Industry News

Investors pile into skip hire startup, Skrap

• Skrap announces £1.2m seed fundraise from range of investors • Skrap to go beyond skips and challenge £20b construction hire market with an on-demand service to transform the building trade • Skrap to accelerate growth, already 10,000 orders through their app, by providing coverage in all major UK cities in 2021

Skrap, a London-based proptech startup, has raised £1.2m seed funding as it sets out to transform how everything is hired in the construction industry by making it available on-demand. Skrap is building on its reputation as a ‘skip hire disruptor’ and will bring its digital innovation to other parts of the industry including concrete, portaloos, machinery and so much more.

The fundraise was led by Vanneck Investments, with participation from a host of entrepreneurs and angels investors including Charles Songhurst, Eamon Jubbawy (Onfido), Anil Stocker (MarketFinance), Paul Huntingdon (ARM), Adrian Beecroft, Dennis Stevenson, Peter Brodnicki (MAB), Jay Radia (Yieldify, Reachdesk), and James Hind (Carwow).

Founded in 2017, Skrap is a construction hire marketplace connecting construction businesses with on-demand skip and construction hire related services. The entire process is managed in a mobile app.

Hussain Hilli, co-founder at Skrap commented: “We’re thrilled to have some amazing investors on board and look forward to leaning on their expertise as we broaden the horizons for Skrap. Our team has huge ambitions to scale across the UK and globally. Having laid the foundations in Skip hire, we are fast expanding in all construction hire verticals. Skrap is making its mark in industry by introducing the first mobile app that makes it simple and convenient for construction companies to access resources they need.”

Skrap was founded with a vision of allowing SME Builders to order any construction hire service at the click of a button. Skrap’s team of 25 are building the world’s first app dedicated to automating construction hire. It has been trialled with hundreds of suppliers across London, Manchester and Birmingham to complete over 10,000 deliveries to thousands of construction companies - small and large - to take the hassle of waste management away from the already stressful construction experience.

Skrap’s strategic ambition is to automate the entire construction hire supply chain across major cities globally over the coming years. Founders Marwan Field, Hussain Hilli and Ahmed Rao came across the problem while running a construction business where logistics were unorganised and fragmented; prices were asymmetric, and the marketplace of suppliers and brokers were doing everything manually.

Hussain Hilli added: “The UK construction hire industry is a £20bn market, yet it is poorly served with services not fit-forpurpose in a digital age. Skrap is well positioned to bring innovative solutions to help transform the industry and make it one beacon of industry once again”.

Business as usual for Gills Plumbing & Heating

Gills Plumbing & Heating, an IPG member based in Welwyn Garden City has continued to respond to the current business landscape

Gills began the year by rebranding their store inside and out, with new store signs clearly identifying them as an IPG member, it was looking great in the spring sunshine, and then COVID 19 arrived and dictated what happened next.

Normally, there would have been a celebration and promotion, inviting customers to see the new look store however, Gills found themselves in extraordinary times. In early March, whilst the trade counter remained open, footfall dropped dramatically and home installations that were booked in had to be postponed.

When the country went into lockdown at the end of March, it became clear that businesses who could adapt quickly would have a better chance of flourishing again. Gills adapted to new customer requirements, plumbers and installers were still supporting their customers with emergencies, so it was important that the essential trade counter remained open. In addition, local households required water softener and salt, and Gills were delivering these essential products to the doorsteps of those who were self-isolating and vulnerable. It is often the small businesses which will adapt to a quick changing business environment, and in this case, Gills modified their service to over the phone payment, safe collection, and deliveries, ensuring their customers were able to shop in their local area – which clearly demonstrates the importance of independent stores all over the country.

Chris Kania, Gills Managing Director also made some additional changes to the inside of his store, to keep staff and customers safe. Now a familiar sight in retail outlets, Perspex screens were installed across the counter, hand gel sanitiser made available on entering the store, the showroom, office and warehouse and visible social distance stickers were put on display – with only 2 customers allowed in the shop at any one time.

It has never been so important to support the independent merchant in the heart of your community, many of them (like Gills), have been part of it for decades. The IPG has played its part in supporting its members, for example, during the early days of the pandemic, the common message published across its marketing channels highlighted those member businesses that remained open, advising opening times and the level of service they were providing.

Chris said: “The IPG are an essential part of our business and during 2020 they offered vital advice and support.”

He went on to say: “Throughout more recent weeks, business has picked up, as our customers have returned to work, they are seeing more homeowners about nonemergency work, confidence has grown in the new working conditions and their customers are happy to have tradespeople working in their properties again.”

Homeowners are now visiting Gills for parts and to look at the bathroom showroom, a booking system has been introduced to maintain social distancing. This part of the business has remained very positive with many future installations in the pipeline.

So, to coin a phrase, Gills, like many of The IPGs members, have reached a new type of normal, and as Autumn falls they remain strong, having adapted their business in this ever changing landscape, continuing to offer unrivalled service and unbiased and honest advice.

And as for the new look? It continues to be well received amongst Gills regular customers, Chris commented: “We are proud to be part of The IPG, and to demonstrate this with our jointly branded store.”

Aaron Betksy on the merits of reuse as defined in a new book by Daniel Stockhammer.

Out of Liechtenstein, that tiny principality wedged between Austria and Switzerland, comes one of the most rousing clarion calls for upcycling I have read. Upcycling, let us be clear, is not recycling. The former term, which, if we can believe Wikipedia, first appeared in 1994, refers to adding value through reuse, rather than finding residual value in used or leftover materials. It is a process that is by now well-established in music (recycled riffs), fashion (Virgil Abloh selling salvaged Polo shirts), and industrial design (the Campana Brothers making furniture out of rags or toys). It is not, however, that well-known in architecture.

Enter Daniel Stockhammer, an assistant professor at the Institute of Architecture and Planning at the University of Liechtenstein who heads the design studio Upcycling with Cornelia Faisst. In his new book, Upcycling: Reuse and Repurposing as a Design Principle in Architecture (Triest Verlag, 2020), Stockhammer makes the following argument:

“The preservation and qualitative reuse and repurposing of existing building stock means: –architectural relevance is gained through complexity and multiplicity of meaning (instead of through form) –Identity, longevity, and historical and social continuity are bolstered –Knowledge of building culture and construction is secured – The simplicity, durability, and sustainability of building construction, building materials, and technology are challenged and promoted. The exploration of reuse and upcycling perceives buildings as once again being part of processes of social change. For the designers of our built environment, treating architecture as project (and the intellectual property) of many generations entails a transformation from creator to contributor. It means rethinking traditional certainties (and single-layered ideas) of modern building and preservation of architecture and it means posing new questions: –How do we conceive designs if indeterminacy becomes an essential component of architecture? –Which design approaches and tools are suitable for dealing with irregularities, incompleteness, and deficiencies? –How can design processes themselves become a central objective of design disciplines and what roles should architects play? –What structures and materials are suitable for keeping the processes open to enable that future buildings and construction waste can (again) be reused and repurposed?”

Upcycling means not just finding value in old materials, building parts, or images, but also changing value itself. Finding aesthetic and economic merit in the combinations, defects, and recombinations of upcycling is as important as the actual reuse itself. A beautiful example is a recent art work by Victor Solomon, who applied the Japanese craft of kintsugi to a crumbling basketball court using gold paint to highlight, rather than mask, the concrete’s defects and repairs.

As is expected, much of the global news cycle is currently being dominated by stories of Covid-19 and the impact it is having on people and communities as they are quarantined and self-isolated.

RMJM introduces database for quarantined architects

In February, videos went viral of scenes in Wuhan where quarantined residents across the city were chanting the phrase “ jiā yóu” from their windows and balconies as they encouraged one another to keep going and persist despite the adversity they have been facing. Literally translated from mandarin, (pinyin: jiā yóu) means “Add Oil”. The phrase is a Chinese expression of encouragement that is often used as a motivating rallying cheer.

Inspired by the optimism and encouragement the people of China have shown each other and the world, RMJM is launching RMJM Jiayou. This new initiative will offer opportunities to ensure that architects, engineers and designers affected by the coronavirus crisis around the world can keep working and earning while they are distanced from their workplaces and teams.

“In establishing this initiative, our goal is to provide opportunities for architects who are confined to their homes to connect and work with other architects and the RMJM studios around the world. We want to create a collaborative platform to keep our peers working and motivated over the coming months.” RMJM Family The announcement of Covid-19 as a global pandemic encouraged RMJM to establish this initiative to support architects and designers worldwide. RMJM felt it is their responsibility as global citizens to support their peers around the world. The RMJM Jiayou initiative will offer architects the opportunity to be involved in live projects. The website jiayou.rmjm.com will serve as the initiative’s central database. Users logged into the system will receive access to a tender database of international projects, can upload their CVs and receive support directly from RMJM’s Marketing Team in compiling the necessary tender documentation to present a bid. RMJM wants to encourage businesses across all sectors to engage in similar initiatives. “We are more interconnected now than ever, and in this moment of need, we must reach out to our neighbours and offer our support.” RMJM Family. jiayou.rmjm.com

O’Donovan Waste receives RoSPA Award for health and safety achievements

O’Donovan Waste Disposal, a leading family-run waste management business based in London, is celebrating after landing an internationally-recognised award for demonstrating high health and safety standards.

O’Donovan, who operate with 185 employees and run a fleet of 100 lorries, has received a RoSPA Silver Health and Safety Award for working hard to ensure its team get home safely to their families at the end of every working day.

Organisations receiving a RoSPA Award are recognised as being world-leaders in health and safety practice. Every year, nearly 2,000 entrants vie to achieve the highest possible accolade in what is the UK’s longest-running H&S industry awards.

Jacqueline O’Donovan, managing director, said: “We are extremely proud to have been presented with a silver RoSPA Award. This recognises our ongoing commitment to deliver a safe working environment for our much valued team and demonstrates our continuous dedication to maintaining an excellent health and safety record. The RoPSA awards are known as ‘the toughest health and safety awards in the world’ so it is a huge achievement for us to receive one.” Julia Small, RoSPA’s head of qualifications, awards and events, said: “The RoSPA Awards scheme is the longestrunning of its kind in the UK, but it receives entries from organisations around the world, making it one of the most sought-after global accolades in health and safety.

“RoSPA wants every employee, wherever they are, to work safe in the knowledge that they will be going home unharmed and healthy at the end of every day. The RoSPA Award winners are vital to help achieve this goal, as by entering they are driving up standards and setting new benchmarks for organisations everywhere. Currently, around 7million people are directly impacted by the RoSPA Awards, but the scheme’s influence is even wider.”

The majority of awards are non-competitive and mark achievement at merit, bronze, silver and gold levels. Gold medals, president’s awards, orders of distinction and the Patron’s Award are presented to organisations sustaining the high standards of the gold level over consecutive years.

Competitive awards go to the best entries in 24 industry sectors including construction, healthcare, transport and logistics, engineering, manufacturing and education.

There are specialist awards for health at work, environmental management, safety delivered outside of the workplace, and fleet safety, and excellence trophies for the best international organisation, new entry, workforce involvement, leisure organisation, and organisation operating or based in Scotland. RoSPA’s top accolade is the Sir George Earle Trophy.

Headline sponsor of the RoSPA Awards 2020 is NEBOSH – the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health – for the 15th consecutive year.

Winvic is testing Artificial Inteligence (AI) technology on two of its sites in a bid to improve safety.

The system will see site cameras monitor work and identify any hazards to operatives.

Safe working zones will be projected onto any potential hazards and workers alerted via a mobile app or wearable device when they move into a possible danger area.

Any operative not wearing appropriate PPE will also warned and the Project Manager alerted of the issue.

The projects has been dubbed as Computer-Vision-SMART and will run for two years. with funding from Innovate UK.

Tim Reeve, Winvic’s Technical Director is leading the Computer-Vision-SMART project.

He said: “Utilising intelligent digital technologies in construction to deliver projects more rapidly, cost-effectively and safely is a passion of Winvic’s and this forward-thinking health and safety initiative is truly ground-breaking.

“There is a clear gap in this area of construction safety, where social and technical efforts can successfully converge, and with the solution that has been conceived will come better opportunities than ever before to reach our zero-harm aim.

“It’s a very exciting time in the world of digital transformation, and our achievements over the next two years will generate a significant leap forward for safety across the whole of the construction industry.”

Winvic trials new AI site safety zone system

£30m boost to help unlock land for new homes

In a speech at the Chartered Institute of Housing’s annual conference, Cabinet Office Minister Lord Agnew has announced that the government is boosting its Land Release Fund (LRF) and the One Public Estate (OPE) programme with an additional £30m to help release surplus land for housing and support local economies to bounce back from the pandemic.

The LRF will offer councils the opportunity to bid for £20m for remediation works and infrastructure to bring their surplus sites forward for housing. The LRF targets small sites with a focus on supporting SME builders.

The LRF currently supports 73 council projects which are on track to release land for more than 6,000 homes by next March. Examples include:

Broadland District Council in Norfolk: awarded funding to deliver improvements such as site highways works and the implementation of a surface water drainage strategy and pumping station. 22 homes at Rosebery Road, Great Plumstead have now been completed by Broadland District Council’s housing company. The Griffin regeneration area in Blackburn: awarded funding to carry out new highways access and land remediation work to accelerate the release of brownfield land for 140 new homes. This has helped to make the site viable, supporting regeneration of the local area and bringing forward a muchneeded scheme of new family homes for rent and sale.

The OPE programme will provide £10m, supporting the earliest stages of development. New and existing partnerships will be able to bid for practical support to deliver ambitious property programmes in collaboration with central government and other public sector partners, which deliver homes, jobs, efficiencies and improved public services. The Burnholme development in York is one example, supporting the delivery of a modern health and wellbeing hub with new homes and spaces for education, health and worship. Cabinet Office Minister Lord Agnew said: “By taking a fresh look at how we use buildings and release surplus public property and land, the One Public Estate programme has helped to create thousands of new homes and jobs and breathed new life into communities. “As we look forward, across Government and local authorities, we will continue this work to make sure we deliver the vital public services people need while providing value for money for taxpayers.” Funding will be allocated in the current financial year and is now available for bids. Today’s announcement builds on measures to transform unused land to deliver much-needed new homes, including the announcement last month that the government is investing £360 million in Mayoral Combined Authority areas through its £400 million Brownfield Fund. This will deliver 26,000 new homes while protecting greenfield sites.

Preserving High Standards?

The building and construction industry seem to be continually at the mercy of various regulatory bodies as to what ingredients can or cant be used in the manufacture of building chemicals which is becoming a challenge.

the body’s endocrine system and produce adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological and immune effects in humans and wildlife. It is this which has lead to the chemical being dropped from use.

In response to this latest legislative changes which were to be in place by March 2020, Bond It have used valuable research and development time to produce a package of Wood Treatments that offer the user safer alternatives. Bond It has introduced a Coloured Wood Preserver that offers a waterbased alternative containing no VOCs and no propiconazole, making it safer to use. It contains a fungicide specifically formulated for use against wood rotting, decay and staining fungi, algae, lichen and other growths on wood surfaces. It is an ideal product for the protection of outdoor timber structures such as sheds, fences, trellis, pergolas, gazebos etc and can be applied to all rough, sawn or smooth timbers.

Available in a range of durable UV fade resistant colours that provide deep penetration into timber and leave a colour finish with the natural timber grain texture still visible.

To compliment this Bond It also has under their Wood Guard umbrella 3-in-1 Wood Treatment. A ready to use, 3 in 1 microemulsion universal wood preserver that kills active woodworm and termites, 3 in 1 Wood Treatment protects against re-infestation and wood rot. This not only boasts zero volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), but is waterbased, non-flammable and quick drying. Based on a combination of fungicide and insecticide formulations it effectively eradicates and prevents attack by wood boring insects and wood rotting fungi. Certified to European and British Industry standards you know you are in safe hands.

For more information on our product range contact our Sales Team on 01422 315300 or visit www.bond-it.co.uk.

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Panasonic’s innovative nanoe™ X technology brings nature’s balance indoors

• nanoe™ X technology brings the natural cleaning properties of hydroxyl radicals to the indoor environment • Inhibits certain allergens, bacteria and viruses by up to 99.9% • Effective on hard surfaces, soft furnishings and indoor air • No filter required – the nanoe generator is maintenance-free • Now available in more indoor units for residential and commercial ranges

The well-being benefits of nature are well known and Panasonic’s innovative nanoe™ X technology brings nature’s balance indoors. Abundant in nature, hydroxyl radicals (also known as OH radicals), inhibit certain pollutants, viruses and bacteria to clean and deodorise. Panasonic’s nanoe™ X technology can bring these incredible benefits indoors so that hard surfaces, soft furnishings and the indoor environment can be a cleaner and more pleasant place to be. This innovative technology is now available in even more indoor units, suitable for a wide variety of applications, whether at home, at work, visiting doctor’s or dentist surgeries, hotels, shops, cafés and restaurants etc.

A naturally occurring process

Hydroxyl radicals inhibit the growth of certain pollutants such as: allergens, bacteria, viruses, moulds, odours and certain hazardous substances, by breaking them down and inhibiting the unpleasant effects. This naturally occurring process has major benefits for indoor environments. Panasonic’s nanoe™ X technology takes this a step further to help create an ideal indoor environment. By creating hydroxyl radicals enveloped by water, nanoe™ X technology significantly boosts their effectiveness, increasing hydroxyl radicals’ lifetime from less than a second in nature, to more than 600 seconds – 10 minutes indoors. Another benefit is that the hydroxyl radicals enveloped in water, generated by nanoe™ X, can reach every corner of a space and its surfaces and can spread over large areas. Thanks to this advanced technology, even tightly woven fabrics can be treated, meaning that curtains, blinds, carpets and furniture can all benefit from this technology to inhibit hazardous substances – including on hard surfaces and of course, in the air that we breathe. The effectiveness of nanoe™ X technology has been independently verified and tested by international third-party laboratories in Germany, Denmark, Malaysia and Japan. The nanoe generator is maintenance free as it does not require any filters and is made with high strength, long lasting Titanium. This proven technology has been in use for many years. In fact, the first nanoe device was developed by Panasonic in 2003. After years of R&D investments, the technology has been improved with the launch of nanoe™ X, with a 10- and 20-times higher performance1. nanoe™ X Generator Mark 2, which is available in Panasonic units from 2020, produces 9.6 trillion hydroxyl radicals per second. Greater amounts of hydroxyl radicals contained in nanoe™ X lead to outstanding effects.

Expanding availability to more indoor units

nanoe™ X comes as standard in Panasonic’s residential Etherea air conditioning range and the Floor Console units. The company is now expanding nanoe™ X availability in Panasonic’s PACi and VRF commercial range, including in the cassette 90:90, new duct units and floor console units over the coming months.

Tony Nielsen, UK Marketing Manager

for Panasonic concludes, “In today’s health-conscious world, we care about exercising, what we eat and of course about what we touch and breathe in. At Panasonic, we are committed to constantly improving our solutions and nanoe technology has been developing since its launch in 2003. It is exciting to see Panasonic nanoe™ X technology being used in a wide range of applications for cleaning air and surfaces such as trains, elevators, cars, home appliances and personal beauty, as well as in air conditioning, bringing the benefits of good outdoor air, indoors.”

For more information on which solutions utilise the technology, and for its further benefits, please visit www.aircon.panasonic.eu.