The future carbon economy will present major challenges and opportunities for M & E companies over the next 10 years with the need to deliver innovative design solutions for new and existing buildings, according to Julian McCamphill, Operations Director of Dowds Group. There is already considerable pressure for change, but
Panattoni, the largest industrial real estate developer in Europe, has signed a lease agreement with UPS, one of the world’s largest package delivery companies, for a 280,700 sq ft speculatively developed facility at Bolton. UPS has signed a 10-year lease for the largest of the two facilities at the 360,700
Morgan Sindall Construction has completed its first project as a result of its position on the University of Glasgow’s capital projects framework, undertaking a complete refurbishment of Maclay Residences, which offers accommodation to postgraduate students. The work entailed the refurbishment of two accommodation blocks. Block 15 comprised 40 rooms with
Curtain walling, windows and doors by Kawneer were used on the third and final phase at The Slate Yard. Architectural glazing systems by leading UK manufacturer Kawneer featured on the third and final apartment building at The Slate Yard, which forms part of the wider £1 billion, 50-acre Salford Central
Mitsubishi Electric has provided a medical practice in South London with three commercial Ecodan air source heat pumps to deliver renewable heating and year-round comfort. The owners of Paxton Green Group Practice needed a heating solution that would future-proof the building by reducing both heating bills and carbon emissions, to
The respected, proven DeckProtect+ range of coatings from StructureCare features in the car park at St James Quarter, Edinburgh’s largest development in a generation. Working as a specialist subcontractor to Laing O’Rourke, StructureCare has successfully completed a contract applying liquid applied deck coatings and wayfinding to the three-storey parking structure
Glencar, an expanding construction company specialising in the industrial, logistics, distribution, manufacturing, life science and pharmaceutical sectors has today announced that it has appointed James Scott into the new role of Head of Sustainability. James will be responsible for leading the development and implementation of a robust sustainability strategy across
The high-pressure water mist fire suppression system designed and manufactured by Yorkshire-based iMist has been awarded LABSS Registered Details certification, making it the only water mist system for domestic and residential projects to hold this prestigious certification. The LABSS Registered Details certification covers all of the components in iMist’s STX12
When you want to rent out your property to a new tenant, you may not be sure of what steps to take prior to searching for the right people. This can be especially difficult if you are new to renting out properties. By considering certain aspects of your house, you
The future carbon economy will present major challenges and opportunities for M & E companies over the next 10 years with the need to deliver innovative design solutions for new and existing buildings, according to Julian McCamphill, Operations Director of Dowds Group. There is already considerable pressure for change, but while most building manufacturers and suppliers are looking at delivering better energy saving performance across product ranges, the onus will be more and more on M&E contractors and designers to be more proactive in terms of reducing carbon footprints to meet Government targets. As these targets alter and become more complex, this in turn will mean the need for new initiatives to provide even greater investment to attract highly trained staff to join the industry, especially graduates who will need to see construction as a more attractive career option. For companies such as Dowds Group, the challenge already exists to deliver increasingly complex projects involving BIM, new technologies and much more. These are already being incorporated into all new contracts – a typical example is the planned major refurbishment of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in south London operated by the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust. The project is worth around £30 million. More than half of that total will be spent on delivering the M&E. Work has already started for Dowds to accurately design and agree cost on every aspect of the project prior to contractors going into the hospital at beginning of 2022, with the contract expected to be finished the following year. “Attention to detail, health and safety matched by an emphasis on delivering quality at all times is important for every type of contract,” said Julian Camphill, “and this particularly applies to work in hospitals and in our opinion will increasingly become more challenging.” “That attention to detail relates to everything we do – right down to knowing that when an operative flicks a switch, everyone is totally aware of what is on the end of that and every other circuit. It could be a patient on life support, power to a critical operating theatre – it is that important.” “Equally, we have to be aware that we are not only designing and installing infrastructure that meets today’s needs, it also has to be fit for purpose for the next 20 years or more and be capable of delivering Government carbon targets and changing patient needs.” Dowds, working from their head office in Belfast for more than 40 years, has an enviable reputation for delivering quality healthcare projects in Northern Ireland. This expertise has been transferred to London where the company is now regarded as one of the fastest growing of its kind across the capital and the rest of the UK. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital which was built in the 1950s and later modernised in the 1990s under a PFI agreement is in urgent need of refurbishment and modernisation to bring the building up to modern standards. Dowds, who will be working closely with the NHS Trust to ensure minimum disruption to staff and patients throughout the refurbishment, will be responsible for upgrading all of the electrical infrastructure. They will further upgrade the facilities for medical gas supplies such as oxygen, the climate control and all the other M&E areas across the site. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital is the latest in a growing number of healthcare success stories for Dowds, which include just about every major hospital in Northern Ireland together with scheme at Addenbrookes, Merseyside, Newcastle, Reading and many other parts of the country. With NHS Trusts probably under more pressure than ever before due to Covid and expanding waiting lists, the focus is now firmly on the M&E sector to deliver 21st Century facilities – that’s the challenge for companies like Dowds – and they are up to it.
Panattoni, the largest industrial real estate developer in Europe, has signed a lease agreement with UPS, one of the world’s largest package delivery companies, for a 280,700 sq ft speculatively developed facility at Bolton. UPS has signed a 10-year lease for the largest of the two facilities at the 360,700 sq ft Panattoni Park Bolton, which has a BREEAM sustainability rating of ‘Very Good’ and an EPC rating of ‘A’. The facility, which has a 15m clear internal height, 24 dock doors and five-level access doors, was completed in September. It is expected that more than 280 jobs will be created. The first unit of 80,000 sq ft was pre-let in January to Hermes Parcelnet, one of the UK’s largest parcel delivery companies. Panattoni Park Bolton is close to junction 6 of the M61, providing easy access to the key ports of Liverpool to the west and Hull to the east; the M6 is less than 15 minutes drive, providing access to Scotland, the wider north west and the Midlands. Dan Burn, Development Director for the North West and Yorkshire at Panattoni, said: “Panattoni Park Bolton is the only development of its size and scale to have been built in Greater Manchester this year. The fact that we have let the two units to two global delivery companies reflects their confidence in this region. “The town has the second highest employee base in Greater Manchester, yet with wages below the regional average labour costs remain attractive, as does the good mix of skills among the workforce. Employment in the logistics sector is considerably higher than both the regional and national average”. DTRE, Savills and Knight Frank were the letting agents and TSL Projects was the contractor.
Morgan Sindall Construction has completed its first project as a result of its position on the University of Glasgow’s capital projects framework, undertaking a complete refurbishment of Maclay Residences, which offers accommodation to postgraduate students. The work entailed the refurbishment of two accommodation blocks. Block 15 comprised 40 rooms with accompanying toilet and shower pods and eight communal kitchens and seating areas, while Block 14 has 18 rooms with accompanying toilet and shower pods, with six communal kitchens and seating areas. Morgan Sindall Construction’s team completely stripped out all rooms within the blocks, with all the flooring and lighting fixtures also removed, while all sanitary ware was also removed from the toilet pods. The two blocks now have completely new kitchens and carpets, vinyl flooring and electrics while each bedroom has been completely redecorated. All 58 toilet pods now have new wet wall installed and all sanitary ware re-instated. This ambitious programme, which saw Morgan Sindall Construction work alongside an AECOM led design team and furniture supplier Alpha Scotland, was achieved in a tight timeframe, with work beginning on 28th June and completing on 31st August with a sequence of room handovers from the 16th August to allow the University’s furniture contractor to install in time for students to move in immediately prior to term beginning. In order to ensure that as little as possible of the replaced furniture and fittings went to landfill, Morgan Sindall Construction developed a comprehensive circular economy strategy: Loose furnishings – including over 100 bar stools and seats from the communal areas – were donated to Kinross Wooden Products, a firm that specialises in designing and creating high quality, sustainable working environments from surplus or certified sustainable materials. The company also uses this process to enable young people to develop upholstery skills. Carpet tiles were donated to Spruce Carpets, a local non-profit organisation that seeks to reduce the amount of flooring waste going to landfill and increase the amount of reused carpet and vinyl flooring in Scotland. 1000 carpet tiles were saved from landfill, with Morgan Sindall Construction receiving a landfill diversion certificate as a result. 58 mattresses were collected by King Size Recycling. They were manually deconstructed into their individual components before being provided to other industries who in turn put these materials through their manufacturing processes and procedures to be reused e.g. the foam has already been remanufactured into underlay for flooring. 14 microwaves were donated to the Marie Trust, which supports the complex and often challenging needs of people across Glasgow that are affected by homelessness, poverty, and social exclusion. Stephen Doran, senior site manager at Morgan Sindall Construction, said: “This was a very satisfying job for our team to complete. We were under significant time pressure to ensure the work was finished and the halls were ready to welcome back students to a new, improved Maclay Residences at the start of term. “I’m proud to say that this is something we were able to achieve. However, the most pleasing aspect of this project for me is that we were able to support brilliant organisations across Scotland that are doing so much to promote a circular economy across the country. It’s inevitable that a project like this would produce a lot of waste, but through working with these brilliant organisations we were able to ensure our excess outputs were minimised, and furnishings, fixtures and materials could either be recycled or used to support vulnerable groups across Glasgow and the Central Belt.” Dominic Duffy, head of programme management office – estates directorate, University of Glasgow, said: “This was Morgan Sindall Construction’s first project under our Construction Framework with the University of Glasgow. The team worked exceptionally well with the design team at AECOM and Alpha in delivering the project on time and on budget under the restricted delivery window of the student summer break. As well as demonstrating excellent teamwork across the design team, Morgan Sindall Construction engaged brilliantly with Accommodation Services and our key stakeholders. The project has been well received by the University and we look forward to the first intake of students arriving to utilise the accommodation.” Ryan King, director, Kingsize Recycling, said: “We were delighted to assist Morgan Sindall Construction at its refurbishment project at the Maclay Residences. The site team was absolutely brilliant on the day and it went just as planned. We estimate that this project alone equates to c. 1.3 tonne of material diverted from landfill!” In the University’s estates strategy, the research intensive institution has outlined plans to invest in its Gilmorehill Campus, Garscube Estate, and the various satellite campuses around the city, in a bid to drive up its research standing, attract the very best academic staff, and provide a sustainable 21st century learning environment for the next generation of world changers. For more information about this news release please contact Tom Carlin at Influential on 07827 957740 or email carlin@thisisinfluential.com.
Curtain walling, windows and doors by Kawneer were used on the third and final phase at The Slate Yard. Architectural glazing systems by leading UK manufacturer Kawneer featured on the third and final apartment building at The Slate Yard, which forms part of the wider £1 billion, 50-acre Salford Central masterplan. Two types of Kawneer’s zone-drained curtain walling – AA®100 with 50mm sightlines and AA®110 with 65mm – as well as AA®541 top-hung casement windows and thermally superior AA®720 balcony doors were specified by AHR architects for Plot A7 at The Slate Yard. The 20-storey building comprises 199 apartments for rent for client The English Cities Fund (ECF) – a partnership between national urban regenerator Muse Developments, Legal & General, Homes England and Salford Council. ECF is currently delivering some of the most complex urban regeneration projects across the UK. The first phase of The Slate Yard was one of the first institutionally funded, custom-built BTR (Build to Rent) schemes to be delivered in Greater Manchester, with all three phases at The Slate Yard forward funded by Legal & General. Architect Feidhlim White of AHR, which frequently deploys Kawneer, said the systems were specified due to their aesthetics, practicalities, and cost-effectiveness as well as the company’s standards of customer service. “The system provided the match to the planning images, enabling us to deliver the project to the aesthetic and practical vision,” he said. “The opening lights aided the ventilation system with the ability for purge ventilation whilst still maintaining acceptable sightlines. The simplicity of weatherproofing by glazing in the EPDM makes it an ideal system.” He added: “We tend to use Kawneer a lot as we have a good relationship with their support team and local reps. They’re also well priced in the market, I believe. The client is very pleased with the overall outcome and how the building sits as a suite of three.” The Kawneer aluminium systems were installed over 15 months of the two-year build for main contractor Morgan Sindall Construction by approved specialist sub-contractor FK Group who also installed the Kawneer systems specified by AHR at Plot A6 (the Graphite building), a neighbouring BTR apartment block comprising 135 apartments over 16 storeys for the same client.
Mitsubishi Electric has provided a medical practice in South London with three commercial Ecodan air source heat pumps to deliver renewable heating and year-round comfort. The owners of Paxton Green Group Practice needed a heating solution that would future-proof the building by reducing both heating bills and carbon emissions, to replace the existing gas boilers. Ecodan CAHV monobloc air source heat pumps from Mitsubishi Electric were chosen due to their ability to lower running costs and carbon emissions. Patients and staff can now benefit from cost-effective, renewable heating while also enjoying modern levels of comfort. The heat pumps were installed to deliver 116kW of heat to the building, replacing the two commercial gas boilers. The CAHV models operate in a cascade system, meaning they are able to continually match the heating but only consume the power needed to keep the practice comfortable, whatever the weather. Andy Booth, Project Manager for Opus Air Conditioning, which installed the system said: “One of the things that amazed me was how quickly the CAHV units heated the water in the tank. We picked up water temperatures of 70 degrees in less than 30 minutes.” Opus specialises in the design, supply, installation, service and maintenance of boilers and heating systems, along with heat pumps, air conditioning and ventilation systems. This was the first Ecodan CAHV installation that Opus had carried out and they will be looking at promoting the use of air source heat pumps on future projects. Owing to the practice being a vaccination centre for its local community, the heat pumps had to be installed and the old systems removed in close partnership with the practice and its opening times. “The team had to be completely flexible so that we could get in around the working hours of the vaccination centre,” added Andy. Heat pumps are low maintenance and able to produce an average of three kilowatts of heating for every kilowatt of electricity consumed. The practice can now provide a high quality healthcare service for patients whilst also delivering high levels of comfort. For more details on the Ecodan CAHV, visit: ecodan.co.uk
The respected, proven DeckProtect+ range of coatings from StructureCare features in the car park at St James Quarter, Edinburgh’s largest development in a generation. Working as a specialist subcontractor to Laing O’Rourke, StructureCare has successfully completed a contract applying liquid applied deck coatings and wayfinding to the three-storey parking structure which comprises 1,600 parking bays. The car park is part of the 1,700,000 square foot St James Quarter, one of the most significant city centre transformations currently underway in the UK. It is a new quarter for the city, with a stunning new shopping galleria housing 80 new brands and an enticing mix of restaurants and bars already completed, with a luxury W Edinburgh, a boutique Everyman Cinema and a Roomzzz Aparthotel still underway. A key factor in the award of the contract to StructureCare is the company’s unique position within the sector as both a manufacturer and installer of car park deck coating systems. It has led to StructureCare’s highly skilled operatives installing 48,907m2 of DeckProtect+ deck coatings throughout all levels of the car park, with an additional 2,825m2 of DeckProtect+ being applied at the entrance and exit of the car park. Ryan Williams, Business Development Manager for StructureCare, explained “We undertook additional surface preparation and sacrificial coating works to ensure the concrete decks met with our client’s expectations. This was one of the biggest building projects in Europe and our operatives worked in and around other trades. The works were paused due to Scottish Covid restrictions with the closure of all building sites. We are obviously proud of the work done by our team in helping to makes St James a much-valued addition to a wonderful, vibrant city”. The DeckProtect+ range delivers outstanding aesthetic qualities as well as excellent performance and durability. Armed with the market leading range, StructureCare is able to deliver a high-quality solution to meet any car park challenge. More information on the DeckProtect+ range is detailed in StructureCare’s new technical brochure, “Versatile & Innovative Deck Coating Systems for Car Park Structures” which can be downloaded from the website www.structurecare.com
Glencar, an expanding construction company specialising in the industrial, logistics, distribution, manufacturing, life science and pharmaceutical sectors has today announced that it has appointed James Scott into the new role of Head of Sustainability. James will be responsible for leading the development and implementation of a robust sustainability strategy across all areas of the business, in line with Glencar’s strategic vision. Before joining Glencar, James spent over 20-years working as a Sustainability Consultant, working for Clients in the construction, retail and robotics industries on a diverse range of projects. Glencar Managing Director Eddie McGillycuddy commented: “We are delighted to welcome James into this crucial new role for the business. The construction industry has a huge opportunity and indeed responsibility to drive the sustainability agenda and we are committed to being at the forefront of this. James will have the full support of the entire Glencar team to drive this crucial area of the business forward and bring our vision for economic social governance to life. We look forward to him getting started and working with our customers and consultants on supporting their ESG strategy.” Also commenting newly appointed Head of sustainability James Scott said: “The world is facing unprecedented environmental challenges that impact all of us, in our work and our home lives. I think we all understand that the industry we work in has a significant role to play in tackling these existential threats. Glencar, as a growing and agile construction company, has a huge opportunity to make a clear, bold commitment to its sustainability position in the industry. I’m therefore very excited to be appointed in this role for Glencar. Part of my role starts with the articulation of this position, and, with the support of everyone in the company, the development of a roadmap to realise this vision. As the term roadmap suggests, this will be a journey. Key priority areas for the company are net zero carbon, climate change resilience, responsible procurement, waste and the circular economy, and delivering social value. I look forward to meeting everyone and working to deliver Glencar’s commitment to being a successful, sustainable business for years to come.
The high-pressure water mist fire suppression system designed and manufactured by Yorkshire-based iMist has been awarded LABSS Registered Details certification, making it the only water mist system for domestic and residential projects to hold this prestigious certification. The LABSS Registered Details certification covers all of the components in iMist’s STX12 proprietary high pressure water mist system which includes its STN12 nozzle type. This means that individual projects in Scotland that use the iMist system will not require a project specific in-depth review by Building Standards as the LABSS certificate attests that it has already been assessed and approved for suitability. The certification followed a near year-long comprehensive review of the iMist system with thorough examination of its system design, installation, operation and maintenance manual, including assessing safety in case of fire; safety in use and durability serviceability and identification. Going forward, an annual review process will be carried out before the LABSS certificate is renewed. “With the tightening of regulations post-Grenfell, every fire suppression system should, rightly, undergo a robust review. As water mist systems are a relatively new alternative to traditional sprinkler systems, the authorities in Scotland wanted to understand exactly how the iMist system works and undertook a detailed assessment covering all aspects of the system,” explains Timothy Andrews, iMist business development director. “We have been able to evidence the efficacy of our system which is designed to suppress a fire by automatically discharging very small droplets into the air at high pressure. This fine mist remains in the air, displaces oxygen from the seat of the fire, has a cooling effect and provides surface wetting to limit the fire spread. “LABSS Registered Detail certification means that anyone choosing an iMist system for domestic or most residential projects should be able to fast-track their scheme as the Scottish Government’s Building Standards Divisions (BSD) now has the confidence that the iMist system has passed a thorough assessment.” Use of the LABSS registration negates the need to consult with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) under Section 11 of The Building (Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (as amended). A verifier may still wish to consult with SFRS under Section 10 of the legislation.
When you want to rent out your property to a new tenant, you may not be sure of what steps to take prior to searching for the right people. This can be especially difficult if you are new to renting out properties. By considering certain aspects of your house, you may be able to find ways to limit the number of repairs needed throughout the course of the tenancy, and even make your property more desirable than other, similar homes on the market. Service the Boiler The property you rent will require a working boiler to supply heating and hot water to your tenants. While you may have it serviced annually, it can be a good idea to have an interim service prior to selecting new tenants. This way, if there is a problem, it can be rectified prior to the move-in date. A new boiler cost can vary depending on the type you choose, and the urgency within which you need it fitted. Therefore, the earlier you check your current boiler is up to par, or opt for a replacement, the easier it may be upon your bank balance. From here, you may also want to make it clear to the tenant that boiler servicing is non-negotiable, and that they should allow access to technicians as and when required. Furnishings You may want to decide whether or not you furnish the bedrooms and living spaces within your property. This may potentially enable you to charge a higher base rent than if the space was barren, and be an option for tenants who do not have many belongings. Alternatively, you might opt to leave the space unfurnished. This can be a good strategy when finding tenants, as they might already have belongings of their own that they wish to use. Considering the size of your property could be a good idea here. A larger property may benefit from being unfurnished, especially if your tenants are families with young children, as they may be more likely to already own goods. Smaller studio or single-bedroom properties could be furnished, especially if you plan on letting to students. Decoration It could also be a good idea to freshly decorate the property prior to commencing the lease. This will make the home feel new. The choice will be yours regarding whether tenants are allowed to undertake their own decoration, as well as if pictures or other items may be hung on the walls. You may want to be clear about this within the tenancy agreement. Opting for a light colour can help to make rooms appear larger. It could also be beneficial to choose a wipe-clean paint, in case of any smudges or spills. Renting out a property can be a great way to make a second income. By planning prior to accepting a new tenant, your property could become a wonderful home for someone, either long- or short-term.
