The 420-pupil primary school development at Graven Hill has moved a step closer with the steel frame superstructure being signed by a local child at a celebration event this week. A traditional bolt tightening also took place to recognise the significant milestone in the delivery of the primary school. Graven
Leading heating appliance manufacturer, Ideal Heating, has launched a new range of monobloc air source heat pumps to help improve energy efficiency and reduce reliance on natural gas within commercial buildings. Available in six outputs and seven models (14kW, 14kW (single phase), 18kW, 26kW, 32kW, 50kW and 70kW), the ECOMOD
Deanestor, one of the UK’s leading fitout specialists, has delivered a £1.6m contract for one of the highest performing secondary schools in Scotland. Built by McLaughlin & Harvey for East Dunbartonshire Council, the new £40.9m Boclair Academy in Bearsden near Glasgow has created a state-of-the-art learning environment for 1,000 pupils.
ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions UK & Ireland has launched its new Openings Studio™ Mobile App, which allows users to manage buildings as a holistic system. Information stored within the app enables buildings to be safely and effectively designed, constructed and operated. Openings Studio is a cloud based, custom configuration tool
National firm Excello Law has announced the appointment of real estate specialist Amanda Hurst, who has joined from Hill Dickinson. Qualifying in 2002, she has a wide range of commercial property experience as well as specialisms in healthcare and education. “I am really excited to join other like-minded, experienced consultants
Kier, a leading UK construction and infrastructure company, was appointed by the Department for Education (DfE) to design and deliver a new school building for St Peter’s Collegiate Academy and Three Spires Trust in Wolverhampton. Part of the DfE school rebuilding programme, St Peters Academy is one of the first
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
The 420-pupil primary school development at Graven Hill has moved a step closer with the steel frame superstructure being signed by a local child at a celebration event this week. A traditional bolt tightening also took place to recognise the significant milestone in the delivery of the primary school. Graven Hill Village Development Company and Kier welcomed councillors and officers from Cherwell District and Oxfordshire County councils, Warriner Academy Trust and local child Jackson-Jordan Daly to the event where the winning pre-school poster design for the hoardings around the three-hectare site was unveiled. Grant Gibson, construction director of Graven Hill Village Development Company, said: “The event was a great way to mark the fantastic progress being made as the new Graven Hill Primary School takes shape. It was also great to see Jackson-Jordan, who will one day have the opportunity to learn at the school, visit during its construction. “I’d like to thank all of those involved for their hard work to ensure we could deliver this project despite the huge challenges the UK construction industry is facing. The school will be run by the flagship Warriner Academy Trust, on behalf of the County Council, and will be a key part of our growing community at Graven Hill.” Councillor Calum Miller, Cabinet Member for Finance and Property at Oxfordshire County Council, said: “I am delighted that the Graven Hill Primary School is now under construction. It has been a long wait for the growing community here so I am glad that residents, including those who will benefit from the school in future, were present for this ceremony. Thank you to the teams from Graven Hill, Kier, Cherwell District and Oxfordshire County Councils who are making this happen. “A primary school helps to create a sense of place and of belonging. Within its walls, hundreds of children will learn and grow as members of the Graven Hill community. At its gates, hundreds of parents will gather and connect. It is exciting to see this important step in delivering the community facilities that will make Graven Hill an even better place to live.” Kier will complete the development in August 2023, with the two-form entry school set to be handed over to the Warriner Academy Trust in autumn 2023. It will comprise 12 classrooms, specialist facilities for art, design and technology and more than 13,000 sq. m of pitches, play and multi-use games areas. The early years facility will accommodate a further 90 pupils aged between 2-4 years in three classrooms, with dedicated facilities and play areas. The site also enables the school to expand to three-forms of entry in future. This sustainable development is targeting a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating, recognising this independent best practice assessment which evaluates energy and water use, health and wellbeing, transport, materials, waste, ecology and management processes. The building has been designed with enhanced thermal values and high performance materials to the principles of Net Zero Carbon. The photovoltaic panels will also provide power to the local grid when the school is not in use. As well as reducing the amount of heat, energy and water the school will use, the design also maximises natural ventilation in order to deliver a healthy place to learn. Kier regional director for Kier Construction Andy Bolas, added: “With infrastructure now complete and the team now working on the superstructure, we were able to mark the steel work progress at today’s milestone event. As well as welcoming local children and families to the site today, we are working hard to involve and inspire local students during the build by offering providing career guidance, work experience, site visits and supporting apprentices with training and development” The 300 metres of hoardings along Graven Hill Road and Hull Lane will be decorated by the winning design from the Graven Hill Primary School Picture Competition. Graven Hill remains a hugely popular development. Unique and diverse, it offers a wide range of housing options from self-build and custom build, which can be tailored to your needs, to apartments and affordable homes. It is set in open, green spaces including woodland, allotments and a network of cycle and footpaths. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading heating appliance manufacturer, Ideal Heating, has launched a new range of monobloc air source heat pumps to help improve energy efficiency and reduce reliance on natural gas within commercial buildings. Available in six outputs and seven models (14kW, 14kW (single phase), 18kW, 26kW, 32kW, 50kW and 70kW), the ECOMOD range provides a minimum A++ Energy related Products (ErP) efficiency rating and high co-efficient of performance (COP) rating of up to 4.85. R32 refrigerant ensures a low global warming potential (GWP). The heat pumps also include an inverter-controlled compressor that can control the building temperature based on specific requirements of the space, further enhancing the efficiency of a building. Ideal ECOMOD heat pumps can be used alone or cascaded to meet the heating requirements of larger commercial buildings. They can also be installed alongside other Ideal solutions, such as the EVOMAX 2 and the IMAX XTRA 2 commercial condensing boilers, to build a low carbon hybrid heating system. The range output models are light and compact units in comparison to similar products, making installation and delivery easy. All products also come with a five-year warranty – when commissioned by Ideal Heating and noise levels as low as 68dB(A) – the equivalent of a quiet refrigerator. Chris Caton, Product Director – Commercial Product Management for Ideal Heating, Groupe Atlantic UK, ROI & NA, said: “The ECOMOD range launches at an important time, as businesses accelerate their decarbonisation efforts to work towards net-zero targets, meet new standards for building regulations, and reduce their exposure to volatile energy prices. With high COPs our new heat pumps enable businesses to reduce a building’s carbon footprint and improve heating efficiency. “What’s more, the range of outputs available means we can cater for many commercial buildings. For example, our 14kW single phase unit is suitable for sites without access to three phase electricity, such as care homes or community halls, while all units can be cascaded to meet the needs of larger spaces, making them a versatile and cost-effective choice.” Ideal Heating delivers commercial heating solutions that are at the forefront of technology and developed in line with the latest market trends and legislation. For more information visit: https://idealcommercialboilers.com/products/ecomod
Deanestor, one of the UK’s leading fitout specialists, has delivered a £1.6m contract for one of the highest performing secondary schools in Scotland. Built by McLaughlin & Harvey for East Dunbartonshire Council, the new £40.9m Boclair Academy in Bearsden near Glasgow has created a state-of-the-art learning environment for 1,000 pupils. The school was designed by Ryder Architecture. This was Deanestor’s fourth project for McLaughlin & Harvey and it follows earlier fitout projects at Hopefield Primary School in Midlothian and two primary schools for Scottish Borders Council. Deanestor fitted out 228 rooms across the new Boclair campus, which reflects the latest thinking for curriculum delivery. According to Neil Kemp, Senior Project Manager at McLaughlin & Harvey, “Despite the challenges of Brexit and the covid pandemic, the project and the fit out went very well and we were able to hand the new campus over early. The quality of the furniture manufactured by Deanestor met our expectations and requirements. The finished school looks fantastic, particularly the open plan spaces, and staff and students at the Academy are absolutely delighted with their new facility.” Charles Riach, Architect at Ryder Architecture, said, “The finished school is outstanding. The design both internally and externally references the quality, textures and colours of the surrounding architecture and landscape. Deanestor has once again delivered the brief and the design for the furniture and fitout, and their team worked well with us at each stage.” Gillian Renwick, East Dunbartonshire Provost, said, “There is a great feeling of warmth and community within Boclair Academy. Since the doors opened, pupils, teachers and staff have really made this new building their own.” The school environment has been designed to encourage collaboration and to foster a cross-curricular approach in which key subject areas work closely together. There is also a mix of interdisciplinary, thematic, and subject-focused learning supported by flexible educational spaces. Deanestor provided a wide range of contemporary fitted and loose furniture, soft furnishings, teaching aids, lockers, and equipment for sports, crafts, design and technology, science laboratories, and food technology – from mirrors and ballet barres to a kiln and laboratory fume cupboards. Its team manufactured bespoke items of furniture, including the solid oak reception desk, storage cabinets, booth seating, benching, lockers, and teaching aids. Specially designed tiered seating in a beech finish was provided by Deanestor which doubles up as informal break-out spaces to encourage social interaction. Nearly 3,000 items of loose furniture were also supplied as part of Deanestor’s FF&E contract, such as tables and chairs, dining tables, modular soft seating, mobile storage, and over 300 sofas. The interior design strategy reflects the school’s corporate identity and uses two shades of blue to help unify different spaces across the campus. Natural colours and tones feature extensively to complement the surrounding landscape and there are views into the hillside. Royal blue and a lighter blue were used for soft furnishings and the fitted furniture was manufactured in a light summer oak finish. The new academy has a double-height entrance atrium, flexible learning zones, performance spaces and social dining, as well as improved outdoor sports facilities. Deanestor manufactures and installs robust and flexible loose and fixed furniture solutions for early years, primary, SEN, and secondary education, fitting out areas such as classrooms, science laboratories, ICT, design and technology, atria, social dining spaces, break-out areas, sports facilities and changing rooms. Its experienced designers and project managers work with architects, contractors and directly with schools and local authorities, advising on specification of furniture and equipment to help deliver inspirational learning environments. For further information, visit www.deanestor.co.uk/education, call 01623 420041 or email enquiries@deanestor.com . Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions UK & Ireland has launched its new Openings Studio™ Mobile App, which allows users to manage buildings as a holistic system. Information stored within the app enables buildings to be safely and effectively designed, constructed and operated. Openings Studio is a cloud based, custom configuration tool for the creation, visualisation, modification, and management of door openings. The unique BIM application provides access to complete doorset information at all stages from product concept to product care. Not only does Openings Studio help builders, architects and specifiers develop, design, and specify doors and hardware with live BIM connectivity, it also assists with the manufacture and quality check of approved doors. The installation process and on-site information is also captured, and products are asset tagged (with either a QR code or RFID tag) for ease of access to details and history, allowing comprehensive door-by-door fire and performance inspections to be completed and recorded. The Openings Studio Mobile App is the latest evolution of this innovative software solution, providing a genuine seamless link between design intent during the specification process through to product in service. Users can easily access the information relating to each door via the app, and enable a full and detailed inspection to be carried out. Any remedial work that is recommended can be reported within the app, and users can record details of any general maintenance or repairs completed too. Paul Thompson, BIM Manager for ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions, explains: “The evolution of BIM technology has coincided with the tightening of building regulations within the industry, with emphasis currently placed on the ‘golden thread’ approach. “Introduced as a tool to manage buildings as holistic systems, and allow people to use information to safely and effectively to design, construct and operate buildings, BIM is now an industry staple, with a current adoption rate of 71 per cent[1]. The Openings Studio Mobile App is one of the latest developments in digital construction tools. “It simplifies the collaboration with architects, builders and others so that changes to door openings are communicated clearly and on time, allowing the building owner to define exactly what components are required before, during and after the construction of a building. “The use of Openings Studio from specification to product in service and beyond captures the ‘golden thread’ of information in relation to doors and ironmongery, and ensures door compliance at all times, which is essential for life safety.” For more information on ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions, please visit https://www.assaabloy.com/uk/en, or to learn more about Openings Studio, go to https://www.assaabloy.com/group/en/about-us/our-solutions/openings-studio. [1] https://www.thenbs.com/digital-construction-report-2021/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
National firm Excello Law has announced the appointment of real estate specialist Amanda Hurst, who has joined from Hill Dickinson. Qualifying in 2002, she has a wide range of commercial property experience as well as specialisms in healthcare and education. “I am really excited to join other like-minded, experienced consultants and continue to provide an excellent service to clients whilst working flexibly,” commented on her appointment at Excello Amanda. Having moved from Hill Dickinson, where she headed up the national healthcare property commercial team, Amanda will be focusing on commercial landlord and tenant matters, as well as property acquisitions and disposals. “We are delighted to welcome Amanda to our real estate team in the north west. She is highly valued by her clients and joins at an exciting time in the firm’s history in Liverpool, with a growing team across the region and the launch of our new office facilities in Derby Square. It’s great to have her on board,” said Julie Mogan, Regional Director at Excello. Recently, Amanda was listed in the Legal 500 2023 directory for both commercial property and public sector (health) in Liverpool as a ‘Next-Generation Partner’. “Amanda joins a successful national real estate team and her expertise is a valuable addition to the services we provide. We’re always pleased to hear from lawyers looking to enjoy greater freedom to build their practice with all the infrastructure and regulatory support from an established consultant model firm like Excello,” added Jo Losty, Director at Excello. Founded in 2009 as one of the first law practices to adopt a limited liability company structure, Excello Law is a national, new-model law firm providing a more dynamic, forward-thinking and independent environment in which to practise for senior lawyers, underpinned by unparalleled administrative, compliance and technological support. The firm has grown to a team of 200 partner-level lawyers, with year-on-year growth averaging 20%. The firm has ten UK offices in London (x3), Birmingham, Leicester, Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Liverpool, Chester and Leeds. Excello Law was one of the first law firms in the UK to pioneer true agile or flexible working. The model reduces overhead costs and uses leading-edge technology to give freedom to lawyers and provide better value legal services to clients. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Kier, a leading UK construction and infrastructure company, was appointed by the Department for Education (DfE) to design and deliver a new school building for St Peter’s Collegiate Academy and Three Spires Trust in Wolverhampton. Part of the DfE school rebuilding programme, St Peters Academy is one of the first schools in the country to be announced by the programme. The project, which was procured through the Department for Education Contractors Framework 2021, will be developed in stages that involve the design and planning, through to demolition of existing buildings, creation of specialist temporary accommodation, and the build of a new secondary school. “We’re delighted to be appointed by the DfE to support St Peter’s Academy and Three Spires Trust to develop the design, and ultimately deliver this important new school building. As experts in delivering education projects in live school environments, we understand the needs of the school to continue to support their students’ education. We look forward to playing our part in creating a first-class educational setting for pupils, students, staff and local communities in Wolverhampton,” said David Yorke, Regional Director, Kier Construction Eastern and Midlands. The new academy building will replace four of the current seven buildings on site and, during the build, specialist accommodation will be provided by Kier to minimise disruption to teaching and learning for students at the school. Further works will take place to make way for enhanced outdoor facilities as well. “The appointment of Kier is an important milestone for the project and we are delighted with the progress made so far in our journey to a new academy building. Although St Peter’s is much more than the buildings, it is undoubted that moving into a new building in 2025 will transform the education we offer to our students currently and in the future,” added Vice Principal, St Peter’s Academy, Daniel Sherriff. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
