A derelict building on the edge of Northampton city centre has been transformed into a striking 21st century educational facility, thanks in part to mirror-polished, perforated panels from Proteus Facades. What was once the Royal Mail Sorting Office on Barrack Road, has now been redeveloped into an iconic school featuring
Two south London-based eateries have opened their doors to the public at Elephant Park – the £2.3bn development that is taking shape in Elephant & Castle. KOI Ramen Bar is bringing southern Japanese flavours to south London, and customers will find a small menu that is big on flavour. The
KAM Project Consultants has expanded its Milton Keynes team with four new hires for the cost management team from graduate to senior levels. Leann Rodney, senior cost manager, will be responsible for employer’s agent duties, plus pre and post contract cost management. She has 12 years’ experience in the industry
The Westcountry’s award-winning Cavanna Homes, has opened its latest show home in the West Devon market town of Tavistock with a ribbon-cutting ceremony performed by the town’s Mayor. Councillor Anne Johnson, was joined by Cavanna Homes’ Head of Sales Paul Furner for the opening of the show home at Broadleigh
Nuki, the European market-leading name in smart locks proudly announces the introduction of it’s ‘Night Mode’ feature, an update and new feature-set designed to help customers as winter approaches. Nuki’s Night Mode brings a new level of comfort and safety to the Nuki Smart Lock by combining and automatically activating
A derelict building on the edge of Northampton city centre has been transformed into a striking 21st century educational facility, thanks in part to mirror-polished, perforated panels from Proteus Facades. What was once the Royal Mail Sorting Office on Barrack Road, has now been redeveloped into an iconic school featuring a reflective Proteus SC Perforated Stainless Steel façade. After closing due to a fire in 2003, the building remained uninhabited for over a decade and fell into disrepair. Once described as an eyesore of the city, the structure has now been given a new lease of life as Northampton International Academy. Helping to respond to a significant requirement for school places in the city, Architecture Initiative identified the old sorting office as the ideal space for the new state-of-the-art school. Working closely with the local authority, the London-based architects redesigned the colossal, brutalist building, which was originally opened by Princess Diana on her first solo engagement in 1981, into an education hub filled with natural light. The Proteus SC Perforated panels installed at Northampton International Academy cleverly mask the monolithic appearance of the original structure, whilst not completely hiding this brutalist piece of architecture. The mirror polished surface on the face of the panels reflects the skyline giving the impression that the building is less imposing. Reducing the perforation sizes from the middle of the façade to the top and bottom edges, maximises translucency, whilst acting as brise soleil, providing shade from solar glare and preventing over-heating to the teaching spaces. The single skin perforated panels were manufactured from a sheet of 2mm Stainless Steel, which offers the ideal combination of high strength and a modern, progressive aesthetic. The material also holds excellent corrosion resistant properties. Each panel, installed by Deane Roofing & Cladding, is supported by the Proteus aluminium carrier system and ancillary components anchored to a cantilever steel frame from the underlying masonry structure. These allowed the panels to be hooked-on from behind, accentuating the sheer, smooth façade interrupted only by the perforated design. Northamptonshire is known for its history of crafting leather goods, particularly the art of traditional shoemaking. So taking the design process one step further, Proteus Facades worked closely with Architecture Initiative to create perforations that acknowledge this heritage; with the holes on each panel positioned to imitate those found on a Northampton-made brogue-style shoe. In addition, careful placement of the small and large perforations allows natural light to pass through and flood the interior of the school, whilst the metal façade is rendered virtually invisible from the inside. This innovative approach is just one of the reasons Northampton International Academy was named one of the “boldest” buildings of 2019 by the Royal Institute of British Architects. With a floor area of 22,250m2 and generous high ceilings, the academy, run by the EMLC Academy Trust, accommodates over 2,220 pupils, including 420 primary, 1,500 secondary and 300 sixth formers. The front of the school houses two illuminated signage boxes that indicate separate entrances for primary and secondary pupils, which perfectly complement the mirror polish of the Proteus SC panels. Proteus SC is an engineered panel system that is available in either solid, perforated or expanded mesh formats, and in an extensive range of metals, colours, textures and forms. The system is available between 1mm and 5mm in thickness and can be specified with an acoustic insulation layer encapsulated within the panel. For internal applications Proteus Facades can also provide contrasting fabric inserts when the panels are perforated. Delivered by Northamptonshire County Council with funding from the Education and Skills Funding Agency and developed by Contractor, Vinci Construction, Northampton International Academy is one of the largest education conversion projects in the country. For further information about Proteus SC or to view more inspirational rainscreen facades from Proteus Facades, visit: www.proteusfacades.com or call: 0151 545 5075.
Two south London-based eateries have opened their doors to the public at Elephant Park – the £2.3bn development that is taking shape in Elephant & Castle. KOI Ramen Bar is bringing southern Japanese flavours to south London, and customers will find a small menu that is big on flavour. The team, led by Ming Chan and Hiroko Takata, will specialise in Tonkotsu Ramen, a creamy pork broth that is cooked for 16 hours and served over noodles. Beza is a traditional Ethiopian restaurant that uses plant-based and seasonal ingredients to serve a range of authentic dishes from a 100 per cent vegan menu. Beza was previously a tenant at Artworks Elephant, a temporary pop-up retail park that was created to provide community-led space for start-ups and small businesses in the area. With an increasing number of retailers moving into the development, Elephant Park is rapidly becoming one of the most desirable areas to live, work or visit in south London. Kristy Lansdown, Project Director of Elephant Park for Lendlease, said: “Having Beza and KOI Ramen Bar open their doors has made this corner of south London feel even more special. They are the first of a series of openings for local restaurants with a truly international feel at Elephant Park, and we are very proud to have them here.” Ming Chan, of KOI Ramen Bar, said: “We are so happy to be here in our first proper shop in Elephant & Castle and cannot wait to serve our Ramen to all the locals around here. We’re excited to be in this fast growing development, and look forward to seeing everyone’s faces over the next few years.” Beza Ethio, Founder of the eponymous brand, said: “We approached Lendlease at Artworks Elephant with the hope that their drive to support small brands at the temporary space would help us grow. We are delighted to see this come to fruition, with our first-ever permanent restaurant space, and look forward to serving the local community, many of whom already know us well.”
KAM Project Consultants has expanded its Milton Keynes team with four new hires for the cost management team from graduate to senior levels. Leann Rodney, senior cost manager, will be responsible for employer’s agent duties, plus pre and post contract cost management. She has 12 years’ experience in the industry and degrees in business administration and quantity surveying and is qualified MRICS. Cost manager Sheldon Farrell has also joined KAM. With a degree in quantity surveying and over four years’ experience in the industrial and commercial sectors, he is well equipped to provide services to projects in KAM’s core sector of industrial. Saahib Reehal and Paul Moloyos have both joined the team as graduate cost managers. As part of their structured training programme, they will be developing their careers across a variety of exciting projects. Saahib has freshly graduated from Nottingham Trent University with a degree in quantity surveying having previously worked at VolkerFitzpatrick during a University placement year, Paul worked with the KAM team for a work experience placement in 2018 and has recently graduated from the University of Reading with a degree in quantity surveying. KAM is currently working on a number of high-profile projects across the country for developers in the industrial and commercial sectors, plus appointments for customers such as the new MRO service centre for client Gulfstream at Farnborough Airport. Kevin Sims, director at KAM Project Consultants said: “We’re pleased to announce that our Milton Keynes team is growing. To support our ever-expanding client portfolio, we have employed staff with a range of skills and experience. Career growth and development is key to our business model, and we aim to nourish our staff in their career at every level.” Leann Rodney said: “I’m thrilled to be joining the KAM team as senior cost manager and look forward to applying my expertise whilst working on an interesting range of upcoming projects.” Sheldon Farrell said: “KAM is passionate about promoting the growth of individuals, which is what attracted me to the role. I look forward to getting stuck in with the work and utilising my skillset, as well as progressing within the company.” Saahib Reehal said: “KAM is held in high regard in the industry as a progressive company with a welcoming and supportive team. I hope to bring an energetic and hardworking approach to the company, to help us complete projects to the highest possible standards.” Paul Moloyos said: “I’m delighted to be starting my career at KAM Project Consultants as a graduate cost manager. Having previously undertaken work experience at KAM, I was attracted to the company due to its continued involvement and expansion into new, large projects both in and outside of the UK, I look forward to continuing my work with the team.”
The Westcountry’s award-winning Cavanna Homes, has opened its latest show home in the West Devon market town of Tavistock with a ribbon-cutting ceremony performed by the town’s Mayor. Councillor Anne Johnson, was joined by Cavanna Homes’ Head of Sales Paul Furner for the opening of the show home at Broadleigh Park, a development of 148 new open market and affordable homes, just off the New Launceston Road and set alongside public open space with a children’s play park. The new homes scheme will contribute nearly £850,000 towards local community improvements including funding for a new primary school, new sports facilities and an improved bus service. Cllr Johnson said: “We are very pleased to see this development is offering a good range of houses in a great location on the edge of town and that the community contributions will go towards public transport as well as other essential improvements to benefit local people.” Broadleigh Park is just a mile from Tavistock’s vibrant town centre with its range of independent and high street shops as well as the local pannier market. Three supermarkets are a short drive away, with a local hospital, two doctors’ surgeries, a post office, leisure facilities, and a primary and secondary school close by. The ‘Corndon’ style show home is a four-bedroom detached family home, featuring a spacious lounge, an open plan kitchen / dining room, a utility room, a large garden and a garage plus parking. Karen Heywood, Sales Manager said: “Our new homes have sparked a lot of interest and we’ve already secured seven off-plan reservations before the show home opening, all of which have so far been from local people. “At this time of year, people are very attracted to the energy efficiency of our new homes which come with the latest heating systems, excellent wall and loft insulation, and double glazing. “Our excellent range of house styles means we’re confident there’s something for everyone, so anyone looking to move to this brilliant location should come and visit soon.” Cavanna Homes offer a number of buying schemes which provide practical and financial assistance, including Part-Exchange and Move Assist. The firm has also introduced a sale and leaseback scheme enabling home-seekers to purchase one of Cavanna’s show homes and lease it back to the firm for the duration of use. Paul Furner said: “We’ve built a strong reputation for ‘building brilliance’ and high-quality new homes, which has recently been recognised at the national Housebuilder Awards where we were very proud to have been named ‘Medium Housebuilder of the Year’. “We take great pride in the homes that we build, and we can’t wait to show people around our beautifully designed show home and our selection of family homes coming soon in Tavistock.” Current prices start at £234,000 for a three-bedroom, semi-detached Bracken with parking.
Nuki, the European market-leading name in smart locks proudly announces the introduction of it’s ‘Night Mode’ feature, an update and new feature-set designed to help customers as winter approaches. Nuki’s Night Mode brings a new level of comfort and safety to the Nuki Smart Lock by combining and automatically activating specific features of the Smart Lock during the night. This ensures, amongst other features, the greatest possible security at night by double-locking the door. Users can use this function to meet their individual needs and have the option to disable Auto Unlock during the night should they wish. The Nuki Smart Lock also switches to low-power mode at night and sends out a Bluetooth signal less frequently, therefore significantly increasing battery life. Improved User ExperienceNuki’s day and night profiles allow customers to adapt their Smart Lock to their individual needs. For example, families with small children whose sleep could be easily disturbed by Auto Unlock can disable it and instead use a normal key when they come home late. The same applies if you work from home during the day and don’t need Auto Lock during this period but want to make sure that your house is always safely locked during the night. Improved Low battery WarningDo not be afraid of low batteries! Before the current update, Nuki notified users via a notification in the app and optional push notifications as soon as battery power was below 20 percent. With the new update a battery warning will now be displayed in the lock overview of the app for extra reassurance. Devised by multi award-winning Austrian designers EOOS.com, built in Europe, and utilising bank-grade security software, the Nuki Smart Lock 2.0 and Opener are fully compatible with Android and iOS and can be used to assign digital access rights to friends, family, and service providers via the companion app. Nuki offers the convenience of the optional Nuki Fob and Nuki Keypad – ideal access solutions for children, tradespeople, carers and for those without a smartphone. The optional Nuki Opener also enables the operation of the front door to apartment buildings simply via the Nuki app, as well as remotely.
