Through its work with government, clients and industry partners, ECA is helping to shape the conversations around skills, infrastructure and workforce development that will underpin growth in the data centre sector
Category: Technical
Future-proof fire safety
New Technical Notes from the Centre for Window and Cladding Technology help link traditional construction regulations with modern designs. David Metcalfe, Director CWCT provides an overview
Measurable progress: what awards data reveals about design in 2026
Data from the 2026 Building Performance Awards underlines the rapid rate of electrification, with all-electric projects making up 71% of entries compared with 47% last year. Julie Godefroy looks at this and other trends in her annual analysis
External shading: what works in the real world?
A Loughborough University study evaluating how shading systems reduce indoor temperatures is providing evidence to support wider adoption of passive cooling measures, says the university’s Niloo Todeh Kharman MCIBSE
TM59: stress testing homes for overheating
The latest CIBSE TM59 challenges the industry to design climate-resilient homes without relying on energy-intensive cooling. Alex Smith talks to lead author Susie Diamond about the update
Disruptive influence? Influence of heat pump placement on noise exposure in schools
Without careful placement, air source heat pumps in schools can push noise levels past acceptable limits. University of Salford PhD researcher Katie Salter breaks down the acoustic findings from a study at a Manchester school
Ensuring fire-safe façades in built-up walls and curtain walling
New Technical Notes from the Centre for Window and Cladding Technology help link traditional construction regulations with modern designs
Cooling for the vulnerable: mitigating overheating in care homes
Active cooling will be essential to avoid an overheating crisis in Britain’s care sector. HTA Design’s Serra Ardor presents a study evaluating a combination of passive and active strategies to find the most energy-efficient path to resident comfort
Water misting demystified
A new European standard on the design and testing of water misting gives specifiers the confidence to assess the suitability of the fire-protection system across a range of applications, says Hall & Kay’s Richard King
Optimising heat network design
Optimising heat pumps and electric boilers to minimise capital costs and customer bills will be essential to realising the government’s ambitious plans for heat networks. Max Fordham’s Adam Reeve looks at three routes to affordable heat, including storage, Grid balancing and hybrid heat sources