All 51 homes at Living Space’s flagship Malvern Oaks development in Herefordshire are now completed and occupied. The six-acre scheme features 32 homes delivered to housing provider Stonewater for affordable rent and shared ownership, together with 19 open market properties. Located off Pixiefields in the traditional village of Cradley, the
TO CELEBRATE UNESCO’s World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development, digital construction company Collida highlights strategic alliances with three major international companies, SWAPP, Epic Games and Target 3D, that are driving the company’s UK growth. Founded by construction giant Willmott Dixon, Collida aims to harness the very latest digital technology to
Chubb, one of the UK’s leading telecare and telehealth solution providers, is pleased to announce an exciting and innovative partnership with Swedish cloud-based alarm management software provider, Skyresponse. This brand-new partnership, the first of its kind in the UK for Skyresponse, enables Chubb to launch Cloud Care Control, a true
Momentum continues to build ahead of the UKREiiF event in May – and here is a brief overview of this key updates from the past week: Click for for more information… Greystar, Kajima Partnerships and Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council are some of the latest organisations to secure an exhibition space. Stanhope,
With the number of new construction schemes started across Birmingham City Centre almost doubling in 2021[1], the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are sending inspectors out to sites to ensure firms are complying with health and safety regulations, it announced today (Thursday 3 March). As the city prepares to host
Scotland’s largest net zero housing development will see 444 new homes built after Councillors in Edinburgh agreed a new £71 million contract. Part of the City of Edinburgh Council’s major £1.3 billion regeneration of Granton Waterfront, the Western Villages project will be taken forward by CCG (Scotland) Ltd following a
The City of Edinburgh Council-led regeneration of Meadowbank has reached another major milestone this week as Councillors agreed to appoint a development partner for the next stage of the project at the Finance and Resources Committee today (3 March 2022). Following a competitive procurement process the £1.045million contract will be awarded
J Tomlinson’s compassionate approach has been recognised on a national level after the company was announced Social Responsibility Company of the year at the recent National Energy Efficiency Awards. The coveted accolade, which marks the company’s fourth national award to date, was presented at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole on Friday
With Power over Ethernet (PoE), terminal equipment can be supplied with power directly via the Ethernet cable – now even powerful terminal equipment with up to 90 W, such as smart displays, intelligent PoE lights and actuators. R&M, the globally active developer and provider of cabling systems for high-quality network
Biggest win to date for expanding business unit specialising in refurbishment/fit-out and ‘cut and carve’ works. Glencar, a construction company that was recently ranked amongst Europe’s fastest growing businesses, has announced the award of a £12M fit out project instruction from global ready to assemble furniture, kitchen appliances and housewares
All 51 homes at Living Space’s flagship Malvern Oaks development in Herefordshire are now completed and occupied. The six-acre scheme features 32 homes delivered to housing provider Stonewater for affordable rent and shared ownership, together with 19 open market properties. Located off Pixiefields in the traditional village of Cradley, the £12m scheme benefits from enviable views of the Malvern Hills. Supported by Homes England funding, the development comprises two, three and four-bedroom high-quality family homes and bungalows. The focal point for the expansive scheme is a large area of Public Open Space with a fully equipped children’s play area. To complement the open space, Stonewater and Living Space commissioned a local artist to create hand-carved wooden pixie stools to feature as public artworks. The development opened to the public in Autumn 2020 and all of the homes for sale were matched with buyers well ahead of the build schedule. Paul Breen, Managing Director of Living Space said: “Malvern Oaks is a shining example of how well mixed-tenure development can work. The proportion of the 51 homes which were purpose-designed for affordable rent, shared ownership and private sale is very equal. There has been very little new development in this traditional rural area of Herefordshire and so demand for each type of housing has been extremely high. From the outset, we worked alongside Stonewater to ensure this partnership scheme raised the bar in terms of quality – both for the newly built homes themselves and the landscaping and communal open space. “We have really enjoyed seeing the new residents move into their homes and are delighted to be able to mark the completion of this flagship development. We are now looking forward to several new partnership projects with Stonewater, which will have a strong eco focus.” Matt Crucefix, Director of Development (West and South) at Stonewater said: “We’re pleased that we were able to work in partnership with Living Space and to provide over and beyond the number of affordable homes required at this flagship development. “We’re committed to giving everyone the opportunity to live in a home that they are proud of and we recognise that this is especially challenging in rural areas where wages are low, but property prices – in villages such as Cradley – are high. Whilst Covid-19 created some delays for this project, it’s great to hand over these high-quality affordable homes in this scenic part of Herefordshire to the people who need them most.”
TO CELEBRATE UNESCO’s World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development, digital construction company Collida highlights strategic alliances with three major international companies, SWAPP, Epic Games and Target 3D, that are driving the company’s UK growth. Founded by construction giant Willmott Dixon, Collida aims to harness the very latest digital technology to provide access to a portfolio of in-house platforms that deliver construction projects that meet a variety of sustainable benchmarks including, in the case of new homes, Passivhaus. Tim Carey, chief product director at Collida, said: “World Engineering Day is a celebration of how international cooperation is essential for how we design and engineer spaces that meet the demands of people in the future. “Collida’s suite of digital platforms that deliver heightened levels of customisable design, procurement and AI-generated technology is only possible by working with the best companies. This network of international industry connections helps us give our customers and contractors access to the very best technologies from all over the world.” SWAPP – Design and planning you can rely on, delivered fast. Partnering with Tel Aviv-based SWAPP, which prides itself on ‘designing buildings with data driven speed’, provides the perfect mix of design, sustainability, and technology to offer an experience at efficiency levels unheard of within the industry. Collida says that together, they can create multiple options, undertake site and building-code analysis, and tailor the outputs – which include feasibility studies, construction documents and 3D renderings – to the customer’s needs. This can all happen with the click of a mouse – no specialist knowledge or additional software necessary. Eitan Tsfarti, CEO and co-founder of Swapp, said: “Swapp is excited to partner with Collida. We share a belief that technology can be harnessed to revolutionise how architecture is practiced in modern times. Swapp looks forward to helping Collida leverage AI and data to enable the automation and optimisation of processes across the architectural ecosystem.” Epic Games – Gaming industry levels of immersion coupled with architectural expertise. Collida wants to provide an experience that changes the way it communicates the complexities of a construction project – and how its customers view, review, customise, and approve choices. It says that this can only be achieved through industry leading real-time visualisations coupled with both the flexibility of an underlying engine coding and industry expertise. This is why it has collaborated with the US-based founder of popular game ‘Fortnite’, Epic Games, to use their Unreal Engine real-time 3D technology to create this new experience. Ken Pimentel, architecture industry manager at Epic Games, said: “Pushing the boundaries of what’s possible is something the Collida team has been eager to do. The idea that we can radically simplify the process of stakeholder and client engagement by delivering high-fidelity experiences to any browser or device pays dividends for everyone involved.” Target 3D – Research and development enabled through collaboration. Elsewhere, Collida has been exploring the potential of immersive virtual learning environments to support the industry and workplaces of the future. Working with Target3D at its Virtual Production Test Stage, Collida employees have taken part in a virtual Collida Living home to test design options at 1:1 scale to demonstrate the smart inner workings of its sustainable designs. Dan Munslow, immersive producer at Target3D, said: “Target3D is delighted to have worked with Willmott Dixon on the Collida project. At our Virtual Production Test Stage, we have tested multiple workflows with filmmakers using Virtual Production in a traditional sense but this project has pushed the boundaries further. Working with the Collida team and a model at a 1:1 scale we were able to composite engineers and trainers into the build in real time using games engine Virtual Production techniques. This research has led to creating a new approach to construction design presentation and training tools.” To find out more about how Collida is building back wiser, visit www.collida.com
Chubb, one of the UK’s leading telecare and telehealth solution providers, is pleased to announce an exciting and innovative partnership with Swedish cloud-based alarm management software provider, Skyresponse. This brand-new partnership, the first of its kind in the UK for Skyresponse, enables Chubb to launch Cloud Care Control, a true cloud-based, remote personal care alarm monitoring platform solution. Utilising Skyresponse’s alarm management platform and embracing the switch to the Next Generation Network (NGN) infrastructure, Cloud Care Control will provide fast and effective remote monitoring of personal alarms for end-users of public sector organisations, including councils, health and social care providers and housing associations. The new and future-proofed solution will provide instant help and care through monitoring and response to activated devices and equipment such as care alarms and associated peripherals. In turn, this will support Chubb Community Care’s vision for enabling vulnerable persons to remain as independent as possible, as well as remotely aid those patients in recovery, providing them with remote access to care. With an emphasis on open design and interoperability at its core, Cloud Care Control provides scalability in adding new services and products to suit customers specific service needs and enable to take full advantage of the benefits that a full digital solution will bring to service user support. Shaun Moscrop, General Manager for Chubb Community Care, said, “We’re delighted to have signed a partnership with Skyresponse to bring this pioneering life protecting service to the UK and Ireland. Through innovations in technology, remote care is now much more accessible for both the providers and end-users. We’re delighted to be leading the way in providing a solution that will protect people so they can live healthy and independent lives. Our new Cloud Care Control solution is further evidence that Chubb is now moving ahead of the curve when it comes to digitalisation and innovations in telecare, ultimately meaning better care for our end users.” Martin Reidevall, CEO at Skyresponse, said, “We are happy to be part of Chubb’s offering to UK and Ireland. This partnership is absolutely the right step for Skyresponse to fulfil our vision Improving lives in a connected world. We are by far the fastest growing platform for alarm management in the Nordics Elderly care market where our customers harvest the benefits of digitalisation. With this partnership we can now also change the UK and Irish market with a platform that already today can provide the benefits available once digitalisation have happened and that means the Chubb customers can provide better and more secure service to their end users.” Chubb’s Cloud Care Control service will be available from June 2022. For more information contact Marketing@chubb.co.uk
Momentum continues to build ahead of the UKREiiF event in May – and here is a brief overview of this key updates from the past week: Click for for more information… Greystar, Kajima Partnerships and Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council are some of the latest organisations to secure an exhibition space. Stanhope, Areli Real Estate, South Street Asset Management, D2N2 LEP, UK Science Park Association, Papa John’s and PD Ports added their name to the attendee list alongside many others. New event speakers include the Department for International Trade’s Deputy Director Gus Wiseman and Senior Advisor Lynn Mathieson, and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s Chief Executive Katherine Fairclough. Our first few fringe events have been added to the programme – many more are set to be revealed over the coming weeks. About the Annual UKREiiF Event – 17-19th May – Leeds City Centre – 5,000+ expected attendees – 250+ high level speakers over 14 different stages and pavilions – 100+ exhibitors – 50 fringe events across the city – Investment and city tours – UKREiiF Awards Dinner Investor and Developer Attendees Some of the investors and developers who have confirmed their involvement include: abrdn – Abu Dhabi Investment Authority – Adderstone Group – Addington Capital – Adventum Wealth – AEW – Aldermore – Alinda – Allianz – Allied London – Alpha Real Estate – Alvarium Investments – AMP Capital – Amundi – Apache Capital – Aprirose Real Estate – Apsley House Capital – Areli Real Estate – Ares – ASK Partners – Assetz Capital – Associated British Ports – Assura – Aventum Wealth – Aviva Investors – AXA Investment Management – Axeus Homes – Bank of America – Bank of London and The Middle East – Barclays – Barings – Baytree – BCEGI – BentallGreenOak – BioMed Realty – Blackbrook Capital – Blackstone – Blackfinch – BMO Real Estate Partners – Boundary Real Estate – Bouwinvest Real Estate – Bridges Fund Management – Brightbay Real Estate – British Land – Bruntwood SciTech – Brydell Partners – Caddick Group – Caisson Investment Management – CAPITAL&CENTRIC – Capital & Region – Canada Life – Castleforge Partners – Catalyst Capital – CB Collier – CBRE Global Investors – Citivale – City Developments – Cromwell Property Group – Crosstree Real Estate – Coalfield Regeneration Trust – Colmore Capital – Close Brothers – Colony Capital – Cordiant – Cortland – Countryside – Coutts – Cowell Group – Crystal Waters Global – Cycas Hospitality – Deka Investment – Deutsche Finance International – Deutsche Hypo NORD/LB Real Estate Finance – DZ Bank Group – Edmond de Rothschild – Ellandi – Esteema Capital Partners – Euroterra Capital – Evans Randall Investors – Evansis – Federated Hermes – Fidelity International – Fiera Real Estate – Firethorn Trust – First Base – Floreat – Fortwell Capital – Frasers Property – Fresh Thinking Capital – G15 – Galliford Try Investments – Gatehouse Bank – GBB – Glenbrook Property – GLIL Infrastructure – Global Mutual – Grainger Plc – Greater Manchester Pension Fund – Green Future Partnerships – Gresham House – Greystar – GRIT Real Estate – Harrison Street – Harworth Group – HBD – Heimstaden – Hines – Hope Capital – Horizon Cremation – HS Credit – HSBC – Hudson Advisors – Igloo Investments – IKEA – Impact Healthcare REIT – Ingenious Group – Invesco Real Estate – Investec – IO – Kajima Partnerships – Korea Development Bank – Korea Investment Corporation – Kuwait Investment Authority – L&Q – LaSalle Investment Management – Legal & General – Lendlease – Life Science REIT – Lifegate Capital – Lloyds Banking Group – Local Pensions Partnership Investments – Logicor – London & Scottish Property Investment Management – London CIV – London Legacy Development Corporation – Lone Star Funds – LXi REIT – M7 Real Estate – M&G Real Estate – Madison International Realty – Mapletree – Mactaggart and Family Partners – MAN Group – Masthaven – Maya Capital – Mayfair Capital – MBU Capital – MCM Investments – MEPC – Metro Bank – Metropolitan Thames Valley – MODA Living – Moorfield Group – Morgan Stanley – Mubadala Investment Company – Mutual Capital – Naila Investment – New River REIT – Next – Nine Group – Northumberland Estates – Northwood Investors – NREP – Nuveen – OakNorth Bank – Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation – Oxford Properties – Palace Capital – PATRIZIA – Pension Insurance Corporation – PfP Capital – PGIM Real Estate – Pheonix Group – Pigeon Investment Management – PIMCO – Placefirst – Places for People – Platform Housing – Pradera – Prescient Data Centres – Prestbury Investments Holdings – Prideview Group – Prologis – Property Alliance Group – Puma Investments – Qatar Investment Company – QuadReal Property Group – Queensberry – Quintain – Regal London – Resonance – RevCap – RivingtonHark – Roma Finance – Round Hill Capital – Royal House of Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Royal Family – Royal House of Saud, Saudi Royal Family – rsbgi – Sanctuary Group – Santander – Savills Investment Management – Scarborough Group International – Schroders – Scottish National Investment Bank – Secure Income REIT – Seaforth Leand – SEGRO – Serenity Parks – Shelborn Asset Management – Silbury Finance – Smart Parc – Social Housing REIT – Socius – South Street Asset Management – St Modwen – Stafford Capital Partners – Stanhope – Stenprop – Sterling Capital – Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation – Supermarket Income REIT – Swiss Life Asset Managers – Taylor Wimpey – TCN UK – Telereal Trillium – Tesco Pensions Investment – Thackeray Estates – The Hanro Group – The Valesco Group – Thirteen Group – Thompson Taraz – TOWN – Triple Point – Tritax Symmetry – Tyrus Capital – UK Infrastructure Bank – UK Land Estates – Unite Students – Union Investment Group – Union Property Services – United Trust Bank – Urban Development Partnerships – Urban Logistics REIT – Vengrove – Victoria Harbour Group – Virgin Money – Warehouse REIT – Waterfront Concepts – Yondr Group – Zorin Finance Public Sector Attendees And we have an array of public sector attendees and supporters including local authorities, Government departments and combined authorities… Belfast City Council – Birmingham City Council – Bristol
With the number of new construction schemes started across Birmingham City Centre almost doubling in 2021[1], the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are sending inspectors out to sites to ensure firms are complying with health and safety regulations, it announced today (Thursday 3 March). As the city prepares to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games in just 140 days’ time, the HSE has noted increased development across the city potentially raising risks for both workers and the public. Sarah Hill, one of the HSE inspectors leading the campaign, commented: “With a high volume of construction sites in the busy city centre, there is inevitably more potential for incidents which can result in life-changing injuries or worse and working environments which can pose respiratory risks and are hazardous to workers’ health and well-being. This week, HSE colleagues and I will be visiting sites across the city to check that employers are managing risk and keeping workers and the public safe. The fatal injury rate in the construction sector is around four times the all-industry rate, while over 3,500 builders die each year from cancers related to their work, so this is reminder to employers that there is no room for complacency or non-compliance.” During a visit, inspectors look to see how companies keep their workers, and anyone affected by the work they do, healthy and safe. In the event that an employer is breaking the law, an inspector may deploy a range of measures such as issuing an improvement notice which allows a minimum of 21 days for the issue to put right or, in the case of the most serious breaches, prosecution. Sarah Hill added: “The majority of work-related illness, injuries and fatalities are wholly avoidable if those responsible for the welfare of their workers follow health and safety guidance and regulation. Construction is a high risk industry, but those that work in it are as entitled as everyone else to go home safe and well at the end of the day.” Health and safety statistics for the construction industry across the UK: 39 fatal injuries to workers in 2020/21 74,000 workers suffering work-related ill health (average over 2018/19-2020/21) 61,000 non-fatal injuries (averaged over 2018/19-2020/21) Four fatalities amongst members of the public.[2]
Scotland’s largest net zero housing development will see 444 new homes built after Councillors in Edinburgh agreed a new £71 million contract. Part of the City of Edinburgh Council’s major £1.3 billion regeneration of Granton Waterfront, the Western Villages project will be taken forward by CCG (Scotland) Ltd following a competitive tender process. On track to begin construction in mid-2022, Western Villages will offer a mix of one, two- and three-bedroom flats with wheelchair accessible homes and a range of tenure options including social, mid-market rent and homes for sale. The masterplan for the area will take account of the sea views and the nearby parkland, and will focus on active travel, electric car charging points, car club spaces and public transport links. The decision was taken by the Finance and Resources Committee on Thursday (3 March). The City of Edinburgh Council Depute Leader, Cammy Day, said: “Particularly on the back of COP26 and our own 2030 Climate Strategy, approving this contract gives us certainty that that we’ll be able to deliver this major aspect of the Council’s £1.3 billion Granton Waterfront regeneration. Housing will be integral in meeting our net zero ambitions by 2030 and Western Villages will be a gold-standard for other new development across the city. “The wider regeneration project will also create one of Europe’s largest coastal city parks, providing opportunities for residents and visitors to reconnect with the city’s waterfront by offering more areas for leisure and outdoor experiences, civic spaces and sustainable housing.” Convener for the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work committee, Councillor Kate Campbell, said: “The decision by Finance and Resources Committee is great news and will help us deliver this development, which will help us accelerate the delivery of affordable homes. Granton’s regeneration is a key part of our commitment to build 20,000 social and affordable homes by 2027. “The steps we’re taking now to make homes more sustainable will make homes easier and cheaper to heat, which helps us to tackle climate change. But it’s also crucial for tenants, reducing fuel bills at a time where the cost of living crisis is pushing too many people in poverty.” Partnering with CCG (Scotland) and architect Cooper Cromar in the creation of the new housing, the Council is also adopting CCG’s new Net Zero Home housebuilding standard for this build which will support its ambition of achieving net zero by 2030. This standard brings improved insulation, low carbon heating and renewable technology that will help the Council make big strides in building sustainable housing for its residents. Over the next 15 years, 3,500 net-zero carbon homes, a low energy heat network, a primary school, health centre, commercial and cultural spaces, sustainable transport provision and a new coastal park are all planned to be delivered in Granton Waterfront alongside progress underway in growing a cultural and arts cluster.
The City of Edinburgh Council-led regeneration of Meadowbank has reached another major milestone this week as Councillors agreed to appoint a development partner for the next stage of the project at the Finance and Resources Committee today (3 March 2022). Following a competitive procurement process the £1.045million contract will be awarded to the Edinburgh Meadowbank Group, to be referred to as EDMB, a consortium comprising of John Graham Holdings, Panacea Property Development and Miller Homes. They will progress design and pre-construction works by early 2023 ahead of the start of construction work on site. The ambition for the development of Meadowbank is to create one of the Capital’s greenest neighbourhoods by incorporating low-car, low-carbon infrastructure with energy efficient homes. The regeneration will deliver around 600 new mixed tenure homes for sale and rent, at least 35% of which will be affordable with a number being fully wheelchair adapted. Positioned on the site adjacent to the new Meadowbank Sports Centre off London Road, it will also include space for a range of commercial and community uses on the ground floor including the proposed location for a GP Surgery. High quality pubic realm and landscaping, focusing on the industrial and sporting heritage will provide new active travel routes through to Restalrig, while protecting and enhancing the existing trees and environment. During the pre-development period, work will be carried out to prepare for construction, including developing detailed designs and agreeing a net zero carbon energy solution for the site, contributing to the Council’s ambitious target to reach net-zero emissions by 2030. The Meadowbank masterplan for the site was approved in October 2020 following an extensive programme of community consultation. Regular engagement on proposals for the site has continued with the Meadowbank Sounding Board – a group consisting of local representatives, councillors, and council officers – which continues to review progress and ensure the site continues to best meet the community’s and council’s priorities. A wide range of community benefits and fair work proposals will also be delivered. These will include seven new apprenticeship positions and fourteen new job opportunities; site visits for local schools over the course of the development; employability support events; community enhancement projects, including donations of up to £100,000 to community groups; and all employees and sub-contractors will be paid the Real Living Wage. Councillor Rob Munn, Finance and Resource Convener, said: Strong and extensive scrutiny has gone into this procurement process to get us to this point. We’ve discussed this at committee today and agree that we have a pre-development partner in place that shares our vision while also offering us best value. We now want to deliver more affordable housing and space for retail businesses, while we hope to provide a much-needed GP surgery provision to benefit everyone within the local community. It’s great that these homes are located a short distance from the city centre and will be both cost effective to heat alongside some that will be wheelchair accessible. With the Meadowbank masterplan also having been awarded a ‘Building with Nature’ accreditation we know that development will be setting standards for sustainable design, implementation and maintenance of high-quality green features so I look forward to seeing the results of this stage of the development and what EDMB can bring to that. Councillor Joan Griffiths, Vice Convener, said: Seeing another stage of our masterplan getting closer to becoming a reality is very exciting, especially as it will provide so many homes for the city, contributing to our ambition to deliver 20,000 affordable homes by 2027. This development and wider neighbourhood, shaped by the local community, will bring a great regenerative feel to this area of the city. While, through the community benefits programme we have agreed as part of this contract, we also hope to bring new jobs and training opportunities for local people, offer opportunities for local school leavers and children to be part of the vision for Meadowbank. www.edinburgh.gov.uk/meadowbank
J Tomlinson’s compassionate approach has been recognised on a national level after the company was announced Social Responsibility Company of the year at the recent National Energy Efficiency Awards. The coveted accolade, which marks the company’s fourth national award to date, was presented at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole on Friday 18 February, with over 650 professionals working in the energy efficiency sector in attendance. Nine companies were shortlisted for the title, with J Tomlinson announced as the winner following a comprehensive judging process in which all nominees were assessed on the impact they have had within their local communities. The building, maintenance, energy and refurbishment specialist, was commended for its targeted and far-reaching approach to social responsibility, spanning key areas such as employment, emotional and physical wellbeing, skills-building, decarbonisation, boosting local economies, and promoting affordable warmth. Some of the comments from the judging panel included: “[J Tomlinson], through its application process, demonstrated a commitment to deliver a level of responsibility across the business, its customers and environments that it operates. This would appear to be a company that has pride in its position, a considered delivery of social responsibility and measured interactions that support all around the business.” “A very impressive broad range of support and dedication to education and local employment, charity donations and volunteering whilst also demonstrating care for their own staff and sub-contractors.” The company also took home third place in the National Renewable Heat Installer and Multi-Measure Project of the Year categories – the latter in recognition of the highly sustainable refurbishment and restoration of Ilkeston’s Toll Bar House building, which is not only forecast to reduce carbon emissions by 13 tonnes per annum, but also to create over 90 jobs in the local area. Mark Davis, chief executive at J Tomlinson, commented: “On behalf of the entire team at J Tomlinson, we are extremely proud to have been recognised for our commitment to enhancing the lives of the individuals and communities we work with every single day. “I have always been a very firm believer in the power of excellent partnerships, and I am all-too-aware that the impact we have collectively had would not have been nearly as significant or far-reaching if it was not for the strong relationships we have with our clients – all of which are built upon striving to achieve and exceed shared goals. For this reason, I would like to take the opportunity to thank all our clients and our people for playing such a vital role in transforming lives in line with our One Team ethos. This award is for you.” J Tomlinson has experienced a consistent string of success at previous regional and national energy efficiency awards ceremonies, including winning Renewable Heating Project of the Year following a ground source heat pump project that is saving residents 40% on their heating bills and providing client Bromford with over £570k worth of RHI and ECO funding.
With Power over Ethernet (PoE), terminal equipment can be supplied with power directly via the Ethernet cable – now even powerful terminal equipment with up to 90 W, such as smart displays, intelligent PoE lights and actuators. R&M, the globally active developer and provider of cabling systems for high-quality network infrastructures, based in Wetzikon, Switzerland, provides information about new and simpler methods of PoE planning for building installation in an expert interview. Correctly planning cable installation in a smart building With Power over Ethernet (PoE), terminal equipment can be supplied with power directly via the Ethernet cable – now even powerful terminal equipment with up to 90 W, such as smart displays, intelligent PoE lights and actuators. This is why such systems are being used more and more frequently in building installations. With the introduction of remote power categories, PoE support is now also regulated for generic building cabling. However, in practice, the table-based interpretation of the installation standards turns out to be a complex task for planners. Matthias Gerber from R&M explains the problem – and the solution. Matthias Gerber, following an increase in the number of PoE devices on the market, more and more building operators and planners are focusing on the topic, and initial experiences with large-scale PoE installations are now also available. But the standards seem complicated and the feedback from the market is not always positive. Is the connection with PoE cables really so complicated or what is the problem? Gerber: «The problem is more in the way they are installed, not in the cables themselves. However, the two aspects are closely related. The EN 50174-2 standard for Europe and the ISO/IEC 14763-2 standard worldwide have been published since 2015 and describe the planning and installation of universal cabling systems. EN-50173 and ISO/IEC 11801, on the other hand, describe the specification of the individual cabling links. The installation standards build on the cabling standards and describe how cabling has to be installed in buildings. PoE end devices are now being used more and more frequently, and the growth in sensors and drives is exponential. This is why more and more building operators and planners are addressing the issue and are realizing that it is highly complex. In addition, the performance of PoE applications is constantly increasing: Today we have reached 4PPoE with 90 W. To take this increasing performance into account, the remote power categories RP 1 to 3 (Remote Power Category) were introduced to the standards two years ago. But that made the topic even more complex.» Are these standards mandatory? Gerber: «A standard is not mandatory per se; it reflects the state of the art. But most tenders for the installation of universal building cabling are based on these standards. In other words, the planner has to take this into account.» And what do these RP categories mean, why did they make the issue so complex? Gerber: «Initially, the power transfer of PoE was 13 W. Since 2018, 4PPoE has been able to transfer up to 90 W. However, where more current is flowing, the resistance generates more heat. That is why the remote power categories (RP1 – RP3) were introduced in 2020 to ensure the long-term reliable operation of the building installation even at higher currents. For RP1, up to an average of 212 mA are permitted and no special planning measures are required. But during operation, it must be ensured that the average current does not exceed the permitted limit. With 4PPoE devices, however, the supply current in a cable can be up to 500 mA. If a 4PPoE device is connected, in other cables of this installation bundle no PoE devices can be connected in order to compensate for the increased current. The standard therefore stipulates that appropriate warning signs must be attached to RP1 and RP2 installations. Before another PoE device is connected, compliance with the maximum permissible current must always be checked. RP1 and RP2 are easy when it comes to planning an installation, but it is very time-consuming for the building administrator in operation.» Is that different with remote power category 3? Gerber: «With RP3, the cabling is already configured during the planning phase so that all cables can transfer the maximum PoE current at the same time. This makes planning time-consuming, but during operation it makes the plant very reliable, as no further measures are required. For the operator, this is thus the preferred state of cabling – and the EN standard therefore recommends compliance with the RP3 category. It is even prescribed by the ISO/IEC standard. However, the challenge for the planner now is that with RP3 cabling, care has to be taken to ensure that the attenuation budget for data transmission is always adhered to even at increased temperatures and that the maximum permissible temperature in the cable is not exceeded. This is achieved by adjusting the link lengths depending on the ambient conditions of the installation. The installation standards offer tables for this purpose that show the temperature increase.» But the planning and correct design of an RP3 installation does not seem to be that easy with these tables? Gerber: «That’s the problem. In order to reduce the complexity of the tables and keep the number of tables manageable, considerable simplifications have been introduced. The consequence of this is that it has become very difficult to find the right parameters. What’s more, the conditions along a cable are not always the same. The standards require the temperature increases in the various sections to be determined individually and then averaged using a complex weighting procedure. The maximum permissible cabling length can then be taken from another table using this average temperature.» That does sound very complicated, mistakes must be almost inevitable. Couldn’t it be made easier? Gerber: «Yes – R&M developed a PoE Calculator back in 2015 and has now expanded it to include functionalities for the new RP categories. The PoE Calculator offers building operators and planners several benefits: First of all,
Biggest win to date for expanding business unit specialising in refurbishment/fit-out and ‘cut and carve’ works. Glencar, a construction company that was recently ranked amongst Europe’s fastest growing businesses, has announced the award of a £12M fit out project instruction from global ready to assemble furniture, kitchen appliances and housewares company Ikea. The project will see Glencar undertake extensive racking, sprinkler and office fit-out works within Ikea’s giant new 450,000 sq ft distribution centre recently completed located at the former Littlebrook Power Station site on the south bank of the River Thames in London. The works will also include the construction of a new additional storage unit in the service yard together with the installation of a security gatehouse, vehicle ramps and fencing adaptions. Talking about the contract award and rapid expansion of this specialist division, Neil Johnstone Commercial Manager Glencar Special Projects Division said: “The new ‘Special Projects’ division was established to service the fit-out and refurbishment needs of Glencar’s existing industrial client base as well as offering the same high level of service to other market sectors. This approach has proven successful to date, having secured a number of projects in other market sectors and establishing relationships with new clients who have not worked with Glencar previously. The award of this significant contract from Ikea on their recently completed massive new 450,000 sq ft Dartford regional distribution centre is a significant testament to that as we continue to offer our customers an end-to-end service offering. We are delighted to be working with Ikea for the first time and supporting the growth of their business across London and the South East”