MTX has been awarded a new contract to deliver two more state of the art operating theatres at Royal Bolton Hospital using Modern Methods of Construction to ensure a faster, greener, safer and more cost effective delivery. The company is nearing completion of two operating theatres due to be in
The transformation of a landmark building in the heart of London’s Covent Garden reached a significant milestone this week as The Acre ‘topped out’. This hugely complex project will see a 1980s office building transformed into the district’s largest, healthiest and greenest workplace. The dramatic transformation of the building involves
Nottingham-based architects and interior designers, Marchini Curran Associates, has been appointed to the pivotal redevelopment scheme of the Clarendon Centre in Oxford. Working alongside the Lothbury Property Trust, the major scheme in Oxford city centre will transform the shopping arcade into a new landmark 226,547 sq. ft mixed-use scheme, with
Research from eXp UK, the network of personal estate agents, has revealed that in no less than 22 UK cities, house prices are continuing to outperform the current rate of inflation, as the housing market stands strong despite fears of a property market dip during the closing stages of 2022. eXp
Five partners with over a century of combined experience in the international construction industry have decided to join forces to form Inframara, an advisory firm for the global construction sector. Inframara aims to help by sharing first-hand experience and best practice with clients to avoid the classic pitfalls of complex
Cannock-based housebuilder, Jessup Partnership is to build 26 new houses for YMCA Black Country at a development in Hamstead, Birmingham. The new development will be made up of two buildings housing one-bedroom studio apartments with communal facilities, which aim to provide young professionals and families with safe, secure, and affordable accommodation.
MTX has been awarded a new contract to deliver two more state of the art operating theatres at Royal Bolton Hospital using Modern Methods of Construction to ensure a faster, greener, safer and more cost effective delivery. The company is nearing completion of two operating theatres due to be in service later this year, to help minimise the backlog of surgeries resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. The new contract will create a second storey extension to the current single storey development adding a further two theatres to the original development and creating a total of four new theatres with ward accommodation and dedicated plantrooms. By utilising Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) MTX ensures the fully compliant facilities minimise build times by up to 50% and waste by up to 60%, whilst delivering facilities of exceptional quality. David Hartley, Managing Director at MTX, explained: “We are delighted to be building two further operating theatres at Royal Bolton. The latest contract award continues a five-year relationship with the Bolton NHS Foundation Trust and is testament to the hard work and expertise of the MTX team.” The theatres will provide enhanced capacity for both Bolton and Greater Manchester and help to drive down waiting lists in the region. Careful management of the project by the MTX site team combined with MMC principles limits disruption and enhances the speed of delivery, minimising the impact on patient care during the construction period. The four ultra-modern theatres are being built on what was a staff car park near the Princess Anne maternity unit. They have been designed to work flexibly and adapt for inpatient and day case adult patients. Day case surgeries include ear nose and throat, oral, urology and general specialities. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The transformation of a landmark building in the heart of London’s Covent Garden reached a significant milestone this week as The Acre ‘topped out’. This hugely complex project will see a 1980s office building transformed into the district’s largest, healthiest and greenest workplace. The dramatic transformation of the building involves a series of interventions that retain over 80% of the existing structure while transforming its identity and performance. That work includes replacing the current building’s corner block with a taller structure, ‘infilling’ two existing forecourts where there was previously unused spaced with two 10-storey blocks and adding two extra storeys onto another block. The primary purpose of the building will continue to be to provide workspace, alongside new retail units at street level. The retention of structure will reduce the embodied carbon emissions by half compared with new-build proposals and save 4,250 tonnes of CO2. When construction is complete The Acre will boast 240,000 square feet of workspace and 20,000 square feet of amenity and retail space. It will be net-zero in operation with the fully-electric building being supplied from renewable energy sources. Rainwater will be collected on the rooftop and re-used, reducing water consumption by half compared to a typical building of this type. Designed with modern occupiers in mind, The Acre will also have fully openable windows to give tenants greater control of the environment, increasing natural light and ventilation. Over 350 cycling spaces will be available to take advantage of The Acre’s position on Quietway 1, the main cycle route north to south through central London. Eight large terraces will offer green spaces with spectacular views across the skyline of central London. Lendlease Construction is delivering The Acre project, which is being advanced by development manager Platform on behalf of Northwood Investors with Gensler as the architects. The project aligns with Lendlease setting itself stretching carbon targets, including a commitment to becoming a 1.5°C aligned company and achieving Absolute Zero Carbon, with no excuses and no offsets, by 2040. Quote attributable to Simon Gorski, Managing Director for Lendlease Construction: “The Acre promises to be a cutting-edge workplace, designed to the highest standards of sustainability and offering unparalleled levels of wellbeing for its future tenants. I’m proud that we’ve been able to work together collaboratively with our partners Platform, Northwood Investors and Gensler to retain so much of the existing structure and are helping rethink the future of workplace in central London.” Quote attributable to Richard Strachan, Senior Vice President of Asset Management at Northwood Investors: “We’re proud to see The Acre reach this milestone. As Covent Garden’s largest workspace it will not only provide tenants with the highest quality office space in the heart of the city’s cultural quarter, but the retention of the existing structure contributes significantly to London’s Net Zero targets by reducing embodied carbon to that of half a new build development. The team is delivering a new healthy and green landmark for Covent Garden.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Nottingham-based architects and interior designers, Marchini Curran Associates, has been appointed to the pivotal redevelopment scheme of the Clarendon Centre in Oxford. Working alongside the Lothbury Property Trust, the major scheme in Oxford city centre will transform the shopping arcade into a new landmark 226,547 sq. ft mixed-use scheme, with a high-specification research and development facility at its heart. The higher enterprise business facility, in partnership with Oxford Science Enterprises, will provide world-class laboratory and serviced incubator accommodation, acting as a steppingstone of support for the burgeoning university spin-out sector and business owners moving into markets in the early stages of inception. Alongside the enterprise building, which comprises 50,279 sq. ft, the scheme will include a phased building approach to the delivery of 153,406 sq. ft of student and Grade A office accommodation, alongside 22, 862 sq. ft of retail and leisure units – creating a pivotal professional and educational hub in the city centre. A new public square will also be open to all, creating a vibrant communal green oasis in the middle of the bustling city, with spill-out spaces for cafes and restaurants. Marchini Curran Associates has been facilitating with full design works for the scheme, and the first phase is expected to start in Q1 2023, with the aim of completion during Q2 2025. Justin Ziegler, director at Marchini Curran Associates, said: “We’re delighted to have been appointed to deliver fundamental design works for what will be a central landmark in Oxford. “The mixed-use scheme will take the current shopping centre and transform it into a professional, educational and social hub in the city, and we look forward to working closely with the Lothbury Property Trust and Oxford Science Enterprises as part of a long-standing partnership for this regeneration scheme.” Adam Smith, executive director of Lothbury Investment Management “This is a milestone investment for Lothbury, which has owned the Clarendon Centre since its inception in 1985 and brings Lothbury’s investors into the new and exciting life science and biomedical sectors for real estate. “The joint venture with Oxford Science Enterprises is the first letting within a comprehensive redevelopment project, which is planned to be implemented on a phased basis. The proposed development will comprise four highly sustainable buildings, bringing office, laboratory and student accommodation into the heart of Oxford city centre.” Since its formation in 2002, Marchini Curran Associates has designed a diverse portfolio of projects for local, national, and international clients, across commercial, retail, leisure, residential, education, industrial and master planning. To find out more about Marchini Curran Associates and Marchini Curran Interiors please visit: www.mc-a.co.uk and www.mc-i.co.uk. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Research from eXp UK, the network of personal estate agents, has revealed that in no less than 22 UK cities, house prices are continuing to outperform the current rate of inflation, as the housing market stands strong despite fears of a property market dip during the closing stages of 2022. eXp analysed the city rate of inflation seen across 62 UK cities and how this compares to the strength of the housing market based on the annual rate of house price growth. The research shows that across the UK as a whole, house prices have continued to climb by a respectable 6.3% on an annual basis. However, despite inflation peaking in recent months, it remains at a rate of 10.4%, 4.1% above the average rate of house price growth. Despite topline house price growth trailing inflation, the research from eXp shows that a number of major UK cities are actually putting in a stronger performance, with no less than 22 of the 62 major cities analysed seeing strong rates of house price growth versus inflation. Peterborough tops the table where inflation currently sits at 10.2 %, while house prices have climbed by 14.4% in the last year, a 4.1% difference. In Wigan , inflation is currently at a rate of 10.7%, while house prices are up 13.9%, a difference of 3.2%. This difference also sits at 3.0% in Derby , where house prices are up 13.9% versus a city inflation rate of 10.9%. Other cities to make the top 10 include Norwich (2.5%), Nottingham (2.5%), Swindon (2.0%), Cambridge (1.7%), Blackburn (1.5%), Barnsley (1.3%) and Birmingham (1.2%). In contrast, the current rate of city inflation across Aberdeen is 10.2%, while house prices are down 4.4%, resulting in a balance of -14.6%. Head of eXp UK, Adam Day, commented: “Even in times of economic uncertainty and hardship, the UK property market provides a safe haven for many homeowners and it’s no wonder that so many of us aspire to own our own homes, as it’s one of the safest, long-term investments you can make. In fact, while there have been many predictions of a housing market crash, this simply hasn’t come to fruition and, in fact, property values have increased annually in all but one major UK city. What’s more, despite many households facing the toughest cost of living crisis in living memory, they can at least rest safe in the knowledge that their home is outpacing inflation when it comes to its increase in value over the last year.” Data tablesData tables and sources can be viewed online, here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Five partners with over a century of combined experience in the international construction industry have decided to join forces to form Inframara, an advisory firm for the global construction sector. Inframara aims to help by sharing first-hand experience and best practice with clients to avoid the classic pitfalls of complex infrastructure projects and instead deliver them with better results in terms of time, budget and beneficial outcomes. Their recipe is: experience, early involvement, a collaborative attitude in an appropriate contractual environment, risk management, value engineering and sustainability. Improving Outcomes in the Global Construction Sector The global construction sector has long been plagued by disputes, delays, and cost blowouts. The root cause of these problems invariably lies in the early stage of a project. With Inframara’s involvement at an early stage and by providing a single point of contact for clients and acting as their trusted partner, Inframara is able to help select and de-risk the best solution for each project through early collaboration with key parties and stakeholders. “We are excited to launch Inframara, a company that aims to fundamentally change the traditional approach to project procurement in the global construction sector. Our focus on greater collaboration and increased supply chain transparency will bring a fresh perspective to the industry and drive better outcomes for all parties involved” said Kenneth Willems, Managing Director at Vuentica and co-founder of Inframara. Experienced team with international practical know-how The Inframara team consists of five partners, each with extensive experience in the construction industry: Kenneth Willems and Lieven Durt, based in Belgium; David Kinlan, based in Australia; Lukas Goemaere, based in Panama and Jasper Verstreepen, based in Mexico. The team has a wealth of international expertise in project management, tendering, project finance, contract management, sustainability and operational excellence and is ready to share its knowledge with the industry. “At Inframara, our goal is to break the conventional transactional and adversarial approach to construction management, ensuring that all parties involved work collaboratively from the outset and are satisfied with the end result,” said Jasper Verstreepen, co-founder at Inframara. He added “We believe that our approach for project preparation and collaborative contract management in the sector will foster innovation and sustainable solutions. We are confident we will be able to make a real difference in the global sector.” Inframara is committed to bringing a fresh approach to the construction industry, and the company is poised to make a significant impact for its clients in the coming years. With a focus on collaboration and operational excellence, Inframara is ready to tackle the challenges facing the construction sector and deliver better outcomes for all stakeholders. Join Inframara on the journey to transform the construction industry. Contact us today or have a look at our website at www.inframara.com
Cannock-based housebuilder, Jessup Partnership is to build 26 new houses for YMCA Black Country at a development in Hamstead, Birmingham. The new development will be made up of two buildings housing one-bedroom studio apartments with communal facilities, which aim to provide young professionals and families with safe, secure, and affordable accommodation. Construction on site began at the start of this month and will be completed by the start of 2024. Once finished, the project will provide 26 affordable homes, comprising a mix of tenures including affordable rent and open market rent. Birmingham’s BPN Architects are designing the new homes, which will include a mix of part two-storey and part single-storey properties which are set in extensive landscaped grounds. “We are thrilled to be on-site at 235 Hamstead Road working with the Jessup Partnerships to create an additional 26 homes. At YMCA Black Country Group, we are committed to providing young adults with safe, aspirational, affordable accommodation with a landlord they can trust. The delivery of another 26 self-contained homes will enable us to further our offer, enabling our tenants to be connected to their communities, belong, contribute and thrive,” said Sally Cowan, Chief Officer at YMCA Black Country Group. Situated near the River Tame and just a short drive to Birmingham City Centre, the site has excellent access links to numerous bus routes and is just two minutes away from the nearest train station, which offers regular direct services to Wolverhampton and Walsall. The development also has a handy Tesco Express store next door. The site is located just over four miles away from Walsall Arboretum which is the perfect rural retreat for families and just six miles away from Star City which boasts 12 restaurants, nine leisure attractions, and a 25-screen VUE cinema. The development is also just a two-mile drive to Forge Mill Farm which is an ideal day out for young families. Its 92-strong team provides a full development management service from land acquisition and planning consent, through to the construction of high-quality homes across the wider Midlands. Jessup also benefits from preferred partner status with Homes England. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
