FIS Focus - November 2015

FOCUS THE MAGAZINE OF THE FINISHES AND INTERIORS SECTOR

MARKET

REVIEW

NOVEMBER 2015

Full report from FIS Conference 2015 UK Green Building Council’s Julie Hirigoyen in profile FIS Forums: progress for specialists in five areas Training: initiatives from five organisations Wellbeing: a breath of fresh air in office design?

FIS ❘ Contents

In this issue

WELCOME A

p24

p7

p28

p14

5 News

20 FIS Forums

Latest developments across the sector

10 Market review

We track the progress of five FIS campaigning groups to bring about meaningful change for operatives in a variety of workplaces

An overview of the fit-out and finishes sector’s recent performance – and what’s to come

24 Training

14 Interview UK Green Building Council chief executive Julie Hirigoyen answers our questions

16 Wellbeing Office interiors have a key role to play in creating a fitter, more productive workforce

The skills shortage – and the lack of providers to tackle it – have led several organisations to do their own thing

28 FIS Conference This year’s conference was widely hailed as the best to date – thanks in no small part to the range of inspirational speakers

Front cover: 2016 Contractors Awards entry – Lakeside Ceilings and Partitions at Farnborough Business Park

ISSN: 2059-7053

FIS, Olton Bridge, 245 Warwick Road, Solihull, West Midlands B92 7AH T: 0121 707 0077 E: info@thefis.org W: www.thefis.org Printed by Wyndeham Roche Editorial production: Wheal Associates Ltd The views expressed in FIS Focus by contributors are not necessarily those of the FIS. The FIS does not sponsor or otherwise support or endorse any substance, commodity, equipment or service advertised by others in FIS Focus and is not responsible for the accuracy or otherwise of any statement made in any advertisement within this publication.

www.thefis.org

utumn is traditionally a time when the real work starts on new projects.

The academic year and darkening nights herald the start of training programmes.

FIS kicked off the season with its annual conference (see page 28). A success by any measure, the attendees had a great day focusing on the issues that matter to them. We heard about current problems in the industry and what we intended to do about them.

The most talked-about session came from Martin Coyd of Lend Lease, who spoke about mental health. It struck a chord in the room and made us all reflect on the way the construction industry deals with this issue. We have an article on wellbeing in this issue (page 16) and it is a topic we will be returning to. The way we treat our staff is a reflection of how we operate – to bring about real change we need to change behaviours.

There is also a focus in this edition on the work we are undertaking at FIS (page 20). The philosophy is to use the power of the larger organisation to make a difference not just on the big issues but also those that affect niche areas. We believe it is better to sort out our own problems rather than wait for others to do it for us and then complain about the results.

Training and skills are at the top of the agenda. How do we provide the skilled workforce needed for the secure future of the sector? We need to be more attractive to new entrants and have a clearly defined career path to extend operatives’ working life beyond the point at which they can no longer do installation work on site. And for those already working in the sector, we need to get them suitably accredited.

In other areas, we have introduced an acoustic standard verification scheme through the Operable Walls Group, a theatres’ ceilings inspection scheme for heritage plasterers and a BIM ToolBox to allow contractors to work on government projects post-2016. We’ve also started a campaign to reduce the weight of plasterboard to prevent long-term musculoskeletal injuries.

So there’s been real progress. And there will be more sector-improving initiatives to come in the new year.

David Frise, FIS chief executive

3

Community ❘ News

Bidding system smoothes path to BIM modelling FIS BIM4FitOut behind 3DRepo’s free software for subcontractors Specialist subcontractors will be able to bid on BIM-specified projects next year without having to buy any specialist computer hardware or software, in an FIS- and governmentbacked project called Bid4Free.

Computer whizzes at tech start-up 3DRepo developed a BIM-compliant modelling system, working with Balfour Beatty on its Olympic Stadium refurbishment project.

With input from FIS and backing from the government’s innovation agency, Innovate UK, it is extending the software so that subcontractors can view the specification and 3D models online and bid using standardised forms.

Crucially, subcontractors can view the 3D models on any computer, tablet or internet-enabled mobile phone.

A tender may call for a 300m2 ceiling but the 3D model will enable users to look at the shape and complexity to help more accurately bid. “A 300m2 rectangle

is much cheaper than a 300m2 ceiling in a zig-zag,” says Neil Thompson, principal BIM integrator at Balfour Beatty.

Thompson says this is vital to reduce bidder errors. “The person who submits the cheapest price wins, but often the cheapest price is because you have missed something out,” he says.

Bid4Free developer partners are

talking to focus groups, estimators and all other operators in the supply chain to ensure that the data included is enough to bid accurately but no more than needed – which would make it difficult to use and slower.

The database underpinning the software is simpler and faster than older databases. Thompson calls it “the Google for construction”.

Pavol Knapo, product owner for the

Bid4Free project within 3DRepo, says the main contractor pays to use the system depending on the quantity of data needed to model accurately. His job is to make that function “on any device, using any operating system, even on low-end devices”.

Knapo says the bidding has been designed as a series of forms. “The main contractors will fill in the main project details and specifications. There will be terms and conditions, lists of products, quantities and the 3D viewer, so you can visually check any items on the list.”

The idea sprang from FIS’s BIM4FitOut group. FIS chief executive David Frise said: “It’s about identifying waste in the tendering process and removing or reducing that waste. Main contractors can send the tender to five subcontractors at the same time and each can bid for free without any specialist software or computers.”

Bid4Free can be used without specialist software

Specification help at Surface Design Show

Visitors at the 2015 Surface Design Show earlier this year www.thefis.org

FIS will be at the Surface Design Show in February – this time helping architects and designers set ‘smart specifications’ that will ensure that their designs are not compromised during the tendering and value engineering process.

The one-hour seminar will take place on Thursday 11 February from 2.45pm to 3.45pm. Delegates will be given a paper outlining 10 key points for setting up a smart specification for any product.

Specialists from the finishes and interiors sector will also be on hand to provide further assistance.

In addition, FIS technical manger Joe Cilia will talk about the impact of office acoustics on wellbeing and how to understand the three ways of controlling sound to allow people to work effectively and in comfort.

The show will be held from 9-11 February 2016 at its usual venue, the Business Design Centre in Islington, north London. The seminars outlined above are free to attend.

• www.surfacedesignshow.com 5

FIS ❘ News NEWS IN BRIEF AASK EXTENDS INTO METALWORKING Suspended ceilings and drylining specialist aask has added 6,000ft2 of space to its factory as it extends its metalworking offering. The firm has invested in a turret punch, press brake and guillotine, as well as four new staff with sheet metal experience, so that it can offer a full in-house service – design, programming, production, powdercoating, bulkheads, angles and plates.

• www.aask.us SKANSKA TAG AND TRACK PROJECT A £1m Skanska-led project to implement real-time tagging and tracking of building components from the factory floor to the finished building is to launch in 2017. The two-year research project will investigate methods of tagging components by capturing data from supply chain partners.

Skanska aims to have a pilot scheme in operation next summer. It will work with BRE, which will design the internet portal for the system, as well as wireless consultancy Multiple Access Communications and doorset manufacturer Leaderflush Shapland.

SEKTOR PUTS SAFETY FIRST CCF interiors brand Sektor has appointed David Majewski (left) health and safety adviser for glazing installations. “I’ll be making unannounced site visits to check that health and safety is being prioritised and that procedures are being followed,” he said.

• www.sektorinteriors.com KOMFORT SECURES SKA LABELLING Komfort has gained a Ska Rating product compliance label for its Polar glazed and Polar solid partitioning system with deflection head. The labelling allows designers, assessors and specifiers to identify materials and products that meet Ska environmental performance criteria.

Polar deflection head systems comply with M08 and/or M09 relocatability criteria, D20 for its timber components, D22 and M04 for the insulation cladding matt.

• www.komfort.com PROJECT MANAGER AT SARACEN Rob Lambell (left) has become a project manager at Saracen Interiors, moving from Wharf Solid Surface, where he worked as a sales estimator.

• www.saraceninteriors.com

6

Record entries for Contractors Awards 2016 FIS has received a record number of entries for next year’s Contractors Awards.

The awards event is held each year to encourage high levels of craftsmanship and design in the finishes and interiors sector.

All contracts are visited by two judges.

Judging of all entries will take place over a three-month period in the new year.

The winners will be announced and presented at the FIS Awards Lunch at the Dorchester Hotel, London, on 7 June 2016.

Tickets will go on sale after Christmas.

Jennor UK’s entry into the Interior Fit Out category – Exchange Chambers in Liverpool

Three initiatives ease the path to training Three new training initiatives will give the sector faster access to training grants, put them in contact with the best training providers and automatically update information about completed courses onto CSCS cards.

FIS has been working with CITB on its online grants claims system launched this month. Contractors registered with CITB need only to register to make new grant claims and view past claims.

Grants cover NVQs delivered by CSkills, as well as Site Safety Plus courses and Construction Plant Competence Scheme-approved training. The system promises to approve grants faster.

Firms can then use SkillSight to upload the latest training and qualifications details onto CSCS cards.

About 1.5 million CSCS cards are already ‘smart’ cards that contain a microchip enabling checking of up-to-date skills and qualifications on site. New data can be uploaded without the card being present. The system also protects against fraudulent cards.

FIS is also to launch its Skills Hub to provide a joined-up training service to members. The hub will enable online searches for relevant courses being run by approved training providers.

Members will then be able to search and apply for appropriate grant funding against a training course.

Once completed, the FIS Skills Hub automates updates to CSCS cards through SkillSight.

• See training feature, page 24

Toughened glass breakages guidance Reviews from FIS members have contributed to the publication of the Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) data sheet Thermally treated soda lime silicate glass products – spontaneous breakage.

Following reports of a growing number of spontaneous breakages of toughened glass, FIS technical manager Joe Cilia found that spontaneous breakages can occur for a variety of reasons, including the presence of nickel sulfide and other contaminates.

These breakages can occur months and even years after the glass has been

installed. FIS advice is that all toughened glass should go through a secondary process to be declared heat-soaked toughened (HST). This promises to substantially reduce the risk of a spontaneous breakage in the future.

It is hoped the publication will raise awareness among clients of the risks involved – measures such as HST tend not to be taken up because they increase project cost and lead time.

• The guide is available to download at shop.ggfmembers.com/datasheets/ www.thefis.org

FIS ❘ News PRODUCTS BIOMIMICRY FLOORING Modular flooring manufacturer Interface has unveiled three collections influenced by nature – Equal Measure, Narratives and Near & Far. The products can be installed alone or integrated with Interface’s square plank and Skinny Planks to create custom flooring.

Equal Measure comprises three 25 cm x 1m styles: a carved, irregular pattern resembling cobblestones; an understated, low-profile texture; and a tile that includes patterned and textural elements. The flooring can be laid end to end and side to side and comes in eight neutral colours. Near & Far is inspired by weathered wood and rocks and has two styles – one a delicate pattern of grooves and striations, the other more variation in texture and pile height.

Narratives comes in two styles that explore contrast and minimalism using oriental motifs.

• www.interface.com PERLA TILES RELAUNCH Armstrong Ceilings’ new-look Perla portfolio includes a simplified contemporary laminated range.

Its Perla OP 0.95 ceiling tile secured Cradle to Cradle status two years ago and now the whole range has Bronze certification.

Low-gloss aesthetic, high light reflectance and acoustic performance remain, but the new tiles have painted edges for durability, a MicroLook 90 edge detail for improved fit and a consistent 8mm reveal.

As well as the Cradle to Cradle certification, the relaunched range is manufactured from up to 64% recycled content and is fully recyclable. It is compatible with Armstrong’s TechZone system – designed for services such as lighting, sprinklers and alarms.

• www.armstrongceilings.co.uk www.thefis.org

Clockwise from below: Soundtect Class Above panels; GEZE sliding wall system; Armstrong Perla ceiling tiles; Interface Near & Far flooring

WONDERTEX DRYLINING Wondertex, the internal finishing brand from Instarmac Group, has unveiled a plasterboard joint filler, Prem Filler, and a finishing compound, Prem Finish (pictured), which builds on its Prem Fill & Finish launch earlier this year.

Prem Filler, formerly known as Joint Filler, now has an improved formulation and look. It promises quicker drying time, faster setting, enhanced adhesion to tapes and plasterboards and a more workable density.

It is available in 12.5kg bags and may be used for the bedding and filling of tapes, external metal angles and corner tapes, as well for repair work.

Wondertex Joint Finish has been given a makeover too and is now known as Prem Finish, available in

25kg bags. In both cases, the bags offer greater protection for the products and a polyethylene liner layer aims to keep the products fresh.

Three jointing tapes complete the Wondertex drylining range – an everyday standard white tape, a tough metal angle tape and a time-saving self-adhesive tape.

• www.wondertex.co.uk

SLIDING WALL SYSTEM German firm GEZE’s Manual Sliding Wall (MSW) system eradicates the need for a swing door end panel, so all the leaves can be hidden from sight when not in use.

The company’s SmartGuide technology allows the leaves to glide around corners and be stored

away, allowing occupiers to create large open entrances or to temporarily divide a space.

MSW suits busy public locations.

Its modular design allows architects to tailor the design to the environment. The walls can be locked when closed and can be fully or partially opened as required.

Three profile designs are available: • Classicline profiles fit directly onto the glass at a slight angle and have a profile height of 107mm • Pureline profiles have a modern, angled design and can be combined with existing systems • Protectline provides increased protection against glass damage.

The covers are designed to be clipped in place after the leaves have been installed, so no drilling is needed. They are available in a variety of finishes and colour schemes. If an all-glass solution is required, MSW can be combined with GEZE’s integrated all-glass system, which integrates the profiles and fitting system between the panes. The inside of the pane is printed at the edge of the glass so the fitting technology is hidden and there are no visible or bulky parts on the glass surface.

• www.geze.co.uk

ACOUSTIC PANELLING Soundtect has added a circular panel to its Class Above range of baffles and rafts. The new panel is available in a diameter of 800cm or 1,200cm and has a noise reduction coefficient of 0.95.

There are two versions – recycled and Class A 0.95 super efficiency.

This brings the range to five panels. Non-circular versions are available in three sizes: • 1,200 x 600cm • 600 x 600cm • 1,200 x 300cm.

In addition, the company has launched Forest, a 600 x 600 x 70cm 3D panel with an acoustic performance to match the Class A 0.95 Wave.

• www.soundtect.com 7

FIS ❘ News CONTRACTS Singapore Airlines lounge (left) and Emsworth church (below)

Knauf AMF puts airport and church in premier league Knauf AMF Heradesign ceiling rafts have been installed at the new Singapore Airlines (SIA) Premier Lounge at Heathrow airport and in a modern church in Hampshire.

For the SIA project, the brief was for a floating raft ceiling in which each raft floated within the drop bulkheads at differing levels.

The panels had to be lightweight and provide a high level of sound absorption for passengers.

At Emsworth Baptist Church – a new

building on the edge of conservation area – the key concerns were for simplicity and effective sound absorption. This was especially important given that the central area of the church is a community kitchen serving the foyer, hall or auditorium, depending on how the building is being used.

A seamless look was achieved by fitting the panels using a concealed grid.

• www.amfceilings.co.uk/heradesign.

Murata Electronics’ offices in Hampshire (left) and Tata Communications’ new London HQ (below)

Saracen office double Saracen Interiors has completed two major office fit-outs this summer.

First, it oversaw the fit-out and office move of Japanese firm Murata Electronics in Fleet, Hampshire. The £230,000 project took six weeks and included space planning and design services, M&E, acoustic insulation, partitioning and doors, a kitchen breakout area and furniture and fittings throughout.

Saracen has worked with Murata on many smaller projects, but its brief for this project was to maximise the use of space and natural light. It also created a curved feature wall in the reception area to showcase the company’s branding and images.

In the second project, the firm fitted out the new offices of global network services provider Tata Communications on the north bank of the Thames in London, navigating a 8

Armstrong tiles create modern city looks Armstrong ceiling tiles have breathed new life into two buildings this year.

In Shoreditch, London, the firm has provided 850m2 of grey and black mesh metal ceiling tiles in Axiom knife-edge canopies for Avanta Serviced Offices’ business centre.

Specified by designer Amalgam Studios, the brief was to produce an “industrial rustic vintage scheme” to reflect the building’s proximity to the busy Old Street roundabout. This they have done by exposing all the M&E services and retaining the exposed structure of the existing internal fabric.

Amalgam director Carole Cobban said: “All the M&E services were exposed – metal trays, air-conditioning units and pipework – so a metal mesh ceiling fitted in well. A major shift from the client’s more traditional approach.”

The business centre occupies the first and part-ground floors of a redeveloped 1930s building, Eagle House. An eight-man team was on site for almost a year installing the ceiling systems.

Meanwhile, Armstrong systems have been specified for a new pre-operative assessment unit and surgical admissions suite at Bristol Royal Infirmary (below).

CoolZone energy-saving tiles were used alongside the Ultima+ range with a Tegular edge detail, on a 24mm suspension grid.

The £2m new building, located on the roof of the hospital’s King Edward Building, replaces a derelict structure. The modular structure was craned into place before being fitted out to provide 15 consulting rooms, nine changing cubicles, a reception, waiting areas and clinical support services.

CoolZone tiles incorporating Phase Change Material (PCM) have been used throughout the building to absorb daytime solar gains and level any peaks, releasing their stored energy at night.

• www.armstrong.co.uk

range of alterations in a historic context. The 12-week project comprised the fit-out of the south-east wing of the second floor of the building. Work to the reception area included high-quality walnut, graphite and stone finishes. A desk of graphite and stainless steel was installed, along with elevated ceiling sections with uplighters, a media wall and stone porcelain floor tiles with mosaic inserts.

A 30-metre ceiling raft also helped mark out a central zone for different uses.

• www.saraceninteriors.com www.thefis.org

FIS ❘ Market Review

THE BIG PICTURE After a turbulent few years in the construction sector, business appears to be picking up across the board. Tony Whitehead assesses the state of the market for fit-out and finishes firms

W

hatever caused the curious dip in sales experienced by many FIS members this summer, it no longer seems to matter. The UK economy is growing strongly, the construction industry is buoyant, and fit-out and finishes contractors are now reaping the harvest of work that might be expected from the very positive business environment.

Of the mysterious summer pause in activity, FIS chief executive, David Frise, says: “Nobody could really fully explain it. At our conference in October it was widely reported by our members and I think it took everybody by surprise.”

But he adds: “It hasn’t dented optimism though. I don’t think the pause was down to projects being cancelled – rather they just took longer to come through than people expected.

“The general election might account for some of this hesitancy but I don’t think it was the whole story. Nevertheless there is widespread confidence that it will not be a long-term thing, and most people are at least where they expected to be this year in terms of workload.”

The intense activity enjoyed for the past year or so in the London office market, says Frise, is now spreading to the regions. “Pretty much everywhere, people are feeling the benefit of the economic recovery – and not just in England,” he says. “I was recently in Scotland and our members there are also becoming busier and more optimistic.”

And he adds: “Other sectors, too, are providing more work. Among our members in the finishes sector, for example, we hear that they are benefiting from a buoyant housing market.

“Even the civils sector is providing work.

Our members don’t lay track but they do fit-out stations, so there’s development above Crossrail stations and further projects arising from the increased land values around new stations.”

OFFICES A very healthy picture then. And one that is reflected in the latest economic analysis from the Construction Products Association (CPA).

Its figures reveal that the all-important office market grew nationally by 12% in 2013,

and 16% in 2014, and even after this rapid rise in activity it expects the current year will see further growth of 10%, with another 7% in 2016 and 5% in 2017.

CPA economics director Dr Noble Francis says: “London accounts for more than a third of the total office sector, driven by major projects in the City, Canary Wharf and the West End. “In these areas you can see a lot of tower cranes about at the moment as construction activity addresses what was a dearth of quality office space three years ago. This led to higher rents and so encouraged investment in the new space we now see coming to fruition.”

Tom Crane, economist with construction data specialist Glenigan, agrees the London

Value of project starts (£m)

Value of project starts by quarter

Hotel and leisure Retail Offices

Source: Glenigan (includes projects with construction value between £250,000 and £100m)

10

www.thefis.org

Market Review ❘ FIS Growth in value of starts by sector, 12 months to Q2 2015

Source: Glenigan (includes projects with construction value between £250,000 and £100m; growth is between 12 months ending June 2015 and corresponding period ending June 2014)

market will remain busy, but says the next year or so will see some changes in its character.

“Eventually there may be an issue with the availability of sites to build big new office blocks,” he says. “So activity in the capital’s commercial sector is likely to refocus on refurbishment – improving the quality of existing premises and getting the best out of under-used buildings.”

Customers for this new space are varied, and Crane says it is significant that the still chastened banking sector is no longer the player it once was.

“Banks are not increasing head count at the moment and they are increasingly using hot desking and working from home to reduce their space requirements,” he says.

“Demand these days tends to come more from tech and media companies. Unlike banks, they don’t need to be in the heart of City, so that suggests a shift in activity to the City’s outskirts and towards the West End.” Crane adds that London’s very high and still climbing house prices may also have an effect on the commercial sector.

“It’s making housing a very profitable prospect, so developers are beginning to shift their focus onto residential space. Some large scale, even tower block style developments that you might have expected to be commercial may well switch to residential.”

But even as the London office sector begins to level off, growth rates outside of London are accelerating.

The CPA’s Francis says: “Around 12 to 18 months ago, rents started to rise in many regional cities. There is a time lag before development can respond to that, but we are now seeing grade A high-profile space going up www.thefis.org

Commercial refurbishment starts by value band

£50m - £100m £20m - £50m £10m - £20m £5m - £10m Up to £5m

Source: Glenigan (includes projects with construction value between £250,000 and £100m)

in, for example, Manchester, where 600,000ft2 (55,700m2) of major projects is under construction.

“In Birmingham, too, there is the £600m development of Snow Hill and a £500m programme at Paradise Circus.”

This ripple effect is an inevitable consequence of the high price of space in London and indicative also, says Francis, of the kind of recovery Britain is experiencing.

“It is the services side of economy that has driven UK growth,” he says, “and so the kind of occupiers driving demand for regional offices are consultancies and those in the financial services sector who don’t need to be in the capital or who want a regional presence to

provide for local demand for their services.”

Crane believes the ripple will continue to spread. “I think the areas of highest growth in the office sector now will be in smaller cities – Bristol, Newcastle, Leeds.”

HOTEL AND LEISURE No other part of the fit-out market can match the growth being experienced in the office sector, though Glenigan does see significant growth opportunities in the hotel and leisure markets.

“We have seen a surge of development in high-end hotels in London especially, responding to increases in business travel as the economy has picked up,” says Crane. “The 11

FIS ❘ Market Review

Number of project starts

Number of project starts by quarter

Hotel and leisure Retail Offices

Source: Glenigan (includes projects with construction value between £250,000 and £100m)

increase in tourist numbers associated with the 2012 Olympics has stayed with us and that means development is needed to cope with a shortage of hotel rooms.”

Glenigan highlights the increasing role of chains in the UK, which now account for around 25% of hotel supply. Market leader Premier Inn is increasing its portfolio of rooms by 50% between 2013 and 2016 and, as other chains and independents strive to compete, widespread refurbishment of outdated premises can be expected.

PwC forecast that 6,500 rooms will be added to the London stock this year alone, with a further 9,500 in the rest of the UK.

new-build retail towards warehouses and logistics centres – facilities that don’t really require much in the way of fit-out,” he says.

“Despite these trends, though, we do see some growth in retail this year of 2% and a further 3% next year. To put that into context, last year retail was still 40% down on its pre- recession peak.”

EDUCATION More positive is the outlook for the education market. “Although it was announced three years ago, we are now seeing work coming through from the Priority Schools Building Programme,” says Francis. “As a result, we expect 260 schools to be built or refurbished by 2017.

“Most of this will be major refurbishments, providing useful work for FIS members and, unlike the office sector, which is concentrated in London and major cities, this is work right across England.

“Scotland and Wales have similar programmes worth £1.8bn and £1.4bn respectively.”

Universities, too, are expanding following the removal of the cap on student numbers.

Annual % change

RETAIL The situation in the retail market is rather different, as Francis explains. “Traditionally the kind of strong retail growth we have now would be reflected in new retail construction, but the past two years have seen virtually no growth as a result of changes in the market.

“The big supermarkets are consolidating – they are not opening big new stores and are instead concentrating on smaller high-street operations in an attempt to compete with discounters like Aldi.”

Convenience, says Francis, is very much the name of the Office orders and output current retail game, and so fit-out contractors can continue to expect strong activity in high-street retail from chains, sandwich shops and coffee shops.

Costa alone plans to open another 500 cafes to add to its current tally of 1,750.

Francis adds that the long-term trend towards internet shopping is continuing to have an impact.

Source: ONS, Construction Products Association “The bias is away from 12

Facilities have to be provided for a 60,000 increase in student numbers.

Manchester and Cambridge Universities both have 10-year programmes of work worth £1bn each. Many smaller developments are under way or planned at campuses throughout the UK over the next few years. According to CPA forecasts, this will help the education sector grow 3.7% this year and 4.7% in 2016.

HEALTH Francis believes the health sector too should show some growth – 3% this year and next as hospital projects built under PF2 (the successor to PFI) finally come on stream.

It all adds up to a very positive outlook, with growth coming from all sectors and throughout the UK. Whatever the region or specialism, most FIS members should be able to benefit from the strong and widespread economic recovery.

Among the few dark clouds looming on the horizon is the uncertainty that will inevitably accompany the referendum on EU membership, now expected to be held in early 2017.

Crane, who lays the blame for this summer’s dip squarely at the door of the May general election, believes something similar will probably happen again.

“We saw a sharp drop in activity north of the border before the Scottish referendum, a similar dip this year at the general election and no doubt a similar brief panic will occur before an EU referendum.”

But he adds: “Although the answer business will be looking for is perhaps less clear this time, my feeling is that, as with the previous dips, recovery after the event will be swift.” www.thefis.org

FIS ❘ Interview

Every decision matters

Julie Hirigoyen, chief executive of the UK Green Building Council, tells Dean Gurden about her hopes and frustrations with the sustainability agenda What does ‘green’ mean to you?

To be honest, I’ve never really liked the word ‘green’. What we need to aim for is economic activity that enhances our wellbeing – our social, environmental and financial wellbeing. Green for me is sustainability, otherwise we’re looking at things in isolation.

So how sustainable is the construction sector?

It is one of the most resource-hungry industries that exists and is also a cause of pollution. It accounts for 40%-50% of global energy use, 50% of water use, 60% of our total use of raw materials, 23%-25% of our air pollution, 50% of our climate change gasses and 50% of landfill waste. So it’s hardly an inherently green industry!

There are clearly companies – many of which are part of our organisation – that are actively seeking to address this adverse footprint. Unfortunately, there are few that can genuinely claim to be environment-neutral. Thankfully, the situation is improving.

What are the priorities for sustainable construction?

The ones that have been significantly addressed to date, such as energy and the carbon performance of buildings – we’re still not there. The debate has moved on from just how the buildings function in use and how efficient the end products are to what extent the carbon footprint is embodied within them.

As building regulations have tightened, the energy ‘in use’ will shrink over time. It’s still a big proportion of the overall footprint, but it’s becoming a smaller relative proportion to embodied carbon, which is becoming more significant. The priority must be 14

designing out waste in the first place, rather than just managing it better once it’s been produced. We need to move away from a model where we take, make and dispose to a model where we’re reusing and retrieving.

The final priority I would flag up would be skills. Two thirds of construction firms are claiming to be held back in their pipeline because they don’t have the right labour force available.

The capacity of site labour forces to deal with sustainability issues is being severely challenged by the fact that they are brought together at very short notice, from sometimes unskilled backgrounds, and they are hard to upskill because there might be as many as 40 different languages spoken on one site.

JULIE HIRIGOYEN CV April 2015 Chief executive, UK-GBC 2013-2015 UK head of sustainability, JLL 2007-2013 EMEA head of energy and

sustainability services, JLL 1998-2007 Co-founder and joint managing director of sustainability consultancy Upstream (acquired by JLL, 2007) Julie also sits on the Igloo Sustainable Investment Advisory Committee, and ULI UK Sustainability Council Steering Committee. She chaired the British Property Federation’s Sustainability Committee for two years.

How important are sustainable buildings to occupiers?

It depends on the client. Some have absolutely no regard for sustainability; others have it at the top of their agenda.

It’s probably fair to say that major global players are starting to say that whatever new buildings they move into ought to be ‘green’, but they will already have substantial occupied portfolios all over the world that don’t comply with those standards.

“I certainly see a future where every single building component is logged and recorded”

What sustainable elements do they look for?

The nature of the conversation is changing. As occupiers realise sustainable buildings have various benefits they can capitalise on, they may be procuring them without even knowing about specific elements.

For example, a hot topic is the productivity and health and wellbeing benefits of some sustainability attributes within buildings. There’s no doubt productivity and wellbeing are high up the agenda now and many occupiers are more determined to focus on them than on energy costs.

Staffing can be up to 90% of their operating costs, whereas energy is likely to be less than 1%. So anything that makes a difference to the productivity of their staff and their ability to attract and retain talent is really important to them.

Many companies, such as Google, are focusing on health aspects. They’re looking for no chemicals and a strong focus on sustainable fixtures, fittings www.thefis.org

FIS ❘ Interview and finishes – low-VOC or no-VOC paint and organic carpet tiles, for example.

Many of the big industrial and manufacturing tenants might be much more focused on energy, which is a huge area of spend for them. It depends on the sector and the value proposition of the building to a brand.

together. We’re some way off achieving its potential, but I certainly see a future where every single building component is logged and recorded for where it came from and where it’s going back to, how to tweak and upgrade the efficiencies in a building. All that will become easier, but we’re not there yet.

Are owners seeing the benefits of a sustainable building or fit-out?

It’s the Holy Grail of sustainable real estate. I’ve been in this sector for 20 years and we’ve been talking about this all that time.

Higher sustainability performance is certainly becoming more synonymous with prime buildings – those that command the highest rents and are in the best locations. And if you’re targeting a prime asset as an investor, you will obviously make sure it has the best environmental credentials.

The challenge is that you can’t isolate specific factors such as energy efficiency out of a valuation methodology that involves so many different parameters. Two different buildings on the same street might command different rents because they give off a slightly different feeling. It’s all very subjective.

How can the finishes and interiors sector contribute to sustainable construction?

Every single tiny decision, down to the minutiae of which plug sockets you choose, which paint you select, lighting, every piece of furniture you buy should ideally be purchased with information on the environmental and social impact of that product. As it stands, that information is quite hard to get hold of from many of those products and finishes – but the situation is getting better. And these are perhaps the things that occupiers can get their heads round more than the plant and fabric of a building.

Does BIM have a part to play?

BIM could have a massive part to play in sustainability because it’s about big data and getting the right information across all stages of the design, construction and operational lifecycle. It could be hugely powerful.

But the industry is struggling to align itself on even the basic definitions that underpin it and getting all the data

JULIE’S FAVOURITES… Book? The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand iPod track? Anything by Nitin Sawhney Holiday location? Corsica Best city in the world? London Film? Betty Blue Theatre? The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov Drink? Red wine Hobby? Cooking

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Is value engineering about going into the black at the expense of green?

If you subscribe to the assumption that building green is necessarily more expensive, which I would challenge, then one might assume that someone would take a red pen to a lot of these sustainability features and say they can’t afford it.

In practice, this does happen, but with a very knowledgeable and integrated design team – involving contractors, end users, developers and quantity surveyors – you can get to a performance result you want.

We’re not that good at this yet and the fragmentation and silos in the industry don’t help.

What’s your biggest sustainability frustration?

The recent government U-turn on many of the original green building policies have not helped and have created a lot of confusion within the industry. At a time when long-term consistency and confidence-building is required, it has felt very frustrating. There’s a false pretence that these moves will boost supply of housing, but I don’t think these are the issues that are blocking this.

How do you relax outside of the job?

I have two young boys aged three and seven who take up a lot of my time – and definitely force me to take my work hat off. Other than that, I enjoy reading and sport.

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FIS ❘ Wellbeing

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nteriors can make people ill. But they could also be better designed to promote health and wellbeing.

Putting people first in this way also allows for more variation in design and fit-out, creating spaces for communicating, relaxing and quiet reflection, as well as for those moments when workers need no distractions to get on and finish a job. Instead of being unwell and unproductive, workers would be happy and produce more, and employers would get a better bang for their buck.

Reading university professor Derek Clements-Croome recently co-authored a report for the British Council for Offices called Putting People First, Designing for Health and Wellbeing in the Built Environment. He says there is increasing medical evidence that bad design, where people either sit or stand all day at work, is damaging and costly. The UK lost 131 million days of work in 2013, and 27 million of them were down to backache and musculoskeletal problems.

“You need to break up offices to allow for movement around,” he says. In Germany and Scandinavia, firms already use intelligent chairs that tell you to get up and walk when

you have been sitting down for too long.

And mental wellbeing is as important as physical. “You need to break up the working day to let your brain refresh,” says ClementsCroome. “And [you need more than] just a coffee area that people go to and return from.

You need space where people can bump into each other – mingle space.”

He says using different colours can add a “wow factor”, be that the décor or art on the walls, and greenery has a calming affect. “That’s not just the odd pot plant here and there, but proper landscaping. We’re seeing buildings with internal gardens,” he says.

Design consultant Elina Grigoriou says it’s about minimising the ways design can take away comfort. “I can’t give you wellbeing, but what I can do is take your wellbeing away through bad design. You can probably stand it, up to a point, but your resilience will run out and you go into discomfort, and then your performance will drop.”

Grigoriou says there are three elements relating to wellbeing, which are linked and inter-dependent: • Emotional – happy at work, worry, fear, depression

• Cognitive – ability to think, to process, to complete tasks • Physical – hot, cold, noisy, eerily silent, too light, too dark.

Workplace Unlimited boss Nigel Oseland says: “We don’t like dead quiet because we think it is the quiet just before a storm. We like background noise – to the level of birdsong or water flowing.”

And people love to get outside. “We know that if you put people in a green environment, they recover faster from illness. We are seeing a lot more internal/external space being used now – atriums and more landscaping outside windows, with more offices having natural ventilation and lighting.

“We don’t want 600 identical desks in an office where the person in the middle never sees daylight,” he says.

What all this adds up to is different internal spaces with a variety of shapes, finishes, fittings and furniture, with walls painted in different colours or wallcoverings, and with a range of lighting and temperatures. There may be traditional desks in quiet areas, where individuals can crack on with work. There could be rooms with a view and furnished

Well building syndrome Following Martin Coyd’s show-stopping presentation on mental health and diversity at this year’s FIS Conference (see page 32), Chris Wheal looks at the impact of an increased focus on wellbeing in the workplace

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www.thefis.org

Wellbeing ❘ FIS with comfortable seats to lounge in. And there may be community rooms where people can meet and chat.

Great thought will then have to go into how each of those spaces blends into each other.

“Boring, homogenous, straight lines will have to give way to more organic, appealing spaces,” says Oseland. “We might have acoustic panels that look like plants and won’t look like walls.

It won’t be about a single product but about how each fits in.”

Oseland suggests there will be less uniformity and more diversity. “I’m not saying it will be the death of the desk, but we don’t all need an MDF rectangle.”

SUSTAINABILITY WARNING Grigoriou warns of conflicts between designing for health and wellbeing and for other pressures such as sustainability. Some products and materials that have less impact on the planet have a negative impact on people – there have been increased reports of allergies, asthma and even cancer.

“We know that some of this stuff is carcinogenic in its raw state – sometimes nature is poisonous and just swapping it to

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replace a chemical that was benign is not ideal,” she says.

Recycling can increase the risks too. “Lots of recycled content is a mix of different materials.

We need to consider how they react and what gases they are giving off,” says Grigoriou.

Clements-Croome believes new products will be developed for fit-out firms to work with, including nano-coatings on materials that will change their properties – to become waterrepellent, for example – and self-cleaning materials.

He also expects super-strong, super-light graphene to be embedded in interior construction materials soon. “As this catches on, the price will come down,” he says.

Martin Coyd, regional head of environment, health & safety – Europe for Lend Lease says companies need to change their management as well as their offices. “Offices with rows and rows of desks are like battery farms,” he says.

“Encouraging staff to go outside for a breath of fresh air or just to chat with others will make people more productive and more innovative.

Leaders need to give people permission to move around and they only give that permission by doing it themselves.”

Coyd says he expects to see offices designed for flexible working as more people switch from 9-5 to suit their personal circumstances. And he expects less hierarchical structures. “Managers need to be among the staff and not with plusher seats and bigger desks.”

Firms will need to spend more up front on their office interiors in order to save money on reduced absenteeism, presenteeism and staff turnover. Clements-Croome says there is already an all-party parliamentary group on economics and wellbeing looking into the issue.

But he is in little doubt that “we could be a healthier nation at work”.

FIS chief executive David Frise is in little doubt either. “There is increasing interest from clients in wellbeing and there’s little doubt that productivity and retention rates improve in well designed work spaces.

“The challenge for the sector is to help deliver quality projects that make a genuine difference, but also to remember that this applies to our own workforce. Contracting can be a tough world but we can make it better with a little thought and empathy towards those we work with.”

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SAS International ❘ Sponsored feature

INCREASING PASSE Hamilton Square station, near Liverpool, and Kolkata Airport in India have undergone exemplary transformations

HAMILTON SQUARE, LIVERPOOL

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o keep up with the growing number of passengers at the central Liverpool stations, Network Rail has been working with Merseytravel and Merseyrail to provide better stations and facilities to accommodate the increased demand. Recent and ongoing projects include a £40m scheme to upgrade the five underground stations alongside Network Rail.

Following a £4m redevelopment, Hamilton Square station in Birkenhead, Wirral, reopened in March 2015.

Passengers are now benefiting from improved platform and tunnel areas, which include new flooring, brighter lighting and better passenger information, improving the beginning or end to their journey.

SAS Project Management has designed, supplied and installed 1,000m2 of wall linings and light boxes along the platforms, tube tunnels and commuter passageways. This has helped to create a clean, open and well-lit environment, a prerequisite for safety as well as general comfort.

SAS International also supplied 2,000m2 of bespoke linear plank ceilings as well as upstands in the ticket hall and platforms 1 and 2.

Rail operators are recognising the importance of aesthetics, as well as functionality, when it comes to designing stations. Almost 1.7 billion journeys are now made on National Rail railways every year – 34% more than just five years ago, and more than double the number of 20 years ago.

The refurbishment of existing stations and construction of new ones, together with platform improvements, are all part of the railway upgrade, which will involve an investment of more than £25bn between 2014 and 2019 to deliver more services and better journeys.

Liverpool Central Station, which is also part of the city centre stations redevelopment, is a testament to this strategy. Awarded the title of Rail Station of the Year at the 2013 National Transport Awards, the £20m overhaul included major improvements to the concourse and the platforms.

SAS International supplied bespoke linear plank ceilings and upstands and, following the tremendous success of this refurbishment project, the same systems were installed throughout Hamilton Square station.

SAS International’s Tubeline helped create a Bengali script effect on the airport ceiling

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SAS International ❘ Sponsored feature

NGER EXPERIENCE Brighter, cleaner look for Hamilton Square station

KOLKATA AIRPORT, INDIA

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olkata Airport’s new integrated domestic and international terminal reflects the vision of a world-class terminal that integrates cutting edge technology with unique local cultural heritage. With a floor area of 233,000m2 (2.5m ft2), which can handle 7,500 passengers during the peak hours, the airport is the fourth busiest in India and a gateway to Asia.

RMJM architects designed the new building to provide domestic and international service for 20 million passengers a year by 2023 – twice the current traffic. Ian Milne, design director at RMJM’s Hong Kong office, said: “It is a remarkable opportunity for any architect to be given the chance to design such an important gateway to Kolkata, one of the world’s great cities.”

The client, Airports Authority of India (AAI), sought to reflect the local culture within the design of the project, which revolves around an abstract reference to the writing of Rabindranath Tagore of Bengal, the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Providing a distinct and unique feature, 60,000m2 of SAS International’s System 750 Tubeline was specified to create the Bengali script effect in the ceiling. Using infill tubes in a range of sizes, the large-scale motif is displayed as patterns etched onto the underside of the main roof, integrating the graphic writing into the ceiling.

SAS International worked closely with partners Polybond from Bangalore and the AAI to supply a total of 17 airports across the Indian subcontinent. The first was Udaipur Airport and the most

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recent was the stunning Kolkata Airport. SAS and local architects Sikka Associates from New Delhi trialled a number of different Tubeline combinations before selecting the chosen option to incorporate the unique and beautiful script pattern.

In order to extend the aesthetic theme, the standard suspension system was also modified to allow Tubeline to be fixed vertically as a wall cladding system – culminating in the SAS’ largest ever single order for Tubeline.

Combining cultural ambiance with front line technology and facilities, Kolkata Airport has been named Best Improved Airport in the Asia-Pacific Region by Council International. It has also won an award for Excellence in the Built Environment 2013 from the Indian Building Congress.

SAS International products helped to accomplish the highest international standards of sustainability, using green building concepts and environmentally friendly technologies for the modern glass-steel structure.

Other energy-efficient features include north-facing rooflights and a central courtyard, which flood the interior with natural light.

The large front window, shaded by the overhanging roof, is also a ventilated double wall, removing heat generated from sunlight as cooling systems have been kept to a minimum.

The roof is designed to harvest rainwater, which is stored and reused for both irrigation and the washrooms. A number of mature trees will be retained to create a striking counterpoint to the building’s linear form.

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FIS ❘ Forums

Making a difference FIS community forums allow likeminded individuals to join together in active working groups to address sector issues. Victoria Madine looks at some of the groups’ activities

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hen asked to name FIS’s top priority, chief executive David Frise is unequivocal. “Skills and training are the keystone to the success of the UK’s finishes and interiors sector,” he says. “Invest in these areas and we have the groundwork ready for everything else we aim to achieve for members.”

(See training feature, page 24) FIS is clear about what it wants to achieve in the immediate future. As well as creating a solid skills base, the organisation aims to become the construction industry’s point of reference for all technical information to do with finishes or interiors.

“We want to ‘own’ our sector’s technical information,” says Frise. “That means being involved with government or industry initiatives that involve the FIS sector, and demonstrating to the built environment sector that we are the go-to place for expert finishes and interiors sector insight and experience.”

Another key FIS focus is community – engendering a culture of cooperation and mutual support among the organisation’s 500 members.

Frise says this is far more than a ‘nice to have’ optional extra.

“The business benefits of sharing knowledge and best practice are real,” he says. “It’s easy for a business to think they are alone with a specific problem. Share the issue with FIS members and the chances are that the issue can be resolved swiftly.”

Skills and training, technical competence and community form the core of FIS’s “six pillars of operation”, the other three being health, safety and welfare, sustainability, and industry development.

With these six broad themes guiding much of the organisation’s work, it is the role of FIS community forums to translate these pillars into action that has a positive impact on the sector.

Here is an overview of the key campaigns being driven by five of these groups.

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DRYWALL GROUP: 900mm campaign “Look around and you’ll see that there are few drywall fitters over the age of 50,” says Mark Grocock, chairman of FIS’s Drywall Group and managing director of Bespoke Drywall. “That’s because many end up suffering ill effects from carrying too-heavy boards and leave the industry. We want to change this.”

The Drywall Group is in the process of building a case for the need to make the use of 900mm plasterboard the norm.

Working in partnership with biotechnology company dorsaVi, the group is gathering data to quantify the musculoskeletal effects on drywall fitters of lifting loads of varying weights.

The aim is to present the results of the research to construction trade and government bodies, including the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), to trigger a rethink about the loads fitters should be expected to lift.

“We’re expecting the first set of data to be ready in the first quarter of 2016,” says group member Gavin Palmer, who is also health and safety manager at drywall specialist Astins. “It will be the ammunition we need to affect change.”

Grocock adds: “The trend is for these boards to get larger and denser as specifiers try to comply with clients’ growing demand for boards with better acoustic performance. We’re seeing boards of 35kg plus in the market, so it’s important this issue is addressed.”

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Forums ❘ FIS BIM4FITOUT GROUP: BIM ToolBox “Building Information Modelling (BIM) is not the future of fit-out; it’s shaping the sector right now,” says Mark Norton, chair of the group and head of BIM for fitout and engineering services at ISG. “Our aim is to help all members get on that train.”

As part of a range of methods to help specialist contactors and manufacturers implement BIM, the group has launched the BIM ToolBox. The idea is to enable FIS members to engage with BIM by giving practical guidance to help specialists deliver their own BIM implementation plan to level 2. This is one of the key demands of tier 1 contractors when assessing their supply chain’s BIM capability.

Made up of two sections, the ToolBox’s first section provides an introduction to BIM and considers the business case for BIM adoption. The second section takes users through a step-by-step guide, from assessing their client market to working on their first ‘live’ project. Funded by CITB, the ToolBox is available free of charge to FIS members at thefis.org/bim4fitout/training/ “We’re only as good as our supply chain and as strong as the weakest link, so it makes sense to support each tier of contractors and develop their BIM capability,” says Norton. “The ToolBox is a practical way to do this.”

HEALTH AND SAFETY GROUP: CSCS card fraud A key focus area for the FIS Health and Safety Group is to help combat the fraudulent use of Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) cards within the sector.

In June 2015, the results of a UK-wide survey of 1,180 construction (companies?) were published by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and CSCS, which revealed that one in five of those responsible for checking cards on construction sites had seen fake cards used in the past year.

As Robert Barker, membership manager at FIS explains, the issue is a pertinent one for all areas of construction. “At each and every level in the construction industry, if people are misrepresenting their qualifications, there are serious health and safety implications,” he says. “But the truth is that it’s hard to know how extensive the problem is in the finishes and interiors sector.”

To establish the extent of fraudulent CSCS card use, the Health and Safety Group has created a survey on the topic, which has been sent to all FIS members.

“Once we have a handle on the situation, we can then consider ways to tackle the challenge,” says Barker. “But we’ll almost certainly be encouraging project managers to make more use of smart technology to check cards – each card has microchip technology embedded in it.”

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FIS ❘ Forums

OPERABLE WALL GROUP: Certification scheme HERITAGE PLASTERING GROUP: Historic buildings’ ceiling assessment It’s almost two years since the ceiling at the Apollo Theatre in London collapsed during an evening performance injuring 80 people. Following the incident, in 2014 the FIS Heritage Plastering Group, The Theatres Trust and the Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) partnered up to create a new methodology for assessing historic buildings’ ceilings.

The working party also issued guidance about how clients should select a competent contractor to undertake any remedial work.

The challenge now, as Jon Riley, chairman of the FIS Heritage Plastering Group and managing director of fibrous plaster specialist Locker and Riley, explains, is to increase the number of checks being carried out to ensure that all work passes muster.

“There’s still an insufficient volume of inspections being carried out to ensure that theatres and other historic buildings are fit for purpose,” says Riley. “The working party is looking for ways to address this.”

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With demand for flexible workspace on the rise, the market for operable walls is flourishing, and clients are increasingly demanding folding walls with a strong acoustic performance. But a number of manufacturers are making performance claims that are not reliable.

FIS’s Operable Wall Group was created in 2013 and one of its first initiatives was the introduction of an independent acoustic test verification scheme. The scheme, in partnership with Cundall, takes test certificates and runs a series of checks to verify the certificates are genuine.

Since the scheme was set up last year, FIS has received 26 applications from FIS members for verification covering four operable wall products with varying acoustic performance claims. All 26 applications were successful.

Julian Sargent, group member and managing director of moveable partition specialist Style, says the upshot is that FIS can offer clients a source of operable wall companies that can verify their claims.

“Some companies rely on the fact that not all contractors will do the due diligence they ought before buying a product,” says Sargent. “This means manufacturers will make claims that cannot be substantiated about their products.

“Now clients can go to FIS to check that performance certificates for operable walls are genuine. That’s good news for quality operable wall manufacturers.”

Sargent says the next challenge for the group is to raise awareness about the scheme among specifiers and main contractors.

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FIS ❘ Training

LEARNING CURVE

Training – or the lack of it – has become a key concern for the construction sector. We visit five organisations to see how they are tackling the issue

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kill shortages are a major concern for firms in the finishes and interiors sector. The lack of new entrants to the industry, coupled with low apprenticeship numbers are being exacerbated by a lack of training facilities that deliver finishes and interiors courses. Even when training can be found, workers often have to travel long distances to attend, which means time off site. And then there’s the cost of training and how hard it can be to reclaim funding for it from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB). Even identifying potential candidates is proving a challenge.

FIS is trying to crack some of these problems with the development of a training hub to provide a one-stop-shop for sector training requirements.

The training hub will help member firms find local approved trainers and streamline the process for claiming grants or other funding available. It will also provide information on sector careers and put potential trainees in touch

with companies looking to take on apprentices.

FIS has gone a step further by targeting what the CITB calls “hard to reach” firms – firms that pay the CITB levy but have not claimed any money for training for at least three years. Some 37% that pay the levy do not claim grant, but even those that do claim little, resulting in just 35% of levy paid being claimed back.

Helen Yeulet, a consultant working for FIS on the project, says: “We’ve focused on contacting FIS member companies that have not claimed CITB grant in the past three years for craft training – a surprisingly high number. We are urging them to qualify their current workforce to NVQ level 2 via onsite assessment and training (OSAT) and to take on apprentices,” she says.

“It’s been interesting discovering the barriers to this type of craft training. Some have commented that while they have considered taking on an apprentice in the past, the process has been too complicated. We are offering to go through the process with them, to hand-hold them

A group of construction firms and manufacturers in London have gone to prison to train a new workforce of ex-cons. They are working with Bounce Back, a charity and social enterprise that trains offenders who are still in custody and then employs them once they have been released.

More than 380 people have been through its construction training programme, with 45% now in full-time employment. And less than 10% have reoffended.

The project started with painting and decorating, but local construction employers Lend Lease and Land Securities, desperate for drylining skills, brought in Knauf, which provides materials to run a new drylining course.

Lack of space means that delivering just the right amount of new materials to site is crucial, as is removing waste for recycling. Nevill Long, part of Encon, came on board to manage that.

The course is funded by the Skills Funding Agency and qualifies participants to City & Guilds standard.

The initial cohort for the drylining course was just 10 people (painting and decorating has 40) but it was so successful that Bounce Back is looking to expand.

It now has a waiting list of 45 people.

Tremaine Gittens is one success story. Currently 24

through it. We have also identified funding they can claim back through the CITB grant scheme.”

“Matching apprentices to companies can also be difficult,” adds FIS training manager Jeremy Clayton, “particularly if managers don’t have knowledge and experience of interviewing and screening the right attributes from an applicant.”

Lack of training provision is proving a challenge, adds Clayton. Demand has increased following changes to the CSCS card this year – companies must ensure operatives are qualified to NVQ level 2 in order for them to obtain the correct CSCS card.

FIS is having to weed out the many colleges and training providers that claim to provide training from the ones that members have confirmed really do.

It has been an arduous task, but so far this year FIS has been able to assist companies to qualify nearly 300 operatives through OSAT. However, the sector is innovating and bringing in new training provision, and FIS is working with manufacturers and contractors that are investing in a range of programmes.

serving his third prison sentence in HMP Brixton with eight months left to run, he is subject to release on temporary licence (ROTL), which allows him to leave prison each day for work. After gaining qualifications, he took on voluntary work, initially working in the community and then with Bounce Back and its partners on some big sites as an ROTL team member.

He completed a government-funded sector based work academy course at City of Westminster College, then received further training to gain extra qualifications and ultimately got a job with drylining firm Measom Dryline. Gittens has been working for the firm for six months and will have a job on his release from prison. www.thefis.org

Training â?˜ FIS

Building management firm SCS has extended its partnership with Salford City College to open a training facility at Trafford Park, Manchester, to deliver a level 2 diploma and NVQ in drylining. CCF helped with fit-out and provided training materials.

The apprentices are placed on some of the largest projects around Manchester for main contractors such as Carillion and Laing O’Rourke, where they take part in on-site learning and observation.

Each apprentice has a designated mentor who oversees their wellbeing, health, safety and welfare and learning on a daily basis. There are regular unannounced visits by the training team to observe, offer support and ensure compliance.

It is supported by City & Guilds and the European Social Fund, and there is close contact with Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce.

The second cohort of 10 apprentices started in October 2015 and discussions are under way to double in size to 20 apprentices next time round.

SCS training manager Colin Tichias takes responsibility for the PASMA-approved training facilities in Trafford Park and Barnsley, with various courses held at both centres. They can provide level 2 NVQs in drylining, external wall insulation, internal wall insulation, steel framing systems and suspended ceilings and are looking to provide OSAT and specialist upskilling programmes (SUP). They also offer evening classes.

www.thefis.org

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FIS ❘ Training

MACS Plasterboard Systems is offering the opportunity for any subcontractor working on a MACS site to obtain a level 2 National Vocational Qualification.

MACS successfully trialled the scheme with three of its subcontractors working on the Countryside development at Clay Farm, Cambridge, with each awarded an NVQ level 2 certificate in drylining.

The MAC NVQ scheme provides for a qualified NVQ assessor to visit the site and put in place and oversee all the training and education elements needed for the candidates to achieve the level 2 certificate.

Level 2 drylining competence is defined by the National Occupational Standards and involves obtaining knowledge in a range of work activities in a variety of contexts. One of the key components is learning how to work with others in a group or team. The certificate is the equivalent of one GCSE at an A*-C grade.

MACS Plasterboard Systems managing director Tom McLoughlin says: “We’ve been working with local colleges such as Barking & Dagenham and creating programmes to enable students to get real-time experience on MACS job sites.

“The NVQ initiative allows us to spread the training and education further afield. Anything that can help standardise the level of training for those working in the plasterboard industry can only be a good thing.”

Industry estimates put the number of unqualified dryliners in the UK at 23,000. The introduction of the specialist upskilling programme (SUP) for drylining fixers prompted British Gypsum to partner with four colleges to create academies.

These support both apprenticeships and SUPs and help train new workers and those who have experience but no formal qualifications to achieve NVQ level 2. The length of time a worker on an SUP needs to spend at a college varies, depending on each individual’s training plan. To be eligible for a grant, the minimum course duration is five days, but this could be longer –up to 13 days.

British Gypsum does not just invest money in the scheme, it also provides expertise, equipment and all the materials for the four academies, which house specially built training facilities. Course tutors at the partner colleges take part in ongoing continuing professional development to understand current site practices and knowledge of the interiors sector. This ensures the courses’ formal training aligns with subcontractors’ needs.

British Gypsum national technical academy manager Dave Hall says: “We’re creating a model for other manufacturers to follow in creating a wider network of training provision, which our sector desperately needs. We want to ensure the sector is equipped with a skilled workforce, ensuring training is aligned to industry needs.”

British Gypsum also has 69 colleges in its Thistle Partnership, which supports more than 4,500 apprentices and students in a range of plastering and finishing skills.

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Basingstoke College of Technology is expanding its teaching space for interiors systems, growing from 14 students to as many as 24 a year to meet demand.

Specialist interiors firms and FIS’s forerunner, the AIS, helped establish the training centre 10 years ago but in those days many of the trainees came one day a week for two years to gain an NVQ. Today the full-time course is proving the most popular. Students learn how to skim a board in their first year, while continuing – as the government demands – to work to improve their grades in maths and English.

Students who already have grade Cs in their key subjects can go straight into the second year of the course, which teaches them about different types of ceilings, partitions, finishing and raised flooring, leading to a level 2 diploma in interior systems.

As part of the course, the students undertake work experience in local firms, often leading to a job at the end of the course.

Ecophon and ITS Reading, along with FIS, have continued to support the centre since the start, with both companies providing materials and equipment. ITS Reading even supplied a teacher, Andy Foster.

Initially, he visited the college to check up on the course for ITS but, after chipping in suggestions, he was asked to take over.

“I was fed up seeing lads who wanted to learn but ended up being labourers because nobody would train them,” he says.

With demand from industry so strong, even an expanded course can be confident of finding work for all its students. www.thefis.org

FIS ❘ Conference 2015

CONFERENCE 2015 FIS members and guests from the wider construction sector gathered at the Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel on 7 October to discuss today’s hot topics – training, diversity and late payment among them – and to hear an inspiring line-up of speakers. Chris Wheal reports Sponsored by GOLD

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IS has set the bar high. Conference veterans agreed that the first under the FIS banner was the best ever. Stuart Roberts, regional sales director at CCF, said: “It was the best one to date.” And Mark Grocock, managing director of Bespoke Drywall, described the conference as well balanced and thought provoking and said: “It was the best afternoon I’ve had in ages.”

FIS ensured the conference was different, with constructive breakouts in which members came up with ideas on hot topics, plus a barnstorming presentation on mental health and diversity – not the usual fodder of construction industry conferences.

After a welcome from president Steve Coley, FIS chief executive David Frise extolled the virtues of FIS, as being different from other construction industry bodies.

Traditional trade associations were old-fashioned and dying out, he said, and FIS had no plans to do that.

The first pillar underpinning the new organisation is community. “It’s about meeting new people and creating new opportunities,” Frise said. He called on FIS members to attend meetings, take part in conferences, follow up on consultations and chip in suggestions.

“Get yourself involved,” he said. “You will gain some knowledge you didn’t have and you will meet someone who, in a couple of years, might just give you a job.”

The second pillar for FIS is skills and training. A survey of members had pinpointed a lack of skilled workers and appropriate training as the two top concerns of the sector.

But Frise made clear the conference was not about moaning at others or being self-critical about the lack of training.

Instead, he asked for solutions. He broke up the conference into discussion groups, each led by a newly elected FIS

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board member. After a constructive debate, the list of suggestions made an impressive to-do list for the association over the coming year: • Improve publicity for apprenticeships • Sponsor local schools to give pupils an insight into construction and so develop a supply of apprentices • Identify why 14- to 15-year-olds don’t want to work in the industry • Make the sector more attractive by working with careers officers to explain the opportunities within the industry • Make a careers path more explicit, developing NVQs at levels 3 and 4, with appropriate salaries and management progression linked to the higher qualifications • Make CITB funds more accessible and easier to access for training completed • Innovate with products to make installation easier – fewer people carrying smaller boards for less time • Encourage every company to sign up a minimum commitment for training • Source more funding for uplifting the skills of existing workers • Establish training academies all round the country.

The third concern identified in the FIS survey had been late payment. As Suzannah Nichol MBE, chief executive of Build UK, went on to say (see overleaf), developments in this area were a sign that the industry was now in a better place than it had been two years ago, when payment would have been the only concern.

It’s difficult to imagine the first part of any conference being more productive – it got the day off to a flying start.

And there was much more to come thanks to an inspiring line-up of speakers. Read on to find out more. www.thefis.org

Conference 2015 ❘ FIS

“Very informative, interesting, providing a broader view of the construction industry” Kevin Ackland, Locker & Riley (Fibrous Plasterers)

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Conference 2015 ❘ FIS “Thanks to all at FIS for putting on a really well balanced and thought-provoking conference – best afternoon I have had in ages” Mark Grocock, Bespoke Drywall

HARNESSING CHANGE SUZANNAH NICHOL MBE, BUILD UK First on stage was Suzannah Nichol, who focused on change – an area she’s had plenty of experience of recently. She became chief executive of Build UK earlier this year after the organisation she previously led, the National Specialist Contractors’ Council (NSCC), merged with the UK Contractors Group (UKCG). At the time of speaking, she had been in the role less than six weeks.

She said bringing together leading voices in the industry created an unprecedented opportunity for rapid change.

And change was certainly possible. She cited the smoking ban, the wearing of seatbelts and the rise of the smartphone as evidence that huge change can be embedded rapidly.

“We’ve only had the iPhone for about seven years and the iPad for five years,” she said, “and yet the first question everybody asks when they arrive somewhere new is ‘what’s the wifi code?’.

“As a society we have fundamentally changed. But in our industry we haven’t quite made this Change with a capital C. We can. We’ve got to want to do it.

“How many go to work not to have a great day? How many of you go out to work to fail, so you can come home and think: ‘well, that was a crap day’? We don’t. But only 40% of our construction projects are delivered to programme and to budget. So every day, on 60% of projects, we go to work knowing it’s going to fail.”

Nichol warned that individuals sometimes take shortcuts that can prove costly in the long run. Sacking individuals and finding scapegoats is the wrong way of working – systems need to change.

Build UK represents 27 of the leading major contractors, 40 trade associations – some very small and some very big, with FIS one of the biggest and most influential – and 11,500 specialist contractors. That should give it the clout to lead change, she said.

Changing the payments culture was one example. Nichol www.thefis.org

said a system had to be devised that worked for the whole industry. “Clients need to pay our contractors in 15 days so they can pay the supply chain in 30 days,” she said.

“Suppliers are currently being paid in 60 days, so if we can bring that down to 45 days, cash flows through faster.

“We have government calling us asking what the industry wants. I have to go and find out not what parts of the industry want, but what would work for everyone.”

She urged the industry to come together on all issues.

There shouldn’t be 15 different people trying to give talks in a school, for example. There should be a single talk on how great the construction industry is, what a wide range of opportunities there is and how exciting and vibrant a career in construction can be.

Individual firms providing training and careers in isolation was like different people making similar repairs without fixing the underlying problem, said Nichol. “Stop fixing the squeaky kitchen door – fix the subsidence and your door won’t squeak,” she said.

She was in no doubt the training system in construction needed an overhaul – 10,000 apprentices was nowhere near enough. And she was scathing about the money the industry pays for training. “We pay £163m in levy to the CITB and we still have a skills shortage. That is not sweating our money. The system doesn’t work for anybody,” she said.

Change was also needed in health and safety, Nichol said.

She lampooned the fact that every site and contractor had their own forms, practices and risk assessments, and that on every job, workers had to sit through a two-hour safety presentation. On top of that, every trade association issued a best practice guide.

“We need one best practice guide, not 40,” she said.

She wanted to encourage a system that would ensure that when the lead trade association set the standards, everyone else would adopt them. “If we’re all in the same kit and we’re all on the same pitch, we can win. It’s up to you if you want to play ball.”

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FIS ❘ Conference 2015 SPECIALIST FOCUS CLAIRE APPLEBY, THE THEATRES TRUST As architecture adviser to The Theatres Trust, Appleby highlighted the rapid work of FIS and its heritage plastering expert members with the Association of British Theatre Technicians to develop a safe and standardised ceilings inspection regime after the ceiling collapse of the Apollo Theatre in 2013 (see FIS Focus, June 2015, p10).

FIS expert members had helped develop a pre-inspection protocol, a detailed inspection regime and standardised forms and language that could be used to ensure inspections were easily understood and any necessary remedial work was explicit.

Appleby discussed proposals to get the government to set up a theatre ceilings fund – as it had done for church roofs – to help fund the necessary inspection work. She also said theatres were only a tiny part of the potential market of old buildings with plaster ceilings suspended using hessian ties.

“There are 1,000 theatres affected, with more than 1,000 theatre owners,” she said, but added: “We don’t know the number of buildings affected that aren’t theatres.”

It was suggested that the Ministry of Defence may be the largest owner of such buildings in the UK, all of which would need inspecting and may need remedial work.

Frise added that FIS was considering identifying additional training in heritage plastering skills to meet demand. “Current apprenticeships in plastering give you just enough knowledge to be dangerous dealing with heritage plastering,” he warned.

CALL FOR DIVERSITY: MARTIN COYD OBE, LEND LEASE Martin Coyd’s presentation was a show stopper. He’s Lend Lease’s regional head of environment, health and safety, but wanted to talk to delegates about mental health and diversity – subjects not often discussed in construction industry circles.

With a background as a soldier and a rugby league player and coach, Coyd said he came to these issues with an initially sceptical point of view. “I was from the ‘man-up’ brigade,” he said.

But he is now committed to his cause.

Construction workers are six times more likely to die from suicide than from falling from height on site, he pointed out, yet the industry spends huge sums on working safely at heights but none on preventing suicides.

He had some shocking statistics: • In the same year 42 people had died working in construction, there were 150 suicides among construction workers in the UK. • About 51% of suicides in Ireland are construction workers.

• One in six people at any one time are going through a “mental health challenge; one in four will have one this year.

• There are 70 million lost working days a year because of mental health.

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“Martin Coyd – what a great speaker.

Fascinating, engaging, very inspirational” Karen Lambert, Interface

“One of the problems we have with mental health is we don’t talk about it,” said Coyd. He interspersed his presentation with examples of celebrities who had struggled with such issues. He compared talking about our own mental health problems to “coming out” – except that we have to “come out” repeatedly.

Coyd pointed to the negative language people use to describe mental health. While we respond with care and compassion to physical illness or injury, we respond with ridicule to mental health.

Nine out of 10 people suffering from mental health problems suffer from an

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Conference 2015 ❘ FIS ““Personally thought it was the best conference to date” Stuart Roberts, CCF

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK DR NOBLE FRANCIS, CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION The Construction Products Association’s economics director, Noble Francis, was another key speaker at the conference. He presented his annual predictions on the state of the construction market economy for the next 12 months and, for the first time in along time, he was relatively positive in his outlook.

It wasn’t all rosy though – the third quarter had been worse than expected. And the growth of internet sales was taking construction

associated stigma, said Coyd – three out of five won’t talk to their line manager about it and three out of four stop doing what they want to do because of it.

That puts the onus on managers to find ways of communicating with staff about these issues. Failure to do so was costly.

“We British men are rubbish at expressing how we feel,” he said, adding that of the more than 6,000 suicides recorded in 2013, 77% were men.

He flagged up a few simple lessons. “When someone talks about suicide, it doesn’t mean they’re not going to do it,” said Coyd. “If you feel someone is going to be suicidal, talk to them about it. Ask them if they feel suicidal.

“You won’t plant the idea in their mind and you won’t push them over the edge. Mental health first aid is just talking to people.

Listen to them.”

Coyd said mental health considerations had changed his attitude to his job. “I am the person who introduced drug and alcohol testing for safety reasons, but I have moved – what is the reason for taking drugs? It might be because of mental health,” he said.

He recalled a supervisor who refused to

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away from the high-street retail stores and into warehouse building. Even in housing, where much of his analysis focuses, he suggested politicians repeatedly lie about housebuilding.

“Ignore anything any politicians says that uses large round numbers of homes,” he warned.

Adding to Nichol’s call for action, he advised the sector to embed training in their business during the next few “fat” years, so they could better cope with the lean years that would follow.

And he reminded delegates that the construction sector went through a recession about every nine years.

take a drugs test, and then broke down and said he was going to kill himself. His relationship had collapsed, so he was working as long as he could to avoid being home alone and he’d started smoking marijuana. The company supported him, putting him on a programme of counselling alongside regular voluntary drug testing.

Coyd hopes to replicate an Australian mental health scheme, Mates in Construction, which trains key personnel to be helpers – or ‘Connectors’ – on site and ensures that all operatives know who to contact for help.

“We want to introduce this across all construction sites. It will be announced in January and launched in March,” he said.

BENEFITS OF DIVERSITY Coyd also had much to say about diversity.

“I’m from Warrington, a soldier, a rugby league player, a bulldozer driver. There are lots of reasons why you shouldn’t put me in charge of diversity,” he joked.

But the benefits were perfectly clear, he said. “The more diverse my organisation is, the better it is, the smarter we are, the better we do for our clients.”

He recalls an early experience in his own company. “I said: ‘Do we have an LGBT group?’ and they said: ‘No’, so I said: ‘I’ll be the chair of that then’.

“I went to Stonewall meetings and became a Stonewall Champion. I was the first person from the construction industry who stepped towards an LGBT group.”

Coyd has introduced rainbow laces, an idea borrowed from football. “I wear them – you don’t have to say anything, just wear them. It sends a message that we don’t care how old you are, the colour of your skin or what your sexual preferences are, you’re welcome.”

Coyd took his family to the Pride rally in London. “We were the first construction firm, along with Arup, Balfour Beatty and AMEC, to join the march. There were 750,000 people hell bent on celebrating life. It was humbling,” he said.

He has equally strong feelings about disability. Coyd said too often construction firms thought in terms of wheelchairs and disability ramps, but that meant disabled people having to use a separate entrance, often round the back. “Everything we do has to be safe, dignified and equitable,” he said.

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FIS ❘ Conference 2015 THE FUTURE JOHN CARTER, TRAVIS PERKINS The chief executive of Travis Perkins – parent of conference gold sponsor CCF and one of the largest distributors of building products in the UK – told delegates they could look forward to several positive years. “We believe the next four or five years could be good for our business,” he said.

Carter explained how he was decentralising the business to give more control to the individual business units. He said CCF was rapidly expanding, with new buildings in nine new locations over the coming year. “These are not just plans, they are already approved and are being built,” he said.

The company would continue to make strategic purchases of manufacturers, he said, following its buy into Staircraft in 2014.

He predicted step changes in product development, including 3D printing and solar energy products, as well as much more off-site modular manufacturing.

But the industry had to work together, focusing on its respective strengths. “Embrace the change, don’t resist it; others will make you irrelevant if you don’t move,” he said.

He suggested everyone look for mutual wins. But he said some things don’t change – the success of the industry will still be based on relationships.

TRAINING ADRIAN BELTON, CITB Adrian Belton, chief executive of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), outlined recent and planned changes to the CITB as it restructures to be more responsive to the industry. He acknowledged that a good organisation should spend as much as 60% of its resources on meeting the needs of its customers and that the CITB only spent 19% – a fifth of its resources. This was despite the CITB having 50 different systems for gathering data about its customers.

He said the CITB carried out four times more quality assurance and checking than an efficient organisation and could significantly cut that back without reducing standards. The board had 50 different funds and 50 different forms that had to be filled in manually – that would be cut to two from January 2016.

The CITB was set to focus on four areas, explained Belton. “Rather than be a refunder of tax, as people see us, we will look at ourselves as a fund manager, to get a return on the investment for the industry,” he said.

The first area was quality assurance – to have the brand recognised as a guarantee of good-quality training. Second, it would endeavour to be the custodian of an evidence base in order to be the trusted adviser to government on industry needs and the supply of training. Third, in a move away from the CITB doing everything itself, Belton envisaged thriving markets for training, with the CITB as an enabler. He cited a new CITB national training centre in Wales, which had been put out to tender and would be run by Swansea University.

The fourth and final focus area would involve the CITB board promoting innovation, potentially providing help with BIM. A key practical step has been the launch of Go Construct, a portal involving 450 organisations under a common banner to attract people to the industry. Material can be downloaded to promote careers in construction and it will feature an online matching service for individuals, firms and trainers.

The CITB has invested £5m in it over three years.

Responding to questions, Belton promised ‘travel to learn’ distances would be factored into the CITB’s work. However, he said, the abolition of the levy was Deborah Gore, not being considered, with the government looking at copying the model in other sectors.

Encon Group

“Very well organised and professionally run. Good mix of speakers and topics”

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