Interior design consultancy, Office Principles North, has handed over the new state-of-the-art headquarters of the UK’s leading mortgage intermediary brand, Mortgage Advice Bureau (MAB). The three-storey Capital House at Pride Place in Derby has been reimagined as a modern, inclusive and eco-friendly office which offers people a greater choice in
More accountabilityin return for more responsibility Greater Manchester’s Mayor and 10 Leaders have hailed the city-region’s first devolution deal with the Government since 2017 as the most significant yet – securing much greater influence over crucial policy areas. The Deal further embeds the role of local decision-making through additional powers, new financial freedoms and new
The group is searching for 300 hotel sites across the UK which could provide a long term investment for Local Authorities This expansion programme could represent an investment of around £3 billion for third party investors and create over 9,000 new jobs across the UK This innovative programme creates jobs/careers,
Reynaers has launched an updated RIBA approved CPD on sustainability to reflect changes in legislation and increasing requirements for better thermal efficiency. Drawing on the company’s comprehensive sustainability strategy, Reynaers Act, the updated CPD ‘Sustainability and its Implications for Specifying Aluminium Systems’ provides architects, specifiers and contractors with the most
Work has commenced on Cruden Homes’ latest ‘age exclusive’ residential development in Edinburgh. Located just a few miles from the city centre, 48 luxury new homes catering for homeowners aged 55 years and over are being constructed in the highly sought-after residential area of Barnton. The Barnton Avenue West development
Leverages complementary abilities and expertise to enable energy efficiency and sustainability upgrades with little-to-no upfront capital investment for private-sector-owned commercial buildings Honeywell today announced a strategic investment in Redaptive, which will accelerate a collaboration to bring Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) capabilities to private sector-owned commercial and industrial buildings. This investment helps enable
Housebuilders north of the border are calling on Scotland’s new first minister, Humza Yousaf, to engage with business and remove obstacles hampering the delivery of new homes. The appeal coincides with government housing statistics reporting a 12 per cent fall in new starts, down by 2,580 to 19,227, in the
Award-winning bathroom supplier HiB has released two new ranges to enhance their illuminated mirror offering. Both designed in their own distinct style, with a range of practical features, the Arcane and Cassini mirrors are perfect for use above a bathroom vanity unit and across other areas of the home. Cassini’s
Leading fire engineering consultancy OFR Consultants, has been appointed on several high-profile projects throughout the UK, supporting clients in the custodial, aviation and healthcare sectors. Among the new projects is a body of work with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), with OFR appointed to work on fire engineering strategies for
HS2 has set up a rebar threading facility to address materials shortages at its Copthall tunnel construction site in Hillingdon – creating jobs, cutting waste and reducing lorry movements. The new facility will make 92,000 rebar couplers, needed to construct the Copthall tunnel. The Skanska Costain STRABAG joint venture (SCS
Interior design consultancy, Office Principles North, has handed over the new state-of-the-art headquarters of the UK’s leading mortgage intermediary brand, Mortgage Advice Bureau (MAB). The three-storey Capital House at Pride Place in Derby has been reimagined as a modern, inclusive and eco-friendly office which offers people a greater choice in how and where they work and socialise. Office Principles North has designed and delivered more than 13,000 sq ft of collaborative workspace that has been informed by expert research techniques. The bespoke office design provides a range of work settings for up to 300 people and is centred around open plan ‘neighbourhoods’, complemented by areas for group activities and focused work. Work settings include private pods, meeting rooms, breakout spaces and a large ground floor space for town hall gatherings, and there is also a wide range of fixed and agile desk and seating options to choose from. Employee wellbeing is at the heart of the new workspace design, with an emphasis on planting and natural daylight, and a dedicated area for prayer, nursing parents or meditation. Other features include exposed ceilings, acoustic baffles and crittall glazing, as well as feature pendant lighting and the latest AV technology to support video conferencing. The refurbishment also includes a new main entrance to the building and a refurbished façade, with new LED lighting, timber cladding and external signage. “This is an exciting, modern and transformative refurbishment that delivers a workspace where everyone can thrive. “We completely stripped the building back to shell to enable us to optimise the available space and create an office environment that is built around the way people work and play. This is a workplace that not only encourages collaboration and hybrid ways of working, but will go some way to attracting and retaining talent too.” Gary Tailby – Joint Managing Director of Office Principles North “We adopt a people-first approach at MAB, complementing our ESG strategy, and we wanted to create an environment to support our focus on wellbeing, diversity, and sustainability. “Office Principles North had a clear understanding of the requirements we provided to them, delivering the project on time and to an incredibly high standard. We’re so proud of the diverse and collaborative working environments we can offer to our colleagues, allowing them to thrive and perform at their best.” Claire Smith – People and Culture Director, Mortgage Advice Bureau Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
More accountabilityin return for more responsibility Greater Manchester’s Mayor and 10 Leaders have hailed the city-region’s first devolution deal with the Government since 2017 as the most significant yet – securing much greater influence over crucial policy areas. The Deal further embeds the role of local decision-making through additional powers, new financial freedoms and new accountability arrangements. It is a vote of confidence in devolution and Greater Manchester and its ability to deliver. The Mayor and Leaders have secured the majority of their asks in negotiations with the Government and are now focused on turning their ambitions into reality as English devolution enters a new era. Significant breakthroughs secured in the new Trailblazer Deal include: Devolution in Greater Manchester over the years shows what can be achieved if people locally are trusted to make some of the big decisions that affect the daily lives of the 2.8 million residents and 124,000 businesses, such as bringing buses back under public control, introducing a £2 cap on adult bus fares and taking steps to reduce rough sleeping. Greater Manchester is ambitious for the future of the city-region and, with more levers at its disposal, it can make a bigger difference to people’s lives. The Government published its Levelling Up White Paper in February 2022 committing to deeper devolution in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands and the Mayor and Leaders in Greater Manchester have been in negotiations with them since then. This will be the seventh devolution deal for Greater Manchester, building on existing responsibilities over transport, business support, employment and skills support, policing, spatial planning, housing investment and health. Commenting on the new devolution Deal, Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham said: “This is the seventh devolution deal Greater Manchester has agreed with the government and it is by some way the deepest. This Deal takes devolution in the city-region further and faster than ever before, giving us more ability to improve the lives of people who live and work here. “I have always been a passionate believer in the power of devolution, and I’ve been in the privileged position of being able to exercise those powers and make a positive difference to people’s lives. “We’ve worked hard to secure this Deal and have achieved a significant breakthrough by gaining greater control over post-16 technical education, setting us firmly on the path to become the UK’s first technical education city-region; new levers and responsibilities to achieve fully integrated public transport including rail through the Bee Network by 2030; new responsibilities over housing that will allow us to crack down on rogue landlords and control over £150m brownfield funding; and a single block grant that will allow us to go further and faster in growing our economy, reducing inequalities and providing opportunities for all. “With more power comes the need for great accountability and I welcome the strengthened arrangements announced in the Deal. “While we didn’t get everything we wanted from the Deal, we will continue to engage with government on those areas in the future. For now, our focus will be on getting ready to take on the new powers and be held to account on the decisions we will be making on behalf of the people of Greater Manchester. Today is a new era for English devolution.” Skills and employment The Mayor and Leaders, alongside business and education, have been strongly advocating for more responsibilities over skills and employment to transform Greater Manchester into the UK’s first technical education city-region through the creation of an integrated skills system linked to the labour market and pathways into good jobs. This was one of the main areas the Mayor and Leaders pushed for in negotiations with the government and securing it represents a significant breakthrough for Greater Manchester. The Deal confirms a new partnership between Greater Manchester and the government to provide oversight of post-16 technical education and skills. This joint board will, for the first time in England, bring together Greater Manchester Leaders and the Department for Education to gain better oversight of T-Levels, apprenticeships and other technical and vocational education qualifications on offer in the city-region. This will help ensure the courses available are relevant for the local jobs market and will better support people into work, to develop them in their jobs or change careers. The groundwork in Greater Manchester has already begun with Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) already working closely with partners including the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Manchester Colleges Group, to create a system that builds stronger links between employers, further education and training. The Deal also builds on the successful devolution of the Adult Education Budget to Greater Manchester, devolving non-apprenticeship adult skills functions and grant funding in the next Spending Review. GMCA will also have local flexibilities over Free Courses for Jobs and Skills Bootcamps during this Spending Review moving towards a simplified single adult skills fund, and it will be the central convenor of careers provision in the city-region. Working with the Department for Work and Pensions, there will also be co-design of all future contracted employment support programmes, consideration of potential employment support pilots and commitments to data sharing to ensure provision addresses labour market inactivity, supported by a new joint board. This will allow Greater Manchester and the government to provide a more responsive service to support particular groups back into employment bringing together partners, including health, to improve provision. Transport Greater Manchester has a compelling vision to improve public transport through the Bee Network – an integrated London-style transport system for the city-region across bus, Metrolink, rail, and cycle hire services. By 2030, Greater Manchester wants local public transport connectivity to be significantly closer to the standards of London, with improved services, simpler fares and integrated ticketing. Progress is already being made through bus franchising with public control of the buses taking effect from September in Bolton, Wigan and parts of Bury and Salford. In order to achieve the full vision, the Mayor of Greater Manchester and Leaders need more levers which is why they pushed for and successfully secured more responsibilities over transport in the new devolution Deal. Building on existing plans for transport integration between trams and buses through franchising, the Deal commits to activity to enable the delivery of full integration of local rail services into the Bee Network by 2030. This includes London-style touch-in/touch-out integrated fares and ticketing across bus, Metrolink and rail and Bee Network co-branding across the public transport network. This will be taken forward by a new Rail Partnership with Great British Railways, with the first pilots on integrated fares and ticketing agreed by the end of the year. The deal lays the foundation for greater input into our stations, services and strategic infrastructure investment with the creation of the North West Regional Business Unit and GM Rail Board.
The group is searching for 300 hotel sites across the UK which could provide a long term investment for Local Authorities This expansion programme could represent an investment of around £3 billion for third party investors and create over 9,000 new jobs across the UK This innovative programme creates jobs/careers, attracts new visitors to the area, increases local spend and provides the Local Authority with a long-term asset that delivers a secure revenue stream to support future growth This week, Travelodge, one of the UK’s largest hotel brands, which operates nearly 600 hotels, has wrote to 220 Local Authorities across Britain proposing a joint development partnership that can act as a catalyst to stimulate regeneration and facilitate further growth. This letter outlines the pivotal role that Travelodge has been playing for the last 10 years in supporting Local Authorities in England, Wales and Scotland by: The letter also includes a direct call to action on how Travelodge can do the same for other Local Authorities that it does not currently work with – and collectively support Britain’s recovery. Travelodge has identified that it can expand its UK hotel network with a further 300 target locations for new hotels across the UK, and is offering Local Authorities the opportunity to have one or multiple hotels within their region to support their regeneration programmes. For over 120 towns, such as Ripon, Lichfield and Cromer, it could be an opportunity to have its first branded hotel – which could revolutionise its local economy. This expansion programme could represent an investment of around £3 billion for third party investors and create over 9,000 new jobs across the UK. In 2022, Travelodge opened six new hotels, three of which were Local Authority partnerships with two hotels located in London at Docklands and Wimbledon and the third hotel situated in Braintree. The group is also currently on site with construction of two further Travelodge hotels being delivered in direct partnership with Local Authorities in Rotherham and Colchester. The Rotherham Travelodge is the group’s first hotel in Rotherham and it is also the first branded hotel in the town centre. For Colchester, it is the group’s second Travelodge hotel. These bespoke agreements have had unique funding structures, all of which have enabled Local Authorities to utilise their existing assets, create jobs, generate income, and help to regenerate brownfield land in strategically important locations. Some of the new Travelodge hotels in this programme have been built on surplus local authority land, with the funding provided either through the Local Authority’s internal resource or via low-cost funding from the Public Works Loan Board or third party resources. Upon completion of the hotel development, local authorities have the choice of either retaining ownership of the hotel and receiving an annual rent into the Council’s revenue budget or selling the hotel with Travelodge as its operator. The two recent London Travelodge hotel openings at Docklands and Wimbledon as well as Colchester were lease-wrapper deals, also known as income-strip deals. Under this structure, the Council takes a headlease, with Travelodge being the undertenant. The rent that the Council pays is lower than the rent it receives from Travelodge – with an annual profit rent for a 30+ year period. The Councils’ covenant strength enables the developer to sell the (Council) leasehold investment to an institutional, long-income fund at a much lower investment yield than a lease to Travelodge would achieve. This generates a higher end development value, enabling the development to proceed. This kind of structure enables developments to take place which otherwise would not be financially-viable and therefore delivers new town centre regeneration which would not otherwise happen. Steve Bennett, Travelodge Chief Property & Development Officer said: “In the current climate, Local Authorities are under extreme pressure to invest in their economy and support regeneration projects. This is why we are today writing to 220 Local Authorities to offer our support, as we can make a real difference. We have a proven track record of working with 25 forward-thinking Local Authorities across the UK from Ashford to Stirling. Our effective, innovative co-partnership development deals are spearheading regional economic growth and providing a solid long-term revenue stream.” “Britain is now a nation of budget travellers, with more of us choosing to stay in budget hotels than any other hotel type and this trend is set to grow, which is why we are looking to expand our UK hotel network with a further 300 hotels. Adding a Travelodge hotel can be a catalyst to attract new businesses, support regeneration, bring vacant buildings back into economic use as well as attracting thousands of new overnight visitors to the area and revitalising High Streets. In addition, our research shows that, on average, Travelodge customers will spend at least double their room rate with local businesses during their stay; this can be an annual, multi-million pound boost into the local economy.” Cllr Chris Read,Rotherham Council’s Leader,said: “The Rotherham Town Centre Masterplan aims to develop Rotherham into a leisure destination which will benefit the local economy and residents. To facilitate this vision, having a well-known and trusted hotel brand like Travelodge is a great asset and hugely beneficial as it helps to attract other major brands to invest in Rotherham.Also Travelodge’s great value proposition will help to attract business and leisure visitors to the area which then positions the town centre as the gateway to explore the wider leisure and culture offer the Rotherham borough. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Reynaers has launched an updated RIBA approved CPD on sustainability to reflect changes in legislation and increasing requirements for better thermal efficiency. Drawing on the company’s comprehensive sustainability strategy, Reynaers Act, the updated CPD ‘Sustainability and its Implications for Specifying Aluminium Systems’ provides architects, specifiers and contractors with the most up to date information in relation to key sustainability criteria that is essential when specifying aluminium systems. The CPD builds on the company’s commitment to take a leading stance on sustainability within the glazing industry, and in the build-up to further changes to regulations being introduced in 2025 to continue to reduce carbon emissions in the built environment. In particular, the CPD looks at the evolution of window design and thermal performance, considering the impact on design and manufacture the need for lower U-values has had, and how this is incorporated into aluminium frames. Ultimately the CPD supports the correct specification of frames to achieve optimal thermal performance, providing an insight into developments in the design of aluminium frames that help to trap in heat and maintain a comfortable living environment to cut energy emissions. Head of Marketing Samantha Hill said: “Reynaers recognises the important role that CPDs play in supporting high standards in the industry and we welcome the opportunity to share our expertise in the manufacture and application of aluminium systems. “Sustainability is an important consideration across the entire value chain in the built environment and we take our role extremely seriously in ensuring we can meet our own environmental targets. We’re also committed to demonstrating and supporting best practice in relation to thermal efficiency targets, and through sharing the specialist knowledge that supports that – so we can equip specifiers with the right information when choosing aluminium systems. “Reynaers’ technical teams are invested in cutting carbon across our operations, and in our products and the buildings they are used in. As innovations and targets continue to change to support sustainable practices, clarity into product performance and what to look for is essential, including ensuring that CPDs focused on sustainability are frequently updated to capture the latest changes.” The update follows the introduction of three additional RIBA CPDs last year, all of which are available as seminars or can be accessed online: Reynaers now offers seven RIBA approved CPDs, all of which meet core curriculum criteria. In the last year more than 95 companies have participated in the CPD accredited training – with members of Reynaers’ project consult team going out to deliver training directly to architects in their offices, as well as providing the option to host training at the company headquarters in Birmingham. Further RIBA CPDs available from Reynaers are: An Introduction to Specifying Aluminium Curtain Walling, Accessible Solutions for Aluminium Windows and Doors, Specifying Fire Resistant Aluminium and Steel Systems. To find out more about the CPDs offered by Reynaers go to www.reynaers.co.uk/inspiration/stories/reynaers-cpd Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Work has commenced on Cruden Homes’ latest ‘age exclusive’ residential development in Edinburgh. Located just a few miles from the city centre, 48 luxury new homes catering for homeowners aged 55 years and over are being constructed in the highly sought-after residential area of Barnton. The Barnton Avenue West development will include a mix of accommodation styles, including executive 3 bed semi-detached houses and a range of contemporary 1, 2 and 3 bed apartments. High quality facilities will be included on-site, including a club lounge and guest suite, along with 100% private parking spaces and communal electrical vehicle charging points. Cruden Homes recently received a NextGeneration Project In Design Gold award for this development, which is soon to be one of the most sustainable housing developments in the country. They are only the second house builder in the UK to receive this award. All properties at Barnton Avenue West incorporate several high-performance and green energy measures, including a sustainable Ground Source Heat Pump solution. The first development of its type in Scotland, it generates significantly reduced carbon dioxide emissions, making it between 300% – 400% more efficient in terms of use of electricity. Complementing its scenic, leafy surroundings adjacent to the renowned Royal Burgess Golfing Society, the development will provide extensive landscaped grounds when complete, including raised planters, growing spaces, a tool store, seating, walkways and a barbecue area. Dedicated cycle storage will also be available on site to support active lifestyles. The development has an excellent selection of local amenities right on its doorstep, including local convenience stores, a post office and a pharmacy. Homeowners will also be ideally placed for easy access into the City Centre, the public transport network or Edinburgh International Airport. These prestigious age-exclusive homes are due to launch for sale in summer 2023. The first phase of completion is expected in early 2024. Fraser Lynes, Managing Director of Cruden Homes, said: “With demand for age exclusive developments growing exponentially, we’re excited to bring these high-quality new homes to Barnton. To receive the NextGeneration In Design Gold Award for this development has been a fantastic achievement and solidifies our team’s commitment to going above and beyond the industry’s standards for sustainability. “This superb new development includes a number of additional hotel style amenities that support our vision to create a thriving, social community that does not compromise on exclusivity or style.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leverages complementary abilities and expertise to enable energy efficiency and sustainability upgrades with little-to-no upfront capital investment for private-sector-owned commercial buildings Honeywell today announced a strategic investment in Redaptive, which will accelerate a collaboration to bring Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) capabilities to private sector-owned commercial and industrial buildings. This investment helps enable the rapid deployment of technologies designed to reduce carbon emissions across a large portfolio of buildings. This collaboration combines Honeywell’s experience in energy savings performance contracting (ESPC) and building controls capabilities with Redaptive’s innovative data technology and EaaS platform. It provides customers with more ways to baseline current energy usage and reduce consumption to achieve their sustainability goals – with little-to-no upfront investment. Terms of the investment were not disclosed. The energy-performance-contracting market and associated funding mechanisms enable energy improvements without upfront customer capital investment by using the energy savings to fund the work. This approach is well-developed in the public sector, as well as in the education and healthcare markets. However, there remains significant opportunity with private-sector commercial building owners and operators who have traditionally made the full investment in energy audits and upgrades, potentially impeding the opportunity to fully capture energy savings. This collaboration will create the opportunity for customers to generate meaningful energy savings in a capital efficient manner. It also offers accelerated technology deployment to upgrade existing building infrastructure, support capabilities such as on-site renewable energy assets, and deploy advanced controls software, such as Honeywell Buildings Sustainability Manager powered by Honeywell Forge. As part of the collaboration with Redaptive, Honeywell will deploy the Redaptive platform in its own facilities. “The time to reduce the energy use and carbon impact of buildings is now,” said Del Misenheimer, president of Honeywell Building Solutions. “We must find ways to bring much-needed technologies and capabilities to many more buildings. Our work with Redaptive will enable us to help more commercial buildings deploy energy conservation projects with innovative capital deployment models and efficiently deliver asset-level analytical insights.” With this move, Honeywell and Redaptive will enable customers to improve operational efficiency and better support sustainability goals through rapid deployments and uptime improvement, using technologies designed to lower energy use and improve asset health. Redaptive’s data technology is easy to use and deploy at scale, enabling improved energy monitoring and equipment optimisation for customers. “We are thrilled to work with Honeywell to further our shared commitment to boost sustainability efforts in commercial and industrial buildings,” said Redaptive Chief Executive Officer Arvin Vohra. “This collaboration enables us to expand our platform to support businesses with real estate holdings of all sizes to reduce carbon emissions and energy use.” Research shows that the building and construction sector accounts for 34% of energy demand and 37% of energy and process-related CO2 emissions. The EaaS market is growing rapidly due to rising energy costs, and Redaptive is a market leader in this space. The collaboration provides the companies with access to each other’s capabilities. This includes Redaptive’s data technology, energy assessments, and efficient capital deployment to identify the energy conservation measures with the best return on investment, as well as Honeywell Buildings Sustainability Manager to monitor, control and optimise a building’s energy use and carbon emissions. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Housebuilders north of the border are calling on Scotland’s new first minister, Humza Yousaf, to engage with business and remove obstacles hampering the delivery of new homes. The appeal coincides with government housing statistics reporting a 12 per cent fall in new starts, down by 2,580 to 19,227, in the year to the end of September 2022. There was also a 27 per cent drop in housing association approvals to build new homes. Homes for Scotland, HFS, chief executive Jane Wood said: “His appointment presents the perfect opportunity to review the regulatory areas and other issues creating blockers to residential development across sectors to ensure that housing in Scotland meets the needs and aspirations of everyone living here.” The trade body, which represents 200 Scottish housebuilders, has warned the government’s target to build more than 110,000 affordable homes by 2032 will be difficult to hit. Recent planning guidance for new developments to comprise at least 25 per cent of social housing, and the introduction of Passivhaus energy standards by the end of 2024, have caused concern. Supply chain capacity fears over Passivhaus The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations said Passivhaus would result in higher building and maintenance costs and that supply chain capacity is insufficient to deliver these homes at scale. Scottish Property Federation director Robin Blacklock said: “There’s been a wider concern among the business community about the direction of policies and their relationship with businesses.” The Scottish building industry has said while it supports the country’s ambitious net-zero targets it’s worried about the practicalities of achieving them. Scotland has pledged to be net-zero by 2045 – five years earlier than England with both Edinburgh and Glasgow city councils aiming to be net-zero by 2030. It also hopes to take one million homes off the gas grid with alternative energy sources such as electric heat pumps by 2030. “There is a concern about meeting time scales as we’re still trying to recover performance after the Covid pandemic,” said Mr Blacklock. Blacklock added developers and housebuilders would be seeking to develop a positive relationship with Mr Yousaf where business is seen as a means for achieving new housing objectives. Brokers Hank Zarihs Associates said development finance lenders would like to see a speedier response to planning applications as this was one of the biggest hurdles facing SME housebuilders. Mr Yousaf has taken an active interest in housing in particular tackling the shortage of homes for key workers in remote parts of the country. He has also said he would increase council tax on second homes across the Highlands, islands and north-east to limit holiday homes. He narrowly beat Kate Forbes on the 27th of March to become the first minister. His Scottish National Party government is in a coalition with the Green party, which commentators predict will require careful handling. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Award-winning bathroom supplier HiB has released two new ranges to enhance their illuminated mirror offering. Both designed in their own distinct style, with a range of practical features, the Arcane and Cassini mirrors are perfect for use above a bathroom vanity unit and across other areas of the home. Cassini’s clean and modern design concept makes it a versatile mirror suitable for a variety of spaces. With no straight edges, a deep band of illumination around the mirror and a chamfered diffuser to create a gentle glow, the Cassini Curve and Round both offer soft styling that focuses on maximising illumination. The Cassini mirrors are operated using a touchless sensor and feature integrated colour temperature changing technology and a heated pad to reduce condensation on the mirror’s surface, greatly enhancing the user experience after a bath or shower. The Arcane range also includes a heated pad and touchless operation to operate the mirror’s colour-temperature changing-enabled illumination. Available in two finishes, black and brushed brass, with Curve, Round and Pill shapes in a variety of sizes, there is plenty of choice to suit every style of bathroom and requirements. Ash Chilver, HiB Sales Director, said: “Round and curved mirrors have a strong popularity among bathroom designers and these new ranges offer a plethora of options that maximise style, while also offering the features we know our customers love. “Each mirror has been designed to be hung portrait or landscape, opening up wider options for installation within a bathroom design. It’s fantastic to see Arcane and Cassini launched as our latest products to the market and I am looking forward to watching them flourish.” Also new for 2023 is the 100cm Bellus mirror, an expansion to the existing Bellus range in a larger dimension, perfect for offering extra drama and opulence to the space. To see the latest products, visit hib.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading fire engineering consultancy OFR Consultants, has been appointed on several high-profile projects throughout the UK, supporting clients in the custodial, aviation and healthcare sectors. Among the new projects is a body of work with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), with OFR appointed to work on fire engineering strategies for new prisons in Yorkshire, Lancashire, Leicestershire and Buckinghamshire. The new prisons will be created as part of the Alliance 4 New Prisons (A4NP) programme, a project that will see the development of four new adult male prisons built by ISG, Kier, Laing O’Rourke and Wates – a group of Tier 1 contractors working together as part of the government’s Construction Playbook. The A4NP will develop a standardised design that will then be applied across each of the four prison sites, building on the approach of the MoJ pathfinder common design prisons at HMP Five Wells and Glen Parva. Speaking of the appointment OFR design director Richard Rankin said: “This is a unique sector, and we are proud to be a part of this ambitious new approach by the MoJ. “The custodial sector requires unique thinking, and my colleagues and I are preparing fire strategies that will consider the complexities and layout of prisons, evolving an idea that will accommodate each individual site, while also accounting for the standardised design approach. It is an exciting opportunity, and we are delighted to be involved.” OFR has also undertaken a new £330m project with the Royal Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust to refurbish an existing hospital and build a new facility, with the news coming just weeks after OFR announced the appointment of more new colleagues to its team; the consultancy now employs 115-colleagues across seven UK offices in Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Oxford, Bath and London. In Q4 2022, the company also welcomed new graduates, part of its commitment to investing in and nurturing future engineering talent. Rich concluded: “Since 2016, we have grown to become one of the UK’s leading fire engineering consultancies, developing our business and growing our team by nurturing a strong culture and investing in great people. The result is a motivated team working with clients across the world to deliver fire engineering strategies that protect people, place and planet. “I’m really proud of the new work we are delivering together and look forward to bringing these new projects to fruition.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
HS2 has set up a rebar threading facility to address materials shortages at its Copthall tunnel construction site in Hillingdon – creating jobs, cutting waste and reducing lorry movements. The new facility will make 92,000 rebar couplers, needed to construct the Copthall tunnel. The Skanska Costain STRABAG joint venture (SCS JV) team constructing the tunnel were faced with delays due to a shortfall of available prefabricated fatigue rated rebar couplers, after suppliers had exited the market. To address this, the team has constructed a threading facility on site to produce the required quantities of the materials themselves. As well as addressing supply shortfall, the threading facility has resulted in a significant financial saving on the project by reducing waste, costs and lorry movements, and overall creating a more efficient way of working. To construct the 880 metre long cut and cover Copthall tunnel, 92,000 fatigue rated couplers are required. A team of 14 will work at the facility six days a week, 8 hours a day for three years to meet the supply needs for the tunnel. The process to get the facility up and running took 20 weeks in total, with the team gaining CARES certification (assured certification for the constructional steels industry) for the work and securing the required equipment from Sheffield based company, Leviat. It is only the second time CARES certification has been given for this activity to happen onsite. The team purchase stock rebar and then complete processing operations on site, before taking it through the four-step threading process and delivering it to the Copthall tunnel construction area. All the work is taking place within the site boundary reducing unnecessary lorry movements, supporting HS2 Net Zero Carbon targets. The solution was devised by Ray Moloney, Senior Project Manager for SCS JV, who explains his approach: “Uncertainties in the market and the need to meet the requirements of the HS2 construction programme meant that we had to look at an innovative solution for supplying fatigue rated mechanical reinforcement connections. In mid-2022 we started engaging with partners including Leviat and CARES to develop an on-site processing scheme and within 20 weeks, we were processing our first order. “The solution has created new jobs, offered new training opportunities for engineers and means that we can remove the risk of any delays in construction due to supply shortages.” HS2’s Project Client, Malcolm Codling, said: “We are always looking at ways in which we can improve construction efficiency and are pleased to support our construction partners in developing solutions like this and getting them off the ground. Ray and the team have developed an approach that means we can stay on track, save money, and can be replicated elsewhere.” The model offers a new blueprint for how the manufacturing of materials can be done on site and can offer significant benefits to other construction projects. As well as supplying the Copthall tunnel works, the facility has also been able to provide fatigue rated couplers to other HS2 works being delivered by SCS JV to support overall delivery and de-risk supply chain delays. The team are now looking at how they can improve productivity in the manufacturing process to create additional capacity to support other supply requirements across HS2. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
