Works are in progress at ‘Hindle House’ – a modern residential development in the Southern Gateway area of Nottingham – due for completion in December this year. The scheme, which is being developed by KMRE Group Ltd, has brought 62 contemporary one and two-bedroom apartments to market, including penthouses, with
In a post-Covid world, the need to consider the overall sustainability of the built environment in order to make sure we build and renovate in a low carbon and circular way will require all stakeholders to build better. Historically, actions we take in the name of sustainability have created some
The launch of a new mobile app for operators of mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) and mast-climbing work platforms (MCWPs) aims to bring training certification into the digital era and reduce the environmental impact involved in issuing the International Powered Access Federation’s (IPAF) PAL Card and all training certification. IPAF’s
When it came to the management and control of surface water run-off at a caravan showground in Hull, StormCrate55, an engineered Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS) from Brett Martin was up for the challenge. The static caravan manufacturer’s facility features a newly refurbished showground where customers can view a huge range
Over the past 12 months, there has been an increase in searches for colourful kitchens, with ‘black kitchens’ leading on a 128% increase and ‘green kitchens’ following close behind at 126%. Although a colourful kitchen can be beautiful, there are many things to consider to ensure you get it right,
The next 12 months will be a critical time for housebuilders, with new requirements set to come into place imminently, dictating a building’s energy efficiency. Recently published changes to Part L of the Building Regulations have set new standards and requirements for the energy performance and carbon emissions of all
whatimpact, an AI matchmaking platform, has launched to connect property companies and charities to help implement CSR programmes in line with the new requirements in the Social Value Act (SVA). The Procurement Policy Note that came into effect in January requires all companies that bid for public contracts to present
We all love a bask in the sun from time to time — especially if it’s on a warm beach or in your garden on a summer’s day. But when you work outdoors, overly warm weather may not be ideal for your health or for the projects that you’re working
Engineers at the award-winning Will Rudd Davidson consultancy say investment in construction projects in Glasgow has led to a positive start to 2021 for the firm. Will Rudd Davidson’s Glasgow team is working to complete three major projects within Scotland’s largest city in contracts totalling close to £125 million. These
Construction work has begun on transforming a former post office in Warrington town centre into a £3.2 million aparthotel. Leeds-based main contractor, Priestley Construction, is delivering the development for its clients, Danny Inman Property and Priestley Homes. Situated on Palmyra Square, the contractor is converting the upper floors of the
Works are in progress at ‘Hindle House’ – a modern residential development in the Southern Gateway area of Nottingham – due for completion in December this year. The scheme, which is being developed by KMRE Group Ltd, has brought 62 contemporary one and two-bedroom apartments to market, including penthouses, with more than 75% already sold off plan. Just 15 properties remain available to purchase at the three-storey development, which features open-plan living spaces, ensuite bedrooms, modern kitchens with integrated appliances, on-site cycle storage, secure entry, a reception area and lift access. Optional car parking is also available for residents. Situated to the south of Nottingham city centre in an area currently undergoing extensive regeneration, known as the Southern Gateway, Hindle House is just one mile from the city centre and less than half a mile from Nottingham Railway Station – with regular travel available to London St Pancras in as little as one hour and 32 minutes. With excellent access to transport links, including frequent bus and tram services – buyers can enjoy everything the city has to offer, including prime retail amenities; of the likes of John Lewis, Flannels, Paul Smith, Vivienne Westwood and Ted Baker, among high street stores. Just a short walk away are some of the city’s finest attractions such as the historic Nottingham Castle – complete with its famous underground cave network – which has recently undergone a £30 million transformation, ahead of its planned reopening in June this year. As well as a thriving retail offering, Nottingham also enjoys a lively food and drink scene with vibrant independent cafes, bars and restaurants – many of which are tucked away in the city’s picturesque, central historic areas such as Hockley and the Lace Market. The development also offers close proximity to Castle Marina retail park and Castle Park and NG2 business parks, with Nottingham’s canal network, the River Trent and Victoria Embankment beauty spots within walking distance. Identified as one of the UK’s top cities to achieve capital growth when analysing recent statistics from Zoopla, Nottingham stands out as one of the key areas to invest in property – with the average house price having increased by 16.92% in the last five years, and growth predictions suggesting this is likely to continue over the next few years. * The city is home to many major employers and large company head offices, including Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University, Boots, Experian, Capital One and HMRC, and it is also set to benefit from the construction of the HS2 train railway network. Interested buyers wishing to enquire about the remaining apartments at Hindle House are invited to contact selling agent – Pygott & Crone. “Hindle House offers buyers a modern, and extremely convenient place to live in the vibrant city of Nottingham. The location is ideally suited to professionals who work and live in the city – with vibrant amenities within walking distance, and business districts, major employers and Nottingham station on your doorstep, ensuring easy and accessible travel, ” said Kam Mogul, director at KMRE Group Ltd. “The apartments will feature high spec fixtures and fittings, including modern kitchen and bathroom designs, integrated appliances and luxury, spacious ensuite bedrooms – providing a stunning and relaxing place to live in the heart of Nottingham. As an experienced property developer, we are always looking for new opportunities to invest in cities that offer residents excellent locations and investment opportunities, which is why we have identified Nottingham as a key contributor to our activities.” This is the second ‘Southern Gateway’ landmark scheme for KMRE Group Ltd in Nottingham, the first of which is the 81-apartment flagship development, known as ‘The Yacht Club’ situated on the banks of The River Trent, offering apartments and penthouses with panoramic waterside views in a prime location, close to West Bridgford. The Yacht Club development is due for completion in July of this year.
In a post-Covid world, the need to consider the overall sustainability of the built environment in order to make sure we build and renovate in a low carbon and circular way will require all stakeholders to build better. Historically, actions we take in the name of sustainability have created some challenges from a fire perspective. Not that sustainability was wrong, but we need to think of the impact of these actions, particularly the impact on fire. There have been instances in the past decade where the construction sector has been so concerned with sustainability, safety and resilience has been sometimes overlooked. A recent fire that destroyed a motorcycle museum in Austria that was lauded for its green credentials made me think of this again. When I looked at the Austrian fire, I kept running into images of a similar structure here in England, the Carbon Neutral Laboratory in Nottingham. It too was largely complete and built with excellent sustainability credentials, but then destroyed by fire. The timber construction, so prized for its sustainability credits, meant the building was vulnerable to such a fire, especially as the building did not have active fire protection. This new fire in Austria struck a chord with me as articles talked of rebuilding a similar structure. The laboratory in Nottingham was rebuilt in line with regulations but using the same design principle and materials as before and according to contractor Morgan Sindall, is “indistinguishable” from the previous building. There was no increase in fire resilience and no active fire protection. Imagine my dismay on reading about this building and its fine green credentials. The very same building went on to win the ‘Sustainability Project of the Year’ at the annual Building Awards. Organised by Building Magazine, the awards recognise the best of the industry with the rebuilt laboratory praised for its sustainability credentials and carbon savings. Let me line this out: the ‘Sustainability Project of the Year is a project that burnt completely to the ground and then needed to be rebuilt; a building fire that could be seen for miles; a building fire that required over 60 firefighters to tackle and use thousands of litres of water to quell; a building that required what was left of the structure to be removed and would need to be disposed of by specialist contractors; a building that required materials to be procured again, shipped to site again and erected by scores of contractors…again. This is the ‘Sustainability Project of the Year’? A simple search on the internet revealed that this is not the only sustainability award that this large university laboratory has been shortlisted for. The fire and its impacts are all but a footnote in the story. It raises the question of how sustainable such a project can be when one considers the impact of fire; how the issue of fire could be addressed and whether fire should be more of a factor in that measure of sustainability. So how can this be? It is simple. None of the metrics that define prized sustainability awards consider fire or its impact. A building that burns to the ground and needs to be rebuilt does not incur any penalty in these schemes. Fire is simply an issue that is not covered in those scoring schemes or it would seem in the judging panels for sustainability ratings and prizes. Only last year, Premier Inn was granted planning permission to replace a hotel that was largely destroyed by fire in the summer of 2019, despite the efforts of 60 firefighters. The event disrupted local roads, businesses and stretched resources. There were no sprinklers in the building and the damage was so extensive the local fire and rescue service were unable to conclude on the cause. There are no sprinklers noted in the planned building to aid with resilience to fire. They are not a feature of the regulatory guidance. However, the planning details for the new hotel note that it will have a BREEAM ‘Very good’ rating by achieving more than a 40 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions over and above the standards set in prior Building Regulations. The aspects of fire safety are noted as being covered separately by Building Regulations – the same Building Regulations which are currently under review. Isn’t it time that we also reviewed how we define sustainability and considered fire as part of this? By Iain Cox, Chair of the Business Sprinkler Alliance
The launch of a new mobile app for operators of mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) and mast-climbing work platforms (MCWPs) aims to bring training certification into the digital era and reduce the environmental impact involved in issuing the International Powered Access Federation’s (IPAF) PAL Card and all training certification. IPAF’s new ePAL mobile app is free to use and features the first ever digital IPAF PAL Card, operator log book and operator safety guide. It also allows operators to receive the latest best practice tips and safety information, and means operators can share their qualifications with site managers quickly and easily. “A typical year’s output in terms of IPAF PAL Cards and certificates issued used to amount to a 130-metre stack of printed plastic and paper, shipped from supplier, to IPAF, to the IPAF Training Centre and then on to candidates. Then, after five years, the candidate would dispose of it and start again,” said Peter Douglas, IPAF CEO & MD. “The new app will lead to us reducing the number of steps in processing a PAL Card and cut down on all that waste, as well as the expense, delays and carbon emissions involved in shipping items around the globe needlessly. Developing an operator app has been a key priority for IPAF since I took up post in 2019, and we were excited to team up with IPAF member Trackunit to bring its considerable technical expertise to bear to roll this out. “IPAF’s ePAL brings huge benefits for operators and IPAF Training Centres alike, while allowing us to streamline and digitise our processes. We are monitoring the roll-out of the new app and are already planning new functionality. These are exciting times.” The ePAL app is a major a step forward in IPAF’s ongoing drive to boost sustainability, as it shifts away from issuing plastic, credit-card sized PAL Cards via the post to every training candidate successfully completing or renewing an IPAF operator course. The new ePAL app also phases out paper certification of qualifications and logging of machine time and replaces the printed paper version of IPAF’s operator safety guide; it speeds up the processing time and resource required to issue training candidates with their PAL Card and certification. Søren Brogaard, CEO of Trackunit, IPAF member company and specialist in fleet management solutions for construction that helped develop the app, says: “This is a big step up for the industry when it comes to safety and efficiency. It has been long in the making, at least in terms of an industry wish-list, and now it is finally here. “The app allows IPAF to communicate directly with operators and offers them a digital platform to record, show and share their qualifications and operating experience worldwide. ePAL is a commitment to enable collaboration between the operator and the digital ecosystem. “We all know filling out paper operator logbooks and keeping them up to date can be a challenge. This app provides contractors and operators secure access to equipment and a convenient way to document machine activities. We can also use the app to encourage and make it easier to report an accident or near-miss incident through the new IPAF reporting portal. My hope is we can all contribute to building a safer, digital future for operators.” IPAF ePAL mobile app is available now in the UK and Ireland. It is initially offered in English with other languages to follow, and is available for Apple iOS and Android devices. The app will be updated with additional features as usage demands and developing technology allows.
When it came to the management and control of surface water run-off at a caravan showground in Hull, StormCrate55, an engineered Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS) from Brett Martin was up for the challenge. The static caravan manufacturer’s facility features a newly refurbished showground where customers can view a huge range of homes. Having previously used Stormcrate55 to successfully manage stormwater on a number of other projects, installer Catalogue Engineering undertook the installation for groundworks contractor Evabuild in order to reduce the risk of flooding on this trafficked site during periods of heavy rainfall. Manufactured from 100% recycled plastic, 523m³ of the StormCrate55 modular units were clipped together in a brick bond pattern to create a three tiered underground attenuation tank. With a loading capability of 562kN per m³, their high strength provided more than enough vertical strength for this tarmacked area at the showground. For the installation team, the lightweight crates, weighing only 15.5kg each, were easy to handle and fit together using the connectors and shear pins supplied. “A large amount of crates were required for this sprawling trafficked site,” commented Luke Dekonski of Catalogue Engineering. “The crates are easy to install and very well made, with no sharp corners so there is very low risk of puncturing the impermeable lining, reducing our risk when offering a warranty installation.” In the event of heavy rains, StormCrate55 has a high void ratio of 95%, which means that the units are highly efficient at storing up to 237.5 litres of water. On this project, the StormCrate55 system was surrounded with an impermeable membrane to create a sealed underground tank. The outlet from this tank is then controlled to facilitate a slow release of the stored water back into the drainage system over a longer period. For infiltration applications, StormCrate55 can also be wrapped in a permeable geotextile, material which allows stored water to slowly seep into the surrounding ground and back into the water table over a period of time. “The StormCrate units are also incredibly versatile which means the structure depth can be varied dependent on the application,” added Luke Dekonski. Suitable for installation in landscaped areas, pedestrianised spaces, playgrounds, parking areas, driveways and access zones, StormCrate55 is seen as one way of addressing the problem of flooding and avoiding using an overloaded sewer system. The use of StormCrate55 has ensured this showground will have a proven rainwater attenuation solution for the long term, reducing demand on the built drainage and the sewerage infrastructure.
Over the past 12 months, there has been an increase in searches for colourful kitchens, with ‘black kitchens’ leading on a 128% increase and ‘green kitchens’ following close behind at 126%. Although a colourful kitchen can be beautiful, there are many things to consider to ensure you get it right, and one of the most important is colour psychology. According to the Theory of Colour Psychology and Colour Harmony, colour psychology is important because different colours can have a significant impact on human behaviour. By having an appreciation of the psychological influence of various colours, you can begin to style your kitchen around particular moods and mindsets. Wren Kitchens have taken a look at what emotions different colours can evoke, the right colours to choose in your kitchen, and what to avoid at all costs! How to pick the right colour Give your kitchen cool class, with shades of black styled to offer a sense of sophistication and glamour, while contrasting whites can be used to enhance feelings of simplicity, stability, and clarity, perfect for family time. When colouring your kitchen, monochromatic blacks and whites can be combined effectively to offer complementary contrast, and a dynamic cooking and socialising environment. Additionally, the kitchen is all about experiencing an eruption of senses, whether it be the gorgeous smell of bubbling food or the spectacular taste of your marvellous creations. With this in mind, consider injecting subtle elements of orange, with the bright colour associated with feelings of comfort, food, and fun. The different emotions When styling your space, it’s crucial to consider the entire emotional spectrum, and how different colours can influence certain moods: Calm serenity For total tranquillity, choose shades next to each other on the colour wheel. These are called harmonious. Specifically, blues and greens are great for bringing calmness, balance, and equilibrium to your space, while a threatening red is perhaps one to avoid. Positivity Yellow is considered the colour of confidence and self-esteem, and green is associated with fun and frivolity. Reddish hues can also be used to give you feelings of power and excitement. Love and romance You can make use of pink tints dotted throughout, to bring about feelings of warmth, love, and femininity. However, pink is, perhaps surprisingly, particularly potent, so make sure to use shades in moderation. Concentration In an era where remote working has become the norm, it’s increasingly important to have a space that complements your working life. To help build feelings of focus and concentration, combine soft blues, aimed at calming the mind, violets, proven to heighten awareness, and earthy browns styled towards seriousness and supportiveness. Colour mistakes to avoid at all costs Not considering colour hue – A colour is broken down into different tones, and warm and sharp hues stimulate vastly different feelings. It’s important to take this into account when styling your kitchen. Forgetting about lighting – Your room can look vastly different depending on whether you have overhead lighting, lamps, or natural light illuminating the space. Make sure you consider how lighting changes your kitchen when you’re deciding on your perfect colour. Over-using one colour – The main thing to avoid when decorating your home is over-using colour. This applies to dark, light, and pastel tones, as well as walls, furniture, and features. It is possible to have too much of a good thing, so don’t get blindsided by a colour you love. Combining too many colours in one space – Similarly, don’t fall into the trap of combining too many colours in one space. This can be overwhelming and overstimulating. Blending too many moods can also negate the positive impact of colour; determine how you want a room to make you feel and stick to shades that elevate and enhance these emotions.
The next 12 months will be a critical time for housebuilders, with new requirements set to come into place imminently, dictating a building’s energy efficiency. Recently published changes to Part L of the Building Regulations have set new standards and requirements for the energy performance and carbon emissions of all new and existing buildings from July 2022 – meaning buildings will require air permeability testing as well as a photo log of building details and thermal elements, both during construction and at completion. Following this, the upcoming Future Homes Standard, set to be implemented in 2025, will see the housing and construction industries take a huge step in assisting the UK government to meet its 2050 net zero target. However, with “Net Zero” being viewed as a buzzword for 2021, there is a big concern that construction firms are rushing to make drastic changes to the way they work, in an aim to reduce their carbon footprint, without fully understanding the implications and effectivity. “There is increased pressure on individuals and businesses globally to reduce their carbon footprint, but many don’t fully understand what this means or entails,” said Matt Lees, Head of Engineering at Cadline. “Many are unaware of what their current carbon footprint actually is so jump on the bandwagon and dive in headfirst – overspending without getting results. By taking a step back and using technology to measure current emissions and plan actions, we can ensure businesses are making the most cost-effective decisions and getting a return on investment.” Technology provider Cadline has partnered with a building consultancy, Netzero Building Solutions , to support businesses in complying with new sustainability regulations and meet targets. Collectively they are urging businesses to assess their building’s own current emissions and map out a plan before taking any actions – to fully prepare costs, changes and effectiveness – before rushing into lengthy and costly projects to satisfy the latest buzzword requirements. “With around 45% of the UK’s emissions coming from buildings alone, we all know the industry needs to improve, however, it needs to be done carefully and effectively to streamline actions and maximise results. Our goal is to help clients be self-sufficient, providing them with the tools to manage their sustainability effectively in the long-term,” added Laura Farr, from Netzero Building Solutions. Using Cadline’s DynamicAIM technology, Netzero Solutions can create a digital twin of a building to assess its current carbon emissions– mapping everything from energy consumption, ventilation systems and operation manuals – in order to produce recommendations and record improvements. DynamicAIM is an invaluable tool for all BIM, survey and asset information – digitising the asset’s build details and contents so property owners and managers can securely store and access vital information relating to building materials, safety and energy consumption, ensuring they have a permanent digital log that can be updated in real-time. Once an initial survey has been carried out, recommendations are produced – such as changes to energy generation within a building or new installations to monitor energy consumption. With a two-week lead time from survey to full functionality, DynamicAIM gives asset builders and asset managers a clear, easy to manage solution.
whatimpact, an AI matchmaking platform, has launched to connect property companies and charities to help implement CSR programmes in line with the new requirements in the Social Value Act (SVA). The Procurement Policy Note that came into effect in January requires all companies that bid for public contracts to present a social value delivery plan and to report back on their social value impact, or risk losing their contract. As a result of the new procurement policy note, simply adding general corporate policies and corporate responsibility statements to a tender is no longer sufficient. Now, companies will need to deliver and evidence targeted social value improvements for the duration of the contract. The end goal of the newly enhanced SVA is to deliver genuine social value through the government’s commercial activities. The UK government requests that all public contractors deliver social value on five key areas, which are split into eight specific policy outcomes including Covid-19 recovery, tackling economic inequality and fighting climate change. However, determining and evidencing social value is a time-consuming and confusing process for many companies, which is why whatimpact requires charities to report back to companies using their social impact reporting tool which is directly compatible with the eight outcomes and their specific award criteria. whatimpact uses AI to match companies and grant-makers with charities and social enterprises in a strategic, efficient and transparent way. The platform matches organisations based on shared values, UN sustainable development goals (SDGs) and geographic needs across the country, so that companies can direct donations and skills to the organisations that need them most. Supporters (companies and grant-makers) can post resource offers (money, skills, product and service donations) on their public profile. Recipients (charities and social enterprises) can then apply for the resources they need. Both Supporter and Recipient profiles offer transparent data pulled from the Charity Commission, the OCSR, 360Giving and Companies House. whatimpact sets a new precedent in how Company Social Responsibility (CSR) and social value is established, managed, and reported on – all hosted on the whatimpact platform.
We all love a bask in the sun from time to time — especially if it’s on a warm beach or in your garden on a summer’s day. But when you work outdoors, overly warm weather may not be ideal for your health or for the projects that you’re working on. Knowing how to protect yourself from sun damage is important at any time of year. Not only can too much time in the sun harm your eyesight and put you at risk of dehydration, but it can also cause severe health problems in the long term, like skin cancer and a suppressed immune system. Heat can affect your work area too, for example by warping tools and equipment. To mark the rumored end of Spring heatwave, Zoro have put together these five tips for tradespeople looking to avoid the effects of sun damage. Wear the right clothing First things first, you need to make sure you have the right kit to keep yourself protected from the sun. When things start to heat up it can be tempting to remove your shirt to cool down, but this will only expose more of your skin to harmful rays. Instead, you should look for clothing and PPE that is lightweight, breathable, or moisture-wicking. These can circulate the air close to your skin, absorb sweat, and keep you nice and cool all while providing a barrier from the sun. While adding more clothing may seem counter intuitive, it is recommended that you wear a baseball cap or a hat with a brim to keep the sun off your face if your work doesn’t require you to wear a hard hat. Some hats also include flaps that can cover your neck and prevent sunburn there, too. Protect your eyes Our eyes are often forgotten about when it comes to sun protection, but harsh light can cause discomfort and even damage to these delicate organs. It’s worth taking the time to find a pair of sunglasses that are comfortable to wear and fit you properly — otherwise you may be tempted to remove them if they’re irritating, or you might fail to replace them if they fall off and become damaged. If you are short or long-sighted, you could speak to your optician about reactive lenses for your current eyewear, so you don’t have to carry two pairs of glasses around with you on site. Take breaks in the shade It’s important to get out of the sun when you can, particularly in the middle of the day when it’s at its brightest. Try and schedule your breaks between the hours of 11am and 3pm, so you can spend some of the hottest part of the day inside, plus grab a drink and re-apply your sunscreen (you should be topping it up every two hours). If you can’t go inside, you should think about setting up a shaded area close to your workstation or requesting a tent or marquee from your site manager (if you have one). Your tools and equipment can suffer in the heat as well, expanding, warping, or melting in extreme cases. So, invest in some coverings that can keep the sun off them when you’re taking a break or when they’re otherwise not being used. Just like you would in frosty weather, cover masonry and other projects in polythene or hessian sheets to block the sun’s rays. Practice proper skincare Skincare professionals usually suggest a minimum of SPF 15 to protect your skin from UV rays, but for extensive work out in the sun you might want to consider using a high factor of at least 30 to ensure you’re properly protected. If you’re not used to wearing lotions on your skin, don’t worry — skin products have come a long way since the greasy creams and balms you might remember from your childhood. Many lotions, moisturisers and day creams contain sun protection while keeping your skin hydrated, so they’re a good two-for-one to consider. It’s a good idea to get into the habit of checking your skin for new moles and dark spots, particularly ones that are itchy or sore. The sooner you react to skin cancer the better, so be sure to get anything unusual checked out by your GP just in case. Stay hydrated Drinking plenty of water is recommended for everyone, not just outdoor workers. But being dehydrated is much more dangerous than many people think, and if you’re labouring in hot weather without an adequate supply, you risk heat stroke, fainting, accidents, and much worse. So, make sure you have a refillable water bottle with you on every job. You should also consider drinking less fizzy drinks while you work, as well reducing the amount of tea and coffee you consume. This is because sugar and caffeine can often make dehydration worse. Instead, stick to water, sugar-free squash, or electrolyte-replacing sports drinks to stay hydrated.
Engineers at the award-winning Will Rudd Davidson consultancy say investment in construction projects in Glasgow has led to a positive start to 2021 for the firm. Will Rudd Davidson’s Glasgow team is working to complete three major projects within Scotland’s largest city in contracts totalling close to £125 million. These include the provision of civil and structural engineering support on a £22m project at St Andrews Drive in the city’s south side where the team designed the structure’s drainage, SuDS, roads and hardstanding, and below-ground utilities. In an ambitious residential project to build 195 flats on Minerva Street in the Finnieston area, the Will Rudd Davidson Glasgow team provided vital civil and structural engineering assessments and design to RIBA stages 2 and 3. They also undertook underground tunnel surveys at Kelvinhaugh, assessing flood risk and drainage, to develop a winning strategy to achieve planning permission. Having achieved prestigious CARE accreditation in conservation, the firm was chosen to assist with the transformation of existing buildings on George Street into student accommodation. The George Street project involves the retention, restoration and re-use of the listed buildings, blending character with new build elements to allow for a mix of complementary uses, such as a hotel, café, and gallery. Due to this scale and complexity, it is considered to be one of the most significant developments currently underway in Scotland. “The first quarter has been incredibly strong for Will Rudd Davidson, reflecting the continued achievements of our team in Glasgow. The recent completion of four early years projects for East Dunbartonshire Council, along with the current work on three large residential projects in the city, is contributing to our firm having a very positive first half of the year,” said MJ O’Shaughnessy, managing director, Will Rudd Davidson Glasgow. “The team is also working on a wide range of projects across the UK, including several tall buildings in London, the conversion of an office block in Manchester for Brewdog, and student accommodation in Oxford. The projects are diverse in range and scale and demonstrate the Glasgow team’s skills and experience working on both new build and conservation and restoration of historic buildings.” The Will Rudd Glasgow team has been providing engineering solutions to assist Brewdog with the conversion of a 1970s office building in the centre of Manchester into a new bar at ground level and a hotel with a roof terrace on the upper floors. Assessment of the condition and load capacity of the existing structure was key to achieving the permitted change of use, and putting in place internal alterations and a new roof configuration. Blue-green infrastructure has also been key in the development of 137 units of student accommodation and communal leisure space above an existing two storey commercial property in Oxford, to incorporate a green roof as a SuDS measure, a strategy recently approved by Thames Water. To ensure retail trading continuity in the unit below, the team devised a sympathetic piling solution and a steel frame with truss spans of 18m. Civil and geotechnical engineering work has also been carried out by the Glasgow team to ensure proposals for a major residential-led mixed use development in Drumshoreland, West Lothian, could be submitted for planning approval.
Construction work has begun on transforming a former post office in Warrington town centre into a £3.2 million aparthotel. Leeds-based main contractor, Priestley Construction, is delivering the development for its clients, Danny Inman Property and Priestley Homes. Situated on Palmyra Square, the contractor is converting the upper floors of the Grade-II listed building into 21 high-specification apartments for short-term rent. During the extensive renovation project, many of the building’s original features will be meticulously refurbishing and retained. Existing flooring will be built up to achieve the best acoustic separation from the restaurant and bar on the ground floor, which will continue to operate. Installation of high-tech entry systems will allow hotel guests to enter the aparthotel using just their smartphones. Priestley Construction is inviting local subcontractors to bid for work on the development as it progresses, to support businesses in the area. “Warrington is undergoing significant regeneration, driven by an ambitious, forward-thinking council. Design on this brand-new aparthotel meets the highest specification, while retaining a part of the local heritage. We are creating some of the most desirable hotel rooms the town has to offer,” said Nathan Priestley, chief executive of Priestley Construction. The construction programme commenced in June 2021, with completion expected in Q2 2022.
