Winvic Construction Ltd, a leading main contractor that specialises in the design and delivery of private and public sector construction and civil engineering projects, has announced its expansion into the Data Centre market. Building on 25 years of proven delivery, Winvic will now deliver purpose-built, resilient, and scalable data centre
Plans for a vast new Chinese embassy complex in central London have been approved, clearing the way for the construction of what would become China’s largest diplomatic outpost in Europe. The £255m scheme at Royal Mint Court, located just east of the City of London and directly opposite the Tower
Railpen, manager of the £34bn Railways Pension Scheme in the UK, has achieved a BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ design-stage score for Botanic Place, its 325,000 sq ft landmark development in the heart of Cambridge. Botanic Place attained an unprecedented 100.54% credits, although the score is capped at 100%. This milestone achievement officially
Construction has been completed on HS2’s longest tunnel, marking a significant milestone for one of the UK’s most complex civil engineering projects. Civil engineering works have now concluded on the 10-mile twin-bore Chiltern tunnels, following the completion of the final vent shafts at Chesham Road and Little Missenden. The achievement
Leading structural and civil engineering consultancy completes comprehensive remediation and fire safety upgrade of South Shields residential development. Wednesday 21st January – Perega has completed a comprehensive fire safety upgrade at Sinclair Meadows in South Shields. Originally built in 2012 as one of the UK’s first carbon-negative residential schemes, the 12-flat
With winter in full effect, Finning are seeing more customers utilising VisionLinkTM telematics to help improve safety and security on site. Building on more than a decade of condition monitoring insight, the latest iteration of VisionLink, launched in August 2023, is helping Finning customers tackle the short days and hazardous winter
Chapmanbdsp is pleased to announce the addition of three new members to its growing Mission Critical team: Rob Davies, Kayode Ayinde and Anju Nair. This expansion reflects the company’s continued commitment to investing in exceptional talent and strengthening its capabilities across disciplines and within its Mission Critical specialism. As the
Winvic Construction Ltd, a leading main contractor that specialises in the design and delivery of private and public sector construction and civil engineering projects, has announced its expansion into the Data Centre market. Building on 25 years of proven delivery, Winvic will now deliver purpose-built, resilient, and scalable data centre solutions to meet growing market demand, reinforcing its commitment to innovation, operational excellence and supporting the digital economy. Data Centres is Winvic’s fourth core sector, sitting alongside Industrial & Logistics, Multi-room, and Civils & Infrastructure. As a Tier 1 partner of the UK’s most complex industrial and infrastructure developments, Winvic has built an enviable record of disciplined delivery and the highest standards of quality. Its move into the Data Centre market is part of its ongoing growth and diversification, bringing its core values and expertise to a rapidly expanding market. Danny Cross, Director – Head of Data Centre Delivery at Winvic, said: “Over the last eighteen months we have focused on developing our supply chain, upskilling our teams and recruiting new expertise. Working alongside specialist MEP partners, we’re combining civil engineering scale and management with technical precision to deliver data centres designed for uptime, resilience, and scalability. “This marks a significant milestone in Winvic’s evolution as we expand into one of the fastest-growing construction sectors whilst maintaining our commitment to quality, collaboration, and excellence.” Danny Nelson, Managing Director of Industrial, Logistics and Data Centres at Winvic, said: “Our entry into the Data Centre market is a natural evolution of our capabilities as these developments share similar attributes to buildings we’ve been specialising in for over 25 years. Our proven delivery of large-scale and complex industrial and logistics projects, rigorous safety and quality standards through our ‘Doing It Right’ culture, and a collaborative approach gives us a strong advantage. “ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Plans for a vast new Chinese embassy complex in central London have been approved, clearing the way for the construction of what would become China’s largest diplomatic outpost in Europe. The £255m scheme at Royal Mint Court, located just east of the City of London and directly opposite the Tower of London, has received final sign-off from housing secretary Steve Reed. The decision follows years of delays and political scrutiny, with opposition raised by MPs across parties over national security concerns. The 20,000 sq metre development occupies the former Royal Mint site, which was purchased by China in 2018 for around £230m. The approval concludes a prolonged planning process that included three separate delays and a previous refusal by Tower Hamlets Council in 2022, which cited safety and security risks. In confirming the decision, Reed described the approval as a quasi-judicial determination taken in line with planning policy. He said the decision is final unless successfully challenged through the courts. A 240-page planning report concluded that, when assessed as a whole, the proposals comply with the local development plan and warrant both planning permission and listed building consent. The proposed embassy will include extensive office accommodation, staff facilities, a large basement and living quarters for approximately 200 personnel. A new underground tunnel is also planned to link key embassy buildings across the site. Its proximity to sensitive fibre-optic infrastructure serving financial institutions has been a focal point of ongoing concern. The architectural proposals, designed by David Chipperfield Architects, involve the retention and repurposing of the listed Johnson Smirke and Seamen’s Registry buildings, alongside the demolition of other structures and the construction of new office and residential elements. For security reasons, internal layouts for parts of the scheme have been redacted from publicly available documents. Construction management advice is being provided by BCEGI UK, with Arcadis acting as project manager. Turner & Townsend is serving as cost consultant, Arup is advising on structural and civil engineering, Cundall on building services and Thornton Tomasetti on façade design. Ministers confirmed that intelligence agencies were consulted throughout the process and that a package of protective security measures has been developed. However, the Home Office has pressed for the introduction of a hard perimeter to restrict public access, a requirement that could still necessitate a further planning application. With a final government position on security expected next month, the project now moves closer to delivery, though heightened ministerial scrutiny means concerns beyond planning policy could yet influence its future. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Railpen, manager of the £34bn Railways Pension Scheme in the UK, has achieved a BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ design-stage score for Botanic Place, its 325,000 sq ft landmark development in the heart of Cambridge. Botanic Place attained an unprecedented 100.54% credits, although the score is capped at 100%. This milestone achievement officially makes Botanic Place the first office building in the UK to achieve 100% at Design stage[1]. Railpen’s ambition for Botanic Place is to create global-standard headquarters offices for companies operating predominantly in the AI, tech, innovation, and pharmaceutical sectors seeking a significant presence in the UK’s Golden Triangle. Currently under construction and due for completion in Q1 2028, Botanic Place comprises two buildings: 1 Botanic Place (175,000 sq ft) and 2 Botanic Place (150,000 sq ft). BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is the global gold standard for sustainability in the built environment. While a score of 85% is required to reach the ‘Outstanding’ threshold, Botanic Place has exceeded this by a significant margin. The record-breaking score was made possible through a suite of pioneering environmental features integrated via intelligent design. Each represents market-leading thinking and innovation by Railpen, working closely with its development manager, Socius, and wider team. Many of Botanic Place’s innovations also respond to specific contextual factors, such as the well-documented pressures on water supply in Cambridge. Examples include: Maria Averkina, Senior Asset and Development Manager at Railpen, commented: “Achieving the first 100% BREEAM score for an office development at design stage in the UK is a testament to Railpen’s commitment to understanding not only what occupiers want and need but as importantly, what the surrounding context requires. Botanic Place is a global blueprint for the future of the office, and one that also makes a significant positive contribution environmentally and socially to Cambridge. By using intelligent design to push the boundaries of what is possible in sustainable development, we are providing our future occupiers with a space that prioritises environmental integrity and human wellbeing, supporting productivity and talent retention. The recognition is also testament to the innovation and shared commitment among our professional team and development manager, Socius.” Dan Asquith, BREEAM Business Development Team Leader at BRE, added: “BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ represents the top 1% of UK non-domestic buildings, but Botanic Place has created a category of its own. By integrating pioneering technologies, from the night purge ventilation mode to the dynamic façade design, this project has pushed the boundaries of our assessment criteria. A score of 100.54% is a testament to a rigorous, holistic approach to sustainability that balances carbon reduction with biodiversity and occupant wellbeing. We are delighted to see such a high level of technical excellence being delivered by Railpen in the heart of Cambridge.” Located adjacent to the Cambridge University Botanic Garden and minutes from Cambridge station, Botanic Place will offer private and common roof terraces of 40,000 sq ft providing outstanding 360 degree views of the city, including Botanic Garden from multiple levels, as well as market-defining public spaces, landscaped gardens, internal amenties, events spaces, and food and beverage areas. These will be complemented by 1,300 cycling spaces and exceptional end-of-journey facilities. Railpen has assembled a world-class team to deliver Botanic Place, including development manager Socius, architect Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM), contractor Skanska, and construction consultants, Real PM, with sustainability and MEP consultancy provided by Hoare Lea. Railpen’s office leasing agents for Botanic Place are JLL, Knight Frank, and Savills. In addition to Botanic Place, Railpen’s unique Mill Yard campus-style mixed-use development is under construction and due for completion in Q1 2027. It has also achieved BREEAM Outstanding, placing it within the top 0.5% of sustainable buildings globally. Both developments form part of Railpen’s Cambridge Innovation Cluster, which comprises 11 assets totalling 1.9m sq ft of high-quality space, including the recently consented 1m sq ft Beehive innovation hub. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Construction has been completed on HS2’s longest tunnel, marking a significant milestone for one of the UK’s most complex civil engineering projects. Civil engineering works have now concluded on the 10-mile twin-bore Chiltern tunnels, following the completion of the final vent shafts at Chesham Road and Little Missenden. The achievement brings to a close nearly five years of intensive construction activity through the Chiltern Hills and clears the way for the next phase of fit-out works. With the structural works finished, the tunnels are now ready to be equipped with track, overhead power systems and mechanical and electrical installations. Enabling works for mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems are expected to begin later this year, with rail systems to follow once that stage is complete. Main construction of the tunnels was carried out by Align JV, a joint venture between Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine and Volker Fitzpatrick. Works began in May 2021 with the staggered launch of two 2,000-tonne tunnel boring machines from a site near the M25 at Maple Cross in Hertfordshire. Ahead of tunnelling, five deep ventilation and access shafts were constructed along the route, reaching depths of up to 78 metres. Each shaft headhouse was designed by Grimshaw Architects to sit sensitively within the Chilterns landscape. The tunnel boring machines advanced north at an average rate of 16 metres per day before completing their drives near Great Missenden in early 2024. Since then, teams have focused on constructing the porous tunnel extensions at the north and south portals, installing internal walkways and completing 40 cross passages linking the twin bores. HS2 Ltd’s head of civil engineering for the Chiltern tunnel, Mark Clapp, described the project as a rare opportunity for engineers to work on a scheme of such scale and complexity. He praised the collaboration between HS2 Ltd, Align JV and its supply chain, highlighting the quality and commitment shown throughout delivery. Align JV project director Adrien Baudard said completing the civil works was a point of pride for the entire team, noting advances in safety, sustainability and technical performance achieved during the programme. He added that the project’s approach to carbon reduction, safety innovation and skills development would influence tunnelling best practice for years to come. The Chiltern tunnel is the second of HS2’s five twin-bore tunnels to reach structural completion, following the one-mile Long Itchington Wood tunnel in Warwickshire, completed last year. Despite progress on individual elements, the wider HS2 programme remains behind schedule and over budget. HS2 Ltd chief executive Mark Wild continues to work on a reset plan aimed at delivering the remaining London to Birmingham route more efficiently and at the lowest reasonable cost. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading structural and civil engineering consultancy completes comprehensive remediation and fire safety upgrade of South Shields residential development. Wednesday 21st January – Perega has completed a comprehensive fire safety upgrade at Sinclair Meadows in South Shields. Originally built in 2012 as one of the UK’s first carbon-negative residential schemes, the 12-flat block has been remediated following a fire in February 2024 caused by a fault in the solar PV array. While the fire destroyed a quarter of the roof and caused extensive water damage to three flats, Perega’s initial surveys identified broader risks. The original larch cladding, timber shingles, and compromised fire-break strategies necessitated a full safety overhaul. Working to a 26-week programme, Perega project-managed the replacement of the combustible roof with a non-combustible Metrotile system and installation of compliant fire breaks in all roof voids and external walls. The remediation included stripping the fire-damaged flats back to the timber frame to restore fire compartmentation and installing new mechanical and electrical systems, including heat-recovery units. The project successfully modernised the building’s safety profile while maintaining its functionality and original timber-frame structure. Darren Parkin, Senior Technician at Perega, said: “The Sinclair Meadows project presented a unique opportunity to not only repair the fire damage, but fundamentally improve the building’s safety. Our assessment revealed risks beyond the immediate damage, and we worked closely with Bernicia to implement solutions that meet current standards. Delivering this transformation within 26 weeks required careful coordination, and I’m proud of the team’s achievement.” The completed works provide residents with a safe, modern living environment that addresses original construction vulnerabilities. For more information on Perega, please visit: perega.co.uk. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
With winter in full effect, Finning are seeing more customers utilising VisionLinkTM telematics to help improve safety and security on site. Building on more than a decade of condition monitoring insight, the latest iteration of VisionLink, launched in August 2023, is helping Finning customers tackle the short days and hazardous winter weather conditions that impact operational safety and efficiency during this time of year. With shorter, darker days, and wet and freezing weather conditions, a staple of UK construction conditions in the winter, VisionLink data ensures operators are aware of fault codes before they become serious safety issues, greatly reducing the risk of costly downtime. VisionLink has been developed by Caterpillar® to provide machine and fleet owners with key insights and pre-empt operational faults, highlighting key factors including machine health and operator performance as well as converting data into training assets that help managers improve safety on site. VisionLink has unique geofencing capabilities which supports both lease and inventory management, allowing owner-operators to track their machines movements. Additionally, automatic alerts signal any movement outside of the predetermined fence or permitted zone, which helps enhance the safety and security of both people and machines on site. Becky Wallis, at Finning UK & Ireland, explained: “During the colder weather it’s essential to carry out extra checks to ensure that heavy machinery continues to operate efficiently and VisionLink plays a critical role in reducing operational risk during the winter season. Its capability to support operators with consistent, reliable data helps with avoiding sudden machine failures, improving uptime, and giving supervisors greater awareness of machine status and use.” VisionLink insights provide a centralised view of the entire fleet in a unified safety dashboard, supporting safety by streamlining risk assessments. The data can be used to identify training opportunities to help enhance efficiency, productivity or compliance, and can mitigate hazards by highlighting user patterns or habits that could compromise safety. “Access to telematic data is vital, particularly given the challenges of the winter months. The ability to proactively resolve any issues greatly reduces risk of unplanned breakdowns or safety incidents that could occur as a result of freezing weather conditions or reduced sightlines due to darker days.” VisionLink is available for owners with one machine, or large companies with an entire fleet, and is available as a mobile app to provide ease of access to daily insights and data. Continuous developments in VisionLink technology mean customers will continue to benefit from its insights, with the backing from the experts at Finning who monitor the system to provide proactive service and customer support. To learn more about VisionLink or to arrange a demonstration, visit: https://www.finning.com/en_GB/performance/manage-your-equipment/track-your-equipment/visionlink.html Find out more about VisionLink here: https://www.finning.com/en_GB/performance/manage-your-equipment/track-your-equipment/visionlink.html Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Chapmanbdsp is pleased to announce the addition of three new members to its growing Mission Critical team: Rob Davies, Kayode Ayinde and Anju Nair. This expansion reflects the company’s continued commitment to investing in exceptional talent and strengthening its capabilities across disciplines and within its Mission Critical specialism. As the practice grows, chapmanbdsp welcomes a diverse group of professionals, whose expertise and perspectives will further enhance its culture and services. Davies, appointed as Project Director for chapmanbdsp, has over twelve years of experience within the data centre sector. Rob’s extensive background has provided him with a deep understanding of complex project delivery, from concept through to completion, across a range of high-value developments. Highly skilled in team management, he encourages collaborative work to achieve shared goals. Rob is joining the Mission Critical team and will share his knowledge across various Hyperscalers, and data centre projects, assisting chapmanbdsp in its deliverance of project management. Rob commented “What drew me to chapmanbdsp is its strong presence across the various sectors. I hope to widen the in-house offerings for chapmanbdsp, and look forward to expanding my skills within the industrial and commercial sectors. I aim to provide a quality approach to project delivery that provides consistency throughout”. Kayode Ayinde has also joined the Mission Critical team as an Electrical Engineer. With over 9 years of experience within the industry, both as an Electrician and Electrical Engineer, Kayode has not only hands-on practical experience, but also is great with technical design. Mission Critical projects are complex to work on and Kayode’s commitment to attention to detail ensures that the challenging, technical side to the projects suits his skill set. Having previously assisted on a range of projects from offices and hotels to film studios and retail spaces, Kayode is ready to use his knowledge from across the industry to assist chapmanbdsp in the sectors it works with. One of Kayode’s strengths is his skills in project management, ensuring that deliverables are met effectively and to a high standard, “I love design day-to-day, but I also love teaching. Bringing some younger members and graduates to the design team would give me a great chance to step-up as a mentor and help build on the future generation of the industry” commented Kayode. Anju Nair, joined the chapmanbdsp Dubai office as an Electrical Engineer, bringing 4 years of high-quality experience to the team. Anju spent most of her time learning her skills in electrical engineering in Australia, working on projects from student accommodations, retail spaces, office fit-outs to data centres in Melbourne and Sydney. Anju has a strong understanding of how electrical design translates into practical, on-site implementation. Bringing extensive attention and detail to the team, Anju is set to further improve chapmanbdsp’s quality of multidisciplinary coordination. Anju is an exceptional Electrical Engineer, working on power systems, lighting and energy efficiency, making her well placed to assist and lead data centre projects. Chapmanbdsp continues to expand its mission to regularly innovate its skills, technology and expertise, to stay ahead of time, and Anju’s addition will help them do so. “I want to dive deep into AI, and incorporate it more into the design, so efficiency is improved. I believe technology can really help designers and engineers excel, we just need to use it correctly” Anju commented. Together, the appointments of Rob, Kayode and Anju mark an exciting step forward in Chapmanbdsp’s continued growth. Each brings valuable expertise and a shared commitment to excellence that will support the practice as it broadens its presence across regions and sectors. Their collective drive and technical strength will play an important role in shaping the Chapmanbdsp’s data centre specialism. “We welcome to the Mission Critical Team Rob, Kayode and Anju, they each bring to the team individual qualities and expertise to enhance our project delivery to our clients. This growth demonstrates our commitment to the growing Data Centre Sector, strengthening our team across UK, EMEA and UAE.” David Gallagher, Director of Mission Critical. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals