Barratt Homes, an award winning housebuilder, will soon launch a new development in the popular town of Kirkintilloch. Braes of Yetts consists of three and four bedroom homes, with a mix of semi-detached and detached options that are suitable for both first-time buyers and homeowners looking to take their next
Monolith Brick & Stone Ltd received a coveted A1 rating for its cutting-edge BrickPlus Pro brick slips and, as a result, owner Stephen Waring says the potential for job creation at the firm’s base on St Asaph Business Park in Denbighshire is huge. The new non-combustible building product was developed
DEVELOPER KMRE and contractor Hollycroft Construction have started work on-site for a multi-million-pound residential development in popular Kirkstall Road, Leeds. The high-end scheme of 111 apartments has now been sold to Aberdeen Standard Investments (ASI) for £17.25 million Kam Mogul, MD of Leeds-based KMRE Group, said: “This is popular area
The way we build is constantly changing, whether this is from the materials we use or to the actual design – and AI is contributing to this. Artificial intelligence is where machines exhibit their own intelligence through using algorithms to solve problems using inputted data. By harnessing robotics, construction managers
LCP’s latest LCPAca Residential Index found that new build sales are falling 13.8% in Prime Central London. Sales in Greater London have also slowed, with growth falling from 25% to 5.2%, resulting in a fall in market share to 15.6% from 20% a year ago. These concerning findings have now
McBains, the leading construction consulting and design agency, has appointed Mark Baseby as the new Director of the Architecture team. “Mark is an excellent example of how committed we are at McBains to invest in high quality members of the team, supporting them to grow and develop their careers within
The UK Roofing Awards 2018, hosted by the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC), has announced its winners on Friday, the 11th of May at a ceremony at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel. “These Awards stand as a reminder to us all of the important contribution the roofing sector
Hartshead Square, a mixed use commercial development in Sheffield city centre, is being launched to the market by Greenridge Investment Management for a price tag of £41 million. The current passion rent from the 300,000 sq. ft. asset is just under £3 million per year. “With NCP recently secured on
Barratt Homes, an award winning housebuilder, will soon launch a new development in the popular town of Kirkintilloch. Braes of Yetts consists of three and four bedroom homes, with a mix of semi-detached and detached options that are suitable for both first-time buyers and homeowners looking to take their next step up the property ladder. “We’re already seeing substantial interest in Braes of Yetts, with Kirkintilloch a hugely popular area for people looking for a new home. We anticipate that the first release of homes will be snapped up quickly which is why we have set up a pre-register for interested buyers,” said Estelle Sykes, sales director, Barratt West Developments. “I would encourage those who are interested to get in touch so we can keep them informed about our sales launch and our show home opening. We can’t wait to bring our five-star homes to Kirkintilloch, and we’re confident this will be a truly special community,” Estelle continued. Braes of Yetts is located close to Kirkintilloch town centre and is also only ten minutes from the M80, providing easy links with Glasgow and beyond. The site is in a rural location but has the local amenities and transport links associated with urban life. Being on the border of the Merkland Nature Reserve, it also makes for a fantastic area to get some fresh air or spot the local wildlife. Barratt Group was awarded a maximum five star rating for the seventh consecutive year in the 2015 Home Builders Federation Customer Satisfaction Survey. Its site managers won 81 awards for quality workmanship in the 2015 NHBC Pride in the Job Awards and, in total, Barratt has won more Pride in the Job awards than any other housebuilder for the last eleven years.
Monolith Brick & Stone Ltd received a coveted A1 rating for its cutting-edge BrickPlus Pro brick slips and, as a result, owner Stephen Waring says the potential for job creation at the firm’s base on St Asaph Business Park in Denbighshire is huge. The new non-combustible building product was developed as a response to the “natural and understandable” concerns raised by the Grenfell Tower tragedy last year. Achieving the A1 fire rating was, he said, a “game-changer” that would “put people’s minds at ease”. “After the Grenfell Tower tragedy in London there is a huge amount of cautiousness in relation to putting fabrication on buildings and it emphasised the huge importance of having a product with A1 fire rating that everyone can trust,” said Stephen Waring. “Because of the understandable fears and the perceptions about safety following the Grenfell Tower disaster, the availability of this new product will reinforce peace of mind that developers, specifiers and of the course the public are looking for.” The rigorously tested product comes in panels of 12 brick slips held together by an integrated mesh fused right through the brick slips which give a building a non-combustible façade. BrickPlus Pro can dramatically reduce overall construction costs because the bricks fit together like a jigsaw and are quick to apply. The product can be used in the construction of new buildings or applied to existing properties, replicating almost any brick facade to order. “If you for example buy normal tiles and they’re a mosaic, sometimes the tiles will actually drop off. But our mesh is actually within the product, so they’re far more robust,” said Stephen. “We’re adding one non-combustible element to another non-combustible element to create something that gives people peace of mind, but in the same instant we’re helping them to save money by speeding up the process, because our brick slip system is very quick in its installation.” “There’s massive potential with the product and the opportunity for growth in the future is great. The potential in terms of employment is also huge. Once the ball starts rolling we’re going to certainly need more people. The fact that it’s made in Wales is very important to us. I’m very proud of that,” he concluded.
DEVELOPER KMRE and contractor Hollycroft Construction have started work on-site for a multi-million-pound residential development in popular Kirkstall Road, Leeds. The high-end scheme of 111 apartments has now been sold to Aberdeen Standard Investments (ASI) for £17.25 million Kam Mogul, MD of Leeds-based KMRE Group, said: “This is popular area in the city and is in walking distance to the business district. KMRE saw a big opportunity and acted quickly to develop the scheme. These are stylish, yet affordable rental apartments which are ideally suited to professionals. “We are also delighted to have appointed Hollycroft Construction as the contractor for this significant development. Hollycroft has delivered a number of schemes for us and has continued to work on our ever-expanding portfolio of high-end schemes across the UK. “Kirkstall Road is a rapidly changing part of the city. Considering Kirkstall’s close proximity to Leeds city centre and the wide range of public transport options on offer, this is a popular area of Leeds. Each apartment is designed to be generously sized, to encourage long term tenancies in a great location with a range of amenities.” The residential scheme – which will complete in spring 2019 -will be made up of superior one, two and three-bedroom rental apartments close to Leeds city centre. “Considering the likelihood of significant investment in the area due to its convenient location, and high-speed poised to bring further investment, there was an excellent chance for investors to benefit from high levels of capital appreciation and ASI saw that opportunity,” Kam added. Ed Crockett, fund manager at Aberdeen Standard Investments, said: “This deal reinforces our long-standing commitment to the private rented sector in the UK, where we continue to target high quality stock in key cities. “The market is currently worth more than £1 trillion and is set to grow with an anticipated 24% increase in private renting by 2022. With its secure long-term rental streams, residential is a compelling opportunity for investors. But product is key. Our experience in Europe, shows that what really counts is being able to create communities that people want to live in for decades. We identified this development by KMRE as a major opportunity.” KMRE Group is a leading developer with schemes throughout Yorkshire and the UK. It is working on a number of schemes in the area including Mabgate Gateway, Leeds which is also on site and offers 92 one, two and three-bedroom apartments across two buildings and is located five minutes from the city centre. Toby Nicholson, head of build to rent at Colliers International, represented Aberdeen Standard Investments during the transaction. For more information, visit www.kmregroup.co.uk.
The way we build is constantly changing, whether this is from the materials we use or to the actual design – and AI is contributing to this. Artificial intelligence is where machines exhibit their own intelligence through using algorithms to solve problems using inputted data. By harnessing robotics, construction managers can utilise intelligent machines that can perform routine tasks that were once completed by humans, such as bricklaying. Alternatively, AI systems can collate and organise information for engineers to use within project planning and design implementation. With the help of Oasys, we look at the construction industry to see how artificial intelligence is helping. Artificial Intelligence: the fantastic four When it comes to construction, there are four areas that AI is used: Planning makes perfect To construct, you must plan – and this is an area that AI is performing well in. Autonomous equipment is considered as AI as it is aware of its surroundings and is capable of navigation without human input. In the planning stages, AI machinery can survey a proposed construction site and gather enough information to create 3D maps, blueprints and construction plans. Before this advancement, these processes would take weeks – now they can be done in one day. This helps to save firms both time and money in the form of labour. Project managing It can sometimes be overwhelming to manage an entire project single handed, but with the assistance of AI – it is becoming easier. For example, workers can input sick days, vacancies and sudden departures into a data system and it will adapt the project accordingly. The AI will understand that the task must be moved to another employee and will do so on its own accord. Construction When it comes to construction, AI systems not only have the ability to assist engineers through their work. For example, if engineers were working on a proposed new bridge, AI systems would be able to advise and present a case for how the bridge should be constructed. This is based on past projects over the last 50 years, as well as verifying pre-existing blueprints for the design and implementation stages of the project. By having this information to hand, engineers can make crucial decisions based on evidence that they may not have previously had at their disposal. In the construction industry, it is likely that you will come across projects that will be tall builds – this is where autonomous comes in. Using sensors and GPS, the vehicle can calculate the safest route while also helping workers to stay outside of the vehicle when it’s operating on dangerous routes. The use of artificial intelligence AI can be introduced inside the building too. In the US alone, $1.5 billion was invested in 2016 by companies looking to capitalise on this growing market. To make the customer experience better, Wynn Las Vegas Hotel said that they would be adding the Amazon Echo to every room by the end of this year. These devices can be used for aspects of the room such as lighting, temperature and any audio-visual equipment contained in the room. These systems can also be used within domestic settings, allowing homeowners to control aspects of their home through voice commands and systems that control all electronic components from one device. The importance of information It is important to hold as much information as you can about a project, including management decisions and this is easier to do with the help of building information modelling (BIM). Conversational features can be added with the use of virtual assistants (VAs) that will also provide a person with information. By combining VAs alongside NFC (near-field communication), VAs can give additional information to the building itself in real-time from various sensors in the building. For example, if there were structural problems with a building, then VAs could inform engineers specifically where the problem was and how it can be fixed. VAs, AIs and building design software can help make savings in the construction sector, whilst keeping up the same standard of work. As the future of AI becomes more of a reality within construction, only time will tell how reliant upon intelligent machines we will have to be in order to construct innovative building designs.
LCP’s latest LCPAca Residential Index found that new build sales are falling 13.8% in Prime Central London. Sales in Greater London have also slowed, with growth falling from 25% to 5.2%, resulting in a fall in market share to 15.6% from 20% a year ago. These concerning findings have now been verified by an analysis undertaken by LCP of new build data from the latest LOREMA report for 2017. In Inner London, new build starts fell by 25.4% in 2017, compared with 2016. The largest falls were recorded in Southwark, with 61.8%, and Tower Hamlets, with 43.3%. Applications increased by 4%, even though there were falls in seven of the 11 boroughs with the largest at just over 42% in both Wandsworth and Westminster. Moreover, planning permissions also fell by 7.4% and completions by 6.1%. “Findings from LCP’s April LCPAca Residential Index, LOREMA’S 2018 report and the ONS all show a troubling picture for the new build sector in London,” said Naomi Heaton, CEO of London Central Portfolio (LCP). She argued that these findings prove the construction sector is suffering its worst performance since 2012. Although the ‘Beast from the East’ contributed to its fall, the sector was in trouble even before that. According to the ONS, a large portion of the fall was due to a sharp 2.6% decline in January. The report shows that tower starts dropped from 46 in 2016 to 32 in 2017, resulting in units falling at 33%, from 8,200 to 5,500. The applications also fell at almost 10% from 74 to 67, with far fewer in Zone 1 than previously. Naomi stated that a downturn in international buyer sentiment contributed to the fall of the new build sector. “It is quite possible new build transactions will continue to decline, particularly in Inner London, given the 25.4% fall in new build starts reported by LOREMA. This situation could well worsen over the next two to three years, as schemes under construction which fail to sell off-plan come to completion.” “This may well impact developers’ desire to commence new build projects, resulting in a negative impact on the provision of new housing, one of the Government’s key aims. However, an increase in activity in Outer London may help mitigate this, particularly given the tower blocks being developed in the more peripheral areas of London, The fact that 30% of new tower starts are for the rental market compared with zero four years ago is also encouraging for the burgeoning generation of renters,” Naomi concluded.
McBains, the leading construction consulting and design agency, has appointed Mark Baseby as the new Director of the Architecture team. “Mark is an excellent example of how committed we are at McBains to invest in high quality members of the team, supporting them to grow and develop their careers within the business. Mark’s promotion recognises his integral role in the Architecture team’s success over the years, including his personal commitment, hard work and achievements, in particular leading McBains’ blue light and custodial sector success and expertise over the last 10 years,” said Michael Thirkettle, Chief Executive at McBains. Mark Baseby has been working within the McBains family since 2000, rising up through the ranks, from Architecture to Associate, and most recently to Project Director. He has led on many significant projects for McBains including BAE Systems’ new world class training facility at the defence giant’s submarine yard in Barrow-in-Furness; the new divisional headquarters for Lancashire Constabulary and the expansion of Windsor Boys and Girls Schools. In his new role as Director of Architecture, Mark will take the lead on a number of residential schemes and projects for BAe, as well as seeking further development in the blue light and custodial sector. Mark Leeson, Director of Design will keep providing senior support on the day to day commercial and financial management of the Architecture team over the immediate period of 3 to 6 months. In addition, he will also retain a role in the larger schemes that the team has already secured. McBains is a consulting and design agency specialising in property, infrastructure and construction. It has operations in the UK, Europe and the Americas and it was previously known as McBains Cooper.
The UK Roofing Awards 2018, hosted by the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC), has announced its winners on Friday, the 11th of May at a ceremony at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel. “These Awards stand as a reminder to us all of the important contribution the roofing sector makes through innovative products, design and workmanship to the construction industry,” said NFRC Chief Executive James Talman. The UK Roofing Awards is now in its 11th year and throughout the years it has become a firm fixture for the roofing sector to come together and celebrate outstanding standards of design workmanship and safety. The winners of this year’s edition, presented by category, are: Roof Slating – Claude N Smith for Marshals Yard Development Roof Tiling (Sponsored by ECIC) – Monier Redland working with DM Roofing & Roughcasting for Shettleston New Parish Church Heritage Roofing (Sponsored by Klober) – Rowlands Roofing for Llwyn Celyn Green Roofing – Bauder working with EJ Roberts Roofing for Clapham Park Fully Supported Metal (Sponsored by Metal Solution) – Full Metal Jacket for The Victoria Royal Pavilion Leaf Roofing (Sponsored by Chandlers Roofing Supplies) – Full Metal Jacket for British Museum – Islamic Gallery Single Ply – Ithaca Roofing for Hawthorns Care Home Liquid Applied Roofing & Waterproofing and Hot Melt – Polyroof working with Sarnian Roofing for The Little Chapel Innovation (Sponsored by EagleView) – Axter working with Tilbury Contracts for Dylon Works Mastic Felt – IKO PLC working with Sussex Asphalte for St Paul’s Cathedral Reinforced Bitumen Membrane – Langley Waterproofing Systems working with Opus Waterproofing Solutions for Girdlestone Estate Small Scale Project – Polyroof working with Cure Roofing for Rose Cottage Large Scale Project (Sponsored by Wienerberger) – Partnering Contractor’s Roofing for New Bracken House Roof of the Year Award (Sponsored by SIG Roofing) – Full Metal Jacket for The Victoria Royal Pavilion Industry Choice Award (Sponsored by Radmat Building Products) – Longworth Building Services for The Bund NFRC Health & Safety Champion Award 2018 – Sam Baldwin of Longworth Building Services The Local Hero Award (Sponsored by SIG Roofing) – Lee Moran of Moran Roofing Specialists
Hartshead Square, a mixed use commercial development in Sheffield city centre, is being launched to the market by Greenridge Investment Management for a price tag of £41 million. The current passion rent from the 300,000 sq. ft. asset is just under £3 million per year. “With NCP recently secured on a long-term lease, The Department of Work and Pensions openly stating that they wish to remain at the property and significant ongoing investment and development into Sheffield, this is an asset that still has huge potential for growth. An acquisition at this level, based on indicative debt terms, would produce an attractive cash on cash return in excess of 10% pa,” said Bik Bhuptani, Greenridge director. Advising Greenridge Investment Management is the Leeds office of Knight Frank. According to Rebecca Farnsworth, director of the Leeds office of Knight Frank, Hartshead Square is an attractive Sharia investment with a secure income in an exciting and evolving city to invest in. “Sheffield is experiencing unprecedented change with £1.3bn to be invested in the region. With major global companies such as McLaren and Boeing announcing new purpose built facilities in the region, Sheffield is being firmly placed on the radar of international investors,” said Rebecca. “The immediate vicinity of Hartshead Square is being upgraded with a number of redevelopments including residential, student residential, hotel and the creation of a tech hub, increasing the vibrancy and diversity of the area,” she added. Headquartered in London, Knight Frank has 411 offices in 59 countries and employing more than 14,000 members of staff. The team there builds long-term relationships, which allow them to provide personalised, clear and considered advice on all areas of property in all key markets. They believe personal interaction is a crucial part in ensuring that every client is matched to the property that suits their needs best, be it commercial or residential.
