Ascerta | PCA Landscape’s Post

A tricky list of needs; DFL to the rescue! At DFL, we love a challenge and a new development at Cox’s Quarry in Bath, was certainly that! 🏠 The plan was for 6 new dwellings with associated car parking and access roads – sounds simple enough! Well, here’s the tricky part: • We needed to include external lighting but also the light coming from the windows in each building • Each building had a different layout, over 3 floors • The buildings weren’t all being built at the same angle • There was a strict 0.5 lux line position due to the ecology • The site was close to a 'Special Area of Consideration' • Also near a 'Site of Special Scientific Interest' • There was a significant population of Lesser Horseshoe Bats nearby ❓ How did we do it? Click the link in our comment below to find out! Image courtesy of Kiss House #DFLtotheRescue #LightingSolutions #EcologicalEngineering #SiteDevelopment #InnovativeDesign #SustainableArchitecture #EnvironmentalAwareness #ArchitecturalLighting #CulturalHeritage #WildlifeProtection

Changes to Permitted Development Rights for farm Buildings. The new rules at a glance: 1. The amount of floorspace that can change from agricultural to ‘flexible commercial use’ has been doubled from 500 square metres to 1,000 square metres 2. The size of new buildings or extensions that can be built on farms over 5ha has been increased from 1,000 square metres to 1,500 square metres 3. For smaller farms, the size of such development has increased from 1,000 square metres to 1,250 square metres 4. The number of homes that can be delivered through the conversion of agricultural buildings has increased from five to 10. 5. Nationally important archaeological sites (scheduled monuments) have been protected by removing the ability for extensions to be built and new buildings erected in the vicinity. #permitteddevelopment #housing

The Arboretum San Antonio will be a transformative project in so many ways. There has been lots of public input. If you are in the industry as an architect, a landscape architect, a landscaper, arborist, grower, policy leader, please take this survey. The back end of this arboretum could be just as important as the public facing side for making changes in San Antonio. This is a link to the survey about the development of the master plan https://lnkd.in/gazWpmrd

News update: Homes for Nature, developed by On Site Nature Measures Working Group and convened by the Future Homes Hub, will ensure a bird-nesting box or brick is installed for every new home built, as well as hedgehog highways created as standard on every new housing development from September 2024. The voluntary commitment is in addition to the recently implemented Biodiversity Net Gain regulations, which require all new developments to achieve 10% more wildlife. The initiative will run for a minimum of 6 years, whereby annual reporting will track progress and identify further suitable measures to encourage wildlife to thrive. More than twenty of the UK’s largest house builders have signed up to achieve this, including, Barratt Developments plc, Bellway Homes, Bloor Homes, Cala Homes, Crest Nicholson plc, Croudace Homes Limited, Deanfield Homes, The Duchy Of Cornwall, HAYFIELD HOMES LIMITED, Hopkins Homes Limited, Keepmoat, Miller Homes Ltd, ORBIT Homes , Persimmon Homes, Redrow, Strata, Taylor Wimpey plc, Thakeham and Vistry Group. Photo: Courtesy of Construction Enquirer. #bats #hedgehogs #birds #birdbricks #bridboxes #hedghoghighways #wildlife #nature #ecology #wildlifelighting #wildlifefriendlylighting #batlighting #batfriendlylighting #lighting #architecture #planningpermission #planningcondition #lightingdesign #ecologicallighting #ecologicaldesign #planning #project #design #property #propertydevelopment #newbuild #housingdevelopment #housingdevelopers

Guidance from the Institution of Lighting Professionals in collaboration with The Bat Conservation Trust has changed and the subject of bollard lights is one of the significant updates to be aware of. Local Authorities, in accordance with Guidance Note 8, shall be requesting that bollard lights are not used for bat-sensitive projects (dependant on the type of bat using the site). Get in touch if you would like to learn about other updates. #batlighting #batfriendlylighting #bats #wildlifelighting #wildlifefriendlylighting #wildlife #nature #lighting #architecture #planningpermission #planningcondition #lightingdesign #ecology #ecologicallighting #ecologicaldesign #planning #project #design #anob #areaofoutstandingnaturalbeauty #cornwall #property #propertydevelopment #colourtemperature #bollardlights #bollards #lights #ILP #insitutionoflightingprofessionals #instituteoflightingprofessionals #batconservationtrust #gardenlighting #landscapelighting #lightingsolutions #light

Here's another great example where Sika helped with #specification, #CAD detailing and #construction site support. Using a combination of #waterproof sheet membranes and watertight #concrete. Follow the link below to learn more

For this week's Flashback Friday we’re heading 🔙 to 1934 when our mate G W Hutchison was getting ready to turn on the water supply to Birkenhead for the very first time. The photo info is a little sketchy but we reckon that's him doing the mahi on the right. Did you know that Birkenhead was actually the first borough on the North Shore to get a permanent water supply? With more and more boroughs needing fresh water, the demand on Lake Pupuke quickly became too much, so in 1934 the team turned on the tap at the new Kauri Point pumping station. It got water from Western Springs via the newly constructed underwater pipeline. All this mahi meant there was a bit more H2O to flow to other suburbs until they too decided to use another source 💧 Photo credit 👉 Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 1166-ALB226-58 #FlashbackFriday #Flashback #History #Memories #Teamwork #Team #Water #WaterIndustry #Auckland #Project #OnTheTools #KeepGoing #Determination #Dedication #Pipes #Engineering #Engineer #Construction #Suppliers #Birkenhead #Northshore #Crowd #Celebrate #H20

My writing and historic landscape research explores campus planning and urban cultural landscapes of parks. Here is my recent article on the transformation of an historic cemetery.

Choosing the right development site is one of the most critical steps in property development. Key factors to consider include demand, which affects value and market demand; zoning, which determines what can be built; and land characteristics, such as topography and soil quality. Evaluating these aspects ensures that you’re starting your project on solid ground. Want expert advice on selecting the perfect site for your next project? Visit https://bit.ly/3mqKyMe #ChoosingDevelopmentSite #PropertyLocation #ZoningLaws #LandCharacteristics #RealEstateTips #DevelopmentSuccess #SteveChandler #PropertyDevelopmentInstitute #SiteSelection #BuildingOnSolidGround

Last week, we stumbled upon a section of cob within an outbuilding. Our client, intrigued by this mysterious material, asked us, "What exactly is cob?" So what is cob? Cob is a natural building material made from a simple mixture of clay, sand, and straw. It's been used for centuries, offering warmth, durability, and unique character. Why is cob so special in Cornwall? Cornwall's distinctive geology, with its abundance of clay-rich soils, has significantly influenced the development of this traditional building technique. Preserving remaining cob elements is important as they represent our cultural identity showcasing their ingenuity and resourcefulness. These cob elements contribute to the unique character of our towns and villages, fostering a strong sense of place and community. #cobconstruction #naturalbuilding #sustainableliving #cornwall #tradition #earthbuilding