Looking for a Christmas gift that’s a little different? Give somebody a RIBA Friends of Architecture subscription and they’ll enjoy a year of exclusive events, special RIBA Friends magazine, café and bookshop discounts and more at RIBA. As part of a special gift pack this Christmas, each new subscription will
The FSA Awards will be presented at Ifsec’s Security & Fire Excellence Awards in NovemSix organisations in the fire and security industry have confirmed their support for this year’s Fire & Security Association (FSA) Awards, which are open for nominations until 21 September. The industry bodies backing the awards
William Garvey, British furniture designers and makers, were commissioned by furniture designer Catriona Braybrooke to create a collection of freestanding wooden furniture for the kitchen, bathroom, dining and bedroom areas for the dower house of a Gloucestershire property. The firm was responsible for project management, surveying working drawings, CNC, manufacture,
The Construction (Retention Deposit Schemes) Bill 2017-19, also known as the ‘Aldous Bill’, is expected to have its second reading in June this year. The aim of the Aldous Bill is to make provision for protecting retention monies in connection with construction contracts by amending the Housing Grants, Construction and
Stephen George + Partners LLP (SGP) has completed the first phase of the £210 million Exeter Skypark development – the Number One Tiger Moth Road, a 1,790 m2 speculative Grade A office building. The firm worked together with its client, St. Modwen, and created three storeys of energy efficient office
Transport and heavy rigging firm Dynamic Specialized replaced a transformer at a facility in Northern Virginia, using a Hydra-Slide hydraulic skidding system, turntable and related products combined to provide a suitable alternative to a crane. The work covered the removal and relocation of one unit, in addition to the positioning
Looking for a Christmas gift that’s a little different? Give somebody a RIBA Friends of Architecture subscription and they’ll enjoy a year of exclusive events, special RIBA Friends magazine, café and bookshop discounts and more at RIBA. As part of a special gift pack this Christmas, each new subscription will come with a free print from the RIBA Collections. RIBA Friends is a great way for anyone with a passion for architecture and design to get the most out of our jam-packed season of exhibitions and events. From only £45 RIBA Friends gain access to our exclusive events programme, including architecture walking tours, exhibition previews, curator-led tours and much more. Plus they gain discounts on all our seasonal exhibition events including talks, debates and film screenings as well. So whether you have a keen interest in architecture, want to learn something completely new, or get out and about with our expert guides, RIBA Friends of Architecture is the perfect Christmas gift. You’ll receive a welcome pack including their Friends card, a copy of the latest A Magazine for Architecture and a special free RIBA print so you’ll have something to sneak under the tree this Christmas. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is the home of British architecture and manages the drawings and photographs collections of the RIBA British Architectural Library. Its headquarters at 66 Portland Place is a rare art deco building which hosts 3 exhibitions each year in the new Architecture Gallery. It also curates two displays per year at the V&A. The RIBA manages the RIBA Stirling Prize and manages architecture tours of new and old buildings. For more information about RIBA Friends and to purchase your gift visit www.architecture.com/friends ENDS Notes to editors: 1. For further press information contact Beatrice Cooke in the RIBA press office: beatrice.cooke@riba.org; 020 7307 3813 2. Images of the RIBA Friends pack can be downloaded here: https://riba.box.com/s/e6y5ooib07c2tbxudm6ogk7k2lfg4hs7 3. For further information about RIBA Friends of Architecture and to purchase your subscription go to www.architecture.com/friends 4. RIBA champions better buildings, communities and the environment through architecture and our members. www.architecture.com Follow @RIBA on Twitter for regular RIBA updates www.twitter.com/RIBA 5. The RIBA is a registered charity and it relies on the generosity of individuals, companies, trusts and foundations to preserve its world-class collections, to maintain free public access to its exhibitions and develop a diverse and exciting public events programme. Posted on Tuesday 18th August 2015 Source link
The FSA Awards will be presented at Ifsec’s Security & Fire Excellence Awards in NovemSix organisations in the fire and security industry have confirmed their support for this year’s Fire & Security Association (FSA) Awards, which are open for nominations until 21 September. The industry bodies backing the awards are as follows: · Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) · Select – The Scottish electrical trade body · National Security Inspectorate (NSI); · Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board (SSAIB); · The Fire Protection Association (FPA); and · British Approvals for Fire Equipment (BAFE) Following a partnership deal, the two FSA Awards will be presented for the first time at this year’s industry-leading Ifsec ‘Security and Fire Excellence Awards’, being held on 23 November in London. Representatives from the FSA, Select, NSI and SSAIB will be among the judges assessing the nominations for the two individual FSA Awards, which are as follows: • The Peter Greenwood Security Award – recognises individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the security systems industry. Last year’s winner was Simon Banks of CSL Dualcom. • The Ian Marsh Fire Award – recognises individuals who demonstrate enthusiasm and selfless concern for the fire and emergency systems industry. Last year’s winner was Geoff Teader of Amalgamated Ltd (pictured: – Teader in the centre, alongside FSA Chairman Pat Allen on the left, and comedian Ed Byrne on the right). • The winners of both FSA Awards (plus one guest each) will be given free places on the FSA’s table at the Security and Fire Excellence Awards, which is being hosted by top comedian Jimmy Carr. • The deadline for FSA Award nominations is Wednesday 21 September at midday. For more details, or to nominate an individual for either award, please visit www.eca.co.uk/fsa-awards. Source link
William Garvey, British furniture designers and makers, were commissioned by furniture designer Catriona Braybrooke to create a collection of freestanding wooden furniture for the kitchen, bathroom, dining and bedroom areas for the dower house of a Gloucestershire property. The firm was responsible for project management, surveying working drawings, CNC, manufacture, polishing, installation, materials and delivery. William Garvey needed to ensure quality pieces of furniture made from material sympathetic to the architecture of the home and its rich history. Careful discussions led to the specification of hardwood timbers, such as Oak, Ash and Black Walnut, which offer a natural raw beauty with enhanced durability and strength, making it ideal for an active home set in the Gloucestershire countryside. The bespoke freestanding furniture for this project includes cabinetry, fitted base units/drawers with bar handles, and a freestanding tall cupboard with built-in storage, all crafted from solid oak; sink, a wooden Double Belfast Sink made from teak; Kitchen Table, a trestle style dining table, made from walnut; and six chairs, made from walnut and with bound hemp rope backrests and seats – all for the Kitchen – and a 2700mm x 1000mm Dining Table, made from walnut and designed to complement the homeowner’s original set of modernist Italian chairs for the Dining Room. For the Bathroom and Shower Room, William Garvey created a Bath surround, which is a fully enclosed bath tub surrounded with rim and made from teak; a Basin counter and shelving, including built-in medicine cabinets with peep-hole handles, made from teak; and Basin countertop, designed to accommodate the undermount basin with integrated full-length shelving, made from oak. The Bedrooms benefited from a twin set of freestanding wardrobes with ebonised handles, made of ash; a bedside cabinet with three drawers and open storage, made from walnut and another bedside cabinet with open shelf and concealed storage, made from walnut. For the Flooring, the firm decided on American Black Walnut, while for the Interior Doors & Frames it opted out for eight doors and six frames, made from oak and a front door and frame made from oak as well. The oak door is made in the classic time honoured country door fashion of two layers of planks one at right angles to the other. Specialists in the craft of working with wood, William Garvey exploits the advantages of bespoke furniture by tailoring it to the needs of the individual and the space it will occupy.
The Construction (Retention Deposit Schemes) Bill 2017-19, also known as the ‘Aldous Bill’, is expected to have its second reading in June this year. The aim of the Aldous Bill is to make provision for protecting retention monies in connection with construction contracts by amending the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 (the “Construction Act 1996”). The construction sector has some of the highest new company insolvencies per year; therefore the need to reform is significant. Many building contracts and subcontracts allow an employer or a contractor to retain a percentage of the value of the work carried out until completion, working as an ‘insurance policy’ in case something goes wrong. The Construction Act 1996 does not expressly make provisions for retentions however, the rules contained therein apply to the payment or withholding of a retention, provided the contract is a ‘construction contract’. According to the statistics of the Insolvency Service, in 2015 the construction sector had the highest number of new company insolvencies in England and Wales in comparison with other industries. The statistics coupled with the issues identified by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) consultation, such as delays in releasing retentions, construction customers making a retention payment conditional on the performance of obligations under another contract and held retentions, only serve to support the argument for reforming the use of retentions in the construction industry. If successful, the Aldous Bill will therefore create a mandatory retention deposit scheme. However, it is noted that the Aldous Bill lacks specificity as the same requires the Secretary of State and Welsh Ministers, by statutory instrument, to make arrangements for securing that one or more retention deposit scheme is available for the purpose of safeguarding any cash retention withheld in connection with construction contracts. Indeed, the scope of the definitions of “construction contract” and “cash retention” are wide and it remains to be seen how effective the reforms may be until the regulations put flesh on the bones of the Act. Whilst it is rare for a Private Members’ Bill to reach the statute book, the Bill has gained support, perhaps owing to the insolvency of Carillion earlier this year which created a domino effect throughout the construction industry. According to the Building Engineering Services Association, 120 MPs have confirmed their support for new laws which would place retention monies into protection schemes. The widespread use of retentions might exacerbate the number of construction company insolvencies further if their use is not properly reformed. It is hoped that the Aldous Bill will increase confidence in the sector by ensuring retention monies are ring-fenced and thus potentially reducing the knock-on effect of insolvencies in the future.
Stephen George + Partners LLP (SGP) has completed the first phase of the £210 million Exeter Skypark development – the Number One Tiger Moth Road, a 1,790 m2 speculative Grade A office building. The firm worked together with its client, St. Modwen, and created three storeys of energy efficient office space, designed to be divided into three sub-let units, one of which is already let. One of the South West’s most significant business park developments, Exeter Skypark is a cutting-edge Business Park Development and the cornerstone of the Exeter and East Devon New Growth Point. Number One Tiger Moth Road creates the gateway into the core office quarter and anchors the southern edge of enterprise Square, a vibrant landscaped area with water features and communal areas for employees to meet and relax. “Number One Tiger Moth Road sets the benchmark for development across the park and establishes the vision for a high quality public realm and built form. The overall proportions of the building are particularly successful in creating a balanced, lightweight, contemporary form which merges masonry with the crisp aesthetic of glass and aluminium,” said Ian Yallop, chairman of SGP. The Skypark’s design demonstrated an integrated approach to sustainability, with SGP taking a holistic three stage approach for its first phase. It utilises the building orientation and fabric to reduce energy, then it uses smart technology such as BMS and intelligent LED lighting systems to further reduce energy use and lastly, it installed a side wide district heating system that serves the entire development. As a result, Number One Tiger Moth Road achieved both BREEAM Excellent and is EPC A rated. The scheme aims to create a business park environment that provides space for a wide range of businesses, benefiting the local economy and business community. Its first commercial sub-let was finalised within three months of build completion, bringing 40 jobs to the area and proving its success. In total, Skypark will create a new business community of up to 7,500 employees which will be served by the on-site carbon neutral district heating system and set within a landscaped environment of more than 100 acres.
Transport and heavy rigging firm Dynamic Specialized replaced a transformer at a facility in Northern Virginia, using a Hydra-Slide hydraulic skidding system, turntable and related products combined to provide a suitable alternative to a crane. The work covered the removal and relocation of one unit, in addition to the positioning of a larger transformer on the vacated foundation. “This was a difficult project for us to secure as the local crane company had done a very good job of convincing the client that a jacking and sliding system was simply too slow and they could beat our schedule. While our method was already more cost effective it took some convincing to demonstrate that we could get the work done at the same pace, once they factored in crane set-up time etc.,” said Josh Sohler, operations manager at Dynamic. The existing transformer weighed 190,000 lbs. and measured 20’5” x 18’ x 14’9”, while the other (to be kept as a spare) was larger, at 28’2” x 18’6” x 18’1, and weighed in at 300,000 lbs. The solution used during the process involved Dynamic Specialized’s heavy track hydraulic skidding system and a Hydra-Slide turntable. The HT500 was employed to slide the loads, while the turntable rotated the larger transformer 90 degrees. Although the initial plan was for the transformer to be disassembled, drained and have all the bushings removed, once on site, the team decided to move the heavier transformer fully dressed, saving time. With the help of Hydra-Slice system that was possible. “The Hydra-Slide staff and products are second to none. The system and support have been, and continue to be, well over our expectations and we could not be happier. Many of our local competitors are either still utilizing older, ‘homemade-type’ systems or utilizing larger class (and much more expensive) cranes to do the same work. The Hydra-Slide system is quick, clean, safe, and controlled; we continuously receive compliments before, during, and after projects,” Josh concluded.
