Back in October I visited the London Build Expo  (I did mean to write this blog soon after the show…but design work got in the way!)

London Build 2018

The Expo has been growing over the last few years and 2018’s show was much bigger than the previous year. I was surprised to see a number of European suppliers, which – in light of forthcoming potential trade issues – could perhaps be considered a risk.

The show was so big that I only got a fleeting chance to listen to a couple of talks (‘The Housing Crisis, What Is Being Done?’ was one I totally missed and wanted to hear!). On Day 2, the ‘Women In Construction’ seminar was absolutely packed – great to see some gender diversity in our industry! There were so many seminars that next year I think we’ll have to bring the whole team to capture more of them.

Passing through the ‘Meet the Buyer’ area, I spotted our friends Baxall Construction who were busy talking to interested parties so I didn’t stop to chat.  If you ever want a high-end contractor, the Baxall teams are amazing.

I had a really nice talk with the team at Brompton Cross, a London construction company, who ran through their construction and maintenance services with me. They have put together some amazing projects.

What else? Well, hundreds of stands, 10 zones and a thousand things to see. The show was packed with the usual products and services, so I’ve captured a few highlights below.

Already looking forward to attending the London Build Expo next year (27/28 November 2019) unless I can get a ticket and find an excuse to attend the New York Build Expo in March 2019!

Survey Software

Orthograph were exhibiting their new survey software, which looked great. I’m always thinking about how we can do small surveys faster and their app seems like a win. I am however pained when software like this is offered on a subscription basis, rather than a purchase, as we don’t have a constant throughput of survey work. Still, a great product.

Container Units

I also spent some time with the ELA Container team (specialists in mobile room solutions in container form). They have a really nice product but weren’t interested in creating a building regulation compliant unit for rollout in the UK; just offering a temporary unit. So, our search continues for additional modular container units manufactured in the UK for various projects.

Bike Storage

Cycloc‘s bicycle storage products were really cool. Not something we’d specify a lot of, but a really nice product for a refurb where a client has a bike and needs to keep it out of the way.

Stove Guards

Airis by unicook was an interesting product. We have used fire angels to minimise cooking time (to reduce fire risks in crisis housing) but this seems like a better solution: actually sensing the heat at any given time to then control the power of the hob preventing a fire, thus being less intrusive for cooking.

Lighting Systems

Lumi-Plugin‘s light fittings were another standout innovation; a lighting system combing LED lights with integral sprinkler heads, smoke detectors, PIR sensors, etc. I could make out the dots of the LEDs but I’m a pedant when it comes to lighting design! Nonetheless, a great concept.

#Architecture #Design #Construction #Container #FirePrevention #Modular #Innovation #Lighting #London #Surveying #Tech #Technology