5 August 2016 | Herpreet Kaur Grewal Integrated FM supplier 14forty, a division of Compass Group UK & Ireland, has declared “exceptional growth of 40 per cent” over the year. The last twelve months have seen the company secure new business with companies including Volkswagen, Pfizer and the Lawn
GRAPHISOFTⓇ is known for being a globally leading business in the provision of Building Information Modeling solutions. Building Information Modeling, or BIM, solutions are provided by the business to their architect clients around the world. It has been announced recently that GRAPHISOFTⓇ has started the ARCHICADⓇ 21 rollout operation. This
Research has found that Health & Safety Executive is putting companies in jeopardy of being bankrupt. A leading lawyer has said that businesses can be accused of committing incredibly serious Health & Safety offences when in fact the breaches that have been committed are less serious than the initial accusation.
The East Midlands Institute of Civil Engineering, or ICE were involved in the Civil Engineering Merit Awards this year. The event took place at the Belfry, Nottingham on the 9th of June. The awards at the black tie event were presented by the ICE President for 2016-17, Tim Broyd. The
Residents at one of the UK’s most iconic and keenly sought-after developments – Circus West at Battersea Power Station in London – are using a state-of-the-art IP video entry system from Comelit. With designs that are both aesthetically stylish and technically sophisticated, it is little wonder that the new development
Tridonic, one of the leading providers of smart lighting systems in the world, has announced that they are looking to grow their offering of dimmable LED modules. This expansion will come for the spotlights and downlights that are on offer from the company. The Tridonic modules come with the SLE
The global digital revolution is here. A swathe of reports from the big consultancy firms, including PwC and McKinsey, mark out the business winners as those implementing a digital strategy. Now these management consultants are turning the digital spotlight onto the construction industry. They make it clear that new tech
The UK Chancellor George Osborne should pause housing tax at the top end of the market or risk distorting the wider market, it is claimed in anew analysis report. Up to a 100% rise in stamp duty on high luxury homes has seen buyer interest drop at a time when
How can sellers avoid a purchase fall-through? Research from Which? Mortgage Advisers has found that around 28% of homebuyers have had a house purchase fall through after their offer was accepted over the course of the last two years. Some research suggests the figure may be as high as 40%.
©Bloomberg Samsung C&T Corp is scaling back its mine construction ambitions after losing A$1bn (US$755m) on a project controlled by Australia’s richest woman and becoming embroiled in a series of legal disputes. The South Korean construction giant recently completed work on the Roy Hill iron ore mine in Western Australia.
5 August 2016 | Herpreet Kaur Grewal Integrated FM supplier 14forty, a division of Compass Group UK & Ireland, has declared “exceptional growth of 40 per cent” over the year. The last twelve months have seen the company secure new business with companies including Volkswagen, Pfizer and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA). 14forty now employs 2,050 staff across its UK portfolio. 14forty was set up by Compass in 2013 specifically to market bundled facilities management services to clients. Managing director Mauro Ortelli cited the firm’s ability to deliver “articulate market leading insight driven propositions” as key to the growth figures. Source link
GRAPHISOFTⓇ is known for being a globally leading business in the provision of Building Information Modeling solutions. Building Information Modeling, or BIM, solutions are provided by the business to their architect clients around the world. It has been announced recently that GRAPHISOFTⓇ has started the ARCHICADⓇ 21 rollout operation. This process will see ARCHICADⓇ 21 made available on a global scale. The newest version of ARCHICAD includes a Stair Tool, which is a feature that has been long awaited by users of the previous versions. This new Stair Tool has been developed from GRAPHISOFT’s new Predictive Design™. This new design process in patent-pending and has allowed the business to create a tool that can offer the user a wide range of important improvements for the functioning of the equipment. GRAPHISOFTⓇ first started the BIM movement in 1984 when they produced the first ARCHICADⓇ. This was the first BIM software that had been created for architects. Since this date GRAPHISOFT has consistently led the way with a range of different innovative BIM solutions. One of these is the BIMcloudⓇ which was created to be the first real time BIM collaboration space in the world. GRAPHISOFTⓇ intend on making BIM common practice for the design and construction of buildings. The new version of ARCHICADⓇ 21 comes with a new Stair Tool which means that architects that use the software will be able to use the program in order to design stairs and railings. This is thought to be the most complicated tasks undertaken in architecture. The software’s new tool allows users to choose or design the best stair designs for the building. The new Stair Tool also has a Railing Tool which can add railing systems to designs as well as allowing the creation of designs that can be connected to stair designs, slabs, walls roofs or meshes.
Research has found that Health & Safety Executive is putting companies in jeopardy of being bankrupt. A leading lawyer has said that businesses can be accused of committing incredibly serious Health & Safety offences when in fact the breaches that have been committed are less serious than the initial accusation. Vikki Woodfine is a Partner at DWF LLP the law firm, and spoke yesterday before the Safety and Health Expo which took place at ExCel in London. Vikki is also a Lead Commentator for Croner-i, which is a Health and Safety professional information service. Vikki has said that some companies are pushed to the brink by fines for health and safety breaches. Health and safety is an important factor of business operations and should be taken seriously with breaches dealt with appropriately, however excessive fines could see a medium sized companies fined up to £4 million for health and safety offences. As well as the fines, which could lead to bankruptcy in themselves, there is also the legal costs of contesting these breaches because Health & Safety Executive has been adopting a policy of creating cases at the highest level of culpability, when in fact the majority of cases are apparently having to go to court in order argue for a lesser offence. Vikki Woodfine has suggested that Health & Safety Executive needs to be more fair when assessing businesses and approach breaches with a more realistic point of view. Doing so will mean that there will be fewer contested cases and will cut the burden that gets placed onto public funds and the financial strains placed into businesses. When it comes to contesting the offences, there has always been a reduction the value of the fine is a business pleads guilty, however there have been new fine levels introduced which has led to companies having to contest because the fine is insurmountable for the company otherwise.
The East Midlands Institute of Civil Engineering, or ICE were involved in the Civil Engineering Merit Awards this year. The event took place at the Belfry, Nottingham on the 9th of June. The awards at the black tie event were presented by the ICE President for 2016-17, Tim Broyd. The event was attended by more than 300 guests. The Civil Engineering Merit Awards looks to recognise and celebrate both excellence and innovation shown within the civil engineering sector in the East Midlands region and beyond. The awards ceremony is thought to be the main occasion for ICE to to draw attention to the benefits offered by the civil engineering society as well as showcasing the award winners and other innovations in the industry. Thirty-Two projects that were dotted across counties in the East Midlands and several projects that were located in the South West and South East of the country competed for the prestigious accolades. The entries this year were judged by a panel that consisted of experienced civil engineers and members of ICE’s East Midlands Graduates & Students Committee. The panel of judges was chaired by the ICE East Midlands Chair, Ray Dickinson. Each of the projects that entered the awards could be entered for up to three categories. The categories that are available as a part of the awards program were: Large Projects that have a value greater than £10 million; Medium sized projects valuing from £750,000 to £10 Million; Small Projects that were less than £750,000; Team Achievement and Studies & Research. The awards for each of the listed categories were either a Commended or Highly Commended. Another Award on the night was the William Kemp Award which is awarded to someone who has managed to consistently give a significant contribution to the civil engineering sector in the East Midlands throughout their career. Although the Awards take place annually, the William Kemp Award is not given every year, rather it is given in order to truly highlight the contribution that is given by the individual.
Residents at one of the UK’s most iconic and keenly sought-after developments – Circus West at Battersea Power Station in London – are using a state-of-the-art IP video entry system from Comelit. With designs that are both aesthetically stylish and technically sophisticated, it is little wonder that the new development has attracted attention from potential purchasers from all over the world. The door entry system from Comelit selected to provide access to the site offers the cutting-edge design and ease of installation that perfectly mirrors the expectations of the aspirational clientele who will soon call the Battersea Power Station development home. Phase 1 of the ground-breaking development comprises of 865 apartments at the Circus West site and features Comelit’s IP-enabled ViP entry system that resides on a shared network. The apartments are fitted with ICONA monitors, while more than 50 entrances are equipped with a mixture of 3one6 Sense flush-mounted panels, Vandalcom digital panels and Vandalcom single button panels. User-friendly help points have also been fitted in car parking areas to enable residents to communicate with the concierge/security office. The ICONA monitors inside each apartment feature a 16:9 4.3-inch colour screen with capacitive, touchscreen and swipe activation. Available in flush-mounted, wall-mounted and desktop versions, these concave-shaped, satin-finished monitors have high acoustic fidelity, while the monitors sport clean and elegant styling in scratch-resistant polycarbonate and brushed metal edges, complementing the contemporary and striking design of the apartment interiors. Award-winning entry panels The 3one6 entrance panels comprise a contemporary, intuitive and highly customisable solution. They feature an LCD graphic display, housed in 4mm mirror-finish or brushed steel, and concealed loudspeaker. Winner of several design awards, 3one6 Sense was the first entrance panel to use capacitive technology. Harnessing the benefits of IP technology, the ViP system is integrated into the development’s shared network, enhancing the performance of video communications. The network itself, supplied by Skanska Konnect, incorporates the site’s access control system, as well as the Comelit video entry system, which comprises over 900 devices. Being IP-based, the system has no distance limitations and can provide an unlimited number of users with simultaneous video and audio communications. The on-site concierge is able to manage calls made from call points to apartments, and can also directly call individual apartments. Residents are also able to contact the concierge via the intercom directory on their ICONA monitors, and can communicate with the other apartments via the same directory, which can be programmed by the installer on request. Circus West … and the rest Due to open this summer, Circus West is going to be one of London’s newest residential sites, located between the historic Power Station itself and the 200-acre Battersea Park. As well as the apartments situated within eight blocks, the development will feature a select range of independent shops, restaurants and cafes at Circus West Village. Residents will also have access to private gardens and a residents’ club with a bar, private dining area, library and screening room. “We are absolutely thrilled to have been chosen to take part in this iconic and exceptional project,” said Francesca Boeris, Comelit’s Managing Director. “With our emphasis on cutting-edge product design and aesthetics, we are proud to be associated with a development which showcases some of the best designers in the world.” About Comelit For more than half a century Comelit has been a leading global manufacturer of video and audio door entry products. The company offers the most up-to-date systems in the industry and these continue to evolve as technology moves forward. Comelit designs and manufactures class-leading video door entry panels and monitors, IP and analogue high-definition surveillance solutions and domestic Home Automation systems. Comelit products are sold in over 70 countries worldwide through an extensive technical and sales network. Their quality is guaranteed by cutting-edge technological research, ongoing optimisation of functional and application processes and purebred Italian design. http://www.comelitgroup.com/en-gb/
Tridonic, one of the leading providers of smart lighting systems in the world, has announced that they are looking to grow their offering of dimmable LED modules. This expansion will come for the spotlights and downlights that are on offer from the company. The Tridonic modules come with the SLE SUNSET EXC. The light that is provided by the SUNSET light creates a more intimate atmosphere with its warmer colour and it has been said that the lighting modules replicate quite closely the light provided by an incandescent lamp. The SUNSET range of lighting module has been announced as the fourth product as part of the SLE EXC series. The other lighting modules that are available as a part of this range is FOOD, ART and FASHION. Each of these modules give off a different light and it allows lighting manufacturers the ability of offer a range of light colours. Tridonic work to offer cutting edge lighting solutions to the market. The company’s research and development market are looking into how the can continue to develop the LED lighting systems as well as how lighting can be connected to other technologies in a drive to “smarter” homes and living. Along with the SLE SUNSET EXC, Tridonic have also revealed that the has created the fourth generation of the DLE ADVANCED module that will provide efficient and flexible LED driver selection. This new product has improved module efficacy by 12% and it is possible that there could also be a reduction in costs too. This could be a leap forward for installing LED driver and lighting systems in construction projects and buildings. The white diffuser that is featured alongside the module makes sure that an even level of light is emitted. This level of light given off can also be altered.
The global digital revolution is here. A swathe of reports from the big consultancy firms, including PwC and McKinsey, mark out the business winners as those implementing a digital strategy. Now these management consultants are turning the digital spotlight onto the construction industry. They make it clear that new tech is a powerful tool that can turn around the current picture of low margins and poor productivity. “Digitalisation will profoundly change the entire business world – and that includes the construction industry. Our goal at myConsole is to help the pre-construction sector develop their process and improve win rates by harnessing the power of tech,” says Philp Collard, CEO of myConsole. As the procurement partner for Digital Construction Week, myConsole are holding a series of webinars to help organisations understand what digitalisation means for construction. The July webinar will be hosted by Eric Sandor, Chairman of myConsole and former Global Managing Partner at Accenture. “Our next webinar will analyse the top management consultants’ reports, from a construction perspective. We will explain why they are now focusing on the construction industry and how digitalisation will affect your business,” explains Eric Sandor. A recent PwC survey1 of over 2,000 businesses in 26 countries found construction and engineering businesses planned an investment of $195bn in digitalisation over the next three years (see appendix A). It also discovered construction businesses expect to gain 3.4% p.a in cost reductions (see appendix B). All sectors expected ‘annual digital revenue increases of 2.9% on average,’ with a large proportion believing total increases will be over 50% in the next five year. myConsole’s webinar, offers learnings in several key areas: Using new tech to realise cost savings Digitalisation and productivity Building revenue Change management “The construction industry has woken up to the fact that digital changes need to be made. Action and investment are the next steps on this digital journey,” says Philp Collard, CEO of myConsole. Tune it to our webinar to truly understand where digitalisation can take the construction industry.
The UK Chancellor George Osborne should pause housing tax at the top end of the market or risk distorting the wider market, it is claimed in anew analysis report. Up to a 100% rise in stamp duty on high luxury homes has seen buyer interest drop at a time when there has been a 40% rise in prime properties planned in London, according to the report from design and consultancy firm Arcadis. It points out that the unintended consequences of successive stamp duty rises means projects in development for a number of years have been disproportionately affected and the delivery of affordable homes could be threatened as a result. Despite initially encouraging investment in prime residential property as a means of stimulating wider economic growth, the government has since changed policies mid-cycle, the report suggests. It says that this is regardless of the fact that many developers have already committed to major schemes. Since the end of 2014, the stamp duty alone on a £6 million home has almost doubled, rising from £420,000 to £810,000 when bought as a second property. The timing of these reforms has come just when certain parts of the market had already begun to slow. In order to ensure sales, some developers who had committed to schemes before 2014’s reforms have been forced to discount prices or resort to ‘stamp duty paid’ deals. These sales discounts have hit margins by as much as 4% on prime homes and up to 7% on super prime properties. Meanwhile, others have opted merely to delay construction, meaning that a significant number of affordable homes, planned as part of the original development, are not being built as quickly. Furthermore, with fewer would-be purchasers willing to pay such high rates of tax, many investors are eyeing homes under the £1.5 million price threshold. This additional wave of interest risks distorting the mid-market and inadvertently pricing out those people who would typically be looking to purchase these as family homes, the research adds. According to Mark Cleverly, Arcadis head of commercial development, to accelerate the delivery of affordable housing currently in the pipeline and ensure the construction sector remains sustainable, the Chancellor must impose a temporary reduction in stamp duty on new build properties. In tandem with this, he must better focus the debate onto ensuring acceptable levels of affordable housing are delivered as part of new developments. Cleverly suggests that this approach would get the market moving again, meaning both a steady flow of affordable homes coming onto the capital’s market and making schemes viable again for developers, safeguarding jobs and ensuring development can proceed as planned. ‘The Chancellor has to act on prime property tax. Despite initially encouraging investment in prime housing, the government since changed its mind and attempted to stem demand through ongoing tax increases and new fiscal regulations. This has prompted a drop in buyer interest at the very top of the market, creating a big problem for developers who had already committed to schemes and meaning affordable housing allocations are not delivered,’ he explained. ‘Whatever the Chancellor’s intentions when it comes to taxing the top, the unintended net result is likely to be less stamp duty receipts to the Treasury and potentially exacerbating the housing crisis. In short, stamp duty is becoming a tax on development, not on wealthy buyers,’ he added. ‘A more sensible approach would be to impose temporary stamp duty relief on new build homes planned before 2014’s property tax overhaul. This would both ensure the construction sector remains viable and accelerate the flow of housing of all tenures that London so badly needs,’ he concluded. BOOKMARK THIS PAGE (What is this?) Source link
How can sellers avoid a purchase fall-through? Research from Which? Mortgage Advisers has found that around 28% of homebuyers have had a house purchase fall through after their offer was accepted over the course of the last two years. Some research suggests the figure may be as high as 40%. Bill Spreckley of Stacks Property Search says: “Reasons for sales falling through vary, but one thing is for sure, the faster you can get to exchange, the less opportunity there is for second thoughts, changes of mind, gazumpers and gazunderers. “Complicated chains mean that some problems may be completely beyond your control, but there are plenty of steps you can take to maximise your chances of a deal progressing successfully to exchange and completion. “Your biggest ally is your solicitor, so it’s important that you choose carefully. There are some very good conveyancing solicitors, and there are some very bad ones. If both sides have a good solicitor, it’s entirely possible to get to exchange within four to five weeks, but some solicitors regularly drag it out to three to four months. “Try to establish a realistic target date for exchange, so everyone has a deadline to work towards. If buyer, seller, or both aren’t in a rush to move, build in more time between exchange and completion rather than being relaxed about the exchange date. “The key as a buyer is to instruct your solicitor immediately and pay him up front for the searches. You will also need to pay your mortgage company the fee for the mortgage valuation and ask them to instruct this as soon as possible. “The seller needs to instruct their solicitor and ask them to send the draft contract to the buyer’s solicitor immediately, and also get them to send all the forms that the buyer is required to fill out. Get these back to your solicitor as soon as possible. Then stay on the back of your solicitor and your estate agent. “Good communication between solicitors, estate agent, buying agent, buyer and seller is vital. You need a solicitor who will pick up the phone when a snag arises, and who will pick up the phone when you call. And you need a solicitor who will take a view with an understanding of the big picture. If you receive a letter from a solicitor when a phone call or e-mail could have been employed, my advice would be to find a new solicitor without delay. A lack of communication and information in what is a very emotional and stressful process just causes concern, and can turn into resentment and a belief that someone’s hiding something from someone. This can easily culminate in the collapse of a sale. However, if there is a genuine, unforeseen reason for a delay, then sometimes you just have to be patient. “In my experience, keeping everyone informed of progress on at least a weekly basis is one of the best ways of ensuring a sale is prevented from falling through. This is one of the reasons why the fall through rate for my clients is under 3% over the course of the last ten years. Alert the selling agent, and your solicitor, that you will be expecting a weekly update on progress, and that in the event it’s not forthcoming, you will be on the phone to them!” “The best positions to be in as a buyer are when there’s no chain or when you’re a cash buyer who has, if necessary, already sold your own property. There’s not a lot you can do if the property you fall in love with is bogged down by a tricky chain, but be aware of the complications when putting in an offer; forewarned is forearmed. And if you’re prepared to be flexible by selling your home before you find its replacement, moving into rented accommodation in the short term, you will be improving your chances of a stress-free purchase on good terms significantly.” Source link
©Bloomberg Samsung C&T Corp is scaling back its mine construction ambitions after losing A$1bn (US$755m) on a project controlled by Australia’s richest woman and becoming embroiled in a series of legal disputes. The South Korean construction giant recently completed work on the Roy Hill iron ore mine in Western Australia. But it is still fighting court battles with contractors, including a lawsuit filed by Spanish company Duro Felguera for A$65m in unpaid subcontracting work. More On this topic IN Mining “The Roy Hill Project was the company’s first mining construction project, and there are no other mining projects that the company is working on,” said Samsung C&T in a statement. Samsung C&T added that there was little market demand for mine construction projects due to the difficult situation in commodities’ markets. The construction company, best known for its work on skyscraper projects such as Malaysia’s Petronas Towers, timed its entry into mine construction badly. In 2013 it won a US$5.6bn contract to build the Roy Hill mine, which is controlled by Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting, just as a decade-long resources boom ended. A year later it won a second contract from Bandanna Energy to build a huge underground coal mine in Queensland. But that project never went ahead and Bandanna has since been placed into administration, a victim of the commodities crash. Samsung C&T developed a processing plant to export iron ore produced from the Roy Hill mine, railroads and harbour infrastructure. The complex project ran over schedule and over budget, and in January Samsung C&T revealed that it would book a A$1bn loss on the contract. When Roy Hill made its first shipment of iron ore in December, Choi Chi-hun, Samsung C&T president and chief executive, said his company had battled “many challenges” in building the mine in one of the harshest regions in Australia and was honoured to be part of it. However, Samsung C&T is still dealing with the Roy Hill cost blowout in the courts. Last week Duro Felguera filed a lawsuit seeking A$65m payment for unpaid work at the iron ore mine — the latest in a series of disputes between Samsung C&T and contractors. “In total, Duro Felguera is owed well in excess of $100m by Samsung in relation to a $500m subcontract for work on Roy Hill,” said Raul Serrano, Duro Felguera operations director. Samsung C&T said a judicial review on the payment disputes with Duro Felguera is pending and that it is taking all proper steps to resolve them in accordance with the law. Analysts say the Roy Hill experience has eroded Samsung C&T’s appetite for mining projects. “In the beginning, Samsung C&T was ambitious,” said Lee Kwang-soo at Mirae Asset Securities. “However in the course of working on the project, uncontrollable risks happened. So it seems difficult for Samsung C&T to expand further into mining in the future.” Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2016. You may share using our article tools. Please don’t cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web. Source link