Landsec has submitted a major planning application for the O2 Centre Masterplan Site as it looks to grow its mixed-use urban neighborhood portfolio. The proposal, which was submitted to the London Borough of Camden, will see the site transform into a landscape led development that will connect the communities of
BPF urges the Government to pilot Town Centre Investment Zones to deliver rapid high-street change. To reduce carbon emissions and mitigate against increasing energy costs the BPF calls for VAT on residential repairs and maintenance to be removed. The British Property Federation (BPF) is calling on the Chancellor of the
Barberry Industrial has completed the construction of a state-of-the-art centre of engineering excellence for a world-leading manufacturer of critical flow control solutions at a strategic site in the West Midlands. A 57,000 sq ft headquarters and manufacturing and design facility has been delivered on behalf of IMI Truflo Marine, part
Octopus Real Estate, part of Octopus Group and a leading UK specialist real estate lender and investor, has announced its commitment to building new care home developments that are net zero by 2030, marking the first such pledge across the care home industry. In addition to funding new developments to
Daniel May, Director at Consort Architectural Hardware explores the close relationship between fire safety and ironmongery and how compliance becomes compromised without essential hardware components. Unpredictable and untameable, fire is a beast that we can’t afford to ignore. It doesn’t prejudice against any building type, and as we’ve seen most
Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick, the leading UK Mechanical and Electrical engineering provider, has been appointed by Programme and Project Partners as one of two key delivery partners responsible for the mechanical and pipework works at Sellafield, the multi-function nuclear site in Cumbria. Through the framework, valued at £250 million, Balfour Beatty
GMI Construction Group’s dedication to developing skills through earn and learn opportunities has earned it membership of the prestigious 5% Club. The employer-led UK charity, made up of more than 650 members, inspires and educates businesses and organisations to increase the number of apprentices, sponsored students, and graduate trainees with
The City of Liverpool College is expanding its highly successful apprenticeships programme to tradesmen and budding apprentices across the country, as part of its mission to close the skills gap and contribute to a greener future. From September, the College will be moving away from the existing ‘day release’ model
A refurbished industrial estate in the West Midlands is fully occupied after property investment and development company, Goold Estates secured the letting of the final two available properties. Dudley-based design engineer, MiTek Industries Limited has signed a five-year lease on unit 11b, a 5,737 sq ft modern industrial unit at
Asset lifecycle software specialist Glider has made a lasting impression following its attendance and sponsorship of the Digital Impact stage at this year’s Futurebuild, the leading industry event aimed at inspiring the transformational change needed to propel the industry to net zero. Held at London’s ExCel Centre from 1st –
Landsec has submitted a major planning application for the O2 Centre Masterplan Site as it looks to grow its mixed-use urban neighborhood portfolio. The proposal, which was submitted to the London Borough of Camden, will see the site transform into a landscape led development that will connect the communities of Finchley Road and West End Lane. Landsec has been working with the local community and the London Borough of Camden to develop the new masterplan. The site will deliver 1,800 new homes, 35% of which will be affordable, and will provide a variety of amenities and leisure facilities, including a town square with a variety of shops, restaurants, supermarket, gym, and cinema. As a new green space, the entire site will have improved pedestrian links and half of the 14-acre space will be dedicated to public and green spaces that will be open and accessible for all. This includes a new community green, linear park and a community garden, where people can visit, exercise and socialise in. The development is aligned with Landsec’s focus on developing and investing in mixed-use urban neighbourhoods, a key pillar of its growth strategy. David Heaford, Managing Director – Development at Landsec: “We are delighted to submit our final proposal for the O2 Centre after receiving valuable input from the local community. At Landsec, we believe in the power of building communities, workforces and improving lives. The O2 Masterplan Site represents our vision of creating a vibrant place to live, work and enjoy, shaped by local identity and designed to serve the needs of all in the community whilst providing access to open green space. More broadly, we remain excited by the huge growth potential of these urban opportunities and believe regeneration is key in offering sustainable urban neighbourhoods right across the UK.”
BPF urges the Government to pilot Town Centre Investment Zones to deliver rapid high-street change. To reduce carbon emissions and mitigate against increasing energy costs the BPF calls for VAT on residential repairs and maintenance to be removed. The British Property Federation (BPF) is calling on the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, to use this week’s Spring Statement to take action to support the Government’s ambitions to level-up the country, decarbonise the economy and ease the cost-of-living crisis being felt by millions. The real estate sector is well-placed to deliver investment across the country, working in partnership with local and national Government. To unleash this investment and support job creation, the BPF has highlighted three key actions: A greener, decarbonised future Removing VAT on repairs and maintenance of residential buildings, to ensure that tax is not a blocker to anyone wanting to improve the energy efficiency of their own home[1]. Using capital allowances to expedite tax relief on retrofitting and energy efficiency improvement works. Thriving town centres Accelerating the renewal of our high streets through Town Centre Investment Zones[2]. Forging ahead with business rates reform by increasing the frequency of revaluations, extending empty rates relief and abolishing downward rates phasing. Housing the nation Stimulating institutional investment into affordable housing[3]. Temporarily halting all council tax revaluations of Houses in Multiple Occupation. Melanie Leech, chief executive of the British Property Federation, comments, “The Government has committed to reach net zero carbon by 2050 and to create a more economically balanced and socially just society. The real estate sector has a vital role to play in delivering on both these ambitions and we urge the Chancellor to use the Spring Statement to accelerate investment and action. With the public and private sector working in partnership we can revitalise our high-streets and town centres and help both businesses and individuals to reduce their carbon footprint.” [1] See appendix: Removing VAT on repairs and maintenance of residential buildings for further detail [2] See appendix: Town Centre Investment Zones for further detail [3] See appendix: Stimulate institutional investment into affordable housing for further detail
Barberry Industrial has completed the construction of a state-of-the-art centre of engineering excellence for a world-leading manufacturer of critical flow control solutions at a strategic site in the West Midlands. A 57,000 sq ft headquarters and manufacturing and design facility has been delivered on behalf of IMI Truflo Marine, part of IMI plc, at Birmingham’s Advanced Manufacturing Hub (AMH). Barberry Industrial, a West Midlands-based property developer and investor, was selected to purchase the site from Birmingham City Council and Homes England. The completed building has been handed over by construction contractor Benniman. The global engineering company will soon relocate to the manufacturing hub in Witton from its existing facility nearby, having signed a new 15-year lease on the Aston facility. The move safeguards the jobs of its existing skilled workforce and creates new employment opportunities. Barberry Industrial development director Jon Robinson said: “We’re extremely proud to have worked alongside IMI Truflo Marine to deliver a world class headquarters building and centre of excellence. It is a magnificent state-of-the-art facility, which matches their global ambitions and aligns with the expectations of their customers around the world. It will assist them in continuing to grow their business here in Birmingham. “It is significant for the city and the AMH, and for us it represents another excellent piece of business, working with the private and public sector to create further investment and jobs for the city. IMI has a long and successful history in the city, and the skills and talents of local people has helped the company develop and grow into the global business it is today, employing around 11,000 people.” IMI Truflo Marine is part of IMI Critical Engineering – a world-leading provider of critical flow control solutions that enable vital energy and process industries to operate safely, cleanly, reliably and more efficiently. Managing director Mark Bloxham said: “It’s been a pleasure working with Barberry on such an important project for our business. The new facility will not only create a world class manufacturing facility for our customers, our employees and our stakeholders but will also serve as a centre of engineering excellence to support our global market from here in Birmingham.” Barberry secured detailed planning permission, negotiated a holding contract, commissioned a construction tender process, acquired the site and then sold the investment to Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Plc c/o BMO Real Estate Partners. The project was executed by Barberry in a 12-month period. Barberry has a 3.6 million sq ft industrial/logistics development portfolio with a Gross Development Value of in excess of £500 million. This is Barberry’s second development at the AMH, where they speculatively developed a 65,000 sq ft unit and let it to Mayflex. The unit was acquired by M&G Real Estate for £9 million. It is developing a £40 million state-of-the-art manufacturing and design facility for a global leader in engine and flight controls systems in Gloucestershire. The 207,000 sq ft centre of excellence for Moog’s Aircraft Controls Segment is being built on a 10-acre site at Ashchurch, Tewkesbury. The company has also commenced speculative construction of three high quality mid-box manufacturing/logistics units totaling 222,750 sq ft at a prime West Midlands business park in a £37 million project. Barberry’s development includes industrial/logistics units of 47,750 sq ft, 62,000 sq ft and 113,000 sq ft at Wolf Pack, Hilton Cross Business Park, just off junction 1 of the M54, Wolverhampton, and will bring much-needed investment and jobs to the region. IMI Critical Engineering is a division of IMI plc, the specialist engineering company that designs, manufactures, and services highly engineered products that control the precise movement of fluids. Its innovative technologies, built around valves and actuators, enable vital processes to operate safely, sustainably, cleanly, efficiently and cost effectively. IMI employs approximately 10,000 people, has manufacturing facilities in 18 countries and operates a global service network. The Company is listed on the London Stock Exchange. Further information is available at www.imiplc.com.
Octopus Real Estate, part of Octopus Group and a leading UK specialist real estate lender and investor, has announced its commitment to building new care home developments that are net zero by 2030, marking the first such pledge across the care home industry. In addition to funding new developments to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, Octopus will make significant investments into its existing portfolio of 71 care homes across the UK to retrofit these properties. It has committed to making these care homes and 13 properties currently under construction net zero by 2040. The pledges will ensure Octopus, as a leading investor and landlord in UK care homes, is driving the industry towards higher energy efficiency standards. The two net zero commitments were met with unbridled support from the institutional investors who invest in Octopus’ care homes strategy, demonstrating the demand among pension funds, insurers, sovereign wealth funds and family offices for assets that are contributing to the UK’s energy transition requirements. The commitments also reflect Octopus Group’s commitment to reach net zero by 2030. As part of its commitments, where needed, Octopus will work to minimise and offset the embodied carbon in the construction process of its new developments, including through UK Government-approved, high-quality certified carbon sequestration projects. Michael Toft, Care Home Senior Fund Manager, Octopus Real Estate, commented: “We are incredibly proud to be the first investor and landlord in UK care homes to commit to net zero targets. We see it as a natural extension of our role as a leading player in the care home sector and our passionate belief as a Group that people and the planet deserve better. Our commitments place us ahead of both the UK Government’s net zero targets and the Paris Agreement targets. Octopus Real Estate’s investors overwhelmingly supported these pledges, mirroring their overarching support for our care home strategy, which helps them to achieve genuine impact for society while generating financial returns.” Benjamin Davis, CEO, Octopus Real Estate, commented: “This announcement fits into wider sustainability initiatives within Octopus Real Estate, including our Greener Homes Alliance with Homes England, which is funding the development of energy efficient homes across England. It reflects our strident belief that companies will increasingly be judged on how they are building a better tomorrow and should be seen as a clear marker of intent for our objectives and strategy. We have been delighted with the stamp of approval we have received from our investors for this approach so far.” The Octopus care homes strategy offers institutional investors an impact investment opportunity – achieving social benefits for the ageing population through investing in elderly care homes and specialist care. The strong fundamentals of healthcare infrastructure investment, including sustainable, inflation-linked income, risk-adjusted returns, and supportive demographics, continue to attract significant institutional investor demand.
Daniel May, Director at Consort Architectural Hardware explores the close relationship between fire safety and ironmongery and how compliance becomes compromised without essential hardware components. Unpredictable and untameable, fire is a beast that we can’t afford to ignore. It doesn’t prejudice against any building type, and as we’ve seen most recently in Whitechapel, London, it can cause immeasurable damage and loss when fire safety isn’t prioritised. Fire safety itself is a complex topic, covering a wide range of subjects and themes, from prevention to containment and evacuation – all of which carry great significance when designing and maintaining a fire-safe building. For a building’s architects, specifiers, inspectors and owners, it’s imperative to provide an acceptable level of fire safety for occupants and visitors alike. And for this, fire doors play an integral role. Recognised as part of a building’s passive fire protection system, fire doors are a means of escape and are tasked with compartmentalising smoke and fire during a fire incident. In doing so, they protect the property and its people for a specified time, most commonly resisting for 30 (FD30) or 60 (FD60) minutes. Yet, fire doors aren’t the only piece of the puzzle. Combined protection As is outlined by the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (GAI), ironmongery and fire safety share a distinguished relationship. To assure performance and compliance, all dedicated fire doors, other than those to locked cupboards and service ducts, must be fitted with the necessary ironmongery components. This includes hinges, door closers, locks and latches. Each of these hardware components are designed to operate in tandem with a fire door – without them, the door is made redundant. In fact, the integrity of a fire door could immediately be compromised should one area become damaged or fail to meet strict performance standards. To eliminate vulnerabilities, hardware, in accordance with the UK Construction Products Regulations (CPR) must be CE marked (or UKCA after the 1st January 2023) to prove fire performance, and it is a criminal offence to supply products that do not comply. Fire door closers for example, whether concealed or surface mounted, are required to perform what is considered an essential function in closing a door to completion from any angle into its frame or until the latch engages. In facilitating the closing motion, door closers play an active role in ensuring a fire door accomplishes compartmentation. Because of their significance, controlled closing devices must be tested to BS EN 1154 and fire rated to BS EN 1634. Upon application, a closer must also be compatible with a door’s existing mechanisms and in addition to CE marking, it is highly advised it should be approved by a third-party scheme such as CERTIFIRE, providing the detail needed for its application. Similarly, hinges and latches play an important role in ensuring the integrity of a fire door. Commonly, three hinges are applied to fire doors, and at all times must remain adequately attached, repressing any charring or damage to the door’s timber in the event of a fire. Locks and latches are also essential, assuring a door remains closed within its frame, and thus, provides an effective barrier in the event of a fire. Because of their significance, locks and latches must also be CE marked and tested to BS EN 12209, with many professionals, such as architects, also demanding CERTIFIRE approval for the hardware they use. Maintaining safety and compliance Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, should a building fall short in its fire safety practices, the associated party is under risk of receiving heavy penalties and fines. Compliance is a continuous process and so, fire doors and their fitted hardware must remain operational and effective throughout the entire lifecycle of a building. To preserve fire performance, regular maintenance is vital. Aside from being up to code, the operational functions of all door furniture items should be checked regularly, including any additional mandatory components such as the operating furniture, intumescent seals (designed to expand and hold the door within its frame in the event of a fire) and relevant door signage. If basic maintenance is neglected, a fire door’s operational life can be significantly reduced – even with the correct hardware in place. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 recognises this, making it a legal requirement to ensure that fire resisting doors are correctly installed and adequately maintained to be fit to purpose. To keep the building protected, workplace environments for example, must designate a Responsible Person (RP) to undertake regular fire safety risk assessments, inspecting all elements of fire safety including the operation of fire doors. As part of ongoing risk assessments, regular maintenance periods are critical and provide Responsible Persons with an opportunity to review and repair any damage to a door’s working components. Should any hardware issues be raised, decision makers must act quickly and seek professional support to replace or repair the ironmongery until the door is once again fully operational. Whether in a commercial, residential, or institutional space, a functional fire door is paramount in delivering a building’s fire safety, but only when operating in tandem with ironmongery can it deliver its purpose. All stakeholders and responsible persons found throughout the supply chain must recognise this significant relationship between ironmongery and fire safety, or risk falling short of stringent fire safety standards. Because, simply put, door hardware is more than just a finishing touch, it’s a fire safety enabler.
Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick, the leading UK Mechanical and Electrical engineering provider, has been appointed by Programme and Project Partners as one of two key delivery partners responsible for the mechanical and pipework works at Sellafield, the multi-function nuclear site in Cumbria. Through the framework, valued at £250 million, Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick will work alongside Doosan Babcock to deliver mechanical piped services as part of its continued effort to support the decommissioning of the nuclear power facility over the next 18 years. Will Smith, Managing Director, Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick said: “Utilising our expert capabilities and collaborative delivery approach, Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick is perfectly positioned to deliver the mechanical and pipework framework at Sellafield. “Having now been appointed to the third of Programme and Project Partners’ frameworks, we have cemented our status as a key delivery partner; through which we will continue to deliver a lasting positive legacy across the region and support in the safe and successful decommissioning of the facility.” Cameron Gilmour, VP Nuclear and Defence, Doosan Babcock said: “The 18-year framework provides a unique opportunity to build upon our site-delivery and expertise heritage at Sellafield and provide further value to the local West Cumbrian area.” The announcements marks the third framework Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick has been appointed to through Programme and project Partners ‘Multi Project Procurement’ model at Sellafield, having been awarded the electrical and instrumentation framework earlier this month, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning package in November last year.
GMI Construction Group’s dedication to developing skills through earn and learn opportunities has earned it membership of the prestigious 5% Club. The employer-led UK charity, made up of more than 650 members, inspires and educates businesses and organisations to increase the number of apprentices, sponsored students, and graduate trainees with the aim of alleviating poverty through increased employment. One of the largest independent construction companies in the North of England and the Midlands, GMI Construction Group has long championed apprenticeships and undergraduate work placements as a way of encouraging young people into the industry. It has developed links with seven universities: Leeds Beckett, Nottingham Trent, Coventry, Birmingham City, Salford, Liverpool John Moores and Sheffield Hallam and employs four undergraduates per year undertaking construction-related degrees. In addition, the company has also forged close ties with Leeds College of Building. In addition, GMI Construction Group, which employs 213 people, recently recruited three apprentices to bring its cohort to 16. An example of its ethos and passion for training and development can be found in the £200m train manufacturing plant GMI is currently delivering on behalf of Siemens Mobility in Goole, East Yorkshire. Here, it has created four apprenticeships, and five university and college work placements, as well as hosting educational visits and workshops for schools, colleges, and universities. The company, with offices in Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, and Teesside, believes work placements provide participants with a real insight into working on construction sites. Construction students from Wirral Met College recently engaged in placements, apprenticeships, job opportunities and site visits to the Wirral Waters regeneration project at Birkenhead, while four Level 3 Construction & the Built Environment students from Leeds College of Building have been involved in the build of a new 604-bed purpose built student accommodation in the city and Thorpe Park in a partnership that will continue to grow. Lee Powell, CEO of GMI Construction Group, said: “This company is committed to encouraging the next generation into the construction industry, to develop their skills and create clear pathways of progression. “Earn and learn opportunities are key to developing employees who not only possess the industry knowledge but also have hands-on practical experience. We offer everything from apprenticeships to trainee site manager training, backed up by the necessary mentoring and support that they require to grow in their career. “This approach also benefits the business as it delivers more effective and motivated employees, while ensuring an inclusive and accessible workplace.” Gill Cronin, operations director of The 5% Club, said: “I’m delighted to welcome GMI Construction Group as a member. The construction industry is a major employer of apprentices and graduates and it’s excellent to see that it is setting a great example and providing a wealth of opportunities.”
The City of Liverpool College is expanding its highly successful apprenticeships programme to tradesmen and budding apprentices across the country, as part of its mission to close the skills gap and contribute to a greener future. From September, the College will be moving away from the existing ‘day release’ model of its Level 3 The Refrigeration Air Conditioning and Heat Pump (RACHP) Engineering Technician Apprenticeship, and instead rolling out a ‘block release’ structure. In the current delivery model, apprentices are required to attend the College once a week over the course of the year for up to three years, with, apprentices therefore ideally needing to be based in the local area to make the frequent commute. With an increasing number of the College’s employer partners successfully winning work nationally, the College has introduced an innovative new approach which will enable it to adapt to the needs of employers across both the Liverpool City Region (LCR) and the rest of the UK. The introduction of the new block model means that apprentices will attend the College’s Vauxhall Road premises for seven one-week periods over the course of the academic year, opening opportunities to long-distance apprentices and company partnerships, who can book their apprentices onto the invaluable course. This new structure also allows employers to plan for the absence of their apprentices, avoiding complications with the workforce, which has previously impacted employers enrolling their staff on to the courses. The new RACHP model will lead the way in training the next generation of renewable installers to help meet ambitious carbon reduction and climate change targets set by government. It comes as the UK heat sector is set to play an integral part in the transition to net-zero, with the Climate Change Committee anticipating that, to reach 2050 climate targets of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, 17 million UK homes may have a heat pump installed. Last year, the Government announced its 10-point plan for a ‘Green Industrial Revolution’, which highlighted the critical importance of decarbonising homes across the country. The plan included the phase-out of gas heating in new homes by 2023 and a target to install 600,000 heat pumps every year by 2028. Following the announcement, the demand for heat pumps in the UK began to soar, with more homeowners striving to be eco-friendly and embracing the benefits that come from installing heat pumps, such as lower long-term energy costs. At the same time, the Heat Pump Association (HPA) warned the sector was suffering low levels of technology deployment and could also be hindered by a skills gap in the sector, as it was estimated 60,000 installation workers will be needed by 2028 to help meet these targets, but only 1,800 people currently possessed the right training. The City of Liverpool College recognises the need to invest in the training and upskilling of over 40,000 heat pump installers needed by 2035, to achieve widescale deployment and close the skills gap in the industry. Over 30 local businesses already work in partnership with the College on its RACHP apprenticeship, and with the launch of this new model, the College predicts a significant increase in this number from companies across the country looking to welcome new workers and upskill current employees as demand in this area increases. Lindsey Meadows, Head of Apprenticeships at The City of Liverpool College, said: “As we continue our mission as the College for business, it’s important that we open our doors to more companies and apprentices from across the country and do our part in closing the skill gap that is currently present in the heating technology industry. “This new model means apprentices from across the country can attend the course and gain their highly-valued qualification in a more convenient format, which is also hugely beneficial for employers. “The new format will ensure employers can access the skilled workforce needed to help the country build back greener after the pandemic. We are helping to set the standards for the industry, providing the vital skills and opportunities required to be at the forefront of a Green Industrial Revolution. “We are delighted to be opening the doors to this apprenticeship built for a green future, which creates the right skills and environment for our industry to grow. “Through this apprenticeship, we are hoping to help diminish some of the barriers that existing engineers face when looking to expand into low-carbon heating, including difficulty finding dedicated courses and courses that then meet the needs of the installer.” The new format will launch with the new academic year from September and apprentices and businesses can enrol by visiting https://www.liv-coll.ac.uk/courses/refrigeration-air-conditioning-and-heat-pump-engineering-technician-level-3-apprenticeship-standard/.
A refurbished industrial estate in the West Midlands is fully occupied after property investment and development company, Goold Estates secured the letting of the final two available properties. Dudley-based design engineer, MiTek Industries Limited has signed a five-year lease on unit 11b, a 5,737 sq ft modern industrial unit at Cookley Wharf Industrial Estate on Leys Road, Brierley Hill. Office furniture designer and manufacturer, JDD Furniture Ltd has become the single largest occupier on the estate, having taken a 10-year lease on 18,657 sq ft of space at units 17b – 20b. Joe Duffell, co-director of JDD Furniture Ltd, said: “The refurbished Cookley Wharf site has provided us with the perfect foundation to increase our manufacturing facility and offer further employment opportunities for the local area.” Goold Estates has comprehensively refurbished a former steel manufacturing plant at Cookley Wharf Industrial Estate, to create ten smaller industrial/warehouse units, ranging in size from 2,400 sq ft to 6,296 sq ft. Delivered in two phases, the project has re-roofed, re-clad and redecorated each unit, with new insulated roller shutter doors, new pedestrian doors and new LED lights installed. The new buildings also benefit from allocated car parking and EV charging points, as well as 24/7 access within a secure gated estate that contains a high-definition CCTV system with ANPR. Anthony Williams, property director at Goold Estates, said that all ten units have been let to seven occupiers. The company is now carrying out a similar refurbishment of Masonry Trading Estate in Walsall. “Occupier demand at Cookley Wharf was extremely strong, with lettings agreed on virtually all units prior to completion of the refurbishment works. We believe this was due to a shortage of available stock in the area and the high specification of the redevelopment. “We are hoping to achieve similar success at Masonry Trading Estate, where we are refurbishing five industrial / warehouse units to a similar specification. The estate, which also includes office premises, totals 75,000 sq ft and is well located, being just 2 miles from J10 of the M6. We anticipate that two units of approximately 12,000 sq ft and 17,000 sq ft will be refurbished and available for occupation in summer 2022, with the remainder of the estate already let or under offer.” Max Shelley of Bulleys who marketed Cookley Wharf Industrial Estate, said: “The local market remains especially busy but demand is continuing to outstrip the supply of small industrial/warehouse units of this type, which are so hard to come by. The popularity of the Cookley Wharf scheme is a testament to the quality of the product that Goold Estates has delivered.”
Asset lifecycle software specialist Glider has made a lasting impression following its attendance and sponsorship of the Digital Impact stage at this year’s Futurebuild, the leading industry event aimed at inspiring the transformational change needed to propel the industry to net zero. Held at London’s ExCel Centre from 1st – 3rd March, the three-day exhibition attracted more than 300 exhibitors and 350 speakers and provided the perfect platform for Glider to demonstrate its range of data management software solutions. Hosting 22 seminars across three days, the Glider-sponsored Digital Impact Stage brought together leading experts in digital technology to provoke fascinating conversations and enable industry professionals to better understand “digital construction” and the purpose it serves. John Adams, Head of Product for Glider, chaired a seminar entitled Why the future of construction is digital. It explored the positive influence of digital and how, over the past two years, the pandemic has challenged us to embrace digital beyond what we thought was possible. “We were delighted to sponsor the Digital Impact Stage at Futurebuild 2022 and there was a fantastic line up of speakers ensuring a high level of debate,” commented Nick Hutchinson, Managing Director at Glider. “Futurebuild provided us with the ideal platform with which to showcase, engage and influence with key professionals within the sector and highlight why digital is the driving force behind modern construction.” At the Glider exhibition stand, team members were able to demonstrate some of their flagship digital solutions including gliderbim® – an intelligent information management platform which supports the whole asset data lifecycle. “Our exhibition stand at this year’s Futurebuild was also a great success with visitors overwhelmingly positive,” commented Nick Hutchinson. “There was a high level of interaction with our consulting and technical team which gave us the perfect opportunity to meet up with existing clients, as well as discover new customers and contacts.” Glider will also be hosting a webinar event on the Futurebuild virtual platform from 15:00-16:00 on Thursday 17th March with Jon Adams of Glider chairing a talk entitled: The sustainable actions we need to take to build a better world. It will see speakers from the live event discussing highlights from the show and what is driving healthy buildings and healthy environments. It will also look at sustainable architecture and what we mean by making our cities ‘smart’.
