1st Oct. Heating is on! But how does it work ...

 From the BEO:
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What we’re hearing…

With the beginning of October, the Estate wide underfloor heating system has now been switched on, and it will stay on until 30 April. In other words, a natural topic to address this week. 

Please keep in mind, when the Barbican Estate was designed and built over 60 years ago, it included the provision of background heating for all homes. This principle goes a long way to explaining the cause of many queries and complaints we receive. Here are some of the most frequent questions we find ourselves answering. 

What can I expect of the system?

• It was, and continues to be, intended as a background heating system, a starting point that enables adjustments to be made to meet resident’s personal preferences.

• People’s preferences regarding comfort are infinitely varied – indeed even sometimes within one household. The system provides to all a “background” level of heating which can then be adjusted home by home by our resident engineers, through heating levels being turned up/down, or areas being turned off altogether.

• Various factors can affect how each flat on the estate gains and retains heat; aspect of the windows, size of the flat, and layout of the flat, are all key factors to consider. These differences can significantly alter what residents can expect from the background heating system. In most cases, it should not be expected that this system will provide full heating of a flat, particularly during the colder months of the year, and supplementary heating will need to be provided.

  
  

How does it work?

The system works with a fairly complicated set of timings and parameters; the system will only come on when external temperatures drop below a set temperature, which changes depending on the time of day. The timings below show the times in which the heating may come on, with the corresponding temperatures showing what external temperatures must fall below in order to activate.

2:30 – 7:30am: 15 Degrees Celsius

1-4pm: 10 Degrees Celsius

8:30pm – 1:30am: 7 Degrees Celsius

The amount of time the heating is then on for, depends on how far temperatures fall below the set trigger point. For example, during the 1-4pm period, if external temperatures are around 8 degrees, the heating may only be on for around 30 minutes during that period, whereas if external temperatures are around 0 degrees, the heating may be on for the full duration. Please note that these are indicative figures to explain how the system works and is not a guaranteed level of heating.

This will mean that, during milder weather, there will be days where no heating is provided at all by the system.

As an individual household, what can I do to adjust the temperature to my preference?

Each flat has a master control mechanism (trimmer) that allows the Barbican Engineers to adjust the heating levels in the flat. The following options are available:

1. The underfloor heating pads in each room can be set to either the “on or off” position. Some residents for example choose to switch off the heating in their bedrooms.

2. The overall temperature setting for the flat can be adjusted from low through medium to high, but please note that the chosen setting will apply to the heating in every room where the under floor pads are switched “on” and it is not possible to vary the temperature setting between different rooms.

   
   

If residents are still too cold once heating has been set to high, supplementary heating is the responsibility of the resident to provide. Requests for the system to be adjusted should be made via the app, or, by calling the Repairs Desk on 020 7029 3909.

If the system in my flat is not working, who should I contact?

Should there appear to be any failure in the system, this should be reported at once to the Repairs Service Desk 020 7029 3909 during office hours only (8:30am-5pm, Monday – Friday), or via the App. Outside of office hours, contact your Car Park Attendant or Lobby Porter who will contact the Duty Manager for you.

Where can I find more information?

Further information and explanation on how the system works can be found on the City of London website via Barbican Estate repairs and maintenance - City of London or in the Background Under Floor Heating Guide, available here.    

Repairs Call Centre - It's the only way

The BEO is introducing a new dedicated call centre.  They prefer that we use the Barbican Estate app to raise new issues, but there is a phone number too: +44 207 029 3909.

The flyer includes the following note:

One way in, for everything. If something's broken, leaking, or not working, this is where it needs to be reported, whatever the issue and however it ends up being fixed. To make sure everything is properly logged, informal reporting routes are closing. Mentioning something to a porter, concierge, or contractor on site is no longer enough for it to be actioned, it needs to come through the App or the phone line so it gets a reference number. Out of hours emergency arrangements through your Concierge are not changing.

Here is the flyer:

Click to read the flyer

Too hot, too cold?

 From the BEO:
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Announcement title:Overheating and planning update

Dear Residents,

I hope everyone is well.

We recognise that the recently published revision of the National Planning Policy Framework following a campaign by the Duke of Westminster to modernise historic buildings. Policy CC3 (at page 30) now requires that "Substantial weight should be given to the benefits of improving the resilience of existing buildings and public spaces to anticipated climate change impacts.", which relaxes planning guidance when adapting listed buildings for climate change an important development for residents.

We also understand that long-term planning is critical, particularly when considering how our buildings can respond to increasingly frequent periods of hot weather. However, we also need to make sure that we can identify and deliver practical measures that can support residents in the shorter term. We are already working on this.

Our heating and overheating study by AMBUE is due to conclude later this year and will help us better understand the risks and identify appropriate measures for our diverse buildings. Alongside this work, we are already developing options and proposals for next summer, so that we can consider timely, project-based interventions to support residents during periods of hot weather.

Following the recent planning announcement, we have also specifically asked our consultants to consider the new guidance and its implications as part of their study. We want to ensure that it is properly reflected in their assessment recommendations, including any opportunities it may provide for future interventions.

This means we are taking a two-track approach:

• Long term: using the study and wider building planning work to establish a robust approach to overheating and climate resilience.
• Short term: developing practical measures and proposals that could be implemented ahead of, or during, next summer where appropriate.

We appreciate that residents need both a clear long-term plan and confidence that action is being taken now. We are therefore not waiting for the longer-term strategy to be completed before considering what can be done in the immediate future.

Once the study is complete and we have considered the consultants' findings alongside the updated planning guidance, we will be able to provide a clearer picture of the measures being considered and the next steps for residents.

I am conscious that I am writing about overheating just as it getting colder and the heating is about to come on! So, please be assured that that work is also being done to address this.

In-House Repairs - Reporting a Repair

 From the BEO:

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Dear Residents,

With the in-house repairs service going live today (1st September), please be aware of the small change to how repairs can be reported.

Non-Emergency Repairs Should be reported via the Barbican Estate App at any time, OR by telephone on 020 7029 390 during the hours of 08:30-17:00 Monday-Friday.

Emergency Repairs Should be reported by telephone on 020 7029 390 during the hours of 08:30-17:00 Monday-Friday. If out of hours, you must contact your Porter or Car Park Attendant, who will notify the Duty Manager.

Please note, repairs requests will no longer be accepted by email, and must go through the channels as outlined above. More information on the new service can be found in the attached document.

Kind regards, Property Services Barbican Estate Office

Barbican Resident Guide

 BEO have released a new version of the Barbican Resident Guide ...

 

Click here to read

 

Building Safety Strategy

 The BEO have sent out the Building Safety Resident Engagement Strategy for Ben Jonson House:

Click to read

Phase II: Drainage Defects Confirmed, But No Estate-Wide Strategy

 Further clarification has now been provided by Atkins and the City regarding the proposed Podium Phase II works.

Atkins have confirmed that CCTV drainage surveys were undertaken for podium downpipes within the Phase II area. According to Atkins, these surveys identified blockages and pipe defects requiring unblocking, repair and replacement as part of the proposed works.

Importantly, Atkins have also acknowledged that equivalent drainage remediation work was not undertaken as part of the earlier Phase I project.

This is significant because it now appears that substantial drainage defects have been identified within the podium drainage infrastructure itself, rather than the problem being solely one of failed waterproofing membranes or surface deterioration.

At the same time, Atkins continue to make clear that they were not asked to consider the podium drainage system from an estate-wide system level perspective. The City’s earlier FOI response also confirmed that:

• no estate-wide hydraulic modelling of the podium drainage system has been undertaken,
• no comprehensive estate-wide drainage strategy exists, and
• no drainage maintenance records are held for recent years.

In light of this, an obvious question arises: would funds be better directed toward comprehensive drainage investigation and remediation across the estate as a whole, incorporating the lessons from Phase I, before proceeding with another major programme of demolition, strip-back and resurfacing works?

Another important point is the scope of the surveys themselves. While CCTV investigation of downpipes may identify local blockages and defects, it remains unclear whether this amounts to a comprehensive assessment of the wider podium drainage system and its long-term performance.

The project therefore still appears to be a localised intervention rather than part of a coordinated estate-wide drainage strategy.

Given the scale, cost and disruption associated with the proposed works, these seem entirely reasonable questions to ask before irreversible enabling works proceed.