As 2022 seems set to see a continuation in construction sector demand, and the UK looks toward post-pandemic economic recovery, business leaders in the built environment are facing a new set of challenges. Increasing labour and material costs, decreasing contractor confidence, and delays in the supply chain are all contributing
Keeping the store lights on is the first rule of retail, but with increasing energy costs, many high-street names are seeking ways to reduce consumption without hitting the off switch. Whilst many retailers already recognise the benefit of installing LEDs, some aren’t aware of the further significant savings to be
549 organisations around the world today (Friday) received a highly prized accolade for their work in health, safety, and wellbeing, as British Safety Council revealed the winners of its prestigious International Safety Awards 2022. The awards recognise and celebrate organisations from around the world which have shown a true dedication
SterlingOSB Zero is one of the most popular panel products used by the UK construction industry; developers, builders, and self-builders alike. It’s the go-to panel for a multitude of roles today – from the basic functional to the trendy aesthetic feature wall – but how is it made and what
GLP announced today that it has reached a €1.2 billion (~$1.3 billion) first close for GLP Europe Income Partners III SCSp (“GLP EIP III”), which seeks to generate long-term, stable returns by investing in high-quality and well-designed properties in key logistics and distribution locations across Europe. GLP EIP III is
Landsec has submitted a major planning application for the O2 Centre Masterplan Site as it looks to grow its mixed-use urban neighborhood portfolio. The proposal, which was submitted to the London Borough of Camden, will see the site transform into a landscape led development that will connect the communities of
BPF urges the Government to pilot Town Centre Investment Zones to deliver rapid high-street change. To reduce carbon emissions and mitigate against increasing energy costs the BPF calls for VAT on residential repairs and maintenance to be removed. The British Property Federation (BPF) is calling on the Chancellor of the
Barberry Industrial has completed the construction of a state-of-the-art centre of engineering excellence for a world-leading manufacturer of critical flow control solutions at a strategic site in the West Midlands. A 57,000 sq ft headquarters and manufacturing and design facility has been delivered on behalf of IMI Truflo Marine, part
Octopus Real Estate, part of Octopus Group and a leading UK specialist real estate lender and investor, has announced its commitment to building new care home developments that are net zero by 2030, marking the first such pledge across the care home industry. In addition to funding new developments to
Daniel May, Director at Consort Architectural Hardware explores the close relationship between fire safety and ironmongery and how compliance becomes compromised without essential hardware components. Unpredictable and untameable, fire is a beast that we can’t afford to ignore. It doesn’t prejudice against any building type, and as we’ve seen most
As 2022 seems set to see a continuation in construction sector demand, and the UK looks toward post-pandemic economic recovery, business leaders in the built environment are facing a new set of challenges. Increasing labour and material costs, decreasing contractor confidence, and delays in the supply chain are all contributing factors in a perfect storm set to upset the balance of industry recovery. For those in the sector, construction productivity is the key to addressing these challenges. On 10 May 2022, the Construction Productivity Conference returns to London, bringing together a host of industry leaders and suppliers to discuss strategy, opportunity, and the future of productivity in the built environment. The event will see exhibitors and a panel of expert speakers focusing on new technologies, materials management, and strategies for addressing inefficiencies in current practices affecting training, developing, and up-skilling the construction workforce. Attendees will also have the opportunity to network with business leaders in a dynamic and interactive setting. With a host of speakers confirmed to appear throughout the day, delegates will have the opportunity to learn about new practices from those at the forefront of construction productivity. Focusing on current hot topics such as models for productivity improvement, boosting on-site productivity using a platform-based approach, and maximising offsite delivery methods, the conference programme offers an exciting insight into future-forward plans and initiatives on the table for the coming year and beyond. Recent reports state that, at present, only 64% of hours worked in the industry are considered productive. These reports, coupled with information from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) citing a quarterly fall in construction output of 0.9% from Q2 to Q3 2021, make it vital the industry looks to evolve and innovate. As businesses look towards improving output efficiency across all areas, the Construction Productivity Conference will also focus on addressing the balance between the topics of product, process, and people. The 2022 conference, taking place at One Great George Street in Westminster, follows on from the highly successful 2019 event – which saw leading exhibitors and industry figureheads at the forefront of the sector come together to share their vision for the future. With an exciting agenda already in place for this year, exhibitor opportunities are still available for those looking to demonstrate their reputation as industry experts amongst key target audiences. Aimed at developer clients, architects, engineers, contractors, and building technology suppliers, along with many other professionals and decision-makers within the built sector, Construction Productivity Conference promises to put delegates right in the heart of this increasingly vital discussion. To find out more about the event and the 2022 programme, information can be found at the event website – https://www.constructionproductivity.co.uk For more about exhibitor and sponsor opportunities please contact – Amy Pryce on 01743 290001 or amy.pryce@radar-communications.co.uk
Keeping the store lights on is the first rule of retail, but with increasing energy costs, many high-street names are seeking ways to reduce consumption without hitting the off switch. Whilst many retailers already recognise the benefit of installing LEDs, some aren’t aware of the further significant savings to be made through lighting controls, as Ben Brunton, Lighting Controls Specialist at Prime Light explains. Efficientlighting is one of the easiest ways to reduce outgoings for retailers and the savings are palpable as, unlike heating, it’s so easy to measure. Whether you are looking to capitalise on the efficiencies of installing a brand-new system or have an existing lighting infrastructure that would benefit from the easy addition of a hybrid control solution, there’s an option for everyone to secure some dramatic results. The major saving for many retailers comes out of hours. We’re currently working with a large UK retailer that is installing lighting controls into an existing LED infrastructure across their estate. By dropping the lighting output overnight, they not only create an improved working environment for employees, but they’ll also save 80% of lighting energy costs for 12 hours every day, recouping the cost of the control product within six months. However, it’s not just in the hours of darkness that savings can be made. Generally, retail units are over-lit, so in the day you can also drop the lighting output to 70% with no detrimental impact to the retail environment or risk of breaching lux output requirements. And as they are integrated into the existing in-house building management system, lighting controls work seamlessly in-store. There’s no need for any manual adjustments or risk of the lights going down in a late-night opening. The other real bonus of lighting controls is the instant impact that can be achieved. Not only can solutions be added to existing infrastructure so there’s little disruption in-store, but the systems can also be immediately commissioned by the contractor, meaning no delay in realising the benefits of a hefty commissioning bill. With an average energy saving of 40% across an estate, lighting controls are unquestionably one of the best ways for retailers to reduce energy costs beyond LEDs. To find out more about lighting control products and what solution would work for you, please visit www.primelight.co.uk or contact Ben Brunton at bb@primelight.co.uk.
549 organisations around the world today (Friday) received a highly prized accolade for their work in health, safety, and wellbeing, as British Safety Council revealed the winners of its prestigious International Safety Awards 2022. The awards recognise and celebrate organisations from around the world which have shown a true dedication in the last year to keeping their workers and workplaces healthy, safe, and well. This year, 549 organisations of all sizes and sectors won an International Safety Award from 39 countries worldwide, including the UK, China, India and the Middle East, as well as countries in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central America. 135 organisations were awarded a Distinction, 204 organisations were awarded a Merit and 210 organisations achieved a Pass. The total number of successful entries this year was higher than in 2021, when 387 awards were given out. There was also a significant increase in the number of Distinctions awarded in 2022 compared with 2021 – up from 13% to 21% – and a significant fall in the percentage of applicants who were unsuccessful in their application, just 15% in 2022 compared with 29% in 2021. The full list of winners is here. Mike Robinson, Chief Executive of British Safety Council, said: “Each year, the International Safety Awards recognise organisations that have achieved the highest standards in health and safety from around the world. This year we have seen even more reaching that level and winning an award. This makes British Safety Council’s vision that no-one, anywhere in the world, should be injured or made ill through their work all the more important, especially when we face ever increasing risks from factors such as climate change and global instability. “Winning an International Safety Award requires organisations to show they are investing in their employees’ health, safety and wellbeing and that everyone from the top down make health and safety a core part of their work and inspire others to do the same. In celebrating the achievements of the 549 winners in 2022, we encourage other organisations to follow their lead and place employees’ health and safety at the heart of their business. “Our warmest congratulations to all the winners of this year’s International Safety Awards, they should be truly proud of their achievement.” The winners span numerous sectors with significant representation from the construction, manufacturing, oil, gas and mining, and power and utility sectors and include such companies as BAE Systems Maritime Services, ISS, Morrison Energy Services, Willmott Dixon Group (UK), The Second Construction Limited Company of China Construction Eighth Engineering Division (China), Larsen & Toubro Limited (Mauritius), WSP Middle East (United Arab Emirates), NTPC and TATA Projects (India). Although, due to COVID, in the past two years the usual accompanying gala dinner has had to be cancelled, British Safety Council is looking at the feasibility of an event in 2022. Further details will be provided in due course. Other International Safety Awards for 2022 will be announced in May. These are: Seize the Opportunity Award: This new award recognises organisations that have gone the extra mile to seize health, safety or wellbeing opportunities resulting from a crisis. CEO Award: This recognises the leadership and strategic vision of CEOs who have made a vital contribution to the health and safety of their business and to the wider society during 2021. The award recognises how an individual CEO has taken an active role in aligning and championing their organisation’s health, safety and wellbeing interests with their internal and external stakeholders. Health and Safety Transformation Award – sponsored by Croner-i: The Health and Safety Transformation Award is for organisations that have significantly changed or transformed any aspect of health, safety or wellbeing to a significant extent through the use of information. Health, Safety and Wellbeing Ambassador of the Year Award: This recognises an employee who, in the opinion of the organisation or person nominating them, has played a significant role in ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of colleagues and others. Team of the Year Award: This recognises outstanding achievements resulting in a significant improvement to health, safety or wellbeing, from a collaboration of stakeholders, which may include members of the organisation, suppliers, subcontractors and/or the wider community. The James Tye Award: This recognises an organisation or a team of individuals who have developed and run a campaign in 2021 that has made a significant impact on health, safety or wellbeing in the workplace. It is named after British Safety Council’s founder, James Tye, who campaigned tirelessly on issues such as life jackets and seat belts. Wellbeing Initiative Award – powered by Being Well Together: This recognises and rewards those organisations that have demonstrated a proactive and effective approach to improving employee wellbeing.
SterlingOSB Zero is one of the most popular panel products used by the UK construction industry; developers, builders, and self-builders alike. It’s the go-to panel for a multitude of roles today – from the basic functional to the trendy aesthetic feature wall – but how is it made and what goes into it? With the growing need to fully understand the impact of building materials on the environment, specifiers, architects and builders can now follow the creation of SterlingOSB Zero panels from the delivery of timber at West Fraser’s state-of-the-art plant in Inverness right through the continuous line production process. West Fraser’s commitment to producing a sustainable product for the construction industry can be seen from sourcing locally grown timber, thereby cutting embodied carbon from transportation while supporting the local forestry industry, through to the self-sufficiency of the plant where otherwise wasted product is burned on site producing the energy to manufacture the boards. Logs delivered to Inverness are stripped of bark before being fed into a high-speed ring of blades which produces the flakes for the OSB. The flakes are dried, separated and resins added. Sterling OSB Zero is the first OSB product to be made in the UK with zero added formaldehyde, ensuring an even ‘greener’ board that meets all standards with ease. The flakes are then layered in specific orientation to give the boards their strong structural properties. The formed flakes go through a high-pressure and high-temperature press to produce the board. Once cut, the boards are loaded on to the “star cooler” to release the heat from the panel Panels are then cut to size and quality checks carried out before the packs are taken to the warehouse for shipping. The whole process can be followed on an informative video on West Fraser’s You Tube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hefbc6-5LpU and on a downloadable information sheet from the Documents and downloads section of the West Fraser website. West Fraser’s OSB portfolio comprises of SterlingOSB Zero OSB3 and SterlingOSB Zero Tongue and Groove. They are variants of the precision-engineered OSB3 board; BBA-approved and designed for humid conditions, the board contains zero added formaldehyde (ZAF) and is unique in the market by being the only ZAF OSB manufactured in the UK. Produced in Scotland from forest thinnings taken from sustainably managed forests, the board is certified according to the guidelines of the FSC or PEFC. All West Fraser panel products produced in the UK are net carbon negative and manufactured in mills that have obtained the coveted environmental ISO 14001 accreditation. To find out more about West Fraser’s products for housebuilders, get in touch with Dan Clarke – email Daniel.Clarke@westfraser.com or download product brochures from the housebuilder page of the West Fraser website https://uk.westfraser.com/housebuilders/ For further information, call 01786 812 921 or visit https://uk.westfraser.com/
GLP announced today that it has reached a €1.2 billion (~$1.3 billion) first close for GLP Europe Income Partners III SCSp (“GLP EIP III”), which seeks to generate long-term, stable returns by investing in high-quality and well-designed properties in key logistics and distribution locations across Europe. GLP EIP III is the third vintage of the firm’s flagship pan-European logistics income fund series, targeting €1.5 billion+ of total equity commitments and in excess of €3 billion of assets under management (“AUM”) once fully deployed[1]. Past performance does not predict future returns. Ralf Wessel, Managing Director of Fund Management, GLP said: “Today’s announcement represents another vote of confidence from our investors. Our Europe business continues to demonstrate continued momentum and strong demand and GLP EIP III seeks to enable GLP and its capital partners to capture the market opportunity. We expect to increase the fund size beyond its initial target on the back of strong investor demand and a robust acquisition pipeline.” Daan van den Hoven, Managing Director, GLP Europe, said: “We believe European logistics market fundamentals remain highly attractive, driven by structural supply constraints coupled with robust demand emanating from accelerating e-commerce penetration rates across major European economies. GLP has carved a niche by leveraging our network and expertise to source both single asset and portfolio deals, most of them off-market, to provide investors with immediate scale to capitalise on strengthening sector tailwinds.” Investor demand for GLP EIP III for the first close has been led by leading institutional investment partners, the majority of whom are existing GLP investors. Through this transaction, GLP welcomes its first Japanese investors into its Europe fund series. GLP EIP III is actively managed and seeded with a portfolio of 34 high-quality logistics assets comprising ~1.5 million square metres (~16 million square feet) in strategic logistics locations across Europe. The seed portfolio comprises a high proportion of newly built assets with an average age of ~2.5 years, and was mainly sourced via off-market transactions, leveraging GLP’s expansive investment origination channels and global relationships with owners and customers to source both single asset and portfolio deals. The EIP series was launched by GLP in 2017. GLP EIP III’s immediate predecessor fund – the €1.6 billion, 2020-vintage GLP EIP II – was fully allocated within 18 months on the back of strong occupier demand and low vacancies across major European markets. In Europe, GLP is one of the longest-standing fully-integrated logistics investors[2], developers and operators and manages approximately €14 billion (~$15 billion) of AUM across Europe’s strongest logistics markets[3]. Please read this important notice: This is a marketing communication. Please refer to the Private Placement Memorandum (“Memorandum”) of GLP EIP III before making any final investment decisions. An investment in GLP EIP III entails a high degree of risk. Investors should consider all of the risk factors set forth in section VIII – “Risk Factors” of the Memorandum, each of which could have an adverse effect on GLP EIP III and on the value of interests in GLP EIP III. There can be no assurances or guarantees that GLP EIP III’s investment objectives will be realized, that GLP EIP III’s investment strategy will prove successful or that investors will not lose all or a portion of their investment in GLP EIP III. Furthermore, investors should not construe the performance of any predecessor GLP-sponsored funds as providing any assurances or predictive value regarding future performance of GLP EIP III. As with all performance data, past performance can provide no assurance of future results. The scenarios presented in this press release are an estimate of future performance based on evidence from the past on how the value of this investment varies, and/or current market conditions and are not an exact indicator. There is no assurance that these returns will be achieved. What you will get will vary depending on how the market performs and how long you keep the investment. Future performance is subject to taxation which depends on the personal situation of each investor and which may change in the future. Investment may lead to a financial loss if no guarantee on the capital is in place. [1] Within 3 years from the final closing date. [2] GLP’s Europe platform was originally founded in 1987 and GLP was awarded the 2021 PERE Award “Logistics Investor of the Year: Europe” in March 2022. [3] AUM refers to the market value of GLP’s real estate assets and uncalled capital commitments grossed up at target loan-to-value ratio. As of December 2021.
Landsec has submitted a major planning application for the O2 Centre Masterplan Site as it looks to grow its mixed-use urban neighborhood portfolio. The proposal, which was submitted to the London Borough of Camden, will see the site transform into a landscape led development that will connect the communities of Finchley Road and West End Lane. Landsec has been working with the local community and the London Borough of Camden to develop the new masterplan. The site will deliver 1,800 new homes, 35% of which will be affordable, and will provide a variety of amenities and leisure facilities, including a town square with a variety of shops, restaurants, supermarket, gym, and cinema. As a new green space, the entire site will have improved pedestrian links and half of the 14-acre space will be dedicated to public and green spaces that will be open and accessible for all. This includes a new community green, linear park and a community garden, where people can visit, exercise and socialise in. The development is aligned with Landsec’s focus on developing and investing in mixed-use urban neighbourhoods, a key pillar of its growth strategy. David Heaford, Managing Director – Development at Landsec: “We are delighted to submit our final proposal for the O2 Centre after receiving valuable input from the local community. At Landsec, we believe in the power of building communities, workforces and improving lives. The O2 Masterplan Site represents our vision of creating a vibrant place to live, work and enjoy, shaped by local identity and designed to serve the needs of all in the community whilst providing access to open green space. More broadly, we remain excited by the huge growth potential of these urban opportunities and believe regeneration is key in offering sustainable urban neighbourhoods right across the UK.”
BPF urges the Government to pilot Town Centre Investment Zones to deliver rapid high-street change. To reduce carbon emissions and mitigate against increasing energy costs the BPF calls for VAT on residential repairs and maintenance to be removed. The British Property Federation (BPF) is calling on the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, to use this week’s Spring Statement to take action to support the Government’s ambitions to level-up the country, decarbonise the economy and ease the cost-of-living crisis being felt by millions. The real estate sector is well-placed to deliver investment across the country, working in partnership with local and national Government. To unleash this investment and support job creation, the BPF has highlighted three key actions: A greener, decarbonised future Removing VAT on repairs and maintenance of residential buildings, to ensure that tax is not a blocker to anyone wanting to improve the energy efficiency of their own home[1]. Using capital allowances to expedite tax relief on retrofitting and energy efficiency improvement works. Thriving town centres Accelerating the renewal of our high streets through Town Centre Investment Zones[2]. Forging ahead with business rates reform by increasing the frequency of revaluations, extending empty rates relief and abolishing downward rates phasing. Housing the nation Stimulating institutional investment into affordable housing[3]. Temporarily halting all council tax revaluations of Houses in Multiple Occupation. Melanie Leech, chief executive of the British Property Federation, comments, “The Government has committed to reach net zero carbon by 2050 and to create a more economically balanced and socially just society. The real estate sector has a vital role to play in delivering on both these ambitions and we urge the Chancellor to use the Spring Statement to accelerate investment and action. With the public and private sector working in partnership we can revitalise our high-streets and town centres and help both businesses and individuals to reduce their carbon footprint.” [1] See appendix: Removing VAT on repairs and maintenance of residential buildings for further detail [2] See appendix: Town Centre Investment Zones for further detail [3] See appendix: Stimulate institutional investment into affordable housing for further detail
Barberry Industrial has completed the construction of a state-of-the-art centre of engineering excellence for a world-leading manufacturer of critical flow control solutions at a strategic site in the West Midlands. A 57,000 sq ft headquarters and manufacturing and design facility has been delivered on behalf of IMI Truflo Marine, part of IMI plc, at Birmingham’s Advanced Manufacturing Hub (AMH). Barberry Industrial, a West Midlands-based property developer and investor, was selected to purchase the site from Birmingham City Council and Homes England. The completed building has been handed over by construction contractor Benniman. The global engineering company will soon relocate to the manufacturing hub in Witton from its existing facility nearby, having signed a new 15-year lease on the Aston facility. The move safeguards the jobs of its existing skilled workforce and creates new employment opportunities. Barberry Industrial development director Jon Robinson said: “We’re extremely proud to have worked alongside IMI Truflo Marine to deliver a world class headquarters building and centre of excellence. It is a magnificent state-of-the-art facility, which matches their global ambitions and aligns with the expectations of their customers around the world. It will assist them in continuing to grow their business here in Birmingham. “It is significant for the city and the AMH, and for us it represents another excellent piece of business, working with the private and public sector to create further investment and jobs for the city. IMI has a long and successful history in the city, and the skills and talents of local people has helped the company develop and grow into the global business it is today, employing around 11,000 people.” IMI Truflo Marine is part of IMI Critical Engineering – a world-leading provider of critical flow control solutions that enable vital energy and process industries to operate safely, cleanly, reliably and more efficiently. Managing director Mark Bloxham said: “It’s been a pleasure working with Barberry on such an important project for our business. The new facility will not only create a world class manufacturing facility for our customers, our employees and our stakeholders but will also serve as a centre of engineering excellence to support our global market from here in Birmingham.” Barberry secured detailed planning permission, negotiated a holding contract, commissioned a construction tender process, acquired the site and then sold the investment to Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Plc c/o BMO Real Estate Partners. The project was executed by Barberry in a 12-month period. Barberry has a 3.6 million sq ft industrial/logistics development portfolio with a Gross Development Value of in excess of £500 million. This is Barberry’s second development at the AMH, where they speculatively developed a 65,000 sq ft unit and let it to Mayflex. The unit was acquired by M&G Real Estate for £9 million. It is developing a £40 million state-of-the-art manufacturing and design facility for a global leader in engine and flight controls systems in Gloucestershire. The 207,000 sq ft centre of excellence for Moog’s Aircraft Controls Segment is being built on a 10-acre site at Ashchurch, Tewkesbury. The company has also commenced speculative construction of three high quality mid-box manufacturing/logistics units totaling 222,750 sq ft at a prime West Midlands business park in a £37 million project. Barberry’s development includes industrial/logistics units of 47,750 sq ft, 62,000 sq ft and 113,000 sq ft at Wolf Pack, Hilton Cross Business Park, just off junction 1 of the M54, Wolverhampton, and will bring much-needed investment and jobs to the region. IMI Critical Engineering is a division of IMI plc, the specialist engineering company that designs, manufactures, and services highly engineered products that control the precise movement of fluids. Its innovative technologies, built around valves and actuators, enable vital processes to operate safely, sustainably, cleanly, efficiently and cost effectively. IMI employs approximately 10,000 people, has manufacturing facilities in 18 countries and operates a global service network. The Company is listed on the London Stock Exchange. Further information is available at www.imiplc.com.
Octopus Real Estate, part of Octopus Group and a leading UK specialist real estate lender and investor, has announced its commitment to building new care home developments that are net zero by 2030, marking the first such pledge across the care home industry. In addition to funding new developments to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, Octopus will make significant investments into its existing portfolio of 71 care homes across the UK to retrofit these properties. It has committed to making these care homes and 13 properties currently under construction net zero by 2040. The pledges will ensure Octopus, as a leading investor and landlord in UK care homes, is driving the industry towards higher energy efficiency standards. The two net zero commitments were met with unbridled support from the institutional investors who invest in Octopus’ care homes strategy, demonstrating the demand among pension funds, insurers, sovereign wealth funds and family offices for assets that are contributing to the UK’s energy transition requirements. The commitments also reflect Octopus Group’s commitment to reach net zero by 2030. As part of its commitments, where needed, Octopus will work to minimise and offset the embodied carbon in the construction process of its new developments, including through UK Government-approved, high-quality certified carbon sequestration projects. Michael Toft, Care Home Senior Fund Manager, Octopus Real Estate, commented: “We are incredibly proud to be the first investor and landlord in UK care homes to commit to net zero targets. We see it as a natural extension of our role as a leading player in the care home sector and our passionate belief as a Group that people and the planet deserve better. Our commitments place us ahead of both the UK Government’s net zero targets and the Paris Agreement targets. Octopus Real Estate’s investors overwhelmingly supported these pledges, mirroring their overarching support for our care home strategy, which helps them to achieve genuine impact for society while generating financial returns.” Benjamin Davis, CEO, Octopus Real Estate, commented: “This announcement fits into wider sustainability initiatives within Octopus Real Estate, including our Greener Homes Alliance with Homes England, which is funding the development of energy efficient homes across England. It reflects our strident belief that companies will increasingly be judged on how they are building a better tomorrow and should be seen as a clear marker of intent for our objectives and strategy. We have been delighted with the stamp of approval we have received from our investors for this approach so far.” The Octopus care homes strategy offers institutional investors an impact investment opportunity – achieving social benefits for the ageing population through investing in elderly care homes and specialist care. The strong fundamentals of healthcare infrastructure investment, including sustainable, inflation-linked income, risk-adjusted returns, and supportive demographics, continue to attract significant institutional investor demand.
Daniel May, Director at Consort Architectural Hardware explores the close relationship between fire safety and ironmongery and how compliance becomes compromised without essential hardware components. Unpredictable and untameable, fire is a beast that we can’t afford to ignore. It doesn’t prejudice against any building type, and as we’ve seen most recently in Whitechapel, London, it can cause immeasurable damage and loss when fire safety isn’t prioritised. Fire safety itself is a complex topic, covering a wide range of subjects and themes, from prevention to containment and evacuation – all of which carry great significance when designing and maintaining a fire-safe building. For a building’s architects, specifiers, inspectors and owners, it’s imperative to provide an acceptable level of fire safety for occupants and visitors alike. And for this, fire doors play an integral role. Recognised as part of a building’s passive fire protection system, fire doors are a means of escape and are tasked with compartmentalising smoke and fire during a fire incident. In doing so, they protect the property and its people for a specified time, most commonly resisting for 30 (FD30) or 60 (FD60) minutes. Yet, fire doors aren’t the only piece of the puzzle. Combined protection As is outlined by the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (GAI), ironmongery and fire safety share a distinguished relationship. To assure performance and compliance, all dedicated fire doors, other than those to locked cupboards and service ducts, must be fitted with the necessary ironmongery components. This includes hinges, door closers, locks and latches. Each of these hardware components are designed to operate in tandem with a fire door – without them, the door is made redundant. In fact, the integrity of a fire door could immediately be compromised should one area become damaged or fail to meet strict performance standards. To eliminate vulnerabilities, hardware, in accordance with the UK Construction Products Regulations (CPR) must be CE marked (or UKCA after the 1st January 2023) to prove fire performance, and it is a criminal offence to supply products that do not comply. Fire door closers for example, whether concealed or surface mounted, are required to perform what is considered an essential function in closing a door to completion from any angle into its frame or until the latch engages. In facilitating the closing motion, door closers play an active role in ensuring a fire door accomplishes compartmentation. Because of their significance, controlled closing devices must be tested to BS EN 1154 and fire rated to BS EN 1634. Upon application, a closer must also be compatible with a door’s existing mechanisms and in addition to CE marking, it is highly advised it should be approved by a third-party scheme such as CERTIFIRE, providing the detail needed for its application. Similarly, hinges and latches play an important role in ensuring the integrity of a fire door. Commonly, three hinges are applied to fire doors, and at all times must remain adequately attached, repressing any charring or damage to the door’s timber in the event of a fire. Locks and latches are also essential, assuring a door remains closed within its frame, and thus, provides an effective barrier in the event of a fire. Because of their significance, locks and latches must also be CE marked and tested to BS EN 12209, with many professionals, such as architects, also demanding CERTIFIRE approval for the hardware they use. Maintaining safety and compliance Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, should a building fall short in its fire safety practices, the associated party is under risk of receiving heavy penalties and fines. Compliance is a continuous process and so, fire doors and their fitted hardware must remain operational and effective throughout the entire lifecycle of a building. To preserve fire performance, regular maintenance is vital. Aside from being up to code, the operational functions of all door furniture items should be checked regularly, including any additional mandatory components such as the operating furniture, intumescent seals (designed to expand and hold the door within its frame in the event of a fire) and relevant door signage. If basic maintenance is neglected, a fire door’s operational life can be significantly reduced – even with the correct hardware in place. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 recognises this, making it a legal requirement to ensure that fire resisting doors are correctly installed and adequately maintained to be fit to purpose. To keep the building protected, workplace environments for example, must designate a Responsible Person (RP) to undertake regular fire safety risk assessments, inspecting all elements of fire safety including the operation of fire doors. As part of ongoing risk assessments, regular maintenance periods are critical and provide Responsible Persons with an opportunity to review and repair any damage to a door’s working components. Should any hardware issues be raised, decision makers must act quickly and seek professional support to replace or repair the ironmongery until the door is once again fully operational. Whether in a commercial, residential, or institutional space, a functional fire door is paramount in delivering a building’s fire safety, but only when operating in tandem with ironmongery can it deliver its purpose. All stakeholders and responsible persons found throughout the supply chain must recognise this significant relationship between ironmongery and fire safety, or risk falling short of stringent fire safety standards. Because, simply put, door hardware is more than just a finishing touch, it’s a fire safety enabler.