Work Starts On 88,888 Sq Ft Evo Warrington 89 Development Evo Industrial has secured planning consent and started preparatory work to develop EVO Warrington 89, a modern, logistics and HQ industrial unit located on Omega Boulevard in Lingley Mere, Warrington. CBRE and Williams Sillitoe have been appointed as joint agents
NyRock® Cavity Slab 032 combines the UK’s lowest lambda rating for stone wool with acoustic and fire performance, plus space saving capabilities ROCKWOOL has launched NyRock® Cavity Slab 032 providing specifiers with a low lambda, non-combustible stone wool slab for full and partial fill masonry cavities that enables a thinner
GMI Construction Group has been appointed by University College Birmingham to develop a state-of-the-art sustainable construction skills centre in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham. The project, located in the Jewellery Quarter’s Conservation Area, will see GMI regenerate the iconic James Cond print works building into a skills centre for University College
To face our world’s critical needs for sustainable and qualitative living spaces, global building material manufacturer and pioneer in lightweight construction Etex further pledges to be an agent of change in the sustainable building sector. Next to its intrinsically sustainable portfolio, Etex is doing more by setting clear ambitions for
Work Starts On 88,888 Sq Ft Evo Warrington 89 Development Evo Industrial has secured planning consent and started preparatory work to develop EVO Warrington 89, a modern, logistics and HQ industrial unit located on Omega Boulevard in Lingley Mere, Warrington. CBRE and Williams Sillitoe have been appointed as joint agents on the speculatively developed scheme which will be Evo Industrial’s fifth Net Zero Carbon building. Howard Russell Construction has been appointed to construct the unit which will be available in Spring 2023. The building focuses on low running costs and a low carbon footprint and will achieve BREEAM Excellent and Net Zero Carbon when in use, targeting an A+ rating for energy performance. The property will include recycled materials, solar roof panels, comfort cooling, LED lighting, parking for 88 vehicles, EV car charging points and a warehouse flooded with natural light. The fully fitted first floor offices are designed with high-speed fibre broadband and will be ready to occupy with raised access floors making hardware installation easy. The location on Omega Boulevard and just off Junction 8 of the M62 offers easy access to Manchester, Liverpool, and beyond. Other major occupiers within the area include Amazon, Asda, Brakes, Domino’s Pizza, Hermes, Royal Mail, The Hut Group and Travis Perkins. Adam Courtenay, Director at Evo Logistics, said: “It’s a major milestone for us to be developing our fifth Net Zero Carbon building and this is a fantastic site to be bringing that aspiration to life. and we are looking forward to seeing progress between now and the building’s launch in Spring next year.” Paul Cook, Senior Director at CBRE Manchester, said: “We are delighted to be appointed on this scheme for Evo Industrial. A net zero carbon building, EVO Warrington 89 is situated in an excellent position close to the M62 Motorway with access to several cities and airports. With businesses currently seeking properties offering low running costs and a low carbon footprint, we are confident there will be high interest in this scheme.” Mark Sillitoe, Director, Williams Sillitoe commented: “Logistics developments don’t get any better than this. Prime location, best in class building. This will undoubtedly be well received in the market.”
NyRock® Cavity Slab 032 combines the UK’s lowest lambda rating for stone wool with acoustic and fire performance, plus space saving capabilities ROCKWOOL has launched NyRock® Cavity Slab 032 providing specifiers with a low lambda, non-combustible stone wool slab for full and partial fill masonry cavities that enables a thinner wall construction. NyRock Cavity Slab 032 has been developed using NyRock technology, the manufacturer’s patented production process that creates a more efficient fibre structure than traditional stone wool products. With its 0.032 W/mK thermal conductivity value, users can achieve a U-value of 0.18 W/m²K with a thickness of 150mm, depending on construction type, which is 25mm thinner than standard stone wool cavity products within the same wall build up. As with all ROCKWOOL stone wool insulation, NyRock Cavity Slab 032 can withstand temperatures in excess of 1000°C, achieving the highest Euroclass A1 non-combustible reaction to fire classification. It also benefits from a high density semi rigid composition meaning it will not slump in the cavity and retains the same thermal and fire resistance properties more than 55 years after installation according to independent research.[1] NyRock Cavity Slab 032 comes in 455mm widths to suit standard vertical wall tie spaces and achieves a closely knitted joint with adjacent slabs, without the need for taping of the joints. This helps eliminate gaps allowing for continuity of insulation across the cavity. “Energy efficiency is a very real and immediate challenge for the construction sector,” said Paul Barrett, Head of Product Management at ROCKWOOL UK. “Alongside the need to improve the thermal effectiveness of existing buildings against a backdrop of rising energy bills, our eyes must also be on the more onerous requirements of the Future Homes Standard and the UK’s wider 2050 net zero carbon target too. “NyRock Cavity Slab 032 gives specifiers a new level of thermal performance for stone wool alongside spacing saving capabilities, and acoustic and fire performance that are equally critical when providing occupants with comfortable and safe spaces. These performance benefits are also backed by a strong commercial offer including a competitive price point and installation efficiencies such as ease of cutting and fitting on-site.” Having undergone an extensive testing programme, NyRock Cavity Slab 032 is suitable for new build, renovations and extensions and has British Board of Agrément (BBA) certification[2] for full and partial fill applications. All ROCKWOOL stone wool insulation comprising NyRock technology have water repellent properties and can be recycled indefinitely. Stone wool insulation is manufactured from naturally occurring volcanic rock that is abundant in supply as it is continually replenished by the earth’s crust. For more details on NyRock Cavity Slab 032 and the wider NyRock range, visit rockwool.com/uk/nyrock. [1] FIW (German test and research institute), Durability Project Mineral Wool, 2016 [2] BBA Certification 22/6252
GMI Construction Group has been appointed by University College Birmingham to develop a state-of-the-art sustainable construction skills centre in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham. The project, located in the Jewellery Quarter’s Conservation Area, will see GMI regenerate the iconic James Cond print works building into a skills centre for University College Birmingham’s intake of construction students next year. Offering courses in areas such as modular buildings, retrofit construction, and green technologies, the centre will specialise in teaching skills that support the region’s growth areas, including sustainable construction methods and renewable energy. Current construction students will also have the opportunity to get involved with the build, offering them real-world experience and the chance to help build their own learning facility. GMI will commence building works in October 2022 and the project is expected to be completed ready for September 2023’s intake of students. Gareth Jones, Construction Director at GMI, said: “We’re looking forward to working with University College Birmingham on the regeneration of this historic building in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, unlocking new opportunities for the area through improved access to education. “Improving the sustainability of the construction industry is high on our agenda, so it’s a pleasure to be working on a project that will provide training in this area and equip the future workforce with the skills they need to make a positive change to the industry.” Professor Michael Harkin, Vice-Chancellor and Principal at University College Birmingham, added: “There is a great need for new talent in the sustainable construction field, with hundreds of thousands of new workers expected to be required in the next few years. “We look forward to working with GMI to bring this much-needed skills centre to life, and welcoming new students to the facility next year.” To find out more about GMI, please visit: www.gmiconstructiongroup.co.uk.
To face our world’s critical needs for sustainable and qualitative living spaces, global building material manufacturer and pioneer in lightweight construction Etex further pledges to be an agent of change in the sustainable building sector. Next to its intrinsically sustainable portfolio, Etex is doing more by setting clear ambitions for the next eight years across five priority areas: health, safety and well-being; decarbonisation; circularity; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and customer engagement. Etex’s 2021 Sustainability Report is accessible here. Etex’s answer to the world’s needs for sustainable and qualitative living spaces Climate change and societal challenges demand sustainable stewardship from businesses, governments and the wider public. Etex strives to be an agent of change in the sustainable building sector committed to combating climate change. Driven by six megatrends – resources scarcity, a growing world population, ageing cities, technological evolutions, growing complexity and productivity matters – Etex made key strategic investments in the technologies and areas of expertise that should be crucial for the future. With its effective lightweight construction solutions and innovative building materials such as plasterboards, fiber cement boards or glass mineral wool, Etex embraces the demand for high-quality, energy-efficient and sustainable living and working spaces. Etex’s lightweight construction solutions are 15 to 45% less emission-intensive to produce and offer the potential to reduce raw material and energy use, contributing to long-term circularity through deconstruction, reuse and recycling. Sustainability as key strategic driver As part of the construction industry value chain, Etex depends on raw materials, energy, water and other ecosystem services. By design, the industry has a significant environmental footprint: 26% of greenhouse gas emissions are from the construction value chain. At the same time, social considerations matter along this value chain. As a proactive partner, Etex strives for continuous improvement towards people and the planet. In recent years, Etex laid a solid foundation to become a more sustainable organisation. In 2020 the company became a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) for sustainable and responsible business practices. As a global citizen, Etex also committed to supporting the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by implementing concrete projects and initiatives. Together with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders the company defined where it has the biggest impacts and where it can secure the biggest sustainability wins. These early efforts have already paid off, with tangible results and recognition. In 2021 Etex published its first-ever Sustainability Report. In its most recent business sustainability assessment as a supplier in 2021, Etex received a silver medal from EcoVadis in recognition of its best-in-class sustainability management. The silver medal places Etex in the top 25% of all companies evaluated by EcoVadis. In 2021, Etex’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) risk exposure was rated 18.1 out of 100, indicating that the company has a low risk exposure and is ranked favourably amongst its peers in the top 10% of the construction industry. Road to Sustainability 2030 It is now time to go further, which is why Etex decided to embark on its Road to Sustainability 2030. Etex’s sustainability goals are ambitious, and the company worked hard to translate them into dedicated workflows, clear action plans and targets. They are organised across five priority areas: Health, safety and well-being: the daily goal is to reach zero fatalities, harms or burnouts; Customer engagement: Etex aims to build a sustainable roadmap per product platform by 2025; Diversity, equity and inclusion: by 2025, Etex will cover all teammates by diversity, equity and inclusion policies, procedures and practices. It will also train all teammates on diversity, equity and inclusion as well as close the gender pay gap; Decarbonisation: the goal for 2030 is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (intensity of scopes 1 and 2) by 35% compared to 2018; Circularity: by 2030, Etex will use more than 20% of circular input as raw material (compared to 2018), send zero waste to landfill, use 100% recycled packaging material and reduce plastic packaging with 20% (compared to 2018), offer a take back service of its product portfolio in 80% of its European countries, and dedicate 50% of its innovation resources to sustainability. Celebrating the sustainability successes of 2021 In line with Etex’s overall sustainability efforts and the publication of its first-ever Sustainability Report in 2021, the company also garnered significant successes over the past year. Among some of the achievements, Etex increased the percentage of its worldwide purchased electricity from renewable sources to 82%. Additionally, improvements in feeding production waste back into the production process and other successful activities led to a significant reduction in the amount of total waste generated, avoiding more than 45,000 tonnes. 2021 was also marked by innovation records. Etex’s solutions where a positive contribution to sustainability is the key feature made up 75% of innovation projects. To support the mental health of teammates, in September 2021 Etex sealed a partnership to offer an employee assistance programme accessible 24/7 to all teammates in their local languages. Regarding its overall work environment, Etex is motivated by a 2021 survey results which showed an 86% employee engagement rate across Etex, up 15% on 2018 and 6% above the manufacturing industry norm. Bernard Delvaux, CEO of Etex: “Today Etex has sustainability as a guiding compass of business transformation, with concrete objectives that reflect the company’s ambition. We are on an exciting journey towards improving sustainability in the short and long term. We know there is a long road ahead, which is why we invite all our stakeholders to further support us in becoming a leading benchmark in our industry.”
