The latest analysis from quick sale specialists, Open Property Group, has revealed that despite enjoying strong rental income growth on an annual basis, the average buy-to-let investor has reduced the size of their portfolio by as much as -27% across England and Wales. Open Property Group analysed the latest data
Sovini Trade Supplies, a Northwest builder’s merchant, is proudly celebrating its 10th anniversary servicing the construction industry. The unique offering of Sovini Trade Supplies as part of the Sovini Group’s integrated supply chain, delivers outstanding customer service and value for money without compromising on quality. An ethical business and key
A planning application has been submitted for the redevelopment of the old primary school site at Milton Road, Oundle to accommodate a new purpose-built boarding house for Oundle School. Oundle School has a reputation for providing the very best of modern co-educational independent education, offering both boarding and day pupil
Q-Bot, the UK construction tech company that uses robotics and AI to insulate people’s homes, has strengthened its Board with the appointment of a new Executive Chair and a second Investment Director. Victor Vadaneaux has been appointed Executive Chair of Q-Bot. Victor has worked within B2B services, the engineering industry
Chubb, one of the leading providers of fire safety and security solutions, has donated £500 to support the Hillingdon Foodbank. Through the organisation’s charitAble employee volunteering programme, the marketing and communications team spent the day preparing food parcels for local families in the Hillingdon borough area. Chubb’s charitAble initiative encourages
FOUR of the planning and design industry’s most respected organisations have united to arrange a unique event to celebrate design delivery and best practice in the planning system. The Make it Happen conference – held at 1 The Island Quarter in Nottingham on Wednesday, 17 April – aims to throw
IT Firm calls for stronger cyber security for green buildings in its new guide IT cyber security specialist OryxAlign is calling for the integration of stronger cyber security measures in green buildings in its latest guide, The Green Buildings Guide, 2024: Achieving Green, Healthy & Cyber Secure Buildings. The guide
Wates Construction Ltd – one of the UK’s biggest Tier 1 contractors – has recently been awarded the ‘Certificate of Commitment and Progress – Building Safety Stage One’ in recognition of their successful completion of Stage 1 (Leadership and Culture) of Building a Safer Future’s Champion assessment scheme. The BSF
The Midlands and North division of international contractor, McLaren Construction, has announced a record turnover of £271million for the latest financial year. Following a year of expansion for the division and McLaren Construction group as a whole, the milestone follows news that the contractor generated overall revenues up 22% to
Createmaster, Createmaster Information Management and Resi-Sense to adopt the name Zutec, bringing all group brands under one roof. BuildData Group announces it is bringing together its individual brands to collectively operate and trade under Zutec. It will no longer use the BuildData Group name, and has changed the names of Createmaster,
The latest analysis from quick sale specialists, Open Property Group, has revealed that despite enjoying strong rental income growth on an annual basis, the average buy-to-let investor has reduced the size of their portfolio by as much as -27% across England and Wales. Open Property Group analysed the latest data on buy-to-let portfolio sizes and how they have changed over the last year when it comes to size and profitability*. The research shows that with an average of 8.5 homes, the average investor has reduced their portfolio size by -1.6% year on year. However, across some regions, the reduction in portfolio sizes have been far more pronounced and nowhere more so than Yorkshire and the Humber, where the average size of a buy-to-let portfolio has fallen by -27% to an average of nine properties. Across the West Midlands the average buy-to-let inverter currently holds 10.7 properties within their portfolio – a reduction of -19% year on year, with the South West also seeing an average reduction of 13% to 6.5 properties. The average size of a buy-to-let portfolio has also reduced across the North East, central London market, East Midlands and East of England. However, there has been growth across outer London, the North West, South East and Wales. This is despite the fact that the average rental income per property has increased by an average of 8.8% over the last year, with investors across Yorkshire and the Humber seeing the largest jump at 30.9%. However, while rents may be climbing, the figures also show that profit margins are in decline, with the average rental yield falling by as much as -1% across the North West and central London regions. CEO of Open Property Group, Jason Harris-Cohen, commented: “Much has been made about the landlord exodus in recent times and it’s fair to say that the severity of this trend has been largely exaggerated. However, the figures do suggest that while buy-to-let investors may not be exiting completely, they are reducing the size of their rental property portfolios. In fact, buy-to-let investors are accounting for an increasingly larger segment of sellers looking to utilise the quick sale route, as they look to off-load part of their portfolio with minimum fuss or stress, having benefited from years of rental income and capital appreciation. With a reduction in capital gains tax fast approaching, we expect more investors will look to streamline their portfolios given that the cost of existing is set to reduce and who can blame them? Data Tables and sources Data tables and sources can be viewed online, here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Sovini Trade Supplies, a Northwest builder’s merchant, is proudly celebrating its 10th anniversary servicing the construction industry. The unique offering of Sovini Trade Supplies as part of the Sovini Group’s integrated supply chain, delivers outstanding customer service and value for money without compromising on quality. An ethical business and key contributor to the development and future growth of the region, the organisation is committed to creating opportunities and changing lives for customers, colleagues and communities. Since its inception in 2014, Sovini Trade Supplies has become a trusted name in the industry. From humble beginnings at its Liverpool Aintree site, the company now serves a diverse range of clientele, expanding its reach from its four branches across the Northwest of England. “We are thrilled to celebrate this significant milestone,” said Alan Evans, Director of Operations at Sovini Trade Supplies. “Our journey over the past decade has been filled with triumphs and challenges, and we are grateful to our loyal customers, dedicated colleagues, and supportive partners who have been instrumental to our success.” Sovini Trade Supplies opened its flagship branch on Heysham Road in February 2021 and on the same day, joined the National Buying Group. Both have been significant in attracting new business opportunities and further enriching the local community. They currently employ x local people across their branches and have facilitated over x apprentices through the Groups apprenticeship program. Committed to delivering social value, Sovini Trade Supplies aims to do everything with a sense of purpose. With a vision of creating a better future, the organisation has supported numerous charitable organisations and initiatives over the years, positively impacting communities across the Northwest. Their sustainability and environmental goals range from the introduction of zero emission deliveries across the Liverpool City Region, LED lighting replacement scheme, the procurement of environmentally friendly materials, and supporting customers in their local programmes, which contributes to a more sustainable future for the construction industry. As Sovini Trade Supplies looks ahead to the next ten years, and beyond, it remains steadfast in its commitment to excellence, innovation, and customer satisfaction. With a strong foundation built over the past decade, the company is well-positioned for continued growth and success in the years to come. To celebrate its 10th anniversary, Sovini Trade Supplies will be hosting a series of events and promotions throughout the year, culminating in an anniversary celebration with employees, customers, and partners. For more information about Sovini Trade Supplies, please visit www.sovinitradesupplies.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A planning application has been submitted for the redevelopment of the old primary school site at Milton Road, Oundle to accommodate a new purpose-built boarding house for Oundle School. Oundle School has a reputation for providing the very best of modern co-educational independent education, offering both boarding and day pupil provision. The School recognises the need to invest in the future of its estate to ensure that the quality of care provided to pupils, including physical and pastoral structures, is maintained to the highest standard. A key part of the School’s vision, encapsulated in Project 24, is the creation of a new purpose-built girls’ boarding house in the centre of Oundle. The new boarding house, named McMurray House in memory of David McMurray, the Headmaster who devised and oversaw the introduction of co-education, will accommodate 60 girls aged 13-18 years old who are currently located in New House on Stoke Hill, on the southwest edge of Oundle. The house will provide boarders with high quality accommodation facilities in the centre of town, enabling girls’ boarding to take its place alongside the historic boys’ town Houses. This project will also allow the School to upgrade existing provision by decanting pupils into the existing New House in order to undertake a long-term rolling programme of improvement works to existing boarding Houses. Oundle School has appointed education specialist architects, GSSArchitecture, to lead the designs of McMurray House. Anna McTaggart, Partner at GSS and Lead Architect on the scheme said, “Oundle School and town are rich in quality architecture, making this a very special place to create a new boarding House. The project provides an exciting opportunity to redevelop a derelict site to create a high-quality building which will not only benefit pupils and staff but enhance this part of the Oundle Conservation Area. “We have worked with a specialist Conservation Architect and Planner to design a modern sustainable building set in attractive landscaped grounds that complements and respects the setting and responds to the School’s vision for this exciting new addition to their estate. We are looking forward to seeing it progress in the future.” GSS have extensive experience in the Education sector, including Independent Schools, and are also supporting Oundle School with other projects including the recent remodelling of the Grade II listed Laxton Day House. To find out more about GSSArchitecture and their extensive portfolio of projects in a variety of sectors across the Midlands and further afield, please visit their website www.gssarchitecture.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Q-Bot, the UK construction tech company that uses robotics and AI to insulate people’s homes, has strengthened its Board with the appointment of a new Executive Chair and a second Investment Director. Victor Vadaneaux has been appointed Executive Chair of Q-Bot. Victor has worked within B2B services, the engineering industry and the healthcare sector, and has extensive business and private equity experience of the UK, EU and US markets, including several successful exits. Malcolm Gloat has been appointed an Investment Director of Q-Bot, to work alongside Dr Ilian Iliev, the company’s existing Investment Director. Malcolm has more than 25 years of experience as a Chair, NED, CFO, and CEO in the public and private markets. These senior board appointments significantly enhance Q-Bot’s capabilities and take place at an exciting time for the company and the construction industry. Using AI and robotics, Q-Bot’s insulation is deployed beneath suspended timber floors or to the underside of suspended concrete floors. In the UK alone, Q-Bot’s high performance retrofit insulation can help insulate the 8 to 12 million homes that have suspended floors and which are hard to treat using traditional forms of insulation. In the UK, Q-Bot’s customers include social housing landlords, energy companies and private homeowners. Internationally, the company has identified a further multi-billion market for robotics-based retrofit of insulation to residential homes in North America and North West Europe. Victor and Malcolm will help Q-Bot to scale its robotics-as-a-service sales in the UK and expand its digital retrofit service. As its next phase of growth, Q-Bot is set to launch in the US and scale in the EU through strategic partnerships. Their appointments have been facilitated by EMV Capital, a key investor in Q-Bot, and the company continues to draw on the value creation services provided by EMV Capital. Dr Ilian Iliev, MD of EMV Capital and an Investment Director of Q-Bot, commented: “Victor and Malcolm are joining us at an exciting point of Q-Bot’s journey, and bring strong experience in scale-ups and growth from relevant sectors. We have been an early backer of Q-Bot’s robotics and AI-driven insulation retrofit solution. Q-Bot is at the intersection of multiple megatrends, including growing automation and digitisation of the construction industry, the imperative to decarbonise existing housing stock, and the deployment of robotics and AI as synergistic tools fostering upskilling and employment in the construction services sector.” Tom Lipinski, a Co-founder of Q-Bot and its Chief Commercial & Scientific Officer, said: “Attracting the calibre of individuals such as Victor and Malcolm constitute a solid endorsement of our work to date and they will support our work to further develop our robotic solution and grow our business in the UK and overseas. We offer a hassle-free and cost-effective energy efficiency solution that is disrupting the traditional retrofit/construction industry, providing fast comfort and warmth for people’s homes.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Chubb, one of the leading providers of fire safety and security solutions, has donated £500 to support the Hillingdon Foodbank. Through the organisation’s charitAble employee volunteering programme, the marketing and communications team spent the day preparing food parcels for local families in the Hillingdon borough area. Chubb’s charitAble initiative encourages employees to engage directly with local communities by offering two paid days off annually for volunteering activities, along with a donation to their chosen charity. “At Chubb, we’re a business that protects lives and puts people first, so it’s fitting that we too support our people in making meaningful connections with our local communities and supporting causes that matter to them,” said Carla Sousa, Director of Marketing and Communications at Chubb. “It was great to be able to give something back to our community and make a difference to people who really need it.” During the visit to the Hillingdon Foodbank, the Chubb team learnt about the scale of the foodbank’s operations and met the Community Project Coordinator, Muhammad ‘Peter’ Abdullaziz. The team got stuck in with various tasks, from organising and labelling to packing food for distribution to those in need. The Hillingdon Foodbank was London’s first food bank, opening its doors in 2009. In 2021, it provided 13,477 people with three-day emergency food. “Our foodbank relies heavily on the generosity and support of the community to provide emergency food assistance and address the broader challenges of poverty and hunger,” said Peter. “Chubb’s kindness and commitment mean everything to us. Their donation will provide food parcels for 15 families, helping to alleviate the hardships they face due to the cost-of-living crisis.” Through initiatives like charitAble, Chubb continues to lead by example, demonstrating that compassion and humanity are integral to the business world. Chubb is not only making a difference in the lives of those in need but also paving the way for a more socially responsible corporate landscape. To find out more about Hillingdon Foodbank please visit: https://hillingdon.foodbank.org.uk/
FOUR of the planning and design industry’s most respected organisations have united to arrange a unique event to celebrate design delivery and best practice in the planning system. The Make it Happen conference – held at 1 The Island Quarter in Nottingham on Wednesday, 17 April – aims to throw a positive light on the great work going on within the planning and design industry. The first-of-its-kind national conference is jointly hosted by the eponymous partnership, which consists of the Urban Design Group, the Royal Town Planning Institute, the Royal Institute of British Architects and the Landscape Institute. The event pulls on the quartet’s significant reach in the industry, with presentations covering key topics, positive and effective community engagement, the role of pre-app and the use of technologies such as virtual reality in the planning process. Delegates will also hear from Vicky Payne of the Urban Design Network on spatial planning and design coding for housing, climate and levelling up, as well as an update on the Nottingham City Homes 2050 project from Studio Partington. Dr Laura Alvarez, who has been instrumental in organising the event, said: “The Make it Happen Partnership was formed with the expressed aim of celebrating successes and best practice. At a time when planning and regeneration is at the forefront of conversations and the role of the planning department is under increased scrutiny, this first national conference is a perfect opportunity to discuss the way forward. “We’ve got some excellent sessions on the agenda, and we believe Make it Happen will be a great opportunity to network with colleagues from across the UK and to get our heads together to debate viable, constructive avenues for positive change.” The event takes place in the RIBA award nominated building at 1 The Island Quarter, in a panel format that will encourage interactivity and conversation, as well as a variety of networking opportunities. Tickets can be ordered from the RTPI website. The event is sponsored by Urban Design Group, Landscape Institute, Nottingham City Council, Freeths, Sustrans, CPMG, Allan Joyce Architects, UDL, Arup, Leicester City Council, RIBA and Cartwright Communications. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
IT Firm calls for stronger cyber security for green buildings in its new guide IT cyber security specialist OryxAlign is calling for the integration of stronger cyber security measures in green buildings in its latest guide, The Green Buildings Guide, 2024: Achieving Green, Healthy & Cyber Secure Buildings. The guide highlights the essential role of technology in achieving environmental endorsements for buildings, emphasising the significance of cyber security due to the increasing integration of Internet of Things (IoT) and Operational Technology (OT) devices. Aimed at commercial real estate managers, construction experts and facilities managers, the guide first focuses on green and healthy building certification, detailing market trends, certification processes and the benefits of achieving such certifications for market value, operational costs and occupant health. It then moves onto discuss the technology involved in achieving this, such as monitoring and control systems, smart meters and HVAC systems and how to keep these cyber-secure. According to a YouGov survey commissioned by OryxAlign, 86 per cent of tenants consider green buildings to be important or very important. This high demand for green buildings has triggered a rapid growth of rating schemes such as LEED, BREEAM and WELL. The guide underscores the necessity of integrating smart technologies to achieve and maintain these green building certifications and support various sustainability goals, including energy efficiency and air quality. These technologies include IoT devices such as smart thermostats and OT devices such as fire alarm control panels, both of which are directly or indirectly connected to the internet – and therefore, accessible by hackers. Although integrating smart technology is essential to making a building green and healthy, it should be noted that, according to SonicWall, between 2021 and 2022 there was an 87 per cent increase in global IoT attacks. “Smart devices are essential in driving forward sustainability within buildings,” explained Peter Schwartz, Senior Technology Consultant at OryxAlign. “But these endpoints are connected to a network and can communicate with other networked devices or systems, making them potential targets for cyber threats that can quickly spread throughout a building.” OryxAlign’s guide provides insights into potential threats and cyber security challenges, offering best practices such as risk assessment, endpoint hardening and network segmentation. These are aligned with standards from the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Center for Internet Security (CIS). This information is crucial for stakeholders in the construction and management of green buildings, as it highlights the importance of incorporating robust cyber security measures alongside the integration of smart technologies to ensure the safety, privacy and operational integrity of green buildings. “Our guide delves into the critical technologies for sustainable, secure buildings, outlining specific cybersecurity risks like IoT and OT vulnerabilities, and detailing the least secure devices—security cameras, smart thermostats and access control systems,” added Schwartz. “It underscores the necessity of practices like network segmentation, multi-factor authentication, and regular updates to mitigate these threats.” The YouGov survey comprised 300 respondents from the UK. These respondents were senior decision makers at tenant organisations, construction companies or IT departments from various sectors such as manufacturing, construction, financial services, IT and telecoms, medical and health services and education. 44 per cent of responders were from organisations with more than 1,000 employees. Visit OryxAlign’s website for a copy of The Green Buildings Guide, 2024: Achieving Green, Healthy & Cyber Secure Buildings. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Wates Construction Ltd – one of the UK’s biggest Tier 1 contractors – has recently been awarded the ‘Certificate of Commitment and Progress – Building Safety Stage One’ in recognition of their successful completion of Stage 1 (Leadership and Culture) of Building a Safer Future’s Champion assessment scheme. The BSF Champion process – which was launched with a group of early adopters in August 2021 – is designed to support organisations working in the UK built environment industry in their ongoing journey of continuous improvement in relation to building safety, providing them with actionable data and practical tools to assist them in developing their leadership and culture. Having completed Stage 1 of 2, Wates joins a growing tranche of organisations that are engaging in the assessment, achieving positive progress and reaping the benefits from the external eye being cast over their building safety culture. Steve Elliott, Non-Executive Chair of Building a Safer Future, commented: “The leadership shown by Wates in stepping forward and taking part in the assessment is critical in helping to shift the industry towards improvements in building safety. I encourage many more companies to follow their fantastic example and sign up for the Champion process. Congratulations to Wates on the achievement of their Stage 1 certificate, and I wish them well for Stage 2.” Gary Townsend-Vila, Interim Chief Executive of Building a Safer Future, commented: “Achieving the Stage 1 certificate is a terrific milestone, and I offer my congratulations to Wates for this recognition of their hard work and commitment. They should be proud of their leadership and I look forward to observing their progress in Stage 2.” Building a Safer Future (BSF) is a non-profit organisation committed to raising standards in building safety and supporting required culture change in the built environment industry. Companies can apply to participate in the BSF Champions programme by visiting the Building a Safer Future website at www.buildingasaferfuture.org.uk and completing the application form*, or alternatively they can email alexander.caller@buildingasaferfuture.org.uk Building a Safer Future Champion Stage 1 completers so far include the following organisations: Organisations that have completed the full Champion process and been awarded BSF Champion status so far include: Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Midlands and North division of international contractor, McLaren Construction, has announced a record turnover of £271million for the latest financial year. Following a year of expansion for the division and McLaren Construction group as a whole, the milestone follows news that the contractor generated overall revenues up 22% to £964 million in 2022/2023 and is on course to break the £1 billion annual turnover barrier in 2023/2024. McLaren Construction (Midlands and North) has experienced growth over the past 12 months, with new appointments across its leadership, project, and sustainability teams and six projects handed over for 2022/2023. Nationally, McLaren Construction is active across multiple markets and intends to continue growth across its residential, data centre, commercial office, leisure, health, education and remediation portfolios. This vision for expansion is shared by the Midlands and North division, which is concentrating on diversifying its public sector work, with a focus on health, education and remediation, alongside data centres and industrial and logistics schemes. Last year, Midlands and North secured its place on the £8bn Procurement Partnerships Framework and was appointed to two of the four lots awarded to McLaren nationally. Under the construction discipline, McLaren Construction (Midlands and North) was appointed to deliver public sector projects from £15m-£30m in the East Midlands and £30m+ in the West Midlands. The contractor is one of 87 appointed to the second-generation Framework which will run from 1 November 2023 for four years and as part of this, is expanding its portfolio of data centre projects with further schemes set for the next 12 months. Further building the reputation of the contractor as an industry leader in the industrial and logistics sector – completed projects in this arena have included Sherburn 42 in Leeds, Konect 62 in Knottingley, the Pets at Home National Fulfilment Centre in Stafford and MAG 401 at Manchester airport. Notable industrial and logistics schemes which have commenced works in the last 12 months include Horizon 29 Phase Two in Bolsover and Project Holst in Coventry. Demonstrating growth within the student property sector, McLaren Construction is also well underway with prominent accommodation sites in the Midlands and North including St Gabriels in Manchester, Talbot Street in Nottingham, and Longwood Close in Coventry which is a joint venture between McLaren Property and Topland. In 2024, the division will be concentrating on continued growth of its project pipelines in the industrial and logistics arena, alongside the student accommodation and data centre sectors, while strengthening and further developing its supply chain across the Midlands and North regions. Gary Cramp, managing director of McLaren Construction Midlands and North, said: “The last 12 months have been consistently successful for the division and our dedicated teams have worked hard to procure schemes across a variety of sectors, strengthening our position as a reliable contractor with diverse expertise. “The quality of our product and service will always be of utmost importance in delivery and we are looking forward to the next 12 months and our expansion in new sectors, alongside working on prominent frameworks.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Createmaster, Createmaster Information Management and Resi-Sense to adopt the name Zutec, bringing all group brands under one roof. BuildData Group announces it is bringing together its individual brands to collectively operate and trade under Zutec. It will no longer use the BuildData Group name, and has changed the names of Createmaster, Createmaster Information Management (formerly Bond Bryan Digital), and Resi-Sense to Zutec. Operating as one brand, Zutec will provide customers with a joined-up approach to managing building data as a single touch point, and digital ecosystem across its solutions. This will cement the company’s position as a leader in cloud-based software for the construction and property industries in the UK and Ireland and will be unique in providing ConTech and PropTech across the building lifecycle. Closing the gap between construction and property technology with compliance-led solutions The construction and property industries are rapidly adopting digital technologies, as they adapt to changing data requirements driven by new regulations and sustainability. With a focus on compliance, Zutec software solutions address areas such as fire safety in response to the Building Safety Act, sustainability regulations such as Part L, and handover contract compliance such as digital O&M and asset information. Zutec’s four solution families – Document Management, Quality Management, Handover Management and Asset Management – have already been adopted by over 500+ customers such as Kier Group, Taylor Wimpey, Cairn Homes, Peabody, and Greystar. One vision for best-practice digitisation for a safer, higher quality-built environment Gustave Geisendorf, CEO at Zutec: “It is now more important than ever that all building asset data is accurate, accessible, and understandable, particularly as the Building Safety Act framework comes into full force, and new regulations and standards are rolled out. With our SaaS (Software as a Service) platform and complementary solutions, Zutec aspires to lead the way in ConTech and PropTech innovation, providing simpler paths to help our customers navigate mandatory building information and address net zero requirements.” Joining the dots Established in 1998, Zutec has been providing cloud-based construction management and property software across the globe for more than two decades. The Zutec platform enables customers to build, own, and manage their data via the cloud, supported by a best-in-class mobile app (Zutec Field) for data capture anywhere on a construction site or in a building. Also established more than 20 years ago, Createmaster is the UK leader in digital handover solutions. Createmaster collates, validates, and delivers asset information and building manuals for customers, and supports Building Safety Act Gateway 3 compliance to ensure residential buildings are safe to occupy. Createmaster Information Management (formerly Bond Bryan Digital) was established in 2016, and rationalises digital building information requirements for its customers, providing information delivery based on industry best practice and international standards, including the UK BIM (Building Information Modelling) Framework and ISO 19650. Resi-Sense is a tenancy management tool for asset owners and property management companies. It improves the aftercare process for residents by providing digital home user guides as well as communication and engagement channels. Established three years ago, BuildData Group has been the holding company for its affiliate brands and never offered distinct solutions to the market. As one company, with pooled expertise, Zutec will join the dots in a combined vision, and remain dedicated to staying one step ahead in building digitisation. Importantly, it will give customers peace of mind with better connected and structured data as the industry continues to digitise and moves towards a golden thread of information. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
