Acoustic Design for High Quality Housing
Posted on January 18th 2018
An increasing demand for housing is leading to the continuous development of urban areas and infill of brownfield sites. As a result, the impact of environmental noise is becoming an increasingly important consideration for developers when designing high quality new buildings. External noise affects health and quality of life, as well as impacting on the availability of natural ventilation through …
Announcement of Christmas Quiz Winner
Posted on January 17th 2018
We are delighted to announce that the winner of our 2017 Christmas quiz was David Udall of St George. David generously nominated Cancer Research to receive our £500 donation, a charity that uses donations to carry out world-class research working to help prevent cancer, diagnose it early and develop new treatment. Thank you to all those who took part and …
Implications of Achieving BREEAM Outstanding
Posted on January 11th 2018
To gain an Outstanding BREEAM rating design teams need to fully embrace sustainability and embed it into their design from the very onset of a project. A research paper by Sweett Group and the BRE in 2016 confirmed the cost uplift for different BREEAM ratings and use types, these can be seen below: The uplift in costs for Very Good …
Work Completed at 190 Strand for St Edward
Posted on January 11th 2018
Last month, we saw the final completion of dwellings at St Edward’s flagship development 190 Strand. We have been supporting St Edward on the scheme since 2011 in order to deliver bespoke apartments and penthouses of exceptional quality and environmental standard. Working closely with the design and construction team, we have advised on the most effective way to comply with London …
New Carbon Price set out in New Draft London Plan
Posted on December 6th 2017
The long awaited New London Plan was published by the Greater London Authority for consultation last week. As part of its viability assessment it has used a 50% higher price for carbon than is currently the GLA’s suggested offset price. The new London Plan (p. 327) states that ‘a nationally recognised non-traded price of £95/tonne has been tested as part of …
Planning Success at Acton Gardens
Posted on December 6th 2017
We are delighted to have supported Acton Gardens LLP (a joint venture between Countryside Properties and L&Q) in devising an integrated energy, sustainability and overheating strategy for Phase 9.1 of the Acton Gardens Masterplan. The London Borough of Ealing Planning Committee voted to approve this consent earlier this month. The phase will consist of 68 residential apartments and associated parking, …
Elena becomes a RIBA Chartered Architect
Posted on December 6th 2017
We are delighted to announce that Elena Pana, who leads on our environmental modelling team, recently became a Chartered Architect with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). With a background in architectural engineering and expertise in advanced computer modelling, Elena focuses on specialist sustainable design input to large residential projects. Using her architectural background and strong skills in dynamic thermal …
Christmas Quiz 2017
Posted on December 6th 2017
The winner of our quiz will be able to nominate a charity to receive a £500 donation from us. Please click here to access the Christmas Quiz. Closing date for entries is 5pm on 20th December 2017 Winner to be notified via email. *In the event that we have more than one correct submission, a winner shall be drawn from a …
First Year of Zero Carbon Policy Experience
Posted on November 16th 2017
It has been one year since the implementation of the ‘Zero Carbon Homes’ standard by the Greater London Authority (GLA) as of 1st October 2017. As ‘Zero Carbon Homes’ has been defined as part of Policy 5.2 of the London Plan, it expects all major residential developments to achieve a 35% reduction over Part L 2013 on site, with the …
Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES)
Posted on November 16th 2017
As stated in ‘The Private Rented Property Minimum Standard’, from April 1st 2018, landlords of Domestic and Non-Domestic properties in England and Wales will need to demonstrate compliance with minimum energy efficiency standards (MEES), as defined above, in order to be able to rent them or renew tenancies. Domestic and Non-Domestic buildings will be subject to the following requirements: from …