On Tuesday 9 July, Cabinet members approved the proposed allocations for essential capital delivery, investment, and wellbeing projects for 2024-2026. The budget aims to address urgent and essential condition, health and safety, and service delivery issues within the Council’s portfolio of land and buildings, whilst facilitating a programme of refurbishments
Designs for a new neighbourhood at the St George’s site in Wolverhampton are set to be unveiled for the first time at a city centre event. Since spring, four award-winning teams of architects have been working up their vision for the brownfield plot – a key gateway site for the
Facilities management provider OCS plans to offer apprenticeship pathways across each of its service lines to nurture future talent and support career progression. The company has committed to increasing its number of apprenticeship placements in the UK and Ireland to over 1,000 within the next 12 months. This initiative aligns
Equans will continue to provide FM services across Manchester City Council’s public buildings estate. The three-year contract extension will see the energy and facilities management specialist providing responsive repairs and planned preventative maintenance to industry-standard specifications across the Council’s portfolio of 258 buildings. As part of the contract, which originally
Leading bio-diversity net gain (BNG) expert and chief executive of CSX, Andy Howard, has called on the new Labour Government to put the environment at the heart of its plans to get Britain building again. As the dust begins to settle following the landslide Labour victory in this month’s General
LEADING firm GT3 Architects has announced the appointment of Eric Hampel as its new finance director, further expanding its senior leadership team. Formerly of Deloitte and Tribe Technology PLC, Eric brings more than 12 years of financial expertise and leadership experience to GT3 Architects, working within Canada, Australia and UK
THREE industry heavyweights have joined the senior team at Miller Knight, one of the fastest-growing construction companies in the East Midlands. Previously long-serving senior directors at Derbyshire-headquartered G F Tomlinson, Chris Flint, Andrew Foster and Jamie Braybrook, have moved across to Miller Knight to add significant strength and expertise to
In the comment inserted at the bottom of this email, Don McLean, CEO of Glasgow-headquartered climate tech company, IES, discusses the welcome attention around decarbonising energy production. However, he reaffirms the need to take a holistic approach to decarbonising how we both produce and consume energy, in order to deliver
The Frenchgate Centre in Doncaster, formerly known as the Arndale Centre, has been purchased by Frasers Group for an undisclosed sum. The shopping centre houses major brands such as Next, H&M, and TK Maxx, and is conveniently located near the main railway and bus stations. Frasers Group views this acquisition
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has just announced the launch of a design competition following the ‘Competitive Procedure with Negotiation’ on behalf of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. The competition is seeking an architect to design the Fleming Centre, a Life Sciences facility that will be located on
On Tuesday 9 July, Cabinet members approved the proposed allocations for essential capital delivery, investment, and wellbeing projects for 2024-2026. The budget aims to address urgent and essential condition, health and safety, and service delivery issues within the Council’s portfolio of land and buildings, whilst facilitating a programme of refurbishments and remodelling and in some cases rationalisation to ensure that council owned operational buildings can remain fit for use and make essential savings where necessary. The programme of works will address the modernisation of key council buildings and enable more local based services to operate from them. This Investment will cover many areas across the councils current building stock, undertaking urgent condition and health and safety works to ensure that public spaces remain safe for use and within legislation, and that the council can continue to serve their local communities across Kirklees. Some of the upcoming works include venues such as Oakwell Hall, Tolson Museum, The Walsh Building in Dewsbury, Huddersfield Upperhead Row Bus Station car park. Now this item has been approved the council will look to develop, design and where necessary procure the delivery of this programme of works for the next financial year. David Shepherd, Executive Director of Place, Kirklees Council, said: ‘’The council is committed to making sure its portfolio of buildings is safe, secure, and sustainable for the future. Providing appropriate spaces for service delivery and community activities. ‘’We have a large portfolio of buildings, which have come into our ownership over many years and over time the services we deliver and the needs of the communities we deliver them for have changed. By continually reviewing our properties, investing in those that continue to meet our needs and looking at a more appropriate future for those that do not, we can make sure we are making the best use of our resources for the benefit of Kirklees.’’ For more information please contact chelsey.warvill@kirklees.gov.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Designs for a new neighbourhood at the St George’s site in Wolverhampton are set to be unveiled for the first time at a city centre event. Since spring, four award-winning teams of architects have been working up their vision for the brownfield plot – a key gateway site for the city. It’s part of a landmark competition led by City of Wolverhampton Council, social impact developers Capital&Centric and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The architect teams will now unveil their respective ideas at a free event at Wulfrun Hall, The Halls, North Street, Wolverhampton on Wednesday 17 July, 2024. Anyone is welcome to attend the showcase, to be hosted by architect Angela Brady OBE, a past president of RIBA who’s overseeing the competition. Visitors can choose from one of two sessions (3pm or 5.30pm) and can expect a Dragon’s Den style format, as each of the 4 shortlisted teams get 10 minutes to pitch their vision for what will become an impressive new neighbourhood. Attendees will then get a chance to wander around, speak to the teams to explore their ideas and provide valuable local feedback. It will be the first time that the designs will be seen in public since the competition launched. Speaking ahead of the event, Councillor Chris Burden, Cabinet Member for City Development, Jobs and Skills at City of Wolverhampton Council, said: “St George’s is a fantastic opportunity to create a game changing neighbourhood of which the city can be proud. It’s a critical part of our citywide plan to unlock investment in considered development that delivers much needed homes and new opportunities for our communities. “Through this competition we have secured designs from award winning architects that we hope set a new design benchmark for brownfield regeneration in Wolverhampton. I cannot wait to see what local residents make of the designs the shortlisted teams have come up with and hope as many people as possible get along to the event at The Halls on 17 July.” Social impact developers Capital&Centric are aiming to replicate the approach they’ve successfully delivered in other cities, attracting investment into imaginative and creative communities that feature restored historic buildings alongside contemporary new builds, as well as providing lush green public gardens. The intention for the former Sainsbury’s supermarket site is for a neighbourhood with a kaleidoscope of hundreds of homes, community spaces and green streets, centred around a repurposed Grade II listed church. It’s anticipated to feature shops, workspaces, café bars and lots of community open space, adding a vibrant new quarter to Wolverhampton’s city centre, with links to the £61 million City Learning Quarter set to open in 2025. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Facilities management provider OCS plans to offer apprenticeship pathways across each of its service lines to nurture future talent and support career progression. The company has committed to increasing its number of apprenticeship placements in the UK and Ireland to over 1,000 within the next 12 months. This initiative aligns with its growth ambitions and includes substantial investments in its funded learning programme. With the recent announcement of its vision to optimise people and places as part of its brand strategy, this move underscores OCS’s dedication to social mobility and impact. It aims to drive social value initiatives, such as apprenticeship schemes and funded learning, to enhance sustainable employment by offering empowering careers and embracing diversity. OCS reports a 140 per cent increase in the uptake of its apprenticeships over the past year and aims to maintain this growth by providing opportunities in each of its service lines: facilities management, security, pest control, cleaning, catering and hospitality, and hard services. Ipswich-based OCS currently offers 12 professional pathways and 39 programmes to support its business units. In addition to service lines, these opportunities include management and leadership, coaching and mentoring, and customer service and sales. By focusing on investing in the development and upskilling of its internal colleagues, these pathways and programmes are available to both employees and external candidates. Apprenticeship pathways will be available at entry level (level 2) and for management (level 3), and OCS is currently revising its higher apprenticeship pathway (level 4) in collaboration with the Institute for Apprentices and Technical Education. Toni Marie-Vaughan, Head of Social Mobility at OCS UK and Ireland, commented: “While it’s important that we continue to open up more opportunities for people looking to develop, our priority will always remain on the quality of programmes delivered. We are working with a number of partners to achieve this. “Additionally, we have invested further in our online training modules, delivered through the OCS Academy. Learners can access a variety of programmes in addition to the structured training around their chosen pathway. Along with e-learning and on-the-job training, learners can expect regular line management meetings and coaching conversations, dedicated study time away from practical training, and progress reports.” Daniel Dickson, Chief Executive Officer at OCS UK and Ireland, said: “It’s exciting that we operate in an industry that can provide opportunities for further development within many different career paths. Our apprenticeship scheme and funded learning pathways are accessible to everyone, regardless of age, gender, background, level of education, or experience.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Equans will continue to provide FM services across Manchester City Council’s public buildings estate. The three-year contract extension will see the energy and facilities management specialist providing responsive repairs and planned preventative maintenance to industry-standard specifications across the Council’s portfolio of 258 buildings. As part of the contract, which originally commenced in 2019, Equans has responsibility for repairing and maintaining Grade 1 and Grade 2 listed buildings, including Manchester Town Hall – as well as care facilities where 24-hour service delivery is paramount. As the partnership evolves into its next phase, Equans is collaborating with Manchester City Council to work towards the city’s target of becoming net zero by 2038. This will be evident in the way Equans conducts its own operations and through targeted decarbonisation activities across the council’s property portfolio. Richard Carmichael, Managing Director for Local Authority Services at Equans UK & Ireland, said: “This is a terrific opportunity for us to build on an already strong and successful partnership with Manchester City Council and draw on our broader expertise in decarbonisation to help the city of Manchester reach its impressive zero carbon ambitions. “Beyond service delivery, the partnership with Manchester City Council extends to supporting local priorities such as job creation, social welfare, and innovation. We are thoroughly committed to continuing to undertake social value activities across the region to help improve prosperity in the area; including employment opportunities and community fundraising.” This contract award follows the recent three-year extension with Manchester City Council Housing, which will see Equans providing ongoing maintenance and repairs to 12,000 homes and carrying out refurbishment and adaptations on behalf of the council until 2027. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading bio-diversity net gain (BNG) expert and chief executive of CSX, Andy Howard, has called on the new Labour Government to put the environment at the heart of its plans to get Britain building again. As the dust begins to settle following the landslide Labour victory in this month’s General Election, the new Chancellor, Rachel Reeves has announced plans to amend the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and turbo-charge the economy by making it easier for new homes and infrastructure to be built. The growing challenge of NIMBYism up and down the country means radical change is needed but tackling local opposition and delivering the monumental target of 300,000 homes per year, while meeting climate reduction targets and hitting BNG requirements is going to be the latest challenge for the built environment. While Labour will take powers away from local councils on national infrastructure projects as well as introduce a greater role for regional Mayors to speed up the planning process, they have still committed to sensitive development that respects and enhances the environment. Labour has made no mention of repealing BNG legislation so developers should assume it is here to stay. BNG has the potential to fundamentally improve how the built environment will transform and enhance communities across the UK. The built environment is responsible for a quarter of the UK’s carbon emissions, often involves habitat and land use change when new developments are taking place, and therefore a clear commitment from Government is needed to ensure developers can continue to plan for BNG on sites across the UK. Andy Howard of CSX said: “This new Government’s commitment to get Britain building again must coincide with a renewed commitment to restore, protect and diversify the environment. BNG has a vital role to play in shaping the future impacts of built development across the UK, providing the natural places, green landscaping and nature recovery that helps shapes places and enhances wildlife habitats. For example, the current BNG guidance allows for off-site units to come from projects within either the Local Planning Authority Boundary OR the National Character Area. There is however different application of this guidance across the country, with only one of those area boundaries being applied in some instances. Clarification from the new Government that it is indeed either LPA or NCA boundaries that can be used will provide significant flexibility to unlocking the benefits of BNG in delivering new developments. We look forward to working with the Labour Government and developers to deliver BNG across the country.” As policies take shape, and Britain gets building, it will be imperative for BNG to remain present in discussions between parliament, local authorities, industry leaders, developers, and experts. CSX and their team of experts stand ready to help politicians and industry leaders to refine the detail of how to implement BNG and hold constructive conversations which utilises their expertise and data to further provide efficient and effective solutions in the management of BNG requirements and carbon offsetting. Datasets, accumulated by CSX, will be crucial in making sure processes and guidance is accurately and reliability accounted for in the quality of carbon offsetting for future builds and changes to the landscape. Read more about CSX’s work on biodiversity at https://csxcarbon.com/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
LEADING firm GT3 Architects has announced the appointment of Eric Hampel as its new finance director, further expanding its senior leadership team. Formerly of Deloitte and Tribe Technology PLC, Eric brings more than 12 years of financial expertise and leadership experience to GT3 Architects, working within Canada, Australia and UK markets. This strategic addition to the practice’s leadership team marks a significant milestone in the company’s ongoing growth and expansion efforts. It also comes shortly after GT3 was included in The Architects’ Journal’s list of the 100 largest and most influential architectural practices in the UK, and as the team has added several more project award wins to its trophy cabinet. Simon Dunstan, director and co-founder at GT3 Architects, said: “As directors, Mark Gowdridge and I are delighted to welcome Eric to the team, especially at a time our success continues to gain recognition with the likes of our AJ100 listing. This is an exciting strategic hire for us, and one which we believe highlights our commitment to diversification and growth and our dedication to the wider GT3 team. We’re looking forward to benefitting from Eric’s expertise and experience and valuable insights as we continue our sustainable growth strategy.” Eric Hampel expressed his enthusiasm about joining GT3 Architects, stating: “I’m delighted to be joining GT3. The people architecture approach is something that resonated strongly with me when being introduced to the practice and what the team does, and I’m keen to support that within my role. I’m excited to contribute to the further growth of a business that places such a strong emphasis on creative solutions that serve the community through every single action and design.” Eric is the fourth new director added to the business in the past 12 months, following the promotions of Suzanne Blair, Paul Reed, and Michael Simpson in 2023. For further information, please visit www.gt3architects.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
THREE industry heavyweights have joined the senior team at Miller Knight, one of the fastest-growing construction companies in the East Midlands. Previously long-serving senior directors at Derbyshire-headquartered G F Tomlinson, Chris Flint, Andrew Foster and Jamie Braybrook, have moved across to Miller Knight to add significant strength and expertise to its structure. The trio will boost Miller Knight’s market share with ambitious plans to sustainably expand its service offerings within the regional construction market. Chris Flint, former MD at GFT, is Miller Knight’s new regeneration director. Andrew Foster has been made commercial director and Jamie Braybrook is chief estimator. Chris said: “The rise and rise of Miller Knight is something that excited me – and I wanted to be part of the company’s growth, helping to further support its expansion and capability. “After meeting Miller Knight chief executive David Dickson, and the other directors and visiting many of their current construction sites, I was not only impressed by how the business was set up – but also by the commitment of the staff and the company’s collaborative working approach.” A £24 million turnover market leading multi-discipline principal contractor formed two decades ago, Mansfield-headquartered Miller Knight is primarily known for its specialist divisions dedicated to remedial fire protection. The company has built its reputation, carrying out complex and sensitive regeneration and refurbishment projects across the UK for the public and private sectors, delivering substantial schemes across education, health, blue light and residential. Chris added: “It is clear to see that Miller Knight’s reputation is increasing and that this ambitious company has a team of directors who have a clear vision for the future and I very much wanted to be part of those plans. “I’m truly excited about using my experience and knowledge of the industry to support the company’s continued growth across both the public and private sectors.” The company has seen an exciting year on year growth for the past seven years with revenues set to double again for this upcoming financial year, with an order book reaching close to £50 million in turnover. David Dickson, chief executive, said: “Adding Chris, Andy and Jamie to our team was an exciting opportunity for us. They are extremely experienced, will be great people to work alongside and will only strengthen our capabilities. We feel honoured to be able to have the opportunity to work with them all and are really looking forward to watching them settle in and helping us to continue to grow. “To date, the company’s growth has been nothing short of extraordinary. We are taking our rightful place among some of the region’s biggest name firms and will no doubt become one of the fastest growing construction companies of 2024. “Businesses are all about people. Here at Miller Knight, we take pride in being a great place to work, we have a great culture, and we have built a fantastic team over the years – and that is the main driver behind our successes to date.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
In the comment inserted at the bottom of this email, Don McLean, CEO of Glasgow-headquartered climate tech company, IES, discusses the welcome attention around decarbonising energy production. However, he reaffirms the need to take a holistic approach to decarbonising how we both produce and consume energy, in order to deliver on the ambition for Britain to become a clean energy superpower. Commenting on the role of the new government when it comes to decarbonising energy in the UK, Don said: “Since at least 2015, governments have talked about how they would cut emissions, but sadly, this has not yet been achieved. While Labour promises to solve former Conservative failures, the scale and pace of climate change is impacting the Earth more and more and becoming an increasingly pressing issue. “The new government has made some big promises when it comes to decarbonising the UK energy system, and all eyes will be on how they put this policy into practice throughout the next parliament. “Great British Energy is a welcome initiative which will go some way to focus attention on decarbonising energy production. But while decarbonising the grid is really important, we also need to strengthen our efforts in reducing the way we consume energy in turn. “For example, we know that buildings are major players when it comes to energy usage and emissions, responsible for 39% of global energy-related carbon emissions – with a greater proportion of this resulting from operations compared to materials and construction. To fully deliver on the ambition for Britain to become a clean energy superpower, while cutting bills for people and businesses alike, we need to take a holistic approach to decarbonising how we produce and consume energy.” “We are still a long way from finding a holistic solution to decarbonisation – not just here in the UK, but from a global perspective. This means that as a country, we have the opportunity to demonstrate leadership that others can follow. However, it is necessary to prove the decarbonisation process will work before making significant changes to millions of buildings.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Frenchgate Centre in Doncaster, formerly known as the Arndale Centre, has been purchased by Frasers Group for an undisclosed sum. The shopping centre houses major brands such as Next, H&M, and TK Maxx, and is conveniently located near the main railway and bus stations. Frasers Group views this acquisition as a testament to their confidence in the future of physical retail. Michael Murray, CEO of Frasers Group, stated that acquiring the Frenchgate Centre underscores the company’s commitment to investing in brick-and-mortar stores. The group intends to use the space to expand their current Sports Direct store and to introduce other brands they own, such as USC and Evans Cycles. The shopping centre, which opened in 1968, saw a significant extension in 2006, linking it to a new transport interchange. One of the largest stores in the expansion was a Debenhams, which closed in 2021. However, plans were approved last year to convert the space into a cinema. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has just announced the launch of a design competition following the ‘Competitive Procedure with Negotiation’ on behalf of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. The competition is seeking an architect to design the Fleming Centre, a Life Sciences facility that will be located on the St. Mary’s Hospital site in Paddington, London. The Centre will be at the heart of the global Fleming Initiative, an innovative and collaborative new approach led by the Trust and Imperial College London, with HRH Prince of Wales as its patron, to tackle anti-microbial resistance (AMR) around the world. At the Fleming Centre, scientists will work alongside clinicians, patients, members of the public and policy makers to scope, test and scale solutions. Consequently, the building should be purposefully designed to encourage the public to engage with world-leading science, policy and behavioural change research, ensuring new solutions work for local contexts. The Centre is due to open at St Mary’s hospital in 2028, helping mark the centenary of the discovery of Penicillin at the hospital by Sir Alexander Fleming. It will be the first new building to open on the St Mary’s site in the coming years, as plans for the wider redevelopment of the whole hospital site continue to progress. Professor Tim Orchard, Chief Executive, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust said: “The launch of the RIBA design competition marks an exciting milestone for the Fleming Centre and St Mary’s hospital more widely. This state-of-the-art facility will not only honour the legacy of Alexander Fleming and St Mary’s as the birthplace of penicillin but also spearhead the fight against antimicrobial resistance through groundbreaking research and public engagement. We are looking forward to collaborating with visionary architects to create a centre that will inspire and facilitate global change in healthcare. It will also be the first completed building in the redeveloped St Mary’s hospital, demonstrating our vision to protect St Mary’s position as a world-class trauma hospital and a centre for life-saving research.” Applications are invited in accordance with the requirements set out in the briefing document and selection questionnaire. Further information can be found on the competition webpage including a link to register. The deadline for receipt of applications is 7 August 2024 at 12:00 BST. It is anticipated that up to five teams will be shortlisted and invited to participate in the design phase of the competition. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
