Today, Glenigan, one of the construction industry’s leading insight and intelligence experts, releases the April 2024 edition of its Construction Review. The Review focuses on the three months to the end of March 2024, covering all major (>£100m) and underlying (<£100m) projects, with all underlying figures seasonally adjusted. It’s a
The UK’s largest logistics development has reached a significant milestone with the appointment of an operator for its strategic rail freight interchange (SRFI) on the West Coast Mainline. Maritime Transport has inked a deal for the West Midlands Interchange (WMI) contract with Oxford Properties Group and developer Logistics Capital Partners.
RED Construction Group, the specialist main contractor, is celebrating a major milestone in the creation of the £22m voco Zeal Exeter Science Park, one of the UK’s first full life cycle net zero carbon hotels. Being delivered by RED Construction’s South West team, it is being constructed with half the
OCS, the global facilities management company, has clinched a seven-year contract (with options for clients to extend for up to another two years) to deliver total facilities management services to the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), encompassing a combined 74
Leading Magherafelt-based contractor Henry Brothers has been appointed onto the University of Manchester Construction Framework for the first time. The company has won four contracts to deliver developments at the university over the past few years and this appointment onto the framework opens up a pipeline of future projects. The
Principal contractor, McConnell, broke through the £50m turnover mark in March 2024, and expects full year revenue to reach £55m at end of April 2024 (FY24). Revenue growth was 10% higher than forecasted, driven by a strong performance in Scotland, and delivery of significant cladding remediation and defence housing projects
Local housebuilder Barratt David Wilson North Thames has received the maximum 5 star rating in the new Home Builders Federation (HBF) annual New Homes Customer Satisfaction Survey. Barratt has now received the top 5 star rating from its customers for 15 years in a row, far longer than any other
Yorkshire Water is set to invest £797m over the next 12 months in network improvements as it continues to enhance and upgrade its operations. The investment follows £530m in the 2022/23 financial year and more than £750m in 2023/24. The investment will focus on: Richard Stuart, director of asset delivery
Developed specifically for the UK market, Reynaers Aluminium has launched its long-awaited new generation, high usage anti-finger trap thermal commercial door and framing system. Featuring a unique slim bulb-style with a radius of only 40mm, a profile sightline of 81mm, and achieving a U-value as low as 1.1W/m2K, Vision 7
Sensitive work to remove damaging paint from a listed building in Dorset has completed the regeneration project on one of the county’s most historic high streets. Bournemouth-based building conservation expert Gary Elford was contracted to undertake the restoration work at the Grand Parade on Poole High Street. The building in
Today, Glenigan, one of the construction industry’s leading insight and intelligence experts, releases the April 2024 edition of its Construction Review. The Review focuses on the three months to the end of March 2024, covering all major (>£100m) and underlying (<£100m) projects, with all underlying figures seasonally adjusted. It’s a report which provides a detailed and comprehensive analysis of year-on-year construction data, giving built environment professionals a unique insight into sector performance over the last 12 months. The April Review highlights consistently weak construction-start performance over Q.1 2024, as the industry navigates its way through a persistent economic downturn. Averaging £7,215 million per month, work commencing on-site fell 3% against the preceding three months, to finish 28% lower than the same time last year. This can be attributed to significant decreases in both major and underlying works commencing on site. Major project-starts fell 26% against the preceding three months and declined by 41% compared with the previous year. It was an equally gloomy outlook for underlying work, dropping 22% during Q.1 to stand 21% down on the previous year. Main contract awards also stalled, remaining flat during the three months to March and 32% down on 2023 figures. Detailed planning approvals also failed to increase, falling back 18% against the preceding quarter with no movement either way compared to last year. Commenting on the figures, Glenigan’s Economic Director, Allan Wilen says, “Sluggish performance in Q.1 2024 is unsurprising as economic uncertainty continues to deter private sector investment. However, there are some small glimmers of hope to be found within some verticals, which experienced modest growth during the Review period. Particularly education, health and community & amenity. This indicates a small boost in the public sector pipeline however, with a General Election approaching, any short-term improvement needs to be considered with a degree of cautious optimism.” The sector-specific and regional index follows. Measuring underlying project performance, it paints an overall picture of decline across most sector verticals. Sector Analysis – Residential Residential starts-on-site fell during Q.1, dropping 27% in the three months to the end of March, standing 27% lower than a year ago. Private housing was also down 22% on the preceding three months, with performance weakened by 24% compared with the previous year. Social housing also posted poor results, with work commencing on-site falling 43% against the preceding three months and plummeting by 40% against last year’s figures. Sector Analysis – Non-Residential Performance in non-residential sectors was mixed. Community & amenity project-starts experienced an impressive growth period, increasing by 36% against the previous three months to stand 19% up on a year ago. A boost to the vertical was partially delivered by a £79 million prison extension project in Shaftsbury, Dorset. It was the only vertical to experience growth against both periods. Health starts experienced a fall of 13% against the preceding three months, but advanced 26% on the same period last year. Similarly, retail project-starts declined 13% during Q.1 but enjoyed a modest 1% lift against the previous year. Vice-versa, education was up 3% compared with the last quarter but down 17% on a year ago. Industrial project-start performance was poor, with project-starts weakening 15% during Q.1 to stand 22% lower than a year ago. It was a similar story for hotel & leisure, with the value of project-starts falling back 19% against the preceding three months and 15% against the previous year. Likewise for offices, where the value of underlying project-starts fell back 22% during Q.1 to stand 23% down on a year ago. Civil works fared particularly poorly, with the value of project-starts declining 34% against the preceding three months, to stand 26% lower than a year ago. A significant driver for the decline was poor performance in infrastructure, which remained 42% behind 2023 levels, with work starting on-site also slipping back 43% against the last quarter. However, on a more positive note, utility starts experienced a slight uptick against 2023, growing 2% despite falling back 21% against the preceding three months. Regional Performance Northern Ireland was the strongest-performing region in the UK, with project-starts increasing 44% against the preceding quarter, to stand 28% up on this time last year. Here, growth was accelerated by the £44 million development of the Hamilton Dock Hotel in Belfast. The outlook for the East of England was also sunny. It was the only other region to experience growth against both periods, up 13% on the preceding three months, as well as 25% on the previous year. Growth in the region was supported by the commencement of a £74 million 246-unit residential development in Maldon, Essex. London experienced a 23% decrease against the preceding three months and remained 18% down against the previous year. The West Midlands experienced particularly poor performance, with the value of project-starts falling 56% against the preceding three months and by 45% compared with the same time last year. This was the steepest decline of any region. Work starting on site in the East Midlands (-49%), Wales (-33%), and Scotland (-25%) all remained distinctly behind 2023 figures. Every other region of the UK experienced a weakening in project-starts against both the previous quarter and the year before. To find out more about Glenigan and its construction intelligence services click here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The UK’s largest logistics development has reached a significant milestone with the appointment of an operator for its strategic rail freight interchange (SRFI) on the West Coast Mainline. Maritime Transport has inked a deal for the West Midlands Interchange (WMI) contract with Oxford Properties Group and developer Logistics Capital Partners. This joint venture acquired the 734-acre site in 2021 and is spearheading the largest rail-served logistics development in the UK. With a workforce of 3,000 spread across 40 sites and rail terminals, Maritime stands as the largest privately owned intermodal (road/rail) logistics operator in the UK, boasting an annual turnover of £400 million. The company will oversee the SRFI, which will complement 8 million square feet of prime warehouse facilities at the £1 billion WMI project. Additionally, Maritime has submitted a planning application for its site offices. Maritime reports a significant increase in container movements by rail, rising from 6% in 2019 to over 24% in 2023, and is gearing up for the introduction of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs). Site work has commenced, encompassing substantial earthworks, highways construction, water installation, and the establishment of two new community parks. Phase 1 of the WMI will entail the construction of six logistics units, totaling a combined 2.7 million square feet of space. James Boadle, Senior Vice President at Oxford Properties, remarked, “This next step to create the leading intermodal logistics facility in the UK’s Golden Triangle is a significant one. Maritime are the leaders in their field, and WMI is the leading logistics development in the country – the two coming together will deliver a significant boost to the regional and national Economy.” “Demand for best-in-class logistics space that’s sustainable and well connected continues to significantly outstrip supply,” Boadle continued. “With WMI poised to reduce up to 50 million kilometres of HGV traffic annually, today marks yet another milestone for a project that exemplifies both Oxford’s conviction in UK logistics, and our commitment to ESG.” James Markby, Managing Partner at LCP, added, “Our agreement with Maritime, securing them as the long-term SRFI operator, demonstrates great confidence in the strategic success of West Midlands Interchange. The project is key to decarbonising UK logistics, with rail freight producing up to 70% less CO2 emissions compared to road freight, and a leading operator like Maritime will ensure it lives up to its potential.” John Williams, Group Executive Chairman of Maritime, expressed, “As the leading road and rail freight logistics provider in the UK, West Midlands Interchange is the obvious next addition to our rail network.” “Being the long-term operator of WMI fits exactly with our wider strategy of decarbonising the full load supply chain by moving cargo closer to the end user by rail,” Williams added. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
RED Construction Group, the specialist main contractor, is celebrating a major milestone in the creation of the £22m voco Zeal Exeter Science Park, one of the UK’s first full life cycle net zero carbon hotels. Being delivered by RED Construction’s South West team, it is being constructed with half the embodied carbon of a standard hotel, while generating 100 per cent of its electricity through solar panels, beating 2030 targets for operational energy consumption and in line with the 2050 Paris Agreement requirements. The topping out of the 4-star, 142-bedroom hotel, which achieved BREEAM Outstanding at the design stage, comes just over halfway through the construction programme, with the building on track to complete in December for an opening in January 2025. Zeal has an exclusive agreement with IHG for the 5,000m2 hotel, which will be the first net zero carbon hotel for both companies, and will be managed by Valor Hospitality. Creating a 4* hotel with a target to be a net energy producer of carbon-free electricity was a significant challenge. However, by working with RED Construction Group and other specialist contractors, Zeal has been able to design and deliver this landmark project. Design has focused on reducing energy use and incorporating renewable energy sources on and within the building fabric, enabling the building to every year generate more electricity than it consumes. This energy efficiency is highlighted by its ability to surpass 2050 targets, dramatically outperforming CRREM’s 95kWh/m2/yr Energy Use Intensity aim by keeping below 60kWh/m2/yr. voco Zeal Exeter Science Park will align with UKGBC’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework Definition, and exceed the RIBA 2030 embodied carbon target of less than 750kgCO2e/m2, benefitting from a full life cycle approach that accounts for Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. Simon Lousada, developer and investor in voco Zeal Hotel, Exeter Science Park, said: “Today marks a pivotal moment in the journey towards sustainable hospitality. By harnessing renewable energy sources, implementing energy-efficient designs, and utilising cutting-edge technology, we aim to create a space that not only provides comfort and luxury but also prioritises environmental responsibility. This project represents more than just a building; it symbolises our dedication to sustainable development – we are tracking ahead of future sustainable goals, surpassing the 2030 sustainability target for carbon emissions during construction, and far exceeding the 2050 target for energy use during operation. This hotel is repeatable proof that well designed zero carbon buildings can be built on time and on budget. Finding ways to make this happen profitably is the positive legacy we should be leaving our future generations.” Derek Quinn, Managing Director of RED Construction South West, commented: “We are thrilled to have celebrated the topping out of Zeal’s first-ever net zero carbon hotel, a pioneering development that is paving the way in the hospitality industry. It is a milestone project for RED South West, working within the prestigious Exeter Science Park, and we look forward to completing the Zeal Hotel as part of such a brilliant team.” Dr Sally Basker, Chief Executive of Exeter Science Park Ltd, added: “It has been very exciting to see this ground-breaking project develop over the last few months. We are proud to be the location for the first Zeal/IHG net zero carbon hotel which is compatible with Exeter Science Park’s own net zero ambitions. There are huge potential synergies between the hotel and Exeter Science Park and we anticipate these will benefit Exeter Science Park’s businesses, the hotel’s residents, and the wider Devon community.” Alongside RED Construction South West, Zeal, and IHG, the landmark scheme has been designed and delivered by a collaborative team that includes ECE Westworks, Introba, and Hydrock Bristol, all of whom having worked towards a fabric first approach that has incorporated sustainable energy solutions, low embodied carbon materials, and green technologies at each stage, while not compromising on a quality, 4-star guest experience. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
OCS, the global facilities management company, has clinched a seven-year contract (with options for clients to extend for up to another two years) to deliver total facilities management services to the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), encompassing a combined 74 sites. SCTS serves as an independent body providing administrative support to Scottish Courts, devolved tribunals, and the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), while COPFS is Scotland’s prosecution service and death investigation authority. This new contract builds on a previous six-year agreement spanning from 2017 to 2023, with an extended term until June 2024. It solidifies OCS’s enduring relationship with SCTS and COPFS, spanning over 13 years. Core services encompass cleaning, maintenance, security, and project management. The latest contract award underscores OCS’s steadfast service delivery. OCS clinched the contract through a competitive tender process, with SCTS and COPFS opting to continue their partnership with OCS, recognising it as the optimal solution for their diverse site requirements. Of the sites managed by SCTS and COPFS, 44% were established before 1960, with 86% predating 1900, categorising them as historically listed sites. OCS faces the challenge of maintaining and future-proofing these sites, enhancing their sustainability while preserving their historical significance. In 2023, OCS completed 15 sustainability projects across their estates and assisted COPFS in securing £10.8 million for retrofitting and decarbonising their buildings. OCS also surpassed its 15% carbon emission reduction target for SCTS, achieving an impressive 27% reduction instead. Under the new contract, OCS will deploy smart building technology to monitor carbon emissions and optimise site productivity. Additionally, they plan to increase the use of cleaning robotics to streamline cleaning processes. In the realm of security, they adopt a “target zero accident” approach, prioritising proactive and de-escalation techniques to prevent accidents and ensure the safety of staff, clients, and the public. In terms of social responsibility, OCS remains committed to supporting Scottish Autism and Women’s Refuge, two charities active in the communities served by this contract. Scottish Autism is the largest provider of autism-specific services in Scotland, while Women’s Refuge is the UK’s largest specialist domestic abuse organisation. Moreover, OCS will back grassroots football teams and introduce annual volunteer days for managers and supervisors. Colin Rushforth, Account Director at OCS, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with SCTS and COPFS for another seven years. Our shared commitment to service excellence, sustainability, and social responsibility has been the cornerstone of our partnership, and we look forward to building upon this legacy in the years to come.” Kate Leer, Director of the Property & Services Unit at Scottish Courts and Tribunals Services, remarked, “Following a competitive tendering process, we have opted to continue our partnership with OCS. Their consistent excellence in service delivery, their innovative approach to sustainability, and their dedication to social responsibility were pivotal in our decision. Our historic sites present a unique challenge, and we are pleased to collaborate with them again to further reduce carbon emissions, building on significant reductions over recent years. We believe OCS will continue to provide the best support for our facilities management needs over the next seven years.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading Magherafelt-based contractor Henry Brothers has been appointed onto the University of Manchester Construction Framework for the first time. The company has won four contracts to deliver developments at the university over the past few years and this appointment onto the framework opens up a pipeline of future projects. The four-year framework is for schemes from £5m to £20m and Henry Brothers is one of five contractors that have been awarded a place on it. Ian Taylor, Managing Director at Henry Brothers Construction, said: “We are proud to have been appointed onto the University of Manchester Construction Framework and look forward to supporting the university as it continues to improve its estate and facilities. “Henry Brothers initially began working with the university in early 2022 on the first phase of the refurbishment of its Chemistry Building, and we are currently now delivering the second phase of this extensive project. “Since then, we have also been appointed to undertake two further schemes at the university, so we are very pleased to be cementing our partnership with The University of Manchester by being awarded a place on the university’s construction framework. “This appointment will support us as we continue to expand our North West office, which opened in Manchester in 2022, and has already relocated to larger office space in the city. “Henry Brothers has wide-ranging experience of working with universities in the East Midlands, West Midlands and the North West, supporting our partners to invest in their buildings and facilities. This latest framework appointment is great news for the company.” Henry Brothers is part of The Henry Group, which comprises a number of manufacturing and construction sector companies, ranging from external construction through to interiors fit-out. In partnership with clients, it has a proven track record in education, defence, accommodation, commercial, industrial, transport and healthcare sectors. For more information, visit www.henrybrothers.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Principal contractor, McConnell, broke through the £50m turnover mark in March 2024, and expects full year revenue to reach £55m at end of April 2024 (FY24). Revenue growth was 10% higher than forecasted, driven by a strong performance in Scotland, and delivery of significant cladding remediation and defence housing projects in England. Established in 1928, McConnell was taken over in 2018 by Rob McGregor and Eamonn McGarvey. Rob was previously the CEO of Apollo Property Services Group, a £400m property services provider that merged with Keepmoat Group in 2012 and is now part of Equans UK. Eamonn was the Regional Managing Director for Apollo/Keepmoat in Scotland. McConnell has firmly established itself as a Principal Contractor, whilst retaining its in-house specialist services of Roofing, Cladding, and Specialist Coatings. McConnell delivers building refurbishment and energy efficiency works to all forms of buildings and infrastructure in the UK, using directly employed skilled operatives supported by a capable supply chain. To support growth, a new regional office was opened in St Albans in September 2023, to augment existing regional offices in Glasgow and Dartford. Chairman, Rob McGregor, commented “FY24 has been a significant year for McConnell. Our growth has been a direct result of the continued strengthening of our management team. We have a Tier 1 senior leadership team that underpins growth, generates customer confidence, and allow us to attract the best people in the sector. We’ve also invested in the growth of our operational and support services teams, and in early April 2024 we took on our 200th employee, of which more than 80 are skilled operatives. They form the backbone of our service delivery and are augmented by carefully selected supply chain partners.” Managing Director, Eamonn McGarvey, added “We’re moving into FY25 in May, with more than £60m of secured work for the year and are well positioned on a number of national frameworks in England and Scotland. We’re forecasting further strong growth opportunity for FY25, therefore plan to open a regional office in the North of England to increase our geographic reach and capability.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Local housebuilder Barratt David Wilson North Thames has received the maximum 5 star rating in the new Home Builders Federation (HBF) annual New Homes Customer Satisfaction Survey. Barratt has now received the top 5 star rating from its customers for 15 years in a row, far longer than any other major housebuilder has held the top 5 star rating. The number of stars awarded is based on customer responses to the question: “Would you recommend your builder to a friend?” Over 90% of Barratt customers said they would recommend the housebuilder to a friend. Barratt is committed to building high quality, energy efficient homes and making its customers happy when buying their new home. It is this focus on customer satisfaction and high build quality that people love, which delivers such consistently high recommendation scores. The HBF Customer Satisfaction Survey is one of the biggest surveys of its kind in the country being completed by 60,000+ new home owners. The star rating system was developed to show customers which housebuilders have the most satisfied customers. Stewart Baseley, executive chairman of the Home Builders Federation, said: “Over recent years there has been a huge industry focus on service and quality and this is the fourth year in a row where over 90% of new home buyers would recommend their builder to a friend. For a company to achieve 5 star levels of satisfaction is a significant achievement and shows the commitment from everyone within Barratt to the customer.” The new 5 star rating comes on top of Barratt having success at the NHBC Pride in the Job Quality Awards. The competition, known as the ‘Oscars’ of the housebuilding industry, has entries from over 11,000 site managers. Last year Barratt site managers won 96 Pride in the Job Quality Awards, more than any other housebuilder for nineteen years in a row. Marc Woolfe, Sales and Marketing Director at Barratt David Wilson North Thames said: “To be rated as a 5 star builder by our customers for 15 years in a row is something we are really proud of. It takes a real dedication to customer satisfaction and going above and beyond, for over 90% of our customers to say they would recommend us a to a friend.” Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes are building a range of new homes across Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, and Hertfordshire, in locations such as Leighton Buzzard, Aylesbury, Houghton Regis, Sawbridgeworth and Buckingham. To find out more about Barratt David Wilson North Thames visit www.barratthomes.co.uk or call 0330 057 6000. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Yorkshire Water is set to invest £797m over the next 12 months in network improvements as it continues to enhance and upgrade its operations. The investment follows £530m in the 2022/23 financial year and more than £750m in 2023/24. The investment will focus on: Richard Stuart, director of asset delivery at Yorkshire Water, said: “In Yorkshire, between 2015 and 2025, we’ll have invested over £4.7 billion into improving our infrastructure. In the next year, we’ll be spending almost £800m on our key environmental improvement plans for wastewater treatment works around the region and ensuring we provide clean, safe drinking water. “This investment includes finishing a £180 million programme to reduce the use of storm overflows across the county, the start of a £60m investment at Ilkley wastewater treatment works to improve bathing water quality, significant investment at some of our larger water treatment works to increase resilience in the drinking water network and the continuation of our £500m programme to reduce Phosphorus entering watercourses from our treatment works throughout the region.” The £797m spent in the next 12 months is in line with Yorkshire Water’s investment commitment during the final year of the five-year 2020-2025 business period. The water company is already planning investment for the following five years (2025-2030) and submitted its plans to Ofwat in October, which outlined a £7.8bn investment in the region that will support employment for more than 10,000 people across Yorkshire. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Developed specifically for the UK market, Reynaers Aluminium has launched its long-awaited new generation, high usage anti-finger trap thermal commercial door and framing system. Featuring a unique slim bulb-style with a radius of only 40mm, a profile sightline of 81mm, and achieving a U-value as low as 1.1W/m2K, Vision 7 has a unique post-installation adjustable bottom pivot that allows installers to make final adjustments after the door has been installed. Suitable for a range of ground-floor applications such as schools, hospitals, retail outlets, leisure facilities, offices and entrances to large commercial buildings, this thermally broken door is an ideal solution to meet the requirements of sustainability-driven projects and also provides a range of additional advantages applicable throughout the supply chain. Ian Osborne, UK Product Development Manager, said: “We have listened to a range of stakeholders across the industry and considered all the feedback in developing the Vision 7 Thermal Commercial Door to offer a premium combination of optimal performance and ease of production, as well as providing the slimline aesthetics that architects and developers want to see. It can be manufactured up to 3m height and 120Kg weight; leaf width 1.25m. “To maximise value and minimise waste, profiles are supplied in a range of optimised bar lengths including 5.1m, optimal for doors up to 2.5m height. Many profiles are available in half and quarter lengths, and for large doors up to 3m mullions and door styles are available at optimal 6.1m or 6.5m lengths. Transom connections are cut straight to minimise milling and the number of components required. “In addition, the system can be supplied with a range of universal fixation pieces that provide a simple slide and turn solution and ensure that the stock requirements of the system are minimised. There are also many hardware solutions for this system, but we have sourced and tested two key industry suppliers that provide the quality and value suited to the Vision 7 solution. “We have also developed a new style bulb with a radius of only 40mm to enable the production of slim profile doors with a visual width of only 81mm, which in combination with a wide range of finite component details, enables the production of extremely durable doors that can achieve a U-value of 1.4W/m2K with double glazing units and a lower value of 1.1W/m2K with triple glazing. The system can support glass thickness up to 50mm. Standard and HI variants are available. We also supply a 100mm outer frame so that the system can connect seamlessly to MasterLine 8 windows and doors. “Well received by installers, the system has also been built with a unique post-installation pivot adjustment feature to help to save valuable time on site. This feature means that the door only needs to be fitted once, and then bottom pivot adjustments can made without having to remove the door multiple times to make adjustments. “Classic of Reynaers Aluminium, we have concentrated on the details of the product that make it an industry-leading door that is built to last the test of high usage over a long period of time. It achieves a good AWW rating and security and safety of PAS 24:2022 and PANIC: EN 1125+179. The door is subject to continued durability tests and has achieved over 400,000 open and close double swing cycles to date. “Current hardware options include standard hook lock (Part Q compliant, PAS 24: 2022), electric strike, magnetic lock, security lock and lever handle. Coming soon will be face applied panic hardware, concealed panic hardware, access control via solenoid bolt and panic hardware.” Technical Director John McComb added: “Like all of the products in the Reynaers portfolio, the launch is not the end of its development. Our recent launch event included a workshop with some of our customers who currently purchase thermal commercial doors to give them the opportunity to see and test the product, handle the components and provide feedback, which we will use in further developing the product. “We’d like to thank those customers who worked closely with us in developing this UK product and who attended our recent launch event. Vision 7 has seen 18 months of development and testing in conjunction with Reynaers Aluminium UK and our Reynaers product development team in Belgium. “With a comprehensive suite of products offering high performance for the commercial sector we look forward to expanding our offering within the UK market and supporting projects in achieving the best results from a design and performance perspective.” For further information, contact the Reynaers Aluminium team on 0121 421 1999 or visit https://www.reynaers.co.uk/products/aluminium-doors/vision-7. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Sensitive work to remove damaging paint from a listed building in Dorset has completed the regeneration project on one of the county’s most historic high streets. Bournemouth-based building conservation expert Gary Elford was contracted to undertake the restoration work at the Grand Parade on Poole High Street. The building in question was suffering from internal damp issues due to an incorrect, non-breathable paint finish being applied over the original limewash coat. Gary used the Doff III superheated steam cleaning system – the latest and recently-launched iteration of the iconic machine from Gloucestershire pioneers Stonehealth – to carefully remove the paint layer and expose the original lime finish beneath. The machine uses steam at 150 degrees C to create an extremely gentle cleaning operation which preserves the integrity of historic stonework. The project in Poole was one of the first in the UK to see the new machine in action – launched last month after four years in development. “It’s great to be able to put the Doff III to good use,” said Gary. “Unfortunately the existing paintwork is totally the wrong type of finish to be used on a Grade II listed building like this, so it’s was causing damp issues inside. “These buildings were originally designed to allow water vapour to escape through the mortar joints and brickwork, so layering non-breathable paint over the top is a really bad idea. “I’m happy to have worked with the Council to rectify the problem and play my part in improving this part of Poole. The Doff III is perfect for this type of work and it’s great to see it in use.” Gary’s work, coordinated with the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council and the building owner, was part of the Heritage Action Zone project which has focussed on the area from the High Street to the historic Quayside. The regeneration work to the town centre location has seen repairs to historic buildings and brought vacant premises and upper floors back into use, especially for creative start-ups. The work also funded improvements to the public realm and pedestrian routes to make the town centre more attractive and accessible, in a bid to improve footfall and vibrancy. The Doff III is a new and improved, even safer and more sustainable version model of the machine favoured by architects, specifiers and cleaning industry professionals in the UK and worldwide. Four years and a six figure sum have been invested in the development of the new machine, which features an improved, lighter, fully integrated pump requiring 50 per cent less power usage, a remote power control, an electronic temperature control system to reduce water consumption, and increased maximum hose length of 45 metres, while still achieving a steam heat of 150 degrees C at the end of the nozzle. Angela Southern, Business Development Director at Stonehealth, said: “We care about the preservation of historic buildings and so it is important that contractors using our systems are properly trained in the right techniques and maintenance. Gary has been working with our machines for many years so we know he’s done the machine and the centre of Poole proud. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
