The UK Construction Blog

The chair of Design Council Cabe has called on the developers of Robin Hood Gardens to carry out a full energy audit of the proposed regeneration.

The assessment should include an energy and carbon analysis, including embodied energy. “As far as I know this has not been carried out to date, which is surprising, given the interest in energy conscious retrofit now emerging,” he said. “It is not too late for a change of heart.”

Finch’s comments come as further details of plans for the £500 million Blackwall Reach project were revealed in an outline application to Tower Hamlets Council. The first phase, which includes a new school and mosque to the north of the estate, will be designed by Aedas.

Developers Swan Housing and Countryside Properties will then hold design competitions for the next three phases, including plans for housing to replace Alison and Peter Smithson’s 1970s buildings.

Last week leading housing architects called on the profession to boycott any competitions for the estate’s replacement.

UK Green Building Council has written to education secretary Michael Gove asking him not to drop sustainability requirements for schools.

Paul King, chief executive of UKGBC, teamed up with environmental campaigners to respond to plans outlined by Gove which would see the Breeam standard dropped for new-build and refurbished schools. Under the previous government’s Building Schools for the Future programme schools were required to meet a Breeam “very good” standard.

The letter, which was also sent to David Cameron and deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, along with five other cabinet ministers, said the proposal was “deeply concerning”.

It said: “Breeam is well understood and widely recognised by the construction industry. Removing it would introduce enormous complexity for non-expert construction clients, arguably increasing bureaucracy and thereby causing delay in the design process and driving up costs.

“Reneging on the commitment would also send a terrible message to the UK industry which frequently builds to Breeam “excellent” standards in commercial developments so they can be occupied by a public sector anchor-tenant.”

The Department for Education is considering the future of Breeam standards as part of the recommendations made in the James Review.

Architects can expect much work in east London after Boris Johnson announced 10,000 new homes will be built on the Greenwich Peninsula.

The mayor revealed the ambition following an agreement with secretary of state Eric Pickles and the Homes and Communities Agency to facilitate the next phase of development, which includes 1,350 homes by the end of 2015 delivered by developer Lend Lease.

Johnson said: “This latest phase of regeneration will seal its future as a thriving, well-connected new district, combining vibrant new residential areas and fantastic leisure facilities.”

Progress on a number of other key sites in the capital was also announced, including the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Tower Hamlets. Housing association Family Mosaic won a competition for the project where 180 homes are planned following the demolition of the hospital. Family Mosaic’s team beat a bid from developer Igloo and Ash Sakula which would have retained the building.

And in Southwark an Ojeu competition will be launched to find a developer for the Newington site in Elephant & Castle, which will include a 43-storey tower and 470 homes.

The news follows last week’s announcement that a new road tunnel between Greenwich Peninsula and Silvertown in the Royal Docks will be built.

The long drawn out saga of Liverpool’s plans to build a new stadium are back on again with the Premiership club’s US owners believed to be looking at plans first drawn up nine years ago.

Their owners, Fenway Sports Group has been working with specialist Manchester practice AFL on a brand new ground for the club in the city’s Stanley Park next door to the club’s current Anfield home.

According to a report in the Daily Telegraph, the news will mean that futuristic designs (pictured) unveiled by US firm HKS in 2006 will now be scrapped for good. The £400 million plans were already in limbo after the previous Liverpool board said they were too expensive.

AFL, which declined to comment, first drew up plans for a new stadium in the early 2000s. These were put forward for planning in 2003 and given the all-clear a year later.

The new plans are dependent on the club raising the £300 million required to build the 60,000-seat ground, with at least half of this required before construction can begin.

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The government must respond positively to the National Planning Policy Framework if the house building industry is to improve in 2012.

This is according to director of external affairs at the Federation of Master Builders Brian Berry, who claimed it could be some time until the UK starts to feel the positive effects of the initiative.

He explained that the coalition is due to respond to planning proposals in March, although it could take until the second half of the year for the economy to see any improvement as a result of this.

“Definitely with the first six months, we are not very optimistic – and that depends on the government sticking to the original proposals,” Mr Berry continued.

The expert added that the current difficulties many people face when trying to obtain a mortgage means confidence in the housing market is at a low.

At the beginning of the month, the Construction Products Association predicted workload within the construction sector will decline by around five per cent in 2012, with a recovery not expected until 2014.

Planners at the London Thames Gateway have recommended that a regeneration project at Canning Town and Custom House is given detailed approval, the Construction Enquirer have reported.

Phase one of the huge development includes 179 residential units of private and affordable housing, retail units and a Morrisons supermarket, which will cover over 70,000 ft². Bouygues Development is hoping to start work on site in the first quarter of 2012.

The development is part of a wider Canning Town and Custom House Regeneration Project, a £3.7bn project which aims to transform the borough in the next 15 years.

The fate of the scheme will be decided on 16th January, before going to the Mayor of London to be approved.

The role of bathrooms in British households is changing, it has been asserted.

Lesley Taylor, interior designer and design director at Taylor’s Etc, said this room will “never return to its purely practical existence”.

It is now “even more apparent” than it used to be that the function of this space has evolved, with it now utilised as a retreat following a hard day.

Renovation and self build schemes are putting more effort into ensuring the location has “the highest level of aesthetic appreciation”, she remarked, suggesting people intend for the area to bring them comfort and solitude.

Although previously the functionality of this room took precedent over style, nowadays these two elements are working together “in harmony”, the designer continued.

Hi-tech fittings are also increasingly commonplace in this space, such as Jacuzzis and top-range showers or baths, interior design specialist George Bond recently claimed.

Ms Taylor argued people currently intend to have a bathroom that looks attractive and fulfils all of their needs and desires while bathing.

Implementing technology into home decor schemes has become a “major consideration”.

This is according to interior designer Jo Hamilton, who claimed television sets have become an item that must be part of the project instead of an object that is “added in at the end”.

Some solutions to this include fitting the products into furniture so they can “appear from nowhere” when a button is pressed, she remarked.

Other ways to hide this device include utilising artwork and mirrors that can be slid back or putting them behind wardrobe doors, the designer noted.

Ms Hamilton added some households have decided “not to try to hide the TV away and just to go with it”, such as through creating media rooms.

Feature lights, comfortable and luxurious chairs and moody tones should be part of the decor of these spaces, she argued.

“Creating an atmosphere – a backdrop for the main event” should be the focus of this, the expert remarked.

Television sets are also being put into bathrooms at present, Sara Corker of Sara Corker Designs recently stated.

Energyflo Insulation Technologies has completed a cutting-edge carbon reduction retrofit project for Willmott Dixon and South Cambridgeshire Council.

The Edinburgh-based company’s Dynamic Insulation product has been retrofitted to homes in Longstanton, Cambridgeshire as part of the Rampton Drift project, and the monitoring phase of development is now underway.

The project aims to identify the costs, effects and benefits of a range of low-carbon, sustainable technologies by refurbishing existing homes on the estate.

Energyflo’s patented Dynamic Insulation product enables builders and designers to meet today’s ever-increasing demands for energy-efficiency and carbon reduction.

The technology easily integrates the insulation and ventilation system to capture the heat energy escaping through the building fabric and pre-warm incoming air. By recycling this heat energy the energy efficiency of a property can be improved by 25 per cent when compared to traditional insulation products.

The homes, which were built in the 1950s and 70s, have been upgraded with Dynamic Insulation and it is hoped that the development will become a model for the construction industry as the Green Deal comes into force next year.

The Green Deal supports the implementation of energy efficiency measures to households and businesses to reduce energy usage and save fuel costs.

Alan Cochrane, Principal Consultant (Energy Services) for Willmott Dixon, main contractor for the Rampton Drift project, said: “Dynamic Insulation was selected because it is one simple solution that easily integrates the insulation and ventilation system to improve energy efficiency and indoor air quality.”

Leading the design consultation was PRP Architects, which specified Energyflo’s Dynamic Insulation to be retrofitted to the properties’ external walls. Nuaire was appointed to provide the ventilation solution to meet the carbon reduction objectives of the project.

Andrew Peacock, technical director from Energyflo, said: “One of the key aspects of our unique technology is that we can deliver the solid wall U-values in hard to treat buildings well beyond any other external wall insulation from a thinner and less intrusive build footprint.

“We are delighted that our market-leading Dynamic Insulation product has been selected to be retrofitted in the homes at Rampton Drift. As around half of homes in Great Britain do not have sufficient insulation and around 50 per cent more energy is used to heat and power homes than is used to power UK industry, this project has the potential to be an important template for the industry. It is also an opportunity to learn about the positive impact which insulation can have on homeowner’s bills.”

Archie Ferguson, chair of Construction Scotland, said: “Carbon reduction targets present an important challenge to the construction industry.  The need to demonstrate compliance with these targets has never been greater.”

Construction Scotland is tasked with providing leadership and directing the Scottish Construction sector and will engage with Scottish Government Ministers, key stakeholder groups and the wider industry to fulfil this role.

Archie added: “This is an excellent example of a Scottish company delivering an innovative solution to help construction companies across the UK to meet these targets and enable homeowners to reduce their energy costs.

“It is of increasing importance for construction companies to collaborate and share ideas so that we may identify even more forward-thinking ideas which can benefit the industry.”