THE INTERIOR architecture and design studio behind the new Gridiron restaurant within COMO Metropolitan London Hotel in Old Park Lane, Mayfair has been revealed as Nottingham-based Macaulay Sinclair. The studio, which specialises in creating exceptional spaces for the hospitality sector, has transformed the former Met Bar into the new 60-cover
AJC EasyCabin, the leading pioneers in the production of sustainable temporary accommodation is celebrating further successes. Their engineering excellence has been, once again, formally recognised by the leading environmental campaigners – the Green Organisation. AJC’s Simon Fletcher, Jose Martin & David Hallam, representing the company’s engineering and marketing departments, were
A training hub aimed at providing opportunities for the unemployed, addressing Shropshire’s housing shortage, and boosting the county’s construction industry, has been given the go-ahead after a £650,000 Government grant was secured by a strong consortium of local businesses. Known as the Marches Construction Ready Partnership the group which includes
An upsurge in interest relating to Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) from the UK’s house building industry has played a key role in determining the NHBC Standards 2019, set to come into force on January 1. A renewed emphasis, particularly from the offsite sector, coupled in advancements made by the
Brethertons LLP has again been recommended in practice areas in both the Chambers & Partners UK 2019 and the Legal 500 2018, with a notable seven lawyers receiving individual rankings. This year Brethertons has been ranked in the practice areas of Family, Personal Injury, Employment, Personal Tax, Trusts and Probate,
This year’s Brick Awards saw Ibstock Brick celebrating the success of architects and brick contractors. Three outstanding projects using products from the Ibstock Brick range were named as winners, with a further two projects receiving commendations from the expert judging panel at the annual awards ceremony, organised by the Brick
Award-winning Ipswich-based KLH Architects have merged with another local architectural practice, which led to an expansion of its service offering. Poole and Pattle, the architectural practice based in Ipswich and run by Neil Poole and John Pattle, will be joining the 28-strong team this month bringing a wealth of experience
Unless you have specific experience in electricity and power, you might not realise the effect that power quality can have on a building or business. Having power of the correct quality is very important for the smooth running of electrical equipment. If your business or organisation lacks adequate power quality,
With the emergence of high-end electric cars from the likes of Tesla, going green is finally becoming fashionable in the automotive world – and vans have been quick to get in on the action. On the surface, it’s easy to see why. Reduced carbon emissions help to lower tax, are
THE INTERIOR architecture and design studio behind the new Gridiron restaurant within COMO Metropolitan London Hotel in Old Park Lane, Mayfair has been revealed as Nottingham-based Macaulay Sinclair. The studio, which specialises in creating exceptional spaces for the hospitality sector, has transformed the former Met Bar into the new 60-cover restaurant and bar, which opened this autumn. Headed up by co-directors John Macaulay and Mike Sinclair, the studio has worked with a number of well-known multi-site and independent restaurant and bar operators across London and beyond, including Hawksmoor, Dishoom and Wright Brothers. Mike Sinclair said: “The Met Bar was a go-to London destination and the celebrity haunt of the nineties and noughties era. We are proud to have been part of the team to bring an indulgent and intimate dining experience into such a landmark location.” The prestigious venue will be overseen by renowned chef Richard H. Turner of Turner and George, Blacklock, Hawksmoor and Meatopia. Mike continued: “In order to give the new restaurant and bar its own identity while remaining synonymous with the COMO brand the interior design has been kept simple and understated, providing a subtle backdrop for Turner’s kitchen.” Paying homage to the art of grilling over an open fire, the new restaurant has an open kitchen with modern live-fire grillroom. The interior is dominated by monochrome palette throughout, with accents of red, dark wood and marble. Wall finishings remain simple and sleek, and the stripped back furniture matches the ethos of the food and service: comfort and style without unnecessary formality. The restaurant’s history, menu and ethos are also communicated through a collection of carefully curated drawings depicting historic cooking implements and meat cuts, communicating the origins of the live-fire restaurant cooking and the provenance of the produce. “With every project that we work on we take into consideration the heritage of the building itself as well as the brand narrative,” added Mike. “Transforming such an iconic London location was really exciting for us. It was also our first time working with the COMO brand and we’re thrilled with the result.” For more information about Macaulay Sinclair visit www.macaulaysinclair.com
AJC EasyCabin, the leading pioneers in the production of sustainable temporary accommodation is celebrating further successes. Their engineering excellence has been, once again, formally recognised by the leading environmental campaigners – the Green Organisation. AJC’s Simon Fletcher, Jose Martin & David Hallam, representing the company’s engineering and marketing departments, were invited to the Houses of Parliament to accept the Green Apple Gold Award for their highly innovative product – the Solar Box (patent pending). Commenting on this year long plan, AJC’s Simon Fletcher said, “The aims of this project were to further develop the award winning Ecosmart hybrid system. The Solar Box adds a renewable power supply to Ecosmart on-site welfare units, greatly improving efficiency.” “The power needed to operate these facilities is usually provided via a generator fuelled by diesel. The generators are sometimes running continuously with heavy usage, thus expelling harmful exhaust emissions, alongside the expensive use of fossil based fuels. The Solar Box also reduces noise.” continued Simon. The result of this project was the unveiling of the AJC EasyCabin Solar Box (patent pending). The AJC EasyCabin Solar Box is a product packed with advanced, sustainable technology. This makes the AJC EasyCabin Solar Box an ideal product to fit in with the modern approach to bring about the reduction in fossil fuel usage and the eventual elimination of carbon emissions into the atmosphere. The benefits of the AJC EasyCabin Solar Box (patent pending) system include: A significant increase in energy efficiency when compared to a continuously running 6.0kVA generator. Automatic operation – no user input needed. Fast start-up and efficient running for all essential services; i.e. hot water and lighting with sufficient power to run all services using hybrid eco-technology and carefully selected low maintenance components. AJC EasyCabin has also recognised that heating efficiency was necessary in temporary accommodation. Therefore alongside the AJC EasyCabin Solar Box they have produced an ‘Air’ diesel heating system that saves energy and lowers noise when compared to standard heating. The heating system is fully automatic and does not need a generator for the heat to be produced. The Green Apple Gold Award was presented to Simon, Jose & David on 12th November 2018. This is the third such award, having already secured a Green Champion Award in 2017 and a Green World Award earlier this year. The Green Apple Awards began in 1994 and have become established as the country’s major recognition for environmental endeavour among companies, councils, communities and countries. EasyCabin is the brand name for static and mobile welfare accommodation units manufactured by AJC Trailers Limited. The company has been around since 1964 and presently operates from a modern 32,000 sq. ft. plant, based in Luton, Bedfordshire. EasyCabin products are used widely in the Construction, Rental, Rail and Events markets.
A training hub aimed at providing opportunities for the unemployed, addressing Shropshire’s housing shortage, and boosting the county’s construction industry, has been given the go-ahead after a £650,000 Government grant was secured by a strong consortium of local businesses. Known as the Marches Construction Ready Partnership the group which includes The Wrekin Housing Trust, training provider Landau Ltd, Telford College, Beattie Passive and Hawk Safety & Training, aims to introduce around 400 skilled construction workers to the Marches area by training the long-term unemployed, students and people looking to make a career change into the construction industry. The initiative will see a construction manufacturing hub based in Telford, where learners will be taught key construction and offsite manufacturing skills needed. Learners will also receive the training necessary for the first stage construction processes for passive housing, which are advanced, low energy, draft-free buildings featuring high performance insulation to effectively eliminate heat loss. Most of the heating in these properties comes from sunlight, electrical appliances and even body heat meaning almost no heating systems are required. There will also be two mobile training hubs providing all training activities for learners on building sites across the Marches. Professionals from The Wrekin Housing Trust will oversee the supervision and management of trainees at both the on-site hubs and construction sites. Each learner will be assigned a construction worker ‘buddy’ to build confidence, ensure a supportive learning environment and reduce drop-out rates. Learners on the scheme could gain ongoing employment opportunities with The Wrekin Housing Trust and other local construction sector partners. Wayne Gethings, The Trust’s Managing Director, said: “This is a fantastic project on so many levels. It will provide training and jobs for those who have struggled to find work, which in turn means giving the construction industry access a much-needed workforce. “We are really pleased to have had the support of Telford and Wrekin Council during the bid stage of this project and we look forward to working with them and the other local authorities across the Marches area to deliver on the project by providing training opportunities and much needed affordable homes.” Sonia Roberts, CEO at Landau Ltd, said: “The hubs will provide high-quality on-site environment to engage with those who have previously struggled with traditional learning environments, taking them successfully through the ‘Work Ready’, ‘Site Ready’, ‘Skills Ready’ course modules. “The factory training hub will be equipped to focus upon learning skills used in construction- manufacturing of Passivhaus structural panels. The skill set taught is transferable within the construction industry and enables the learner to quickly master local industry-required manufacturing techniques.” Graham Guest, Principal and CEO at Telford College, said: “We provide opportunities for learning across a whole range of subjects everyday and we are really excited to be part of this project working with local employers to help provide the skills for individuals to enter the construction industry. At Telford College we will be working with learners on their employability skills during the work ready module, which will complement the hands-on skills that they will move on to.” Matt Bourne, General Manager at Safety and Training which is part of the Hawk Group, said: “We relish the opportunity to be working on this project with local partners to provide opportunities to get into such a rewarding industry. At Safety and Training we provide learning and support to many of the construction sector’s biggest players and during this project we will be helping to make the learners site ready.” Martin Rinvolucri at Passivhaus designers Beattie Passive said: “The Passivhaus structures will ensure that the homes built for affordable rent, will be of the highest quality and performance. The homes will be extremely comfortable and promote healthy living, have low maintenance costs over the long-term and up to 90% fuel reduction, helping to eradicate fuel poverty”. Gill Hamer, Director of the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership which supported the funding bid, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have supported this project throughout its development and worked with industry to bring much-needed on-site construction skills training to the region. “This scheme will help boost our economy, create employment opportunities and offer a new route into the construction industry for anyone wishing to develop their skills.” Funding for this project comes from the Construction Skills Fund which aims to create 20 training hubs around the country. The 18-month scheme is funded by the Department for Education administered by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).
An upsurge in interest relating to Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) from the UK’s house building industry has played a key role in determining the NHBC Standards 2019, set to come into force on January 1. A renewed emphasis, particularly from the offsite sector, coupled in advancements made by the light steel frame industry, has driven the review of Chapter 6.10 and focused attention on areas where helpful and informative guidance for the appropriate use of this technology is needed. As such, Standards 2019 will introduce the first major update to Chapter 6.10 ‘Light Steel Framing’ (LSF) since it was first published in 2005. Given the increase of modular systems using LSF, Standards 2019 have added considerations to the stage 1 certification which should be considered in the manufacturer’s system manual. Chapter 6.2, which focuses on ‘External timber framed walls’ and Chapter 8.1 ‘Internal Services’ in relation to boiler flow rates, have also been updated, along with a number of additional minor changes on a range of issues. Commenting on the new guidelines, which will come into force for new homes where the foundations are begun on or after January 1 2019, NHBC Standards & Technical Manager Paul Cribbens said: “NHBC’s dedicated team have spent the past year developing technical content and updates to form the new Standards, working with other partners and organisations from across the industry. “The increased interest in MMC has contributed to these changes and we hope that these revisions will continue to help in raising standards of new home quality for the benefit of homeowners.” For further information and for access to a range of useful provisions, including free access to the latest standards, please visit http://www.nhbc.co.uk/standards
Brethertons LLP has again been recommended in practice areas in both the Chambers & Partners UK 2019 and the Legal 500 2018, with a notable seven lawyers receiving individual rankings. This year Brethertons has been ranked in the practice areas of Family, Personal Injury, Employment, Personal Tax, Trusts and Probate, Corporate and Commercial, Commercial Litigation, Commercial Property, Real Estate, Real Estate Litigation, Debt Recovery, Property Litigation, IT and Telecoms and Intellectual Property. Along with the recognition of our practice areas, several of our outstanding Lawyers have also been ranked by the directories; Linda Jones, Simon Craddock, Tom Lawrence, Roger Hardwick, Jon Rees, Gemma Kelsey and Rachel Adams. These rankings demonstrate the positive experience clients have and the remarkable work of the specialist teams. One of Brethertons clients commented “Brethertons gave me more confidence than other firms. They are extremely knowledgeable, very proactive, efficient and attentive”, whilst another noted “all members of the team have been friendly and approachable while maintaining a reassuring level of professionalism.” Shaun Jardine, CEO of Brethertons explains the importance of these guides for clients and staff, “The Legal Directories are independent publications which reflect the state of the legal industry today. Law firms are peer reviewed and recommended and therefore provide clients with an unbiased overview of the market. It is really helpful for clients to see how we are benchmarked against competitors and take an informed decision on which solicitor to use.”
This year’s Brick Awards saw Ibstock Brick celebrating the success of architects and brick contractors. Three outstanding projects using products from the Ibstock Brick range were named as winners, with a further two projects receiving commendations from the expert judging panel at the annual awards ceremony, organised by the Brick Development Association (BDA). Ibstock Brick also proudly sponsored three awards; Individual Housing Development, Architect’s Choice and Supreme winner. “Each year the standard of entries for the Brick Awards improves. As the market leading brick manufacturer we are delighted to be associated with the celebration of brick as a modern building material. We would like to congratulate everybody involved with the award-winning projects for their success in showcasing how brick can be used within creative and contemporary architecture. Ibstock Brick is committed to providing products which offer design flexibility for the most innovative building facades,” commented Darren Bowkett, Operations Director of Ibstock Brick. Voted by the public from a selection of shortlisted projects in other categories, the Architect’s Choice Award was handed to the BPTW Architects designed project at Creek Road in the heart of Greenwich. The project utilised the Funton Old Chelsea Yellow brick to mirror the existing bricks whilst adding a contemporary twist. The winner in the Education category was Marlborough Primary School (Architect: Dixon Jones), while Royal Albert Wharf was the winner in the Large Housing Development category. Blackfriars Circus also picked up a commendation in this category, with both projects being designed by Maccreanor Lavington. Scala Yard (Architect: DLA Design Group) received a commendation in the Small Housing development category. The winners of the Specialist Brickwork Contractor award, Anglian Brickwork Ltd, used Ibstock Bricks in one of their winning projects at the David Attenborough Building (Architect: Nicholas Hare). Ibstock Brick, part of Ibstock plc, is the biggest manufacturer of clay bricks sold in the UK. With 20 manufacturing plants producing more than 850,000 new bricks per annum, it offers an unrivalled choice of more than 450 different bricks, which includes prefabricated brickwork components, rainscreens and a diverse selection of special shaped bricks and pavers.
Award-winning Ipswich-based KLH Architects have merged with another local architectural practice, which led to an expansion of its service offering. Poole and Pattle, the architectural practice based in Ipswich and run by Neil Poole and John Pattle, will be joining the 28-strong team this month bringing a wealth of experience particularly in the retail and commercial sectors. “We are thrilled to welcome the team from Poole and Pattle under the KLH umbrella. Their expertise will help bolster our offering as a firm and enables us to provide a more diverse service to our clients,” said Martyn Goodwin, director at KLH Architects. The 32-year-old firm has worked on notable projects including the extensive redevelopment of Coes clothing store in Ipswich and the extension and refurbishment of Ipswich’s New Wolsey Theatre. “When the opportunity arose for us to join the team at KLH we knew it was the right move for us as a firm. They are a fantastic practice with a reputation of delivering high quality buildings throughout East Anglia and London,” said Neil, director of Poole and Pattle. “KLH have the same principles as us – being totally client-focused and delivering buildings and facilities that exceed the expectations of clients, stakeholders and users.” This decision follows the recent news of Bryan Wybrow’s promotion to director bringing the total to five directors. “This is an exciting time for the firm and we have experienced substantial growth. We are currently undertaking a major extension and renovation project on our offices to accommodate the growth and welcome the new team members,” added Martyn. KLH Architects is an RIBA chartered practice which provide design, planning and project management expertise in healthcare, residential, commercial and leisure development in East Anglia and London.
Unless you have specific experience in electricity and power, you might not realise the effect that power quality can have on a building or business. Having power of the correct quality is very important for the smooth running of electrical equipment. If your business or organisation lacks adequate power quality, it can cause all sorts of issues such as devices malfunctioning or even losing supply entirely. Utilising specialist equipment known as power quality analysers it is possible to track and understand power quality, as well as to get an idea of when you are having power quality problems. However, there are many different types of power quality issues, and to be able to come up with a solution, you need to understand what they are and how they work. Here are six of the most common power quality issues experienced by buildings and businesses, as provided by Outram Research, the world leaders in power quality monitoring. If you are suffering any of these, it could be having a huge knock-on effect to your productivity and even energy bills. Voltage dips A voltage dip occurs when there is an under voltage for a short duration. Technically this can be referred to as a reduction in supply voltage which is then followed by a recovery after a very short period of time. Typically, voltage dips are caused by a fault within your own system, and can also be caused by events such as starting up a large load. The impact of a voltage dip can vary enormously. It could be the cause of nothing more serious than flickering lights to serious tripping of important electrical loads. Voltage spikes or surges The opposite of a voltage dip is a voltage spike or surge. They occur when there is a rise in voltage and are categorised as a spike when they are almost instantaneous, and categorised as a surge when it has a longer duration. It is generally defined as a surge when voltage is measured to be 110 per cent or more above the normal. These events typically occur when electrical equipment us turned off, and a large amount of electricity that was being used returns to the system. This can cause problems for computer systems, as surges can see equipment switching off. Power sag Another common issue for power quality is known as a power sag. These are short-term events and they see a reduction in the voltage magnitude. Given that a small reduction in the system voltage can have very serious negative effects, it’s not surprising that sags can be extremely damaging to your computer system. Electrical line noise Electrical line noise is quite different from the problems listed above. This occurs when either radio frequency interference or electromagnetic interference causes negative effects in the circuits of computer systems. There can be many reasons for this occurring such as microwave radiation, broadcasting transmissions or electrical storms. You might not realise that line noise could be so damaging, but it can cause all sorts of errors and shutdowns on electrical devices. Under voltage Under voltage is a major problem. It can be caused by a variety of issues such as voltage regulator malfunctions, incorrectly configured transformers and excessive network load. There can also be other factors such as lack of reactive power support on a network. When systems experience under voltage it can lead to issues with overloading, as equipment may require an increased current to maintain power. Interruptions There are two different forms of total interruption of the electrical supply – short interruptions and long interruptions. Short interruptions are considered to be those than last for up to 1 or 2 seconds (although they can only last milliseconds), while long interruptions are those that have a longer duration than 2 seconds. The main causes of short interruptions are insulation failure and insulator flashover, but lightning can also be an issue. Long interruptions are typically an issue cause by equipment problems in the power system network such as storms, objects striking power lines and human error. Long interruptions can clearly be one some of the most disruptive power issues.
With the emergence of high-end electric cars from the likes of Tesla, going green is finally becoming fashionable in the automotive world – and vans have been quick to get in on the action. On the surface, it’s easy to see why. Reduced carbon emissions help to lower tax, are far more environmentally friendly, and can see you gain a reduction on your insurance premium too. But with lingering concerns over mileage, the availability of charging points and the ability of electric-powered motors to transport bulky loads, are electric vans really worthy of all the hype? Is it good to go green? So many people are keen to get behind the wheel of an electric motor, to do their bit for the environment, and van owners are no different. Yet can vans truly offer the same benefits that cars currently do? The simply answer is yes. Considerable thought and research has gone into the design and assembly of electric vans. With many different manufacturers all keen to develop the most outstanding option on the market, competition has driven innovation faster than anyone anticipated. All of the previous concerns about the viability of electric vans have vanished. Instead, a wealth of models and specifications now await any van driver who chooses to take the leap. Mileage and range Electric vans require a greater range than most electric cars, because their main function is as transportation vehicles – carrying goods from one place to another, often cross-country and along motorways for extended periods of time. While early models could only manage 60-80 miles, newer versions are now capable of up to 120 miles between charges. With so many motorway service stations offering electric charging points, you should never be without power again. Cost Most new technologies cost substantially more than their older counterparts, which is hardly surprising, but help is at hand for environmentally-minded van drivers. Brand new, straight-off-the-forecourt prices are considerably higher than for their fuel-driven counterparts, but there are government grants of up to £8,000 to support and encourage the purchase of electric vans. For more information, read up on the government plug-in van grant to find out if you’re eligible. In addition to funding for your new wheels, running costs are where you’ll make the biggest savings. Electricity in general is cheaper than gas, with some estimates reckoning that recharging your van could cost half as much as refilling the tank. Equally, thanks to the innovative braking system used in electric cars (making use of the engine instead of a clutch), wear and tear costs on electric vehicles are also reduced. Premiums and Charges Electric vans have the benefit of saving you money both on your insurance premium and also helping you avoid congestion charges in the UK’s biggest cities. If you’d like to get an idea of how much you can save on your insurance, then you can use one of many comparison websites which specialise in van cover, such as https://www.comparevaninsurance.com. They’ll give you quotes from a range of industry providers based either on details of a van you already own or the make and model of a van you’d like to buy. In terms of avoiding charges, in October 2018 the ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) came into partial effect in London’s city centre. It works in a similar way to the congestion charge, but is tougher – especially on older vehicles – whilst electric vans can avoid the charge altogether. If you’re not sure whether your current van will be affected, check out Parker’s handy guide to New Charges for Vehicles in London. Feel-Good Factor Apart from anything else, going green gives you a good feeling inside. Knowing that with every mile you drive you’re doing your bit to keep the environment safe, you can hold your head high. Even when recharging, you can make use of renewable energy sources to keep your carbon footprint as low as possible. What are the disadvantages? Of course, not everything is straightforward. Going green means you’ll need to be able to charge your van overnight – which means you’ll also need a driveway within a short distance of your house. Charging while you’re on the road can be tricky, as the infrastructure for electric vehicles is only in its infancy. It most likely means you’ll need to plan in advance what your route will be, so you can research any charging points it takes you past. Weight is an issue, for the simple but unavoidable reason that electric models weigh more than fuel-based vehicles, due to the additional weight of the technology. This is fine if you only use your van for carrying work tools, but if you regularly transport goods then you’ll have to ensure the extra load doesn’t take you over your legal weight capacity. Finally, the basic truth is that electric vans cost more. Even with the incentives offered by the Government, the upfront costs are still considerably more than they would be for a standard diesel model. So the choice will have to come down to you – do you need an electric van to tie in with your company image? Are you passionate enough about saving the planet to invest that extra money into your vehicle? Or are electric vans something you’ll consider in a few years’ time, when the technology, production and infrastructure is in place to make it a more cost-effective and appealing option? After all, it’s not a question of if, just when.
