Werner is delighted to announce the launch of its new Multi-Purpose Telescopic ladder range. This new and improved 3-in-1 ladder is extremely versatile, offering a stepladder, extension ladder and stairwell ladder all in one compact, lightweight product. Certified to the latest EN131-4:2020 safety standard, this professional ladder features adjustable telescopic
Waddesdon Manor is home to the Rothschild Collections of paintings, sculpture and decorative arts, and was built by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild between 1874 and 1885. Opened to the public in 1959, Waddesdon Manor is managed by the Rothschild Foundation, a family charitable trust, on behalf of the National Trust,
As part of the safe management of Madeira Terrace, temporary structural propping work will take place to four of the 152 bays beneath the terrace from next week. The Grade II* listed terrace is regularly inspected to identify any recommended works, such as propping, which may be required to prevent
Winvic Construction Ltd, a leading main contractor that specialises in the design and delivery of multi-sector construction and civil engineering projects, along with its client Edmond de Rothschild has celebrated the topping out of a 406-apartment build-to-rent project on Kent Street in the centre of Birmingham. To mark the occasion,
Specialist repairs and maintenance provider, Sovini Property Services, are delighted to have been appointed onto Torus‘ biggest framework to date. Leading North-West housing Group, Torus, recently launched its new framework which will see trusted contractors Sovini Property Services work in conjunction with HMS to manage and maintain 40,000 homes. Following
AG, leading paving and building manufacturer, has won EIGHT major industry awards in quick succession across the UK and Ireland. Established over 60 years ago, AG is a 3rd generation family-owned business which now employs more than 230 people at eight locations across the UK and Ireland. The first accolade
Addington Capital Sells 1-27 Station Parade, Elm Park, Hornchurch East London to Property Development Solutions Europe Addington Capital, the property investment and asset management specialist and its joint venture partners have sold 1-27 Station Parade Elm Park, Hornchurch, East London to Property Development Solutions Europe for £12 million. Elm Park
The RIBA has published a guide for its members on the legal implications of the Building Safety Act and other draft regulations in England.. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A social landlord and a software company have won a UK leading housing award. Platform Housing Group, one of the UK’s largest housing associations, and software company Voicescape have won the Best Customer Impact category in the NHMF – National Housing Maintenance Forum – awards. The winners were unveiled at
Ampd Energy, an Earthshot Prize finalist that has pioneered the use of battery energy storage systems in urban construction, that their flagship product has been launched in the UK, deployed to London’s Olympia Redevelopment. In partnership with Laing O’Rourke, principal contractor for the Olympia Redevelopment, and subsidiary Select, the “Enertainer”
Werner is delighted to announce the launch of its new Multi-Purpose Telescopic ladder range. This new and improved 3-in-1 ladder is extremely versatile, offering a stepladder, extension ladder and stairwell ladder all in one compact, lightweight product. Certified to the latest EN131-4:2020 safety standard, this professional ladder features adjustable telescopic sections with simple to operate hinge locks, allowing for easy conversion between the three modes. Spring loaded ‘J’ locks enable the user to adjust the height of the telescopic ladder quickly and easily. Mark Robson, Product Manager at Werner, said: “This new telescopic range allows users to meet the various requirements of different jobs using just one compact, telescoping product. Not only does this eliminate the need to keep switching between equipment whilst working, it also reduces the number of ladders and platforms a professional has to carry with them at any one time – a win-win solution.” This robust, high-grade aluminium multi-purpose ladder has a load capacity of 150kg, and not only is it user friendly, it also has compact folded dimensions, making it easy to handle, transport and store. Designed to bring versatility to any job, the ladder is available in three sizes, with the largest size offering up to 30 heights. The splayed base, with heavy-duty slip-resistant feet, is designed to provide maximum stability in any position, giving the user added peace of mind. To protect work surfaces it has non-marring rubber foot pads, while protective edge bracing provides enhanced strength to the bottom of the ladder. Available in three sizes, with an extension mode maximum length of between 2.94m and 5.10m, the Multi-Purpose Telescopic series offers a lightweight, multi-purpose solution to working at height and is uniquely placed to be able to offer professionals a solution for a multitude of jobs. The Werner Multi-Purpose Telescopic ladder series is now available nationally. To find out more visitwernerco.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Waddesdon Manor is home to the Rothschild Collections of paintings, sculpture and decorative arts, and was built by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild between 1874 and 1885. Opened to the public in 1959, Waddesdon Manor is managed by the Rothschild Foundation, a family charitable trust, on behalf of the National Trust, who took over ownership in 1957. They needed an access control system that could not only secure storerooms and valuable artwork and assets, but also keep members of the public away from restricted areas. Keys in the existing locking system were badly worn, and the security and facilities management wanted to upgrade to a proven state of the art solution that provided control of key management and more information such as audit trails. Mid-Beds Locksmiths Ltd – who have been responsible for the heritage and modern locks and ironmongery at the site for over 20 years – and the security team at Waddesdon conducted a survey of the site to identify the locks that most urgently needed replacing in stage one of the upgrade. Mid-Beds Locksmiths Ltd suggested the eCLIQ solution from Abloy would be the ideal retrofit option. The security team were aware of Abloy’s strong reputation in the security industry as a trusted brand, with many Abloy products fitted in heritage sites and museums across the UK. As Abloy is known for its premium high quality high security products, this would also fulfil insurance criteria. By switching to eCLIQ, staff would retain their own key with individual permissions, rather than having to share keys from the previous mechanical master key system. This meant Waddesdon could implement a fully traceable electromechanical key hierarchy system, with each department given different access rights based on their requirements. What’s more, the solution required no wiring, making the installation simple and maintaining the original appearance. Abloy and Mid-Beds Locksmiths Ltd specified a new bespoke solution, issuing around 20 keys and 35 cylinders for stage one, with a view to expanding the system with further upgrades in the future. The eCLIQ cylinders are suitable for doors of any thickness, making them the ideal solution for heritage doors as there are no cables or drilling required, plus the cylinders do not damage the original lock. Ornate cylinders were specified where required, fitting in with the building’s aesthetics and maintaining the appearance of historic locks. The Waddesdon security team explained: “The eCLIQ system is the perfect solution for the heritage sector, as it allows access control in a historic property where you normally wouldn’t be able to get it without considerable impact on infrastructure. “All of our access is now controlled by the admin onsite, and no one can give the wrong access to the wrong person – it just can’t happen. It’s a busy environment so this has saved significant admin time handing out keys. “Instead of having to collect a bunch of 30 keys, staff have just one. Now people come to work in the morning, enter their key and are automatically given their access rights for 24 hours. “Permissions are deleted after a period of time, so we don’t need to worry about lost or stolen keys. If someone lost a key previously, we would have to change 50-60 locks, but that’s not an issue anymore. Plus, the system offers tracking and audit trails for us to keep an eye on who is accessing which areas and when. “We can change batteries so they won’t wear out, which offers another cost saving, and the locks are more robust for multiple use, so I’m confident it’ll be a more flexible and beneficial system long term.” View the video case study video…. For further information on products and services for the heritage sector available from Abloy, visit https://bit.ly/3wosdX5, call 01902 364 500, or email info@abloy.co.uk. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
As part of the safe management of Madeira Terrace, temporary structural propping work will take place to four of the 152 bays beneath the terrace from next week. The Grade II* listed terrace is regularly inspected to identify any recommended works, such as propping, which may be required to prevent further weakening of the structure. Following recommendations from the latest inspection, structural steelwork will be installed at four locations along the length of the terrace. This is important preparatory work ahead of Phase 1 of the major renovation project, which begins in the autumn. That covers 40 arches between the Royal Crescent Steps and Shelter Hall – the Concorde 2 venue. It is important that this preparatory work is carried out to provide extra support to the historic structure. The Green Wall The propping work specifically excludes any elements relating to the Green Wall. Consultation on this work has been undertaken with Brighton & Hove Building Green (a local community group closely involved with Madeira Terrace and the Green Wall), the council’s Biodiversity Officer, Planning Conservation Officer and the Madeira Terrace Restoration Project Team. The Fig Tree To enable the propping work to take place the fig tree to the eastern end of Madeira Terrace will need to be coppiced, as this is currently preventing access to two of the bays which require structural support. This work has been discussed and agreed with James Farrell of Building Green, and with the council’s Biodiversity Officer. Coppicing is a traditional method of tree and shrub management which involves cutting the plant to ground level. This promotes the fresh growth of many smaller shoots, which quickly grow upwards. High level vegetation Where plants are growing at a high-level in the bays and covering the beams on the underside of the arches, these will be cut back to allow a structural inspection of these beams to be done. Without being able to fully survey the structure concealed deterioration to the beams could weaken the Terrace. Contractors will also remove metal and timber debris beneath the arches to allow safe access for the propping work to be carried out. This will be carefully managed to ensure that the Green Wall to the rear is protected, even where vegetation has started to grow around the debris. No pesticides will be used in this work. Rejuvenating a valued asset Council Leader Phélim Mac Cafferty said: “Over the last 130 years it’s inevitable that the coastal weather has weakened some of the structure of Madeira Terraces. In order that we fully understand the nature of the problem, specialist teams are now inspecting the structure so restoration can get underway. Extra steel supports will be installed to help prop up the Terraces to keep the structure safe as this necessary work happens. “Local experts are working with council teams to secure this next step on the path to a restored Madeira Terrace. Longer term, the new Terrace will signal a rejuvenated eastern seafront with a valued asset for generations to come.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Winvic Construction Ltd, a leading main contractor that specialises in the design and delivery of multi-sector construction and civil engineering projects, along with its client Edmond de Rothschild has celebrated the topping out of a 406-apartment build-to-rent project on Kent Street in the centre of Birmingham. To mark the occasion, one of the final sections of concrete was poured – an upstand to an automatic opening vent on the seventeenth-storey roof of Block A – and finished by the investment house’s leadership team and Winvic’s Director of Multi-room, Mark Jones. The project, which comprises 154 one-bedroom, 228 two-bedroom and 24 three-bedroom apartments is on the former site of the Kent Street Swimming Baths. Winvic began the enabling works in April 2021 and construction works commenced in August 2021. Contained by roads on all sides, the compact site has seen the reinforced concrete slip formed cores and frames rise to seven, eight, 10 and 18 storeys since then. The 10-storey tower is on the corner of Gooch Street and Kent Street and the tallest block – which also has a basement car park for 95 vehicles – is on the corner Bromsgrove Street and Henstead Street. Works to the roofs as well as the Steel Frame System and window installations are over halfway through their programmes across the whole project. The Winvic team is also focusing on the façade to Block D – where brick slip panels are being installed – and internal fit out to Blocks D, A and C including partitions, first fix mechanical and electrical works and the plant room. To watch the continued progress via an on-site camera, visit Winvic Live. The scheme will also feature green roofs, a ground floor commercial space, shared resident amenity areas and a landscaped central courtyard with community hub. Winvic is scheduled to hand over the scheme in 2024. Mark Jones, Winvic’s Director of Multi-room, said: “It’s particularly rewarding to reach the topping out stage of a RC Framed building and we were delighted to be able to celebrate this important milestone with our client and the funders. We’ve been working as one team with Edmond de Rothschild to ensure progress is on track and the people of Birmingham will now start to see the brick slip façade envelop the buildings. I’d like to thank our team for their hard work to get to this stage. Everyone is looking forward to a productive year and final push to completion in 2024.” Tim Holden, Edmond de Rothschild – REIM Head of Residential UK – added: “We are delighted to be developing 400 apartments for Build-to-rent in Birmingham in partnership with Winvic. This scheme is an important project in our 2,600-unit portfolio. Working with Winvic is always a good experience and the topping out is an important milestone. We look forward to reaching practical completion so that our in-house lettings and property management service can begin to let and manage this exciting place-making scheme in the centre of Birmingham. I would like to thank our investors for participating in this project and the project team that’s bringing this landmark project to fruition.” For more information on Winvic, the company’s latest project news and job vacancies please visit www.winvic.co.uk. Join Winvic on social media – visit Twitter @WinvicLtd – and LinkedIn. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Specialist repairs and maintenance provider, Sovini Property Services, are delighted to have been appointed onto Torus‘ biggest framework to date. Leading North-West housing Group, Torus, recently launched its new framework which will see trusted contractors Sovini Property Services work in conjunction with HMS to manage and maintain 40,000 homes. Following the successful completion of a robust and transparent procurement exercise, award-winning maintenance firm Sovini Property Services were appointed as a key contractor. The new framework encompasses several workstreams, including Responsive and Void repairs, Cyclical Maintenance, Estate Services and Facilities Management, and will support the Group in responding quickly and appropriately to the needs of its tenants and providing reassurance that all services delivered are of a high standard. Utilising a framework approach, Sovini Property Services will enable Torus to become more agile in how they deliver repairs and maintenance services. Available to other Registered Providers, the framework will help guarantee quality, value for money and ultimately more investment by Torus in its portfolio of properties and communities. Mike Dale, Head of Services and Growth at Sovini Property Services, commented “We’re delighted to be appointed onto the framework, working in collaboration with Torus who share similar values. We recognise the value our partnership is set to bring, supporting Torus’ vision to enable the development of economically vibrant communities and independent lives.” Discussing the launch of its Repairs and Maintenance Framework, Torus Chief Operating Officer, Cath Murray-Howard said “I’m delighted to be working with Sovini Property Services and HMS to provide a long-term, sustained service to our customers. Each proposal highlighted both organisations commitment to their customers, communities and a job well done, which aligned wholly with how Torus operates, and I am looking forward to seeing both organisations bring our values directly into our customers’ homes.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
AG, leading paving and building manufacturer, has won EIGHT major industry awards in quick succession across the UK and Ireland. Established over 60 years ago, AG is a 3rd generation family-owned business which now employs more than 230 people at eight locations across the UK and Ireland. The first accolade was being Highly Commended in both the Manufacturer of the Year and Best Family Business categories at the Business Eye awards. The awards showcase the success of companies across specialist categories and sectors. The company was recognised at the ceremony for its best-in-class walling, paving and facing brick products. The third award – from The Plant and Civil Engineering Awards for R&D Innovation of the Year– provided positive proof of AG’s ground-breaking work within the sector. AG was also recognised at the prestigious RoSPA awards where they were rewarded for their ongoing commitment to health and safety in the workforce. These best-in-class awards recognise companies that are going above and beyond to ensure their workplace is safe. Their commitment and dedication of all AG employees and contractors to safety within the company was further recognised at the NISG (Northern Ireland Safety Group) Safety Awards for 2022 where AG received a Distinction Award. The next award was for Sustainability and Quality Engineer Catherine Campbell who picked up the Future Leader award at the Innovate UK KTP Awards ceremony. The Future Leader Award is given to associates who have shown “exceptional skills in driving and delivering innovation strategy, demonstrating great teamwork and outstanding leadership potential”. As well as this AG won the Best Branding and Positioning Campaign for AG’s launch of its latest ground-breaking product, Enduur Led by Head of Marketing Ross Telford, the team launched an integrated campaign across digital and traditional media including innovative, sharply focused content aimed to showcase the unique benefits of Enduur. AG’s dedication to introducing sustainable practices into their processes saw them win their eight award of the season in the Business in the Community Benchmarking Survey. This survey scores, recognises, and rewards organisations that are going above and beyond their legal environmental requirements. AG already has one of the lowest carbon footprints in the industry and this award highlights their commitment to reducing the environmental impact of its operations to an absolute minimum. Stephen Acheson, CEO at AG, said winning the eight major awards was fitting recognition of the outstanding work everyone at AG has been doing. “We are extremely proud to receive these eight prestigious awards. The past year has seen continued growth within challenging market conditions, and it is truly amazing to be able to share these awards with everyone at AG as we recognise their hard work and commitment to doing and being better.” “Since we first opened over 60 years ago, we have held family values at the core of our business operations and are committed to making construction, better, faster and safer. Innovation is at the heart of what we do, and we plan to continue our focus in these areas while maintaining our community work and investment in the training and development of our staff.” To find out more about AG, visit their website – www.ag.uk.com. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Addington Capital Sells 1-27 Station Parade, Elm Park, Hornchurch East London to Property Development Solutions Europe Addington Capital, the property investment and asset management specialist and its joint venture partners have sold 1-27 Station Parade Elm Park, Hornchurch, East London to Property Development Solutions Europe for £12 million. Elm Park is a mixed-use scheme comprising 20 retail units, anchored by a 7,000 sq ft Co-op store, and 31 residential units. The property has been actively asset managed by Addington Capital since the property was purchased in 2014*. Through a reconfiguration of the site and rolling refurbishments on the residential units, the rents have increased 73.5% between purchase and disposal. David Dalrymple, Partner at Addington Capital said, “Our business plan for Elm Park has been successful. The scheme is fully let, and we reached the right stage in our cycle to sell. We believe there is good future redevelopment potential for the scheme to the rear and the potential to add an additional storey of residential to the existing structure.” Agents for the vendors were Allsop LLP. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The RIBA has published a guide for its members on the legal implications of the Building Safety Act and other draft regulations in England.. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A social landlord and a software company have won a UK leading housing award. Platform Housing Group, one of the UK’s largest housing associations, and software company Voicescape have won the Best Customer Impact category in the NHMF – National Housing Maintenance Forum – awards. The winners were unveiled at the National Housing Maintenance Forum Conference on Tuesday 24 January in Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire. The entry focused on the social landlord’s employment of the Voicescape Compliance solution resulting in a significant increase in customer’s first-time gas appointments. Voicescape Compliance helps compliance teams meet their statutory property maintenance requirements; in the case of Platform Property Care, it is being used for annual gas safety checks. In essence, the software automates the process of booking, confirming and rescheduling appointments with customers before they happen. This prevents both non-compliance and the cost of no-access visits. Prior to using this new technology, the social landlord was booking gas appointments through either letters or texts; if a customer needed to rearrange an appointment it required the customer to make contact. Lee Vernalls, Assistant Director at Platform Property Care said: “We are absolutely delighted to win the Best Customer Impact Award; it is really a credit to both Voicescape’s powerful digital solution and our colleagues at Platform who have embraced it. “Voicescape has allowed us to change the way we schedule our gas servicing appointments, moving from a prescriptive approach to a more consultative approach. We are now providing a better service for our customers and ultimately reducing the cost and inefficiency of no access appointments. We can now see, in real time, the customers who have confirmed appointments and those who still require contact. Having this level of information is truly changing how we work.” Bill Williams, Chief Revenue Officer at Voicescape said: “We’re incredibly proud of our work with Platform Property Care. No access appointments are an age old challenge for the social housing sector which requires a new approach. Not only is compliance a reputational risk, it carries a cost burden. By automating a traditionally labour intensive task, organisations can free up valuable people to have more meaningful and impactful interactions – better for teams and for customers. I am confident the sector wide impact of the Voicescape Compliance solution, as evidenced by the results at Platform Property Care, will be significant.” In 10 months, the rate of no-access appointments has reduced by 10 per cent; it is hoped that – thanks to this powerful digital solution – this figure will continue to rise. Lee concluded : “Voicescape has provided us with a faster, more proactive approach to engaging with our customers and having quality conversations to meet their requirements. Our access rates have increased, allowing us to book appointments that suit the customers whilst also managing our compliance.” For further information please contact Lee Vernalls, Assistant Director at Platform Property Care at Lee.Vernalls@Platformhg.com. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Ampd Energy, an Earthshot Prize finalist that has pioneered the use of battery energy storage systems in urban construction, that their flagship product has been launched in the UK, deployed to London’s Olympia Redevelopment. In partnership with Laing O’Rourke, principal contractor for the Olympia Redevelopment, and subsidiary Select, the “Enertainer” has powered three cranes at the construction project in the six weeks since it’s deployment in December. With over 130 of the smart batteries live across building sites in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Australia, the Enertainer is a plug and play device designed for the electrification of construction. Providing clean, quiet and fully automated energy delivery, it enables construction to transition away from fossil fuels. Thirty times quieter than a diesel generator, the Enertainer is designed for the tough, dynamic and space-constrained needs of construction sites. In the six weeks since the Enertainer has been operational the advanced energy storage system has introduced significant financial and environmental advantages; over the life of the project, an Enertainer will be more cost effective than using diesel generators, as well as saving space and manpower time. According to the IEA, the combined building and construction sector is responsible for 30% of total global final energy consumption and 27% of total emissions in the overall energy sector. Compared to fossil fuel generators, the Enertainer reduces carbon footprints by up to 90%, is significantly quieter, emits zero air pollutants, and eliminates diesel handling and usage risks. With very few moving parts, the Enertainer has minimal maintenance and zero refuelling downtime. By replacing diesel with electricity from the grid network, the Enertainer can also realise significant cost-savings as well as operational benefits for construction sites in the UK and around the world. Additionally, as an IoT enabled device, the Enertainer can be remotely monitored anytime and anywhere, providing a deep level of data-transparency for data-driven decision making. The Enertainer is the first energy storage system in the UK able to power such large construction equipment which will be crucial as the construction sector looks to reduce its environmental impact. This partnership with Select has entailed the deployment of the Enertainer in central London, and is available now across the rest of the UK. Brandon Ng, CEO and Co-Founder of AMPD Energy commented: “We are proud to have launched our first European deployment for the Olympia Redevelopment. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to demonstrate the ‘Enertainer’s’ compelling environmental and commercial impacts, right here in London. We’re excited by the platform’s ability to transform construction and are proud to be partnering with industry leaders like Select and Laing O’Rourke, as we continue our journey towards making this a reality. We look forward to building on this first deployment over the course of 2023, powering cleaner, cheaper construction in the UK and across the world.” From Ian Fleming- Select Site Services Product Leader at Olympia Redevelopment commented: “The Ampd Enertainer is a game changer for site electrics and its infrastructure. Not only does it enable us to power the crane on a small grid connection, but the innovative design allows us to feed it with small power cables and charge it when site demand for power is low. It has the capacity to run additional equipment so we are looking at other applications for it already.” From Stephen Bradby – Plant & Engineering Technical Leader at Select commented: “At Select, we understand our responsibility to challenge the norm and champion new sustainable technology. We’ve made significant investment in zero emission equipment and can now offer plant including our battery-powered crawler cranes and drilling rigs to our customers that dramatically reduce carbon emissions. We’re constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible through collaboration with innovative partners like Ampd Energy. When we were approached by Ampd Energy we immediately saw the opportunity to help eliminate diesel and its derivatives, from sites, particularly the ones using our large tower cranes, with high power demands. Each one of these Ampd units removes a 500kVA generator and all its associated emissions, noise, space, and cost. It really is making a vast improvement on the environmental impact of construction.” * Data taken from BEIS conversion factor spreadsheet and Enernet monitoring system, annualised for an annual figure. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals