Ashwood House is a development of Manhattan-style apartments in the desirable Surrey commuter town, Camberley. Situated in a converted 1960s office block, developer Berkeley Homes Southern Ltd needed to ensure the 116 luxury flats were as energy efficient as possible. This was a particular concern for the properties situated above
HS2 CEO Mark Thurston visits Bolton factory as work starts on £36.5m contract Bolton SME continues to recruit new staff to build over 300 safety doors for HS2 tunnels Progress on the manufacturing of safety doors for HS2 tunnels been made as Booth Industries, a Bolton based SME, opened its
Office Principles has delivered the refurbishment of a new 24/7 coworking space in the City of London on behalf of one of the UK’s fastest growing coworking providers. The leading interior design consultancy has completed Work.Life’s new collaborative, community-led workspace, Farringdon at 120 Aldersgate, near Barbican. Office Principles has
In a new report out today the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) has identified Green Growth Boards (GGBs) as a vital approach that can be used to level up and create better communities. GGBs aim to promote cross-boundary working between local authorities and other relevant organisations to deliver better access
Study Inn Group, the high-quality luxury student accommodation owner, developer, and operator is set to deliver a 270-bed purpose-built Study Inn in Nottingham, its second property in the city. Triumph House is conveniently located adjacent to the University of Nottingham’s Jubilee campus. The £35million brand-new scheme will offer a mixture
Lendlease has raised £250 million through its debut pound sterling green bond – testament to ongoing investor demand for sustainable real estate development projects. The 12-year fixed rate bond pays a coupon of 3.5 per cent and will help the company continue to bring its $114 billion global pipeline of
Berry Systems has launched a comprehensive new website showing the extensive range of services they offer to architects, specifiers, and contractors across a wide variety of sectors. Specialists in the design, supply and installation of physical safety and security systems for car parks, industry and logistics, the new website details
A stalled multi-million pound development of 45 apartments has been revived after RECOM Solutions was appointed as the main contractor to complete the project. The six-storey SONA scheme, opposite the O2 Apollo in Ardwick, Manchester, is being delivered as a build-to-rent development comprising one, two and three-bedroomed apartments with extensive
Work is under way on 70 new affordable homes in North Yorkshire thanks to a partnership between Karbon Homes and Countryside. The c.£12million development will see the construction of modern, energy efficient homes on a site in the village of Thorpe Willoughby, just outside Selby. Each home will be built
Stephen Davies has been promoted to Operations Director for Wales at Bouygues UK. Stephen joined Bouygues UK as Technical Director in 2018 having previously enjoyed over 30 years’ experience in the construction industry working in the UK, Canada and the UAE in various technical, operational and leadership roles. During his
Ashwood House is a development of Manhattan-style apartments in the desirable Surrey commuter town, Camberley. Situated in a converted 1960s office block, developer Berkeley Homes Southern Ltd needed to ensure the 116 luxury flats were as energy efficient as possible. This was a particular concern for the properties situated above the first floor car park, which has open walls to allow adequate ventilation of exhaust fumes. As a result, the specification stipulated a U-value of 0.25 W/m²K. Chris Body, Business Development Director at RPN Ltd, the specialist sub-contractor at Ashwood House said: “We approached several insulation manufacturers to discuss the different options available. Knauf Insulation’s Rocksilk® Soffit Linerboard Standard met the brief in terms of thermal and fire performance. It can be used on uneven substrates and looks fantastic – all of which were key priorities for Berkeley Homes.” Aesthetic appeal How the insulation looked was an important part of the brief as Berkeley Homes wanted a solution that would be aesthetically pleasing. Rocksilk®Soffit Linerboard Standard features a black glass veil facing, so no additional finishing was required. This meant that RPN Ltd has been able to install the slabs perpendicular to the ring beam to create a quilted effect across the ceiling. A high-performance solution The other specification factors were thermal performance and fire safety. Knauf Insulation’s Technical Support Team undertook U-value calculations to determine that 130mm Rocksilk®Soffit Linerboard Standard would be required. It is manufactured from Rock Mineral Wool, has a thermal conductivity of just 0.034 W/mK and is designed to insulate structural soffits in applications such as open sided car parks. It is non-combustible with the best possible Euroclass A1 reaction to fire classification, so will not contribute to the development or spread of a fire should it occur. Rocksilk®Soffit Linerboard Standard also has excellent sound absorption characteristics so will help to ensure that residents are not disturbed by the noise of cars parking beneath their flats. Better for installers The insulation was supplied by distributors CCF Ltd who delivered it to the site in line with the schedule of works. It was then installed by RPN’s specialist team. Rocksilk®Soffit Linerboard Standard is easier to install correctly than other insulants. The product recipe makes each slab rigid, which ensures the insulation maintains continuous contact with the substrate, preventing gaps that can reduce thermal, fire and acoustic performance. Rocksilk®Soffit Linerboard Standard is manufactured with ECOSE® Technology, Knauf Insulation’s unique bio-based binder that contains no added formaldehyde or phenol. It is made from natural raw materials that are rapidly renewable, and is less energy-intensive to manufacture than traditional binders, so it is more environmentally friendly. Products made with ECOSE® Technology are soft to touch and easy to handle. They generate low levels of dust and VOCs, and have been awarded the Eurofins Gold Certificate for Indoor Air Comfort. This means they are kinder to the installers who use them too. A safe solution Ultimately, using Knauf Insulation’s Rocksilk®Soffit Linerboard Standard means the Ashwood House car park ceiling not only looks aesthetically pleasing, but it helps to meet the increasing demand for non-combustible insulation in car parks too.
HS2 CEO Mark Thurston visits Bolton factory as work starts on £36.5m contract Bolton SME continues to recruit new staff to build over 300 safety doors for HS2 tunnels Progress on the manufacturing of safety doors for HS2 tunnels been made as Booth Industries, a Bolton based SME, opened its new purpose built facility where the doors will be built. Today [Tuesday 7th December] they welcomed HS2 CEO, Mark Thurston, to the new unit and to meet staff working on the project. The £36.5million 10-year contract awarded in September 2020 has enabled Booth Industries to expand its facility in Bolton and increase its workforce including offering new apprenticeships. The company employed its first female apprentice earlier this year adding to its 130 staff based in Greater Manchester. The new 600m2 facility is adjacent to the main factory in the heart of Bolton, and will increase the capacity on the production line, enabling the company to fulfil the HS2 contract whilst delivering other work. The initial phase of the HS2 contract will focus on developing and testing, and then manufacturing of the cast-in sub-frames. Manufacturing and installation is expected to start around 2025. Speaking after his visit to Booth Industries in Bolton, HS2 CEO Mark Thurston said: “There are businesses across the UK with the expertise and ability to help us build HS2 and Booth Industries is just one of over 2,000 that are already helping us do that. It is great to see the benefit the project is bringing to an SME in Bolton, as well as the onward economic impact through the local supply chain. “As progress to build HS2 continues, there will be thousands of contract opportunities for UK companies to become part of this exciting national endeavour.” The safety doors will play a crucial role in the operation of the railway, sealing off the cross passageways between the separate north and southbound tunnels and giving access in the event of an emergency. With trains capable of travelling at speeds of up to 250Mph passing within metres of the doors, they will not only need to provide fire integrity and insulation for up to two hours but will also have to withstand a wide-range of challenging day-to-day environmental and fatigue pressures. The doors will be capable of withstanding constant 14Kpa pressure cycles, along with 2hr Integrity and 2hr Insulation against fire – a world first and setting a new benchmark within the industry. They will be manufactured using majority UK made steel and fitted across the 32 miles of tunnel between London and Crewe. Since winning the contract, Booth has made progress to become a carbon neutral company. Having implemented a carbon zero roadmap, the business is already operating as a Carbon Neutral and will continue to progress to reach Net Zero by 2025. Mike Jenkinson, Managing Director of Booth Industries, said: “We’re proud to welcome HS2 to our primary site in Bolton, where our new state-of-the-art, energy efficient, manufacturing facility has just been built. The new facility provides valuable additional capacity to facilitate the delivery of several key public sector contracts, including our work for HS2. “The skills required to deliver this project are highly specialised, including modelling the effect of a 200mph wind load created by trains as they pass the doors at high speed, destructive testing for fatigue and fire-testing in furnaces, reaching temperatures of around 1,000 degrees Celsius. Delivering on this means pairing decades of knowledge and unique I.P. with new innovative techniques and designs. “Securing the contract has also enabled us to create new jobs, including apprenticeships and graduate positions, and many more will come once we move into the manufacturing and installation phases. We are delighted to be part of this key infrastructure project and looking forward to delivering a program of great British engineering and manufacturing we can all be proud of.” As the construction of HS2 gathers further pace, thousands of contract opportunities will be available, creating many associated jobs. To date over 20,000 people are supporting the construction of HS2, and nearly 2,400 UK businesses delivering the work. For more information about joining HS2’s supply chain visit hs2.org.uk/building-hs2/supply-chain/
Office Principles has delivered the refurbishment of a new 24/7 coworking space in the City of London on behalf of one of the UK’s fastest growing coworking providers. The leading interior design consultancy has completed Work.Life’s new collaborative, community-led workspace, Farringdon at 120 Aldersgate, near Barbican. Office Principles has transformed 13,000 sq ft on the ground and first floor of the four-storey building, to create flexible and fully furnished, private offices. The new coworking location includes facilities designed for teams and entrepreneurs, with hot desking, meeting rooms, phone booths, a library and comfortable breakout spaces. Its design is characterised by the use of reeded and patterned glass, reflective of the site’s historic use as a crystal glass making workshop, the Glass House Yard in the 1800s. Crittall-style screens and decorative glass pendants complement the raw, industrial nature of the exposed concrete architecture. The effect is softened by the contrasting use of botanicals, geometric textiles, rich velvet textures, Scandinavian-style timbers and a pastel colour palette throughout. A ground floor bar provides a shared central space that connects with a series of open fronted work areas, with folding cross walls promoting collaboration and social interaction. At the heart of the space is a winter garden, with bifold doors opening out onto an external terrace and planting, with views up to the other floors of the building. A new central staircase connects the ground floor to the space above, with additional first floor workspaces, including quiet external seating areas, a fully equipped kitchen, Zoom rooms, laptop tables and seating. Members also benefit from evening and weekend access to the building, as well as secure bicycle storage and showering facilities. Spaces can be branded and customised to suit member requirements. Office Principles was chosen to deliver the 16-week refurbishment following a competitive tendering process. Tom Parsons, sales director at Office Principles, said: “Farringdon is a fabulous new coworking space in one of London’s most exciting business districts. It truly embodies the Work.Life approach to changing the perception of the workplace, by enabling people to feel happy and fulfilled. We’ve delivered a warm, welcoming and personal environment for Work.Life members, with vibrant and sociable shared offices and amenities. It is always pleasing to have delivered a successful project, especially on behalf of a client that is helping to make work a better place.” Elliot Gold, co-founder of Work.Life, said: “There’s a huge correlation between happiness and productivity – engaged employees are not only better for individual wellbeing, but for business too. We’ve finely tuned our workspaces to create a personal experience designed to increase happiness for our members. Office Principles has helped to make our Farringdon space come alive. The high-quality, striking design was everything we wanted and more.”
In a new report out today the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) has identified Green Growth Boards (GGBs) as a vital approach that can be used to level up and create better communities. GGBs aim to promote cross-boundary working between local authorities and other relevant organisations to deliver better access to public transport and jobs, more affordable housing and access to green space. The RTPI initially proposed the roll-out of GGBs in its response to the ‘Planning for the Future’ white paper and today’s report builds on the concept by analysing existing examples of cross-boundary strategic planning in places such as Liverpool, Leicester and Oxford. Interviews were also conducted with members who are working on the projects in these areas. Richard Blyth, Head of Policy at the RTPI, said: “Communities up and down the country have long been concerned about ensuring that transport and social infrastructure is provided alongside – or preferably before – housing development. “Added to this, we now know following Covid-19 that aspects like the quality of high streets, parks and open space on the urban fringe are key elements of how people feel about places. “Our proposal for Green Growth Boards serves to ensure that all the key strategies for a place are brought into a single democratic and professional oversight. “These structures can give local people a greater say over how their community is developed, which can in turn help the government level up the country.” The RTPI found that GGBs can be established and promote an interlinked and cooperative approach to planning to tackle infrastructure, housing shortages and climate change. The research identified three key themes which contribute to a successful GGB: Communicate – Stakeholders should be brought together to communicate their challenges, opportunities and resulting strategies in order to establish an interconnected understanding of a region. For instance, as part of the Leicester Strategic Growth Plan ten organisations came together to agree on a set of four core issues: delivering new housing, supporting the economy, identifying essential infrastructure and protecting the environment and built heritage. Collaborate – Stakeholders should identify and capitalise upon crossovers in their projects, existing strategies and visions and drive cooperation in these areas. The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority agreed on a statutory Spatial Development Strategy (SDS) which set out a strategic planning framework which guides Local Plans and Neighbourhood Plans across six authorities. Innovate – The GGBs should represent their unique region and have the capacity to adapt and evolve as necessary to meet their challenges and opportunities. The Oxfordshire Joint Statutory Spatial Plan, which combines six authorities, will ensure that the needs of the county are aligned and that new housing and infrastructure is joined up as the Oxford-Cambridge Arc develops.
Study Inn Group, the high-quality luxury student accommodation owner, developer, and operator is set to deliver a 270-bed purpose-built Study Inn in Nottingham, its second property in the city. Triumph House is conveniently located adjacent to the University of Nottingham’s Jubilee campus. The £35million brand-new scheme will offer a mixture of luxurious studios and en-suite serviced apartment rooms. Construction of the 5-storey ground up new build is in progress with opening scheduled for the next academic year. Facilities will follow the same enhanced and unparalleled specification as Study Inn’s 2nd generation of properties, including 24×7 onsite management, room cleaning and linen services, superfast Wi-Fi, and state-of-the-art communal facilities such as study space, wellness spa, sauna, steam room, hot beds, gym, yoga studio, games room, lounge, big screen cinema room, bicycle parking, and include private landscaped gardens. Commenting on the new development, Jack Jefferson, acquisitions director at Study Inn Group, said: Having opened 288 rooms in Talbot St, adjacent to Nottingham Trent University in 2020, this new development offers the opportunity to open a similar number of rooms adjacent to the University of Nottingham and so we are very pleased with the acquisition and the potential to continue to work with both universities in these excellent locations. This will be the seventh property in our second portfolio of luxury Study Inns. We had the ability and resources to close the acquisition quickly and have appetite for further acquisitions in good locations in UK cities.” Following the opening of Walnut Gardens in Exeter in September 2021, Study Inn is now in construction phase in Leicester, Leeds and Nottingham, which will see the Group’s 2nd Portfolio grow to circa 1,800 rooms. All Study Inn’s operating properties across Bristol, Loughborough, Nottingham, and Exeter are trading at 100% occupancy with strong rental growth and waiting lists.
Lendlease has raised £250 million through its debut pound sterling green bond – testament to ongoing investor demand for sustainable real estate development projects. The 12-year fixed rate bond pays a coupon of 3.5 per cent and will help the company continue to bring its $114 billion global pipeline of development projects to fruition. The issuance follows $800 million raised across two successful AUD green bonds in FY21 and reinforces Lendlease’s position as one of Australia’s largest non-bank ASX listed issuers of green, social and sustainability (GSS) bonds. In the past year, Lendlease also completed approximately $1.5 billion of sustainability linked loans denominated in AUD, USD and EUR. More than 50 per cent of Lendlease financing facilities are now linked to green, social and sustainability criteria to ensure the best outcomes against these three areas. Bond proceeds will be used to support the delivery of green buildings and earmarked to $1.8 billion of eligible assets, including across eight major urbanisation projects, such as the UK’s International Quarter London where the landmark Pavilion building has been constructed using sustainable glue laminated timber; and the Milano Innovation District in Italy, where 95 per cent of construction waste is being diverted from landfill. The delivery of these buildings will drive a range of market leading initiatives, with benefits ranging from the lowering of carbon emissions, to reducing the environmental impact of materials and the delivery of health and wellbeing benefits. This third green bond issue follows Lendlease’s launch of Mission Zero in May to promote its industry-leading sustainability targets: The environmental target sets a global benchmark for the real estate industry by becoming a 1.5ºC aligned company and targeting Net Zero Carbon for scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2025, and Absolute Zero Carbon for scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, encompassing all operations and including the supply chain by 2040. The social target signposts Lendlease’s aspiration for delivering positive social benefits to communities through the creation of $250 million of measured social value over five years to 2025, via the shared value partnerships supported by the Lendlease Foundation, going above and beyond Lendlease’s project obligations. Quote attributable to Simon Dixon, Chief Financial Officer: “We believe that creating places where communities thrive goes hand in glove with delivering positive environmental and social outcomes while also creating value for our securityholders. “Despite continuing market volatility in the context of emerging COVID-19 variants the bond attracted solid interest from investors seeking to support sustainable opportunities.”
Berry Systems has launched a comprehensive new website showing the extensive range of services they offer to architects, specifiers, and contractors across a wide variety of sectors. Specialists in the design, supply and installation of physical safety and security systems for car parks, industry and logistics, the new website details Berry’s scope of expertise in providing turnkey project solutions. “Through our Design Advisory Service, we are able to play a key role in projects, particularly when it comes to ECI,” says Andre Van Heerden, Managing Director at Berry Systems. “The new site features the many ways we can assist architects and planners in every aspect of design, planning and installation. “Whether it’s vehicle restraint systems, cladding and facades, perimeter security, industrial solutions or complete car park construction, the site gives details on all product options, finishes, colours, sustainability attributes and accreditations. “As well as highlighting full project support and our design service, along with surveying, testing, maintenance and inspection services, there’s also a range of product data sheets, case studies, and the latest news and blogs. “And for anybody looking for career opportunities, our vacancies section features several current roles as we look to expand the Berry team.” Andre concluded: “It was important that the new site not only contained all the information on the many services and solutions that we provide, but that it was presented in an attractive format that would be easy to navigate – and we’re confident that visitors will find exactly that.” View the new website at www.berrysystems.co.uk.
A stalled multi-million pound development of 45 apartments has been revived after RECOM Solutions was appointed as the main contractor to complete the project. The six-storey SONA scheme, opposite the O2 Apollo in Ardwick, Manchester, is being delivered as a build-to-rent development comprising one, two and three-bedroomed apartments with extensive communal spaces for residents. It is aimed at key workers and young professionals. RECOM has been appointed by CERT Property, which acquired the partially-completed scheme in October 2020 from a consortium of private investors. Building work had stalled after the previous contractor suffered financial difficulties. RECOM, which is based in Trafford Park, Greater Manchester, has experience of taking over distressed building projects and successfully completing them on time and within budget. Director Jason McKnight said: “We are delighted to be working with CERT on this project. We have been undertaking a lot of due diligence on the original build and are collaboratively working with the design team to progress the project to completion. “It is located at a prime site near the O2 Apollo and Manchester Royal Infirmary, and will be a fantastic asset for Ardwick. “The project has been stalled for some time now and we are thrilled to be involved to bring it to completion.” Stephen Oster, head of acquisitions and development at CERT, said: “With our previous contractor entering administration earlier this year, we took the opportunity to review and enhance the design of the project while working to appoint a first-class contractor in RECOM. “The entire project team is working tirelessly to ensure SONA is delivered to its full potential, and we’re delighted to see this development firmly back on track. RECOM is initially undertaking external structural works and enabling works at the site, and is procuring works packages for other aspects of the development. The project is due for completion by the end of 2022. ENDS Notes to editors The attached CGIs show how the SONA scheme will look once completed. RECOM Solutions, which was founded in 2015 by directors Jason McKnight and Joseph Dillon, undertakes construction project management and main contracting work across a range of sectors, including healthcare, education, retail and leisure, commercial and residential. It also provides consultancy services to assist in the delivery of high-quality projects. These services include design, risk, quality, health and safety and sustainability alongside passive fire. Clients include Barry’s Bootcamp, Pot Kettle Black, Urban Village Bars, KAMPUS, The Derwent Group, Fletcher Bond, the University of Manchester and the NHS. For more information on the company, visit www.recomsolutions.co.uk.
Work is under way on 70 new affordable homes in North Yorkshire thanks to a partnership between Karbon Homes and Countryside. The c.£12million development will see the construction of modern, energy efficient homes on a site in the village of Thorpe Willoughby, just outside Selby. Each home will be built using timber frame construction – a high quality, environmentally friendly, modern method of house building – and powered by air source heat pumps, a technology three times more efficient than gas boilers. Phil Lacey, Development Manager for Karbon Homes, said: “We’re excited to be bringing these innovative new homes to the local area. We know there is demand locally for affordable housing and through this scheme we’re providing high standard, energy efficient homes that are both fit for the future and accessible to all.” The 22 two-bedroom and 48 three-bedroom homes, which are set to be completed in Summer 2023, will be available for affordable rent, Shared Ownership and Rent to Buy. The development is the first time Karbon Homes has partnered with Countryside as the housing association expands its presence in Yorkshire. Chris Penn, Managing Director, Yorkshire Countryside, commented: “Since launching in Yorkshire in 2019, we have continually fulfilled a commitment to bring a diverse range of high-quality new homes to Yorkshire and the North East. We’re delighted to be working in partnership with Karbon Homes to deliver high-quality, sustainable new homes that will serve the needs of the local community in Thorpe Willoughby.” The development marks the start of Karbon’s strategic partnership with Homes England, the government’s housing delivery agency, which will provide £131.5 million in funding to deliver 2,200 new affordable homes across the North East and Yorkshire over the next few years.
Stephen Davies has been promoted to Operations Director for Wales at Bouygues UK. Stephen joined Bouygues UK as Technical Director in 2018 having previously enjoyed over 30 years’ experience in the construction industry working in the UK, Canada and the UAE in various technical, operational and leadership roles. During his varied career he has delivered major and multi-disciplined projects including GCHQ headquarters in Cheltenham, Southmead General Hospital in Bristol, Dubai Festival City and the first phase of the Battersea Power Station residential development in London. Most recently, Stephen has supported the Bouygues UK project team in delivering Cardiff Innovation Centre for Cardiff University and helped secure Bouygues UK’s flagship project in Swansea – 71/72 The Kingsway. A Cardiff native, Stephen now lives in Ogmore by Sea with his young family and is particularly keen on promoting sustainability and best practice within the construction industry. He has played a key role in developing Bouygues UK’s climate change policy, which has ambitious targets for the company to be operationally net zero by 2030, both internally and on site. Stephen said of his promotion: “I am thrilled to be promoted to Operations Director for Wales and look forward to working with our wonderful teams to promote business improvement and deliver fully-integrated solutions that serve to underpin the success of our projects and promote our reputation within Wales. I originally joined Bouygues UK because of its great reputation and ambition to improve and deliver quality projects for its clients. “Bouygues UK is very highly regarded in Wales, particularly for its education projects, such as Cardiff Innovation Campus and Pencoedtre High School. I’m looking forward to building on this even further.” Rob Bradley, CEO of Bouygues UK, said of Steve’s appointment: “Stephen is a much-valued member of the Bouygues UK team, and this promotion is testament to his brilliant work and leadership. He has a wealth of experience in the construction industry. I look forward to working even closer with him in his new role to further ensure Bouygues UK’s continued success.”
