During periods of cold and windy weather, why allow the temperature in your lobby to drop? Just because it is chilly outside, doesn’t mean your reception area should be cold too. The revolving door has become a significant choice for many architects and facilities managers due to the way
Kirkby in Ashfield based metal railings and gates manufacturer, Alpha Rail has supplied pedestrian guardrail for a £50m road widening scheme in Northern Ireland. The widening project involved upgrading a 3.5km stretch of carriageway on the A2 Shore Road between Jordanstown Road and Seapark to dual carriageway standard. Improvements also
GUS Robinson Developments Ltd is celebrating its 40th birthday with some early contract wins for 2016. Deals worth in excess of £13m have already been secured for 2016/17, and Managing Director Steve Bell says the firm is well positioned going into the final quarter of this current financial year. Now
Aluminium façade systems from Technal have been specified for a third project at Chelsea Football Club’s Training Academy Campus at Cobham in Surrey – a seamless below-ground extension to an existing pavilion. Sited on green-belt land, the scheme demanded a sensitive architectural approach to ensure minimum visual impact in the
McLaughlin & Harvey and Buckingham Group Contracting join Whitemountain as principal contractors on the airport’s redevelopment London Luton Airport (LLA) has confirmed McLaughlin & Harvey, a UK-wide building and civil engineering company with headquarters in Northern Ireland, will be the principal contractor on an £51million project to redevelop and
New images have been released today of Silvertown, a new £3.5billion scheme in East London that has recently received Mayoral approval. The transformation of this 62 acre site at the heart of The Royal Docks will create new spaces for companies to provide experiences for their customers, up to 21,000
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
During periods of cold and windy weather, why allow the temperature in your lobby to drop? Just because it is chilly outside, doesn’t mean your reception area should be cold too. The revolving door has become a significant choice for many architects and facilities managers due to the way they naturally help to keep out draughts and reduce energy loss within a building. The cost saving decision to install a revolving door not only reduces your monthly energy bills but it is also more eco-friendly for the environment due to the reduced amount of hot air that leaves the building with every door rotation. Still feeling the cold? Why not consider adding a Boon Edam heater onto your door? On occasions when the weather is windy, cold air can sometimes become trapped within the seperate compartments of a revolving door and subsequently forced into an internal area, normally the reception area. By combining a Boon Edam heater with a revolving door system this cold air is negated and prevented from entering the building. When installed, the main body of the heater unit is strategically mounted above the revolving door and using curved air outlets, creates a warm barrier around the inner opening of the doorway which counteracts any cold air infiltrating through the door. With the option to add a Boon Edam heater either from new or as a retrofit, we can ensure that your lobby area is kept at a comfortable climate at all times whilst not impacting on the aesthetics of your entry point. Not sure which heater to choose? At Boon Edam, we understand that our clients’ needs are as varied as they are which is why each of our heaters are created to match the curvature of each specific revolving door type. We are proud to offer a range of air curtains which can be made bespoke for all commercial, corporate or industrial requirements. For more details on the heating solutions offered by Boon Edam, please contact the Repairs and Retrofits team on 01233 505 900 or by emailing repairs@boonedam.co.uk
Kirkby in Ashfield based metal railings and gates manufacturer, Alpha Rail has supplied pedestrian guardrail for a £50m road widening scheme in Northern Ireland. The widening project involved upgrading a 3.5km stretch of carriageway on the A2 Shore Road between Jordanstown Road and Seapark to dual carriageway standard. Improvements also included four new roundabouts at Shore Avenue, Shorelands, Station Road Greenisland and Seapark junction. Phil Ball, Alpha Rail Sales Director, Phil Ball said, “Over a three-month period, Alpha Rail has supplied large quantities of various types of pedestrian guardrail to Maghera Fencing, who were appointed to manufacture and erect other security and industrial fencing systems on the project. The pedestrian guardrail was installed along kerbways to guide people on foot and cyclists to safe crossing points.” Commenting, Finbar McGilligan from Maghera Fencing said, said, “The work required to successfully deliver this major scheme had a significant impact on the local community so it was important that everyone involved in the project finished on time and within budget. The best thing about dealing with Alpha Rail was that they gave a date for delivery and stuck to it and this helped us to meet our project deadlines accordingly.” The A2 Shore Road is a vital link in the strategic road network between Belfast and Carrickfergus in Northern Ireland, carrying on average around 35,000 vehicles each day. GRAHAM Construction commenced works on the scheme in March 2013 and the new dual carriageway became fully operational in December 2015, when it was officially opened by The Northern Ireland Transport Minister, Michelle McIlveen.
GUS Robinson Developments Ltd is celebrating its 40th birthday with some early contract wins for 2016. Deals worth in excess of £13m have already been secured for 2016/17, and Managing Director Steve Bell says the firm is well positioned going into the final quarter of this current financial year. Now into its fifth decade, Gus Robinson Developments Ltd has been boosted by a streamlining of the business which has seen a strong focus on housebuilding over the last two years. Mr Bell added: “We have concentrated a great deal on housebuilding, and that is the key reason behind the positivity in the most recent set of results. “We are currently working on the new Centre for Independent Living in partnership with Hartlepool Borough Council, as well as major refurbishment work within Middleton Grange Shopping Centre and a number of good quality housing projects across the North East. “They underline our capabilities working with local authorities and other public sector clients, as we strive to expand our order book by developing new relationships with both public and private partners. “The backbone of our strong contracts in housebuilding has enabled us to broaden our horizons and be more profitable, and by shifting the focus we have strengthened the business across the board. The aim is to capitalise on our broad experience within all sectors.” Ongoing projects currently being worked on throughout the region by Gus Robinson Developments Ltd with Prince Bishop Homes, ISOS Housing Development, North Star Housing and Thirteen Group have seen continued growth over the last two years and leave the business well positioned going into the next financial year. He continued: “We have guaranteed contracts in the order book which suggest that by the end of March 2017 we could be approaching a turnover in excess of £20m. “The latest figures are slightly up on what we anticipated, everything is extremely positive and the mood is buoyant.” The success of the business over the last calendar year was reflected in the fact it was shortlisted for the fourth consecutive year by ‘Construction Excellence in the North East’ in their SME of the Year category, and reaccredited with a Big Tick in the ‘Business In The Community’ Responsible Business Awards. It also won the national Business in the Community Award 2015 at the British Chamber of Commerce Awards held in London; additionally Chairman Daniel Robinson was named as the Institute of Directors’ UK SME Director of the Year.
Aluminium façade systems from Technal have been specified for a third project at Chelsea Football Club’s Training Academy Campus at Cobham in Surrey – a seamless below-ground extension to an existing pavilion. Sited on green-belt land, the scheme demanded a sensitive architectural approach to ensure minimum visual impact in the landscape. The original building accommodates the latest training, rehabilitation, medical and media technology facilities and its elevational treatment uses brass shingle cladding, natural coloured render, and Technal’s GEODE-MX Trame Horizontale curtain walling. Designed by AFL Architects and using the same palette of materials, a basement extension has now been completed to provide additional gym, medical treatment and rehabilitation areas immediately adjacent to the existing fitness and related activities. To achieve this, a moat was excavated which avoided any further outward construction or compromise of the original design for the campus. In order to maintain natural lighting and the design quality of the training facility, the new basement space was enclosed in Technal’s GEODE-MX Trame Horizontale curtain walling supplemented by a series of light wells. This curtain walling system had already been used extensively on the original building to give the academy an open and spacious feel and an eye-catching, contemporary design. It had also been specified for the adjacent youth and community facility that was completed in 2009. Fabricated and installed by Ridlands, the new below-ground façade spans 3m high and around 40m long. The curtain wall was glazed in low E toughened glass and was faceted to follow the sweeping line of the moat. Metallic grey aerofoil caps run along the façade to provide horizontal emphasis, with flat black profiles softening the appearance of the vertical sections. Internally the system was finished in metallic silver, and Technal’s hinged double CD commercial doors were inserted into the curtain walling for access to the gym. John Hampton, Associate Director at AFL Architects, said, “We have specified Technal’s products on multiple projects, including the original building on this training campus, which both ourselves and the client have been very pleased with.” “Our aim was for there to be no difference in appearance between the extension and the original building, and so we had to achieve a seamless transition between the two. The curtain walling allowed us to realise this aesthetically and to deliver a high level of thermal efficiency. The full-height continuous glazing also allows a sufficient amount of light into the basement. The façade systems are all performing extremely well.” Available for vertical or horizontal emphasis, GEODE-MX Trame uses the same grid system as other design options in the GEODE-MX curtain wall suite for ease of specification and cost-efficient fabrication. It will accommodate 6mm to 32mm glazed units and Trame Horizontale can also be faceted up to 10°. Concealed vents for natural ventilation can be supplied in top hung or tilt/turn configurations and MX Acoustic is a further option for Trame Horizontale where additional acoustic protection is required. For further information about GEODE-MX curtain walling, including the Trame Horizontale and Verticale options, call 01924 232323, email info.uk@technal.com or visit www.technal.co.uk.
McLaughlin & Harvey and Buckingham Group Contracting join Whitemountain as principal contractors on the airport’s redevelopment London Luton Airport (LLA) has confirmed McLaughlin & Harvey, a UK-wide building and civil engineering company with headquarters in Northern Ireland, will be the principal contractor on an £51million project to redevelop and expand the airport terminal. LLA also confirmed Buckingham Group Contracting secured an £8million contract to construct a new 1,700 space multi-storey car park at the airport. Whitemountain was announced as the first principal contractor in November following a £12million tender to build a new bus interchange, improved drop-off facilities and airport road upgrade. Future development works to the airport’s taxiway network will also commence later this year with final completion in 2026. The contractors have been confirmed on the day the Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin MP, visited London Luton Airport to mark the official ground-breaking of the combined £110million project. A recent report by independent consultancy Oxford Economics* predicts the works will add an extra 10,000 jobs and £1billion per year to the economy by 2030. The transformation now underway at LLA will not only significantly improve the experience for passengers, but also increase annual capacity by 50% from 12 million to 18 million passengers by 2020. LLA saw the fastest rate of passenger growth of all major London airports in 2015, up 16.9% in its busiest year on record. McLaughlin & Harvey, whose previous infrastructure experience includes projects at Aberdeen, Prestwick and George Best Belfast City airports, will be responsible for delivering the terminal redevelopment. The work will see the internal layout significantly expanded and remodelled to increase capacity. When fully complete in 2017, the redevelopment will deliver: A brand new canopied entrance and exit plaza for protection against the weather Expanded security search, baggage reclaim and immigration areas equipped with the latest technology for speedy passenger processing Double the amount of retail and dining space. A tendering process is underway for 47 units covering Luxury, Affordable Luxury, High Street and Food & Beverage brands Extra comfort and capacity with improved departure gates and a new passenger boarding pier Extensions of the airfield taxiways to improve operating efficiencies Nick Barton, CEO of LLA, said: “The appointments of McLaughlin & Harvey and Buckingham Group Contracting, alongside Whitemountain, represent a significant milestone for LLA. With construction now well underway, passengers will quickly see the airport being transformed. “As the Transport Secretary made clear at today’s ground-breaking event, expansion at LLA is strategically vital to ensure that we can meet rapidly rising demand for air travel in the SouthEast. Our £110 million transformation is also set to give a huge boost to the local economy and will create thousands of new jobs for local people.” David Larmour, Construction Director at McLaughlin & Harvey, said: “McLaughlin & Harvey is delighted to have been awarded this prestigious contract in what is one of the UK’s top airports. The works, which are to meet the increased demand from passengers, will last approximately two years and will reorganise the existing facilities and add additional space to retail and airside passenger capacity.” Ian McSeveney, Managing Director Civil Engineering at Buckingham Group Contracting, said: “We are delighted to have secured this important aspect of the transformation at London Luton Airport. We are looking forward to working with the Airport Team and other contractors to deliver a scheme that will benefit passengers and support the creation of new jobs for local people”
New images have been released today of Silvertown, a new £3.5billion scheme in East London that has recently received Mayoral approval. The transformation of this 62 acre site at the heart of The Royal Docks will create new spaces for companies to provide experiences for their customers, up to 21,000 new jobs, 3,000 homes and an additional £260m a year to the London economy. Millennium Mills, the iconic flour mill at Silvertown will be home to hundreds of businesses so they can demonstrate their creative and technology innovations. Silvertown will buzz with energy and activity through new restaurants, a new school, much needed local convenience retail facilities and significant public spaces for community use, including 1km of accessible water frontage. Low res versions of the new CGIs can be found attached and below, along with captions and stats on Silvertown – do let me know if you require high res versions or any further information. Silvertown will create: 5,000 new jobs in phase one 7m sqft of new commercial and residential space 5m sqft of commercial space 2m sq ft of residential (up to 3,000 new homes) Up to 20,700 new jobs in total £3.5bn gross development value
