THE CONYGAR Investment Company PLC has announced that Midlands-based construction company, Bowmer + Kirkland is its project partner for the student accommodation phase at The Island Quarter, in Nottingham – one of the UK’s biggest regeneration sites. The 12-storey 693-bed student living accommodation is currently underway at the £1.4 billion,
The latest Homebuyer Hotspots Demand Index by estate agent comparison site, GetAgent.co.uk, has revealed that buyer demand levels are on the decline in the fourth quarter of 2022 as economic pressures and the increased cost of borrowing continue to force many people to reevaluate their home buying aspirations. GetAgent’s Hotspots
Graven Hill is welcoming dozens more residents to the award-winning village development following the successful completion of the 26-apartment Palmer House. Situated near the entrance of the Graven Hill site, the studio, one and two-bedroom apartments have been built to an exacting standard and offer spectacular views over the Oxfordshire
The Senoko Oil Fuel Depot in Singapore is a strategic fuel storage depot supporting the Five Powers Defence Arrangement, 5th and 7th US Fleets and the Singapore Government. The UK’s Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) is responsible for the management and maintenance of Senoko. However, an inspection identified several non-conformances in
Norderney is one of the most popular islands on the German North Sea coast with tourists. To keep it that way, it is necessary to carry out regular maintenance measures to preserve the island’s stability in the long term. The company, Tell Bau GmbH from Norden, using a new Doosan
Sustainability is an important part of life in 2023 and beyond. With only so long until the damage of climate change becomes permanent and irreversible, companies and individuals alike should all be making a conscious effort to make the world a healthier place. There are a variety of changes that
THE CONYGAR Investment Company PLC has announced that Midlands-based construction company, Bowmer + Kirkland is its project partner for the student accommodation phase at The Island Quarter, in Nottingham – one of the UK’s biggest regeneration sites. The 12-storey 693-bed student living accommodation is currently underway at the £1.4 billion, 36-acre development and is set to welcome its first residents in September 2024 ahead of the academic year. The student accommodation will offer a range of room types including studio flats and cluster living and has been designed by DAY Architectural as part of The Island Quarter’s wider masterplan to combat the continuing shortfall in student accommodation in the city. Christopher Ware, property director at Conygar, said: “Work is well under way on the new student blocks and large cranes are in the sky. We are pleased to be partnering with such a well-regarded company as Bowmer + Kirkland to deliver our vision. “The new space will support Nottingham’s reputation as a leading university city and will provide another choice for city centre living for students, which will benefit future generations attending the universities for decades to come.” It is expected that Nottingham will experience a deficit of 7,000 student beds within the coming years and this purpose-built student accommodation, which includes a high-level sky lounge, private courtyard, socialising and studying space, will go some way to supporting student living in the city. It is also part of the development’s broader masterplan promoting intergenerational living, with housing choices that work for all ages available on the site. Christian Parnell, Bowmer + Kirkland regional director, said: “It is fantastic to see our team start work on this exciting phase of The Island Quarter, in the heart of Nottingham. It is a city with which we have a long association, and our entire team is looking forward to being a part of the project and bringing the plans to fruition.” Christopher added: “The student accommodation marks a significant milestone in the progress of the development as we look ahead to the later phases of the 36-acre site. With our inaugural building, 1 The Island Quarter, already open and serving the public from our restaurant bar Binks Yard and our finer dining restaurant Cleaver & Wake, there’s plenty of action on site to be excited about as we transform this site in the centre of the city. “One of the key things that attracted us to develop The Island Quarter was Nottingham’s two world-leading universities, both of which are experiencing a shortage of high-quality accommodation for their students. We’re delighted to be bringing forward this vibrant scheme that will be an excellent addition to The Island Quarter as the development continues to grow.” Student residents will benefit from the development’s new and existing restaurants and bars, as well as the ‘green river’ of outdoor space that runs throughout The Island Quarter, which is one of the biggest regeneration sites in the UK. To find out more about The Island Quarter, please visit: theislandquarter.com Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The latest Homebuyer Hotspots Demand Index by estate agent comparison site, GetAgent.co.uk, has revealed that buyer demand levels are on the decline in the fourth quarter of 2022 as economic pressures and the increased cost of borrowing continue to force many people to reevaluate their home buying aspirations. GetAgent’s Hotspots Demand Index monitors homebuyer demand across England on a quarterly basis. Current demand is based on the proportion of stock listed as already sold (sold subject to contract or under offer) as a percentage of all stock listed for sale. E.g, if 100 homes are listed and 50 are already sold, the demand score would be 50%. The latest index shows that across England, buyer demand is currently at 48.3% which marks a -9.2% decline since Q3 2022 and -17.3% decline since this time last year, suggesting that the pandemic-inspired property boom is being brought well and truly back down to earth by the significant economic pressures facing the nation’s would-be homebuyers. England’s strongest sales demand hotspot is currently Durham where it sits at 68%. This is -5.6% lower than Q3 of this year, but -14.6% lower than this time last year. City of Bristol, which ranked as the number one sales demand hotspot last quarter, now ranks second with 56.6% while Surrey (56.4%), Greater London (55.9%), and the City of London (54.8%) all maintain good levels of demand despite all experiencing quarterly and yearly declines. In terms of annual change, the worst hit places are the Isle of Wight (-25.5%), East Riding(-25.5%), and Derbyshire (-24.8%). The worst hit places in the last quarter are East Riding (-12.9%), Bedfordshire (-12.8%), and Staffordshire (-12.7%). In the search for good news, optimism is hard to come by. No parts of England have experienced sales demand growth in the past year or the past quarter. The smallest annual declines have been reported in Lincolnshire (-4.7%), Leicestershire (-8.0%), and Suffolk (-9.8%), while the smallest quarterly declines are in Suffolk (-3.6%), Durham (-5.6%), and Wiltshire (-5.9%). Co-founder and CEO of GetAgent.co.uk, Colby Short, commented: “After a couple of years of manic demand, activity, and price increases, we end 2022 with a gentle bump back down to earth. Economic gravity was always destined to enforce the declines we’re currently seeing and, in many ways, it’s a surprise that it’s taken this long to happen. You’re going to read all sorts of pessimistic property headlines over the coming months, but the forecast isn’t actually that bleak. Look at the long-term history of house prices and you’ll see that the property market is never down for long, regardless of how many pandemics and economic crashes are thrown its way. However, the fortunes of the housing market are very much in the hands of the Bank of England at the moment because, until interest rates come down and borrowing becomes more affordable, lenders are going to be tighter with their mortgage offers and buyers are going to be nervous about taking on these relatively high levels of risk.” Data tables Data tables and sources can be viewed online, here. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Graven Hill is welcoming dozens more residents to the award-winning village development following the successful completion of the 26-apartment Palmer House. Situated near the entrance of the Graven Hill site, the studio, one and two-bedroom apartments have been built to an exacting standard and offer spectacular views over the Oxfordshire countryside, just outside Bicester. Graven Hill’s popularity continues to grow with more than 400 households already living on the growing development that will accommodate 1,900 homes once completed. Its reputation as THE place to live in Oxfordshire has been enhanced by regular appearances on Channel 4’s Grand Designs, as well as being recently named as one of the “Top Ten Places to Live” in the UK by The Sunday Times. All Palmer House studios and apartments enjoy a high specification finish with extensive interior fittings, along with allocated car parking. Palmer House has proven to be extremely popular with many of the 26 apartments snapped up within weeks of coming on to the market. And some purchasers were among the last to take advantage of the Government’s Help to Buy scheme, according to Graven Hill’s marketing agents IMS Property Group. Michelle Niziol, CEO of IMS said: “It has been such a pleasure to be involved in the marketing and selling of Palmer House. The site has been so incredibly popular that we built a waiting list of people who sadly missed out on this development, but are ready for new homes to become available at Graven Hill. “The apartments are absolutely stunning and each purchaser has been overjoyed at the quality of the build, I am excited to continue working with Graven Hill and assist them on future sales.” Eve Penney and Will Mceachran were among the first Palmer House residents to pick up their keys after completing on their two-bed apartment. Eve said: “I saw Graven Hill on Grand Designs some time ago and, living locally, we could see the development taking shape. We liked that our apartment has two bathrooms and a shower and its location is great, being so near to town and the train station.” Graven Hill village is a unique development, designed to disrupt the UK property market and offer a wide range of housing options including self-build and custom build – tailored to individual needs – right through to apartments and affordable homes. All offer chic, hassle-free, modern-living options located just 15 minutes from Oxford via train and within walking distance from Bicester Outlet Village and train station. Gemma Davis, Graven Hill’s Customer Experience Director, attributes the village’s overall popularity to the large variety of high-quality build and design options available across the village, appealing to a wide range of buyers. Great transport links to Oxford and into London are also being cited as a key USP. She said: “Those coming to the site are seeking a different way of life, it’s more than just about buying a traditional new build. Palmer House has been phenomenally successful and the amount of interest we have seen has been far beyond our expectations. She added: “It shows how Graven Hill has far-reaching appeal, from first time buyers, right through to families or those looking to downsize. The sense of community is also really growing across the village which is lovely to see.” Other community amenities are also taking shape with the new Graven Hill primary school now under construction and ready for autumn 2023. Construction of commercial units are also well underway, with a dental practice currently being fitted out. A health and wellbeing hub and community centre are set to provide further facilities for residents. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Senoko Oil Fuel Depot in Singapore is a strategic fuel storage depot supporting the Five Powers Defence Arrangement, 5th and 7th US Fleets and the Singapore Government. The UK’s Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) is responsible for the management and maintenance of Senoko. However, an inspection identified several non-conformances in the secondary containment system resulting in the issuing of an improvement notice and a £12.3m contract was awarded to Trant Engineering. The project required increasing the secondary containment capacity to achieve at least 110% of the volume of the existing twelve 30m diameter fuel tanks, removing gravity drainage and replacing with a pumped system and providing an impermeable barrier within the bund. To achieve these goals, the existing drainage routes had to be altered to allow an equal number of bunds to drain to each of the existing Tilted Plate Separators with only one bund being drained through each separator at any one time, and at a predetermined flow rate. All existing drainage pipes which penetrated through the bund walls were to be sealed and replaced with pressure pipework laid over the bund walls terminating in an adjacent discharge chamber. This would drain by gravity to the nearby existing storm drainage channel system. The contract has been executed successfully and been handed over to the DIO. Business Development Director, Brendan Dowd says “This unique project utilised our multi-discipline engineering and project delivery teams. We faced a number of challenges, but perseverance and hard work ensured a successful outcome. We are proud to support the DIO with upgrading and refurbishment of their assets around the world.” For detailed info, please visit: https://www.trant.co.uk/news/trant-completes-work-on-senoko-strategic-fuel-depot-in-singapore Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Norderney is one of the most popular islands on the German North Sea coast with tourists. To keep it that way, it is necessary to carry out regular maintenance measures to preserve the island’s stability in the long term. The company, Tell Bau GmbH from Norden, using a new Doosan DX255NLC excavator, has just completed a project to implement one of the measures used to protect the island. Flexible Deployment Options The project, which lasted about four months, was commissioned by the NLWKN (Lower Saxony Water Management, Coastal Defence and Nature Conservation agency). It called for the reinforcement of the revetment in the east of the island. A revetment is a passive structure which protects against erosion caused by wave action, storm surge and currents. The project required the old revetment to be dismantled and a new revetment made of hydraulic rubble stone in full grouting to be constructed. At the same time, the asphalt revetment had to be renewed. The Doosan DX255NLC was used flexibly in various areas. Its tasks included both demolition and earthworks. The Doosan excavator was also used to drive sheet piles into the ground along the full length of the construction section using a Movax SG50V pile driver. In addition, utilising the on-board TopCon 3D system, the excavator produced the dyke shapes required for installation and profiling of the revetment. Dipl. Ing. Andrej Achrameev, Project Manager at Tell Bau, commented: “Due to the diversity of the project, the excavator had to demonstrate a high degree of flexibility in various applications. It fully met this requirement.” Versatile Machine The Doosan DX255NLC has an operating weight of around 25 tonne. It is equipped with the 192 kW six-cylinder DL06 engine from Doosan. With its maximum digging depth of 6.81 m, it can be used extremely flexibly in civil engineering work. The DX255NLC at Tell Bau is fitted with a TopCon 3D control system and can be equipped with a Movax SG50P pile driver and a PowerTilt. Thomas Gembler, Managing Director of Tell Bau, summarises the performance of the new machine: “Of course, we cannot conclusively evaluate the Doosan DX255NLC at this point, but the price-performance ratio is very good and so far the reliability is also impeccable.” The special feature of this NLC (Narrow Long Crawler) excavator is its transport width of 3 m. This allows the excavator to be transported with a permanent excess width exemption in Germany. Reliable Dealer Tell Bau purchased the machine from Doosan dealer, Werner Seemann, which has roots going back to 1966. Werner Seemann now has branches in East Frisia, Bremen and Osnabrück. Since 1999, the two sons of the company founder, Werner and Jens Seemann, have also been active in the company. Continuity and sustainable processes are central components of the company’s philosophy: “Instead of quick profits, we focus on reliability and partnership,” says Werner Seemann Senior. In addition to the construction machinery business, the company also offers services in the areas of vehicle construction and handling technology. Tell Bau GmbH The construction company, Tell Bau GmbH in Norden, has a remarkable history. Started as a small construction company in 1946 in Norden, this group of companies now has around 350 employees. In addition to the headquarters in Norden, Tell Bau GmbH has branches in three other locations: in Berlin, on Norderney and in Sellin on the island of Rügen. The original paving company has been expanded to include road construction, civil engineering, asphalt construction, structural engineering and sports facility construction. In the field of building construction, the company is mainly active in the commercial sector. In addition to residential construction, the company undertakes projects in the fields of structural and civil engineering, sewage treatment plants and large industrial buildings. Research centres, production and administration buildings as well as consumer markets are constructed on a turnkey basis for well-known clients. For four decades, Tell Bau has also been building and supplying synthetic surfaces and artificial turf systems for both ball sports and light athletic use. For more information on Doosan construction machinery, please visit www.eu.doosanequipment.com Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Sustainability is an important part of life in 2023 and beyond. With only so long until the damage of climate change becomes permanent and irreversible, companies and individuals alike should all be making a conscious effort to make the world a healthier place. There are a variety of changes that can be made in order to treat the world with a little more respect. Mother nature is getting angry and it’s critical to make these changes ahead of time in order to avoid more dangerous scenarios that are likely to happen or have happened already. As a business, here are a few ways to make your company more sustainable in 2023. Work with the right suppliers Every supplier out there will have a certain attitude towards sustainability and the environment they live in. Some will be heavily conscious of the impact they make on the world around them and others – not so much. The suppliers you choose to work with as a business will say a lot about your own contributions or attitude towards sustainability to the public. Not only that but some of your clients and customers may feel differently towards you if they find you’re not sustainable. Recycle waste properly It’s important that when it comes to recycling you’re doing it properly. This is not just the recycling of general waste but more complicated waste forms. From chemicals to heavy-duty equipment, going through the proper methods of recycling is key. With that in mind, think about how you recycle waste and find the best options available currently to recycle waste properly. Consider what materials and equipment are being used What are you using when it comes to your materials or equipment? Is it the most sustainably driven or could it be swapped out for something more eco-friendly? With major advancements in technology and engineering, there are plenty of options to choose from nowadays, and this leaves little excuse for using equipment or materials that cause more harm than good to the environment. Find ways to actively combat climate change There are plenty of ways to tackle climate change, whether that’s speaking at climate change events to making small changes within business operations. With all this knowledge available, businesses can’t play the naive card when it comes to improving their carbon footprints. Consider new ways to combat climate change and make this an opportunity to build a reputation as a business in a positive way. Motivate the industry leaders Many industry leaders could make an influential difference to smaller businesses that don’t particularly care about being sustainable. If more of the big organizations took more interest in sustainability, the rest would likely follow. Whether yours is a big business or not, motivating other industry leaders is going to help contribute further – rather than simply doing nothing at all. Making your company more sustainable in 2023 is an absolute must. Make sure that you’re looking at ways to be more environmentally friendly this year. Small changes can lead to big changes!
