Concerns have been raised that proposed changes to Irish building regulations — designed to bring Ireland in line with EU requirements that new homes be ‘nearly zero energy buildings’ (nZEBs) from the end of 2020 — could encourage sub-standard approaches to ventilation and airtightness.
A disastrous failed external insulation contract run under a government energy saving scheme has affected up to 390 homes in Preston with water penetration, mould and damp.
The engineer tasked by the UK Government with examining building fire safety regulation in England following the Grenfell fire has said she is shocked by construction practices. The industry urgently needs to change its culture, and “clearly identifiable” individuals must take responsibility for what is built, she concludes.
Viessmann boilers have been specified for the revamped Postal Museum, which has recently opened its doors to visitors after a major £26m redevelopment supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Northern Ireland’s South West College has announced that its new Erne Campus in Enniskillen will include the first educational building in the world built to the new passive house premium standard. The campus will be constructed on the site of the former Erne Hospital.
Brady Energy Consultants, the leading Mayo-based providers of energy consulting services, have announced that senior energy consultant Cathal Brady has become a certified passive house consultant, and that the company will add thermal modelling to its range of services in 2018.
The extra cost of building to certified passive house levels – while also scoring an A1 BER – is as low as 0.1%, research at Ulster University has shown.
Buildings can be conceived and delivered in new ways that enhance the mental and physical health of occupants. That’s the message the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products (ASBP) will be sharing with delegates at the ASBP’s Healthy Buildings Conference and Expo 2018 on 14 February.
The Environmental and Sustainable Construction Association (Éasca) is merging with the Association for Environment Conscious Building (AECB), the two organisations have announced.
A major new £36m secondary school in Sutton, designed by passive architecture specialists Architype, has successfully received planning permission.
ECON Polyurethanes have recently launched the new BASF Elastospray LWP (low warming potential) spray-foam insulation system to the UK and Irish markets. According to BASF, Elastospray LWP “combines maximum insulation performance with the best possible environmental protection”.
Keystone Lintels has announced the launch of a new advanced version of its award winning Hi-therm lintel. Hi-therm has won multiple awards for innovation, and Keystone said that its design has now been upgraded to offer “even greater practicality to builders and to extend its benefits to a wider range of projects”.
Leading Cork-based sustainable building product supplier Passive House Systems has just been awarded the first ever NSAI Agrément certificate for a solar PV system.
Ancon will be launching its latest fixing innovations at Ecobuild between 6 and 8 March at the London ExCel centre, at stand number C62.
