The Liquid Roofing and Waterproofing Association (LRWA) has appointed a new director to its board, which has reinforced its pledge to maintain and encourage the highest standards of quality within the liquid industry. With over 37 years of experience in the liquid roofing market, Mark Flello will work with the
Browser does not support script. Contact us The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has welcomed the Government’s recent commitments to increasing the numbers of new build houses, including today’s announcement on funding for Housing Zones across England. But the RIBA has warned that the whole exercise could prove futile
Independent supplier Good Energy has launched a carbon neutral gas tariff, partly made up from biomethane. The company said it was launching the tariff to “celebrate the signing of the UN Climate Change Agreement in New York next week”. It follows an announcement this week from fellow independent
Keller Group, which bills itself as the world’s largest geotechnical contractor, has reported record first-half revenue but a 12% fall in operating profits. For the six months to 30th June 2016, it generated revenue of £849.7m (2015 H1: £755.8m). Operating profit, after exceptional items, was £30.9m (2015 H1: £35.0m). Profits
The manufacturing industry is booming, but the increase in production and processes can certainly take their toll on the environment. Barry Crackett is a product designer at the industrial, agricultural, and municipal brushware company Brushtec. The brand is consistently working to make their processes greener, and here he will be
Modular Building – If there was a way you could build your business premises cheaper, would you take it? If you knew that the final build would be of the highest quality, would you be interested? If you were assured that maintenance and operational costs would be more efficient, would
Midlands architectural practice maber has appointed four new associate directors at its Nottingham, Derby and Leicester offices. They are Andy Purvis and Leo Ward, both based in Nottingham, Lee Smith in Derby and Tim Boxford in Leicester. The promotions are as a result of maber’s continued success and a string
All of Springfield Properties future homes will come with already installed cabling for electric car charging points. The Scottish developer’s latest environmental initiative is one of the first in the UK and it will incorporate 7KW cabling to the most practical point in the home, allowing homebuyers to easily install
The directors from the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) have voted at a recent board meeting to issue a new tender for the BALI National Landscape Awards, therefore, starting with this year’s edition, the successful bidder will be awarded a one year contract with the possibility of a three
Focus Consultants has been named project manager for the second phase of the Trent Basin development in Nottingham after being project manager, energy and sustainability advisor, and employer’s agent for phase one completed in 2016 with 45 low energy homes. The team will work together with builders from Willmott Dixon
The Liquid Roofing and Waterproofing Association (LRWA) has appointed a new director to its board, which has reinforced its pledge to maintain and encourage the highest standards of quality within the liquid industry. With over 37 years of experience in the liquid roofing market, Mark Flello will work with the existing LRWA board members to lead the strategic direction of the Association. Mr Flello began his career in the laboratories of Evode, before transferring to its subsidiary firm Evode Roofing as a roofing technician, which later became part of Briggs Amasco. He now works at and jointly owns Dove Technology, a business that makkes a range of adhesives specifically designed for the flat roofing sector. As a supplier to the liquid roofing sector, Dove Technology holds Associate Membership at the LRWA and Mr Flello brings his wider sector knowledge to the association, being the only associate member on the board. Mr Flello has also previously played an active role as chairman of the European Liquid Roofing Association (ELRA), which changed its name to European Liquid Waterproofing Association (ELWA) in 2005 when he became vice chairman of the ELWA technical committee. Speaking about his new position at the LRWA, Mr Flello commented: “I’m joining the board at such an exciting time, with the liquid roofing and waterproofing market growing we’re firmly focussed on raising awareness of the excellent liquid systems and products that are available, and making sure operatives are being trained properly to use them. “I think the main challenges ahead are combating quality control of those products being sold without any testing or certification which are simply not fit for purpose, and advising contractors on how to make the right choices when specifying systems. “I’m looking forward to working with the rest of the team at LRWA and bringing my skills to the table.”
Browser does not support script. Contact us The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has welcomed the Government’s recent commitments to increasing the numbers of new build houses, including today’s announcement on funding for Housing Zones across England. But the RIBA has warned that the whole exercise could prove futile if the Government fails to put quality at the heart of this investment. It went on to call on MPs from all political parties to vote for the amendment to the Housing and Planning Bill calling for the adoption of a minimum space standard into national building regulations. This will ensure new build homes are large enough for families and built to last. RIBA President Jane Duncan said: “Whilst this new focus on quantity is to be applauded, the Government can no longer ignore the poor quality of some of our new housing stock, especially as it ploughs public money into housebuilding. Our latest report, ‘HomeWise: Space Standards for Homes’ concluded that some new homes being built in England are still too small and that a minimum space standards for new dwellings must be adopted into building regulations. “The report stage of the Housing and Planning Bill offers the Government the perfect opportunity to sign up to the quality agenda by voting for New Clause 50 this afternoon. These aren’t outlandish demands; they simply ensure that all new build homes are of an adequate size.” ENDS For further information contact Howard Crosskey howard.crosskey@riba.org +44 (0)20 7307 3761 The RIBA HomeWise policy report can be viewed here: https://www.architecture.com/RIBA/Campaigns%20and%20issues/Homewise/Homewise.aspx For more information on the Housing and Planning Bill click here: http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/housingandplanning.html The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) champions better buildings, communities and the environment through architecture and our members www.architecture.com Follow us on Twitter for regular RIBA updates www.twitter.com/RIBA @RIBA Posted on Tuesday 5th January 2016 Source link
Independent supplier Good Energy has launched a carbon neutral gas tariff, partly made up from biomethane. The company said it was launching the tariff to “celebrate the signing of the UN Climate Change Agreement in New York next week”. It follows an announcement this week from fellow independent supplier Green Energy, that it would be the first provider in the UK to supply its customers with 100 per cent biomethane. Good Energy founder Juliet Davenport said: “World leaders are making a huge promise in New York to take action against climate change. “Emissions from energy are one of the biggest causes of global warming, and the simplest way to cut your footprint is switching to renewable electricity and carbon neutral gas. We can all do something to drastically cut our reliance on fossil fuels right now.” The company said the new tariff is designed to make it easy for customers to take action against climate change and compliments its current 100 per cent renewable electricity supply. Leaders from 130 countries will sign the agreement on 22 April which was made in Paris in December and aims to limit global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius. Source link
Keller Group, which bills itself as the world’s largest geotechnical contractor, has reported record first-half revenue but a 12% fall in operating profits. For the six months to 30th June 2016, it generated revenue of £849.7m (2015 H1: £755.8m). Operating profit, after exceptional items, was £30.9m (2015 H1: £35.0m). Profits and revenue increased for Keller in all regions except for Asia Pacific (specifically Australia, Singapore and Malaysia) where it made a loss of £9.6m. Chief executive Alain Michaelis said: “We have seen an encouraging start to the year in North America and EMEA, our two largest divisions. APAC made a loss in the period, due to market conditions and project delays, but we expect a return to profitability in the second half of the year. Overall, the group continues to make good progress against our medium-term objectives, building on our strong market positions and favourable market trends.” Keller made two small acquisitions in the first half of the year. In February, it acquired the Brazilian foundation contractor Tecnogeo for an initial £11.8m and in April it bought the assets and certain liabilities of Smithbridge, a marine construction business based in Brisbane, Australia, for £1.8m. Roy Franklin retired as chairman and from the board on 26th July 2016 and has been succeeded by Peter Hill, a mining engineer and former Costain director. This article was published on 1 Aug 2016 (last updated on 1 Aug 2016). Source link
The manufacturing industry is booming, but the increase in production and processes can certainly take their toll on the environment. Barry Crackett is a product designer at the industrial, agricultural, and municipal brushware company Brushtec. The brand is consistently working to make their processes greener, and here he will be sharing his top five tips for making your manufacturing operations more eco-friendly. With recent figures showing that the value of UK manufacturers’ product sales increased by 4.1% between 2016 and 2017, it’s clear that the sector is certainly thriving (Office of National Statistics). And, while that’s great news for all manufacturing and production businesses, this doesn’t come without an environmental impact. Whether you manufacture chemicals, food, or anything else, your processes are bound to emit some harmful greenhouse gases, as well as use up a lot of energy. So, with this and the expansion of the industry in mind, it’s clear that we all need to be taking measures to make our processes more eco- friendly. Here, I will be sharing my top tips for reducing your environmental impact while still allowing your business to progress. Carry out an energy audit Before you begin making any changes, you should carry out an energy audit so you can see how much energy you’re using both overall and on each step of the manufacturing process to identify where you could be using less. These audits can be done by yourself or you can hire a professional to ensure you don’t miss any important observations. These usually include monitoring production lines, machinery, lighting, and anything else that is guilty of guzzling excess energy and harming the environment along the way.
Modular Building – If there was a way you could build your business premises cheaper, would you take it? If you knew that the final build would be of the highest quality, would you be interested? If you were assured that maintenance and operational costs would be more efficient, would you welcome the news with open arms? We often assume that the only way to build is to place one brick on top of the other or breeze blocks or large blocks of concrete. But what if there was another way? And what if this other, non-traditional means of building that is not only quicker but more cost-effective and environmentally friendly? Delivering Results with Modular Building techniques Not a ‘new’ means of building by any means, but one that has undergone change in recent years, the final results for clients who have opted for modular building are beyond expectations. There are many reasons why more and more people are opting for modular building techniques, cost and minimising environmental impact being just two of them. There are many more besides as highlighted in this information infographic Modular Vs. Traditional Construction from sector leading MTX Contracts, leaders in this innovative design and build process. Create Bigger, Better Buildings for Less Time and Money Less time and less money can mean poor quality but not in this case. From specialist buildings such as forensic laboratories to medical wards and clinics, this building process is producing amazing results. Take a look!
Midlands architectural practice maber has appointed four new associate directors at its Nottingham, Derby and Leicester offices. They are Andy Purvis and Leo Ward, both based in Nottingham, Lee Smith in Derby and Tim Boxford in Leicester. The promotions are as a result of maber’s continued success and a string of major instructions on significant projects across the UK. The company’s business plan sets ambitious growth targets, and the strategy is to give key individuals a stake in the business in order to encourage long term commitment to the company. The practice, which was originally formed in Nottingham 35 years ago this year has always relied on organic and sustainable growth driven by a motivated team. This ethos is embedded in each of its five offices, which include Birmingham London, Derby and Leicester, as well as its headquarters in Nottingham. Managing Director Mark Hobson said: “These appointments are in recognition of the significant contributions that all four have made to the success of the practice. They also strengthen our accountability structure and provide more resilience on projects for the benefit of our clients. Perhaps most importantly, they add new lifeblood to the management team, which will help to ensure our continued growth and success.” Lee Smith joined maber in 2005 and heads a design team that has delivered successful commercial and education sector projects. Andy Purvis joined the practice in 2004 and describes himself as a design-driven architect. Leo Ward came to maber in 2011, having previously worked in London, and now works with a small team heading up projects. Tim Boxford joined the practice in 2012, having previously worked elsewhere in the East Midlands, Birmingham and New Zealand. www.maber.co.uk
All of Springfield Properties future homes will come with already installed cabling for electric car charging points. The Scottish developer’s latest environmental initiative is one of the first in the UK and it will incorporate 7KW cabling to the most practical point in the home, allowing homebuyers to easily install a home charge point. Innes Smith, Chief Executive of Springfield Properties said: “At Springfield, exploring new ways to protect the environment has been a focus of ours for many years and installing the infrastructure for electric car charge points in our homes was the next logical step for our customers.” The 3,000-home community in Bertha Park will be amongst the first to benefit from the cabling. This initiative is the most recent one from a series of environmental measures delivered by the housebuilder. Using sustainable materials in the construction of its energy efficient timber-frame homes, offering solar photovoltaic panels as an option, and installing energy efficient hybrid boilers, are all part of Springfield’s green initiative. “The Scottish Government has pledged that by 2032 all new vehicles sold in this country will be electric but we anticipate that the uptake will increase rapidly long before then. One of our values as a company, is to include everything a customer needs in their new home, so, with this is mind, we wanted to make it as easy as possible for our customers to go electric,” said Innes. Those that own an electric car can apply for grants from the Energy Saving trust or the Office for Low Emission Vehicles of up to £500 to help them install a 32-amp home charge point. These external plugs are safer to operate, while cutting charging times by 30-60 per cent, depending on the make of the car. Homeowners that have a home charging point can also apply for an Electric Vehicle Loan, which covers the purchase of a new pure electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle of up to £35,000.
The directors from the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) have voted at a recent board meeting to issue a new tender for the BALI National Landscape Awards, therefore, starting with this year’s edition, the successful bidder will be awarded a one year contract with the possibility of a three year extension. Horticulture Week has been an associate of BALI since 2010 and since then, the awards have been growing stronger and stronger turning into the most successful landscape awards in Europe. 2016 marked the 40th anniversary of the Awards, where the highest number of entries was recorded, while 2017 saw more than 1,000 BALI members, clients, and industry guests attending the ceremony at Grosvenor House in London. BALI Chief Executive, Wayne Grills spoke about the partnership between the Horticulture Week and BALI and mentioned what a positive impact it had on the Awards: “They have helped us develop the Awards and deliver a hugely successful ceremony each December. As we move into the next phase of our strategic plan the BALI board believes it is time to review the Awards to ensure we are achieving best value whilst being open to new opportunities and ideas.” The British Association of Landscape Industries was founded in 1972 and has become UK’S leading Trade Association for landscaping professionals. It promotes, supports, and inspires its 900 Registered organisations and individuals. The BALI members come from more than 50 disciples, including hard and soft landscaping, irrigation, design facility and playground installation, and are regarded as offering the highest standards of excellence. They have been transforming commercial and domestic landscapes for over 45 years, bringing in the best skills and the latest products and materials. Their projects renovate spaces, while inspiring future generations to enjoy the rich and diverse landscapes around them.
Focus Consultants has been named project manager for the second phase of the Trent Basin development in Nottingham after being project manager, energy and sustainability advisor, and employer’s agent for phase one completed in 2016 with 45 low energy homes. The team will work together with builders from Willmott Dixon and create 31 more homes. The second phase aims to build 31 properties of a mix of two, three, and four bedroom houses along with two bedroom maisonettes by 2019. After the entire £100 million residential development will be finished, the scheme would add 500 low energy homes in the Waterside Regeneration area beside the River Trent in Nottingham. “As a company with specialists in low energy construction and development, Focus is very pleased to be playing key roles in this scheme. Almost all the properties built in phase one have been sold or reserved, and we are looking forward to working on phase two to bring additional low-energy, low-carbon homes onto the residential market in Nottingham,” said Keith Butler, partner at Focus Consultants. Blueprint, the award winning Nottingham developer with high green energy credentials, has created Trent Basin, which will contain Europe’s largest community battery (2MWh), solar photovoltaics that will generate, store and distribute energy throughout the entire neighbourhood, and a unique energy company for residents. The project has been funded by Innovate UK. “There’s already a commitment to low energy living shared among the residents, with many of them embracing electric cars, car-sharing and cycling to work. We plan to install additional electric car charging points at Trent Basin and are looking forward to the completion of Nottingham’s first Eco Expressway along Daleside Road which will complement our ambitions for the community by giving buses, bikes and electric vehicles priority along one of Nottingham’s busiest routes,” said Nick Ebbs, Chief Executive at Blueprint. Focus Consultants is based in Nottingham and it provides a range of services to the property and construction industry such as sustainable development support, project management, building surveying and quantity surveying.
