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Kenneth Booth

Royal Superfan adds limited edition Jubilee Boiler to her 12,000-strong memorabilia collection

Kenneth Booth June 7, 2022

To celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee leading heating manufacturer Worcester Bosch has gifted royalist Anita Atkinson a limited-edition Jubilee oil boiler Leading boiler manufacturer and a proud Royal Warrant Holder Worcester Bosch has surprised County Durham-based royalist Anita Atkinson with a brand new, one-of-a-kind ‘Jubilee’ edition oil boiler, to help

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GRAVEN HILL RETURNS TO BUILD IT LIVE

Kenneth Booth June 7, 2022

Saturday 11 – Sunday 12 June Bicester Heritage, Oxfordshire Meet the Graven Hill team on stand B18 Following on from the success of 2021’s event, Graven Hill has announced plans to return to Build It Live, which will take place Saturday 11 June until Sunday 12 June at Bicester Heritage

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Winvic Breaks Ground at St. Modwen Park Stoke Central Project                                                                    

Kenneth Booth June 6, 2022

Winvic Construction Ltd, a leading main contractor that specialises in the design and delivery of multi-sector construction and civil engineering projects, has won a contract with its longstanding customer, St. Modwen Logistics, to build a 253,000 sq ft warehouse at St. Modwen Park Stoke Central which will be home to

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Pye Homes Nominated for Major Award on Church Farm Development

Kenneth Booth June 6, 2022

Pye Homes’ Church Farm development in Radley, Oxfordshire, has been named as a finalist in the upcoming South East Centre for Built Environment (SECBE) ‘Constructing Excellence’ awards. The project, which will provide 240 sustainable homes with community areas and natural green spaces, is one of six finalists in the Building

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Warning as three-quarters of fire doors fail inspection

Kenneth Booth June 1, 2022

One of the UK’s leading fire door inspection organisations has warned of a “tragedy waiting to happen” after it revealed three-quarters of the fire doors inspected in the UK by its approved inspectors did not meet the required standard. The Fire Door Inspection Scheme (FDIS)’s data, based on more than

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Latest Issue
Issue 342 : Jul 2026

Kenneth Booth

Royal Superfan adds limited edition Jubilee Boiler to her 12,000-strong memorabilia collection

Kenneth Booth June 7, 2022

To celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee leading heating manufacturer Worcester Bosch has gifted royalist Anita Atkinson a limited-edition Jubilee oil boiler Leading boiler manufacturer and a proud Royal Warrant Holder Worcester Bosch has surprised County Durham-based royalist Anita Atkinson with a brand new, one-of-a-kind ‘Jubilee’ edition oil boiler, to help mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The boiler has a specially designed front that commemorates this weekend’s Platinum Jubilee and was installed free-of-charge by Karl and Ross Hawes of local heating and plumbing company KH Heating. Mrs Atkinson is a self-confessed fanatical monarchist having curated a vast and extensive collection of around 12,000 pieces of royal memorabilia, that she displays in her museum in a converted barn in Weardale, Country Durham. She received an unexpected call from Worcester Bosch and was thrilled to hear that she would be getting her very own royal themed boiler to add to her jaw-dropping collection. Speaking of her new boiler, Anita said; “I was over the moon when Worcester Bosch got in contact with me. We’ve had our current Worcester boiler since 2006 so it was perfect timing for an upgrade. The Jubilee is all about community and coming together, so I also want to say thank you to KH Heating for going above and beyond by installing the boiler.” Mrs Atkinson will be spending her jubilee weekend running a royal pop up at a tearoom in Bishop Auckland.  The event is in collaboration with Bridge Creative, a social enterprise that creates opportunities that remove barriers to employment for adults with learning disabilities. Vic Billings, Director of Marketing commented; “It is a historic achievement for the Queen to reach seventy years of service to this country, and we’re honoured to have been warming communities for sixty of those. To celebrate both the jubilee and our own birthday celebrations, we wanted to find someone who really embodied the spirit of the jubilee celebration and gift them something meaningful. “Anita stood out thanks to the enthusiasm she has evidenced by her majestic collection of royal artifacts.  The fact she displays them for all to enjoy and also undertakes so much local volunteer, we knew that she was the ideal person for this giveaway.” Find out more on Worcester Bosch and its 60th Birthday celebrations here: https://www.worcester-bosch.co.uk/60-years Building Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction & Property News

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Ibstock puts sustainability at the heart of its presence at London Festival of Architecture

Kenneth Booth June 7, 2022

Two of the biggest environmental challenges we face as a society – tackling habitat loss and designing ‘carbon conscious’ buildings – are areas of focus for Ibstock at this year’s London Festival of Architecture (LFA). The LFA is a month-long celebration of architecture and city-making, taking place every June across London. The festival’s mission is to open up discussions around architecture, test new ideas and uncover and promote new talent. The theme for the LFA 2022 is ‘Act’. Through the festival, Patrons such as Ibstock and its visitors will be asked to examine how we can act for ourselves, each other, our cities and the environment. Inspirational speaker line-up Ibstock says it has put biodiversity and environmentally sensitive specification right at the heart of its content programme at this year’s festival.  Bringing together inspirational speakers from the worlds of diversity and wildlife, alongside members of its Design & Specification and Sustainability Teams, Ibstock is hosting four inspirational events at its i-Studio focused on key themes within its new ESG Strategy to 2030. Each talk is designed for broad appeal to both architects and designers and even eco-conscious self-builders, homeowners and nature-lovers. EVENT 1 Making friends with the ‘Bat Pack’: How to design urban environments that support a diverse eco-system and the bat population Guest speaker: Jo Ferguson from the Bat Conservation Trust and Helena Rivera from A Small Studio. This brilliant team collaborated to change the way the built environment supply chain – from planners, to architects, to home-owners & their children, through to landlords and building managers – views bats and how we can support them. We’ll find out how they did it – and how it’s delivering positive change. Event Hosted by: Ibstock Design Advisor Irina Hughes & Ibstock Specification Consultant Agne Metlovaite. Date: 14 June 2022 (12:30 – 15:00 BST) EVENT 2 Why Bugs Matter: How to encourage a strong, Diverse and Healthy Ecosystem in Urban Habitats Guest speaker: BUGLIFE’s Paul Hetherington, Director of Fundraising and Communications.Paul is a truly inspirational figure driving positive change in the world of biodiversity – he’ll be sharing his passion for insects – and details of his charity’s recent Bugs Matter survey. Event Hosted by: Ibstock Design Advisor Irina Hughes & Ibstock Specification Consultant Agne Metlovaite. Date: 22 June 2022 (12:30 – 15:00 BST) EVENT 3 & 4 Carbon Conscious Specification: How to take a Balanced Approach to Design & Specification The built environment accounts for nearly 40% of global carbon emissions. So, what can we all do to drive this figure down? Our design and sustainabilty team present the facts, figures and supporting evidence for more carbon-conscious approaches to specification. Event Hosted by: Ibstock Design Advisor Irina Hughes & Ibstock Specification Consultant Agne Metlovaite – with Michael McGowan, Ibstock Group Sustainability Manager, and Emily Landsborough, Ibstock Group Sustainability Advisor. Date: 09 June 2022 (12:30 – 15:00 BST) 29 June 2022 (12:30 – 15:00 BST) Ibstock’s Group Sustainability Advisor Emily Landsborough commented: “At Ibstock, we’re witnessing an increased demand for products that address biodiversity and environmentally sensitive specification. Through our new ESG Strategy to 2030 we are also doing all we can through to deliver positive change in the built environment, which is why we’re putting these key sustainability issues right at the heart of our presence at the London Festival of Architecture. We are delighted to be hosting four inspirational events at our I-Studio where we’ll talk about the ways in which we can tackle habitat loss and how to design and specify ‘carbon conscious’ buildings.” How to register Ibstock’s events at London Festival of Architecture are open to anyone with a passion for sustainability. But, numbers are limited – visitors are asked to book ahead to confirm their place. All of our events are free to attend. Carbon Conscious Specification: How to take a Balanced Approach to Design & Specification – 9th June. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/carbon-conscious-specification-london-festival-of-architecture-tickets-324716865887?aff=ibstockweb Making friends with the ‘Bat Pack’: How to Design Urban Environments that support the Diverse Eco-System and the Bat Population – 14th June. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/making-friends-with-the-bat-pack-london-festival-of-architecture-tickets-324925339437?aff=ibstockweb Why Bugs Matter: How to encourage a strong, diverse and healthy Eco-System in Urban Habitats – 22nd June. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/why-bugs-matter-london-festival-of-architecture-tickets-324929602187?aff=ibstockweb Carbon conscious specification: How to take a Balanced Approach to Design & Specification– 29th June. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/carbon-conscious-specification-london-festival-of-architecture-tickets-324922761727?aff=ibstockweb COMPANY INFORMATION Ibstock is a leading manufacturer and supplier of clay and concrete building solutions to the UK construction industry, specialising in products and systems for the building envelope and infrastructure. Ibstock comprises two divisions – Ibstock Clay and Ibstock Concrete – both with leading market positions in the UK. Ibstock Clay: Our Clay division offers the largest range of bricks manufactured in the UK as well as prefabricated elements, precast solutions and brick-faced façade systems for both low rise and high-rise developments. Ibstock Concrete: Our Concrete division manufactures high quality, precast concrete products for the residential housing and hard landscaping markets and also has a growing position in infrastructure. Building Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction & Property News

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GRAVEN HILL RETURNS TO BUILD IT LIVE

Kenneth Booth June 7, 2022

Saturday 11 – Sunday 12 June Bicester Heritage, Oxfordshire Meet the Graven Hill team on stand B18 Following on from the success of 2021’s event, Graven Hill has announced plans to return to Build It Live, which will take place Saturday 11 June until Sunday 12 June at Bicester Heritage in Oxfordshire. Graven Hill, the UK’s largest self and custom build development site, will be providing in-depth information about the site’s latest crop of self-build plots as well as what prospective residents can expect from the self-build journey. Visitors will also benefit from the return of Graven Hill’s popular ‘outdoor cinema’, which will inform viewers of the history of the development, its progress to date and what the future holds for the first-of-its-kind community. Additionally, some of the site’s self-builders will be sharing their stories during Q&A sessions on the stand over the weekend. Build It Live is set to provide a weekend of workshops, demonstrations and home inspiration, equipping budding self-builders with all the knowledge they might need to take on their dream project. Tickets to the event are available online. Gemma Davis, customer experience director at Graven Hill said: “Following our success at Build It Live last year, we are excited to have the opportunity to show attendees how far the development has come since the last event in October. “The constant growth of the development is evidence of the unique proposition available at Graven Hill, where like-minded people from all walks of life have been able to create a home that fits their own unique visions and requirements. “Build It Live is the perfect opportunity for those who are looking to start a self-build project of their own to learn about what Graven Hill has to offer.” Claire Drakeford, marketing director at Build It Live commented: “Built It Live is unique amongst self-build shows in that it offers people planning a bespoke home the detailed practical advice they need to start their project.  “Build It Live Bicester has successfully partnered with Graven Hill since 2016 as the combination of Build It’s impartial advice and Graven Hill’s availability of self-build plots creates a wonderful opportunity for people wanting to commission their own home. “Hence a day spent at Build It Live is the ideal way to start your self-build journey.” Building Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction & Property News

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Winvic Breaks Ground at St. Modwen Park Stoke Central Project                                                                    

Kenneth Booth June 6, 2022

Winvic Construction Ltd, a leading main contractor that specialises in the design and delivery of multi-sector construction and civil engineering projects, has won a contract with its longstanding customer, St. Modwen Logistics, to build a 253,000 sq ft warehouse at St. Modwen Park Stoke Central which will be home to Stoke-based National Veterinary Services (NVS). To celebrate, the three companies recently came together for a ground-breaking ceremony on site. St. Modwen Logistics recently signed a pre-let deal with NVS, meaning Winvic will be working closely with both companies to ensure the warehouse space meets the needs of NVS to supply and distribute products to animal health practices across the UK. The project comprises a 225,500 sq ft warehouse with a 15-metre clear haunch height, three-storey offices totalling 24,200 sq ft and a 3,300 sq ft two-storey transport office. Externally, Winvic will deliver the enabling civils and infrastructure works to create the development plateau and install all underground services, drainage and attenuation pond. Soft landscaping will also be undertaken and parking for 235 cars – with 20 per cent electric charging points – and 51 HGVs will be created. Scheduled to complete in November 2022, with early access-provision in October, the project has been designed with Winvic’s input to the St. Modwen Swan Standard which focuses on sustainability. The sustainability features include EPC Rating ‘A’, BREEAM ‘Excellent’, utilising a hybrid air source heat pump and carbon neutral envelope system. Winvic will also fit out the offices to Cat A standard, with a focus on health and wellbeing, sustainability and net carbon reductions; for example, low energy lifts and intelligent lighting. Danny Nelson, Winvic’s Head of Industrial, Logistics and Distribution, commented: “We’ve worked with St. Modwen Logistics for many years now and it’s motivating for our whole team to be appointed again, especially just a couple of months after we started on a significant four-warehouse scheme for the developer in Derby. As always, we will be delivering the scheme to the St. Modwen Swan Standard, which focusses on sustainability, while also driving the scheme safely, skilfully and swiftly in order to handover in November this year.” St. Modwen Park Stoke Central is located close to Hanley, 1km north of Stoke-on-Trent and is part of the wider 300-acre Festival Park development. The site boundaries with Festival Way Extension and Shelton Boulevard as well as the western side of the Trent and Mersey Canal; a 10-metre standoff zone between the tow-path and the industrial unit has been incorporated in the design. Richard Carter, Senior Director Construction, at St. Modwen Logistics added, “The St. Modwen Swan Standard focuses on responsible building practices and core to this is our commitment to delivering sustainability, net carbon reduction and improving the wellbeing of those who work on our parks and live nearby. We continuously strive to improve the quality of our parks and know Winvic shares our ambitions to meet the needs of our customer, NVS, their employees and the local community.  Through a true partnership we have every confidence in delivering another high-quality building at St. Modwen Park Stoke Central.”   St. Modwen Logistics has invested £65.5m to support regeneration in Stoke-on-Trent through the development of more than 450,000 sq ft of warehouse space in the past 18 months, with a further 480,000 sq ft currently under development. The significant investment in the area builds on the £56m Levelling Up commitment, announced by the Chancellor in his autumn Budget last year, to support restoration work and encourage employment within the region. Winvic announced in February 2022 it’s appointment at St. Modwen Park Derby where it is currently constructing a four-unit project within a 10-month timescale. Previous projects that Winvic has constructed for the client include five industrial units at St. Modwen Park Tamworth and the first phases of St. Modwen Park Gloucester and St. Modwen Park Chippenham. For more information on Winvic, the company’s latest project news and job vacancies please visit www.winvic.co.uk. Join Winvic on social media – visit Twitter @WinvicLtd – and LinkedIn.    Building Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction & Property News

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CLIMATE CRISIS, BUILDING SAFETY AND PROCUREMENT ON THE AGENDA AS CONSTRUCTING EXCELLENCE MIDLANDS REUNITES

Kenneth Booth June 6, 2022

LEADERS from across the Coventry and Warwickshire construction landscape have reunited to discuss the challenges and actions being taken to address net zero, building safety and procurement at a local level. The Constructing Excellence Midlands leadership dinner, held by the regional CE club, was the latest event organised by the construction collaboration, networking and business group to attain a closer view of the state of the industry. Convening at the Coventry Building Society Arena, the evening presented an opportunity for attendees across the sector to offer their insight on these topics and share their knowledge on overcoming the challenges, as CE Midlands strives to increase its learning resources and networking opportunities for construction clients and their supply chains in the region. Catherine Windibank, business development manager at Richard Jackson and club chair for the Coventry and Warwickshire club (FoRCE), said: “The evening was a fantastic way to bring together great leadership minds from across Coventry and Warwickshire, discuss pertinent issues the whole industry is facing, and in turn dictate the priority actions that CE Midlands can implement on a local level to enhance industry collaboration. This leadership dinner has set out FoRCE’s agenda for the forthcoming twelve months.” The evening’s discussions were led by Uma Shanker, programme director for capital delivery and design at Severn Trent Water and chair of CE Midlands. He said: “As an industry that emits or influences around half of the total carbon emissions generated in the UK, we learned that in order to address the net zero challenge, contractors must better engage with suppliers to reduce their embodied carbon usage. “At CE Midlands we will be providing educational resources that better enable firms to engage with their supply chains on reducing Scope 3 emissions in particular, as in its current state the industry is behind on meeting its requirements. “From a building safety and procurement standpoint, we also need to ensure that construction clients are attaining what they deserve, to deliver safer and more effective projects. Due diligence needs to be implemented more robustly to prevent the bad behaviours that have collectively damaged the reputation of the industry. “CE Midlands is directly addressing this by delivering workshops to members and creating a best practice guide for the benefit of them and their client advisors, informing what they should be looking for and questions they should be asking suppliers to ensure they meet expectations with the delivery of their products and services.” Andrew Carpenter, chief executive of Constructing Excellence Midlands, said: “Constructing Excellence’s core strength is that we are pan-industry. We recognise that different organisations bring varying skillsets and knowledge across the construction sector, which enables our collaborative efforts to address the issues that are affecting the supply chain in its entirety. “We are always looking out for new members to join CE Midlands and our local clubs, which are key to creating a knowledge cascade and a culture of collaboration. We welcome training providers and colleges, through to suppliers, contractors and consultants, as well as property agents, clients and end-users to get involved.” Constructing Excellence Midlands is hosting its annual housing summit on Wednesday 15 June at Birmingham Conference and Events Centre, giving attendees the chance to get further insight into some of the key issues facing the industry – such as the Future Homes Standard, carbon net zero and the growing focus on procurement routes brought about by the Housing Forum Report. To register to attend the CE Midlands Housing Summit, click here. To find out more about Constructing Excellence Midlands, visit https://www.cemidlands.org/. Building Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction & Property News

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Pye Homes Nominated for Major Award on Church Farm Development

Kenneth Booth June 6, 2022

Pye Homes’ Church Farm development in Radley, Oxfordshire, has been named as a finalist in the upcoming South East Centre for Built Environment (SECBE) ‘Constructing Excellence’ awards. The project, which will provide 240 sustainable homes with community areas and natural green spaces, is one of six finalists in the Building Project of the Year category. The winner will be crowned at the awards ceremony on Thursday, June 30th that is taking place at the Royal Lancaster London hotel. Graham Flint, Managing Director of Pye Homes said: “We are thrilled to have our efforts at Church Farm recognised with this nomination, sustainability is at the forefront of what we do and this acts as a reward for the approach we have taken to this development. “We have made a commitment to building not only houses, but also communities and will constantly look to consider our environmental impact when doing so.” The Constructing Excellence SECBE Awards recognise and celebrate the very best companies, collaborations and projects from across the London and South East region. The judges will be considering a number of different factors when deciding who emerges victorious on the night. They include a company’s ability to work with external partners, delivering earlier than the completion date, achieving low environmental impact, applying best construction practices and gaining maximum customer satisfaction. Church Farm is being built with a mix of traditional, local materials including brick, stone and wood each with unique features and is keeping with other buildings in the local area. All are wheelchair accessible and built to accommodate future accessibility needs. The new community also has a higher-than-average biodiversity net gain and incorporates natural landscaping to encourage and protect local wildlife, including the introduction of badger corridors. Reflecting Pye’s commitment to sustainability, the homes will not use fossil fuel boilers, instead moving to more environmentally friendly heating solutions with solar panels and air source heat pumps whilst also having electric vehicle charging points available. All the houses will have an EPC rating of A, giving every homeowner a greater level of comfort, with the potential to reduce heating costs. A new cycle link between Radley and Oxford via Kennington will also be part of the development along with additional public open spaces, public transport infrastructure and pedestrian crossing areas – all aimed at encouraging greener lifestyle choices. Building Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction & Property News

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Intelligent Fire Detection from Hochiki replaces Waking Watch Scheme in North London borough high rise apartments

Kenneth Booth June 6, 2022

Ekho, the newest hybrid wireless fire detection solution from Hochiki, leading global life safety manufacturer, has been installed in six blocks of apartment buildings for North London borough to help improve fire detection. EN54-25 approved and RED compliant, Ekho uses the latest in radio networking technology and provides a robust ‘always on’ network of devices which automatically adapt to changing environmental conditions. It was this innovative design element that led Fire Alarms Fabrication Services (FAFS) to choose Hochiki to consult on their latest project in a North London borough. Ekho takes hybrid wireless fire detection to new levels of reliability, flexibility and performance and has been crucial in helping residents feel safer as well as drive cost savings for building owners. Waking Watch schemes have been used for the last few years to provide 24/7 monitoring of buildings identified as fire risks due to dangerous cladding. With the inherent high operational costs, and the risk of human error, building owners and local authorities are looking to life safety manufacturers and installers to help with more reliable and cost-effective alternatives. Commenting on the project Fire Alarms Fabrication Services, Kevin Dodge, sales Account Manager at FAFS told us “The technology used in the Ekho devices helps residents feel safer compared to relying on a team of people prone to human error. The building owners are reassured due to the self-configuring mesh network which keeps the devices connected and communicating with the fire panel 24/7” The project covered a huge site with six buildings with 16 floors each. A Waking Watch team of six patrolled the stairs, corridors, and communal areas at a cost of £10,000 per week. However, because the teams could not be in all places, at all times, they might not be able to detect a fire escalating up the outside on the cladding. To add to this Waking Watch teams are not permitted to enter private apartments meaning early detection could be missed here too. “This was an incredibly complex and highly involved project, we worked closely with the team at Hochiki who consulted on best devices for this project. The Ekho range offered a wireless solution which allowed us to work around issues such as cabling inside private spaces. Ekho allowed for early detection and most importantly detection outside of the building on cladding by installing heat sensor devices adjacent to every single window, including the windows for individual dwellings. The Ekho range is ultra-dependable, and much more cost effective than the Waking Watch scheme that was in place in these buildings.” Following the successful completion of the project Regional Sales Manager, Tony Obadipe said: “We are pleased that our Ekho product range is making such an enormous difference in keeping people safe. The fact that our technology is also helping to drive huge cost efficiencies for our partners and their end users is a bonus. In the current economic climate this cost saving is essential, especially for local authorities. We are incredibly proud of our teams that have been involved in this project, it really is protecting people’s lives”. To read the full story and learn more about the Ekho range visit hochikieurope.com Building Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction & Property News

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THINK GLOBAL, ACT LOCAL: MARRYING THE NEEDS OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY WITH TOURISM TRADE IN LEISURE CENTRE DESIGN

Kenneth Booth June 1, 2022

SPORT and leisure specialist GT3 Architects has completed the first phase of a striking new destination leisure centre in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, which combines the needs of local residents and nationwide visitors to create a leisure hub for all.  The first phase of the £22m flagship scheme features leisure slides and splash pads alongside more traditional swimming provisions and fitness equipment to supply a dual-purpose scheme for both fun and fitness.  The facility features flexible community spaces and a 100-station gym to support the health and wellbeing of local residents, with memberships as cheap as 85p per day alongside pay-as-you-go options. As well as meeting the existing needs of the local community, the scheme includes facilities designed to incentivise footfall and tourism, including a thermal spa experience, saunas, aromatherapy steam room, spa pool, and experience shower with heated benches. The centre also features an indoor, four-rink bowling green and Hive café, offering a range of hot and cold food and drink, as well as a children’s soft play area.   GT3 Architects – which has studios in Newcastle and Nottingham – has acted as lead designer on the leisure centre, covering both the interior and exterior architecture to deliver this complex project.  Paul Reed, associate director at GT3, said: “From the very beginning, this project has had a true community feel, and it was vital that the design was rooted in the local area. We wanted to create something that was visually striking and took strong cues from its surroundings, such as the Royal Border Bridge and the town’s ancient walls.  “We replicated the elevational rhythm of the bridges but broke it down into individual forms to create a dynamic image with mixes of glass and green-wall. The local colour palette evokes rich warm tones in its hues, which led us to create the dynamic stainless steel shingle façade. It shimmers gold and purple depending on the light, linking to the local architecture as well as creating a beacon to local residents and tourists alike.”  The new centre is situated next to the existing leisure centre at Tweedmouth and was completed in phases so facilities could be preserved for residents throughout the build. With the completion of the wet side facilities, work on the second phase has now begun, replacing the existing pool hall on the site with a new four-court sports hall, as well as completing car parking and landscaping.  Paul added: “Berwick is a fairly isolated town so it was important that leisure provisions were always available through a seamless transition from old to new. The health and wellbeing of residents remained a central part of the project, balanced with building an attractive tourism offer to boost the local economy.  “Designing a facility that covers the needs of both local residents and the town’s tourists has provided an interesting challenge, but by working closely with Active Northumberland, we have been able to ensure that the design covers the requirements of the differing user types. This includes a flexible leisure water zone that can expand into the adjacent learner pool during busy periods and an increased café capacity to cover visitors.  “By doing this, we have helped the local authority meet multiple targets on tourist investment and the health and wellbeing of residents.”  GT3 is also designing Berwick’s sister project, Morpeth Leisure and Community Hub, for Active Northumberland, which started on site in 2021. Along with wet and dry leisure facilities, the scheme will feature a large library, flexible community space, and adult learning services.   Mark Warnes, chief executive at Active Northumberland, said: “The atmosphere in the centre is fantastic. It’s a high-quality, welcoming, and modern environment. It’s full of great areas where local people can come together, socialise, have fun and be more active and we are very excited about the future and the importance it will play in the local community.”   The project was funded by Northumberland County Council, with Tolent Construction acting as lead contractor.  For further information visit www.gt3architects.com or join the conversation over on Twitter @_GT3Architects   Building Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction & Property News   

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Warning as three-quarters of fire doors fail inspection

Kenneth Booth June 1, 2022

One of the UK’s leading fire door inspection organisations has warned of a “tragedy waiting to happen” after it revealed three-quarters of the fire doors inspected in the UK by its approved inspectors did not meet the required standard. The Fire Door Inspection Scheme (FDIS)’s data, based on more than 100,000 fire door inspections carried out by its approved inspectors in 2021, found that 75% of fire doors failed to meet the required standards, putting lives at risk in the event of a fire. Alarmingly, buildings that had the highest number of fire door inspection failures included healthcare buildings, local authorities and housing associations, and private housing. Given that these buildings’ fire doors are subject to higher use and traffic than other building types, regular inspection and maintenance is key to ensuring they remain fit for purpose throughout their lifespan. Where faults are identified, urgent fire door remedial works must be carried out to bring them up to the required safety standard and ensure compliance with fire safety regulations. Louise Halton, FDIS Scheme Manager, said “With the vast majority of fire doors in the UK failing inspections, it’s sad to say that a tragedy is simply waiting to happen, especially so in buildings that are home to vulnerable residents. But this situation is entirely preventable and, at this stage, still reversible. A fit for purpose fire door can save lives, so now is the time for all of those responsible for fire safety to urgently inspect fire doors in their buildings and act immediately if faults are identified. “It’s crucial that reputable and trained fire door inspectors, such as those approved by the FDIS, carry out fire door inspections. However, the ongoing reporting of maintenance issues with fire doors is a role for us all – every building user should play a proactive role in reporting any faults to ensure they are quickly addressed so that the building’s safety is maintained.” The most common reasons for inspection failure – which can be a result of one or multiple issues – were excessive gaps between the door and the frame (77%), care and maintenance issues (54%), and issues over smoke sealing (37%). In almost a third (31%) of cases, inspections failed due to improper installation – meaning those doors were never fit to perform the task of holding back fire and smoke. The inspection data also revealed inspectors’ top three fire safety concerns as a lack of fire door maintenance, and poor knowledge of fire safety responsibilities and a limited understanding of the role fire doors play in keeping people safe by those responsible for building fire safety. “The issues surrounding the understanding and knowledge of those responsible for fire safety was also highlighted in the FDIS’ inspection data released in 2020 as a key concern,” added Ms Halton. “This clearly demonstrates the need for individuals throughout the building safety sector to have access to quality training, assessment and examination to ensure their knowledge is up to date, and that they understand the fundamental role of a fire door – which is only fit for purpose if it is maintained correctly and inspected regularly.” The positive news is that there is a will to improve. Since the introduction of the Building Safety Bill (now the Building Safety Act 2022), 77% of FDIS inspectors have seen an increase in demand for fire door inspections. This indicates the importance and effect of the legislation in encouraging building owners and fire safety professionals to take a more proactive approach to fire door safety and maintenance. The FDIS certified inspectors are uniquely trained to undertake fire door inspections and improve building fire safety. All approved inspectors have completed the FDIS certificated inspector training and onsite assessment, which provides an understanding of fire doors and their components, including testing and certification, regulations and standards, inspection, and maintenance. For more information about the FDIS and to find an approved FDIS Inspector, visit: https://fdis.co.uk/ Building Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction & Property News

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Energys Group welcomes positive impact being made by Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme

Kenneth Booth June 1, 2022

Energys Group, one of the UK’s leading decarbonisation delivery companies, has welcomed the positive impact being made by the Government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS), and believes it is playing a critical role in delivering decarbonisation across the public estate. In announcing the latest round of successful projects to be awarded funding, the Government also revealed that the implementation of affordable, low carbon heating and energy efficiency upgrades across public sector buildings – including hospitals, schools, libraries, museums and leisure centres – will save local authorities and taxpayers an average of £650 million per year on energy bills over the next 15 years. The first round of funding allocated through Phase 3 of PSDS will provide grants – totalling £553 million – to 160 public sector organisations across England, forming part of £1.425 billion that will be issued through Phase 3 until 2025. As well as cutting the use of expensive fossil fuels and saving millions of pounds on energy bills, the scheme provides a major opportunity on the path to reducing emissions from public sector buildings by 75%, compared to 2017 levels, by 2037. Whilst the primary objective of PSDS is to help decarbonise heating, the scheme has also made funds available for other energy efficient technologies that can make a real difference to carbon and energy cost reduction – including LED lighting. Energys Group calculated that it has been responsible for the delivery of approximately 20% of the total spend on lighting upgrades as part of the PSDS, having been involved in over 70 projects that were given the go-ahead under PSDS equating to a total value of around £6m. Kevin Cox, Managing Director of Energys Group, commented: “The announcement of the expected savings local authorities will make as a result of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme funding clearly shows the positive impact it is having across the public estate. By boosting the implementation of energy efficient and low-carbon technologies, it is providing a major opportunity on the path to realising the UK’s 2050 Net Zero emissions targets. As Phase 3 of the scheme continues to roll out over the next three years, it is critical that public sector organisations continue to take of the funding being made available. For anyone looking for advice on how they can benefit from the scheme, Energys Group is on hand to provide specialist support and guidance.” Guidance on how to apply for Phase 3b will be published in July, with the next round of applications expected to open in September. Building Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction & Property News

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