This is the eleventh issue of The Build-Up! While that means we haven’t quite done a full year, the end of the year and the festive period seems like a good time to reflect on the newsletter’s (almost) first birthday, and to thank you for joining us on this journey.

We’re now firmly in the time of year when the cold weather means the heating is on, windows are closed, and clothes are frequently drying indoors. That puts a lot of moisture vapour into the air we breathe, which isn’t always properly ventilated.

The 2021 UN climate change conference – COP26 – taking place in Glasgow is big news for obvious reasons. The event has extra significance for the construction industry due to its focus on the built environment, making it a topic that we had to address in this month’s newsletter.

Every building project has to start somewhere. Once the site is prepared, that ‘somewhere’ is usually the foundations and the ground floor.

It can be a minefield picking out the differences between construction products, especially with so many competing claims about what is the ‘best’ solution. Insulation solutions are the perfect example – all offer a low thermal conductivity, but exactly how low do you need to go?

What makes a high quality building? The style of architecture? The feel of the internal finishes? Or the underlying building performance?

Welcome to the June edition of The Build Up, and welcome to the increasing numbers of you subscribing. Thanks for reading and choosing to have us drop into your inbox on the last Friday of every month.

Welcome to May’s edition of The Build Up. In the spirit of being clear and unambiguous, let’s get straight down to business.