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Category Archives: News

13
Dec 2021

In Conversation With… Philip Ruffle

As part of our firm’s 40-year anniversary celebrations, we’ve been talking to some of the key figures involved in making Munday + Cramer tick. Phil Ruffle is head architect here at the practice, and heads up its architectural design team. He also happens to be one of its Directors, too. Earlier this week, we managed to nab him for half an hour, and talked to him about a wide variety of topics, ranging from his earliest influences, to where he sees the future of architecture headed. Here’s what he had to say… “What first drew you to architecture?” “I know […]

Phil Ruffle - Head of Architectural Design
21
Oct 2021

The UK’s plan to bring down the cost of green heating

This week the government announced their new incentive to install more energy efficient, environmentally friendly, domestic heating systems. £450million has been allocated to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, with the aim to entice people to replace old boilers with low-carbon alternatives such as electric heat pumps. Currently, these systems are more expensive than boilers, so to bring down the costs to make them comparable with new boilers the government are offering £5,000 grants to homeowners that choose to make the switch.  The numbers work out to provide funding for 90,000 grants over the 3 years, so anyone that is interested in this fund will need to […]

The decarbonisation of green heating systems
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)
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
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
23
Jul 2021

Architectural Design: How Can Existing Building Stock be Made Greener?

In recent years, a lot of emphasis has been put on the construction of ultra-efficient, new-build homes and other buildings, and rightly so. Whilst this remains a core part of our striving towards a greener future, it’s not the only part. By overly focusing on the green credentials of new property, we risk missing out on the benefits of improving existing building stock. The benefits of doing this, in fact, arguably outweigh those of solely investing in the environmental performance of new property. The team here at Munday + Cramer, an architectural design practice particularly interested in seeing more being […]

How to make buildings greener
16
Jul 2021

Building Surveying: Why are Housebuilders’ Costs Rising?

The RICS recently announced findings from its Building Cost Information Service’s (BCIS) Private Housing Construction Price Index (PHCPI) which indicated that, virtually across the board, housebuilding costs were on the rise. But why is this? The team here at Munday + Cramer, a building surveying firm here in Essex, took a look at the report (as well as wider industry commentary) to find out exactly that. The Statistics Of the parties surveyed to help put together the index, a staggering 96% of respondents reported an overall increase in costs, with cost increases in materials, labour and supply chain delays cited […]

A hammer to represent our building surveying post on why housebuilders' costs are rising.
8
Jul 2021

UK Government Announces CIF Funding

The UK Government’s Department for Education recently announced almost half a billion pounds (£483 million, to be precise) is to be set towards improving school facilities across England, as part of its Condition Improvement Fund (CIF). School-age children have been amongst the worst-affected by the Coronavirus, and this announcement from the Government comes as part of its pledge to ‘build back better’ following the pandemic. The team at Munday + Cramer, who offer extensive CIF funding application services in Essex, London and the rest of the South East, wanted to take a look at the announcement in a little more […]

UK Government Announces CIF Funding
25
Jun 2021

How Can Project Managers Continue To Successfully Deliver School Schemes, This Summer?

Whilst every section of society has been affected by coronavirus, those in education have been hit particularly hard. Around the globe, the pandemic has impacted over 80% of the world’s total enrolled learners. To counteract any further disruption, in the UK, the government has introduced its summer schools programme. The aim of this extra-curricular initiative is to offer those in education who have been negatively affected by the pandemic a well needed chance to catch up on their learning. But with construction schemes within schools typically carried out during school holidays, this understandably presents a conundrum for project managers. Here […]

Project Managers On Site