Mick George has opened a concrete batching plant in Great Billing, Northamptonshire. Above: Mick George sponsors Northampton Town Football Club so got a couple of the players along to visit the new facility The plant is the company’s eighth batching plant, extending its concrete supply beyond the Cambridge, Peterborough, Leicester
The water sector has urged MPs to support a “vital” new clause added to the Housing and Planning Bill by the House of Lords, which would ensure flood prevention measures are put in place at new housing developments. Amendment 110 – which would remove the automatic right
Boosted by a greater share of sales to first time buyers not seen in nearly four years, existing home sales in the United States maintained their upward trend in June and increased for the fourth month in a row. Only the Northeast of the nation saw a decline in sales
©AFP LafargeHolcim, the Franco-Swiss cement group created by a €41bn merger last year, is stepping up its post-deal disposal programme with planned asset sales in an another nine countries. Eric Olsen, chief executive, has been under pressure from some investors to boost the group’s performance, which has been hit by
Contemporary house design often focuses on the use of space and light especially if the design is bespoke. Clients that can afford it often want homes that are more integrated than they once were. Gone are separate rooms for kitchens and dining areas. These spaces are merely separated by space.
Life on the red planet might sound like a script for a sci-fi fantasy film, but it is becoming nearer a reality. Homes of the future however, mean a very different home to the ones we are quite well acquainted with, on the blue planet. With technological advancements taking place
Musculoskeletal disorder is more common than you think, and this condition can actually have an impact on the joints, bones and muscles. Unfortunately, many of the adult population are affected by these sorts of conditions and this can massively impact their quality of life. Employers must therefore consider how their
The Messe Frankfurt Ltd and the Hong Kong Trade Development, have collaborated to co-organise the Environment Bureau of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. This stands as the 13th Eco Expo Asia show to be held in Hong Kong, which takes place between the 25th and 28th of
Launched by Ocubis, City Pavilion showcases a new, members-only co working space, situated on the 12th floor, Cannon Green development. Boosting five floors of serviced office space offering a sensational 3,000 sq ft rooftop garden, one of the largest private rooftop gardens in the city centre, it becomes an office
Interserve, the international support services and construction group, has delivered the UK’s first NHS high-energy Proton Beam Therapy (PBT) Centre in the North West in collaboration with their supply chain partners Mace, Arup & HKS on time and under budget. The state of the art technology uses an advanced form
Mick George has opened a concrete batching plant in Great Billing, Northamptonshire. Above: Mick George sponsors Northampton Town Football Club so got a couple of the players along to visit the new facility The plant is the company’s eighth batching plant, extending its concrete supply beyond the Cambridge, Peterborough, Leicester boundaries. Mick George had previously been providing volumetric mixed concrete in the Northamptonshire area, temporarily, but the new facility allows for barrel mixed operations, producing an average of 60m³ of concrete per hour. Garry Woodcock, concrete operations manager at Mick George said: “Commercially we have gained a lot of interest in and around Northamptonshire for our products. The site was originally home to state-of-the-art recycling technology as part of our waste management service, so the facility seemed the perfect location to increase our concrete offering, providing trade and residential customers with what they want.” This article was published on 13 Oct 2016 (last updated on 13 Oct 2016). Source link
The water sector has urged MPs to support a “vital” new clause added to the Housing and Planning Bill by the House of Lords, which would ensure flood prevention measures are put in place at new housing developments. Amendment 110 – which would remove the automatic right to connect surface water to the public sewer system – is due to be discussed in the House of Commons on Tuesday 3 May. Representative body Water UK said it will ensure that the use of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) are considered in relation to all new developments regardless of scale, as developers would not have the “simple alternative” of disposing of surface water via the sewer system. Currently, developers are encouraged through the planning system to install SuDS on new developments. But they retain the legal power to demand a connection to the sewer system to handle water runoff from new homes. There is therefore no effective sanction where sustainable techniques are not implemented. The amendment was put forward by Baroness Parminter during report stage in the Lords earlier this week, with support from across the House, and was accepted by a large majority. Last winter thousands of people’s homes were ruined from floods, and there are more than five million homes at risk from flooding. SuDS are a range of schemes developers can put in place around new homes to better manage the water from heavy rainfall and prevent flooding. They also help prevent sewers from flooding people’s homes. Water UK said the new clause would ensure that practice in England is brought in line with current practice in the rest of the UK, which have more extensive SuDS standards or requirements. Source link
Boosted by a greater share of sales to first time buyers not seen in nearly four years, existing home sales in the United States maintained their upward trend in June and increased for the fourth month in a row. Only the Northeast of the nation saw a decline in sales in June and sales to investors fell to their lowest overall share since July 2009, according to the latest monthly index from the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Existing home sales were up 1.1% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.57 million in June from a downwardly revised 5.51 million in May. After last month’s gain, sales are now up 3% from June 2015 and remain at their highest annual pace since February 2007. According to Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, the four month streak of sales gains through June caps off a solid first half of 2016 for the housing market. ‘Existing sales rose again last month as more traditional buyers and fewer investors were able to close on a home despite many competitive areas with unrelenting supply and demand imbalances,’ he said. ‘Sustained job growth as well as this year’s descent in mortgage rates is undoubtedly driving the appetite for home purchases but looking ahead, it’s unclear if this current sales pace can further accelerate as record high stock prices, near record low mortgage rates and solid job gains face off against a dearth of homes available for sale and lofty home prices that keep advancing,’ he pointed out. The index data also shows that median existing home prices for all housing types in June was $247,700, up 4.8% year on year and it means that prices have now increased for 52 months in a row and surpass May’s peak median sales price of $238,900. Total housing inventory at the end of June dipped 0.9% to 2.12 million existing homes available for sale and is now 5.8% lower than a year ago while unsold inventory is at a 4.6 month supply at the current sales pace, which is down from 4.7 months in May. The share of first time buyers was 33% in June, up from 30% in May and a year ago and is the highest since July 2012 when it was 34%. Through the first six months of the year, first time buyers have represented an average of 31% of buyers compared to 30% in all of 2015. ‘The modest bump in June sales to first time buyers can be attributed to mortgage rates near all-time lows and perhaps a hopeful indication that more affordable, lower priced homes are beginning to make their way onto the market,’ said Yun. ‘The odds of closing on a home are definitely higher right now for first time buyers living in metro areas with tamer price growth and greater entry level supply, particularly areas in the Midwest and parts of the South,’ he added. The data also shows that all cash sales were 22% of transactions in June, unchanged from both May and a year ago. Individual investors, who account for many cash sales, purchased 11% of homes in June, the lowest since July 2009, down from 13% in May and 12% a year ago. Some 64% of investors paid cash in June. According to NAR president Tom Salomone, it is good news for estate agents that the US Senate voted last week to pass H.R. 3700, the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act. ‘At a time of historically low mortgage rates, this is a huge win for prospective first time and low to moderate income buyers interested in purchasing a condo. Eliminating overly burdensome restrictions on condos will help more of these prospective buyers access financing and take advantage of this affordable entry point into home ownership,’ he said. The NAR report shows that properties typically stayed on the market for 34 days in June, an increase from 32 days in May but unchanged from a year ago. Short sales were on the market the longest at a median of 156 days in June, while foreclosures sold in 49 days and non-distressed homes took 30 days. Some 48% of homes sold in June were on the market for less than a month. Distressed sales, that is foreclosures and short sales, amounted to 6% of sales in June, unchanged from May and down from 8% a year ago. Some 4% of June sales were foreclosures, the lowest since NAR began tracking in October 2008, and 2% were short sales. Foreclosures sold for an average discount of 11% below market value in June, down from 12% in May, while short sales were discounted 18%, up from 11% in May. A breakdown of the figures shows that single family home sales increased 0.8% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.92 million in June from 4.88 million in May, and are now 3.1% higher than the 4.77 million pace a year ago. The median existing single family home price was $249,800 in June, up 5% from June 2015. Existing condominium and co-op sales grew 3.2% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 650,000 units in June from 630,000 in May, and are now 1.6% above June 2015. The median existing condo price was $231,600 in June, some 3.2% above a year ago. On a regional basis June existing home sales in the Northeast were down by 1.3% to an annual rate of 760,000, but are still 5.6% above a year ago. The median price in the Northeast was $284,800, which is 1.4% above June 2015. In the Midwest, existing home sales were up 3.8% to an annual rate of 1.35 million in June, and are now 4.7% above June 2015. The median price in the Midwest was $199,900, up 5.7% from a year ago. Existing home sales in the South in June remained unchanged from May at an annual rate of 2.26 million, and are 3.2% above June 2015. The median price in the South was $217,400, up 5.5% from a
©AFP LafargeHolcim, the Franco-Swiss cement group created by a €41bn merger last year, is stepping up its post-deal disposal programme with planned asset sales in an another nine countries. Eric Olsen, chief executive, has been under pressure from some investors to boost the group’s performance, which has been hit by severe global pricing pressures and weak economic growth in key markets. More On this topic IN Construction Shareholders had been promised SFr3.5bn ($3.6bn) of disposals this year. But the company now says a portfolio review has identified a further nine countries “where we will seek opportunities to divest if we can achieve favourable valuations”. LafargeHolcim said it was confident of delivering this year’s target “and expects further divestments to crystallise beyond 2016.” Shareholder scepticism about the benefits of last year’s tie-up between France’s Lafarge and Switzerland’s Holcim — which succeed only after a series of internal power struggles — has weighed on the group’s shares, which are almost 40 per cent lower than a year ago. With a global capacity glut in the cement industry, Mr Olsen believes LafargeHolcim significantly over-invested in the past and is shifting the combined company’s business model towards lower capital spending and stronger cash flow generation. Asset sales will help LafargeHolcim reduce net debt but analysts have warned that a rush to push through disposals would lead to lower sale prices. “I don’t see how this process will create value — but that is the story of this merger so far,” said Phil Roseberg at Bernstein. “It is a very complex integration. You had two similar sized companies with two different cultures and now they want to create a third culture.” So far this year, the Zürich-headquartered company has already secured a third of its SFr3.5bn disposal target, through divestments in South Korea and Saudi Arabia and a merging of operations in Morocco. Competition authorities have required additional asset sales in India. LafargeHolcim, which operates in about 90 countries, has not set out where the next round of disposals will occur but it is expected to quit operations in most of the chosen locations completely. However, one country where LafargeHolcim is investing for longer-term growth is Brazil, despite the country’s economic downturn hitting its results in recent quarters. Last month, the group opened a SFr570m plant in Barroso, south-eastern Brazil, which has the capacity to produce 3.6m tonnes of cement per year. It first took the investment decision in 2011. Although it does not expect an early turnround in Brazil’s economic prospects, the company believes the new plant will cut production costs. It recently helped in the construction of the Olympic Village for this year’s Rio de Janeiro games. For the first quarter, LafargeHolcim reported a larger than expected 21.5 per cent annual fall in adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation, to SFr824m. But the group argued that the construction industry in North America and Europe was often hit by bad weather in the early months of the year, meaning the quarterly results were “not indicative” of expected full-year performance. Mr Olsen said then that he expected to see “momentum building through the year”. He has forecast “at least a high single-digit” like-for-like increase in adjusted operating ebitda in the group’s full-year results. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2016. You may share using our article tools. Please don’t cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web. Source link
Contemporary house design often focuses on the use of space and light especially if the design is bespoke. Clients that can afford it often want homes that are more integrated than they once were. Gone are separate rooms for kitchens and dining areas. These spaces are merely separated by space. The same can be said of other features such as staircases. One look at contemporary staircases online and it is clear that spiral staircases are the new normal. Not only do they allow access to the upper levels but are very much a design feature. With this in mind, let us take a look at how to design a house with a big garden. Bringing the Garden into the Home When the garden is large and spacious it becomes a design feature. Unlike smaller homes where the garden is defined, a house can be created to give panoramic and 360-degree views of the garden. This calls for big windows letting the outside colours and light come into the home. Landscaping It is important that the feel of the garden matches the architectural style of the house. For example, the house might be of a traditional, stately home design. As such hedges, clipped lawns, and statues may fit well in the garden. Should the house be more modern a more modern approach to the garden will be needed. As with all things balance and a blend is required to avoid the space looking disjointed. Features As the garden gives more room to work and be creative, you can utilise this to allow for better features for the house. Consider using features such as balconies and glass to maximise views. Good use of living space can really bring the house alive. Adding features such as outdoor stair kits can make the garden accessible from different places and the house accessible from the garden. Consider using them to utilise the space and add features. Think about what can be seen in the garden from the house. You might want a water feature to be visible or the view beyond the garden might be breathtaking and awe-inspiring. Both of these things add value to a home. Also, good design can hide views which are less savoury. Split level gardens are a good way to partition off different areas without putting up obtrusive fences and other physical barriers. This allows you to make a social, kids, and other areas clear which is heaven sent for most families. Lighting Lighting is important on a number of levels when the garden is a large space. You want the main living areas to be positioned to get the most light and any design should incorporate this. You also want to ensure that the position of the house does not block out light to parts of the garden that need it, such as flowerbeds and vegetable patches. With good design houses and gardens can merge together to make amazing living spaces. A little thought, a little creativity can work wonders to produce the best homes on both an aesthetic and practical level.
Life on the red planet might sound like a script for a sci-fi fantasy film, but it is becoming nearer a reality. Homes of the future however, mean a very different home to the ones we are quite well acquainted with, on the blue planet. With technological advancements taking place every other day, coupled with more and more discussions around visiting planets (predominantly Mars), a home investigators expert in the UK has teamed with Professor Lewis Dartnell, Science Communication-University of Westminster, to determine what a home on Mars could actually look like. In a bid to envisage what the everyday house on Mars might really look like, Professor Lewis Dartnell has more of an idea than most. It comes as no surprise that conditions on Mars would be remarkably different to the ones we know now and going to the local shop would take a whole lot more preparation than remembering to take a carrier bag. That isn’t to say Mars doesn’t have some features that are similar to Earth, although around half the size, Mars experiences seasons similar to that we are already accustomed too. Distinct weather patterns that can include dust storms, frost and fog all occur, although seasons do last around twice the amount of time than here on Earth. In terms of surface, it doesn’t appear that Mars’s surface is too dissimilar to ours either, boosting highland rocky valleys in some areas and smooth plains in others. The real challenge undoubtedly for Earthlings rocketing off the red zone, is sure to be the chilling temperatures. Mars can reach a reasonable 20°C on the equator in the peak of summer, with London’s hottest month (July) temperatures averaging 19°C the change doesn’t at first sound anywhere near dramatic. However the rest of the year can be punishingly cold with winter temperatures reaching a terrifying -195°C, even on summer nights temperatures can plummet to below 100°C, so you might need more than a winter coat for the adventure. If we consider what we already know about Mars, and our own basic needs of survival, we can take a rather good guess at what homes on the red planet would need to include in order for us to habitat their successfully. For starters, due to the thinner atmosphere on Mars that is comprised primarily of Carbon Dioxide, houses would need airlock doors, much like those on an aeroplane. Entrances would need to consist of two seal-able doors separated by a short corridor to create a secure airlock. Your home would also need to be equipped with a machinery style room that could contain the necessary equipment to generate oxygen and recycle water. Your bedroom might not be the one you envisioned from a brand new home, as pressurised structures would need to exist meaning your space might be limited. Strategic design would have to be included to ensure you could keep your essentials in one place, but bathrooms won’t appear that different at all. More effort in terms of recycling however is key, so urine filtration systems would occur, sending purified waste back through water supplies. Your cupboard space might look a bit different too, with conditions outside being so unusually harsh, you can leave your raincoat on Earth, your space suit is your new best friend. Arguably the most difficult concept about adapting to a home in Mars would be the lack of amenities and ability to socialise. With no local pubs, takeaways, cinemas, face-time or spending time lounging around with house mates, a move to Mars takes some serious thought. There is a 20 minute transmission delay from Earth to Mars so TV broadcasts aren’t a possibility, you can however download, slowly, box sets and films onto a server. Spokesperson for Hillarys.co.uk, Tara Hall, commented: “Whilst Mars is next on our list of planets to explore, we know that the conditions are harsh and you wouldn’t be able to just pop down to the shops or down the road to see your friends. Any outing would require rigorous preparation and would take time – we’d soon be feeling very homesick for our beautiful planet Earth!” All homes are on Mars are to be 100% self-sufficient, so your food will be grown in your very own inflatable green house, luckily Mars soil provides a lot of the vital nutrients we need to successfully grow crops and sustain ourselves. This would however be a strictly vegan diet, which is bad news for the avid meat lover. Martian homes build for humans also have to contain a gym, on Earth we are constantly working against gravity which means our bodies have adapted to a daily workout whether we know it or not. Gravity on Mars is a mere third of what it is on Earth which means health issues could be in the plenty if we don’t maintain muscle mass. Windows might also be a bit of a tricky one. Exposure to sunlight is essential for our mental health and well-being, but with the radiation levels of Mars being damagingly high, picnics could prove to be a problem. Windows are the way to solve this but they need to be limited to avoid any radiation damage, so small skylights are the only option. Finally, there are of course solar panels. These would be very similar to those on Earth, providing energy to keep Mars homes happy, they would however need regular maintenance after dust storms, which could prove difficult in a space suit. Lewis Dartnell regarded: “Humanity will venture out through the solar system probably sooner rather than later, and Mars is the most enticing location to move house. But although living on Mars may sound exciting, would you want to spend most of your days indoors and not be able to phone your friends and family back on Earth?”
Musculoskeletal disorder is more common than you think, and this condition can actually have an impact on the joints, bones and muscles. Unfortunately, many of the adult population are affected by these sorts of conditions and this can massively impact their quality of life. Employers must therefore consider how their own staff are affected by these sorts of conditions and what they can do to help. Although people may suffer from such conditions already, you need to make sure that they’re not worsened because of the workplace. One study, carried out by the HSE (Health and Safety Executive in Great Britain), discovered that 507,000 workers suffered from a work-related musculoskeletal disorder (new or long-standing) in 2016/17. The impact on employability Studies have shown that one in four adults here in Britain are affected by musculoskeletal problems. Based on data gathered in 2016/17, 45% of musculoskeletal disorders are to do with the upper limbs or neck, 38% to do with the back, and 17% involve the lower limbs. Out of sufferers within working age (16-64), 59.4% are employed. There is a downward trend of musculoskeletal disorders per 100,000 from 2001 to 2017, but it’s still an issue that must be considered. Attendance can be impacted too if those with musculoskeletal problems find it difficult to get to and from work. In fact, 30 million working days were lost due to these conditions in 2016 which can be costly for employers. Based on calculations that consider the average UK salary and a working day of 7.5 hours, an individual sick day can cost an employer £107.85 if the worker receives full sick pay. There is also the cost of work being covered, perhaps this is by another employee who then can’t do their own work. Completing work tasks at home Working remote is becoming more common than eve before. 39% of public sector workers and 26% of private sector workers have experienced this in their own workplace according to the ONS (Office for National Statistics). Presenteeism often occurs because an employee is afraid to call in sick out of fear of being penalised by their employer. One way to address this for sufferers of musculoskeletal disorders is to provide them with the option to work from home. You also should think about the commute each employee with a musculoskeletal disorder has to make, and how it could be extremely damaging for them. Instead, employees can stay at home where they may feel more comfortable and get on with their work — reducing lost productivity time that may occur if they come into work. As well as this, employees will probably attend doctor appointments at times more convenient to them and then make up the time for their internal tasks. Perhaps their rehabilitation centre is closer to home than it is for work, and less time may be spent getting to and from their sessions than if they were travelling from the company. Specialist equipment checklist for musculoskeletal employees: Sitting or standing desks — Giving employees the option of a sitting or standing desk is one way to help. For some, standing upright may be more comfortable than sitting in the same position for a prolonged period. Ergonomic keyboard — These are designed to reduce muscle strain and should be offered to employees. For sufferers of musculoskeletal disorders, tasks that may be easy for some such as using a keyboard, mouse or pen can be difficult for someone who suffers with repetitive strain injury for example. Those with arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome may also struggle with these types of tasks. Lifting assistance — Where lifting is required as part of the job, offering assistance with heavy lifting can be helpful. A trolley for example can help employees transport objects that they might be struggling with. This may relieve shoulder pain for example and can help prevent further injury and strain. Other equipment — By talking to employees, company bosses can find out about other types of specialist equipment that could be helpful — tailored to each person and their needs. If you’re living with knee joint pain, yoga could be beneficial if introduced as a daily routine. There are many ways that employers could encourage their workers to participate in this exercise — through organised classes within break times or after work, or through funding the classes. Although expensive, it’s possible that this extra exercise will help manage pain levels and reduce sick days. If you haven’t looked into this issue before, now is the time. Employers must take action to help employees through specialist equipment, the option of working from home, and potentially funding complementary therapy. They should also recognise if their employees are at risk of WRMSDs and take appropriate preventative measures. Author bio Lee Dover is a senior copywriter at Mediaworks with an interest in healthcare as well as researching into healthier ways of living. He has a BA (Hons) in Magazine Journalism. Sources http://www.hse.gov.uk/Statistics/causdis/musculoskeletal/msd.pdf https://recruitingtimes.org/opinions/20062/cost-sick-days/ https://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/ltc-op-eolc/ltc-eolc/our-work-on-long-term-conditions/si-areas/musculoskeletal/ State of Musculoskeletal Health 2017 report — Arthritis Research UK https://wellbeing.bitc.org.uk/sites/default/files/business_in_the_community_musculoskeletal_toolkit.pdf
The Messe Frankfurt Ltd and the Hong Kong Trade Development, have collaborated to co-organise the Environment Bureau of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. This stands as the 13th Eco Expo Asia show to be held in Hong Kong, which takes place between the 25th and 28th of October. Showcasing 330 exhibitors from 19 countries and regions across this globe, with around 14,000 expected visitors. Messe Frankfurt create innovative network platforms and organise some 150 trade fairs annually, both in Frankfurt and at various other locations around the world, it stands as the largest trade fair on the planet. The Hong Kong Trade Development is a statutory body, dedicated to creating opportunities for Hong Kong businesses. With a mission to connect companies to business partners across the globe, the collaboration stands as one of excitement. The Eco Expo Asia event is an environmental trade platform that welcomes various industries to showcase their environmental products and solutions. This year the Eco Expo Asia will debut the: Smart Construction for Quite pavilion, which aims to discuss green building products and solutions for noise-related construction issues, a key concern for many rapidly developing cities and regions within Asia. Amongst the highlights of the showcased products and innovations, will be two sets of hybrid construction excavators from renowned Japanese manufacturer, KOBELCO. These excavators produce low carbon emissions, very little noise and offer a demonstration that a more environmentally friendly solution for the construction industry, and other businesses beyond that, is possible. Every year Eco Expo Asia welcomes overseas pavilions and large amounts of group participation, and 2018 will see the largest Chinese Pavilion to date. With the debut of exhibitors from Hunan and Inner Mongolia, as well as from a number of cities in the Greater Bay Area. Returning Pavilions to the event include participants from Austria, Europe, Canada, State of Bavaria, Korea, Japan and Switzerland. The event allows for buyers and attendees to become aware of what market intelligence is available in exploring green products, for a more environmentally secure future. Mr Urs Heutschi, CEO of Swissenviro, commented on the return of the Switzerland Pavilion: “Eco Expo Asia is a well-organised international trade fair in an important environmental market, covering relevant and current environmental issues with a strong focus on sustainability. As the organiser of the Swiss pavilion it is a pleasure to return and work. Each year there is a high demand from Swiss companies who wish to participate at the expo due to its regional location as well as the number of quality visitors from South China and Southeast Asia.” The Smart Construction for Quiet symposium, will take place on the fair’s very first day, providing a unique opportunity for acoustic professionals, architects, site engineers, noise control practitioners, and build and civil contractors, to learn about the latest policies, and the best ways to tackle noise construction problems. The full day event gathers experts on an international scale and gives industry leaders the change to deliver their knowledge to other, like-minded, establishments. A wide range of environmental product categories will be featured, including green buildings and energy efficient green transportation, alongside water treatment and quality management. After its debut at last year’s event, the Startup Zone will also make a re-appearance, aiming to encourage greener start-ups from new up and coming companies.
Launched by Ocubis, City Pavilion showcases a new, members-only co working space, situated on the 12th floor, Cannon Green development. Boosting five floors of serviced office space offering a sensational 3,000 sq ft rooftop garden, one of the largest private rooftop gardens in the city centre, it becomes an office of dreams. The City Pavilion recently hosted an exclusive yoga session for members on the amazing rooftop, as part of the National Work Life Week, in collaboration with award winning operator of premium boutique fitness studios, Core Collective. Located perfectly next door to Canal Street mainline and Underground Station, City Pavilion forms part of the London office building, Cannon Green, offering a dramatic glass atrium and a huge range of amenities. Co-working and hot-desking spaces feature quirky furnishings and unique features, including showers, bike storage options and even Spanner-the on-site bike repair shop. The latest in technology means you can have the absolute optimal of office experience every day. A divine bar and restaurant called The Listing is at your disposal, with a business lounge offering an all day cafe and bar also available. The on-site Gymbox gym means all your needs are in one space, you can even experience heated lockers, on-site cleaning, bespoke art spread over unique office spaces and superfast Wi-Fi, with fair use of printing facilities and photocopying. Well-appointed meeting rooms are carefully tailored to suit the requirements of the modern business, with a wide range of conference room options complemented by unparalleled room service, you can be sure that all your meeting needs will be met with excellence. Neatly tucked below the rooftop garden you can find the Penthouse Office Suite, the most exclusive space for your work with some of the best views in the city. Other options include the Hot Desk, which is ideal for anyone wanting 24 hour, flexible access to a desk or private office on a daily basis. If you require something more bespoke to you, you can experience all the benefits of the Hot Desk in your own Private Office, with bespoke furnishings, secure access and lockable storage. The Exclusive Desk space boosts the ideal space for someone wanting something more permanent, with fixed, lockable desks in an open environment ideal for collaborative teams. Each space is beautifully furnished with the client in mind, offering an office that becomes a home from home, with remarkable views, elegant art work and countless benefits.
Interserve, the international support services and construction group, has delivered the UK’s first NHS high-energy Proton Beam Therapy (PBT) Centre in the North West in collaboration with their supply chain partners Mace, Arup & HKS on time and under budget. The state of the art technology uses an advanced form of radiotherapy for the treatment of complex and hard-to-treat cancers in children and adults. The Christie, who worked in partnership with Interserve, was selected by the Department of Health as one of two providers of the service, together with University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Although procured at the same time, The Christie chose to deliver the construction phase through the Procure 21 framework. This speed to site procurement route means that from 2018, patients will benefit from local access to this advanced treatment at The Christie. The state of the art 15,000 m2 five storey building will provide: 4 treatment rooms; a patient reception; consultation rooms and public space. The building is designed to be future proof with additional space for the Trust to grow into. The building will begin treating patients in the autumn and, once fully operational, will treat around 750 people a year. This life-changing facility will not only save lives, but also prevent families from enduring expensive and stressful travel abroad for treatment. PBT uses a high-energy beam of protons rather than high-energy X-rays to deliver a dose of radiotherapy. It directs the radiation treatment to precisely where it is needed with minimal damage to surrounding tissue. As this unique project was the first being built in the UK, Interserve had no blueprint to follow so they travelled extensively around the globe to bring the benefit of international expertise and learning to the UK, overcoming many challenges to deliver this world class facility and become experts in delivering this type of facility. The building’s list of technical features is almost as extraordinary as proton beam treatment itself: To contain the radiation, the concrete walls are up to six metres thick. The building incorporates 20,000m³ of concrete & 1,700 tonnes of reinforcement, including steel bars up to 100mm diameter. Through this, 10km of services pipework has been carefully threaded. The concrete itself weighs 48,000 tonnes, the equivalent of two aircraft carriers. To meet the building’s demanding energy needs, a new sub-station has been built, which provides an equivalent amount of power to that needed to run the nearby Trafford Industrial Park. The building is the first PBT Centre to target BREEAM excellent. Reclaiming heat from the Proton Beam equipment will make a significant contribution to the BREEAM scoring. Jason Dawson, Director of Capital, Estates and Facilities of The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are delighted to be able to offer this life changing treatment to patients. The delivery of this facility has been one of the most complex and precise projects within the NHS. “We identified very early in the project that we needed a construction partner that could work alongside our team. The partnership approach integrated with Interserve’s technical expertise and energy to solve problems is one of the key reasons we completed on time. George Franks, Managing Director of Interserve Construction said: “We are proud to have delivered this life-changing facility which built on our long-term relationship with The Christie with whom we have been construction partners for more than 10 years. The Interserve team’s knowledge, experience, innovation and expertise as well as the extensive field research undertaken at the start of the project has contributed to delivery on time and on budget. The completion of this project is another substantial milestone in our long-term relationship with The Christie and one that we hope continues long in to the future with many more successes along the way.”