NBS TV

RIBA Plan of Work 2013

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:49:47 GMT

This year, RIBA replaces the 50-year old Plan of Work (PoW) with a new revamped version that will see the traditional 11 alphabetically arranged work stages replaced by seven numbered stages. This programme looks at the reasoning behind the change, what architects can expect and how it will affect their day-to-day practice.

Polyclinic for the Destitute, Old Delhi

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:42:41 GMT

Romi Khosla Design Studio's Polyclinic for the Destitute near Old Delhi's Lahori Gate, opened at the end of 2012. This programme, shot on location with interviews from the architect, explores the social fabric, the impact of good design on a poor area and the ability to plan for socially sustainable change. It is a critical appraisal of the building and its design ambitions.

New Approved Documents K and P: 2013

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 08:28:06 GMT

The revised versions of Approved Document K and P come into force in April 2013. This NBS TV programme explains the changes and examines several of the new diagrams and explains slight shifts in technical guidance. It looks at some common misconceptions and failures in compliance with regard to these two Approved Documents.

Engineering the Shard

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 14:36:29 GMT

Renzo Piano's Shard is the tallest building in Western Europe. This programme looks at how engineers WSP helped the architect realise his design in one of the most constrained sites imaginable. The programme focuses on three main areas: top down construction, the building's hybrid concrete and steel structure and construction of the building's 60m tall spire.

Building limes: an introduction

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 11:20:24 GMT

The programme explains the properties of lime (including how it differs from Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC)) and how it is used in today's construction industry, particularly in mortars, renders and decorative work.

Nanotechnology in architecture

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 15:04:31 GMT

Significant uses of nanotechnology have surfaced in the last few years with applications for architectural design and the construction of built environments. It may take building enclosure materials (coatings, panels and insulation) to dramatic new levels of performance in terms of energy, light, security and intelligence.

Applicable solutions - part 2: handling disciplinary interviews

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 14:28:45 GMT

This programme demonstrates best practice when disciplining and dismissing an employee in order to avoid a costly employment tribunal.

Applicable solutions - part 1: dealing with difficult people

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 11:17:58 GMT

This programme demonstrates how to deal with an employee whose unacceptable behaviour has resulted in potential loss of business, a falling out with other staff and a client who no longer wishes to deal with him.

Can't pay; won't pay

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 15:11:15 GMT

Unpaid overdue bills are a major headache for all businesses. They result in extra administration and ‘run around’ for accounts staff; a drain on resources. In this series of role plays – based on real life experiences – we will examine a number of commonly encountered problems and will give you tips on how to deal with them.

Wimbish Passivhaus

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 08:56:20 GMT

Wimbish Passivhaus Project is a fourteen-dwelling Passivhaus-certified scheme in Wimbish, Essex. This programme looks at how the architect, Parsons + Whittley, and Bramall, the contractor, used Passivhaus design and construction methods to achieve both Passivhaus certification and Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes.

Engineering the Sainsbury Laboratory

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 08:55:10 GMT

Stanton Williams' Stirling Prize-winning Sainsbury Laboratory is a state-of-the-art facility for Cambridge University. This programme looks at how the Sainsbury Laboratory was built. It examines the crucial role engineer Adams Kara Taylor (AKT) II played in realising the highly technical building, including designing the building's long spans and cantilevered walkways, tackling a brief that called for a complete absence of visible expansion joints, and overseeing the complicated in-situ, jointless concrete pours that have helped give this building such a distinctive look.

The Shanghai Museum of Glass

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 10:46:00 GMT

The Shanghai Museum of Glass is designed by logon architects, based in Shanghai. Located in a former glass factory, the building is a significant intervention in a major industrial area - transforming it from a polluting corner of the city to a more amenable kick-start for housing regeneration.

The perils of social media in the workplace - Part 2

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 12:26:03 GMT

There are now more than 30 million Facebook accounts in the UK, around half the population. This is the highest in Europe. The huge growth in popularity of social media creates challenges as well as opportunities for every business. Part 2 of 2.

The perils of social media in the workplace - Part 1

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 12:25:25 GMT

Aberdeen Library by schmidt hammer lassen

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 09:34:00 GMT

Aberdeen Library was designed by Danish architects schmidt hammer lassen and opened to some fanfare in 2012. It is a glazed cube with a significant architectural atrium void that rises throughout the building. This programme explores some of the design and maintenance issues.

Design incorporating work at height

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 11:43:22 GMT

When it comes to reducing the risk of falls from height, what responsibility do architects have to site operatives during the design/ construction phase and to those that will use and maintain the building post completion?

Green roofs

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 10:42:36 GMT

The provision of a green roof is increasingly becoming part of local government planning requirements, for example in Sheffield, where this programme was filmed, the council requires that new buildings in excess of 10,000m2 or of ten dwellings or more have 80 per cent vegetated cover. This programme looks at the different types of green roof and examines how they are made and maintained.

Facade engineering

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 09:04:07 GMT

Correct design of a building's façade has a key role to play in its environmental performance: in terms of energy use, carbon emissions and thermal comfort of the occupants. This programme looks at the general processes of façade design, issues to consider when designing as well as some glazing types.

The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 09:10:46 GMT

The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 came into force on 6 April 2012 (superseding the 2006 version) leading to additional requirements involving how asbestos-related work is notified and recorded and setting out a new need for 'medical surveillance'.

The National Planning Policy Framework

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 15:42:20 GMT

The new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) finally came into force in England on 27 March 2012 following a high profile battle between pro-development stakeholders and environmental campaigners. This programme looks at the NPPF and its likely impact.

JCT 2011 Contracts: an overview

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 15:41:37 GMT

A new suite of JCT Contracts - JCT Contracts Edition 2011- have just been released in line with the 'The Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009' and will apply, in England, from 1 October 2011.

Aberdeen Library by Schmidt Hammer Lassen

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 15:40:39 GMT

What is Integrated Project Insurance?

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 08:59:12 GMT

A key aim of the Government's new Construction Strategy is a push for truly collaborative project procurement; however project insurance remains one of the most potentially divisive issues facing the project team. This programme examines a possible solution called Integrated Project Insurance or IPI where one policy covers the entire scheme.

Cannon Place by Foggo Architects

Mon, 03 Sep 2012 11:16:25 GMT

In the heart of the City of London above Cannon Street Stations, Foggo Associates has just completed a striking new commercial building; a building that is defined by its structural steel exoskeleton. This programme explains how the constraints of the scheme led to such a bold design solution, as well as explaining how Laing O'Rourke built it.

Peckham Library revisited

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 12:24:33 GMT

The Will Alsop-designed Peckham Library won the 2000 Stirling Prize, wowing the judging panel with its 'eye-catching' design. We revisit the library to see how it was built and to remind ourselves of the design ethos behind its Alsopesque features.

ArcelorMittal Orbit: the engineer's story

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 14:21:45 GMT

With more than a 1,000 tonnes of twisted steel the ArcelorMittal Orbit is the centrepiece of the Stratford skyline. This programme looks at how Arup, the scheme's engineer, turned designers Anish Kapoor's and Cecil Balmond's sketches into reality.

ArcelorMittal Orbit: the architect's story

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 14:18:07 GMT

This NBS TV programme looks at how UFA melded architecture with art and how the practice produced the twisted metal viewing tower-cum-sculpture.