PSBJ April 2021

Public Sector Build Journal April 2021

Healthcare

Education

Leisure

psbjmagazine.com

Issue 104

INTEGRATED PRIMARY HEALTH AND CARE FACILITIES – a new prescription for place-based healthcare delivery, demonstrated by Woodside Health and Care Centre

Housing

A closer look at the role of flat roofs within education buildings

How to prepare for possible material shortages and delays

The importance of mitigating flood risk in urban environments

Complete door systems that improve safety and reduce risk.

Seclusion

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NEW

WELCOME NOTE

Editor

Hannah Woodger

hannah@crossplatformmedia.co.uk

Rebecca Kemp

rebecca@crossplatformmedia.co.uk

Print & Digital Advertising Sam Ball

sam@crossplatformmedia.co.uk

Jim Moore

jim@crossplatformmedia.co.uk

Print Design Manager Jack Witcomb

jack@crossplatformmedia.co.uk

Digital Design Manager

Delivered by Morgan Sindall Construction, Glasgow’s Woodside Health and Care Centre is a perfect example of an integrated multidisciplinary facility. See page 14.

Matt Morse

matt@crossplatformmedia.co.uk

Accounts

Rachel Pike

rachel@crossplatformmedia.co.uk

Sales Support & Administrator

Klare Porter

Welcome to the April issue of PSBJ...

In the months leading up to the arrival of COVID-19 into Britain, our country’s news headlines spoke of the devastating effects of flooding across northern England, where many houses were left severely damaged, and hundreds of people were forced to evacuate their homes during Christmas and in the weeks that followed. The footage was a stark reminder of the dangers of flooding and brought to light the importance of preventative measures to keep our communities safe.

klare@crossplatformmedia.co.uk As we head into the season that brings with it the so-called ‘April showers’, this month’s edition timely discusses some of the pressing issues relating to flood management and drainage in urban environments.

Publisher Sam Ball

sam@crossplatformmedia.co.uk Published by

Cross Platform Media Ltd.

Barham Court, Teston, Maidstone, Kent, ME18 5BZ psbjmagazine.com 01622 232725 crossplatformmedia.co.uk

In response to the pressures to build more homes, we’re finding that many councils are forced to build on higher risk flood plains, due to the lack of availability in safer areas, and with that comes the need for multi-stakeholder involvement and collaboration to ensure everyone is adopting the same strategy and following the same guidance to mitigate flood risk.

On page 18, we hear from Hydro International’s Ben Puddy, who discusses some of the guidelines and regulations, and sheds light on the technology and systems utilised in urban environments today. Meanwhile, on page 32, we speak to Marshalls which has, through a study, managed to dispel a common myth around sustainable drainage systems, responding to the frequently-asked question, does permeable paving get blocked up, compromising its effectiveness and longevity as a system?

Elsewhere in April’s edition, Nittan reveals four things you may not have known about multi-sensor fire alarms, Morgan Sindall unveils Glasgow’s Woodside Health and Care Centre and Womble Bond Dickinson discusses how to prepare for possible material shortages and delays brought about by COVID-19 and Brexit.

PSBJ is a proud supporter of the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists.

Contributions are invited and when not accepted will be returned only if accompanied by a fully stamped and return addressed envelope. No responsibility will be taken for drawings, photographs or literary contributions during transmission or in the editor's hands. In the absence of an agreement the copyright of all contributions, literary, photographics or artistic belongs to Cross Platform Media Ltd. The Publisher accepts no responsibility in respect of advertisements appearing in the magazine and the opinions expressed in editorial material or otherwise do not necessarily represent the view of the publisher. The Publisher does not accept any liability of any loss arising from the late appearance or non publication of any advertisement.

I hope you enjoy this issue. Don’t forget, you can also access all of the magazine’s features, product news and supplier information on PSBJ’s user-friendly and engaging website. Fully responsive, the website allows you to read all the latest stories on-the-go either on your phone or tablet. Simply visit www.psbjmagazine.com.

Hannah

Hannah Woodger • Editor • hannah@crossplatformmedia.co.uk Find us on Social Media:      @psbjmagazine

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CONTENTS

06 News

A round up of the latest industry news, including charity events, awarded contracts, completed projects and much more.

08 Upfront

Adam Cossey, Partner and Civic, Community & Culture Sector Lead at Hawkins\Brown, explores the rediscovery of town halls.

12 Leisure

Matt Hare, Partner at Carter Jonas Cambridge, discusses the publication of Gear Change concerning the increase in cycle paths on new developments.

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14 Healthcare

18 Flood Management

22 Legal & Business

16 Housing

20 Fire Safety

24 Education

Morgan Sindall Construction has just completed an award-winning, integrated multi-disciplinary campus healthcare centre near Glasgow.

The housing team at law firm Winckworth Sherwood reflects on six issues that social housing providers will need to consider in the year ahead.

Ben Puddy, Regional Technical Manager at Hydro International, discusses the importance of mitigating flood risk in urban environments.

Barry Sargent, Product Support Manager at Nittan, looks at four aspects of multisensor fire detectors that you may not have considered before.

Dr Stuart Kings of Sypro discusses three options within NEC4 that could provide huge amounts of added benefit for clients and delivery partners alike.

Conlon Construction overcomes a raft of COVID challenges to deliver SEN facility, The Orchard’s School, four weeks ahead of schedule.

Specifying a CFA member for your next flooring project could mean the difference between success — or a flooring failure. Most of the UK’s largest and best known Manufacturers, Distributors, Contractors and Consultants are CFA members, and for good reason.

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CONTENTS

18

14

16

26 Talking Point

Womble Bond Dickinson offers some key guidance on how to prepare for possible shortages and delays of building materials caused by the pandemic and Brexit.

28 Anti-Ligature Solutions

Phil Barsby of Intastop comments on the work being done by private companies to ensure the highest standards are achieved and the mental health sector is supported.

30 Technical Focus

ROCKWOOL UK looks at the role of the flat roof within education buildings and how best to mitigate fire risks associated with these.

32 Drainage & Landscaping

A new study by Marshalls helps to dispel a common myth surrounding sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS) – does permeable block paving get blocked up?

24 34 Product Showcase

A dedicated focus of industry news, products and case studies to help specifiers and local authorities make informed decisions.

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05

NEWS

INDUSTRY UPDATES Each month PSBJ rounds up the latest public sector construction updates, from new contracts to industry awards.

Pagabo launches digital platform to revolutionise procurement Planning in for landmark Nottingham building Proposals to transform the former Radford Boulevard Board School building in Nottingham that has fallen into disrepair into high-quality, purpose-built student accommodation have been submitted by a joint venture between Bmor, BITG and Sam Burt. The structure was originally built in the late 19th century and has been vacant for several years. There will be extensive repairs undertaken to the facade and interior, and newer 20th-century buildings will be demolished in favour of new structures that are more in keeping with the original style. As a result, the plans propose 158 student beds, distributed across three buildings – including the existing former school, the new-build extension and the gate house. It will also include a number of communal facilities, reception office and shared courtyard garden.

James O’Brien, Head of Planning at Bmor, said: “We are thrilled to have submitted planning for this exciting redevelopment of one of Nottingham’s landmark buildings. It seems fitting that the building has been used as a school for many years and will hopefully become home to students coming to the city.”

New unit handover at Wigan infirmary A state-of-the-art healthcare facility has been officially handed over at the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary in Wigan.

The £7.6m Community Assessment Unit will deliver a new type of healthcare and is designed to help reduce emergency admissions. It will also ensure older patients can return home more quickly and with an appropriate care plan in place. The handover marks the completion of the project delivered by Shrewsbury-based firm Darwin Group, a specialist in offsite construction. Despite the considerable operational challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) has continued to work on this innovative project which will be managed by the trust’s community services division, supported by health partners across the borough. This major investment will see the introduction of 21 new community beds, including nine single rooms, with a further six assessment chairs. Silas Nicholls, Chief Executive of WWL, said: “The handover is an important milestone for the project to deliver what will be a vital component in our ability to provide the right care, in the right place, at the right time.”

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National framework provider Pagabo has launched its central procurement technology platform, which places everything at the fingertips of its users. It gives clients and suppliers access to a fully integrated procurement process through intelligent dashboards that provide real insights into projects, suppliers, social value and all the relevant information they need. ‘My Pagabo’ simplifies the full tender process, allowing clients to track projects from initial engagement, right through to completion. The new platform is designed specifically to create a smarter, faster and easier way of working for everyone involved, and has seen the team dedicate more than 6000 hours of time into the development. Julian Penna, Business Analyst at Pagabo, said: “After pouring quite literally thousands of hours into the development of My Pagabo to ensure we have created the most effective procurement technology possible, we’re thrilled to be fully launching the platform. The key thing for My Pagabo is providing a simple and central process, combined with instant access to all the information users need within a central platform. It brings procurement into the future through the use of digital and will allow clients to manage their complete procurement processes – including all correspondence – in a central location.”

Works underway on £3.7m expansion of Coventry secondary school Midlands contractor G F Tomlinson is progressing with multimillion expansion works at Cardinal Newman Catholic School in Coventry, for Coventry City Council. The project involves the construction of a new dining hall and the refurbishment of existing buildings for optimised teaching spaces, which will allow for an additional 200 places at the school, in line with a Government drive to provide extra student spaces in Coventry.

Procured through Pagabo’s National Framework for Medium Works, this is the first scheme G F Tomlinson has been awarded through the framework in its allocated region, which covers projects between the value of £1m to £5m in the West Midlands.

Expected for completion in summer 2021, the scheme involves the recently-completed refurbishment of the DaVinci Building – including science rooms fitted with new laboratory furniture, a technology room, storage rooms and the relocation of the IT technician’s office to an adjacent space. Andy Sewards, Managing Director of G F Tomlinson, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with this framework partner and Coventry City Council to deliver the expansion works and essential refurbishment for the school, and cater to the Government’s vision of providing extra student spaces in the city.”

NEWS

Works start on key SEND schools in Lincolnshire as investment continues Four special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) schools in Lincolnshire are set to be expanded as part of Lincolnshire County Council’s £86m investment programme to improve and develop special schools across the county, landscape architect Influence has announced. Working alongside contractor Willmott Dixon, Newarkbased Influence is providing landscape design services to Willoughby School in Bourne, Eresby School in Spilsby, St Bernard’s School in Louth and The Priory School in Spalding. The council’s investment strategy seeks to create an extra 500 SEND school spaces across the county, to meet the increasing demand and to combat families having to make long journeys to school. Nick Heath, Director of Delivery at Willmott Dixon, said: “At Willmott Dixon, we pride ourselves on leaving a legacy in the local communities we work among; therefore, we are delighted to be working in collaboration with Influence to help Lincolnshire County Council establish a school system that provides education that is accessible to all who need it.”

Stepnell secures multiple major framework wins Complete construction partner Stepnell has recently secured its spot on two new construction frameworks – the Public Sector Construction Works Framework, managed by NHS Shared Business Services, and Procure Partnerships Framework. The frameworks, which both offer Stepnell the opportunity to win work across the UK, will help to boost its ever-growing portfolio of public sector projects. Stepnell has been appointed to the Public Sector Construction Works East Midlands, West Midlands, South West and South East Framework regions, for public sector and healthcare projects in two lots – up to £2.5m and £2.5m to £5m. It is now also on Procure Partnerships East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, South East and South West Frameworks for both its £1m to £4m and £4m to £12m lots. Richard Wakeford, Director at Stepnell, said: “By joining these frameworks and expanding our portfolio of public sector work, we’re not only positioning ourselves as a leading contractor in the construction sector, but we’re also helping the UK to get back on its feet by pushing forward with important regeneration and development projects – many of which will be expanding on facilities for the NHS, which has been at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19.”

Sir Robert McAlpine appointed on £72.6m upgrade Pick Everard lands key of mental health services Scottish framework award

Sir Robert McAlpine has been selected as the design and construction delivery partner on the £72.6m CEDAR (Care Environment Development and Re-provision) upgrade programme for the Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW).

The CEDAR programme includes: Northgate – the creation of a new integrated mental health and learning disability medium-secure centre of excellence at Northgate Hospital, Morpeth; Ferndene – the reconfiguration of the award-winning children and young people’s mental health and learning disability Ferndene Unit at Prudhoe; and Bamburgh – the reconfiguration and re-provision of mental health adult acute inpatient services for Newcastle and Gateshead at St Nicholas Hospital’s Bamburgh Unit in Gosforth. Stuart McArthur, Healthcare Sector Lead at Sir Robert McAlpine, commented: “We are delighted to be the design and construction delivery partner on these great projects, which demonstrate the strength of our relationship with CNTW NHS Foundation Trust. Working with an outstanding team of specialists, we look forward to delivering facilities that will support healthcare excellence for the benefit and welfare of all service users.”

Leading independent property, construction and infrastructure consultancy, Pick Everard, has continued a stream of framework wins, being appointed to Scotland Excel’s engineering and technical consultancy framework. Scotland Excel is a leading non-profit shared service funded by Scotland’s 32 local authorities and is the centre of procurement expertise for the local Government sector.

The engineering and technical consultancy framework, which has an estimated value of £72.5m, will provide local authorities and the wider public sector access to approved consultants for a range of professional services. Pick Everard’s successful award sees the firm appointed to Lot 9 to provide project and commercial management.

Euan Matheson, Regional Director for Scotland at Pick Everard, said: “This is a significant framework award for our Scottish offices, with Scotland Excel being a key and central organisation for public sector procurement. We are really pleased to have been selected as a core supplier for the framework, allowing us to further expand our gold-standard service to the public sector across Scotland.”

07

UPFRONT

Waltham Forest Town Hall

REPURPOSING TOWN HALLS Local authorities are no strangers to changing circumstances and that change is made apparent when we look at town hall buildings, whose fortunes track those of the institution of local Government. Adam Cossey, Partner and Civic, Community & Culture Sector Lead at Hawkins\Brown, explains more. of the UK’s town M any halls come from the

Hackney Town Hall. Image ©Siobhan Doran.

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second half of the 19th or the first half of the 20th century, an era of municipal might when town halls sat at the epicentre of everything a local council did. But times change, and local Government with them.

By the 2000s, the notion of the ‘town hall’ as a definitive entity was diminished, with a range of other buildings being used by councils to host offices, amenities and services.

Further changes in fortune in more recent times have again seen councils re-evaluate their estate requirements.

While most are reducing their footprint in response to cuts in central Government funding, in some examples this has led to a rediscovery of town halls.

So, what does the town hall of today tell us about the state

of local Government? There’s no question that local Government is leaner than it was. Thankfully, it’s also brimming with ideas about how best to provide its core services and facilities.

Across the country, innovative and committed council leaders are responding to change by focusing on new challenges and concluding that – as they adjust to new pressures – they need to refresh their welcome to the public.

Via a series of refurbishments and improvements, town halls are reclaiming their place at the heart of the communities they serve. These historic, civic buildings are demonstrating their robust flexibility and allowing councils to consolidate activities and amenities under one roof, creating new spaces to encounter with the public in the process.

UPFRONT

More than conservation At Hawkins\Brown, we have been part of this trend, working with local authorities to repurpose their town halls to provide better working conditions for staff and improved facilities for the public on a tighter footprint that reinvigorates the civic heart of town centres.

Our involvement in this repurposing activity goes back almost two decades.

During our 12-year project to renovate Hackney Town Hall, we collaborated with Hackney Council, English Heritage and the Hackney Conservation Department to refurbish the building in phases while it remained largely in use.

Hackney had gone through the process of building a new service centre to simplify the provision of council services to the public, rationalising its estate into this new building and the existing town hall and civic suite.

While it was showing the wear that comes from years of use, the town hall was in a remarkable state of preservation: its Art Deco interior recognised as exceptionally unaltered when the building was listed at Grade II in 1991.

We worked with a team of local craftspeople, including the same family firm of upholsterers that had completed the original fitout in 1937, to renovate the interiors.

But Hackney needed more than a museum, so we combined this painstaking approach to conservation with the provision of modern workspaces on the upper floors and a new suite of civic facilities for the public on the lower floors. At the heart of this new plan, the building’s two lightwells were covered over with new ETFE roofs to create bright, airy courtyards capable of hosting public events and providing overspill space for the twin rooms of the marriage suite.

The flow of people through the public areas has been carefully considered to allow multiple events and day-today activities to take place simultaneously.

Hackney demonstrated to us that the key to unlocking the potential of these schemes is a commitment to returning civic buildings to the communities they serve. The provision of such social infrastructure, which after home and work is known as ‘the third place’, is needed now as never before.

Waltham Forest Town Hall

Waltham Forest Town Hall

Careful planning The physical location of a town hall complex has huge influence on the opportunities for repurposing it. Three of the larger town halls we are currently working on – Wandsworth, Waltham Forest and Romford – are set in a campus environment, which creates the opportunity for the intensification of uses on site. In these cases, a civic masterplan looks at the estate beyond the town hall to provide a strategic framework for a wider development that supports the

objectives of the town hall, and the town hall provides a focal point for the community.

In the case of Waltham Forest, we have created a welcoming civic square in front of the building, flanked by new-build housing to create a neighbourhood anchored by a new community destination.

Fellowship Square will provide high-quality landscape with a ‘dry’ fountain that can be switched off so that the square can be reprogrammed to host events like a skating rink or food market. 

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UPFRONT

All images: Wandsworth Town Hall interior sketches

“Many town hall buildings are wellbuilt, robust buildings that provide a good basis for renovation, but each comes with unique challenges in terms of delivering the standard of energy performance and comfort that we expect from modern buildings.”

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Many town hall buildings are well-built, robust buildings that provide a good basis for renovation, but each comes with unique challenges in terms of delivering the standard of energy performance and comfort that we expect from modern buildings.

We approach projects by creating mock-ups of the typical spaces we’re planning in order to understand things such as the building’s ventilation requirements and the structural demands we might face early on in the life of a scheme. This helps us better understand both the physical and aesthetic impact of the work we’re proposing and gives us an opportunity to anticipate challenges on site.

Repurposing creates a series of construction challenges that is unique to each project. Achieving the thermal performance and servicing we’ve come to expect from new buildings is a particular challenge in a listed building context and something that we’ve honed our approach to over the course of many projects.

UPFRONT

Transformation

Flexibility and challenges One of the main changes we see in the way councils operate their workspace is the rise of flexible working. Operating offices at higher occupation ratios with an increase in hotdesking is a characteristic that has come to councils from the private sector and we’re able to call on Hawkins\Brown’s experience in commercial office design to provide councils with the latest thinking on workspace.

One feature that will form an element of many town halls is neighbourhood working where, instead of allocated desks, each department will occupy a defined area within an open-plan environment – this way of working fosters collaborative working between teams and allows flexible allocation of staff when working groups are established across departments.

At Wandsworth, a reduction in the council’s workspace requirement has resulted in a surplus of space within the town hall.

This intersects with the current trend for flexible working allowing us to repurpose this area as co-working space which will become available to members of the public. This flexible solution will keep the space available to the council should future requirements change. It deploys this flexibility in a way that is beneficial to the public, allowing local residents to access professional facilities to support local working, which is something we expect to be accelerated as the economy recovers from COVID lockdowns.

Meeting the demand for flexible space is not without its challenges. Fortunately, the spaces involved in the town halls we work in often lend themselves to be repurposed in this way. We can open up interiors, remove partitions and divide space over a whole range of workspaces. Some can be transformed into quiet work zones, others into small collaboration areas.

And it’s not just work: we’re also looking at opportunities within our town hall projects to create event space where musicians can rehearse, or to host arts programmes and exhibitions.

Lessons learned Council buildings are changing. In common with commercial organisations, many councils are looking at the balance of quantity and quality in their estates and realising that they need less space but that it needs to work harder. When paired with visionary leadership, this concentration of activity actually creates opportunity and the best new town halls have shaken off their institutional image to become lively, welcoming and public.

Inherent flexibility is essential, as are agile workspaces that can adapt to changing requirements. These factors need to be considered at the outset and be adopted as the fundamental principle for the building.

With the rise of ‘super councils’, where two, three and more local authorities come together, as we have seen in the case of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, there will be more opportunities for estate consolidation, hopefully leading to key council assets being brought back to life.

The work to restore these decades-old buildings will ultimately benefit local communities by bringing them closer to council services, and give councils renewed relevance in a changing world. 

www.hawkinsbrown.com

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LEISURE

THE ROUTE TO IMPLEMENTING DEDICATED CYCLE INFRASTRUCTURE Matt Hare, Partner at Carter Jonas Cambridge, talks to PSBJ about the publication of Gear Change – concerning the increase in cycle paths on new developments – and the issues with implementing this.

A

recent Government policy paper, ‘Gear Change: a bold vision for cycling and walking’, sets out how the planning and development sector can respond positively to emerging changes in leisure patterns while promoting healthier lifestyles.

The document identifies that the pandemic has brought about a renewed

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appreciation of natural forms of exercise and has provided a catalyst to promote and facilitate walking and cycling.

But this is no knee-jerk reaction: for many years we have looked to some of the northern European countries and coveted their comprehensive and dedicated cycle infrastructure, and the aspiration is to achieve this for the UK.

The case in favour of improving the walking and cycling experience is very persuasive: Health: physical inactivity costs the NHS up to £1bn per annum, with further indirect costs calculated at £8.2bn Wellbeing: 20 minutes of exercise per day cuts risk of developing depression by 31% and increases workers’ productivity Congestion: the new east-west and north-south cycle routes in London are moving 46% of the people in only 30% of the road space Local businesses: shopping footfall can increase up to 40% as a result of well-planned improvements to the walking environment Environmental and air quality: meeting targets to double cycling and increase walking would lead to savings of £567m annually from air quality alone, prevent 8300 premature deaths each year and provide opportunities to improve green spaces and biodiversity Climate change: mode shift to active transport is one of the most cost-effective ways of reducing transport emissions Economy: cycling contributes £5.4bn to the economy per year and supports 64,000 jobs.

So, Gear Change sets out to create a great walking and cycling nation by improving streets for cyclists and pedestrians, placing cycling and walking at the heart of decision-making in urban planning, empowering and encouraging local authorities to make the necessary changes, enabling people to cycle, and protecting them when they do.

It does this through nine key design principles, to be taken forward in areas where either a high volume of cycling exists or has the potential to exist – chiefly within our larger towns and cities:

LEISURE 1. Cyclists must be separated from volume traffic, both at junctions and on the stretches of road between them 2. Cyclists must be separated from pedestrians 3. Cyclists must be treated as vehicles, not pedestrians 4. Routes must join together; isolated stretches of good provision are of little value 5. Routes must feel direct, logical and be intuitively understandable by all road users 6. Routes and schemes must take account of how users actually behave 7. Purely cosmetic alterations should be avoided 8. Barriers, such as chicane barriers and dismount signs, should be avoided 9. Routes should be designed only by those who have experienced the road on a cycle.

The aspirations of this guidance are significant and could see a marked change in future generations’ use of cycling for general transportation purposes. The foreword by the Prime Minister identifies that a vast number

of car journeys could easily be travelled by bicycle, along with many delivery services.

The document compels us to imagine a future where our branded coffee pods ordered on Amazon arrive the following day by a sweaty (but happy) delivery person on a bicycle.

The design principles are all generally straightforward and agreeable. They seek to ensure that cycle routes are logical in their routing, create meaningful connections and are designed for larger numbers of cyclists of all abilities and disabilities. This means that in some instances cyclists are to be segregated from other road traffic and pedestrians. More detailed design guidance is contained in the more prosaically-named sister document Local Transport Note 01/20.

Anyone who has cycled any meaningful distance on local cycle paths will have experienced many head-scratching moments when a cycle path suddenly seems to disappear, or mild rage when confronted with a seemingly needless chicane or physical barrier along a cycle route. Gear Change wants such experiences to become a thing of the past.

Many of the design requirements set out in the two documents have implications for local highway authorities in respect of largescale, cross-boundary enhancement projects.

They are also likely to have implications for private developers in some instances.

There are some anecdotal soundings of alleged local authority insistence on adherence to the design requirements in locations where arguably the design guidance is not intended to be used (e.g. smaller scale development in more rural locations where volume of traffic is low), but these do not seem to be widespread.

As mentioned above, strict adherence to the design guidance may also present some additional urban design challenges – part of the charm of our urban realm is often derived from very intimate relationships between buildings and roads and paths, and it may be a challenge to replicate such charm (and thus ‘build beautifully’) where there is a requirement for such roads and paths to be of ever-increasing width.

Overall, such challenges should not be insurmountable however. By way of example, I am lucky enough to work from central Cambridge where we have both a strong sense of place in the urban realm and also a generally good provision of cycle infrastructure. For the majority in the country (car drivers as well as pedestrians and cyclists) I think that the provision of a more logical and comprehensive network of cycle routes will be welcomed. 

www.carterjonas.co.uk

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HEALTHCARE

A NEW PRESCRIPTION FOR PLACE-BASED HEALTHCARE DELIVERY Integrated multidisciplinary centres which empower patients to proactively take charge of their health and wellbeing are now firmly established as the gold standard for progressive, placebased models of healthcare.

T

he last 12 months have brought into sharp focus the need to encourage patients and service users to address chronic, lifestyle-mediated conditions. Local communities with the highest levels of obesity and respiratory disease have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

NHS and local authority leaders looking to move from a model based on reactively treating illness, to proactively promoting wellness, face myriad barriers. Achieving patient buy-in and engagement is a major one. Co-locating multiple clinicians – GPs, physiotherapists, specialist nurses and substance misuse counsellors – in one integrated centre is another.

The role the built environment has to play in supporting both agendas is becoming increasingly apparent.

Glasgow’s Woodside Health and Care Centre is an exemplar of the kind of modern building this new model requires. Delivered by Morgan Sindall Construction for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, through

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the hub West Scotland framework, it has new standards for innovative primary healthcare facilities which improve both the patient experience and treatment outcomes.

Designed by architect practice Page Park, the centre won Healthcare Building of the Year at the prestigious Scottish Design Awards last autumn.

“Traditionally, when you think of health centres, images of whitewashed walls and windowless rooms filled with artificial light spring to mind,” says Robert Brindley, Healthcare Lead at Morgan Sindall Construction in Scotland. “The brief from the client team was a welcoming environment centred on more than just user functionality. With people being encouraged to take a proactive and preventative approach to their health and wellbeing, healthcare decisionmakers are aware that the look and feel of their physical facilities have an important role to play.”

At Woodside Health Centre, external cavity walls have been formed using a mixture of a structural framing system, brickwork and curtain walling. This, along

with a glazed central atrium, creates a modern interior that benefits from healthy amounts of natural light. The landscape planning team also developed therapeutic courtyard spaces to minimise stress levels and improve mental wellbeing.

Set over three and a half storeys, the 6730m2 building brings together multiple clinicians under one roof including eight GP practices, children’s services, district nursing, health visiting, alcohol and drug recovery services, a daycare centre for older people, and a dental practice, as well as physiotherapy, podiatry and sexual health services.

Housing multidisciplinary teams, each with specific requirements for their treatment areas, required careful planning. One of the primary considerations was the building’s ventilation. Heat regulation and safe, efficient, ventilation are paramount for patient care. Clinicians need

to be able to control airflow and the temperature of rooms independently.

This requirement was complicated by the windows of the building. They needed to be designed for restricted opening due to safety legislation, and with thicker glazing to block noise pollution coming from the surrounding main roads.

In answer, the team combined a mixture of natural and mechanical control measures, placing four plant rooms in the roof of the building which could feed into specific hospital zones without limiting room space. By placing levers on the outside of the windows, a sound baffle was created to absorb the noise and create shading, using a smaller frame to maximise the amount of ventilation coming in.

In addition to the physical properties of each space, the design team had to consider patient flow and associated concerns around safeguarding and privacy.

“One of the most important considerations, when you’re bringing multiple clinicians together in one environment, is just how different some of the conditions treated there are,” explains Robert. “Patient experience and safety both factor in your thinking when you’re designing a centre which treats people seeking treatment for substance misuse, in the same building as young children or expectant mothers.”

He continued: “We took a lot of time at the design stage to listen to all of the health and social care stakeholders, and ended up designing distinct entrances and waiting areas to address this.”

Flexibility and adaptability of healthcare facilities have been identified as additional key drivers in the Scottish Government’s 2020 vision for healthcare. With shifting patient demographics and evolving thoughts on treatment strategies, NHS estates teams

HEALTHCARE

are looking for designs which can change with the times. Morgan Sindall Construction made use of innovative construction methods to ensure a flexible and durable interior, with a view to long-term service delivery.

“Most of the partitions are not load-bearing,” says Robert, “so they can be reconfigured depending upon changing user needs; whether that’s increasing bed capacity in a room, or expanding the building itself.

We’ve applied a similar thought process to mechanics and engineering with the majority of our light fittings kept to plug-ins, meaning they can be moved around in parallel with the room’s requirements.”

The building’s exterior boasts a number of precast concrete panels displaying artwork, devised by local surface design studio, Bespoke Atelier, in consultation with the community. Each panel drew inspiration from historical architecture in the local area, natural surroundings of the nearby canal, and the culturally-diverse backgrounds of local residents.

“This was a sustainable and authentic design choice because it allowed us to make use of surplus concrete which was part of the original design, helping us to deliver a bright, modern facility with a visible, tangible link to the local community without unnecessary expense,” Robert explains.

Construction on the site was completed in May 2019. The project team has continued to engage with the NHS team during the last year to ensure the building is performing as expected and to assess the customer experience.

“Woodside Health and Care Centre is ideally designed to meet the requirements of the population it serves by providing patients and service users with a holistic and integrated approach to care,” said Susanne Millar, Interim Chief Officer of Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership.

She continued: “The Scottish Design Award is testament to the planning and partnership approach behind the facility which has resulted in a modern, welcoming building for staff and patients.” 

www.morgansindall construction.com

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HOUSING

SIX FACTORS SOCIAL HOUSING PROVIDERS NEED TO CONSIDER IN 2021 2020 was one of the most disruptive years in living memory and its effect will be felt long into the year ahead. But the impact of COVID is not the only thing that social housing providers will need to keep in mind during 2021.

Winckworth Sherwood’s market-leading social housing team point to six things they will need to consider.

1) Increased demand for social housing Despite the best efforts of the Government to protect jobs, unemployment rates are increasing and are likely to accelerate further. Historically, high unemployment is followed by increased demand for social rented accommodation, says Charlie Proddow, Partner at Winckworth Sherwood.

He comments: “We would not be surprised to see providers looking to switch tenure models away from shared ownership to rented in increasing numbers throughout 2021. This may mean providers needing to revisit s106 agreements, seek approval from funders, and if part of a wider development, check whether any restrictions on tenures apply.

“If homes were originally intended for shared ownership, internal fit-out may also need to be reviewed alongside service charges for residents.”

2) Concerns over shared ownership remain Questions remain over changes to the shared ownership regime, says Ruth Barnes, Partner at Winckworth Sherwood.

She adds: “In a market already fragmented by the leasehold reforms, social housing providers should expect further division in the shared ownership

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market. There is concern surrounding the availability of 10% mortgages, how 1% staircasing will be managed and the viability of schemes with the proposed repair costs reclaims. Concerns have also been raised about how the transitional arrangements will work in practice.

“There is a general feeling that reform is being rushed through and that the sector, and the wider property market, needs time to adjust and prepare for these changes.”

3) Modular comes of age 2020 finished with considerably more clarity on the funding and charging on modular homes. Ruby Giblin, Partner at Winckworth Sherwood, says: “Valuation models have finally emerged that offer funders the confidence needed to charge modular homes. Modular has been part of the development landscape for a number of years, but this means providers will now be able to use those homes to raise funding to deliver yet more new homes. Modular will finally move into the mainstream for social housing development.”

4) Fire safety and cladding Senior Associate, Charis Beverton, comments: “The shorter Fire Safety Bill codifies ‘Advice Note 14’ making the safety of external walls the responsibility of building owners or those

HOUSING in control of a building. In principle a good thing, the extension to buildings of any height (in January 2020) has precipitated a lending crisis, with many residents being trapped in flats that cannot be let or sold. That is because lenders will not lend without an EWS1 and those certificates are in short supply.

“The Government has tried to limit the scope of EWS1; however, it is not yet clear whether lenders have accepted that limitation.

“Where remedial work is required, and before any certificates can be issued, there is an ongoing battle about who must pay for the costs of the remedial works. The House of Lords is trying to push through an amendment to prevent freeholders passing on remediation costs to leaseholders through demands for one-off payments or increases in service charges. This amendment is unlikely to pass, but a battle is brewing on this issue with all parties having much to lose.”

Charis adds: “At present, the costs of implementing the necessary safety measures falls on leaseholders under a separate, reserved service charge; however, this is unpopular and may face political backlash (as per the amendments to the Fire Safety Bill). Developer surcharges and taxation are alternative solutions, but given the huge public

expenditure on COVID and Brexit this year, it is unclear how much more will be given from the public purse to resolve these issues.

“Whatever the solutions, complying with the legislation is likely to be expensive for all those involved in development and property management and may impact on the ability of social housing providers to fulfill development commitments this year.”

“Alongside this, finance teams will this year need to transition existing and new facilities away from LIBOR, which will take the teams’ attentions away from business as usual, at least to a degree. Overall, there will be a number of issues for treasury teams to work through, which will require consideration and monitoring, not just the execution of a pre-formed plan.”

5) Challenges remain on raising funds

Social care has been at the COVID frontline for much of the year, says Winckworth Sherwood Partner Charlotte Cook. “It is a sector that will need continued support throughout this year and should be one of the Government’s priorities.

“But later life housing extends beyond social care, and local and national Government needs to acknowledge the growing demand for age-appropriate housing, taking into account the rapid adoption of technology seen this year.

“We expect to see technology continuing to play a critical role in 2021, with online and web-based support becoming the norm. However, its adoption by the private sector far outweighs that of social providers – they need to take stock and invest in their technological capabilities.” 

All of the issues raised will affect registered providers’ (RPs) ability to raise finance, says Winckworth Sherwood Partner Louise Forrest.

“As demand for social housing increases, RPs will need to ensure that they have raised enough capital to meet development plans. When thinking about capital, RPs will need to consider funds that first have to be allocated to fire safety issues and, depending on funder’s policies, if any assets cannot be charged in the interim. The effects of shared ownership also need consideration, particularly if increasing numbers of shared ownership properties are taken out of portfolios available for charging but only a very small fraction of the ownership has been sold.

6) Later life care

www.wslaw.co.uk

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FLOOD MANAGEMENT

FLOOD MANAGEMENT IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS Changing weather patterns and urban growth have contributed to an environment in which flooding is an increasingly frequent and damaging occurrence. Here, Ben Puddy, Regional Technical Manager at Hydro International, discusses the importance of mitigating risk in urban environments.

deals with sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) has only been implemented in Wales.

However, local authorities have produced their own sustainable drainage guidelines for developers to comply with, and The SuDS Manual (C753), published by CIRIA is a comprehensive design guide for SuDS. The National Planning Policy also covers SuDS systems as part of the planning process.

A toolbox of solutions

the UK today, there A cross are estimated to be over 5.5 million properties at risk from flooding. As the climate changes, bringing more frequent and severe weather, we can expect this number to increase.

The social and economic costs of flooding are high, and the Association of British Insurers believes that annual losses could reach £1.4bn by 2040, much of this attributed to urban flooding.

This is mixed with the pressure for new development, especially residential, and it has been estimated that one in 10 of new homes in England have been

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built on higher-risk flood plains since 2013, such is the shortage of available sites that might be in safer areas. These figures show that it has never been more urgent to mitigate flood risk, particularly in challenging urban environments.

Guidelines and regulations In 2020, the Government commissioned an independent review into responsibilities around surface water flooding

by David Jenkins, and announced in August 2020 that it would immediately accept 12 recommendations from this

report (report of a review of the arrangements for determining responsibility for surface water and drainage assets).

The key message to come out of the review is that there needs to be multi-stakeholder involvement and collaboration to truly tackle surface water flooding in urban areas.

Unfortunately, strategies and guidelines seem to be quite fragmented across the UK. The Flood and Water Management Act 2010 (FWMA) sets out strategies, risks and responsibilities to mitigate flooding, but Schedule 3, which

SuDS are systems designed to manage surface water in the urban environment, mimicking nature and managing rainfall close to where it falls and releasing it slowly back into the environment.

The principle of SuDS design is to control the quantity and quality of run-off to prevent flooding and protect the environment, and also to improve biodiversity and provide amenity places for people.

There is a large toolbox of techniques that can be used to provide exemplary SuDS systems and they don’t always need to be ‘green’ or ‘natural’ SuDS, such as ponds, swales or filter strips. In fact, often a mixture of natural SuDS with proprietary systems can enable SuDS to be used in space-constrained urban areas, which can enhance the performance of a pond or preserve valued community amenity areas.

FLOOD MANAGEMENT

Controlling and attenuating flows Sustainable engineering interventions seek to return surface water flows as closely as possible to pre-development or greenfield rates and to replicate natural drainage paths and processes. Typically, this is achieved by using a flow control to limit the peak rate of discharge and storing the excess flows until they can safely be infiltrated or released into a watercourse.

Forward-thinking engineers are combining natural and proprietary water management products to deliver the best possible protection.

Understanding and applying the science behind flow control is key to finding the most cost-effective ways to prevent, control or contain flooding.

Choosing the right flow control technology for the outflow depends on a number of factors. A critical consideration for effective flow control design is ensuring the smallest possible amount of storage to mitigate against lost value of development land and cost of construction. Another is ensuring reliability of the flow control by minimising the risk of blockage, and through use of systems that can be depended upon to operate when most needed.

Storage and infiltration can be provided using surface water features such as ponds and swales. Where space for surface storage is an issue underground, geocellular storage/infiltration systems can be used wholly, or with other surface features to increase capacity. Some geocellular systems are strong enough to be installed beneath trafficked areas, making them ideal for use in urban areas.

There is also the recognition that inspection and maintenance need to be addressed, and not just on new projects. The UK has a historic legacy of urban drainage assets, and failure of these is a major cause of surface water flooding as they simply cannot cope with the increasing demands put upon them. Simple improvements, such as remote monitoring of urban culverts and trash screens, can not only help with regular maintenance, but also enable better allocation of emergency response teams during a severe event.

Monitoring and flood warnings The National Floodline provides invaluable warnings for regional flood risks and all property owners should sign up to receive warnings.

However, in smaller local areas with rapid response catchments, community flood warning systems can provide vital alerts to local flood wardens, Environment Agency and local authority staff.

Monitoring systems are not just useful in extreme flooding events, but can provide valuable insights into flow rates, water levels and weather data, all working together to provide realtime situational insight and offering longer-term water level data capture required for analysis, modelling and forecasting.

Data loggers are the front end of a smart monitoring system, collecting the data, temporarily storing it and either transmitting it or making it available for download. They may be operated manually or automatically, though their real value comes when installed in a remote site and configured to transmit data autonomously to a telemetry or data management system. 

www.hydro-int.com

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FIRE SAFETY

The Building Research Establishment’s (BRE) ‘The performance of multi-sensors in fire and false alarm tests’ Briefing Paper, reporting on its test of optical heat multisensor detectors, estimates that potentially 38.1% of observed false alarms could have been reduced if multisensors had been present.

MULTI-SENSOR FIRE ALARMS: FOUR THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW Barry Sargent, Product Support Manager at Nittan, discusses multi-sensor fire detectors in nondomestic properties and looks at four important, but lesser known, aspects you should consider in relation to these devices.

3. Standard multisensors are not immune to noncombustion materials Whilst offering improved performance over standard optical detectors, multisensors have limitations.

In fact, the BRE research demonstrated that, although delayed, in all cases alarms were given from noncombustion materials such as steam, dust or aerosol.

The delay might allow for any transient false alarm sources to disappear before the fire threshold is reached, but it does not entirely stop a false alarm in these instances. Furthermore, to ensure this delay, some multisensor detectors have been configured to be less sensitive.

4. Not all multi-sensors use one optical smoke and one heat sensor

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ulti-sensors combine two sensor types within one alarm. As different sensors detect different types of smoke and heat, and therefore different types of fire, combining more than one sensor in a single unit potentially makes for an improved response to real fires (as opposed to false alarms). It also reduces unit and installation costs, makes alarm specification far easier and looks better than having two alarms on the ceiling. As a result, the popularity of multi-sensors has increased dramatically.

That much you may well already be aware of, but here are four aspects of multi-sensors that you may not have considered before:

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1. Multi-sensors vary in design, as does their ability Like most things in life, you get what you pay for. Multisensors vary dramatically in design, from basic models where there is limited cross evaluation of the sensor values, through to highly sophisticated devices featuring advanced algorithms to assess the variation in values from each sensor in order to determine the nature of the potential fire. If you want to reap the benefits of a multisensor, don’t go for the lowest cost option.

2. Over one third of false alarms could be reduced if multi-sensors are used in place of single sensors According to ‘Fire and rescue incident statistics, England, year ending March 2020’, of all incidents attended by fire and rescue services, fire false alarms made up 42% compared to actual fires at 28%. Reducing false alarms is imperative and one of the reasons for the development of the multi-sensor.

Whilst smoke and heat sensors are the most common combination, there are others available. One of the lesser known combinations, but highly effective, is a heat sensor and two optical sensors, albeit each using very different sensor technologies – IR light plus blue LED – to provide a more accurate measurement of particles within the chamber.

Using a complex algorithm to calculate the ratio of these light sources, which operate at different wavelengths, the detector can determine the particle size and thus distinguish between smoke and non-combustion products such as steam, aerosols and dust.

We take this approach in our Nittan EV-DPH multi-sensors.

As we have seen above, this is where most typical multisensors struggle. 

www.nittan.co.uk

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LEGAL & BUSINESS

Dr Stuart Kings is an NEC4 Drafter, CoAuthor of NEC4 Practical Solutions and Consultant at project and contract management software firm, Sypro.

THREE AREAS OF UNTAPPED POTENTIAL IN NEC4 CONTRACTS Contractors and consultants will often find themselves working under the NEC4 form of contract. However, there still remains a wealth of untapped potential within this suite of contracts. NEC4 Drafter, Co-Author of NEC4 Practical Solutions and Consultant at project and contract management software firm Sypro, Dr Stuart Kings discusses three options within the suite that could provide huge amounts of added benefit for clients and delivery partners alike.

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was introduced in N EC4 2017 to replace the then 12-year-old NEC3 suite, making a number of key changes. But three years on, some options under the contract are still underutilised despite having the facility to enable things such as improved sustainability practices or effective collaboration.

Option X12 – multiparty collaboration This option has been around for years, previously existing under the name of ‘Partnering’ in NEC3, but it remains an under-used part of the contract process. Its aim is to promote the collaboration between parties working on the same project or programme who are not parties to the same construction contract.

Everyone talks about collaboration across the construction industry, but we don’t seem to embed this into contracts as much as we could.

What needs to happen in order to truly achieve this coveted collaboration is to formalise the process.

One consideration is that various parties often get involved in a project at different points. For example,

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practical delivery partners may come in towards the end of a designer’s tenure. This being said, a truly collaborative client will lead on how they wish delivery partners to work together throughout the project. Option X12 allows the additional facility to embed incentives into the contract as well, providing the allimportant direction on what is most important to the client, be this SME engagement, health and safety measures or more.

With Option X12, it is important to note that you don’t necessarily have to identify KPIs in the contract upfront, which is where the potential in this option becomes even more powerful.

You can opt to have the option engaged but sitting dormant until the appropriate point once the project is underway.

Option X21 – whole-life costing Whole-life costing is a complicated matter, and we have to consider that the usual calculation of ‘whole-life cost’ is based on a 60-year lifespan, typically coming in at around five times that of the capital

expenditure. However, not every building will be the same and we can expect that facilities in certain sectors like healthcare or manufacturing will see an even greater ‘whole-life cost’.

Like with Option X12, employing this option is worth including within contracts to allow the consideration of different products or alternative ways of working to reduce the overall whole life cost of a scheme – benefitting not just the client in terms of budget, but the local community and wider environment in terms of reducing carbon.

Option X22 – early contractor involvement Option X22 was new to the NEC4 suite of contracts in 2017 and allowed a contractor to be appointed at an early stage to input into the design process and innovate and eliminate risk in order to achieve better time and cost certainty. The provision was amended in October 2020 to provide greater flexibility in the development of a project in stage one and to provide a more structured process for

the contractor’s submissions and the notice to process to stage two.

There is no doubt that early contractor involvement can greatly aid the commercials of a scheme. With the contractor on board from very early on in a project, this allows the whole project team to input on the pre-construction phase.

Contractors can bring their buildability expertise to ensure that designs are commercially viable with the client’s budgets from the outset.

In conclusion, a multitude of major infrastructure projects have been procured under NEC4 over recent years, and with a construction and economic recovery on the horizon we know many more are to come.

If we open up conversations with clients about how these options work and the flexibility they can bring, we will be able to ensure that they – and their delivery partners – understand the true potential that can be unleashed by NEC4 will be central moving forwards to helping the public sector get the most out of their contracts. 

www.sypro.co.uk

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EDUCATION

CONLON OVERCOMES COVID CHALLENGES TO DELIVER SEN SCHOOL FACILITY Conlon Construction, a specialist provider in the delivery of bespoke special educational needs (SEN) schools, was making great headway on a brand-new campus for The Orchards School, in Stretford, Trafford, when the pandemic hit the UK. As the virus arrived, what ensued was a rallying call from the contractor to its supply chain to adopt revised working practices, as well as implementing MMC, to mitigate the challenges coronavirus inflicted on the industry. by the C ommissioned Department for Education, on behalf of The Dunham Trust, The Orchards’ new campus was designed to offer 14 classrooms and a nursery to cater for 108 children, aged between three and 11, with complex needs and speech and communication difficulties.

Since opening in 2016, the school had occupied a building on the Acre Hall Primary School site in Urmston, however, a host of new facilities were required to support the wellbeing and personalised curriculum of SEN students, including a state-of-the-art hydrotherapy pool, larger-thanstandard classrooms, accessible changing, toilet and shower facilities, a sensory garden and additional immersive spaces which enable improved, tailored learning. Once completed, The Orchards would be marked as one of Greater Manchester’s few schools with this level of provision.

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Early in 2020, the development was not only making pace, but was accelerating; Conlon’s supply chain – made up of contractors specifically selected for their proven efficiency – was on track to complete four weeks earlier than the originally scheduled date of October.

The run-up to 23rd March 2020 had seen the team making substantial progress, but the announcement of the UK lockdown put a halt on proceedings. What was a bustling, productive site one day, was significantly impacted the next.

With eight projects live – and with imminent deadlines in sight – Conlon’s senior team responded to the situation by issuing a rallying call to its supply chain and sub-contractors to quickly get to grips with new Government Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for social distancing. As well as having to incorporate these SOPs and temperature checks on site, Conlon also had to contingency

plan for the impact of COVID-19 on its two greatest assets – its people and the high-quality materials it incorporates into its developments.

Neil Conlon, Business Development Manager at Conlon Construction, said: “We’ve built a truly loyal supply chain – one which shares our mission to actively seek out opportunities which have a positive impact on local communities, and which have social value at their core. Especially in the case of The Orchards, there was no question; we needed to find all the means possible to deliver this school to schedule. People in need were depending on us.

“The immediate reaction to the lockdown was for many house-builders, suppliers and merchants to stop production, which impacted on plant and material supplies. We received correspondence from the Secretary of State which gave implicit guidance that we were to continue working in the

safest means possible, but we predicted there would be a significant shortage in materials, which would make that difficult.

“It was a case of utilising our extended networks to gather all the resources required for The Orchards and our other live developments which had been impacted.

Conlon opted to use structural insulated panels (SIPs), supplied and installed by Innovare Systems, to assist in accelerating the programme. Featuring two layers of particle board, which are bonded either side of a rigid insulation core, SIPs are used to form the main structure of a building – the walls and roof – and can significantly reduce project timescales, offering an ideal solution to make up for the unwelcome break the lockdown had incurred. The Orchards’ building envelope was constructed off site using SIPs, minimising disruption for those living and working in the vicinity of the school, and helped Conlon maintain the four-week lead

EDUCATION achieved at the beginning of the construction programme.

Conlon had been appointed to The Orchards development following its 2019 delivery of Cumbria Academy for Autism, a high-quality learning environment for autistic children and young people aged four to 19. The school specialist has also recently completed The Springboard Project for New Bridge Multi Academy Trust, a 50-place SEN school, developed specifically to meet the needs of pupils and students from the age of 14 up to 19 years.

For The Orchards specifically, the school had to facilitate innovative learning approaches for those with speech, language and communication needs (SCLN), severe learning difficulty (SLD), profound and multiple learning difficulty (PMLD) and autistic spectrum conditions (ASC), enabling teachers to implement a need-led curriculum which could utilise the building and its amenities to personalise learning for each and every pupil.

Late delivery of The Orchards project would have been to the detriment of families and children depending on an improved, local service that

would lead to brighter futures.

Thanks to Conlon’s agile supply chain and willingness to inject new means of construction to its traditional ways of working, the school was completed four weeks ahead of schedule, which enabled teachers to prepare their classrooms prior to opening the doors to pupils.

Neil added: “Despite the unfamiliar restrictions and limitations COVID-19 placed upon us, our suppliers and subcontractors worked tirelessly to ensure we delivered our most recent SEN school to the highest quality. The Orchards will create an outstanding environment in which students will have the space and facilities they need to learn and grow.

“To minimise disruption, with little impact to the final build is an extraordinary feat, considering the challenging times we have all faced. By providing the team and the client with clear and honest progress throughout, they were spurred on with confidence that we could collectively achieve a successful delivery – one which leaves a lasting legacy, living beyond the build itself.” 

www.conlon-construction.co.uk

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TALKING POINT

STEPS CONSTRUCTION FIRMS CAN TAKE TO MITIGATE MATERIALS SHORTAGES Womble Bond Dickinson’s Managing Associate, Lisa Dromgoole, discusses what the construction sector can do to be as prepared as possible for shortages and delays of building materials, brought about by COVID-19 and Brexit.

Lisa Dromgoole is a Managing Associate in Womble Bond Dickinson’s Edinburgh office and leads the construction offering in the firm’s Scottish offices. She has over 16 years’ experience in the construction industry, specialising in dispute resolution for a wide variety of public and private sector clients.

UK construction T heindustry manufactures and uses an incredible amount of materials each year, producing around two billion bricks, over 70 million square metres of concrete blocks and 30 million square metres of roof tiles per annum.

However, in a year where the construction industry has faced unprecedented challenges owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Brexit process, we have seen shortages in supply of construction materials, and this can cause significant delay and disruption to construction projects.

A recent survey by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) found the critical issue facing constructions firms to be the rising cost of materials.

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TALKING POINT The survey reveals that nine in 10 builders face increasing costs, and are experiencing a lack of materials such as timber, plaster and roof tiles. There are also particular concerns over supplies of white goods for homebuilders, plumbing items, ironmongery, tools, natural stone and more.

Despite huge production levels, the UK remains a net importer of materials – with roughly 60% of imported materials used in UK construction projects coming from the EU, and with congestion at UK ports already causing serious delays, it’s no surprise that concerns are running high. Even with a quota-free and tariff-free trade deal now in place with the EU, increased administrative costs and additional bureaucratic processes at the major ports could lead to short or medium term disruption.

With margins already tight, this is likely to have a significant impact.

In addition, COVID-related import delays, new operating procedures to maintain safety and a glut of PPE materials that are reported to be causing freight blockages are just some of the issues which have caused some unloading times to increase by a number of weeks.

The next 12 months are crucial for the sector, with fierce scrutiny of import/export operations around our major ports. How will that impact the availability and cost of materials post-Brexit and what can the industry expect moving forward? Ultimately, what can you do to get your business as prepared as possible?

It’s important not to panic. The best approach is to make a full assessment of your business in light of this changing environment and take steps to improve readiness for different outcomes.

"Review your supplier pool and consider if you may need to source alternative or additional suppliers. Ask yourself how your sub-contractors are managing the challenges of the last year, including financially.”

Here are some of the key areas that construction company leaders should focus on:

Stay on top of the latest guidance Make it part of your daily routine to stay on top of the latest Government guidance and make any necessary changes regarding importing goods as soon as possible. It is inevitable that the construction industry will encounter problems this year, so it is important to think ahead, identify and manage the risks.

Reassess work Take time to understand how any changes could impact current or future projects, in terms of cash flow, project timeframes, quality, profit margins and contracts. It’s sensible to re-assess the probable volume of work and adjust your budget as things become clearer. Remember to also review your clients’ vulnerability to any economic slump. Doing this will help set your company up for success when things do return to normal.

Review your pool of sub-contractors Review your supplier pool and consider if you may need to source alternative or additional suppliers. Ask yourself how your sub-contractors are managing the challenges of the last year, including financially.

Diversify your supply chain The sector has a long and fragmented lowmargin supply chain, and was part of the economy that was likely to be quickly and heavily impacted by the pandemic. Factory shut-downs during the first lockdown and stockpiling of materials created a backlog, but with recovery in mind, it’s in the interests of all in the sector to help stabilise the UK supply chain as well as ensuring your projects are able to run as smoothly as possible. Responsibility falls to all to ensure the supply chains are managed and that industry competence and UK credibility is maintained.

Reach out and collaborate with your supply chain to understand the viability of contract terms and make an assessment as to the need for any renegotiations.

Gather as much data as you can to create a supplier dashboard of UK suppliers and imported materials. Continuously explore potential disruption and risk and assess how your project controls, risk management and governance processes could handle any changes to suppliers.

Think about vulnerabilities in your supply chain and how they could impact you financially and legally – consider cashflow, loan repayments, terms and contracts. How can you overcome or mitigate any disruption caused by any of these issues?

Work with suppliers to agree fair payment terms to ensure sustainability of UK supply chain and to future-proof needs. 

www.womblebonddickinson.com

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ANTI-LIGATURE SOLUTIONS

UK AND US COLLABORATION TACKLES GLOBAL LIGATURE CHALLENGES Phil Barsby, Business Development Director at Intastop and a board member of the Design in Mental Health Network, comments on the work being done by private companies to ensure the highest standards are achieved and the mental health sector is supported. faced T heby challenges staff endeavouring to keep mental health patients safe are wide and varied, yet some are able to be overcome through the design, manufacture and use of preventative and assistive products.

Alarmingly, suicide rates in the UK continue to climb with 2020 recording 3441 deaths. Furthermore, as the global pandemic continues, the mental health sector is preparing itself for a need greater than has ever been seen in more recent times.

Indeed, in a recent article in The Lancet, it is estimated that up to 10 million more people could call on mental health services across the board all attributed to the effects of lockdowns, social restrictions, financial and job worries and loneliness.

It is important therefore that the facilities provided to deliver the care in all settings are fit for purpose. For those in more acute care settings, patient safety has

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to be at the forefront of building infrastructure considerations and the innovation of new research and products can play a significant part in achieving this.

UK and US research drives innovation In a drive to deliver the highest safety standards in products used in newlyconstructed or refurbished clinics, hospitals and outpatient facilities, a recent collaboration has taken place between UK-based Intastop, InPro – an American-based company – and in partnership with a Midlands-based mental health trust. The research project was undertaken to determine the ligature risk presented by handrails that are present in many mental health facilities and identified that improvements could be made to ensure strict building safety standards in both the UK and the US were met.

Drawing on design expertise and front-line experience from NHS staff, a redesign

of an existing handrail was undertaken eradicating pick points and wedge opportunities and resulting in a product that all but eliminated potential ligature options.

The updated ergonomicallydesigned handrail includes a top vinyl cover inset with an integrated aluminum channel with increased impact resistance and optional anti-bacterial coating. The new 1000BH handrail has a patent pending but has already passed rigourous testing and meets Equality Act 2010 and HBN 00-04 Guidelines.

Meeting the highest of standards Whilst the rail is available for use in the UK, it was necessary for the product to pass the New York State Office of Mental Health (NYS OMH) standards pertaining to in-patient hospitals, a rigorous set of standards which exceeds the current standards in the UK. As a result, the 1000BH IPC Anti-Ligature Handrail is the only handrail in its product specification guide that has full

certification, positioning it as the market leader.

Similar standards are yet to come to fruition in the UK but Intastop and representatives from all other parts of the care process in the mental health sector are working together to ensure these standards are created and adhered to.

In the future, we will ensure that the risk of suicide in mental health care facilities is diminished even further, protecting those that require specialised support and assisting staff in delivering the highest standards of care.

Intastop continues to be a market leader in designing, developing and manufacturing products to protect people, doors and walls. Recent investment will facilitate even more opportunities and, with a foothold firmly in the mental health solutions market in the UK, Intastop is also set to roll out its export strategy to further international markets. 

www.intastop.com

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TECHNICAL FOCUS

FLAT ROOF FIRE RISK – LESSONS LEARNED Arson accounts for 50.5% of fire service call-outs in the UK, making it the most common cause of fire in the country. Due to ease of access, this is a notable concern for all buildings with flat roofs, particularly schools. Discussing the wider socio-economic impact of roof fires in education buildings, Will Wigfield, Product Manager for Flat Roof at ROCKWOOL UK, examines how these risks can be mitigated. flat roofs remain a W hile popular design choice in education buildings, they are not without their risks. If a fire was to take hold in the roof, there is a significant risk that the building could collapse.

Moreover, the consequences of this extend far beyond the financial cost of repair.

When designing education buildings, fire protection is a primary concern. With a staggering 40 fire incidents occurring in schools each month, ensuring a building is safeguarded to perform in the event of a fire is essential.

Focusing attention on the roof, its role has evolved far beyond the traditional purpose of keeping a building watertight. For example, flat roofs are commonly used to house mechanical and electrical (M&E) equipment, failure of which can lead to a roof fire.

With solar panels specifically, there are known incidences of faults causing fires by ‘arcing’.

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Maintenance and refurbishment works on flat roofs can also present a fire hazard. Grinding, welding and torch-applied roofing are all hot works that can cause a fire to ignite.

Regardless of the cause of a fire, if it takes hold in the roof of a school building, the damage of this would be felt far beyond financial detriment.

The wider socio-economic impact If a school is closed due to fire damage, it causes significant disruption as teaching and learning are moved to alternative schools or temporary buildings.

While these emergency arrangements are in place, students are at risk of significant learning loss, staff are displaced and parents have to navigate unsettled routines. Such scenarios also place increased strain on the resources of nearby schools.

TECHNICAL FOCUS In order to avoid such unrest, one aspect of best practice is to consider the roof build-up, introducing measures that will help maintain its structure even if a fire was to take hold. A crucial part of this is the role of insulation in flat roof design.

Not all insulation is the same Insulation is primarily installed to reduce heat loss in education buildings, ensuring the optimum temperature is maintained to support a comfortable learning environment and reduce energy costs. However, for school environments, insulation has a much wider role to play, and by using noncombustible stone wool insulation, the full range of performance criteria can be addressed with a single specification.

For example, beyond thermal, flat roofs in schools must also comply with BB93, which specifies maximum levels of rain noise transfer. While a separate barrier mat can be used to achieve the necessary sound reduction, it introduces a costly additional layer into the roof build-up.

Where stone wool insulation is specified, sound reduction is inherent in the material which often removes the need for a separate acoustic layer.

Furthermore, flat roofs have a pivotal role to play in fire protection, whether that is to provide safe access for roof maintenance, ensure safe passage of exit in the event of fire, or secure effective compartmentation with the internal walls below.

Although flat roofs can be designed with ‘zones’ that detail where noncombustible insulation must be used, this can create coordination challenges

on site. Given stone wool can simplify the roof build-up by providing proven thermal and acoustic properties in one product, best practice is to apply this noncombustible material across the full roof area – a design strategy that was recently undertaken by Southern Industrial Roofing at Cobham Free School in Surrey.

A lesson in minimising risk In addition to regulation compliance, rooftop plant and compartmentation in the internal walls below created a complex design challenge at Cobham Free School.

By using ROCKWOOL stone wool products to insulate the warm flat roof,

Southern Industrial Roofing simplified overall design, achieved onsite efficiency gains and increased confidence in the performance of the system build-up.

“Using a single insulation product greatly streamlined the whole process for us. Not just design, but installation too. We didn’t have to worry about coordinating zones with different materials – it was ROCKWOOL across the board which simultaneously delivered the acoustic, fire and thermal performance we needed,” explained Andy Towns, Designer at Southern Industrial Roofing. 

www.rockwool.co.uk

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DRAINAGE & LANDSCAPING

NEW STUDY HELPS DISPEL COMMON MYTH AROUND SUDS It seems that sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) are finally coming of age. A combination of guidance and legislation is pushing for greater inclusion of SuDS into urban developments, not just for the proven drainage advantages but for the myriad of multiple benefits that well-designed systems provide – improved biodiversity, better air quality, improved mental health and simply creating more appealing places for people to spend quality time in.

L

ocal authorities have long been pioneers in this technology. Recognising SuDS for their low cost, low impact and potentially low-maintenance drainage performance, enlightened designers have been incorporating systems into their own developments and planners have been adopting well-designed and wellinstalled examples.

There are still hurdles to overcome, though. A different approach to drainage requires different thinking – so, for example, educating time-poor teams about different installation procedures can be time consuming. And although maintenance of SuDS is frequently less onerous than maintenance of traditional piped systems, responsibility (and budget) for SuDS maintenance may fall to a different department, causing confusion and conflict.

All too often, this means that people stick to the traditional systems they’ve specified before, missing out on the wonderful opportunities that can be gained from inviting rainwater into our shared spaces.

Does permeable block paving get blocked up?

It seems that widespread adoption of SuDS is still hampered by misunderstanding and confusion, but one SuDS component has recently had a boost thanks to some compelling research.

Permeable block paving (CBPP) has been used in the UK since the late ‘90s, and provides a robust, attractive surface that also collects rainwater that falls on it.

Although it doesn’t offer all the biodiversity or amenity benefits provided by a soft SuDS feature, depending on the situation, CBPP provides either source control infiltration or a controlled flow of clean water – a really useful tool for landscapers, planners and engineers alike to use within a holistic drainage scheme.

As with all innovations, a few initial myths still surround permeable block paving that cause some specifiers to hesitate. One such belief is that within a couple of years, the voids on the surface (the specially-widened joints between the blocks) will get blocked up with sand and debris, rendering the surface impermeable and creating a drainage disaster wherever it’s used.

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DRAINAGE & LANDSCAPING In practise, this isn’t the case; quite apart from the evidence of thousands of highly-effective, still-functioning systems installed all over the country, a wide range of academic studies have disproved this myth. Soenke Borgwardt’s 2006 study found that although infiltration rates decline over time, after around 10 years they tend to plateau at a level which still provides more than adequate infiltration rates to cope with even the heaviest European rainfall events.

Luis Santano-Fonedua (et al)’s ongoing examination of different permeable surfaces on a car park in Santander, Northern Spain, similarly confirms that although a slowing of infiltration rates takes place over time, a CBPP surface should continue to provide infiltration rates that exceed the demands of the heaviest rainfall events well beyond its design life.

The study In November 2020, a new study was released

by Marshalls plc, one of the UK’s largest suppliers of hard landscaping materials.

“The infiltration myth is frustrating for us,” said Chris Griffiths, Marshalls’ Engineering Marketing Manager. “All of our experience proves that permeable pavements work perfectly well with minimal maintenance, yet permeable paving still gets ignored or overlooked by some. We decided to embark on our own research project – as much for our own understanding as anything else.”

Tom Emerton, Marshalls’ Paving Engineer Manager, explained the process: “We chose to perform an internationally-recognised standard filtration test on some of our oldest permeable pavements, not only so we would get a good picture of how these systems

are still performing, but so that we could compare our results to some of the studies that are already in the public domain. We couldn’t find a British standard for testing infiltration in-situ, so we followed the American standard ASTM c1781 method.”

The team also interrogated historical Met Office data to put their results into context – what kind of heavy rainfall event might these systems be expected to cope with over time?

The results and feedback from local authorities The results confirmed previous studies; all of the sites tested provided infiltration rates far in excess of the heaviest halfhour UK rainfall event on record, despite receiving no specific maintenance to revive or restore permeability. Investigations proved that the dust, moss and debris that appears to clog the surface tends to sit in just the top 5 to 10mm of the joint, so rainwater percolates quickly and easily through that layer into the storage below.

Local authority representatives were on hand to observe some of the testing.

Leeds City Council’s Park and Ride car park at Elland Road had been installed for six years, and despite some heavy moss being in evidence towards the edge of the surface, it performed very well.

“It was really useful for our S38 team to see the testing take place,” said Vanessa Allen. “We’re no longer specifying ‘belt and braces’ gullies across our permeable paving jobs as a result, which saves time and money on those schemes. There are still some barriers to overcome when adopting permeable pavements but now at least we know that clogging up isn’t one of them!”

Simon Curl of Suffolk County Council, who designed the Martlesham Park and Ride car park back in 2003, was equally impressed. “We’ve not had any issues with the surface since it’s been installed, either structurally or hydraulically,” he said. “We undertake occasional maintenance to keep the weeds down from time to time, but that’s just for aesthetic reasons. Personally, I think the moss in the joints makes the surface look better – and it’s clearly not stopping the pavement from working.”

The full data from the research can be found on Marshalls commercial website, along with a number of videos and interviews. 

www.marshalls.co.uk/commercial

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DOORS & WINDOWS

SMARTLOUVRE HELPS HOSPITAL CUT ITS AIR-CONDITIONING USAGE BY UP TO 68% Smartlouvre is the only manufacturer of the world’s thinnest and lightest sustainable louvred metal fabrics, MicroLouvre. The lightweight screens that easily attach to the outside of any windows have exceptional solar shading, natural ventilation and daylighting capabilities.

MicroLouvre has provided huge benefits for both patients and staff at an NHS Hospital in Hampshire.

The fact that coronavirus is transmissible by airborne particles means it has been recommended that hospitals, care homes, schools and public buildings find ways to naturally ventilate and reduce temperatures inside the building. In high-rise buildings, such as hospitals, temperatures on wards can reach staggering heights of 30ºC plus. Considering that germs breed in hot climates, this is a serious concern in the upcoming months.

In April 2020, at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, Smartlouvre was commissioned to install MicroLouvre screens on the microbiology laboratory at an NHS Hospital in Hampshire on a trial-run basis.

The installer, Tim Powell, was met with initial resistance from the laboratory technicians as they were concerned that they wouldn’t be able to use their mobile air-conditioning units which hang out of the windows. As chance would have it, whilst Tim Powell was explaining that the introduction of the MicroLouvres would render their portable air-conditioning units redundant, a ward sister walked past overhearing the exchange, and found that the product was exactly what they needed on her ward. She requested

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that the facilities manager provide them for her ward, after receiving continuous complaints from staff and patients that the living and working conditions were unbearably hot. Despite questions over budget, by June 2020, MicroLouvre screens had been installed for the laboratory and the entire ward. The vast improvement was soon noticed, and the hospital no longer needed 40 new mobile airconditioning units, the laboratory technicians’ air-con machines were made redundant and the windows could easily be opened for natural ventilation.

In 2015, Smartlouvre bought the rights to produce MicroLouvre, previously known as Koolshade, which has been installed onto properties all around the world for more than 60 years. Due to the louvres being woven from corrosion-resistant, non-combustible, 90% copper alloys, MicroLouvre screens are able to stand the test of time, proven with the many buildings that had the product fitted in the 1960s, still benefitting from the initial installation. Its eco-friendly properties make it a revolution in clean energy, with the product being 100% recyclable and drastically reducing the need for artificial cooling systems.

In 2020, Smartlouvre teamed up with simulation software company, Simscale.

Using a simulation of the exact metrics of the product, they were able to calculate and prove the efficiency of MicroLouvre for today’s building modelling, previously only determined from practical use.

Smartlouvre and Simscale were also able to prove that the product passes the threshold for multiple accreditations under the world’s leading sustainability assessment method, BREEAM, including HEA4 Credit for thermal comfort and reducing overheating risk, and ENE1 Energy Credit for reducing cooling demand leading to lower electricity use and carbon emissions. It also surpasses the GLA overheating criteria to reduce high risk of solar gains and thermal comfort issues on glass buildings, LEED EA Energy Credit to reduce demand, use free energy and increase efficiency, as well as the Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ) for ventilation effectiveness, thermal comfort and daylight and views.

www.smartlouvre.com 0239 245 6333 info@smartlouvre.com

SELECTAGLAZE PROVIDES SECURITY AND PATIENT SAFETY AT SMYTH HOUSE Smyth House opened in 1838 due to the County Asylums Act of 1808 which stipulated that every county must provide facilities for ‘pauper and criminal lunatics’.

St. Andrew’s has always kept abreast with technological and medical advances and, in recent years, a number of new facilities have been built, including Smyth House, a women’s residential unit designed to accommodate patients assessed as medium risk.

Working with main contractor, Gleeson, Selectaglaze’s brief was to provide secondary glazing units with integral venetian blinds, adhering to St. Andrew’s criteria of both high security and patient safety, whilst permitting authorised personnel access to the primary windows.

DOORS & WINDOWS

Selectaglaze met the brief by installing its Series 40 side-hung casements. Safety requirements to reduce the risk of injury to patients were covered using scratchresistant polycarbonate in place of glass and special anti-ligature controls were developed to operate the blinds. Access to operate the windows is via the use of specialist secure tools.

The Series 40 window has been tested BS 7950 and is a Secured by Designlicensed product. In addition, the secondary glazing will also reduce heat loss and almost eliminate draughts, making the rooms more comfortable and improving the energy performance of the building. Since completion of this project, the Series 40 side-hung casement has been upgraded to Series 41.

Founded in 1966, Royal Warrant Holder Selectaglaze is a specialist in secondary glazing. The company offers a wide range of tested products covering acoustic and thermal performance as well as protection against intruder and blast mitigation.

www.selectaglaze.co.uk 01727 837271 enquiries@selectaglaze.co.uk

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FLOORS, WALLS & CEILINGS

GUIDING THE FUTURE OF SWIMMING POOLS Across Europe, there has been a surge in the swimming pool sector. With many more people staying at home and foreign travel restricted, both domestic and commercial pool manufacturers have seen a rise in new builds and renovation of existing pools.

In the UK, it is expected that now Brexit has been finalised, investors in UK hotels, spas and high-end residences will drive the wet leisure market further.

In a new feature on its website, leading acoustic panel manufacturer Troldtekt summarises the knowledge, trends and examples which will help influence the design of

swimming centres today and in the future.

The feature includes 16 trends compiled by the International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities.

These cover everything from economics and digital features to new uses and products which influence the architecture of pools and their construction.

Pools can be used for different purposes and by quite different groups of people. This places demand on designers and developers to provide perfect layouts and solutions to create the best atmosphere.

One of the most important aspects, and one universally agreed across all types of user, is the control of noise. For

example, absorption of the loud sounds from splashing, shouting and playing is essential. This is why Troldtekt’s acoustic woodwool panels are often specified, because of their durability and appearance. They are also naturally breathable, meaning they will absorb and release moisture making them perfect for wet area installations.

Founded on the Cradle to Cradle design concept, the natural and inherently sustainable panels are available in a variety of different surfaces and colours, and contribute to a building’s BREEAM, DGNB and LEED ratings. In addition to their high sound absorption and tactile surface, they offer high durability and lowcost lifecycle performance.

Available in various sizes and in four grades from extreme to coarse, the panels can be left untreated or painted in virtually any RAL colour.

www.troldtekt.com/news/ themes/swimming-centres 01978 664255 info@troldtekt.co.uk

KEEPING SPORT SURFACES SAFE AND ON BUDGET Education budgets continue to be tight and fewer new schools are being built. Schools that are being built tend to be in accordance with a standard Department of Education template. The notion of every sports hall design being based on its needs is eliminated by having standard specifications copied and pasted from previous projects. Point elastic floorings are well-suited to both the new building and the refurbishment of educational facilities. However, as a specialist in flooring for education, Gerflor is seeing a great deal more refurbishment with safe, yet cost-effective solutions being needed. Point elastic vinyl floorings have been designed by flooring manufacturers to provide shock absorbency but perhaps more importantly, impact protection.

www.gerflor.co.uk

03332 412901

contractuk@gerflor.com

TAKE THE STRAIN OUT OF STAIN REMOVAL WITH CROWN TRADE Crown Trade’s market-leading Clean Extreme Stain Resistant Scrubbable paints provide the perfect solution to reducing maintenance requirements and helping surfaces retain that ‘just-decorated’ appeal, even with an intensive cleaning regime in place. The high-performance formulation offers exceptional durability, combining the dual benefits of helping to prevent stains from forming on the paint surface and being able to withstand regular cleaning by minimising the amount of paint film that is removed each time. Based upon the ISO 11998 testing method, which is the industry standard for determining the wet scrub-resistance of dry paint film, Crown Trade’s Clean Extreme Scrubbable Matt achieved a Class 1 rating and has an impressive durability level of 10,000 scrubs.

www.crownpaintspec.co.uk

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0330 024 0310

info@crownpaintspec.co.uk

UPGRADE PROPERTIES WITH COUNTRY COLOUR Country Colour from Osmo UK offers an opaque, satin wood finish for exterior wood. Available in 19 standard colours, 186 RAL Classic and 1950 NCS colours, it is the ideal finish to renew previously-stained, weathered or discoloured wood surfaces and provide a standout colour feature to a property. The range promises premium durability and a rich colour, hiding the natural colour and grain of the wood whilst enhancing its natural texture. The finish not only rejuvenates the wood, but leaves it protected against the unpredictable British weather for many years to come. Country Colour can be applied to a range of wood species, including oily and exotic materials.

www.osmouk.com 01296 481220

ALTRO FLOORING NOW STANDARD FOR TOP WELSH SOCIAL HOUSING PROVIDER Altro flooring will now be fitted as standard in all new-build programmes undertaken by Adra, a leading affordable housing provider in north Wales.

The most recent of these projects is a large scheme of mixed housing units in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, where Altro Wood has been fitted in all kitchens and Altro Aquarius in all bathrooms.

Altro’s wide range of colours offers choice and flexibility in terms of design, enabling Adra to match to kitchen units and Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) recommendations and to create comfortable, contemporary and stylish homes for their clients.

With proven durability combined with good looks, performance and impressive safety credentials, Altro products have delivered great results for Adra over many years with long-term sustainability of quality and standards.

The scheme in Caernarfon is the first mixed-tenure project for Adra, offering 46

FLOORS, WALLS & CEILINGS

properties in total, comprising two-, threeand four-bedroomed houses and bungalows available as market sales, rent to own and social rented units.

Altro Wood safety flooring has been fitted in all kitchens, using the colours Vintage Cherry, Bleached Oak or Washed Oak. Homely and stylish, Altro Wood is a great biophilic safety option – bringing nature indoors – and offers a choice of designs, plank sizes and shades in a roll. It’s suitable for indoor public spaces such as entrances, care homes, school corridors, student accommodation, restaurants and dining areas.

All bathrooms and shower rooms in the scheme have been fitted with Altro Aquarius safety flooring, in the colours Swan, Cygnet or Tern. This specialist flooring solution is designed for combined wet and dry, shoe and barefoot areas, so is ideal for bathrooms, showers, saunas and spas.

Elliw Owen, Senior Development Surveyor at Adra, says: “The first phase at Caer Ysgol, Caernarfon, has been finished for over a year now, and there is a very high satisfaction rate among residents. We have not had one problem with the flooring, and the 12-month assessment reported it looked as good as the day it was fitted.”

www.altro.co.uk 01462 480480 enquiries@altro.com

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KBB

WASHROOM HYGIENE WITHOUT BLOWING THE BUDGET As UK lockdown restrictions begin to ease, building owners and facilities managers need to ensure that all buildings – whether they are schools, offices, leisure centres or pubs – minimise the risk of infection for users, particularly their washroom facilities.

All public buildings are required to provide facilities for regular users and visitors to wash their hands frequently. This means more intensive use, higher consumption of water and soap, and additional cleaning of all surfaces. As the pandemic has progressed, it is apparent that quick, lowcost options are no longer sustainable, and building owners and facility managers need durable and economical solutions to their hygiene challenges.

Built to last Sensor-operated taps offer the perfect hygienic solution. They operate without manual contact, preventing the spread of germs. The initial outlay plus installation and repair costs can seem prohibitive, especially with budgets under enormous pressure. However, DELABIE’s TEMPOMATIC 4 tap is simple to install and built to last. When calculated over its lifetime, the savings on installation and maintenance costs are significant.

Due to an integrated battery, the only connection is to the water supply, providing a straight swap for cross-head or time-flow taps. Plus, all components are standardised and accessed via the body, so servicing is simple – saving time (and money) especially if several are installed.

The battery life is three to six years (350,000 operations) depending on usage patterns, and its solid metal body with reinforced fixings will withstand intensive use and intentional misuse.

TEMPOMATIC 4 reduces water consumption by up to 90%, compared to a domestic-style tap, and the resulting savings on the water and energy bill will quickly offset the original investment.

Thanks to the sensor, water flows only when hands are detected, closing automatically to avoid waste during soaping. The flow rate is pre-set at 3 litres/minute, but can be adjusted from 1.5 to 6 litres/minute to suit the system pressure and meet environmental targets.

Moreover, a duty flush occurs if the tap is not used for 24 hours, refreshing the water in the tap and pipes to prevent stagnation and bacterial development.

Hygiene without cutting corners Choosing the right soap dispenser is also critical. A leaking, blocked or broken dispenser is ineffective and reflects badly on the overall hygiene standard of the building. At a time of heightened concern for personal safety and well-being, a negative experience due to poor washroom hygiene and maintenance has a detrimental impact.

For effective hand hygiene, dispensers must be reliable and easy to operate.

DELABIE’s electronic dispenser works with hand sanitiser (hydroalcoholic gel) and liquid soap. A measured dose is dispensed automatically, up to a maximum of seven doses to prevent waste. The mechanism and sensor are robust, able to withstand intensive use and abuse. The one-piece casing is made from stainless steel, which is easy to clean. Bacterial retention rate after cleaning is up to 20-times lower than materials such as glass or plastic.

In the current climate, user safety and wellbeing are paramount. Building owners and facilities managers need sustainable and durable solutions for their washroom facilities. DELABIE’s sensor taps and soap dispensers are cost-effective, reliable, hygienic and sustainable – ideal for washrooms facing intensive use.

www.delabie.co.uk 01491 824449

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FOCUS & INNOVATION

Avoidance of thermal bridging is critical

UNRIVALLED PERFORMANCE FROM SCHÖCK MODULAR CONNECTIVITY SOLUTION The £2.3bn Elephant Park regeneration project in the Elephant & Castle area of London aims to create one of the most sustainable inner-city areas in Europe.

There are five phases, the third of which is currently live with 11 buildings divided into two plots – Park Central (North) and East Grove – providing 829 homes in total.

Brick-finished mid-rise blocks to 11 and 12 storeys feature throughout and there are two main towers, one at 24 storeys, the other 25 storeys. Construction of the towers uses around 19,000m2 of aluminium unitised facade panels supplied by FKN and Lindner, delivered

complete with integrated sliding doors and openings ready for ventilation devices. There are hundreds of cantilever steel balconies throughout the project too, also pre-fabricated (including flooring and glazed balustrades) and supplied by Dearneside Fabrications.

With steel having such high conductivity, the avoidance of thermal bridging is critical throughout.

Local heat loss is a major factor, resulting in more energy being required to maintain the building’s internal temperature. Also, low internal surface temperatures local to any thermal bridge can cause condensation, which is likely to result in structural integrity problems with absorbent materials. Mould growth too is a possible risk and can cause asthma and allergies. The thermal performance at the connectivity points involving the balconies and the commercial facades therefore needed careful consideration.

The Schöck Isokorb is universally recognised for its performance capability with balcony design detailing – but is less widely known for its ability to dramatically improve thermal performance involving facade engineering. On this project, as the thermal zone sits outside the slab zone, the Schöck Isokorb T type S offers the ideal solution to both situations.

Unique and versatile The versatile Schöck Isokorb T type S structural thermal break is the ideal connectivity solution for steel-to-steel applications. There are two variants, the T type S-N for tensile force and the T type S-V for transferring compression and shear forces. It is the only approved thermal break product that satisfies the load-bearing and thermal insulation requirements for steel design. Also, being a modular unit, it can be adapted to all profile sizes and load-bearing capacity requirements – plus, it can be used in both new construction and renovation projects.

Totally verifiable performance In addition to steel-to-steel, the comprehensive Isokorb range also offers solutions for concrete-tosteel, concrete-to-concrete and even a maintenance-free alternative to wrapped parapets. Products meet full compliance with the relevant UK Building Regulations, have NHBC approval, offer LABC registration and the security of independent BBA certification. The requirement that the temperature factor used to indicate condensation risk (fRSI) must be greater than, or equal to, 0.75 for residential buildings is also easily met by incorporating the Isokorb.

www.schoeck.com 01865 290890

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FOCUS & INNOVATION

PUTTING SAFETY FIRST IN FURNITURE SPECIFICATION One of the most important goals of all stakeholders in the provision of mental health care is the reduction or elimination of the risks associated with self-harm and suicidal behaviour.

When it comes to the provision of furniture, there are several key design features that can significantly reduce ligature risk, such as the use of minimal or invisible fixings, with non-standard screw and boltheads where these are visible.

Likewise, an emphasis on rounded edges and the use of sloping faces on items, such as TV cabinets, can also make it much harder to tie off a ligature point. Obviously, the reduction or elimination of any obvious protruding features is vital – so inset hinges, inset or ‘cut out’ handles etc. can all play a key role here.

As well as the reduction of obvious ligature points on the surface of furniture,

the other key component of anti-ligature furniture design is robustness. It is very important that furniture for mental health care is built to the highest standards of resilience, using the best quality components available and maximising reinforcement throughout, so that the structural integrity of each furniture item is maintained, even in the face of aggressive or harmful behaviour.

Once a furniture item has been damaged or degraded, it generates much more ligature risk, and it is for this reason that the use of specialist furniture, such as that supplied by Tough Furniture, is always preferable to the use of standard contract furniture in such environments.

IMPROVE YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF BS 8629 WITH ADVANCED Fire protection solutions manufacturer, Advanced, has launched two new courses to aid understanding of the BS 8629 Code of Practice recommendations and the EvacGo system designed to meet them. ‘A Guide to Meeting BS 8629’ is a CPD course, approved by the FIA and the CPD Certification Ser vice, suitable for all those responsible for fire safety in tall residential buildings. Delivered online by the Advanced evacuation alert team – Ken Bullock, Advanced’s Business Development Manager, and Shaun Scott , Applications Engineer for Evacuation Alert Systems – the one-hour session covers a range of essential BS 8629 facts, from key clauses, evacuation alert zones and siting of devices, to evacuation alert control and indicating equipment , its commissioning and handover. A s well as the accredited CPD course, Advanced has also launched a new training programme for its EvacGo evacuation alert system. Aimed primarily at installers and engineers, the training course covers practical content including panel and software configuration guidance.

uk.advancedco.com 0345 894 7000 jmountain@advancedco.com

www.toughfurniture.com 01588 674340 sales@toughfurniture.com

ROCKWOOL LAUNCHES FLAT ROOF ZONING TOOL TO SUPPORT SPECIFICATION ROCKWOOL has unveiled its new Flat Roof Zoning Tool designed to help specifiers and roofing contractors balance performance criteria, regulation compliance and design targets when choosing insulation. Hosted on the ROCKWOOL website, the tool has been created in recognition of the increasing prominence of flat roofs in contemporary building design.

The new tool simplifies and optimises insulation design by zoning flat roofs according to how each area will be used. Users start by drawing a plan outline of the roof, then create zones before setting properties for each area. Via the tool, users can incorporate details including rain noise performance (BB93), airborne noise reduction, thermal performance and product mechanical strength. Once inputted, the tool recommends the best ROCKWOOL non-combustible stone wool insulation for each roof zone. With time-saving at its heart, the ROCKWOOL Flat Roof Zoning Tool allows results to be easily exported for integration into wider design and specification plans.

01656 868400

www.rockwool.com customersupportcentre@rockwool.co.uk

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FOCUS & INNOVATION

SIKA ENHANCES PERFORMANCE OF ITS LIQUID-APPLIED WATERPROOFING SOLUTIONS Staying true to its culture of innovation, Sika has launched Sikalastic-625N, an upgraded version of one of its most popular liquid-applied single-component polyurethane waterproofing membranes, Sikalastic-625.

ADVANCED’S MXPRO 5 SELECTED FOR £485M HOSPITAL PROJECT A fault-tolerant network of fire alarm control panels from Advanced has been selected to protect the 3Ts redevelopment programme at the Royal Sussex County Hospital. 36 four-loop MxPro 5 fire panels, 46 repeater panels and two custom-built AdSpecials panels from UKmanufacturer, Advanced, are to be installed at Brighton’s 3Ts hospital redevelopment as part of phase one of the programme. Taking a lead role in the cabling, first and second fix for the fire system throughout phase one of the project is EA-RS Fire Engineering. The Essex-based firm will install Advanced’s industry-leading MxPro 5 fire panels alongside bespoke sprinkler indication and ventilation override panels, all linked to approximately 5000 Hochiki devices.

Chris Goddard, Project Manager at EA-RS Fire Engineering Ltd, said: “Configuring protection across a site of this size can often appear daunting, however, the MxPro 5’s ease of installation and scalability will help to make the challenge of implementing protection effortless. As long-term users of Advanced, we’re confident that its solutions will be capable of delivering high-performing protection across the hospital’s large number of zones, many with their own complex cause and effect requirements.”

uk.advancedco.com 0345 894 7000 jmountain@advancedco.com

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This versatile, durable cold-applied membrane is used up and down the UK in a range of flat roof applications, from industrial and commercial roofs to balconies and walkways.

The new and improved Sikalastic-625N incorporates Sika’s patented i-Cure Technology, an enhanced chemistry that gives the product greater temperature stability, extended shelf life and improved workability.

Thanks to these benefits, the waterproofing membrane is capable of curing in a wide range of conditions, making it ideal for use in the unpredictable UK climate. Application is quick, easy and will not be delayed by adverse weather, which is a huge benefit for the specifier, contractor and client.

Gavin White, Marketing and Product Manager at Sika Roofing, said: “We’re excited to be able to offer our customers the benefits of our exclusive new i-Cure Technology with the launch of Sikalastic-625N. It delivers a whole host of performance enhancements while maintaining the trusted weather-resistant waterproofing properties of its predecessor.

“Sika has been manufacturing high-performance protection and waterproofing systems for over 50 years, and we’re proud of that expertise. Our aim isn’t just to pioneer new market-leading technologies, but also to continually improve existing ones – especially those that are already loved by our customers.”

The high quality and durability achieved by this membrane is evidenced by its BBA and ETA accreditations. Sikalastic625N is a direct replacement and upgrade to the existing Sikalastic-625 formulation and will be available in the same colour range and tin sizes. Coverage rates and guarantees – 10, 15 and 20 years – also remain the same.

www.sika.co.uk/roofing 01707 394444 enquiries@uk.sika.com

AKW LAUNCHES STYLISH NEW LIVENZA PLUS SANITARYWARE RANGE AKW, one of the UK’s leading providers of accessibility solutions, has launched its new sanitaryware range – Livenza Plus. The new and improved design of Livenza Plus brings increased versatility and flexibility to installers and end-users alike. From the sleek toilet, soft-close seats and stylish basins, to the flush, seat and tap options, there is a solution to meet every need. AKW has developed Livenza Plus with both style and functionality in mind. The toilet has a rimless pan, which helps prevent the build-up of bacteria, making it easier to clean. There is also a toilet seat option made from a highly-durable, stain-resistant and easy-toclean UF (Urea-Formaldehyde). The range’s basins have been designed with flat tap decks, making the surfaces easier to keep clean and their rounded edges also offer added protection in the event of any end-user trips or falls.

The Livenza Plus collection has also been designed with ease of installation in mind.

01905 823298

www.akw-ltd.co.uk sales@akw-ltd.co.uk

Deanestor, one of the UK’s leading furniture and fit-out specialists, has completed a contract worth over £1m for Morrison Construction for the manufacture and installation of fixed furniture for The Barony Campus in Cumnock, East Ayrshire – the most innovative, ambitious and inclusive learning facility in Scotland. Deanestor fitted-out 324 rooms across the 23,000m2 campus, helping to create an outstanding learning environment. This has included the manufacture and installation of bespoke furniture such as 117 primary and secondary learning walls, 1800 storage cabinets, 1500m of linear worktops, lockers, benching for the sports facilities and kitchens for three food technology laboratories. Adjustable-height tables throughout the campus were designed to meet DDA requirements and there is a kitchen for the life skills room.

www.deanestor.co.uk/education

01623 420041

PREMIER MODULAR AWARDED PROJECT FOR NEW UNIT AT ST PETER’S HOSPITAL

enquiries@deanestor.com

FIRE PROTECTION UPGRADE FOR WEST LOTHIAN COMMERCIAL PROPERTY Scotland’s biggest building services contractor has just completed upgrading the fire compartmentation within an existing West Lothian warehouse building. The property is making use of products from the range of TBA Firefly, including APOLLO 30/30 membrane to create new fire barriers, together with TBA’s expert advice and installer training. Stirling-based FES Group’s firestopping division carried out the installation of the APOLLO 30/30 fire barriers as part of a far-reaching update of the property’s mechanical and electrical services, on behalf of the owner who will also operate the storage facility. The APOLLO Lite 30/30 has been developed for use in vertical separation or compartmentation situations, offering 30 minutes’ integrity and insulation, thereby exceeding the minimum requirements of the Building Regulations.

www.tbafirefly.com

01706 758817

FOCUS & INNOVATION

DEANESTOR TO FIT-OUT THE LARGEST NEW SCHOOL PROJECT IN SCOTLAND

Premier Modular, one of the UK’s leading offsite construction specialists, has been awarded a £9.8m project for Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to build a 62-bed Priority Assessment Unit at St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey.

Main contractor Premier will be supported by strategic delivery partner Claritas Group. Due for completion by summer 2021, this fast-track building project will reduce the programme by up to nine months compared to in-situ construction.

The speed of offsite manufacturing and fitting-out will allow earlier occupation to support the increased demand for emergency care.

www.premiermodular.co.uk 0800 316 0888 info@premiermodular.co.uk

technical@tbafirefly.com

WILLMOTT DIXON AWARDS BATHROOM POD CONTRACTS TO OFFSITE SOLUTIONS

GET SPRING READY To aid exterior cleaning and maintenance, Dr. Schutz showcases three of its most popular products perfect for transforming outdoor spaces. Restore the natural colour of outdoor wood with an intensive cleaning agent for all wood surfaces which have turned grey with Dr. Schutz Wood Refresher. Meanwhile, Stone Care is a concentrated cleaner for the removal of dirt, grime, grease and other micro-organisms on stone and tile floors. This product benefits from a high coverage of 1000m2/litre. Lastly, Intensive Cleaner is a thoroughlyeffective and powerful deep cleaner for the removal of dirt, grime, algae, moss, grease and micro-organisms from any outdoor surface.

Willmott Dixon has awarded two contracts totalling £3.5m to Offsite Solutions to supply bathroom pods for a £78m regeneration scheme in Birmingham. This use of offsite manufacturing will increase time efficiency by 30% as well as maximise the cost, quality and sustainability benefits. Offsite Solutions is manufacturing 692 steel-framed bathroom and en-suite shower pods for two apartment buildings. Each pod features contemporary grey floor and wall tiles, a wall-mounted D-shaped hand basin and heated towel rail. The bath has a hand-held shower on a sliding rail. The shower rooms are fitted-out with a hand-held rain shower, a large shower tray and sliding glass door. There is also a single-bar towel rail adjacent to the shower or bath.

www.offsitesolutions.com

01278 780807

info@offsitesolutions.com

ROCKWOOL SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2020: USE LESS, GREEN THE REST Trucost, part of S&P Global, has classified all ROCKWOOL Group products as having a positive impact on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, while the company has met or exceeded two of its six sustainability targets ahead of time. As Governments and societies continue grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, greening the economic recovery takes on even greater significance. ROCKWOOL Group’s Sustainability Report 2020 details the contribution the company’s product makes toward this goal, including updates on operational improvements and progress on supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Reducing energy and resource consumption is essential to addressing the global climate challenge, and ROCKWOOL products play a key role.

www.drschutz.co.uk 01296 437827 01656 868400

www.rockwool.com/uk/about-us/sustainability customersupportcentre@rockwool.co.uk

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