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Health New open-source building standard seeks models
Health-based certification
Heritage CIOB’s own ‘Indiana Jones’ takes up new role
Member John O’Keeffe takes up CEO post in Ireland’s Discovery Programme
“Dr O’Keeffe’s eminent standing in archaeology in Ireland and his track record in the Northern Ireland Civil Service will be a major asset to the Discovery Programme”
Paul Walsh, Discovery Programme Board
The Discovery Programme at
the Centre for Archaeology and Innovation in Ireland has appointed CIOB member Dr John O’Keeffe as its new chief executive officer.
The Discovery Programme’s mission is to explore Ireland’s past and its cultural heritage by conducting advanced research in Irish archaeology and related disciplines and by disseminating its findings widely to the global community.
Before taking his new post, O’Keeffe (pictured) was a senior manager in the Northern Ireland Civil Service, principal inspector of historic monuments and has been assistant director of the Historic Environment Division (formerly the Built Heritage Directorate) since 2007.
With more than 25 years of postgraduate professional experience in archaeology, he has developed an expert knowledge of heritage management, academic research and built heritage conservation, alongside a practical application of core personnel and project management skills. He holds an honours degree in Archaeology (awarded 1995), and a PhD in Archaeology and Heritage Management (awarded 2008).
O’Keeffe joined the Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland in 1998, having been involved in contract archaeology following graduation from the Queen’s University of Belfast in 1995. He has worked across all aspects of archaeology and the management of historic monuments in Northern Ireland.
In announcing the appointment Paul Walsh, acting chair of the Discovery Programme board, said: “Dr O’Keeffe’s eminent standing in archaeology in Ireland and his track record in the Northern Ireland Civil Service will be a major asset to the Discovery Programme at a time of change and development for the organisation.
Before taking up the post in November 2020, O’Keeffe said “I’m honoured to be offered the post, looking forward to joining a great team, and ready to go!” ●
LEADER FOR NEW HIGHLANDS HUB
Alasdair Murray, principal building standards surveyor, Highland Council, has been announced as the chair of the Highland and Islands Hub.
Sharon Barrie, programme manager (property), Highland Council, takes on the role of vice chair.
The hub launched in October and officially opens on 1 January 2021.
It will run a series of events to establish the network, welcome new members and discuss issues of specific interest.
“We are always ready to welcome more people to the group and to serve on the committee, and I would be happy to speak to anyone who is interested in being more involved with the CIOB,” said Murray. CIOB member Dr Darren Allen DBA FCIOB MRICS, development manager with Genesis Property, is looking for buildings to become the first to promote a new ground-breaking building standard.
With a strategy to engineer safer built environments for people and organisations returning to their offices, the Immune Building Standard has been developed as an open-source global standard for the built environment.
The standard is a set of measures, technical solutions and facility management practices to certify how built environments can withstand present and future health challenges and minimise the impact of a pandemic such as covid-19, and other bacteriological or toxicological threats.
The standard is inspired by technologies and procedures successfully applied in hospitals and ‘clean rooms’ and adapted for use in commercial real estate development.
Immune can be used by any international building assessment and certification entity to certify buildings at any stage of their life cycle and type, such as new, in-use, or a regeneration project.
The current open source document is dedicated to office buildings only and it can be adapted to certify other building types such as hospitality, retail, healthcare, education and residential. Buildings must meet set criteria and will be measured on a score index resulting in either a resilient, powerful or strong label.
As the standard is open source, more contributors are also being sought, to join the scientists, engineers and architects already on board.
Allen says the standard is attracting widescale attention: “The Immune Building Standard is the first standard dedicated to health within the built environment. We have seen a large interest and engagement from leading tier 1 consultants, architects etc. and have been interviewed by media like FT, Reuters, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Sky, to name a few.”
Contributors span the globe and include Mace in London. For full details see www.immune-building.com.
