LETTER FROM THE EDITORA s we head towards the end of

Budget makes changes to boost UK housebuildingCredit: Zeynep Demir Aslim / Shutterstock.com Chancellor

New home approvals collapse to new lowThe number of new homes receiving planning permission

UK lags behind on contract management trainingThe UK has the lowest uptake of contract

House price growth accelerates in Q2UK house prices increased by 1.1% during the

Understanding the Future Homes and Buildings StandardSOPREMA has launched a new guide to the

ANDY BURNHAM: A NEW DIRECTION?Rinnai Director Chris Goggin evaluates the new potential path of UK emissions reductions under Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

KRASI STRENGTHENS ITS PASSIVE FIRE PROTECTION OFFERKrasi Fire Protection has become a fully licensed

A BRIGHTER BALANCEA commercial roof can put sunlight to work

NEW SPANDREL PANELSPyroguard has launched a new range of spandrel

RETROFIT THE WHOLE BUILDINGAt Specify & Build ’s recent retrofit round table, experts argued that successful retrofit needs to begin with the building itself, with a long-term plan for how every intervention will work together.

A NEW SPECIFICATION TOOL FOR LOWER-CARBON CONCRETEJack Sindhu, Technical Director at Capital Concrete, explores how calcined clay could help deliver meaningful carbon reductions.

DEADLINES ALONE WON’T DELIVER AWAAB’S LAW PHASE 2Hudson Lambert, Managing Director at Safeguard Europe, warns

VENT-AXIA CELEBRATES 90 YEARS OF INNOVATIONVent-Axia is celebrating 90 years of British manufacturing

BUILD ‘PLACE FIRST’ DEVELOPMENTSDan Bourne , Sales Director – Housing Developers and Building Solutions at Ibstock , explores how clay bricks can help new developments respond to the character and heritage of their setting.

HOW COLOURED RENDERS BRING HOMES TO LIFEJason Nicholson , Renders Product Manager at K-Rend , examines how through-coloured renders give architects the creative and technical tools to transform a one-off project from the outside in.

EXTERNAL FLOORING COMPOUND OFFERS DURABILITYTarmac has expanded its Blue Circle range with the

SUPPORT DURING UNCERTAINTYKeira Proctor, Managing Director of Proctor Group , explains how manufacturers can support projects during challenging times.

BOOST HEALTHCARE HYGEINEGeorge Emms , Regional Sales Director for the UK and Ireland at Wilsonart UK , examines how estate managers can embrace antibacterial surfaces that support positive patient outcomes.

HOW FURNITURE SHAPES THE PATIENT JOURNEYSteve Bage, Business Co-Ordinator at David Bailey Furniture Systems, explains why a healthcare reception is much more than a place where patients check in.

‘DISCONNECTED SYSTEMS PUT PATIENTS AT RISK’, SAYS REPORTCare providers are putting vulnerable people at risk

FIREFLY HELPS SAFEGUARD HOSPITAL EXPANSIONA £312 million project to expand clinical facilities

HELPING TO RESHAPE THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE© White Arkitekter and photographer Rafael Ferrés Echavarren.

TRUST IS THE SECRET TO A SUCCESSFUL SUPPLIER PARTNERSHIPGlidevale Protect is proud to support The Innovation Hub in delivering sustainable and thermally efficient timber frame homes.

OPEN THE DOOR TO BETTER DESIGNTony Pell , Senior Product Manager at JELD-WEN , reveals how doorset specification sets the tone for successful guest experiences.

CLOSING THE SPECIFICATION GAPSonia Holden , Head of Commercial at Profile 22 , considers how Awaab’s Law is being introduced and its impact on the supply chain.

MAINTAINING THERMAL PERFORMANCESolarlux asks whether sliding doors can be part of a low-energy Passivhaus design?

BESPOKE CURTAIN WALLING BRINGS VISION TO LIFEWINDOWS, DOORS AND ENTRANCE SYSTEMS Fusing creativity with

MANUFACTURING GROWTH AT ALUFOLDAluFold Windows is celebrating one year of fabrication

DECEUNINCK WINS ROSPA ORDER OF DISTINCTIONDeceuninck has been awarded its 15 th consecutive

DEMONSTRATING THE VALUE OF DOORSRockdoor considers the technical features that make choosing the right external door more important than ever.

SENIOR AND ASSA ABLOY JOIN FORCES WITH NEW LOCKSWINDOWS, DOORS AND ENTRANCE SYSTEMS Senior Architectural Systems

RAISE THE ROOF WITH MARLON TOPLOCK SYSTEMDesigned for pitched and curved canopy roofing applications,

THE TRANSITION FROM BS TO ENRob Mottram , Head of Product and Compliance at Robust UK , explores the changing fire door testing standards.

FARM TRANSFORMED BY RESIDENCE COLLECTIONWINDOWS, DOORS AND ENTRANCE SYSTEMS A recent project

NEW AERO-SLIDE DOOR SYSTEMaluplast has launched aero-slide, an ‘everyday’ inline PVC-Uoption

NEW STYLES STRENGTHEN SOLIDOR OFFERINGFive new door designs have been added to

BESPOKE STEEL WINDOWS TRANSFORM KENT HOMESWINDOWS, DOORS AND ENTRANCE SYSTEMS Clement Windows Group

CRITTAL CUTS COATING ENERGY USE WITH NEW TECHCrittall Windows is adopting new Low-Earchitectural powder coatings

SANIBOOST SMART FIXES PRESSURE ISSUEThe Saniboost Smart booster pump is finding favour

AIM CAVITY BARRIERS WIN FIRE SAFETY ROLE IN THEATRECASE STUDIES Reading’s Hexagon Theatre is being transformed

RETROFIT FIRST, SOLAR SECONDMark Harris , Head of Sustainability for Sika Roofing , explores the rise of solar PV roofing and the importance of knowing the roof’s existing condition.

ARE AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMPS FINALLY COMING IN FROM THE COLD?Peter Beighton , Managing Director of Trianco , looks into some of the misconceptions around heat pumps.

TURN TO THE WEATHER TO OVERCOME OVERHEATING IN BUILDINGSJason Tramontano, Technical Director, and Amy Webb , Senior Sustainability Consultant at Whitecode Consulting , assess how TM59 changes are modernising overheating assessments.

INTEGRATING HEAT PUMPS INTO HEAT NETWORKSJosh Collins, Heat Networks Manager at Altecnic, considers the challenge of integrating heat pumps into communal heat networks.

HEAT PUMPS: THE BALANCE OF POLICY VERSUS REALITYRinnai Director Chris Goggin asks how the idea of heat pumps as the primary decarbonisation solution compares to the direction of the UK low carbon heating and hot water market?

HOUSING STARTS WITH FABRIC FIRSTSimon Storer , Chief Executive of the Insulation Manufacturers Association , considers the recent political pledges made to improve housebuilding standards.

INSULATING TIMBER FRAME HOMESKnauf Insulation considers the differences between insulating timber frame instead of traditional masonry homes.

THE DESIGN-STAGE BLIND SPOTAcoustics is often not considered until a project’s layout and budgets are already fixed. A new guide from Oscar Acoustics is identifying four ways to put acoustics on the agenda earlier.

SOUND DESIGN CHOICES FOR ACOUSTIC CEILINGSSimon Humphrey , Technical Manager at OWA , explains how new acoustic ceiling solutions are giving architects more choice than ever.

WHITE PAPER EXPLORES ACOUSTIC DESIGN IN SCHOOLSSOPREMA has launched its Acoustics in Education Whitepaper,

NEXT-GEN INSULATION FOR ROOFS AND FLOORSRavago Building Solutions has launched the next generation

PROCTOR GROUP SUPPORTS DEVELOPER TO IMPLEMENT PASSIVHAUS STANDARDS AT PIPERS SQUAREPipers Square in Charlestown, Dublin is one of

COMMERCIAL HEAT PUMPS IN ACTIONRinnai’s Peter Seddon explains how heat pump technology