-coloured Stomix silicone render in cream. Replacing the existing pebbledash, the new render has enhanced
the exterior of each home and is designed to be weatherproof and vapour permeable, allowing the walls to breathe, and so overcoming the problems associated with conventional renders, such as interstitial condensation, which can lead to mould growth and freeze-thaw cracking. Unlike traditional sand/cement renders, which require frequent overpainting to maintain their appearance, a through-coloured Stomix render does not require overpainting to maintain its weatherproof or aesthetic qualities.
PIONEERING AND PROTECTING TIMBER THROUGHOUT THE WORLD WITH OSMO
Within many cities around the world, we can see various displays of wooden architecture that use both simple and complex design to achieve brilliant constructions made from the sustainable and versatile material, timber. Complementing such designs with protection and colour requires a specialist wood finish that will provide durability and high coverage and, in turn, longevity for the project. Osmo natural wood finishes are used around the world to protect interior and exterior wooden surfaces throughout the building industry in both residential and commercial applications.
Starting in Nagoya City, Japan, some 400,000 train passengers pass by the Kanayama Wood City Building on their daily commute to work. This cross-laminated timber (CLT) high-rise is the first building in the Nagoya Wood City Concept, which aims to increase value and promote the use of wood and wood materials by constructing several medium-scale wooden buildings around the city centre. This development concept is modelled after the Wood City project in Helsinki, Finland, and was proposed by Dr Daishi Sakaguchi of Nihon Fukushi University, who had studied in Helsinki. The exterior design features wooden louvres with varying lengths and depths, serving both aesthetic and functional purposes to embrace wood’s natural patination. These louvres are safeguarded against the elements with Osmo Natural Oil Woodstain in a bespoke colour, ensuring durability amidst wind and rain.
Over in Eastern France, we step into history at the Buvette Cachat, a timeless monument in the heart of Évian. Designed by the visionary Jean-Albert Hébrard in 1903, this ‘temple of water’ has been lovingly restored to its former glory by RL & Associés in Lyon. With over 3000m² of intricate woodwork in larch, beech and fir, every corner tells a story of craftsmanship and heritage. Protected by Osmo Natural Oil Woodstain 702 Larch, its beauty is now both preserved and enhanced for years to come.
Ending in London, where, located in the serene surroundings of Kensington Gardens, the Black Chapel Serpentine Pavilion stands as a monument to balance and contemplation. The pavilion’s impressive structure spans 201m 2, with a 16m diameter and a 10.7m height, making it the grandest Serpentine Pavilion to date. The integral support of ATOL, a premier UK fire protection entity, ensured the wood’s safety prior to finishing with Osmo Garden Colour 7505 Jet Black. This brilliant water-based, low-VOC, weather-resistant and UV-stable finish grants an elegant, opaque satin sheen to the exterior, encapsulating the pavilion’s aesthetic and protective needs.
With over 140 years of timber experience, many look towards Osmo to offer the world colour and protection when building with wood. Search ‘Osmo Recommends’ and discover which product best suits your next project. Contact the Osmo team for expert advice and wood-related knowledge.
The Buvette Cachat
The Black Chapel Serpentine Pavilion
The Kanayama Wood City Building
AKW OPENS MANUFACTURING FACILITY AND SHOWROOM IN HEART OF THE NORTH WEST
AKW is pleased to announce the opening of its sizeable new showroom and manufacturing facility in Middlewich, Cheshire.
PADDINGTON STATION IMPROVES ASSISTED TRAVEL EXPERIENCE
A new lounge, that has been designed for Network Rail passengers using the assistance programme, has opened at Paddington station. TORMAX was contracted to work with Saper Glass to manufacture and install an automatic, single sliding door system, giving clear and easy access into the Assisted Travel Lounge (ATL). Powered by the in-house-designed TORMAX iMotion 2202 door drive, smooth and reliable operation is assured thanks to the innovative design of the high-torque, synchronous motor that ensures rapid response to approaching foot traffic. Featuring none of the parts that regularly wear out, such as gears and brushes, the iMotion motor offers a longer lifespan, with lower maintenance demands, than other similar door operators. Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Paddington’s Grade I-Listed structure is one of Britain’s most historically-significant railway stations. Appointed as main contractor, Consortia Group was responsible for delivering the new ATL, greatly improving accessibility within this major transport hub.
AKW is proud to continue investing in British manufacturing, and the 26,000ft2 facility will produce accessible bathroom and kitchen products across the company’s portfolio. In addition, the site includes offices, a large bathroom and kitchen showroom and client assessment centre, to enable occupational therapists, contractors and other specifiers in the North West to experience AKW’s product range in situ and receive product training as needed.
Following the acquisition of Contour Showers in 2022, it quickly became clear that the existing Contour facility in Winsford would not be able to meet AKW’s manufacturing requirements. A new production site in Total Park, Middlewich, was subsequently taken on under a longterm lease, and the layout was amended during construction to suit AKW’s needs.
Located three miles from junction 18 of the M6, AKW’s new facility is EPC A rated, and features roof-mounted solar panels, which will generate an estimated 15,000kWh of electricity per year for the site.
Alongside AKW staff, all of the Winsford site’s employees have made the move to the facility and a fuel allowance, free transport service and hybrid working have been set up to make the transition easier.
www.akw-ltd.co.uk
sales@akw-ltd.co.uk
01905 823298
WAVIN LAUNCHES OSMA B125 RANGE
Wavin has launched Osma B125, a new range of covers and frames to complement its extensive A15 offering designed for use in gravity drainage installations. The Osma B125 covers and frames, available in 450 and 600mm square sizes, are designed for use in private residential and non-residential pedestrian areas – making them ideal for single domestic driveways and public footpaths. With the rise of SUVs and EVs, modern cars are getting both bigger and heavier. A typical family car can now weigh over 2 tonnes, making A15-rated covers no longer sufficient for domestic driveways. The new Osma B125 range covers a maximum weight loading of 12.5 tonnes, offering peace of mind for any family car or van. Independently tested and certified by the British Standards Institution, the B125-rated covers are also the minimum requirement for non-trafficked public spaces – supporting local authorities and developers with their drainage. Features of the B125 covers include a 75mm frame depth and all-round square edges, ideal for fast and easy installation into block paving and improved tarmac adhesion. www.wavin.com technical.design.uk@wavin.com
Flatroofs: fifthThefunctional façade
Mitigating fire risk above and below modern flat roofs.
Today's flat roofs are increasingly used as multifunctional spaces for social and practical applications, including solar energy installations.
This expanding remit, particularly in crowded urban areas, brings multifaceted challenges to specification and building design.
