Landlords face significant bills to implement energy efficiencies
Landlords face the prospect of paying for measures to improve their properties’ energy efficiency under a new government proposal. Minimum standards meaning properties can only be let if they reach a band E or above in the EPC ratings will come into effect in April. Previously landlords had been expected to rely on finance from […]
Be good, for goodness sake!
It’s the time of year when lists are frantically being drawn up with wish lists for Santa and checklists for festive feast ingredients. And it seems US President Donald Trump has been joining in the Christmas spirit with a list of his own – his new national security strategy has just been unveiled with details […]
Building Project: Public buildings could be more energy efficient if user behaviour changed
Project Info Client: Newham Council Completion Year: Ongoing Display Energy Certificate (DEC) Location: Newham London Public buildings could be more energy efficient if user behaviour changed Changes to employee and user behaviour coupled with minor structural and technical amendments to buildings could save councils significant sums of money in energy bills – and help them […]
Blockchain-Building confidence in digital connectivity
Why is it that in an era of online everything, the construction industry has been described as the least digitised industry? Sure, the biggest hurdle to any kind of transition has probably been the fact we associate it, naturally, with manual labour, bricks and mortar. Coupled with the equally undeniable fact it’s heavily regulated, we […]
Budget 2017: Chancellor takes action on air quality, electric vehicles and plastic waste
22 November 2017, source edie newsroom Chancellor Philip Hammond has today pledged to build an economy “fit for the future” by announcing new air quality funding, tax incentives for electric cars, and measures to combat plastic waste in his 2017 Autumn Budget. Chancellor Philip Hammond delivered the 2017 Autumn Budget to a jubilant House of […]
Are you ready for the HFC phase out?
Businesses appear to be dragging their feet over implementing changes to refrigerants ahead of next year’s cuts and regulatory amendments. A 37% cut in availability of ozone-depleting HFCs under F-gas regulations is being implemented in Europe in just two months time. But a recent survey showed that 40% of decision-makers in the retail sector were […]
Do engineers have a responsibility to improve indoor air quality?
Delegates at a recent conference heard how engineers can become ‘heroes’ if they recommend the right filters to customers seeking improved air quality in their buildings. The appropriate systems and maintenance of air conditioning provision can reduce the levels of harmful particles people breathe in. The World Health Organisation estimates air pollution costs the UK […]
Reducing the overheating risk in buildings
Now that we’ve turned the clocks back, watercooler chat inevitably turns to the dark nights drawing in and the onset of a prolonged cold spell. Those long, hot summer days seem far behind us and stories of Arctic blasts and flash floods have taken over from those of record-breaking highs as the mercury […]
Boost for house building in London as figures show increase in demand for eco-friendly designs
A number of recent reports have struck us here as we move from layering up our clothes to turning up the dial on the heating now that the clocks have gone back and the long winter stretches ahead of us with thoughts of energy bills dominating the headlines, and both domestic and business budget holders. […]
Clean Growth Strategy
Much has been trailed about the Government’s Clean Growth Strategy since its launch last week. But is it all hot air or are there some nuggets in there which will energise the debate about our country’s future direction and place on the world stage when it comes to putting the environment at the heart of […]
Spluttering progress on energy deals
With climate change undoubtedly affecting our weather patterns, the old mantra of no central heating before October appears somewhat redundant. I’m sure we all have relatives or work in organisations where this rule has often been quoted – and might even be applied to this day – but the huge variations in temperatures means it […]
Building Project: Perkins Engines
Project Info Client: Perkins Engines Completion Year: 2017 Air conditioning energy efficiency Location: Peterborough, Cambridgeshire Our consultants were delighted to be chosen to work with an internationally renowned company which prides itself on its sustainability commitments. Perkins Engines Co Ltd engaged Syntegra to assess its air conditioning units for energy efficiency across its sites in […]
World Green Building Week
This week is World Green Building Week, celebrating sustainable buildings and encouraging developers around the world to create more net zero buildings. Buildings currently contribute more than a third of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions buthe World Green Building Council hopes to make all buildings net zero by 2050. There are currently only around 500 […]
New BREEAM standards to come into force
Revised BREEAM standards for newbuilds are set to be introduced next year following widespread consultation. The current BREEAM UK New Construction standard was launched in 2014 but as it judges developments against best practice guidelines, it was deemed appropriate to review and update it on a three to four year cycle. Changes in regulation and […]
Award winning project
A retrofit development that our consultants worked on has won a prestigious national award. Print Works House in Fitzrovia, London, won the ‘Housing Under £5 million’ category in the Architects’ Journal Retrofit Awards. Syntegra consultants, working with HÛT architects, had provided advice on issues of mechanical and electrical design, acoustics, energy and sustainability at both […]
Best in class for health and wellbeing
With all the seasonal noise around A Level results and clearing opportunities for the latest crop of would-be students, one new course appears to have slipped under the radar yet could have an incalculable impact on our future. Ploughing through the list of available courses, which gets more expansive and, some might say, irrelevant in […]
Water – don’t waste it, reuse it
With more than 5,700 articles written about it in 100+ countries last year alone, and an impressive 2.6 million website views, World Water Week could be considered a resounding success. The good news is this week, it’s happening again – the annual global water conference is taking place in Sweden addressing key issues of international […]
Building Project: Print Works House, 83 Great Titchfield Street
Project Info Client: Latitude Properties Completion Year: 2016 Mechanical and electrical design, acoustics, energy and sustainability Location: Fitzrovia, London Syntegra worked on the Award-winning retrofit development of Print Works House in Great Titchfield Street in Fitzrovia, London, providing advice on issues of mechanical and electrical design, acoustics, energy and sustainability ahead of the planning application […]
Fast track planning process for schemes offering more affordable housing
Development schemes offering a minimum of 35% affordable housing will be fast tracked through the planning process under plans unveiled by London Mayor, Sadiq Khan to boost levels of affordable homes in the capital. Schemes which don’t meet that threshold will be required to submit ‘detailed viability information’ to the Greater London Authority (GLA) to […]
From big screen to big changes – how a movie moved citizens to action against climate change
Movie-goers need no telling that this week sees the launch of the sequel to one of this century’s most talked-about Oscar-winning films. The significance of the unlikely Hollywood blockbuster, whose legacy today is still reverberating across the globe, should not be underestimated. An Inconvenient Truth charted the warnings about climate change and its imminent threat […]
Building Project: Enid Wood House
Project Info Client: Bracknell Property Ltd Completion Year: 2013 Consultancy services for SAP calculations Location: Bracknell, Berkshire Providing consultancy services for SAP calculations and BRUKL compliance was Syntegra’s role in the recent redevelopment of Bracknell town centre. Our consultants worked on the part renovation, part new build project to convert former offices and a hostel […]
Building Project: Nando’s SKA Assessment
Project Info Client: Nando’s Completion Year: 2015 SKA environmental assessment Location: Baker St, London, and Stanmore, Middlesex SKA environmental assessment for two branches Nando’s restaurants: New build – 1, Buckingham Parade, Stanmore and refurbishment at 113 Baker St, London With its well-publicised policy of recycling all its cooking oil, composting its food waste and using […]
Behind closed doors – the need to raise the clean air debate inside buildings
Quite rightly over the past few days, much has been made about the suggestion that all diesel and petrol cars should disappear from our roads by 2040. Realistically, that’s just one generation away and what a great gift cleaner air in our streets and open spaces would be for our grandchildren. But while such schemes […]
Building Project: NEO Bankside
Project Info Client: Capricci Completion Year: 2017 Mechanical and electrical design and consultancy Location: Hereford NEO Bankside is a prestigious world-class residential development situated beside Tate Modern on the South Bank of the River Tames in London. The development consists of 217 exclusive apartments and penthouses in four pavilions with spectacular views towards The City […]
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