Arkio is a new immersive collaborative design tool for architecture Arkio has launched version 1.0 of its immersive collaborative design tool for architecture after a successful beta period. With Arkio, people can brainstorm, sketch, design, review, present and work together in real-time in a shared space using virtual reality (VR) headsets, desktops, tablets and phones.

Inspiring the next generation of construction industry leaders The Construction Innovation Hub and Class Of Your Own (COYO), supported by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), are today releasing a new film Where it All Begins as part of a call on the construction industry to support them in attracting the brightest and best upcoming

217,000 new workers needed in construction to meet demand by 2025 CITB warns the construction industry needs to recruit an additional 217,000 workers by 2025 especially in joinery, fit-out and electrical. The organisation’s Construction Skills Network (CSN) published a forecast this week stating that the average recruitment requirement is 4.4% a year between now and

Aecom provides a cost breakdown for a low carbon office scheme Aecom’s Brian Smith and David Thornley explain what needs to change in the industry for offices to lead the way in carbon-cutting practices and provide a cost breakdown of a typical low carbon office scheme. Read the full article here.

Scotland launch a domestic climate emergency campaign ahead of COP26 The Scottish government has launched a major TV, radio and digital campaign called Let’s do Net Zero to highlight the benefits a net-zero society would bring to the economy, health and environment. Read the full article here.

Industry unites to launch a virtual pavilion for COP26 The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has today announced a coalition of almost 100 partner organisations across the built environment sector who will support the delivery of a Built Environment Virtual Pavilion, ahead of the UN’s COP26 Climate Summit scheduled to take place in Glasgow this

World-first – sustainable graphene concrete Construction firm Nationwide Engineering made a piece of history on Tuesday 25 May, as it completes the laying of the world’s first graphene concrete slab engineered for sustainability in a commercial setting – the new material is strengthened by around 30% compared to standard concrete and so significantly cutting material

Cadventure to deliver teacher training for ‘Class of your Own’ Cadventure is proud to announce its collaboration with Class Of Your Own, the UK-based creator and provider of the award-winning “Design Engineer Construct!Ò” (DEC) Learning Programme for secondary school students. Cadventure’s role is to develop and deliver Bentley Systems software skills training to DEC teachers

UK Built Environment Climate Ambassadors revealed Dame Alison Nimmo DBE and other property leaders have been selected to fight climate change ahead of the United Nations COP26 summit in Glasgow in November. Take a look at the full list of ambassadors and the challenges they face.  Read the full article hosed on the UKGB website.  

We need to ensure any new green homes scheme does not repeat the mistakes of the past With the prime minister and business secretary reportedly considering developing another green homes retrofit programme, it is vital that they build on the lessons of previous flagship home energy efficiency policies, or risk repeating the same mistakes. In

Guidance on procuring high-quality renewable energy This guidance provides clarity for the property and construction industry on the procurement of high-quality renewable energy and carbon offsets for net zero buildings and organisations in the UK. It includes a set of principles which should be used to both evaluate the quality of renewable energy procurement routes,

Modular Construction has accelerated due to COVID – now we must not slip back Modular construction has become popular over lockdown as the industry looks for innovative solutions to deliver housing quickly. New homes built using MMC is predicted to increase from 6-10% to 20% but this has to increase further to meet the government’s

Walking the talk: Best practices for digital construction It’s no secret that digital innovations can improve productivity and help the construction industry navigate disruptions and mitigate risks. And in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many project owners have been forced to step up their use of technology to enable their teams to work and

This is how we can get real value from infrastructure COVID has been a cruel teacher, yet we must heed its lessons. If we want to ‘bounce forward’ and build a better world post-pandemic, then we must up our game on systems-thinking in every sector, and definitely in the built environment. And if we think

Public-private partnerships: lessons from COVID-19 The CBI’s latest report Public-private partnerships: lessons from COVID-19 celebrates the successful partnerships between government and industry that have helped tackle the pandemic and ensure communities have had continued access to vital public services. Building on dozens of case studies from UK businesses, the report argues that there are lessons

Making flexible working work in the long term The Covid-19 pandemic has been, and continues to be, a trying time for everyone. For businesses, the imposed lockdown has been a crash course in remote working, setting up suitable arrangements for people to carry on being productive from home, adopting new technologies to connect and adapting

Let’s focus on the good guys There is a lot of doom and gloom out there at the moment. From news about the domestic implications of a second wave of covid-19 to its on-going global economic impact, it is all very sober reading and watching. As I scroll through the stories, it is not lost on

Why WFH isn’t necessarily good for women By altering attitudes toward working from home (WFH), COVID-19 may have forever changed the way we work. According to a new MIT study, half of those who were employed before the pandemic are now working remotely. As company executives see for themselves that excellent work can be achieved, and productivity heightened,

UK scientists begin study of how long Covid can survive in the air It is the question scientists around the world are trying to answer: how long can the coronavirus survive in the tiny aerosol particles we exhale? In a high-security lab near Bristol, entered through a series of airlock doors, scientists may be weeks

Michelle Ogundehin on the imperative need to diversify design From the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic to looming economic uncertainty and issues of systemic racial bias, this year has already seen us tested, and questioning, as never before. The combined impact is such that even in the hitherto sedate world of interiors, the burning topic of conversation

Microsoft to become water positive by 2030 Microsoft’s new commitment will aim to address water availability, access and quality in the locations where it operates. By 2030, Microsoft will aim to replenish more water than it uses across water-stressed basins. Around 40 highly stressed water basins located near Microsoft operations will be prioritised, while replenishment

Cape Town almost ran out of water. Here’s how it averted the crisis Cape Town’s water crisis got so bad last year that there were competitions to see who could wash their shirts the least. Restaurants and businesses were encouraging people not to flush after going to the toilet. The city was just 90 days

Natural flood management Wetlands aren’t just great for wildlife and people to enjoy, they also serve an essential purpose as part of nature’s flood defence system. The problem Climate change is likely to mean more frequent and intense flooding for the UK. WWT has been working to develop a more sustainable and efficient way to

Dual-flush toilets ‘wasting more water than they save’ Toilets specially designed to save water are wasting more than they conserve, the UK’s largest water firm has warned. Campaigners have warned for years that dual-flush toilets, introduced as more efficient alternatives that were expected to use less than half the amount of water per flush, are