Study Day 2023
Study day – The public sector journey to net zero
The SPACES Study Day is being held on Thursday 22nd June at the University of Reading, with the ever popular pre-event Dinner and Networking on Wednesday 21st June. Tickets start at £50+VAT. For more information, please see our website.
Opening our programme of webinars on Wednesday 26th April 2023 at 1:00pm is Dan Heffernan from Faithful+Gould presenting on Social Value, Technology and Good Practice. For more information and to book your place, please see our events calendar.
Keep an eye on our calendar, website and LinkedIn for more information.
Yearbook and Awards 2023/24
After much deliberation, the SPACES Chair and Award Panel have decided that due to the number of submissions following the effects of Covid on the construction industry, that the submission process is going to stay open for the rest of the year and we will have joint 2023/24 yearbook and award ceremony.
As part of this extension we will be transforming a number of our member’s projects into case studies and adding them onto our website and other forms of social media throughout the year. Showcasing the fabulous projects that those working in and for the Public Sector deliver.
Final Deadline: Friday 5th June 2024 – for more info and to enter your project see our website.
Fiona
After eight years with SPACES, three years with SCALA as well as seven years volunteering with SCEME, Fiona our Executive Director is leaving. Her last day is Friday 23rd June 2023 (the day after the Study Day).
As many of you aware, Fiona carried out many roles within SPACES, including:
- Society Management
- Company Secretary
- Treasurer
- Webinars
- Communications (including Social Media)
- Coordinator for Study Day
- Coordinator for the President’s Dinner and Awards
- Secretariat for the Awards and Yearbook.
If you, or you know of someone that might be interested in any of the above, please email Steve Rufus and Alex Gee and we will arrange for a chat and give more information
Catch up
Don’t forget to check out our podcasts, presentations and webinars on YouTube!
Recently Niall Gibson and Craig McKendrick from IES Ltd. presented a webinar on ‘Embracing Digital Technologies to Reduce Energy Costs and Achieve Net Zero Targets’. You can watch the video here.
Playlists include:
- Study Day 2022: Net Zero Carbon – Building Resilience
- Technical Webinars
- SPACES Awards
- SPACES 2021 Round Table and Podcasts
- Virtual Conference 2021 – Net Zero Carbon and the Climate Emergency
Got a question?
A SPACES member benefit is the opportunity to ask questions on our LinkedIn Technical Enquiry Service. You can join here.
Recently there has been a discussion on how a data centre has been used to heat public swimming pool. Join the conversation here.
Useful Information
(Follow us on LinkedIn for updates)
Managing Safety-Critical Elements in Building Construction
The CIOB and RIBA have produced a free guide to Managing Safety-Critical Elements in Building Construction, with the intention of increasing awareness across all sections of the industry of the need to bring a rigorous and structured approach to the design, construction and inspection of elements identified as potentially safety-critical (elements that, if omitted or installed incorrectly, could cause a serious injury or loss of life, to those in and around the building).
See here for more information.
LETI Publications
LETI have published a Retrofit vs Rebuild Unpicker” which provides guidance when considering a whole life carbon comparison between retrofitting a building, versus its demolition and rebuild.
The Retrofit vs Rebuild Unpicker provides a simple overview on this topic for non-technical specialists and “unpicks” the complexity around this debate by removing the jargon and providing a clear breakdown of considerations that need to be made.
See here for more information.
LETI have published a Low Embodied Carbon Specification and Procurement Guide.
The guide provides a clear pathway to low carbon specification of materials and demonstrates the steps that can be put in place to help drive towards project embodied carbon limits through effective roadmaps and procurement strategies. The guide has been created to support Developers, Designers and Contractors in reducing embodied carbon through specification and procurement.
See here for more information.
Funding for Building Control and Fire Safety Inspectors
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities are providing £42 million over three years to support the recruitment and training of Building Control and Fire Safety Inspectors working with the Building Safety Regulatory.
See here for more information.
CIOB Client Guide: Leading Projects in the Built Environment
The CIOB have published a Client Guide: Leading Projects in the Built Environment explains how projects are generally structured and managed, and what to look out for along the way, empowering clients with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. It is aimed primarily at construction clients tasked with running larger projects but the principles apply to all clients regardless of project size.
See here for more information.
The Royal Academy of Engineering have produced an interactive infographic exploring the effects of good and bad ventilation as well as how to improve it in our buildings.
Focussing on the role of indoor air quality and ventilation, this interactive addresses key questions on why ventilation is important and what can be done to make a difference to improve ventilation.
See here for more information.
LETI have launched a series of webinars on Whole Life Carbon, running every two/three weeks Tuesday lunchtimes. The next one is on
18th April and launching their Operational Energy Modelling Guide.
See here for more information, slides and information on how to book.
LETI are running roadshows, the first one was in Edinburgh, the next one is in Cardiff on the 20th April.
See here for more information.
The UK has ambitious net zero carbon targets. That means tackling some 27 million existing homes and two million commercial buildings. Hywel Davies considers the importance of refurbishment.
See here for more information.
(Scottish) Building Standards Enforcement Handbook
The The Scottish Government’s new Building Standards Enforcement Handbook provides guidance on the enforcement powers for local authorities as set out in the Building (Scotland) Act 2023.
See here for more information.
Give your views on ARB’s educational reforms – abolishing Parts I, II and III and replacing with two tiers of registration. Consultation closes 10th May.
See here for more information.
There are some new approved energy-efficiency frameworks.
See here for more information.
The Building Safety Minister is urging those responsible for the safety of high-rise residential buildings in England to be ready to register with the new Building Safety Regulator from April.
Building registration is a major step in a package of measures to ensure high-rise residential buildings are safe for residents and users.
See here for more information.