Features

Is a reluctance to move away from traditional materials still holding us back when it comes to material selection for key products such as acoustically optimised drainage pipes and fittings? Sophie Weston, Channel Marketing Manager at Geberit, looks at the properties of four key materials used for drainage pipes and fittings and asks what learnings we can gain from the European market.

The BBA – or British Board of Agrément to give it its full name – has been an established part of the UK construction industry for more than 50 years, with the sole aim of providing specifiers, installers, users, regulators, manufacturers, insurers and the public with the reassurance they require that building products are safe, reliable, fit for purpose and correctly installed, explains Ramona Donnelly, Operations Manager – Engineering at the BBA.

There are many aspects to consider when designing a building – from the building system and sustainability to ongoing performance and costs. With numerous routes to take along the design and construction journey, selecting the core structural solution is one of the most important decisions. Andrew Carpenter, Chief Executive of the Structural Timber Association, offers his perspective on how to select the optimum building solution to meet the budget and specific needs of the client.

With the end of the year nigh, many are relieved to see the back of 2018 – the renowned year of ‘uncertainty’, arduous negotiations and back and forth deal or no-deals. However, three months into the fresh, new year of 2019 lies ‘D-day’ for Brexit. Here, FC&A talks to two representatives from top law firm Womble Bond Dickinson about what they believe is on the horizon for the industry prior to and after March’s predicted events. Kathrine Eddon, Head of the Public Procurement Unit, and Michelle Essen, Managing Associate in Construction, take it from here...

Make Architects has completed work on its London Wall Place project, a new commercial scheme offering the largest set of public gardens developed in the City of London since the post-War Brutalist Barbican estate on behalf of Brookfield Properties and Oxford Properties.

Following its ‘Urban Lung’ project that embellished the pages of June’s issue, Yaoundé-based firm HKA | Hermann Kamte & Associates returns to this month’s issue with another feast for the eyes, Fine Flower – Dubai Heart; which is set to be the largest leisure park in the world.

The bathroom is a challenging place for someone with mobility issues or dementia and here Stuart Reynolds, Head of Product and Marketing at AKW, shows how inclusive bathroom design has helped both carers and residents at Lypiatt Lodge in Cheltenham. He also discusses how these principles can be replicated in any home.

Airport terminals were once characterised by a cacophony of sound from gate announcements and plane noise to the myriad of conversations and footfall of the thousands of passengers that pass through each and every day. Achieving optimum levels of noise control in such a complex acoustic environment is a balancing act between ensuring the intelligibility of public address systems and controlling the noise of passengers whilst at the same time creating a constant level of sound that masks activities from cafes and retail outlets. What options do airport design teams have when it comes to controlling sound and ensuring the passenger experience is stress-free and greatly improved? Stuart Colam, Acoustics Advisor of SAS International, investigates.

Adrian Storey, General Manager at Horbury Facades, looks at how innovation in modern rainscreen cladding materials is resulting in a rise in brick slip facades.

According to a far-reaching study by the Met Office, the UK’s climate is changing; bringing more warm spells and tropical nights. The Met Office also states that while the UK’s summer rainfall has been decreasing on average since the start of the 20th century, it has increased during winter, says Sean Robinson, Specification Director of Water Management Solutions at Polypipe.