Cembrit was part of the recent redevelopment of the East Stand at Twickenham stadium as it installed its heavy duty board. The major redevelopment project was led by designed and architect KSS, who expanded the stand to offer six floors of stylish event space, including eight brand new facilities delivering a bespoke
The former Royal Infirmary hospital in Edinburgh is going under restoration work, with the UK construction giant Balfour Beatty landing the contract for the project. The £70 million works will be completed to deliver a new major education hub for the University of Edinburgh. “We have a long history of
Dulux Academy has supported National Apprenticeship Week for the third consecutive year. This year’s theme is ‘Blaze a Trail’, which aims to showcase and celebrate the passion and energy that apprentices bring. Working across its college partners, Dulux Academy has actively involved and celebrated the passion of seventy-five apprentices, taking
The Rotherham Interchange transport hub has increased the space for modern and electric vehicles, due to the transformation work carried out by Interserve. The £12 million refurbishment also includes upgrades to the car park, new cladding, surfacing, and the delivery of improved pedestrian routes. “We are delighted to have completed
The refurbishment of two tower blocks, together with the construction of a new low rise apartment block to create 224 one- and two-bedroom independent living apartments in Nottingham benefited from Profile 22’s Optima windows. As a Category A subcontractor with Willmott Dixon the company was invited to tender for a
A new state-of-the-art student accommodation scheme in Cardiff, located in the centre of the city, benefits from a number of Metal Technology systems. Capital Quarter Cardiff consists of two multi-level blocks linked by an architect-designed landscape scheme, featuring 544 self-contained rooms, which comprise a mix of studio and cluster accommodation.
Plans to launch a landmark apprenticeship bursary have been announced by Kier Construction. The ‘Kick-Start’ Bursary is the first to be offered in the built environment, and will support apprentices who may benefit from additional financial support to enter or continue their journey in the workplace. New and existing apprentices across all
Amid recent news that apprenticeship figures are still falling, the UK construction firm nmcn is driving demand for apprentices nationwide. More than 10% of employees at nmcn are currently participating in an apprenticeship, a figure that is expected to rise to 12% when the company’s graduate scheme is brought into
A range of timber materials has been donated by Södra Wood to support an award-winning timber workshop at London Metropolitan University. The annual award-winning workshop for the School of Architecture takes place in February each year, with Södra serving as a 2019 sponsor. “We’re really pleased to be able to
These days, people who don’t have a concrete real estate investing experience turn to rental properties to diversify investments and get good cash flow for the future. After all, a rental property can be one of the best investments you can make. If you handle it right, you can surely
Cembrit was part of the recent redevelopment of the East Stand at Twickenham stadium as it installed its heavy duty board. The major redevelopment project was led by designed and architect KSS, who expanded the stand to offer six floors of stylish event space, including eight brand new facilities delivering a bespoke hospitality experience for fans. Working on the interior design concept and delivery of the project were Wildfire London. The Cembrit HD heavy board was installed in the British Airways Rose Garden roof terrace on Level 5. The Hayes branch of Minster supplied the board, which is now located in the wings of the facility, as well as on the walls of the adjacent L5 concourse where impact resistance was important as crowds are moving in confined spaces. A lot of the wall finishes in the Rose Garden are also fixed through the Cembrit boards, including the brick slips behind the rotisserie section. “Cembrit’s robust and weather resistant HD boards provided us with flexibility and multipurpose utility in meeting the complex project requirements. Their technical advisors were also helpful and informative in pursuing the goals of the project,” commented Kenji Ikegaya, an architect at the practice. Cembrit HD (Heavy Duty) is a Class A2-s2, d0 fire rated high density building board comprising cement, cellulose and mineral fillers. It is ideal for ‘sealing’ buildings under construction as it is impact resistant and can be left exposed without additional treatment. HD is also extremely versatile and can be used as partitioning and is popular in offsite and SIPS construction as well as internal applications.
The former Royal Infirmary hospital in Edinburgh is going under restoration work, with the UK construction giant Balfour Beatty landing the contract for the project. The £70 million works will be completed to deliver a new major education hub for the University of Edinburgh. “We have a long history of restoring listed buildings, including the National Museum of Scotland and the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh. Combining the latest construction techniques and technologies, we look forward to sympathetically restoring Edinburgh’s Old Royal Infirmary hospital for the wider benefit of the community,” commented Hector Macaulay, Balfour Beatty’s Managing Director of Scotland and Ireland. The Edinburgh Futures Institute development will include multiple teaching and learning facilities, function areas, and work spaces for staff, students and the general public. For the development, Balfour Beatty has to restore and connect six wards in order to unlock the building’s wide corridors to create free-flowing areas in the University’s Grade- A listed Old Royal Infirmary hospital building, spanning over 21,000 square meters. They will employ 170 people at construction peak. To enhance the restoration process, Building Information Modelling (BIM) and augmented and virtual reality technologies will also be utilised. Work will commence on the project in spring 2019, and is expected to be completed ahead of the start of the academic year in 2021.
Dulux Academy has supported National Apprenticeship Week for the third consecutive year. This year’s theme is ‘Blaze a Trail’, which aims to showcase and celebrate the passion and energy that apprentices bring. Working across its college partners, Dulux Academy has actively involved and celebrated the passion of seventy-five apprentices, taking its ‘Water-based Challenge’ on the road. The challenge aims to educate and inform apprentices about the benefits of using water-based products and demonstrate the practical application tips and techniques which are required to create a fantastic finish. Following a theory session, apprentices received their own application accessories pack and took on a panelled door challenge using the Dulux Colour of the Year 2019, Spiced Honey, competing to be recognised as the individual winner of an exclusive National Apprenticeship Week Golden Paintbrush Award. “National Apprenticeship Week is an important date in our annual events calendar. The partnership between industry and education provides an opportunity to inspire apprentices, their employers, college tutors and the painting and decorating industry as a whole,” said Vickie Mather from Dulux Academy. “We’ve outlined our commitments to the future of the decorating profession in our ‘Joint Minds Charter’ that our college partnerships have signed up to. This charter confirms the direct student benefits involved in partnering with Dulux Academy. To date we have delivered over 1,000 hours of supported learning to college students and apprentices demonstrating the joint commitment to upskilling the next generation of trade professionals,” added Vickie. National Apprenticeship Week aims to shine a spotlight on apprenticeships as a great path for people at any stage of their career; from those starting out, to those wanting to reskill or change careers. It comes at a time when the need for trade apprentices has never been greater, with a 34 per cent decline in painting and decorating qualifications being achieved through colleges. So it’s fitting that Dulux Academy has also recruited a new painting and decorating apprentice, Laura Ashby. Laura is a career changer with a passion for interiors and decorating, she joins the team to gain practical experience alongside completing her formal qualification. “As a mature student, returning to college would be a big financial commitment so the opportunity to learn on the job from industry leaders was very appealing. The Dulux Academy Painting and Decorating apprenticeship will provide me with the chance to make the move into an industry I’ve always aspired to work in. I’m looking forward to learning as much as possible about something I have a real passion for from experts in the field,” Laura said.
The Rotherham Interchange transport hub has increased the space for modern and electric vehicles, due to the transformation work carried out by Interserve. The £12 million refurbishment also includes upgrades to the car park, new cladding, surfacing, and the delivery of improved pedestrian routes. “We are delighted to have completed the Rotherham Interchange refurbishment project. The new facilities will provide an improved passenger experience for users of the Interchange,” said John Gittins, Divisional Director at Interserve Construction. “As part of this project we are proud to have supported the training and development of 60 students from Rotherham Construction College. We look forward to continuing our relationship with SYPTE and Rotherham Council as it continues to invest in the town’s regeneration programme,” John added. The project was delivered over a 10-month period, during which 10,000 litres of paint were used, and 11,000 floor tiles, 10km of electric cables, 3,800m2 of insulation, 350 sheets of glass and solar panels were installed; all in order to provide the building’s sustainable energy needs. Interserve delivered the project on behalf of the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) “The improved Rotherham Interchange will provide a better, brighter place for public transport users as well as those visiting, living and working in the town. Seventeen million people travelling through the Interchange each year, using 1,299 buses a day, will now benefit from new seating, lighting, information displays, electrics and flooring, CCTV and free public wi-fi,” commented SYPTE Executive Director, Stephen Edwards.
The refurbishment of two tower blocks, together with the construction of a new low rise apartment block to create 224 one- and two-bedroom independent living apartments in Nottingham benefited from Profile 22’s Optima windows. As a Category A subcontractor with Willmott Dixon the company was invited to tender for a contract to fabricate and install windows and doors as part of an £11 million project commissioned by Nottingham City Homes. The fabrication of windows and doors for the apartments were required by the contract. The first part if the installation was the replacement of windows on two tower blocks – Winchester Court and Woodthorpe Court – that have been part of the Nottingham skyline for decades. The second was the installation of new windows and doors on a low rise apartment building being constructed on the same site as the tower blocks as part of the project. Profile 22’s Optima systems fit perfectly within Nottingham City Homes’ Building a Better Nottingham programme, designed to transform people’s lives across the city by providing energy efficient homes that can dramatically reduce fuel bills for residents. The award-winning 70mm system delivers cost-effective thermal efficiency thanks to features such as a 6-chambered outerframe and 5-chambered sash and unique innovations such as additional centre seals. As well as Optima, Select Windows also used PatioMaster sliding patio doors, another product from the Epwin Group’s portfolio, on Winchester Court and Woodthorpe Court. “The tight timescale meant we were swiftly mobilised and needed to work hand-in-hand with Willmott Dixon to ensure everything ran smoothly. All the flats were fitted from mast climbers and because the apertures were full height we had to follow an extremely strict safety protocol which was designed and implemented by Willmott Dixon,” explained Gary, part of the team at Profile 22. “We have been told there have been some exceedingly positive tenant responses and our personnel received numerous compliments about their professionalism and consideration. Our thanks must also go to Willmott Dixon because our element of this contract could not have been completed so successfully without their excellent management and support,” he added. The end result has transformed the Nottingham skyline and created high quality independent living apartments.
A new state-of-the-art student accommodation scheme in Cardiff, located in the centre of the city, benefits from a number of Metal Technology systems. Capital Quarter Cardiff consists of two multi-level blocks linked by an architect-designed landscape scheme, featuring 544 self-contained rooms, which comprise a mix of studio and cluster accommodation. The development, worth £1.725 million, features Metal Technology’s System 17 capped curtain walling with a combination of System 5-35HI+ tilt and turn windows and System 4-35 Hi+ thermally enhanced Casement windows. System 5-20D Hi+ thermally enhanced door systems are also used alongside System 10 commercial doors. A bespoke louvre system helped ensure adequate shading was achieved whilst providing a safe environment even when the windows are fully opened. “Metal Technology’s state-of-the-art windows and doors were the perfect fit for this student accommodation project from an installation perspective due to the system’s ability to be quickly but efficiently designed, fabricated and shipped to site. This allows our installers to be utilised more efficiently and effectively across all of our current live sites. The door and window systems lend themselves especially well to this type of project where safety and security are a priority without compromising on quality,” commented Andrew Stapleton of APiC. All Metal Technology systems are designed to perform seamlessly together to deliver the desired aesthetic and performance standards. Used individually or together, they offer complete design flexibility for creative aesthetics with the assurance of value engineered structural, weather and security performance.
Plans to launch a landmark apprenticeship bursary have been announced by Kier Construction. The ‘Kick-Start’ Bursary is the first to be offered in the built environment, and will support apprentices who may benefit from additional financial support to enter or continue their journey in the workplace. New and existing apprentices across all of Kier’s business will be able to benefit from this opportunity, as long as they meet the key criteria of a household income of below £17,000. For those that get accepted, the bursary will provide support of £1,000 per year for each apprentice for the duration of their apprenticeship. The announcement comes during National Apprenticeship Week, 04-08 March, which celebrates apprenticeships and the positive impact they have on individuals, businesses and the wider economy. “We’re excited to be the first company in the built environment to launch an apprenticeship bursary. Starting your career and embarking on an apprenticeship should be an exciting time but, our experience has shown us that, for some people, the costs of entering the workplace itself can become a barrier. We wanted to take action that would have a direct benefit at an individual level, hopefully with this bursary we can open up access to our apprenticeships even further,” commented Jan Atkinson, talent and organisational development director at Kier.
Amid recent news that apprenticeship figures are still falling, the UK construction firm nmcn is driving demand for apprentices nationwide. More than 10% of employees at nmcn are currently participating in an apprenticeship, a figure that is expected to rise to 12% when the company’s graduate scheme is brought into the apprenticeship levy. “We’re training tomorrow’s talent to be our future. Apprenticeships aren’t a tick box exercise, we truly believe they are creating a legacy for the business. Over the last five years more than 270 of our people have been enrolled in an apprenticeship scheme and in that time we have seen a noticeable shift in the attitudes towards apprentices within the business. There’s been a pull to push shift, previously, managers needed to be persuaded to take on apprentices, now those managers are driving the demand. They see the value and momentum that apprentices can bring,” commented Karen Morris, nmcn’s group HR director. The latest statistics from the government show apprenticeships falling 15% behind pre-levy figures. “The apprenticeship levy has enabled us to open up training opportunities across the business in areas that can directly impact on our business growth right now. So while we’re developing the talent of the future we’re also investing in the business today,” added Karen.
A range of timber materials has been donated by Södra Wood to support an award-winning timber workshop at London Metropolitan University. The annual award-winning workshop for the School of Architecture takes place in February each year, with Södra serving as a 2019 sponsor. “We’re really pleased to be able to help with this workshop. Timber is something we are passionate about – it is fast becoming the construction material of choice, enabling quick, versatile, efficient and sustainable construction. It’s brilliant to see the future generation of architects working with wood and getting first-hand experience of the many benefits that it has to offer the construction environment,” said Jeremy English, Sales Director at Södra Wood. As part of the workshop, second year undergraduate architecture students travel offsite to Mudchute Park and Farm, where they get to learn more about working with natural construction materials. “Thank you to Södra Wood for sponsoring our workshop this year, it is something the students really enjoy every year. It is a great way for the students to learn how to work with the materials and gain valuable skills needed for their future careers, and it also allows them to fully immerse themselves in working with natural materials. We are pleased to know that our materials this year have come from a really sustainable timber source,” commented George Fereday, Senior Lecturer at The Cass, London Metropolitan University.
These days, people who don’t have a concrete real estate investing experience turn to rental properties to diversify investments and get good cash flow for the future. After all, a rental property can be one of the best investments you can make. If you handle it right, you can surely earn more profit and allow yourself to have reserves when an emergency arises. If you’re looking to invest in rental property in San Diego, here are the essential tips to consider from the get-go: 1. Sit down and do some research Whether you’re buying rental properties or not, it’s important to do your own research before calculating how much returns you can make from your investment. Here’s how you can do your research: -Look into the neighborhoods where you can purchase properties and gather information as to how much the rent is. -Consider some factors such as the location, nightlife, and accessibility to restaurants, schools, hospitals, and many more that may affect your income. -Find out the usual rental fee in San Diego per night, week, month, and for long-term. -Educate yourself about San Diego’s mortgage rates and how these rates can significantly impact your real estate purchases. 2. Pay debts first In some cases, real estate investors carry debt as part of their investments. However, if you have outstanding loans, medical bills, or children who will go to college, investing in a rental property in San Diego may not be the right option. You should make sure that the cost of your debt is lesser than the return from your property. From there, it’s then necessary to pay down debt to avoid putting yourself in a situation where you don’t have money to make payments. 3. Look for the right rental properties When all your goals and finances are in order, it’s time to shop for rental properties. This is usually the most enjoyable part of investing in real estate. For instance, you don’t have to walk around San Diego and search for a property. Instead, you can check many websites that provide a virtual tour for all potential properties available in the area. These sites also provide better insights to help you decide what kind of property you’re eyeing to buy. Should you choose to invest in rental properties in San Diego, you can get information from a real estate directory to make sure your buying experience is worth it. 4. Prepare the down payment and beware of high-interest rates We know that investment properties typically require you to pay a large down payment, which means more stringent approval requirements to comply with. You need to set aside a higher percentage rate than the one you put down on the home you’re currently residing. On the other hand, investing in rental properties may also require you to borrow money from lending institutions. However, you should be aware that the cost of borrowing money entails higher interest rates than your usual mortgage interest rates. Keep in mind that you should have a low mortgage payment to ensure it’ll not consume your monthly profits. 5. Make negotiations on the property After searching for a rental property, you need to make an offer. At this point, you should start negotiating your offer to potential sellers. However, you should bear in mind that negotiating takes a lot of work and calculation to make sure you get the right numbers before you purchase. -During the negotiation, don’t forget to listen to what your seller may say as the information will be necessary along the way. -When making a counteroffer, you should consider factors such as the closing date, inspection contingency, the seller’s potential financial concessions, and many more. -If you find it difficult to negotiate, ask for the assistance of a real estate agent to help you win the negotiation. -By that time, hopefully, you and the seller have come into the same terms to get the property sold in your favor. 6. Rent out the property After you’ve got the property inspected and have the keys in your possession, you should begin renting out the property in San Diego to potential tenants. Below are ways to get some tenants for your rental property: -Advertise it by showing the house to those who are interested. -Pre-screen possible tenants by looking at their proof of income and some references. -Allow them to walk through the house so they’ll know if they really want it or not. -If they show interest, give out the forms and ask them to fill in some vital information, such as names, social security numbers, employee information, previous addresses, phone numbers, and many more. -Determine whether they can sustain the rental costs and fees of the property. -If they can, prepare the lease agreements and get the payments settled out. Conclusion As with rental property investment in San Diego, you should still keep your expectations realistic. If you pick the wrong property, the result can be catastrophic. Follow these tips to make sure you get the perfect property that will secure a good cash flow from start to finish. Once you master the right practices, you’ll be able to ensure a better future for you and your family.