Three types of Kawneer’s curtain wall feature on the Atlas’ commercial element. Bespoke curtain walling by leading UK manufacturer Kawneer was preferred for an 11-storey office building at the heart of London’s architectural sector. Kawneer’s AA®265 unitised system was adapted by the company for the commercial element of the £200
Ibstock plc has become the first building products manufacturer in the UK to procure 100% of its electricity from renewable sources. This milestone announcement enables Ibstock to make significant steps in reaching its Sustainability Roadmap target of a 15% reduction in CO2 per tonne of production by 2025, and accelerates
Tritax Big Box REIT plc recently announced an update on its valuation ahead of its full year results for the twelve months to 31 December 2020, which are due to be published on Wednesday, 10 March 2021. All figures disclosed in this announcement are unaudited. UK large-scale logistics real estate
Launch events have been announced by real estate specialist, Urban Village Capital, for two major Midland residential redevelopments. Four Oaks House in Sutton Coldfield and the iconic Equipoint building in South Yardley – both former office blocks – are opening their doors to future residents of these impressive new schemes
The Grenfell Tower tragedy horrified Britain. Subsequent enquiries have highlighted issues with materials used, construction standards and supervisory roles, to name but a few, and enquiries are on-going. In the meantime, people are living in multi-story buildings with no clear resolution to the issue of cladding on buildings. Future plans
Construction is a big industry, and there are lots of people who think that a job here might be right for them. It’s true, it very may well be, but at the same time, it might not be and it’s up to you to decide. Nobody else can do it
Three types of Kawneer’s curtain wall feature on the Atlas’ commercial element. Bespoke curtain walling by leading UK manufacturer Kawneer was preferred for an 11-storey office building at the heart of London’s architectural sector. Kawneer’s AA®265 unitised system was adapted by the company for the commercial element of the £200 million Atlas building – at 40 storeys the tallest tower in London’s Tech City area – at 145 City Road, Clerkenwell. Concept-designed by Make architects and delivered by the Design Delivery Unit of Scott Brownrigg, the commercial building actually featured a total of three types of Kawneer’s curtain walling – the traditional stick system AA®110 (zone drained) on the ground floor, the adapted AA®265 on the floors above, and standard unitised AA®201 on the tenth floor return elevation to the existing building. The adapted AA®265 modular system incorporated GRC and aluminium rainscreen cladding and glazed vision areas in each panel. Some 3m wide, 3.85m high and one tonne in weight, each unit was delivered to site and hoisted into position by a tower crane, complete with the cladding and glazing in place. Kawneer’s Technical Proposals Engineer Dave Fletcher said: “The basic AA®265 design was revised to accommodate the building movement that had been identified by the structural engineers as it could accommodate the size of units and the GRC rainscreen units being pre-fixed to the panels. “The system developments, including new profile and accessory design such as 19 project-specific dies, were all carried out by our Technical Department at our Head Office.” Installed by specialist sub-contractor Mace Facades for main contractor Mace, the Kawneer systems also included thermally superior AA®720 entrance doors on all floors. The Atlas’ commercial element is occupied by WeWork and features a strong emphasis on nature, with three roof terraces and external green walls. WeWorks’ coworking space allows members to enjoy 11 floors of collaborative work spaces, stunning private offices, welcoming event spaces, and modern conference rooms for hosting key client meetings. In addition to being dog-friendly, this super-accommodating office space features bike storage and on-site showers. Along with the Atlas tower, the WeWork building sits above the London Underground and Thameslink lines. This discovery at planning stage changed the concept for the structural strategy, resulting in the creation of a new superstructure design to prevent the buildings from twisting and leaning. Loads imposed by the buildings are kept clear of the tube tunnels by cantilevering the structures over the subterranean Victorian engineering. The mass provided by the frame, and by increasing the thickness of the ground-floor and mezzanine first-floor slabs, helped give the structure sufficient inertia to dampen the ground-borne vibration from the underground trains. The original planning concept was for a series of white and off-white shades of terracotta cladding. However, with the stability issues raised at post-planning, the weight of the terracotta posed a challenge with the cantilevered building. Design Delivery Unit at Scott Brownrigg demonstrated options that could be achieved using anodised aluminium, and following modelling and testing of the material, proved that given the scale, repetition and shape of the facade, a unitised system would work and still achieve the original vision.
Ibstock plc has become the first building products manufacturer in the UK to procure 100% of its electricity from renewable sources. This milestone announcement enables Ibstock to make significant steps in reaching its Sustainability Roadmap target of a 15% reduction in CO2 per tonne of production by 2025, and accelerates its Net-Zero Carbon journey. Total Gas & Power, Ibstock’s energy supplier, says its Pure Green energy tariff enables Ibstock to report zero emissions for electricity under the GHG Protocol Corporate Standards, Scope 2 as the electricity can be matched to Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin (REGO) certificates. Pure Green guarantees that the REGOs will only come from solar, wind or hydro sources. The generation mix of Total’s Pure Green power is typically hydro/wave power (0.31%); solar (24.69%); and wind (75%). Decarbonisation measures This switch to renewable electricity is the latest in a series of decarbonisation projects Ibstock has invested in, including the completion of a solar park – the first of its kind in the brick industry – at the Group’s Leicestershire head office. Supplying 20-30% of the power requirement on site. The company is also continuing to play its part in the reduction of reliance on fossil fuels through the installation of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure across several sites. Joe Hudson, Chief Executive Officer of Ibstock, said: “This is a very significant moment for our business. We take our goals and ambitions on sustainability extremely seriously and procuring all of our electrical power from renewable sources is further evidence of that. “We are a market leader in an energy intensive sector, and we believe it is vital that we demonstrate that leadership in terms of reducing carbon emissions and supporting the market for renewable energy. Many of our customers right across the construction sector have made commitments to achieving net zero emissions and our move to Pure Green shows them that we are with them on that journey. “We have many more projects and initiatives planned and under way to further reduce our carbon impacts – but, there is no doubt that this move to Pure Green really is a very big step forward in achieving our decarbonisation goals. “As the first UK building products manufacturer to make a move to 100% renewable electricity, we believe we have set an example to others in our sector; we hope our peers are quick to follow suit.” Dave Cranfield, General Manager of Total Gas & Power, said: “We are proud to have been working with Ibstock since 2013 and during that time we have seen them become an industry leader in the drive towards carbon neutrality. It’s particularly pleasing to be helping them reach their Sustainability Roadmap target of a 15% reduction in CO2 by 2025 by supplying them with Pure Green, 100% renewable electricity. As one of the largest electricity suppliers in the UK, Total shares the ambition, together with society, to become net zero by 2050 for all of our activities. We will continue to work closely with our customers, including Ibstock, as the demand for renewable electricity grows, and we will continue to evolve and invest significantly in carbon neutral initiatives over the coming years.” Ibstock’s operations commenced use of Pure Green electricity on January 1st 2021.
Tritax Big Box REIT plc recently announced an update on its valuation ahead of its full year results for the twelve months to 31 December 2020, which are due to be published on Wednesday, 10 March 2021. All figures disclosed in this announcement are unaudited. UK large-scale logistics real estate market has significantly strengthenedThe second half of 2020 saw a significant increase in the value of prime, larger scale, UK logistics real estate assets let to high calibre occupiers on long leases. The supply of these prime assets remains constrained and occupier demand for larger scale logistics buildings continues to strengthen. When combined with a buoyant investment market, this is driving tighter pricing in transactions, accelerating yield compression and increasing valuations for prime assets both in the broader logistics real estate market and in our own high-quality investment and development portfolio. Portfolio valuation ahead of market expectationsThe independent valuation of our portfolio’s investment and development assets¹ as at 31 December 2020 indicates a like-for-like increase in value of approximately 8% since 30 June 2020. This has been driven by the strength of the logistics real estate market, our active development and asset management activity, alongside the high-quality nature of our portfolio as demonstrated through consistently high levels of rent collection. As a result, we expect our 31 December 2020 EPRA NTA per share to have increased materially since the half year (30 June 2020: 154.85 pence per share) and to exceed the upper end of current analysts’ estimates². The Company will publish its Q4 2020 trading update on Thursday, 28 January 2021.
Launch events have been announced by real estate specialist, Urban Village Capital, for two major Midland residential redevelopments. Four Oaks House in Sutton Coldfield and the iconic Equipoint building in South Yardley – both former office blocks – are opening their doors to future residents of these impressive new schemes within easy reach of Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield town centres. The two repurposed commercial buildings have both undergone stunning transformations to the tune of £54.8m creating a range of desirable apartments in both locations. Equipoint, located just four miles east of Birmingham city centre, has seen an investment of £17.5m to redevelop the first phase of the scheme, which is now valued at £40.8m. The initial phase has created 250 homes. A planned second phase will take the Equipoint development to 410 units, while it also boasts a number of onsite services for residents, such as security, concierge and cycle stores. The location will also benefit from good links to the HS2 connection to London. An open day is scheduled for Saturday January 23rd from 10am – 2pm, for prospective residents to have the opportunity to see the stylishly designed mix of one and two bedroom apartments, which are for sale and also for rent. The apartments are expected to attract a lot of interest from the city’s key workforce, particularly as Equipoint offers a ‘help to buy’ scheme for potential buyers. Property viewing is permitted under the current Lockdown rules but will be by appointment only. A maximum of two people from the same household are permitted to attend and must adhere to the government’s Covid-19 rules. Urban Village Group’s second development – Four Oaks House – is in the leafy north Birmingham suburb of Sutton Coldfield. The development features 52 one bedroom and 17 two-bedroom luxury apartments, which are available on a rent-only basis and are expected to appeal to affluent professionals. Each apartment features designer kitchens and appliances, bathrooms with ceramic tiles and fixtures and fittings, laminate oak wood flooring to kitchen and living spaces, luxury bathroom units and electric heating throughout. The property also benefits from secure parking and CCTV. Each apartment also has access to high speed Hyperoptic broadband, ideal when working from home, and a stunning roof terrace. The development is a short drive from the centre of Sutton Coldfield and its array of bars, restaurants, and shopping facilities. It is also within walking distance to the popular Mere Green area, while Four Oaks House is close to excellent transport links to Birmingham. The Four Oaks open day is on 30th January and will follow the same rules as the Equipoint open day. Urban Village Group chief executive Nick Sellman said: “We have completed two stunning and very individual transformations to extend the range of repurposed, residential opportunities in Birmingham. “Equipoint is an iconic landmark that has undergone a stunning makeover and have already received a flurry of enquiries from interested parties. It provides stylish living at a very affordable price. “Four Oaks House adds to our portfolio of luxury developments in Sutton Coldfield, which we know from past experience are very much in demand.” Urban Village Group is pioneering the conversion of former commercial buildings and turning them into desirable living spaces, which is aiding the UK government’s push for 300,000 new homes every year. To arrange a viewing call property agent Centrick on 0121 347 6116 or email ep@centrick.co.uk for Equipoint and foh@centrick.co.uk for Four Oaks House.
The Grenfell Tower tragedy horrified Britain. Subsequent enquiries have highlighted issues with materials used, construction standards and supervisory roles, to name but a few, and enquiries are on-going. In the meantime, people are living in multi-story buildings with no clear resolution to the issue of cladding on buildings. Future plans are on hold for some who are effectively locked into the ownership of their flat until a resolution is found and suitable funds are available to undertake suggested remedies. Replacement seems to be the preferred action plan but other potential measures such as communal fire alarm systems and sprinkler systems are being ignored. An intolerable situation is developing which has the potential to create a whole new set of victims – this time financial ones. The cost of building insurance for affected buildings is spiralling and may reach the point of being unaffordable, but building insurance is one of the foundation requirements for a mortgage. I think you can see where this is going! The Housing Ministry provides advice covering the fire safety of external wall systems in which the seller is obliged to confirm whether or not the building has potentially flammable cladding and whether there is an active management plan in place. This creates a dilemma for Chartered Surveyors who are neither skilled nor equipped to rule on these matters simply by carrying out a visual inspection. If clarity on the subject is unavailable, they have no choice in England and Wales but to apply a nil value to the property. In Scotland, the now tried and tested regime of Home Reports means that surveyors can propose a value with the caveat in the report that the matter of cladding is Category 3, meaning that it must be addressed immediately. The effect in both cases however is the same – surveyors cannot value comprehensively until the paperwork covering the technical specification for the cladding is provided. If it cannot be provided, the property is blighted, with the knock-on effect of people not being able to sell. What does the Government suggest property owners should do in these circumstances? Well, in its advice-note it provides a list of Chartered Professionals from whom property owners can seek a statement that the cladding meets all current legislative requirements and is fire safe. It is a long list, ranging from architects, inspectors and building engineers, through to clerks of works, fire engineers, building control, town planners and façade engineers. There is only one problem. There are very few people actually providing an EWS 1 report, or probably more accurately adequately insured to provide an EWS 1 report. We have spoken to many – though by no means all – of the bodies on the list and the unanimous response has been, to paraphrase: “We’re not doing the testing.” Sellers are being pushed into a Catch-22 situation where they need a qualified professional to confirm compliance before they can sell but, post-Grenfell, the listed professionals have little incentive to approve cladding – or insulation and fixings – without knowing what the future may hold. Zero valuations and consequent blight are causing increasing concern among brokers, particularly in London. To complicate matters the on-going availability and affordability of insurance to provide EWS 1 reports is open to question. The RICS presently has a consultation paper out on the valuation of multi-storey, multi-occupancy buildings with cladding and inevitably this includes the use of EWS 1 reports. Consistency from surveyors is one of the aims of the consultancy and any subsequent guidance that will be provided to RICS members involved in property valuation. Lenders are not consistent in their approach to buildings with cladding and this complicates any search for funding to purchase. Risk, and more accurately the adoption of risk, is high on all of the stake holders’ decision making when it comes to buildings with cladding. When the music stops no-one wants to be holding the monetary risk that cladding presently presents. Until solutions are found to minimise the risk that cladding is perceived to cause, safety, saleability, mortgageability, insurability and market value, owners will continue to be the new victims of the Grenfell Towers. Chartered Surveyors, at the coal face in this complex situation, find themselves in the uncomfortable position of reporting cladding issues using different criteria. The different approach to cladding by stake holders serves no-one well and the lack of government led solutions and funding means that the present situation continues. Dare I ask if public liability sits in the background and influences government intervention? PI insurers have been running for the hills since Grenfell, adding onerous exclusion clauses to developers and constructors. Exclusion clauses are also now entering the PI cover for surveyors undertaking property valuation. The valuation of properties with cladding may well grind to a halt unless decisive action is taken. As surveyors we await the RICS guidance from the consultation paper that closes on the 25th of Jan. 2021. Eric Curran is a partner of DM Hall Chartered Surveyors, based in the firm’s Glasgow office. For further information, contact DM Hall Chartered Surveyors, 220 St Vincent Street, Glasgow G2 5SG. eric.curran@dmhall.co.uk. For further information about DM Hall’s Scotland-wide network, please contact Caroline Wayte, Marketing Manager, DM Hall, 220 St Vincent Street, Glasgow G2 5SG. M: 07786 362517. E: caroline.wayte@dmhall.co.uk W: www.dmhall.co.uk Twitter: https://twitter.com/dmhallllp LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dm-hall?trk=biz-companies-cym Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DM-Hall-Chartered-Surveyors-LLP-168316039915372/
Construction is a big industry, and there are lots of people who think that a job here might be right for them. It’s true, it very may well be, but at the same time, it might not be and it’s up to you to decide. Nobody else can do it for you, because nobody else knows the answers in the same way that you do. If you would like to find out more about how you can tell if a job in construction is going to be right for you, keep reading down below. It’s Secure One of the best things about the construction industry is that it is secure. We are never going to run out of things to build, which means we are always going to need people working in this sector. If you want to know that your line of work is relatively secure most of the time, then this is a good place to be. Keep in mind that just because the industry is secure, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your job is, that will all depend on the company that you work for and how good you are at your job. It Could Make You Feel Good One of the best things about working in construction is that you get to see what you have done immediately. You don’t want to wait for results, they are going to be right in front of you. It’s for that reason that construction actually has one of the highest job satisfaction ratings. Sometimes when you’re working in a different job, it can feel as though you are trying so hard and putting in so much effort, but you’re not seeing any difference or any change in what you are doing. This isn’t going to be the case with construction. Being able to see what you have done in a day will make you feel good. You will know that you’ve achieved something for the day, and this is important for a lot of people. It’s Fun Finally, if you are someone who likes to use their hands and get down and dirty, then construction is a lot of fun. If you are good with your hands, and like to keep them busy throughout the day, then construction is going to be a bonus for you. A lot of people don’t like sitting down at a desk all day and just typing or answering phones, and if this sounds like you, then you might find construction more fun. Working with your hands just gives you a whole new level of feeling behind your career as opposed to being stuck indoors all day. We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see how you can tell if a job in construction is going to be right for you. Really, you won’t know until you begin working with a company, but you will get a good idea by thinking about these things. We wish you the very best of luck with your career, and hopefully you’re going to choose construction as your future.
