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Tilbury Douglas has been appointed to lead the construction of St Mary’s Catholic Voluntary Academy, which will be the UK’s first purpose-built biophilic primary school. The contract is part of a pilot scheme for the Department for Education (DfE).
The new school, which is part of St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust, will replace the original school, which was destroyed by fire in October 2020.
Scotframe, one of Scotland’s largest offsite timber frame specialists, has opened a new showroom and sales office in Cumbernauld.
Responding to the increasing demand for timber homes, this new centre offers self-builders the chance to meet the experienced sales team face-to-face, discuss the timber kits available and consider finishing touches that make a house a home.
As the Government works to ‘build back greener’ the Confederation of Timber Industries (CTI), in partnership with Waugh-Thistleton Architects, have hosted the UK Construction Minister Lee Rowley on a site visit to the Black and White building.
The Minister was taken for a tour of the exemplary fully engineered timber building, which is owned by The Office Group (TOG), the premium flexible workspace provider with a platform of more than 50 buildings across the UK and Germany and will be the tallest timber office structure in London when complete later this year.
Boasting a powerful sustainable agenda, the hybrid structure comprising beech Laminated Veneer Lumbar (LVL) frame with Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) has resulted in 37% less embodied carbon than an equivalent structure built using steel or concrete, demonstrating how a shift towards the use of biogenic materials in construction could help the industry to significantly reduce its impact on the environment.
Nordic Brown pre-oxidised copper and larch cladding together define the natural character of a contemporary home, nestling amongst the treetops on the Island of Hirvensalo, part of the Turku archipelago in Finland.
Locally-based Sigge Architects’ design sought to reconcile their client’s need for a permanent working home combined with the essential characteristics of a Summerhouse for leisure. The Finnish Summerhouse epitomises ‘mökkielämä’ or ‘cottage life’, with its tradition of treading softly on the land and respect for nature. The three-storey building – known simply as ‘Villa L3’ – was envisaged as a deceptively simple modern structure with clean lines and a certain stature. A restrained palette of natural materials enables it to sit comfortably in its elevated location within a gently sloping forest.
Contracting giant BAM has committed to running all of its UK construction machinery on recycled cooking oil, contributing to its goal of reducing carbon emissions from its activities. Hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) is an advanced renewable fuel derived from waste products.
In 2020 BAM consumed 7.1 million litres of red diesel – around 70% of the company’s total direct carbon footprint. HVO, which currently costs around 15% more than red diesel, reduces net CO2 emissions by as much as 90%.
Decarbonising construction to produce more sustainable and better performing buildings will be crucial to creating a more viable ecological future. Andy Goodwin, Managing Director of sustainable specialist contractor, B&K Structures considers the pitfalls surrounding a green construction recovery.
Edenstone Homes has pledged to offer carbon zero homes across its developments by 2021 with its first “green” house now on sale in Aberthin.
The Magor-based homebuilder uses good design, new products and innovative construction methods to reduce the impact its homes have on the planet.
The company aims to lead the way in zero carbon construction and living and has built its very first eco-friendly house at its Llanfair Meadow development in Aberthin.
A Soil Resource Survey to determine the quality of soils that will be displaced by planned improvements and building works at RHS Garden Wisley has been undertaken by leading landscape and soil consultancy Tim O’Hare Associates (TOHA). The development of the Welcome Building, construction of the National Centre for Horticultural Science & Learning and new Horticultural Service Yard are part of a wider £160 million investment in horticulture by the RHS.
The National Centre for Horticultural Science & Learning in the south of the RHS’ flagship garden is to be completely redeveloped, and three new learning gardens which focus on food, wellbeing and wildlife will be created. The changes requires existing soils to be removed and stockpiled prior to construction, but subject to the results of the TOHA survey, the soils will be re-used in these key landscaping projects.
Charcon, the commercial hard landscaping division of Aggregate Industries, has supplied the Institute of Quarrying with quality commercial flag paving and kerbs to the award winning IQ Quarry Garden at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.
The multiple award winning garden featured at this year’s RHS Chatsworth Flower Show and was designed by garden expert Paul Hervey-Brookes. It won Best In Show, Best Construction and a Gold Medal. The garden has now been reimagined to fit a bespoke space just inside the entrance to the National Memorial Arboretum.
