Supporting Macmillan’s 25th Anniversary ‘Follow the Stars’ Christmas Concert
We are delighted to support this evening’s 25th Anniversary Macmillan’s ‘Follow the Stars’ Christmas concert.
Held in the splendour of Oxford’s Christ Church Cathedral where we’ve had the pleasure of working over many years. The evening will play host to some of our best-loved actors, poets and television personalities including Dame Mary Berry, Toby Jones, Tom Hollander and Gugu Mbatha-Raw along with music and carols from The Oxford Bach choir.
The concert can be viewed via live stream at 8pm this evening by following this link. Please use the concert programme if you’d like to sing-a-long at home.
Do give it a watch and donate if you can to this wonderful charity.
Merry Christmas!
Phasing Out the Installation of Fossil Fuel Heating in Homes
The government has released a consultation on the phasing out of fossil fuel heating in homes off the gas grid.
This consultation sets out proposals to phase out the installation of high carbon fossil fuel heating systems in homes, as committed to in the 2017 Clean Growth Strategy.
Here are some of the key proposals for the sector from the report
an end to new fossil fuel heating installations in homes off the gas grid from 2026
a ‘heat pump first’ approach to replacement heating systems in homes off the gas grid from 2026
requiring high performing replacement heating systems where heat pumps cannot reasonably practicably be installed
The government is looking for responses from the heating industry, consumers and those with a wider interest in the UK’s net zero ambition to help shape the design of the policy. Please feel free to provide your response to the consultation questions here. The closing date for the consultation is 12th January 2022.
Fifteen teams competed, with an allowance of just six light fittings each, plus a few colour filters and a host of cables and tape.
CBG’s allocated plot was a run of four mature trees set in parkland, which got our team thinking… should they light it at all? Given it was a lighting competition, they quickly decided that they should, but perhaps in a way that reflected increasing concerns about the impact of electric lighting on ecology.
There was to be no bathing the tree canopies with white flood lights. In fact, they didn’t want to shine much light upwards at all. Instead a soft amber light gave a wash to the lower trunk and a few selected branches of the largest oak tree. Blue light, the most harmful to fauna, projected a narrow pathway to the tree along the fallen leaves, implying this should be tightly controlled and kept at ground level only. Completing the scene, a gentle green strip projected from the right of the plot to frame the view, with the three colours meeting at the base of the oak.
With the concept set, the narrative written, and the installation complete, our team anxiously waited while the judges made their rounds. Their comments were positive, they liked our ecologically minded scheme, and the careful concealment of light fittings.
We didn’t claim a trophy this time but we enjoyed seeing all the other entries with some very worthy competition.
Happy International Women in Engineering Day from all at CBG Consultants.
International Women in Engineering Day (#INWED) now in its eighth year and was launched to celebrate women in engineering around the world. #INWED is an international awareness campaign which raises the profile of women in engineering and focuses attention on the amazing career opportunities available to women in this exciting industry.
To celebrate INWED we asked some of our women engineers to share their stories in relation to this year’s theme of ‘Engineering Heros’.
#WomenInEngineering #INWED21 #EngineeringHeros
A Royal Visit for Floyds Row Homeless Centre, Oxford
His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex visited Floyds Row Homeless Centre in Oxford last week.
A project we were delighted to work on with Jessop and Cook, Oxford City Council, ODS and St Mungos Community Housing Association.
Floyds Row is the centrepiece of the council’s plans to transform services that will help people at risk of and experiencing homelessness across Oxfordshire. It provides assessment services and shelter for up to 60 people experiencing homelessness or at risk of rough sleeping. 20 spaces will be temporary shelter of up to a week for people whose needs are being assessed, with another 20 beds reserved for people who have been assessed and are engaging with services to find suitable move on accommodation. The remaining beds will be winterlong emergency accommodation available to anyone experiencing homelessness.
Net-Zero is an ambitious target for governments, companies and institutions to dramatically reduce environmental impact and to prevent the most damaging effects of climate change. Significant cuts in emissions across the built environment are required in achieving this goal.
At CBG Consultants Ltd, we create buildings that minimise their environmental impact. We have a wealth of experience in thermal modelling which enables us to understand the performance of a building through a computer-generated model to assess energy consumption and carbon emissions.
Understanding how buildings generates carbon emissions and the predicted impacts of various measures and strategies through detailed modelling will generate a robust route map to Net Zero Carbon.
Remember, it’s up to us all to fix this climate crisis. Take your first step by visiting WWF’s carbon calculator to understand your carbon footprint and take actions.
Kingston School of Art Wins BREEAM Award 2021
The Kingston School of Art has gained further recognition by winning the 2021 BREEAM Award for the best Public Sector Project-Post Construction.
Working with Haworth Tompkins Architects, the project involved a major upgrade and extension to provide over 10000sqm of refurbished creative space, it achieved BREEAM Outstanding and delivered a 52% reduction in operational carbon emissions.
The project demonstrates how BREEAM can be used as a positive force to bring about transformative upgrades to unloved buildings.
The judges commented that they were “impressed with the take on overall wellbeing, as well as embracing the challenge of refurbishing an existing building. The efforts made on solar shading, biodiversity and accessibility were also highly rated”.
After more than three years in the consultation process, the New London Plan came into force on 2nd March 2021.
The Plan sets the overarching framework for how London will develop over the next 20-25 years. It gives focus on new developments and redevelopments to meet low carbon, energy efficiency and sustainability standards as part of a drive to make London a zero-carbon city by 2050.
Our team have extensive experience supporting projects through the planning process on major London schemes and advising on the policy requirements. We can provide a full range of MEP and sustainability services in all areas of the built environment.
For information on the adopted changes and how they may affect your project, please get in touch!
Award Recognition Continues for Kingston School of Art
The Kingston School of Art continues to gain recognition in the AJ Retrofit Awards 2021 becoming winner in the ‘Higher & Further Education’ category.
Working with Haworth Tompkins Architects, the project involved a major upgrade and extension to provide over 10000sqm of refurbished creative space. The project achieved BREEAM Outstanding and delivered a 52% reduction in operational carbon emissions.
The judges commented on the “lovely juxtaposition between existing and new” & that “this scheme embodies what these awards are celebrating”
Firstly, Lincoln College on Oxford High Street, a Certificate winner in the Building Conservation category. The project involved an upgrade of a Grade II Listed former bank dating from 1866, into a new restaurant and upmarket apartments. Working with FJMT Studios, Beard, Ridge & Partners, Montgomery Architects and Donald Insall Associates, the team were keen to restore and retain period features, such as an original ceiling discovered in the banking hall that was previously concealed.
At the awards, the judges said “The project makes a wonderful contribution to High Street”. Read more about the project here.
Secondly, Wolfson College Buttery and Old Porter’s Lodge takes the Plaque Award in the small project’s category.
Working with BGS Architects and Price & Myers, we undertook the careful remodeling and refurbishment of the Buttery, stripping back more recent interventions to provide a high-quality multi-function space. The team were cautious that the architectural integrity of the unique site and its Grade II Listed status be carefully preserved. Read more about the project here.
