adi Building & Refurbishment is on a solid growth trajectory but it has signalled even greater ambition with the November appointment of Adrian Adams as Construction Director to further strengthen the business’ senior team. A key arm of Birmingham-based firm, adi Group, adi Building & Refurbishment has enjoyed significant growth
Kevin Griffin, SELECT’s president was this year’s recipient of The Ian Marsh Award, which recognises individuals who demonstrate enthusiasm and selfless concern for the fire and emergency systems industry. The award was made on behalf of the Fire and Security Association at the IFSEC’s ‘Security and Fire Excellence Awards’ held
ISLAND Road West, a new prime urban logistics scheme in Reading, has seen the second phase of development completed this month on a former domestic landfill site off the A33. Providing civil and structural engineering designs, BE Design has delivered a five-unit, industrial scheme over two phases, transforming a site
BAM Nuttall, the UK based supplier of civil engineering services, has just completed a deal to purchase a further thirty X-ECO LED lighting towers from the Cambridgeshire supplier, Trime (UK) Limited. The company now has fifty Trime X-ECO LED lighting sets in their rental fleet. BAM Nuttall’s Plant Manager, Andy
Earl Kendrick Associates are delighted to announce the appointment of two new Directors for the South and North regions respectively. Zoë Walheim MRICS and Andrew Banister MRICS have been spearheading Earl Kendrick’s expansion in the past two years, with new regional offices in Brighton and Manchester, which are now separate
Housing needs in the UK are changing amid declining levels of home ownership and lifestyle shifts. Rather than the traditional ‘buy-and-hold’ model, residential housing needs are shifting towards developments that are built for rent and aimed towards a specific demographic who are at a particular life stage. As such, funding
Senior business executives see greater opportunity in Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) than in Artificial Intelligence (AI), as UK businesses look to adopt next-generation connectivity in the next five years. In fact, nearly 9 in 10 UK organisations (88%) believe AR and VR will have a significant business
Modern temporary structures are far more advanced than they were a few years ago. While older options weren’t so attractive and were often limited to certain use cases, today’s temporary buildings can be used for anything from setting up temporary structures after a disaster to quick business expansions. The demand
One of the most extraordinary planning applications London has ever seen has been submitted. Lord Norman Foster, Architect of The Gherkin (London) wants to revamp the city. As his original build has become increasingly crowded by a dense thicket of towers and slabs, leading it to be overshadowed by newer
adi Building & Refurbishment is on a solid growth trajectory but it has signalled even greater ambition with the November appointment of Adrian Adams as Construction Director to further strengthen the business’ senior team. A key arm of Birmingham-based firm, adi Group, adi Building & Refurbishment has enjoyed significant growth over recent years, providing construction, refurbishment and fit-out projects for some of the leading companies and brands across the UK. Adrian has 30 years’ experience, having built strong client and supply chain relationships across the construction industry, and a successful track record of delivering successful projects and maintaining excellent client relationships. In particular, he brings with him a wealth of expertise in delivering national frameworks and special projects. His remit at adi is to head up the Major Projects division, focusing on projects over £500,000 in value, and to use his drive and enthusiasm to bolster the company’s growth, as part of adi Group’s broader turnover and job creation targets for 2020. David Beebee, Managing Director of adi Building & Refurbishment, said, “I want to continue to use relationships to generate opportunities, win them and then deliver projects profitably and to a very high standard. Working with our talented existing team, Adrian will ensure our growth is sustainable for the long-term and that our levels of client satisfaction remain extremely high. There are exciting times ahead at adi Building & Refurbishment and I am proud of what we have achieved so far on our growth journey. We have recruited some of the best people in the local construction industry and that has helped us get where we are today. Adrian’s appointment continues that pattern and will only accelerate our move to the next level.” Adrian himself said of his appointment, “I am delighted to join a firm with such strong core values as adi and at an exciting stage in its development. I see huge growth potential for the business and I am looking forward to playing my part in helping it achieve its ambitions.”
Kevin Griffin, SELECT’s president was this year’s recipient of The Ian Marsh Award, which recognises individuals who demonstrate enthusiasm and selfless concern for the fire and emergency systems industry. The award was made on behalf of the Fire and Security Association at the IFSEC’s ‘Security and Fire Excellence Awards’ held on November 21. Kevin’s long involvement in the crucial fire and safety side of the electrical profession was highlighted in front of nearly 1000 of the industry’s foremost practitioners at the prestigious event. Kevin runs Logic Systems Fire & Security in East Kilbride, a company which has specialised in providing life safety and security solutions from its Lanarkshire base for the past 25 years. It employs four people. Kevin has been chairman of the Lanarkshire branch of SELECT on a number of occasions and has been closely involved with the work of the Fire & Security Association, for a number of years. He said: “I am humbled and extremely gratified to receive this unexpected recognition, especially from fellow professionals who have also dedicated their efforts to keeping people safe in the workplace and at home. “Safety is at the heart of everything we do in the electrical sector and I would wish to share this award not only with the people in my own firm but also in SELECT, which continues to do invaluable work in this field.” Alan Wilson, Acting Managing Director at SELECT, said: “This is a particularly well-deserved award to our President, who has been active in SELECT for many years and has diligently carried out a series of roles, including branch chairmanships. “His work in the realm of fire and security systems has always been of a great standard and to have it recognised at an event of this caliber is an honour indeed.” The Security and Fire Excellence Awards, supported by IFSEC and FIREX, have consistently broken new ground in highlighting the very best people, projects and processes that the security and fire sectors have to offer. SELECT’s 1250 member companies account for around 90% of all electrical installation work carried out in Scotland. They have a collective turnover of around £1 billion and provide employment for 15,000 people. For more information please contact Alan Wilson, Acting Managing Director at SELECT, the Electrical Contractors’ Association of Scotland, The Walled Garden, Bush Estate, Midlothian, EH26 0SB. T: 0131 445 5577. F: 0131 445 5548. E: admin@select.org.uk. W: www.select.org.uk Twitter: http://twitter.com/updates_select
ISLAND Road West, a new prime urban logistics scheme in Reading, has seen the second phase of development completed this month on a former domestic landfill site off the A33. Providing civil and structural engineering designs, BE Design has delivered a five-unit, industrial scheme over two phases, transforming a site which features domestic landfill with a depth of six metres. More than 34,160 sq ft has been delivered across two phases, with a global logistics firm pre-letting one of the units delivered in the second phase. Director at the engineering and architecture practice BE Design, Stephen Oakden said: “There is a real demand for space to build residential and commercials schemes, and that is only on the increase. Developing on greenbelt land can be somewhat contentious, so we are seeing more and more former landfill sites and brownfield land around the UK being earmarked for redevelopment – meeting the demand and protecting greenbelt land at the same time. “This move towards sustainable regeneration means that sites, such as Island Road West, now provide businesses with the real potential to turn dead-end land into usable – and profitable – space.” First phase completed in 2017, with the second phase starting on site in 2018. During both phases of development, ground consolidation techniques – including rapid impact compaction – were employed to minimise the ongoing settlement and subsidence that can occur on landfill sites. As well as this, multiple safety measures have been employed to safely release gases from the decomposing landfill matter into the atmosphere. “Of course, landfill sites present a lot of unique challenges when it comes to construction, which have to be considered at the very base of any design service but, as long as the environmental challenges are met with practical and safe solutions, construction on sites such as Island Road West in Reading can be just as successful as developments elsewhere. “By taking careful measurements both before and after ground improvement techniques are applied to sites, we are able to measure the amount of consolidation achieved, and this data is likely to prove invaluable in the future are more former landfill sites are earmarked for regeneration.” Two of the five units delivered across the two phases delivered by BE Design remain available to let. Find out more about BE Design at www.bedesign.co.uk or join the conversation on Twitter @B_E_Design.
BAM Nuttall, the UK based supplier of civil engineering services, has just completed a deal to purchase a further thirty X-ECO LED lighting towers from the Cambridgeshire supplier, Trime (UK) Limited. The company now has fifty Trime X-ECO LED lighting sets in their rental fleet. BAM Nuttall’s Plant Manager, Andy Haythorne said, “We placed an initial order for the X-ECO LED units back in September last year, following a successful trial. The Trime lights have performed excellently over the past twelve months, so it was an easy decision to invest in this new order.” “In all we have been impressed with the costs savings, reliability and the integral safety features of the X-ECO LED,” added Andy. The sourcing of more efficient plant and equipment remains a key part of the BAM Sustainability Strategy as they work towards challenging 2020 targets for carbon reduction. The sustainable qualities of the Trime X-ECO LED sets have aided BAM Nuttall to reach their objective. The X-ECO LED uses considerably less fuel when compared with many lighting sets currently available. This results in a corresponding reduction in C02 output, assessed by Trime engineers, to equate to approximately 888kg. In 2016, BAM Group UK (legal entity comprising of BAM Nuttall and BAM Construct UK) were awarded the CEMARS gold standard for achieving significant carbon savings year-on-year over a six-year period by following a systematic carbon reduction programme that have resulted in a reduction in emissions of 17.72% when compared with baseline data. CEMARS is the Carbon Emissions Measurement and Reduction Scheme and refers to ISO14064-1:2006. For 2017 and beyond BAM Nuttall has set even more challenging targets to reduce its energy consumption by a further 25% on a new 2015 baseline, and across its Scope 1, 2 & 3 emission classes by 2020. This target is in line with that of the parent company Royal BAM Group and works towards a climate positive future in the long term – a future in which construction is not a carbon emitter but one in which it is a carbon eliminator. Trime Group boasts over 50 years of experience in the development and marketing of environmentally sustainable lighting sets for the construction and rental markets. Their manufacturing plant is based in Cassinetta di Lugagnano, near Milan and Trime UK Limited is headquartered in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.
Earl Kendrick Associates are delighted to announce the appointment of two new Directors for the South and North regions respectively. Zoë Walheim MRICS and Andrew Banister MRICS have been spearheading Earl Kendrick’s expansion in the past two years, with new regional offices in Brighton and Manchester, which are now separate companies under the EKA umbrella. In recognition of their success, Zoë Walheim becomes our Regional Director – South, while Andrew Banister is our Regional Director – North. The Brighton office was established two years ago to serve Brighton and the South, and has gone from strength to strength. Headline projects have included work on the iconic Brighton Pier and the preparation of maintenance plans for converted mental hospitals. Zoë and her team have also assisted clients with the implementation of urgent Health & Safety works, a repairs and redecoration scheme on a property on Regency Square, and overseen a repair scheme on the prestigious High Street in Tunbridge Wells. The Manchester office followed soon after, serving the North region. Andy and his team quickly built up a new client base through word of mouth by taking on and simplifying major works processes for managing agents, leaseholders and freeholders, establishing Earl Kendrick as leading building surveyors in the region. Earl Kendrick’s Managing Director Julian Davies said, “Zoë and Andy have done a fantastic job heading up Earl Kendrick’s expansion to the South and North. They have more than earned their new roles as company Directors, and I look forward to working with them in the years to come.”
Housing needs in the UK are changing amid declining levels of home ownership and lifestyle shifts. Rather than the traditional ‘buy-and-hold’ model, residential housing needs are shifting towards developments that are built for rent and aimed towards a specific demographic who are at a particular life stage. As such, funding needs are changing to support these types of developments and this should lead investors to consider new ways of accessing the property market. Why is the UK property market experiencing change? Homeownership levels have fallen dramatically among the younger generation over the last thirty years. In 1991, 67% of 25-34 year olds were homeowners compared with 36% in 2014. Meanwhile, private sector renting more than doubled between 1980 and 2014. This is not just a UK phenomenon. In the United States, for example, home ownership fell to its lowest level in more than five decades in 2016. Declining homeownership is resulting from both cyclical economic forces as well as longer-term structural trends. While economic pressures have been important contributors towards declining homeownership, especially among millennials, longer-term lifestyle shifts are also having a significant impact. The way people live and work is frequently less structured and standardised than in the past, and there appears to be less desire for people to be held down by long-term commitments. Coinciding with the advent of the ‘gig’ economy has been rising numbers of self-employed and contract workers over the last twenty years, suggesting a more mobile and flexible workforce. Nonetheless, while both the residential and commercial property sectors are experiencing significant change, new investment opportunities are opening as developers adjust their product offerings to meet evolving economic conditions and lifestyles. In fact, some of the most innovative developments are happening in the residential market. Co-living benefits the individual and the community ‘Co-living’ is an area of particular interest and future growth. These developments, which at this point are mainly focused in London, cater for young professionals’ more mobile lifestyles. They offer the convenience of all-inclusive costs, covering rent and bills as well as services such as cleaning and gym membership. This market is further developed in the United States and the evidence suggests widespread popularity in metropolitan areas such as New York and Oakland, California. In addition to convenience, this type of living arrangement combines the benefits of feeling part of a community while at the same time offering individual privacy. Occupiers have shared living spaces, but they can also retreat to their own fully furnished private apartment. It presents an attractive choice for young people, especially as a national survey recently found that 16-34 year olds experience feeling more lonely than older generations. However, it is not just the investment potential that these types of new developments hold for investors. Co-living and other purpose-built rental developments may also hold wider economic benefits that could help the struggling UK high street. How can investors take advantage? Investors can access these types of purpose-built rental developments through development finance or bridge loans, which are secured by the underlying assets and offer higher yields relative to UK government and corporate bonds – typically between 5% and 8% per annum net of fees. With banks and building societies retrenching from lending in the post-financial crisis years, this market presents a growing opportunity as developers look to secure funding from a diverse range of sources. Although still at an early stage of development, operational assets are a logical, modern way to benefit from an evolving and changing UK property market. By Tom Brown, Managing Director at Ingenious Real Estate
Senior business executives see greater opportunity in Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) than in Artificial Intelligence (AI), as UK businesses look to adopt next-generation connectivity in the next five years. In fact, nearly 9 in 10 UK organisations (88%) believe AR and VR will have a significant business impact by 2022 – compared to 70% of those that said AI – according to new research commissioned by international legal practice Osborne Clarke. The Next Generation Connectivity report and research, conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit, surveyed executives and managers from 11 countries and found the followings: Globally, 44% of digital businesses, 43% of respondents in real estate and 32% of respondents in the energy sector say VR and AR offer significant opportunity; 27% of digital businesses say an enhanced ability to deliver VR and AR will be the number one application driven by next-gen connectivity for the digital business sector in the next five years. “There is a huge amount of opportunity on offer by introducing AR and VR into businesses – across all sectors. From real estate companies being able show tenants how a building that is still under construction will look when complete, to businesses arming employees with real time AR diagnostics or stock inventory, to a digital healthcare business using VR remote surgical operations, VR and AR are set to make a huge difference to the way businesses run in the next five years,” commented on the findings Tom Harding, partner at Osborne Clarke and expert in technology. However, there are some key considerations businesses need to take before adopting these new technologies, specifically with regard to connectivity. Connectivity is a vital component that enables the virtual and actual to merge. The report also found that there are a number of barriers that UK businesses face when it comes to adopting new levels of connectivity, such as High costs of required investment in infrastructure (46%); Their organisation’s lack of technical capabilities (40%) and Concerns over data protection and privacy (34%). “AR/VR will be game changers for business process and efficiency, so overcoming these challenges will be crucial. There are also legal issues from intellectual property (IP) to privacy, and health and safety, that enterprises will need to consider. Businesses need to get all their ducks in a row now, so they can use new technologies effectively and gain a competitive advantage quickly,” concluded Handing.
Modern temporary structures are far more advanced than they were a few years ago. While older options weren’t so attractive and were often limited to certain use cases, today’s temporary buildings can be used for anything from setting up temporary structures after a disaster to quick business expansions. The demand for temporary buildings is also on a steep rise. If you happen to drive across a commercial area, chances are you will come across one or two temporary buildings being used for different purposes. In fact, they don’t look temporary at all. Beneath the advanced technologies and gorgeous designs, temporary buildings offer five main benefits for business and personal users alike. A Quick Way to Expand The need for more space is often an urgent one to meet, which is why a temporary building is perfect as a solution. The structure can be erected in as little as seven days, even when you have specific requirements and you want a complex temporary building to suit your needs. This benefit makes temporary buildings very suitable for things such as business expansions, storage needs, showrooms, and workshops. Temporary buildings are also perfect for more specific use cases, including extending an existing structure. A Wealth of Options As mentioned before, temporary buildings are designed to be very flexible. You no longer have to stick with a boxy structure made from less durable materials. Modern temporary buildings now use steel, aluminium, and PVC, along with other materials for better flexibility. This means you can have a temporary building designed to perfectly meet your needs. You can add partitions to the interior of the building, add large glass windows for display purposes, and do so much more with the options available today. Extra Durability While temporary structures are designed to be used temporarily, they are extremely durable. You can choose different materials, insulation options, and even finishing touches to ensure it will be a suitable temporary fix. In fact, products from leading players in the business are also easy to maintain. If you want to know more about your options and the kind of durability you can expect from modern temporary buildings, simply visit Smart Space. They provide numerous building options where you can get double glazed window panels, a thermo-insulated roof and heavy structural floors to ensure your building provides a functional temporary solution. Superb Cost Efficiency There is another major benefit offered by temporary buildings, and that is the immense cost efficiency they bring to the table. We’re not just talking about the cost of the materials and design, but also the cost of getting the structure erected in a timely manner. Since temporary buildings are fast to erect, there are no extensive labour costs and other fees to worry about. With the design selected, the entire construction process can be completed without breaking the bank. A Low-Risk Option Since you don’t have to invest a fortune to get a temporary building set up, you also don’t have additional risks to bear. When it is time to move on to a more permanent solution, you can have the temporary building dismantled just as easily. The lack of risk is also a benefit that comes with the nature of temporary buildings themselves. The construction project is handled by a team of experienced specialists, which means accidents and mishaps can be reduced to a minimum. At the same time, the temporary building offers sufficient protection for its occupants once it is erected. With these five benefits waiting to be enjoyed, temporary buildings are becoming the preferred option. Businesses of different sizes now use temporary buildings as a way to quickly meet their need for space. If you have an immediate need for a new structure, don’t forget to consider temporary buildings as practical options.
One of the most extraordinary planning applications London has ever seen has been submitted. Lord Norman Foster, Architect of The Gherkin (London) wants to revamp the city. As his original build has become increasingly crowded by a dense thicket of towers and slabs, leading it to be overshadowed by newer projects. Proposed to sit beside his beloved Gherkin, he has brought forth the notion of The Tulip. A high rise observation tower that will stand at 1000 ft tall (305.3m), the tallest structure and the second highest building in the city. It also reflects his original Gerkin design – remarkably closely. If plans go ahead The Tulip will be 5 meters shorter than the Shard, situated across the Thames river, and will illustrate a 12 storey glass bubble-like shape, erected on top of a long concrete stem. The Tulip will consist of rides in transparent pods, bars, restaurants, a viewing area, a miniature park, and an educational zone. Such an architectural extravaganza is borderline unheard of in the United Kingdom, and now the City of London’s planning department will look at Foster and Partner’s application to see if it can go ahead in the future of the city. If successful, the building is thought to be completed by 2025. The Tulip is a parody of architectural hubris. As the pod at the top of The Tulip stands as a miniature Gherkin pushed to the very heights of the sky, meaning Foster does not want to see his building being overshadowed, and will literally reach to the skies to ensure that doesn’t happen. His original icon is now starved of natural light and tourist attention. So his new proposal takes the same concept and pushes it to the very limit of high rise application. The great glass head of The Tulip will be encased by three protruding vertical spoon-like designs that will skim the walls of the lunging atriums – similar to the form of Astana’s Death Star expo pavilion. A transparent slide will allow visitors to `whoosh` between the floors of the egg-like capsule and users can take advantage of the glass spheres, that will take them on an 8-minute long journey in an elliptical loop across the seven storey’s of The Tulip’s flower. A new high rise building is unusual for London – and it is especially unusual for it to be so fanciful. That being said, big changes to the City’s skyline could soon be implemented. With a 2017 survey discussing new London Architecture demonstrating 510 buildings of 20 or more storey’s to be in the pipeline. High rise builds have also been proposed in cities further scattered around the United Kingdom, inclusive of Bristol, Manchester and Norwich. Standing at over 300 meters, The Tulip would be in guidelines to gain classification as Supertall. London currently remains joint 56th in the Global list of cities with completed buildings of more than 150 meters. With 18 in place – London is tied with Seattle, US. Hong Kong showcases 353 Supertall buildings, followed by New York with 269. No other city in the UK scores higher than 180th, and in the entirety of the world there are only three builds that reach the Urban Habitat’s 600-meter Megatall category: Burj Khalifa (Dubai), Shanghai Tower (China), & Makkah Royal Clock Tower (Saudi Arabia) The City of London Corporation will deliver its verdict on the fate of The Tulip, quite fittingly, in Spring 2019. If plans are able to go ahead it could be the very first step in developing a new, unique, skyline for London, as the City decides whether to take to new heights or remain grounded.
