This, the first issue of our new Built Environment Journal, marks the intersection of surveying, conservation and building control – so to kick it off, Mat Lown opens up discussions about how we can work together better to ensure we create a more sustainable future.
Among the range of topics covered in our inaugural edition, fire is critical. RICS had extensive behind-the-scenes involvement in the Hackitt Review of the Building Regulations and fire safety, and RICS global building standards director Gary Strong outlines how the organisation is helping ensure the recommendations are implemented, while David McCullogh discusses how the industry should respond.
Gary details, too, the important work of the International Fire Safety Standards Coalition, and other articles evaluate the performance of combustible building materials and explain why unusual buildings often require bespoke fire safety guidance.
Climate change and advances in technology are other key considerations for the way we work now, and Alan Forster outlines the impact these have for conservation professionals. We likewise show why low- and zero-carbon technologies and building services systems must operate correctly if you are to achieve the best assessment ratings, and how satellite monitoring can identify otherwise undetectable defects and subsidence.
Also on the agenda is flooding: Mary Dhonau recounts how the Cumbria Flood Resilience Showcase Project has made the most of donated supplies to refit two properties damaged in recent flooding, and we explore how computer modelling can enable the risk of flood damage to be more quickly assessed than lab testing of materials.
Elsewhere in this edition, we take a look back at last year's Dilapidations Forum Conference, run through what you need to think about when selling your practice ahead of retirement, and how biophilic office layouts can improve health and well-being.
We hope you enjoy the Built Environment Journal. Do please contact me with your thoughts about the different disciplines, and the new publication itself.
