The first phase of a giant warehousing complex geared for the needs of online shopping is taking shape at Ipswich, off the A14. The Great Blakenham scheme – described as groundbreaking – will be a warehouse and distribution complex which is set to break with traditional norms with its building
The ongoing transformation of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter has been boosted with approval for a new £125 million neighbourhood. Developers Galliard Homes and Apsley House Capital are working to redevelop the four-acre AE Harris industrial site into St Paul’s Quarter, creating over 500 jobs in the process. St Paul’s Quarter will
Mason UK has formed part of the team to deliver a £40 million development at the Royal College of Music. Situated between the vibrant Imperial College of London and the illustrious Royal Albert Hall, the Royal College of Music can be considered the pinnacle of past, present and future music
When working from home, it’s difficult to differentiate work from home life. Some of us can manage it – setting a fixed work schedule, having an office out-of-the-way from the rest of the home, and generally feeling like you do a full-time job and then return to home. Only, you
The first phase of a giant warehousing complex geared for the needs of online shopping is taking shape at Ipswich, off the A14. The Great Blakenham scheme – described as groundbreaking – will be a warehouse and distribution complex which is set to break with traditional norms with its building design. Developer Curzon de Vere said the aim was of Port One Logistics Park is to give e-commerce operations warehousing and distribution facilities geared to their needs. It said most e-commerce activities were being conducted from centre designed and built for other purposes and many operators were experiencing inefficiencies and high costs as a result. With leases agreed and planning approval in place, Anglia Building Services Ltd has started work on the first phase of the 60-acre site, off the A14’s junction 52, which will result in three units being built within the next year. The first 143,000sq ft unit has been designed for Ipswich-based Chinese fulfilment house operator FDS Corporation Ltd. FDS general manager Sheng Li said: “The past three years has shown us how well our Suffolk location works for us and our growth has given us the confidence to look at a new facility.” Ports and logistics solutions specialist Murray Gibson Associates Ltd, who is providing architecture services, said it was an “exceptional” project, with the building designed from the inside out. “It is very rarely that you get the opportunity of a completely clean sheet of paper on which to design an operation that not only exceeds the client’s original brief, but also ticks so many of the desirable supply chain features that this site in particular offers,” said the firm’s owner Murray Gibson. “Having perfected the internal layout and process flows, it was literally a case of wrapping the building around it.” A fulfilment house differs from conventional warehouses in its use of the ‘cube’ of the building rather than just focusing on the floor area, he explained. “This three-dimensional approach has enabled us to achieve a density of over 32,000 pallets of storage, nine-high with semi-automated locating.” It is thought that around a fifth of UK consumer purchases will be made online by the end of 2019, and that will increase to around a quarter by 2023, with the UK leading Europe in its growing preference for online shopping. “Behind the scenes, nothing short of a mini-revolution has taken place, largely unseen, that ensures our online purchases arrive where we want them and when, leaving us to get on with our busy lives,” explained Mr Gibson. “By cutting out multiple distribution centres and stores and delivering direct to the consumer, retailing is now embedded in the processes that enable us to buy products on our computer, tablet or smart phone. Orders are picked, labelled and marshalled for dispatch by courier and delivery companies to our chosen destination, offering an ever-widening number of options to suit our individual lifestyles.” Other buildings of between 50,000 and 700,000sq ft are planned for the logistics park. They will follow similar design principles, with planning consent for building heights of more than 20 metres. Easy access to the east and westbound carriageways of the A14 are key feature of the site, which will be operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “Port One Logistics Park enters the market in exactly the right place and at the right time,” said Mr Gibson. “According to industry analysts Retail Economics, and demonstrated at this year’s United Kingdom Warehousing Association national conference, a further 44m sq ft of warehouse space needs to be built in the UK by the end of 2021 – just to meet the demands of the online retail sector.”
The ongoing transformation of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter has been boosted with approval for a new £125 million neighbourhood. Developers Galliard Homes and Apsley House Capital are working to redevelop the four-acre AE Harris industrial site into St Paul’s Quarter, creating over 500 jobs in the process. St Paul’s Quarter will comprise 305 apartments – including lofts and duplexes – and circa 100,000 sq ft of commercial space, including affordable business and retail space, across 20 buildings, as well as new public realm. It will be bounded by Newhall Street, Graham Street, Brook Street, James Street and Northwood Street. As part of the work, a new pedestrian street will stretch from Newhall Street into the heart of the Jewellery Quarter, improving access from the city centre. Northwood Street, currently partially closed to the public, will also be opened to pedestrians for the first time in more than 20 years. A new public square will be incorporated, in the centre of the scheme, surrounded by commercial and leisure space at ground level. The scheme will also see two Grade II listed buildings restored to their former glory – 109 Northwood Street and 199 Newhall Street. A further two derelict buildings, 123 and 128 Northwood Street, will also be salvaged and transformed into new homes. Stephen Conway, executive chairman of Galliard Homes, said: “The Jewellery Quarter’s historic buildings give the area its special character. Galliard has a track record of restoring listed buildings across London and we are looking forward to bringing this experience to Birmingham. 123 and 128 Northwood Street have a familiar typology to the Jewellery Quarter, with street frontages concealing rear factory wings. These two buildings reinforce the grain of the area, running north-south. It’s therefore right that we respect their heritage and preserve them, despite their lack of listed status.” Robin Norstrom, a director at Apsley House Capital, added: “This development will be the largest within the Jewellery Quarter Conservation Area. We have invested more than two years in bringing this highly anticipated scheme forward, working with the local community and with the city’s planning officers to create a new gateway to the Jewellery Quarter and an animated hub – not only a place to live and work but also a destination in itself. The scheme will introduce more than a kilometre of street frontages to explore, with the majority of the public spaces being car free. As well as new homes, the scheme’s ground floor commercial space will provide opportunities for up-and-coming independent businesses, whether that’s local heroes or brands new to the city. We are also keen to support jewellers and artists by providing affordable retail and business space.” St Paul’s Quarter is expected to take four years to complete.
Mason UK has formed part of the team to deliver a £40 million development at the Royal College of Music. Situated between the vibrant Imperial College of London and the illustrious Royal Albert Hall, the Royal College of Music can be considered the pinnacle of past, present and future music within the capital. The £40 million ‘More Music: Reimagining the Royal College of Music’ Campaign aims to increase access to music and strengthen facilities. The building development will enhance student and visitor experience. Floating floors were required in the new performance hall to create separate box-in-box structures providing areas for undisturbed musical performances. With high ceilings, varying levels and heavy floor finishing zones, the floating floor and bearing designs had to be carefully coordinated with the design team and in particular the structural engineers. The heavy perimeter walls and ceiling were constructed on 12Hz natural rubber bearings which surround the main floating floor. This helped to spread the mass across the structural floor rather than having large point loads. At the head of these walls were bespoke design acoustic snubbers which would engage in the unlikely scenario of the walls moving laterally ±3mm. This satisfied both the acoustic and structural requirements. Mason UK’s involvement in the Royal College of Music’s More Music building development brought together many different elements of design. Being directly involved within the design process enabled the best possible solution to be put forward; this is especially important in scenarios where a typical construction solution is not suitable.
When working from home, it’s difficult to differentiate work from home life. Some of us can manage it – setting a fixed work schedule, having an office out-of-the-way from the rest of the home, and generally feeling like you do a full-time job and then return to home. Only, you don’t return – it is your home. It’s important to separate these two parts of our lives. Otherwise, you’ll never be able to relax. If you’re used to working at 8pm on the sofa in front of the TV, not only will you be distracted, but you’ll never be able to enjoy the TV. You need to know when to switch off. Here are some tips on how to separate your work life from your private life when working from home. Refer to your work space as your office This is not only a good reminder to yourself that you’re now in “work mode”, but it reminds others that you’re not just an unemployed lay about. If friends are distracting you, asking for favours, then be confident in using the phrase “I can’t, I’m working in the office”. Make sure to reinforce at every opportunity that this is only a space for work, and that you’re now unavailable when you’re there. Don’t put personal entertainment in the office room So, obviously you should have a separate room in the home as an office, if you’re fortunate enough to have that extra space (if not, then perhaps buy a cheap room divider window and put it around your desk). However, just because you have an awesome 4k monitor in your office it doesn’t mean you should bring your playstation here for when you finish work. This is a terrible idea as it will tempt you when working to “have a break”. Instead, keep only work related things in this space. Personalisation This however doesn’t mean you can’t personalise your office. You should be creating decorations (not just buying) for this office, something to put an extra bit of life into the space. It’s always handy to have some fast and strong glue available too, so you can put together your decorations exactly how you want them. Make sure to take your time with this process, you want to be thrilled with the final aesthetic. Get a coffee machine Okay so, this actually goes hand-in-hand with the notion that you shouldn’t be mixing work with play. If you’re always having to walk to the kitchen to make yourself drinks, then you’re already blurring the lines. It’s a much better idea to be able to make drinks in your office so you can keep working. Sure, when deciding to have a break, have a proper break (by that, you should be leaving the office and preferably the house all together for a set amount of time). Scheduling Lastly, try your best to have a fixed routine. The first thing you think when you’re new to working from home is that “this is the main benefit of working from home – doing things when I want. However, this can be a downward spiral – before you know it, you’re in there late at night, getting tired and distracted on your phone and bahm! The lines are blurred again. Keep to a fixed routine – work as early as possible in the office so you can indulge in the rest of your home in the evenings.
