Citrus Durham has completed a deal with Adil Group who will develop a stand-alone drive-thru KFC at the £400m mixed-use Integra 61 development at J61 of the A1(M). Citrus Durham was advised by retained roadside agents Colliers and Avison Young with WSB acting for Adil Group. Detailed planning consent has
Global modular building specialist, Volumetric Building Companies, which has recently announced its expansion in the UK, has secured a contract worth more than £10m for the offsite construction of a 500-bed hotel for the Tropical Islands resort near Berlin, one of the world’s largest waterparks. Worldwide leisure park operator Parques
As an employment trends survey by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) reveals three-quarters of UK businesses are experiencing difficulties filling vacancies, Kent-based drainage system company Polypipe Building Services is celebrating strong staff retention figures with several workers holding 40-years of service – or more. Among them is Keith Goodhew
The Building Safety Act 2022 established the new Building Safety Regulator within the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Ron Alalouff speaks with Mark Wilson, the Lead for Planning Gateway One, and Colin Blatchford-Brown, Gateways and Building Control Lead, on the prospects for the new regime. The new Building Safety Regulator’s
BUILD-TO-RENT Single Family Housing (BTR SFH) specialist, Wise Living, has reported a record Net Promoter Score (NPS) of +81 in 2022, according to its recent NPS survey data analysis. NPS can be anywhere between -100 and +100, and according to the creators of the NPS metric, Bain & Company, a
A new government hub in Peterborough has officially opened by Cabinet Office Minister Alex Burghart last week. The Hub is in Fletton Quays, an area undergoing a £120 million regeneration, and will house more than 1,000 government staff from a number of departments and agencies. Staff from the Department for
Leading sustainable construction innovators, Dura Products, has announced that its pioneering recycled plastic kerbing solution Durakerb, has been installed in a range of projects by Fife Council in Scotland. The construction work, part of the Council’s sustainable energy and climate action plan, involved the installation of 4km of Durakerb on
Prologis, the UK’s leading owner and developer of logistics property will welcome Harvest London, a leader in the innovative sector of vertical farming, to Prologis Park Beddington. The 139,977 sq. ft. unit in Croydon, South London, will house a technologically-advanced indoor farm, growing herbs and salads for customers in the
Leeds-based ACS Stainless Steel Limited has announced eight promotions across its team – the result of a six-figure investment in its workforce this past year. The company is a leading manufacturer and designer of structural building components, providing patented innovative solutions, including masonry support and brick panel solutions – essential
Construction firm Kier has commenced work on delivering new, purpose-built teaching facilities accommodation to Katharine Lady Berkeley’s School in Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire. The school’s existing campus-style site will be enhanced by removing a number of older buildings and replacing these with a single three-storey teaching block and a separate activity studio.
Citrus Durham has completed a deal with Adil Group who will develop a stand-alone drive-thru KFC at the £400m mixed-use Integra 61 development at J61 of the A1(M). Citrus Durham was advised by retained roadside agents Colliers and Avison Young with WSB acting for Adil Group. Detailed planning consent has been granted by Durham County Council for the development of the KFC unit and work is expected to start in the summer which would enable KFC to open for business by the end of the year. The new KFC drive-thru will sit alongside the existing Greggs and Costa Coffee drive thru’s and will form part of the growing roadside element at the ground-breaking North East development. Integra 61 is the largest logistics- led mixed use scheme seen in the North East in a generation and is home to Amazon’s new 2 million sq ft Fulfilment Centre which is fully operational with over 1,000 employees on site. Construction of a further 640,000 sq ft of speculative logistics space in 5 units, known as Connect at Integra 61, is well advanced with completion due this summer. Serviced plots are available on the remainder of the site to accommodate a wide range of unit sizes to suit occupier’s specific requirements. The 205 acre site, which has the potential to create over 3,000 jobs and add £2 billion to the regional economy over the next 10 years, has consent to deliver some 260 new homes, a new hotel, nursery, family pub/restaurant, vehicle dealerships and trade counter/retail units. David Cullingford, Project Lead for Integra 61 and Citrus Durham, said: “Adding another high profile occupier to the roadside element of Integra 61 is fantastic news and further strengthens the diversity of uses at the site. We are having a very busy 12 months on site with lots of development works underway and we are looking forward to welcoming KFC to the scheme.” John Roberts, Head of Automotive and Roadside for Colliers and joint agent on Integra 61 with Avison Young, said: “We are talking to a range of roadside occupiers regarding the remaining plots at Integra 61. The sector remains buoyant and we are able to accommodate a wide variety of roadside users from vehicle dealerships to self-storage and a range of retail and hospitality uses.” For enquiries, please contact Avison Young or Colliers Robert Rae 07860 398 744robert.rae@avisonyoung.com /Danny Cramman 07796 993 750 danny.cramman@avisonyoung.com Robert Whatmuff07703 393 145robert.whatmuff@colliers.com / Simon Hill 07736 480 041simon.hill@colliers.com Roadside enquiries to john.roberts@colliers.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Global modular building specialist, Volumetric Building Companies, which has recently announced its expansion in the UK, has secured a contract worth more than £10m for the offsite construction of a 500-bed hotel for the Tropical Islands resort near Berlin, one of the world’s largest waterparks. Worldwide leisure park operator Parques Reunidos is investing £22m in the new hotel, which will expand the resort’s facilities by 500 beds and create its largest hotel on the Tropical Islands site. VBC’s contract is for the modular manufacture, furniture production, offsite fitting out and installation of five storeys of guest room accommodation. There will be a range of guest room types, including two- and four-bedroom family suites; double, accessible, and 36sqm deluxe rooms. These will be installed by VBC on to a concrete podium which accommodates the public areas and guest amenities. The new hotel will be clad in grey composite cladding and will be linked to the indoor water attractions. In addition to the manufacture of 155 steel-framed hotel modules, VBC’s contract includes production of a full range of bespoke, contemporary furniture for the guest rooms at its factory in Poland – from beds and sofa beds to shelving, bathroom vanity units, and wood and glass partitions between the main bedrooms and bathrooms. The guest room modules will arrive on site in Summer this year and will be installed in just two months. The hotel is due to open early 2024. Commenting on the project, Wouter Dekkers, Corporate Development Director at Parques Reunidos, said, “We are delighted to be partnering with VBC on this scheme. Their longstanding, specialist experience in hotel construction will help us to create a really fantastic facility for Tropical Islands. The use of an offsite manufacturing solution for the guest rooms will significantly reduce disruption to our existing operations and guests during the build phase. The hotel’s modular construction will also have much less environmental impact – fewer vehicle movements through the park, less material waste, and the reduced carbon footprint of the steel structure.” Wojciech Chyrek, European Commercial Director at Volumetric Building Companies, said, “We are thrilled to be awarded our first modular project in Germany. Our offsite solutions have been widely used in the UK and globally, and the advantages of our approach to hotel construction are clear. We work to stringent and consistent factory quality standards and can help hotel operators achieve earlier occupation and a faster return on investment with our reduced programme times compared to in-situ construction. We are looking forward to developing a long-term strategic partnership with Parques Reunidos.” The attractions at the Tropical Islands Resort include an indoor rainforest which is home to 50,000 plants and 600 species, a beach and 1,200sqm swimming lagoon, spa and saunas spanning 10,000sqm, and the world’s longest double water slide. The park welcomes around 1.2m visitors each year, making it one of the most popular leisure destinations in Germany. Parques Reunidos is one of the fastest growing leisure park operators in the world. It owns and operates over 50 leisure parks across Europe, North America, and Australia – including theme parks, aquaria, zoos, and water parks. VBC has delivered modular projects in the UK, Europe and around the world for a host of global hotel brands, including for Marriott, Hilton, Intercontinental Hotels, Whitbread, and citizenM. For further information, visit www.vbc.co/uk or email enquiries@vbc.co. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
As an employment trends survey by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) reveals three-quarters of UK businesses are experiencing difficulties filling vacancies, Kent-based drainage system company Polypipe Building Services is celebrating strong staff retention figures with several workers holding 40-years of service – or more. Among them is Keith Goodhew who began at Polypipe Building Services as an engineering apprentice 37 years ago and has worked in several parts of the business from production to technical as a CAD operator, before taking up his current post as an engineer and health and safety representative within fabrication. “I’d wanted to become an engineer since I left school in the 80s and decided to do an apprenticeship scheme, and I’ve made a lot of friends. “There are lots of people here I’ve known since I started so they’re like family to me, and we’ve always had social things going on and it’s things like that and the fact my role has kept changing which is why I really enjoy working here.” Rashmihant Desai has just taken retirement having worked at Polypipe Building Services for 47 years where he was an assembly team leader. Originally from Tanzania, he joined after family members already working at the company alerted him to a vacancy. “I came for interview, and they asked if he could start right away,” he says, “and I joined as a machine operator before going to work in mixing then in injection moulding where I worked as a cell leader overseeing seven machines. “While I was there a manager asked if I could help in assembly, and they were so impressed by my work that when that manager left, I was asked to stay and run the whole department. “I’m 67 now and I stayed because they treat people well, like if your health isn’t good the team are 100% behind you and if people are treating you well then why would you leave? I also do a lot of charity work helping supply food to children in places like Thailand and India and the company always supported me with that.” Clare Hawkes, Head of Human Resources at Polypipe Building Services, said more than 10 per cent of their workforce have been with the company for 10 years or more, and believes this high rate of retention is due to the investment in people’s continuous learning and development which allows staff to progress throughout the business, together with a workplace culture of teamwork embedded in a series of staff social events. She said: “We work very hard to make sure people here feel valued and supported in their roles, and that there is a clear structure of development and training opportunities so people can develop into new roles if they want to. “Our managers and leaders take time to develop relationships with their teams, and these elements combined with ensuring we have things like Mental Health First Aiders present in all areas of the business, charity days and family social events, all help to create a workplace where people want to work and to stay.” For more information about careers at Polypipe Building Services go to https://www.polypipe.com/careers-hub Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Building Safety Act 2022 established the new Building Safety Regulator within the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Ron Alalouff speaks with Mark Wilson, the Lead for Planning Gateway One, and Colin Blatchford-Brown, Gateways and Building Control Lead, on the prospects for the new regime. The new Building Safety Regulator’s (BSR) remit is a threefold one: to deliver the new regulatory regime for high-rise residential buildings, to promote competence across the built environment, and oversight of the entire built environment. Planning Gateway One is part of the BSR and is a new statutory consultee on fire safety matters for planning applications that include high-rise residential buildings. It began operation in August 2021, and from October 2023, the BSR will effectively be the building control authority for high-rise residential buildings in England, so will oversee the design and construction of these buildings, as well as managing the safe occupation of existing buildings. The BSR will give advice to local regulators, landlords and building owners, the building design and construction industry, and to residents. It aims to be evidence-led and enforce its powers proportionately and on the principle that it is the responsibility of those who create risk to manage and control it. The new building safety regime will come into effect in stages. The registration of high-rise residential buildings will start in April 2023, and the new safety management requirements will apply from October 2023. That month will also see the introduction of the more rigorous building control rules for new high-rise buildings and building work carried out on existing buildings. There will be a duty to register high-rise residential buildings between April and September 2023, with all other duties starting from October 2023. The BSR then intends to assess the estimated 13,500 existing buildings in scope over a five-year period from April 2024, with rolling reassessments. From this autumn, it will be publishing various pieces of guidance around the new regime, including the requirements around registering high-rise residential buildings. How will the BSR act to improve the design safety of buildings? Mark Wilson: Planning Gateway One is part of the Building Safety Regulator, but was established under legislation separate to the Building Safety Act. It was launched in August 2021 to enable the BSR to comment on planning applications for developments of high-rise residential buildings (those over 18m or seven storeys high and that have two or more residential units). The planning stage includes consideration of the whole development, so the area around a building and access to it are also included. As a statutory consultee in the planning process, we provide information and advice to local planning authorities. While local authorities are free to take or leave any advice we give, they are generally reluctant to grant planning permission with outstanding HSE concerns about fire safety. What was the situation prior to the implementation of Planning Gateway One? MW: As a former local authority town planner, I know that fire safety was not a consideration at the planning stage. As planning officers don’t generally have the fire safety expertise, the previous situation meant that it was difficult to get traction on fire safety matters later on in the process, once the design had gained planning permission. Since joining the BSR, I have been taken aback about how much fire safety has an impact on the design, layout, and appearance of a building – it can’t just be added on later as a veneer of fire safety. What aspects of fire safety are considered at Planning Gateway One? MW: It’s the big-ticket items such as the number of firefighting stairs and how they interact with the layout of a building. It’s often the case that there is just a single firefighting stair, so that needs a high level of protection, as it’s the only means of escape and access for firefighters. One of the big achievements of Planning Gateway One has been to cast a spotlight on single stairs and how well protected they may be. What will be the role of Gateways Two and Three? Colin Blatchford-Brown: The new Gateway Two takes place before building work starts, and involves detailed compliance with building regulations, with approval coming from the BSR acting as the building control authority. Gateway Two is a stop/go stage and building work cannot start before it is completed. This contrasts with the current situation where there is a requirement to submit an application at this stage, but no requirement to obtain approval before work starts. Gateway Three will require submission of sufficient evidence that you have complied with the building regulations and have built what you said you were going to build. At this point, you will receive a completion certificate which will allow you to register your building. Building registration must be completed with the BSR before people can move into it. Currently, there is no method of preventing occupation of a building before approval is obtained. What has been your experience of the quality of fire safety provisions in planning applications under Gateway One? MW: Over half our responses to applications have raised concerns or significant concerns about fire safety provision at the planning stage. Often, applicants respond to our concerns by preparing a detailed defence of their scheme, rather than addressing our concerns in design terms. However, if after, say, three responses there have not been any substantive amendments to address our concerns, we would suggest to the Local Planning Authority that they refuse the application. Usually, the prospect of potential refusal is enough to produce design changes. What incentive is there for developers to consider fire safety at the planning stage? MW: The spotlight on fire safety is perhaps more on Planning Gateway One than it is later, when building regulations are considered. There’s an incentive for developers to sort out fire safety issues at the outset, as the open process of planning applications means that HSE’s comments are published on the planning register of the local authority. Therefore, there is potential
BUILD-TO-RENT Single Family Housing (BTR SFH) specialist, Wise Living, has reported a record Net Promoter Score (NPS) of +81 in 2022, according to its recent NPS survey data analysis. NPS can be anywhere between -100 and +100, and according to the creators of the NPS metric, Bain & Company, a score greater than 0 is considered good, greater than 25 is favourable, more than 50 is excellent and above 80 is world class. Wise Living’s exceptional NPS score was calculated in response to the following question asked to its BTR SFH tenants, seven days after their move in date: ‘How likely are you to recommend Wise Living to family, a friend, or colleague?’. In 2021, an overall NPS of +47 was achieved to this question and this figure has since increased to an impressive NPS of +81 in 2022. The excellent score and significant uplift achieved by Wise Living is testament to its ongoing and ever improving customer experience ethos, according to Anne Malone, head of customer experience at Wise Living. Anne said: “To achieve such a high NPS score is rare, and we know it means that our tenants are very happy. To put this into perspective, retailer John Lewis reported its highest ever NPS as +70. As a full service BTR SFH specialist, we understand the importance of quality at every stage and strive to prioritise the tenant experience throughout. It all starts with identifying the best sites and from there we ensure that the homes are developed to meet renter requirements by partnering with the right property investors and developers. Once we have homes that we know tenants will love, the work doesn’t stop there. “Wise Living takes great pride in making the move-in experience seamless and we are on-hand throughout the process, which makes a big difference. We not only then go on to maintain and manage all properties, ensuring all tenants have a great place to live, but also place strong emphasis on creating communities. From our regular communal events, to being a pet-friendly landlord and supporting tenants quickly if they experience any issues – this all adds up to the bigger picture of how people feel about their home and living experience. “Over the past year, we have worked hard to keep improving standards and this is reflected in the scoring. The NPS survey data also shows a strong uplift in responses reporting satisfaction to the same question when asked nine-months post move-in, which we are incredibly proud of.” To find out more about Wise Living, visit www.wiselivinghomes.co.uk/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A new government hub in Peterborough has officially opened by Cabinet Office Minister Alex Burghart last week. The Hub is in Fletton Quays, an area undergoing a £120 million regeneration, and will house more than 1,000 government staff from a number of departments and agencies. Staff from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and the Home Office’s Passport Office will be based there permanently, with room for more roles which may relocate to the city from London. Cabinet Office Minister Alex Burghart said: “It’s fantastic to be in Peterborough to open our brand new Government Hub. This is a very important day for the city.” “As today shows, this Government is investing in Peterborough and the East of England to create jobs and opportunities for the long-term.” The project is part of the government hubs programme, which has also seen the announcement of new hubs across the country including Glasgow, Belfast, Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham, Cardiff, Birmingham and Bristol. These hubs will support the government’s drive to move 22,000 government roles out of London by 2030, moving them into communities across the United Kingdom. Lord Murray, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office, said: “Being part of this new Government hub continues to reinforce HM Passport Office’s long-term commitment to the city of Peterborough. “Quay House offers brand new, purpose built, facilities that will help us to deliver increasingly high standards of service for our customers in the East and Midlands for many years to come.” To date, more than 900 roles have been relocated out of the capital and into the East Midlands and East of England, with departments including the Ministry of Justice expanding their presence there. The government will also launch a civil service recruitment campaign in the region in April as part of the drive to offer roles previously located in Whitehall to people in the East of England and East Midlands, ensuring the government is maximising use of the area’s vast talent pool. The new Hub is part of a £120m regeneration of the Fletton Quays site led by the Peterborough Investment Partnership and the site’s developer, Bride Hall, which is expected to generate over £340 million of private sector revenue for the area. Clive Anderson, Director of Capital Projects at the Government Property Agency, said: “Quay House in Peterborough is the Government Property Agency’s first new build Hub. It will provide inclusive, flexible, digitally-connected workspaces to support greater productivity, create cost efficiencies and enhance carbon reduction. This has been achieved by consolidating four remote sites into one new city centre building, with 1,000 civil servants now supporting local businesses. We are all extremely proud to deliver this new Hub in Peterborough, and to be delivering the Government Hubs Programme in support of key government initiatives such as Levelling Up, Civil Service Reform and Net Zero. I welcome our clients and customers to their new place of work.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading sustainable construction innovators, Dura Products, has announced that its pioneering recycled plastic kerbing solution Durakerb, has been installed in a range of projects by Fife Council in Scotland. The construction work, part of the Council’s sustainable energy and climate action plan, involved the installation of 4km of Durakerb on the A909 Fife Highway, Cowdenbeath. Made from 88% recycled polymers, Durakerb offers a lightweight solution providing a safer, greener and faster method of kerbing. The use of Durakerb by Fife Council has saved over 120,000kg of embodied carbon entering the environment. Over recent years, Dura Products has been selected for a range of construction projects on a residential and regional scale by Fife Council. In 2020, 1km of Durakerb was installed in Kirkcaldy and Rosyth, as part of residential pavement upgrades, and in 2022, 4km of Durakerb was supplied to the A909 project, as well as residential upgrades on Dewar Drive, Leven. For two decades, Dura Products has supplied its green innovations to a range of projects to increase sustainability credentials and lower the impact of construction on the environment. Durakerb is designed as a sustainable alternative to traditional kerbing methods, which do not offer the same environmental benefits. Every 6kg unit of Durakerb has the potential to be reclaimed, reused or recycled at the demolition stage. Fife Council is leading the way by choosing SME’s that focus on green construction to reduce carbon emissions. The Council has implemented a Low Carbon Sustainability Checklist to facilitate sustainable construction, to reach the Scottish goal of net zero emissions by 2045. To meet environmental targets embedded within legislation, adopting low carbon solutions with high recycled content makes a significant difference to the environment. Steve Bennett, Managing Director at Dura Products, commented: “Since 2003 we have worked hard to deliver over 500,000 units of our pioneering project, Durakerb. We would like to thank Fife Council for the widespread installation of Durakerb, and for leading the way in sustainable construction on a regional scale. We hope to work with more and more local authorities looking to plan and action similar strategies regarding energy and climate change.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Prologis, the UK’s leading owner and developer of logistics property will welcome Harvest London, a leader in the innovative sector of vertical farming, to Prologis Park Beddington. The 139,977 sq. ft. unit in Croydon, South London, will house a technologically-advanced indoor farm, growing herbs and salads for customers in the food service and retail sectors. Echoing Prologis’ commitment to sustainability, Harvest London’s controlled environment agriculture method reduces water consumption compared to traditional farming, uses no chemical pesticides, avoids agricultural pollution of rivers, and dramatically shortens supply chains, helping to make the UK’s food supplies more secure and sustainable. Sustainability is at the core of every Prologis development, with DC3 at Prologis Park Beddington being no exception. Having achieved a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and EPC A rating, the unit will be net zero in operation. This means that all crops grown within the unit will be as sustainable as possible, whilst using less resources than those grown in traditional crop fields. Chris Davies, CEO and Founder of Harvest London, commented: “Prologis Park Beddington was the ideal place for our expansion, enabling us to serve customers in London and beyond, helping to maximise the benefits of vertical farming. We want to bring production much closer to the end consumer, meaning fresher and more nutritious food, and connecting people in cities much more closely with farming. With a shared goal of driving sustainability across our operations, Prologis is the perfect partner.” Gillian Scarth, Director of Capital Deployment for Prologis UK, said: “We’re proud to welcome an innovative business such as Harvest London into our customer base. Prologis has always been at the forefront of innovation, and we’re excited to support the ongoing sustainable farming methods introduced by Harvest London as they continue to grow.” Neighbouring the likes of Oddbox and Easyshipping, DC3 is strategically located near crucial road connections including the A23 and A205. The Park’s strategic location means it is perfectly situated to serve the urban market, particularly given Croydon’s current phase of regeneration.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leeds-based ACS Stainless Steel Limited has announced eight promotions across its team – the result of a six-figure investment in its workforce this past year. The company is a leading manufacturer and designer of structural building components, providing patented innovative solutions, including masonry support and brick panel solutions – essential construction components used in construction of the largest modern-day projects in the UK. Eight of the firm’s 118 colleagues will now take on new roles to help future growth, including newly-appointed Strategic Specification Director Paul Ruding, who moves on from his incumbent position as Head of Strategic Specification; Paul is also studying for a BA in Fire Safety Engineering – something that is being funded by ACS. Colleague Andrew Spencer is also promoted from Technical Engineer to Head of Research and Development, while Jason Hedge is promoted to Specification and Design Director. ACS Commercial Director Gareth Twohey explained: “Investing in the future of this industry is a priority for ACS right now; we hope we are seen as the vanguard of new ideas, with products that will help developers, architects and contractors create safer and more sustainable structures. “We achieve this by reinvesting huge percentages of our profits back into the business – that includes investing in colleagues like Paul, Jason and Andrew – each of whom is spearheading new ideas that support and educate clients.” Other promotions include Sales Operation Manager Tony Richman who becomes Operational Sales Director, with Richard Mathers, Sarah Cox and Robert Parkinson all promoted to Regional Director. Kate Robertson Hart who joined the team as Marketing Manager in 2022, is also promoted to Head of Marketing in an expanded brief that sees her collaborating with technical colleagues to amplify the work of ACS and the resources and training it is offering to the industry. Added Gareth: “These brilliant colleagues enable our ambitious plans for the future; their collective experience and passion for the sector is helping us reach more corners of the industry and I am supremely proud to call them colleagues.” Find out more about ACS here: https://acsstainless.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Construction firm Kier has commenced work on delivering new, purpose-built teaching facilities accommodation to Katharine Lady Berkeley’s School in Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire. The school’s existing campus-style site will be enhanced by removing a number of older buildings and replacing these with a single three-storey teaching block and a separate activity studio. The new three-storey block will include various teaching facilities and is designed to support the school’s goal of being net zero carbon in operation. PV panels on the roof, enhanced insulation levels, ground-source and air-source heat pumps will help the school achieve its sustainability goals and reduce operating costs. In addition to the three-storey block and activity studio, an existing single storey block on the site will be refurbished, with extensions added to enhance the school’s sixth form facilities and to provide a bespoke area for the special educational needs department. Externally, a new central courtyard will be built, providing additional seating and a performance stage. The parking facilities are being remodelled and an existing Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) is being moved and replaced. To deliver the works, Kier will use its new design platform kSchool, which creates unique designs for a school, with considerations for how the curriculum will be delivered and how best to make use of the site. kSchool is the evolution of Kier’s design guidelines, which are based both on our experience in delivering over 200 projects for the Department for Education since 2007, and through listening to our clients. “This school was founded over 639 years ago and the buildings we’re upgrading were built post-war, so for us providing 21st Century accommodation is a real honour and something that we, as a Gloucestershire-based business, are incredibly proud of. Not only does this project further evidence our expertise in delivering state-of-the-art sustainable schools but also demonstrates our innovative kSchool design platform,” said Andy Bolas, regional director at Kier Construction Western & Wales. The project was procured through the Department for Education (DfE) CF17 Framework, and work is expected to finish in Spring 2025. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
