The Chief Executive of Hesco has identified the challenges that are faced by planners that seek to adopt an integrated approach to tackle the threat that terrorist attacks could pose. Michael Hughes, was speaking on the topic at the UK Security Expo 2017 which took place at Olympia where civil
A range of leading professionals from the thriving property and construction sector in the East Midlands were invited by rg+p, the multi-disciplinary architectural practice in order to celebrate the opening of the firm’s new Leicester office. The office was officially opened in last month and sees the architectural company located
The Energys Group has called on the UK to do more in order to meet their Carbon reduction targets. The Managing Director of Energys Group, Kevin Cox has commented following the recently published IFC report on energy efficient buildings and has called on the UK Government in order to help
The Association for Project Safety is calling for every new UK construction projects that will be designed by people who are equipped with a range about bespoke skills, knowledge and experience that will be best suited to each project in order to help to mitigate the fire risk of the
The Chief Executive of Hesco has identified the challenges that are faced by planners that seek to adopt an integrated approach to tackle the threat that terrorist attacks could pose. Michael Hughes, was speaking on the topic at the UK Security Expo 2017 which took place at Olympia where civil and military planners will be able to share the best practice and the latest technologies. The integrated approach to tackle these threats are being explored with the aim of making city and town centres safe while still being open. Mr. Hughes has said that there is a dual threat to civic protection as terrorist groups are looking to encourage their activists to cause mayhem, using low-tech equipment such as driving a heavy vehicle at crowds, while also requiring vigilance at leisure and commercial venues in order to prevent attacks from suicide bombers. The civic planners face a range of threats, all in different guises. While working to identify the threats they are also under commercial pressure to ensure that civic centres still remain open and vibrant in order to deliver a successful enterprise. This is added on to the economic pressures that they have to deal with and the provision of effective protection can be extremely difficult. It is vital that planners must maintain a high level of security in the areas which are most likely to be targets, where large numbers of people gather for work, leisure and education. Conducting regular searches of people will be a vital step towards improving safety however it would be impossible to check every van or lorry in order to anticipate when it will change gear and turn from a mundane transportation device into a deadly weapon. In these instances, the installation of a perimeter of security around venues will offer peace of mind and confidence to planners and people that they will be protecting.
A range of leading professionals from the thriving property and construction sector in the East Midlands were invited by rg+p, the multi-disciplinary architectural practice in order to celebrate the opening of the firm’s new Leicester office. The office was officially opened in last month and sees the architectural company located at Waterloo House in the city centre. The new Leicester office has been converted by rg+p into approximately 6,500 sq. ft. of open plan, design-led office space that will be able to cater for as many as 100 people. The new office includes a range of dedicated meeting rooms that have been fitted with the latest touch screen technology, a central collaboration space to be used for presentations, workshops and seminars as well as a kitchen and breakout zone that has games tables and a welcoming reception area. The new office has led to the complete transformation of how the company operates. Discussing the decision to move, the Director or rp+g, James Badley has said that part of the move was to create more space for the growing business, as the company now employs 96 members of staff across two different office locations. However, the main intention of the move was to re-imagine the work environment in order to be more inclusive for clients and colleagues. The integration of interactive technology means that the company is instantly more connected, and allows clients to better engage with the working drawings while also being able to work alongside their London team in a situation that emulates face-to-face communication. The creation of an open plan office allows sub teams to work more closely together. The result has been a greater amount of expertise drawn from their landscaping, interiors, animation, planning and architectural divisions drawn into one scheme. In order to celebrate the new scheme rp+g invited clients and contacts for an evening drinks reception which included a tour of the premises, technology demonstrations/workshops and a presentation about the architectural firm’s refreshed approach to working.
The Energys Group has called on the UK to do more in order to meet their Carbon reduction targets. The Managing Director of Energys Group, Kevin Cox has commented following the recently published IFC report on energy efficient buildings and has called on the UK Government in order to help the private sector to unlock more energy saving possibilities. The international Finance Corporation, or the IFC, has also expressed their view on energy efficiency. The organisation is a member of the World Bank Group which is the largest global development institution which focuses on the private sector of developing countries. It is thought that these developing countries will be the areas where climate change is expected to hit the hardest. According to the report that has been published by the IFC, called the Creating Markets for Climate Business, working to make buildings more energy efficient could reduce carbon emissions significantly. However, these dramatic changes are only possible if entire countries adopt better building codes and the higher standards that would enforce the construction of energy efficient buildings. The IFC has offered a range of compelling headline stats that look at what the right mix of energy efficiency, codes and standards can be put into place in order to mitigate global CO2 emissions. In Indonesia, the regulations that has been created with the support of the IFC have mandated energy efficiency requirements for large buildings throughout the capital. The IFC has worked out that the benefits from this work could avoid more than 700,000 metric tons of carbon emissions as well as energy savings for as many as $70 million over the course of the last three years. It is hoped that the private sector holds the key to fighting climate change. It is felt that if more private investment is unlocked, with the support of government reforms and more innovative business models created, new markets will be developed and attract the necessary investment to make real change and allow the UK to fulfill the promises of the Paris Agreement.
The Association for Project Safety is calling for every new UK construction projects that will be designed by people who are equipped with a range about bespoke skills, knowledge and experience that will be best suited to each project in order to help to mitigate the fire risk of the completed building. The Association for Project Safety, or APS, has made this all in a response to The London Fire Brigade’s recent assertion that, unless the construction industry started to take fire safety more seriously, another Grenfell Tower tragedy cannot be discounted. A spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade has said that it has taken a tragedy on such an enormous scale like Grenfell for everyone to take fire safety seriously and then listen to what the Brigade has been saying to them for year about the required aptitude and skill for building design. The President of the APS, Bobby Chakravarthy, has echoed the remarks made by the Brigade spokesperson, and added that all construction projects are different, but each one needs to be designed by people who have the right blend of skills, knowledge and experience for that particular project. The Association agrees with the London Fire service’s submission to the recent review of fire and building regulations. Fire safety is a vital part of construction and should never be seen as an off the shelf package that can be bolted on to the construction design. The key to an effective and fire safe design in the use of intrinsic fire safety elements that can then lead to a reduced risk of fire for the people living in and working in the buildings, but for firefighters and other emergency services who may be called out in the event of an incident. The construction industry needs to collectively examine how they minimise fire risk in order to avoid another Grenfell Tower incident.
