Issue #11
Welcome to the March edition of Beyond Degrees.
This month’s highlights include big news from the world of surf lakes; how creaking infrastructure is creating power struggles in Wales; how to meet the transport demands of a growing population; and a unique take on the London Plan – how sustainability can persist beyond political cycles.
We also celebrated #IWD with not one, but two, impressive career profiles from Leah Holmes and Sadaf Askari .
Intrigued? Read on to find out more…
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Data centres: 5 big themes to watch out for in 2024
From meeting huge power demands, to using excess heat to power communities, to fire safety. There’s A LOT to consider when it comes to data centres.
With the global data centre market projected to skyrocket to $344 billion by 2030, it’s a high-reward-high-risk industry, with potential losses during outages mounting to thousands of dollars per minute. As such, it’s vital that they are designed to meet those unique demands as efficiently as possible.
We’ve rounded up five of the biggest themes you can expect to see more of this year.
Learn more ??
#datacentres #firesafety #powerprocurement #edgedatacentres #sutainability #districtheatnetworks
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Power struggles: Is creaking infrastructure holding Wales back?
Slate, copper, iron, coal: Wales is well known for its industrial heritage, but it needs to be ready to embrace a decarbonised, digital future. We can't let long waits for a grid connection stall big, ambitious projects that could set us on new paths, warns?Daniel Beynon, our regional director for Wales.
The issue is often not the site itself, but the aging electrical infrastructure around the site, and further 'upstream' in the electrical network. Dan’s new article for?Insider Media?explores what can be done to overcome power constraints and enable Wales to thrive.
Find out here ??
The London Plan: consistency in climate-related policy making
What do Boris Johnson, Ken Livingstone and Sadiq Khan have in common? The answer may surprise you… Over the last two decades, the three London mayors have all prioritised schemes with sustainability at their heart, despite their differing political allegiances.
Hydrock's?Lara Hopwood?and?Isabelle Moore point to the London Plan as an example of how sustainability can persist beyond political cycles.
They argue that its consistency has been instrumental to the overall sustainable development of London. Through a robust framework that sets out clear objectives, the London Plan has managed to sail on, weathering the storms of political fluctuations. Perhaps it's time our national political parties looked at the bigger picture and followed course?
Find out more here??
#sustainability #climateemergency #London #Londonplan
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New project to bring surfing to inland Scotland
Turning a disused quarry into a surf lake and major leisure destination? No problem!
We’re taking our experience with WaveGarden technology on the road, bringing Scotland its first inland wave park. Our MEP team are ensuring the lake’s water treatment systems are properly designed and implemented.
The Lost Shore, just outside Edinburgh, has been commissioned by Tartan Leisure and promises to transform the former quarry into a hub of surfing action.
Read more ??
#LostShore #wavegarden #leisure #engineeringdesign #sustainability #edinburgh
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How is the Building Safety Act changing what you do?
From the new demands of the principal designer role, to whether the RIBA stages need to be completely redefined, it’s clear that the Building Safety Act (BSA) is shaking things up for the industry. We gathered key stakeholders from across the built environment sector for a breakfast roundtable in Birmingham to explore how the Act is being embraced. Our BSA experts?Jordan Lee?and?Adam Eaton?covered the big questions, like:
??? Can the whole supply chain cope?
? How should developers plan for delays?
?? How will data be managed long term?
Read our top takeaways here ??
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Career stories: Leah Holmes and Sadaf Askari
On International Women’s Day, we shared the career stories of two women making waves at Hydrock, and beyond.
Associate in our smart energy & sustainability team Leah Holmes shared her career story with BE News . In the interview, she describes her unconventional route into the industry, opens up about her battle with imposter syndrome, and why diversity of thought is so important to her.
Meet Leah here ??
Meanwhile,?Sadaf Askari?spoke to CoStar Group to discuss her career in UK real estate, touching on how one role model in particular has helped shaped her professional journey, and sharing how she’s tackling the challenges associated with a net-zero future.
Meet Sadaf here ??
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Managing transport demand for a growing population
From local traffic congestion to significant habitat loss, new transport projects can have far-reaching impacts on communities and infrastructure. But as our towns and cities grow, so does the need for smart and sustainable ways to get around. Technical director of our transport planning team in Manchester, Sam Denby,?dives into the challenges of balancing local needs with big infrastructure projects.
From school crossings to HS2, he explores:
??How to consider the environment and existing infrastructure
??Using smart modelling to plan for future demand
??Designing inclusive solutions that work for everyone
Ready to see how our cities can keep moving? Read more ?? https://www.hydrock.com/articles/managing-transport-demand-balancing-the-needs-of-a-growing-population
Beyond Degrees by name, beyond degrees by nature. Because everything we do ensures that we survive and thrive beyond a 1.5?c future.?Together.