Interiors

Developed and manufactured by industry leaders Mira Showers, the new Mira Advance Heatloop^TM is the first ever electric shower to be designed to work with Recoup waste water heat recovery for shower systems (WWHRS), revolutionising waste water efficiency and reducing energy wastage.

While showering represents around 50 to 75% of household hot water use, around 85% to 90% of the heat energy in shower water actually ends up going down the drain. With research from the Energy Saving Trust revealing that heating water at home also makes up about 5% of the UK’s carbon emissions, it’s never been more important to identify a way of reusing that lost heat to save energy and reduce energy bills for end users to support the decarbonisation of UK homes.

The need to introduce more energy efficient and cost-effective systems into the home is further exacerbated by the impact the cost-of-living crisis has had on peoples’ finances, especially those living in social housing. Even the slightest adjustment to everyday tasks, such as showering, and their resultant costs, could make a huge difference.

Beauflor® showed how its sheet vinyl flooring solutions can meet the needs of the housing sector at Housing 2024, the UK’s leading event for the industry.

With collections that provide a cost-effective floor in housing of all types, Beauflor® used Housing 2024 to show the industry how its floors can improve the long-term value of the project and support the well-being of tenants.

As we stand on the brink of potentially a major re-focus for the social housing sector and a new emphasis upon delivering affordable homes to meet an ever-growing demand, we must not lose sight of the need for maintaining quality, regulatory and environmental standards.

In the realm of fire safety, Vicaima has established itself as a leading manufacturer of timber doors and door kits, setting a benchmark in the industry with comprehensive certification and third-party accreditation. With a commitment to design quality and performance, Vicaima has consistently demonstrated its ability to produce doors that not only meet the needs of current living, but forever look to the future.  With an unwavering attention to sustainability goals, Vicaima products integrate seamlessly with the needs of the social build environment.

With inclusive living becoming an increasingly important aspect of bathroom design, creating shower systems that provide a superb showering experience while giving people the independence they want is crucial. Mira Showers has designed the Mira Select Flex mixer shower to enable more confident independent showering while looking at home in any family bathroom.

It's a common exercise in any sector of activity - to foresee macro-trends, understand phenomena and draw up plans to respond to those same expectations of a future that is always more innovative, challenging and non-linear. The complementary worlds of architecture, construction and design are no exception and are the forerunners of boldness and disruption of norms, an attitude that brings them closer to the frontier between the beauty of evolution and the power of change.

On 20 March 2019 a new law came into force to ensure rented properties are ‘fit for human habitation’, meaning they are safe, healthy, and free from things that could cause serious harm. This new law, the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, helps tenants and landlords by making sure that their rental property isn’t causing them to live in dangerous or unhealthy conditions.

And according to The English Housing Survey for Housing Quality and Condition [1],  3.5 million occupied homes were not suitable and did not meet the Decent Homes Standard in 2020, with 4% having serious damp issues. Whilst 4% might not sound like a large number, it accounts for 941,000 houses. On top of this, the cost to the NHS to treat the impact of damp is approximately £38 million2. And landlords can also face high costs to carry out repairs, put right health and safety problems, or pay compensation to the tenant.

When designing properties, housing providers should think carefully about the colours used in each room and the emotions they evoke in building occupants. In this article, Dawn Scott, Senior Colour Designer at Dulux Trade explains what people want to feel in their homes and how colour and design can be used to improve occupant wellbeing and help to make a space more welcoming and homely.