The iconic Grade 1 Lloyd’s building in London isn’t your average tall building. To maintain the 88m tall building with its striking 4,500 linear metres of external stainless steel clad pipework and 12,000 square metres of glazing takes a lot of effort and ingenuity. In September 2020, Lloyd’s, with its partner Arup, commenced the annual survey of the external façade of the Lloyd’s building, aimed at identification of any defects, particularly in those hard to reach places, that require remediation. In previous years, this has been done using rope access (abseiling), however this year for the first time, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV/done) were used for 80% of the survey. Abseiling isn’t completely eliminated. Arup anticipate that 20% of the façade will still require a “hands-on” examination. Russell Cole, Leader of Façades UK at Arup said: “Arup is using VirtuLabs for the UAV flying. Essentially, a façade engineer from Arup will be viewing the screen of the drone operator and directing him. Our two engineers, Graeme DeBrincat and Mitchell Campton, will work in partnership with VirtuLabs to undertake the detailed inspection of the captured data of the façade.” Terry Blacker, Senior Manager, Facilities at Lloyd’s said: “The use of drones to survey our building has reduced the risk from abseiling and saved time and cost. The results are excellent. The fact that a Lloyd’s Lab alumni created the insurance policies to allow this to happen also makes us very proud.” The Lloyd’s Building is one of the first UAV façade surveys undertaken in the City of London and Lloyd’s themselves have enabled this innovative approach to take place. Flock, an insurtech start-up which was a part of the Lloyd’s Lab in 2019, pioneered a flexible insurance product with integrated third parties and invasion of privacy cover has allowed commercial UAV equipment to be used for this type of work. There are also strict rules in place, such as the type of drone being used which must always be in line of sight and have a predesigned automated flight plan. This is unchartered territory for Lloyd’s and the City of London as well. VirtuLabs needed CAA approval and NATS clearance. Road and pavement closure permits from the Corporation of London were also required when flying over the public realm. Finally, Arup will use the images from the drone flights to undertake the inspection of the captured images and update the existing 3D virtual maintenance model of this unique heritage asset. This digital building and conditional information model is a unique and project specific interactive tool called Arup Inspect 3D which records not only conditional observations and any change over time but also captures planned maintenance and remediation activities through the life cycle of a building or asset.

UK residential and commercial property developer Godwin Developments has yesterday (10 March 21) submitted plans for a gateway 336-apartment build-to-rent (BTR) scheme on the edge of Sheffield city centre. Located on the corner of Farm Road and Queens Road and within walking distance to Sheffield Train Station, the development – named The Meridian – proposes the creation of one, two and three-bedroom modern open-plan apartments, 94 of which will include private balconies. The contemporary 23-storey building will incorporate a substantial amount of flexible ground floor space to provide residents’ facilities such as a concierge reception, co-working spaces, residents’ lounge and a gym, as well as extensive cycle storage and car parking. It will also feature a landscaped roof garden available exclusively to residents and will be complemented by a new external plaza fronting onto Queens’ Road. The Meridian, a major residential development in the Sheffield Midland Station and Sheaf Valley Development Masterplan, will contribute significantly to the housing requirements of central Sheffield. The scheme will support the regeneration of this important part of the city, also improving public spaces through landscaping and design, attracting significant economic, social and environmental benefits to Sheffield and promoting its reputation as a leading national destination. James Mulcare, head of residential capital markets at Godwin Developments, said: “We are really pleased to have reached this key milestone in the delivery of our ambitious BTR scheme in Sheffield. The Meridian is a forward-looking development designed around the requirements and lifestyles of city centre residents. Today more than ever they need their home to be a multifunctional place – not only for living but also for working, relaxing and socialising. That is why the building’s design emphasises wellbeing, light, quality materials and finish, as well as access to private and shared outdoor space and community focused amenities – all within easy access of the nearby transport, parks, culture and entertainment. “By understanding and delivering to residents’ aspirations we are seeking to create highly desirable Build-to-Rent schemes across key UK regional markets – building homes in both urban and suburban hotspots and generating positive outcomes for investors, local communities and economies alike.” The Meridian will redevelop a prominently located 1.1-acre brownfield site, which has been vacant for many years. Once complete, the scheme will be situated just a five-minute walk from Sheffield’s Midland Station and a ten-minute walk from the city centre including Sheffield’s main shopping and entertainment districts, with parks, outdoor spaces, and both Universities also nearby. The location is currently easily accessible by road and public transport, with proposed walking, cycling and tram routes expected to enhance sustainable mobility in the near future. Ketan Patel, senior development manager at Godwin Developments, added: “We have worked closely with the planning department at Sheffield City Council since we acquired this highly prominent site last year. We extend our sincere thanks for their support and guidance to-date, resulting in the creation of a clean and stylish design that celebrates quality, detail and craftsmanship with a simple but effective execution of brick and glass. In doing so we believe we have created a building of distinction and sense of place that adds positively to the city’s skyline and sets the benchmark for revitalised public spaces. “The Meridian will also be an environmentally responsible development, shaped with low energy design principles in mind and supported by a range of strategies to naturally reduce its carbon footprint over time. “The proposal has been prepared by local architects Bond Bryan whose vision and expertise have been essential in delivering a scheme of exceptional standard. Our extended leading consultant team include planning specialists Urbana Town Planning, cost advisors Rider Levett Bucknall and engineers HSP Consulting.” Bond Bryan associate, Tomasz Romaniewicz, commented: “We are delighted to be supporting Godwin Developments in preparing the design for The Meridian in what will be a contemporary and robust BTR product for the Sheffield market – and one which supports and promotes a new lifestyle choice. The resilience of BTR has been highlighted during the pandemic; with the UK investment hitting a new record high in 2020, The Meridian will undoubtedly form an essential component within the next chapter of the Sheffield City Centre.” News of the submission follows Godwin’s recent planning success for its suburban BTR scheme in Doncaster, which will see the creation of 60 BTR homes, as well as planning approval for two residential schemes in Nottingham which will provide 102 family homes. For more information about Godwin Developments, visit www.godwindevelopments.co.uk.

In February 2021, contract awards increased by 11% compared to January to £4.7 billion, this remains below average levels, but underlying activity has increased as no single project was valued over £200 million. Similarly to January, distribution centres make up two of the top four contract awards. The latest edition of the Economic & Construction Market Review from industry analysts Barbour ABI, highlights levels of construction contract values awarded across Great Britain. Sector analysis shows that residential strengthened in February to £1.9 billion with strong activity in the West Midlands. Infrastructure also picked up, rising £78% to £900 million following a disappointing January. The largest infrastructure projects are the National Grid LNG terminal expansion in Kent and the M25 Junction 28 improvements in Essex. The industrial sector, led by warehousing, continued as the hottest sector, with two of the top four projects being distribution centres: a distribution hub in Wakefield worth £186 million and a Lidl distribution centre in Bedfordshire with a value of £100 million. Commenting on the figures, Tom Hall, Chief Economist at  Barbour ABI and AMA Research said, “There was not a huge amount to see in February as planning activity was maintained; no pre-budget optimism to be seen. Contract awards strengthened slightly while planning applications and approvals weakened. Approvals particularly are looking fragile. Elsewhere the significant activity in warehousing and distribution continued, and infrastructure contract awards returned to previous levels after a weak January.” Download the full report here:  https://www.barbour-abi.com/zones/2103032-Snap-Analysis-March-Output-File- v2.pdf

Large housing developments should contain ‘mobility hubs’ for transport as a condition of planning consent to improve the environment and reduce congestion, ministers have been told. Responding to a Scottish Government consultation, shared transport charity Collaborative Mobility UK (CoMoUK) said greener travel should be at the heart of the country’s planning future. It urged ministers to consider requiring developers of housing estates containing 50 dwellings or more to create hubs containing facilities such as electric vehicle charging, bike sharing and car club schemes. In smaller developments of 25 homes or more, housebuilders should be required to install at least one shared transport initiative, the charity argued. The Scottish Government’s Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) recently closed for submissions and asked for views on how the country’s planning structure could help the environment, boost the economy and improve public health. The climate emergency declared by the Scottish Government and most local authorities aims to achieve a ‘net zero’ status by 2045. CoMoUK pointed out in its submission that transport is now Scotland’s largest emitting sector, contributing 36 per cent of greenhouse gasses, and that the largest source within that was private cars. It has urged ministers to do more in terms of promoting shared car schemes and encouraging cycling and shared transport. The Covid-19 pandemic should be used as an opportunity to pursue alternatives, the response said, especially with behaviour changes persuading more people to return to their car. The organisation added that better shared transport would help more deprived communities in terms of connectivity, and increased walking and cycling would improve physical and mental health. CoMoUK is pioneering the development of European-style mobility hubs in the UK. These bring together public transport stops for buses, trams and trains with bike share schemes, car clubs, e-scooters, electric vehicle charging points, bike racks and shared taxi rides, as well as community facilities such as cafés, fitness areas, green space, package collection points and wifi and phone charging – all with covered waiting areas, real-time journey planning information, walking areas and disabled access. Lorna Finlayson, Scotland director of CoMoUK, said: “Scotland cannot achieve the reduction in greenhouse gasses it needs without changing the way people move about. “Reform to the planning system over the coming years provides an opportunity to do exactly that. “All over the country new housing estates are being built – that provides the perfect chance to install more mobility hubs. “People who have just moved are more open to changing their transport habits and trying out new opportunities. “This is an action the government could take now which would have a positive impact on the environment, the economy and public health. “Getting this right will help everyone and assist the government in many of the targets it has set itself across a range of issues.” The CoMoUK submission states: “By embedding shared transport and mobility hub policy into NPF4, shared mobility can grow further, developing a national network of hubs, serving a wider population and diverse locations and communities. It can contribute to the decarbonisation of the transport sector as well as the rebalancing of the planning system to prioritise climate and the four main outcomes by 2050.”