The shortlist for the Structural Awards 2018 has been revealed by the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) and it features 53 entries selected from 115 projects globally, including a large number of London-based projects, such as Highpoint, 168 Upper Street and the iconic Hoover Building. The prestigious annual awards are
A Reserved Matters Application has been submitted by developer Crest Nicholson for 192 homes and landscaped public open space at Alconbury Weald, Cambridgeshire. Located on the former airfield to the north west of Huntingdon, Crest Nicholson will become the fifth housebuilder to join the growing development of over 5,000 homes.
Bona products have been used by Timbered Flooring, Bona Certified Contractors, for the installation and finishing of a 20mm engineered, dark fumed oak parquet floor at London’s new urban hotel, Assembly London. First, Bona D501 primer was applied to the WBP plywood subfloor, and then the parquet blocks were stuck
Fire tests have been conducted by Alumasc Roofing Systems on its market leading Derbigum high performance bituminous membrane warm roof system. This decision follows on recent events in the UK that highlighted the importance of being compliant with up to date and relevant fire test standards. Derbigum Mineral and Derbigum
Howdens Joinery, the leading kitchen manufacturer and supplier, has agreed terms to let 10,004 sq ft at Unit 8, Arrow Park, Brackley from Rockspring Property Investment Managers LLP (“Rockspring”), a PATRIZIA company, at £7 per sq ft on a 15-year lease with a tenant break on the tenth anniversary. Arrow
A SunLife research has revealed that a quarter of baby boomers are considering equity release to pay for a property makeover. They have already benefited from an average three-fold increase in property values over the last 20 years (£73,469 in 1998 versus £226,756 in 2018) and are now planning to
An official ‘kettle switching on’ ceremony has been held by Independent Connections Provider Matrix Networks, to mark the completion of its utility infrastructure works at the SEGRO Logistics Park in East Midlands Gateway, at M1 Junction 24. Attending the event were key project personnel from Matrix Networks, Independent Distribution Network
Bradford city centre could see the building of a new hub railway station that has the potential to boost the region’s economy by £1.5 billion, said new research from consultancy and construction business Mace. Conducted by senior ex-Treasury economist Christ Walker, the research has examined the impact of building a
Construction work is underway at a £5.6 million primary school located on the old Filton Airfield in Patchway. The Charlton Wood Primary Academy is being built by Bristol-based Beard Construction and it will open its doors in September 2019. The scheme includes the addition of 14 classrooms – eight rooms
GRAHAM has won a £113 million contract for the construction of a new 1,400 bed student accommodation project for the University of York. The main contractor will complete the first phase residential expansion of the Heslington East Campus, which involves the development of high-specification student living and communal space. “This
The shortlist for the Structural Awards 2018 has been revealed by the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) and it features 53 entries selected from 115 projects globally, including a large number of London-based projects, such as Highpoint, 168 Upper Street and the iconic Hoover Building. The prestigious annual awards are now in their 51st year running, celebrating the world’s best engineering structures and demonstrating the diversity of structural engineering. The shortlisted projects highlight the ingenuity and creativity of these forward-thinking professionals and honour today’s most cutting-edge examples of engineering. The list of finalists includes Louvre Museum, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE, from structural engineer BuroHappold Engineering; Tamina Canyon Crossing, Bad Ragaz, Switzerland from structural engineer Leonhardt, Andrä und Partner Beratende Ingenieure VBI AG; The Hoover Building, London, UK from structural engineer Interrobang; and Haiti Chapel from structural engineer Webb Yates. “This year we’ve received an unusual and imaginative collection of entries, from sculptural monuments by renowned artists through to a cricket stadium which has been dubbed the ‘Lord’s of East Africa’. The shortlist gives a fantastic overview of what’s going on in the structural engineering community on a global scale, highlighting the ambition, imagination and expertise of our profession. We’re delighted to have seen many more new firms entering their work for consideration in our unique celebration of structural engineering excellence,” said Chair of the awards judging panel, Professor Tim Ibell. Shortlisted entries were selected for excellence, creativity and innovation, as well as elegance and detailing, sustainability, economic viability and value for money. “Structural engineers remain the guardians of public safety who ensure any structure can withstand all kinds of stresses and strains. Given that 2018 is ‘The Year of Engineering’, our awards are more relevant than ever. They prove just how innovative our industry is in bringing truly ambitious and monumental projects to life,” said Martin Powell, Chief Executive of The Institution of Structural Engineers. The complete shortlist can be viewed at www.structuralawards.org. The winners will be announced at the awards dinner and ceremony, which will take place on Friday, the 16th of November 2018 at The Brewery, London.
A Reserved Matters Application has been submitted by developer Crest Nicholson for 192 homes and landscaped public open space at Alconbury Weald, Cambridgeshire. Located on the former airfield to the north west of Huntingdon, Crest Nicholson will become the fifth housebuilder to join the growing development of over 5,000 homes. The new homes benefit from a prominent location on the central hub of the first phase, having been carefully designed to reflect the character of the local area. The green spaces around the homes will be connected by safe cycle and walking routes and a number of public amenities along the Linear Park, including orchards, outdoor table tennis and other games will also be delivered. The houses at Alconbury Weald will be a mixture of one & two-bedroom apartments and four-bedroom townhouses along the green Boulevard. The cricket pitch will be surrounded by townhouses with balconies, while semi-detached and mews properties frame the Linear Park, which follows the line of one of the former airfield’s taxi-ways, creating a safe walk and scoot to school route. Crest Nicholson chose to design the homes with contemporary buff-coloured brick and red brick in order to denote distinct character areas within the development, while being complemented by blue brick and render detailing. Internally, the homes will be light and spacious, and finished to a high specification. “We are excited to have secured the opportunity to become the latest housebuilder to join the growing Alconbury Weald community. With over 5,000 homes, an enterprise zone and a variety of public amenities – including new schools, sports pitches and a health centre – this is truly a visionary project for the wider Cambridgeshire area. Our plans are to deliver a mix of 192 high-quality homes and we look forward to working with Urban&Civic bringing this vision to fruition,” said Toby Lambert, Development Director at Crest Nicholson Chiltern. The application comes forward under the Planning Framework and Design Code set in place by the Outline application for Alconbury Weald. The Crest Nicholson team is working closely with the master developer behind Alconbury Weald, Urban&Civic.
Bona products have been used by Timbered Flooring, Bona Certified Contractors, for the installation and finishing of a 20mm engineered, dark fumed oak parquet floor at London’s new urban hotel, Assembly London. First, Bona D501 primer was applied to the WBP plywood subfloor, and then the parquet blocks were stuck down using Bona R848 silane adhesive. This blocks were then finished with Bona Craft Oil 2K (Frost) and buffed back again to achieve a white limed effect in the grain, which also took away some of the darkness of the fumed oak. After, that, two coats of Bona Traffic HD (silk matt) lacquer – Bona’s most durable polyurethane finish – were applied to provide the hard wearing surface required in the busy bar area. Both Bona Craft Oil 2K and Bona Traffic HD allowed the Timbered team to work within a tight timetable, due to their fast curing time. “We also provided a maintenance specification to the client which included regular cleaning with Bona Cleaner and an annual rebuffing and resealing with Traffic HD. Following a maintenance regime like this means the floor will always look good and the expense and downtime caused by sanding it back to bare wood will be avoided,” said Laurence Warburton from Timbered Flooring. Available in a range of 11 standard colours, Bona Craft Oil 2K can also be turned into custom shades that can be mixed on request. Already a hard wearing finishing treatment when used on its own, the oil can also be overcoated with any version of Bona Traffic to provide ultimate durability – a useful option for busy public areas like Assembly London’s rooftop bar space. Opened in May 2018, Assembly London is located in the centre of the city’s thriving West-End. Fun, sophisticated and playful, the hotel gives everything that matters for a great night’s sleep!
Fire tests have been conducted by Alumasc Roofing Systems on its market leading Derbigum high performance bituminous membrane warm roof system. This decision follows on recent events in the UK that highlighted the importance of being compliant with up to date and relevant fire test standards. Derbigum Mineral and Derbigum Black full warm roof built up systems, such as primer, vapour barrier, adhesive, insulation, underlay and Derbigum cap sheets, all underwent rigorous testing to CEN/TS 1187:2012 and achieved the highest grade in fire safety available in the UK. ENV1187 Test 4 is a test method that determines the performance of flat roofs to external fire exposure by replicating exposure to burning brands, wind and supplementary radiant heat. Conducting the tests were Exova Warringtonfire Gent, who proved the applicability of original Derbigum fire rating tests and also confirmed the compliance of the current warm roof build-up using the latest BBA Certificated Derbigum system. Alumasc has previously received top fire ratings to the previous standard on these products; therefore the company grabbed the initiative to obtain the fire rating of its latest systems, in anticipation of tighter regulations governing the fire resistance of construction products. The certification is the evidence that Alumasc thrives in quality, performance and reliability, as well as helping the company to offer customers unrivalled peace of mind when utilising ist products, taking all the necessary steps to facilitate that. Specifying certificated products, systems and services in support of fire safety and security of any facility demonstrates due diligence and shows consideration for those that invest, develop, design, manage and use Alumasc’s Roofing Systems. Legislation and the requirement for compliance to enter new markets has never been tougher and Alumasc will strive to develop and test their products to guarantee it provides the highest levels of safety to not only customers but inhabitants and users of the buildings its products help to protect.
Howdens Joinery, the leading kitchen manufacturer and supplier, has agreed terms to let 10,004 sq ft at Unit 8, Arrow Park, Brackley from Rockspring Property Investment Managers LLP (“Rockspring”), a PATRIZIA company, at £7 per sq ft on a 15-year lease with a tenant break on the tenth anniversary. Arrow Park is a new 140,000 sq ft warehouse / industrial development which comprises of eight units that were constructed in January 2018. The development benefits from a prominent position fronting the A43 dual carriageway with fast access to the motorway network, particularly junctions 10 and 11 of the M40 and junction 15A of the M1. “The strong interest we have witnessed at Arrow Park is a testament to the high quality speculative build Rockspring has delivered and further demonstrates the demand we have in the market for good quality stock in strategic locations. Howdens will be able to service its customers effectively and efficiently from its new position at Arrow Park and their arrival will also help to further diversify the tenant mix in Brackley. I am confident there will be further announcements on more new tenants shortly,” said James Haestier, director, industrial & logistics at Colliers International. Home to a number of major companies including Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport, Faccenda Group and DLC, Brackley is located just six miles from Silverstone, home of the British Grand Prix. This puts Arrow Park at the heart of the ‘Motorsport Triangle’, an area which is popular with many high-value engineering, distribution companies and motorsport companies. The development will form part of a larger mixed use estate comprising where a new Sainsbury’s superstore, hotel and healthcare centre are planned. Colliers International is an industry-leading real estate services company with a global brand operating in 69 countries and a workforce of more than 12,000 skilled professionals serving clients in the world’s most important markets.
A SunLife research has revealed that a quarter of baby boomers are considering equity release to pay for a property makeover. They have already benefited from an average three-fold increase in property values over the last 20 years (£73,469 in 1998 versus £226,756 in 2018) and are now planning to use equity release to invest in more living space, double glazing or home comforts, adding thousands more to the value of the property. SunLife’s dream shopping basket suggests that an extension, including a loft conversion, would cost £35,000; double glazing would cost approximately £7,000; and the addition of a downstairs cloakroom would cost £3,000. However, even though it looks expensive to conduct a makeover, long-term renovations and extensions could increase property values by more than a third. For example, loft conversions that add an extra bedroom and bathroom increase property value by around a fifth, while double glazing increases property values and improves home security and energy efficiency and a new toilet could add 5% to the property price. According to SunLife’s research, investing £35,000 in a property makeover could result in an increased property value of £13,000. “With the average family home tripling in value over the last 20 years, for many, property has been the most rewarding investment and it makes sense for baby boomers to reinvest some of that property wealth, to make home a nicer place to live, while adding to its value,” said SunLife’s equity release director, Simon Stanney. “Not everyone is eligible or suitable for equity release, but for those who are and who find they haven’t got the funds to afford a home extension or home improvements and adaptations, equity release could be the answer,” he concluded.
An official ‘kettle switching on’ ceremony has been held by Independent Connections Provider Matrix Networks, to mark the completion of its utility infrastructure works at the SEGRO Logistics Park in East Midlands Gateway, at M1 Junction 24. Attending the event were key project personnel from Matrix Networks, Independent Distribution Network Operator UK Power Distribution, as well as development directors from Roxhill and SEGRO. The official task of boiling the kettle to prove the electricity connection was fully up and running was carried out by Roxhill Senior Development Director, kate Bedson. The multi-utility project, designed and installed by the Warrington-based business to provide power, heat and water for the 700-acre development, was delivered on budget and ahead of schedule. Over the past 12 months, Matrix Networks has worked to excavate a 12.5 km route to the nearest Western Power Distribution connection point – the furthest distance the Company has ever had to negotiate. It has also designed, installed and commissioned a new 33/11kV primary substation to supply 28MVA; designed, installed and commissioned the on-site 11kV infrastructure with secondary substation to supply on-street lighting; and provided a medium pressure gas main and a water main. “SEGRO Logistics Park – East Midlands Gateway is a significant project both regionally and nationally. From our initial conversations around contract and design, through to installation and ‘power on’, I’m proud of the professionalism, commitment and passion the Matrix Networks team has shown. Throughout the project, we’ve worked to respect the wishes of our client and have delivered our brief ahead of schedule, without risk to them and on budget. We aim to exceed our customers’ expectations through uncompromised service and delivery, and I hope through bringing this development to life, we’ve achieved that,” said Matrix Network Managing Director, Rob Sparkes. Matrix Networks was appointed for this development by Roxhill due to their long-standing relationship and its past success on multi-utility contracts. “Today’s site visit marked a significant milestone for the site. Our thanks go to all at Matrix Networks who have worked so incredibly hard over the past 12 months and beyond, to provide the connections we need. This was a complex, detailed brief to deliver which wouldn’t have been achieved so proficiently without the commitment of their expert team,” said Senior Development Director, Kate Bedson.
Bradford city centre could see the building of a new hub railway station that has the potential to boost the region’s economy by £1.5 billion, said new research from consultancy and construction business Mace. Conducted by senior ex-Treasury economist Christ Walker, the research has examined the impact of building a new railway hub in Bradford city centre as part of the Northern Powerhouse Rail line to improve east-west connectivity from Liverpool, Manchester, Bradford, Leeds and Hull. Using data on growth in Birmingham following the construction of the new Birmingham New Street Station, the report has explored how securing a Northern Powerhouse Rail hub in the centre of Bradford could transform the local economy, create jobs and unlock housing and business growth. Moreover, the estimated result of having a new railway station in Bradford as part of the Northern Powerhouse Rail could add a £1.1 billion to £1.5 billion a year economic uplift to the local and Northern economy and support the creation of more than 1,000 jobs. “For Bradford, direct connections across the North will mean more investment coming into the city and residents will greatly benefit from the regeneration this will kick-start across the district whilst also supporting the wider economic contributions to the North’s economy,” said Lisa Bowden, head of infrastructure in the North at Mace. “Mace is backing Bradford’s campaign for Northern Powerhouse Rail as we believe this is a truly once in a generation opportunity to change the city for the better, boosting economic growth, supporting the regeneration in the city and supporting the young and dynamic residents and businesses that call the city home, both now and in the future,” she added. Launched at a workshop hosted by Mace Group in partnership with City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, the ‘Bradford Bonus’ report was seen by key transport leaders from both organisations, as well as by Transport for the North, West Yorkshire Combined Authority and the West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce.
Construction work is underway at a £5.6 million primary school located on the old Filton Airfield in Patchway. The Charlton Wood Primary Academy is being built by Bristol-based Beard Construction and it will open its doors in September 2019. The scheme includes the addition of 14 classrooms – eight rooms for juniors, four for infants and two for reception – and it will provide places for 60 students in reception and year one. Each year, 60 new places will be created, aiming for a total of 420 pupils by 2025. The academy, which was designed by South Gloucestershire Council and BBA Architects, will include four breakout spaces, a library, kitchen, offices, staffroom and a large hall with a stage. There would also be play facilities outside, such as an outdoor timber classroom with a grass mound amphitheatre and a tepee village outdoor learning area, a multi-use court for netball and tennis and a grass sports pitch. “There are some really interesting outside features to this scheme which will be fun for our team to build, and even more fun for future students to use,” said Sean Franks, Beard Construction contracts manager. The primary school is part of Charlton Hayes – a brand-new 2,200- home extension to Patchway. The mixed-use development is named after the village of Charlton, which was demolished in the 1940s to make way for a runway extension at Filton. “Over the last year we have been working really closely with residents to ensure that the school is at the heart of the community. We are really excited to be opening next year and look forward to welcoming our first cohort,” said Headteacher Neil Lankester. The school is being run by Endeavour Academy Trust and South Gloucestershire Council awarded the building contract to Beard after a tender process.
GRAHAM has won a £113 million contract for the construction of a new 1,400 bed student accommodation project for the University of York. The main contractor will complete the first phase residential expansion of the Heslington East Campus, which involves the development of high-specification student living and communal space. “This is another fantastic win for GRAHAM and builds on our strong pipeline of projects in the region following the opening of our Leeds office in 2017,” said Michael Graham, Group Executive Chairman. “We are committed to providing outstanding student accommodation and the 1400 units delivered across the first phase of this project will bring our total output in the sector to more than 10,000 in the past five years,” he continued. Construction work is scheduled to start in January 2019, with the project expected to be completed in two years. After the first phase an addition 800 bed unit will be developed as part of Phase 2. The scheme is hoped to act as a stimulus for the University of York’s student recruitment strategy, while meeting the accommodation demands of an expanding global student body. “We look forward to developing this fantastic scheme and the positive impact it will have on the local community, creating opportunities for work and engagement with local businesses as we construct a high-class development that reflects York’s strong heritage,” said Michael. The project will utilise a state-of-the-art offsite manufacturing facility located in Byley, South Manchester. GRAHAM is a privately owned company with an impressive history built on integrity and responsibility. It became a private limited company in 1955 and 30 years after it set foot in England. Since then, it has grown steadily and significantly, becoming a leading player in all areas of construction throughout the UK and Ireland. GRAHAM now operates from 23 regional offices in the UK and Ireland.