A new Chief Executive has been appointed for The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, or SFHA. Stepping into the role is Sally Thomas, who will be replacing the former Chief Executive, Mary Taylor as she retires after seven years working for the Federation. Before her appointment to the lead role
Owning a listed building is literally owning a piece of British history. The National Heritage list details over 376,000 sites in the UK, each with a unique character and special value to the local, regional or national community. The drawback of living in a heritage home is that traditional building
The annual Wood Awards have released their shortlist of contestants. This year, the best structures around Britain entered with the hope of being shortlisted and taking the title for the different categories that form the awards ceremony. This year the judging panel of the Wood Awards will be led by
Jet Aire Services, the drainage contractor that is based in Leeds, Yorkshire, has announced that they have appointed Mark Lee as their operations manager. It is thought that the Yorkshire drainage contractor has made this appointment in order to help expand the civil engineering section of the business. Mark Lee
Eshton has released a proposal that would add 600,000 sq. ft. on to the construction scheme that is taking place at Burnley Bridge. The commercial property developer and investor has released news of the extension to the current 80 acre scheme that includes Burnley Bridge and Titanium Park. The scheme
Streetspace, a leading manufacturing company dealing in canopies and street furniture have announced that they will be moving to Lympne Industrial Park in Hythe. The business announced that they had outgrown their location in Wootton which is near Dover and have decided to move to larger accommodation to allow their
Spie UK has been awarded an £8 million contract by Kier in order to carry out the mechanical and electrical, or M&E, work on a new secondary school campus. Kier is constructing the William McIlvanney Campus in Kilmarnock, a project that has been valued at £45.3 million and will combine
The specialist recruitment company, Hays has formed a collaboration with the BIFM after hosting a series of talks at the BIFM Careers Zone which took place as part of the Facilities Show 2017. The collaboration that has been formed between the two companies have released an extensive guide designed to
A team of London designers and a Guardian living scheme have teamed up together to develop a radical new design concept which is set to provide young people with an alternative to high rental rates in central London locations and re-assesses how vacant space can provide a sustainable approach to
The construction site security specialist VPS Site Security is launching this year’s social media campaign to warn of the risks for children playing on derelict buildings or empty construction sites this summer. The campaign aims to reduce the number of incidents of young people playing in and around or
A new Chief Executive has been appointed for The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, or SFHA. Stepping into the role is Sally Thomas, who will be replacing the former Chief Executive, Mary Taylor as she retires after seven years working for the Federation. Before her appointment to the lead role at the SFHA, Sally was working in the position of Head of Community Investment at the North Star Housing Group, which is located in the north east of England. In this role, Sally was seconded between April 2016 and April2-017 to the Housing Associations’ Charitable Trust, where she filled the role of Director of Communities. In this position, Sally had the responsibility of developing and delivering a range of community investment as well as a selection of social purpose programmes. Sally Thomas will bring a wealth of experience to her new role as Chief Executive of the SFHA and will no doubt get involved with tackling the challenges ahead. The housing sector in Scotland has a number of hurdles ahead; the Scottish Government has set a target to create 50,000 affordable homes, Brexit an uncertainty that sits in the horizon, the impact on tenants and landlords from the ongoing welfare reforms and a more fluid political climate at the moment. The challenges ahead also offer the industry a range of valuable opportunities, creating trade apprenticeships and housing more of the poorest in Scotland. Sally Thomas will be working closely to make sure that the next generation of affordable housing can be delivered. The new Chief Executive has said that the Federation will work to make sure that its members will be in the position to respond and react to the challenges that the housing industry face as well as being in a position to make the most of the opportunities on offer.
Owning a listed building is literally owning a piece of British history. The National Heritage list details over 376,000 sites in the UK, each with a unique character and special value to the local, regional or national community. The drawback of living in a heritage home is that traditional building techniques do not always hold up in the modern world, and often simply by their nature of being hundreds of years old, become vulnerable to a number of issues over the years. Maintenance and repairs are often a constant requirement, and while you’re not obliged to improve the condition of a listed building during your tenancy, it is necessary to preserve it at the level at which you took ownership. Here are some of the most common problems found in historic buildings, and what measures you should take to look after an ailing property. Damp Fortunately, damp issues are often the simplest to resolve in a period property. Once an experienced surveyor has confirmed the source of the damp, you will likely be left with one of three scenarios. In many situations, damp can be remedied by repairing roof timbers or tiles, emptying and adjusting gutters or removing non-porous materials, such as concrete, that are preventing older elements from breathing. Other cases may need the external landscape to be adjusted, as it may have bridged your home’s damp proof course (DPC), allowing moisture from the ground into the walls. Timber Frames Timber frames are a stunning feature in any home, but they do require significant attention to keep them healthy and functional over the generations. Poorly-planned structural changes often cause timbers – particularly those hidden between floors or behind render – to succumb to damp, rot and distortion due to heavy loads. When cleaning your beams, use a damp cloth or soft brush; don’t be tempted to reach for a harsher cleaning agent, which can strip away generations of delicate patina. A light coat of beeswax polish will keep beams glowing, and won’t stay sticky like linseed oil. If you notice softness in the wood, or clean, light-coloured bore holes from insects, call a professional timber surveyors for a proper diagnosis and sensitive treatment plan. Insulation Although their character is woven into the fabric of our community, the construction of listed buildings does not always mesh so well with modern energy bills. Where most homeowners add an extra layer of wool into the loft, or another pane of glazing into the windows, with a listed building it is not always to simple. Adding wall insulation can prevent the house from “breathing”, causing moisture to get trapped and create damp. Suspended timber floors have space for padding between the joists, but the installation process can easily damage old floorboards. For double glazing, windows should be considered on a pane by pane basis. Do they contain the original glass, or otherwise contribute to the historic interest of your home? If not, you can probably obtain permission for new windows with relative ease, providing your new frames are sensitive to the style of the property. Consulting with a specialist surveyor, or your Conservation Officer, should shed some light on the possible changes for your home. Further details about your options for insulating a period home can be found on the Historic England website. Unauthorised Alterations Any work on a listed building, including repairs and maintenance, must be sanctioned by the local Conservation Officer. They may advise particular materials or techniques to preserve the integrity of the original building, and not soliciting their approval can have severe penalties. Currently, anyone convicted by the Crown Court for completing work without Listed Building Consent can face unlimited fines and up to 2 years imprisonment. If previous owners have taken their chances and made changes to a building without Listed Building Consent, the liability for taking corrective action becomes yours upon taking ownership. There is no time limit on these corrections being enforced, so it’s vital that a Listed Building Survey is conducted before you move in. Wear and Tear The simple passing of time may be all that creates a need for repairs to be made to the property, whether it be a fresh coat of render or the replacement of damaged roof tiles. Regular inspections are recommended to minimise the need for extensive work on a historic building, and put the focus on routine maintenance instead. Conservation is advocated by Historic England, and homeowners are encouraged to restore their homes using historic fabrics and techniques wherever possible. If authentic materials are no longer available, the most comparable modern alternative is required, to maintain the function and aesthetic of the original building. While they certainly take a bit of care, few homeowners are willing to give up the character and uniqueness of their heritage building, and with a little bit of effort they can provide truly wonderful homes for your family.
The annual Wood Awards have released their shortlist of contestants. This year, the best structures around Britain entered with the hope of being shortlisted and taking the title for the different categories that form the awards ceremony. This year the judging panel of the Wood Awards will be led by Michael Morrison. Michael is an architect from Purcell and will be visiting all of the shortlisted projects personally in order to make sure that this year’s competition in uniquely rigorous. The shortlist for this years awards event will be showcased as part of the London Design Fair which will take place at the Old Truman Brewery between September the 21st and 24th. The winners of the awards will be announced as part of the annual Wood Awards ceremony which is to take place at Carpenters Hall two months later on November the 21st. The ceremony will be hosted by Johanna Agerman Ross who is the Founder of Disegno Magazine as well as the Curator of Twentieth Century and Contemporary Furniture and Product Design and the Victoria and Albert, or V&A Museum which is in London. The Wood Awards were first started in 1971, beginning as the Carpenter Awards before being renamed the Wood Awards in 2003. This annual event has had a significant impact on the progress that has been made on the architecture and design industry. The judging panel for this accolade is made up of experts form the architecture and design industry. The Awards take place every year and are entirely dependant on support and sponsorship from the industry. This not for profit competition does however generate a level of media coverage, allowing the shortlisted projects and winners a promotional boost. Arnold Laver will be sponsoring the Arnold Laver Gold Award, the pinnacle of the awards handed out on the night. This award is thought to celebrate the best of all of the winners in the different categories.
Jet Aire Services, the drainage contractor that is based in Leeds, Yorkshire, has announced that they have appointed Mark Lee as their operations manager. It is thought that the Yorkshire drainage contractor has made this appointment in order to help expand the civil engineering section of the business. Mark Lee has experience in the construction and civil engineering areas of the business. More specifically, Mark has expertise in Term Maintenance Contracts. It is this specialist knowledge which make him the perfect candidate for the role of operations manager at Jet Aire Services. In the past, Mark Lee has been involved in the completion of a number of large projects including the Ringway Infrastructure Services, in which he was responsible for a number of different operations across North Yorkshire that had a combined budget of somewhere near £15 million. Mark has also held a similar role previously in his career while he worked for Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Services Ltd. In this role, Mark oversaw the delivery and completion of a range of construction schemes that values of up to £1.5 million. During this time, Mark Lees was responsible for the work and ensuring that all construction was carried out to the clients’ specifications as well as on time and within the specified budget. In his new role, Mark Lee will be working close alongside the contract Partners of Jet Aire in order to manage the programme scheduling, costs, resources, training for staff and safety audits that are required as part of Jet Aire Service’s domestic and commercial drainage work. Mark Lee’s role will involve him overseeing projects that are taking place across the region. Jet Aire Services are expecting to see business growth over the course of the next few years, therefore the appointment of Mark Lee will be added value to the company going forward with his wealth of experience and skills.
Eshton has released a proposal that would add 600,000 sq. ft. on to the construction scheme that is taking place at Burnley Bridge. The commercial property developer and investor has released news of the extension to the current 80 acre scheme that includes Burnley Bridge and Titanium Park. The scheme at the moment is located at Junction 9 of the M65 and will offer more opportunities for businesses to gain their own tailor made accommodation, similar to the scheme that is currently under construction. The investor and property developing company has said that the newly proposed site will be constructed on a 32 acre site on the south side of the M65 carriageway, adjacent to the A679 Accrington Road, will be called Burnley Bridge South. It is thought that the construction project will offer the same level and variety of warehousing and industrial accommodation on the business park. The units will be tailored to meet the requirements of the tenants. The plans for the new construction work is for six different units that will total 600,000 sq.ft. and the possibility of a bespoke building footprint that measures over 500,000 sq. ft. that could be accommodated on the site. This development is proving to be really successful for Eshton and an additional site valued at £45 million is a further commitment from the company to investment in industry growth. Eshton has showcased their intention to invest in to Burnley throughout the construction work on Burnley Bridge and Titanium Park. The newly announced development could bring as many as 1,300 new jobs to the area. Burnley Bridge is an industrial site which is ideally located, with good access to the national road network. The Burnley Bridge Business Park is considered to be the largest industrial park development to be carried out on the M65 corridor for more than 10 years.
Streetspace, a leading manufacturing company dealing in canopies and street furniture have announced that they will be moving to Lympne Industrial Park in Hythe. The business announced that they had outgrown their location in Wootton which is near Dover and have decided to move to larger accommodation to allow their company the opportunity to continue to grow. The move to Lympne Industrial park in Hythe will offer the canopy and street furniture manufacturer double the quality of the factory dspace that is currently available to them in Wootton.The move will also allow the company four times as much office and amenity space. This larger space will allow Streetspace the room to expand and to continue to grow. This move, however productive, is only temporary. Streetspace is relocating to Hyth for the interim while their new facility which is being constructed at Honeywood Parkway in Whitfield continues through the planning, design and construction stages of works. The Honeywood site that is being built for the business measures 25,000 sq.ft. Streetspace have been operating out of their Wooton location for the past 20 years and with the business growing as successfully as it is, more space is required to flourish going forward. The company felt that it was time to move on and into a larger space that will allow the company to cope better with their increased number of orders while still being able to deliver the expected high standard of customer service. The larger space will also allow Streetspace the opportunity to carry out further product development to ensure that they are offering the the best products to their end users possible. The new site will offer more space for the company’s expanding team which will make the facility a more comfortable place to work as well as increasing the available space and providing room for more staff members if needed going forward.
Spie UK has been awarded an £8 million contract by Kier in order to carry out the mechanical and electrical, or M&E, work on a new secondary school campus. Kier is constructing the William McIlvanney Campus in Kilmarnock, a project that has been valued at £45.3 million and will combine Kilmarnock Academy, James Hamilton Academy, New Farm Primary, Silverwood Prim and an Early Childhood Centre. There will also be a third new school created that will replace the provisions that was offered at Onthank Primary School and Grange Academy. As part of the construction project, Spie UK will supply a range of services to the site. These include: low temperature hot water, heating systems that include underfloor heating, domestic water services, syphonic drainage, data-voice, LV Switchgear, stand-by generator, lighting and power, combined heat and power unit, ventilation, fire sprinkler system, fire alarms and security systems. Spie will also be fitting a daylight-linked PIR lighting control system. A part of this feature will be an absence detection in classrooms. When this project is completed it is thought that the school will have the capacity for 1,465 secondary students, 383 primary pupils and 160 early years places. This means that the construction will be able to accommodate children from 2 to 18 when the William McIlvanney Campus is completed. In the past Spie has worked for Kier in order to carry out a multi technical services worth £7 million at Garnock Community Campus for North Ayrshire Council. Spie was selected for the work as they have a great deal of knowledge in the mechanical and electrical sectors as well as being known for their energy management, which will be useful for this new Kilmarnock Campus. The tam at Kier are pleased to be working with Spie again and knows that their expertise will allow the company to deliver an innovative solutions for the modern school construction.
The specialist recruitment company, Hays has formed a collaboration with the BIFM after hosting a series of talks at the BIFM Careers Zone which took place as part of the Facilities Show 2017. The collaboration that has been formed between the two companies have released an extensive guide designed to help those who are looking for a successful career within the facilities management sector. Both BIFM and Hays have worked together to create the guide as a resource that can be utilized as a part of the job hunting process and covers the basics such as setting out your CV to more detailed advice about how applications can then be tailored to a particular role in the Facilities Management sector. Another sector of the guide refers to how social media can be used for job searching as well as how they can have a negative impact on your job search. The guide focuses on recommending platforms that can be used to promote personal branding and the different ways of making sure that your social media can be used to showcase your skills and career interests. Also available in the Hays and BIFM guide is thorough advice for the interviewing process and how best to follow up afterwards. The Facilities Management field is diverse and offers a wide range of different job roles, the partnership between BIFM and Hays will hopefully promote this as well as the constantly changing nature of the sector in order to attract more people to start a career in this sector. The Guide: ‘ Finding a Job in Facilities Management; Your Guide to Success’ is available online and will aid people as they try and navigate the job hunting process during a period where demand is getting more and more fierce and the process of finding work at all is getting more and more complex.
A team of London designers and a Guardian living scheme have teamed up together to develop a radical new design concept which is set to provide young people with an alternative to high rental rates in central London locations and re-assesses how vacant space can provide a sustainable approach to affordable living in city centres. Lowe Guardians is a property management company providing quality, affordable, inspiring accommodation for London’s young professionals by making the most out of vacant buildings and providing a place to live and thrive. At the same time, it provides property owners with a low-cost, professional and reliable solution to keeping their building secure. Lowe Guardians currently occupy many forms of vacant space; from offices, warehouses and pubs to police stations all on a short term basis. Teaming up with Studio Bark, a pioneering architectural practice that delivers cost conscious environmental architecture, Lowe Guardians has developed a modular SHED concept which can be constructed in a day within an otherwise abandoned property, creating a high quality, affordable accommodation unit for young professionals, keyworkers and creatives. Studio Bark first came into the public eye when their sustainable, private home ‘Periscope House’ was featured on Channel 4’s Grand Designs. Recent research conducted by Lowe Guardians found that there are currently 600,000 empty properties across the UK that could be used for temporary residency using the new SHED solution. This includes thousands of prime sites in central London. Tim Lowe, Director, Lowe Guardians, said: “The vacant buildings we assess can vary hugely in both condition and function. Sometimes the sheer or size or layout of properties means we are unable to take them on. Derelict warehouses remain a huge, untapped potential for us that could benefit Guardians and property owners alike. “However, the reality is that turning vast, open spaces into private rooms for Guardians has always been both tricky and time consuming. Our aim is to help London professionals and keyworkers as much as we can and this means taking on larger vacant buildings that offer huge potential for providing quality accommodation. “The SHED concept provides a safe, sustainable alternative for workers seeking short-term accommodation. In every site we occupy, we fit the spaces out to a habitable standard but this has historically created a considerable amount of waste; both financially and environmentally. We were looking for a solution which allowed us to much more creative with the space, and take everything with us when we went onto the next site.” Each SHED takes one day to build and is made of lamb’s wool insulation, oriented strand board (OSB), and recycled polyester. The SHEDS come in varying sizes but start at around 120 sq ft. As a flexible solution for the short term, and a responsible solution for the long term, the SHED provides an environmentally friendly, self-contained solution for each individual Guardian. It takes a day to build and dismantle and can be rebuilt on another premises which minimises waste. It can also be decorated or changed by Guardians that are passionate about the space they occupy. Tim Lowe, said. “Many of our Guardians live fast-paced, transient lifestyles. In some ways, this makes it even more important that at the end of a busy day, they have a private space that is entirely personal to them. Our Guardians want to have an impact on the space they live and the bespoke nature of the shed allows them to do that.” “Although our primary focus is on housing property Guardians in the vacant sites, there are multiple areas where the SHED concept can be used in and we see real scale in being able to use this system to make a genuine change in housing in London, the UK and the rest of the world, helping to alleviate homelessness and providing a solution to the refugee crisis.”
The construction site security specialist VPS Site Security is launching this year’s social media campaign to warn of the risks for children playing on derelict buildings or empty construction sites this summer. The campaign aims to reduce the number of incidents of young people playing in and around or on the rooftops of building works or empty sites. Already this month, a 14 year old boy died falling through the roof of a derelict factory, and there have been a spate of children suffering serious injuries. VPS Site Security are seeking to get the message across to young people about the dangers of vacant sites being used as playgrounds, using the hashtag #DontGoofOnTheRoof. Over 3,000 young people are estimated to take risks every week trespassing on derelict buildings or empty construction sites. During the summer holidays, these sites attract children looking to explore and play in them, despite being full of hidden dangers such as collapsing roofs, incomplete staircases, broken glass window frames, and motor equipment. The campaign is not just directed at young people, but also at owners and managers of sites to ensure their premises are safe and secure whilst they are unattended. Combustible materials should be removed, assessments on possible safety hazards carried out, the security of perimeters and all access points checked regularly, and, for particularly vulnerable sites, they should consider CCTV monitoring. Anyone who owns, or controls, a site has a legal duty of care to protect people on the site from foreseeable harm, and this duty even extends to people who are trespassing. People injured on a site, even if they are unauthorised trespassers, can sue the owners and managers for negligence and for responsibility for their injuries.
