National property and construction consultancy Wakemans has completed a £2.4million SuperRoom roll out programme for Travelodge, one of the UK’s largest budget hotel chains. The Travelodge SuperRoom is the UK’s first premium economy room concept within the budget hotel sector. It is designed around the ‘premium economy’ concept familiar to
BSG (Building Safety Group), the UK’s largest construction safety group, has reported a 33% year on year rise in the number of ‘Hand Arm Vibration’ breaches recorded on construction sites. The increase is based on over 42,000 independent site inspections conducted over a two year period, comparing 2017 to 2018.
The University of Glasgow has appointed architects Woods Bagot to design and deliver a new building to house its School of Engineering. The new Engineering Building is part of the University’s £1 billion Campus Development Programme, which is redeveloping the 14 acre site of the former Western Infirmary in
Michael Holmes, property expert for the National Homebuilding & Renovating Show (28-31 March, NEC, Birmingham), provides his advice on building a conservatory to withstand all weather conditions. ‘Adding underfloor heating and air conditioning can do much to make a conservatory more comfortable year round, but its more effective and ecologically sustainable to invest
HLM, a leading design and architecture practice with studios in Glasgow, has won the tender for the £45 million Sheffield Heart of the City II Block A project, staving off competition from 37 other architecture practices. The scheme will provide ground floor retail space, office accommodation, a lifestyle hotel and
National property and construction consultancy Wakemans has completed a £2.4million SuperRoom roll out programme for Travelodge, one of the UK’s largest budget hotel chains. The Travelodge SuperRoom is the UK’s first premium economy room concept within the budget hotel sector. It is designed around the ‘premium economy’ concept familiar to airline users. It dials up the comfort factor for business and leisure customers who want the extra choice of a more premium room. Wakemans acted as project manager on the trial rooms, with responsibility for the procurement of the new amenities as well as fit-out, before overseeing the roll-out of SuperRooms in 48 Travelodge hotels around the UK. Nigel Himpson, Senior Associate Director at Wakemans, said: “SuperRooms are now available in some of the top locations around the country and offer an extra level of comfort to guests who opt for longer stays as well as those who choose to spend more time in the room.” A total of 296 SuperRooms have been incorporated into Travelodge’s existing city centre hotels. Scott Rutherford, Travelodge, Technical Services Director said: “At Travelodge we are all about bringing great value and choice to the budget traveller. More and more business travellers are opting for a budget hotel and last year we generated more sales from business customers than those on holiday. Our new SuperRoom adds an extra choice for customers who are spending more time working in the room, are staying longer or who just value that little bit more comfort. Alongside our recently upgraded classic room, this is another important milestone on our journey to become the favourite hotel for value.” The stylish SuperRoom has everything that you would expect from Travelodge but with lots of new additional creature comforts. It has been styled in a modern residential décor scheme, creating a home from home feel. It features a new dream-light colour scheme which includes tones of calming blue, warm beige and tranquil taupe, as well as blackout curtains, creating a relaxing atmosphere for a restful night’s sleep. The signature creature comforts in the SuperRoom include: Lavazza ‘A Modo Mio’ fresh capsule coffee machine to kick-start your day Hansgrohe Raindance 3-jet adjustable shower to leave you fully refreshed Multiple power and USB charging points at arm’s length throughout Relaxing ambient LED mood lighting Comfy armchair to relax in Larger desk area with a comfortable swivel chair Luxurious king-size Travelodge Dreamer™ bed Choice of firm and soft hypo-allergenic pillows Dressing stand with a powerful hairdryer In-room iron and ironing board Powerful hairdryer and full length mirror Samsung Slimline wall-mounted flat screen TV Hot chocolate and a KitKat for that extra treat when you need it
BSG (Building Safety Group), the UK’s largest construction safety group, has reported a 33% year on year rise in the number of ‘Hand Arm Vibration’ breaches recorded on construction sites. The increase is based on over 42,000 independent site inspections conducted over a two year period, comparing 2017 to 2018. Hand-arm vibration comes from the use of hand-held power tools and is the cause of significant ill health (painful and disabling disorders of the blood vessels, nerves and joints). Exposing workers to the risks of ‘Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome’ or HAVS can result in symptoms such as such as tingling, pins and needles, numbness and pain in the affected person’s hands. The condition can affect sleep when it occurs at night and cause difficulties in gripping and holding things. Between 2008 and 2017 there were over 7,000 new claims for HAVs according to the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB). BSG’s announcement coincides with a series of recent HSE blitzes which have focused on ‘Vibration’ in construction as a serious health risk. In many cases, HSE visits have frequently led to FFIs (Fees for intervention) penalties being imposed. A recent case saw Balfour Beatty fined £500,000 for HAVS breaches over ‘several years’*. Paul Kimpton, Managing Director for BSG commented: “Hand arm vibration can be a significant health risk wherever powered hand tools are used for prolonged lengths of time. And unfortunately, once the damage is done it is permanent.” Paul continued: “However the good news is that HAVs is easily preventable. What construction companies need to do is find out what their workers’ exposure is likely to be as part of a vibration risk assessment. The HSE advises that the employer carries out a period of monitoring to understand how long workers use particular tools in a typical day or week. Once you know enough about the work to say what the exposure is likely to be and whether it is likely to exceed either the ‘Exposure Action’ or ‘Exposure Limit Value**’, focus can shift to investigating, as well as taking practical steps to reduce the exposure and the risks.”
The University of Glasgow has appointed architects Woods Bagot to design and deliver a new building to house its School of Engineering. The new Engineering Building is part of the University’s £1 billion Campus Development Programme, which is redeveloping the 14 acre site of the former Western Infirmary in Glasgow’s West End. This marks the beginning of the next chapter in the University of Glasgow’s proud heritage of world-shaping engineering. Alongside offering innovative teaching spaces and laboratories, the vision for student learning in the new building focuses on a large, dynamic Creativity Lab. This will accommodate workshops, plus advanced visualisation and data analysis where students can develop as creative engineers, engage with industry, grow student-led engineering outreach and build teams for international engineering competitions. The building will be a living laboratory, driven by Smart Building and Smart Campus technologies, where researchers and students engage with the building’s energy and structural performance data and where new technologies can be researched and tested. Research laboratories will create collaborative interdisciplinary environments to find engineering solutions to global problems. The building will also be outward-facing, showcasing engineering at Glasgow, with facilities for industry and public engagement, and social spaces. Margaret Lucas, Professor of Ultrasonics at the University of Glasgow, who leads the project, said: “Glasgow is renowned for engineering innovation, and the discoveries made here have shaped the world around us for centuries. This is now an opportunity to change how we do engineering at the University of Glasgow, and create our future world-shaping engineering heritage. “Our vision is a building that not only supports world-class learning and teaching, but is also a collaborative and creative space, helping to drive discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship for our students, staff and wider community. “Working with the team at Woods Bagot is an exciting collaboration for us, to develop a new unique and iconic home for Engineering at the University of Glasgow.” Woods Bagot Principal Jonathan Leah said: “We are delighted to be collaborating with the University of Glasgow and its passionate and engaged group of stakeholders to provide user-centric solutions that address the Engineering Building’s needs now and well into the future.”
Michael Holmes, property expert for the National Homebuilding & Renovating Show (28-31 March, NEC, Birmingham), provides his advice on building a conservatory to withstand all weather conditions. ‘Adding underfloor heating and air conditioning can do much to make a conservatory more comfortable year round, but its more effective and ecologically sustainable to invest in design solutions that will make the climate easier to control by reducing heat gain on sunny days and preventing warmth escaping when it’s cold. Adding thermal blinds can achieve both of these aims in very effectively. Getting the conservatory design right in the first instance is the best approach, avoiding due south orientation to limit solar gain, or at least using planting to provide screening where a south facing wall is the only location option. Limiting the area of glazing to two walls rather than three and adding high levels of insulation in the floor and base walls will also help, as will choosing energy efficient double glazed units fitted with solar glass to reduce solar gain and heat loss. Reducing the glazed area of the roof will also improve thermal efficiency, which is why sun rooms, with two glazed walls but a partially or totally solid insulated roof, are becoming ever more popular. Ventilation is also a key consideration in keeping a conservatory cool, allowing warm humid air to escape through roof vents and cooler fresh air to be drawn in at a lower level. Adding a ceiling fan will also help air movement. Security, style, price, durability and thermal efficiency are all key considerations when choosing a front door, but unless budget is unlimited, these qualities can compete for priority and a compromise will need to be found to choose the right product. For a valuable high end home, it’s very important to choose a door that complements the property’s architectural style and painted timber is what most buyers would expect and will maintain the property’s value. A u-PVC door might be seen as a negative on such a property, even detracting its value if the style is wrong, despite its security and longevity. Conversely, for the typical family home, a uPVC door that will be secure, require almost no maintenance and is likely to last for years will be what most buyers expect, while a softwood timber door might well be seen as a maintenance issue and therefore a negative. An off-the-shelf door made to a standard size will usually be the most cost-effective choice. It will often be less expensive to make minor adjustments to the door opening to suit a standard size frame than to have a bespoke door made to order.’
HLM, a leading design and architecture practice with studios in Glasgow, has won the tender for the £45 million Sheffield Heart of the City II Block A project, staving off competition from 37 other architecture practices. The scheme will provide ground floor retail space, office accommodation, a lifestyle hotel and residential accommodation. It forms part of the wider Heart of the City II masterplan, one of Sheffield’s key economic projects backed by Sheffield City Council alongside its strategic delivery partner Queensberry. Designed to create a dynamic mixed-use district in the heart of the city centre, it will offer Grade A office space, two hotels, residential developments, restaurants and cafés, leisure destinations, parking and stunning public realm. Block A is the city block on Pinstone Street and is the gateway to the Heart of the City II district from the east. It sits within the City Centre Conservation Area and neighbours several historically significant buildings and public spaces, including Barker’s Pool, City Hall, the Town Hall and Laycock House. It also has a commanding presence over the adjacent Peace Gardens. HLM’s winning design draws on the romance and heritage of the site as well as the independent retail culture of the city centre and the vibrancy associated with Sheffield City of Makers. Described as calm, confident and contemporary, it stitches together different uses to create a vibrant destination within the city centre. Philip Watson, Director and Head of Design at HLM, said: “As a major UK practice which had its first base in Sheffield, being part of its regeneration is a great honour. It’s a unique project with a significance that is affirmed by the 35+ practices who wanted to be considered as part of the competition. Our successful design reflects our own understanding of this great UK city as well a quality of architecture that marries the respect of the old and the potential of the new.” Nalin Seneviratne, Director of City Centre Development at Sheffield City Council, added: “Block A is one of the most prominent blocks within the Heart of the City II masterplan. It was critical for us to bring in an architect with the vision and creativity to help us to realise the true potential of this site. With HLM Architects we are confident we have found this, as they combine international experience and expertise with a detailed local knowledge and respect for Sheffield’s heritage.” HLM offers expertise across five disciplines including Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Environmental and Masterplanning. It has studios in Glasgow, London, Sheffield, Belfast, Cardiff and Manchester, as well as Dubai and Abu Dhabi. For more information on HLM visit: www.hlmarchitects.com or follow @HLMArchitects on Twitter.
