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Applied Knowledge Exchange - Scottish Enterprise funds GCU's scheme for SMEs to access 10-days of FREE academic expertise

Please access the above link to find out more.

Notes from conference ‘Cultivating Sustainable Scottish Cities and Towns in
the 21st Century’ June 2008

Please access the above link to download notes from the above conference.

CBE welcomes the 6,000th delegate at its knowledge transfer events

On 5th June 2008, at the conference and exhibition Cultivating Sustainable Scottish Cities and Towns in the 21st Century, organised in collaboration with Scottish Allotments and Gardens Society, Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Urban Regeneration Forum, Glasgow City Council, Ogilvie Group Developments Ltd and with the sponsorship from the Incorporation of Gardeners, the Centre for the Built Environment (CBE) in Glasgow welcomed the 6,000th delegate at its knowledge transfer events since June 2002.

We are delighted that CBE’s knowledge transfer events have been attended by around 1,000 delegates per year in the last six years. CBE would like to thank academics at the School of the Built and Natural Environment at Glasgow Caledonian University, the Department of Architecture at Strathclyde University and the Mackintosh School of Architecture whose research has been disseminated to the professionals involved in the development of built environment in Scotland. CBE’s knowledge transfer programme has also promoted best practice in the construction industry and raised awareness of issues of interest to the industry. This could not have been achieved without close collaboration with businesses, local and national government, environmental organisations and equal opportunities associations.

PV ZERO-ENERGY MASS CUSTOM HOME MISSION TO JAPAN 1-12 SEPTEMBER 2008

MEARU just announced the call for participation in the PV Zero-energy Mass Custom Home Mission to Japan 2008 that will be held on 10th-12th September, 2008. This annual educational event is organised by the Mackintosh School of Architecture in collaboration with the Centre for the Built Environment. In the mission 2007 we welcomed 18 delegates from the construction industry, academia and government from the UK, France and China. The mission outcomes have widely been introduced in the form of academic and trade publications <www.oscmagazine.com/OSC%20web%20pdf/japan.pdf>. The mission scope extends to not only the internal and external knowledge transfer educational activities but also the international research network. In fact, the Mission 2008 seems receiving warm welcome from and is being introduced by the third parties within the area of mass customisation beyond the borders <mass-customization.blogs.com>.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE MISSION FLYER AND BOOKING FORM.

CBE’s collaboration with the Scottish Construction Centre

In November 2007, CBE has become a Construction Improvement Club in Glasgow of the Scottish Construction Centre.

The Scottish Construction Centre has been set up in April 2007 by Scottish Enterprise Glasgow. The Centre has been established to promote innovation and excellence in Scotland’s construction industry and was a key action point for the Scottish Construction Forum on its formation in February 2004.

The Centre is managed by CIRIA, who lead a team comprising the University of Dundee, Glasgow Caledonian University, BRE (Scotland) and Building Software Limited. Glasgow Caledonian University are managing the work in the West of Scotland.

The Centre is designed to serve anyone related to the industry whether they are planners, developers, builders, contractors, architects, clients, manufacturers or suppliers. The main areas for service are:

Helping Scottish construction sector improve productivity and performance
Raising awareness of best practice and support services
Help reduce industry fragmentation
Provide ‘one door’ enquiry and signposting service
Promote and increase the use of benchmarking and Key Performance Indicators
Build a positive image for the industry
Enhance links between industry and academia
Stimulate industry innovation
Encourage the development of new services
Support the Scottish Construction Forum

Where is the SCC?

The SCC has regional coordinators based at main Scottish centres of construction activity. Four SCC nodes have been established to act as conduits to the industry within their specific areas:

Glasgow: Glasgow Caledonian University : Douglas Fergus
Edinburgh: BRE Scotland at NHBC Office: Eric Jardine
Dundee: University of Dundee : Alan Tough
Aberdeen: University of Dundee : (to be appointed)

The Scottish Manager is Martin Squibbs, of CIRIA, who is based at the University of Dundee.

Why engage with SCC?

Be involved in bringing about real change to the Scottish construction industry
Gain a better understanding of business improvement opportunities and tools
Develop excellence and innovation in your business
Meet like-minded industry professionals
Assistance with regulations, standards and frameworks

Web: www.scocon.org

Douglas Fergus
Regional Coordinator: West Scotland
Buchanan House
70 Cowcaddens Road
GLASGOW G4 0BA
Tel: 0141 331 8006
Email: douglas.fergus@gcal.ac.uk

East Scotland: Eric Jardine (Email: jardinee@bre.co.uk)
North Scotland: Alan Tough (Email: a.g.tough@dundee.ac.uk)

A successful mission to Japan

The PV Zero-carbon Mass Custom Home Mission to Japan 2007 was carried out successfully on 3rd – 5th September 2007. The mission was organized by Mackintosh Environmental Architecture Research Unit (MEARU) in collaboration with the Centre for the Built Environment (CBE). In total 18 delegates from the construction industry, academia, and the government in the UK, France and China joined the event that was tailored to offer them opportunities to visit five leading mass custom housing manufacturers in Japan (Sekisui Heim, Misawa Homes, PanaHome, Sanyo Homes and Sekisui House) and a large-scale solar community. The delegates were allowed to observe the companies’ state-of-the-art production and sales facilities that make possible the dissemination of their mass custom housing that is often equipped with an electromagnetic induction heating (IH) cooking utensil, an air-source heat pump and/or a combined heat and power (CHP) system in addition to a solar photovoltaic (PV) power generating system. In their prefabricated homes, the equipment for cooking, space-heating/cooling and water-heating tends to be all-electric, designed to drastically reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide when the houses are in full operation. The mission participants were highly appreciative of the warm welcome received from the companies visited. The mission might provide them with a new view of how to design, produce and market innovative eco-friendly low-energy housing and reinforce their motivation for future production of PV mass custom homes that correspond with the wants and needs of individuals and society of today and tomorrow. Below are the pictures taken in Japan.

Ten free places at the CBE events won by Muir Construction Ltd

CBE is pleased to announce that Ms Audrey Ellis of Muir Construction Ltd has won 10 free places at the CBE lunchtime seminars as her completed questionnaire on the impact of CBE activities has been drawn among the questionnaires received. If you would like to have a chance to get the same award, please complete a brief online questionnaire at http://www.cbe.org.uk/register/erdf.html. The result of the next draw will be announced at the end of November 2007.

Glasgow Institute of Architects (GIA) and CBE collaborate on CPD events for architects

Architects James Pye and Alison Glen, who are in charge of organising CPD events for the GIA members, have met with the CBE team and agreed to collaborate in the organisation of joint continuous professional development (CPD) events. We look forward to this collaboration which will enrich the CBE programme with more events of relevance to architects. Please Keep Checking our events page for new seminars.