March 23, 2022

GLP leases second building at Magna Park Lutterworth to Iron Mountain

GLP, a leading investor and developer of logistics warehouses and distribution parks, today announces that it has successfully leased a 500,000 SQ FT warehouse at Magna Park North Lutterworth, MPN2, to Iron Mountain, the leading US enterprise information management services company. This is Iron Mountain’s second lease at Magna Park

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ISG awarded £50m Art Deco office restoration

ISG has been awarded the £50m Northcliffe House refurbishment project to restore the historic Art Deco office to its former glory. The refurbishment of the 25,119m2 building will see an increase to the building’s net lettable space of 1,150m2 with the extension of two new levels. It will also include

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Building a Productive Future in Construction

As 2022 seems set to see a continuation in construction sector demand, and the UK looks toward post-pandemic economic recovery, business leaders in the built environment are facing a new set of challenges. Increasing labour and material costs, decreasing contractor confidence, and delays in the supply chain are all contributing

Read More »

LIFE BEYOND LEDS – KEEPING THE LIGHTS ON AND COSTS DOWN IN RETAIL 

Keeping the store lights on is the first rule of retail, but with increasing energy costs, many high-street names are seeking ways to reduce consumption without hitting the off switch. Whilst many retailers already recognise the benefit of installing LEDs, some aren’t aware of the further significant savings to be

Read More »

How is SterlingOSB Zero made?

SterlingOSB Zero is one of the most popular panel products used by the UK construction industry; developers, builders, and self-builders alike.  It’s the go-to panel for a multitude of roles today – from the basic functional to the trendy aesthetic feature wall – but how is it made and what

Read More »

GLP Announces €1.2 billion First Close for EIP III, the Third Vintage of its Flagship Pan-European Income Logistics Fund Series

GLP announced today that it has reached a €1.2 billion (~$1.3 billion) first close for GLP Europe Income Partners III SCSp (“GLP EIP III”), which seeks to generate long-term, stable returns by investing in high-quality and well-designed properties in key logistics and distribution locations across Europe. GLP EIP III is

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Bouygues UK Hands Over Cardiff University Building

Bouygues UK Hands Over Cardiff University Building

Bouygues UK has formally handed over the keys to the newly-completed sbarc|spark building at Cardiff University, which was officially opened on St David’s Day, 1st March 2022. The new building is the largest innovation facility of its kind in Wales, featuring 12,000m sq of floor space across six storeys, with commercial units and

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NHBC Welcoming Roger Bullivant to NHBC Accepts

NHBC Welcoming Roger Bullivant to NHBC Accepts

NHBC, the leading warranty and insurance provider for new homes in the UK, has announced that Roger Bullivant’s RBeam precast concrete foundation system has been officially welcomed to NHBC Accepts. NHBC Accepts is an all-inclusive, end-to-end service that helps to build confidence in innovative construction and enable innovative products to be fast-tracked

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Latest Issue
Issue 322 : Nov 2024

March 23, 2022

GLP leases second building at Magna Park Lutterworth to Iron Mountain

GLP, a leading investor and developer of logistics warehouses and distribution parks, today announces that it has successfully leased a 500,000 SQ FT warehouse at Magna Park North Lutterworth, MPN2, to Iron Mountain, the leading US enterprise information management services company. This is Iron Mountain’s second lease at Magna Park Lutterworth, having signed a lease for a 300,000 SQ FT MPN3, in December 2021, bringing the company’s total leased space within the park to 800,000 SQ FT. Completion of both buildings is expected imminently. With this latest agreement, GLP has leased all 1 million SQ FT of speculative space at Magna Park North Lutterworth ahead of practical completion.   Magna Park Lutterworth is the UK and Europe’s largest dedicated logistics and distribution park, situated within the Midlands’ ‘Golden Triangle’ of logistics. Home to 36 different customers and occupying in excess of 11 million SQ FT of sustainable floor space across 41 buildings, Magna Park Lutterworth is GLP’s flagship distribution park. Both buildings leased by Iron Mountain have best-in-class specification and ESG features including wide service yards, significant HGV and car parking allocations, dock levelers, level access doors, increased natural light, electric vehicle charging and abundant power supply. Each warehouse is also BREEAM Excellent, designed to WELL principles and features a range of sustainability and energy efficiency measures. Olivia Hinds, Development Director at GLP, explains: “We are delighted to welcome Iron Mountain to Magna Park Lutterworth across their two buildings totalling 800k sq.ft and we look forward to supporting them with their future expansion. This has been a period of significant activity at Magna Park Lutterworth with a series of development and lease agreements to valued customers. The leasing of all 1 million sq.ft of speculative space at Magna Park North ahead of practical completion is testament to the parks position as Europe’s leading logistics and distribution park and indicates the strong levels of demand we have seen for high quality warehouse space.”  

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ISG awarded £50m Art Deco office restoration

ISG has been awarded the £50m Northcliffe House refurbishment project to restore the historic Art Deco office to its former glory. The refurbishment of the 25,119m2 building will see an increase to the building’s net lettable space of 1,150m2 with the extension of two new levels. It will also include the addition of 9,000sq ft worth of green space including the south-facing landscaped roof terraces across levels six and seven.    Upon completion, the refreshed space will provide its occupiers with a modern workplace to a Cat A standard. It will boast scenic lifts overlooking the renovated atrium extension, all within the existing cast steel frame. Whilst providing state of the art amenities internally, cleaning and repairs will also take place to restore the building’s historic Art Deco façade.    The former home to the Daily Mail newspaper is targeting BREEAM Outstanding. The approach has been strongly informed by a Life Cycle Assessment, which considered the savings in embodied carbon by retaining the existing structure compared with demolition and a full, new-build redevelopment of the site. A key feature of the Grade II listed building is the reconfigured internal atrium, which upon completion will link the reception with the renovated office space and break out areas. However, during renovation works the atrium is home to the 40-metre crane, reducing external disruption and improving efficiencies while guaranteeing the project’s high-quality and consistent delivery. Scott Knibb, Project Director for Fit Out at ISG, said: “Sitting in the heart of the Fleet Street Business Development District, the refurbishment of Northcliffe House plays a pivotal role in the regeneration of this area. Its development will further attract other businesses to bring the former glory back to what was once recognised globally as the beating heart of the newspaper industry. “This project has benefited from a truly collaborative approach from across the board to offer this unique and flexible office space of the future to meet the requirements of today’s workforce. Showcasing the best-in-class amenities, features and scenic views both internally, via its atrium lifts, and externally, via its extensive green spaces. The sustainable principles it has followed ensure it is future-proofed, all while maintaining the building’s 1920s charm and heritage.”

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HENRY BOOT CONSTRUCTION TO DELIVER LANDMARK PARK IN SHEFFIELD CITY CENTRE

Henry Boot Construction has been appointed to deliver Pound’s Park – the landmark new public space in Sheffield City Centre, with work set to get underway this month. Seen as a key piece of Sheffield City Council’s Heart of the City programme, Pound’s Park becomes Henry Boot Construction’s third project within the wider scheme, with the Sheffield-based firm already on site at major residential development Kangaroo Works, and at a second site that features the Elshaw House office development and Cambridge Street Collective – a major food hall and restaurant destination. Named after Sheffield’s first Chief Fire Officer, Superintendent John Charles Pound, the park will be located on the former fire station site between Rockingham Street, Wellington Street and Carver Street. It will help integrate a network of open spaces that run from Devonshire Green through to the Peace Gardens. It will provide an expansive, safe and accessible space that adds distinctive character and an element of escapism to the city’s busy urban environment. By prioritising walking and cycling, active play and relaxation, all within a visually attractive green setting, the park aims to bring The Outdoor City ethos right into the heart of the city centre. It also provides another world-class space to host outdoor events in the city centre. Tony Shaw, Managing Director for Henry Boot Construction, said: “We are delighted to be appointed on Pound’s Park and add it to our growing portfolio within the city. Working on a game-changing green space in The Outdoor City feels particularly special to us.   “The concept of city centres, and how we use them today, continues to change rapidly. With more people choosing to live and work in the city centre, we understand the pivotal role that public spaces and green landscaping play in enhancing wellbeing and sustainability. “As an organisation, we are extremely well placed to help our clients deliver outstanding public realm. Last year we completed the new public square in The Glass Works at Barnsley, which has transformed how residents, workers and visitors use and enjoy the town centre.” The Pound’s Park contract was procured through the dedicated contractor framework Pagabo. It is expected to take around one year to complete. As part of Henry Boot Construction’s own commitment to Sheffield, they will aim to deliver social value outputs by utilising a local supply chain wherever possible, site-specific employment and various training initiatives. In addition to Sheffield, Henry Boot Construction is currently working on several other high-profile projects across Yorkshire, including the Cocoa Works in York.

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Building a Productive Future in Construction

As 2022 seems set to see a continuation in construction sector demand, and the UK looks toward post-pandemic economic recovery, business leaders in the built environment are facing a new set of challenges. Increasing labour and material costs, decreasing contractor confidence, and delays in the supply chain are all contributing factors in a perfect storm set to upset the balance of industry recovery. For those in the sector, construction productivity is the key to addressing these challenges. On 10 May 2022, the Construction Productivity Conference returns to London, bringing together a host of industry leaders and suppliers to discuss strategy, opportunity, and the future of productivity in the built environment. The event will see exhibitors and a panel of expert speakers focusing on new technologies, materials management, and strategies for addressing inefficiencies in current practices affecting training, developing, and up-skilling the construction workforce. Attendees will also have the opportunity to network with business leaders in a dynamic and interactive setting. With a host of speakers confirmed to appear throughout the day, delegates will have the opportunity to learn about new practices from those at the forefront of construction productivity. Focusing on current hot topics such as models for productivity improvement, boosting on-site productivity using a platform-based approach, and maximising offsite delivery methods, the conference programme offers an exciting insight into future-forward plans and initiatives on the table for the coming year and beyond. Recent reports state that, at present, only 64% of hours worked in the industry are considered productive. These reports, coupled with information from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) citing a quarterly fall in construction output of 0.9% from Q2 to Q3 2021, make it vital the industry looks to evolve and innovate. As businesses look towards improving output efficiency across all areas, the Construction Productivity Conference will also focus on addressing the balance between the topics of product, process, and people. The 2022 conference, taking place at One Great George Street in Westminster, follows on from the highly successful 2019 event – which saw leading exhibitors and industry figureheads at the forefront of the sector come together to share their vision for the future. With an exciting agenda already in place for this year, exhibitor opportunities are still available for those looking to demonstrate their reputation as industry experts amongst key target audiences. Aimed at developer clients, architects, engineers, contractors, and building technology suppliers, along with many other professionals and decision-makers within the built sector, Construction Productivity Conference promises to put delegates right in the heart of this increasingly vital discussion.  To find out more about the event and the 2022 programme, information can be found at the event website – https://www.constructionproductivity.co.uk For more about exhibitor and sponsor opportunities please contact – Amy Pryce on 01743 290001 or amy.pryce@radar-communications.co.uk

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LIFE BEYOND LEDS – KEEPING THE LIGHTS ON AND COSTS DOWN IN RETAIL 

Keeping the store lights on is the first rule of retail, but with increasing energy costs, many high-street names are seeking ways to reduce consumption without hitting the off switch. Whilst many retailers already recognise the benefit of installing LEDs, some aren’t aware of the further significant savings to be made through lighting controls, as Ben Brunton, Lighting Controls Specialist at Prime Light explains.  Efficientlighting is one of the easiest ways to reduce outgoings for retailers and the savings are palpable as, unlike heating, it’s so easy to measure. Whether you are looking to capitalise on the efficiencies of installing a brand-new system or have an existing lighting infrastructure that would benefit from the easy addition of a hybrid control solution, there’s an option for everyone to secure some dramatic results. The major saving for many retailers comes out of hours. We’re currently working with a large UK retailer that is installing lighting controls into an existing LED infrastructure across their estate. By dropping the lighting output overnight, they not only create an improved working environment for employees, but they’ll also save 80% of lighting energy costs for 12 hours every day, recouping the cost of the control product within six months. However, it’s not just in the hours of darkness that savings can be made. Generally, retail units are over-lit, so in the day you can also drop the lighting output to 70% with no detrimental impact to the retail environment or risk of breaching lux output requirements. And as they are integrated into the existing in-house building management system, lighting controls work seamlessly in-store. There’s no need for any manual adjustments or risk of the lights going down in a late-night opening. The other real bonus of lighting controls is the instant impact that can be achieved. Not only can solutions be added to existing infrastructure so there’s little disruption in-store, but the systems can also be immediately commissioned by the contractor, meaning no delay in realising the benefits of a hefty commissioning bill. With an average energy saving of 40% across an estate, lighting controls are unquestionably one of the best ways for retailers to reduce energy costs beyond LEDs.  To find out more about lighting control products and what solution would work for you, please visit www.primelight.co.uk or contact Ben Brunton at bb@primelight.co.uk. 

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British Safety Council announces winners of the International Safety Awards 2022

549 organisations around the world today (Friday) received a highly prized accolade for their work in health, safety, and wellbeing, as British Safety Council revealed the winners of its prestigious International Safety Awards 2022. The awards recognise and celebrate organisations from around the world which have shown a true dedication in the last year to keeping their workers and workplaces healthy, safe, and well.  This year, 549 organisations of all sizes and sectors won an International Safety Award from 39 countries worldwide, including the UK, China, India and the Middle East, as well as countries in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central America. 135 organisations were awarded a Distinction, 204 organisations were awarded a Merit and 210 organisations achieved a Pass.  The total number of successful entries this year was higher than in 2021, when 387 awards were given out. There was also a significant increase in the number of Distinctions awarded in 2022 compared with 2021 – up from 13% to 21% – and a significant fall in the percentage of applicants who were unsuccessful in their application, just 15% in 2022 compared with 29% in 2021.  The full list of winners is here.   Mike Robinson, Chief Executive of British Safety Council, said:   “Each year, the International Safety Awards recognise organisations that have achieved the highest standards in health and safety from around the world. This year we have seen even more reaching that level and winning an award. This makes British Safety Council’s vision that no-one, anywhere in the world, should be injured or made ill through their work all the more important, especially when we face ever increasing risks from factors such as climate change and global instability. “Winning an International Safety Award requires organisations to show they are investing in their employees’ health, safety and wellbeing and that everyone from the top down make health and safety a core part of their work and inspire others to do the same. In celebrating the achievements of the 549 winners in 2022, we encourage other organisations to follow their lead and place employees’ health and safety at the heart of their business. “Our warmest congratulations to all the winners of this year’s International Safety Awards, they should be truly proud of their achievement.” The winners span numerous sectors with significant representation from the construction, manufacturing, oil, gas and mining, and power and utility sectors and include such companies as BAE Systems Maritime Services, ISS, Morrison Energy Services, Willmott Dixon Group (UK), The Second Construction Limited Company of China Construction Eighth Engineering Division (China), Larsen & Toubro Limited (Mauritius), WSP Middle East (United Arab Emirates), NTPC and TATA Projects (India). Although, due to COVID, in the past two years the usual accompanying gala dinner has had to be cancelled, British Safety Council is looking at the feasibility of an event in 2022. Further details will be provided in due course. Other International Safety Awards for 2022 will be announced in May.  These are: Seize the Opportunity Award: This new award recognises organisations that have gone the extra mile to seize health, safety or wellbeing opportunities resulting from a crisis. CEO Award: This recognises the leadership and strategic vision of CEOs who have made a vital contribution to the health and safety of their business and to the wider society during 2021. The award recognises how an individual CEO has taken an active role in aligning and championing their organisation’s health, safety and wellbeing interests with their internal and external stakeholders. Health and Safety Transformation Award – sponsored by Croner-i: The Health and Safety Transformation Award is for organisations that have significantly changed or transformed any aspect of health, safety or wellbeing to a significant extent through the use of information. Health, Safety and Wellbeing Ambassador of the Year Award: This recognises an employee who, in the opinion of the organisation or person nominating them, has played a significant role in ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of colleagues and others. Team of the Year Award: This recognises outstanding achievements resulting in a significant improvement to health, safety or wellbeing, from a collaboration of stakeholders, which may include members of the organisation, suppliers, subcontractors and/or the wider community. The James Tye Award: This recognises an organisation or a team of individuals who have developed and run a campaign in 2021 that has made a significant impact on health, safety or wellbeing in the workplace. It is named after British Safety Council’s founder, James Tye, who campaigned tirelessly on issues such as life jackets and seat belts. Wellbeing Initiative Award – powered by Being Well Together: This recognises and rewards those organisations that have demonstrated a proactive and effective approach to improving employee wellbeing.

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How is SterlingOSB Zero made?

SterlingOSB Zero is one of the most popular panel products used by the UK construction industry; developers, builders, and self-builders alike.  It’s the go-to panel for a multitude of roles today – from the basic functional to the trendy aesthetic feature wall – but how is it made and what goes into it? With the growing need to fully understand the impact of building materials on the environment, specifiers, architects and builders can now follow the creation of SterlingOSB Zero panels from the delivery of timber at West Fraser’s state-of-the-art plant in Inverness right through the continuous line production process. West Fraser’s commitment to producing a sustainable product for the construction industry can be seen from sourcing locally grown timber, thereby cutting embodied carbon from transportation while supporting the local forestry industry, through to the self-sufficiency of the plant where otherwise wasted product is burned on site producing the energy to manufacture the boards. Logs delivered to Inverness are stripped of bark before being fed into a high-speed ring of blades which produces the flakes for the OSB. The flakes are dried, separated and resins added.  Sterling OSB Zero is the first OSB product to be made in the UK with zero added formaldehyde, ensuring an even ‘greener’ board that meets all standards with ease.  The flakes are then layered in specific orientation to give the boards their strong structural properties.  The formed flakes go through a high-pressure and high-temperature press to produce the board.  Once cut, the boards are loaded on to the “star cooler” to release the heat from the panel Panels are then cut to size and quality checks carried out before the packs are taken to the warehouse for shipping. The whole process can be followed on an informative video on West Fraser’s You Tube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hefbc6-5LpU and on a downloadable information sheet from the Documents and downloads section of the West Fraser website. West Fraser’s OSB portfolio comprises of SterlingOSB Zero OSB3 and SterlingOSB Zero Tongue and Groove. They are variants of the precision-engineered OSB3 board; BBA-approved and designed for humid conditions, the board contains zero added formaldehyde (ZAF) and is unique in the market by being the only ZAF OSB manufactured in the UK.  Produced in Scotland from forest thinnings taken from sustainably managed forests, the board is certified according to the guidelines of the FSC or PEFC. All West Fraser panel products produced in the UK are net carbon negative and manufactured in mills that have obtained the coveted environmental ISO 14001 accreditation. To find out more about West Fraser’s products for housebuilders, get in touch with Dan Clarke – email Daniel.Clarke@westfraser.com or download product brochures from the housebuilder page of the West Fraser website https://uk.westfraser.com/housebuilders/ For further information, call 01786 812 921 or visit https://uk.westfraser.com/ 

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GLP Announces €1.2 billion First Close for EIP III, the Third Vintage of its Flagship Pan-European Income Logistics Fund Series

GLP announced today that it has reached a €1.2 billion (~$1.3 billion) first close for GLP Europe Income Partners III SCSp (“GLP EIP III”), which seeks to generate long-term, stable returns by investing in high-quality and well-designed properties in key logistics and distribution locations across Europe. GLP EIP III is the third vintage of the firm’s flagship pan-European logistics income fund series, targeting €1.5 billion+ of total equity commitments and in excess of €3 billion of assets under management (“AUM”) once fully deployed[1]. Past performance does not predict future returns. Ralf Wessel, Managing Director of Fund Management, GLP said: “Today’s announcement represents another vote of confidence from our investors. Our Europe business continues to demonstrate continued momentum and strong demand and GLP EIP III seeks to enable GLP and its capital partners to capture the market opportunity. We expect to increase the fund size beyond its initial target on the back of strong investor demand and a robust acquisition pipeline.” Daan van den Hoven, Managing Director, GLP Europe, said: “We believe European logistics market fundamentals remain highly attractive, driven by structural supply constraints coupled with robust demand emanating from accelerating e-commerce penetration rates across major European economies. GLP has carved a niche by leveraging our network and expertise to source both single asset and portfolio deals, most of them off-market, to provide investors with immediate scale to capitalise on strengthening sector tailwinds.” Investor demand for GLP EIP III for the first close has been led by leading institutional investment partners, the majority of whom are existing GLP investors. Through this transaction, GLP welcomes its first Japanese investors into its Europe fund series. GLP EIP III is actively managed and seeded with a portfolio of 34 high-quality logistics assets comprising ~1.5 million square metres (~16 million square feet) in strategic logistics locations across Europe. The seed portfolio comprises a high proportion of newly built assets with an average age of ~2.5 years, and was mainly sourced via off-market transactions, leveraging GLP’s expansive investment origination channels and global relationships with owners and customers to source both single asset and portfolio deals. The EIP series was launched by GLP in 2017. GLP EIP III’s immediate predecessor fund – the €1.6 billion, 2020-vintage GLP EIP II – was fully allocated within 18 months on the back of strong occupier demand and low vacancies across major European markets. In Europe, GLP is one of the longest-standing fully-integrated logistics investors[2], developers and operators and manages approximately €14 billion (~$15 billion) of AUM across Europe’s strongest logistics markets[3]. Please read this important notice: This is a marketing communication. Please refer to the Private Placement Memorandum (“Memorandum”) of GLP EIP III before making any final investment decisions. An investment in GLP EIP III entails a high degree of risk. Investors should consider all of the risk factors set forth in section VIII – “Risk Factors” of the Memorandum, each of which could have an adverse effect on GLP EIP III and on the value of interests in GLP EIP III. There can be no assurances or guarantees that GLP EIP III’s investment objectives will be realized, that GLP EIP III’s investment strategy will prove successful or that investors will not lose all or a portion of their investment in GLP EIP III. Furthermore, investors should not construe the performance of any predecessor GLP-sponsored funds as providing any assurances or predictive value regarding future performance of GLP EIP III. As with all performance data, past performance can provide no assurance of future results. The scenarios presented in this press release are an estimate of future performance based on evidence from the past on how the value of this investment varies, and/or current market conditions and are not an exact indicator. There is no assurance that these returns will be achieved. What you will get will vary depending on how the market performs and how long you keep the investment. Future performance is subject to taxation which depends on the personal situation of each investor and which may change in the future. Investment may lead to a financial loss if no guarantee on the capital is in place. [1] Within 3 years from the final closing date. [2] GLP’s Europe platform was originally founded in 1987 and GLP was awarded the 2021 PERE Award “Logistics Investor of the Year: Europe” in March 2022. [3] AUM refers to the market value of GLP’s real estate assets and uncalled capital commitments grossed up at target loan-to-value ratio. As of December 2021.

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Bouygues UK Hands Over Cardiff University Building

Bouygues UK Hands Over Cardiff University Building

Bouygues UK has formally handed over the keys to the newly-completed sbarc|spark building at Cardiff University, which was officially opened on St David’s Day, 1st March 2022. The new building is the largest innovation facility of its kind in Wales, featuring 12,000m sq of floor space across six storeys, with commercial units and lab spaces for spinouts and start-ups.  Designed by Hawkins\Brown architects, the building houses an eye-catching Oculus staircase – the first of its kind in the UK – which was designed and produced by Taunton Fabrications. The sbarc|spark build began in 2018 and is the first building to be completed on the University’s Cardiff Innovation Campus. Bouygues UK remains on site at the Translational Research Hub (TRH) – a building situated adjacent to sbarc|spark – which will house two world-leading scientific research establishments; the Institute for Compound Semiconductors and Cardiff Catalysis Institute. TRH is due for completion in the middle of the year.  Featuring collaborative working spaces, auditorium and RemakerSpace, sbarc|spark locates 400 experts from 12 social science research groups alongside Cardiff Innovations@sbarc – the University’s home for partnerships. It will eventually be home to 800 people, providing an innovative space to nurture and grow tomorrow’s big ideas, with dedicated space for student entrepreneurs and start-ups. The building also benefits the local community as the ground floor will be a public open space with a café and a flexible auditorium for TEDx-style events.  Bouygues UK Operations Director for Wales, Stephen Davies, said: “Our team have achieved a major milestone in handing over the sbarc|spark building for our valued client Cardiff University. Our team and trusted supply chain partners have worked tirelessly to deliver a facility of the highest quality and it is so rewarding for them to finally see the smiling faces of the client and their tenants as they start to occupy the building.  “We would like to thank Cardiff University, Gleeds and all our partners on the project in achieving the successful handover of the sbarc|spark building and look forward to their continued support as we drive towards completion of the full facility.  “We are extremely proud of the teams’ commitment to social value and the community which include 471 hours of staff time donated to education and community support and 5,957 weeks of employment delivered for apprentices, trainees, graduates and previously unemployed people. In addition, more than 70% of site contractors and labour was sourced locally during the build, bringing economic benefits to Wales.” Professor Damian Walford Davies, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, has overseen the delivery of the centre. He said of the opening: “We celebrate the opening of sbarc|spark confident that the vision that inspired it – that of a community of Cardiff University researchers with social and economic wellbeing as their subject and goal, co-located with external partners with innovation in their souls in a building designed to eliminate barriers – will now be lived reality.”

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NHBC Welcoming Roger Bullivant to NHBC Accepts

NHBC Welcoming Roger Bullivant to NHBC Accepts

NHBC, the leading warranty and insurance provider for new homes in the UK, has announced that Roger Bullivant’s RBeam precast concrete foundation system has been officially welcomed to NHBC Accepts. NHBC Accepts is an all-inclusive, end-to-end service that helps to build confidence in innovative construction and enable innovative products to be fast-tracked for NHBC warranty. As part of the new service, detailed and robust technical reviews of design, manufacture and construction results in provision of a certified usage licence for a bespoke NHBC Accepts logo and website listing. The RBeam is a factory produced reinforced precast concrete foundation system for low-rise developments. The system is used with a range of piled foundation techniques catering for many different soil types and ground conditions including clay heave situations. “Following a thorough approval process we are delighted to welcome Roger Bullivant Limited to NHBC Accepts,” said NHBC’s Innovation Manager, Richard Lankshear. “An NHBC Accepts certificate is a way of demonstrating that innovative products or systems have already been reviewed thus reducing the risk of delays on site. NHBC Accepts will play a critical role in ensuring developers, manufacturers, lenders and consumers have faith and confidence in the quality of new homes built with innovative forms of construction.” Richard Taylor, Bullivant’s Foundation Systems Director, added: “This approval brings customer confidence and improved productivity on site. We also recognise it as an important achievement in the progression of offsite manufacture in the residential market.” Bullivant’s Foundation Systems Technical Manager Nigel Rake said: “Roger Bullivant Limited has been designing, manufacturing, and installing precast foundations for many years. The RBeam system is a category 3 pre-manufactured component under the government’s MMC definition framework and we are very pleased that this has been given a seal of approval for NHBC Accepts. This will provide further assurance in our RBeam system to all our customers and the wider industry.”

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