News

The Awards Celebration was held on the 10th of October at Kimpton’s Clocktower Hotel in Manchester and was attended by 630 guests. DSSR was in attendance with guests Morgan Parrack of Hunters; Helen Whitehead of VINCI Construction; Deborah Carr & Andy Bridger of Bridger Carr, and Ruth James of Llewelyn Davies.

James MacLeod, a Trainee Engineer with DSSR based in the Harrogate office, was shortlisted for the Apprentice of the Year Award. We were delighted to support him and thrilled he had been recognised in this category.

Former DSSR employee and IHEEM President, Alison Ryan, introduced the guests to the charity selected by IHEEM for 2023, Lymphoma Action. This is the UK’s only charity dedicated to Lymphoma and is a cause close to Alison’s heart following her own diagnosis.

Alison gave a touching personal account of her own experience of being diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and her subsequent treatment and journey to recovery. Lymphoma Action provided the guidance and assistance that she needed.

We are deeply grateful to the charity for the support provided to one of our own. DSSR has donated £1,000 to Lymphoma Action to help and support people with Lymphoma, contributing to a future where no one has to face this disease alone.

DSSR is a proud to be part of the design team which was commissioned to design the building services for the upcoming Peterhead Campus, a new £40 million educational facility that will provide state-of-the-art learning facilities for students of all ages. As part of our commitment to provide social value for the local community, we pledged to donate to the Peterhead Foodbank.

The Peterhead Foodbank is a vital service that provides food and other essentials to people in need in the local area. The foodbank relies on donations from individuals and businesses to operate, and we hope that our donation helps the foodbank to continue to provide its vital service to the community.

“We are proud to provide the Peterhead Foodbank with this donation, a vital community service that provides support to people in need in the local area. We are grateful to be able to play a role in helping them to continue their important work.

“Our ‘Community Benefits’ programme is a commitment to supporting the communities in which we operate. We believe that it is important to give back to the communities that support our business, and we are pleased to be able to do so through our donation to the Peterhead Foodbank.”

Stuart Brand, DSSR Regional Director

As part of Board 24’s future development plans, a new state-of-the-art sheet feeding facility was greenlit at the Eurocentral business park. We provided full MEP designs for the mechanical, electrical and public health services for the site, in addition to utility consultancy, SBEM energy efficiency calculations, and thermal modelling.

DSSR has been involved in developing several specialist industrial facilities at Eurocentral, such as Scania’s servicing facility which neighbours this development, and a series of office fit-outs at the adjacent Maxim Park.

The new facility will enable Board 24 to secure additional growth, supported by new specialist cardboard production processes, significantly increasing their capabilities to meet the growing demand from their customers.

In addition, the new facility will enable the business to take a more sustainable approach by optimising transport, reducing waste, and utilising a vast PV array to generate sustainable energy for the development.

The two-story facility will house six cutting-edge operating theatres, including two advanced ultra-clean ventilation (UCV) theatres, catering to a wide range of surgical procedures. These theatres will be complemented by nine first-stage recovery bed spaces, ensuring seamless patient care from surgery to post-operative recovery.

The ground floor will feature patient-centric design, featuring a welcoming admissions area, a second-stage recovery area, and a small inpatient ward. This thoughtfully designed space will provide a comfortable and supportive environment for patients throughout their treatment journey.

Sustainability is at the heart of the project, aligning with the NHS Net Zero Carbon Framework. Utilising modern methods of construction and targeting BREEAM Excellent certification, the facility will showcase environmentally conscious practices.

DSSR’s expertise in M&E design will ensure the facility is energy-efficient, sustainable, and compliant with all relevant standards. Our commitment to innovation and sustainability aligns seamlessly with Royal Surrey Hospital’s vision for the future of healthcare.

Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity:

“In 2018, Dr. Alyson Walker, Paediatric Cardiac Anaesthetist, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, embarked on a transformative journey destined to reshape the landscape of paediatric surgery at the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow, touching the lives of over 10,000 children each year.

“Today heralds a new standard for paediatric operating theatres as the first phase of the Theatre Improvement Initiative was officially opened, with Dr Walker helped by patients Riley, 9, and Scarlett, 11.

“Guided by Dr. Walker’s vision and in partnership with Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, the million-pound initiative aims to create a more compassionate and empathetic environment for patients, their families, and the dedicated staff who care for them.

“The Theatre Improvement Initiative marks a significant milestone in advancing the commitment to patient-centred care from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow. The initiative is poised to influence the design of children’s operating theatres worldwide.”

Read more here

DSSR was commissioned to support alterations to the MEP services associated with the reconfiguration of the theatre entrance areas. This required the upgrade and reconfiguration of LED lighting and controls, small power, data, fire alarms, access control, nurse call, ventilation, air conditioning, sprinklers, domestic water services and drainage.

We were pleased to see how popular the event was and the high number of students who are interested in learning more about the exciting and rewarding opportunities available in the building services design sector. Lindsay and Emma were on hand to answer students’ questions about the different career paths available, the skills and qualifications required, and the day-to-day work of a building services design engineer.

DSSR is committed to promoting sustainability in the built environment, and the team at the careers fair was keen to talk to students about the important role that building services engineers play in designing and delivering sustainable buildings.

Emma Meng, Sustainability Advisor: “As someone focused on Sustainability, I was pleased to see how many students brought up their own interest in sustainability. I believe it is only going to grow in prominence within building services design, and so it was great to see the level of interest in the topic.”

Our design engineers work on a wide range of projects, from new schools and hospitals to commercial offices and retail developments. In all of their work, they focus on designing sustainable and energy-efficient solutions that meet the needs of their clients and the environment.

Lindsay Wood, Regional Director: “We were delighted to attend the University of Glasgow Careers Fair and meet with so many talented and enthusiastic students.

“It is always encouraging to see so many young people interested in pursuing a career in building services design.

“We are committed to supporting the next generation of engineers and helping them to develop the skills and knowledge they need to design and build the sustainable buildings of the future.”

If you are a student interested in a career in building services design, please visit our website and feel free to contact us directly to learn more about the opportunities available.

At DSSR, we understand that mental health is just as important as physical health, and we are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels comfortable talking about their mental health challenges.

We hope that by having mental health first aiders in the workplace, we can help reduce the stigma associated with mental health and make it easier for our colleagues to get the help they need.

World Mental Health Day (10 Oct) is a day to talk about mental health and show everyone that mental health matters. It’s also a day to let people know that it’s okay to ask for help, no matter what you’re going through.

As the theme of World Mental Health Day highlights, ‘mental health is a universal human right’. That’s why at Mental Health Foundation, we’re dedicated to addressing the inequalities in mental health and working towards good mental health for all, not just for some.

– Mental Health Foundation

Our Mental Health First Aiders have completed the necessary training and can provide a first point of contact for any employee who is experiencing a mental health issue or suffering from emotional distress. This vital interaction can range from having an initial conversation to supporting the employee in obtaining appropriate help.

Some key responsibilities of mental health first aiders in the workplace include:

• Identifying if a person is experiencing a mental health issue
• Listening non-judgementally to what the person is saying or feeling
• Encouraging the person to seek appropriate treatment
• Helping those suffering from mental ill-health to take small steps towards recovery
• Referring to specialist services if necessary
• Helping to build trust between employer and employees, in order for both groups to feel comfortable talking openly about mental health issues

If you are struggling with your mental health, please speak to someone.

CIBSE: “Low Carbon Consultants (LCCs) have been certified by CIBSE to be competent in minimising energy use and carbon emissions from buildings in design, operation and simulation. The training programme enables them to go beyond the current legal minima in improving the energy performance of both new and existing buildings.

“Clients can be assured that buildings designed and operated by LCCs will meet the requirements of Approved Document L Volume 2 2021 and Building Control Officers can be assured that compliance is being signed off by suitably qualified professionals.”

As a Low Carbon Consultant Energy Management Systems Specialist, Rachel can:

• Establish, implement, maintain and improve an energy management system
• Develop energy management systems processes and procedures
• Improve energy performance in a systematic way
• Ensure that it conforms with its stated energy policy & demonstrate such conformance to others

“We would like to congratulate Rachel on achieving this qualification, which demonstrates many of the skills she has developed over the past 7 years at DSSR, and we look forward to seeing where she goes next.”

– Fiona Williamson, Regional Director

If you have any queries or wish to discuss with Rachel how she can support your project, please do not hesitate to contact us via our Contact Us page.

DSSR colleagues from our Building Performance Modelling team recently visited Civic House–Scotland’s first retrofit ‘PassivWareHaus’–as part of Glasgow’s ‘Doors Open Days Festival’ which offers people a unique chance to get a peek inside an array of Glasgow’s most interesting buildings.

On the doorstep of the DSSR Glasgow office at Speirs Wharf, Civic House was once a printing press for worker activist groups in the early 1900s. It was recently transformed into a modern, ultra-sustainable co-working space, featuring a canteen and events hub.

Civic House is an interesting case study for sustainable approaches to repurposing industrial buildings and addressing how vacant spaces can be repurposed and modernised.

Following its extensive refurbishment, Civic House has a new lease of life as a vibrant commercial and leisure space.

Delivered by Agile City, a non-profit and community interest company, it is an excellent example of how to adapt and reuse previously derelict spaces, avoiding the embodied carbon cost of new construction and demonstrating carbon reduction innovation.

Studies have shown that it takes between 20 and 50 years for a new building constructed to the last Part L standards to overcome, through efficient operations, the negative climate change impacts related to the construction process.

As such, applying a targeted holistic approach to the refurbishment of an existing building allows the re-use of existing resources whilst minimising the impacts of climate change.

Carina McKinney, DSSR Lead for Building Performance Modelling: “At DSSR, we thrive to learn from our direct surroundings; having a building on our doorstep, designed to EnerPHit standards, was a great opportunity to learn first-hand from the people who were involved in the refurbishment process.

“For refurbishment projects like this, it’s not always possible to achieve a Passivhaus standard, and so the Passivhaus Institute has developed the ‘EnerPHit’ certificate to recognise structures retrofitted with Passivhaus components to achieve a high energy performance standard.

“One of the things I found particularly interesting was that air-tightness testing was carried out at the outset of the refurbishment process–not just for the finished product–in order to understand the quality of the existing wall structure, which in turn informed the insulation process.”

Congratulations to Regional Director, Fiona Williamson, who recently celebrated reaching the incredible milestone of 25 years working under the banner of DSSR.

Fiona began her career with DSSR straight from university in 1998, and in time was promoted to Senior Engineer in 2004, Associate in 2007, and has been a Regional Director since 2020. A Chartered Engineer and the Sustainability Lead for DSSR, Fiona manages a multi-disciplinary team based in our Glasgow office which has a particular expertise in sustainable building design.

As the Sustainability lead for the company, Fiona keeps abreast of the current energy and sustainability policy, legislation, industry updates and such, applicable to our business, to ensure the company is informed of all relevant requirements.

Fiona is also a Member of CIBSE, Low Carbon Energy Assessor LCEA (Scotland), BREEAM Assessor (NC & RFO), BREEAM Advisory Professional (AP), and CIBSE Heat Network Consultant.

History of Fiona

During her early school years, Fiona wanted to be an Architect. Driven by a love of Lego, drawing, and buildings she found herself led in that direction. Over time, she developed a particular aptitude for more technical subjects, such as maths and physics, and was encouraged to consider the field of engineering.

Fiona later undertook an Undergraduate Degree course at Strathclyde University called ‘Building Design Engineering’ as it covered a variety of building elements including Architecture, Structural Engineering, and Environmental Engineering. She particularly enjoyed Environmental Engineering–in particular Sustainable Building Design–and completed her honours degree in this subject.

Following graduation, Fiona began to look at Building Services Consultancies who, even in the late 1990s, were involved in the design of sustainable and low-energy buildings. Since graduating, she has been able to use her skills and passion to influence building designs and continues to look forward to the opportunities.

“I have loved being part of the evolution of the construction industry seeing the changes in safety and welfare as well as the continuing challenges of meeting the future needs of our world. I am in a privileged position to have the skills required to help contribute to managing Climate Challenge and this is something of which I am very proud.”

Career with DSSR

Fiona joined DSSR straight from university in 1998, jumping straight into an extensive refurbishment project for the University of Glasgow under the mentorship of DSSR veteran, Chris Marriott.

While at DSSR, Fiona has worked on many iconic projects and buildings. From the University of Glasgow project in her early days, she has worked on the News International presses at London and Liverpool – a £500m project which was the largest DSSR had ever undertaken at the time.

In more recent years, Fiona has continued to develop DSSR’s expertise in Sustainability Consultancy in the Built Environment and our national reputation in this continuously evolving field.

“You are lucky in your life if you meet people who make your life a better place; I consider myself lucky to have known Fiona for 25 years. She has enriched my working life, and I am a better person for having worked with her.”

– Bill Chalmers, DSSR Director