ISSUE 464

Spring 2023 Issue

Your issue of Spring 2023 Practice
Information is now available and can be
downloaded and printed as a complete
document. It is available on our website.
Practice Notes are also available through
our fully searchable database on the
Practice Services section of the RIAS
website. Simply click on Search Practice
Notes and enter some key words.

PRACTICE INFORMATION NOTES

To access the latest Practice Notes please log in at https://www.rias.org.uk/for-

practices/practice-notes with your practice services username and password and click
on Practice Notes. The selection below will appear.

The notes are colour coded to the section of Practice Information in which they appear. Practice
Notes in Section 1 are essential reading and are indicated by a red number.

FI238 Force Majeure in Construction Contracts - the basics under Scots

Law

OS2310 Play Sufficiency Assessment Regulations

SC234 The importance of play, and how it relates to planning, places

and health and wellbeing
* The Practice Notes are copyright of the RIAS. Downloading the notes implies agreement not to
amend or reproduce them in any unauthorised way.

NEWS/INFORMATION/PUBLICATIONS

RIAS / The Fees Bureau - Ar Earnings Survey 2023

We would like to invite you to participate in the national 2023 Architects Survey, run in
conjunction with the RIAS, RIBA and The Fees Bureau.

To take part in the survey, click

here: https://www.tickbox.org/Architects_Home_RIAS_2023.asp?RFBS=9876

If you are a joint RIAS/RIBA member, you may have received an invitation to participate from
the RIBA. You can reply to either invitation but will only be able to fill in the survey once.

The Fees Bureau is an independent research company who publish research regarding the
construction industry. A key part of that research relates to fees, charge rates and
salaries. The Fees Bureau (a division of Mirza & Nacey Research Ltd) have been undertaking
this important member service since 1989 and the RIAS has participated since 2010.

Please note that the RIAS will be publishing the survey results on the Member and Practice
area of the RIAS website in the autumn. Answers from Scottish members will ensure that the
results are representative across the UK.

Your response will be confidential and anonymous.

SBCC Contract Survey 2023
The JCT are in the process of issuing their updated Major P
and their Repair and M
a Scottish version of each of these contracts.

To help the SBCC understand the needs of users in Scotland please fill in their short survey at
www.scottishbuildingcontracts.com/news/43/sbcc-contract-survey-2023/

The survey only takes a few minutes to complete. Closing date 19th June 2023

Local Living and 20 Minute Neighbourhood: draft planning guidance

Local living and 20 minute neighbourhoods can help to deliver the healthy, sustainable and
resilient places required to support a good quality of life and balance our environmental impact.

Guidance has been published to assist and support local authorities, communities, and others
with an interest in local living and 20 minute neighbourhoods. It provides further detail to support
the National Planning Framework (NPF4) policy framework on Local Living and 20 minute
neighbourhoods.

This consultation paper invites views on the effectiveness of the guidance to support effective
and efficient implementation.

The closing date for responses is 20th July 2023. To take part visit
www.gov.scot/publications/local-living-20-minute-neighbourhoods-planning-guidance/

Low Carbon Learning Niddrie Road

As part of the Low Carbon Learning Programme, BE-ST have partnered with John Gilbert
Architects to deliver an immersive learning based on their Niddrie Road EnerPHit Retrofit
project.

John Gilbert Architects was commissioned by Southside Housing Association to draw up

proposals to refurbish this typical Glasgow tenement to the EnerPHit standard. All eight flats in
the building are currently void and so the opportunity has been taken to undertake a full
renovation of the internal finishes and fittings, as well as a comprehensive upgrade of external
elements such as roof, stonework and rainwater goods.

Work your way through the training, clicking on all the icons and quiz questions.

To take part click here.

Change
The Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI) is a rapid and systematic tool developed specifically to
assess climate change vulnerability for all types of World Heritage. Historic Environment
Scotland has adopted the CVI as a standard tool for considering climate impacts on Scotlan
World Heritage and, in doing so, has set a benchmark for World Heritage sites in other countries
in order to protect our past for the future.

For further information visit -

www.historicenvironment.scot/archives-and-
research/publications/publication/?publicationId=d1038cc9-27b7-4be0-9003-afe800ddb6f2

A Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI) Assessment for the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh has
also been published and can be viewed at
www.historicenvironment.scot/archives-and-
research/publications/publication/?publicationId=7aed61f5-2fcd-494d-9458-afe70106871d

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Advertised Events
Whilst events are taking place in person again, or, adopt the hybrid approach of in person and
online, individuals should continue to check with event organisers as to the circumstances of
particular events that they have booked. This is in case there should be any last-minute
changes.

RIAS CPD: Staying out of Trouble: Navigating Mistakes and Insurance in

Architecture
Date: 23 May 2023
Time: 3pm to 6pm
Venue: Online
Cost: *Discounted Rate for RIAS Practice Services Members £30* See website for other
rates.

Join us for an insightful and engaging CPD event on 23rd May, featuring two expert speakers
who will share their wealth of knowledge and experience. This event will be held remotely,
bringing you valuable insights without the need to travel.

Discover valuable lessons and insights from our first speaker, Rob Campbell, as they delve into
their talk, "Mistakes Made and Lessons Learned." Learn from their experiences and walk away
with practical advice on how to navigate challenges in your professional and personal life.

Next, join Susan Moore from Marsh as she discusses the critical topic of "When to Notify."
Susan's expertise in insurance matters will provide you with essential information on when and
how to approach notifications in various situations.

Finally, engage with our speakers during the interactive Q&A session from 5:00 PM to 5:30 PM.
Bring your questions and curiosities to gain even more insights from these industry
professionals.

For further information and to book visit https://www.riaspayments.org.uk/rias-cpd-staying-out-

of-trouble

RIAS Members Forum Procurement Outcomes First

Date: 24 May 2023
Time: 2pm to 4pm
Venue: Online
Cost: RIAS Members only, Free

The theme of the first Forum was sustainability. This most popular topic was raised during our
membership consultation in December 2022. This was a very wide-ranging subject and
feedback suggested a more focused topic would be helpful. The second most popular theme
following our consultation was Practice / Procurement. Procurement is the subject most raised
by our members as an issue, and we are currently participating in a series of Scottish
Government Procurement Reform workshops which will conclude in early May. We therefore
decided to focus this Forum on Procurement.
For further information, details on breakout rooms and to register visit
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/rias-members-forum-procurement-outcomes-first-tickets-
608679816717

RIAS CPD: Unlocking the SER Secrets: A Lunchtime Seminar

Date: 25 May 2023
Time: 12.30pm to 1.30pm
Venue: Online
Cost: Free, RIAS Member Only CPD

Are you interested in understanding why Engineers ask for so much information before they will
issue an SER certificate and warrant drawings, or the Form Q? Have you ever wondered why
they need so much more information when the building control office s responsibility for
assessing the Architectural submission?

Why not join us at our lunchtime seminar and let SER enlighten you?

Mark Lawler and Robert Storey will give us some background on the SER Scheme, talk a little
about scoping and planning certification, and tell us (in case we didn already know) how SER
affects us and what we might do to make things easier.

For further information and to book visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/rias-cpd-unlocking-the-

ser-secrets-a-lunchtime-seminar-tickets-602617223337

RIAS BookshopLATES... with Sepideh Karami and Adrià Carbonell

Date: 25 May 2023
Time: 6pm to 7pm
Venue: RIAS, 15 Rutland Square, Edinburgh, EH1 2BE
Cost: Free

Join Sepideh Karami and Adria Carbonell to celebrate their book 'Infrastructural Love: Caring for
Our Architectural Support Systems' at RIAS Bookshop, Edinburgh. There will be short
presentations by Sepideh Karami, Adria Carbonell and Malin Bergman and the session will be
hosted by Richard Williams, professor of contemporary visual culture at Edinburgh College of
Art. Copies of the book will be available to buy in advance and there will be an opportunity to
talk to Sepideh and Adria afterwards to have your book signed.

This anthology radically resituates architecture as a support system in the service of

infrastructure. A collection of 12 critical essays and creative projects explore the interaction
between architectural spaces and infrastructural systems with the aim of responding to
contemporary environmental, social, and political crises. In addition, the book presents a
selection of 10 speculative design experiments undertaken in Critical Studies in Architecture at
KTH Stockholm and within Design, Philosophy and Architecture at the University of Melbourne.

For further information and to book visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bookshoplates-with-

sepideh-karami-and-adria-carbonell-tickets-601580281817

RIAS Places and Spaces for Health and Wellbeing 2023

Date: 30 May 2023
Time: 2pm to 4.30pm
Venue: Online
Cost: RIAS Members, £35

This event will explore how Scotland can use the billions of pounds being invested in
infrastructure to benefit public health and wellbeing.
The health and wellbeing of a population is a key focus in any thriving nation, and that has
never been clearer than during the pandemic and the current poverty crisis. As such, it is widely
recognised that many of the underlying determinants of inequalities in overall health and well-
being are directly a result of our environment. Our built environment and communities are key to
reducing these problems and addressing the issue of inequality; key factors include: access to
health, mental health, counselling and social care services; the provision of green space, free
options for exercise and play for all generations; and employment opportunities. The
consistency of living environments without derelict and disused land, which can have huge
negative impacts on public physical and mental health, must be dealt with in a collaborative
manner between government, communities and other organisations using all of the tools, data
and technologies available.

For further information and to book visit www.eventbrite.com/e/rias-places-and-spaces-for-

health-and-wellbeing-2023-tickets-587221253577

RIAS CPD: Future of Sustainable Design at the Summer Passivhaus

Webinar
Date: 6 June 2023
Time: 2pm to 5pm
Venue: Online
Cost: *Discounted Rate for RIAS Practice Services Members £30* See website for other
rates.

Join us for an enlightening and inspiring Summer Passivhaus webinar, the must-attend event for
architects and designers in Scotland. Dive deep into Passivhaus principles, best practices, and
the latest resources, and connect with a community of passionate professionals dedicated to
creating sustainable, energy-efficient buildings.

Presented by RIAS and PHT, this timely event comes on the heels of the Scottish government's
announcement mandating all new homes to meet a Scottish Passivhaus equivalent standard by
2025. Be at the forefront of this exciting change and revolutionize your design practices.

For further information and to book visit https://www.riaspayments.org.uk/rias-cpd-sustainable-

design

Social Value Live: How the -minute can create a more socially
valuable built environment
Date: 24 May 2023
Time: 11am to 12pm
Venue: Online
Cost: Free

The 15-minute city is an urban planning concept that envisions a city where all essential
services and amenities, including housing, work, education, healthcare, and leisure, are
within a 15-minute walk or bike ride from home. This approach aims to create more
sustainable, livable, and equitable cities by reducing the need for long commutes,
promoting active transportation, and increasing access to local services and resources.

In this webinar, Building will explore how the 15-minute city can contribute to creating more
socially valuable built environments. Attendees will learn about the key principles and
benefits of the 15-minute city, and how it can promote social inclusion, health and
wellbeing, and community resilience.

For further information and details of other events in the Social Value Live Series visit
https://events.assemblemediagroup.co.uk/social-value-live-2023/
Architectural Conservation Masterclasses 2023 - Urban UNESCO World
Heritage: Authenticities and Potentialities
Date: 24 May 2023
Time: 12pm to 1pm
Venue: Online
Cost: Free

The final session of the 46th annual architectural conservation masterclass series has been
announced - Urban UNESCO World Heritage: Authenticities and Potentialities with James
White.

For further information and to book visit www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/urban-unesco-world-heritage-

authenticities-and-potentialities-tickets-590401616127?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

BM Trada: Understanding wood degrading insects and microorganisms

Date: 25 May 2023
Time: 11am to 12pm
Venue: Online
Cost: Free

In this one-hour webinar, Dr Andy Pitman, Principal Technical Consultant, BM TRADA, will
cover:

- Wood degrading insects

- Wood boring beetles
- Preferred timbers for egg laying
- Optimum conditions for development of the larvae
- Damage caused by degrading insects
- Reinfestations
- Wood degrading fungi
- Types of and requirements for decay
- Early detection and remediation
- Designing to reduce risk from decay.

For further information and to book click here.

SDP: Responding to Tender Policy Requirements - Power of Procurement

Date: 25 May 2023
Time: 1.30pm to 3pm
Venue: Online
Cost: Free

What is the Power of Procurement? Do you know how to implement procurement policies into
your bids?

Public sector procurement in Scotland is guided by several policy requirements that were put in
place so that organisations, operations, and procurement exercises achieve specific, desirable
outcomes. So, what does that mean for suppliers?

During this training, you will get an overview of the most common policy requirements including
Sustainability, Community Benefits, Fair Work Practices, Community Wealth Building and Net
Zero targets. These topics are extremely important to buyers; so much so that the public sector
expects businesses of all sizes to demonstrate how they are meeting these policy requirements
in tender documents.

For further information and to book visit https://www.sdpscotland.co.uk/events/25-

responding-to-tender-policy-requirements-power-of-procurement-1458/
RTPI Sir Patrick Geddes Commemorative Lecture 2023
Date: 25 May 2023
Time: 12.30pm to 1.30pm
Venue: Online
Cost: Free

This RTPI lecture, The social and ecological transition, and the critical role of our homes,
streets, and neighbourhoods, will be delivered by Imandeep Kaur, Founder and Director of
CIVIC SQUARE.

For further information and to book visit https://www.rtpi.org.uk/events/2023/may/sir-patrick-

geddes-commemorative-lecture-2023

Mass Timber Insurance Playbook Launch

Date: 25 May 2023

Time: 12 to 1pm
Venue: Online
Cost: Free

ASBP and partners are releasing new guidance to enable a collaborative approach between
construction teams and insurers, opening the door to more equitable insurance for mass timber
buildings.

Mass timber has the potential to reduce the embodied impact of construction versus more
conventional materials such as concrete and steel. It is strong and light, and as a natural
material, has a strong aesthetic appeal. But, especially since the Grenfell disaster, mass timber
projects have sometimes faced difficulty securing insurance.

The Mass Timber Insurance Playbook is a direct response to the challenges developers have
faced, providing guidance for all parties involved in arranging insurance for both development
and operation of projects.

The Playbook was written by insurance and building resilience specialists, to help stakeholders
in the insurance and construction industrie
The aim is to enable constructive communication, to help overcome gaps in understanding that
sometimes hold back mass timber construction.

For further information and to book visit https://asbp.org.uk/events/webinar-mass-timber-

insurance-playbook-launch

Brodies Planning Live: Nick Wright and Johanna Boyd

Date: 25 May 2023
Time: 4pm to 4.45pm
Venue: Online
Cost: Free

In the next in Brodies series of Planning Live webinars, Karen Hamilton and George
Sismey-Durrant will be joined by Nick Wright, of Nick Wright Planning and Johanna Boyd, Chief
Executive of Planning Aid for Scotland, where they will talk about local place plans, including
activity to date, challenges and opportunities, and implications for councils and developers.

To register click here.

Scotland s Churches Trust - Scotland's Closing Churches Recording
Project - Training Session
Date: 3 June 2023
Time: 1pm to 3pm
Venue: Cramond Kirk, Cramond Glebe Road, Cramond, EH4 6NS
Cost: Free

Around 400 Church of Scotland churches are expected to close across the country by 2025.

As a response to this crisis, Scotland s Churches Trust has developed a quick and simple
church recording methodology for volunteers to record the moveable contents of these closing
public buildings before they are sold and their contents scattered or lost forever.

The records created by volunteers will then be deposited in the Historic Environment Scotland
Archives to be publicly accessible to future researchers looking for more information on these
special places.

For further information and to book visit www.eventbrite.com/e/scotlands-closing-churches-

recording-project-training-session-tickets-632682399087

Also see Practice Note OS234: Scotland's Churches Trust Church Recording Project, Call for
Volunteers.

CMS: Construction Focus on the Construction Act: 25 years on

Date: 6 June 2023
Time: 9.30am to 10.30am
Venue: Online
Cost: Free

In this one-hour session, CMS will be reflecting on the Housing Grants, Construction and
Regeneration Act 1996 (as amended) following the 25th anniversary of it coming into force on
1 May 1998.

They will consider the revolutionary changes that the Act introduced and its current relevance
for operations, payment mechanisms and adjudication provisions.

Looking to the future, they will discuss their predictions for the next stage of evolution for
contracting in the construction industry.

To book click here.

A+DS Place Forum: towards zero carbon places - making it happen

Date: 7 June 2023
Time: 11am to 1pm
Venue: Online
Cost: Free

Architecture and Design Scotland has started a new event series called Place Forum. The aim
is to bring together a diverse range of practitioners and decision-makers from all sectors and all
parts of the country to discuss real-life examples of the Place Principle in action.

The forum provides professionals, community groups and local authorities with a platform to
share experiences and learning and capture issues related to place-based working.

Their second Place Forum focuses on the role of retrofit and zero-carbon buildings in creating
carbon conscious places in Scotland.
For further information and to book visit www.ads.org.uk/event/place-forum-towards-zero-
carbon-places-making-it-happen

SPAB Scotland: Finzean Watermills Working Party 2023

Date: 7 to 11 June 2023 - BOOKING CLOSES: Sunday 4th June at 11pm.

Venue: Bucket Mill, Finzean, AB31 6NE, Banchory
Cost: Full Ticket (three days inc all food) - £145, Concession Ticket (three days inc all food) -
£85

The 2023 SPAB Scotland Working Party will once more be in Finzean, Aberdeenshire, and will
have a carpentry theme this year.

The work you will be undertaking will be to repair various parts of these largely timber mill
buildings. SPAB will be continuing with work from last year, repairing wooden guttering,
creating parts for the waterwheels, repairing cladding and other timber parts of these very
special buildings. The exact works programme is still being finalised, but will provide plenty of
opportunity for learning basic carpentry skills.

No prior experience in any aspect is necessary. All SPAB ask is an enthusiasm to learn, and a
willingness to try your hand at new skills under instruction!

For further information and to book visit www.spab.org.uk/whats-on/regional-groups-

events/finzean-watermills-working-party-2023

This bulletin contains details of commercial events run by organisations outside of the RIAS.
Inclusion of commercial events in this bulletin is for information purposes only and does not
constitute an endorsement of these events by the RIAS.