RMA Companies’ Post

This evening, BBC Panorama released an episode titled "Britain's Crumbling Schools." I implore you to watch it! The release is bittersweet; it drives me to continue my research on retrofitting and decarbonising schools but also demonstrates the sheer scale of the problem that we are facing. As a (future) architect, I aim to design buildings that will have a positive impact on the lives of others. I aspire to reduce carbon emissions and create environments that nudge people to live healthier lives. What can be more important than designing the spaces where our future generations learn? However, decisions are often made on an economic basis. As architects, what role can we play? How can we help as a profession? Let's explore together! Check out the BBC article below for more information. #CrumblingSchools #Architecture #Sustainability #Decarbonisation #FutureGenerations

Learning environments play a crucial role in student success, which is why the Elizabeth Woodville School called on us for a transformation.  Research indicates that various elements can impact someone's learning capabilities. Distractions, such as ambient lighting and temperatures, can easily prevent students from staying engaged and absorbing the information during classes. The Elizabeth Woodville School in Northamptonshire is an inclusive comprehensive school located across two sites, which are used interchangeably by the staff and students. Their north campus is a 1960s building which had retained its original single critall windows. Unfortunately, they were noted to be in poor condition, which was leading to little insulation in the winter months and challenging to open in the spring and summer months. They were having a negative impact on the learning environment, and the school wanted to change this. ECP provided full end-to-end support to the school, with a transformational end result. From successfully applying and securing CIF funding to enable the replacement of windows and doors to a large portion of the buildings, we also undertook the design, specification, construction management and project management throughout the whole process. Find out more in our full case study – https://lnkd.in/gcx99SqU Or talk to us directly, call 01923 775 450 or email info@educationcp.com. @elizabethwoodvilleschool #elizabethwoodvilleschool #educationconsultancypartnership #ecp #educationcp #educationmatters #schools #academies #architecture #surveyor #contractor #building #design #construction #schoolconstruction #schooldesign #bids #funding #CIF #renovations #industryexperts

"Schools in urgent need of repair have told Panorama they are struggling to keep children warm in buildings that are "not fit for purpose"... Last year, a National Audit Office (NAO) report on school conditions said about 24,000 school buildings were "beyond [their] original design life" that's more than a third of the entire school estate in England." - BBC News 𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑 𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏-𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒄𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒆𝒔? At Tremco, we offer a free no-obligation initial survey for your single or multiple school roof estate. We then take our survey one step further, with our unique technology-driven thermographic report. This can determine the condition of a roof by identifying, plotting, and visually demonstrating areas of concern. This is then followed by refurbishment if issues are confirmed, or a proactive preventative maintenance (PPM) programme can be implemented to protect your roof investment. Our refurbishment service covers: Design/specification, supply, install (through Trusted Partners), inspections, warranty, and optional annual PPM. This gives you one SINGLE company contact to refurbish, repair, construct, and maintain your roofs for up to the lifetime of the building. Get in touch to get an informed data-driven assessment on your school's roof estate roofing.uk@tremcocpg.com News report: https://lnkd.in/e7mvNxeE Tremco's service: https://lnkd.in/eSfBPrJ4 #schools #multiacademytrusts #education

Hello Colleagues and Friends - pls read this important article in an escalating chorus around our profession's challenges, not being addressed with the seriousness that they demand, if we want to survive and retain our true value.

Update of construction projects at UCSD campus La Jolla UC San Diego recently received permission from University of California regents to build a 6,000-bed community mostly composed of high-rise dorms. The $2 billion proposal is meant to ease a chronic housing shortage brought on by unprecedented enrollment growth and a shortage of affordable off-campus housing in the surrounding areas of La Jolla & University City. UCSD’s long-term goal is to offer four-year housing guarantees to undergraduates with rents at least 20 percent below market value. About 22,000 students will live in university-owned campus housing this fall, Nearly 2,800 students are currently on waiting lists for housing. Enrollment is expected to increase over the next 10 to 15 years, pushing UCSD past the 50,000 mark and creating more demand for housing. Let’s take a look at a few of these projects: Pepper Canyon West • 1,300 single-occupancy rooms • Two 22- and 23-story towers • 580,500 gross square feet • Completion Fall 2024 Ridge Walk North • 2400 New Student Beds (2026 completion) • 972,000-square-foot development • Rents would be at least 20 percent below market value. • Very close to historic Geisel Library Another significant project currently construction on the UCSD campus is the new Triton Center. The Triton Center • 4 buildings, 332,000 SF complex • Student Health & well-being Center • Alumni & welcome center • Multi-purpose building with 500-person event space • Completion expected in 2026

Navigating unique construction requirements and creating an effective plan and design are just the beginning.  Check out our blog to learn more! 📚🏗️ https://bit.ly/3XtBHyj #schoolconstruction #constructionchallenges #educationfacilities #blogupdate #buildingbetter

Some interesting insights on the conversion of office buildings from the ‘60s, 70’s and 80’s to student accommodation

Congratulations to the winners of the UNB Off-site Construction Research Centre Student Design Competition and to all the teams for their dedicated efforts! The competition showcases student design innovation in #modular, and challenged teams to innovate with #offsite construction solutions. The objective was to develop a #modulardesign for a housing unit that will be ‘open source’ and be used by manufacturers to meet the demand for #affordablehousing in New Brunswick. The design was focused on a repeatable #volumetric module that could be used to combat the “missing middle housing” problem. A great initiative and hopefully we will see more of this across North America!! https://lnkd.in/gZm2r2Un #housingcrisis #modularconstruction #modularhousing #rapidhousing

This comment, made by Winston Churchill in 1943 regarding the restoration of the Commons Chamber that had been damaged in a bombing raid two years before, pointed to the connection between the impact of buildings and those that occupy them. This remains so very true today… It isn’t just the process of housing development that is taught throughout our UK Housing Development Training Courses, we also deliberate issues such as the impact that design has on people and their environment, how government policies can affect design, the introduction of new materials/methods of construction and so forth. We consider that everyone has an opinion on design, hence our discussion points, for instance: i) what do you consider is ‘good design’ for a new build housing scheme? ii) what impact does good design have on residents, along with an array of design review topics such as regeneration areas, pop-up housing, modular construction… to name just a few? If this sounds interesting, and you would like to learn more about our upcoming UK Housing Development Training Course, please contact: vikki.mack@pdw-uk.com