August 1, 2024
Rother DC Housing Company gains green light for affordable homes at Blackfriars’ Development in Battle

Rother DC Housing Company gains green light for affordable homes at Blackfriars’ Development in Battle

Rother DC Housing Company (RDCHC) is delighted to announce its success in securing affordable homes for local people at its flagship Blackfriars’ site in the heart of Battle, East Sussex. The news follows a unanimous decision at Rother District Council’s Full Council Meeting on Monday 29th July to give RDCHC the green light to progress the delivery

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HEATHERLANDS BY ANTLER HOMES SCOOPS THE PRESTIGIOUS PREMIER GUARANTEE EXCELLENCE AWARD

Heatherlands by Antler Homes Scoops the Prestigious Premier Guarantee Excellence Award

Design-led, customer-centric housebuilder Antler Homes has received a coveted Premier Guarantee Excellence Award for its Heatherlands development in South Chailey, East Sussex. This award recognises the development’s consistently impressive site work. As a recipient of this monthly recognition, Heatherlands is among the top 10% of Premier Guarantee sites nationwide. This

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Morgan Sindall wins Blackpool Multiversity education campus

Morgan Sindall wins Blackpool Multiversity education campus

Morgan Sindall has been selected by Blackpool Council as the main contractor on a pre-contract services agreement to build a new £65m state-of-the-art education campus in the town centre. The appointment follows a competitive tendering process through the Pagabo Framework. The Multiversity mixed-use educational development will bring up to 3,000

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GRAHAM completes Reardon Court extra care housing scheme

GRAHAM completes Reardon Court extra care housing scheme

Work on a new residential care scheme designed to promote and maximise independent living has been completed in London, providing 70 new homes and tackling the wider housing crisis in the area. Reardon Court in Enfield, located on the site of a former care home in Cosgrove Close, has been

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Wates to Retrofit over 400 Orbit Homes

Wates to Retrofit over 400 Orbit Homes

Wates has been appointed by one of the UK’s foremost not-for-profit housing groups, Orbit, to undertake a retrofit programme for 410 homes over two years, marking the start of a long-term partnership to help decarbonise Orbit’s homes. The appointment will see Wates deliver energy efficiency improvements to 160 homes through

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Pagabo’s New £814m Facilities Management Framework Opens for Bidding

Pagabo’s New £814m Facilities Management Framework Opens for Bidding

Suppliers are now able to bid for our newest framework offering, which specialises in helping clients across multiple sectors to manage their estates by procuring facilities management services. The Total Facilities Management Framework will run for four years, with a total estimated value of £814m and offering hard, soft or total

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Doka improves safety & increases efficiency on POST Rotterdam renovation

Doka improves safety & increases efficiency on POST Rotterdam renovation

The POST Rotterdam building project is transforming the aging post office into a real gem as work continues on renovation and redevelopment of the esteemed property. To ensure the construction process on the busy Coolsingel boulevard flows safely and efficiently, the joint venture POST-Bouw, a combination of BESIX Nederland and

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Latest Issue
Issue 324 : Jan 2025

August 1, 2024

St. Modwen opens former Longbridge West Works site to public

St. Modwen opens former Longbridge West Works site to public

The home of the former West Works car factory in Longbridge – birthplace of the iconic MINI car – has reopened to the public for the first time in almost two decades, after master developer St. Modwen handed over 27 acres of public realm. The 75-acre mixed use site – which encompasses Longbridge Business Park and will ultimately see the delivery of over 340 new homes by St. Modwen Homes – is now open to the public, giving residents access to large open park spaces, a rejuvenated river corridor, and over 2.5km of cycle and footpaths which is already creating a dynamic link between the community, Longbridge Town Centre, and beyond for residents and visitors alike. Throughout the route, interactive trail boards have been installed which offer captivating insights into the local ecosystem and the rich and storied history of the region. In addition, the West Works project has undertaken an extensive tree-planting initiative, with over 3,000 new trees planted across the property replacing the once concrete factory floor. This landscape invites individuals to immerse themselves in nature, learn about the plants and wildlife, all while savouring the vibrant energy of Longbridge Town Centre. Sarwjit Sambhi, CEO of St. Modwen reiterated the company’s commitment to the community of Longbridge, stating: “The success of our Longbridge regeneration project demonstrates what can be achieved through collaboration between the public and private sectors. Our vision for the region has always been to provide a diverse range of development which can benefit both the local community and businesses alike. Having already attracted industry-leading, global businesses to Longbridge Business Park, we will shortly be delivering much-needed houses on the site which will leave a lasting legacy of our time in Longbridge.” Rob Flavell, Senior Director at St. Modwen said: “The opening of the public realm at West Works is a significant milestone in the wider Longbridge regeneration project and an exciting new chapter in the legacy of the region. “It has been heartwarming to see how quickly the completely restored mile-long River Rea has become an asset of real community value, with the cycle and footpaths which connect the site to the rest of Longbridge proving incredibly popular with residents, families, workers and visitors alike.” Longbridge Business Park, a specialised hub for science, technology, medicine, and precision engineering, is positioned within the West Works site as the centre of innovation and entrepreneurship in the region. With five R&D businesses already established within the park, the project is poised to generate up to 5,000 new job opportunities, fostering economic growth and prosperity. In addition, St. Modwen will also be delivering 343 homes at the West Works site through its housebuilding arm, St. Modwen Homes. The West Works site was an integral part of the former MG Rover plant, once the largest car factory in Europe, but is now part of St. Modwen’s wider £1bn regeneration of the 468-acre Longbridge site, which it acquired back in 2005. The brownfield project is seven times bigger than Kings Cross regeneration, and has transformed the former factory into a flourishing town centre with over 68 business already calling Longbridge home and thousands of jobs and homes already created. Damien McGarvey, headteacher at King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy, said: “The new West Works trail path is a fantastic addition to the area and provides a safe, clean route for many of our pupils to walk to and from school. The path is already proving very popular, taking footfall away from the nearby busy dual carriageway and providing a pleasant walk through nature.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Stoford chooses Glencar to develop latest design and build logistics warehouse scheme in Worcester

Stoford chooses Glencar to develop latest design and build logistics warehouse scheme in Worcester

Glencar, a leading UK construction company that was recently ranked amongst Europe’s fastest growing businesses, has today announced that it has been appointed by leading commercial property developer Stoford to construct a new 62,413 sq. ft industrial warehouse at their successful Worcester Six business park development situated at Junction 6 of the M5. The bespoke development is under construction for national foodservice company Bidfood which supplies more than 10,000 products to over 45,000 caterers and food service business across the UK. The project marks the first facility Bidfood are opening the region, occupying a build to suit building on Plot 8A. The project which started onsite in early April will feature infrastructure works, installation of an attenuation tank and photovoltaic panels together with construction of a POD office, service yard and car parking spaces.  Construction is expected to take 28 weeks with PC expected during Q4 2024. Commenting on the project, Pete Goodman Glencar Managing Director, Midlands and North said: “Repeat business is the best business and so soon after being appointed at Stoford’s Exeter Logistics Park development we are absolutely delighted to receive this second instruction in quick succession.  Both projects are built to suit developments, bespoke to each occupier’s requirements and another example of Stoford’s impressive reputation as a developer of leading edge industrial/warehouse developments for individual occupier requirements. We are also delighted to be delivering for Bidfood and creating a facility which will help to serve the extensive numbers of caterers it supplies each month together with being a vital cog in the UK’s food delivery logistics network. We’ve assembled a first-class team on this project and look forward to delivering an excellent outcome to be further extending the scale and scope of the facilities at Worcester Six Business Park which is one of the region’s premier logistics parks and a real success story. To find out more about the development please click below button.. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Rother DC Housing Company gains green light for affordable homes at Blackfriars’ Development in Battle

Rother DC Housing Company gains green light for affordable homes at Blackfriars’ Development in Battle

Rother DC Housing Company (RDCHC) is delighted to announce its success in securing affordable homes for local people at its flagship Blackfriars’ site in the heart of Battle, East Sussex. The news follows a unanimous decision at Rother District Council’s Full Council Meeting on Monday 29th July to give RDCHC the green light to progress the delivery of 130 affordable rented homes and properties for shared ownership, alongside 70 homes for the open market. Whilst the requirement for RDCHC to deliver a proportion of affordable housing under Section 106 was removed through the planning determination process in February 2024, RDCHC remained committed to finding a solution to re-introduce affordable housing to the scheme as soon as it became financially viable to do so. Now, having gained planning approval for a more efficiently designed housing scheme, and following a competitive tender process to appoint a new main contractor within the available budget, RDCHC faces an improved financial outlook.  As the sole shareholder of RDCHC, Council approval of a suite of recommendations means that by the end of September 2024, RDCHC will have: Richard Thomas, Chair of Rother DC Housing Company, said: “We wholeheartedly welcome full council approval of our recommendations which is testament to the robust measures we have undertaken to improve the financial viability of the project. “The delivery of affordable housing remains an important priority for RDCHC and we are delighted that the council has recognised both the economic and social benefits of our proposals. The provision of genuinely affordable homes, including some for rent, will particularly help young couples and those on the housing waiting list. We now look forward to concluding our tender process to appoint a new main contractor to begin the building of homes and to progress a new partnership with our preferred Registered Provider of social housing.” The Blackfriars’ scheme will deliver 200 homes, a mix of 2, 3 and 4-bedroom properties, built to high environmental standards, including air source heat pumps and electric vehicle charging points, to ensure householders can benefit from energy efficient homes which are cheaper to run. The announcement marks a major step forward for RDCHC in its ambition to deliver 1000 high-quality homes within the district of Rother by 2037. The Blackfriar’s development is scheduled for completion by summer 2027. Full details about the scheme can be found at www.rother.gov.uk/housing/housing-development/blackfriars-site/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Carter Jonas Achieves Planning Consent for two new buildings at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus

Carter Jonas Achieves Planning Consent for two new buildings at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus

National property consultancy Carter Jonas has secured planning consent on behalf of Harwell Science and Innovation Limited Partnership to create new employment floorspace and the potential to accommodate over 300 new jobs at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus. The additional employment opportunities will make a considerable contribution to the Vale of White Horse Council’s employment growth strategy. Consent was awarded on 26 June 2024. The 192,523 sq ft (17, 886 sqm) of new employment floorspace will be located in two new buildings, Quad Three and Co:LABSs. Co:LABSis the first phase of an exciting new innovation quarter, which will deliver circa 35,000 sqm of new employment floorspace. Quad Three adds to the existing and extremely successful ‘Quad’. Both new and existing users of the leading science and innovation campus will benefit from extensive landscaping. The Section 106 Agreement delivers measures to optimise bus travel, reducing the use of the private car. Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, which lies approximately five miles south west of Didcot and 16 miles south of Oxford is a world renowned UK Science and Technology Campus. It benefits from over £3bn of science infrastructure, including the UK’s national synchrotron facility the Diamond Light Source and ISIS Neutron facility. Approximately 7,000 research and support staff work across some 250 organisations operating at the campus. Steven Roberts, Associate Partner at Carter Jonas in Oxford commented, “Carter Jonas is proud to have assisted Harwell Campus Partnership in securing planning permission for new facility. Harwell Campus is an extremely important, internationally recognised science and technology cluster where many scientific breakthroughs have occurred in recent years. We very much value our ongoing relationship with the Campus Partnership and are proud to be part of the professional team that is shaping its future.” Stuart Grant, CEO of Harwell Campus added, “We’re delighted to have secured planning permission for Co:LABS and Quad Three as part of our wider plan to triple the amount of available space at Harwell over the coming years. “Given that Oxford University is spinning out more companies than anywhere else in the UK and other local universities like Cranfield are closing fast, we need to ensure we can offer the right space, environment, and home for these exciting companies to start-up, scale-up and have truly global impact.” Carter Jonas has advised the client from the inception of the project, leading a multi-discipline consultant team through the planning process and will continue to advise on all planning matters through to completion at the end of 2025. In achieving planning success, Carter Jonas worked alongside Allies and Morrison, Hawkins Brown, Exterior Architecture Landscape, Baynham Meikle, RPS, Hoare Lea and BSP. We have also worked closely with Oxfordshire County Council, the Vale of White Horse District Council and National Highways. Construction is due to commence on site in August and the scheme is anticipated to complete in end of 2025. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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HEATHERLANDS BY ANTLER HOMES SCOOPS THE PRESTIGIOUS PREMIER GUARANTEE EXCELLENCE AWARD

Heatherlands by Antler Homes Scoops the Prestigious Premier Guarantee Excellence Award

Design-led, customer-centric housebuilder Antler Homes has received a coveted Premier Guarantee Excellence Award for its Heatherlands development in South Chailey, East Sussex. This award recognises the development’s consistently impressive site work. As a recipient of this monthly recognition, Heatherlands is among the top 10% of Premier Guarantee sites nationwide. This achievement also places Antler Homes on the shortlist for a National Award, which will be announced in June/July 2025. The national Excellence Awards honour the best developments in the UK that are covered by Premier Guarantee’s structural warranties. The company’s surveyors nominate sites that showcase exceptional quality. To win, a development must be built to the very highest standards – as is the case at Heatherlands. Heatherlands is the second phase of Antler Homes’ Old Hamsey Lakes development. The scheme launched in 2022, transforming a former brownfield site into a sought-after collection of homes in a stunning lakeside setting, surrounded by fields and ancient woodland. Heatherlands is home to 13, two- and three-bedroom houses in the captivating village of South Chailey. Nature reserves, conservation areas and the South Downs National Park are on the doorstep, offering a plethora of outdoor experiences for those pursuing an active lifestyle. The Premier Guarantee Excellence Awards judges commented: “On every inspection carried out by our surveyors, they award scores for site tidiness, workmanship, health and safety, and both site and overall cooperation. If you hit an average of 4.6/5 for 3 months consecutively, an area manager will do an impromptu visit for verification. That is then sent over to our Awards team, who do a further verification and decide on whether to award. Antler’s success in navigating this rigorous process and securing this award is a testament to their unwavering commitment to quality developments.” Andrew Rinaldi, Managing Director of Antler Homes, commented: “I am so proud that Heatherlands at Old Hamsey Lakes has won a Premier Guarantee Excellence Award. This is a wonderful achievement that highlights the quality and care that the entire team has poured into the creation of the homes at Heatherlands, ensuring they can be enjoyed by generation after generation. My thanks go to all of those involved in such a fantastic team effort.” Heatherlands – and the wider Old Hamsey Lakes development – is home to a flourishing community with nature at its heart. Considerate plot spacing and generous gardens ensure the homes echo the tranquillity and space of the surrounding countryside, while varied layouts and property sizes meet a range of buyers’ needs. The homes’ contemporary interiors feature shaker-style kitchen units and underfloor heating. Each plot comes with an electric car charging point for buyers keen to minimize their carbon footprint. South Chailey is part of the larger Chailey parish, home to the 450-acre Chailey Common. This designated nature reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest is home to many rare, native species across its unspoiled habitats. Residents enjoy easy access not only to nature but also to the historic market towns of Lewes and Cooksbridge. Trains from the latter reach London Victoria in as little as 63 minutes. Heatherlands is also well placed for access to the A26 and A27, which connect residents to the M23/M25, as well as Kent and the south coast. For further details, visit https://www.antlerhomes.co.uk/developments_sites/heatherlands/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Morgan Sindall wins Blackpool Multiversity education campus

Morgan Sindall wins Blackpool Multiversity education campus

Morgan Sindall has been selected by Blackpool Council as the main contractor on a pre-contract services agreement to build a new £65m state-of-the-art education campus in the town centre. The appointment follows a competitive tendering process through the Pagabo Framework. The Multiversity mixed-use educational development will bring up to 3,000 students and staff into Blackpool town centre and allow Blackpool and the Fylde College to relocate from out-of-town facilities into a world-class campus off Cookson Street in Blackpool. Land for the development is currently being assembled with the site offering a perfect location situated next to tram, train and bus services, making it accessible to students across the Fylde Coast and beyond. The Multiversity would be leased to the College, offering more than 70 individual courses and enhancing its existing higher education provision which is directly linked to local employment needs. The Multiversity would also support a wide range of qualifications, from further education, through to higher education and adult learning. The proposed development would include two phases, starting with an education campus on the corner of Cookson Street and George Street, followed by future development across the southern end of the site by Milbourne Street and Grosvenor Street. The plans would deliver up to 32,600 sqm of education space and commercial space across several phases, starting with the new Multiversity building. Outline approval for the scheme was granted in April 2024, with a reserved matters application to follow this summer. The main campus building would be designed to be carbon-neutral in operation, with the surrounding area on George Street landscaped and pedestrianised to make it a safer environment for students and local people. The Multiversity has been designed by established architects Hawkins\Brown and aims to complement the rest of the Talbot Gateway regeneration. Steven Gregory, Morgan Sindall Construction’s North West Area Director, said: “We’re excited to be appointed to the Multiversity Campus project with Blackpool Council and the Blackpool and The Fylde College, which promises to deliver precious benefits for the local community. Once complete, the campus will boost access to advanced skills for Blackpool’s resident and support the town centre’s wider regeneration. “The Morgan Sindall team is committed to maximising the social and economic value generated during the development. This will be achieved in several ways, such as utilising local contractors and creating a Knowledge Quad to provide training and learning opportunities, such as hosting the Blackpool Community Skills Academy employability programme. We’ve also already partnered with Blackpool and The Fylde College to provide ongoing education support to help students become ‘work ready’.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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GRAHAM completes Reardon Court extra care housing scheme

GRAHAM completes Reardon Court extra care housing scheme

Work on a new residential care scheme designed to promote and maximise independent living has been completed in London, providing 70 new homes and tackling the wider housing crisis in the area. Reardon Court in Enfield, located on the site of a former care home in Cosgrove Close, has been designed to enhance individuals’ quality of life through access to a multi-purpose environment. Two communal courtyards, a central social space, and several auxiliary function rooms come together to deliver a community within itself, with hobby rooms, a library, and a hairdressing area promoting a sense of independence and connectivity between residents. Encircling the internal courtyards, accessible corridors have been incorporated into the design to enhance communal living and promote social inclusion. Leading multi-disciplinary consultancy Pick Everard is behind the scheme, collaborating closely with contractor GRAHAM and Enfield Council to deliver architecture, landscape architecture, project management, contract administration, clerk, technical advisory, M&E, sustainability and energy, and civil and structural engineering services. John Clarke, director at Pick Everard, said: “This has been a rewarding project, focusing on a specialist area of residential living that draws on our vast experience in delivering affordable and high-quality care environments. “The different elements of the scheme come together to create a mini-community within Enfield where residents can enjoy a varied offering of active social and wellbeing opportunities, aided by an inclusive and disability-conscious design. Each flat benefits from an outward-facing balcony, with those on the ground floor having access to a garden space to really enhance a sense of independence that is present throughout the scheme. “We now look forward to seeing residents and staff make use of this fantastic new space, which will positively impact generations to come.” The Enfield scheme has been commended by local delegates for its wider impact on aiding housing shortages in the area, with older residents able to move into high-quality housing, while increasing the availability of family homes in the borough. In addition to maximising housing opportunities, the scheme has also incorporated a green design philosophy, with more than 100 solar photovoltaic panels installed on the roof alongside sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) to help with rainwater management. Social value was a key part of the project, with career talks held at nearby schools and material suppliers chosen in the local area. Pat O’Hare, regional director at GRAHAM, said: “Reardon Court will provide independence, safety, and comfort for residents for years to come. This project underscores the importance of meeting the evolving needs of an ageing population who require extra support and care. “With its thoughtful design, comprehensive care services, and commitment to fostering a sense of community, Reardon Court sets a new standard for independent living in later years.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Wates to Retrofit over 400 Orbit Homes

Wates to Retrofit over 400 Orbit Homes

Wates has been appointed by one of the UK’s foremost not-for-profit housing groups, Orbit, to undertake a retrofit programme for 410 homes over two years, marking the start of a long-term partnership to help decarbonise Orbit’s homes. The appointment will see Wates deliver energy efficiency improvements to 160 homes through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund’s (SHDF) Wave 2.1 with the remaining 250 properties funded by Orbit and the Government’s ECO4 programme. The PAS3025-compliant contract will comprise a range of building fabric improvements to enhance efficiency, including external, internal, cavity wall and loft insulation as well as traditional capital works such as roof, window and door replacements. Wates and Orbit will also explore digital and renewable solutions, including smart thermostats, ventilation upgrades, air and ground source heat pumps, night storage heating systems and photovoltaic panels. Completion is expected by September 2025 with an option to extend the contract for a further four years. The work forms part of Orbit’s long-term Decarbonisation Retrofit strategy as it works towards the Government’s target for all social housing to reach Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings of C by 2030. The new contract adds to Wates’ extensive portfolio of social housing retrofit projects, which to-date has included PAS2035-compliant energy efficiency improvements to over 2,000 properties across the UK through a mixture of Government and self-funded programmes. David Morgan, Executive Managing Director of Wates Property Services, commented: “Our work in social housing retrofit to date has given us a wealth of experience and best practice to support our customers in delivering vital energy efficiency improvements while also planning ahead for their long-term decarbonisation targets. Our collective journey towards Net Zero is reliant on working in partnership in this way, and enables us to efficiently design and deliver the best possible measures for each property, improving efficiency, supporting Orbit in its Net Zero strategy and helping to address fuel poverty for residents.” Jeanette Hodges, Strategic Asset Management Director at Orbit, commented: “We are committed to ensuring our customers enjoy the benefits of a more energy efficient home which is warmer and more affordable, as well as further our important collective journey towards decarbonising our homes. We have already been working at pace, but look forward to working with Wates to further deliver on our commitments and provide our customers with more energy efficient homes.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Pagabo’s New £814m Facilities Management Framework Opens for Bidding

Pagabo’s New £814m Facilities Management Framework Opens for Bidding

Suppliers are now able to bid for our newest framework offering, which specialises in helping clients across multiple sectors to manage their estates by procuring facilities management services. The Total Facilities Management Framework will run for four years, with a total estimated value of £814m and offering hard, soft or total (combined) facilities management services to support sectors including healthcare, blue light, infrastructure, education and leisure. Hard facilities management will cover the provision of all works in relation to the maintenance and upkeep – both planned and reactive – of a building or wider estate, and will include aspects such as roofing, decorating, internal fittings and fixtures, mechanical services, general planned and reactive repairs. Meanwhile, soft facilities management will cover the provision of services in relation to the upkeep and security of a building or wider estate, covering aspects including cleaning, catering, hygiene, pest control, waste management and security. Jason Stapley, Chief Procurement Officer at Pagabo, said: “Everyone at Pagabo is excited that our latest invitation to tender has been issued and specialist suppliers have the opportunity to support a huge range of clients with their facilities management needs through this well-rounded framework. “Maintaining the highest standard of procurement compliance and being considerate of the pressure that many businesses are under while delivering quality work, we have made this tender period eight weeks instead of six because it falls during the summer holidays. We expect this will help many suppliers and maintain the high levels of interest that our frameworks usually receive.” The framework agreement is divided into six lots. This national framework is available for use across all UK regions and is split into the following areas: Each individual region will have seven suppliers, while three suppliers will cover the whole of the UK nationally, giving clients the option of up to 10 suppliers and supporting our commitment to SME inclusion across its frameworks. Following the tender period, evaluation and standstill process, the framework is expected to launch in October 2024 with Red Kite Learning Trust as the contracting authority. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Doka improves safety & increases efficiency on POST Rotterdam renovation

Doka improves safety & increases efficiency on POST Rotterdam renovation

The POST Rotterdam building project is transforming the aging post office into a real gem as work continues on renovation and redevelopment of the esteemed property. To ensure the construction process on the busy Coolsingel boulevard flows safely and efficiently, the joint venture POST-Bouw, a combination of BESIX Nederland and Rizzani de Eccher, is working with a customized portfolio of solutions from Doka Nederland. Saving valuable crane time, Doka’s self-climbing formwork, SCP platform and various lightweight formwork as well as flexible scaffolding systems are being optimised to ensure a secure work environment and improved onsite efficiency. The renovation and redevelopment of POST Rotterdam consists of a low-rise and 155-metre high-rise building. “For the low-rise, we delivered essential construction systems at an early stage of the project,” says Denick van Gemert, formwork instructor at Doka Nederland. “The high-rise is now under construction and our self-lifting formwork and work platform are playing a starring role in its continued development. These products are working in tandem with the Doka Framax Xlife wall formwork system, Ringlock scaffolding and other complementary products.” Hydraulic cylinders streamline operations The Doka platform SCP is circularly slotted to ensure workers are kept safe and protected in different weather conditions, even at great heights. It is also being used to make the walls of the cores, while the shear walls for each floor are made using the SKE50+ Framax Xlife formwork system. Both systems are self-climbing but optimise different technology. “For the SCP system, we use four stellar hydraulic cylinders that push the platform, formwork, material storage such as rebar and concrete pump to the next floor in one operation without needing a crane; And it all happens at the push of a button,” Denick explains. “The system rests on twelve brackets, three per cylinder, via cones in the wall. When climbing, the top two brackets disassemble the climbing bolts at each cylinder. Subsequently the cylinder slides out and the two brackets are anchored one floor up in the cone, next the climbing bolts on the lower bracket are disassembled, the cylinder retracts and it too is anchored one floor up. The beauty of this system is that on one corner we can simultaneously push the concrete pump, so there is no need to pour using a crane.” Lightweight systems reduce heavy lifting The Framax Xlife system also climbs automatically on POST Rotterdam’s high-rise, using the Doka SKE50+ system. Unlike the SCP platform, which moves up a floor in one movement, the SKE50+ system climbs in 30-centimeter increments via a total of eighteen small cylinders. The POST Bouw JV also relies on Doka systems for construction of the floors and columns. For example, the wet floors are being made with Dokadek 30, a manual formwork, and the columns with DokaXlight. “Both systems are lightweight and easy to move by hand negating the need for the contractor to use a construction crane.” Doka Nederland provided the protection screen Xclimb 60, a 12-meter-high safety screen over four floors that also climbs automatically. “At two points, this screen is equipped with a loading platform to ensure secure deliveries of materials,” says Denick. To add further security for workers the practical Doka Ringlock Scaffolding is used to secure the various openings in the floor, which are created by the staggered balconies that vary in height from one to three storeys. In addition, Ringlock is used as an access solution for the rebar works on the column and as a shoring system. Implementing digital tools from foundation to top level. Doka is embracing digital tools to increase efficiencies and maximized the use of Building Information Modelling, BIM, to drive formwork planning for POST Rotterdam. The use of digital 3D planning advanced workflows for rapid site preparation, and enabled streamlined formwork planning and execution. “This is a distinctive project that Rizzani de Eccher and BESIX are managing together in a successful partnership. To achieve the impressive transformation in the heart of the city requires advanced engineering and technical management skills. These are areas in which BESIX and Rizzani de Eccher both excel, but it is thanks to Doka’s engineering expertise in the design phase, high-quality systems, and digital know how it would be impossible to successfully manage this complex project. We appreciate the value of working with a single source for essential components of the construction process,” says Ferruccio Zappacosta, Construction Manager at the Post-Bouw JV. Once completed, the multi-purpose POST Rotterdam building will house a 5-star Kimpton-brand hotel, catering establishments, and 305 apartments showcasing a striking example of the mix between modern architecture and the rehabilitation of historical buildings. Doka continues to make a significant contribution the project by providing a suite of solutions to ensure the safe and efficient construction. “Soon we will be delivering a second Protection screen Xclimb 60 to support completion of the facade. Both screens are anchored to the steel structure already provided for the aesthetic shell.” Denick expects that most of Doka’s solutions will continue to be used until March 2025. “After that, all our products will be dismantled quickly and efficiently before being transferred directly to our site in Oss. Customer support is integrated in our service which means that until the project is finalized, we will regularly visit the site to confirm everything is going according to plan.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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