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DULUX CELEBRATES 200th ‘LET’S COLOUR’ PROJECT COMPLETED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH VOLUNTEER IT YOURSELF

 

Dulux, the UK’s leading paint brand, is celebrating completing its 200th ‘Let’s Colour’ community project with social enterprise Volunteer It Yourself (‘VIY’). To mark the occasion, Dulux’s Senior Leadership Group, featuring many of the top leaders in the business across all functions in the UK and Ireland including the Management Team, joined forces with VIY as part of this landmark community project. They worked together to revitalise Winchmore Hill Sports Club and create safe, inclusive and welcoming changing rooms to grow their women and girls’ football teams.

 

To further build on the milestone, AkzoNobel, Dulux’s parent company, launched a new ‘Volunteering Through Partnership’ initiative which encourages colleagues from across the business to volunteer their time at least once per year. The initiative not only gives colleagues the time to volunteer in their teams, but also provides the materials needed to support community projects across the UK. Volunteering provides AkzoNobel the opportunity to give back to surrounding communities through valued partners, like VIY, and brands, like Dulux, in order to build stronger, more resilient communities by helping to add colour to people’s lives.

 

VIY has been working with Dulux for over four years through Dulux’s ‘Let’s Colour’ initiative which is dedicated to bringing communities together through the power of paint by working closely with partner organisations. Since July 2020, this partnership has positively impacted communities, with over 120,000 lives positively impacted through transforming over 200+ community spaces using donated Dulux Trade paint. These projects have successfully supported and developed over 3,000 young people aged 14-24 through taking part. They have also helped train over 2,360 young people in painting and decorating, including over 2,000 City & Guilds accreditations earned with over half of these in painting and decorating.

 

This is a tremendous achievement in an industry that is facing several challenges such as severe construction skills shortage, and an ageing population of decorators, many of whom are nearing retirement. With the total number of workers over 60 increasing more than any other age, the construction industry is at risk of losing vital knowledge and skills.

 

According to a report by the Construction Skills Network, the sector needs 225,000 new construction workers by 2027 to keep up with growing demand with 83% of businesses currently feeling the strain from a lack of skilled workers[5]. However, there are many as 140,000 construction and trade vacancies in the UK, providing significant opportunity for those looking to join the workforce. It is therefore vital to provide the next generation of talent with the right tools to enter the industry and safeguard its future.

 

Through the Dulux-VIY partnership, the young people mentored on these projects, who are often not in employment, education or training, are connected to apprenticeship opportunities within painting contractors and then are offered further support at the Dulux Academy training facilities, the home of painting and decorating excellence.

 

The 200th ‘Let’s Colour’ project with VIY took place on Wednesday, 16th October 2024 at Winchmore Hill Youth Football Club in Enfield, North London. This involved 40 AkzoNobel volunteers and VIY mentors to breathe new life into the club by giving it a new coat of paint, donated by Dulux. The project also included 16 young people volunteering who are all at risk of disengagement and were referred from VIY’s local youth partners including ESOL students from ELATT college and the Boxing Academy, an alternative provision for young people. 75% of the young volunteers achieved a City & Guilds Entry Level 3 accreditation in painting and decorating. The positive impact left by the project aims to drive inclusion, particularly female and disabled participation, by improving the eight changing facilities on site.

 

Peter Howard, Sustainability and CSR Lead at AkzoNobel, commented:

“We are incredibly proud to have partnered nationally with Volunteer It Yourself for the past four years, supporting not only hundreds of incredible community transformation projects but also training thousands of young people in construction skills. It has been inspiring to see the amazing work we have achieved together, now reaching our 200th community project- all of which leave communities with a lasting colourful legacy.

 Over this time, we’ve helped to support thousands of young people improve their confidence and build their trade skills. With the construction industry’s current growth trajectory, we know that it is crucial to fill the skills gap – and this is just one of the ways in which we are working towards protecting our industry’s bright future. This is a shining example of how collaboration with brilliant partners can harness the power of paint and colour, and I look forward to continuing to work together with VIY to bring colour into people’s lives and communities in the years to come”

 

Hannah Denny, Communications and Partnerships Manager at Volunteer It Yourself, commented:

“We know how important it is to give opportunities to young people who otherwise feel like they may not have them. Through equipping them the tools for success, we are proud to make a difference in thousands of people’s lives. Offering vocational training to young people is vital to creating a stronger future for the painting and decorating industry as we look to build the new generation of talent.

It is even more rewarding that this comes hand in hand with helping local communities by refreshing their spaces. High standard improvements, such as what we’ve achieved at Winchmore Hill, are key to retaining and attracting people to these spaces at a time when we are seeing falling community engagement and belonging across the country. We would also like to extend our gratitude to the funders of this project, without whom this could not have happened: the Barclays Community Football Fund, whose donation was match-funded by Sport England, in recognition of using sport and football as a vehicle to teach life skills to young people.

It is a fantastic achievement to reach our 200th project together with Dulux and great for everyone to get involved in what we do.”

 

Anthony, VIY Learner aged 22 at Gabalfa Youth and Community Centre, commented:

“I’m so grateful for the opportunity with VIY – I’ve never felt purpose like this before in my life. I was unsure what I wanted to do, I was considering signing up to the Army, but I didn’t really want to leave my family in Cardiff.

Construction is always something I’ve wanted to get into, but I’ve always struggled to gain work experience. As soon as I heard about the VIY project through my local JobCentre, I headed down the very next day. This project has been the first step for me to consider a role in the trade – and now I’ve been supported by VIY into my decorating apprenticeship with V&C (SW) Limited in Cardiff, which I’m absolutely loving.”

 

VIY is dedicated to helping young people learn construction skills whilst helping to renovate vital community facilities through combining DIY with volunteering. It challenges young people aged 14-24 to help repair and refurbish community places and spaces, whilst learning vocational trade skills on the job. VIY learners are mentored by professional tradespeople and can work towards and gain Entry Level City & Guilds trade skills accreditations. The group works with young people who are not in education, employment or training or at risk of disengagement/exclusion from mainstream education and training.

 

Volunteering with Volunteer It Yourself

If you would like to volunteer with VIY to support the experience of young people and the renovation of a community space in your area, you can take a look at the different roles available to see which best fits your skillset and complete a volunteer registration form on the Volunteer It Yourself website below.

CLICK HERE

 

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Calling All Young Artists! – MKM Building Supplies Launches 2024 Christmas Card Competition

MKM Building Supplies (MKM) is excited to announce the launch of its 2024 Christmas Card Competition, open to all creative young minds across the UK aged 16 and under. Now in its third consecutive year, this festive competition gives budding artists the chance to have their designs printed on up to 10,000 Christmas cards.

 

Rachel Constable, Head of ESG at MKM, said,

“Our Christmas Card Competition is fast becoming one of our favourite annual traditions, and we’re delighted to once again invite children across the country to showcase their creativity. It brings a smile to all our faces to see the wonderful designs that come in, and we’re excited to spread a bit of festive joy through our Christmas cards again this year.”

 

Whether your child loves to draw, paint, or create digital artwork, MKM is encouraging participants to showcase their design skills. While not mandatory, entrants are welcome to incorporate MKM-related items such as bricks, timber, or tools – and even their beloved mascot, Bricky!

Who Can Enter:
The competition is open to anyone aged 16 or under, with four age categories:

  • 0-3 years
  • 4-6 years
  • 7-11 years
  • 12-16 years

Prizes:
One winner from each category will receive a £50 Amazon voucher. One overall winner will also see their design printed on up to 10,000 Christmas cards, which will be sent to MKM customers, suppliers, and partners across the UK. In addition, the overall winner will receive a special £200 art bundle for their school or nursery to nurture even more creativity.

Entry Requirements:

  • Designs must be A4-sized, submitted in either JPEG or PDF format, and can be hand-drawn or digital.
  • The design must include an MKM logo
  • Each entry must include the artist’s name, age (as of 1 December 2024), date of birth, and a guardian’s contact details (address, email, and phone number).
  • Entries should be submitted by 9am on Friday 8th of November 2024.
CLICK HERE TO ENTER
Submissions can be made online via the competition’s dedicated entry form

All entries will be judged anonymously by a panel of MKM staff against a number of criteria. The winners will be bold, bright designs that demonstrate creativity, originality, and festive cheer.

 

For more information on the competition and how to enter, keep an eye on MKM’s social media channels and website.

 

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Exciting Times at Breathing Buildings as Company Strides Ahead in Indoor Air Quality

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Breathing Buildings, a leading provider of controlled natural and hybrid ventilation systems, is striding ahead in indoor air quality (IAQ) with three exciting developments. Firstly, the company has led the way in innovation by recently celebrating winning ‘Commercial/ Industrial Ventilation Product of the Year’ category at the prestigious HVR Awards 2024. The company won the award with its new NVHRe, Natural Ventilation with Heat Recycling and Heat Recovery (NVHRe), which is the latest addition to its award-winning range of Natural Ventilation with Heat Recycling (NVHR®) systems. Secondly, building on this success, the company has invested in a new Business Development Director, Matthew Cooper to help grow the Breathing Buildings brand providing industry leading ventilation solutions. Thirdly, Breathing Buildings is exhibiting for the first time in Ireland at the Education Buildings Ireland Exhibition.

 

Breathing Buildings scooped the Commercial/Industrial Ventilation Product of the Year award at a glittering awards ceremony on Thursday 12th September at London’s Chelsea Harbour Hotel. Breathing Buildings won the award for its innovative NVHRe, which raises the bar on energy efficient ventilation. Marking the next step in hybrid ventilation technology, the key difference between Breathing Buildings’ original NVHR® range and the new innovative Natural Ventilation with Heat Recycling and Heat Recovery (NVHRe) is an addition of a low resistance heat exchanger cell within the unit. This allows the unit to benefit from both heat recycling and heat recovery, reclaiming even more heat than previous models, saving more energy, providing great occupant comfort, and allowing users to include it within the building energy assessments (SBEM).

 

Keen to raise the importance of energy efficient ventilation and the benefits of good IAQ in buildings, Breathing Buildings is excited to have welcomed a new member to its team. Matthew Cooper joins Breathing Buildings as Business Development Director. With over 15 years’ experience within the HVAC industry, Matthew comes with drive and enthusiasm to help steer the team to even more wins.

Matthew Cooper, Business Development Manager

 

 

On joining Matthew said “I’m super excited to join the team and it appears to be perfect timing with our new NVHRe winning the Commercial/ Ventilation Product of the Year at the HVR Awards in my second week of joining! I’m eager to go out and about, meeting customers, gaining new contacts and helping grow the Breathing Buildings brand.”

 

 

Expanding its brand presence beyond the UK, Breathing Building is exhibiting in Ireland for the first time at Education Buildings Ireland Exhibition on 6-7 November 2024, collaborating with Lindab on Stand 519 at RDS Dublin, Hall 2. At the exhibition, the company is hoping to share the wealth of experience it has on how to improve IAQ in schools. The event is organised in partnership with the Government of Ireland and comprises a 2-day multi-stream conference and an exhibition. The aim of all those involved is to create high-quality learning environments for all students and learners. IAQ is recognised as an important part of this goal.

 

The focus on indoor air quality in schools is not new. Prior to the pandemic there was already an increasing awareness of how indoor environments impact our health and wellbeing. In the UK ventilation guidance for schools already existed in the form of Building Bulletin 101 (BB101). The document’s last revision, the 2018 edition of BB101: ‘Guidelines on ventilation, thermal comfort and indoor air quality in schools’ looks at the key design elements of modern ventilation systems in schools. The document sets out requirements for schools to improve ventilation to help create a healthy and comfortable environment that will help improve children’s learning outcomes. Breathing Buildings is now hoping to offer its help to improve learning environments in Ireland too by enhancing IAQ.

 

“It is exciting times at Breathing Buildings at the moment. Not only did we win the ‘Commercial/Industrial Ventilation Product of the Year’ category with our NVHRe at the prestigious HVR Awards 2024 but we have been shortlisted for the H&V News Awards’ ‘Commercial HVAC Product of the Year – Ventilation’ category too, and we are looking forward to the event that will be held on 28th November.

We also welcome our new Business Development Director, Matthew Cooper who has joined the team with 15 years of industry experience and is focussed on helping grow the Breathing Buildings brand,” said Alexis Roberts, Brand Manager at Breathing Buildings.

 

 

The company’s award-winning NVHRe offers the lowest energy consumption for a hybrid heat recovery ventilation unit in the industry, the NVHRe combines 46% heat recovery efficiency with low Specific Fan Power (SFP) of 0.075 W/l/s to help maximise a building’s energy savings. In addition, the NVHRe has several different operating modes to minimise energy use, enhance IAQ and improve occupant comfort. An intelligent hybrid system, the unit automatically decides when and if mechanical operation is required, ensuring it only operates when absolutely necessary.

 

Providing excellent thermal comfort and enhanced IAQ, the NVHRe is designed to suit a diverse range of commercial and public buildings with high heat gains, such as schools, colleges, leisure centres, offices, theatres and even churches. The inclusion of the low resistant aluminium cross plate heat exchanger to the unit lowers energy costs by reducing the reliance on space heating to maintain thermal comfort in a room. It operates during colder external temperatures, typically below 7ºC when mixing recycled air alone is not enough to maintain the desired temperature for occupants.

 

The range also includes units that can be the primary source of heat; needing no radiators, as well as a system that can offer further cooling. The British designed and manufactured units come in three models with product variations to suit every need with the standard NVHRe 1100 an NVHRe+ 1100 which includes a heating coil and is ideal for buildings in cooler areas; and an NVHRe C+ 1100 which features a heating and cooling coil for year-round comfort and full temperature control.

 

The NVHRe hybrid ventilation system’s ultra-efficient facade-based mixing ventilation allows single-sided, enhanced natural and hybrid ventilation in deep plan spaces whilst making the most of internal heat gains, with the addition of heat recovery to deliver superb thermal comfort and IAQ. Hybrid ventilation focuses on the vital balance of IAQ, thermal comfort, and efficiency by choosing the most appropriate mode of ventilation based on the internal and external conditions, allowing the NVHRe to be in the most energy efficient mode possible at all stages.

 

Allowing low-energy hybrid natural ventilation, even in buildings with limited facade and roof space, highly efficient mixing fans mitigate cold draughts in winter and provide a ventilation boost in summer, with the addition of heat recovery to bolster winter thermal comfort, minimising the need for a primary source of heating for the space, in return reducing energy costs. Supplied with an external temperature sensor, and an internal temperature and CO2 sensor, as well as an intelligent controller the system monitors conditions to create an ideal indoor environment, boosting both productivity and wellbeing.

 

Breathing Buildings’ multi-award-winning natural ventilation with heat recycling (NVHR®) range won the Energy Efficient Product of the Year Award at the prestigious Energy Awards, and also recently won three awards for providing ventilation to the East Anglian Air Ambulance project with the Breathing Buildings’ NVHR® range.

CLICK HERE

For further information on NVHR®, NVHRe and E-stack ventilation,

as well as other products and services offered by Breathing Buildings

or call us on 01223 450 060

 

 

 

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The Cubed Skyscraper, Will be the Largest Building in the World

All images courtesy of the Saudi Public Investment Fund

Riyadh’s New Murabba mega project was initially announced by HRH Mohammad bin Salman as an initiative of the Saudi Vision 2030 strategy, led by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) authorities. The destination is envisioned to become an iconic global destination while fostering sustainable urban growth. Spanning two million square meters of cultural, commercial, and residential space, the project includes over 104,000 residential units, 620,000 square meters of leisure facilities, and 1.8 million square meters dedicated to community spaces. Anchored by its futuristic vision, New Murabba will create 334,000 jobs and add SAR180 billion (£40 billion) to the country’s non-oil GDP, positioning Riyadh as a leading global hub for innovation and tourism.

The anchoring Mukaab skyscraper, architecturally inspired by a modern interpretation of Najdi design elements, will become the world’s first immersive destination offering a futuristic hospitality experience realized with digital and virtual technology. Inside, it will comprise a futuristic amalgamation of modern-day luxuries including fine dining restaurants, retail, and residential living, marked by a monumental towering spiral structure composed of stacked organic forms. The outer dome of the atrium encompassing the tower will be fitted with cutting-edge holographics and virtual reality screens, reflecting surreal, scenic vistas to transport visitors and locals into a ‘gateway to another world.’

 

Source: DesignBoom

 

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CLEAN ENERGY FROM DIRTY WATER INVESTMENTS

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Following an £80.6 million investment earlier this year into heat networks utilising waste heat sources, Triple Point Heat Networks Investment Management is excited to commit a further £20 million to energy-from-waste (EfW) projects in Birkenhead and Loughborough. An additional £2 million will support a heat network in Portsmouth to harness heat from a local reservoir.

Harnessing waste heat produced as a byproduct from industrial processes is an efficient and sustainable way to decarbonise our energy supply. The solution can significantly reduce the carbon emissions produced from heating homes, businesses and public buildings. Through the GHNF, projects across the country are rolling out this technology to recycle waste heat and drive the transition to greener energy solutions.

Wirral Borough Council is benefitting from commercialisation funding to kickstart a project in Birkenhead, using effluent from an existing wastewater treatment plant as the heat network’s primary source. This network will go on to connect 21,000 homes being built over the next 20 years across one of the UK’s largest brownfield regeneration sites.

In the East Midlands, Vital Energi has received funding to sleeve excess heat from the Newhurst Energy Recovery Facility (ERF). The network will connect a new build development and buildings located on the west side of Loughborough University. Connections to other educational institutions across Loughborough are expected in future plans.

Further south in Hampshire, Last Mile Heat Ltd has secured funding for an ambient heat network which will take heat from Portsmouth Water’s reservoir for the Welborne Garden Village. The heat network will provide low carbon heating to 15,000 new residents, shops, schools and commercial spaces.

Locating untapped sources of heat is vital to the UK’s overarching goal of achieving Net Zero by 2050. These projects, kickstarted by GHNF, are expected to save more than 248,000 tonnes of carbon over the next 15 years marking a significant step towards a more sustainable future.

 

Minister for Energy Consumers Miatta Fahnbulleh said:

 

“The funding for these three fantastic projects will not only support the communities they serve, but also contribute to our clean power by 2030 mission, ensuring Britain has greater energy security.

“By investing in new, greener heat networks, we are helping more homes and businesses across England benefit from cleaner heating – leading to lower energy bills.”

 

Ken Hunnisett, Programme Director, said:

 

“Harnessing waste heat that would otherwise be lost is a valued approach to enhancing energy security while reducing our dependency on non-renewable heating sources.

 

Today’s announcement expands the growing portfolio of GHNF funded projects that are leveraging local heat sources to advance the decarbonisation of our homes, universities, schools and more.”

 

Birkenhead Heat Network (£887,000 commercialisation funding)

 

Wirral Borough Council have been awarded £887,000 commercialisation funding as part of a £41 million heat network project which plans to decarbonise an estimated 7,448 new homes along with new commercial developments that are part of its ambitious regeneration plans for the area.

The support will help to kickstart the inception of the new heat network within Birkenhead town centre, which is expected to use a Water Source Heat Pump (WSHP) to harness waste heat from the existing wastewater treatment plant.

A mix of buildings will benefit from sustainable heating and hot water provision provided by the network*.

Cllr Tony Jones, Chair of the Economy, Regeneration and Housing Committee for Wirral Council, said:

 

“The development of a new heat network for Birkenhead, likely to be powered using a Water Source Heat Pump, underpins our wide-reaching regeneration plans for the town centre and is a clear example of Wirral looking to embrace green investment opportunities, promote sustainable regeneration and develop infrastructure in line with the challenge of rapid decarbonisation.”

 

Newhurst (£19 million commercialisation and construction)

 

The Newhurst heat network, located just outside Loughborough, will receive £19 million commercialisation and construction funding to connect 42GWh of low carbon heat recovered from the Newhurst Energy Recovery Facility to Loughborough University in Phase 1.

Construction is due to start in late 2025 and be complete within 2 years. The project will be run by Vital Energi who will fund the remainder of the project as well as design, build, operate and maintain the heat network. There are also plans to expand the heat network to new build residential properties, along with other heat users in Loughborough.

Nick Gosling, Chief Strategy Officer at Vital Energi said:

 

“The Newhurst heat network is a great example of sustainable innovation, transforming waste into warmth and having a positive environmental impact across the community. Many education institutions have set extremely tight deadlines for reaching their net zero targets and we are excited to be working on a project which will help move so many important organisations towards a greener future.”

 

Welborne Garden Village (£2 million commercialisation and construction)

 

Last Mile Heat, in collaboration with Rendesco, have secured £2 million for the Welborne Garden Village heat network.

The innovative solution harnesses ambient heat from the local Portsmouth Water reservoir, supplying low carbon heating and hot water to an initial 700 homes at the Buckland Group development in Fareham, Hampshire. Over time 6,000 new build homes and up to 15,000 residents will be connected. Cooling will also be provided in the warmer months.

In addition, the heat pump solution will extend to provide low carbon heating to 10 hectares of employment space, healthcare facilities, schools, and local retail and leisure facilities for residents over time.

Upon the project’s completion, an average three-bedroom house will save £160 on their energy bills versus other low carbon heating solutions, according to Rendesco.

Alastair Murray, Director, Last Mile Heat said:

 

“With government legislation steering new developments towards cleaner heating and hot water options, developers are working with Last Mile Heat to take advantage of high quality, low carbon energy sources that are more efficient than air source heat pumps without costing the developer anymore. This project is a template for future housing developments of all shapes and sizes and gives the developers the confidence to design their projects around low carbon heat networks.

 

 

Source: The Association for Decentralised Energy

 

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Stark Warning about Tearing up the Red Tape

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  Peter Apps, Investigative Journalist

Grenfell commentator issues stark warning to M&E sector practitioners

 

Peter Apps, the investigative journalist who raised concerns about combustible cladding and high-rise buildings before the Grenfell Tower fire occurred – has warned the building services sector not to ignore new building safety regulations in the face of growing frustrations over project delays and rising costs.

 

During his keynote address to the organisation’s Annual Conference hosted by the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA), Apps described the Building Safety Act 2022 as “unwieldy” and suggested that there have been widespread reports of projects being held up by new planning restrictions.

“People are finding the new regulations frustrating,” asserted Apps. “[They say] ‘Why can’t we just get on and build?’… but there are long-term consequences if you do that,” he told the assembled audience. “Every change and every decision affects someone somewhere.”

Further, Apps stated that Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s promise to “back builders, not blockers” by tearing up “red tape” is concerning because of its implications for the new safety regime.

Apps, whose book about the Grenfell disaster entitled ‘Show Me The Bodies’ won the 2023 Orwell Prize for Political Writing, warned attendees at the BESA Annual Conference that there will always be people “who just want to make money out of you” and are prepared to ignore safety warnings. “Beneath the surface, there’s a lot of work that isn’t changing.”

‘Swiss cheese’ model
According to Apps, the industry continues to rely on the ‘Swiss cheese’ model, which involves multiple safety layers, but each one has holes in it and project teams simply hope that one will prevent a fire from spreading.

“We cannot keep relying on luck,” urged Apps. “We are still counting a lot of near misses, while the world is becoming hotter, which inevitably means there will be more building fires,”

Apps added that there’s a chance buildings will become less safe with the wider adoption of modern methods of construction and lightweight structures. That said, he informed conference that construction is “a great industry” and people working within its boundaries now have the opportunity to reform it “by ensuring every building we work on is safe”.

Apps added a note of caution.

“We all need to be brave and ask the difficult questions that were not asked before the Grenfell fire. There are people who were involved in that refurbishment project who would give anything to go back and do it again [properly]. Their lives are now consumed by it. Don’t let that happen to you.”

Wide-ranging debate

Following on from his keynote address, Apps took part in a wide-ranging debate on the impact of the legislation with members of BESA’s Building Safety Act 2022 Advisory Group. The session identified considerable confusion among contractors about their specific responsibilities, not to mention a somewhat worrying lack of engagement from clients.

Contractors also said they felt under pressure to provide better evidence of their organisational competence and compliance with the new safety regime and also to ensure their engineers are technically competent. While many reported that they are firmly “on the journey” towards attaining that particular goal, they voiced the view that more specific guidance and support is needed.

 

Source: Fire Safety Matters

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CITB urges construction firms to pursue apprenticeship grants

 

The body is investing nearly £150m into apprenticeship grants and has issued over 72,000 apprenticeship grants since 2020

 

  • CITB is investing nearly £150m into apprenticeship grants between 2023 and 2025.
  • Over three-quarters of construction employers are considering taking on an apprentice.
  • CITB has issued over 72,000 apprenticeship grants for individual learners since 2020.

 

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) is calling for construction companies to accelerate the number of apprenticeship starts by claiming CITB apprenticeship grants. From April 2023 to March 2025, CITB is investing nearly £150m into apprenticeship grants, demonstrating the scale of support that’s available.

 

CITB’s latest Employer Voice survey reported that 31% of employers are planning to take on an apprentice, with another 48% stating they may take one on. The body set up its New Entrant Support Team (NEST) to help employers better navigate the recruitment process, as well as access grants and suitable training, when and where needed.

 

NEST, which was launched in January 2023, helped over 2,318 people start an apprenticeship that year – more than a 500% increase compared to when NEST was piloted in the North of England from September to December 2022. In total, CITB supported over 29,000 apprentices during their courses in 2023 – a 30% increase over two years that was made possible through NEST and expanding National Construction College delivery.

 

Additionally, since 2020, CITB has issued over 72,000 apprenticeship grants for individual learners and delivered 5,700 apprenticeship courses at the National Construction Colleges. During the same period, over 26,000 apprenticeship grants were awarded to construction employers.

 

Tim Balcon, Chief Executive of CITB, said:

“A strong apprenticeship pipeline is vital for SME employers and a healthy construction industry. Over two-thirds of apprenticeship starts in the construction industry are employed by companies of fewer than 50 employees.

“We’re seeing strong demand for our apprenticeship and qualification grants, and we want to keep up the momentum. There are over 100 different construction apprenticeship roles that lead to careers in construction, and we encourage employers and people considering joining the industry to consider what apprenticeship role could work for them.

“As well as continuing to drive up apprenticeship start numbers, we also need to improve retention and attract apprentices to pursue a career in construction. Currently some 60% of further education learners on construction courses do not end up in the industry – we need to tackle this issue with effective recruitment and training while promoting the benefits of joining the industry.”

 

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Reviving shell structures


The Pabellon Onda, designed by Centro de Estudios Superiores de Diseño de Monterrey (CEDIM) – is an avant-garde architectural design project located in Santa Catarina, Mexico. This pavilion of 32 m² was completed in the year 2024 and explores new ways of construction that merge wood and concrete in a shell structure.

The project tries to revive the concept of shell structures, which had their wider acceptance stall in the 1980s due to the rising costs of materials involved, through the advancement in computational design and digital fabrication.

The two-layer shell system comprises a wood formwork and Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete. This serves to combine the best features of both materials: concrete provides very high resistance to compression, while wood provides great tensile flexibility, which results in a much more resilient structure with active bending. It made use of permanent formwork in wood, along with the implementation of innovative construction methods developed collaboratively by students and industry professionals under the academic coordination of Alma Sandra Luevano, together with tutors from renowned architectural firms like UNStudio and ALTERAT.

 

Source: Parametric Architecture

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Are Construction Sites Living in the Past?

New data shows EU construction’s productivity crisis – 1% growth in 20 years, partly due to lack of technology investment

New data on the European construction sector from Sifted, released today, illustrates a dire landscape for an industry with a huge and growing to-do list, and one responsible for a huge amount of GDP and emissions globally.

  • Productivity has grown by only 1% in the past two decades.
  • The industry accounts for 10.9% of European GDP
  • Operational profitability is around 5%

This can be explained partly by a notable lack of investment in the critical start ups and technologies that can improve efficiency on the construction site. Even during a record year in construction tech investment, only 1.06% of global Venture Capital (VC) investment went toward construction in 2023.

This failure to back innovations capable of boosting capabilities and efficiencies is likely to have hamstrung the sector’s ability to meet spiralling demand. Construction globally, and particularly in the UK and EU, has a long and ever-growing to-do list; new homes, new data centres, and repaired, updated, and climate-resilient infrastructure are all desperately needed.

Money alone is not the cure, however; collaboration between major tech vendors and construction tech startups is key. These partnerships help startups help the industry – by improving the quality of the construction technologies that come to market, channelling innovation towards areas it’s needed most, and making funding more sustainable and consistent.

with many construction sites looking very similar to those a century ago

Chris Stern, Managing Director of Trimble Ventures, comments:

“Construction faces a double-edged sword. It must meet massive demand despite the many structural barriers preventing growth and limiting output – such as an ageing, shrinking workforce and industry fragmentation.

“Largely due to this fragmentation, new technologies and the data revolution have had a far more limited impact on construction than other sectors – with many construction sites looking very similar to those a century ago. A lack of venture capital investment into construction tech is both a cause and subsequent effect of this issue.

“More VC investment into innovative startups would certainly help boost productivity, but it is not a silver bullet. While it is relatively straightforward to adopt new technologies in controlled environments like manufacturing, construction sites are much less predictable, and involve far more stakeholders and sub-contractors of varying sizes, margins, and capacities. This makes standardisation and tech adoption that much more difficult.

“Industry collaboration between the big industry players and tech startups is needed more than ever to help scale the disruptive technologies being created and get them to market. The industry stands to see huge gains in productivity, efficiency and output.”

Source: Technology Reseller

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New Recommendations for Housebuilders

Professor David Glew, Director of the LSI at Leeds Beckett University

New recommendations have been published to share best practice approaches to retrofitting homes – and update and improve the accuracy of Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) – through new research led by Leeds Beckett University.

The £3 million Demonstration of Energy Efficiency Potential (DEEP) project was commissioned by the Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Investigating the retrofit (making energy efficiency improvements) of solid walled homes, it is one of the largest research studies of its kind to have ever been attempted in the UK.

The research was carried out by the Leeds Sustainability Institute (LSI) at Leeds Beckett University in collaboration with the University of Salford and Loughborough University.

The research found that insulating the UK’s eight million solid walled homes has the potential to cut energy bills by 30 per cent in some homes, and is essential to achieve domestic energy efficiency targets. Although solid wall insulation is expensive and tricky to install safely and effectively, the team found that there are many benefits to homes. These include: being cheaper to run, feeling warmer in winter and cooler in summer, having better air quality, and having less chance of condensation occurring.

Professor David Glew, Director of the LSI at Leeds Beckett University, said:

“Our research is done in real homes – so we understand how buildings perform in the real world, not just in labs and models. Solid walled homes are among the least energy efficient – occupants are more likely to be in fuel poverty, and condensation, damp and mould problems can be common.

“Solid walled homes tend to have EPCs lower than Band C – the Government’s Clean Growth Strategy aims for as many homes as possible to attain an EPC rating of Band C by 2035. Our research found that insulating the solid walls of a home can achieve EPC Band C and could save up to 30 per cent per year for some homes on their energy bills. It was by far the single most effective retrofit measure for solid walled homes – other types of retrofit often don’t achieve the required improvement – and so will be essential for tackling fuel poverty.

“At the moment, only 7%* of all retrofits taking place under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) – the Government’s fuel poverty policy – are delivering solid wall insulation, since they are so costly and difficult to install. So, we hope this research can help shine a light on how important solid wall insulation is for the nation.”

This new research measured how much the energy efficiency of the homes was improved by adding insulation and compared this with the predictions made by the homes’ EPCs. The study found that substantial improvements could be achieved. EPCs overestimated the heat loss measured in the project’s case study homes by an average of 42% – and were more accurate when measured data was used, for example through airtightness tests.

EPCs currently use estimated or default values for these heat losses – based on information such as the age of the home. A key recommendation from the research is therefore to update and improve the range of input and default data that EPC assessors can use to improve accuracy.

The project compared different methods of retrofitting solid walled homes in England– installing a range of insulation and energy efficiency measures in addition to solid wall insulation, including: loft insulation, floor insulation, draughtproofing, and installing new windows and doors.

Predictions based on the project’s case study homes suggest fuel bill savings of between 11 and 29% for solid wall insulation alone – depending on the condition of the wall and how much external wall is insulated. When combined with other retrofit improvements, savings were modelled to be as high as 33% off annual bills.

The researchers recommend using a ‘whole-house approach’ to retrofitting – rather than installing individual ‘piecemeal’ measures at different times.

Professor Glew explained:

“It is important that we insulate as many solid walled homes as possible, but also that we take great care when we do so – and the whole house approach is one way to achieve this. Although it is more expensive to deliver, it can bring significant benefits to households.

“This is the first time that research has compared the impact of taking a whole house approach to insulation measures to the cumulative impact of piecemeal retrofits added over time. What we found was that piecemeal work can result in homes having higher risks of condensation at discontinuities – or gaps in the insulation layer – whereas the whole house approach reduces the likelihood of this happening. Retrofit can also reduce the risk of overheating, especially when the whole house approach includes ventilation and shading, to make our homes ready for future hotter summers.”

The LSI is a unique research group of building performance researchers based at Leeds Beckett University. They are among the top research teams carrying out scientific field trials in the UK, to show how buildings perform in the real world – not just in labs or models.

Leeds Beckett is long established as a home for pioneering research into energy in homes. The co-heating test, which was characterised by LBU, measures the energy efficiency of buildings, and is now a global standard used worldwide. LSI research previously led to a change in building regulations which means all party walls in new homes in the UK now have to be insulated - resulting in hundreds of thousands of tonnes of CO2 being saved as a result of Leeds Beckett University research. It is hoped that this new research may have similar implications and result in improvements to retrofit policy and regulations.

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