neWs All the latest news from around the building industry iAQ health fears confirmed Ventilation could reduce pollution impact by 38% Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) may be responsible for the loss of more than 200,000 healthy life years annually in the UK, according to a new study. Research published by the Finnish National Institute for Health & Welfare (THL) appears to prove the link between exposure to indoor pollutants and cardiovascular disease, as well as a number of other health issues, including lung cancer, asthma and other respiratory conditions. Changing the way buildings are ventilated, said the report, could reduce the impact of indoor air pollution by as much as 38%. Meanwhile, the spread of Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers) which has infected 41 people, killing four, in South Korea has been blamed on inadequate ventilation in the hospital where the first victim was treated. JongKoo Lee, director of the Seoul National University Hospital, and former head of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said bad ventilation played an important role in the rapid spread of the disease, for which there is no known cure. The room at St Marys Hospital in Pyeongtaek, where the first victim a 68-year-old man and most of the subsequent victims were treated, had one small window that remained shut. An air conditioning unit cycled the air and an investigation after the outbreak found traces of Mers bacteria on filters inside the unit. building services firms triumph in eco-awards Building services firms have scooped major accolades at the annual Ashden Awards. Multiple CIBSE Award winner Max Fordham picked up the Ashden Gold Award and the Ashden Award for Sustainable Buildings, supported by the Garfield Weston Foundation. The judges praised Max Fordham for its trailblazing role in driving up standards across the sector. Meanwhile smart building pioneer Demand Logic won the Impax Ashden Award for Energy Innovation. The London firms cloud-based system plugs into the BMS of commercial buildings and detects what it calls energy insanities. Developer unveils design for tallest tower on City of London skyline Designs for the proposed tower at 22 Bishopsgate in the City of London have been released by developer Lipton Rogers and architect PLP, ahead of the submission of a new planning application later this summer. The skyscraper will replace the Pinnacle scheme, which was ditched in 2012. The new proposals are for a 278m building, rising to 62 storeys, 10m lower than previously approved. It will provide more than 1.4 million ft2 of net internal area, with the floor plates shaped to reduce the mass of the building. At the top of the building will be a free public viewing gallery and a two-storey public restaurant and bar. Plans for the integrated vertical city accommodating more than 12,000 people include spaces for meeting and collaboration, a range of cafs, saving compared with the previously submitted scheme. Commenting on the impact of the building, architect Julie Futcher said: The height and form of the tower ensures that the shadow will pass quickly over the underlying setting, minimising its impact. But the building sits awkwardly with its neighbours, creating a dark void at its base. She added that the form of the eastern cluster as a whole raises interesting questions about the collective impact of tall buildings on their immediate environment. food outlets and a conference centre, plus a medical centre, library, wellness suite and sports facilities. It will be the first building in London to adopt the Delos WELL Building Standard the worlds first to focus exclusively on human health and wellness. The building also aims to achieve BREEAM Excellent certification and a 25% carbon Air conditioning and ventilation markets up 4% Sector expected to grow 10% by end of the decade The market for UK ventilation and air conditioning products grew by 4% in 2014, and will be worth more than 1.2bn by 2019, according to a new report from AMA Research. Growth rates between 2015 and 2019 can be considered moderate, researchers said, but represented a significant turnaround for a market that has seen static conditions at best since the beginning of the economic downturn. sweco and grontmij merge to create 1.2bn company Positive influences on the market include increased health, safety and energy efficiency legislation, revised Building Regulations, and environmental legislation, which have stimulated product development. The AMA anticipates that the market will have grown by 10% by 2020. It lists the ErP Directive for ventilation fans, the European Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) Regulation, the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme, EU Fire Legislation and general concerns relating to fire and smoke precautions as likely influences on the market up to 2019. Product innovation and technological developments including variable speed drives, multiple scroll compressors, EC motors, heat recovery and demand control ventilation will also increase market penetration, the report said. Keith Taylor, director of AMA Research, said the relatively wide range of end-use sectors and specialist applications for UK ventilation and air conditioning products represents a supporting factor to underpin long-term market development. The report is available here. screen TesT Swedish engineering consultancy Sweco has bought Dutch rival Grontmij in a deal that will create a 1.7bn (1.22bn) company, with about 14,500 employees. The companies believe they are a near-perfect fit, with complementary geographic footprints and similar governance models and corporate cultures. It is estimated that there will be annual synergies and operational improvements of around 27m, of which 90% is expected to be realised in the first four years after settlement. Us government and AshrAe renew moU Technical society ASHRAE and the US Department of Energy (DOE) have renewed a memorandum of understanding to work together to: improve the efficient use of energy; improve the visible and widespread use of renewable energy sources; and minimise the impact of energy use on the environment. The agreement updates the original version from 2011. It was signed by ASHRAE president, Tom Phoenix, and David Danielson, DOE assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy. client group to focus on zero-carbon standards Several major clients, including John Lewis, Whitbread and Saint Gobain, have formed a task group to help shape UK zerocarbon building standards. Under current government policy, all new non-domestic buildings must meet zerocarbon targets by 2019, but a number ofindustry groups have expressed concern about the pace of development of technical standards. The group was created under the direction of the UK Green Building Council (UK GBC) to explore how allowable Ventilation was uppermost in the mind of architect Sheppard Robinson when specifying this striking metal faade for a car park serving Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust. Perforations in the mesh at Grafton Street car park provide a minimum 60% natural airflow, which allows the car park to be naturally ventilated. At the base and top of the mesh, manufactured by Aliva, the aperture sizes were reduced to create a bigger area for artwork to be screen-printed on the faade. To compensate for the reduced airflow through the mesh, the levels in between had larger openings. See more on car parks. Parliament refurb to cost billions Refurbishment would cost 5.7bn if MPs and Lords vote to stay in situ during works Crumbling masonry and urine pouring down office walls are just some of the problems being caused by lack of adequate maintenance in the Houses of Parliament, according to MPs. The buildings are in such bad condition that it might take 32 years to repair the historic landmark fully. An Independent Options Appraisal (IOA) produced by external experts led by Deloitte Real Estate, and including the consultancy AECOM has been delivered to parliament. The document sets out different options to help MPs decide how to fix the Palace of Westminster buildings. The report was commissioned in 2013, after publication of a study that showed major, irreversible damage could be done to the Palace unless significant restoration work was undertaken. Repair work is not expected to start until 2020. MP Ben Bradshaw speaking on Jeremy Vines show on Radio 2 said he had been forced out of his office after urine flooded down the walls from leaking Victorian pipework in the ceiling. The IOA has put forward a range of options. The worst-case scenario 32 years at a cost of 5.7bn will be required if MPs and Lords elect to remain in situ while the work is carried out around them. If they move out temporarily, the work would take The Palace of Westminster needs urgent repair work six years at a cost of 3.9bn. Alternative scenarios include a partial closure and less ambitious improvement works. At the recent CIBSE Patrons annual lunch, held at the House of Lords, Lord Martin ONeill said moving out for at least five years might be inevitable because maintenance had not been well handled in the past. Many of the countrys historic buildings need the same kind of care and attention so there is a lot of work for your industry to do, he said. The issue is whether you have the skills to deliver projects on time and to quality there is also growing anxiety about material shortages. However, he said it was an exciting time for the sector, with so many great projects to carry out. solutions the mechanism aimed at helping developers deliver zero-carbon projects cost effectively might deliver high-value carbonsaving solutions in the built environment. solar-cell breakthrough UCLA chemists have developed a way in which solar cells can keep their charge for weeks, instead of seconds. They have created a process that mimics plants nanoscale structures, which can keep negatively charged molecules separated from positively charged ones. To do this in plastic solar cells, the team needed to use a polymer donor and a nanoscale fullerene (a pure carbon molecule) acceptor. The process is described as like having small bundles of uncooked spaghetti with precisely placed meatballs. Some fullerene meatballs sit inside the polymer spaghetti bundles, while others are forced to stay on the outside. The inside ones take electrons from the polymers and toss them to the outside ones, which can keep the electrons away from the polymer for weeks, greatly improving a cells capability to retain power. Up to 20% of homes overheat in england Up to 20% of homes in England may already be overheating, a Zero Carbon Hub report has found. Overheating in homes the big picture, released on 16 June, showed that the problem was almost certainly set to get worse as the climate changes, and said that checking for overheating risk must become a normal part of business practice. Housing associations and housebuilders are starting to push the issue up their list of priorities but, said Hub project manager Nicola OConnor: Organisations that havent had a problem with their stock to date would benefit from understanding their risk profile. Being caught out by complaints from occupants is not where most businesses want to be. She added: While the extent of overheating is still a little fuzzy, we should not wait for perfect knowledge before acting. We cant afford to wait and see its much harder to deal with an overheating issue after the event, and much more risky for the health of the occupants. Phase 2 of the project to be completed by April 2016 will make recommendations to industry and government on an effective overheating policy. See next months Journal for more details. Apprenticeships to get legal status The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has announced that apprenticeships are to be given the same legal status as university degrees. The government has committed to creating three million apprenticeships by 2020, with targets set for public sector bodies to help reach this total. Giving the term apprenticeship legal protection via the forthcoming Enterprise Bill will strengthen their reputation, help working people, and ensure apprenticeships are recognised as a career path equal to higher education, a BIS statement said. It will also give government the power to take action if the term is abused by rogue trainers attempting to promote sub-standard courses. More than 2.2 million apprenticeships have been created since 2010, helping to establish the UK as the fastest-growing economy in the G7, claims BIS. With apprenticeships giving hope and opportunity to more young people, and helping all types and sizes of businesses grow in communities across the UK, the Skills Minister will legally protect the term apprenticeship, it added. Schools, hospitals, prisons and police forces will all be creating opportunities for young people to get on.