Property developer Futureal Group has sold its Advance Tower located on the Váci road office corridor to Erste Real Estate Fund. This is the first transaction in the Hungarian market, which includes a WELL pre-qualified office building having a beneficial impact on employees’ health and comfort. The real estate fund
Whether you are a landlord or a lease agent, there should be no rush in entering into a lease contract when you are just starting to talk with a prospective tenant. Due diligence should be observed when trying to deal with a prospective tenant; otherwise, you may risk ending up
Super tall structures are a modern phenomenon, and as little as a hundred years back, structures rising over sixty stories were unheard of. Today, dozens of buildings across the world exceed the one-thousand-foot definition of a supertall construction. As buildings reach new heights, what unique features are they adopting to
The importance of placing people at the heart of home building is one of the key messages being delivered to over 1000 senior industry representatives attending the Annual Lunch of trade body Homes for Scotland in Edinburgh later today (Friday 17 May). Highlighting examples where such focus has delivered tangible
When patients are allowed to recover in a more comfortable environment studies show there is a positive impact on their healing and well-being. Effective building design has been widely used to help patients recover more quickly and hospital staff to work more efficiently. Evidence-based design (EBD), the process of making
Mental Health Awareness Week: 13-19 May 2019 In our digital age, technology is often considered to be a big stressor for our mental health. Research and health warnings have helped us to realise that social media and too much screen time can increase the risk of depression and anxiety. With
Ibstock Brick has been shortlisted for The Inspire Awards which celebrate diversity and inclusion in the construction, engineering and housing sectors in the UK. The leading brick manufacturer, part of Ibstock plc, has been named as a finalist in the Most Inspiring Apprenticeship Programme category. Ibstock Brick offers two engineering
Salford City Council and the University of Salford have launched a search for a private sector partner to deliver their £800m masterplan for Salford Crescent. Salford Crescent will see the University of Salford campus and the surrounding area turned into a new city district that will include a residential neighbourhood,
The regeneration of Stratford is reaching a new milestone, with construction work on one of the area’s new residential communities nearly complete. Housebuilder Bellway London is behind Legacy Wharf, a development of one, two and three-bedroom apartments off Cooks Road. Building work is due to finish next month on the
VINCI Construction UK has partnered with BRE, nPlan, Assentian and Skanska to develop PLASMA, a digital planning and supply chain management toolbox that has the potential to deliver 25% cost and time savings for projects. The two-year project funded by UK Research and Innovation, the UK’s innovation agency, started in
Property developer Futureal Group has sold its Advance Tower located on the Váci road office corridor to Erste Real Estate Fund. This is the first transaction in the Hungarian market, which includes a WELL pre-qualified office building having a beneficial impact on employees’ health and comfort. The real estate fund has acquired the first phase of the complex developed by the group, while the second phase could join its portfolio under a forward deal. The first phase of the Advance Tower has already been occupied by tenants with 1,400 employees last year. The 8-storey, category “A” office building has been chosen by prestigious companies such as KPMG Global Services consulting company and Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world’s leader in serving science. The second phase with a GLA of 8,000 sq m will expand the complex to a total GLA of over 20,000 sq m, handover is expected in the second half of 2019. The transaction of the first phase of Advance Tower was completed in April this year, and the parties entered into a pre-agreement to purchase the second phase. Advance Tower has been awarded BREEAM certificates and the office complex has been designed and will be operated according to the WELL Building Standard™. Futureal Group is the first European property developer with three projects receiving WELL Platinum Precertification at the same time. The purpose of the WELL certification is to create office buildings that, in addition to protecting the environment, have a beneficial impact on employees’ health, well-being and comfort. Washington-based International Well Building Institute’s system examines buildings’ impact on the human body, health and wellbeing, rating them based on 7 categories – air, water, opportunities for healthy nourishment, natural light, fitness, comfort and mental freshness. “With the current transaction, we are realizing the second successful deal with Erste Investment Fund. The acquisition of Vision Towers and Advance Tower proves the high standard of quality of Futureal Group’s developments that we will continue to guarantee for our partners in the future. Futureal Group has been committed to developing all of its future office buildings according to WELL Building standards, since the health of the employees working in the building must be a key priority during planning,” said Tibor Tatár, CEO of Futureal. “The recent agreement is a new milestone in a tried and tested professional relationship that will further strengthen our unique real estate portfolio. State of art solutions provided by Advance Tower and its international tenant portfolio provide us with innovation and stability for long-term,” stressed Balázs Pázmány, Chairman of the Managing Board at Erste Asset Management Ltd.
Whether you are a landlord or a lease agent, there should be no rush in entering into a lease contract when you are just starting to talk with a prospective tenant. Due diligence should be observed when trying to deal with a prospective tenant; otherwise, you may risk ending up with a lease agreement which is pre-terminated, and worse, having unsettled rental payments. It would be wise and beneficial if you would be able to invest in tenant screening services to protect or secure your rented properties so that you will be able to gauge whether or not it will be favourable for you to enter such tenancy agreement with that certain prospective tenant or lessee. It is also critically important that you have tenants that you know will be able to pay monthly rent on time, preserve the property that you have rented him or her, as well as be admirable residents, too. Though it might not appear necessary to take the time to screen those tenant applicants comprehensively, failure to do so would later on cost you significant time and expense. If you hastily decide to accept money from a prospective tenant that has cash on hand and ready to pay you right then and there, it might end up backfiring on you. It might also be a huge mistake if you just approve a tenant basing on his or her job just because you are very keen to lease out the property. It does not always mean that if the tenant applicant has a job then he or she has a good rental history. It does not also indicate that because the applicant has the deposit readily available, that he or she is a good payer and that he or she does not have any criminal record. As a landlord, a set of tenant screening considerations will help make sure that your tenant would not contribute to your neighbourhood’s crime rate. Having a tenant screened or doing a background check on the applicant will enable to fully verify and confirm that the person is representing himself or herself truthfully. This way, you would be assured that you are not turning a blind eye on potential dangers that might harm you, the neighbours and your property. It is also really vital to carry out credit checks because most, if not all, landlords would never want to negotiate with someone who does not have good credit scores. Although nobody can stop you from contracting with those with bad credit, this could actually expose you from the chances of having late rental payments, or even worse, wasting time and effort in going after the lessee because he or she just suddenly disappears. In the long run, it might also mess up your credit score because you might not be able to fulfil your own credit obligations because your tenant or lessee did not pay on time. It would be best to know the financial capability of your tenant because it will provide you the certainty that said tenant is capable of paying his or her rent. With having this tenant screening, you are now discouraging those with bad credit scores from renting out your property which is actually beneficial for the business. In addition, if you are the owner of the properties being rented out, naturally you would only want to enter in a contract with tenants that you are confident with that can take care of your rented property – as if it was their own. By screening out tenants, you will then have an insight on the way that certain lessee’s capability to carry out adequate care of your property. Doing background check will let you be aware of future problems such as history of substance abuse or the tenant being a part of a terrorist group. It is quite obvious that dealing with and being connected with these types of people will do no good, not only to your rented property, but also to you, as the landlord, and to your business. Doing tenant screening will aid you in revealing red flags about the tenant applicant before even entering to an agreement to lease your property. In planning to avail tenant screening services, you should evaluate first which provider would be best to suit your needs. Since you are the primary owner and you know your business quite well, it would not be hard for you to come up with factors and standards which you think are acceptable or unacceptable when looking for tenants. Although there are already several online tenant screening services providers, these providers just typically use only computerized databases to run background checks, making it more likely that only those readily available information such as credit histories and criminal records will be checked. This would then tend to leave out other investigative options that would necessitate talking with old landlords and other references. Moreover, online tenant screening services only check a number of databases for each person; therefore, they will simply tell you that the tenant is cleared for the background check if nothing turns up. On the other hand, a competent investigator will give you more detailed information about the tenant applicant if the standard background check does not turn up anything. Although hiring an investigator is recommended to do a thorough background check, it is still not for everyone. It is an alternative choice which is more detailed and complete but, also, far more costly than doing online background checks. So it would be best to consider closely regarding all the possible risks you would take and your investment’s perceived value. Hiring an investigator is perhaps the preferred option for those long-term lease agreement, business and top-notch rental properties who would want a thorough and complete background check for potential tenants. It is certainly not an easy feat to find the perfect tenant for your rental property, which is also one of the reasons why a lot of landlords would choose
Super tall structures are a modern phenomenon, and as little as a hundred years back, structures rising over sixty stories were unheard of. Today, dozens of buildings across the world exceed the one-thousand-foot definition of a supertall construction. As buildings reach new heights, what unique features are they adopting to deal with environmental questions? To delve deeper into this question, we caught up with Toyin-Ann Yerifor, an architectural consultant based in Calgary, Alberta to discuss the top five buildings in the world. Toyin-Ann has an architectural master’s degree in advanced environmental and energy studies from the University of East London in the United Kingdom. Lotte World Tower The Lotte World Tower stands at an architectural height of 554.5 meters or 1,819 feet and is the fifth tallest building in the world. Located in Seoul, South Korea, the supertall structure was completed in 2017 and is today one of the most iconic structures in East Asia. As with all supertall structures, says Toyin-Ann Yerifor, major environmental challenges such as water and energy utilization and wind and pollution must be considered. To overcome these environmental challenges, the Lotte World Tower is built near the banks of the Han River, an important decision that reduces the impact the building has on adjacent structures. Further, the Lotte World Tower is designed to minimize wind disruption, which, says Toyin-Ann, is an essential component when managing pollution within an urban setting. Other environmental considerations in the Lotte World Tower include the addition of photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, water harvesting systems, and external shading devices. Ping An Finance Centre Ping An Finance Center is currently the fourth tallest building in the world. Standing at an imposing architectural height of 599.1 meters or 1,965 feet, the office complex commands the Futian District skyline in Shenzhen, China. What makes this building interesting from an architectural perspective, says Toyin-Ann Yerifor, is its dense and hyperconnected design. Typical of many Asian supertall structures, this design approach offers a reduced environmental footprint while increasing the amount of usable space within the building. Ping An Finance Center also stands out from an environmental perspective, says Toyin-Ann Yerifor, because of its Gold LEED certification status. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a certification that rates a building’s level of sustainability. LEED certifications range from certified to platinum. As a Gold LEED certified building, Ping An Finance Center has achieved the second-highest LEED certification, just below the platinum LEED rating. This level of rating shows the building has proven sustainability in the areas of energy and water usage, indoor air quality, material and resource utilization, among others. Makkah Royal Clock Tower The Makkah Royal Clock Tower is part of a mega tall complex of hotels called the Abraj Al-bait in the city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The clock tower rises to an architectural height of 601 meters or 1,972 feet and was completed in 2012. Besides being the third tallest building in the world, the complex holds the record of the most expensive building in the world, having cost $15 billion to build. The hotel complex is built strategically next to the Grand Mosque of Mecca to accommodate the millions of pilgrims who visit the site each year. From an environmental perspective, says Toyin-Ann, the hotel complex meets a crucial environmental benchmark especially in its use of water. Avoiding the use of traditional sprinkler systems to protect the building from fire, the Abraj Al-bait complex uses an advanced protection system that uses high-pressure water mist instead. This new system uses a fraction of the water that traditional sprinkler systems use while putting out fires in a more efficient way. Shanghai Tower The Shanghai Tower in Shanghai, China is the second tallest building in the world. The building rises to an architectural height of 632 meters or 2,073 feet, beating the next tallest building, the Makkah Royal Clock Tower by a mere thirty-one meters. The tower broke ground in late 2008 and was completed in late 2015. From a design perspective, says Toyin, the building has a unique triple adjacent superstructure design which increases energy efficiency significantly. Aside from being the second tallest building in the world, the Shanghai Tower also holds the record for the second fastest elevators in the word, which move at a top speed of 20.5 meters per second (74 km/h or 46 mph). In terms of sustainability, the building incorporates a raft of sustainability measures. To this end, the building has been certified by the China Green Building Committee as well as the US Green Building Council which has certified the building LEED Platinum BD+C: Core and Shell. Some of the sustainable features that stand out, says Toyin, include the towers glass façade designed to reduce wind loads, wind turbines that supply 10 percent of the building’s energy, and a double layer glass shell that significantly insulates the building from external temperatures. Burj Khalifa Soaring to a breathtaking height of 828 meters or 2,717 feet is the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, previously known as the Burj Dubai. Beating the second tallest building, the Shanghai Tower by 196 meters, the Burj Khalifa has retained its position as the tallest building since its completion in 2010. Located in the heart of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the building stands as a testament to the advances in design and construction technologies. Aside from holding the title of the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa also holds numerous other titles including tallest existing structure, tallest freestanding structure, tallest skyscraper, building with most floors, highest elevator installation, longest travel distance elevators, among others. The Burj Khalifa is not only an architectural marvel, says Toyin-Ann Yerifor, but also an interesting study in the environmental impact of supertall structures. For instance, the building, like most buildings in Dubai, relies on energy-intensive desalination plants for water. Paradoxically, the building produces millions of gallons of fresh water from air conditioning condensation. This paradox, says Toyin-Ann Yerifor, makes the Burj Khalifa simultaneously one of the
The importance of placing people at the heart of home building is one of the key messages being delivered to over 1000 senior industry representatives attending the Annual Lunch of trade body Homes for Scotland in Edinburgh later today (Friday 17 May). Highlighting examples where such focus has delivered tangible results across a wide range of areas (including customer satisfaction, quality and placemaking) Chief Executive Nicola Barclay will say: “I talk about homes all the time, but today I’d like to talk about people. We build homes and great places to live but it is people who bring them to life – by living in them, designing them, consenting them, funding them and constructing them. So we are, by any definition, a people business. “And what I hope today will demonstrate is that it simply doesn’t matter what size of company you are – if you put people at the heart of it, you’ll get great results.” With the industry having been challenged on a number of fronts in recent months, Barclay will also add: “We are often told that as an industry we must evolve. I believe that evolution is well underway and will continue to gather pace as we move towards a decarbonised society. As we compete for talent and the future pipeline of people to work within our industry, it is vitally important that we continue to innovate and create flexible, attractive environments for our people to work in as well as for our customers to live in.”
When patients are allowed to recover in a more comfortable environment studies show there is a positive impact on their healing and well-being. Effective building design has been widely used to help patients recover more quickly and hospital staff to work more efficiently. Evidence-based design (EBD), the process of making changes to the built environment based on research to improve outcomes, has helped lower the incidences of hospital-acquired infections, medical errors, patient accidents, and staff injuries. “The environment’s influence on a patient’s well-being was first, scientifically, explored by professor Roger Ulrich in his 1980s study that sought to determine whether there was any measurable positive influence in a patient’s recovery when they were given rooms with different views,” commented Gareth Rees, Head of UK Strategic Market – Healthcare Siemens Smart Infrastructure. “The research showed that patients who had views overlooking nature [rather than that of a building] experienced shorter stays, needed fewer pain medication and were more optimistic about their prospects. These findings paved the way to a greater awareness and understanding of how space and hospital architecture can affect our physical condition and state of mind.” Using EBD techniques today architects and designers have been developing solutions for better healing environments. Healthcare facilities often have unique individual requirements with specialised hospital rooms requiring bespoke implementations for patient recovery wards, operating theatres, pressurised rooms and laboratories. Careful design can improve safety and productivity, reduce staff stress levels, lower resource wastage and enhance environmental sustainability. There is a delicate balance between providing the ideal recovery conditions in patient rooms and an optimal work environment for staff to deliver the best possible care. The provision of WiFi and personal control over room conditions are important elements for patient satisfaction. Room automation controlled by a patient’s smartphone or tablet allows the precise control over temperature, ventilation and other functions that affect comfort. Wearable tags can also be deployed to monitor the vital signs of patients to automate control of a recovery environment. Circadian lighting that follows a patient’s natural daily rhythm or sleep/wake cycle reduces tiredness and enhances recovery sleep while audio levels can be improved through the use of sound-absorbent materials installed in ceilings and flooring. Acuity-adaptable spaces lessen the movement of patients reducing stress on both patients and staff. Operating theatres are complex environments that need to be spacious, hygienic and well-lit (with overhead surgical lights). Generally windowless temperature and humidity levels are tightly controlled. Pressurised rooms are designed to isolate a patient with infectious diseases and require air management and filtering systems. Medical or clinical laboratories where approximately 70 percent of treatment decisions are made require stable conditions with exact controls over temperature, humidity and sometimes, pressure. Smart infrastructure and IoT technologies are an expanding area of interest to healthcare planners and allow owners and operators of hospitals to leverage more from their existing assets which are becoming more intelligent- producing and using data to perform better throughout their lifetime. Total Integrated Power and lighting control systems, air, space and asset tracking solutions all improve energy usage, space utilisation and real-time location usage. Concluded Rees: “Hospitals are never going to be places that any of us are going to particularly enjoy visiting but through better physical environments designers can speed up our recovery and alleviate a lot of the stress and fear. Better performing buildings can provide higher comfort levels and well-being for all occupants.”
Mental Health Awareness Week: 13-19 May 2019 In our digital age, technology is often considered to be a big stressor for our mental health. Research and health warnings have helped us to realise that social media and too much screen time can increase the risk of depression and anxiety. With so much awareness around the topic now, we’re becoming more mindful as a nation and looking at ways to make changes. However, technology can work well in steering us into creating positive habits and boosting our mental health. To help deal with rising levels of anxiety and depression, many of us now use health apps as part of our daily routines, including Headspace, Calm and Stop, Breathe & Think. Does your business function in a way that works to combat stress in the working environment? Read our guide below to understand how businesses can employ technologies to help address the issue. Find out if your business could do more… 59% of UK adults claim their biggest cause of stress is their workplace 59% of UK adults experience workplace stress (Perkbox), making it the most common cause of stress in the UK. What’s more, over one in five experience moderate-to-high levels of stress at work several times a week. The biggest work-related contributor to stress is long working hours, which impacts 21% of people. Happiness in a job is essential to employee productivity; 39% work harder if they’re happy in their current job or workplace (One4all). Artificial intelligence (AI) can help drive business efficiency Productivity is the holy grail businesses across the world are trying to achieve, and a lot of them are turning to technology to help. Innovations like artificial intelligence (AI) are driving efficiencies by eliminating manual, repetitive and time-consuming tasks like data re-entry. Employees with jobs that require a lot of manual data input could save hours by using technology that now comes as standard in many of the latest versions of the software solutions they use daily, like their financial systems or CRM solution. While this functionality is built into a lot of these programmes now, it’s the latest versions, meaning businesses operating on older legacy systems won’t reap these benefits. Plus, old clunky software that is difficult to use can make an employee’s job even more difficult. Additionally, Randstad found that one of the top factors in employee satisfaction is having the latest digital and technology tools. Improve remote employees engagement levels with intranet solutions The businesses most likely to report issues with employee engagement are those with frontline or remote workers; 21% of businesses cite low engagement amongst frontline staff as a barrier, while 78% believe connecting with those employees is the key to success (Harvard Business Review). Many studies evidence the advantage of offering remote working to your employees, with improved satisfaction, increased productivity and a better work-life balance just a few of the benefits, it can be easy for those workers to feel out of the loop with the office and company culture; 21% report feeling lonely and struggle with communication. A lot of businesses are engaging and communicating effectively with these workers by using intranet solutions. By keeping up-to-date with key business updates and more informal topics, remote workers feel like they’re truly a part of your organisation’s culture. You can use this space to share social media feeds, event details or even take the opportunity to publish focus pieces on those remote workers to introduce them to the rest of your workforce. Alleviate pressure on staff with time management technologies Thanks to our always-on culture and high workloads, we’re working longer hours than ever before. Employees often feel obligated to either work longer hours or to be contactable and working outside of hours, with 50% of people checking their emails outside of work (Dissent). Working more hours than standard can affect health, as the Australian National University found anything over 39 hours a week could be detrimental to health. To gain control over workloads and reduce the pressure they put upon themselves, employees can use time management technologies. Ultimately, management must play a role in helping employees to reduce extensive working hours, but workers can proactively take steps to support themselves. Time management tools are available to individuals for free, or as part of wider business solutions. From personal to-do lists to more comprehensive team or business-wide solutions where tasks can be assigned with a deadline and space for updates, the sky is the limit. The key to reducing stress at work: a blend of technology & support from management There isn’t a magic catch-all solution that exists to solve workplace stress. In addition to using technology to manage stress, employees must be supported by their managers and businesses. But, amidst all of the headlines that identify technology as a killer of productivity and mental health, it’s reassuring that it can also be used to vastly improve them, too. Article produced by Natasha Bougourd from TSG, a UK firm and provider of managed IT services, specialising in IT support and solutions, security and applications including Office 365 and Sage.
Ibstock Brick has been shortlisted for The Inspire Awards which celebrate diversity and inclusion in the construction, engineering and housing sectors in the UK. The leading brick manufacturer, part of Ibstock plc, has been named as a finalist in the Most Inspiring Apprenticeship Programme category. Ibstock Brick offers two engineering apprenticeship programmes, both four years in duration; Advanced Mechanical Engineering and Advanced Electrical Engineering. There are currently 35 apprentices within the business, ranging from 16 to 25 years old, including two female engineering apprentices. One of these is Courtney Scarlett, a Dual Engineering Apprentice. She says: “I wanted to do something where I could use my practical skills rather than just learning about the theory behind it. An engineering apprenticeship allows me to do exactly that. Women are still a minority in engineering, and this is why I love working in an engineering team and showing other people that women can also be successful in a male-dominated field.” Paula Wardle, Group Learning & Development Manager at Ibstock plc, commented: “We are delighted that Ibstock Brick has been shortlisted for the Most Inspiring Apprenticeship Programme. It recognises the investment we have made in developing a comprehensive programme focussed on delivering world-class engineering skills and knowledge. As a building products manufacturer, our apprentice population currently reflects the traditional nature of the industry, yet we are working hard to encourage a more diverse range of apprenticeship applications, and are proud of the steps we are taking. “Our apprenticeship scheme has gone from strength to strength, and ensures that we create a pool of engineering and technical specialists who will help drive forward innovation and manufacturing excellence. It is only by nurturing our future talent that we will have people with the technical expertise and skills to manufacture our products for years to come.” The winners of The Inspire Awards will be announced on June 5th at The Hilton, Deansgate in Manchester.
Salford City Council and the University of Salford have launched a search for a private sector partner to deliver their £800m masterplan for Salford Crescent. Salford Crescent will see the University of Salford campus and the surrounding area turned into a new city district that will include a residential neighbourhood, the redevelopment of the university campus, an industry innovation park and a cultural quarter. The project includes five zones: Adelphi, Crescent, Innovation, Health Village and Peel Park. For more details of the masterplan, see www.salfordcrescent.com. University of Salford vice-chancellor Helen Marshall said: “The Salford Crescent masterplan represents a once in a generation opportunity for a partner to get involved in one of the largest mixed-use development schemes in the UK. It will see the creation of an inspirational campus that will create a natural home for industry – local, national and international, cultural partners, the people of Salford and it will create a city district that will drive local and regional economic growth across a number of sectors from health, technology, the arts, biosciences, the environment and energy. “It is a project that will have a lasting, transformative effect on Salford and the wider Greater Manchester city region. We are looking for a partner whose vision, ambition and creativity matches that of the university and the City of Salford.” Salford mayor Paul Dennett said: “We are looking for a private sector partner who understands the unique social and economic impact that this development will have and who recognises the city’s ambition for inclusive growth and development which benefits the people of Salford. “We will want to know they recognise and understand the unique social value opportunities afforded by these developments, local jobs and training as well as the supply chain and explain how they can best be delivered through inventive processes and partnership working. “The district aspires to be a beacon of planning and design, incorporating modern infrastructure and R&D. If it is done right we have an opportunity to drive the kind of development and approach to place-making here that could be a model cross the world.” Salford City Council and the University of Salford have been working with 5plus architects and CBRE since summer 2017 to prepare the Salford Crescent and University District masterplan. The contract notice was published in the EU Official Journal today. CBRE is leading on the search for a developer. The deadline for the return of expressions of interest is Friday 14th June. There will be a period of dialogue between July and October with a select number of bidders, before a preferred bidder is chosen towards the end of the year. For all interested parties, the documents will be published on www.the-chest.org.uk.
The regeneration of Stratford is reaching a new milestone, with construction work on one of the area’s new residential communities nearly complete. Housebuilder Bellway London is behind Legacy Wharf, a development of one, two and three-bedroom apartments off Cooks Road. Building work is due to finish next month on the first phase of Legacy Wharf, which comprises five linked apartment blocks around an attractive communal courtyard with flower beds, meeting places and a children’s play area. The development includes commercial and retail premises, as well as landscaped podium gardens, a gym and a concierge service for residents, all within walking distance of one of London’s largest shopping centres, world-class sporting facilities and fantastic transport links. Emma Hamlett, Sales Director of Bellway London, said: “We’re delighted that this new community at Legacy Wharf is nearly complete, with many of our new residents already settled in and loving their brand new home in this flourishing part of the capital. “The 2012 Olympics legacy has made Stratford one of London’s most sought-after and fastest-growing residential districts and Legacy Wharf offers a great chance for first-time buyers and central London commuters to get their feet on the housing ladder in this fantastic location. “What’s more, Help to Buy London is making buying here possible for people who might otherwise not be able to afford their own place in the capital. “With apartments selling fast, I would encourage anyone hoping to take advantage of the opportunities here to act now and avoid missing out.” Help to Buy London allows purchasers to buy a new-build home with a five per cent deposit and a 55 per cent mortgage. The remaining 40 per cent is provided in the form of an equity loan from the government, which is interest free for the first five years of homeownership. The scheme is available on new-build homes in London worth up to £600,000. The final three-bedroom home within the first phase at Legacy Wharf is available from £593,000. Further one, two and three-bedroom designs are due to be released for sale soon. More information is available at bellway.co.uk CAPTIONS A computer-generated image of Legacy Wharf, Stratford
VINCI Construction UK has partnered with BRE, nPlan, Assentian and Skanska to develop PLASMA, a digital planning and supply chain management toolbox that has the potential to deliver 25% cost and time savings for projects. The two-year project funded by UK Research and Innovation, the UK’s innovation agency, started in March 2018 and seeks to produce a proof of concept version of a toolkit that will improve efficiency in the construction process for planning and supply chain management. Built on a blockchain platform, it aims improve construction productivity via better project planning, improved supply chain collaboration, and analysis of supply chain and IoT data. Better project planning. The tool enables planners to create and quantitatively rehearse project delivery scenarios such as sequences, critical path and logistics. This reduces risk by taking account of context-specific restrictions and supply chain ‘pinch-points’, for example where increased capacity or automation could improve overall productivity. Improved supply chain collaboration. PLASMA enables supply chain businesses to collect, share and store ‘tamper-resistant’ data without the need for central control and management. This optimises complex supply chains and facilitates the tracking of elements such as task completion via existing IoT-based data capabilities. It also enables change managementand incremental payments to be made via smart contracts. Analysis of supply chain and IoT data.Task parameters such as cost, and time will be quantified for planning scenario optioneering and optimisation. The tool will also enable the development of quantified KPIs that are specific to construction supply chains, identifying best practice and the range of performance across the sector. KPIs can be linked to and benchmark a range of established performance improvement approaches, as well as innovations such as robotics and automation. The project represents innovation in its truest form and its successful development will lead the way in delivering much-needed efficiencies for the sector. Sam Stacey, Director of the Transforming Construction Challenge UKRI, said: “Projects such as PLASMA are funded by the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund and play a key role in advancing the transformation across the sector. It will help the construction industry work directly with talented innovators to explore new ways of working in construction that will speed up assembly, save money, and improve the quality of building projects.”