Planning permission has been granted for the nine storey building at 262 York Road which will take place on the former site of a Shell petrol filling station. This site is the final one located in Battersea Reach to receive the correct permissions as a part of the development that
Wrightstyle, the advanced glazing supplier, has been raising issues of fire safety for years. Jane Embury, a director of the company, adds her voice to the outrage surrounding the Grenfell Tower fire. The outrage that has arisen after the shock of the news of the Grenfell Tower Fire has been
BCAS (the British Compressed Air Society) is urging businesses to adopt ISO 11011 to cut the cost of running their compressed air systems, even if they don’t have to comply with ESOS (Energy Saving Opportunities Scheme). Vanda Jones, executive director of BCAS said; “Most businesses have no
Browser does not support script. Contact us Dame Zaha Hadid by Mary McCartney Zaha Hadid Architects have confirmed that Dame Zaha Hadid, DBE died suddenly in Miami in the early hours of this morning. She had contracted bronchitis earlier this week and suffered a sudden heart attack while being treated
The plans for the redevelopment of Oldham Town Centre are entering their next stage of development. The plans will be published for a public consultation before they are offered to potential developers. Oldham Council has been working on ambitious plans to extensively redevelop the town centre between now and 2035.
The new European headquarters for Tata Technologies has been supporting the diverse excellence in construction industries with the help of British engineering. The headquarters is located at Tachbrook Park in Leamington Spa and will be the base for Tata Technologies engineering services. The £20 million construction project will be the
Government approval has been secured for the new Trailblazer Apprenticeship. The approval has been given for the apprenticeship standards for arboriculture, forestry, horticulture and landscaping. A number of different employers have been involved in making sure that the initiative gains the correct approvals and have been congratulated on the success
Increasing interest in renewable energy from high end property owners has led to a tripling of orders on this year’s books for the Midlands based company Zeuner. The new orders have come from work on luxury apartments and houses in London and Paris and an eight storey building in Chelsea;
Paisley-based teenage social entrepreneur Jordan McPhail is embarking on the next stage of growth for his social enterprise Aspire Community Solutions, thanks to a £30,000 loan from Social Investment Scotland (SIS) to purchase a new liveried van. One of Scotland’s youngest successful social entrepreneurs, Jordan McPhail, 19, established Aspire in
Proposals for a minimum energy efficiency standard for privately let homes could risk damaging the sector to the detriment of both landlords and tenants, Scottish Land & Estates has said. The organisation, which represents the majority of private housing providers in rural Scotland, has submitted its response to a Scottish
Planning permission has been granted for the nine storey building at 262 York Road which will take place on the former site of a Shell petrol filling station. This site is the final one located in Battersea Reach to receive the correct permissions as a part of the development that sits on the bank of the River Thames. The Battersea Reach project is a mixed used development that is taking place in the borough of London and includes the iconic power station. The Multi Disciplinary consultancy Meinhardt UK has been involved in the 262 York Road project by utilizing their modern methods of construction and structural engineering in order to bring the architect’s vision of the project to life. The architects have designed a build to rent development, however the project has a range of specific challenges involved in the construction. The clients of this construction project are Angle Property and to begin with the architects TP Bennett and Meinhardt were asked to explore the possibility of a project that could rise above the petrol station. This permission was granted however the client decided to acquire the lease for the petrol station and demolish it instead, which in a revised application has now been approved. The building as a part of this revised design has around 10,000 sq m of floor space. The project will see the creation of a commercial unit on ground floor of the construction with retail space and a lobby. The project will also have ground floor parking access and a one-storey partial basement that will be used for bike storage and back of house space. This is the second of the PRS scheme that uses MMC in London and has been consulted on by Meinhardt during the pre-planning process. The other project that the multi disciplined engineering company has been involved in was the Greenford Green in Ealing which is known for being the largest build to rent scheme that has been purpose built in the UK. The Ealing project will create nearly 2,000 new homes.
Wrightstyle, the advanced glazing supplier, has been raising issues of fire safety for years. Jane Embury, a director of the company, adds her voice to the outrage surrounding the Grenfell Tower fire. The outrage that has arisen after the shock of the news of the Grenfell Tower Fire has been seen as another example of a system that appears to codify by catastrophe. The way that regulations for buildings and fires are adjusted only after a major event or fire is reckless, with the system changing in the same way after Grenfell, the government is being called on from a growing number of different parties to explain why the changes weren’t made sooner. One of Wrightstyle’s directors, Jane Embury has said that it wouldn’t be right to start blaming immediately in the aftermath of the tragic event that has impacted across the country and the world. In contrast to this approach Jane has made an announcement paying tribute to William Linton who died in a tower block fire 18 years ago. This past incident took place in a 14 storey block of flats that were located in Ayrshire, the fire spreading through the external cladding and getting to the 12th floor in a matter of minutes. The fire eighteen years ago destroyed nine floors of the building and took five lives in total, including William Linton. The Ayrshire fire has a similar story to Grenfell, with the local MP at the time Brian Donohoe who, concerned about the cladding, lobbied for a parliamentary inquiry, which was carried out and concluded that there was no serious threat to property or life in the event of a fire. The report did clarify that there should not be a wait for a serious incident before reasonable steps to minimise the risk are taken. Wrightstyle extend their thoughts to those affected by the Grenfell Tower Fire and have also said that perhaps the building and fire regulation systems need to be completely rewritten in order to protect against more delays to act in the future.
BCAS (the British Compressed Air Society) is urging businesses to adopt ISO 11011 to cut the cost of running their compressed air systems, even if they don’t have to comply with ESOS (Energy Saving Opportunities Scheme). Vanda Jones, executive director of BCAS said; “Most businesses have no idea what the annual running costs of their compressed air systems are, yet it could be costing them up to 25 per cent of their annual electricity bill. In today’s competitive world with increasing pressure on margins, any activity that can reduce the bottom line has to be worth exploring.” Before ESOS there was no process specific standard for assessing compressed air systems. Working with its members BCAS helped produce and publish BS ISO 11011, which was then adopted as the international standard ISO 11011. Jones continued; “Before ESOS, assessments of compressed air systems were either not done at all or relied on non standardised procedures and tests. Unfortunately some of these were unsuitable, inaccurate, too expensive and ultimately non productive. This has now changed with ISO 11011.” The standard identifies the roles and responsibilities of those involved in the assessment and considers compressed air systems as three functional subsystems; supply, transmission and demand. It provides a structured framework for data analysis, reporting and documenting any findings. The assessment then identifies estimated energy savings and a targeted action plan. Jones concluded; “It is always worth doing an energy audit on your compressed air system, which will often yield significant cost savings. Check with your service and maintenance supplier that they apply ISO 11011 to such an audit.” BCAS offers a day’s introduction to ISO 11011 at a location of your choice. Alternatively several BCAS members offer a third party assessment service to meet the requirements of ISO 11011. For details of the day’s introduction and BCAS members visit www.bcas.org.uk Source link
Browser does not support script. Contact us Dame Zaha Hadid by Mary McCartney Zaha Hadid Architects have confirmed that Dame Zaha Hadid, DBE died suddenly in Miami in the early hours of this morning. She had contracted bronchitis earlier this week and suffered a sudden heart attack while being treated in hospital. Speaking today RIBA President Jane Duncan said: “This is absolutely terrible news. Dame Zaha Hadid was an inspirational woman, and the kind of architect one can only dream of being. Visionary and highly experimental, her legacy despite her young age, is formidable. She leaves behind a body of work from buildings to furniture, footwear and cars, that delight and astound people all around the world. It was only last month that I had the enviable task of awarding Zaha the 2016 Royal Gold Medal for architecture – she was delighted to receive the recognition and adds the medal to an amazing collection of awards, not least winning the RIBA Stirling Prize years running. The world of architecture has lost a star today.” Tony Chapman, RIBA Honorary Fellow and past Head of Awards added: “Many of us will feel personally diminished by Zaha’s death. Her imagination and her determination – qualities she had in equal measure – made her unique in architecture.And in recent years technology has caught up with that incredible imagination, meaning the world was able to share in the joy of her work, a privilege previously only shared by the cognoscenti. I have had the pleasure to visit a large number of her buildings over the past two decades and they are always far more persuasive and delightful in reality than on the screen or the page. She made beguiling places in a way few others could: witness the dynamism of her elevations in Montpelier, the way the routes in MAXXI and the Vienna University Library inveigle the visitor, or the overhead tracks of BMWs in Leipzig amaze with the strength of a single idea. “The discrepancy between the expectation and the actuality were perhaps even more marked in the person: many went to meet her in trepidation of her reputation, yet within minutes were won over by her wit and charm. At the time the RIBA finally recognised her unique talent with the Royal Gold Medal, I interviewed her at length for an as yet uncompleted film. Within minutes both our guards were down and we were simply enjoying ourselves, talking of achievements and of what might have been. For a considerable number of her projects never came to fruition and I wonder how many more – for all the brilliance of the team she leaves behind – the world will never now see.” ENDS Posted on Thursday 31st March 2016 Source link
The plans for the redevelopment of Oldham Town Centre are entering their next stage of development. The plans will be published for a public consultation before they are offered to potential developers. Oldham Council has been working on ambitious plans to extensively redevelop the town centre between now and 2035. The plans that have been put forward cover 21 acres, split into five different town centre locations. The five different sites have been chosen for redevelopment strategically would see a new vision for the town come to life. If the Public consultation goes smoothly, the plans will lead to the construction of around 55,000 sq ft of new and refurbished units for employment as well as a number of new homes. It is thought that the new and regenerated employment space made available as part of the project could result in an extra £50m per annum boost to the local economy. The masterplan that has been drawn up for the redevelopment of Oldham town centre in line with the local council’s plans to transform Oldham into a bustling area with a range of high quality attractions that appeal to a wide audience. The intention is to make Oldham a town that stands out in the Greater Manchester area as a popular cultural, shopping and night-time hotspot. In order to make Oldham a popular day and night location, the area needs to be transformed in order to attract residents. Therefore improving schools and housing as part of the project will support the needs of the community as well as developing the retail and commercial opportunities available. The development could lead to the creation of 560 full time jobs while the construction work is being carried out as well as 700 new operational jobs in the Oldham area. The plans will make a town that works better for residents as well as businesses.
The new European headquarters for Tata Technologies has been supporting the diverse excellence in construction industries with the help of British engineering. The headquarters is located at Tachbrook Park in Leamington Spa and will be the base for Tata Technologies engineering services. The £20 million construction project will be the centre for research & development in to emerging technologies for automotive, aerospace and industrial machinery for Tata Technologies. The site has been built by BAM Construction and was designed by the architects Webb Gray. The 63,000 sq ft office has been designed in order to be compatible and suitable to be awarded the BREEAM excellent rating. In order to receive this accolade, the building must be highly sustainable. For the Leamington Spa site, the key element of making the building energy efficient was the ventilation. The internal airflow throughout the building is controlled by Gilberts’ linear slot diffusers and extract valves. The offices in the building have been created in order to be adaptable, this means that the space can be changed to suit the requirements of the occupier. In order to make the space as customisable as possible while keeping the ventilation system running at an optimum level, Gilberts advised that its GSL slot diffusers were used for meeting rooms and offices whereas GX extract valves could be installed to provide air changes in more open spaces such as reception and in the restaurant. The Tata Technologies new European headquarters has supported the British engineering as Gilbert designs and manufactured their components in the UK at their headquarters in Blackpool. Gilberts uniquely engineers their components in house from design to testing and supply, so being used on such a large construction project is great news for the company and for the engineering sector. Since starting to operate 57 years ago, the company has grown in order to become the leading specialist independant air movement business in the UK.
Government approval has been secured for the new Trailblazer Apprenticeship. The approval has been given for the apprenticeship standards for arboriculture, forestry, horticulture and landscaping. A number of different employers have been involved in making sure that the initiative gains the correct approvals and have been congratulated on the success of the project so far. Businesses from across this sector have been working to develop a new collection of apprenticeships that would be able to meet the needs of the arboriculture, forestry, horticulture and landscape sectors going forward. The project first started in 2015 and involved more than 40 employers, 8 industry bodies and 18 other training and assessment organisations. This group have managed to successfully work together in order to develop and improve the apprenticeship standards in this sector. The different companies and organisations carried out the work under Richard Trippett, from Bartlett Tree Experts and Geraint Richards of the Duchy of Cornwall as well as Ground Control’s Neil Huck. As well as the developments that have been made to the standards of apprenticeships in the Arborist, Forest Operative Horticulture and landscape areas there has been a new standard created. This new standard sees the creation of a Horticulture and Landscape Supervisor which has been approved and will be a part of the Trailblazer groups assessment plans and specifications laid out while training. Trailblazer Apprenticeships have been supported by the businesses involved in the project from the start, It is hiped that the apprenticeships will lead to more young people getting involved in this sector and training in order to gain approved qualifications and a career path in the landscaping and horticulture industry. Now that the apprenticeships have been developed, the Trailblazer Project are looking forward, an intend to work more with employers and trainers in order to make sure that the apprenticeship positions are filled and the training is carried out successfully in the future.
Increasing interest in renewable energy from high end property owners has led to a tripling of orders on this year’s books for the Midlands based company Zeuner. The new orders have come from work on luxury apartments and houses in London and Paris and an eight storey building in Chelsea; all of which are among in most expensive property markets in the world. Zeuner, based in Coventry, provides and maintains geothermal heating systems – ground and air source pumps and complete building management systems – to a wide range of sectors from multi-million pound residential developments, through to housing associations, schools and businesses. Director, Chris Reilly, said it was the renewable energy work on high end residential properties which had boosted this year’s order books with more on the way into 2018. Mr Reilly said: “Renewable energy is increasingly becoming of interest in both new buildings in cities as well as the conversion of current homes. We now look after not just the energy side of things, but everything from conducting feasibility studies through to heating, ventilation, air conditioning, drainage and waste management as well as managing building management systems. “Being able to broaden what we do has piqued interest in Zeuner. Many high end property owners, architect consultants and managers responsible for a block of apartments want to deal with just one person/one company. They don’t want to be trying to source plumbers, drainage specialists etc. They want a full building management system, including the smart technologies that come with this, and that is what we now offer.” Mr Reilly said Zeuner was now looking towards the government led BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) standard for buildings. The aim is to ensure buildings conform to environmental standards from sourcing materials through to installing renewable technologies and managing waste recycling. He said: “Given the massive push towards renewables and sustainability, encouraging businesses and luxury multi-use properties to convert to renewable energy is definitely the right way to go. We’ve seen a jump in interest in our order books and if the trend continues, the increase in renewable energy will go from strength to strength. This can only be a good thing for the future of householders as well as the planet.”
Paisley-based teenage social entrepreneur Jordan McPhail is embarking on the next stage of growth for his social enterprise Aspire Community Solutions, thanks to a £30,000 loan from Social Investment Scotland (SIS) to purchase a new liveried van. One of Scotland’s youngest successful social entrepreneurs, Jordan McPhail, 19, established Aspire in March 2015 as a community building business aimed at improving the local community by tidying it up and opening up green spaces for the local community. Construction, landscaping, civil engineering, cleaning and property maintenance are just a few of the services provided by Aspire. Aspire’s work not only benefits the environment, but also has a significant social impact by training up local people, who are out of employment, to deliver these services and ultimately enable their move into employment. To date, the business has relied on a hired van to move his team from one job to another. The funding from SIS, through the Asda Community Capital fund, has enabled Aspire to purchase their own liveried van, allowing the team to take on more work, increase brand awareness, and help them deliver more staff and equipment on site. The funding has also allowed Aspire to purchase some of the tools they require to carry out the bigger jobs which, previously, they had to reject due to a lack of appropriate equipment. Finally, thanks to the greater mobility offered by the new van, Aspire are also aiming to consider jobs outside East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire and Glasgow, where they have been operating to date. The work is already coming in thick and fast. Jordan and his team have just started work on a £27,200 Close Cleaning Contract for East Renfrewshire Council as well as numerous smaller projects. Other major contracts are currently under discussion with local authorities. Alastair Davis, chief executive, Social Investment Scotland, said: “The addition of an extra van will make a huge difference to Jordan and his team, allowing him take on bigger contracts, which in turn will achieve greater economies of scale leading to greater surpluses. Ultimately, the knock on effect is that Aspire will be able to deliver greater social and environmental impact objectives, helping more people into employment and improving more public spaces. It’s great to see a social enterprise offering such a viable and credible alternative to the traditional commercial operators competing for these contracts. We’re really looking forward to working with Jordan and the Aspire team as they seek to take the next step on their journey.” Jordan McPhail, Service Delivery Manager, Aspire Community Solutions said: “Through Aspire, we are trying to develop a new type of organisation, one which gives back to the local community and helps to get more people back into employment. We know that there is a healthy demand, particularly among our public and local authority customers, for a social enterprise that can meet their contract needs while delivering a social impact. However, to date, we’ve been held back by our reliance on a hired vehicle to transport us and our equipment between projects. Thanks to the funding from SIS, we have been able to buy our own van, branded with our business logo, which will not only help to spread the word about Aspire, but will also enable us to start taking on bigger jobs and continue growing the business.”
Proposals for a minimum energy efficiency standard for privately let homes could risk damaging the sector to the detriment of both landlords and tenants, Scottish Land & Estates has said. The organisation, which represents the majority of private housing providers in rural Scotland, has submitted its response to a Scottish Government consultation on energy efficiency in private rented housing. Scottish Land & Estates said that the particular challenges of rural housing should be taken account of by government, and that the policies should target the worst performing housing and the sector given time to gradually improve energy standards. Katy Dickson, Senior Policy Officer (Business, Property and Connectivity) at Scottish Land & Estates, said: “Our consultation response makes clear that there is a risk that the private rented sector could be damaged by well-meaning but ultimately flawed proposals for new energy efficiency standards. “Scottish Land & Estates is calling for the minimum standard to be set at EPC level E and for there to be no back stop date. This means the measures will target the worst performing stock and full upgrades can be completed gradually at natural breaks in tenancies. Ultimately this means all low performing homes will reach a better standard than the current proposals would allow and there would be less disruption to tenants. “If the regulations are not manageable or appropriately funded then landlords will consider increasing rents in order to pay for energy efficiency investments or even leaving the sector. Our members are being told there is a rural affordable housing shortage and the Scottish Government is encouraging them to develop new housing to let. “However, when faced with a new unfavourable tenancy regime and now a proposed minimum energy standard which fails to tackle the issues, landlords are being forced to consider if it viable to continue to let as many properties on a long-term basis at affordable rents.” The organisation added that problems with accurately assessing energy ratings also created worries for the sector. Ms Dickson continued: “The Scottish Government has highlighted that the age and location of rural privately let properties means they are more likely to be of lower energy efficiency. Simply being off the gas grid drops the efficiency score. “We are one of many stakeholders that has raised concerns about the methodology behind the energy efficiency assessments across the UK. It is not transparent and fails to recognise the reality of many aspects of traditional rural buildings resulting in unreliable assessments. If regulation and funding is to be based on it, there must be improvements as soon as possible.”