Dual-flush toilets ‘wasting more water than they save’
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 […]
Opinion Piece by Allan Simpson
Opinion Piece by Allan Simpson, Strategic Growth Manager, Anglian Water Looking after water can help us all The water cycle is an example of a natural circular economy, with used water ultimately being recycled back to the environment and for further use by people and businesses. Yet too often we take the availability of water […]
Game Changing Products – Jane Wernick – Cross-Laminated Timber
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Jane Wernick:Cross-laminated timber Jane Wernick, Consultant structural engineer at engineersHRW Cross-laminated timber The development of the cross laminated (CLT) timber industry has made it much easier to design timber buildings. The fact that panels can be one-way or two-way spanning makes them […]
Game Changing Products – Jane Wernick – Thermal Break Connections for Reinforced Concrete
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Jane Wernick:Thermal Break Connections for reinforced concrete Jane Wernick, Consultant structural engineer at engineersHRW Thermal break connections for reinforced concrete The first version of this that I came across in the late 90’s was developed by Schoek and was called Isokorb. Similar […]
Game Changing Products – Jane Wernick – Computers / Digital Technology
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Jane Wernick:Computers / Digital Technology Jane Wernick, Consultant structural engineer at engineersHRW Computers / Digital technology Continuing advances in the use of computers and digital technology, probably since the 1960’s, for the design, analysis, construction methods and data gathering will probably be […]
Game Changing Products – Chris Twinn – Advanced Building Physics Computer Modelling
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Chris Twinn:Advanced Building Physics Computer Modelling Chris Twinn, Principal at Twinn Sustainability Innovation Advanced building physics computer modelling Allows me to understand how passive building material can do much of the effort, instead of gas-guzzling ‘big’ technology and fancy controls no one […]
Game Changing Products – Chris Twinn – Micro Heat Pumps
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Chris Twinn:Micro heat pumps Chris Twinn, Principal at Twinn Sustainability Innovation Micro heat pumps Able to harness very low grade waste heat available throughout our buildings, and to upgrade it for immediate reuse.
Game Changing Products – Chris Twinn – Large Scale Wind Turbines
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Chris Twinn:Large Scale wind turbines Chris Twinn, Principal at Twinn Sustainability Innovation Large scale wind turbines Dramatically changed building systems by transforming the electrical grid from a coal based energy source to hate and allow me to dump gas combustion – for […]
Game Changing Products – Robert Prewett – Lime
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Robert Prewett:Lime Robert Prewett, Director of Prewett Bizley Lime Lime is of course an ancient traditional material. I like thousands of others have rediscovered it as a material for mortars and renders. Having done so, I have changed the way we specify […]
Game Changing Products – Robert Prewett – Marmox
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Robert Prewett:Marmox Robert Prewett, Director of Prewett Bizley Marmox Once masonry construction guaranteed massive thermal bridges at junction and the base of walls. Marmox blocks are one of various ways of dealing with this. The very high compressive strength an excellent price […]
Game Changing Products – Robert Prewett – Evacuated Glass
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Robert Prewett:Evacuated Glass Robert Prewett, Director of Prewett Bizley Evacuated Glass Spacia via Pilks was the first evcauted glass with a u-value of 1.1 with only 6mm of glass. Game changer for sash windows, which we have used for secondary and primary […]
Game Changing Products – Robin Nicholson – MVHR
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Robin Nicholson:MVHR Robin Nicholson, Partner at Cullinan Studio MVHR This prompted me to remember that we used MVHR in the student rooms in our UeL Docklands Campus which opened in 1999.
Game Changing Products – Robin Nicholson – Glass mounted PVs
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Robin Nicholson:Glass Mounted PV Robin Nicholson, Partner at Cullinan Studio Glass mounted PVs I think that the integration of PVs and sunshading is yet to be fully realised.
Game Changing Products – Robin Nicholson – Cross-laminated timber
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Robin Nicholson:Cross-laminated timber Robin Nicholson, Partner at Cullinan Studio Cross-laminated timber I didn’t see the benefit when I first saw it an early Ecobuild at Earls Court; I fact I chose a vibration coil to descale heating pipes instead of CLT for […]
Game Changing Products – Chris Morgan – MVHR
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Chris Morgan:MVHR Chris Morgan, Director at John Gilbert Architects MVHR (Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery) UK building regulations got themselves into an almighty mess when it came to airtightness and ventilation, they still are. To the point that, where the airtightness is […]
Game Changing Products – Chris Morgan – ‘Proper’ airtightness tapes
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Chris Morgan:‘Proper’ airtightness tapes Chris Morgan, Director at John Gilbert Architects ‘Proper’ airtightness tapes From Pro Clima, Siga and others. Seems old hat now but in guidance for airtightness I wrote only 15 years ago, I wrote that you really had to […]
Game Changing Products – Chris Morgan – Breathable / natural / non-toxic insulations
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Chris Morgan:Breathable / Natural / Non-Toxic insulations Chris Morgan, Director at John Gilbert Architects Breathable / natural / non-toxic insulations The first was Warmcel but then quickly lots of other ones followed, particularly the variety of wood fibres. The point is that […]
Game Changing Products – Mark Elton – Q-Bot
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Mark Elton:Q-Bot Mark Elton, Associate Director at Cowan Architects Q-Bot For my final choice, I will nominate a retrofit company as they are the sole providers of the technology: Q-Bot. Tackling insulation to suspended floors has long been the elephant in the […]
Game Changing Products – Mark Elton – Pavatex’s PavaDry woodfibre insulation boards
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Mark Elton:Pavatex’s PavaDry Woodfibre insulation boards Mark Elton, Associate Director at Cowan Architects Pavatex’s PavaDry woodfibre insulation boards My second choice is the internal insulation equivalent: Pavatex’s PavaDry woodfibre insulation boards. Manufactured from waste timber (spruce and fir), the boards are designed […]
Game Changing Products – Mark Elton – Rockwool’s Dual Density Insulation Range
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Mark Elton:Rockwool’s Dual Density Insulation Range Mark Elton, Associate Director at Cowan Architects Rockwool’s Dual Density Insulation Range My work in retrofit has largely focussed on post-war buildings, particularly high-rise, where external wall insulation is a large element in our ‘armoury’. For […]
Game Changing Products – Bill Dunster OBE – Proctor Wraptite
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Bill Dunster OBE:Proctor Wraptite Bill Dunster OBE, Architect and Founder of ZedFactory Proctor Wraptite Achieving airtightness in buildings can be difficult, but it is vital for energy efficiency. Proctor has developed Wraptite, a self-adhesive, vapour permeable airtightness membrane, to change this. This […]
Game Changing Products – Bill Dunster OBE – Lithium Ion Phosphate Battery
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Bill Dunster OBE:Lithium Ion Phosphate battery Bill Dunster OBE, Architect and Founder of ZedFactory Lithium Ion Phosphate Battery – LiPo4 More energy generation means a need for greater energy storage. This compact, chemically stable and lightweight battery is interchangeable with personal electric […]
Game Changing Products – Bill Dunster OBE – Glass / Glass Mono BIPV
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Bill Dunster OBE:Glass / Glass Mono BIPV Bill Dunster OBE, Architect and Founder of ZedFactory Glass / Glass Mono BIPV The mass production of monocrystalline solar electric silicon wafers laminated between two sheets of glass with 3 mm gaps that transmit daylight […]
Game Changing Products – Chaline Church – 3D Printing
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Chaline Church:3D Printing Chaline Church, Interiors Architect & Founder, Freespace Design 3D Printing During my Masters in Interiors Architecture I was looking at how hoarding disorder (mental health issues) and interior arrangements relate and what we can learn. The course looked at […]
Game Changing Products – Chaline Church – CO2 Absorbing Paint
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Chaline Church:CO2 Absorbing Paint Chaline Church, Interiors Architect & Founder, Freespace Design CO2 Absorbing Paint Graphenstone paint with its steel-strong graphene nanotechnology is a great product because of its durability and sustainability. It has a multitude of non-toxic interior health benefits eg […]
Game Changing Products – Chaline Church – Cradle to Cradle Certified Products
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Chaline Church:Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Products Chaline Church, Interiors Architect & Founder, Freespace Design Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Products This is a globally recognised measure for safer, more sustainable products made for the circular economy. These products are great because of their […]
Game Changing Products – Tom Bennett – Software – Rhino/Grasshopper / Ladybug/Honeybee
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Tom Bennett:Software: Rhino / Grasshopper / Ladybug / Honeybee Tom Bennett, Architect at Studio Bark Software: Rhino/Grasshopper / Ladybug/Honeybee We use Rhino/grasshopper to drive a workflow behind our U-Build system. Grasshopper in Rhino is a robust development platform that you can use […]
Game Changing Products – Tom Bennett – Mycelium Insulation
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Tom Bennett:Mycelium insulation Tom Bennett, Architect at Studio Bark Mycelium insulation Mycelium insulation is maybe more of a ‘future’ thing – we haven’t used it yet, but are excited about the possibility of phasing out petrochemical based insulations.
Game Changing Products – Tom Bennett – Expanded Cork Blocks
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Tom Bennett:Expanded Cork Blocks Tom Bennett, Architect at Studio Bark Expanded cork blocks Cork is a common interior floor finish and has also been used as external rainscreen cladding for buildings. We wanted to see if cork can be used as a […]
Game Changing Products – Duncan Baker-Brown – Mycelium
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Duncan Baker-Brown:Mycelium Duncan Baker-Brown, Co-Founder, BBM Sustainable Design Limited Mycelium A material that is becoming a game changer in the industry, as well as multiple other sectors, is mycelium. These are thin root-like fibres from fungi that, when dried, can be used […]
Game Changing Products – Duncan Baker-Brown – Raw Organic Materials
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Duncan Baker-Brown:Raw Organic Materials Duncan Baker-Brown, Co-Founder, BBM Sustainable Design Limited Raw Organic Materials I think Construction Resources, a showroom that opened in London in the 1990s, changed how the industry thinks about sustainable construction. Other organisations such as ASBP and EcoMerchant […]
Game Changing Products – Duncan Baker-Brown – Thermal Energy Modelling
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Duncan Baker-Brown:Thermal Energy Modelling Duncan Baker-Brown, Co-Founder, BBM Sustainable Design Limited Thermal Energy Modelling We use IES modelling software on all of our projects to help design cost-efficient and low carbon buildings. Thermal energy modelling allows us to insert all the relevant […]
Game Changing Products – Liv Andersson – BHoM
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Liv Andersson:BHoM Liv Andersson, Sustainability engineer at Buro Happold BHoM The BHoM (Buildings and Habitats object Model) is a collaborative, open source computational development project for the built environment. It is a collective effort to share code and standardise the data that we use […]
Game Changing Products – Liv Andersson – Active Distribution Network
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment liv andersson:Active Distribution Network (Smart Grids) Liv Andersson, Sustainability engineer at Buro Happold Active Distribution Network (Smart Grids) Today’s distribution networks are designed to meet peak loads and service individual end-users. Active distribution network concepts are capable of real-time monitoring of the […]
Game Changing Products – Liv Andersson – Hemp Insulation
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment Liv Andersson:Hemp insulation Liv Andersson, Sustainability engineer at Buro Happold Hemp Insulation Hemp makes an excellent insulator that is both durable and low carbon. This is due to its low conductivity levels and its high thermal mass. Hemp insulation does not only […]
Mark Farmer sets challenge in his Modernise or Die Review
Mark Farmer sets the construction industry a challenge in his Modernise or Die sector review In his Modernise or Die sector review, Mark Farmer set a challenge to the construction industry to change the way it worked or face paying a heavy price. That was four years ago and, unfortunately, it has taken a pandemic […]
Opinion Piece by Julia Park
Opinion Piece by Julia Park, Head of Housing Research, Levitt Bernstein Finding the right balance These are, without doubt, extraordinary times. We will need a period of reflection before making long-lasting changes to our way of life, but it is already clear that a re-evaluation of how we live, work and interact with those around […]
Report: UK’s domestic heat ‘extremely unlikely’ to reach net-zero without policy overhaul
Report: UK’s domestic heat ‘extremely unlikely’ to reach net-zero without policy overhaul Some 10 million homes will need to have their fossil fuel heating systems replaced by 2035 if the UK is to meet its net-zero target – but the rate of government-supported upgrades is just one-fifth of this level, a new policy briefing has […]
New head of UKGBC promises ‘climate action’
New head of UKGBC promises ‘climate action’ Sunand Prasad, incoming chair of the UK Green Building Council, said he plans to use the position to champion climate action in the property and construction industry and inspire the industry to adopt practical solutions to making buildings truly sustainable and regenerative by design. He is also passionate about the […]
Planning changes would drastically cut affordable homes, councils say
Planning changes would drastically cut affordable homes, councils say Close to half of affordable homes in some of the most expensive areas of England will not be built if ministers proceed with changes to the planning system, analysis by councils suggests. The government’s proposal to scrap the duty of developers to build affordable housing on […]
Energy performance in buildings is key to meeting 2030 emissions target
Energy performance in buildings is key to meeting 2030 emissions target Ursula von der Leyen and Frans Timmermans have pledged to kick-start a renovation wave across Europe. This is a management challenge with three aspects that have to be met, write building industry CEOs. Fine words renovate no building. But President Ursula von der Leyen’s […]
Opinion Piece by Erin Walsh
Opinion Piece by Erin Walsh Homes for Healthy Ageing: the role of innovation The social and economic impact of COVID-19 across the UK (and indeed the whole world) is truly unprecedented. It has also been hard-hitting demographically, not least for our elderly population, whose vulnerability to the pandemic has been exposed in the starkest terms. […]
Fully embracing a green recovery
Fully embracing a green recovery: How companies can make the most of the Green Homes Grant To achieve net zero targets by 2050 the government must invest up to £70 billion in the built environment each year — that is enough money to run three and a half Olympic games every year between now and […]
Opinion Piece by Dr Dorte Rich Jørgensen
Opinion Piece by Dr Dorte Rich Jørgensen Learn from COVID-19 for Climate Change Crisis Your invitation to join the ‘Great Transition’ towards living within planetary limits For the COVID-19 pandemic, not much was prepared to deal with it. Yet the crisis showed what accelerated responses are possible when acting with urgency. Examples are working from […]
Opinion Piece by Will Kirkman
Opinion Piece by Will Kirkman The sustainable home in the age of consumerism Modern, developer-built homes can be substandard, unsuitable for your needs or even a health hazard. Whilst doubts are cast over our faith in safe food, clear-air and benevolent technology, the focus is beginning to shift towards our castle and the place we […]
Game Changer Liv Andersson – Hemp Insulation
title here 30 Innovations that have changed the face of the built environment liv andersson:hemp insulation Liv Andersson, Sustainability engineer at Buro Happold Hemp Insulation Hemp makes an excellent insulator that is both durable and low carbon. This is due to its low conductivity levels and its high thermal mass. Hemp insulation does not only […]
Opinion Piece by Michael Walters
Opinion Piece by Michael Walters The changing face of office space A global pandemic, a UK national lockdown and a seismic shift to daily lives and what people considered normal, be it where and how we work, how we shop, where we live, how we travel and how we best support our day to day […]
Opinion Piece by Tom Reynolds
Opinion Piece by Tom Reynolds The Prime Minister’s proclamation that the UK will “Build Build Build” to recovery provides both opportunities and challenges for the construction industry and its supply chain. The opportunities are obvious – if Boris Johnson delivers on his aspiration there will be a massive uptick in demand for the whole sector. […]
Opinion Piece by Mark Elton
Opinion Piece by Mark Elton “It’s not the despair. I can take the despair. It’s the hope I can’t stand!” Designers involved in the retrofit of our existing buildings, a group once christened the ‘retrofitterati’, will have felt that sense of hope for a sustainable retrofit industry before, only to see those dreams fade away […]
Opinion Piece by Elaine Toogood
Opinion Piece by Elaine Toogood Concrete: let’s separate the carbon facts from the fiction As we collectively begin to map our recovery from the Covid-19 crisis, the ways the UK will achieve the target of net-zero carbon by 2050 is coming into sharper focus. The UK built environment sector’s aspirations to ‘Build Back Better’ are […]