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Built Engineers retrospective embodied carbon revi

Built Engineers retrospective embodied carbon review featuring a range of our recently designed projects
Using the IStructE calculator the depicted values are based on stage A1-A5 figures ie manufacture, transport, construction effects only – not considering the more variable sequestering effects or end of life scenarios
We have found this exercise to be informative both as a retrospective analysis of recent work and as a forward-looking tool to enable better design decisions in the year ahead
Some key learning outcomes from the exercise:
- material choice has a large impact on the overall performance of a design – unsurprisingly timber tends to provide the best superstructure results
- it will be difficult to meet the RIBA and LETI 2030 targets, of all buildings achieving SCORS ratings in the A-C range, but we feel that early gains can be made by reducing the volume of concrete in sub-structures and also reducing steel section weights in superstructure framing
- some challenges of the site - e.g. presence of poor ground - mean that high carbon efficiency in traditional materials & techniques is difficult to achieve regardless of the approach taken; new forms of construction will need to be developed and adopted
- nuance in reviewing the output is required in order to take account of factors such as a structure & skin vs structure with cladding approach where non-structural elements are not accounted for in our figures

Staying in north Wales for the first week of the y

Staying in north Wales for the first week of the year, happened upon this grade ii listed farmstead at Oerddwr Uchaf, a pearl set in stunning landscape, unusual to see the relics of water power (we hardly hear of hydro these days) harnessed at such a small scale. This find also a wonderful random surprise as since Xmas have been reading the classic ‘The Wheelwrights Shop’ by George Sturt, 1923, what a charm to see the old cart wheels, cart bed and elm hub in one of the out buildings - so sad to see the whole lot slipping into decay, sincerely hope it gets rescued soon, here’s a wish for that, and for British growth and recovery too in 2022!

Concrete Plinth House with @d_g_n_s & @orsmanconst

Concrete Plinth House with @d_g_n_s & @orsmanconstruction which was recently shortlisted for the @woodawards
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A finely detailed rear extension featuring a reinforced concrete perimeter and fin columns providing transverse stability to the building whilst supporting the first floor masonry projection
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Flush structural timber detailing complements the concrete and works with the glazing to produce a soft quality of light throughout

Now that the garden is fully established, some pre

Now that the garden is fully established, some previously unreleased shots of these new-builds, with @pad_studiouk, for a private client in Hampshire
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Known as the Barn & Office, you can find more information on the structural design of these buildings on our earlier post

Site progress shots from one of our projects with

Site progress shots from one of our projects with @dk_cm and @rooffconstruction - a conversion of a Victorian house to an educational space for @citywestminster
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The building has seen multiple uses and conversions over the years and a challenging set of structural interventions are being realised to transform the buildings volumes
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Looking forward to experiencing the finished project and sharing images and structural details over the next few months

Simple pleasures - this arrived from BrettMartin -

Simple pleasures - this arrived from BrettMartin - there’s something about castings even when they are plastic cast iron lookalikes

2nd key stage tack up for the mobile welding bench

2nd key stage tack up for the mobile welding bench, now for fit out of the gas bottle stowage, welder rack, vice, shelves and storage 🍺

first tack up of weld cart / metalwork bench

first tack up of weld cart / metalwork bench

Samples are prepped for our welding workshop tomor

Samples are prepped for our welding workshop tomorrow ready to t-joint and run open corners with fillets, make plug weld and lapping fillet joints, try our hand at full strength butt welds, and of course the oft specc’d full strength SHS mitre joint 💪

Our Skinner's School humanities building project w

Our Skinner's School humanities building project with @bellphillipsarc as recently featured in @ribajournal
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The lofted open library space was created via a series of stiffened steel portals to achieve the steep roof form without tying, swipe for analysis model and site erection photos
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Below second floor level the design was driven by economic use of flat slab concrete with minimum downstands to reduce complexity, swipe for finite element plate & beam analysis model and site installation photos
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We utilised BIM modelling to coordinate the design and ensure the structural design was accurately defined for all elements, swipe for 3d views of building elements
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The key masonry gables utilised thermally broken support systems to achieve the complex geometry which both complements and contrasts the original Victorian red brick detailing, swipe for gable view
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#structure #structuralengineering #architecture #contemporaryarchitecture #structuralmodel #masonry #concrete #steelfabrication #educationarchitecture

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March 2015