Andy Turl

There’s been a notable increase in the adoption of Passivhaus principles, but is it a feasible solution for delivering homes at volume? The new NHBC Foundation report looks at barriers and opportunities. Read the report now ➡ https://lnkd.in/e96MPE33 #FoundationReport #ClimateChange #NetZero

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A significant investment to make inroads to our carbon emissions on the University of Nottingham University Park campus. We’re committed to decarbonising how we heat buildings and lowering our use of natural gas – this project is a key part of that: - Estimated CO₂ Savings: Approximately 500 tonnes per annum, equating to 250 return flights from London to New York or enough CO₂ to fill 500 hot air balloons. - Groundwater Source: The Sherwood Sandstone aquifer flowing directly below the campus. - Sustainable Systems: Utilizing abundant groundwater and atmospheric air renewable energy sources for heating and cooling.

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Principal in our London Planning Team, Laura Jenkinson, is featured in Building Magazine this week, discussing the challenges of retrofit, and what a new government could do to improve the current system. She comments on the race to quality and need for intervention to prevent stranded assets, exploring prime examples of where retrofit is being successfully achieved. Laura provides her recommendations to planners and policy makers on how to deal with these challenges. Read the full article below https://lnkd.in/erH_8RuG

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A recent government review attributed over 50% of the UK's carbon emissions to infrastructure and the built environment. A fast-tracked standard, comprehensive in scope, was urgently needed in light of the scale of carbon emissions needed. PAS 2080 provides a consistent framework encompassing the whole value chain, fully aligned with the industry's sustainability goals. Developed through collaboration between industry experts, it establishes targets, baselines, metrics and reporting procedures to quantifiably manage carbon throughout design, construction and use. “When you've got the whole value chain operating in the same way, that's where the magic happens.” - David Riley, Anglian Water Services See the benefits of the world's first standard for reducing and managing carbon in the built environment: https://gag.gl/a0rv9S #BSI #Sustainability #BuiltEnvironment #PAS2080 #FacilitiesManagement

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Transforming our built environment requires a new approach to designing and constructing buildings. We urge the next government to establish whole life carbon targets for buildings, focus on retrofitting our existing housing stock through a National Retrofit Strategy, and require Post Occupancy Evaluation for publicly funded projects. Collaboration between architects and the rest of the built environment sector is vital to share knowledge and achieve our objectives. ➡️ Read our priorities for the next government in our manifesto: https://ow.ly/5XSP50SjTkU

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Built Environment - Smarter Transformation is to undertake a deep retrofit of Scotland’s National Retrofit Centre and use the opportunity to transform the building into a living demonstrator of best practice in the retrofit of non-domestic buildings.

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Have you read our Impact Report? Dive into the report and learn about Infrastructure Sustainability Councils Sustainability Model and our 4 strategic goals established to ensure that all infrastructure delivers social, cultural, environmental and economic benefits Click below to read the full report for a closer look at how as a sector we're making a difference and shaping a better future. https://lnkd.in/e9zg5dfa #ImpactReport #CaseStudies #Infrastructuresustainability

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Tapping into tidal power is an essential segment for UK energy security

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In trying to reduce the amount of fossil fuel we burn by better retaining heat, we’re also hermetically sealing different genres of buildings with defects in them, resulting in retained moisture and inevitably mould growth Michael Parrett FCIOB Sustainability is more than planting a tree or abiding to some green agenda. Homes that are insulated incorrectly have designed in defects and incorrect diagnosis wastes the very material that is measured as embodied carbon, let alone the measure of poor health. Professionalism is key to the damp diagnostics.

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Reducing emissions from our buildings is crucial if we are to help end Scotland’s contribution to #ClimateChange. Our heat resource page shares what support is available if your community is thinking about ways to decarbonise your building’s heat. https://lnkd.in/eFZFKVAC

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The BBC's breakfast programme this morning highlighted the challenges faced by some homeowners who had installed cavity wall insulation, leading to significant levels of deteriroating dampness. The published article can be found at https://lnkd.in/eZ97iyT5 . Today I dug out my 1997 copy of BRE's Good Repair Guide 26. Interestingly, it said: "As long as the wall condition and building details are suitable for filling, the building is in an area where there is little risk of driving rain and the walls are under 12 m high....the decision to insulate the cavity is complex and will need the advice of a specialist." I also found my copy of the Energy Savings Trust's 2007 Guide for Specifiers and Advisors. Not surprisingly, it says on page 3, that "suitability depends mainly on the local exposure to driving rain and the condition of the existing construction". Likewise the recommended procedure on page 5 involves checking exposure although page 6 very clearly states that "beads and mineral wool can be used in any exposure up to 12m in height, provided the installation is to the appropriate BBA or BSi....". There's an earlier 2003 version but I will spare you that for now. Back in 2017, BRE published a report for Constructing Excellence in Wales. This highlighted very significant concerns about the effectiveness of such systems in surveyed properties, leading to just the kind of issues identified today by the BBC. In 2017 the NI government also commissioned research. This found thatthere were very serious problems in 1.1% of their stock, and compliance issues in a further 24.2%. A wide range of contributory issues was identified. Here is the BRE map of the UK showing wind-driven rain, which in turn is based on the methodology set out in BS 8104. It's fairly obvious from this that much of Scotland suffers very badly in terms of exposure. It's therefore also pretty obvious that there might be some challenges for those wishing to install such systems. My recollection is that claims management companies first started doing the rounds in or around 2018, and by the following year the Department for Business and Energy was certainly providing advice to consumers on how to sense-check any such approach. In any event new installations had dropped to a trickle by that time. As we face increasing pressure to retrofit properties, people will inevitably start looking again at cavity wall systems. There are, as today's article shows, real challenges. It's important that we get it right this time and that proper professional advice is sought from qualified architects and surveyors on a "whole house" approach. Let's not just leave it to the installers this time.

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For more than a decade we have supported the Designing Buildings Wiki. If you're looking for a central source of construction knowledge check out their Wikipedia-style collection of articles, written by readers about the process of designing and developing buildings. Visit the site at https://orlo.uk/PrGDW #ciob #construction #building #constructionmanagement #sitemanagement #architecture #surveying #facilitiesmanagement #projectmanagement

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#BREAKINGNEWS It's official - an industry survey by NBS - has revealed "that nearly half of specifiers are still unsure of the responsibilities attached to the Building Safety Act 2022, a worrying sign that a high number of ‘#knowledge gaps’ persist within the industry" _ Specification Online via Construction Buzz Last month _ leading industry publication Construction News _ shared a piece that included comments from a dear friend, Neil Hope-Collins, stating that "Some people get it. Some people don’t. Some people have been told and don’t quite believe it yet". The reality is that the UK #construction industry is struggling both to 'understand and implement the legal requirements' of the #BuildingSafetyAct and specifically, the #GoldenThread. You can access the new report by Byggfakta Group here https://lnkd.in/egbzZxbK Come and see what we are doing at the Digital Twin Skills Academy CIC to help #youngpeople and the wider industry gain better clarity of this 'new' landscape to achieve safer, greener, value based outcomes, in construction: https://lnkd.in/eHqTbkvG

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A great read from RIBA on the proposed Future Homes and Buildings Standards - urging an emphasis on operational energy and measures to decarbonise buildings by improving efficiency. We’d love to hear your thoughts on the proposals and whether they go far enough to prioritise net zero? https://lnkd.in/drRqyYG9

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Publication Announcement! One year from its initial meeting Retrofit Roundtable experts have come together to make recommendations to Scottish Government for critical actions that must be taken to reach net-zero targets Today, marking one year since initial discussions, RIAS, alongside 12 built environment sector partners, has published a new report from the industry-led Retrofit Roundtable, encouraging Scottish Government to act quickly to adopt industry recommendations on retrofit. This group – comprised of industry practitioners, academics, and policy professionals – says Scotland will struggle to hit fuel poverty and net-zero targets without urgent intervention. They have called for the Government to support a just transition by developing a ministerial oversight group and Retrofit Delivery Plan. The report’s recommendations support a ‘fabric first’, whole-home approach to retrofit and outline that Scotland can only meet its net zero objectives with a Government-led, clear path forward and a plan to ensure that necessary resources are in place. Without them, households will be left with energy inefficient homes that are draughty and expensive to heat. This ongoing collaborative effort comes one year after the Chartered Institute of Building hosted a ‘Retrofit Roundtable’ – sponsored by Gordon MacDonald, MSP and attended by members from across the Chamber – in May 2023 to discuss the nation’s retrofit challenge and consider solutions. Read the full report and the group’s recommendations here: https://lnkd.in/eYvMwfPB

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Hey Planning Peeps If you are a small consultancy/sole trader you should already be signed up to the RTPI Independent Consultants Network (ICN). You really should. These virtual office colleagues collectively know EVERYTHING and submit 1000s of applications every year. But if you have not signed up, or you're just now taking the leap from corporate or local gov overload into consultating I'd recommend coming along to the Indy Consults Conference. Legal updates, BNG, and much more. One of those times I promise the learning to travel ratio is going to be mega and well worth it. https://lnkd.in/eQgy5k-G

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UKERC / South Yorkshire Sustainability Centre briefing paper published today: Seven Principles of Place-based Net Zero Policy for SMEs This new report outlines seven principles for place-based approaches to decarbonisation for #SMEs. Drawing from extensive research across the UK and lessons from different sectors, it sets out policy-focused recommendations for achieving transformative change in SME #ClimateAction. Authored by Will Eadson, Sam Hampton, Katherine Sugar, Richard Blundel and Phil Northall. Find out more and download the report: https://lnkd.in/eeUK7hX5

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