Oxford North, the new innovation district in Oxford, has reached its highest point in construction and topped out its first phase with the Red Hall’s new cantilever roof lowered into place and two new lab buildings’ steel frames completed. Oxford North is the new £700 million innovation district in Oxford
Chester Race Company has appointed two architectural practices to collaborate on the next phase of development at Chester Racecourse. Kay Elliott and Lovelock Mitchell Architects have been jointly commissioned to prepare a strategic development plan and the first phase of two projects at key racecourse sites. At the first site,
The UK’s newest aggregate manufacturing plant has been officially opened in Wellingborough, providing low-carbon secondary aggregate to help meet the Midlands’ construction needs. The plant will transform around 200,000 tonnes per year of incinerator bottom ash (IBA) left over from the energy-from-waste (EfW) process into EcoBlend, a sustainable manufactured aggregate
RED Construction Group, the specialist main contractor, has announced the completion of its works for LEGOLAND Windsor’s Woodland Village. Delivered by the Special Projects division, RED has partnered with Merlin Entertainments again – this news shortly following the topping out of a new hotel at Warwick Castle – to create
Savills has expanded its London office project management team, part of building & project consultancy (BPC), with two new appointments. Rekha Mistry who joins as a director and John Capper joining as an associate director, who will both be based at the firm’s Margaret Street head office in London taking
Hull City Council has appointed Chris Jackson as its new Director of Regeneration. Chris joins the council from NHS England, where he most recently held the role of Director of Capital, with oversight of the NHS’s national capital budget and major capital programmes, such as delivery of new diagnostic centres
Embrace Steel Group (Embrace), a leading UK-based provider of steel frame building solutions, has announced the appointment of Matt Gibson as its new Chief Operating Officer ahead of what is expected to be a significant period of transformational growth for the business. Beginning his career within the banking and wider financial
Potter Space, a market leader in the small to mid-box (sub 100k sq. ft.) commercial property sector, has welcomed Falcon Contract Flooring to newly completed Unit 101 at its Droitwich Park. As a result, all units from the first phase of the logistics property company’s £18 million investment in the
Oxford North, the new innovation district in Oxford, has reached its highest point in construction and topped out its first phase with the Red Hall’s new cantilever roof lowered into place and two new lab buildings’ steel frames completed. Oxford North is the new £700 million innovation district in Oxford and will deliver one million sq ft (92,903 sq m) of laboratories and workspaces for science and technology companies, 480 new homes, and amenities which will include a market square, hotel, nursery, cafe, bar and three public parks. The first three buildings, two acre central park and market square for pop-up markets, food vendors, sports and cultural events programme, are due to complete in Q2 2025. The Red Hall, a landmark building, will provide prime office space at the heart of the new district as a new shared workspace for local occupiers. Over five floors, the Red Hall’s ground floor will include a significant amount of amenity which will include a cafe-bar, event, meeting and community space, co-working spaces and retail units. The four upper floors will offer office space from 4,000 sq ft (371 sq m) to accommodate a range of science and innovation start-ups and SMEs. 1 & 2 Fallaize Street will be two laboratory buildings for companies which range from SMEs looking to grow, to larger corporate occupiers which need high specification new workspace. Each building will total 58,700 sq ft (5,453 sq m) NIA over four floors and mezzanine to offer space to generate ideas, collaborate and innovate. As a low-carbon district, the buildings will be all-electric and energy-efficient, powered by renewable sources and on-site photovoltaics, and will target BREEAM Excellent. Oxford North Ventures is the joint venture company of Thomas White Oxford, the development company of St John’s College, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and Stanhope. The project has a resolute focus to ensure that Oxford North has a far-reaching positive impact on the local economy through the delivery of its Community Employment Plan. Since the project started, 1,067 construction jobs, of which 25% are currently locally based, and 22 new apprentices have been employed through the project’s three construction partners: Laing O’Rourke, Careys and The Hill Group. The new park and market square have been named after Professor Elizabeth Fallaize (3 June 1950 – 6 December 2009) who was a British academic, a leading scholar in French Studies and was pro-vice chancellor (education) of the University of Oxford. Professor Fallaize was educated at Dame Allan’s School, Newcastle upon Tyne. After graduating with First Class honours in French from the University of Exeter in 1972, she was appointed in 1975 as a lecturer at the School of Languages at Wolverhampton Polytechnic, before moving to Birmingham University’s French department in 1977. In 1989 she was appointed a fellow of St John’s College, Oxford, the first woman ever to hold this post, and played a leading role in the establishment of the Women’s Studies masters course. Victoria Collett, development director, Thomas White Oxford said: “Generations of undergraduate and graduate students benefited from Professor Fallaize’s teaching and scholarship. She was proud of and deeply committed to the College, enthusiastically supporting her peers and students, taking on many roles within both the College and University. Today we are proud that her spirit will live on at Oxford North.” David Camp, chief executive officer, Stanhope said: “Our ‘topping out’ is a significant milestone for delivering Oxford’s new innovation district. Our thanks to the many people involved in reaching this moment. We are building a new sustainable district for Oxford, purposefully designed to enable the next century of life-changing discoveries in science and technology.” “With major advances happening on our doorstep, we need spaces which enable such discovery. We’re delivering new labs and workspaces, surrounded by public parks, amenities and public art for people living, working and visiting here, which will open in Q2 2025. We are talking to a number of exciting companies from start-ups to SMEs to larger corporates about joining us, as they need space to grow, rooted in Oxford.” Charles Rowton-Lee, head of commercial agency, Savills Oxford added: “The current demand from science and tech companies needing workspace in Oxford is currently 650,000 sq ft with limited availability. With Oxford North delivering stunning new flexible lab and workspace ready this time next year, in a prime location with access to amenities, talent and transport connectivity, we have significant interest from a range of companies. They are either already based in Oxford or are looking to move into Oxford’s thriving ecosystem which brings together academia and industry to deliver discoveries that will benefit us all.” Acting on behalf Oxford North Ventures are Fletcher Priest Architects, Gustafson Porter + Bowman, Townshend Landscape Architects, Buro Happold, Savills, Turner Townsend Alinea, Gardiner & Theobald, Hoare Lea, Stantec, AKT II, Contemporary Art Society Consultancy, Endpoint, Spacecraft Consulting and Storey Consulting. Watch Oxford North’s topping out drone footage c.30 secs: Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Chester Race Company has appointed two architectural practices to collaborate on the next phase of development at Chester Racecourse. Kay Elliott and Lovelock Mitchell Architects have been jointly commissioned to prepare a strategic development plan and the first phase of two projects at key racecourse sites. At the first site, overlooking the Parade Ring, a new hospitality building is planned to replace the temporary marquees (known as the ‘tented village’) currently erected each summer for the racing season. The second site is at Saddlery Way, where plans are being prepared for a base for Chester Race Company’s catering and events division, Horseradish, and for the racecourse grounds maintenance division. The joint appointment acknowledges each practice’s strengths: Kay Elliott for their extensive track record in hospitality and leisure projects, and Lovelock Mitchell for their wide local knowledge and racecourse experience. These two proposals are the first phase of Chester Race Company’s Strategic Development Plan, outlining a long-term investment strategy. This plan will illustrate a proposed development programme through to 2039, when Chester, the world’s oldest operating racecourse, will celebrate its 500th anniversary. The Strategic Development Plan follows a Racecourse Masterplan, granted planning consent in 2019, whose aims and objectives have been re-assessed in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, the subsequent challenging economic circumstances, and the latest trends in the leisure and hospitality industry. Chester Race Company will share its draft plans with neighbours and the wider community over the summer. Louise Stewart, Chief Executive Officer of Chester Race Company, said: “Over its long history, the racecourse has adapted to meet the needs of the public, whilst also respecting the heritage of the site, so it’s exciting to embark on the next stage of its evolution to ensure it continues to be successful long into the future. “Our plan will replace some of the ageing buildings on site, which also gives us the opportunity to reduce the impact of our operations on the environment and improve the presentation of the site.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The UK’s newest aggregate manufacturing plant has been officially opened in Wellingborough, providing low-carbon secondary aggregate to help meet the Midlands’ construction needs. The plant will transform around 200,000 tonnes per year of incinerator bottom ash (IBA) left over from the energy-from-waste (EfW) process into EcoBlend, a sustainable manufactured aggregate for use in the built environment. The £20m facility was formally opened by Gen Kitchen, MP for Wellingborough, at a launch event organised by the plant’s joint owners – energy-from-waste business Encyclis and material specialists Day Aggregates – supported by aggregates trading firm GRS, the contracted distributor for the local area. At the official opening ceremony, the plant was described as a symbol of regeneration, representing significant inward investment into the region. In addition to the 50 contractors per day that were supported during 17-months of construction and commissioning, the plant has directly created an additional nine full-time jobs on-site and will further support the local supply chain. Gen Kitchen, MP for Wellingborough, said: “I’m delighted to formally open this facility, which represents a significant investment into our region. I’m passionate about the potential of this area as a hub for business, due to its central location, transport links and strong industrial track record. It’s also important that we ensure commercial activity is sustainable and this aggregate manufacturing facility is an excellent example of that, taking a residual material that would previously have been discarded and turning it into a useful material that supports local construction. It’s vital that we promote a more circular economy in this way.” A strategic partnership between Encyclis and Day Aggregates was established to begin building the plant 18-months ago on a site in the Finedon Road Industrial Estate. The plant’s location offers optimal transport links, while addressing an identified deficit in the local availability of natural resources. This new supply chain for EcoBlend will service local needs with a product that is sustainable, cost-effective and certified to the required specifications. The project bolsters the circular economy by recycling a by-product of the energy-from-waste process. Encyclis’s energy recovery facilities – Rookery South, in Bedfordshire, and Newhurst, in Leicestershire – provide capacity to annually treat over one million tonnes of residual waste that would previously have been sent to landfill. The waste is combusted at high temperatures to produce baseload electricity, heat and other resources. After the combustion process, inert ash is left over. This is transported from the two energy recovery facilities to the Wellingborough plant. Day Aggregates extracts any remaining metals for recycling and converts the bottom ash into aggregate products including EcoBlend, which serves as an effective sub-base under pavements, footpaths, car parks and roads. Materials trading firm GRS is responsible for marketing the products to construction companies looking for cost-effective materials that also enhance the environmental credentials of their projects. Owen Michaelson, Chief Executive of Encyclis, said: “We are immensely proud to be formally opening this new facility in Wellingborough – which provides the region with essential infrastructure to support the sustainable treatment of waste and the recovery of resources. Both of these are crucial in enabling a more circular economy that accelerates the UK’s progress towards net-zero. The opening of this facility represents real action to help meet those environmental goals.” Adam Day, Contracts Director at Day Group, said: “Our state-of-the-art recovery and manufacturing facility has the most up-to-date processing equipment, which produces the best quality material as efficiently as possible. EcoBlend will now provide a sustainable solution for the local construction market, reducing the region’s reliance on sourcing and transporting aggregates from out of the area.” Antony Beamish, Managing Director for GRS Trading, said: “The technology and innovation that’s gone into developing this processing plant is impressive. We’re looking forward to supplying EcoBlend to our customers across the region, to improve the sustainability of the supply chain as part of our collaborative drive towards circularity.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
RED Construction Group, the specialist main contractor, has announced the completion of its works for LEGOLAND Windsor’s Woodland Village. Delivered by the Special Projects division, RED has partnered with Merlin Entertainments again – this news shortly following the topping out of a new hotel at Warwick Castle – to create a large hospitality ‘hub’ within the Village. The Village, valued at £35 million, aims to create a unique experience that the whole family can enjoy. It has been incorporated into the resort’s surrounding woodland space and includes 150 accommodation lodges, nature trails, brick-building activities, story time areas, and a host of woodland creatures constructed from LEGO® bricks. The team at RED Special Projects was tasked with constructing a substantial ‘hub’, designed to provide an array of hospitality facilities for the thousands of UK and international visitors expected to stay in the Village each year. This has added an on-site restaurant, industrial kitchen, entertainment space consisting of various play areas, and a stage and bar, to the internationally-renowned destination. David Nelson at Merlin Entertainments commented: “When investing in such a famous UK landmark destination, it is important to surround yourself with partners that are just as passionate about the project, and able to deliver some very unique and bespoke works. The completion of this project, amongst others, tells us we have found that with RED Special Projects. The Woodland Village, and all the facilities within it, will create long-lasting magical memories for the families that come here, and it makes for an exciting addition to LEGOLAND Windsor.” Nathan Farrar, Construction Director at RED Special Projects, said: “Construction can deliver so much for the people it serves, and nowhere is that easier to see than at LEGOLAND Windsor with this Woodland Village. We have built a great partnership with Merlin Entertainments, helping them generate long-lasting memories for the next generation. It is developments of this kind that RED Special Projects was designed to undertake, a complex scheme that really benefitted from bespoke solutions with support from RED Construction Group, and we are enthused by its cultural impact and the legacy we leave behind.” This announcement follows RED Special Projects’ recent topping out of Warwick Castle Hotel, a £10.3m project that was also completed in partnership with Merlin Entertainments. This newest addition to Warwick Castle’s accommodation consists of a new two-story hotel, which has added 60 lodge-style, themed guest rooms at Warwick Castle and has joined the existing Woodland Lodges, Medieval glamping, and Tower Suites. This continued partnership with Merlin Entertainments emphasises the consistency of RED Special Projects and their ability to deliver on a versatile range of projects. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Savills has expanded its London office project management team, part of building & project consultancy (BPC), with two new appointments. Rekha Mistry who joins as a director and John Capper joining as an associate director, who will both be based at the firm’s Margaret Street head office in London taking the overall team headcount to more than 30. Rekha has over 20 years’ experience in consultancy project management, contract administration and design and architecture. Her specific focus is on leading large scale, complex commercial occupier fit-out projects, having worked with clients such as the Government Property Unit and Transport for London. Rekha joins from Seven Projects where she was head of project management, having previously worked at both T&T and BNP Paribas. She is also a qualified architect and has recently been a Mixology Awards judge and mentor for the Wilmott Dixon Women in Leadership Programme. John has over 11 years’ experience in construction project management, delivering high-end complex Cat-A and CAT-B projects. He specialises in the office sector, primarily delivering refurbishment and alteration schemes for clients including Oval Real Estate, Pontegadea and Savills Investment Management. John joins from his previous role as Operations Manager at Neilcott Construction and prior to this he was a project manager at Overbury. At Savills, Rekha will complement the firm’s capability in the occupier fit-out market, a key growth area for the business. Whilst John’s construction background will bring a wealth of expertise to complex building projects in the expanding refurbishment market. Rekha Mistry comments: “I am very excited to have joined Savills market leading team. Occupiers are continuing on their flight to quality, along with a focus on both attracting and retaining staff. As a result we are seeing a significant increase in the number of businesses seeking to provide the best possible space for their employees. With this in mind, I look forward to working with colleagues from across the business on a wide variety of projects.” Benjamin Cottle, co-head of London office project management, adds: “We are very pleased to welcome both Rekha and John to Savills. This continues our strategic growth in project management with further plans to expand our life science team and develop opportunities in the living market in central London over the course of 2024.” Richard Eyley, co-head of London office project management, says: “The appointments of Rekha and John underscore our ongoing commitment to expanding our team with a diverse range of expertise. Our recruitment targets are robust, positioning our team of project managers strongly within the London market.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Hull City Council has appointed Chris Jackson as its new Director of Regeneration. Chris joins the council from NHS England, where he most recently held the role of Director of Capital, with oversight of the NHS’s national capital budget and major capital programmes, such as delivery of new diagnostic centres and surgical hubs. Before joining the NHS, Chris worked as a senior civil servant in central Government where he held a number of roles, including as Deputy Director in HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office, advising Government ministers on issues such as local government spending and devolution, adult social care, housing policy and private infrastructure financing. Chris, who was born in Hull, said: “Hull’s regeneration story has made national headlines and I’m looking forward to leading the fantastic team that has been instrumental in the transformation of the city. “While much has been achieved in recent years, the city also has massive potential. I am eager to get going and to play a key role in the next exciting phase of Hull’s journey.” Matt Jukes, the council’s chief executive, said: “Chris has a wealth of experience and expertise from an impressive career in the public sector and we’re delighted to welcome him to the council. “The Director of Regeneration role at the council is a hugely important one as the council continues to revitalise and build on our vibrant and burgeoning city, however, it’s one which we’re confident Chris will step into.” Cllr Mike Ross, leader of the council, added: “I look forward to working with Chris as we continue to build on recent successes in our city. “As an administration, we are proud of what we have achieved so far and have no doubt that Chris will help us to continue with that.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Embrace Steel Group (Embrace), a leading UK-based provider of steel frame building solutions, has announced the appointment of Matt Gibson as its new Chief Operating Officer ahead of what is expected to be a significant period of transformational growth for the business. Beginning his career within the banking and wider financial services industry which included partnering with ambitious entrepreneurs and prominent business leaders at Coutts & Co, Matt joined Hambleton Steel, a steel designer and fabricator headquartered in North Yorkshire, in 2017 as its Financial Director. After the business was acquired by Embrace in 2022, Matt was subsequently promoted to Managing Director where he most recently helped to double the business’ revenue to £26.5m (FY23), representing a record annual turnover in the entire business’ history. The news of Matt’s appointment comes hot on the heels of Embrace announcing the milestone acquisition of Shufflebottom last month, a steel fabrication company based in South Wales renowned for its innovative solutions and commitment to quality. This is the second acquisition completed since Embrace acquired Hambleton Steel in 2022 which now contributes to the Group’s current combined revenue of c.£55m. Embrace aims to harness the agility of smaller, innovative operators with the financial and capacity advantages of a larger group, and Matt will play an important role in cementing Embrace’s position as one of the major players in the British steel and wider construction industry with plans to achieve a Group revenue of over £100m within the next two years. On his new appointment as Embrace’s COO, Matt Gibson, commented: “Becoming the COO of the Embrace Steel Group is a great honour for me and I look forward to building the Group to its true potential. We have an incredible hardworking and talented team behind us and our culture of partnership, something I’m deeply passionate about, will enable us to drive significant growth for the business in the years to come.” Dominic Curnock, Co-Founder and Director at Embrace, added: “We have seen first-hand Matt’s dedication to pursue excellence across all aspects of Hambleton Steel which was clearly evident in not only the stellar financial results he produced but the culture he created throughout the business. We’re now looking forward to seeing Matt share his unique expertise across the Group and, in the process, enabling Embrace to become one of the UK’s leading structural steelwork businesses.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Potter Space, a market leader in the small to mid-box (sub 100k sq. ft.) commercial property sector, has welcomed Falcon Contract Flooring to newly completed Unit 101 at its Droitwich Park. As a result, all units from the first phase of the logistics property company’s £18 million investment in the site have reached full occupancy. Carpet and vinyl specialist Falcon Contract Flooring has partnered with many of the UK’s leading household names over the past three decades, including Marriott, Premier Inn, Travelodge, Deliveroo, Circle Healthcare to name a few. At over 28,000 sq. ft., Unit 101 is the largest unit to date in the development at Potter Space Droitwich and formed an integral part of the property company’s £18 million investment into the Worcestershire-based Park. It is set to become home to 35 office staff and will support the operations of a further 120 installers. The extra space will help to support the creation of future jobs for local people in line with the business’ ambitious growth plans. To ensure Unit 101 suits the business’ needs for the long term, the Potter Space in house construction team will build extra office space within the unit, enabling Falcon Contract Flooring to consolidate its business functions under one roof. Sustainability has been built into the new units at Droitwich, and Falcon Contract Flooring’s new home has achieved both BREEAM ‘Very Good’ and EPC A+ ratings and can support further environmentally conscious development, such as the installation of photovoltaic (PV) panels. Potter Space Droitwich is strategically located in the heart of Worcestershire in the West Midlands and perfectly situated for serving neighbouring cities such as Birmingham and Nottingham, with easy access to the M40 and M6 Motorways as well as the West Country Corridor. Jason Rockett, Managing Director at Potter Space, said: “We’re pleased to welcome Falcon Contract Flooring to our Droitwich business park. As an ambitious family business, there are many synergies with Potter Space, which means we’re ideally placed to understand their needs. Our construction team were happy to go that extra mile to provide additional elements to ensure the space works for them now and for the long term. We’re looking forward to building a strong and long-lasting partnership to support their future success.” Charles Hassall, CEO at Falcon Contract Flooring, commented: “Our previous spaces in Bromsgrove had been our home for 6 years but we simply outgrew them. With international enquiries coming in more frequently and our ever-growing UK client base, it was essential that we found a home that will support our growth journey for the next 6 years. We’re excited to partner with Potter Space to expand our operations, increase our business efficiencies and provide more roles for local community in the near future. For us, Potter Space was the family business we wanted to work with.” With the first phase of £18 million investment into Potter Space Droitwich now complete, phase two will see additional units 103 and 104 delivered in December 2024, providing more high-quality homes for local businesses and jobs for the local community. Property consultant, Harris Lamb, acted for Potter Space in negotiations. To find out more about Potter Space, visit the website. To discover more about the state of the small to mid-box property market, download the BIG Things in SMALL Boxes report. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
