In the Highlands, north of Inverness, students aged from 3 to 18 are enjoying the health and comfort benefits of the region’s first Passivhaus-standard school. The new £72 million Tain Campus is now home to Tain Royal Academy, Tain Primary School and St Duthus School. It has been constructed to the Passivhaus standard to reduce energy consumption and create a healthy learning environment. The external wall specification included two Proctor Group membranes: the Wraptite® ext

Senior Architectural Systems is calling on the fenestration industry to move beyond top-line figures to a more evidence-based approach that gives specifiers more accurate data. As part of its ‘What You See Is What You Spec’ campaign, Senior Architectural Systems is reinforcing the clarity of its environmental information and calling on the industry to adopt the same transparent approach. This follows Senior’s publication of product-specific Environmental Product Declarations

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Air-Conditioning Europe (MHIAE) Hydrolution EZY air-to-water monobloc heat pump range has received global recognition for its design and engineering excellence after being awarded the Platinum A' Design Award, the highest accolade in one of the world's largest and most prestigious international design competitions. The award recognises products that combine outstanding innovation, functionality and aesthetics, highlighting Hydrolution EZY's ability

As builders face increasing pressure to balance performance, cost efficiency and environmental responsibility, SterlingOSB Zero provides a practical and adaptable solution. Its ability to perform across multiple applications means it can often replace several different panel types within a single project, simplifying procurement and improving consistency. West Fraser’s SterlingOSB Zero is a high-performance, sustainable panel manufactured in the UK to exacting standards. It o

Ed Morris, Technical Manager at Altecnic, explores what water scarcity means in practical terms, and what future regulation changes could mean for residential system design and specification. Water scarcity is increasingly becoming a housing and infrastructure concern, driven by population growth, regional water stress, ageing infrastructure and changing weather patterns. As pressure on water supplies grows, water efficiency is becoming a genuine design and compliance conside

Ian Dean, Managing Director, Concrete Products at Holcim UK, explains why early collaboration is key to Future Homes Standard success. The Future Homes Standard (FHS) represents the next tightening of the UK’s long-term trajectory towards low-carbon, high performance homes. With it comes an urgency for developers, contractors and specifiers to embed lower carbon delivery into every part of a build. The FHS builds on the whole-house energy efficiency principles already in play

Higher education sports facilities are no longer judged solely on the quality of their equipment or athletic provision. Today, students expect sports buildings that support wellbeing, performance, accessibility and community, with spaces that are practical, durable and designed to meet the demands of modern campus life. As universities continue to invest in student experience and compete to attract and retain students, the quality of interior design within sports facilities h

Specify & Build met with Craig Dolan, Senior Product Manager at Dimplex, to learn how the Latitude Commercial air source heat pump addresses practical low-carbon specification challenges. As the UK built environment continues its shift away from fossil fuel heating, specifiers are being asked to balance decarbonisation targets, compliance, acoustic performance, operational efficiency and practical installation considerations, often all at once. Dimplex has developed its new L

Ross Rigby, UK Commercial Manager at SIAMP, reveals how even small specification decisions can have a significant impact on water saving and sustainability. When we talk about water efficiency in the built environment, it is easy to focus on sustainability targets, environmental standards and whole building performance. But some of the most meaningful savings can come from smaller decisions made at the specification stage. A toilet flush may seem minor, but across a hotel,

Sapphire’s G30 balcony has officially been certified as a Passive House Component by the Passive House Institute when used with or without StubGuard – reinforcing the product’s thermal and structural performance. With designers under increasing pressure to deliver low-carbon buildings that meet stringent energy and envelope-performance standards, balcony connections have come under heightened scrutiny as a critical point of heat loss. Reducing thermal bridges is essential, as

Pamela Howat, Senior Technical Advisor at Proctor Group, explains the similarities and differences between membrane terminology. Construction membranes have a host of applications that directly impact on building performance and the comfort of building users. As a result, a lot of terminology comes with specifying and installing membranes. Over time, the term ‘vapour control layer’ (VCL) has come to be replaced by ‘air and vapour control layer’ (AVCL). This change has been dr

The Residence Collection explores five benefits of timber-alternative window and door systems, such as its Residence 9 range. Recent reports suggest that 80% of all commercial properties in England will effectively be rendered unlettable from 2030 without substantial changes to make them much more energy efficient if planned Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) regulation changes take effect. That’s why timber alternative windows and door systems are now viewed as a pop

Walworth Town Hall has undergone a landmark transformation, emerging as a vibrant new workspace and community hub more than a decade after a devastating fire left the Grade II‑listed building severely damaged and placed on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk register. Led by architects Feix & Merlin, in collaboration with developer General Projects and Southwark Council, the refurbishment represents a major achievement in heritage‑led regeneration, combining sensitive restora

A high-rise development in John Street, Newham, has been equipped with a comprehensive life safety solution from Advanced, incorporating SmokeGo smoke control and EvacGo evacuatio alert systems to support a stay‑put fire strategy and enhance resident safety. The project, delivered as part of a wider life safety installation by Simple Life Safety Systems, required a robust and compliant approach to smoke control and evacuation alert across two buildings with different heigh

Rinnai Director Chris Goggin looks at current domestic energy policy and the undertaken UK direction towards widespread electrification. He looks at how commercial sites will benefit from the installation of a heat pump once the UK electrical grid becomes fully decarbonised. Current UK energy policy is aiming to introduce wider electrification for issues that relate to domestic energy security and lessening carbon output. One, if not the, reason for this shift in direction aw