Staffordshire student block Deakin's Yard was meant to open for this September's intake, but an interim injunction has been put in place whilst the BSR investigates potential building regulation breaches.
Property developers are undertaking a number of initiatives aimed at improving the future health of our buildings but are they working, and how do we embrace all aspects of defined optimisation guidance for occupants to maintain the desired goal?
With the Future Homes Standard coming into effect in mid-2025, new-builds are now required to meet tighter energy performance and carbon emissions targets—a shift affecting everything from insulation standards to material sourcing and HVAC design.
The faceless nature of opposition to all things DE&I is a key element behind efforts to dismantle it. People don’t see the need for positive moves to promote DE&I because, as far as they can see, their circle of friends doesn’t include anybody who needs support.
The government’s Remediation Acceleration Plan imposes legally binding deadlines to ensure that unsafe cladding on high-rise buildings in England is fully remediated by 2029, intensifying pressure on manufacturers to deliver faster, safer, and fully compliant façade solutions.
Owners of 1,454 high-risk high-rise residential buildings have submitted their safety cases to the Building Safety Regulator (BSR). To date, the BSR has reviewed 170 of these cases, with 125 failing to meet the required safety standards.
Specifications are essential to defining materials, performance and responsibilities on a project, yet many architects lack training in writing these key documents. Dr Stephen Hamil, innovation director at NBS, discusses a new guide he has authored on putting together strong specifications.
Trevor Clements reflects on his long career in building control and where the profession stands in an ever-changing legislative and regulatory environment.
RSK Geosciences principal engineer Kevin Holmes argues that, while housebuilders and developers have long been aware of the importance of suitable surface water drainage strategies on completed developments, responsible developers should have the same level of awareness of regulations governing water discharge during the construction phase and suggests how developers can remain compliant.
While awareness continues to grow of the importance of cavity barriers in protecting from the rapid spread of fire through building cavities, it is important to remember that passive fire protection is also essential in non-combustible cavity walls for multi-occupancy buildings.
The architectural professional institutes of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland have formed a coordinated body – the Belfast Group.
The fire safety regulatory environment has transformed significantly following the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017, presenting major challenges for Facilities Management teams.
The update means that by the end of 2029, any landlord who has failed to remediate a building over 18 metres - without reasonable excuse - will face criminal prosecution, with unlimited fines and/or imprisonment.
Fire safety and accessibility don’t need to be at odds. Smart, compliant solutions like Fireco’s DorMag range are proving how modern UK buildings — from hospitals and schools to retrofit projects — can deliver on both.
Dan Watt, director in Civic’s building services engineering team, discusses the urgent need to design urban spaces that remain liveable in an increasingly hot, urbanised world.
CIWEM's Alastair Chisholm welcomes newly published National Standards for SuDS, but argues that they may fall short if not backed by a rules-based mandate.
Where architectural hardware and fire safety share a vital link, how can the supply chain protect the integrity of buildings whilst navigating a reversal in fire safety testing standards. Director of Consort Architectural Hardware, Daniel May, provides comment.
Speaking with SFG20, Dame Judith calls for a culture of competence, rigour and accountability - and urges professionals to make and stand by their expert decisions.
Leading provider of testing, inspection and certification services, SOCOTEC UK and Ireland has today announced the acquisition of United Kingdom Testing and Certification (UKTC), a renowned independent fire testing laboratory based in East Kilbride.
Actis architect and co-author of its RIBA-approved CPD modules, Thomas Wiedmer, has helped to create the latest in the National Home Improvement Council series of Doorstep Digests.
Stephen Kavanagh, director of engineering, Panos Rousakis, associate director, Jason Bell, principal consultant, and Humza Khan, fire engineering team lead at SOCOTEC, sat down with PBC Today’s Matt Brundrett to discuss common challenges faced when creating a comprehensive Building Safety Case.
New data reveals that the industry’s biggest challenges are budget constraints, understaffing and barriers to technology adoption, writes Kirsty Cogan, managing director of SFG20.
Ilyas Patel, director, Russell Bolton Consulting, explains what the proposed changes for the Building Safety Regulator mean for the construction industry.
Eight years on from the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the UK’s cladding remediation programme continues to falter. Despite increased scrutiny and substantial public funding, progress remains unacceptably slow and is a national crisis that is deepening, writes Sián Hemming-Metcalfe, operations director at Property Inspect.
Ealing Studios in London has received the Secured by Design ATLAS Commercial Development Award in recognition of the collaborative approach taken to designing out crime throughout the redevelopment of one of Britain’s most iconic film and television studios.
