Uncertainty over Brexit has not dented the confidence of the building services sector. Above-average pay rises and a continuing skills shortage mean adventurous engineers still have many opportunities to explore. David Blackman reports
Category: General
Playing to the gallery – V&A Dundee’s low carbon strategy
With its bold geometric design in danger of upstaging the exhibits inside, V&A Dundee has been making waves far beyond the museum world. Phil Lattimore looks at how the showstopping design influenced Arup’s low carbon strategy and choice of the renewable energy source
Making sense of complexity – Build2Perform Live coverage
Build2Perform Live tackled the issues that will change the way we design and deliver buildings for the next 30 years as the industry strives for zero carbon. Alex Smith reports
The grand challenges – what stakeholders need for buildings to perform
As we enter the uncharted waters of 2019, a range of supply chain stakeholders explain what they need for buildings to perform as designed. Liza Young reports
The next phase: heat pumps and PCM
An InnovateUK research project is looking to combine phase change materials with a smart heat pump system to cut energy use, reduce overheating and control humidity in homes. PCM Products’ Sam Gledhill explains how the system works
Taking charge: gas sensors in battery rooms
A build-up of hydrogen in battery stores or charging rooms will create an extremely flammable atmosphere, so detection systems should be competently installed and commissioned, says Medem’s Chris Dearden
Customised BPE on a different level – developing building performance evaluation in India
Tim Dwyer digests research, led by Rajat Gupta, that investigates the opportunity to develop – and nurture adoption of – building performance evaluation that is of practical use in the booming ‘green’ building marketplace of India
Learning from Nabers: Designing for performance in the UK
The Design for Performance initiative is partnering with pioneering developers to create a performance-in-use rating scheme in the UK that could transform office design and delivery, as Liza Young finds out
Train of thought – Elizabeth line lighting concept
GIA Equation’s Keith Miller explains the overarching principles behind the lighting concept for the Elizabeth line, Europe’s largest infrastructure project
Natural selection – measuring the effects of the Biophilic Office
A major BRE study on biophilic office design will focus on how lighting impacts on the wellbeing of occupants. BRE’s Flavie Lowres describes the aims of the project