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All posts by Verri Berri

14
Oct 2021

Considerations to make for architectural projects on Ecclesiastical buildings

There are over 16,000 churches in the UK, some of which were originally built many centuries ago. In fact, the oldest church still in use in the UK was built prior to 597AD. This means a few things for ecclesiastical buildings. For starters, they are for the community. Religious and cultural hubs, which many people rely on every day. Secondly, they are seen as national monuments and are therefore protected as some of the most important historic buildings across England and Wales. Nearly 6,000 of our 16,000 churches are listed as Grade I or Grade II. Finally, due to their […]

ecclesiastical architecture - church exterior
4
Oct 2021

Everything you need to know about Urgent Capital Support (UCS)

Urgent Capital Support, otherwise known as UCS, is funding provided by the Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), usually through a loan. This is for academy trusts and sixth form colleges to gain funding to address urgent building condition issues, which could lead to the school (or a significant part of it) to be shut down. UCS is specifically designed for those who are unable to fund this work via their own reserves or other means. ‘Urgent’ in this context means that the support is needed sooner than the next CIF main round. Any applications will have to provide evidence […]

What you should know about Urgent Capital Support (UCS)
23
Sep 2021

What is new with Phase 3 PSDS Funding?

Last November we talked about the newly launched Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS). With the Phase 3 PSDS application period opening up in just a couple of weeks, we thought it would be a good time to revisit and take a look at what the focus is for this phase. What is PSDS? Just in case you are not yet familiar with the scheme, PSDS is a part of the government initiative to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions across the UK by 2050. Specifically for PSDS, the focus is on funding projects that reduce carbon emissions from buildings’ energy […]

Phase 3 PSDS (Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme)
16
Sep 2021

What Further Education and School Funding is Available for Improving Buildings

There are many different types of funding for the education sector that can be utilised to improve educational buildings and their offering for students. Applying for these funds can be a long and difficult process, with hard deadlines. Using an experienced company like the team here at Munday + Cramer will make the bidding process much easier. Additionally, it will increase the chances of having your bid accepted.  The following examples of what further education and school funding is available are just that; examples. Some of these will have already closed for applications this year, but they tend to be […]

school funding and college funding is available from the government
9
Sep 2021

How to Plan Hard Facilities Management for Different Assets 

In a previous post we talked about the benefits of taking a proactive approach to hard facilities management over a reactive approach. Today, we will be diving deeper into which types of preventative maintenance you should consider for a range of different assets, as well as mentioning a few legislations that will affect what approach you take for compliance.  As a quick refresher, there are two main types of preventative maintenance used for hard facilities management; Time-based and failure-finding. Time-based is when assets are maintained according to a specific schedule, whereas failure-finding is when a site is inspected, to find […]

Stay ahead of compliance with planned preventative maintenance
2
Sep 2021

Why You Should Take a Proactive Approach to Hard Facilities Management 

Hard facilities management is the term used when referring to the physical structure of a building and the facilities which cannot be removed. In other words, the facilities that are required, by law, for the safety and welfare of people in the building. This includes building maintenance work, HVAC systems, lighting, gas, plumbing, electrics and more.  This is different to soft facilities management, which deals with things like decorating, cleaning and waste management. Basically, the things that can make a space nicer to be in, but isn’t absolutely essential like those in the hard facilities category.  Some facilities bridge both […]

Taking a proactive approach to hard facilities management
19
Aug 2021

What is an Alternative Dispute Resolution for Dilapidations?

An Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is the term used to describe a way to settle a dispute without having to take it to court. This is the most common way disputes regarding dilapidations are resolved. When should you use an Alternative Dispute Resolution? Dilapidations is a process that almost every landlord or occupant will have to endure at some point. Most leases will have covenants, which are clauses stating what state a property should be left in. Should a tenant break these clauses, the landlord is then able to claim compensation for any damages or alterations based on how much […]

A judge's gavel representing dilapidation claims going to court
12
Aug 2021

What is a Dilapidation Survey?

According to RICS, due to different lockdown measures and an increase in working from home, there has been a surge in companies rethinking their physical footprint for the future. This means that many tenants aren’t renewing leases or are exercising their break options to explore new strategies. Due to this, there is going to be a huge amount of dilapidation claims emerging over the next few years. What is Dilapidation? Dilapidation is the word used to describe any damage, decay or alterations to the condition of a building. Dilapidation may occur due to neglect in maintenance, purposeful changes to the […]

Building Surveyor on the job
5
Aug 2021

Famous Planning Blunders | Misfired Developments

Sometimes, what in conception looks like a great idea, is sorely lacking when it comes to its execution. The architectural world is no exception to these occasions, and sometimes projects get through the planning stages and delivered, when, in reality, they really shouldn’t have! Clearly, this is always a highly subjective matter, but whilst it’s certainly true that one man’s trash might equate to another’s treasure, there are cases where the panning is almost universal. With that in mind, here are five famous planning blunders developments that ought not to have seen (and some that never did see) the light […]

Planning advice forms part of our building surveying services. The picture depicts a graphical plan.
29
Jul 2021

Degree Apprenticeships | Helping Bridge the Gap Between Education and the Workplace

Half a century ago, securing a degree from even a semi-prestigious university provided a surety of job prospects and a vocational pathway. These days, thanks to the glut of university courses now out there, degrees don’t hold the same sort of weight they once did. In other words, today, simply having a degree is no guarantee of securing work. In fact, increasingly employers are citing candidates (more often than not recent graduates) being ‘over-qualified’ for the job they’re applying for, or that whilst they may have the grades and the academic knowhow, the requisite practical skills are sorely lacking. Apprenticeships […]

A group of graduates to represent degree apprenticeships