In an age of fast paced technological innovation, people are increasingly equipped with the ability to work from anywhere at any time. While it is sometimes argued that this leads to a blurring of work and home life, new research from the British Council for Offices (BCO) and Savills has
Construction companies, contractors and suppliers that could be interested in working on a development at Cardiff University have been invited to Meet the Bidders. The projects will see the Welsh University invest around £300 million into the creation of a new Innovation Campus. The Meet the Bidders event will last
Scottish firm DM Design has just invested £250,000 in a biomass boiler at its head office in Cumbernauld, Scotland. The Fitted Bedroom specialists will now incredibly save the equivalent of 50 large skiploads of landfill each year. The ultra-high-spec 150kW boiler is in fact cleverly fed with wood from old
Research has shown that more than 80% of workers in the construction industry feel that Brexit will have a damaging impact on the UK’s industry and could stop high-profile government infrastructure projects being completed. A new study carried out by Researchers at Birmingham City University has been looking into the
One of the largest and most striking sustainable tourism projects in the world officially opened yesterday. Bioregional’s One Planet Living framework has played a vital role in the creation of Villages Nature® Paris as well as offering support to allow the project to meet its high ambitions. The project has
If you’re a company dealing with hazardous waste, you need to ensure that you are working with a waste management organisation to help you out. When hazardous waste is improperly handled, it can be harmful to human health and environmental safety. Hazardous waste doesn’t always come as a solid, but
The leading residential property sales and development consultancy in London and the South East, SiteSales Property Group has launched the sale of 55 shared ownership units which are in the Silver Quarter development in Newham, East London. The properties that have been launched on the market are a part of
The chairman of Leeds established Watson Batty Architects has announced that he will be reducing his role and stake in the business with effect from October. Paul Ryan, who has been a director of the 41-year-old firm for 23 years and is known for his work for Royal Mail, is
As we continue to live longer, our needs become more sophisticated as we reach old age. What this means, is that care homes need to use greater amounts of, and more intelligent, assistive technologies. This allows us to look forward at quite an early stage. We need care homes and
With the property market on an incline, This is Money has revealed that 35% of UK residents are having to opt for a home that is in need of renovating in order to be able to afford to get themselves onto the property ladder. Per their data, the: Average UK
In an age of fast paced technological innovation, people are increasingly equipped with the ability to work from anywhere at any time. While it is sometimes argued that this leads to a blurring of work and home life, new research from the British Council for Offices (BCO) and Savills has shown that there is an increasing appetite for workers to be based in an office environment. The third edition of the What Workers Want study has harnessed the opinions of over 1,100 British office workers in order to assess the needs of the individual worker and identify trends in the sector which will affect the future of workspace design in the UK. While many workers seek flexibility in where and how they work, the research identifies that working from home has actually become less appealing; less than a third (28 per cent) of workers surveyed state they would like to work from home, a figure that has dropped from 45 per cent in 2013, when the research was last conducted. Over three-quarters of respondents (77 per cent) said that they currently work in a traditional office, with the majority (60 per cent) choosing to work from a dedicated desk space compared to only four per cent that prefer to hot desk. This desire for a dedicated desk has actually increased over the past three years, rising from a figure of 41 per cent in 2013. Although there is a demand from people to have a dedicated desk, the research shows that most workplaces (70 per cent) now also include a communal environment to work from, providing a space for more dynamic working. This is key to meeting workers’ needs with almost a third (29 per cent) deeming the ability to work from a variety of different locations in the office to be important, and almost half (48 per cent) considering access to collaboration space with colleagues as an imperative. Choice and control are key here, with workers wanting to be able to choose how and where they work, while also having a desk space to call their own. For a third of respondents (33 per cent), this would go as far as choosing to work from a standing desk sometimes if the facilities were available. Despite there being clear elements of control that workers would like to have, 42 per cent of those surveyed deemed their office culture to discourage flexible working. However, the results outline why more thought needs to be given to what goes into creating an optimum working environment that can adapt to different working styles. Whether providing fixed workspaces or more flexible approaches, the productivity impact of the workplace still has much potential to be realised. 45 per cent of those surveyed deemed the workplace to have no impact on their productivity, while a quarter of respondents (25 per cent) stated that their workplace actually decreases their productivity levels. Pointing to the opportunity that exists, half of workers surveyed (50 per cent) agreed that if the internal design of their office matched their ‘ideal’, it would increase their productivity levels. The research identified the most important factors perceived to be driving employees’ sense of wellbeing, and satisfaction with their workplace. It found: • Getting the basics right is of most importance: comfort (87 per cent), lighting (86 per cent) and temperature (85 per cent) are the three most important factors affecting employees’ wellbeing at work• Length of commute to the office is also paramount, with 86 per cent saying it is of most importance to them. Despite this, two in five (40 per cent) are dissatisfied with their journey to work• Noise level also ranks highly amongst the factors impacting employee’s wellbeing – but is an aspect of their office which many employees are dissatisfied with; 71 per cent say having quiet areas to work from is important to them, but only 30 per cent are satisfied that they currently have this Richard Kauntze, Chief Executive of the British Council for Offices, said: “What Workers Want is an important piece of research; a clear understanding of what office occupiers need and expect from their work environment is paramount to both the success of our industry and the wellbeing of the UK workforce. “It is important to remember that in creating the optimum working environment, organisations shouldn’t try to adopt a one-size-fits-all approach. Rather, it requires a deep understanding of the people using the space, and the work being delivered. Getting this right can be complex, but has the potential to reap considerable rewards in terms of productivity and should therefore be at the heart of any business’s strategy.” Steve Lang, Director, Savills Research and author of the report, added: “For employers, ensuring that the office is a space in which workers feel comfortable and cared-for isn’t just the right thing to do – it also makes business sense, helping to both attract new staff and retain the best talent. While our concept of what a ‘good’ office is supposed to look like may be shaped by photographs of innovative fit-outs at high profile companies, it’s important not to forget the basics. “Comfort, temperature and lighting are consistently the most important considerations for employees; the focus should be on getting the fundamentals right rather than trying to reinvent the wheel.” Read What Workers Want 2016 here Source link
Construction companies, contractors and suppliers that could be interested in working on a development at Cardiff University have been invited to Meet the Bidders. The projects will see the Welsh University invest around £300 million into the creation of a new Innovation Campus. The Meet the Bidders event will last for half a day and is expected to be held at the Cardiff Business School’s Postgraduate Teaching Centre. The event will be taking place on the 16th November. The Meet the Bidders event will introduce the construction companies that are interested in getting involved in the construction project with the potential subcontractors and suppliers. The Portfolio Director for Cardiff Innovation Campus, Chris Strong has said that the Meet the Bidders event has been created in order to allow companies to have early access to the bidders on the project for the construction work and the fit-out contracts. It is expected that the winners of the contract will be announced at the end of December this year. Companies have been invited to express their interest in the project from supply chain providers. It is thought that this earlier expression of interest will be beneficial at the start of the build, expected to go ahead in 2018. The bidders for the project are wanting to talk to a range of different contractors and suppliers including heavy plant operators and companies that are able to supply office fixtures and fittings. The Cardiff Innovation Campus is at the centre of the University;’s vision to develop more economic prosperity in Wales. Two of the new buildings to be constructed on the site at Maindy Road will be used to house four academic centres for excellence. These centers include The Institute for Compound Semiconductors and Cardiff Catalysis Institute, which are already creating pioneering scientific research. The Innovation Centre will be used to develop partnerships between entrepreneurs, business leaders, professional advisors, academics and students and the Social Science Research park will focus on providing solutions to societal problems with collaborative research.
Scottish firm DM Design has just invested £250,000 in a biomass boiler at its head office in Cumbernauld, Scotland. The Fitted Bedroom specialists will now incredibly save the equivalent of 50 large skiploads of landfill each year. The ultra-high-spec 150kW boiler is in fact cleverly fed with wood from old kitchen and bedroom units which have been removed from customers’ homes. The unit also assists in removing dust ensuring the 30-strong factory team have a clean working environment. Operations director Ben Taylor is delighted with the installation. He enthused, “Putting in a biomass boiler was a no brainer. It saves 50 large skips-worth of waste going to landfill, heats our entire factory and lowers our heating bill by up to £10,000 a year.”
Research has shown that more than 80% of workers in the construction industry feel that Brexit will have a damaging impact on the UK’s industry and could stop high-profile government infrastructure projects being completed. A new study carried out by Researchers at Birmingham City University has been looking into the views of those working in the construction industry to gage whether they believe that jobs, projects and the industry as a whole will be affected by Britain’s decision to leave the European Union. The study has shown that 88% of the workers felt that the UK relied upon the EU as a source of skilled labour. 82% felt that by leaving the EU, there would be a collapse of a number of infrastructure projects. Because of the demand for skilled workers in the industry, and the reliance upon the EU to supply the workers to meet the UK’s needs, 86% of the workers spoken to as a part of this survey said that a rise in the demand for skilled workers is expected. In line with these responses, 92% of construction workers thought that the freedom of movement would be beneficial to the construction industry in the UK. These responses have been collected from more than 50 businesses in the industry who gave feedback for the research project. One of the respondents in the research said that Brexit will make the current skills crisis significantly more intense and could then have a knock on effect on the costs of labour and therefore the costs of projects. The research carried out by the team at Birmingham City University is titled ‘Brexit: measuring the impact upon skilled labour in the UK construction industry’. The research as first formed as a part of a final year Honours Research Project (Dissertation). Since being finished, the research has been published in a leading scientific peer-reviewed research journal, the International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation. The research looks into a topical and historically unprecedented situation that is, at the moment looming over the UK construction industry. The paper also includes a number of recommendations to ease the strain on the number of skilled workers. These suggestions include retaining the free movement of workers by remaining in the European Economic Area, keeping current workers in the industry by offering increased wages and guaranteed overtime as well as reducing the physical exertion needed with the increased use of technology.
One of the largest and most striking sustainable tourism projects in the world officially opened yesterday. Bioregional’s One Planet Living framework has played a vital role in the creation of Villages Nature® Paris as well as offering support to allow the project to meet its high ambitions. The project has been designed in order to create a space that is in harmony with nature and the rest of the planet. Located only three miles away from Disneyland Paris, Bioregional first became involved with this family focused site in 2005, when the project was still in the early stages of planning. The organisation has supported this Paris project ever since and has regularly monitored the project’s process against the challenging targets that have been set out in Villages Nature® Paris’ One Planet Action Plan. Bioregional has said that they will carry on monitoring the sustainability of the resort now that it has been officially opened to the public. It is hoped that eventually the new resort will attract more than a million visitors each year. This sustainable tourism project is a joint venture that has been brought to life by Groupe Pierre & Vacances-Centre Parcs and Euro Disney SCA. The site offers 868 cottages and apartments which are located in a car-free landscape filled with lakes, woodlands, meadows and gardens a mere 20 miles away from the bustling French capital. This oasis in an urban landscape has been created in order to set new standards for the tourism industry. Villages Nature® Paris illustrates how such a fast growing industry can be altered in order to be a force for good while also allowing visitors to reconnect to nature. The new tourist attraction also shows how the environmental impact of the tourism industry can be reduced while also including practices that supports the local economy.
If you’re a company dealing with hazardous waste, you need to ensure that you are working with a waste management organisation to help you out. When hazardous waste is improperly handled, it can be harmful to human health and environmental safety. Hazardous waste doesn’t always come as a solid, but can be liquid, sludges and even contained gas – this can potentially contaminate any groundwater supplies. The UK government stipulates strict guidance on how to monitor and implement an effective hazardous waste solution, and together with Reconomy – providers of skip hire – this guide will ensure that you’re managing these wastes appropriately. Identifying your hazardous waste If you are a business that operates with hazardous waste, the government have stated that you have a duty of care – meaning it is your responsibility to get rid of it in the best way possible. When picking our hazardous waste, it usually comes down to two factors – is it harmful to the environment or humans? There are many examples of hazardous waste, but the most common include the following: Asbestos Chemicals such as brake fluid and printer toner Batteries Solvents Pesticides Oils such as car oil Equipment that contains ozone depleting substances such as fridges. If your business produces any of the above – it should all be stored in a different place to other waste that you produce. Producing less and storing waste As a business, you should be trying to limit the amount of hazardous waste that you produce. Although not exclusive to these types, waste, and hazardous waste can be categorised within four main sub-categories: Construction Demolition Industry Agriculture You need to make sure that none of your hazardous waste escapes as it can be a danger, to prevent this you should store the waste in secure containers. When storing waste that is hazardous, it should be labelled accordingly, so that everyone on-site can identify it as such. In terms of contamination, waterproof covers should be used so that hazardous substances do not run off onto the floor or any other areas. You need to prevent any spillages if your hazardous waste is a liquid – use a barrier to stop this from occurring. When these materials are being stored onsite, employees should regularly check storage areas for damaged containers, or any other potential risks that may harm employees or the surrounding environment. As a business, you should have a storing place on your premises for hazardous waste. This means if any incident does occur, the emergency services can deal with it effectively and safely. Keeping track A consignment note is required when getting rid of hazardous waste to ensure that everything has been noted. You should make sure this note is complete before the waste is taken away. You will need to fill out a consignment note for the following: Collections from businesses that are registered waste carriers. Movements from one premises to another within the same organisation. When another business has produced waste, movements from customer premises. You will not need to fill out a consignment note for: The movement of domestic hazardous waste – other than asbestos. Waste has been imported and exported under international waste shipment controls that require a different movement note. What hazardous waste? You need to inform the waste disposers what waste you want to be removed and you can do this on your consignment note. What waste? You need to keep a full description of every type of hazardous and regular waste you want to be disposed. How heavy? You need to know how much waste there is, so weighing in Kilos is essential – if your waste is a liquid, this should be converted to the appropriate measurements. Chemical components Make sure that you can identify what chemical and biological composition are in your waste – whether this is hazardous or not. Physical form You need to have a physical form of what you’re disposing, this can range from liquids to powders and waste can even be mixed. When your consignment note is complete, you need to pay for it. In England and Wales, the charge is £10 for a single collection. If this collection is a milk round (multiple collections), then this is reduced to £5 per note. Depending on applicability, the fee is set at £15 in Northern Ireland and Scotland.
The leading residential property sales and development consultancy in London and the South East, SiteSales Property Group has launched the sale of 55 shared ownership units which are in the Silver Quarter development in Newham, East London. The properties that have been launched on the market are a part of the £3.7 billion ongoing regeneration of the Canning Town and Custom House area. These 55 new and stylish units include a mixture of one, two and three bedroom apartments available from between £387,500 to £580,000. The new properties are a part of the 349 residencies making up the Silver Quarter. This new development is taking place at the centre of a new and upcoming community. The Silver Quarter is located opposite Canning Town tube station and offers potential residents a stylish and modern housing solution that is in a good location and available at affordable prices. Features of the shared ownership apartments include streamlined fitted kitchens with bold modern bathrooms and open plan living areas as well as private outdoor spaces and retail units located on the ground floor of each block. SiteSales Property Group was appointed to this new development by One Housing Group. The company have been asked to manage the sales of these properties. SiteSales has experience of similar developments and has previously sold properties as a part of the Silverlight project which is a shared ownership unit that was completed as an earlier phase of the development in 2015. The Silver Quarter development was first started in 2010 and is intended to improve the area from an aesthetic, social and economic perspective. It is great news that SiteSales has been selected again to manage the sale of the latest Silver Quarter properties. This appointment means that SiteSales is able to continue their strong partnership with One Housing Group as well as be a part of improving the life of the local residents by offering affordable, stylish housing.
The chairman of Leeds established Watson Batty Architects has announced that he will be reducing his role and stake in the business with effect from October. Paul Ryan, who has been a director of the 41-year-old firm for 23 years and is known for his work for Royal Mail, is to relinquish his 50% shareholding in Watson Batty as he approaches retirement. He will hand over the baton to the four remaining equity directors Peter White, Andrew Grindrod, Richard Merrills and Mark Sidding but will still remain involved with the business in a consultancy role. During the process Watson Batty Architects will allocate equity shareholding to seven other members of the team as a part of its succession strategy and commitment to broaden ownership with its future generation. Peter White, Managing Director at Watson Batty Architects said, “Paul has been a fantastic leader for the business and a great inspiration to our team for many years. He has been instrumental in taking Watson Batty from a £850k turnover Yorkshire business to become a UK leading practice that employs 50 people nationwide working for many leading brands. Last year we celebrated our 40th anniversary with a re brand and plans to increase turnover to over £4.0m with a five year plan. We are currently on target to achieve that with year on year growth. We would like to thank Paul for his tireless commitment and wish him the very best transition into retirement. We are pleased that he is able to maintain a consultant role and assist in concluding the graduation of our talented team into management roles.” Watson Batty continues to invest heavily in developing its expertise and technological capabilities. The future focused business offers architectural, interior design, and principal designer services in addition to master planning solutions for all sectors and is credited for a number of major public and private sector projects including schools, universities, leisure centres, distribution facilities, residential developments and transport hubs. It’s increasingly broad client base continues to include Royal Mail and Wm Morrison Supermarkets, both of which have been retained clients for decades. During its 41 years Watson Batty has created over 1 million sq ft of retail space across 19 stores for Wm Morrison Supermarkets, delivered 3.2 million sq ft in mail centres for Royal Mail, designed 4,000 new homes and supported 20,000 new school places in the UK. It is currently working on a number of significant projects across a varied range of sectors including Wynyard Primary School, Rathbones Bakery facility for Wm Morrison, Crag Road and Kearns Village residential developments for Skipton Properties and the new passenger lounge extension at Leeds Bradford Airport For further details, visit: www.watsonbatty.com https://twitter.com/Watsonbatty
As we continue to live longer, our needs become more sophisticated as we reach old age. What this means, is that care homes need to use greater amounts of, and more intelligent, assistive technologies. This allows us to look forward at quite an early stage. We need care homes and their staff to create a supportable living environment for those who need the appropriate care from them, as patients can require everyday supervision. Emphasise quality Research has suggested that by 2040, private and social care homes will highlight quality within their ethos. This is because it has been suggested that this strategy has the potential for people to ‘live healthier and longer lives’, as Jane Ashcroft suggested in the Silver Chic report in the future of care homes. Care home design will lead with quality as housing will be applied on a turntable – this will allow the residents to be exposed to sunlight for longer periods of time than they currently are. As well as this, connectivity will also be a priority to help combat loneliness. To do this, care villages will use small bridges intersecting various gardens so that residents will closer to both their natural environment and other residents within the community. Technology is changing how we run our care homes. As technology is becoming more advanced in a modern society, it is having a great impact on how our care homes continue to run. Technology is continuously helping care home staff maintain quality care for their patients which overall allows the patients to live healthy and happy lives. Care homes are applying utilise sensors to the rooms within the building, and this is beneficial to everyone who is a part of that community because this can alert staff members if a patient has fallen. Staff members will be able to go and help the patient straight away which will mean they will not be left as long as they might have been if there were no alerting systems. This will help those living with dementia as clusters within buildings can be coloured variously with different lighting so that they are able to recognise their own living quarters. These types of technologies then, are specifically designed to ensure patient comfort, and help to guarantee their safety while living in care. Care with greater independence Independence can feel lost once someone has moved into the care system, technologies in the future will help enable those who have varied care requirements live life in a more self-sufficient way. Certain pieces of technology are able to monitor steps and the distance covered, as well as a patient’s heart rate. In the future, they will help to monitor fluid retention and respiratory rates, helping to lower hospital admissions and allowing patients to understand their own symptoms more effectively before they require medical assistance. Although due to lack of government funding for care homes in the UK, Royal Blind who specialise in care homes for the blind and care homes in Paisley can assess how care homes will be run in years to come, but they will also have the ability to evaluate the technologies that will change the way people are cared for. Robotics Calming down dementia suffers who unfortunately must deal with a great amount of stress can be helped. By using robotic pets that can respond to human touch and respond in intelligent way. In the future, robots can help with general tasks such as getting patients in and out of bed. Whilst wearable robotic suits will be used to help sufferers from arthritis walk and stand, and they will also help those with severe mobility problems move around more efficiently. There will also be robotically controlled curtains with a voice commanding system that will help control the room lights. Other devices will be used to help those who are blind and have visual impairments. The future of care homes is looking more hopeful. The technologies that are already being utilised, and the systems that are being proposed, will help patients lead more independent and comfortable lives, so that they can live a happier and healthier life for longer.
With the property market on an incline, This is Money has revealed that 35% of UK residents are having to opt for a home that is in need of renovating in order to be able to afford to get themselves onto the property ladder. Per their data, the: Average UK house price (as of Jan 2016) is £196,829. Average cost of property that needs work is £152,792. Average cost of renovation is £33,039. The cost of buying a home and renovating it themselves is £185,831, resulting in a saving of £10,998. But are we all saving money by doing this? The survey also revealed that 10% of buyers end up living in the home before the project is complete, and 45% end up exceeding their original budget. So, it is worth it? Bedroom furniture specialists Oldrids & Downtown have delved into some research surrounding home improvement to help you make an informed decision when it comes to making your next purchase. Locations Further research carried out by Barbour ABI in Home Improvers of Great Britain 2016 was able to identify the most – and least – likely locations in the UK to carry out a home improvement project. Most likely districts for home improvement Kensington and Chelsea Westminster Uttlesford Hammersmith and Fulham South Bucks Least likely districts for home improvement Blackpool Stoke on Trent West Dunbartonshire Redditch Glasgow The factors that influence price… A renovation can be a huge project to take on so we recommend that you take into consideration all the factors that can influence the cost of the project. The size and style of the home The size of the property can influence the cost of renovation. The larger the property, the more likely you are to spend more. This is because you have more floor space to conquer and potentially more storeys. You might even need to rent a self storage in Chelsea, Kensington or wherever your district is, to store your belongings during the renovation. The postcode of the home Your postcode can affect the price of multiple factors when buying a home, most often home insurance and house prices, but it can also influence the cost of a renovation project. Other features of the home As aforementioned, the size of the property can impact the cost of the project, so we advise you to take into consideration the number of bedrooms, bathrooms and garages the property has when purchasing. Homebuilding & Renovating has a calculator to give a guide to the cost. Estimated cost of the project A renovation project seems like a daunting task to take on but if you break it down into smaller tasks, you can tackle them individually and being able to calculate the cost of the project along the way. We recommend that you use this checklist as a quick calculation of what the average renovation project can cost. However, remember that the size, style and postcode can influence the cost a great deal. Task Estimated cost on average 3-bed home* Adding a bathroom £2,500 Adding a kitchen £4,500 Adding central heating £5,000 Removing damp £2,000 Removing dry rot £1,000 Fixing collapsing ceilings (related to damp) £500 per room Plastering £3,000 Replacing the roof £3,000 Replacing roof tiles £200 Replacing drains £800 Replacing windows £500 Replacing doors £700 Wiring £3,000 *Estimate supplied by Homebuilding & Renovating Key home improvement trends In further published research, Bathrooms 365 stated that new building projects by the government has created more opportunities within the home improvement industry. This is a relief to the market following a difficult time when 60 B&Q stores were forecasted to close, but now the interest in the market has increased, as has the sales now showing a healthy progression. The study noted key trends in home improvement and renovation: The motive of renovation is still profit by increasing the home’s value Home improvement is still desirable, but homeowners have to save Desire for an increased number of bathrooms in the home Improvement to the design of the bathroom Improvement of layout and features to be more environmentally conscious Sources http://bcc.homebuilding.co.uk/#slide=naming http://www.propertyandbuildingdirectory.co.uk/2016/02/05/the-changing-home-improvement-market-a-leading-online-retailer-shares-its-insight-on-all-the-key-trends/ http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/mortgageshome/article-3451252/Brits-pile-renovation-project-homes-s-afford-buy-live-building-site.html http://www.barbour-abi.com/zones/HomeImproversReportMarch2016.pdf