BDC

Search
BDC Magazine

May 15, 2017

Palladian Design: The Good, the Bad and the Unexpected

Glashutte, France by Oswald Mathias Ungers 1985 (c) Stefan Mueller The Architecture Gallery, RIBA: 9 September 2015 – 9 January 2016#PalladianDesign The Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio is the only architect who has given his name to a style; one that is still in use around the world after nearly 500

Read More »

Broker Conveyancing joins Tenetlime panel

Broker Conveyancing joins Tenetlime panel Broker Conveyancing, the broker-focused conveyancing distributor, has announced today that it has been added to the conveyancing panel of mortgage and protection specialists, TenetLime. From today, Tenet members will now have access to Broker Conveyancing’s proposition and platform. Broker Conveyancing offers a number of bespoke

Read More »

Reforms announced for technical education

Technical education is to be transformed to provide young people with clear training routes on a par with academic qualifications. The reforms are based on the recommendations of an independent panel on technical education chaired by Lord Sainsbury and to be adopted by the Department for Education and the Department

Read More »

Harrow Green strikes moving deal with supplier YPO

16 June 2016 | Herpreet Kaur Grewal Harrow Green has signed a two-year framework contract with YPO.   YPO was established over 40 years ago by local government authorities to help combine their procurement demands and achieve efficiency savings. YPO supplies products and services, and is 100 per

Read More »

Simian Skill Dubai Passes the CISRS Annual Accreditation Audit

Simian Skill Dubai has recently passed the CISRS Annual accreditation audit. The company has completed another year of their training in the UAE throughout the 2016/17 period. Simian Skill has been operating in this area since 2013 and the company have managed to sustain a high standard for their training

Read More »

R&M Introduces Cabling for the Digital Office Ceiling

How every LED lamp gets an Internet address / Power supply with data cables / On the way to smart IP-based building management. Wetzikon, May 4, 2017. R&M, the global Swiss developer and provider of cabling systems for high-quality network infrastructures based in Wetzikon, supports initiatives for the digital office

Read More »

Pumping Station Has Undergone a Wide Spread Refurbishment

The Pumping Station at Peakirk has undergone a wide spread refurbishment of their mitre gates. The Peakirk Pumping Station is located on the junction of the River Welland and Folly. The work was carried out by ECS Engineering Services, who were appointed to carry out the work by Environment Agency.

Read More »

Cogress Managed To Secure Funding For a New Property Developments

Because of the strong demand for investment in East London Property, Cogress has managed to secure funding for a new residential and commercial property development on Tudor Road. The development is located in Hackney, which is one of the most popular boroughs in London. The project will create 4.725 sq.

Read More »

Jet Aire Has Recently Appointed Simon Lawton to Their Board

Jet Aire, the Leeds based company has recently appointed Simon Lawton to their board as a non-executive chairman. Simon has been working with the drainage contractors since 2014 on a number of different ad hoc projects. Over the course of the past six months, Simon Lawton has been working with

Read More »

Latest Issue

BDC 319 : Aug 2024

May 15, 2017

Palladian Design: The Good, the Bad and the Unexpected

Glashutte, France by Oswald Mathias Ungers 1985 (c) Stefan Mueller The Architecture Gallery, RIBA: 9 September 2015 – 9 January 2016#PalladianDesign The Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio is the only architect who has given his name to a style; one that is still in use around the world after nearly 500 years. From the US Capitol to a 21st century Somerset cowshed Palladian Design: The Good, the Bad and the Unexpected introduces Palladio’s design principles and explores how they have been interpreted, copied and re-imagined across time and continents from his death in 1580 right up to the present day. Focusing on his legacy, RIBA’s exhibition explores how architects such as Inigo Jones and Lord Burlington turned Palladianism into a national style. The style was adopted in the design of houses, churches and public buildings around the world from New Delhi to Leningrad. Palladianism became so widespread that it seeped into peoples’ unconscious references and desires – elements were found popping-up in American Negro Churches and terraced housing and homes in the UK. The 20th century saw a revival of traditional Palladian mansions while the 21st century has seen his design principles being utilised in a more abstract way. The exhibition asks many questions about what makes a building ‘Palladian’ – does a building have to look classical to be Palladian? Is it the design principles or the social and political connotations of tradition, power and establishment that have led to the enduring popularity of the style? The exhibition is structured chronologically around three themes: revolution, evolution and the contemporary. It includes 50 original works, including drawings, models and busts. The first part of the exhibition introduces Palladio and outlines his unique system of architecture. It charts the development of Anglo-Palladianism from 17th Century England, through to the transformation of Palladianism into a national style by the mid-18th century. It also explores the role of books in spreading Palladio’s ideas – both his own Four Books of Architecture and later publications that spread Palladian style beyond Britain. Highlights include Palladio’s A Design for a Palace (1540s) and projects for low-cost housing in Venice (1550s); original drawings by Inigo Jones include a preliminary design for the Queen’s House, Greenwich (1616); Colen Campbell’s original pen and wash design for Mereworth Castle, Kent (1723) and an original drawing of Lord Burlington’s Chiswick House (1729). The second part of the exhibition follows Palladio’s legacy worldwide in a series of themes that explore how others have either followed his guidelines to the letter or employed them more creatively. It looks at how Palladian design has been adopted for commercial viability and in the service of politics and religion – both in western countries and in colonial and post-colonial contexts. Away from the centres of power, people turned their hand to Palladian self-builds with anonymous builders using pattern books to fuse Palladian elements with local vernacular traditions. Highlights include the original 1721 model of St Martin-in-the-Fields church by James Gibbs, a perspective of Catherine the Great’s Pella Palace near St Petersburg by Ivan Starov (c.1786), a watercolour perspective of Stormont in Belfast by Sir Arnold Thornely (1927) and Palladio’s original designs for the Villa Valmarana (c.1560) and the Palazzo Antonini (c.1560). The last section of the exhibition follows the story of 20th and 21st century Palladianism. Despite the rise of modernism, Palladianism survived in Britain and America as a domestic style both for landed families and the newly rich who commissioned grand classical homes to evoke a sense of history and confer status. Highlights include a linocut perspective of Kings Walden Bury, Essex by Raymond Erith and Quinlan Terry (1971) and photographs and models of houses built since the 1960s. The exhibition goes on to explore post-modern Palladianism, where the style has been referenced historically, playfully or ironically. Key exhibits include works by Swedish architect Erik Asplund and Belgian architect Charles Vandenhove alongside other new buildings on the continent and in Canada. The exhibition ends by examining contemporary abstract Palladianism – buildings that contain no visual references to classical architecture but follow Palladian design principles in terms of proportion or planning. It asks whether a building has to look like a Palladian building in order to be one? It will include a newly commissioned film comparing Palladio’s Villa Caldogno with Brick House (2005) by Caruso St John and looks at a selection of contemporary buildings, ranging from a model of an underground house in Mongolia by OFFICE Architects to offices in Switzerland by Peter Märkli. The exhibition coincides with the 300th anniversary of the publication of two books key to the spread of Palladianism worldwide – Giacomo Leoni’s first full translation into English of Palladio’s I Quattro Libri dell’ Architettura and Colen Campbell’s survey of English architecture Vitruvius Britannicus, both published in 1715. These books paved the way for a flood of cheaper pattern books that enabled anyone, from Russian royalty to a American carpenters, to create Palladian designs. The RIBA Collections contain over 350 drawings and sketches by Andrea Palladio; the world’s largest assemblage of his drawings – 85% of all those in existence. The exhibition is designed by architects Caruso St John. The design takes its inspiration from the interior of Palladio’s villas and the way that his Four Books of Architecture have been used by generations of architects. The palette will reference Villa Caldogno’s frescos. Palladian Design is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation, The Headley Trust and the American Friends of the British Architectural Library. Ends Notes to editors: 1. For further information visit www.architecture.com/PalladianDesign or contact Beatrice Cooke in the RIBA press office: beatrice.cooke@riba.org; 020 7307 3813 2. Press images can be downloaded here: https://riba.box.com/s/hss7iwdb46oihlfrp8erkcfwza6jtzmh 3. The Press View will take place at 09.30 on Tuesday 8 September at The Architecture Gallery, RIBA, W1B 1AD. Please RSVP to beatrice.cooke@riba.org 4. Palladian Design: The Good, the Bad and the Unexpected was co-curated by Charles Hind and Vicky Wilson. Charles Hind is Chief Curator and H.J. Heinz Curator of Drawings at the Royal Institute of British Architects,

Read More »

Broker Conveyancing joins Tenetlime panel

Broker Conveyancing joins Tenetlime panel Broker Conveyancing, the broker-focused conveyancing distributor, has announced today that it has been added to the conveyancing panel of mortgage and protection specialists, TenetLime. From today, Tenet members will now have access to Broker Conveyancing’s proposition and platform. Broker Conveyancing offers a number of bespoke products and services and provides firms with a panel of leading law firms including O’Neill Patient and Shoosmiths. Broker Conveyancing was launched in 2012 to meet the specific conveyancing needs of brokers and their clients. The proposition has a number of unique features including low panel fees meaning clients get the most competitive pricing in the market, payment of referral fees on exchange for all advisers, an all-inclusive fee structure, ‘no completion – no fee’ arrangement, and ‘fall through protection’ on searches for purchase cases. Tenet is one of the largest adviser support groups in the UK, with non-investment network, TenetLime, offering a wide range of mortgage, protection and general insurance services. Harpal Singh, Managing Director of Broker Conveyancing, commented: “We are delighted to be working with Tenet. Their members will now be able to enjoy our unbeatable pricing and the first-class service provided by our panel of solicitors and conveyancers. Our referral fee toggle and payment on exchange process will mean members can maximise earnings with accelerated commission payments.” Gemma Harle, Managing Director of TenetLime, said: “Having done our research, we found Broker Conveyancing’s proposition stood out in the marketplace. They have an extremely competitive pricing structure, a very strong panel of law firms and a simple, user-friendly platform. Members will be able to access quotes from, and submit cases to, more than a dozen well-known national law firms on a single comparison site.” Source link

Read More »

Reforms announced for technical education

Technical education is to be transformed to provide young people with clear training routes on a par with academic qualifications. The reforms are based on the recommendations of an independent panel on technical education chaired by Lord Sainsbury and to be adopted by the Department for Education and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.  Under the changes, students can choose between an academic or technical pathway once they have completed their GCSEs. If they choose the former route, they can pursue college-based training or a vocational scheme such as an apprenticeship.  Following this, students can move between technical and academic routes, by progressing onto to higher technical education, a degree or a higher apprenticeship. Students will be able to embark on one of 15 new pathways, including construction, engineering and manufacturing. They will also have the option to take a transition year or a traineeship to prepare themselves for their training scheme. Each college programme will feature training in English, maths and digital skills, with the new system set to be implemented for students who sit their GCSEs in 2019. Steve Radley, Director of Policy at CITB, said: “Construction firms have long wanted to see new entrants get a broader knowledge base before they specialise, which is one of the ambitions in the Government’s new Skills Plan. “This will give learners a better understanding of construction as a whole and the more adaptable skills employers are looking for. “Learners will also be able to move more easily between technical and academic routes, so that no options are closed off when they choose a pathway at 16. This should put technical and academic learning on a more even footing and encourage more people to join construction. “The key is how this plan will be implemented. CITB will help make the new Construction Pathway successful by providing robust Labour Market Information on skills needs, and support employers to develop high quality standards.” The current system, in which 20,000 courses are provided by 160 organisations, is thought to be too confusing for students to choose a career path. This will be replaced by what the Government describes as “high-quality routes, with the content for those streamlined routes and standards developed and respected by employers”. To find out more about apprenticeships in construction, visit GoConstruct. Source link

Read More »

SMPR provide tailored PR packages for businesses across the Construction Industry

Working with your company, SMPR can provide services on a retained or ad-hoc basis, depending on your requirements. Simply Marcomms , otherwise known as SMPR, provide comprehensive content marketing and social media management packages as part of ad-hoc or retained PR Packages for Construction Industry clients. Their aim is to increase and engaging audiences whilst building and nurturing subscribers through well-timed, targeted, creative and informative content. As a well-established PR firm in the Construction Industry, they offer a flexible and friendly approach in content marketing support. SMPR work with you to kick-start content and social media management, alongside the offering of other solutions tailored to suit the PR needs of Construction Companies. With their experience and high level of service, bespoke packages and ad-hoc campaigns are offered, including long-term solutions and varying content packages for those that require more of a heavy weight approach. SMPR’s content marketing solutions range from starter packages for SMEs with limited budgets, short-term launch level projects to help you get started with a new company, product or service, and for those with a more comprehensive requirement – unique packages to suit, depending upon the level of activity and support required. Basically, they base what they provide around the clients’ needs – providing a high level of support and service for any business looking for a PR firm in the Construction Industry. Ad-Hoc Construction PR Campaigns ​start from as little as £295.00 + VAT. Based in Warwickshire, Simply Marcomms are a family-run, B2B PR & Marketing Consultancy. Their central location perfectly places them to deal with PR for the Construction Industry. With over 10 years in the business, they are well experienced in dealing with PR on a B2B basis and can offer solutions to Start Up’s right through to well-established organisations. Let someone help you to deliver results within the Construction Industry – contact SMPR today to discuss what they can do for you and your business – info@simplymarcomms.co.uk SMPR provide online B2B PR solutions for the Construction, Energy and FM sectors. They offer a full range of PR services including: Visit the blog here: http://simplymarcomms.co.uk/blog/ For further information please visit: www.simplymarcomms.co.uk   SMPR provide online B2B PR solutions for the construction, energy and FM sectors. They offer a full range of PR services including:• Media Relations • Content Writing• Content Marketing Solutions • Social Media Marketing • Online PR Training Visit the blog here: http://simplymarcomms.co.uk/blog/ Source link

Read More »

Harrow Green strikes moving deal with supplier YPO

16 June 2016 | Herpreet Kaur Grewal Harrow Green has signed a two-year framework contract with YPO.   YPO was established over 40 years ago by local government authorities to help combine their procurement demands and achieve efficiency savings. YPO supplies products and services, and is 100 per cent publicly owned.   The Removal Solution framework, which went live on 16 February 2016, means that Harrow Green will act as a single provider managing the provision of services relating to removals, storage, specialist disposal and associated services and trades, all of which can be accessed free of charge by public sector organisations across the UK.   Harrow Green will collaborate with the public sector to develop a local supply base and economy through engagement with ‘tier two’ local suppliers, and will act as a single point of contact between each participating contracting authority and its supply chain.   Some of the benefits for the users of the service include: social value benefits through the use of local subcontractors; access to specialist project management services; access to specialist removal services; support of environmental objectives; provision of full audit trail and reporting service to contracting authorities; access to secure off-site storage; and secure disposal of IT equipment and confidential data.   Harrow Green’s contract could be extended by a further two years.     Nigel Dews, managing director of Harrow Green, said: “This is a significant contract and we look forward to developing a very strong relationship with YPO and contracting authorities. We will be working closely with them to manage and deliver an efficient, high-quality service.” Source link

Read More »

Simian Skill Dubai Passes the CISRS Annual Accreditation Audit

Simian Skill Dubai has recently passed the CISRS Annual accreditation audit. The company has completed another year of their training in the UAE throughout the 2016/17 period. Simian Skill has been operating in this area since 2013 and the company have managed to sustain a high standard for their training delivery as well as maintaining the ethos of quality over quantity while working in a hard commercial environment where clients would rather avoid any forms of formal off site training. Instead their clients prefer short duration in house training or skills testing to make sure that the least amount to time is lost with training. It is thought that the CISRS Overseas Scaffolder Training Scheme is getting a stronger reputation and is receiving an increasing amount of support over the years as more and more companies notice the benefits of setting out their training like the UK standard training programmes. CISRS is the preferred training scheme for a number of different major organisations. Recently, the training centre has completed the training for a number of different blue chip organisations such as the Oil Rig Construction company Lamprell Ltd as well as Carillion and Shell Oil. The training business has also been working with some of the biggest international scaffolding companies. These scaffolding companies that have undergone training with CISRS include Hertel, SGB and Kaefer. Simian Skills has been offering a variety of different qualifications such as Level 1 scaffolder, Basic Scaffold Inspection and Scaffolding Supervisor training. The Skills company has also delivered Level 2 scaffolder courses and are the first in the region to offer CISRS Level 3 Scaffolder courses. Simian skill have aa presence in the CISRS CENTER IN Ogun, Nigeria and it id though that at some point this month the business will be working for the CISRS accreditation for a training centre that located in Chennai, India.

Read More »

R&M Introduces Cabling for the Digital Office Ceiling

How every LED lamp gets an Internet address / Power supply with data cables / On the way to smart IP-based building management. Wetzikon, May 4, 2017. R&M, the global Swiss developer and provider of cabling systems for high-quality network infrastructures based in Wetzikon, supports initiatives for the digital office and room ceiling. The aim of these digital ceiling initiatives is to integrate the ceiling infrastructure into local data networks. Sensors and controls for lighting, air conditioning and surveillance could be networked more simply and safely with building services engineering and the Internet of Things. Functions and services that in the past have been run separately could now be brought together for the first time in the data network. This would make it possible to automate office and building operations. There are already energy-saving, smart LED ceiling lights available on the market featuring intelligent sensors and a data network connection. “These are fascinating new possibilities. But things are not yet working out quite so easily in the field due to the frequent lack of appropriate cabling and a solution for the power supply of end devices on the ceiling,” says Matthias Gerber, Market Manager LAN Cabling at R&M. This is why R&M has developed special digital ceiling solutions for office buildings based on tried-and-tested cabling systems. For example, R&M is supporting the combination of data connection and power supply for LED lighting with an incredibly low amount of cabling. The LED lights are fed with power via the data cable – referred to as Power over Ethernet (PoE) – and at the same time obtain their own IP address in the LAN. Surveillance cameras, smoke alarms, temperature and motion sensors or WLAN antennas on the ceiling could be integrated in the Internet of Things in the same way. The R&M U-Box is the core of these solutions. The multifunctional, flat distributor housing can provide up to 24 data network or PoE connections. “But Power over Ethernet will not be enough in the digital ceiling. High-power end devices, such as digital ceiling switches, that need greater power are coming onto the market. And that changes the requirements fundamentally. In the future we are going to be needing an adequate 230-Volt power supply as well as structured LAN cabling in the ceiling,” says Matthias Gerber. In such cases, ceilings can be accessed with the R&M U-Box as it can accommodate not only the LAN connections but also the connections for the 230V power supply. “It is crucial you plan an appropriate cabling structure for the digital ceiling at an early stage,” emphasizes Matthias Gerber. In conventional planning, the number of LAN connection points in the ceiling is not usually enough. The tried-and-tested star cabling based on a central floor distributor was developed particularly with work area access in mind. But these connections are normally in the wrong place when it comes to connecting building infrastructure applications. This is why R&M recommends positioning small ceiling distributors, called service outlets (SO), compliant with EN 50173-6 at regular intervals in all rooms. To reduce the need for star cabling, an active zone switch can be positioned next to the SO point. These can take care of LAN cabling and PoE power supply in their relevant zones. The digital ceiling solutions provided by R&M are paving the way to a plannable development of the ceiling – both for IP-based intelligent building automation and for WLAN access using structured cabling. The combination of data network and 230V power supply on one platform has been a specialty of R&M for many years, and is now finding a new application. R&M uses approaches from data cabling and work area access which have been proved millions of times over and can be adapted to suit any particular scenario.

Read More »

Pumping Station Has Undergone a Wide Spread Refurbishment

The Pumping Station at Peakirk has undergone a wide spread refurbishment of their mitre gates. The Peakirk Pumping Station is located on the junction of the River Welland and Folly. The work was carried out by ECS Engineering Services, who were appointed to carry out the work by Environment Agency. By carrying out this work, ECS have been able to improve the flood defenses in the station by uprating the gates at the station. The main purpose of the refurbishment works was to create an improved barrier to protect the Pumping Station in the event of flooding. The Peakirk Pumping Station works to protect a number of properties that are located further upstream from any significant changes in water level. The existing wooden miter gates that were installed at the site had visible signs of wear after being n use for a number of years. In order to carry out the refurbishment works on the gates, they needed to be removed and taken to the ECS fabrications centre which is located in Nottinghamshire. The company faced a challenge when first gaining access to the gates, because the central sluice needed to have the water removed and then dammed before the gates could be removed and the work could begin. It was thought that the stoplog would be enough to allow the isolation of the mitre gates, however on inspection, the stoplog guides were also looking worn. Therefore, in order to carry out the repairs a GEO dam was installed to hold back the water. The control system also needed to be considered for the new gates. In order to tackle this challenge an ECS blueprinted weight stack counter balancing system was installed in order to provide the controls for the new gates. This entire system was all manufactured in house by ECS meaning that a fully integrated system could be reinstalled at Peakirk. The Environment Agency chose ECS to carry out the work because they were looking for high quality engineering solutions that were carried out in a way that is environmentally friendly.

Read More »

Cogress Managed To Secure Funding For a New Property Developments

Because of the strong demand for investment in East London Property, Cogress has managed to secure funding for a new residential and commercial property development on Tudor Road. The development is located in Hackney, which is one of the most popular boroughs in London. The project will create 4.725 sq. ft. of office space and 19 residential units. The property developer contracted for this project is Kirk Real Estate Ltd. At the moment 7 of the 19 residential units in the development have been sold. It is thought that the London Borough of Hackney has seen a great deal of redevelopment, which in turn has led to an average house price increase of 700% over the course of the last 20 years. This massive jump in house prices in the area could be due in part to the after effects of the London 2012 Olympic Games. This “Olympic effect” means that the infrastructure in the area has been improved, making it a popular place for commuters. This popularity has been heightened because of the variety of different independent bars, shops and restaurants as well as the borough’s close proximity to London. It is thought that the project should be complete and ready for resale in September 2018 and Cogress are working to diversify their portfolio in order to offer the best opportunities to their investors. The company has an increasing number of qualified investors that are looking for opportunities in the London markets. For the assets in the company’s portfolios, the investors usually receive any profits from the portfolio on exit. The exit is planned for the Hackney development in September next year and it is hoped that the development will allow their investors the access to property investment opportunities of over £10 million. The investment company are diversifying their portfolio in order to adapt to the investor demand while the uncertain times in the market.

Read More »

Jet Aire Has Recently Appointed Simon Lawton to Their Board

Jet Aire, the Leeds based company has recently appointed Simon Lawton to their board as a non-executive chairman. Simon has been working with the drainage contractors since 2014 on a number of different ad hoc projects. Over the course of the past six months, Simon Lawton has been working with the directors and the senior management team in order to lay foundations for the next stage of the company’s growth. The company is looking to expand their presence in the provision of professional drainage solutions to the company’s commercial, industrial and domestic clients. Simon Lawton has a great track record as a finance director for a number of rapidly expanding entrepreneurial businesses. Most notably, Simon worked for Tribal Group Plc and managed to help the company grow from a start-up company to a business with sales of over £250 million over the course of 10 years. Simon is a founder trustee for the Tribal Group Foundation which works to raise money and fund different health and education projects in Africa, India and Nepal. Simon spent two year working on a variety of different investment projects in Sub-Saharan Africa. These investment projects include a 5-star island tourist resort which is located in the Indian Ocean near Mozambique. In 2013, Simon worked to help co-launched a new start up support services business which is called Benula Capital Limited. This support services company works within the recruitment and HR market and currently holds a number of equity stakes in several different companies around the UK and Internationally. Benula looks to help companies carry out an accelerated growth strategy through strategic financial and development advice for owners and managers. As part of Jet Aire, Simon will be offering the Leeds based drainage contractor advice on the best ways to push the business forward. Jet Aire has been benefitting from a sustained period of growth and plans to extend further over the next five years.

Read More »