Consulting engineers practice Brentwood has announced an expansion with new offices in Yorkshire and the Midlands. It has acquired new creative workspace in the Grade I-listed Leeming Building in Leeds city centre and Historic Alpha Building in Birmingham City Centre. Whilst it retains its headquarters in Harrogate, Brentwood is embarking
Kent-headquartered national building contractor, United Living, has secured more than £25 million worth of housing maintenance and refurbishment contracts across the South East region. The business, which works in partnership with housing providers throughout England and Wales to build new homes and refurbish existing properties, has made a strong start
WoodFest comes to Sheffield in February with a focus on health and wellbeing, low carbon, circular economy, building performance, offsite construction and modular design. The month-long event will feature wood in design and construction throughout Sheffield and Yorkshire. The programme includes an exciting line-up of events, seminars, exhibitions and challenges
Multidisciplinary main contractor, Winvic Construction Ltd, announced its partnership with the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) yesterday, to offer graduates a training programme in order to gain the specialist skills, knowledge and professional approach required to practice as a civil engineer. The ICE Training Scheme forms part of an employee’s
The importance of sustainability to facilities management organisations continues to be very high, according to the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management’s (IWFM) 2018 Sustainability Survey. This year’s survey had 242 respondents. Four in 10 are at managing director and senior management level – the people who hold the most
Lax enforcement and minimal awareness of vital hygiene regulations in both private and public buildings run huge risks with the health of people in Scotland, a leading Scottish facilities maintenance expert has warned. Colin Chambers, managing director of Hamilton-based Platinum Facilities Maintenance, believes that properties in Scotland are vulnerable due
With district heat networks becoming a key solution to the UK delivering a low carbon energy economy, Altecnic’s Specification and Technical team members have been awarded CIBSE accreditation as heat consultants. Says Gary Perry, Managing Director of Altecnic: “Heat networks deliver reliable heating and hot water while reducing energy consumption and
A Bristol recycling company is celebrating after achieving ISO 45001 accreditation. ETM Recycling Limited has been assessed and certified as meeting the requirements of ISO 45001: 2018, the new international standard for occupational health and safety. The new management system has replaced the OHSAS 18001, which ETM previously had in
Buyviu launches a new website in the UK designed to be functional and intuitive, while providing a space for purchases for all inhabitants of the UK and who henceforth have their own space to acquire clothing, decorative items, DIY, for home and much more. It is like entering a giant
SIX NEW classrooms and a 690 m2 sports hall at Henlow Church of England Academy, Bedfordshire have now completed, completely reimagining the 600 pupil school’s teaching facilities and sports opportunities. PCMS Design designed the modern, new extension to the original school site, with Building Services Design (BSD) providing mechanical and
Consulting engineers practice Brentwood has announced an expansion with new offices in Yorkshire and the Midlands. It has acquired new creative workspace in the Grade I-listed Leeming Building in Leeds city centre and Historic Alpha Building in Birmingham City Centre. Whilst it retains its headquarters in Harrogate, Brentwood is embarking on a national growth strategy which has already seen new office bases in Manchester during 2018. Since a senior management buyout took place in 2013 the Brentwood Partnership has changed its status to become a Limited Company to help structure for growth. It was also selected for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK Programme which identifies and gives support to small companies with a strong business model and high growth potential. Brentwood has since set out an ambitious three-year strategy to achieve 50% annual growth in both team members and turnover. It is currently on target to achieve an 80% increase in just one year as it works towards year end in March 2019. Mark Johnson, Director at Brentwood, said, “We are delighted to announce our expansion into Leeds and Birmingham. With a presence now in the three core business cities outside of London we can provide more physical connectivity with our local markets and indeed nationally. With this physical growth we are also expanding our team and capabilities having recently announced new principal specialists in lighting and building physics. “Mechanical, electrical and public health design services are at the heart of buildings, providing sustainable, controllable and appropriate environments. As a single disciplinary consulting practice, we are gearing the business to be better placed for market growth and our longer-term business plan is to increase our UK and international presence.” Brentwood is an award-winning practice which has been established for more than 40 years. It offers expertise in mechanical engineering design, electrical engineering design, lighting design, public health design, condition and site surveys, energy and communications infrastructure design, feasibility studies, planning support and post occupancy evaluation. It also has a dedicated resource to energy assessments. Key projects include the new Barbara Hepworth Building for art, design and architecture at the University of Huddersfield, The University of York’s Advanced Structural Imaging Facility, £30m student scheme International House in Birmingham, Cheshire Oaks, Mercedes Benz in Stockport and Chaucer House in Portsmouth.
Kent-headquartered national building contractor, United Living, has secured more than £25 million worth of housing maintenance and refurbishment contracts across the South East region. The business, which works in partnership with housing providers throughout England and Wales to build new homes and refurbish existing properties, has made a strong start to the year, with a host of client wins for its 152-strong southern refurbishment team. They include: An appointment to a £6m contract with the University of Essex to refurbish a high-rise student accommodation block with external groundworks, in Colchester A £2m remodelling and refurbishment contract for Network Housing at Colebrook Court, a vacant building in Cuffley, Herts, which will create 11 new, modern standard homes in the roofspace An award to undertake kitchen and bathroom replacements to various homes managed by Metropolitan, with an initial value of around £1m Works to support Anchor Housing with various improvements to sheltered housing schemes across London and the home counties Installation of new class A2 aluminium cladding and insulation across an occupied block in Croydon on behalf of Firstport LLP The first stage award for design development and planning for replacement cladding across two properties managed by Lewisham Homes Fire protection improvements and installation of new sprinkler systems to three buildings managed and owned by Canterbury City Council, in Whitstable and Herne Bay Further works to upgrade kitchens and bathrooms across homes managed by Stevenage Council Daren Moseley, managing director for refurbishment (south) at United Living, said: “Housing providers and local authorities continue to face the challenges of a broken housing market with very stretched resources. We have the expertise to help them ensure their existing stock has longevity and surpasses regulatory standards. But more importantly, we’re trusted as a partner because of the added value we strive to bring to our projects; whether that’s through our training and skills programmes, or how we support the communities in which we work.”
WoodFest comes to Sheffield in February with a focus on health and wellbeing, low carbon, circular economy, building performance, offsite construction and modular design. The month-long event will feature wood in design and construction throughout Sheffield and Yorkshire. The programme includes an exciting line-up of events, seminars, exhibitions and challenges celebrating the versatility and sustainability of building with wood, organised by the UK timber industry’s campaign, Wood for Good. Christiane Lellig, Wood for Good campaign director, said: “WoodFest Sheffield promises to offer a fantastic opportunity to bring all those involved with the built environment to explore what can be achieved when we work together.” “Each event is a chance to learn and share about the use of timber in architecture, particularly around health and wellbeing and offsite construction. It provides a platform to discover what’s happening in the region and to be inspired by timber design.” WoodFest kicks off on 7 February with Small Project / Big Challenge, an evening seminar with sustainability-focused Sheffield architects Paul Testa Architecture and Jon Carr Structural Design along with Sheffield University. They will discuss design and structural challenges with examples including the multi-award-winning Hen House. On 8 and 9 February TRADA will run its annual student challenge at Sheffield University for students of engineering, architecture, architectural technology, quantity surveying and landscape architecture. Judged by high profile engineers, architects and quantity surveyors, multi-disciplinary teams will compete in an intense 48-hour challenge to design an exemplary student accommodation predominantly from timber. On 21 February, Sheffield-based consultancy, Ollio, and experts from the Kollider projects will host a healthy building evening seminar along with a networking and drinks reception. A tour of timber door, window and stair manufacturer JELD-WEN’s production facilities will take place at 10am on 28 February. This will offer the chance to see first-hand how timber doors are made in the company’s Sheffield factory, from the timber arriving on-site through to the finished product leaving for distribution. The tour will include a presentation followed by a drinks reception for all attendees. Managing forests in a sustainable way is vital to protect these important ecosystems, reduce the impact of climate change and to preserve plant and animal species for the future. On 28 February, the PEFC (the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) will deliver a lunchtime CPD to explain how to procure sustainable timber and timber from sustainably managed forests. Further events include window-specialist Bereco hosting a CPD session on noise and health in the build environment at their Sheffield showroom. There will be a behind-the-scenes tour with Sheffield timber merchant Arnold Laver including a networking lunch, followed by an afternoon CPD. Visitors will have the opportunity to see their production facilities including roof truss manufacturing and its treatment plant. Striking examples of great architecture and design, such as the Hunt House – featured in The Modern Timber House in the UK book, will offer visits focussed on sustainability and wellbeing within the Sheffield region. This will be followed by an exhibition and further evening event on offsite construction and modular design at The Arts Tower. Keep checking the WoodFest Sheffield web page to book your place, find out more details, confirm dates and see further added events. Partners include: Arnold Laver; Bereco; Constructing Excellence Yorkshire & Humber; Halliday Clark Architects; IstructE; JELD-WEN; Paul Testa Architecture; PEFC UK; Sheffield University and TRADA. Book your place for any of the WoodFest Sheffield events here. www.woodforgood.com
Multidisciplinary main contractor, Winvic Construction Ltd, announced its partnership with the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) yesterday, to offer graduates a training programme in order to gain the specialist skills, knowledge and professional approach required to practice as a civil engineer. The ICE Training Scheme forms part of an employee’s 12 month initial professional development period, which bridges the gap between education and professional qualifications. The structured training will be delivered in-house by Winvic and this leads to sitting the EngTech (MICE) Professional Review as a stepping stone to onward progression to IEng or CEng status. The diverse and thorough framework is tailored in relation to the individual’s previous, and often very recent, education route, specialist discipline and desired future professional qualification. The Scheme’s content is overseen by ICE, ensuring quality and methods, in order to maintain the highest standards. Tim Reeve, Winvic Technical Director, commented: “We have always taken the personal and professional development of our employees very seriously but with a significant increase in staff over the last few years we felt it was time to offer even more support. Our 93 percent staff retention rate indicates that the individuals who join our team after completing an Undergraduate or Master’s Degree are with us for a long time to come; it’s the people that make our business thrive and we owe it to them to help them be the best they can be.” Winvic will provide each trainee with a supervising civil engineer (SCE) and a delegated engineer (DE who will be experienced ICE Members; their roles will be to support and mentor, helping the individual to become multi-skilled, possess good technical, communication, commercial, people and legal knowledge, and understand the implications of their work across these areas. HR and Training Manager at Winvic, Rebecca Schwarz, added: “We are thrilled that ICE – such an important body within the global construction industry – sees our commitment for developing our employees, and that we have been chosen as a training partner. Educational qualifications contribute hugely in giving people the required competencies, but some things just can’t be taught in the classroom, as our year in industry students so often tell us. Winvic’s new ICE Training Scheme will help to create the next wave of innovative, first-class engineers that also share Winvic’s esteemed values.” Cath Mansell, Membership Manager, Mid England said, “It is great for ICE to see new companies implementing the ICE Training Scheme. I know that Winvic have been working hard with Ray Hulse, ICE Membership Development Officer, to get this off the ground and it shows an impressive focus on the professional development of their staff.” For more information about joining Winvic, please visit our Careers page, or contact the HR Department. Vacancies can also be found on LinkedIn and Twitter pages.
The importance of sustainability to facilities management organisations continues to be very high, according to the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management’s (IWFM) 2018 Sustainability Survey. This year’s survey had 242 respondents. Four in 10 are at managing director and senior management level – the people who hold the most authority to promote the sustainability agenda. Of those surveyed, 31 per cent of respondents said it was extremely important; 35 per cent said it was very important; and 23 per cent said it was important. In total, 89 per cent rated sustainability as at least important – and only 11 per cent as not or not very important. To further underline sustainability’s importance to FM organisations, 71 per cent commented that governance support of sustainability in procurement activities is viewed as either extremely important (13 per cent), very important (27 per cent), or important (31 cent). In the past year 20 per cent of FMs have noted a considerable increase in the number of tenders with sustainability criteria; 42 per cent noticed there’s been some increase; and 38 per cent said there has been no change. Environmental considerations dominate the sustainability criteria on tender forms, with 48 per cent of respondents reporting these as the most frequent criteria. Just over a quarter (26 per cent) of respondents claimed tenders embrace equally a range of sustainability aspects with none given precedence. These aspects are: local economic considerations (16 per cent); social value (8 per cent); and ‘others’, which includes a mixture of sustainability, diversity and pay equality and environmental and economic (2 per cent). The importance of finding new approaches to sustainability is underlined by the latest report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which highlights once again the need for businesses to take urgent action to combat rising global temperatures.
Lax enforcement and minimal awareness of vital hygiene regulations in both private and public buildings run huge risks with the health of people in Scotland, a leading Scottish facilities maintenance expert has warned. Colin Chambers, managing director of Hamilton-based Platinum Facilities Maintenance, believes that properties in Scotland are vulnerable due to a lax enforcement regime and an almost universal ignorance of the legal requirements in both the private and public sectors. He said: “Regular inspection simply doesn’t happen, and the risks are unacceptable. I have been in this sector a while now, but I am still shocked, quite regularly, by the bacteria that is trapped in all too many, water tanks because regular mandatory checks do not take place.” His warning follows reports of a £27,000 fine imposed earlier this month on Tendring District Council in Essex following a Legionella incident in 2016 at a council-run leisure centre at Walton-on-the-Naze in which a man almost died. The court was told that after a Council decision to bring Legionella controls in-house, those responsible were not properly trained. And in a statement which is sure to focus the minds of owners of all privately-run sports and leisure facilities throughout the UK, District Judge John Woollard said Tendring District Council’s fine would have been ten times greater had it not been a public body. Every organization in the UK with over five employees is legally obliged to carry out annual risk assessments, monthly monitoring and regular checks to ensure that no stagnant water, the source of Legionella, is present in their buildings’ systems. The legal obligations on property owners, introduced by the Health and Safety Executive, (HSE) are aimed at making all non-domestic buildings in Scotland safe and clean environments. Mr Chambers said: “I worry about the reality of what we see every day in our built environment. Both Scottish and UK governments, as well as local authorities and the various agencies like the Health and Safety Executive need to beef-up substantially their inspection regimes for compliance with building regulations and hygiene standards in water tanks. “It surprises me that we have not seen more outbreaks of Legionella and other infections in Scotland because the bacteria involved in stagnant water tanks breeds wonderfully well in polluted environments, and if you have a neglected water tank, in a hotel, a leisure centre, a golf club or a nursing home, it will build up horribly”. Mr. Chambers, whose business provides regular facilities maintenance programmes for a range of customers in both the public and private sectors, is also warning non-domestic buildings owners that failure to undertake full inspections, cleaning and maintenance of ventilation systems can have severe financial consequences when disaster strikes. “I have seen instances of insurance claims for damage being pared down significantly from 100 per cent to just that which reflects the proportion of the inspection and maintenance work that has been carried out on the system, and that financial shortfall can be fatal for business continuity. “Non-domestic property owners have a duty of care towards the public and need to be aware of the cost and time implications non-compliance with the regulations could have for their companies. “They need to monitor water temperatures closely, carry-out visual inspections and make sure that their water tanks are cleaned regularly. If in doubt they should seek expert guidance to help mitigate the more damaging potential threats.”
With district heat networks becoming a key solution to the UK delivering a low carbon energy economy, Altecnic’s Specification and Technical team members have been awarded CIBSE accreditation as heat consultants. Says Gary Perry, Managing Director of Altecnic: “Heat networks deliver reliable heating and hot water while reducing energy consumption and lowering bills for the end user. Heat networks allow easy integration of various low carbon heat sources. When decentralised systems are done well, it is a real win win for all those involved as well as the environment”. “While the technology is well proven in the UK and across Europe, it is still relatively new to some specifiers and heating engineers. Sadly, because of this, some networks have suffered and aren’t performing as well as they should and this has led to some high profile bad press”. “In response CIBSE and the Association for Decentralised Energy (ADE) have collaborated and produced a code of practice for heat networks, called CP1. Its aim is to raise standards and the understanding of heat networks right across the supply chain. As a manufacturer of heating interface units (HIUs) for such systems, we have always championed the CIBSE scheme“. “As CIBSE approved heat network consultants our specification managers and technical team are qualified to advise and help in the specification, sizing and design of schemes. It is in all of our interests that such schemes are successful and we have always gone above and beyond as a manufacturer by not only attaining CIBSE accreditation for our specification team, but also in the training and technical help that we provide for installation and maintenance engineers. Our CIBSE approved CPD seminars are another example of our will to improve the knowledge and understanding of heat network systems” The CIBSE CP1 code of practice on heat networks covers all forms of district heating from communal building heat to large city-wide schemes. It is designed to apply to both new networks and extensions of existing networks. The code specifies minimum requirements which must be met in order to produce a successful scheme and comply with the code. It then details further information on best practice for those looking to move beyond the minimum requirements. To speak to one of Altecnic’s CIBSE accredited heat consultants, telephone 01785 218200 or email specifications@altecnic.co.uk.
A Bristol recycling company is celebrating after achieving ISO 45001 accreditation. ETM Recycling Limited has been assessed and certified as meeting the requirements of ISO 45001: 2018, the new international standard for occupational health and safety. The new management system has replaced the OHSAS 18001, which ETM previously had in place, and enables an organisation to provide safe and healthy working conditions, prevent work-related injury and ill health, and continually improve its occupational health and safety performance. The standard was developed by a committee of occupational health and safety experts and follows other management system approaches such as ISO 14001 and ISO 9001. Amy McCormack, Director of Bristol-based ETM Recycling, said: “We are delighted to have achieved ISO 45001 accreditation as it puts us in an elite category of businesses and the level of excellence is internationally recognised. “Our staff are hugely important to us, so it is vital that we provide them with a safe place to work. ISO 45001 accreditation is also about being proactive about health and safety and continuous improvement, which we strive for at ETM Recycling. Part of the ETM Group, ETM Recycling offers waste management, recycling and skip hire from a fully equipped waste transfer centre at Ashton Vale in Bristol. The Group, which is also made up of ETM Contractors, has also achieved ISO 45001 standard. “Achieving ISO 45001 across the whole group has been important as it creates a consistency throughout ETM that is built around best practices,” said Amy. “It has been a great effort from everyone involved and we are excited to be at the forefront of this new accreditation.” It rounded off a great 2018 for the company, having achieved a 35% increase in turnover for the year, and having been appointed on a three-year deal by Bristol Sport to handle all Ashton Gate stadium’s waste. And it’s set to be an even better year for ETM Recycling in 2019, with its new £4million state-of-the-art zero waste to landfill recycling facility set to open in April. The new facility will double the amount of waste the company can process, as well as increasing efficiency and effectiveness. Amy added: “It really is an exciting time at ETM Recycling and we are looking to grow even further this year. The ISO 45001 accreditation is another feather in our cap and will contribute to us moving forward in the future, and 2019 is going to be a great year for ETM.” For more information, visit https://recyclingbristol.com/ or telephone 0117 953 3654.
Buyviu launches a new website in the UK designed to be functional and intuitive, while providing a space for purchases for all inhabitants of the UK and who henceforth have their own space to acquire clothing, decorative items, DIY, for home and much more. It is like entering a giant shopping center where there are shops of all kinds, offers, brands and a great variety; with the added advantage that there are no border barriers that prevent you from obtaining that product that you can’t get at a local store. New online shopping platform available to everyone Nothing better than having a website like buyviu.com uk that works according to your locality, where they will certainly offer that necessary space to those products that you are used to getting, only that here you can find them at very competitive prices. On the other hand, it is a very complete website that also offers users an unparalleled selection of highly organized articles by categories, sections and brands, which makes the shopping experience much more rewarding. The purchase process is very simple. When you select the item of your choice you buy it and you just have to wait for it to get home, being these simple steps that the consumer knows how to appreciate very well. The idea of this online shopping portal is to make it easier for customers to make purchases, of course, in the case of a platform as large as this one, where there are endless suppliers of brands, services and products, it is necessary to have an impeccable, friendly and intuitive design. In fact it is so easy to get what you are looking for, that once you are in the category that interests you, you will be able to count on a series of filters that minimize the search field, such as: The price ranges Gender (boys, men, unisex women, etc.) For the size For color By the type of manufacturing material By the brand By the seller Advantages of buying online After applying this filter we assure you that you will be able to easily find what you want to buy. It is clear that not all filters are useful in all cases, but without a doubt that when you are used to making purchases online, you know how to use them according to your convenience. Also each department consists of several categories that are very helpful to minimize the search field; everything is to know what you are looking for in such a way that you find it quickly. Compare before buying If there is something that adds value to your purchases is the ability to compare models, brands and of course prices, this being entirely possible when you use online shopping portals with the selection of products. You can even establish the advantages between buying in a physical store and in an online store. Buyviu UK has the best prices This is definitely a tremendous advantage, since not only do you have a wide variety of products, but you will always be able to get them at the best price, something that will allow you to make some extra purchases, like that belt that goes with the pants that you just bought and that was definitely not within your initial budget. Buying at the outlet is much cheaper If it is already very economical to buy in the store, buying at the Outlet is simply great, since here there are only products with discounts that can go over 70%. Best of all, they are quality products that for reasons seasonal, for the sizes or some other small detail are sold at crazy prices. Another of the particularities of these platforms for online purchases, is that they keep the stock of goods available continuously updated, which guarantees that if the product is there is because you will be able to buy it.
SIX NEW classrooms and a 690 m2 sports hall at Henlow Church of England Academy, Bedfordshire have now completed, completely reimagining the 600 pupil school’s teaching facilities and sports opportunities. PCMS Design designed the modern, new extension to the original school site, with Building Services Design (BSD) providing mechanical and electrical (M&E) engineering support for the project. “The six classrooms and sports hall are a standalone block,” explained Adam Middleton, senior electrical engineer at the national M&E practice, BSD. Adam continued: “The new sports hall comprises four new Sport England compliant courts, which are to be used for both the school’s own netball, basketball and hockey teams as well as for community hire; making it an incredibly inclusive space – and one which will support not just the school but the wider Henlow population. “There are also attached changing rooms as well as a 88 m2 storage facility.” BSD provided technical support to PCMS Design to ensure that the delivery of the M&E engineering services for electricity, gas, water and the fire alarm system ran smoothly and to specification. “There were a couple of challenges on this project; time constraints meant that the scheme had to be completed for the beginning of term but, through working closely with the delivery team, we managed to complete the project on time and on budget. “The new building is a standalone building, separate to the main school. Services had to be provided to the new site and connected to existing services without impacting on the school’s day to day operations,” added Adam. The sports hall has a standing seam zinc roof, which is curved to the hall and pitched to the storage room, as well as architectural louvres which allows for air flow through the area. Alex Bond, PCMS design director and project manager said: “PCMS Design engaged BSD to advise on the performance specification for the mechanical and electrical installation on a large educational sports hall and classroom block project at Henlow Church of England Academy. “We found its services to be invaluable in the early planning stages, and throughout the specification process when specialised M&E skills and knowledge were needed.” Head teacher Caren Earp said: “Thanks to the incredible design team, we now have a fantastic new building which is going to be of huge benefit to our children, increasing the number and range of opportunities for sport that we can now offer.” The project was funded by Central Bedfordshire Council and the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).