On 18th November around 30 students & construction professionals gathered at Sheffield Hallam University to hear from four well known BIM advocates to introduce BIM and offer advice and guidance from three different perspectives, architect, engineer & contractor. A summary of what was discussed is detailed in the event storify below.
On Friday night around 400 construction professionals gathered at the Tower Hotel in London for the National Constructing Excellence Awards 2014, this year sponsored by The NBS. Our Yorkshire & Humber region was well represented, submitting strong entries across all 12 categories and were rewarded with victories in both the Innovation and Client of the Year categories.
The Innovation category was won by Yorkshire Water & Morgan Sindall Grontmij JV (MGJV) for their “Starting a REVOlution” submission which focused on the ground-breaking Remote Energy Visibility & Optimisation (REVO) control module product. This highly innovative product, developed by Yorkshire Water, uses 18 different control modules to allow for optimal use of energy consumption, generating a demonstrable reduction in energy costs. The judges commented “this project identified a problem facing us all, costly energy consumption. This innovation has the potential to be viable as a commercial product not only to the water industry, but to any energy-intensive industry”.
Our second winner of the night was East Riding of Yorkshire Council (ERYC) who triumphed in the Client of the Year category. Nominated by BAM, ERYC won by demonstrating that they are an extremely proactive and collaborative construction client, committed to a culture of partnering through their development of supply chain integration and employment and skills initiatives via the YORbuild framework, the first UK framework to receive CITB National Skills Academy status. They are also the only council to hold Registered Practice Status with the Association of Project Safety and have achieved Investors in People to Gold standard. The judges remarked that the winning client “showed clear consistent leadership and commitment to the core Constructing Excellence principles”.
Celebration time! Tom Oulton, East Riding of Yorkshire Council
For a full overview of all the night’s winners, please view our CEYH event storify below. CEYH, based at Leeds Beckett University is the regional Constructing Excellence partner for Yorkshire & Humber.
We are delighted to be able to share with you the podcast of a unique interview conducted by Mark Wilson from Building Design Expert at our recent Constructing Excellence YH Passivhaus breakfast seminar with Elrond Burrell from Architype Architects and Chris Herring from Green Building Store . This interview explored the entire design & build process of Passivhaus with some interesting insights from our two event speakers.
Architype Architects are based in Hereford and have a passion for sustainable architecture. Hand in glover with sustainable building design is the need to reduce energy use. Architype have achieved this by adopting the Passivhaus design and building standard; with a growing reputation for use of the standard on a commercial scale with offices and school buildings, in addition to large scale and one off housing projects.
The Green Building Store represents Passivhaus design development from the contracting side of the industry, and their reputation has grown around not only their on site attention to detail with their ability to successfully implement the Passivhaus standard, but their sourcing of products and technology that will meet the rigorous performance requirements that the standard demands.
On 3rd December, prior to our #GreenBIM conference we are delighted to be hosting a Q & A session with Richard Lane from the UK Government BIM task group. Richard is leading the development of the UK BIM Task Group training strategy and is supporting the implementation of BIM in a number of UK government departments including the Ministry of Defence and the NHS. With 25 years’ experience in IT consulting, project management (ISEB) and training, leading global teams; Richard is a Fellow of the Learning & Performance Institute and a Professional Member of the British Computer Society. He is also Director of Creonova Consulting who provide consulting, program & project management, change management and training services to education, public sector and commercial organisations, specifically focusing on technology and construction sectors.
Richard will be taking questions from the Constructing Excellence members attending the session but we would also like to take this opportunity to invite others to submit their BIM related questions, in particular questions around BIM education, BIM adoption throughout government departments and the government BIM agenda.
To submit your question you can either email it to ckeevents@leedsbeckett.ac.uk or you can tweet your question to @cexcellenceYH using the hashtag #askTBIM
A great turnout of construction professionals gathered at Addleshaw Goddard LLP in Leeds on 29th October for our second CEYH event of autumn focussing on SME excellence in two current hot topics; SME adoption of BIM & Applied Behavioural Science in Health & Safety. CEYH is the Yorkshire & Humber regional hub for Constructing Excellence, committed to providing a structured programme of events sharing knowledge, case studies and best practice which respond to the wider needs of the industry.
Our chair for Wednesday’s event was James Gill, BIM technician at Cubicle Centre. Cubicle Centre were the deserving recipients of the SME & Best of the Best awards at this year’s CEYH awards for their determination to become one of the first “bim ready” manufacturers in the UK and the increase business being so has brought them.
Our first speaker for the event was Duncan Reed, Digital Construction Process Manager at Tekla UK & ThinkBIM ambassador, who presented on the CITB funded BIM training that ThinkBIM has been delivering around the region to SMEs. He started by highlighting the issue that at present we have no real indication of BIM level 2 adoption in the UK, pointing out that the NBS National BIM report attracts around 1300 respondents, a tiny percentage of the estimated 2million people who work in the construction industry. The CITB funded training delivered by ThinkBIM goes some way to addressing this with the sessions highlighting key issues faced by SMEs & identifying solutions to overcome them. So far ThinkBIM has delivered 26 workshops over 117 companies to 359 delegates.
As well as outlining the aims of the CITB sessions, i.e. what is BIM? what tools are available e.t.c. pointing out that not all BIM software is new software (even excel is a useful BIM tool!), Duncan also went on to discuss some of the perceived barriers to BIM that attendees at the training sessions had raised and gave examples of how companies had overcome them, using two recent case studies, Premier Interlink & F Parkinson. At this point Duncan also mentioned the TSB Innovate initiative who award funding to small businesses to help them implement new technologies within their businesses. Further details can be found on the Innovate website here . Both Premier Interlink & F Parkinson have made use of the scheme receiving £5000 vouchers to help implement BIM throughout their operations with ThinkBIM’s advice.
Duncan concluded his presentation with some key tips on how organisations can start with BIM, the most important one being that companies have to decide a BIM strategy & objective for their own organisation first i.e. you can’t do someone else’s BIM. Once a strategy has been defined you are then in a position to look at what you need to make it happen and take it from there.
Following that we welcomed Claire Fryer, Senior Behavioural Management Consultant at Costain who presented on delivering behavioural health & safety training using accelerated learning techniques. Claire outlined some of the principles behind the science using some interesting examples from our everyday behaviours. Her example of how we alter our driving dependent on whether there is police car around certainly resonated with some members of our audience! Claire went on to describe the “Antecedents – Behaviours – Consequences” behavioural model used by Costain and how it is our understanding of the consequences which impact on our behaviours.
Claire then went on to illustrate some real examples of putting the model into practice; one particular case study being strategies taken to overcome a high percentage of slips, trips and falls recorded on a project. Some other key points she raised included the importance of focusing on one small problem to fix at a time, gathering specific data (using observation & the ABC model outlined above) and the importance of communication with workers i.e. asking them what they need in order to be able to adhere to health & safety principles and then working jointly towards it.
Claire concluded the presentation by outlining how there is huge scope for businesses to benefit from applied behavioural science throughout their entire operations, not just health & safety. It can be used to improve quality performance, delivery performance, even improving the processing of invoices. As long as you can understand why people behave the way they do within their working environments, then you can begin to use behavioural techniques to modify them. Claire’s final point was to reiterate that we shouldn’t just rely on email to get people to do what we want, we need to get out, talk to people and understand the consequences which drive behaviour, before we try to change it.
Following Claire’s presentation, the assembled audience were invited to ask questions, a summary of which are outlined below:
Are there any other alternate sources of funding for BIM training outside the CITB?
Duncan Reed (DR) TSB Innovation Vouchers are available to anybody. ThinkBIM can help organisations with their submissions for funding. Contact Claire on c.bowles@leedsbeckett.ac.uk to find out more.
What are the examples of how you have resolved some of the issues with getting clients involved in the model?
(DR) Involving the end users to make sure they are engaged in the design process so they can visualise the space they will be working in i.e. teachers & their classrooms.
Has ThinkBIM done anything with professional associations as well as companies direct?
We would like the professional bodies . We do find trade associations are doing a lot of work, providing advice, support & courses to help educate their member on BIM and how they can develop it within their businesses. We would like to see the same level of interest from the professional bodies which would ultimately then ensure it is included in university courses.
Duncan what are the key consequences of not doing in BIM? Thinking about the ABC model Claire talked about in terms of behavioural science & culture change?
(DF) The government’s 2025 construction strategy asks for massive improvements throughout the operation in costs efficiencies, health & safety standards e.t.c. Not doing BIM would make it very hard for companies to meet this target.
For Costain, how do you deal with the SME supply chain that come on site?
(CF) Many of our supply chain join our Supply Chain Academy where they have an introductory session on the principles involved. We also involve them early in projects, bringing them on to site, inviting them into meetings and training sessions so they can work on any arising issues with the existing team, and this is working really well.
Join us on 29th October at Addleshaw Goddard in Leeds where we will be presenting real life case studies on the topics of BIM adoption for SMEs and behavioural workplace health & safety. Our speakers for the event include;
Duncan Reed, Digital Construction Process Manager, Tekla (UK) Ltd Best practice case studies of SMEs adopting BIM across the UK – thinkBIM has been delivering CITB funded training for SMEs to show how they can build BIM into their businesses. Duncan’s presentation will share some of the great ideas that have come from these sessions that are allowing SMEs to “do BIM”
Claire Fryer, Senior Behavioural Management Consultant, Costain Claire will be talking about behavioural workplace health and safety and how this has been implemented at Costain As always there will be plenty of time for shared discussion & networking at the end of the session. Further details & event booking can be found here
#CEYH14 – Changes to CDM Regulations update 24th September 2014
Over 50 construction professionals including contractors, lawyers , architects, engineers and lecturers filled the seminar room at Addleshaw Goddard LLP in Leeds on Wednesday morning for a Constructing Excellence Breakfast event on CDM Regulations. CEYH is a network for the Yorkshire and Humber construction industry, committed to providing a programme of events that respond to the needs of industry, its customers and the government to make change happen and to deliver real useful informative events.
This event lead by Clive Johnson from Land Ssecuritiesdid not disappoint with some golden nuggets of information released relating to the forthcoming change to CDM regulations due to take place in 2015.
Clive Johnson (Land Securities ) drew on real life practical case study evidence of Health and Safety responsibilities and the implications that the CDM changes will have on construction industry current practice.
Jim Barron (Faithful&Gould) provided the CDMc consultant perspective – delving into the issues raised within the consultation and focusing delegates attention around areas of ambiguity within the forthcoming changes.
Clive kick started the event with a strong client message of ‘ make it healthier , safer, happier and good for all ‘ pointing out the main points that the HSE’s evaluation process of the CDM 2007 had identified to be taken forwards including the replacement of the CDM Coordinator with the new role of ‘principal designer ‘ As chair of the CONIAC CDM working group Clive has been involved in the preparation of the guidance for one off infrequent clients which have been been signed off and submitted to the HSE , indicating these will be released in in April 2015. Clive stressed that the role of principal designer will not be a role many architects will be keen to take on due to the nature of the role and existing skills gaps within architectural practices . Another change impacting on us all is the extension of Client health and safety responsibilities to domestic clients – if you are getting an extension built ‘do it now ‘ joked Clive .
Clive stressed the importance of ‘Health’ as a key focal area for the industry stressing that the new principal designer role must ‘design out’ health issues too. Clive questioned whether professionals felt comfortable with difference in definitions of health , wellbeing and ocupational health.
Clive ended his presentation on a positive note reminding us that leadership, co-ordination and communication is important but teamwork and working together is vital!
Jim began by stating it’s really important to understand the role of the CDM co-ordinator as a person facilitating communication between a cross section of disciplines and able to identify and assess risks from an impartial standpoint . Jim pointed out that the HSE policy objectives are aimed at small construction sites and the need to tie into the EU directive. The CDM co-ordinator role will be replaced by a principal designer . Jim confimed there are concerns if SME’s will understand and engage with the new regulations and guidance.
A lively Q & A session followed. Comments and observations from the audience included:-
Slides from the presentations can be found here (attach link to slides)
On Friday 18th July over 350 enthusiastic guests came together to celebrate the best in Construction at Sheffield City Hall. The Evening featured Peter Hansford and was hosted by the brilliant JoJo Kelly (Capital FM). We would like to thank sponsors, judges and all those who were short-listed. We are delighted to announce the winners from the evening below.The National final will take place on Friday 14th November in London, please keep an eye out for details of this.
Young Achiever – G4C (Sponsored by _Space Group)
Highly Commended – Bethany Wilson (Halcrow)
Winner – Andrew Costello (GB Building Solutions Ltd)
Integration & Collaborative Working (Sponsored by TEKLA)
Highly Commended – MGJV (Esholt THP)
Winner – A-One+ (Area 12 Collaborative Planning & Visual Management)
Leadership & People Development (Sponsored by ESH Construction)
Winner -Balfour Beatty (North Central Delivery Unit)
Heritage (Sponsored by Ornate Interiors)
Highly Commended – William Anelay Ltd (Sheffield Cathedral Gateway Project)
Winner – William Anelay Ltd (World at Wentworth)
Health and Safety (Sponsored by Gosschalks Solicitors)
Highly Commended – East Riding of Yorkshire Council
Winner – BAM Morgan Sindall (M1 J39-J42 Smart Motorways ‘Ten Steps to Zero Exposure)
Innovation (Sponsored by M3)
Highly Commended – Turner & Townsend/Yorkshire Water (Risk Based Contract Management)
Winner – MGJV (Starting a REVOlution)
The Legacy – Sustainability (Sponsored by GB Building Solutions Ltd)
Highly Commended – Balfour Beatty (Doncaster Southern Gateway)
Winner – Green Building Store (Cre8 Barn, Stirley Community Farm, Huddersfield)
Value (Sponsored by CIOB)
Winner – Turner & Townsend/Yorkshire Water (Risk Based Contract Management)
SME (Sponsored by Henry Boot Construction Ltd)
Winner – Cubicle Centre
Achiever of the Year (Sponsored by Class Of Your Own)
Highly Commended – Matthew Bostwick (Southdale Ltd)
Winner – Steve Baker (East Riding of Yorkshire Council)
Client of the Year (Sponsored by Bond Bryan Architects)
Winner – East Riding of Yorkshire Council
Project of the Year (Sponsored by William Anelay Ltd)
Highly Commended – Stephen George & Partners (Department of Health Library Resource Unit Quarry House Leeds)
Winner – MGJV (Scarborough rBWD – A Coast to Boast About)
Best of the Best (Sponsored By YHCE Club)
Winner – Cubicle Centre
Claire Bowles welcomed all attendees to Addleshaw Goddard and explained this was our final event for the summer. Constructing Excellence seminars will resume in September after the awards ceremony which is held on 18th July 2014 at Sheffield City Hall. Our chair for the morning was introduced as Dr Tom Knowland, Head of Sustainable Energy & Climate Change.
There was a great array of construction professionals at the seminar and Tom kicked off the proceedings by thanking everybody for attending. Tom explained he has a great interest in Passivhaus and that Leeds is on the cusp of building its first Council houses for over 40 years with an aspiration to reach very high and hopefully Passivhaus standards. The aim is to have attractive council houses that achieve high environment and energy standards with less running costs. Tom introduced the first speaker of the day, Elrond Burrell from Architype Ltd to discuss “Passivhaus: Sacrificing natural materials for energy efficiency”
Elrond addressed the room and explained that he attends a lot of events speaking about Passivhaus and about BIM, both of which he is always very excited to share about. Architype have been around for 30 years and specialise in fully integrated design and low energy performance buildings and have won many awards. The company are very proud of delivering buildings that perform as well as or better than predicted. Elrond described how some people have misconceptions about Passivhaus being hippy, green, soft and furry. Others believe it is German minimalistic. Architype’s theme is simple and elegant designs.
Elrond spoke about climate change and how this issue is critical. We need to reduce CO2 emissions, stop runaway climate change and invest money into doing so. The EU EPB directive 2010 stipulates we need to operate near zero energy buildings by 2018 (public) and in all buildings by 2020. This is an area of great importance.
Elrond talked about the PH performance standard. This is strongly about human comfort and to provide a good quality environment. It’s about setting ambitious but achievable targets. We need to meet benchmarks. This can be daunting but it gives you clarity. There is a rigorous certification process with checks by a 3rd party.
Love PH!
Elrond explained that Architype has won the Ashden award for cutting carbon. Architype used the award money in partnership with Oxford Brookes University to employ a researcher. The researcher undertook detailed building performance analysis and post occupancy evaluation of 10 of their buildings, including some live projects. The results were very educational to the company and helped in their move towards Passivhaus where the “performance gap” has essentially been eliminated. Passivhaus encourages an integrated design process where everyone collaborates. It is evidence based and certified Passivhaus are often performing better than predicted. It helps drive towards simplicity. Elrond stated “All our clients love it”. People who live in a Passivhaus would never live in any other house.
Elrond talked about the use of natural materials such as timber in a holistic way. There is an assurance that what is being used is being regrown. There is low embodied carbon found in natural materials.
Elrond asked the audience to guess from 2 sets of images shown which image was a certified Passivhaus and which one was not. The audience guessed correctly for the 1st pair of images but not the 2nd pair of images!
We love timber!
Elrond described how timber is widely used in New Zealand where he is originally from. Elrond explained that after he had worked in the UK for several years he was keen to join a company who used a lot of timber in their projects, which was part of his reason for joining Architype. He displayed images of a project at the University of East Anglia and talked about a typical wall made up with a load bearing stud and an additional zone for further insulation. This project is a really good example of timber through and through. Elrond explained that Architype typically use off site construction. Recycled newspaper is used as insulation. The shell of the building is exclusively timber. Natural stains and paints are used which complement and enhance the warmth and a tactile presence of the timber.
Elrond provided examples of projects such as the Passivhaus schools in Wolverhampton. This brings children into contact with natural materials. UK grown Douglas Fir is also used. Elrond described a University building that will be clad in thatch by using prefabricated thatch panels. This could bring new interest in the local thatching industry.
Elrond talked about how cedar shingles were used on the Hereford Archive and Records centre. Lime render was also used as this uses far less carbon dioxide. The repository (document storage) part of the building surpasses the Passivhaus standard as there are no people working in this part of the building.
Elrond described how at Wilkinson primary school in Wolverhampton linoleum flooring has been installed because this is hard wearing. Fermacell has been used for walls as this is denser than standard plasterboard and is made from recycled materials including cellulose fibre and gypsum. Ceilings are from wood wool panels. Plywood and softwood are used for handrails and architraves and there is plywood acoustic panelling also. Natural oils and stains are used were possible. There are also timber batten ceiling, which helps to absorb sound. Architype even use recycled carpets and old car tyres for barrier matting!
Elrond closed his presentation by saying that some misconceptions are that the buildings are not attractive. Elrond spoke with great conviction about how attractive and beautiful Passivhaus buildings can be.
Tom Knowland thanked Elrond for a very informative presentation. Our next speaker was introduced as Chris Herring from Green Building Store to discuss the topic “From derelict barn to eco exemplar education centre”
Chris began by saying there may be a crossover of subject slides between his own and Elrond’s however this would only go to reinforce the subject matter.
Chris explained that his company were approached in 2011-12 about the renovation of Stirley Community Farm. The derelict barn was in a fairly exposed area and Chris laughed as he recalled how cold it had been on the first day he visited the barn! Chris went on to explain that his business partner Bill Butcher was project manager for the project. The task was an eco-renovation to teach children about horticulture and growing. Chris explained they led the project and did the detailing. Chris stated if you are serious about a project the only way he knows is Passivhaus. You have to get the fabric right. Fabric first to be robust.
Why Passivhaus?
Chris talked about Wolfgang Feist who is the Founder and Director of the Passive House Institute in Darmstadt, Germany.
Chris explained that the primary focus of the project was getting the fabric right so the building would work indefinitely. Chris highlighted an image of the barn which showed the layout. It was a big 2 storey space. The challenge was to look at thermal performance. The risk of moisture within the cavity and in the timber frame was a big concern.
Chris described how a huge amount of underpinning was required. Chris talked about insulation in detail and the concerns about moisture and how a tanking system with a drip was installed. Chris explained the whole cavity is ventilated and the complex detailing required. Chris described how teplo ties were used and were specially made so they could be bolted into the frame. Chris talked about wind, rain and solar driven moisture and explained a moisture analysis was carried out. Leeds Metropolitan University are currently continuing to monitor this. It is working well so far but will be monitored for a number of years. Chris explained how the windows and doors of a Passivhaus must be in line with the insulation. Aluminium liners were used. The door thresholds were a big issue so Compacfoam high density polystyrene was used.
Chris talked about the MVHR vent strategy. 2 ventilation units were installed that work in tandem. The idea is that staff will switch this to ‘boost’ when there are lots of people in the barn.
Chris explained that the barn is currently going through EnerPHit certification. There are 2 standards available and they have opted for the elemental method rather than retrofit.
Chris explained that more information is available on the website including a data sheet that can be downloaded http://www.greenbuildingstore.co.uk/. They are currently proofing a short film which will also be available on the website.
Tom Knowland invited comments and questions from the audience:
“They were 2 very interesting and contrasting presentations. How do you overcome noise issues such as switching on the fans? How do you manage the noise?”
“We need to upskill people to drive the Passivhaus standard forward”
“A school with opening windows, I thought that natural ventilation was disallowed?”
“Do you think that the industry is really ready to build Passivhaus?”
“The industry has a long way to come”
“I cannot justify this in my own mind. It’s not affordable unless using government money. I’m not convinced. We build retirement buildings and I don’t think our elderly clients would be interested they believe they have done their bit for the environment”
Chris spoke about how they design and supply mechanical ventilation and stated it’s about good design. Chris commented that it is a pertinent question. Natural vent doesn’t give good ventilation. You don’t get moisture with a well installed mechanical ventilation system. Elrond confirmed there is still a debate in the industry if we should advocate mechanical vent only. He said they still design buildings to feel like you are in control of your ventilation and use natural ventilation during summer. The compromise is so little if you open a window because the mechanical ventilation is so good. With mechanical ventilation you have the choice. Chris agreed that in a Passivhaus if you open a window some heat is lost but why would you do it.
Elrond responded that he has never experienced any sound problems in any of his buildings. On the subject of budgets Elrond confirmed there isn’t a project they have delivered that hasn’t met the set budget. It’s about prioritising the budget.
Elrond believes that the industry is ready to build Passivhaus with the right motivation. It is about having a good collaborative ethos.
Chris agreed that people in the industry need to be upskilled. Chris doesn’t think the industry is quite there yet. He believes we should be setting targets to upskill the industry. Chris delivers consultancy work with large contractors and believes we need to change the way contracting is done. It is about good detailing and good quality builds. Chris said that Passivhaus is not fully understood by the consumer. There is no market driver yet. People who have lived or worked in a Passivhaus love their building and they are passionate about it.
Tom thanked our speakers for two interesting and informative presentations.
Author – Donna Lee
Directions
Directions to the event can be found on the Sheffield City Hall website http://www.sheffieldcityhall.co.uk/find_Sheffield_City_Hall/
Car Parking
Information about parking can be found on the Sheffield City Hall website http://sheffieldcityhall.co.uk/Sheffield-City-Hall-Parking
Dress Code
Please note that this event is black-tie, however our theme is ‘Happiness’ and we will be encouraging all attendees to wear one item of clothing that is colourful to break up the black!
Hotels
There is no accommodation on site at Sheffield City Hall, however we have secured preferential rates at two local hotels, both situated over the road from Sheffield City Hall. Please note we have a limited allocation at these rates and they are subject to availability so we advise you to book early to secure.
Mercure – http://www.mercure.com/gb/hotel-6628-mercure-sheffield-st-paul-s-hotel-and-spa/index.shtml
Please quote “180714LEEDS” when booking to secure preferential rates of £89 inc breakfast for a single room, £99 inc breakfast for a double room
Novotel Sheffield Central – http://www.novotel.com/gb/hotel-1348-novotel-sheffield-centre/index.shtml
Please quote “ConstructingExcellence” when booking to secure preferential rates of £45 inc breakfast for a single room, £55 inc breakfast for a double room.
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