The Building Envelope

Housing Association magazine editor Victoria Galligan asked Chris Stanley, Housing Manager at Modern Masonry, about why specifiers should be choosing concrete blocks…

There’s obviously a lot more to concrete blocks than meets the eye! How long have you worked for Modern Masonry, and what are the best aspects of your job? 

I joined fairly recently, but I think the name of the association, Modern Masonry embodies the best aspects of the job perfectly. Masonry is an essential set of materials which (quite literally) run through the fabric of society. The current media and policy focus on housebuilding really allows us to champion its benefits and promote our highly-skilled members. It is also a forward-thinking organisation, always looking to new methods and solutions which will have a positive impact on the masonry manufacturing industry and, by association, the wider UK construction industry. I’m excited to see how, as my role develops, I’ll be evolving alongside the Modern Masonry brand.

Elfed Thomas is the founder and CEO of British Fibre Networks, a pure fibre network infrastructure provider. Here, he outlines why fibre networks are the next innovation in home building…

What do people expect from a new build home? Structural integrity, electricity supply, and access to clean water are some of the necessities that immediately spring to mind. Increasingly, however, good internet connection is being pushed towards the top of the “essential” pile and 54% of people moving into homes that have been newly built expect it to have been built with pure fibre connectivity. Currently, only 4% of UK homes have this.

At Crest we believe our products transform buildings into something remarkable.

Stormdry Masonry Protection Cream from Safeguard Europe has been granted ‘verified’ status by the Energy Saving Trust (EST).

Cavity Trays Ltd has now extended its range of products to address all DPC requirements of traditional and alternative construction.

Glidevale offers a range of universal roofing ventilators fitting a large number of tile profiles.

Comar Architectural Aluminium Systems deliver the Comar 9P.i High Performance Window, Door and Framing System.