Designs for Phase Two of a tech development at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus have been approved by the Vale of White Horse District Council for planning. Designed by Scott Brownrigg, Tech Foundry West will create 70,000 sq ft laboratory, advanced manufacturing, and office space to support a growing community
Newham Council has unanimously approved Pollard Thomas Edwards’ striking 29-storey riverside development for The Pickstock Group on Stratford High Street. The mixed-use Build to Rent scheme delivers 355 homes – 25% affordable – alongside a Spacehub-designed public garden, linking Bow Back River to the High Street. It also features a
Ikea is set to open its long-awaited Oxford Street store next month, following an 18-month delay due to complex renovations. Located at 214 Oxford Street, the former Topshop flagship site has undergone a major transformation to house the Swedish retailer’s latest London outlet. Spanning three storeys, the 62,500 sq ft
Nobu Hospitality, the globally recognised luxury lifestyle brand, has unveiled plans for a landmark development in Manchester, featuring a hotel, restaurant, and the UK’s first Nobu-branded residences. In partnership with leading, award-winning property developer Salboy, the project – currently named Viadux 2 – will introduce the Nobu Hotel Manchester as
BAM, the lead construction contractor on Kirklees Council’s Our Cultural Heart regeneration scheme, has appointed two regional firms to support the project’s delivery. Construction on Phase One of the landmark development is progressing well, with the former Queensgate Market building in Huddersfield undergoing a major transformation into a community-focussed library
COMPLETE construction partner Stepnell has secured a place on the latest NHS Shared Business Services framework agreement, supporting with the long-term decarbonisation strategy of healthcare estates nationwide. The new £500m Decarbonisation of Estates framework is designed to help the NHS achieve its ambition of becoming the world’s first net zero national
Hopkins Homes, part of the untypical housebuilding group, has completed a land deal that will bring new homes to a village north of Colchester. The 23-acre site in Great Horkesley benefits from outline planning permission for 100 homes and a reserved matters application is due to be submitted in April.
SITECH® UK & Ireland have supplied Trimble® technology to specialist earthworks contractor RJT Excavations delivering huge cost savings on the Carlisle Southern Link Road (CSLR) project in Cumbria. With the help of SITECH, authorised dealer of Trimble® Civil Construction Field Systems, Scottish Borders-based RJT deployed a Trimble® Universal Total Station
CBRE Warns of Challenges of Building Safety Act on New Development CBRE has reported an excellent start to 2025 in the Build-to-Rent (BTR) market in the North with three forward funding deals totaling £420M transacting in just two weeks across Manchester and Leeds. However, the firm’s northern sector lead warns
Designs for Phase Two of a tech development at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus have been approved by the Vale of White Horse District Council for planning. Designed by Scott Brownrigg, Tech Foundry West will create 70,000 sq ft laboratory, advanced manufacturing, and office space to support a growing community of leading scientists, engineers, and innovators within the Oxford-Cambridge Arc. The speculatively designed building will occupy a site on the north-western corner of Harwell campus adjacent to Phase One of the development, Tech Edge 1 & 2, which is currently under construction. The design creates a clear distinction between pedestrianised public spaces and service areas with vehicular access by dividing and extruding the floorplan across an east west axis. A sawtooth roof both unifies and defines nine individual mid-tech units, each benefitting from a private entrance and views out across extensive landscaping to the south. Provision of individual units combined with a flexible layout ensures the building will be fully equipped to accommodate multi-tenancy and meet a variety of spatial requirements now, and in the future. A carefully considered palette of materials – dark standing seam and naturally finished timber cladding – will complement the natural setting and enhance the building’s striking architectural form. Supporting Harwell’s sustainability objectives and commitment to delivering a Campus Fit for the Future, the design follows a fabric first approach. Use of modulated brise soleil on south facing glazed facades and polycarbonate on north facing facades optimises natural light, manages solar gain, and minimises artificial light spill to the surrounding environment. The buildings serrated profile creates opportunities to introduce Photovoltaic Voltaic (PV) panels onto southwest facing sections of the roof. Landscaping proposals focus on enhancing biodiversity on site through the introduction of juvenile trees and planters inspired by woodland tree leaf cells. Provision of valuable outdoor amenity to support the wellbeing of building users includes the completion of a pedestrian nature trail that weaves through the campus. With construction now started on site, Tech Foundry West is expected to complete in early 2026. Project team: Client: The Harwell Science and Innovation Campus Limited Partnership Architect: Scott Brownrigg Project Manager: Bidwells Services Engineer: Etch Associates Civil & Structural Engineer: Baynham Meikle Quantity Surveyor: Tetra Tech Landscape Architect: RPS Planning Consultant: Carter Jonas Sustainability Consultant: Eight Versa Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Newham Council has unanimously approved Pollard Thomas Edwards’ striking 29-storey riverside development for The Pickstock Group on Stratford High Street. The mixed-use Build to Rent scheme delivers 355 homes – 25% affordable – alongside a Spacehub-designed public garden, linking Bow Back River to the High Street. It also features a new café and performance venue, enriching local creative industries and hosting national jazz concerts and exhibitions. Revitalising a brownfield site left vacant for eight years, the project introduces two buildings at 13 and 29 storeys. The form is inspired by the river’s shifting contours in this location, expressed through alternating bands of material texture and reflectivity. These contours extend from the buildings to connect generous entrance lobbies for both tenures and create a sheltered social space on the garden’s urban edge. Communal residential amenities crown each building, offering lounges, dining and screening rooms, workspaces, and indoor and outdoor play hubs. From here residents can enjoy sweeping views across Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and Three Mills Island. ‘We are delighted to have received planning permission for this development and the positive benefits it will bring to the local community. Alongside much needed homes, the garden-side cafe adds an exciting performance venue to the emerging cultural quarter’ says PTE Partner Carl Vann. ‘The architecture responds to the place narrative – it emerges from a contoured landscape, it includes verdant escarpments at set-back levels and is then carefully sculptured at upper levels to reference the contours of the surrounding city skyline’. ‘This is a significant development for Stratford High Street, and we are thrilled to have achieved resolution on this site’ commented Bradley Carter Development Director at The Pickstock Group. ‘I would like to thank London Borough of Newham Council and the community in seeing our vision for an added value asset to the borough’ added Bradley. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Ikea is set to open its long-awaited Oxford Street store next month, following an 18-month delay due to complex renovations. Located at 214 Oxford Street, the former Topshop flagship site has undergone a major transformation to house the Swedish retailer’s latest London outlet. Spanning three storeys, the 62,500 sq ft space will feature showrooms displaying 6,000 products, with 3,500 available for immediate takeaway. A 130-seat deli will also be part of the offering. The site has been under renovation for three years after Ingka Investments, the investment arm of Ikea’s parent company, acquired the Grade II-listed, 238,958 sq ft building for £378m in 2021. The extensive refurbishment has included replacing fossil fuel gas-fired boilers with energy-efficient air-source heat pumps, installing secondary glazing, and restoring the building’s historic façade. Originally slated to open in autumn 2023, the launch was pushed back due to the complexities of the redevelopment. Ikea has now confirmed the store will open on 1 May, following the closure of its Hus of FRAKTA pop-up concept store. Peter Jelkeby, chief executive and chief sustainability officer at Ikea UK, said: “London is an iconic shopping destination, and we are thrilled to now have a home in its centre. Ikea Oxford Street’s location complements our network of stores in London – and beyond – and allows us to be closer to where our customers live, work and shop, while importantly being easily accessible by foot or public transport.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Nobu Hospitality, the globally recognised luxury lifestyle brand, has unveiled plans for a landmark development in Manchester, featuring a hotel, restaurant, and the UK’s first Nobu-branded residences. In partnership with leading, award-winning property developer Salboy, the project – currently named Viadux 2 – will introduce the Nobu Hotel Manchester as the tallest building outside London, standing at 246 metres. This development will bring the brand’s signature blend of luxury hospitality and world-class dining to the heart of the city. The Viadux 2 project represents a £360 million property development in a prime Manchester city centre location, subject to a positive planning outcome this spring. The 76-storey tower will house 160 hotel rooms, sophisticated event spaces, and a signature Nobu restaurant and bar, each reflecting the brand’s signature minimalist design. The development will also introduce 452 Nobu residences, marking the brand’s debut into the UK’s luxury real estate market. Offering an exclusive opportunity to live the Nobu lifestyle, each residence will feature refined design with thoughtful Japanese details, premium amenities—including Nobu dining and room service —an exclusive swimming pool, spa, podium garden and gym, as well as unparalleled access to the city through a dedicated experience team. Manchester has rapidly evolved into a prime destination for luxury hospitality and high-end real estate, attracting leading luxury brands and world-class restaurateurs. Nobu’s arrival marks a major milestone in this transformation, setting a new benchmark for upscale living and hospitality in the region. “We are proud to include Manchester in our global collection, with its vibrant culture and growing global status. Strong partnerships are essential to our success, and with Salboy, Fred Done, and Simon Ismail, we have the best-in-class partners with a solid reputation and a world-renowned vision,” said Trevor Horwell, CEO of Nobu Hospitality. “Having grown up in the area, I am personally immensely proud of this project in a city that continues its evolution as a global destination for luxury hospitality. Manchester is home to world-class developments, a thriving culinary scene, and a growing demand for high-end lifestyle experiences. None of our locations are cookie cutter; we wholeheartedly embrace the spirit of each destination. We are delighted to be working with Salboy to blend the Nobu experience with the essence of Manchester.” “For decades, I’ve travelled extensively while growing my businesses and exploring a vast array of dining experiences. Yet, Nobu has consistently set the benchmark for fine dining, offering impeccable cuisine and unparalleled hospitality wherever I go, whether in New York, Singapore, or soon in Manchester. I’m truly excited to welcome the Nobu team to Manchester. As a businessman, I understand why Robert De Niro and his partners chose to invest in Nobu. It is about more than just money; it is about bringing this level of class to Manchester and celebrating what it means for the city.” Fred Done, Co-founder of Salboy & Betfred “This £360 million deal for Nobu Manchester will take the city to new heights in terms of service, cuisine, and experience. Chef Nobu’s cuisine, renowned worldwide, has influenced dining across the globe. Even if you haven’t dined at a Nobu restaurant, you have likely experienced dishes inspired by his innovations. As the original innovator in fine dining, Chef Nobu popularised a blend of cuisines in exciting new ways, leaving a lasting influence on every modern restaurant you see today. We are excited to unveil plans for the UK’s first Nobu-branded residences and hotel, with this signature hospitality offering at its heart.” Simon Ismail, Co-founder of Salboy Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
BAM, the lead construction contractor on Kirklees Council’s Our Cultural Heart regeneration scheme, has appointed two regional firms to support the project’s delivery. Construction on Phase One of the landmark development is progressing well, with the former Queensgate Market building in Huddersfield undergoing a major transformation into a community-focussed library hub and vibrant food hall. As part of the project’s commitment to regional economic growth, Wakefield-based CCL Facades has secured the contract to deliver aluminium curtain walling, automatic doors, windows, and internal fire screens for both the library hub and new food hall. Their work begins this month and is set for completion by autumn 2025. “West Yorkshire is our home,” said Tony Blake, Managing Director of CCL Facades. “We’re proud to contribute to this landmark project, which respects the market’s 50-year heritage while delivering a modern, striking development.” Additionally, Rose System Scaffolding, based in Chadderton, has been providing essential scaffolding services over recent months. Both firms operate within a 20-mile radius of Huddersfield town centre, reinforcing the project’s commitment to supporting regional businesses. Cllr Graham Turner, Cabinet Member for Finance and Regeneration, said: “Our Cultural Heart will bring significant economic benefits to Huddersfield, Kirklees and the wider region – not just in the future but right now. By prioritising a regional supply chain, we are actively supporting businesses and local jobs during the construction process.” Matt Garnett, Construction Manager for BAM, added: “At BAM, we are committed to using a regional supply chain wherever possible. Working with local companies brings multiple benefits – from leveraging local expertise and stakeholder connections to improving efficiency and lowering our carbon footprint.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
COMPLETE construction partner Stepnell has secured a place on the latest NHS Shared Business Services framework agreement, supporting with the long-term decarbonisation strategy of healthcare estates nationwide. The new £500m Decarbonisation of Estates framework is designed to help the NHS achieve its ambition of becoming the world’s first net zero national health service, reaching net zero by 2040 for the emissions the NHS controls directly. Stepnell has secured its place on both Lot 1, Decarbonisation of Non-Domestic/ Public Buildings, and Lot 2, Decarbonisation of Domestic Properties. Stepnell will be supporting the NHS and other public sector authorities, including local government and housing associations, as a complete construction partner. Through competition and direct award, it will deliver comprehensive decarbonisation works including enhancing existing buildings thermal performance and improve energy efficiencies through lighting efficiencies and renewable technologies, which include air source heat pumps and photovoltaic panels. Christian White, senior pre-construction manager and framework lead at Stepnell, said: “The NHS SBS framework award is reflective of our established expertise delivering on multi-million projects to enhance energy performance and decarbonisation on estates across the healthcare sector. “With expanding capabilities in undertaking decarbonisation schemes, including retrofitting through our partnership with our specialist renewables & decarbonation business Step Energy, we are well placed to deliver decarbonisation projects for the NHS and other public sector authorities to meet relevant sustainability targets.” The framework agreement has been designed via extensive consultation with the public sector and Greener NHS leads. It enables estates managers to create greater value by combining decarbonisation works with their backlog investment works to create cleaner, greener and more attractive estates. Anjub Ali, senior category manager at NHS SBS said: “With the announcement of over £1bn for public sector decarbonisation in the Autumn Budget 2024, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has confirmed funding for the next wave of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. “The new Decarbonisation of Estates Framework Agreement will support the delivery of the NHS’s ambition in ‘Delivering a Net Zero Health Service’ and respond to the profound and growing threat to health posed by climate change.” To find out more about Stepnell, visit www.stepnell.co.uk, or join in the conversation at @Stepnellltd. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Hopkins Homes, part of the untypical housebuilding group, has completed a land deal that will bring new homes to a village north of Colchester. The 23-acre site in Great Horkesley benefits from outline planning permission for 100 homes and a reserved matters application is due to be submitted in April. Subject to planning approval, work is expected to begin on site in January 2026, with the first legal completions in December 2026. Duncan Jackson, Managing Director of Hopkins Homes, part of the untypical group said: “Our track record of creating distinctive new homes, reinforced by our five-star customer satisfaction rating, has established Hopkins Homes as a trusted choice for landowners throughout East Anglia.” Duncan added: “With sustainability at the core of our developments, we’re committed to building communities that thrive for generations. Our most recent acquisition in Great Horkesley will be no exception, with placemaking at its heart and a range of distinctive new homes that give a nod to our heritage whilst providing energy efficient modern living.” Great Horkesley has been identified for housing development within the adopted Local Plan and the proposed scheme will include 30 affordable homes, contributing to the local community’s housing diversity and accessibility. Furthermore, the development will incorporate a generous 5.1 hectares of public open space, including a new community allotment and a Scouts and Girl Guide hut. Hopkins Homes has considerable experience in developing homes in Essex, with properties currently for sale at River Reach, Mistley and Beaulieu, Chelmsford. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
SITECH® UK & Ireland have supplied Trimble® technology to specialist earthworks contractor RJT Excavations delivering huge cost savings on the Carlisle Southern Link Road (CSLR) project in Cumbria. With the help of SITECH, authorised dealer of Trimble® Civil Construction Field Systems, Scottish Borders-based RJT deployed a Trimble® Universal Total Station (UTS) high-precision positioning system for the first time. This innovative technology delivers millimetre-level machine guidance, reducing both the amount of surfacing materials used on the 8km stretch of road, and the time taken for surveys and rechecking. Gary Garner, Engineering Manager at RJT describes how the company came to use the UTS system: “Having worked on many civil engineering projects where accuracy is important, we are used to working with Trimble GPS and real-time kinetic corrections. For this project we knew that even greater accuracy would pay dividends. Having worked closely with SITECH for over 10 years we asked about UTS. They supplied the kit and gave us all the technical support we needed to set up the system and get the best out of it throughout the project.” The GPS used in standard machine guidance compares time signals from multiple satellites to fix a machine’s position to within a few centimetres. UTS relies instead on a ‘total station’ in a fixed position on the ground, which uses line of sight lasers which bounce off reflectors mounted on the equipment. Data from the station integrates with the Trimble Earthworks 3D machine control system to guide machines to within a couple of millimetres. Garner explains how the system is delivering significant savings on the project: “As long as the total station has line of sight it can stay in position for a whole day so just needs setting up once. This enables grading of the road surface to millimetre-level precision with no interruptions for manual stakeouts or rechecking. “This saves time and enables the project to proceed with fewer surveying personnel, thereby minimising the interaction between plant machinery and operatives. Reducing the manual aspect of the project also delivers health and safety benefits as operatives don’t need to work alongside the plant, significantly reducing the risk of injury on site. “It also allows for a perfect spread of tarmac first time. While the difference between a few centimetres and a few millimetres might not sound like much, the CSLR is 8km long so overall this method delivered significant cost savings when compared to conventional level control methods.” Liam Payne, Regional Sales Representative at SITECH, oversaw the supply of the equipment: “RJT hired the equipment first and placed an order to buy very shortly afterwards. This is testament to the overall value of UTS and we expect to see this technology become more commonplace on UK projects going forward.” The CSLR project is ongoing and scheduled for completion later this year. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
CBRE Warns of Challenges of Building Safety Act on New Development CBRE has reported an excellent start to 2025 in the Build-to-Rent (BTR) market in the North with three forward funding deals totaling £420M transacting in just two weeks across Manchester and Leeds. However, the firm’s northern sector lead warns that the Building Safety Act (BSA) is a major challenge; impacting transactions and ultimately new homes delivery, representing the single biggest barrier to building in city centres. The two stand out deals to complete in recent weeks include the acquisition of the 51-storey, 494 apartment development in Renaker’s New Jackson area of Deansgate, Manchester by a partnership between L&G, Nest and PGGM. Known as F1, the development is currently underway. In Leeds, Property investment management firm Barings agreed the £152M forward funding deal with Glenbrook for a 600 apartment mixed-use scheme at Kirkstall Road in Leeds. The commonality between these two forward funding deals is that they were both already implemented ahead of the new Building Safety Act Gateway 2 regime, which affects the construction of higher-risk and large-scale buildings. Head of Residential Investment, North at CBRE, Tom Sinclair (pictured), explains; “With BSA compliance now being mandatory for developers and building owners, and whilst the construction sector adjusts, there are significant challenges ahead. All projects must now navigate three critical safety gateway check points, meaning that approval is required at the planning stage, before building work can commence and before a building can be certified complete and occupied. “The two significant transactions we have concluded in recent weeks were already implemented before the Act came into force and as a result we will see the delivery of much-needed new homes in Leeds and Manchester. Whilst many viability constraints on funding deals can be overcome with creative solutions, the Gateway 2 approval may have a major cost and time impact on future strategic funding deals of this scale, due to lengthy delays being imposed by going through the system. This will further compound challenges in the market, restricting delivery of new homes.” Sinclair continues; “For schemes that can successfully navigate the Gateway process, we are seeing proven investor demand for Build to Rent developments in all regional markets. Indeed, the contraction in anticipated supply of new developments and consequential lack of new rental options is anticipated to drive strong occupational demand and investment performance. In the meantime, we are working with Developers across the region to optimise funding structures that mitigate the impact of the BSA regulations and present developments in a manner that work for both Investors and Developers to enable new forward funding agreements and seed the delivery of new homes. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
