Stoford has delivered more than 83,500 sq ft of new industrial/logistics accommodation at a job-creating logistics location in East Devon. The leading commercial property developer has completed construction of two new sustainable developments at Exeter Logistics Park, a 55-acre site in Clyst Honiton owned by the Church Commissioners for England.
Building X is the first next generation offering designed and built as part of Siemens Xcelerator Modular, scalable, open smart building suite that seamlessly integrates building systems to eliminate complexity and enable net zero Facilitates co-creation with partners to address digitalization challenges faster Siemens Smart Infrastructure has launched Building X,
With a successful partnership of delivering high quality estate regeneration projects, Higgins has renewed its place as one of the preferred developers on Notting Hill Genesis’ Development Contractors Framework. The framework, which will run for the next four years, will support the delivery of a variety of vibrant mixed-tenure and
Celebrating its centenary, the IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital is in Negrar, Verona, and thanks to the expert team and technology in place, it is considered one of Italy’s top medical facilities, and in fact at European level it is recognised as a leader in the healthcare sector. The
Ibstock plc’s innovative approach to reducing carbon emissions in a high carbon world has been recognised at this year’s BusinessGreen Leaders Awards. The UK’s leading manufacturer and supplier of clay and concrete building products and solutions was crowned winner of the Manufacturer of the Year Award, a category which recognises
Harron Homes is celebrating two winners of the National House Building Council (NHBC) 2022 Pride in the Job awards. Both 26 year-old Zak Green based at The Hawthornes development in Carlton and Niall Gibson, 30, who works at Thoresby Vale in Edwinstowe were recognised by the NHBC, the UK’s leading
The Gateshead-based contractor recently published its financial accounts for 2021, with a 7% increase in group turnover to £197.9m, the highest since its incorporation. In particular, the group’s housing division has seen the biggest rise growing by more than 40% in 2021 with a turnover of £66.2m. The group recorded
Stoford has delivered more than 83,500 sq ft of new industrial/logistics accommodation at a job-creating logistics location in East Devon. The leading commercial property developer has completed construction of two new sustainable developments at Exeter Logistics Park, a 55-acre site in Clyst Honiton owned by the Church Commissioners for England. They include a new 55,000 sq ft parcel distribution service centre on behalf of DHL and a high specification unit of c.28,500 sq ft which has been developed speculatively in partnership with Urban Logistics REIT. The developments have the potential to create more than 100 new jobs. DHL’s new bespoke facility will deliver the same employment level as a typically larger scale unit but has been designed to minimise the number of vehicles required on site, to reduce its environmental footprint. The building benefits from several sustainability features including PV solar panels, EV charging points, a sustainable urban drainage system and a green roof atop integral office areas. The new speculative development is a flexible industrial/warehouse space with integral first floor fitted offices and is expected to operate as a conventional facility. It includes 8m clear haunch height, 35m yard depth, three level access doors, cycle storage and 38 car parking spaces. Both new developments are EPC A rated and meet BREEAM ‘very good’ standards, and will benefit from onsite trim trail and outdoor gym areas, including bodyweight exercise equipment. Stoford is lead developer for Exeter Logistics Park and has recently signed a new long-term site wide agreement with the Church Commissioners for England that will unlock future phases of development at the former Hayes Farm. The agreement paves the way for an additional c.500,000 sq ft of industrial/logistics accommodation that will be developed on a design and build basis, with new units made available on freehold or leasehold terms. Dan Gallagher, Joint Managing Director, Stoford said: “Exeter Logistics Park is already one of the region’s leading business parks and is enabling distribution and logistics businesses to thrive in purpose-built buildings. We have placed a large emphasis on the sustainability credentials of the scheme, as well as promoting employee health and wellbeing, which is attracting occupiers of the calibre of DHL. Speculative development underlines our confidence in the quality and location of the scheme and we expect the building to let quickly.” John Barker, Development Director at investor, Urban Logistics REIT, said: “We were delighted to work with Stoford and the Church Commissioners in delivering these two units. Pre-letting and speculative development demonstrates the strength of the location, quality of the product and the demand in the market.” Exeter Logistics Park is part of the Exeter and East Devon Growth Point economic development zone near Exeter Airport. The scheme includes improvements to the local transport infrastructure, with a new access road and signalised traffic junction off the B3174 London Road and excellent access to junction 29 of M5 motorway. It is estimated that Exeter Logistics Park could contribute between £90 million – £105 million to the regional economy when fully complete. All enquiries regarding Exeter Logistics Park should be directed to the scheme’s retained agents, JLL and Cushman & Wakefield.
Building X is the first next generation offering designed and built as part of Siemens Xcelerator Modular, scalable, open smart building suite that seamlessly integrates building systems to eliminate complexity and enable net zero Facilitates co-creation with partners to address digitalization challenges faster Siemens Smart Infrastructure has launched Building X, a new smart building suite that is open, interoperable and fully cloud-based. The suite is the first next generation offering built on the design principles of Siemens Xcelerator, an open digital business platform launched today to accelerate digital transformation and value creation across industry, transportation, grids and buildings. Building X addresses the challenges of various stakeholders, including building users, property investors, real estate companies and facility managers. It acts as a single source of truth to eliminate complexity and supports net zero targets. Stakeholders can now digitize and use their building data from various sources, disciplines and systems on one single platform, Building X. This enables a seamless user experience and the integration of their existing software and ecosystem, including third party applications, through vendor agnostic connectivity and open application programming interfaces (APIs). The suite offers modular, AI-enabled applications, and built-in cyber security. It also facilitates co-creation with customers and partners to address their challenges faster, thanks to the openness and cloud technology, which means digital transformation can be achieved easier, faster and at scale. “Building X is the antidote to data silos. We can now connect all data that smart building systems generate in one single data lake, scaling up smart buildings faster and moving closer to our vision of autonomous, net zero buildings. Building X creates data-based outcomes for greater efficiency, performance and experience, changing for the better the way we work and live in buildings,” said Matthias Rebellius, managing board member of Siemens AG and CEO of Smart Infrastructure. “We look forward to co-creating use cases with our customers and partners on Building X to accelerate innovation and sustainability in the industry.” The Building X suite currently features a set of applications and digital services, tailored to different stakeholder groups, all connected on the AI-enabled platform. Building X opens new possibilities to digitalize, manage, and optimize building operations, bringing value to both existing buildings and new ones. Its applications cover key domains of building management, including energy, security and building operations, backed by strong analytics capabilities. The applications offer a consistent user experience, where relevant data is intelligently combined to drive outcomes for customers. A true digital building operations twin Building X combines the real and digital worlds of buildings by consolidating data from multiple sources into a digital building operations twin. With a virtual representation of a building, building operators can resolve issues faster. Users benefit from the transparency Building X provides in their efforts to make their buildings more sustainable, achieve better building performance and optimize user experience – all resulting in higher business outcomes. A growing set of applications The Building X applications are designed to be modular and persona-based, providing the right data to the right people. In addition to co-creation possibilities, users can choose from multiple ready-made applications. This makes the single “pane of glass” concept user and workflow-driven, while still allowing dashboards and data insights to be customized according to each user’s needs. As of now, the offering embraces four applications, with more to be added to the platform over time: The Energy Manager tracks energy consumption, costs and CO2 footprint of a building or building fleet and enables early corrective actions if necessary. It forecasts energy consumption based on historical data, and supports users in tracking their sustainability goals, helping them reach net zero buildings. The Operations Manager operates and monitors building equipment and applications in real-time. It can monitor a fleet of sites from one single point and ensures fast issue-response while reducing downtimes. Users benefit from increased business continuity and improved reaction times. The Security Manager operates and maintains security systems with unified and automated workflows. It centrally manages daily security operations and incidents across all systems. The 360° Viewer App represents a location as a virtual 3D environment, allowing for indoor navigation for insights into equipment topology and installation. SaaS and driving outcomes with building services Building X is offered as a SaaS (software-as-a-service) model, on a subscription basis. Thanks to the SaaS model, building stakeholders can access software off the shelf, ensuring they always have access to the latest functionality and find upgrades during the building lifecycle to meet their changing needs. Aside from the SaaS model, customers can also opt for an end-to-end program of Siemens Xcelerator Building Services, which will be enabled by Building X. This allows them to rely on Siemens to achieve their targets. In this model, Siemens leverages a combination of its technology, paired with the expertise of its digital building professionals. The programs are customized to achieve pre-defined outcomes, such as reducing operating and energy costs, optimizing asset performance for uptime and productivity, meeting regulatory requirements, or enhancing the occupant experience. Siemens Xcelerator is an open digital business platform comprising a curated portfolio of IoT-enabled hardware and software, a growing partner ecosystem and evolving marketplace to accelerate digital transformation.
With a successful partnership of delivering high quality estate regeneration projects, Higgins has renewed its place as one of the preferred developers on Notting Hill Genesis’ Development Contractors Framework. The framework, which will run for the next four years, will support the delivery of a variety of vibrant mixed-tenure and mixed-use schemes across its large development pipeline, which is made up of affordable and private homes for rent or sale, as well as commercial properties and a focus on creating thriving communities. Notting Hill Genesis plans to deliver 7000 new homes over the next five years, in the Greater London area. Steve Leakey, Managing Director of Higgins Partnerships comments, “We already have a well-established partnership working with Notting Hill Genesis on projects including Peckham Place in Peckham, the recently completed Woolwich Reach in Newham and City Park West in Chelmsford. We are pleased to have secured our position on their development framework and look forward to working together to deliver more homes within sustainable communities. “This framework also gives us the opportunity to work with other registered housing providers operating within the Greater London area who already registered and have access to the framework.” The developments will range from 50-unit urban infill sites to estate regeneration projects creating thousands of new homes. These will be delivered through various development models, including purchasing sites to develop themselves, working with the public sector and other developers in partnership or joint ventures and acquiring section 106 units from private developers. For further information about Higgins Partnerships please visit www.higginspartnerships.co.uk
Celebrating its centenary, the IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital is in Negrar, Verona, and thanks to the expert team and technology in place, it is considered one of Italy’s top medical facilities, and in fact at European level it is recognised as a leader in the healthcare sector. The hospital is made up of eight buildings with more than 30 medical departments, operating theatres, offices, canteens, and conference rooms. In recent years, the hospital has undergone considerable renovation and expansion and along with this the improvement and adaption of the life safety system. The update to the fire detection system is to ensure the best possible protection for the thousands of people who visit the facility every day as well as the preservation of property, patient data and vital medical equipment. The healthcare sector has a duty of care for its patients, staff and visitors as well as having to provide constant protection of its property and assets from the threat of fire. After extensive assessments and a rigorous qualifying stage by the Hospital technical team and Amperia srl, the installation company, Hochiki fire detection systems and equipment were found to offer the best solution and offered the highest quality standards for the hospital. Hochiki is a well-respected name in healthcare across Europe and famed for its reliability in Italy, particularly when it comes to reduction in false alarms. Minimising this risk was critical to the hospital who wanted to avoid unnecessary and hugely problematic evacuation situations, especially where some patients may find moving around independently difficult and, in some cases, impossible, especially for patients in critical care departments. Following consultation, 26 fire detection panels, including Syncro and Hochiki’s Latitude system, and two Vision remote panels were installed in the hospital, all of which were networked. The project brief stated that it was important the systems and any devices used must be installed with minimum impact on the day to day running of the hospital. Hochiki ESP range was recommended because these devices have been specifically designed to be quick and easy to install and therefore ensured minimal disruption was achieved by the team at Amperia srl. Another priority for the project was that any fire detection system needed to be able to alert every person in the building to an emergency, including visually and hearing-impaired visitors. Hochiki’s range of VADs (visual alarm devices) were used to provide a visual indication of an alarm condition to those people who would not normally be alerted to a fire by standard audible-only devices such as sounders and bells. The final key priority was the ability for the entire system to be continuously monitoring 24 hours a day. During the consultation period between the installers and Hochiki, the fire detection system was designed to provide 24/7 monitoring. This was thanks to the I/O modules and technological fault alarm signals which were also implemented and connected to the fire control panel loop. These were then monitored by the personnel 24 hours a day thanks to two supervision systems, one for the fire detection system and one for the technological alarms. This project at the IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital was one of the largest and most complex projects that Hochiki have ever been involved in Italy involving the installation of multiple detectors, Detectors, 10 fire extinguishing systems, 14 gas detection panels and 10 aspirating panels. Davide Montoli, Product Manager at Hochiki Italia, explains: “An interesting aspect of our systems is the “Bridge” communication between different generations of fire alarm control panels. In the case of this Hospital, the possibility of connecting the new L@titude control panels to the existing network of Syncro control panels made it possible to expand the system even though many years had passed since the installation of the original control panel. In fact, Hochiki’s L@titude platform can adapt its communication protocol to ensure backward compatibility with previous generation control panels” Thanks to the expert Hochiki team working closely with both the installer and the technical team at the hospital a high-quality installation was achieved, with the best products on the market installed ensuring that fire safety for patients and staff is kept as a top priority. Loris Fornaser, Technical Manager at the installer company Amperia srl, commented: “As you can imagine the fire safety standards of this project were extremely high due to the complex environment in which a hospital operates. This led us to choose a technologically advanced life safety product that would guarantee the client excellent performance and long-term reliability. The manufacturer’s technical support was always precise and Hochiki proved to be the ideal solution” To learn more about L@titude and the ESP range visit hochikieurope.com
Ibstock plc’s innovative approach to reducing carbon emissions in a high carbon world has been recognised at this year’s BusinessGreen Leaders Awards. The UK’s leading manufacturer and supplier of clay and concrete building products and solutions was crowned winner of the Manufacturer of the Year Award, a category which recognises organisations that are pioneering green manufacturing best practices and principles and are producing new clean technologies and products to cut their environmental impact to support the transition to a greener economy. Now in their 12th year, the BusinessGreen Leaders Awards – co-ordinated by the leading green economy publication BusinessGreen – are the UK’s largest and most prestigious green business awards. In a competitive category, Ibstock won over the judges with “their highly innovative approach to slashing emissions in the high carbon world of brick manufacturing, where the company has pioneered a raft of new approaches and provided a crucial template for others to follow.” Well-known brands from a wide variety of sectors were shortlisted for the award including BAT, Meryl Medical and Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation. In the last decade Ibstock has invested £115 million in manufacturing performance, implementing decarbonisation measures, production efficiencies and transformational technologies that reduce the carbon intensity and environmental impact of its operations and products whilst accelerating the businesses journey to net zero. Its achievements include: 17% reduction in CO2 per tonne of production 8% reduction in mains water 13.6% of sales turnover from new and sustainable products 200 tonnes of plastic packing removed Ibstock’s recently launched its Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) strategy to 2030, defining a new era of responsible business and manufacturing, serving as an important accelerator in speeding up the pace of change. Organised under three themes; Address Climate Change; Improve lives; and Manufacture Materials for life, headline ambitions include: 40% reduction in absolute carbon by 2030 20% of sales turnover revenue to come from new products and solutions that deliver customer value and improved sustainability Increase female senior leadership representation to 40% as part of a proactive approach to diversity and inclusion Commenting on the win, Joe Hudson, Ibstock plc’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “As an organisation that is committed to sustainable methods of manufacturing, we are delighted to be recognised as 2022 Manufacturer of the Year at these prestigious awards. Our employees have played a fundamental role in our sustainable success. Engaging and involving our people helps create a better understanding of our goals and ambitions as we work to create a more sustainable future. We are very proud of our progress to date, yet we know that we still have much more to do. Our new ESG strategy to 2030 will take our business on the next stage in its evolution to deliver on the future challenges and opportunities of decarbonisation.” (ends) COMPANY INFORMATION Ibstock is a leading manufacturer and supplier of clay and concrete building solutions to the UK construction industry, specialising in products and systems for the building envelope and infrastructure. Ibstock comprises two divisions – Ibstock Clay and Ibstock Concrete – both with leading market positions in the UK. Ibstock Clay: Our Clay division offers the largest range of bricks manufactured in the UK as well as prefabricated elements, precast solutions and brick-faced façade systems for both low rise and high-rise developments. Ibstock Concrete: Our Concrete division manufactures high quality, precast concrete products for the residential housing and hard landscaping markets and also has a growing position in infrastructure. Ibstock plc is headquartered in Ibstock, Leicestershire, with 36 manufacturing sites across the UK. Ibstock plc’s shares have been listed on the London Stock Exchange since 2015 (symbol: IBST) and it is a constituent of the FTSE 250. Further information can be found at www.ibstockplc.co.uk.
Harron Homes is celebrating two winners of the National House Building Council (NHBC) 2022 Pride in the Job awards. Both 26 year-old Zak Green based at The Hawthornes development in Carlton and Niall Gibson, 30, who works at Thoresby Vale in Edwinstowe were recognised by the NHBC, the UK’s leading home warranty and insurance provider. Its flagship Pride in the Job award is one of the most highly regarded competitions in the industry, showcasing best practice and rewarding excellence. This isn’t the first time Zak’s hard work has been recognised since he started his construction career as an apprentice bricklayer in 2012. The Barnsley local won Apprentice of the Year 2015/16, as well as Assistant Site Manager of the Year in 2018. Zak has been aiming for an NHBC award since he joined the Harron team as Site Manager at its Kings Croft development in Killinghall near Harrogate, in 2020. Zak commented, “I’m over the moon to receive this award! In every job I’ve made it my mission to go above and beyond to create homes of the best quality and that effort is definitely paying off. Of course I couldn’t do it without the brilliant team around me. Everyone on site cares about the quality they are producing on a daily basis, especially my assistant site manager, Simon Giles, and I’m grateful for their hard work and support every day.” Niall started out his career in building maintenance before joining Harron as Assistant Site Manager at Heritage Green in Chesterfield three and a half years ago. In 2020, he joined Thoresby Vale as Assistant Site Manager and within the year he had been promoted to Site Manager. This award comes just a year into his new role. He follows hot on the heels of the development’s previous Site Manager, David Mills, who also won the Pride in the Job Award and went further in the competition to win a Seal of Excellence award. Niall said “This award means the world. I’m absolutely delighted. So much heart and soul has gone into this job and to see that recognised within my first year of being Site Manager feels incredible. “I’ve found working with Harron very enjoyable, it’s a great place to work with a great group of people. I’ve been supported by my fantastic Assistant Site Manager, Simon Noone, who has put in amazing work. I wouldn’t have achieved this without him.” Ian Pendlebury, Group Managing Director said, “We’re very proud of both Niall and Zak. It’s great to see that all the hard work and effort put in by both site teams has been recognised and rewarded with a highly contested and prestigious Pride in the Job award.” NHBC Chief Executive Steve Wood said: “For more than 40 years, Pride in the Job has been an important part of our work to help drive construction quality. Winning Site Managers tell us that it inspires them to give a little extra and to strive harder for ever-higher standards of house building. “Congratulations to all the 2022 Pride in the Job Quality Award winners. They are an inspiration to us all and should be very proud of the quality of new homes they are creating.” For more information on Harron Homes visit: https://www.harronhomes.com/
The Gateshead-based contractor recently published its financial accounts for 2021, with a 7% increase in group turnover to £197.9m, the highest since its incorporation. In particular, the group’s housing division has seen the biggest rise growing by more than 40% in 2021 with a turnover of £66.2m. The group recorded a £4.0m loss in the period which has been attributed to a perfect storm of adverse trading conditions affecting the entire sector with impacts felt from the pandemic, a bad debt, a loss-making contract and the overall macro-economic environment. Despite recent losses, the underlying business remains profitable with the firm in a robust financial position with management accounts for the current year to date showing the company returning to profitability indicating that the organisation, that employs 400+ staff across the North East and Yorkshire, have weathered the recent economic storm. The uptick in performance has coincided with some strategic changes to the main board which saw Paul Webster move from his position as chief operating officer to chief executive officer and Mark Overton joining the organisation as chief financial officer following over a decade at Colas. Mark Overton, Chief Financial Officer at Tolent, said: “We have worked hard over the last 6 months to financially strengthen the business and increase working capital which has included the renegotiation of our finance facility, a rights issues which raised £3.7m in new share capital and an £8m cash injection following the completion of a land deal which will soon become South Seaham Garden Village.” The group has also been exposed to the repercussions surrounding a large number of developers, contractors and supply chain partners that fell into administration during this period. Following the demise of High Street Group in 2022, Tolent was named amongst the company’s creditors listed in the administration document which resulted in a bad debt of £2.1m. Paul Webster, Chief Executive Officer at Tolent, said: “Our priority moving forward is to secure a sustainable profit, working with trusted clients as we continue to increase our workload within the public sector. We are focused on consolidating our position within the North East and Yorkshire and will continue to deliver some of the flagship projects we have become known for. “Naturally with the increasing pressures on wage inflation, material prices and availability we have to be cautious in our approach to winning new work, however, we have a strong and identified pipeline of just under £1bn across a variety of sectors that provides us with the confidence to be cautiously optimistic for our business over the next few years.” Tolent has recently announced their involvement in a number of local, flagship projects including Vaux Neighbourhood Housing, an ultra-sustainable development providing 135 homes in Sunderland city centre, and South Seaham Garden Village. Construction of the garden village will commence in 2022 and see the firm build 750 homes over a 10-year period.To find out more about Tolent visit www.tolent.co.uk For all media enquires please contact Vibhuti Verma at vverma@tolent.co.uk
