Why shading will be critical in the age of Covid
Written by News Desk
Over the coming years there will be growing demand for openable windows in our office buildings to help prevent virus transmission — which is why high-quality solar shading will be more important than ever, says Smartlouvre managing director Andrew Cooper.
Partel announces RIBA accredited airtightness CPD
Written by News Desk
Partel, a leading specialist in high-performance building envelopes, is currently running a new RIBA-approved CPD programme titled ‘Best Practice for Air and Windtight Structures’.
RIBA has published a report urging the government, local authorities and the wider construction sector to adopt post-occupancy evaluation as standard practice to ensure all new buildings meet intended energy efficiency ratings and provide optimum value for money.
The NHS has given the go ahead for its first passive house building. The new Foleshill health centre in Coventry is designed by Tooley & Foster Partnership. Patients and doctors at Foleshill are currently using a temporary building situated in a carpark.
Dún Laoghaire passive house scheme will be one of world’s largest
Written by News Desk
ABK Architects has received planning permission for 597 homes at Shanganagh, Co Dublin, the overwhelming majority of which will be passive houses. The project has been developed in partnership with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and the Land Development Agency.
'Mannok' has been unveiled as the new identity for Quinn Industrial Holdings, a name which the company’s familiar brands Quinn Building Products and Quinn Packaging will transition to in the coming weeks.
Passive Building Structures delivers bespoke Manchester passive house
Written by News Desk
Leading ICF building envelope specialist Passive Building Structures is currently on site completing a large new passive house in Didsbury, Manchester. The project offers a contemporary take on the surrounding traditional architecture.
KORE has announced that its insulated foundation system has received full certification from the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) under Irish Agrément Board certificate number 20/0424.
Viessmann has introduced the new Vitocal 100-A air source heat pump, the most compact and affordable model in its range. Designed for ease of installation in the standard British heating system – and therefore ideal for the replacement of gas and oil boilers – the monobloc unit’s tight dimensions are perfect for homes where space is at a premium. Its A+++ rated energy efficiency will benefit end-users with low running costs, Viessmann said.
Experts call for CO2 sensors as tool in Covid fight
Written by News Desk
CO2 levels in rooms and other enclosed spaces should be used as a proxy for Covid transmission risk, a number of leading experts have said, as the evidence increasingly points towards airborne transmission being a major factor in the spread of the virus.
Building sector must show bold climate leadership
Written by News Desk
In late 2018, the IPCC issued a stark warning. It highlighted that limiting global warming to 1.5 C is crucial to avoiding the most catastrophic impacts of climate change. It also clearly established that achieving the goals of the Paris climate agreement will require action at an unprecedented pace and scale. To maximise the chances of limiting global warming to 1.5 C, all sectors of the economy must achieve significant emissions reductions, and the building sector must fully decarbonise by 2050.
ISO CHEMIE’s WINFRAMER thermal insulating and load bearing bracket support system for the rapid installation of windows, has gained British Board of Agrement (BBA) certification.
Remote home monitoring can help in Covid fight – iOpt Assets
Written by News Desk
Glasgow-based remote home sensing provider iOpt Assets believes its digital monitoring service can help to significantly limit maintenance visits by local authority and housing association staff, reducing one potential avenue of infection spread during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Veterinarian and passive house enthusiast Chris Copeman, whose £60,000 passive house retrofit was featured in Passive House Plus issue 29, has built a new veterinary practice in Wigan that is aiming to meet the passive house standard.
Time to move to life cycle assessment of our buildings
Written by News Desk
New regulations over the last decade have substantially cut operational energy use in buildings, and with more building product manufacturers now publishing environmental data on their products, now is the time to move towards in-depth life cycle assessment to reveal the full environmental footprint of our buildings, Pat Barry of the Irish Green Building Council tells Passive House Plus.
Over the past couple of months, the Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) has been focusing on helping those in the industry to upskill during the lockdown.