Browser does not support script. Contact us The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced details for a series of new seminars dedicated to the up-and-coming architects poised to take the leap into senior roles in practice. The RIBA Future Leaders programme will help provide vital training and skills
Local authorities in Hampshire are starting the tender process for the first 3,400 homes of 8,000 planned for a 843ha greenfield site west of Basingstoke. Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council and Hampshire County Council have issued a prior information notice (PIN) for the first 3,400 homes on the Manydown development.
19 August 2016 | Martin Read A joint venture between real estate consultancies Pick Everard, Gleeds, and AECOM is to deliver a £350 million Built Environment Consultancy Services (BECS) framework for Scape Group, the local authority-owned built environment service provider. It is the first time that a joint venture has
The £1 billion redevelopment of Edinburgh’s St James centre is finally underway after political, financial and legal upheavals caused years of delays to the project. Building work began this week after developers TH Real Estate sold a 75 per cent stake in the 1.7 million sq ft retail and leisure centre
The Greater Icknield and Smethwick Housing Growth Prospectus will drive £400 million development over five key brownfield sites in Birmingham and Smethwick. Icknield Port Loop plans A blueprint to kick-start the construction of more than 5,000 new homes across inner-city Birmingham and Sandwell has been launched. The Greater Icknield
A dramatic switch from human guards to cost-effective smart technologies has been the trend in site security during the past year. Recent schemes carried out by the construction specialist, VPS Site Security, have shown savings of more than 60% in security budgets, which have provided an improved, comprehensive security net
Cities now have an unprecedented chance to transform and decarbonise their energy supply and use, according to the latest report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Renewable Energy in Cities, released on the side-lines of the Habitat III Conference in Quito, estimates the energy use in 3,649 cities and
The £1 billion redevelopment of Edinburgh’s St James centre has finally begun after political, financial and legal upheavals caused years of delays to the scheme. Building work started this week after developers TH Real Estate sold a 75% stake in the 1.7 million sq ft retail and leisure centre to
The Chief Executive of Heathrow Airport John Holland-Kaye has hailed what he calls the ‘broad support’ that expansion at the London airport has throughout the country just as the government prepares to make a final call on the scheme. Coming at the same time as the airport announced figures that
As many as 2,500 jobs in construction are to be created as plans to turn a former hospital site into a learning hub get under way. The Glasgow University project is also expected to attract around £1 billion of investment into the city over the next 10 years, more than
Browser does not support script. Contact us The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced details for a series of new seminars dedicated to the up-and-coming architects poised to take the leap into senior roles in practice. The RIBA Future Leaders programme will help provide vital training and skills for architects to enable them drive the future direction of their profession. Three afternoon seminars, held in March, May and July at RIBA, 66 Portland Place will tackle major topics that all future leaders will need to engage with: 15 March – Social Purpose How can architects take the lead in projects with a social purpose? How can practices lead in Corporate Social Responsibility? Includes interactive sessions with leaders from Architecture Sans Frontières UK, UN Global Compact and the Social Value Portal. 10 May – Improving Outcomes How do leaders of practices explain the importance of design quality to clients? How can practices lead in Post Occupancy Evaluation to do so? Includes keynote session with Sherin Aminossehe, Head of Government Property Profession in the Government Property Unit at the Cabinet Office. 5 July – Future Proofing How to lead in securing your business against future challenges and take fullest advance of coming opportunities? What lessons can large practices learn from small practices? How do we engender closer collaboration? What are the major challenges facing the future leaders of the architecture profession? Includes keynote session with Daniel Susskind, Lecturer in Economics at Balliol College, University of Oxford, speaking about the future prospects of the architecture profession and professionalism. Each seminar programme will take the form of three sessions which develop specific hard and soft skills: Project and Practice Leadership – A presentation contextualising the seminar theme followed by three short presentations on leadership skills used on projects and in practice. Professional Leadership – Interactive workshop followed by discussion and debate on professional leadership facilitated by RIBA staff. Leadership in Context – Keynote presentation from a figure outside but close to the architectural profession to offer thought leadership and different styles of leadership. RIBA President Jane Duncan said: “Our bespoke seminars have been tailored to suit the exacting needs of architects on their way to the top. “If you or someone in your studio is ambitious and determined to progress in our profession, I recommend joining the RIBA Future Leaders programme.” For further information and tickets visit: www.architecture.com/FutureLeaders2016 ENDS For further information contact Howard Crosskey howard.crosskey@riba.org +44 (0)20 7307 3761 Press images are available on request For further information and tickets visit: www.architecture.com/FutureLeaders2016 The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) champions better buildings, communities and the environment through architecture and our members www.architecture.com Follow us on Twitter for regular RIBA updates www.twitter.com/RIBA Posted on Tuesday 1st March 2016 Source link
Local authorities in Hampshire are starting the tender process for the first 3,400 homes of 8,000 planned for a 843ha greenfield site west of Basingstoke. Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council and Hampshire County Council have issued a prior information notice (PIN) for the first 3,400 homes on the Manydown development. The site could ultimately see the delivery of 8,000 homes over two local plan periods. The PIN outlines the first phase of the project of approximately 3,400 homes. The authorities are inviting developers and investors to attend an event on 13 June to find out more. The OJEU notice will be served in July 2016. Manydown project director Richard Bayley said: “Manydown offers one of the best residential development opportunities in England. We are looking for an organisation or a consortium of developers and investors who have a solid track record in placemaking and infrastructure to deliver this large-scale residential project. We need a partner who has both financial and resource capacity to work with us and commit for the longevity of this exciting project.” He added: “Our plan is to enable the selected partner to facilitate the delivery of the first phase of 3,400 homes, but they will also be encouraged to fulfil the longer-term opportunity of the project which could comprise further development phases. The whole of the project could ultimately deliver 8,000 homes.” Further onformation on the project is available at www.manydownbasingstoke.co.uk; or by emailing Richard Bayley richard.bayley@basingstoke.gov.uk This article was published on 13 May 2016 (last updated on 13 May 2016). Source link
19 August 2016 | Martin Read A joint venture between real estate consultancies Pick Everard, Gleeds, and AECOM is to deliver a £350 million Built Environment Consultancy Services (BECS) framework for Scape Group, the local authority-owned built environment service provider. It is the first time that a joint venture has been appointed by Scape, with the three partner organisations working together over the next four years – supported by their respective local supply chains – to deliver new public sector projects. The consortium has been given the name ‘Perfect Circle’. Services to be delivered by Perfect Circle under the BECS framework will include project management, quantity surveying, building surveying, commercial surveying, architecture and design services, civil and structural engineering, highways consultancy and engineering services and strategic asset management. Perfect Circle was selected through an OJEU-compliant tender process based on an evaluation of cost as well as social, economic and environmental sustainability criteria. Scape says that about 150 SMEs will support the consortium as supply chain partners, with 27,000 discipline experts spanning the group. Perfect Circle has also committed to creating “significant opportunities for micro businesses”. Duncan Green, chairman of Perfect Circle and managing partner at Pick Everard said: “Perfect Circle brings together three industry-leading organisations into a full service consortium that has the influence, scalability and expertise to make a significant and positive contribution to the challenges currently affecting the public sector. “The consolidation of consultancy services into one framework presented a unique opportunity for our respective businesses to join forces and create an offering of unrivalled added value and efficient solutions nationwide.” Richard Steer, chairman of Gleeds Worldwide, said: “The BECS Framework presents a significant business opportunity; our teams worked incredibly hard to produce a best-in-class bid and it is now our job to ensure that we are able to hit the ground running once the framework goes live.” Patrick Flaherty, chief executive, UK & Ireland of AECOM, said: “The BECS framework provides public sector organisations with a responsive, cost-effective and efficient delivery model through which to access Perfect Circle’s full consultancy services.” Source link
The £1 billion redevelopment of Edinburgh’s St James centre is finally underway after political, financial and legal upheavals caused years of delays to the project. Building work began this week after developers TH Real Estate sold a 75 per cent stake in the 1.7 million sq ft retail and leisure centre to Dutch pension asset manager APG. TH Real Estate will hold the remaining 25 per cent stake. The plan to demolish the existing 1970s St James Centre and replace it with modern retail and office space was originally given the go-ahead in 2009. The project met with a series of delays, with developers blaming difficulties in attracting international investors in the wake of the financial crash in 2008 and “uncertainty” surrounding this year’s EU referendum vote. Doubts over the project were also raised following a legal challenge over ownership of the site. Once complete, Edinburgh St James will comprise 850,000 sq ft of retail space, anchored by John Lewis, a multi-screen cinema, a W Hotel comprising 214 rooms and 150 private apartments. Designed by Allan Murray Architects, the development will also create up to 3,000 permanent jobs. Laing O’Rourke, which had been appointed on a consultancy basis to advise on pre-construction works over the last year, has now been appointed as the main contractor for the project. Demolition work is anticipated to take around 18 months, with the retail and leisure element being finished in 2020, followed by full scheme completion in 2021. Myles White, director of retail, TH Real Estate, said: “We are delighted to be strengthening our existing relationship with APG, with whom we have built up a strong and successful relationship over the past eight years, to partner on this exceptional development. Both APG, and ourselves, on behalf of our UK Shopping Centre Fund investors, look forward to a long term partnership on this investment which we believe will set a new benchmark for the future of retail and leisure schemes, both in the UK, and beyond.” Robert-Jan Foortse, head of European property investments at APG, said: “The Edinburgh St James project is one the UK’s largest and most significant regeneration projects. We are excited to become part of this scheme that will transform and reinforce the heart of Edinburgh city centre with the creation of a new shopping destination. Furthermore we believe that the addition of the W hotel will help attract even more tourists to this Unesco World Heritage city. As such, the project fits very well in our portfolio with stakes in shopping centres like Westfield Stratford City in London and CAP3000 in Nice. Edinburgh St James also fits in seamlessly with our strategy to increase our focus on ‘develop to core’ projects. In TH Real Estate we have a long time trusted partner and we look forward to working with them in the completion of the project and its management, once it has been completed.” Cabinet secretary for economy, jobs and fair work, Keith Brown added: “The Scottish Government warmly welcomes this major investment in Edinburgh and Scotland, which will have significant positive impact on construction activity, jobs, and the economy. I am particularly pleased that the Scottish Government has been able to help unlock the investment by working in partnership with the Scottish Futures Trust and Edinburgh City Council on the Growth Accelerator Model through which we will be contributing significant sums and assisting the council to manage risk. “I also welcome the plans for a training academy to help ensure the positive impact of the investment on jobs and training is spread as widely as possible. This is a major signal of investor confidence in Scotland, and provides further demonstration that Scotland is open for business.”
The Greater Icknield and Smethwick Housing Growth Prospectus will drive £400 million development over five key brownfield sites in Birmingham and Smethwick. Icknield Port Loop plans A blueprint to kick-start the construction of more than 5,000 new homes across inner-city Birmingham and Sandwell has been launched. The Greater Icknield and Smethwick Housing Growth Prospectus will drive £400 million development over five key brownfield sites in Birmingham and Smethwick The selected sites are at Grove Lane, Icknield Port Loop, Spring Hill, Brindley Canalside and Windmill Eye. As well as looking to attract private sector investment interest, the prospectus also seeks Housing Zone status from Government and could see the planning process streamlined to deliver the homes more quickly. Birmingham council leader John Clancy said: “This isn’t just about bricks and mortar; it’s about transforming lives and futures. “We want to rejuvenate and create neighbourhoods that are well connected, have a good range of facilities and services, and are attractive to residents and investors. “By expanding our partnership working and targeting funding to revive brownfield sites, either by financing infrastructure or supporting individual schemes, we can give developers and investors the confidence to get to work and provide badly needed homes.” Cllrs Steve Eling and John Clancy Sandwell leader Steve Eling added: “The Greater Icknield and Smethwick housing scheme has already attracted considerable investment and commitment from the public and private sector. “We have a shared vision, delivery is already underway and we want to keep that momentum going. “This prospectus sets out what we are doing to bring forward that vision – putting brownfield land to good use to accommodate quality new housing.” The councils are investing in roads including the A457 link to the M5, a new school at St Vincent Street West and a new leisure centre at Icknield Port Loop to support the developments. The prospectus is a result of the councils work with the new West Midlands Combined Authority. Where are the homes? Greater Icknield and Smethwick housing development areas The Grove Lane scheme in Smethwick has the £353 million Midland Metropolitan Hospital at its heart and will see approximately 900 new houses and apartments being built. This includes 142 homes on the former Atlas Metals site, with 40 expected to be completed in 2016/17 and scope for a further 40 on land to the west of the site. The former Heartlands Furniture site will provide 250-300 homes, with a longer term option for approximately 30 further homes. The Icknield Port Loop scheme will provide 1,800 homes. The main development will be 1,150 homes at Icknield Port Loop itself, being delivered by Urban Splash and Places for People in conjunction with Birmingham City Council and the Canal and River Trust. Further developments in the area include converting former industrial buildings in Ledsam Street to create 200 homes, and potentially a further 100 homes on Severn Trent’s former Waterworks Road depot. Spring Hill development plan The Spring Hill scheme will see up to 750 homes on part of the site of the current City Hospital in Dudley Road, Birmingham, which will be vacated once the Midland Metropolitan Hospital opens in 2018. A further part of this scheme is Soho Loop, which will see a further 500 homes built between Icknield Port Loop and the City Hospital site. The Brindley Canalside scheme provides 755 homes on three sites located alongside the Birmingham Canal in Smethwick. This includes up to 400 potential new houses and apartments in the Rolfe Street area, and 200 new homes around Rabone Lane. Windmill Eye would see a further 450 new homes in the existing housing development north of Cape Hill. These would be at two sites in Crocketts Lane and two around Raglan Road/Durban Road.
A dramatic switch from human guards to cost-effective smart technologies has been the trend in site security during the past year. Recent schemes carried out by the construction specialist, VPS Site Security, have shown savings of more than 60% in security budgets, which have provided an improved, comprehensive security net 24/7 at lower cost. Costain, GallifordTry, Carillion, Taylor Wimpey and Murphy are among the household names in the construction industry who are deploying CCTV systems to improve security, while also cutting costs, and the technologies are being shown at this month’s London Build, at Olympia on October 26 and 27. Systems such as JCB Smart Towers, that combine the latest cameras with wireless networks, sensors and power sources, can protect even the most challenging environments such as highway construction, day and night, from the safety of a monitoring station. Managing Director at VPS Site Security, Simon Alderson, commented: “Guard patrols have been the traditional approach to secure sites. But a surge in technological developments have proven themselves in recent years, so that better 24/7 protection and safety can be achieved alongside dramatic cost savings. “Mobile patrols may still be required, but even they are much more efficient when deployed with the support of towers, as they can help target problems quickly and efficiently.” The CCTV systems are also being used as safety tools and for traffic management, which add an extra layer of health and safety protection for construction workers and the public alike, which provides both a safety audit and deterrence to taking risks. One example of such a system, the JCB Smart Tower, is being shown at London Build, Olympia, this month on stand F81. Earlier in the year, VPS launched a social media campaign to warn of the risks of playing on construction sites during the summer.
Cities now have an unprecedented chance to transform and decarbonise their energy supply and use, according to the latest report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Renewable Energy in Cities, released on the side-lines of the Habitat III Conference in Quito, estimates the energy use in 3,649 cities and explores their potential to scale-up renewable energy by 2030. It finds that although there is no one-size fits all solution; every city has huge potential to cost-effectively boost renewable energy use at the local level. IRENA Director General, Adnan Z.Amin, commented: “Cities can play a transformative role in leading the world to a clean and sustainable energy future. “We have to rethink the entire urban energy landscape, which requires rigorous planning and holistic decision-making. Renewable energy, combined with energy efficiency, will power the future growth of cities. We must ensure this transition happens as soon as possible.” Electricity use varies widely throughout different cities depending on climate conditions, population density and development stage. Similarly, energy use for transport varies hugely depending on urbanisation models. Today, renewables supply just 20% of this energy, but much more is possible. Renewable Energy in Cities outlines three priority areas – both in technology and in policy – where cities can take action to scale up the use of renewable energy sources: renewable energy in buildings (for heating, cooling, cooking, and appliances); sustainable options for transport (electric mobility and biofuels); and creating integrated urban energy systems. Accounting for 65% of global energy use and 70% of man-made carbon emissions, cities must play a major role in the transition to a low-carbon economy. By highlighting best practice from cities across the world, the report shows what is possible and what policies are required to enable the change. It also offers concrete examples of how city actors can accelerate the switch to renewable energy at the local level by acting as planners, regulators, financiers and operators of urban infrastructure.
The £1 billion redevelopment of Edinburgh’s St James centre has finally begun after political, financial and legal upheavals caused years of delays to the scheme. Building work started this week after developers TH Real Estate sold a 75% stake in the 1.7 million sq ft retail and leisure centre to Dutch pension asset manager APG. TH Real Estate will hold the remaining 25% stake. The plan to demolish the existing 1970s St James Centre and replace it with modern retail and office space was originally given the go ahead in 2009. The scheme was met with a number of delays, with developers blaming difficulties in attracting international investors in the wake of the financial crash in 2008 and “uncertainty” surrounding this year’s EU referendum vote. Doubts over the project were also raised after a legal challenge concerning ownership of the site. Once finished, Edinburgh St James will be made up of 850,000 sq ft of retail space, anchored by John Lewis, a multi-screen cinema, a W Hotel comprising 214 rooms and 150 private apartments. Designed by Allan Murray Architects, the development will also create up to 3,000 permanent jobs. Laing O’Rourke, which had been appointed on a consultancy basis to offer advice on pre-construction works during the last year, has now been appointed as the main contractor for the scheme. It is expected that the demolition work should take around 18 months, with the retail and leisure element being completed in 2020, followed by full scheme completion the following year. Myles White, director of retail, TH Real Estate, said: “We are delighted to be strengthening our existing relationship with APG, with whom we have built up a strong and successful relationship over the past eight years, to partner on this exceptional development. Both APG, and ourselves, on behalf of our UK Shopping Centre Fund investors, look forward to a long term partnership on this investment which we believe will set a new benchmark for the future of retail and leisure schemes, both in the UK, and beyond.”
The Chief Executive of Heathrow Airport John Holland-Kaye has hailed what he calls the ‘broad support’ that expansion at the London airport has throughout the country just as the government prepares to make a final call on the scheme. Coming at the same time as the airport announced figures that show a record number of passengers (57.3 million) passed through the airport in the first nine months of this year, Holland-Kaye seemed confident that Heathrow would win the race for a third runway. Praising Theresa May’s ‘strong leadership’, he said that the airport is ready to deliver a new runway as soon as it gets the ‘green light from the government’. Despite protestations from environmental campaigners and local residents, the pendulum seems to be swinging back into Heathrow’s favour this week with a decision by the government set to be made imminently. However, a parliamentary vote still needs to take place next year to fully give expansion the go ahead and while the likelihood of protracted battles in the courts are likely to delay work beginning even further. Despite Holland-Kaye’s confidence, there are still significant concerns about the negative impact on air quality and noise pollution as a result of a third runway and increased air traffic at the south east airport. A leaked memo penned by a former adviser to David Cameron revealed yesterday that the government could be significantly exposed once a decision has been made, arguing that it does not have an answer on the issue of air quality. Written by Camilla Cavendish a year ago in response to a draft of the then environment secretary Liz Truss’ air quality plan, it alleges that the government does not ‘have an answer on air quality’ for Heathrow expansion. Following the leak, Cavendish, who is now a peer, said: “Now this is in the public domain I have to say that I believe successive governments have failed the public on air quality. Too many people in Whitehall and parliament think they can play it down because it’s invisible.
As many as 2,500 jobs in construction are to be created as plans to turn a former hospital site into a learning hub get under way. The Glasgow University project is also expected to attract around £1 billion of investment into the city over the next 10 years, more than twice the budget of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. It will see the university’s Gilmorehill campus extended over the 14-acre site of the old Western Infirmary, in what is said to be one of the largest educational developments in Scotland. As part of the scheme, a research and innovation hub will be constructed, as well as new buildings for social sciences, health and engineering. There will also be new public routes and a central square linking to Byres Road, and commercial opportunities in the form of restaurants, bars and a hotel. The university moved to the Gilmorehill site in 1870 to allow closer cooperation between academics and medical professionals. At the time, a clause was signed stating that if the hospital, which opened in 1874, ever ceased to be a hospital then the university could buy back the site. Hospital facilities have now been transferred to the new Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, which started taking in patients in April 2014 and is one of the largest acute hospitals in the UK. It is now hoped the extension will help to maintain the university’s position as a world-leading institution. Glasgow University principal and vice-chancellor Professor Anton Muscatelli said: “We hope to use the new site as a catalyst to attract and grow the very best academics, to attract the very best students and to ensure that Glasgow continues to be one of the top universities in the world.” According to CITB’s latest Construction Skills Network report, 4,270 new construction jobs are expected in Scotland each year by 2020. Source link