Following recent revelations that UK’s home gas boilers emit twice as much CO2 as all power stations, the construction sector is being urged to accelerate the switch to greener heating solutions such as CO2 heat pumps, which have been described as ‘the future of green heating in the UK’. The
The latest research from Warwick Estates has found that more than half of homebuyers don’t want to see new homes built near their property, with even more stating they don’t need any more new homes in their wider local area. Warwick Estates asked 1,052 homeowners if they thought more new
Eye on the next generation as work experience opportunities made available to University of Ulster students SPIE UK, a subsidiary of SPIE, the independent European leader in multi-technical services in the areas of energy and communications, has been awarded a four-year contract to be the fire systems maintenance contractor with
Prolojik is collaborating with the Smart Building Show this year, joining the impressive list of sponsors as Sponsor of The Training Theatre and Show Catalogue, as well as showcasing the latest SuperSensing range along side SmartServer™ by Diaog. Prolojik, which has developed an open protocol lighting control system that gives
Leeds-based property development and investment company, GMI Developments has submitted a planning application to Harrogate Borough Council to create a new mixed-use development comprising a destination restaurant and bar, retail space and 3 apartments at 132-136 Kings Road in central Harrogate. The premises, which have stood vacant since January 2020,
The future carbon economy will present major challenges and opportunities for M & E companies over the next 10 years with the need to deliver innovative design solutions for new and existing buildings, according to Julian McCamphill, Operations Director of Dowds Group. There is already considerable pressure for change, but
Panattoni, the largest industrial real estate developer in Europe, has signed a lease agreement with UPS, one of the world’s largest package delivery companies, for a 280,700 sq ft speculatively developed facility at Bolton. UPS has signed a 10-year lease for the largest of the two facilities at the 360,700
Morgan Sindall Construction has completed its first project as a result of its position on the University of Glasgow’s capital projects framework, undertaking a complete refurbishment of Maclay Residences, which offers accommodation to postgraduate students. The work entailed the refurbishment of two accommodation blocks. Block 15 comprised 40 rooms with
Curtain walling, windows and doors by Kawneer were used on the third and final phase at The Slate Yard. Architectural glazing systems by leading UK manufacturer Kawneer featured on the third and final apartment building at The Slate Yard, which forms part of the wider £1 billion, 50-acre Salford Central
Mitsubishi Electric has provided a medical practice in South London with three commercial Ecodan air source heat pumps to deliver renewable heating and year-round comfort. The owners of Paxton Green Group Practice needed a heating solution that would future-proof the building by reducing both heating bills and carbon emissions, to
Following recent revelations that UK’s home gas boilers emit twice as much CO2 as all power stations, the construction sector is being urged to accelerate the switch to greener heating solutions such as CO2 heat pumps, which have been described as ‘the future of green heating in the UK’. The government’s target of 600,000 heat pump installations per year by 2028 is an encouraging step but Tim Rook, Chief Markets Officer at Clade Engineering, a leading designer and manufacturer of CO2 heat pumps, is concerned that the UK is a long way off the pace from hitting that target. “Burning natural gas has historically been a cheap, reliable and relatively safe way to heat buildings in this country. But as this study shows, things are going to have to change if we have any hope of reaching Net Zero. CO2 heat pumps are the future of green heating in the UK – they are more efficient, cleaner and have a lower total cost of ownership than gas boilers,” explains Tim. “We need to step up – and that’s going to take more awareness and more clamour across the construction, facilities management, property investment and property management industries,” suggests Tim. The recent energy price crisis adds further weight to this argument and has been caused by several long, medium and short-term factors coming into play at the same time. It’s been coming down the tracks for a while, and touches on a couple of things that Clade Engineering consider extremely important – the decarbonisation and security of Britain’s energy supply. “Installing a heat pump is one of the best things a business can do to decarbonise, and it’s fairly straightforward if engineered correctly. A heat pump will deliver a 60 to 80% carbon reduction and when used for cooling too it’ll do even better. If plugged into a digital platform to optimise performance and provide grid flexibility services it will be able to deliver even more carbon reductions and cost savings. “For the good of the planet, we need to pull our collective fingers out,” says Tim.
The latest research from Warwick Estates has found that more than half of homebuyers don’t want to see new homes built near their property, with even more stating they don’t need any more new homes in their wider local area. Warwick Estates asked 1,052 homeowners if they thought more new homes were needed within their local area and if they would be happy to have these new homes within the immediate vicinity of their own home. 72% stated their local area did not need any new homes and 52% were opposed to new homes being built within the immediate vicinity of their own home, even if a suitable plot of land was available. Should they have to stomach the construction of new homes locally, 87% stated they would prefer developers to repurpose old buildings rather than build brand new homes. 87% stated it was either very important (47%) or somewhat important (40%) that new homes should fit with the wider area and the existing buildings already in place when it comes to appearance. 98% also stated that it was either very important (87%) or somewhat important (11%) that new housing developments considered the wider community and local infrastructures such as traffic control and the development of community areas such as parks when being designed and constructed. COO of Warwick Estates, Bethan Griffiths, commented: “It’s understandable that many homeowners have concerns when it comes to new homes in their local area and we’ve seen a real change in the way we design and construct new build developments to ensure the wider community is considered, and in many cases, benefits. Unfortunately, some still remain opposed to the idea and this can have a real impact on the number of new homes that can be delivered in a given area. For many local councillors with a short-sighted view on reelection, appeasing local unrest often takes precedent over the long-term goal of solving the housing problem within their constituency. As a result, we often see permission for perfectly good housing projects campaigned against and refused, which can be a contributing factor to the shortage of available housing in a given area. We need to take political protectionism out of the planning process and until we do, housing delivery will continue to be hindered.” Survey of 1,052 UK homeowners carried out by Warwick Estates via consumer research platform Find Out Now (30th September 2021). Do you think more new homes need to be built within your local area? Answer Respondents No 72% Yes 28% Would you be happy for new homes to be built within the immediate vicinity of your home if there was a suitable plot of land? Answer Respondents Yes 43% No 57% Would prefer developers to repurpose old buildings or build brand new homes? Answer Respondents Repurpose old buildings 87% Build brand new homes 13% How important is it that new homes fit with the wider area and existing buildings in terms of appearance? Answer Respondents Very important 47% Somewhat important 40% Not very important 9% Not at all important 3% How important is it that new housing developments consider the wider community and local infrastructure, such as traffic control, development of community areas such as parks? Answer Respondents Very important 87% Somewhat important 11% Not very important 1% Not at all important 1%
Eye on the next generation as work experience opportunities made available to University of Ulster students SPIE UK, a subsidiary of SPIE, the independent European leader in multi-technical services in the areas of energy and communications, has been awarded a four-year contract to be the fire systems maintenance contractor with the University of Ulster. The SPIE UK team will be working across all four of the university’s campuses, which are located at Magee (Derry/Londonderry), Coleraine, Jordanstown and Belfast. As part of the contract, SPIE will be conducting planned and reactive maintenance, servicing and repair of fire alarms and gas suppression on a 24/7, 365 days-a-year basis. SPIE UK will also conduct any upgrades to the fire systems as is appropriate. Already being a supplier of services to the university, the SPIE team was well placed to identify bespoke benefits that they could offer to the University of Ulster, including specific system upgrade works. The contract will run for four years, with an optional extension period of a further four years. Working in the community… The University of Ulster has a proud reputation for its regional community engagement and continues to make a major contribution to the economic, social, and cultural development of Northern Ireland. As part of their work with the university, SPIE will likewise be engaging in a number of community benefit pledges. These include the creation of work experience placements across technical and administrative roles for University of Ulster students, as well as participation in the university’s career events. Jim Skivington, Divisional Managing Director, SPIE UK, said, “We are delighted to have been chosen by the University of Ulster to support them as their fire systems maintenance contractor. The team’s deep knowledge and relationship with the university were key to understanding the improvements that needed to be made. I know that that the team is also very much looking forward to supporting the university in its efforts to engage the local community and support its graduate programme, helping to develop the next generation of professionals in the built environment in Northern Ireland.”
Prolojik is collaborating with the Smart Building Show this year, joining the impressive list of sponsors as Sponsor of The Training Theatre and Show Catalogue, as well as showcasing the latest SuperSensing range along side SmartServer™ by Diaog. Prolojik, which has developed an open protocol lighting control system that gives users complete control over their lit environment; control that reduces energy output and saves money, has become the catalogue and training theatre sponsor at this year’s Smart Buildings Show (ExCeL, London, 6-7 October, 2021). Asela Rodrigo, managing director, commented, “We are thrilled to be sponsoring and supporting Smart Building Show, in partnership with Dialog, as sponsors of the catalogue and the training theatre. It is our belief that as we slowly emerge from the pandemic, the adoption of smart technology in buildings will gather pace as the benefits have become more apparent. We are looking forward to catching up with our industry colleagues; listening and presenting the latest updates in this important sector”. Please come and visit Prolojik on stand E40. Prolojik will also be hosting a panel discussion as well as a CPD session during the show. Re-engaging the Workplace – Thursday 7th October – 13.00pm This panel session looks at how to get the most out of smart tech post pandemic as well as the issues around sustainability goals and understanding the management of challenges such as limited embodied carbon in construction. The panel will be chaired by Helen Parton an architecture and interiors journalist with over 15 years experience, and on the panel will be Asela Rodrigo managing director of Prolojik, Gary Wingrove Global Real Estates Capital Projects Director at Boston Consulting Group, Martin Frohock Head of Facilities UK Global FM Compliance Lead at Arm and Jules Barker Global Director of Product at WiredScore. Super Sensor x Smart Server – Wednesday 6th October – 15:00pm Hosted by Asela Rodrigo and Kalim Shadam Global Sales Director at Dialog Semiconductor this CPD looks at the different challenges to introduce enabling SMART technology in to existing legacy buildings as well as newly built environments and how this can be achieved by implementing SuperSensors and SmartServers over your existings lighting and data networks.
Leeds-based property development and investment company, GMI Developments has submitted a planning application to Harrogate Borough Council to create a new mixed-use development comprising a destination restaurant and bar, retail space and 3 apartments at 132-136 Kings Road in central Harrogate. The premises, which have stood vacant since January 2020, comprise a range of interconnected, largely two-storey buildings which extend to more than 7,300 sq ft. Ocean House (134-136 Kings Road), the former Ramus retail unit (132 Kings Road) and an industrial unit fronting Bolton Street will be redeveloped into a mixed-use lifestyle and residential development in keeping with the local area. A pre-let for the ground floor unit in Ocean House has already been agreed with Moxmoor Limited to manage a new concept restaurant and bar, led by experienced local operator Roger Moxham, one of the founding owners of the Cold Bath Brewing company. Roger Moxham has more than 35 years of hospitality expertise, including board level roles in both public and privately funded pub and restaurant companies and co-founded the highly successful Cold Bath Brewing bar opposite the town’s International Conference Centre. The new restaurant, which will create up to 20 new jobs, comprises a 70 seat internal restaurant and bar with external pavement and courtyard seating. Commenting on the offer Roger said “We will serve a diverse array of global meals rooted in Asia and the Americas which we intend to rotate throughout the year. The menu will be underpinned by a weekend brunch offer all supported by a full range of hand crafted cocktails and beers and an interesting selection of soft drinks, teas and coffees.” GMI has submitted a detailed planning application for a change of use of Ocean House to house the new restaurant and bar, as well as two apartments above. The ground floor of 132 Kings Road will remain in retail use with an apartment above and the demolition of the industrial unit on Bolton Street will provide parking and outside amenity space for the new apartments. Situated close to Harrogate town centre and 13 miles North of Leeds, the site’s neighbouring occupiers include Regal Fruiter, a Sainsbury’s convenience store and a number of well-known local indies. Harrogate town is one of the principal tourist centres in the region, benefiting from its position on the A59 which provides access to the local motorway network. Chris Gilman, Managing Director, GMI Developments commented: “Following the recent acquisition of the Kings Road property, we are excited to take this mixed-use development forward to regenerate the vacant site, subject to planning approval. With a proven, successful hospitality expert in Roger on board to create the new restaurant and bar, we are confident that his team will bring a unique and exciting destination restaurant offer to the town complemented by the rest of this high quality scheme.”
The future carbon economy will present major challenges and opportunities for M & E companies over the next 10 years with the need to deliver innovative design solutions for new and existing buildings, according to Julian McCamphill, Operations Director of Dowds Group. There is already considerable pressure for change, but while most building manufacturers and suppliers are looking at delivering better energy saving performance across product ranges, the onus will be more and more on M&E contractors and designers to be more proactive in terms of reducing carbon footprints to meet Government targets. As these targets alter and become more complex, this in turn will mean the need for new initiatives to provide even greater investment to attract highly trained staff to join the industry, especially graduates who will need to see construction as a more attractive career option. For companies such as Dowds Group, the challenge already exists to deliver increasingly complex projects involving BIM, new technologies and much more. These are already being incorporated into all new contracts – a typical example is the planned major refurbishment of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in south London operated by the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust. The project is worth around £30 million. More than half of that total will be spent on delivering the M&E. Work has already started for Dowds to accurately design and agree cost on every aspect of the project prior to contractors going into the hospital at beginning of 2022, with the contract expected to be finished the following year. “Attention to detail, health and safety matched by an emphasis on delivering quality at all times is important for every type of contract,” said Julian Camphill, “and this particularly applies to work in hospitals and in our opinion will increasingly become more challenging.” “That attention to detail relates to everything we do – right down to knowing that when an operative flicks a switch, everyone is totally aware of what is on the end of that and every other circuit. It could be a patient on life support, power to a critical operating theatre – it is that important.” “Equally, we have to be aware that we are not only designing and installing infrastructure that meets today’s needs, it also has to be fit for purpose for the next 20 years or more and be capable of delivering Government carbon targets and changing patient needs.” Dowds, working from their head office in Belfast for more than 40 years, has an enviable reputation for delivering quality healthcare projects in Northern Ireland. This expertise has been transferred to London where the company is now regarded as one of the fastest growing of its kind across the capital and the rest of the UK. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital which was built in the 1950s and later modernised in the 1990s under a PFI agreement is in urgent need of refurbishment and modernisation to bring the building up to modern standards. Dowds, who will be working closely with the NHS Trust to ensure minimum disruption to staff and patients throughout the refurbishment, will be responsible for upgrading all of the electrical infrastructure. They will further upgrade the facilities for medical gas supplies such as oxygen, the climate control and all the other M&E areas across the site. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital is the latest in a growing number of healthcare success stories for Dowds, which include just about every major hospital in Northern Ireland together with scheme at Addenbrookes, Merseyside, Newcastle, Reading and many other parts of the country. With NHS Trusts probably under more pressure than ever before due to Covid and expanding waiting lists, the focus is now firmly on the M&E sector to deliver 21st Century facilities – that’s the challenge for companies like Dowds – and they are up to it.
Panattoni, the largest industrial real estate developer in Europe, has signed a lease agreement with UPS, one of the world’s largest package delivery companies, for a 280,700 sq ft speculatively developed facility at Bolton. UPS has signed a 10-year lease for the largest of the two facilities at the 360,700 sq ft Panattoni Park Bolton, which has a BREEAM sustainability rating of ‘Very Good’ and an EPC rating of ‘A’. The facility, which has a 15m clear internal height, 24 dock doors and five-level access doors, was completed in September. It is expected that more than 280 jobs will be created. The first unit of 80,000 sq ft was pre-let in January to Hermes Parcelnet, one of the UK’s largest parcel delivery companies. Panattoni Park Bolton is close to junction 6 of the M61, providing easy access to the key ports of Liverpool to the west and Hull to the east; the M6 is less than 15 minutes drive, providing access to Scotland, the wider north west and the Midlands. Dan Burn, Development Director for the North West and Yorkshire at Panattoni, said: “Panattoni Park Bolton is the only development of its size and scale to have been built in Greater Manchester this year. The fact that we have let the two units to two global delivery companies reflects their confidence in this region. “The town has the second highest employee base in Greater Manchester, yet with wages below the regional average labour costs remain attractive, as does the good mix of skills among the workforce. Employment in the logistics sector is considerably higher than both the regional and national average”. DTRE, Savills and Knight Frank were the letting agents and TSL Projects was the contractor.
Morgan Sindall Construction has completed its first project as a result of its position on the University of Glasgow’s capital projects framework, undertaking a complete refurbishment of Maclay Residences, which offers accommodation to postgraduate students. The work entailed the refurbishment of two accommodation blocks. Block 15 comprised 40 rooms with accompanying toilet and shower pods and eight communal kitchens and seating areas, while Block 14 has 18 rooms with accompanying toilet and shower pods, with six communal kitchens and seating areas. Morgan Sindall Construction’s team completely stripped out all rooms within the blocks, with all the flooring and lighting fixtures also removed, while all sanitary ware was also removed from the toilet pods. The two blocks now have completely new kitchens and carpets, vinyl flooring and electrics while each bedroom has been completely redecorated. All 58 toilet pods now have new wet wall installed and all sanitary ware re-instated. This ambitious programme, which saw Morgan Sindall Construction work alongside an AECOM led design team and furniture supplier Alpha Scotland, was achieved in a tight timeframe, with work beginning on 28th June and completing on 31st August with a sequence of room handovers from the 16th August to allow the University’s furniture contractor to install in time for students to move in immediately prior to term beginning. In order to ensure that as little as possible of the replaced furniture and fittings went to landfill, Morgan Sindall Construction developed a comprehensive circular economy strategy: Loose furnishings – including over 100 bar stools and seats from the communal areas – were donated to Kinross Wooden Products, a firm that specialises in designing and creating high quality, sustainable working environments from surplus or certified sustainable materials. The company also uses this process to enable young people to develop upholstery skills. Carpet tiles were donated to Spruce Carpets, a local non-profit organisation that seeks to reduce the amount of flooring waste going to landfill and increase the amount of reused carpet and vinyl flooring in Scotland. 1000 carpet tiles were saved from landfill, with Morgan Sindall Construction receiving a landfill diversion certificate as a result. 58 mattresses were collected by King Size Recycling. They were manually deconstructed into their individual components before being provided to other industries who in turn put these materials through their manufacturing processes and procedures to be reused e.g. the foam has already been remanufactured into underlay for flooring. 14 microwaves were donated to the Marie Trust, which supports the complex and often challenging needs of people across Glasgow that are affected by homelessness, poverty, and social exclusion. Stephen Doran, senior site manager at Morgan Sindall Construction, said: “This was a very satisfying job for our team to complete. We were under significant time pressure to ensure the work was finished and the halls were ready to welcome back students to a new, improved Maclay Residences at the start of term. “I’m proud to say that this is something we were able to achieve. However, the most pleasing aspect of this project for me is that we were able to support brilliant organisations across Scotland that are doing so much to promote a circular economy across the country. It’s inevitable that a project like this would produce a lot of waste, but through working with these brilliant organisations we were able to ensure our excess outputs were minimised, and furnishings, fixtures and materials could either be recycled or used to support vulnerable groups across Glasgow and the Central Belt.” Dominic Duffy, head of programme management office – estates directorate, University of Glasgow, said: “This was Morgan Sindall Construction’s first project under our Construction Framework with the University of Glasgow. The team worked exceptionally well with the design team at AECOM and Alpha in delivering the project on time and on budget under the restricted delivery window of the student summer break. As well as demonstrating excellent teamwork across the design team, Morgan Sindall Construction engaged brilliantly with Accommodation Services and our key stakeholders. The project has been well received by the University and we look forward to the first intake of students arriving to utilise the accommodation.” Ryan King, director, Kingsize Recycling, said: “We were delighted to assist Morgan Sindall Construction at its refurbishment project at the Maclay Residences. The site team was absolutely brilliant on the day and it went just as planned. We estimate that this project alone equates to c. 1.3 tonne of material diverted from landfill!” In the University’s estates strategy, the research intensive institution has outlined plans to invest in its Gilmorehill Campus, Garscube Estate, and the various satellite campuses around the city, in a bid to drive up its research standing, attract the very best academic staff, and provide a sustainable 21st century learning environment for the next generation of world changers. For more information about this news release please contact Tom Carlin at Influential on 07827 957740 or email carlin@thisisinfluential.com.
Curtain walling, windows and doors by Kawneer were used on the third and final phase at The Slate Yard. Architectural glazing systems by leading UK manufacturer Kawneer featured on the third and final apartment building at The Slate Yard, which forms part of the wider £1 billion, 50-acre Salford Central masterplan. Two types of Kawneer’s zone-drained curtain walling – AA®100 with 50mm sightlines and AA®110 with 65mm – as well as AA®541 top-hung casement windows and thermally superior AA®720 balcony doors were specified by AHR architects for Plot A7 at The Slate Yard. The 20-storey building comprises 199 apartments for rent for client The English Cities Fund (ECF) – a partnership between national urban regenerator Muse Developments, Legal & General, Homes England and Salford Council. ECF is currently delivering some of the most complex urban regeneration projects across the UK. The first phase of The Slate Yard was one of the first institutionally funded, custom-built BTR (Build to Rent) schemes to be delivered in Greater Manchester, with all three phases at The Slate Yard forward funded by Legal & General. Architect Feidhlim White of AHR, which frequently deploys Kawneer, said the systems were specified due to their aesthetics, practicalities, and cost-effectiveness as well as the company’s standards of customer service. “The system provided the match to the planning images, enabling us to deliver the project to the aesthetic and practical vision,” he said. “The opening lights aided the ventilation system with the ability for purge ventilation whilst still maintaining acceptable sightlines. The simplicity of weatherproofing by glazing in the EPDM makes it an ideal system.” He added: “We tend to use Kawneer a lot as we have a good relationship with their support team and local reps. They’re also well priced in the market, I believe. The client is very pleased with the overall outcome and how the building sits as a suite of three.” The Kawneer aluminium systems were installed over 15 months of the two-year build for main contractor Morgan Sindall Construction by approved specialist sub-contractor FK Group who also installed the Kawneer systems specified by AHR at Plot A6 (the Graphite building), a neighbouring BTR apartment block comprising 135 apartments over 16 storeys for the same client.
Mitsubishi Electric has provided a medical practice in South London with three commercial Ecodan air source heat pumps to deliver renewable heating and year-round comfort. The owners of Paxton Green Group Practice needed a heating solution that would future-proof the building by reducing both heating bills and carbon emissions, to replace the existing gas boilers. Ecodan CAHV monobloc air source heat pumps from Mitsubishi Electric were chosen due to their ability to lower running costs and carbon emissions. Patients and staff can now benefit from cost-effective, renewable heating while also enjoying modern levels of comfort. The heat pumps were installed to deliver 116kW of heat to the building, replacing the two commercial gas boilers. The CAHV models operate in a cascade system, meaning they are able to continually match the heating but only consume the power needed to keep the practice comfortable, whatever the weather. Andy Booth, Project Manager for Opus Air Conditioning, which installed the system said: “One of the things that amazed me was how quickly the CAHV units heated the water in the tank. We picked up water temperatures of 70 degrees in less than 30 minutes.” Opus specialises in the design, supply, installation, service and maintenance of boilers and heating systems, along with heat pumps, air conditioning and ventilation systems. This was the first Ecodan CAHV installation that Opus had carried out and they will be looking at promoting the use of air source heat pumps on future projects. Owing to the practice being a vaccination centre for its local community, the heat pumps had to be installed and the old systems removed in close partnership with the practice and its opening times. “The team had to be completely flexible so that we could get in around the working hours of the vaccination centre,” added Andy. Heat pumps are low maintenance and able to produce an average of three kilowatts of heating for every kilowatt of electricity consumed. The practice can now provide a high quality healthcare service for patients whilst also delivering high levels of comfort. For more details on the Ecodan CAHV, visit: ecodan.co.uk