Specify & Build met with Qvantum UK to learn why its water-to-water heat pump has been created for apartment developments. As the Future Homes Standard moves the newbuild housing sector away from fossil fuel heating, heat pumps are increasingly being positioned as the default route to decarbonisation. While air source systems have become the most familiar option, apartment developments often present different challenges. External space can be limited, acoustic considerations

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

Jon Knaggs, Technical Manager for Industrial Lightweight Construction at EJOT UK, explains why the ETA is crucial for compliance and key to faster, lower-risk project delivery. Higher performing and better quality building façades rely heavily on the right fastening and framing systems. But how do you establish which products and systems will meet the brief with confidence, as well as minimising non-compliance risks and delays when the façade design is reviewed by building co

Senior Architectural Systems is helping designers and housebuilders prepare for the forthcoming Future Homes Standard (FHS), with its aluminium window systems already engineered to meet the more stringent thermal performance requirements that will apply from 2028. Published in March 2026, the updated Standard confirms a major shift in the way window performance must be assessed. Under the new Home Energy Model (HEM), whole window U values must be calculated for the exact conf

Passive fire protection specialist Promat has launched a new service enclosure system with a fire performance of up to 120 minutes - tested both inside and outside the enclosure. Promatect®-LS can also provide protection to critical cabling within the enclosure to ensure continuous operation during a fire. Complementing Promat's existing range of ducting and service enclosure systems, Promatect®-LS service enclosures have been independently tested and classified to EN 1366-5

Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation explores why a dual approach is needed to maximise resilience in the water sector. Our aging water infrastructure is under serious strain, with climate change and consequential extreme rainfall events becoming increasingly common. Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) leaks, network spills and the resulting hefty fines mean water companies are under pressure and, with AMP8 (the eighth, and current, asset management period for the UK water industry

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

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

GOLDBECK explains how systemised construction is changing the perception of offsite manufacturing processes. For years, offsite construction has been underestimated, often criticised as ‘functional’, ‘temporary’ or ‘visually uninspiring’, but that perception is now shifting. GOLDBECK, a family-founded construction pioneer, has spent over 50 years refining ‘systemised construction’ – a highly engineered, manufacturing-led process that industrialises key building elements witho

June 2026: The Residence Collection is now being showcased in the newly opened Trade Windows Bristol showroom, providing homeowners, installers and trade professionals across the South West with a dedicated space to explore the premium timber-alternative window and door range first-hand. Located at Cater Road, Bristol, the new showroom has been designed to display a wide selection of products from the Residence Collection portfolio, including the Residence 9, Residence 7 and

Donaldson Timber Systems, a leading UK offsite timber frame manufacturer, has introduced a range of house types to meet the demand for cost-effective, sustainable, and Modern Methods of Construction (MMC)-compliant housing solutions. The Affordable Housing Range offers 16 house types, all designed to meet local housing needs while maintaining delivery efficiency. The portfolio includes one, two, three and four-bedroom homes arranged in terraced, semi-detached and detached for