National Architectural Practice, GSSArchitecture, are celebrating their latest framework success following the announcement that their North East Studio, based in Newcastle, has successfully secured a place on the North East Procurement Organisation (NEPO) Support Services for the Development of the Built Environment Framework. GSS, who have enjoyed significant growth within
Arco, the UK’s leading safety company, has been awarded a gold medal by EcoVadis, the world’s largest and most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings. The gold award sees Arco improve on the silver rating it has held in previous years, with the fifth-generation family business improving its scores in
A NORTH East housing development has taken canine comfort to the extreme – by creating a special pet friendly feature in one of its newest show houses. And the hope is that animal lovers will find the designated doggy space just one of the many reasons to buy on the
THE CONYGAR Investment Company PLC has announced that Midlands-based construction company, Bowmer + Kirkland is its project partner for the student accommodation phase at The Island Quarter, in Nottingham – one of the UK’s biggest regeneration sites. The 12-storey 693-bed student living accommodation is currently underway at the £1.4 billion,
The latest Homebuyer Hotspots Demand Index by estate agent comparison site, GetAgent.co.uk, has revealed that buyer demand levels are on the decline in the fourth quarter of 2022 as economic pressures and the increased cost of borrowing continue to force many people to reevaluate their home buying aspirations. GetAgent’s Hotspots
Graven Hill is welcoming dozens more residents to the award-winning village development following the successful completion of the 26-apartment Palmer House. Situated near the entrance of the Graven Hill site, the studio, one and two-bedroom apartments have been built to an exacting standard and offer spectacular views over the Oxfordshire
The Senoko Oil Fuel Depot in Singapore is a strategic fuel storage depot supporting the Five Powers Defence Arrangement, 5th and 7th US Fleets and the Singapore Government. The UK’s Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) is responsible for the management and maintenance of Senoko. However, an inspection identified several non-conformances in
Norderney is one of the most popular islands on the German North Sea coast with tourists. To keep it that way, it is necessary to carry out regular maintenance measures to preserve the island’s stability in the long term. The company, Tell Bau GmbH from Norden, using a new Doosan
Everton Stadium is set to enter a transformative phase in 2023, with work ramping up on the internal works. As the external appearance continues to develop, the race is on to make the build watertight to allow tradesmen to begin work in installing hundreds of miles of piping, wiring and
Leicestershire architects launch ground breaking new technology – The Digital Twin… IMA Architects (IMA) has unveiled a successful test prototype of a new technology that will create an exact digital replica of a building. Known as ‘The Digital Twin’, the technology will help companies gain more data about a building’s performance
National Architectural Practice, GSSArchitecture, are celebrating their latest framework success following the announcement that their North East Studio, based in Newcastle, has successfully secured a place on the North East Procurement Organisation (NEPO) Support Services for the Development of the Built Environment Framework. GSS, who have enjoyed significant growth within the North East region, can now supply Architectural Services through Lot 3, as well as through some of the multidiscipline teams, of the NEPO framework, which will run for four years from January 2023, with the option to extend for a further two years. The framework will be available for use by all Contracting Authorities throughout the North East including Local Authorities, NHS Bodies, Central Government, Emergency Services, Educational Establishments and Registered Charities. Simon Rennison Rae, Partner, and Newcastle Studio Lead at GSSArchitecture, said, “This is fantastic news for our Practice, especially as securing places on both national and local major frameworks has been a key target for us since we opened our Newcastle Studio 6 years ago. The on-going work we are doing direct for Local Authorities and public sector clients we allow us to further diversify our portfolio in the region as well as invest back locally through the sustainable long-term expansion and development of our team.” The framework success follows a fantastic 12 months for the Newcastle Studio of GSS, with the team relocating to larger premises back in May 2022 to accommodate their continued expansion. Based at Hoults Yard, the Studio has celebrated considerable recent project successes including the multi award-winning Catalyst building for Newcastle University and, in addition, the Practice has secured multiple commissions from contractors, consultancies and developers such as North East hospitality firm, The Inn Collection Group and HyHubs, as well as Durham, Teesside and Sunderland Universities and Sunderland City, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Northumberland County Councils. The Practice, which was founded in the Midlands over 140 years ago, is well-established in the UK, and with their Newcastle Studio supported by their offices in Kettering, Gloucester, Harrogate, and Milton Keynes, GSS are able to draw on resource and share knowledge from across the whole of the UK. Find out about how GSSArchitecture can help you with your projects, and more of their experience with new builds, refurbishments, and redevelopment projects in a wide range of sectors, by visiting www.gssarchitecture.com Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Arco, the UK’s leading safety company, has been awarded a gold medal by EcoVadis, the world’s largest and most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings. The gold award sees Arco improve on the silver rating it has held in previous years, with the fifth-generation family business improving its scores in areas like the environment, by improving energy performance reporting and setting of carbon reduction targets, as well as labour and human rights and sustainable procurement. The gold rating puts Arco in the top 5% of the 100,000 plus rated companies assessed by EcoVadis. In addition, Arco was also recognised as an industry leader, overall, by making the top 2% of companies rated by EcoVadis in its industry sector, as well as in the areas of sustainable procurement (top 1%) and environment (top 2%). Jim Harbidge, Head of Sustainability at Arco, said: “As a responsible choice of safety partner, Arco is very proud to have secured a gold medal from EcoVadis and that our efforts to continuously improve in sustainability and ethical performance have been recognised. “As a business, we are always striving to be the best at what we do, to lead in our industry and in the family business sector. “We will continue to take steps to achieve our ambition of being a platinum-rated business in the future, including increasing our alignment to external standards and accreditations, such setting science-based targets, and further improving our reporting to stakeholders.” The EcoVadis methodology framework assesses companies’ policies and actions as well as their published reporting related to the environment, labor and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement. Its team of international sustainability experts analyse and cross check companies’ data (supporting documents, 360° Watch Findings, etc.) in order to create reliable ratings, taking into account each company’s industry, size and geographic location. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A NORTH East housing development has taken canine comfort to the extreme – by creating a special pet friendly feature in one of its newest show houses. And the hope is that animal lovers will find the designated doggy space just one of the many reasons to buy on the Miller Homes Longshore Village site at Blyth, Northumberland. The company recently opened the four bedroom, detached Sherwood show home which has interiors inspired by its coastal location – an added bonus for walking pets. Miller Homes worked alongside Newcastle-based Q Interiors to come up with the perfect place for the family pooch – in the open space beneath the stairs which not only has been created with easy clean tiles but also has space for a dog bed and toys. The team used research which showed that dogs find being in the vicinity of their owner rewarding and so the close proximity to the main family areas of the house results in a happy pet. Karen Randles, senior interior designer at Q Interiors said it was an important factor to design a place which the pet could call their own. “Gone are the days when dogs were relegated to the utility room or a kennel outside, so we wanted to give them a dedicated space where they felt included and part of the family, but also safe and secure,” she said. “It was important that the space was near the front door of the home, where a dog can relax but still feel like they are protecting the property.” Karen believes utilising this area in this way is a great use of the space. “Under the stairs can often become a dumping ground for all sorts of clutter,” she said. Designing this area allowed us to be playful, while still making strategic choices to make the most of the space at hand. “The shape of the area, with its sloping ceiling and three enclosed sides, is very comforting for a dog as smaller spaces help them relaxed and feel safe, especially if there is a lot going in the home with children or other pets. Having their own space to retreat to gives them some peace and can stop anxious behaviours like barking. The room includes a wicker bed with washable pillow and an aesthetically pleasing basket for toys, as well as practicalities such as food bowls and hooks for leads and harnesses.” Miller Homes has also created a number of incentives available in January to help people secure their new homes on the estate. Details are available at https://www.millerhomes.co.uk/new-homes/north-east/south-newsham-blythe.aspx Aisling Ramshaw, sales director at Miller Homes North East, added that the inclusion of the dog “home” also highlighted the versatility of the new properties. “This new development is a fantastic location, right by the sea but with easy access to Newcastle and the wider Northumberland area,” she said. “We create homes for every member of the family – and that includes much loved pets. We hope visitors to the show house will be inspired how this could work for them.” Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
THE CONYGAR Investment Company PLC has announced that Midlands-based construction company, Bowmer + Kirkland is its project partner for the student accommodation phase at The Island Quarter, in Nottingham – one of the UK’s biggest regeneration sites. The 12-storey 693-bed student living accommodation is currently underway at the £1.4 billion, 36-acre development and is set to welcome its first residents in September 2024 ahead of the academic year. The student accommodation will offer a range of room types including studio flats and cluster living and has been designed by DAY Architectural as part of The Island Quarter’s wider masterplan to combat the continuing shortfall in student accommodation in the city. Christopher Ware, property director at Conygar, said: “Work is well under way on the new student blocks and large cranes are in the sky. We are pleased to be partnering with such a well-regarded company as Bowmer + Kirkland to deliver our vision. “The new space will support Nottingham’s reputation as a leading university city and will provide another choice for city centre living for students, which will benefit future generations attending the universities for decades to come.” It is expected that Nottingham will experience a deficit of 7,000 student beds within the coming years and this purpose-built student accommodation, which includes a high-level sky lounge, private courtyard, socialising and studying space, will go some way to supporting student living in the city. It is also part of the development’s broader masterplan promoting intergenerational living, with housing choices that work for all ages available on the site. Christian Parnell, Bowmer + Kirkland regional director, said: “It is fantastic to see our team start work on this exciting phase of The Island Quarter, in the heart of Nottingham. It is a city with which we have a long association, and our entire team is looking forward to being a part of the project and bringing the plans to fruition.” Christopher added: “The student accommodation marks a significant milestone in the progress of the development as we look ahead to the later phases of the 36-acre site. With our inaugural building, 1 The Island Quarter, already open and serving the public from our restaurant bar Binks Yard and our finer dining restaurant Cleaver & Wake, there’s plenty of action on site to be excited about as we transform this site in the centre of the city. “One of the key things that attracted us to develop The Island Quarter was Nottingham’s two world-leading universities, both of which are experiencing a shortage of high-quality accommodation for their students. We’re delighted to be bringing forward this vibrant scheme that will be an excellent addition to The Island Quarter as the development continues to grow.” Student residents will benefit from the development’s new and existing restaurants and bars, as well as the ‘green river’ of outdoor space that runs throughout The Island Quarter, which is one of the biggest regeneration sites in the UK. To find out more about The Island Quarter, please visit: theislandquarter.com Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The latest Homebuyer Hotspots Demand Index by estate agent comparison site, GetAgent.co.uk, has revealed that buyer demand levels are on the decline in the fourth quarter of 2022 as economic pressures and the increased cost of borrowing continue to force many people to reevaluate their home buying aspirations. GetAgent’s Hotspots Demand Index monitors homebuyer demand across England on a quarterly basis. Current demand is based on the proportion of stock listed as already sold (sold subject to contract or under offer) as a percentage of all stock listed for sale. E.g, if 100 homes are listed and 50 are already sold, the demand score would be 50%. The latest index shows that across England, buyer demand is currently at 48.3% which marks a -9.2% decline since Q3 2022 and -17.3% decline since this time last year, suggesting that the pandemic-inspired property boom is being brought well and truly back down to earth by the significant economic pressures facing the nation’s would-be homebuyers. England’s strongest sales demand hotspot is currently Durham where it sits at 68%. This is -5.6% lower than Q3 of this year, but -14.6% lower than this time last year. City of Bristol, which ranked as the number one sales demand hotspot last quarter, now ranks second with 56.6% while Surrey (56.4%), Greater London (55.9%), and the City of London (54.8%) all maintain good levels of demand despite all experiencing quarterly and yearly declines. In terms of annual change, the worst hit places are the Isle of Wight (-25.5%), East Riding(-25.5%), and Derbyshire (-24.8%). The worst hit places in the last quarter are East Riding (-12.9%), Bedfordshire (-12.8%), and Staffordshire (-12.7%). In the search for good news, optimism is hard to come by. No parts of England have experienced sales demand growth in the past year or the past quarter. The smallest annual declines have been reported in Lincolnshire (-4.7%), Leicestershire (-8.0%), and Suffolk (-9.8%), while the smallest quarterly declines are in Suffolk (-3.6%), Durham (-5.6%), and Wiltshire (-5.9%). Co-founder and CEO of GetAgent.co.uk, Colby Short, commented: “After a couple of years of manic demand, activity, and price increases, we end 2022 with a gentle bump back down to earth. Economic gravity was always destined to enforce the declines we’re currently seeing and, in many ways, it’s a surprise that it’s taken this long to happen. You’re going to read all sorts of pessimistic property headlines over the coming months, but the forecast isn’t actually that bleak. Look at the long-term history of house prices and you’ll see that the property market is never down for long, regardless of how many pandemics and economic crashes are thrown its way. However, the fortunes of the housing market are very much in the hands of the Bank of England at the moment because, until interest rates come down and borrowing becomes more affordable, lenders are going to be tighter with their mortgage offers and buyers are going to be nervous about taking on these relatively high levels of risk.” Data tables Data tables and sources can be viewed online, here. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Graven Hill is welcoming dozens more residents to the award-winning village development following the successful completion of the 26-apartment Palmer House. Situated near the entrance of the Graven Hill site, the studio, one and two-bedroom apartments have been built to an exacting standard and offer spectacular views over the Oxfordshire countryside, just outside Bicester. Graven Hill’s popularity continues to grow with more than 400 households already living on the growing development that will accommodate 1,900 homes once completed. Its reputation as THE place to live in Oxfordshire has been enhanced by regular appearances on Channel 4’s Grand Designs, as well as being recently named as one of the “Top Ten Places to Live” in the UK by The Sunday Times. All Palmer House studios and apartments enjoy a high specification finish with extensive interior fittings, along with allocated car parking. Palmer House has proven to be extremely popular with many of the 26 apartments snapped up within weeks of coming on to the market. And some purchasers were among the last to take advantage of the Government’s Help to Buy scheme, according to Graven Hill’s marketing agents IMS Property Group. Michelle Niziol, CEO of IMS said: “It has been such a pleasure to be involved in the marketing and selling of Palmer House. The site has been so incredibly popular that we built a waiting list of people who sadly missed out on this development, but are ready for new homes to become available at Graven Hill. “The apartments are absolutely stunning and each purchaser has been overjoyed at the quality of the build, I am excited to continue working with Graven Hill and assist them on future sales.” Eve Penney and Will Mceachran were among the first Palmer House residents to pick up their keys after completing on their two-bed apartment. Eve said: “I saw Graven Hill on Grand Designs some time ago and, living locally, we could see the development taking shape. We liked that our apartment has two bathrooms and a shower and its location is great, being so near to town and the train station.” Graven Hill village is a unique development, designed to disrupt the UK property market and offer a wide range of housing options including self-build and custom build – tailored to individual needs – right through to apartments and affordable homes. All offer chic, hassle-free, modern-living options located just 15 minutes from Oxford via train and within walking distance from Bicester Outlet Village and train station. Gemma Davis, Graven Hill’s Customer Experience Director, attributes the village’s overall popularity to the large variety of high-quality build and design options available across the village, appealing to a wide range of buyers. Great transport links to Oxford and into London are also being cited as a key USP. She said: “Those coming to the site are seeking a different way of life, it’s more than just about buying a traditional new build. Palmer House has been phenomenally successful and the amount of interest we have seen has been far beyond our expectations. She added: “It shows how Graven Hill has far-reaching appeal, from first time buyers, right through to families or those looking to downsize. The sense of community is also really growing across the village which is lovely to see.” Other community amenities are also taking shape with the new Graven Hill primary school now under construction and ready for autumn 2023. Construction of commercial units are also well underway, with a dental practice currently being fitted out. A health and wellbeing hub and community centre are set to provide further facilities for residents. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Senoko Oil Fuel Depot in Singapore is a strategic fuel storage depot supporting the Five Powers Defence Arrangement, 5th and 7th US Fleets and the Singapore Government. The UK’s Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) is responsible for the management and maintenance of Senoko. However, an inspection identified several non-conformances in the secondary containment system resulting in the issuing of an improvement notice and a £12.3m contract was awarded to Trant Engineering. The project required increasing the secondary containment capacity to achieve at least 110% of the volume of the existing twelve 30m diameter fuel tanks, removing gravity drainage and replacing with a pumped system and providing an impermeable barrier within the bund. To achieve these goals, the existing drainage routes had to be altered to allow an equal number of bunds to drain to each of the existing Tilted Plate Separators with only one bund being drained through each separator at any one time, and at a predetermined flow rate. All existing drainage pipes which penetrated through the bund walls were to be sealed and replaced with pressure pipework laid over the bund walls terminating in an adjacent discharge chamber. This would drain by gravity to the nearby existing storm drainage channel system. The contract has been executed successfully and been handed over to the DIO. Business Development Director, Brendan Dowd says “This unique project utilised our multi-discipline engineering and project delivery teams. We faced a number of challenges, but perseverance and hard work ensured a successful outcome. We are proud to support the DIO with upgrading and refurbishment of their assets around the world.” For detailed info, please visit: https://www.trant.co.uk/news/trant-completes-work-on-senoko-strategic-fuel-depot-in-singapore Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Norderney is one of the most popular islands on the German North Sea coast with tourists. To keep it that way, it is necessary to carry out regular maintenance measures to preserve the island’s stability in the long term. The company, Tell Bau GmbH from Norden, using a new Doosan DX255NLC excavator, has just completed a project to implement one of the measures used to protect the island. Flexible Deployment Options The project, which lasted about four months, was commissioned by the NLWKN (Lower Saxony Water Management, Coastal Defence and Nature Conservation agency). It called for the reinforcement of the revetment in the east of the island. A revetment is a passive structure which protects against erosion caused by wave action, storm surge and currents. The project required the old revetment to be dismantled and a new revetment made of hydraulic rubble stone in full grouting to be constructed. At the same time, the asphalt revetment had to be renewed. The Doosan DX255NLC was used flexibly in various areas. Its tasks included both demolition and earthworks. The Doosan excavator was also used to drive sheet piles into the ground along the full length of the construction section using a Movax SG50V pile driver. In addition, utilising the on-board TopCon 3D system, the excavator produced the dyke shapes required for installation and profiling of the revetment. Dipl. Ing. Andrej Achrameev, Project Manager at Tell Bau, commented: “Due to the diversity of the project, the excavator had to demonstrate a high degree of flexibility in various applications. It fully met this requirement.” Versatile Machine The Doosan DX255NLC has an operating weight of around 25 tonne. It is equipped with the 192 kW six-cylinder DL06 engine from Doosan. With its maximum digging depth of 6.81 m, it can be used extremely flexibly in civil engineering work. The DX255NLC at Tell Bau is fitted with a TopCon 3D control system and can be equipped with a Movax SG50P pile driver and a PowerTilt. Thomas Gembler, Managing Director of Tell Bau, summarises the performance of the new machine: “Of course, we cannot conclusively evaluate the Doosan DX255NLC at this point, but the price-performance ratio is very good and so far the reliability is also impeccable.” The special feature of this NLC (Narrow Long Crawler) excavator is its transport width of 3 m. This allows the excavator to be transported with a permanent excess width exemption in Germany. Reliable Dealer Tell Bau purchased the machine from Doosan dealer, Werner Seemann, which has roots going back to 1966. Werner Seemann now has branches in East Frisia, Bremen and Osnabrück. Since 1999, the two sons of the company founder, Werner and Jens Seemann, have also been active in the company. Continuity and sustainable processes are central components of the company’s philosophy: “Instead of quick profits, we focus on reliability and partnership,” says Werner Seemann Senior. In addition to the construction machinery business, the company also offers services in the areas of vehicle construction and handling technology. Tell Bau GmbH The construction company, Tell Bau GmbH in Norden, has a remarkable history. Started as a small construction company in 1946 in Norden, this group of companies now has around 350 employees. In addition to the headquarters in Norden, Tell Bau GmbH has branches in three other locations: in Berlin, on Norderney and in Sellin on the island of Rügen. The original paving company has been expanded to include road construction, civil engineering, asphalt construction, structural engineering and sports facility construction. In the field of building construction, the company is mainly active in the commercial sector. In addition to residential construction, the company undertakes projects in the fields of structural and civil engineering, sewage treatment plants and large industrial buildings. Research centres, production and administration buildings as well as consumer markets are constructed on a turnkey basis for well-known clients. For four decades, Tell Bau has also been building and supplying synthetic surfaces and artificial turf systems for both ball sports and light athletic use. For more information on Doosan construction machinery, please visit www.eu.doosanequipment.com Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Everton Stadium is set to enter a transformative phase in 2023, with work ramping up on the internal works. As the external appearance continues to develop, the race is on to make the build watertight to allow tradesmen to begin work in installing hundreds of miles of piping, wiring and the internal fittings. “I think we should just warn spectators that in 2023 it will look like things are slowing down from an external perspective,” said Chief Stadium Development Officer Colin Chong. “A big milestone that people will want to see is the east stand steelwork that will fill in the gap between the north and south steelwork. “However, it will slow down externally, although internally it’s going to be a hive of activity. “In real terms, the fit-out is starting in January, when we will start putting all the wires and piping in. “People won’t notice it as much, as it’s internal, but it’s equally as important to the stadium development as the roof going up.” As with the external concrete and steel components, much of the internal walls are pre-manufactured in factory conditions and transported to site in just-in-time slots for installation. All mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems in the stadium will be manufactured off-site in the Oldbury (West Midlands) factory of Laing O’Rourke’s specialist MEP business, Crown House Manufacturing. The six-foot high modules and an innovative product called Techwall, will be delivered to site, lifted into place, connected and commissioned, in an approach that helps save time and energy. “There are life-safe systems, resilience to be planned, and all the toilets on the concourses will be coming in in modules, pre-manufactured,” explained Chong, in a special Club podcast on the stadium build. “The pipework will arrive pre-manufactured, tested in the factory, and be offered up and connected, so there are less connections throughout the whole building. There’s less welding, so less risk of fire and it’s the modern way of building things. “Again, we’ll be working on all four concourses simultaneously, along with the hospitality lounges starting, probably in March. “The skeleton of the dressing rooms is already in place (in the west stand). We’ve got the pit for the hydrotherapy pools and all the apertures for all the incoming services. “There are hundreds of miles of beer pythons that have to go in at some point and they’ll all start to go in next year. “We ramp up with people and we’ll end up with 1,000 people there next year and probably up to around 1,400 on site the year after. “There’s a whole host of things going to happen next year, but not a lot of people are going to notice it because it’s going to be hidden.” Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leicestershire architects launch ground breaking new technology – The Digital Twin… IMA Architects (IMA) has unveiled a successful test prototype of a new technology that will create an exact digital replica of a building. Known as ‘The Digital Twin’, the technology will help companies gain more data about a building’s performance in real time, helping them to save money by monitoring and reducing a building’s energy use. The company has transformed two former shipping containers at its head office in Blaby, Leicestershire into the ‘IMA Digital Pods’. The two structures are now a staff gym and a coffee bar – but with a difference. The pods have been equipped with a wide range of sensors to create a ‘Digital Twin’. Believed to be the first of its kind in the UK, IMA’s ‘Digital Twin’ prototype has been designed – and successfully tested – to accurately represent a physical space within a virtual model. In this instance, the staff gym and coffee area are replicated exactly, digitally. Linked to Building Information Modelling (BIM), sensors in the physical building feed data back to the virtual model, showing how even the slightest change could impact performance in the real world. This grants the building owner or manager access to real-time data with an in-depth analysis of a building’s performance. This is significant as it means that simulations can also be run in the virtual space, allowing users to gain information on important metrics such as energy consumption to carbon emissions, informing decisions that are made in the real world. The IMA Digital Pods use Internet of Things (IoT) sensors to collect real-time data from the relevant spaces and feed it back “through a cloud platform” into a 3D model that has accurate information about the pods’ structure and assets installed within. This data is then analysed and visualised virtually within the Digital Model and can be stored in the cloud for further analysis. Commands can also be sent from the Digital Model to activate or deactivate devices in the Pods as well as monitoring performance. Anthony Day, Managing Director of IMA Architects comments: “The creation of the IMA Digital Pods has enabled us to develop our knowledge within this emerging area. We are putting the theory into practice so that we can implement this technology on our client projects. We believe that the successful use of BIM and the ‘Digital Twin’ is the future of building design, and having more buildings with this level of information and intelligence will play a huge part in helping the UK meet its Net Zero targets, reducing costs for businesses along the way.” “Amongst other things, it has the potential to lower construction costs by 33%, increase delivery speed by 50%, and lower emissions by 50%, the latter of which is incredibly important as the Government continues to set out plans to decarbonise all sectors of the UK economy. And with increasing energy costs, the Digital Twin will be an incredibly valuable cost-saving tool, leading the way to a better, greener, future.” IMA unveiled the Digital Pods at a launch event with staff and clients at its Blaby HQ on Friday 2 December 2022. IMA is an award-winning firm of architects based in Blaby, Leicestershire. The firm has grown from a two-person team to now employ 20 members of staff and work with a range of FTSE 100 companies, such as Marks and Spencer, and global brands including an international discount retailer. The company is a proud Community Partner of Leicester City Football Club and a sponsorship partner of both Leicester Tigers RFC and Leicestershire County Cricket Club. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals