In partnership with Volumetric Homes Group (VHG) and the Modular and Portable Building Association (MPBA) – Modular Matters Conference and Exhibition is set to return to the National Conference Centre (NCC) in Birmingham on 15 and 16 February 2022. Modular technology is being hailed as the solution to numerous construction issues
Simon Woods, European Sales, Marketing and Logistics Director explains how West Fraser is helping the construction industry to help the environment As the world becomes more and more aware of the effect we have on the planet, it is important for the construction industry to realise how it affects the
Real estate debt advisory specialists, Sirius Property Finance, has revealed that land plots account for just 1.4% of current for sale stock listed on the market and demand is high, with 55% of these already being snapped up by developers. As part of the most recent Budget statement, Chancellor Rishi
Cordia, Hungary’s leading residential property developer is continuing its expansion in the UK residential property market: its local subsidiary is building a complex of 366 rental apartments, bringing the total number of homes planned for the West Midlands region to over 1,800. Cordia, member of Futureal Group has reached its
Winvic Construction Ltd, a leading main contractor that specialises in the design and delivery of multi-sector construction and civil engineering projects, has handed over a commemorative key to global transport and logistics company DSV, to celebrate the practical completion of a 522,000 sq ft industrial facility and offices. The scheme
Farrans Construction has completed and handed over a purpose-built, 357 bed, nine-storey student accommodation project for F3 Group in Bristol city centre. The accommodation block between St Thomas’ Street and Mitchell Court has a total floor space of 8,575 sqm and amenities include a gym, study space, bike parking, cinema
Demand for Shared Ownership homes continues to increase with a near 10% rise across England during the past year, with a notable increase in sales outside London. For buyers wanting to step on the ladder whilst making the most of city and countryside living, St Arthur Homes is preparing to
Daval Furniture, award-winning British designer and manufacturer of quality fitted furniture, look ahead to SS22 with this bespoke garden room project complete with outdoor kitchen living space in partnership with local oak building specialists, Paragon Oak. Both award-winning companies are based in West Yorkshire, a mere 11 miles apart, so
In partnership with Volumetric Homes Group (VHG) and the Modular and Portable Building Association (MPBA) – Modular Matters Conference and Exhibition is set to return to the National Conference Centre (NCC) in Birmingham on 15 and 16 February 2022. Modular technology is being hailed as the solution to numerous construction issues – from helping to achieve housing targets to increasing quality and sustainability. To help keep pace with this rapidly evolving and fast-moving sector, Modular Matters demonstrates how to tackle industry challenges through a range of project case studies, innovative architecture and building design together with IT and software developments. Presenting an insight into the future of construction, this event represents a great opportunity to gain industry intelligence and network with those who are at the forefront of the volumetric modular sector. Architects and engineers are now moving away from design for construction approaches to Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) principles. Innovations in volumetric modular technologies allow projects to capture the efficiencies gained by integrating the processes of design, manufacturing, and construction—without having to compromise on aesthetic intent. This approach has been shown to result in higher-quality buildings delivered in shorter time frames with more predictable costs whilst also reducing environmental impact. Alex Pullin, Project Architect for HLM Architects will present a case study on the Dinton Activity Centre which is a Net Zero Carbon Operational (NZCOp) building delivered using volumetric modular technology. This new £2.4 million outdoor activity centre provides a state-of-the-art educational and leisure facility for the local community and supports Wokingham Borough Council’s mission to be a carbon neutral borough by 2030. Volumetric modular technology reduces build times by an impressive 50-60% when compared to traditional processes – delivering a faster return on investment. Modular construction can also radically reduce risk for developers and contractors on a number of levels. Delivering enhanced predictability, the modular way lowers the financial risk and personal implications of delays, project overruns and accidents on site together with mitigating the impact of an increasingly volatile labour market. On the housing front Andrew Shepherd, Managing Director for TopHat will share the benefits of modular timber construction in delivering excellent homes at an affordable price that are aesthetically pleasing and highly sustainable. The use of a modular timber solution for White Road is an exemplary showcase that results in homes that have 1/27th the embodied carbon of a traditional masonry-built house. Improving levels of safety and increasing the quality of the build are under increasing scrutiny. The modular approach offers assurances through the certainty and quality embedded into the manufacturing process. All performance data can be verified and coordinated as part of a structured process and time can be taken upfront to validate the correct specification of materials. Thanks to advances in ilke Homes’ manufacturing processes, robotics and AI-driven design – the innovative company is now in a position to commit to only creating Zero Carbon communities by 2030. CEO Giles Carter will present ilke Homes Commitment to Zero Carbon Housing at Modular Matters and demonstrate the benefits to investors, housing associations and occupiers. As patient-led demand grows due to the COVID-19 crisis, healthcare environments are continually looking to adapt and expand their facilities quickly and cost-effectively. Currently the healthcare sector does not have the time or resources to commission lengthy construction programmes. Providing an agile and effective solution – volumetric modular technology has rapidly delivered additional emergency wards, welfare and testing facilities without impact on quality or performance. Andy King, Deputy Managing Director for Wernick Buildings discusses how a four-bed hospital ward constructed at the firm’s premises on the Kenfig Industrial Estate in Port Talbot using their latest HMflex modular building system offers a high-quality environment for healthcare professionals and patients. Modular technology is now being used to tremendous effect to elevate the homeless crisis. Against intense competition MODULHAUS™ – a new concept in volumetric modular homes for rough sleepers – was crowned ‘Winner of Winners’ at the 2021 Offsite Awards. Designed and developed by VOLUMETRIC™ – Manager Victoria Moore will give in-depth insight into the award-winning concept and execution. With its powerful combination of controlled deliverables and customisable outputs, modular construction provides the repeatable quality and safety needed to meet client demands whilst delivering the benefits of economies of scale, as well as single point procurement. To find out more and book your place at this essential fast-track construction conference and exhibition go to: www.modularmatters.co.uk For details on exhibition or sponsorship packages email: julie.williams@radar-communications.co.uk
Simon Woods, European Sales, Marketing and Logistics Director explains how West Fraser is helping the construction industry to help the environment As the world becomes more and more aware of the effect we have on the planet, it is important for the construction industry to realise how it affects the world in ways it doesn’t intend to. At West Fraser, our products are net carbon negative. This means that we lock up more carbon in the products than we emit in the end-to-end production and distribution of them (delivery to our customers’ gates). Attaining net carbon negativity, as we have done, is a significant step and demonstrates the company’s determination to be a market leader in sustainable, climate-friendly products. As wood is the main component of West Fraser’s products, carbon is sequestered and locked up for the board’s lifetime. Particleboard products have the added advantage of containing 70-80% post-consumer recycled wood; this is also used in OSB. As a result, the company’s four European sites and three product ranges lock up a total of 1.18 million tonnes of CO2e per year, equivalent to the CO2 from 200,265 homes’ electricity. West Fraser’s net carbon negative products’ status benefits specifiers and users of the company’s engineered wood panel products. When used in construction, these products can move a project’s carbon count in the right direction assisting companies to meet net zero targets, which is good for reputation, compliance and the planet. In every SterlingOSB Zero board more carbon from the atmosphere is locked up than is emitted during manufacture, locking it up into long term storage. Per cubic metre, SterlingOSB Zero has sequestered 828kg of CO2e. The vast majority of the wood used is homegrown, minimising carbon emissions from transport while ensuring it is always available and offers a cost-effective building solution. West Fraser is a diversified wood products company with more than 60 facilities in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe. From responsibly sourced and sustainably managed forest resources, West Fraser produces lumber, engineered wood (OSB, LVL, MDF, plywood, particleboard), and other products including pulp, newsprint, wood chips and renewable energy. West Fraser’s products are used in construction, repair and remodelling, industrial applications, papers, tissue and box materials. For further information call 01786 812 921 or visit Uk.westfraser.com
Real estate debt advisory specialists, Sirius Property Finance, has revealed that land plots account for just 1.4% of current for sale stock listed on the market and demand is high, with 55% of these already being snapped up by developers. As part of the most recent Budget statement, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced £1.8 billion of government money to help fund the regeneration of brownfield land up and down the country as part of a mission to satisfy the ever-intensifying need for new homes. The research by Sirius Property Finance shows that the need for these additional land plots is clear, as current levels account for a very small proportion of overall residential sales listings. The research shows that across Britain there are some 677,533 residential property opportunities listed on the current market, with just shy of 10,000 of these coming in the form of land plots available for development – just 1.4% of the total market. What’s more, 55% of these plots have already gone under offer or sold subject to contract. Swansea is home to the highest level of land plot availability, accounting for 1.9% of current residential listings. Aberdeen (1%) and Bradford (1%) are the only other major cities where land plots account for at least one per cent of the current market. While land plot availability may be scarce, demand is high. In Bournemouth, 77% of all land plots listed on the market have already been marked as under offer or sold subject to contract, while Bristol (68%), Newcastle (67%), Cardiff (60%), Edinburgh (57%) and Nottingham (57%), are also home to above average levels of demand. Managing Director of Sirius Property Finance, Nicholas Christofi, commented: “Land plots currently account for a minute proportion of available property purchasing opportunities but the appetite for these plots is clear, with more than half of those listed already being snapped up across the nation. We need more homes and we need them quickly. Opening up the nation’s brownfield is just one step in addressing this shortage and while it will utilise land that has otherwise been overlooked for quite some time, it certainly won’t solve the problem in its entirety.” Table shows the availability of land plots as a percentage of all for sale stock in each area, as well as demand based on the percentage of land plots that are already sold subject to contract or under offer Location Land Plot Availability Land Plot Buyer Demand Swansea 1.9% 30.0% Aberdeen 1.0% 14.3% Bradford 1.0% 41.7% Nottingham 0.9% 56.9% Glasgow 0.7% 46.7% Plymouth 0.6% 52.6% Liverpool 0.5% 37.5% Sheffield 0.5% 40.9% Cardiff 0.4% 60.0% Sunderland 0.4% 33.3% Bristol 0.4% 67.9% Southampton 0.4% 41.7% Bournemouth 0.4% 76.9% Cambridge 0.3% 25.0% Leeds 0.3% 50.0% Oxford 0.3% 50.0% Newcastle 0.3% 66.7% Edinburgh 0.2% 57.1% Leicester 0.2% 37.5% Birmingham 0.2% 53.3% Manchester 0.2% 50.0% London 0.1% 34.0% Portsmouth 0.0% 0.0% Great Britain 1.4% 55.2% Source – Rightmove
Cordia, Hungary’s leading residential property developer is continuing its expansion in the UK residential property market: its local subsidiary is building a complex of 366 rental apartments, bringing the total number of homes planned for the West Midlands region to over 1,800. Cordia, member of Futureal Group has reached its next milestone in its operations in the United Kingdom: the Birmingham-based Cordia Blackswan, acquired and renamed last year by the company has announced its next major development. Cordia Blackswan is building a complex of 366 rental apartments in Birmingham’s Digbeth district, on a site of nearly 8,000 sq m. Digbeth is a regeneration area in the centre of the UK’s second largest city, with a strong industrial heritage. This area is now recognised as a vibrant cultural, creative and diverse neighbourhood, a kind of bohemian quarter. Cordia Blackswan’s new development will feature a combination of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom units, in two ‘u’-shaped blocks of five and eight storeys, set around landscaped public realm. Residents will benefit from shared amenities, including a resident’s lounge and concierge service, with high quality private outdoor spaces including courtyards and balconies. This project is not the first residential rental development of Cordia Blackswan, as the company has a number of developments in Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter, which is still home to one of Europe’s largest jewellery manufacturing communities. These include The Lamp Works, a 148-home build-to-rent apartment scheme, while Bradford Works will be the city’s first purpose built shared living scheme for young professionals, with access to high-quality communal areas and shared amenities. Although The Gothic is not a rental housing development, but is also located in the same neighbourhood: the buildings that were built in the early 19th century will be converted into Victorian-style homes with carefully restored heritage features. This development is named after the pub that welcomed visitors from 1870 until the early 2000s. Beyond its Jewellery Quarter placemaking agenda, the company is keen to support Birmingham’s growth and development more broadly and this latest acquisition in Digbeth signals the next step in Cordia Blackswan’s journey of ambitious growth. Together with the development just announced, Cordia Blackswan has a pipeline comprising over 1,800 homes, as well as 33,500 sq m space for commercial uses across the West Midlands and is actively looking for new sites across the region.
Winvic Construction Ltd, a leading main contractor that specialises in the design and delivery of multi-sector construction and civil engineering projects, has handed over a commemorative key to global transport and logistics company DSV, to celebrate the practical completion of a 522,000 sq ft industrial facility and offices. The scheme – designed, constructed and partially fitted out by Winvic during the pandemic – is located at the 238-acre Mercia Park in North West Leicestershire. Delegates from DSV travelled from the company’s global headquarters in Denmark to see the fully realised facility, which comprises three buildings – totalling 522,000 sq ft – and contains 104 dock levellers: A 358,000 sq ft steel-framed warehouse containing three mezzanine floors and two single-storey hub offices totalling 4,360 sq ft A 112,000 sq ft cross-dock terminal that contains a 7,050 sq ft single-storey hub office A 35,660 sq ft three-storey office building The large stand-alone office building was designed and executed to meet DSV’s global standard and Winvic also fitted out the office spaces found within the warehouse buildings. Prominent design features to the main office include a glass lift, wood panelled walls in an oak finish and a feature staircase. The external works package included 381,700 sq ft yard space plus car parking for 406 vehicles, and the programme contained all drainage, retaining wall, and hard and soft landscaping works. The project’s progress has been streamed throughout construction and the full timelapse video can be viewed here. Winvic Construction Director, Rob Bull, said: “The DSV project bucks the industrial facility trend because it comprises separate buildings for the main warehouse, cross dock and offices, but there was no doubt that we could carefully sequence the construction and fit out works to build them all simultaneously and within ten months. Additionally, our team led by Project Manager David Gilbert knew that the aesthetics, material quality and execution had to meet DSV’s high global design standards and we’re as thrilled as DSV are about the exceptional finish achieved. Without such a talented team who works as one and always has an eye on the joint, end-goal we wouldn’t be able to deliver schemes of this nature so swiftly, expertly and in the challenges presented by the pandemic, so thank you to them.” Brian Winther Almind, Executive Vice President, Group Property at DSV, added: “It has been a pleasure to work in partnership with Winvic over the past year on Mercia Park and the team’s skill and knowledge has driven the project to a successful completion, on time and to budget. It is an important site to DSV – as it will now become home to all three of our business units, DSV Roads, DSV Solutions and DSV Air and Sea – so we’re delighted that the high-quality design, construction and finish not only meets our global standards but that Winvic has once again exceeded expectations and delivered a true flagship campus for our business.” Winvic started works for IM Properties (IMP) to undertake the civils and infrastructure works at Mercia Park in June 2020 and in March 2021, Winvic was appointed once again by the developer to construct the largest ever single occupier logistics park for tenant Jaguar Land Rover. Winvic will remain on site for another year and just last week announced – in partnership with IMP – the launch of the first ‘Future of Construction’ Training Centre, located on-site at Mercia Park. Furthermore, the DSV project was selected as the first of two schemes where the Computer-Vision-SMART technology will be developed. The AI enabled cameras that were placed around the site have now been moved to the IMP Jaguar Land Rover site and development of the machine learning software will continue for another 12 months. For more information on Winvic, the company’s latest project news and job vacancies please visit www.winvic.co.uk. Join Winvic on social media – visit Twitter @WinvicLtd – and LinkedIn.
Farrans Construction has completed and handed over a purpose-built, 357 bed, nine-storey student accommodation project for F3 Group in Bristol city centre. The accommodation block between St Thomas’ Street and Mitchell Court has a total floor space of 8,575 sqm and amenities include a gym, study space, bike parking, cinema room and communal lounge. The property is connected to the Bristol City’s District Heat Network as part of the overall sustainability strategy, achieving a BREEAM Excellent rating. The building, which consists of 322 en-suite cluster rooms and 35 studios, was designed by architects GSS. Farrans Construction, a CRH company, is a leading building and civil engineering contractor with over 75 years’ experience of delivering world-class projects across the UK and Ireland. The company, which employs more than 500 people, has offices in London, Cambridge, Edinburgh and Belfast with further site offices connecting its regional network. “The successful completion of our Bristol St Thomas Street project has been an important milestone for Farrans as it marks another fantastic addition to our student accommodation portfolio. We have achieved high quality throughout the building, enabling the students to move into one of the most modern and pristine accommodation facilities in the city. This building has sought to encourage time to be spent in social spaces, with a gym, cinema room, lounge and courtyard all designed to allow students to maximise and enjoy their time at university. We are currently onsite on a number of similar exciting projects across the UK and Ireland, including Library Street in Belfast and Live Oasis: Strato in Leeds,” said Cathal Montague, regional director for Farrans Construction. “We deliver signature and often complex buildings which have an important role in our everyday lives, while also adding value to the communities that we work in through apprenticeships and training opportunities. During our time onsite we were involved in community initiatives including donating materials to support the build of a local garden. We also used our expertise to assist local authorities during a flooding incident near the site, supporting Avon Fire Rescue with a water diversion plan and using site equipment to speed up the rescue mission.”
Demand for Shared Ownership homes continues to increase with a near 10% rise across England during the past year, with a notable increase in sales outside London. For buyers wanting to step on the ladder whilst making the most of city and countryside living, St Arthur Homes is preparing to launch a new collection of stylish Shared Ownership apartments in Forge Wood in Crawley, in partnership with housebuilder Taylor Wimpey this November. Located in the heart of the new Forge Wood neighbourhood, St Arthur Homes’ collection of two-bedroom Shared Ownership apartments have been carefully designed to connect seamlessly with the local surroundings whilst offering modern contemporary interiors. Ideal for first-time buyers looking for an affordable opportunity without compromising on style or location, Forge Wood provides an attractive work-life balance coupled with easy travel into the capital. Each of the 24 two-bedroom apartments have been designed to a very high specification throughout, providing spacious and versatile layouts, with elegant modern interiors. Open plan living, kitchen and dining areas offer a flexible space for eating, relaxing or working from home. Kitchens come complete with a selection of integrated Zanussi appliances with on-trend laminate worktop, glass splashback, soft close kitchen cabinets and Karndean flooring for a fuss-free cooking and dining experience. All apartments feature mirrored sliding wardrobes to the primary bedrooms and selected homes enjoy access to ensuite bathrooms. Each property has the added convenience of one allocated parking space. Beyond the homes at Forge Park, a wealth of community amenities awaits future residents from the wide expanses of green spaces around the development, a school sport pitch with upcoming convenience stores, community hall and central parkland all in the works. “We are very excited to bring to the market this collection of stylish Shared Ownership homes in partnership with Taylor Wimpey. This is a truly unique collection of homes that gives first-time buyers the chance to purchase a stunning new home that comes with an impressive specification, in an attractive and well- connected setting. At St. Arthur Homes we are passionate about offering inspiring homes that are affordable without the need for buyers to make compromises on specification or location. With only 24 homes launching in this desirable location, we expect demand to be high and would urge any prospective purchasers to register their details as soon as possible,” said Louise Mills, Sales & Marketing Director for St. Arthur Homes. Living at Forge Wood will enable future residents to make the best of city and countryside living with Crawley Town minutes away with a wealth of modern-day amenities and leisure facilities whilst the Forge Wood development itself is set in an idyllic tree lined location. Connectivity is yet another attractive aspect of Forge Wood with Crawley Town Centre less than 5 miles away and Gatwick Airport less than a mile away. Commuters to London can benefit from direct trains from Gatwick station to Victoria, Blackfriars and London Bridge stations while Brighton Beach is 28 miles to the South.
Daval Furniture, award-winning British designer and manufacturer of quality fitted furniture, look ahead to SS22 with this bespoke garden room project complete with outdoor kitchen living space in partnership with local oak building specialists, Paragon Oak. Both award-winning companies are based in West Yorkshire, a mere 11 miles apart, so it was easy for the lead designers to collaborate to create a Daval kitchen living space within a Paragon Oak oak-framed building for a manor house in West Yorkshire. This instantly added an extra dimension to the living and entertaining spaces available for family members and guests in the client’s rural property. The Mayfair kitchen in Talpa, a contemporary matt finish in taupe, is the ideal choice to complement the natural oak hues of the timber. “We all really enjoyed working with Paragon Oak to install a made-to-measure kitchen to enhance indoor outdoor living for the client. We are very proud to partner with other experts in our vibrant local design community so that we can pool our knowledge and develop new concepts together. With an upsurge in investing in the home and garden predicted for 2022, the luxury kitchen market is willing and able to support property owners and developers who are keen to optimise their surroundings as home comforts continue to be of prime importance,” said Simon Bodsworth, Managing Director at Daval. Daval was commissioned to design and install the custom made cabinetry and also sourced and supplied the fixtures and fittings including the dining table and chairs for the garden room. “We are really pleased that our design team and Design Partners nationwide are being recognised as experts in creating lifestyle interiors in which custom-made kitchens play a key role. As sustainability is fast becoming a must-have element in all interior projects, we are proud that all our raw materials are sourced from reputable suppliers and that we have a closed-loop production system which minimises carbon emissions and waste products,” added James Bodsworth, Design Director at Daval. Each Mayfair cabinet by Daval is sustainably sourced and takes a fresh approach to Scandi-style design, with a smooth matt finish slab doors which are easy to clean and maintain. Made-to-measure and made-to-order for every project to suit the property and the needs of the home owner, this classic u-shaped kitchen includes a floor-to-ceiling storage with an integrated fridge freezer and induction hob, deep drawers and generous cupboards for storage on the working side of the peninsula with room to seat four in comfort at the breakfast bar. The Scandi theme continues with designer Wishbone seating, matt black knurled Buster + Punch cabinet pulls, industrial-style pendant lights and bespoke wall-mounted shelving. A breakfast bar with stylish rustic three-legged bar stools enhances the luxe minimalist feel of the space with marble-effect worktops, integrated fridge and a Neff induction hob
