Green learning goes online
Hundreds of users are expected to sign up for a new online course in sustainability designed to provide the industry with a common language on green issues, writes Stephen Cousins.
Developed by the UK Green Building Council in collaboration with the industry, and delivered by the College of Estate Management, Introduction to Sustainable Development is the first course available through the UK-GBC’s Sustainability Training and Education Programme (STEP), set up to address gaps in the industry’s understanding of sustainability issues. A three-day Leadership in Sustainability course is being launched in December.
The course, which equates to eight hours of CPD, has been designed for all professionals working within the built environment, including clients, local authorities, or even self builders.
The first students include 24 graduates at property consultacy GVA Grimley. The UK GBC is also speaking to Marks & Spencer, Lend Lease, Willmott Dixon, and other large organisations about putting their employees through the course.
Chad Harrell, director of business development at the UK GBC, said that feedback from government and industry had highlighted the need for the course: “Although there are already several courses available, we found many were sub-standard, and feedback from industry showed the need for a foundation course that would draw a line in the sand and provide people with a common language of what we mean by sustainability.”
Users have two weeks to complete the course’s five learning modules, which are delivered via interactive videos, animations and written material. Once completed, users tackle an online multiple-choice assessment. A pass is awarded if more than 70% of answers are correct.
An online forum allows students to discuss elements of the course, while a resources section provides further avenues for study and information on sustainable legislation and best practice.
The course costs £199 + VAT for UK GBC members, or £249 + VAT for non-members. John Alker, head of policy at the UK GBC, says cost should not put off employers: “During a recession people are actively seeking to upskill and £200 is not a huge amount as one-day conferences can cost up to £250.”
Students give construction diploma thumbs up
Despite relatively low numbers taking the first exams for the Advanced and Higher Diplomas in Construction and the Built Environment, the new diploma has been voted a success by students.
Bernice Waghorn was one of a group of seven students that took the Advanced Diploma at Thamesview School in Gravesend, Kent. Achieving a high C grade, the second highest in the group, she is now taking up a place to study for an HND in Construction Management at Mid-Kent College in Maidstone. After the HND, she hopes to progress onto an honours degree course.
“The diploma was definitely the right decision. I went in with no experience at all, but I still got a good grade,” she says. In fact, she received a string of A*, A and Ba grades for her portfolio projects over the two-year course.
Waghorn was one of only two girls in the country to sit the exam.
Gordon Masterton, Construction Industry Council
Q&A
Gordon Masterton is the new chairman of the Construction Industry Council
A new government, a recession, “more for less” — you’ve taken over the role at an interesting time.
Yes, the next few years will be a challenging period for construction. But the industry has an opportunity to demonstrate its contribution to value for money, wider economic benefits and wealth creation. We hope to continue work with the All-Party Group for Excellence in the Built Environment. It fits well with the broad church membership of the CIC, so we want to attract the interest of the maximum number of MPs.
Presumably, you’ll also be working closely with Paul Morrell?
Yes, we want to do everything we can to make sure Paul is successful. If he wants extra support or research, we want to be able to mobilise that for him. He’s got a small team at BIS and we’ve got half a million members, so we’ve got a lot of resource.
What do you see as the priority issue during your term?
It’s tempting to respond to the government’s austerity drive and make that the number one issue. But if “more for less” overtook low carbon, that would be a big mistake. The threat to our long-term future means addressing the drivers of climate change and doing what we can to transform our industry. There just isn’t time to spend 5-10 years developing best practice codes and standards — we have to shorten the cycle time to get these measures in place.
And the second priority?
Anything we can do to continue the upward trend in the industry’s safety record should be done. And we have to be less tolerant of injuries and near misses. Part of that is helping SMEs and smaller practices to acknowledge the issues they face, but we can also influence undergraduates and new entrants to the industry.
What do you think about the Infrastructure UK review into the high cost of UK civils projects?
It’s right and proper to respond to the issue. It was flagged up when the Department of Transport looked at feasibility studies for the High Speed Two [London to Birmingham] rail link, which found that our railway infrastructure cost more than in Europe. If that’s the case, then I
hope James Stewart’s team can identify key actions that would result in step changes.
Duke launches awards
The Construction Youth Trust is seeking industry sponsors for a new award scheme that recognises the achievements of aspiring young construction professionals who are establishing a career in the industry in spite of social or economic barriers, writes Stephen Cousins.
The Duke of Gloucester’s Young Achievers Scheme has been set up at the instigation of the Duke of Gloucester, a former practising architect. The Duke wanted to recognise young construction professionals rather than those joining construction trades, and approached the CYT to develop the project, which will seek nominations from January.
In the next few months, however, the focus is on attracting industry sponsors. The CIOB will be promoting the scheme to its members and Chartered Building Companies, and the CYT wants to hear from firms willing to back the awards scheme, particularly architects, quantity surveyors or project management firms.
Candidates can be nominated in four different categories — architecture, engineering, surveying and project management — and should have a minimum of two years’ professional experience after graduation. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in October 2011.
A fundamental goal of the awards scheme is to broaden awareness of careers in construction professions among groups who might not otherwise enter the industry, says Kerry Dickson, central services manager at the Construction Youth Trust.
“It could be a person from an ethnic minority, who typically don’t see construction as an opportunity, or someone from an economically deprived background who has overcome the odds to get a degree,” says Dickson. Other examples of barriers could include bereavement or serious illness.
To enter, individuals must fill in an application form stating why they think they deserve the award, plus details of their education and early career. Employers must also submit details of work achievements and proof of employment. Companies can submit nominations from January. A shortlist of candidates will be asked to attend an interview with a panel of judges.
Balfour Beatty floats its boats
The Balfour Beatty team that is delivering the new Blackfriars Station in London has taken to the river.
Barges and tugs operated by Livett’s Launches have removed 8,000 tonnes of material from the bridge, and will deliver 14,000 tonnes of new materials. The operation will take 2,000 lorryloads of freight off London streets during the project. The new station is due to open in May 2012.
The operation is run from a freight consolidation centre run by waste and demolition contractor Keltbray at Thames Wharf, on the north bank of the Thames opposite the O2 Arena.
In addition, Balfour Beatty has been using a barge-mounted crane to install steelwork for the new station. Although the barge rises and falls several metres between low and high tide, it is firmly anchored to the riverbed and maintains a fixed position.
Balfour Beatty and client Network Rail collaborated with the Port of London Authority (PLA) to perfect loading and unloading techniques and safety protocols, and to co-ordinate the best running times to suit river traffic and tidal flow.
Jim Trimmer, head of planning at the PLA, is keen to hear from any contractors and clients working on central London projects that are interested
in using the Thames for construction freight traffic.
Report on costs
The Institution of Civil Engineers is due to publish a report later this month that forms part of an international study on the levels of construction cost transparency in the UK and seven developing countries around the globe.
Funded by the Department for International Development, the Construction Sector Transparency Initiative (CoST) responds to pressure from the commercial world and civil society watchdogs to make the awarding and pricing of construction contracts more transparent.
“We’ve been involved in the pilot study on what happens in the UK because we can’t very well preach to other countries about disclosing information into the public domain if we don’t practise it here,” says John Hawkins, CoST policy adviser at the ICE.
The UK study focused on ongoing and completed projects from four clients: road projects from the Highways Agency, flood defence work from the Environment Agency, housing schemes from the Broadland Housing Association, and two schools from Durham Country Council.
The report looks at what information on costs and the tendering process was actually disclosed, legal obligations on publication, and the administrative barriers to transparency.
Month in numbers
28
The percentage of timber frame buildings suffering more than 200m2 of damage in fires, compared with 4% of non-timber frame structures, according to the government’s Fire Statistics Monitor.
17,500
The number of staff axed from Laing O’Rourke’s international workforce in the 09-10 financial year.
500,000
The sum, in pounds, set aside by Colchester Council to pursue legal action against Turner & Townsend over Rafael Viñoly’s Visual Arts Centre.
Bicester and Chongqing tie the knot
The CIOB is playing matchmaker in a proposed twinning arrangement between the eco-town of North West Bicester in Oxfordshire and eco-projects in the city of Chongqing, China.
The Bicester project, one of four in the country to secure government funding, is in the north Oxfordshire constituency of MP Tony Baldry, a Fellow of the CIOB and chair of the newly-formed All Party Group on Excellence in the Built Environment.
Chongqing is represented by Li Shirong PPCIOB, deputy director of the Chongqing Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Committee. and deputy mayor of the city’s Shapingba District.
Baldry invited Li to Bicester to meet Cherwell District Council leaders. “We’re in the process of drawing up a Memorandum of Understanding to link the projects,” Baldry confirmed. “We hope we’ll see a strong and developing relationship.”
The impetus for the collaboration, said Baldry, is that low-carbon communities represent a steep learning curve for everyone involved. “Everyone’s starting from scratch. We’re keen to have relationships with people in China to share experiences, we want the involvement of the CIOB, the CIOB in China, and other professionals, so that Bicester commands world-wide attention and becomes an international learning experience.”
Eddie Tuttle, policy and ambassador manager for the CIOB, said: “If ratified, the agreement could lead to knowledge sharing, collaboration on innovative approaches to sustainable technologies and possible future involvement from CIOB members at home and abroad.”
According to Baldry, Bicester is already well-known to many Chinese people because of the Bicester Village outlet shopping centre. “Bicester Village is the most popular destination for Chinese tourists visiting the UK, so we want to put the town on the map for a different reason too,” he said.
Bicester’s new eco-extension is expected to share £30m in government funding with projects at Whitehill-Bordon in Hampshire, St Austell in Cornwall, and Rackheath in Norfolk.
In North West Bicester, the P3Eco consortium has secured land to build the first tranche of 1,000 homes — 5,000 in total are planned. The group includes masterplan architect Sir Terry Farrell, consulting engineer Arup, housing systems company Eco2H20 and local housing association A2Dominion.
Meanwhile, Cherwell council plans to spend £9m of the government’s start-up money to build a demonstration project of 30 sustainable homes, ahead of a further 200 affordable homes fitted with renewable technologies.
The grant funding will also be used to help retrofit properties in Bicester itself with green technology. The town will also benefit from a green sixth form college and walking and cycling initiatives.
Icebergs set to revitalise stalled sites
International architectural firm Woods Bagot has introduced Icebergs — a rather “cool” concept to bring “frozen” city-centre construction sites back to life.
The temporary buildings are constructed from a steel structure and wrapped in ETFE. To create their unique shapes, there is also structural support from inflatable air beams stitched into the fabric.
According to the designer, the icebergs could be used as pop-up retail destinations or to host exhibitions and cultural events.
Jeff Holmes, a principal at Woods Bagot, said: “We set out to imagine new uses for stalled sites, but with the goal of developing a real proposal.
“While the sheer number of these sites has driven many creative concepts in New York and Boston, we have taken a hard-nosed look at introducing something that is both vibrant and viable for cities around the globe.”
Sites sought for pop-up gallery
Could your site become a pop-up gallery? If it has a city centre location, good footfall from passing pedestrians and a perimeter of plywood hoardings, the CIOB would be interested in transforming it into an outdoor photography exhibition.
The initiative comes after the Art of Building photography competition, which concluded in July and attracted more than 1,100 entries. The winner, Glasgow-based photographer Jim Dunn, was selected by an online public vote from a shortlist of 12 images which celebrated our relationship with the built environment.
Now the CIOB is looking for large city centre sites where the competition’s best photos can be printed on hoardings. Main contractor BAM Construct has already come forward to discuss using one of its nine London sites, including Great Ormond Street Hospital, for a three-month period. The Shard at London Bridge, a Mace site, is also a possibility.
The winners of the competition were published in What Digital Camera? and Photography Monthly magazines, as well as the Daily Express.
Next month, Dunn will receive his £500 winner’s cheque at a ceremony outside the Glasgow Museum of Transport, the thrusting steel roof of which provided the dramatic subject for his photo.
Dunn, a professional photographer working for Glasgow Museums & Art Galleries, said: “It’s one of those buildings that has iconic angles from whatever angle you view it. One of the project’s engineers told me it was the most complicated steelwork he’d ever worked on in 30 years in the industry.”
Capturing the dramatic shot required a combination of luck and skill, he said. “The sky was black one minute and sunny the next and I managed to reel off a few shots between bouts of torrential rain. There was a guy on a cherry picker moving up towards one of the roof beams, which made for a great composition.”
CBCs step in to help displaced students
Chartered Building Companies and Training Partnerships have thrown their support behind a CIOB search for training places for up 83 displaced students. The group was sponsored by Carillion, but earlier this summer they were told the company would not continue their £1,500-a-year grants and work placements.
The students are from the universities of Salford, Loughborough, Reading and Northumbria, where completion of company placements is necessary for graduation.
When the news broke in July the CIOB stepped forward. “It’s been a call to arms, we were overwhelmed by the response,” says CIOB communications manager Saul Townsend. “The director of one CBC called and said that his firm was tiny, but if it would help, he could take on a student for a year.”
