Browser does not support script. Contact us The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has today (27 July) announced the results of the RIBA Council elections 2015. All RIBA Council appointments will commence from 1 September 2015. National Council Members were elected using a Single Transferable Vote. The first six
Good Energy has promised to freeze its gas and electricity prices until at least March 2017. The independent energy supplier is the first to freeze its prices as wholesale costs rise. The commitment follows price hikes from independents GB Energy Supply and Ecotricity of an average 30
There is to be no place for any of Hope’s senior management team in Breedon’s executive once the acquisition is complete. Breedon Aggregates expects to complete the takeover of Hope Construction Materials later this summer, adding 900 new employees to its own 1200 as well as substantial assets in quarrying
Savills, on behalf of a private vendor, has sold the freehold of Garrick House at 9 High Street in Glinton, Peterborough to a local investor for a guide price of £425,000. The 5,000 sq ft (465 sq m) two-storey building provides 11 serviced offices, 2 residential apartments and car parking.
A beautifully-crafted wooden fishing hut on a small new estate in Hampshire has been awarded the 2015 Stephen Lawrence Prize. The Fishing Hut by Niall McLaughlin Architects has won the coveted annual prize set up in memory of the teenager who was setting out on the road to becoming an
Browser does not support script. Contact us RIBA campaign on the nationwide introduction of minimum space standards for new build homes has convinced the Government to take action Property developers will be required to stop building shoe-box new build homes across the country RIBA calls on all locally
First time investors often make rookie errors upon embarking on their first venture into property. Whether it be overcommitting themselves, over stretching their budget, buying a property without high demands or choosing an unprofitable location, however these are easily overcome providing you have the right guidance. Several mistakes are becoming
CALA Homes, one of the UK’s most upmarket major homebuilders, has agreed a partnership with the nation’s fastest broadband provider. It will offer residents day one access to gigabit broadband speeds across its new housing developments in West Scotland. The partnership will see Hyperoptic, the largest gigabit provider in the UK,
The Leaders Romans Group (LRG) is thrilled to announce the successful completion of another acquisition – GPS Property Management. Based in Ravenshead in Nottinghamshire, the business has been owned and run by husband and wife team, Garry and Sarah Peacock, for the last eight years. The acquisition will see a
The UK’s leading supplier of rainscreen cladding systems, Vivalda Group plc, has confirmed strong growth for the year ending December 2017, with its turnover increasing by 19% to £31m. Despite the chronic under performance of the construction sector, the Grenfell Tower tragedy, Brexit and the impact of the Carillion collapse,
Browser does not support script. Contact us The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has today (27 July) announced the results of the RIBA Council elections 2015. All RIBA Council appointments will commence from 1 September 2015. National Council Members were elected using a Single Transferable Vote. The first six candidates who reached the required quota and are therefore elected are: • Jonathan Ball• Alan Jones• Elsie Owusu• Mark Percival• Lisa Raynes• Helen Taylor The following chartered members were elected as Regional Council Members using a single transferable vote: • Ruth Donnelly (Yorkshire)• Mark Hodson (Yorkshire) • Richard Parnaby (RSAW) The following chartered members take uncontested seats as Regional Council Members: • Timothy Bailey (North East)• Andrew Bourne (Wessex)• Jennifer Forakis (South)• Mark Jermy (East Midlands)• Dominic Kramer (East Midlands)• Ewen Miller (North West)• Nicola Watson (North East)• Richard Wooldridge (North West) Lillian Ingleby was elected a Student Member of Council. Albena Atanassova was elected an Associate Member of Council. – ends – Notes 1. For more information members of the press should contact: Gagandeep Bedi, Press Officer, RIBA: gagandeep.bedi@riba.org 020 7307 3814. 2. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) champions better buildings, communities and the environment through architecture and our members www.architecture.com 3. Follow us on Twitter for regular RIBA updates @RIBA Posted on Monday 27th July 2015 Source link
Good Energy has promised to freeze its gas and electricity prices until at least March 2017. The independent energy supplier is the first to freeze its prices as wholesale costs rise. The commitment follows price hikes from independents GB Energy Supply and Ecotricity of an average 30 per cent and 5.7 per cent respectively. Good Energy managing director David Brooks said: “We’re freezing our gas and electricity price this winter to give our customers peace of mind and no nasty shocks. When it’s colder and darker, most will need to turn the lights and heating on for a bit longer each day. “Customers won’t thank their supplier for hiking up the price at the time of year when they’ll be using it most.” More suppliers are expected to hike prices due to rising wholesale and policy costs. Brooks added: “This year we’ve seen some suppliers tempting customers with what appears to be loss-leading deals. But it’s clearly unsustainable. Wholesale power prices have spiked and, unless they had the ability to forward buy their power in times when it was cheaper; it is inevitable that those loss-leading suppliers will put their prices up. “As the old saying goes: if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. It’s better to offer customers a fair price and keep it stable.” Source link
There is to be no place for any of Hope’s senior management team in Breedon’s executive once the acquisition is complete. Breedon Aggregates expects to complete the takeover of Hope Construction Materials later this summer, adding 900 new employees to its own 1200 as well as substantial assets in quarrying and heavy building materials production. Breedon has revealed the composition of the expanded 10-man executive committee that will run the enlarged company – and it is predominantly Breedon men in charge. Only two Hope executives make the top table, and they are from Hope’s second tier of management. The 10 men who will form Breedon’s executive committee, with effect from the date of completion, are: Executive chairman – Peter Tom CBE Group chief executive – Pat Ward Group finance director – Rob Wood Chief compliance officer – Ross McDonald Group human resources director Stephen Tagg Breedon Southern chief executive – Tim Hall Breedon Northern chief executive – Alan Mackenzie Hope Cement managing director – Ashley Bryan Head of strategy & commercial services – Darryl Matthews Head of communications & marketing – Stephen Jacobs. Of the above, only two come from Hope. These are Ashley Bryan, currently Hope’s industrial director, and Darryl Matthews, Hope’s chief strategy officer. Neither is currently on Hope’s six-man management board. Breedon said that those members of Hope’s executive committee who are not joining the senior team of the enlarged group will remain in their current roles until completion and continue to assist with the smooth integration of the business. That means that Breedon can find no room for Hope chief executive Chris Plant, who previously ran Lafarge UK’s asphalt and surfacing businesses and has overseen some of the UK’s biggest highway and airport runway schemes. There is also no place for Hope chief operating officer Mike Cowell, CFO Dallas Taylor, HR director Jim Verity or legal director James Sirk. Although the executive team of 10 white men appears exposed to questions about diversity, Amit Bhatia, currently Hope’s chairman and son-in-law of Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, is expected to join the Breedon board as a non-executive director. Breedon also has one female non-executive director, Susie Farnon, an expert in Channel Islands banking and finance. Breedon chief executive Pat Ward said: “We’re fortunate to have been able to draw on considerable experience and deep industry knowledge from both companies, and externally, in assembling our executive committee. I believe we have selected a strong team to lead the combined business, which will enable us to continue delivering an outstanding performance in the future.” This article was published on 22 Jun 2016 (last updated on 22 Jun 2016). Source link
Savills, on behalf of a private vendor, has sold the freehold of Garrick House at 9 High Street in Glinton, Peterborough to a local investor for a guide price of £425,000. The 5,000 sq ft (465 sq m) two-storey building provides 11 serviced offices, 2 residential apartments and car parking. The offices are currently let to several occupiers on short-term and flexible leases at ‘all-inclusive’ rents, with one suite currently available for occupation. Edward Gee, associate in the business space team at Savills Peterborough, comments: “Serviced office accommodation has become increasingly popular in recent years due to an increased number of start-up companies. We are delighted to have sold the building on behalf of our client and we look forward to working with the new owners.” Source link
A beautifully-crafted wooden fishing hut on a small new estate in Hampshire has been awarded the 2015 Stephen Lawrence Prize. The Fishing Hut by Niall McLaughlin Architects has won the coveted annual prize set up in memory of the teenager who was setting out on the road to becoming an architect when he was murdered in 1993. Speaking about The Fishing Hut, Stephen Lawrence Prize founder Marco Goldschmied said: “The Fishing Hut is above all beautifully-crafted, but is about so much more than fishing. Floating elegantly over the lake with sophisticated slats that can be adapted with the passing of the seasons, its design transforms what would otherwise be a simple hut into a place for quiet contemplation. It is a structure in perfect harmony with its surroundings and a worthy winner of the Stephen Lawrence Prize.” The judges for the 2015 Stephen Lawrence Prize were Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon, Doreen Lawrence CBE the mother of Stephen Lawrence, Marco Goldschmied, RIBA Past President and Founder of the Marco Goldschmied Foundation, which established the Stephen Lawrence Prize in 1998 and Murray Kerr, founder of Denizen Works, which won the Stephen Lawrence Prize in 2014. The Stephen Lawrence Prize, sponsored by the Marco Goldshmied Foundation, is intended to encourage fresh architecture talent and reward the best examples of projects that have a construction budget of less than £1 million. The winner of the Stephen Lawrence Prize was announced this evening (Thursday 15 October) at the RIBA Stirling Prize party at RIBA in central London. The Architects’ Journal is media partner for the RIBA awards, including the RIBA Stephen Lawrence Prize, and professional media partner for the RIBA Stirling Prize. The RIBA Stirling Prize is sponsored by Almacantar. ENDS Notes to editors: 1. For further press information please contact Callum Reilly in the RIBA Press Office callum.reilly@riba.org or 020 7307 3757 2. View and download images of The Fishing Hut here: https://riba.box.com/s/njrg6mz5x5f2am67cbaycuixomaucwb4 3. Almacantar is a property investment and development company specialising in large-scale, complex investments in Central London, with the potential to create long-term value through development, repositioning or active asset management. Since launching in 2010, Almacantar has acquired a number of prime assets with untapped potential in the heart of London, including: Centre Point, Marble Arch Tower, CAA House, 125 Shaftesbury Avenue and One and Two South Bank Place. www.almacantar.com For further information please contact: Finsbury +44 (0)20 7251 3801 Faeth Birch 4. Previous winners of the Stephen Lawrence Prize include House No 7 by Denizen Works (2014); Montpelier Community Nursery by AY Architects (2013); Kings Grove by Duggan Morris Architects (2012); St Patrick’s Primary School Library and Music Room by Coffey Architects (2011); Artist’s House by Gumuchdjian Architects (2010); El Ray by Simon Conder Associates (2009); Sackler Crossing by John Pawson (2008); and Wooda by David Sheppard Architects (2007). 5. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) champions better buildings, communities and the environment through architecture and our members. Visit www.Architecture.com and follow us on Twitter. 6. For more information on The Architects’ Journal visit www.architectsjournal.co.uk 7. The judges’ citation for The Fishing Hut follows: The Fishing Hut, Hampshire by Niall McLaughlin Architects The primitive hut has a long anthropological pedigree as well as an architectural one. This is a sophisticated primitive hut, worthy of Murcutt or Leplastrier but set not on the edge of the Bush but on a Hampshire lake, close by chalk-filtered streams providing watercress beds and fishing. The timber-framed and clad construction on galvanised supports hovers over the lake, intended as a retreat for fishermen and a place for the owner’s family to unwind. But it as much about time passing as it is about fishing: crafted slatted timber panels which allow the building to ‘hunker-down’ in the winter, open up in the spring to become delicate brises soleils. Timber framed glass screens slide away. Within a few moments in time a solid building is transparent. Posted on Thursday 15th October 2015 Source link
Browser does not support script. Contact us RIBA campaign on the nationwide introduction of minimum space standards for new build homes has convinced the Government to take action Property developers will be required to stop building shoe-box new build homes across the country RIBA calls on all locally accountable Councillors to enforce new housing space standards New hope that UK might lose unenviable position of building Europe’s smallest homes The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has convinced the Government to introduce a new space standard requirement across the whole of England to ensure that the millions of new homes being planned and built are fit for purpose and able to meet the requirements of the people who live in them. The UK has the smallest new build homes in the whole of Western Europe; smaller than countries including The Netherlands which has less space and even higher population density levels. RIBA research has revealed Yorkshire for example, a county with one of the lowest population densities in England, has been building the smallest new build homes in England. 80% of the public would be more likely to choose a home that meets minimum space standards Introducing a minimum space standard has been a major campaign for RIBA and around 2,850 people joined our call for the introduction of this standard during a consultation in 2013 – this is a huge turnout for a response to a Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) technical consultation. Thanks to pressure from a RIBA campaign which was supported by thousands of people, including Kevin McCloud and Stephen Fry – the Government has said it intends to introduce minimum space standards for ALL new build homes across England. Local authorities will be able to sign up to a national minimum space standards for new build homes to ensure that any proposals for new housing in their area is required to meet this national standard and ensure tiny shoe box homes are a thing of the past. RIBA President Stephen Hodder said: “Our RIBA campaign gave people a voice on new housing. They told us new homes were too small and lacked enough space for them and their families. We are delighted that the Government has recognised the urgent need to stem the flow of poor quality housing that is blighting the UK by introducing a standard. The battle to shed our position as building the smallest homes in Western Europe is not over. RIBA urges all locally accountable Councillors to listen to their electorate and introduce a minimum space standard in their area.” RIBA urges all English Councils to sign up to the new space standard to ensure that any new build homes in their areas are fit for purpose. ENDS Notes to editors For further press information contact Howard Crosskey in the RIBA Press Office: 0759 091 0341 howard.crosskey@riba.org The Government has said it intends to bring in a national minimum space standard for all new build homes in England and has just finished a public consultation on housing standards – to view a summary of RIBA’s response to the consultation visit: http://www.architecture.com/RIBA/Contactus/NewsAndPress/Membernews/PolicyNews/2014/RIBAwelcomesspacestandard.aspx Other reports published by the RIBA reveal that space and light are the top concerns for consumers choosing a new home, and that the public believe new homes are too small. See our research reports and the Future Homes Commission report on the dedicated campaign website www.behomewise.co.uk The Government announced a Review of Housing Standards in October 2012, aimed at rationalising current housing standards * Standards only currently exist in London and for new English homes that are publicly funded (e.g. some affordable homes built through HCA funding) The National Planning Policy Framework (2011) specifies that ““Local authorities should identify the size, type, tenure and range of housing that is required in particular locations, reflecting local demand” – for more detail on the NPPF visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/6077/2116950.pdf The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) champions better buildings, communities and the environment through architecture and our members www.architecture.com Follow us on Twitter for regular RIBA updates www.twitter.com/RIBA Posted on Thursday 13th November 2014 Source link
First time investors often make rookie errors upon embarking on their first venture into property. Whether it be overcommitting themselves, over stretching their budget, buying a property without high demands or choosing an unprofitable location, however these are easily overcome providing you have the right guidance. Several mistakes are becoming more prevalent across the UK property industry, so here is a list of the most common mistakes that are easily avoidable. Don’t Overstretch Yourself on Budget Cash flow is king across any business sector, therefore the moment you stretch yourself too far with your finances, you could find yourself in boiling water. Any property that doesn’t provide a steady income serves as no worthy investment, only a liability. Being too hopeful and enthusiastic can often lead to misjudgement by an investor in terms of house much rental income can be achieved from a property. This will bring down your estimated cash flow and risk leaving you with a negative cash flow property. Outlining a Strategy or Financial Model Often, many first-time investors fail to outline a strategy before embarking on any finalised investment deals. Performing a financial analysis on a deal can highlight whether the property is suited to you and allows investors to make astute decisions based on their desired goals. Property investment companies like RW Invest aim to make the journey through property investment as smooth as possible, attentive sales negotiators are on hand to ensure all your questions are answered from start to finish. Focussing on key investment hotspots throughout the UK, RW Invest focus on key investment hotspots throughout the UK to assure high rental income and excellent opportunity for capital appreciation. In the meantime, it is important for you to focus on your own individual goals and strategise how they can be implemented to guarantee the best investments. Financial modelling can include budgeting the costs of a development project against the expected income from the sale or rent of the completed dwelling, budgeting the expected rental income after all expenses such as management fees or water rates, determining the return on investment so it can be used as a comparison against other asset classes like stocks and shares and also helping to establish an estimated market value of the property after construction is completed or renovated based on the market currently and over the past 6 months. Research is Key It can be easy for individuals to get tricked by the promises for quick profit and enter the property investment industry with little necessary knowledge on what can be deemed as a prosperous opportunity. The solution is to read around your topic, perform as much research as possible. There is no excuse to be underprepared. Not Balancing Risk and Return Of course, like all types of investment there is always a small risk element. If an investment is sure to offer desirable returns, also analyse its risk profile and calculate how much money you should expect to lose if things turn upside down. Therefore, is it imperative you should never bite off more than you can chew, in other words, don’t invest more than you can afford to lose. Performing Due Diligence Quite often the novelty and excitement of purchasing a new property and becoming a property investor can quite often cloud the judgement of first time investors, leading them to skim over the business side of property investment and causing a buy that may prove to be an investment not worth their while. Due diligence for an experienced property investor can include a multiple of factors such as testing the build to ensure it is structurally sound and safe for tenants, make sure the property fits in your overall vision of the portfolio you’ve imagined, carrying out research and understanding of the current trends surrounding the local property market to ensure you thoroughly understand sale prices as well as typical rental incomes, and finally performing comparable research to justify whether your potential property is a worthwhile investment. Never make assumptions about the location or property, and do not act on the premise that markets are always efficient producing good returns all the time. Of course, every other investor has access to the same information as you, however it is up to you how you utilise it and how you can use it to your advantage to identify unmissable investments.
CALA Homes, one of the UK’s most upmarket major homebuilders, has agreed a partnership with the nation’s fastest broadband provider. It will offer residents day one access to gigabit broadband speeds across its new housing developments in West Scotland. The partnership will see Hyperoptic, the largest gigabit provider in the UK, install its services across its seventeen new housing sites. The development locations include Strathaven, Newton Mearns, Glasgow, Bearsden, Cumbernauld and Larbert. Hyperoptic’s full fibre cables go all the way to the building, which is why it can offer symmetrical gigabit broadband services – over 22x faster than the average broadband speed in Scotland. Many competitor fibre networks only go as far as a cabinet in the street, relying on slow copper cables from there to the building; this means a lower speed that also varies according to where you live along the street. Hyperoptic is rolling out the largest gigabit network in the UK. Its full fibre network is already live in Glasgow and Edinburgh, passing over 15,000 homes and businesses. This partnership with CALA Homes includes over 1,800 homes. Liana Canavan, Sales and Marketing Director for CALA Homes (West): “We pride ourselves on being renowned as a premium housebuilder. This reputation is built upon our commitment to give our customers the best living experience possible. This partnership addresses and exceeds the digital needs of our future residents. Being able to immediately get online, via the fastest broadband connection in the UK, is just phenomenal. This information will be incredibly well received by our future customers and will positively impact their move-in experience.” Sharon Maybury, National Manager, Hyperoptic, adds: “This partnership with CALA Homes enables us to expedite our Scottish expansion via installing our services at the build stage. Hyperoptic is committed to lead the charge to Gigabit Scotland. We announced our intention to expand our full fibre network to Scotland in 2015. Since then we have been working steadily to expand our footprint, with the aim of connecting hundreds of thousands of Scottish residents in the coming years.” The first development due to be completed is 21 Mansionhouse Road, a magnificent collection of 101 luxury apartments and penthouses in one of south Glasgow’s most sought-after neighbourhoods. For more information, please visit: https://www.cala.co.uk/homes-for-sale/west-of-scotland/21-mansionhouse-road About Hyperoptic Hyperoptic was founded in 2011 to shake up the UK broadband market and is now the country’s largest and fastest-growing gigabit network provider. It delivers the nation’s fastest broadband speeds of up to 1Gbps (1,000 megabits per second), which is over 22x faster than the UK average. Hyperoptic is a leader in “full” fibre optic technology, delivering fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) not just fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC). Its future-proofed infrastructure is bringing transformational internet speeds and connection stability to millions of people across the UK. Hyperoptic works with property owners, developers and professionals, designing and installing dedicated fibre infrastructure to new buildings and existing developments. It focuses exclusively on urban areas, often in areas neglected by other providers and network builders. The company has been awarded ‘Best Superfast Broadband’ provider by the Internet Service Providers’ Association for the past six years in a row, and was crowned the ‘Most Innovative Provider’ in the 2017 Broadband Genie home broadband survey. For more information visit: www.hyperoptic.com
The Leaders Romans Group (LRG) is thrilled to announce the successful completion of another acquisition – GPS Property Management. Based in Ravenshead in Nottinghamshire, the business has been owned and run by husband and wife team, Garry and Sarah Peacock, for the last eight years. The acquisition will see a new Leaders office open in Ravenshead, to provide sales and lettings services to local residents and to support the neighbouring Leaders’ branches in Mansfield and Nottingham. The original GPS Property Management staff will continue to manage their strong portfolio of over 400 tenancies, whilst building on the business’ excellent reputation by delivering exceptional customer care through our variety of sales and lettings services. Matthew Light, Group Mergers and Acquisitions Director at LRG, says: “Recent months have seen us continue to expand with numerous acquisitions, adding several new portfolios and branches in key markets across the UK. “We are delighted to have acquired this well-respected business and we welcome its staff members to the LRG community. We are confident that they will continue to provide their fantastic customer service to landlords and tenants in Ravenshead, Mansfield and the surrounding areas.” Having now completed on over 150 successful acquisitions, LRG is the property industry’s leading acquirer, adopting a hands-on approach to help business owners achieve their objectives. The vast majority of employees acquired with businesses are retained and go on to enjoy long and successful careers with LRG, taking advantage of the fresh opportunities LRG are able to offer them. For further information on selling your business to the Leaders Romans Group, contact Matthew via email at mlight@lrg.co.uk
The UK’s leading supplier of rainscreen cladding systems, Vivalda Group plc, has confirmed strong growth for the year ending December 2017, with its turnover increasing by 19% to £31m. Despite the chronic under performance of the construction sector, the Grenfell Tower tragedy, Brexit and the impact of the Carillion collapse, Vivalda has continued to grow its business via a twin track strategy of unrivalled product quality and service to satisfy the needs of the expanding off-site fabrication market. The business, which now boasts eight locations throughout the UK and Ireland, took the decision last year to stock only fully certified cladding products – providing assurance and building trust among specifiers and contractors. The company has also invested more than £250,000 in new technology, enabling it to supply finished products to the fast-growing off-site building fabrication sector. Vivalda’s chairman, Peter Johnson, said: “Given ongoing challenges facing the building industry the past 18 months have not been easy for many businesses. “And yet despite this – by sticking to our strategy of investing in technology, people and our customers – we have continued to grow our company by nearly 20% year on year. At the same time, we have also been pleased to see our PURA Facades business go from strength to strength, on the back of sustained demand for its range of natural cladding products using stone, terracotta and glass reinforce concrete.” Voted in 2018 by the London Stock Exchange as one of the ‘1000 Companies to Inspire Britain’, Vivalda has not been afraid to innovate and invest to differentiate itself from other rainscreen cladding distributors. While the company’s turnover has continued to increase, so has the productivity of the business. Based on its 2017 accounts, Vivalda’s value added per employee* comes in at £94.300, which according to the UK Industry Performance Report (2016) is more than £30,000 above the construction sector average of £63,700. Johnson concluded: “While a healthy top line figure is always good to see, this is only the tip of the iceberg as far as business performance is concerned. During 2017, we worked hard to improve our productivity and accuracy, while reducing our waste. We’re very much behind the focus of the government’s new Construction Deal and believe that the attention on efficiency and productivity is vital to the long-term health of this vital UK industry.”