A new report, published by the Supply Chain Sustainability School, reveals that 9 significant opportunities exist for offsite manufacturers to help their clients in their drive for low carbon construction projects, both new build and in the retrofitting of existing buildings. The built environment industry needs to rapidly decarbonise existing
To foster cross-sector industry alignment on solutions to ensure the widespread adoption of large-scale mass timber offices, the Built by Nature Fund has awarded a €200,000 grant to a diverse UK consortium focused on unlocking the barriers to structural timber through the development of a technical Commercial Timber Guidebook. The
Research by Fourth Wall Building Consultancy has found a 53% increase in UK Google searches for the query ‘What is a house survey’ in the last month. Searches spiked for this phrase between March 16-22, the days following the Budget. The most commonly asked question on the topic on Google
David Johnson, UK Pre-construction Director at Volumetric Building Companies, shares his thoughts on the future of offsite construction in the UK and the urgent need for change. The UK Government has made no secret of the need for faster, higher quality, and more predictable construction solutions in every sector –
Taking on any home improvement project comes with a set of jargon not many new homeowners know of. Among the different terms present, the most important one is “roofing square.” The roofing industry uses this as a unit of measurement. Don’t worry if you’re unfamiliar with the measurement process. We’ll cover
With an increase in the built urban environment over the UK and plans to build 300,000 new homes every year, the permeable land across the country is diminishing, meaning surface runoff water is overwhelming drainage pipes. What, if anything, can new homes and commercial property developers, local authorities, and planners
Nuggets from a RIBA-approved CPD on changes to Part L will be shared with West Midlands builders, specifiers, building control officers and architects attending LABC’s virtual regional roadshow next week. A mini version of the RIBA-approved Tomorrow’s Insulation Solutions for Future Homes Standards CPD, which covers part L, will be
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) have jointly published a free guide to managing Safety-Critical Elements (SCEs) in building construction, for their members and the wider built environment sector. The Guide to Managing Safety-Critical Elements in Building Construction helps to identify high-risk elements in and around buildings. It outlines systems
BSI, in its role as the National Standards Body (NSB), today announces the launch of the revised carbon management standard, PAS 2080:2023, designed to help built environment organizations accelerate progress to a sustainable world by reducing their carbon emissions. The scope of the standard has expanded to accelerate progress with
Employees, especially in open-plan offices, often complain of increased fatigue and concentration problems. Daily noise from conversations, phones, keyboard sounds, and printers has a negative effect on mood and productivity. That’s why many companies are already thinking about how they can quiet offices and provide space for employees to perform
A new report, published by the Supply Chain Sustainability School, reveals that 9 significant opportunities exist for offsite manufacturers to help their clients in their drive for low carbon construction projects, both new build and in the retrofitting of existing buildings. The built environment industry needs to rapidly decarbonise existing and new buildings, as well as reduce embodied carbon produced in production of building materials and elements, construction, and maintenance of assets. The ability of offsite construction processes to reduce whole life carbon is often expressed, but evidence of this has been patchy. Drawing on the experience of more than 40 organisations working across homes, commercial, public and infrastructure, the new report, ‘Whole Life Carbon Guidance for Offsite Construction’ highlights opportunities and challenges for carbon management and reduction for the offsite sector. This includes common benefits around the material and resource efficiency of premanufacture, reduced fuel and energy use in logistics and on site, as well as greater confidence in operational energy performance with standardised designs. Some of the strongest evidence for carbon reductions exist in energy and fuel use for transport and construction processes, with studies finding savings of 30-40%, even when factory energy use is included. However, most of the embodied carbon within construction projects comes from materials and manufacturing: the product stage. The report proposes that there is a big opportunity for Design for Manufacture and Assembly to drive emissions savings in this stage, sharing evidence for this across homes, schools, and commercial projects. It recommends early collaboration between manufacturers and design teams in order to fully realise low carbon design options. This collaboration will also aid robust whole life carbon estimates, which are likely to become mandatory in the coming years. The report also encourages manufacturers and contractors to embed processes for the collection and communication of activity data. Andrew Shepherd, Managing Director at TopHat Communities, said “We all know carbon is a problem, but without knowing how much of a problem, it is very difficult for us to start addressing some of the key problem areas. This report provides guidance on how to start assessing whole life carbon and understanding the impact each stage of the development cycle has on the environment about us.” Naomi Pratt, lead author of the report and Consultant at Action Sustainability, said: “It’s been really encouraging to see projects cutting embodied carbon through offsite techniques. What these have in common is a design approach driven by material and carbon efficiency. What we need to see now is more organisations adopting this focus and sharing data.” Ian Heptonstall, Director of Supply Chain Sustainability School, said: “The good news from this report is that yes, Offsite and MMC (Modern Methods of Construction) can help us tackle the climate emergency. However, as the evidence suggests, we are currently missing many opportunities and it’s clear as an industry we need to think and act differently. My challenge to those not at the forefront of tackling carbon is: will you act now and make a difference, or be left behind whilst your customers transition to a low carbon economy?” The examples of best practice highlighted in the report are crucial for whole life carbon reduction and the journey to net zero. The authors encourage organisations working within the sector to show leadership, take advantage of the opportunities, and share data and experiences. Download the report from the Supply Chain Sustainability School website here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
To foster cross-sector industry alignment on solutions to ensure the widespread adoption of large-scale mass timber offices, the Built by Nature Fund has awarded a €200,000 grant to a diverse UK consortium focused on unlocking the barriers to structural timber through the development of a technical Commercial Timber Guidebook. The project lead is engineering consultancy Elliott Wood, joined by implementing partners Waugh Thistleton Architects, fire engineers OFR Consultants and insurance specialists Lignum Risk Partners – technical and design experts in the built environment known for their advocacy of structural timber. The development of the Commercial Timber Guidebook has additional backing and input from some of the largest investors, developers and asset owners in the UK including Stanhope PLC, Related Argent, Lendlease, British Land, Derwent London, Landsec, MUSE, Berkeley Estate Asset Management (BEAM) and Hines. The involvement of developers is significant, as the Guidebook seeks to show that a wide-ranging coalition of the biggest industry stakeholders in the UK can reach consensus on how to mitigate risks of large and complex timber developments, while demonstrating the industry’s technical competency to insurers and developers. The Guidebook will establish common ground and a realistic route for the wider adoption of structural timber in commercial buildings through consensus on defined design principles, mass timber building typologies and technical design measures. With agreed guidelines and clear framework in place as to how risk can be quantified and mitigated, the Guidebook can address the challenges and costs around insuring timber structures, the single largest barrier to mass timber construction in the UK. The project will also complement existing projects targeting insurance barriers through direct engagement and leverage recognised industry networks such as the UK Green Building Council, Better Buildings Partnership and the Institution of Structural Engineers for dissemination of the Guidebook. Built by Nature CEO Amanda Sturgeon said, “This is an exciting, important project given the scope of its cross-sector collaboration and the involvement of major UK developers. The Guidebook can be a milestone on the roadmap to wider acceptance of timber by creating a clear, peer-reviewed framework for overcoming the insurance barriers. And by securing the endorsements from major developers, asset owners and designers in the UK, we can create better policy conditions for mass timber offices and bring the market significantly closer to large-scale insurability.” According to James Souter, Structural Engineering Director at Elliott Wood, “There is a clear need for a collective voice on the subject to agree consensus on good practice and to educate the industry, to unlock the barriers to adopting structural timber. The scale of the opportunity we’re addressing is huge, and we need to bring all the right people together to address the different facets collectively. Gaining the backing of Built by Nature is a major step forward in making the guide a reality, we’re over the moon to be taking this project forward.” ABOUT BUILT BY NATURE Built by Nature is a network and grant-making fund accelerating the timber building transformation, connecting key actors across the built environment and forest communities to spark city-scale projects and amplify stories of ground-breaking timber and biobased projects and solutions. Through collaboration with its major partners and frontrunners, Built by Nature aims to change perceptions around timber construction and reshape the built environment system. The Built by Nature Fund awards grants to the teams and solutions that can increase the uptake of sustainable timber and improve its climate impact, overcoming some of the most challenging barriers. ABOUT ELLIOTT WOOD Elliott Wood is an engineering consultancy driven by a deep-rooted purpose of Engineering For almost 30 years, we have focused on both small details and bigger ideas, revealing the hidden opportunities and potential that can allow a project to prosper. As Engineers, it’s our job to constantly study and evaluate, so we always look at the bigger issues. We know we can engineer better buildings, why not also apply our imaginations to society, culture and beyond? From there we can materialise new ideas for a much greater impact. Click here to read about our project at 38 Berkeley Square, a project on behalf of BEAM; the first exposed timber project in London to achieve SWECO Building Control compliance since fire regulations became more stringent in 2020. www.elliottwood.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Research by Fourth Wall Building Consultancy has found a 53% increase in UK Google searches for the query ‘What is a house survey’ in the last month. Searches spiked for this phrase between March 16-22, the days following the Budget. The most commonly asked question on the topic on Google was ‘how much does a house survey cost’ suggesting confusion around home surveys extends to pricing as well as its value in the homebuying process. Joshua Weston, Director at Fourth Wall Building Consultancy and recent winner of The UK RICS Young Building Surveyor of the Year 2022 commented: “It is likely that the return of first-time buyers to the market since March’s budget accounts for a large proportion of these Google searches, but ignorance and misconceptions about the role of a survey are on the rise. It’s so important for buyers to understand surveys and ask the right questions early on, in order to avoid costs later down the line. “Recent studies by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) showed that buyers who opt not to have a survey done when purchasing a property are faced with an average of £5,750 worth of repairs and works when they move in, due to issues they were not aware of. Many buyers, particularly young or first-time buyers, believe the valuation completed by their mortgage lender gives them all the information they need on a property, but this simply isn’t true. A survey must be completed by a qualified surveyor and is undertaken in order to identify potential issues that could cause problems during or after the purchase. “At Fourth Wall, we also ensure you get visibility on budget costs as standard: we provide detailed advice on condensation, damp, building regulations and planning, EPC and energy efficiency, and any structural issues which may affect the property – all things you would want to know before purchasing a home.” Fourth Wall are award-winning Chartered Building Surveyors working with commercial, residential and heritage clients across the UK. Aligning all the benefits of a traditional surveying practice with the pace, flexibility and market-leading knowledge of a dynamic consultancy, Fourth Wall ensures all their clients move forward with confidence. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
David Johnson, UK Pre-construction Director at Volumetric Building Companies, shares his thoughts on the future of offsite construction in the UK and the urgent need for change. The UK Government has made no secret of the need for faster, higher quality, and more predictable construction solutions in every sector – from schools and hospitals to housing. And there is a considerable drive for a unified platform design and a greater level of standardisation across the modular industry. In recent years, there have been multiple attempts to drive standards in offsite construction with the use of specialist MMC procurement frameworks developed by the Department for Education, Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Justice. Whilst these client-led attempts to introduce standardisation have been very welcome, they just haven’t gone far enough. Too many requirements have been left open to interpretation, leading to the introduction of a host of similar but different types of building solutions. To exacerbate the problem, as each scheme percolates through the various stages of procurement, the sustained tinkering by building designers, cost consultants and local authority planners and building control, combine to completely erode the strategic ambition for an increased level of standardisation to improve the efficiency and quality of project delivery. Traditional in-situ methods of construction have to adhere to standardisation through compliance with Building Regulations. This gives clients the vital confidence that the contractor will deliver the project to the required standard – and if not, that it will be rectified. The offsite sector absolutely MUST come together to agree a truly universal standard against which compliance can be measured and assured. Many modular manufacturers are simply selling their own ‘platform solutions’ in an attempt to ‘capture the zeitgeist’, when in fact they are promoting their own system completely independently and calling it a platform. A genuine platform solution has to embrace and represent the whole MMC sector. How to Foster Greater Confidence in Modular Technology With the unfortunate demise of some big industry names in recent months, the time for pride and individual business trailblazing has passed. We need to come together as an industry and provide a unified solution that will foster a much great level of confidence in modular technology and in the built solutions. And if we don’t achieve this? The UK Government will lose faith and volumetric MMC as a viable building solution will be set back 20 years. Let’s be honest, what we do is not rocket science. We do not use space age materials or really cutting-edge technology. What we do is apply well-managed processes and robust control systems to the historically chaotic and continually bespoke world of construction. Eroding Strategic Ambition There are many other intrinsic benefits of modular solutions that provide really persuasive arguments for its use over traditional in-situ building methods – from reduced material waste, improved safety on site, consistent delivery on time and budget, shorter build programmes to less disruption and enhanced thermal performance. However none of these advantages are dependent on the need to protect new or innovative technology. Beyond the box, it really doesn’t matter what happens inside. Does the colour of the seat fabric or the quality of an in-car entertainment system affect the legal compliance or reliability of a new car? Is it really worth the effort of protecting a particular modular solution that is only a slight variation on a theme? Our industry has to pool its expertise and collaboratively develop a regulatory compliant genuine ‘white box’ standard that we can all support, promote and take to Government as a truly game changing platform design solution. Without that, we risk remaining a niche specialism rather than a universally adopted construction standard. www.vbc.co/uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Taking on any home improvement project comes with a set of jargon not many new homeowners know of. Among the different terms present, the most important one is “roofing square.” The roofing industry uses this as a unit of measurement. Don’t worry if you’re unfamiliar with the measurement process. We’ll cover everything you need to know about roofing squares and how you can calculate the square footage of your roof using this measurement process too. Whether you want to invest in a new roof or want to get a free estimate for a roof repair due to severe storm damage, knowing what the total square footage of your roof is can save you a lot of time and money. What Does a Roofing Square Mean? In the roofing industry, a roofing square is a common unit of measurement used to calculate the number of shingles needed for a roof repair project. In general, one roof square equals 100 square feet (10 x 10 feet). It doesn’t matter whether you have a gable roof, hip roof, low slope roof, or pitched roof – this measuring method works for all of them! Best of all, it will save you a lot of time and money since you don’t always have to rely on roofing companies, even for the most basic tasks. How to Determine Total Square Footage of a Roof First things first, make sure you can safely get to your roof alone. If that’s not possible, contact us, and we’ll have a professional roofer sent to your house. Next, you’ll need to gather a few supplies to measure your entire roof: Every roofing system has a particular number of planes covering it per square foot. Calculate the roof planes – flat roofs have only one, a gable roof will have two, and so on. Hip and ridge shingles usually have four planes. In general, the more details your roof area has, the more planes it will have too. Next, you have to measure the length and width of each plane and then multiply the two numbers to get the square footage of that specific plane. Use an online calculator to calculate the length and width to get accurate results. Here are two examples: Multiply the length and width of each plane first (for the entire roof). Once you’re done multiplying, add the total square footage of all the roof planes together. This is what it should look like: This part is for figuring out exactly how many squares your roof already has. Once you’re done adding the totals together, divide the result by 100. In this case, 2,304 square feet of roof area divided by 100 equals 23.04 squares. On the other hand, 2,520 square feet divided by 100 equals 25.2 squares. It’s important to check the type of roof slope of your property to see how steep the structure is. In general, the steeper the roof, the more squares and roofing materials you will need to get. As a result, the cost will increase too. You can run the numbers through a shingle calculator to determine the vertical rise of your roof’s surface. Typically, a roof rises upward for every 12 inches it expands horizontally. In this case, if the vertical rise in your roof is 5 inches, the roof slope will be 5:12. It’s always a good idea to add 10% to your roof’s total calculations just to make up for errors during installation. Do You Have to Calculate the Number of Roofing Shingles Too? Many homeowners think they have to calculate the number of shingles per square if they need a new roof replacement too. However, we’re here to demystify that. In reality, you can find high-quality shingles in packaged bundles in different hardware stores. You can also contact a reliable roofing company to see if they offer such products. Roofing experts can also tell you how many shingle bundles you might need to cover per square foot/area. In general, three large bundles of asphalt shingles usually make up a single roofing square. Contact a Roofing Company for Expert Advice There’s no need to worry if you can’t calculate the square footage of your roofing structure. First-time homeowners might struggle more than others, which is why it’s essential to contact a professional for the job. Expert roofing contractors can do the hard work for you while also teaching you how to conduct roof maintenance effectively. They will also be able to tell you whether your roof needs a general repair or a complete replacement following the aftermath of a serious storm. Our company, for example, can provide you with the following services: In short, having an expert team of roofers to measure your roof can save you time and money. Also, a professional contractor will have the necessary tools and know-how to accurately measure your roof and provide you with a precise calculation. Additionally, by working with a certified roofer, you will be able to benefit from regular professional advice and recommendations to help you maintain your roof’s health and stability. Conclusion Figuring out the exact square footage of your roof is not as difficult as it seems. The key is to be precise with measurements and to use the right calculation technique. Contact our team for a free estimate, and let us know what you need for your home improvement project. We are committed to providing unparalleled service to all our clients! goldenheightsroofing.com can also help you choose the best roofing materials and repair or replace your roof quickly and efficiently. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us, and we’ll be more than happy to help. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
With an increase in the built urban environment over the UK and plans to build 300,000 new homes every year, the permeable land across the country is diminishing, meaning surface runoff water is overwhelming drainage pipes. What, if anything, can new homes and commercial property developers, local authorities, and planners be putting in place to alleviate the strain? Here Raj Somal, Director at the sustainable engineering consultancy, Dice, explores why the UK needs to invest in SuDS. Over the last six years there has been considerable investment in protecting property from the risk of flooding. Government investment between 2015 – 2021 of £2.6 billion has seen over 314,000 homes become better protected with more than 850 new flood and coastal erosion defence projects completed. It’s suggested that this work is estimated to have reduced national flood risk by five percent. But for homeowners living in at risk areas, does this offer enough reassurance that the issue of flooding is being taken as seriously as it should? And is investing in SuDS, Sustainable Drainage Systems, the way we should be going? SuDS mimic natural water systems and are an efficient way to manage surface water drainage. Here at Dice, we’re committed to the UK investment in SuDS. SuDS are designed with four key components in mind – water quality, water quantity, amenity, and biodiversity. By designing SuDS which follow these four pillars, they will effectively be used to control, absorb, and treat surface runoff. They are specifically designed to not cause an eyesore to the area, and are integrated through strategic development and planning into the local landscape. SuDS can be underground and overground, but it’s those on the surface which provide the most opportunity and benefits for treating surface runoff within the built environment. There are several different types of SuDS which are slowly being implemented across the UK, for both larger and smaller scale projects. For example, detention basins are storage basins covered in vegetation to capture and store run-off which is then slowly discharged via a restricted outfall, reducing the impact on drainage features downstream. On a smaller scale, swales are shallow, flat bottomed, vegetated open channels designed to convey, treat, and often attenuate surface water runoff. But why do these urban drainage systems need to be as sustainable as possible? We recognise the importance of protecting our natural environment, and it is becoming increasingly obvious that the UK must protect its existing resources. One of which is water. Implementing SuDS into the UK’s built environment will allow us to truly make the most of surface water run-off which would otherwise be wasted. SuDS offer great advantages to the local landscape, vegetation, and wildlife, whilst also helping to reduce the impact of ever growing concerns of flooding. . SuDS can provide better quality spaces to the newly built environment whilst simultaneously being advantageous for the climate and biodiversity of the UK by managing, absorbing and controlling water surface run-off. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Nuggets from a RIBA-approved CPD on changes to Part L will be shared with West Midlands builders, specifiers, building control officers and architects attending LABC’s virtual regional roadshow next week. A mini version of the RIBA-approved Tomorrow’s Insulation Solutions for Future Homes Standards CPD, which covers part L, will be presented by one of the Actis regional specification team at the monthly LABC technical seminar on Wednesday April 19. The event, aimed at LABC members in the West Midlands, is the latest of LABC’s monthly informative sessions, which are a mixture of face-to-face and virtual activities. This is the fifth year in a row in which Actis is working with LABC as a CPD partner. Delegates drawn from building, specification, building control and architecture backgrounds will be treated to a selection of modules which between them will offer two hours of CPD training. The face-to-face options equate to three and a half hours of CPD training. Actis, along with LABC’s other CPD partners, will each offer 20 minutes of insight into a specific technical issue and a proposed solution designed to educate and inform delegates. Actis’ contribution will focus on insulation to meet the new tighter Building Regulations Part L requirements, while other experts will talk on issues such as warranty defects. The free seminar will also see LABC looking at the latest building regulations news. The roadshows are aimed at helping other industry members gain greater insight into issues affecting the construction sector, with the Actis component focusing on thermal efficiency. The Zoom doors open at 11am and close at 1pm. Reserve your place here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) have jointly published a free guide to managing Safety-Critical Elements (SCEs) in building construction, for their members and the wider built environment sector. The Guide to Managing Safety-Critical Elements in Building Construction helps to identify high-risk elements in and around buildings. It outlines systems that should be adopted to ensure that SCEs are properly incorporated and will serve as an important tool to ensure good practice and deliver safe, high-quality buildings. The joint guide recognises the cross-industry need for a rigorous and structured approach to the design, construction and inspection of safety-critical building elements. The guide highlights elements that, if omitted or installed incorrectly, can pose significant risk to people in and around buildings, including: CIOB past President Paul Nash, who chaired the Safety-Critical Elements working group, said: “At its heart, this guide is about ensuring that the buildings we create are safe for those who use them. That means ensuring every element that goes into a building is designed and installed correctly and this is independently verified before a building is occupied. The guide is another step towards creating a safer built environment.” Former President of the Royal Society of Ulster Architects (RSUA) and current member of RIBA’s Expert Advisory Group on Fire Safety Professor John Cole CBE said: “This guide is a spur to the industry. We have seen much evidence showing how poorly Safety-Critical Elements have been installed in too many buildings. We all have to stand up, be serious and take appropriate responsibility. We want to push the industry to ensure that, on every project, all SCEs that could potentially impact the safety of future building users are properly designed, installed and inspected, with supporting evidence of compliance.” Download the Guide to Managing Safety-Critical Elements in Building Construction. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
BSI, in its role as the National Standards Body (NSB), today announces the launch of the revised carbon management standard, PAS 2080:2023, designed to help built environment organizations accelerate progress to a sustainable world by reducing their carbon emissions. The scope of the standard has expanded to accelerate progress with a move from ambition into action on decarbonization, by detailing steps to reduce the carbon footprint of both buildings and infrastructure over the whole lifecycle of an asset. The new standard, developed with the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and the Green Construction Board (GCB), covers everything from the materials to design, construction, and the use of a structure, including demolition and disposal. In addition to demonstrating how to integrate carbon management into decision-making from the earliest origins of projects through to end of life, PAS 2080 is designed to support organizations with reviewing their carbon emissions by encouraging early collaboration between project parties. This involves setting out roles and responsibilities to maintain a low carbon focus throughout. The updated specification includes methods for all organizations involved in a built environment project to understand the impact of their activities on their wider network, revealing interdependencies that could influence and support decarbonization across built environment systems. Anthony Burd, Associate Director and Head of Built Environment at BSI said: “The original standard on carbon management has been well used within the built environment and this update is designed to further empower behavioural change on carbon reduction by helping organizations recognize and respond to the urgency for climate action. “We are delighted to be introducing this specification for the decarbonization of buildings and infrastructure to the built environment sector and would like to thank all those organizations that have been involved. I look forward to seeing the positive impact that this will have on accelerating the reduction of carbon emissions, ultimately bringing wider benefit to society.” PAS 2080 has been sponsored by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and the Green Construction Board (GCB), enabling the standard to be offered free of charge. An updated Guidance document, also published today, offers a range of case studies where the standard has been applied, and provides worked examples to further assist organizations with the application and integration of PAS 2080. Keith Howells, President of the Institution of Civil Engineers , said: “As civil engineers and technicians, we are at the forefront when tackling global challenges, such as enabling a cleaner, greener, more resilient future in the face of the climate and nature emergency. PAS 2080 sets out a strategic approach to empowering countries, cities and communities to reduce carbon emissions and reach net zero. “In sponsoring this standard, the ICE wanted to remove financial barriers to organisations accessing this important guidance on how they can build decarbonisation into procurement. “By implementing the advice set out in PAS 2080, we can inspire behavioural change and accelerate the pace of change as we take a systems-based approach to design, construction and operation of the low-carbon solutions of tomorrow.” Chris Newsome, Chair of the Infrastructure Working Group, Green Construction Board, said: “This revised PAS 2080 standard recognises the need to consider carbon reduction at a systems level, across the entire built environment sector. “The emphasis on considering climate and environmental resilience within the carbon-management and decision-making process will help the industry better meet the needs of society now and in the future. “PAS 2080 gives organisations and individuals the knowledge required to play their part in responding to the climate emergency.” For further information on PAS 2080, visit: https://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/standards/pas-2080/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Employees, especially in open-plan offices, often complain of increased fatigue and concentration problems. Daily noise from conversations, phones, keyboard sounds, and printers has a negative effect on mood and productivity. That’s why many companies are already thinking about how they can quiet offices and provide space for employees to perform their duties comfortably and productively. Several solutions are available to minimize noise in the workplace and create spaces that are effectively isolated from their surroundings. Read the article and learn how to provide pleasant acoustics for work. In the office like a beehive – what are the sources of noise in the company? In large corporate spaces and open-plan offices, various types of noise make it difficult to work efficiently. The noise comes not only from phone calls or lively discussions. It has four sources: The permissible noise level in the office is regulated by the PN-N-01307:1994 standard. According to this, it should not exceed: In search of silence – how to deal with noise in the work environment? Today’s range of office equipment provides many ways to reduce noise in the workplace. There are office walls with sound-dampening properties, panels and mats, as well as modern and multifunctional Hushoffice acoustic booths . With them, everyone can find a solution that suits their needs and significantly improves the comfort of the office. Proper positioning of desks vs. noise Too small spacing between desks can lead to increased noise and unnecessary disturbance to other workers. The optimal distance between workstations should be at least 1.5 meters. If it is closer, acoustic panels can be considered. It’s also a good idea to move or separate desks from noise sources such as printers, shredders and air conditioners. Properly setting up workstations is a compromise between providing privacy and the ability to communicate. Organize places for teams to meet Team meetings are part of the daily routine in many companies. If adequate space for meetings is unavailable, they can negatively affect the noise level in the office and the comfort of others. Consider a separate room or the use of special hushAccess.L conference booths for holding meetings and business talks in a quiet and private atmosphere. Depending on the chosen configuration, they can accommodate up to 6 people. The interior is equipped with electrical outlets and USB ports for charging mobile devices, as well as a ventilation system to ensure adequate air circulation. Installation of hushAccess.L acoustic booths is very simple and fast. The right place to make phone calls Nowadays, working in an office requires communicating with clients and colleagues remotely. However, making phone calls in open spaces can be problematic due to ambient noise and interference with others. The solution is to set aside special zones for this purpose. These can be well soundproofed rooms close to workstations so that you can quickly walk to them, or hushPhone soundproof phone booths . This type of solution not only enhances convenience, but also helps maintain the privacy and confidentiality of sensitive phone calls. Arranging a quiet zone To ensure proper acoustic conditions, consider arranging a quiet zone. Such a space allows employees to isolate themselves from their surroundings and focus on work that requires a lot of concentration. The quiet zone can consist of several individual workstations or modern acoustic booths for individual work. Inside the booth are special materials that absorb sound and prevent noise from spreading outside. Green walls versus noise Greenery in the office not only brings a pleasant atmosphere and aesthetics to the interior, but also helps reduce noise. Plants absorb sound, as well as help reduce stress levels and improve air quality. GreenWalls are the perfect complement to acoustic booths and are in line with a biophilic design, which is gaining great popularity.
