SSAIB has announced it has achieved accreditation for BAFE’s SP207 scheme for emergency evacuation systems, which are used by Fire and Rescue services to prioritise evacuation from residential high rise buildings and ensure people at risk in endangered areas can be safely evacuated. Supporting British Standard 8629 Evacuation Alert Systems
The construction of Birmingham’s first smart-enabled building, Enterprise Wharf, is now underway at the Innovation Birmingham Campus in what is a major boost to the city’s economic recovery. The development of Enterprise Wharf by Bruntwood SciTech, a 50:50 joint venture between Bruntwood and Legal & General, marks the expansion of
StoTherm Mineral insulation and StoSilco render were used to provide outstanding thermal performance on the recently completed Peveril Securities King’s Stables Road mixed-use development Edinburgh’s city-centre. This project illustrates Sto’s ability to work closely with specifiers, contractors and clients to ensure that the most appropriate solution was chosen for this
Tritax Big Box REIT plc (Tritax Big Box or the Company) today announces it has acquired an 872,000 sq ft distribution unit in Avonmouth for £90 million, reflecting an attractive net initial yield of 5.1% for c.13 year income. Large scale and attractively priced state of the art asset in
MCR Property Grouphas secured planning approval for an £80million development featuring nearly 350 homes in the London commuter hotspot of Bedford. The project will be built on a 4.5-acre brownfield site in the town’s Kempston area and comprises 341 apartments and townhouses of varying sizes. The scheme includes 150 one-bed,
Building people’s homes and giving them a haven to call home has been a core business for almost a century now. It has been a long and arduous journey with so many ups and downs, but homeowners and sellers have strived through and through to provide only the best. As
The construction industry is an ever-changing field that requires constant updates and improvements for better service delivery. Being in the construction industry requires skills, dedication, and the hunger to learn to produce impeccable results. The numerous efforts to improve quality and precision always result in enhanced techniques, skills, or innovations
Sherwin-Williams, through its Protective & Marine division, has been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Innovation 2021, one of the most prestigious awards for United Kingdom companies that celebrates business excellence and innovation. This is the second Queen’s Award for Enterprise that Sherwin-Williams has received in a span of
Fritted glazing is the star at Manchester’s Citylabs 2.0. Two types of curtain walling by leading UK manufacturer Kawneer met a quartet of criteria for a new building at the gateway to Europe’s largest clinical-academic campus. Kawneer’s AA®110 SSG (Structurally Silicone Glazed) and AA®100 capped aluminium curtain walling almost completely
Platform Housing Group, the largest housing association in the Midlands, has achieved a G1/V1 rating from the Regulator for Social Housing following its first indepth assessment – or IDA – in February of this year; this is the highest regulatory rating a housing association can achieve with a G1 governance and V1 for financial
SSAIB has announced it has achieved accreditation for BAFE’s SP207 scheme for emergency evacuation systems, which are used by Fire and Rescue services to prioritise evacuation from residential high rise buildings and ensure people at risk in endangered areas can be safely evacuated. Supporting British Standard 8629 Evacuation Alert Systems for use by fire and rescue services in buildings containing flats, this new development from BAFE – the UK’s independent register of quality fire safety providers – covers the design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of emergency evacuations systems that will help to provide quality evidence of competency to deliver these services. SSAIB Fire Scheme Manager, Keith Strugnell, believes this new scheme has the potential to become an essential addition for organisations looking to provide evacuation systems. He said: “Developed in response to a recommendation from the Grenfell Tower Phase 1 inquiry report, it is likely to become a requirement that you will need to be third-party certified to work on emergency evacuation systems going forward. “However, despite it being a new scheme, existing SSAIB-registered SP203-1 firms will find it comparable to their own scheme – as it utilises a similar format, albeit that the scheme document has been changed to make it more relevant to emergency evacuation systems. Therefore, in theory, you will satisfy the requirements for SP207 by default if you already have SP203-1.” BAFE announced the scheme in the final quarter of 2020 and Keith went on to reveal that the SSAIB acted promptly to ensure that the organisation could add SP207 to its existing catalogue of BAFE fire schemes. Keith continued: “With regards to SSAIB, we completed training with BS 8629:2019 for our auditors and scheduled several pilot audits for those initial companies to achieve certification for this latest scheme that we provide certification for to the fire industry. We then collated all of the necessary criteria that was needed for our information packs and then we were ready to go. “Through doing all this, it has allowed us to successfully add to our list of fire schemes and ensure that our firms are able to keep up with the latest industry developments.” BAFE’s Director of Schemes, Chris Auger, added: “The demand shown following the MHCLG consultation is unprecedented and represents a far greater awareness of systems and competency of their installers required following the tragedy of the Grenfell Tower Fire. “With the work BAFE has performed in conjunction with the industry and Fire and Rescue Service, we are pleased to offer a route to achieving this important third-party certification. Quality evidence of competency is going to have far greater scrutiny for everyone working in high-rise blocks in the very near future which can only be a good thing. This scheme will fill this crucial gap in providing confidence to specifiers knowing they are fulfilling their due diligence and continuing the ‘golden thread’ of accountability for the life safety of residents within the building.”
The construction of Birmingham’s first smart-enabled building, Enterprise Wharf, is now underway at the Innovation Birmingham Campus in what is a major boost to the city’s economic recovery. The development of Enterprise Wharf by Bruntwood SciTech, a 50:50 joint venture between Bruntwood and Legal & General, marks the expansion of the region’s leading digital and tech campus, which is already home to an established cluster of more than 150 businesses working in high growth areas such as fintech, proptech, edtech, 5G and VR and will provide much needed grow-on space for tech businesses looking to expand or relocate to the city. Located next to Aston University and Birmingham City University, in the heart of the Birmingham Knowledge Quarter, the 10 storey, 120,000 sq ft Enterprise Wharf will feature a large, open plan reception and collaboration space, cycle storage with kit drying room, space for electric vehicle charging, showers and a roof garden with stunning views over the city. New external landscaping will create a new green space for the campus, providing direct, much improved access to the adjacent Birmingham and Fazeley Canal. Embedded with smart, Internet of Things (IoT) technology, Enterprise Wharf will collect and have the ability to monitor data from the Building Management System, HVAC, lighting and CCTV. Data from a range of sensors will be displayed in a purpose-built dashboard; allowing air quality, lighting and energy consumption to be managed and optimised, creating a healthy, productive and sustainable workplace. Enterprise Wharf will be the first new development at the Innovation Birmingham Campus to incorporate measures towards the achievement of Net Zero Carbon; including an A-rated EPC together with 100 m2 of PV solar power, and a combined air source heat pump and chiller system enabling highly efficient heating, heat recovery, and cooling. The building’s facade has also been optimised to provide high thermal efficiency, minimising internal artificial lighting requirements. David Hardman, Managing Director, Bruntwood SciTech – Birmingham, said: “Enterprise Wharf will be a valuable and important addition to Birmingham’s already thriving tech ecosystem. Birmingham boasts world-class universities, a skilled talent pool and fantastic transport links making it the UK’s top city for startups. The Innovation Birmingham Campus has long held a reputation as a dynamic innovation community for SMEs. This expansion now opens up the Campus’ innovation capabilities to larger companies looking for opportunities to access innovation and talent in the region. “Birmingham’s first smart-enabled building offers a unique and unrivalled opportunity for tech businesses to benefit from super-fast and reliable connectivity, smart access control and visitor management as well as the ability to control temperature and lighting to reduce CO2 emissions and improve wellbeing and sustainability.” Part of the Bruntwood SciTech network, the Innovation Birmingham Campus is part of the West Midlands 5G testbed and home to ‘5PRING’, the UK’s first 5G commercial applications accelerator programme which provides offices and demonstration spaces alongside access to 5G technology, allowing businesses to experiment with features that aren’t yet commercially available to test solutions to major problems. Planning permission for Enterprise Wharf was granted in April 2020. GRAHAM has been appointed as the main contractor and agents include Avison Young, CBRE and Savills. On GRAHAM’s appointment, David Hardman commented: “We’re very much looking forward to working with GRAHAM. Their commitment to the local supply chain and the development of future industry talent is more important now than ever. The development of Enterprise Wharf will help to support six work experience placements and three existing apprenticeships as well as create opportunities for two new apprentices and 65 full time positions in a boost to local employment.” Commenting on the project GRAHAM Regional Director, Ronan Hughes, said: “Enterprise Wharf is a unique development for Birmingham’s Knowledge Quarter, and we are looking forward to making the ambitious plans a reality through the implementation of our intelligent construction methodology and programme. “At GRAHAM, we pride ourselves on being ‘digital by default’, and we will apply our innovative digital construction and BIM Level 2 processes to add value to this smart-enabled building project. Equally, we are committed to making a lasting impact within the communities where we operate. That’s why we’ve developed a robust Employment Plan specifically for Enterprise Wharf that will generate a considerable social value impact, particularly in the creation of employment opportunities.” Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership has invested £5m from its Local Growth Fund to support the development of Enterprise Wharf, in line with its strategic aims to support the region’s digital and innovation sector. Enterprise Wharf is due to complete in late 2022.
StoTherm Mineral insulation and StoSilco render were used to provide outstanding thermal performance on the recently completed Peveril Securities King’s Stables Road mixed-use development Edinburgh’s city-centre. This project illustrates Sto’s ability to work closely with specifiers, contractors and clients to ensure that the most appropriate solution was chosen for this project. Located in the Edinburgh Old Town’s historic Grassmarket area, the £40M King’s Stables Road development is a landmark scheme delivering housing, premium student accommodation, a 4-star apart-hotel and various commercial units, set around a number of public courtyards. “This was a large project for which a rainscreen cladding system was originally considered,” says Sto’s Project Manager, Jim Reid. “However, budget constraints meant that an alternative solution was required. The façades of the buildings feature numerous multi-level surfaces, and any alternative solution had to be able to accommodate these and various other complex detailing requirements, while still meeting the budgetary requirements.” Sto successfully worked in partnership with project architects, Fletcher Joseph Associates, and façade specialists AFS (Scotland) who installed the StoTherm Mineral system. The result was a fully bespoke insulation system which satisfied all the project requirements. The mineral-fibre insulation boards used in the StoTherm system provide excellent thermal performance along with unrivalled fire protection, great durability and impressive sound insulation. The system’s efficient single-leaf construction does not reduce interior space and requires no additional expansion joints. This allowed the smooth external surfaces which are used in the King’s Stables Road design to be created. Some sections of the development used Sto’s unique Sto-Rotofix Plus adjustable spiral fixings to secure the insulation boards to the substrate. These fixings allow for a considerable degree of post-installation adjustment so that different surface levels can be accommodated, and once again, they provide a perfectly level surface for a smooth external render finish. The remaining sections of the development had the insulation applied using StoLevell Uni adhesive. This creates a strong, durable and reliable bond with the surface, and allows the insulation to be applied onto curved substrates. All the insulation was finished with StoSilco K1.5 silicone resin render which provides high levels of water repellence, outstanding protection against harsh weather conditions and excellent CO2 and water vapour permeability. The white colour of the StoSilco complements the brickwork and dark grey cladding found on other parts of the development. “We’ve used Sto’s external wall insulation on many previous projects and find that it performs extremely well,” comments Steve Avery of AFS (Scotland). “The StoTherm system is very straightforward to install, but still provides a high degree of flexibility which makes it a very practical solution.” The King’s Stables project is owned by Peveril Securities and is part of a wider mixed-use development programme. Render was specified early in the design process as a means of brightening courtyards flanked by neighbouring buildings or facades. Careful material specification at this stage enhances the established public realm as occupants and the wider public weave their way through this exemplar development in the heart of Edinburgh’s capital.
Tritax Big Box REIT plc (Tritax Big Box or the Company) today announces it has acquired an 872,000 sq ft distribution unit in Avonmouth for £90 million, reflecting an attractive net initial yield of 5.1% for c.13 year income. Large scale and attractively priced state of the art asset in a strengthening logistics location Secured through an off-market acquisition, the asset expands the Company’s exposure to the increasingly important South West of England: Avonmouth is the principal logistics and manufacturing area for the South West, centred around the Port of Bristol. Following approval for a deep-sea container terminal at Avonmouth, the capacity of the docks is expected to double over the next 10 years. The area has low vacancy rates due to rising occupier demand driven by excellent transport links with the M5, M4 and M49 motorways enabling access to over 85% of the UK’s population within 4.5 hours and further supported by strong and rising demand from the port. Demand has continued to outpace supply in the region, encouraging and sustaining rental growth. Providing critical space to a world-leading customer The building is let to Accolade Wines Limited (the Customer), one of the world’s largest wine companies by volume and the leading producer and distributor of wine in the United Kingdom and Australia. The building is a key component of the Customer’s supply chain used for receiving then bottling wine for sale into the key UK and European markets. Constructed in 2008, with a ground floor area of 872,000 sq ft, the building has internal eaves heights of between 15 and 18 metres, 30 dock level loading doors and high-quality office accommodation. The Customer has installed state of the art bottling and box bag packaging lines and tanks, with the capacity to produce 1,200 bottles of wine every minute from this multi-award winning bottling facility. The building is the largest wine production, warehouse and distribution centre in Europe, distributing to all major UK supermarkets and European markets and providing approximately 20% of the UK’s wine supply. Delivering long-term income and value growth The asset offers 12.8 years of unexpired lease term in an attractive reversionary position, with five-yearly rent reviews providing a minimum of CPI uplifts, opportunities to add further value through a potential lease extension, and ESG related asset management initiatives aligned to the Customer’s commitment to Net Zero Carbon. Colin Godfrey, CEO, Fund Management at Tritax, commented: “In line with our strategy, we continue to monitor the market closely for attractive acquisition opportunities. This is a key asset, let to one of the world’s largest wine companies by volume, in a strong and increasingly important location for logistics in the UK. “This state-of-the-art asset, acquired off-market, provides a valuable and long-term income stream. The tenant has committed heavily to this award-winning facility, which is the largest wine warehouse and distribution centre in Europe. Thanks to a combination of buying well, strong market fundamentals and opportunities for value enhancing asset management initiatives, we believe this building will deliver a very attractive return to our shareholders.”
MCR Property Grouphas secured planning approval for an £80million development featuring nearly 350 homes in the London commuter hotspot of Bedford. The project will be built on a 4.5-acre brownfield site in the town’s Kempston area and comprises 341 apartments and townhouses of varying sizes. The scheme includes 150 one-bed, 155 two-bed and eight three-bed apartments, as well as 24 three-bed and four two-bed townhouses. The development is expected to benefit from the growing home-working revolution sparked by the pandemic, which is driving increased interest in more affordable properties located outside the M25, but still within easy commuting distance of central London. The site in Dallas Road is just half a mile south-west of Bedford town centre and a 4-minute drive from Bedford train station. From here, commuters can travel into St Pancras International in as little as 47 minutes and London Blackfriars in under an hour. Residents will have extensive greenbelt countryside on their doorstep, and be able to take advantage of the nearby M1 motorway and A1. Luton Airport is a short 30-minute drive away. The development, designed by Salford-based architect Leach Rhodes Walker, will include 16 affordable homes available under Shared Ownership. A construction partner is yet to be appointed for the development phase but the entire project is anticipated to complete by the end of 2024. Founded in 1989, MCR Property Group has developed more than £4bn of residential, commercial and industrial property. Vanessa Bartulovic, Planning Director (South) at MCR Property Group, said: “This will be a substantial development that improves housing stock in an extremely popular commuter location, which in past years has been voted London’s top commuter town. “We’ve designed these homes to be very attractive from an affordability perspective and this will put the scheme in pole position to benefit from growing interest in better value homes outside the capital, offering a taste of the countryside as well as easy access to London. “Repeated lockdowns have prompted widespread adoption of home working and this shift is not going to be completely diminished once the pandemic subsides. Workers are embracing a new relationship with offices, and it is areas such as Bedford that are going to provide families and young professionals with the flexibility they desire. Residents will be able to escape to the country and equally feel that their central London office is within close reach.”
Building people’s homes and giving them a haven to call home has been a core business for almost a century now. It has been a long and arduous journey with so many ups and downs, but homeowners and sellers have strived through and through to provide only the best. As this industry celebrates a century of home building, let’s take a look back at Barratt through the decades that the industry has come through to show you what the industry has been through, the experiences it has had, the knowledge gathered, and where it’s heading in terms of our future. Here is a brief overview of this industry for the last seven decades. The 1960s The 1960s was an interesting decade. This decade experienced a lot of firsts in terms of technological developments in various industries. For instance, the world recorded the first moon landing and the Concorde made its maiden flight. There were a lot of interesting and exciting developments in home building and interior design. Homes featured tower blocks and two-storey buildings comprising 3 to 4 people per home. Houses were mostly brightly colored with every room featuring attractive patterns with psychedelic colors. The average cost for houses at this time was around £2,500. The 1970s This decade brought about stylish cars and the rise of punk and pop music. In the building industry, there was a bit of a struggle due to the period’s economic downturn. The average cost of a small family home was around £4,057 but rose exponentially to about £20,000 by the end of the decade. People found it very challenging to own homes during this period. However, home designs and decorations still improved with wallpapers dominating the scene. Homeowners also stocked their houses with home appliances such as washing machines with the first home microwave getting sold during this decade. The 1980s Come the 1980s, the property market experienced a rebirth from the downtime it had gone through the previous decade. This is the decade the world welcomed disco and soul, with popular artists such as Michael Jackson taking the center stage. People’s disposable income nearly doubled giving them enough to buy homes and decorate with frills and patterns. It is also this time that pastel colors rose in popularity. The average cost of homes ranged between £20,268 and £30,000. Still, young individuals enjoying the economic prosperity in this decade could afford these homes. The 1990s Away from the boom in the 80s, the property market faced several challenges as a result of a recession and increasing interest rates. It became increasingly difficult for people to secure mortgages and to own homes. Home prices ranged between £58,000 and £60,000 by 1995. These homes adopted a more simplistic design as compared to their predecessors with beige being the main color and people largely adopting the concept of minimalism. The 00s, 10s and 20s The millennium brought about increased demand for housing. Buyers were focused on buying luxury and coastal properties for entertainment. These homes became very popular and pushed property markets beyond £156,000 by the year 2005. This decade marked an upsurge of entertainment with people owning oversized entertainment systems. The 10s welcomed the era of apartment buildings and more townhouses, further pushing property prices over the roof. It also saw many small units retail at very high prices as more young professionals came to being. The 20s is still in its infancy, but it promises a different story considering the recent outbreak of CoronaVirus disease.
The construction industry is an ever-changing field that requires constant updates and improvements for better service delivery. Being in the construction industry requires skills, dedication, and the hunger to learn to produce impeccable results. The numerous efforts to improve quality and precision always result in enhanced techniques, skills, or innovations that aim to bridge the gap in the industry. It would help if you worked on the different aspects of your construction company to ensure you remain relevant in the market. Make the extra effort to research, analyse, utilise, and integrate current and future trends to get the best results. Primarily, technology is what affects the changes in the construction industry. There is a pressing urge by entrepreneurs and business owners to align their services with the latest trends in the market. There are also additional factors such as economic and management factors that significantly impact the types of construction practices in each firm. Internal factors such as hiring, vending, tendering, and storage factors may also affect the nature of service delivery. Therefore, you need to plan and organize your company for effective services carefully. Technology The impact technology has on the construction industry is unquestionable. Its uncontainable nature increases the opportunities, especially in the construction industry, whose focus is on minimal energy usage, improved efficiency, data security, and environmental friendliness. Innovations Primarily, innovations should give the user an easier time working while maintaining or improving the quality of services. Scientists and professional experts work round the clock to ensure new and improved products in the market. It would help if you took a keen interest in developing issues and current trends in the markets to ensure you are at par with your competitors. It will also help if you have a team of professionals who can seek and fix to improve your current tools and equipment to restore your competitive edge. Do not overly depend on these innovations. Consider the financial impact of the changes and decide wisely on which actions to take. Change in Practices As a result of innovation, there will be a general change in construction practices. The government will also adopt some of these practices to improve the available quality and safety in the industry. Consequently, you will have to adjust your firm’s procedures to align with the set regulations. It is also prudent for you to understand the effects and requirements of these new practices to have a clear idea of how you can incorporate the practices for excellent results. Investigate the pricing, training, involvement, and financial impact before you make your decision. Equipment and Tools Besides information and knowledge, tools and equipment come close to how technology can impact the construction industry. You need to check on the type of tools you use in your construction works. Using outdated tools can compromise your quality and pose a risk in negatively affecting your market ratings. Data Storage and Security You need to secure the data recorded and stored in construction processes. Despite it being valuable data that can be a basis for future trends and innovations, it is a crucial assessment tool for productivity and success. Additionally, you should secure the financial and procurement data against any cyberattacks that may arise. Keep your top secrets within small circles to avoid duplication and copyright infringements. Utilise cybersecurity techniques to secure your data and information. Environmental Impact The latest techniques in the construction industry chiefly consider the practices’ effect on the environment. The concern around the green city influences the nature of innovations. Thus, you also need to align your practices with environmental rules and requirements. Employees It would be best if you also had an able and skilled workforce to keep your momentum and maintain quality results in the industry. Your employees will determine the quality of products and the completion of projects successfully. Apart from hiring skilled and knowledgeable employees, consider their willingness to learn and explore new techniques. You need to provide and promote a learning platform for your employees. Please encourage them to explore different learning options by taking various courses, seminars, and pieces of training. Educate them on additional measures like environmental, health, safety practices, data compliance training, and current trends to ensure they are adept at what is required. It is also essential for you to have a dedicated quality and assurance team that will ensure your practices follow the government and industry requirements. Keeping up with modern trends in the construction industry can be challenging. It would be best if you had your finger on every aspect of the company to succeed. Take a keen interest and understand what your firm needs the most.
Sherwin-Williams, through its Protective & Marine division, has been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Innovation 2021, one of the most prestigious awards for United Kingdom companies that celebrates business excellence and innovation. This is the second Queen’s Award for Enterprise that Sherwin-Williams has received in a span of only five years. Sherwin-Williams won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for its FIRETEX® FX6002 coating that delivers exceptional passive fire protection for structural steel. Since its initial launch in 2018, this ultra-fast drying intumescent coating has transformed steelwork projects with its unprecedented speed of curing and dry handling times, gaining speedy adoption by architects, engineers and applicators. Unlike alternative protective coatings, FIRETEX FX6002 can be applied off-site, enabling paint applicators to transport steelwork in a matter of hours rather than days – which means less downtime, fewer bottlenecks and faster project completion. This year’s recognition is the second Queen’s Award for Enterprise that Sherwin-Williams has received, following the same award for Dura-PlateTM 301W in 2016. “To win two Queen’s Awards for Enterprise: Innovation in just five years is a fantastic achievement for the Sherwin-Williams team. With FIRETEX FX6002 we have created a unique protective coating that is ideal for use in high-value infrastructure and construction projects,” said Ian Walker, Managing Director for Protective & Marine at Sherwin-Williams EMEAI. “Key stakeholders can take advantage of a wide range of benefits throughout the project lifecycle, including time and cost savings, enhanced durability, and aesthetically pleasing finishes,” added Walker. Sherwin-Williams is one of just 205 organisations nationally to be recognised with this prestigious honour. The Queen’s Awards celebrate excellence and are designed to help drive economic growth. In particular, the innovation category showcases companies whose use of industry expertise and technology innovation helps foster unique growth opportunities in their respective industries. “FIRETEX FX6002 further demonstrates our long-standing commitment to innovation, which dates back to 1866. Our highly skilled and experienced team continue to push the boundaries, embrace the latest technologies and anticipate future trends to develop products that benefit our global industrial and commercial customers,” commented Walker.
Fritted glazing is the star at Manchester’s Citylabs 2.0. Two types of curtain walling by leading UK manufacturer Kawneer met a quartet of criteria for a new building at the gateway to Europe’s largest clinical-academic campus. Kawneer’s AA®110 SSG (Structurally Silicone Glazed) and AA®100 capped aluminium curtain walling almost completely wraps the new £25 million Citylabs 2.0 development within the Oxford Road Corridor innovation district in Manchester. Citylabs 2.0 is part of a £95 million expansion to the Citylabs campus which is located at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust’s (MFT) Oxford Road hub and is a partnership between MFT and the UK’s leading property provider to the science and tech sector, Bruntwood SciTech. The project builds on the success of Citylabs 1.0 which opened in 2014 and is fully-let, and Citylabs 2.0 will provide world-class lab and office space for global diagnostics company QIAGEN who have 100% pre-let the building for their Global Centre of Excellence for Precision Medicine. Kawneer’s AA®110 SSG curtain walling with flush silicone sightlines has been used throughout, while the AA®100 version with 50mm sightlines features on the ground floor entrance of the 8,500m2 state-of-the-art building designed by frequent Kawneer specifiers, architects Sheppard Robson. The practice conceived Citylabs 2.0 as a block of accommodation with one elevational treatment, with recessed areas carved out of the main block clad in alternative materials. To realise this concept, the main body was formed in the Kawneer AA®110 flush cap-less curtain walling, with a digitally printed design to the glazing. The concrete frame of the building provides clear open floor plates to support different work typologies while the post-pensioned floor slabs provide clear, uninterrupted soffits for ease of services distribution. The recesses at level 5 and the plant room are clad in ribbed fibre cement panels, the recess on the Hathersage Road elevation is clad in louvres, and the recess to the main entrance is the Kawneer full-height AA®100 curtain walling with accentuated vertical caps. The set back edges, and entrance canopy soffit, are clad in a bright coloured red anodized metal panel. Sheppard Robson associate Mary-Ann Crompton said: “The sub-contractor chose Kawneer as the best product to realise the design intent and it achieved the required performance specification in terms of aesthetics, thermal, acoustic and movement requirements.” The AA®110 SSG curtain walling, with its wider 65mm back box, is typically specified to minimise building movement and at Citylabs 2.0 was complemented by the fritted glazing and spandrel panels. “The existing adjacent buildings are Grade 2 listed and the cutbacks to Citylabs 2.0 have been organised to respond to the location and scale of them. The etched design to the glazing refers to details within the retained chapel which is to be refurbished as part of further future developments for Citylabs 3.0,” said Mary-Ann. She added: “The glazed elements of the curtain walling form the major component of the elevational design and has helped to fulfil the aesthetic aspirations for the project. In addition, aluminium is totally recyclable and is therefore a good material to use. This characteristic helps towards achieving a sustainable design.” The Kawneer systems were installed for main contractor Sir Robert McAlpine over six months by teams of up to eight people from Kawneer-approved specialist sub-contractor and dealer Bennett Architectural Aluminium Solutions. Director Rob Bennett said: “The project was fully enclosed in Kawneer curtain wall. It was a large project for us and had to be installed within 25 weeks. The AA®110 curtain walling allowed increased building movement capability. “The glass on it was quite unique. We worked with the architect and designed a frit pattern that was used as part of solar control. It has a very unique whirl and is quite striking.” Mary-Ann said: “We have used Kawneer on many of our projects over the years and have found that the technical and sales departments are very helpful with providing information at the early stages of design.” Businesses which locate to Citylabs have direct access to MFT’s specialist clinical resources and expertise from researchers, clinicians and procurement teams as well as Bruntwood SciTech’s specialist growth support and events programme, including access to funding, talent, new markets and academic connections.
Platform Housing Group, the largest housing association in the Midlands, has achieved a G1/V1 rating from the Regulator for Social Housing following its first indepth assessment – or IDA – in February of this year; this is the highest regulatory rating a housing association can achieve with a G1 governance and V1 for financial viability. The IDA outcome confirms that the regulator is fully assured that the social landlord’s financial plans supports its financial strategy and has confidence in the way it manages and governs the business. This is the first IDA that the housing association has had since its creation in 2019. Elizabeth Froude, the group’s Chief Executive said: “It is really positive news that the Regulator has recognised the focused way in which we have restructured both our Board and our Executive team, providing strong skills and expertise aligned to our new corporate strategy. We are absolutely delighted with the result. It demonstrates that Platform is in great shape to deliver our ambitious strategic plans as well as maximising any additional forthcoming opportunities and challenges for the benefit of our customers. “The increase in our house building programme, whilst maintaining a clear commitment to high levels of affordable homes, reduction in our operating costs and the funding we’ve attracted – including our Homes England strategic partnership and the £350million raised through the bond market – have all helped to achieve this. We continue to drive forward on delivering all the aims of our merger and can clearly demonstrate that we are making good progress.” Over the next five years, Platform Housing Group aims to build around 12,000 high quality new homes, improve the energy efficiency of many more homes to alleviate the fuel poverty burden on our residents and deliver services which support the health and well being of its customers. Elizabeth concluded : “Platform Housing Group is highly committed to continuous improvement in all the services we deliver. However, we can’t do this alone, hence why we value the calibre and professionalism of our people, the strength of our stakeholder partnerships and the unwavering commitment of our involved customers, to achieve all that we do.” Platform Housing Group – which owns 46,000 homes in total – completed 1,448 homes in 2019/20 (1,598 in 2018/19) at an investment of £258m (£228m in 2018/19). The Group also built more social rented homes – at a figure of 981 – during the past 2 years in England than any other provider, 523 in 2019/20, almost 33% of the total homes built. Platform Housing Group’s operating area is from Herefordshire in the West to the Lincolnshire coast in the East, and from the Derbyshire Dales in the North to the Cotswolds in the South.