The South West Construction Summit was hailed as a great success. The attendee profile at the South West Construction Summit included some highly influential professionals, creating a rare opportunity to connect with the hardest to reach decision makers within the South West built environment. The Summit took the form of
The team at B & K Structures are celebrating award-winning success, with their projects picking up no less than two trophies and three highly commended certificates, at the Offsite Awards which were held in London this week. As one of the UK’s leading offsite specialist contractors, involved in the design,
Peace Recruitment Group, expert recruiters for the built environment, has just launched new recruitment technology which will pass control of the recruitment process over to both employers and candidates alike. Peace’s new bespoke website, which will include the first ever ‘Trip Advisor-like service for the recruitment industry’, and the first
A leading North-east builders’ merchant is hosting an open day to unveil a new hard-landscaping feature at its Inverurie premises. GPH Builders Merchants, which also has branches in Westhill and Stonehaven, will showcase the impressive new display at the event taking place on Friday 23 and Saturday 24 June. GPH
Basements in a new building can “hide” the ultimate in luxury in both new builds and conversions with the secret swimming pool, sauna, Jacuzzi, games room, Gym, Home Cinema or Music rooms. Andy Butchers, Director of Build-Zone Survey Services Ltd, shares his insider knowledge to help troubleshoot this area of
District Estates has appointed Savills and BE Group as the joint letting agents for Ibis Court at Centre Park, Warrington. The instruction comprises two office buildings totalling 8,289 sq ft (770 sq m) and 6,082 sq ft (565 sq m), both of which have recently been refurbished. They are located
Kawneer the leading UK manufacturer has been a part of the creation of an award winning distillery. The business delivered their Architectural aluminium glazing systems for the development. The distillery is expected to be pioneering in its transparency. Kawneer used their AA®110 curtain walling into the project as well as
The Director of Actavo Building Solutions, Matthew Goff, has been exploring the quality of modular construction. This modern construction technique has now quite commonplace for both public and private developments. It could be that the recognition of the benefits for this method of construction by governing bodies could be the
Property development can be a worthwhile undertaking, houses are in constant demand and prices are rising so there are definitely opportunities for profit to be made. There are a lot of variables which add to the success of a development project, such as location and type of property, so it
A five star housebuilder showed househunters how to get the best out of their dream kitchen by enlisting the help of a Strathaven chef. Recognised across South Lanarkshire as a rising culinary star, Aaron Hammond of the Waterside Bar and Restaurant in Strathaven demonstrated his kitchen skills at David Wilson
The South West Construction Summit was hailed as a great success. The attendee profile at the South West Construction Summit included some highly influential professionals, creating a rare opportunity to connect with the hardest to reach decision makers within the South West built environment. The Summit took the form of a combined Conference and Exhibition with significant opportunity for networking. The Summit brings together key contributors of the regional construction industry and its supply chain to support and underpin the progress already being made. The event explores opportunities, major projects, client commitments and procurement best practice, including; skills, image, sustainability and productivity in construction. The South West Construction Summit opened with introductions from Andrew Carpenter & Emma Osmundsen from event hosts Constructing Excellence South West. This was swiftly followed by: Mike Borkowski – Southern Construction Framework: “The Skills Gap and whether it is just someone else’s problem.” Leif Tarry – CITB: “CITB Projected Skills need and construction as a career of choice.” Rachel Bell – Stride Treglown and Chairman of Women in Property: “Image of Construction and Gender Diversity” Shortly after a Q&A, Refreshments and networking opportunities. Nathan Waller – Natwest Bank: “Development finance and the early collaboration between funders and property developers, optimising supply chain relationships.” John Boughton – Willmott Dixon: “Achieving Value through Efficiencies.” Dominic Thasarathar – Autodesk: “Constructing the Future: Possibilities, probabilities and opportunities.” Shortly after a Q&A, Lunch and networking opportunities. Emma Osmundsen – Exeter Council: “Delivering Sustainable Energy Efficient public buildings.” David Sutton – EDF Energy: “A Case Study on Hinkley Point” Cllr Paul Smith – Bristol City Council: “How to tackle Bristol’s Housing Crisis” Andrew Carpenter then returned back to the stage with a summary of the day. All the speakers raised some very valuable points in their discussions which made the attendees extremely engaged and involved when it got to the Q&A. It was a very busy day for the South West construction sector as the summit was swiftly followed that evening by the South West Built Environment Awards 2017 at the same venue.
The team at B & K Structures are celebrating award-winning success, with their projects picking up no less than two trophies and three highly commended certificates, at the Offsite Awards which were held in London this week. As one of the UK’s leading offsite specialist contractors, involved in the design, manufacture and delivery of some of the UK’s most renowned buildings – B & K Structures have proven experience in understanding complex engineering structures incorporating glulam, cross laminated timber, steel and timber cassettes. Managing Director Andy Goodwin said of the company’s success: “The resurgence of offsite construction has played to our strengths, being innovators in offsite manufactured hybrid structures since 1974. It is gratifying to be recognised for our achievements by such eminent judges as Mark Farmer, the author of the government commissioned report Modernise or Die.” With over 200 outstanding submissions, the Offsite Awards were hotly contested. B & K Structures came out on top of two of the award categories picking up the trophy for Best Hybrid Construction Project for The University Centre Farnborough and Commercial Project of the Year for Nando’s Cambridge. In addition, the Sky Control Centre was Highly Commended by the judges for the Best Use of Timber and another of the company’s projects, Daltons Lane – the world’s largest cross laminated timber building – was Highly Commended in both the Best Use of Timber and the Housing Project of the Year categories. Best Hybrid Construction Project – The University Centre Farnborough Farnborough College of Technology offers a wide range of education programmes accredited by the University of Surrey. Designed to be the College’s flagship building, the University Centre Farnborough, is a major step towards the College reaching its objective of becoming a community university. As the main entrance to the college, the new two-storey hybrid structure incorporates the benefits of cross laminated timber panels, glulam beams & timber cassettes – combined to create a modern teaching & learning facility. Commercial Project of the Year – Nando’s Cambridge Nando’s, Cambridge is the company’s first ‘Next Generation’ restaurant in the country and forms a sustainable construction prototype which will be rolled-out across the wider Nando’s estate. The high-quality design incorporates a number of sustainability measures, which will contribute positively to the commercial future of the restaurant as well as being eco-friendly to the surrounding area. The sustainable structural form, erected in just three weeks, includes timber cassette walls, with glulam roof beams and a visual cross laminated timber soffit. Best Use of Timber – Highly Commended: The Sky Control Centre The Sky Campus, located in Osterley, West London – has been undergoing an extensive redevelopment to consolidate the company’s operations. The second phase of the development, the Sky Control Centre – is a mixed-use scheme with a combined total of circa 41,000m² – encompassing office space, studios and production facilities together with research and development zones. The site is also home to an energy centre, servicing facilities, plant and equipment, as well as bicycle parking. B & K Structures supplied and installed over 7,500 linear metres of glulam beams and just under 16,000m2 of large timber roof cassettes. The Sky Control Centre building is the largest timber roof cassette project in the UK. Best Use of Timber & Housing Project of the Year – Highly Commended: Dalston Lane Standing at 33.3 metres, at the time of construction, Dalston Lane is the tallest timber structure in the world with the largest cross laminated timber panels measuring 12 metres long by 2.8 metres high. Ranging from five to 10 storeys – Dalston Lane incorporates 121 residential units comprising contemporary style one to three bedroom apartments, which are spread across nine floors totalling 10,850m2. The development has been constructed from approximately 4,400m3 of cross laminated timber with only seven tonnes of steel beams. Optimised Offsite Solutions Offering a complete package of structural solutions, across a comprehensive product portfolio including glulam, cross laminated timber, timber cassettes and steel frame, as part of their hybrid structural solutions – B & K Structures has an outstanding, award winning track record across all commercial sectors. Through careful design detailing and value engineering, B & K Structures is able to offer the best possible construction solution, ensuring a smooth integration for follow-on trades – delivering environmentally sustainable projects on time and to budget.
Peace Recruitment Group, expert recruiters for the built environment, has just launched new recruitment technology which will pass control of the recruitment process over to both employers and candidates alike. Peace’s new bespoke website, which will include the first ever ‘Trip Advisor-like service for the recruitment industry’, and the first ever JobCast service, has been specifically designed to ensure that all clients receive gold standard customer service. Peace enlisted the help of its strategic digital partner Bold Identities to design and build this new technology. Bold Identities is a recruitment specific digital agency run by co-founders Richard Evans and Tom Wilde, who combined have more than 20 years of experience in both the recruitment and digital sectors. “From our initial discussions with the Peace Recruitment Group it was agreed that we wanted to come up with something completely bespoke and brand new,” explains Richard Evans. “Having worked closely with Peace to transform its digital brand and online presence it was immediately evident that one of the USPs of the business is its emphasis on customer service. Chris was very keen to build on this value and also incentivise his Consultant’s to deliver the highest possible levels of customer service. To help Chris deliver this goal, we have developed a unique state of the art online platform that works on real-time information, making the feedback process simple, interactive and effective. This allows both clients and candidates alike to record feedback specifically on the Consultant’s performance based on customer service level. “The project also includes various other bespoke technology and systems to help Peace stand out online and deliver a better experience to their customers. Taking into consideration the rise of mobile recruitment and the dominance of smartphones we have worked with Chris to develop “JobCasts” – an audio-based job adverts system. This allows candidates to listen to audio job adverts while on the move and apply directly from their mobile device.” Evans adds: “It’s been a pleasure to work with a recruitment business who are not only forward-thinking, but also put their customers at the core of their digital strategy.” Peace’s unique customer feedback platform, likened to Trip Advisor for recruitment consultants, will see its consultants ranked in real time on their performance. Clients will be asked to provide feedback at key intervals via text message or email, and the results will automatically be loaded up onto Peace’s new website. This technology has been specifically designed to ensure all consultants are prioritising service over sales. Chris Peace, Managing Director of Peace Recruitment, comments: “We believe it is in our best interests to give clients an outstanding service every time, and our new bespoke customer feedback platform will ensure that this happens. We want to achieve our business goals by listening to clients and giving them what they need. I have always said to my team ‘if you get the service right the sales will look after themselves.’ I hope I am proved correct, as if we do not make the grade there will be nowhere to hide at the results are real time and published on our new website automatically. The consultants in the office seem to be up for the challenge.” “Our JobCast service is again something completely bespoke and brand new. Time is money these days, and most of us are constantly on the go. This service will let people keep up-to-date via their smart device with what relevant jobs are available no matter where they are, whether they are on a train, in a car, wherever. Also it’s so much more personal, and less time consuming, hearing about the job directly from the consultant rather than taking the time to read another generic job specification. I know personally, if I was looking for a job, this is a service I would find extremely useful.” The launch of Peace Recruitment’s new bespoke website; alongside its re-branding; the double in staff numbers in trades and labour; and the launch of its London operation and new temp division; are all seen as key developments in the recruiters quest to become the recruitment company of choice for the built environment by 2020. Peace Recruitment is still the only recruitment company in the UK to be a member of the Institute of Customer Service. For more information please visit www.peacerecruitment.co.uk<http://www.peacerecruitment.co.uk/>.
A leading North-east builders’ merchant is hosting an open day to unveil a new hard-landscaping feature at its Inverurie premises. GPH Builders Merchants, which also has branches in Westhill and Stonehaven, will showcase the impressive new display at the event taking place on Friday 23 and Saturday 24 June. GPH has been serving the North-east’s building and DIY markets with a complete range of materials for 35 years, and customers are invited to view its vast range of garden and patio products during the event from 9am to 3pm on Friday 23 and from 9am to 2pm on Saturday 24 June. Each branch has different product offerings, and revamp their hard landscaping displays every four years to demonstrate new supplier ranges. The latest display in Inverurie features a mixture of traditional and modern paving, walling and driveway products from landscape suppliers Marshalls and Stonemarket, along with Grange Fencing in various fashionable shades, and Millboard decking. Eva Connell, GPH Westhill branch manager who is responsible for the design of both the display at GPH Inverurie and the new display currently under construction at GPH Stonehaven said: “Knowing where to start when planning a garden facelift can be difficult, so it is important to plan your new space before setting to work. “Our displays demonstrate the range of styles and colours available to suit all tastes and budgets. They also show how different products wear onsite, and highlight the importance of having them laid properly. “By spending time at our new display, and speaking to staff in our dedicated landscaping team, you will be able to create beautiful, practical, outdoor spaces to enhance your home.” The Inverurie branch, situated in Highclere Business Park, will be running a number of promotions throughout both days, with competitions for young and old, meet the supplier sessions, and refreshments for all.
Basements in a new building can “hide” the ultimate in luxury in both new builds and conversions with the secret swimming pool, sauna, Jacuzzi, games room, Gym, Home Cinema or Music rooms. Andy Butchers, Director of Build-Zone Survey Services Ltd, shares his insider knowledge to help troubleshoot this area of a building whether you are considering a New Build or Conversion. Basements in a new building can “hide” the ultimate in luxury in both new builds and conversions with the secret swimming pool, sauna, Jacuzzi, games room, Gym, Home Cinema or Music rooms. For conversions where space is limited and the cost of selling and “up sizing” may be prohibitive then extending upwards and downwards may be the most cost effective solution. However, working on an existing structure is considered more difficult than a new build. As a Warranty provider primarily due to our risk management and visit regime we do not actually see many basement claims but as you can appreciate, when it does go wrong, along with the stress and disruption it can cause, it can be both extremely difficult and expensive to resolve the problem. I have detailed a number of pointers which should be considered along with your design team to provide you with the most cost effective solution and when constructed professionally should provide no problems throughout the life of the building. 1)Suitability of a Basement for its location. One of the first things to consider is if it is appropriate and cost effective to construct a basement. If you look at recent press articles some suggest London Local Authorities are clamping down or even stopping (through the Planning process) new or updated basements as part of conversion work due to the ‘perceived risk’ to surrounding properties. 2)Choosing the type of Basement. What are you going to use the basement for? – storage, car parking, or living accommodation. These are all factors which can affect the design of the basement. 3)Do your research…. Review the flood data for the area and establish where the ground water level is as this will dictate the type of ‘tanking’ that will be required. Reviewing available historical data as to what has happened in the last couple of years may not represent the true picture. Arrange for formal Site Investigation to be carried out. This will provide valuable data in detailing the soil profile at depth for the site. It not only helps the Designer is establishing foundation depths but will also confirm if ground water is likely to be encountered. The fine tuning of the basement design can also be undertaken insofar as the type of concrete to be used (sulphate resisting or water proof for example), how it can be built and what tanking measures can be utilised. 4)Types of Basement and Construction could include Underpinning:- of existing wall to create the basement void. Often used in refurbishment projects to either form or extend an existing basement. Most commonly used as the structure to transfer the loads of the existing building above to the supporting sub soil. A tanking system is then added and protected by an internal wall. 5)Mass concrete walls either “normal” of waterproof concrete. Often used is new build where there is sufficient space to works around the building. A large hole is formed and then the basement floor constructed and the walls soon follow. 6)Potted concrete blockworks walls. A mass reinforced concrete floor is formed and the walls are then formed with concrete blocks and post filled with concrete. 7)Backfill material to external face of walls to form a free draining fill. Tanking system can be placed internally or externally to provide the waterproof element. It is possible that two systems are utilised. So where can things go wrong…. Rarely there is a failure of the basement structure of new builds. Ignoring or miscalculating the effects of ground water can have serious implications. In building any basement, you are by definition creating a buoyant structure within the ground. There have been occurrences where the water pressure within the ground surrounding the basement can quite literally lift the structure out of the ground. This is very difficult to resolve i.e. dropping the basement back into the ground and more often than not, will lead to the replacement of the basement in its entirety. In creating a basement in a Conversion scenario, in essence you are constructing a new foundation after the house has been finished, i.e. you are building the structure back to front. Care should be taken not to undermine your own or neighbouring structures! The main area of claims we are faced with is a failure of the tanking system itself where either the wrong tanking system was specified at the start or more commonly, there is aworkmanship issue. Common failures include. Lack of knowledge in the systems which have been specified. Failure to properly seal service penetrations in basement walls. Poor back fill punctures the tanking system. Failure of connections details between the tanking and the DPC/DPM. In order to somewhat protect yourself, I would always recommend that the relevant parties, both Contractors and the Design Team, are under formal Construction Contracts and where necessary, materials such as waterproof concrete and tanking applications are provided with an adequate 10 year insurance-backed guarantee with a reputable insurer covering both the materials and workmanship. This is important as very rarely with modern technology there is a failure of the materials. Our experience of claims handling is that there is usually a failure of the workmanship. More information……. Andy Butchers is a Building Surveyor with over 25 yesars experience in the Construction Industry and regularly shares his knowledge to help Self Builders and renovators to avoid and overcome issues on their projects. He is a Director of Build-Zone Survey Services Ltd, the technical company for Build-Zone and Self Build Zone. Call 01732 744186 or visit www.bzss.co.uk to find out more. Source link
District Estates has appointed Savills and BE Group as the joint letting agents for Ibis Court at Centre Park, Warrington. The instruction comprises two office buildings totalling 8,289 sq ft (770 sq m) and 6,082 sq ft (565 sq m), both of which have recently been refurbished. They are located on the established Centre Park scheme where nearby occupiers include Countryside Homes, Phonak and the Village Hotel. Daniel Barnes, associate in the office agency team at Savills, comments: “Ibis Court offers high quality business space within walking distance of Warrington’s town centre and two railway stations. The range of leisure amenities in the surrounding area will further enhance its appeal to occupiers.” Quoting rents at the property are £14.50 per sq ft (£156 per sq m). Source link
Kawneer the leading UK manufacturer has been a part of the creation of an award winning distillery. The business delivered their Architectural aluminium glazing systems for the development. The distillery is expected to be pioneering in its transparency. Kawneer used their AA®110 curtain walling into the project as well as the 350 severe duty entrance doors onto the Dalmunach Distillery. The creation of the distillery is said to have cost £30 million and it is located in Scotland on the banks of the River Spey. The distillery was designed by Archial Norr on behalf of the Chivas Brothers who commissioned the project. The distillery has been created in order to replace the former Imperial Distillery. This will be the 15th Scotch whisky distillery that is operated by the company. The architectural company, Archial Norr didn’t want to design an industrial building that bore resemblance to shed, they wanted to create a building that highlights the manufacturing process of the whisky in a way that was easy to follow. Therefore the new Scottish whiskey distillery was designed to reflect the malt mills, malt bins, mash tuns and all of the other equipment required in in an environment that is bright and spacious. The design was also cleverly put together after being inspired by a sheaf of barley, which is the central ingredient in Scotch whisky. The distillery was constructed with the help of Kawneer and by using the most up to date innovations and environmental expertise. This means that the site uses heat recovery technology. The crisp modern building uses Kawneer curtain walling in order to create screens in the Mash house and Still room. The curtain walling that was used on the project contains over 10 square meters of glass that weighed around 540 kgs in total. Kawneer managed to advise and install the most appropriate materials for the building.
The Director of Actavo Building Solutions, Matthew Goff, has been exploring the quality of modular construction. This modern construction technique has now quite commonplace for both public and private developments. It could be that the recognition of the benefits for this method of construction by governing bodies could be the reason for its increased use. Offsite construction becoming more widely used in order to save time during construction projects, and modular construction methods being preferred in developments that need to be completed quickly. Actavo also use this construction technique. Recently the Building solutions business used modular construction for a £750 million NHS modular framework. Actavo also adopted this construction technique on the Hampshire County Council Southern Modular Building Framework. A main benefit to using these construction methods over typical bricks and mortar building is that the manufacturing process has more control involved. In more traditional builds, establishing a consistent level of control over the projects is hard for construction teams to achieve. The production line that is involved in off site construction means that are more quality control systems used throughout the process. Actavo is accredited with the ISO 9001:2008. This certification makes sure that the the business operates under a strict standard of quality management in order to make sure that there is an high level of management and resources. These accreditations combined with the extra control given by constructing in a workshop should them mean that the quality of the end project is higher than a building that has been created by traditional building methods. Final inspections of the building components are carried out after individual part quality check and are all complete before the materials then get taken to site in order to be installed. When the materials reach the site, the assembly of the modular building takes place again in a controlled but simple system. If this assembly process were to be reflected in traditional building methods, it would require continuous surveillance.
Property development can be a worthwhile undertaking, houses are in constant demand and prices are rising so there are definitely opportunities for profit to be made. There are a lot of variables which add to the success of a development project, such as location and type of property, so it is important to do your research before getting started. Try a reliable letting agent in Sudbury, for expert local knowledge. Historic Houses Victorian houses offer fantastic property development opportunities because of their iconic features. If you are able to purchase a Victorian house, it is essential that you keep or restore the highly desirable period features, such as sash windows and stone columns. Keeping statement fireplaces and tiles inside the house, perhaps with a modern twist, adds to the appeal for many potential buyers. It is a good idea to ensure that the interior is bright and well ventilated. Victorian houses can often be dark inside which is one feature that is not so attractive. Victorian houses usually have a small garden which should be easy to maintain. The only risk is potential problems due to the age of the property, such as structural issues. These issues can be costly but, with the right research undertaken, are avoidable. Large Houses This seems obvious but larger properties offer several opportunities for property developers. One option for developing large houses is to convert them into flats. Once the property has been divided into flats, each unit can be rented or sold which generates more income for the developer. The ideal property is one which receives a good amount of sunlight. A high quality finish inside and a welcoming exterior will add value to any property. Alternatively, large houses could simply be renovated into a highly sought after family home. A property with a garden is always a good investment as this is a high priority for many people when buying a new home. How much work is required will depend on the condition of the property when it is purchased, so this is something to consider when buying a property for development. Smaller, City Houses Whether a smaller house near the city will be the best opportunity depends on your location. If you live somewhere with excellent transport links or in a city, there is usually a high demand for one or two bedroom houses. Commuters or first time buyers tend to prefer a smaller property to get them started on the property ladder. Houses which can provide off-street parking are ideal. Undertaking a property development project in a smaller house will usually take less time as there are fewer rooms to renovate. For this reason, smaller houses are ideal for someone who is working on their first property development project, or who has a limited amount of time and resources to commit. If finished to a high standard, the property is not likely to be on the market for long due to the increasing demand.
A five star housebuilder showed househunters how to get the best out of their dream kitchen by enlisting the help of a Strathaven chef. Recognised across South Lanarkshire as a rising culinary star, Aaron Hammond of the Waterside Bar and Restaurant in Strathaven demonstrated his kitchen skills at David Wilson Homes’ Lauder Gardens development on Thursday 15 June. The event saw guests sample a canapé style version of Aaron’s signature seasonal dishes currently on offer at the Waterside Bar and Restaurant, where all ingredients are sourced from local suppliers where possible. Estelle Sykes, sales and marketing director for David Wilson Homes said: “People in Strathaven have raved about the Waterside Bar and Restaurant ever since we opened our sales cabin in late 2016. “The restaurant has a great reputation in Strathaven which is why we thought their head chef would be a perfect fit to treat our househunters. With our new showhome open for viewing, Aaron was able to show our guests how to get the most out of our specially designed kitchens.” Aaron and the team at Waterside Bar and Restaurant pride themselves on making good food in a family friendly environment which everyone can enjoy. Owned by McGeough family, the restaurant has been welcoming foodies through its doors for almost three years. Aaron Hammond from Waterside Bar and Restaurant said: “It’s wonderful to see developments like Lauder Gardens attracting new families to the area. Strathaven was widely recognised as a market town many years ago, and still to this day it has kept its community appeal. “I’m sure everyone at the cooking demonstration will have enjoyed sampling some lovely local food in stunning surroundings.” Lauder Gardens has a selection of four bedroom detached homes and is a development which has proved particularly popular with families.