The state-of-the-art £3.6 million leisure development in Grantham, Lincoln, held its ground-breaking ceremony. Once completed, the 20,000 sq ft site will house a five-screen, 650 seat cinema, operated by Savoy Cinemas, as well as two retail units. The development forms part of the wider regeneration of Grantham town centre and
Marylebone Cricket Club (owner of Lord’s Cricket Ground), has completed the first phase of their planned redevelopment with the construction of the Warner Stand at Lord’s, adjacent to the existing Grade II Listed Pavilion, and opposite the iconic Media Centre. The club has been located in St John’s Wood, London,
A new 138-bedroom Holiday Inn Express is rapidly take shape just outside Bridgwater, Somerset, hitting its milestone topping out in just six months thanks to innovative construction techniques being used by Midas. The £10 million project is being built by Midas Construction, part of the Midas Group, on behalf of
Ballymore continues to be celebrated for its pioneering approach to creating places where people live and thrive. Putting quality of life and a rooted connection to arts and culture at the core of the business, Ballymore take great seriousness in their role as a place maker. Standing proudly as one
One of the UK’s most successful regional theatre companies lifted the curtains on a brand-new era in its 90-year history tonight (Sep 26) following a £7.5m refurbishment project. Mayflower Theatre took a ‘dramatic pause’ as it turned off the lights for the multi-million pound project back in June. Tonight it
Bath’s vibrant leisure district has been further enhanced by the redevelopment of a stunning Grade II listed building, which has become the UK’s first casino operated by US-based Century Casino. The refurbishment of the existing Grade II listed premises and the brand-new shell and core helped to create a stunning
September 22nd sees people from around the world taking part in ‘World Car Free Day[1]’ as a reminder that we don’t have to accept a car-dominated society. For many this has already become a way of life, as savvy citizens have removed the costly expense of running a car and
Kingsmere, Countryside Properties (Bicester) Limited’s development in Bicester, will be welcoming a first-class line up of retailers to its Village Centre in Spring 2019. Brands and retailers which have secured units at the commercial centre include Mid-Counties Co-op, Starfish (Fish and Chips), Domino’s Pizza, Haart Estate agents, Bicester Hairdressers and
Castlebridge Group have announced that they are on site developing a new 75-bedroom Hotel Indigo situated in the city centre of Chester. The first key milestone has been achieved with the erection of the steel super structure. The hotel will be managed by Castlebridge Hotel Management Limited who have a
The construction of three new Waterside Lodges at Center Parcs Elveden Forest is an ambitious architectural and engineering project. The stunning new lodges have been designed to compliment the woodland landscape in which they sit, while connecting guests with the surrounding natural environment. Wood was a natural choice of building
The state-of-the-art £3.6 million leisure development in Grantham, Lincoln, held its ground-breaking ceremony. Once completed, the 20,000 sq ft site will house a five-screen, 650 seat cinema, operated by Savoy Cinemas, as well as two retail units. The development forms part of the wider regeneration of Grantham town centre and will include the provision of improved public realm. “We are delighted to be working on this scheme; the project is an important part of the wider regeneration of Grantham, which is currently seeing significant investment to revitalise the town through a range of different schemes,” said Javeed Virk, director at Pick Everard, which acts as the quantity surveyor and NEC contract supervisor of the scheme. “We are very pleased to be involved in delivering this scheme that will bring brand new retail and leisure facilities to the town centre. Pick Everard is involved in delivering quantity surveying and overseeing the running of NEC contracts, ensuring that all parties work together to deliver the project on time and on budget. This is something we have a great deal of expertise and experience in, and we look forward to taking this exciting project to completion,” Javeed added. The project has been procured via the Scape Regional Construction framework, with construction company G F Tomlinson delivering the build. “It’s exciting to see our partners delivering such a state-of-the-art project in the midst of the regeneration plans in Grantham. Scape’s commitment to delivering social value through our Regional Construction framework will ensure the local economy feels the benefits throughout the project’s lifetime and beyond,” commented Victoria Brambini, managing director of Scape Procure. “By engaging the local supply chain, the scheme will create important local employment and training opportunities, and once complete the whole community will benefit from the improved public realm. I look forward to seeing the project progress over the coming months,” she continued. Work on the public realm and building shell are due to be completed by Christmas 2018 to allow interior fit-out work to take place. It is expected that the development will open to the public next Easter.
Marylebone Cricket Club (owner of Lord’s Cricket Ground), has completed the first phase of their planned redevelopment with the construction of the Warner Stand at Lord’s, adjacent to the existing Grade II Listed Pavilion, and opposite the iconic Media Centre. The club has been located in St John’s Wood, London, since 1814, and parts of it are Grade II Listed, including the pavilion. The new Warner Stand comprises five levels with two tiers of seating for 2,656 spectators. There are three bars and a spacious restaurant on the top floor with pitch-facing views. It also includes a new facility for match officials, and match-control and PA rooms. Lighting Controls Ltd were selected by the primary M & E contractor Sykes & Son to provide the lighting control system for both operational and public areas incorporating intelligent DALI components. The system includes PIR sensors, scene plates and a connection to the Building Management System via a BACNET interface. This unique interface enables automated HVAC control from the lighting control system using both presence detection and manual light switch control. This control of the HVAC system according to areas are occupied or not contributes to considerable overall saving on energy consumption by using the Lighting Control system. The system also incorporates an overall monitoring and management system.
A new 138-bedroom Holiday Inn Express is rapidly take shape just outside Bridgwater, Somerset, hitting its milestone topping out in just six months thanks to innovative construction techniques being used by Midas. The £10 million project is being built by Midas Construction, part of the Midas Group, on behalf of customer Zeal Hotels, and is believed to be the first in the South West to use a highly-efficient form of offsite and modular construction, delivering high quality finishes combined with considerably shorter build times. The new Bridgwater Holiday Inn Express is situated on Junction 24 of the M5 motorway and will be one of the biggest hotels in the area, featuring a bar and restaurant, lounge area, meeting rooms and parking for more than 60 vehicles. Due for completion in spring 2019, the hotel is being built to Holiday Inn Express group’s Generation 4 specifications and will provide accommodation for visitors to the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station and surrounding areas. The building features perimeter pre-cast, acid-etch external finished and sandwich-insulated concrete panels, which are manufactured off site. These are craned into place and fixed to the frame of the building – also constructed using pre-cast concrete – instantly delivering a high-quality external finish and providing an internal surface ready for decorative finishes. The windows, made by a specialist company in Bristol, are pre-glazed and installed into the pre-cast panels before being delivered to site. Bathroom pods are also manufactured locally, less than 10 miles from the construction site, before being delivered for installation. Neil Lewis, Senior Project Manager at Midas Construction, said: “Off-site manufacturing isn’t new but this particular method of construction, and the standard of finishes it achieves, is a first for Midas and, we believe, the South West. “We are subscribing to modern methods of construction and the innovative use of design and build techniques to deliver a more consistent product and finish for our customer. “We’re impressed by the results and delighted to be leading the way in developing a new approach to hotel construction in the South West, which we hope will see greater take-up in the future.” The scheme adds to a list of prominent construction projects recently completed by Midas in the region; including the award-winning National College for Nuclear Southern Hub for Bridgwater & Taunton College and Yeovil Innovation Centre for South Somerset District Council. Midas Group’s strategy is to become the contractor of choice in the areas in which it operates, by developing long-term relationships through the delivery of its vision to be leaders in customer service and performance. Midas Construction has worked closely with customer Zeal Hotels throughout the project, and representatives of both companies were on hand to celebrate topping out on 25th September as Midas marked reaching the high point of the build. Tim Wheeldon, Managing Director of Zeal Hotels, said: “I am pleased this project is proceeding well, both on time and on budget. This highly efficient form of offsite and modular construction ensures a high quality of finish and we will certainly be looking to replicate this with our pipeline of additional hotel developments. “Topping out is always a milestone and we are pleased to celebrate this today with Midas Construction along with several consultants on site.” Portfolio holder for Economic Growth at Sedgemoor District Council, Cllr Anne Fraser, said: “It is exciting to see the progress being made on this important new asset for the District. It is particularly pleasing to see how many local businesses and people have already benefitted from the construction including the two apprentices taken on. We are now looking forward to the opening next year when Sedgemoor will be able to offer a wider range and choice of accommodation for people wanting to do business here or enjoy our wonderful countryside.”
Ballymore continues to be celebrated for its pioneering approach to creating places where people live and thrive. Putting quality of life and a rooted connection to arts and culture at the core of the business, Ballymore take great seriousness in their role as a place maker. Standing proudly as one London and Dublin’s most active property developers, Ballymore have over 5,500 people engages with them on every level throughout current projects. Current projects include that of new headquarters for the English National Ballet and London Film School, on London City Island. Previous work has seen the business work alongside the US Government, moving their embassy from Grosvenor Square to Embassy Garden, Nine Elms, a project which established a new riverside cultural district for the city. Recently, Royal Wharf has been presented with the Seal of Excellence at the NHBC Awards. An honour presented to Joe Cashman, Director, after the joined the top 450 UK Site Managers to win a Quality Award for the projects Phase 2B Development. Joe Cashman is now part of an elite and recognised group of site managers who have showcased dedication and commitment, leading to a representation of the top 100 site managers in the country. An initial 16,000 enter the NHBC Awards in the hope of being granted the honour of Seal of Excellence. The award stands as a testament to Ballymore’s continuous commitment to the creation of homes of outstanding quality, that are built with the benefits of the client in mind. The NHBC judge Site Managers on six key areas: attention to detail, leadership, consistency, technical expertise, interpretation of drawings and specifications, and health and safety measures. The Pride in the Job Award has been presented by the NHBC since its launch in 1980 and has since helped businesses to showcase their ability and performance, driving the standards that new builds should meet a certain criteria to be the very best they can be. NHBC standards are integrated into the culture and heart of Ballymore, which stands as a company that is forever looking to improve and innovate, to offer the very best in modern home design and construction. Joe Cashman has expressed his pride in being awarded the esteemed honour and is happy to have received recognition on behalf of the Royal Wharf project and Ballymore. Despite the award being granted to individuals, it is an overall representation of the company and every individual involved in a recognised project. “For the company, the awards from the NHBC mean we’re doing something right,” remarks Joe. “For me at Royal Wharf, it is the result of all the team’s efforts. We’ve been here on site as principal contractor for the last three and a half years, and the award represents the successful accumulation of a lot of hard work.” Ballymore offer an ability to not only continuously deliver homes to the highest of standards but have build an established reputation that show a willingness to constantly seek improvements through constant dedication.
One of the UK’s most successful regional theatre companies lifted the curtains on a brand-new era in its 90-year history tonight (Sep 26) following a £7.5m refurbishment project. Mayflower Theatre took a ‘dramatic pause’ as it turned off the lights for the multi-million pound project back in June. Tonight it reopened its doors to the public for the first time to reveal the results of its biggest transformation of the last 30 years. The iconic Southampton venue has been completely repainted with a dramatic new red and gold colour scheme. All of the seats in the stall and circle have been removed and replaced with 1,659 brand-new, wider seats while the seats in the balcony have been reupholstered. The theatre has gained an extra seat, taking its total seat capacity to 2,274. New environmentally-friendly LED lighting has been installed, the orchestra pit has been moved beneath the stage and accessibility has been improved, with better facilities for people with disabilities. The multi-million pound project will ensure the theatre remains best in class and continues to draw in hundreds of thousands of people to the city. Every year more than 500,000 people visit Mayflower Theatre and the venue contributes an estimated £75m to the economy. Michael Ockwell, chief executive of Mayflower Theatre, said: “This is without doubt the most significant refurbishment project that the theatre has seen in the last three decades and we were thrilled to lift the curtains on the new look tonight. For us, this project is very much about ensuring Mayflower Theatre remains best in class not just for now, but long into the future.” The £7.5m investment has been welcomed by representatives from the public as well as the private sector. Southampton Cultural Development Trust Chairman Brad Roynon said: “Mayflower Theatre doesn’t just bring in huge shows and hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city every year. It also plays an important part in connecting new audiences with theatre and inspiring young people to get involved in the arts. It’s therefore absolutely vital that we preserve this historic and culturally important venue to ensure it remains, and develops further, as a catalyst for the growth of arts and culture.” Cabinet Member for Homes and Culture at Southampton City Council, Councillor Satvir Kaur said: “It’s fantastic to see the Mayflower theatre opening its doors again. This iconic building is an integral part of the extensive entertainment offering that can be found in Southampton. The theatre is one of the biggest outside of London and attracts people from a huge area. This essential refurbishment ensures that the venue itself lives up to the reputation that it has.” Mayflower Theatre is the biggest regional theatre outside of London and has seen the likes of Julie Andrews, Laurel and Hardy, Michael McIntyre, Take That and even The Beatles tread its boards over its 90-year history. The venue opened on December 22, 1928 as the Empire Theatre, becoming The Gaumont in 1950 and eventually Mayflower Theatre in 1987. It remains the largest theatre in the south of England and employs 230 staff. Its reopening was celebrated with a gala evening of music and entertainment, commemorating the theatre’s past and celebrating the future with some of the next generation of stage performers. The first official performance will be Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, which runs from September 28 and 29. Tickets can be booked online at www.mayflower.org.uk or by visiting the box office.
Bath’s vibrant leisure district has been further enhanced by the redevelopment of a stunning Grade II listed building, which has become the UK’s first casino operated by US-based Century Casino. The refurbishment of the existing Grade II listed premises and the brand-new shell and core helped to create a stunning gaming space set across three storeys. The work was undertaken by developers, Phelans, overseen by architects Design @ Source, and took 26 weeks to prepare for action. The real jewel in the crown of this construction was the casino’s exclusive Beau Nash Suite: an elegant, lavish top floor gaming room complete with its own balcony looking out onto Bath’s historic cityscape. The building itself has had a much-needed facelift, accentuating its Georgian style and heritage with a stone-clad façade. Each gaming floor will deliver quintessential card gaming and roulette, as well as state-of-the-art technology for those preferring a 21st century casino experience. The US-based Century Casinos brand acquired the building on Saw Close for just £600,000 but invested a further £4.6 million on the overall fit-out and regeneration of the property. Alongside the gaming space, there is due to be a string of additional leisure facilities, along with a four-star hotel complete with 147 bedrooms. The Z Hotel is the chain’s third hotel outside of London, with the Z Hotel Liverpool and Z Hotel Glasgow opening their doors in 2013 and 2014 respectively. Bath’s version comprises of six Georgian townhouses, converted into 114 bedrooms and a magnificent breakfast room. Nevertheless, the gaming action is what will really draw in the crowds to Saw Close. The magnificent Georgian space has opened up to allow 15,000 square feet of gaming floor, complete with 35 slot machines and 24 automated live gaming terminals. Century Casino has been built as a luxury gaming venue along the lines of those that exist in London’s Mayfair district. 18 gaming tables are also in action, with Texas Hold’em cash games hosted every Tuesday and Wednesday as it seeks to become the leading venue for offline poker action in the west of England. Elsewhere in this historic spa city, the University of Bath has also been given the go-ahead to commence the construction of a new £70 million building, acting as part of the Claverton campus’ business management school. Architects, Hopkins Architects have been tasked with designed the structure. This is a firm with a prestigious history of striking projects including the velodrome for the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Gibbs building at King’s College, Cambridge and many world-class universities in the United States such as Harvard and Princeton. According to the initial architectural drawings and visualizations, the building – which will create over 100 new jobs for the area – will feature substantial multi-storey glass facades and a striking entrance, complete with a canopy overlooking the lobby area. It’s yet another exciting development for Bath as it attempts to cement its university’s reputation for world-class research and teaching, helping it to compete on a global scale in the post-Brexit era. Just 11 miles down the road, Bristol’s leisure industry was dealt a hammer blow recently when plans to construct a new 12,000-seater concert arena on Temple Island were scrapped. Fears over mounting development costs and the sums needing to be borrowed were the primary reasons behind the project’s collapse. A mixed-use development looks a more likely alternative on this site, with Bristol City Council already exploring options regarding hotel and bespoke conference facilities. visit: https://theinternetslots.com/ca/200-free-spins-200-no-deposit/
September 22nd sees people from around the world taking part in ‘World Car Free Day[1]’ as a reminder that we don’t have to accept a car-dominated society. For many this has already become a way of life, as savvy citizens have removed the costly expense of running a car and joined a car club. At Marconi Evolution, Bellway’s development set in the heart of Chelmsford, residents can make the positive decision to live car free. Based at Marconi, residents can join Co-wheels car club, with its easy online booking system where members only pay for what they use and insurance in included. Co-wheels takes its environmental responsibility seriously and only provides low emission, hybrid and electric cars. For members, the only costs are a one off joining fee of £25 and then a pay as you use cost, removing the expensive annual charges involved in car ownership such as road tax, insurance, and servicing, not to mention funding the vehicle. Marconi is located just a four-minute walk to the nearest supermarket, the train station and indeed the heart of Chelmsford’s city centre, removing any need for a car, that according to statistics is likely to remain stationary for 95% of time. At Marconi the final phase of contemporary apartments is already 50% sold out. The homes offer prospective buyers the perfect opportunity to purchase a new home in an enviable location in Chelmsford. Each is finished to a high specification with the added advantage of an on-site residents’ gym and a concierge service. Paul Timson, Sales Manager at Bellway Essex, comments: “Many of the buyers at Marconi have been first time buyers, taking advantage of the Government’s Help to Buy scheme. Generally, there isn’t a pot of money left over for running a car so the car club has been immensely popular with residents and we envisage that as people get more used to this way of life we envisage that the fleet size could increase on site . “Chelmsford city centre is so close to the development that popping out to buy a pint of milk would take longer in a car than by foot.” Chelmsford city centre has a wealth of activities, retailers and restaurants on offer. Bond Street shopping centre has transformed the city, with sought-after brands and wide pedestrianised walk ways, including Essex’s first John Lewis, 25 luxury shops and seven riverside restaurants. In addition to the on-site residents’ gym, active residents are only a short distance from several leisure centres and private health clubs – and with football, rugby and tennis facilities available in the local area, there is ample opportunity to take up a number of sports and fitness activities. Central Park and Admirals Park are only a short distance from the development, with Hylands Park accessible too, providing ample green space within the vicinity of Marconi Evolution. These new homes in Chelmsford are ideally situated for commuting into the capital with rail journeys into London Liverpool Street taking around 35 minutes from Chelmsford train station, which is less than five minutes’ walk from the development. The last remaining homes at Marconi Evolution are priced from £255,000 for a one-bedroom apartment, and £299,995 for a two-bedroom apartment. For further information please visit www.bellway.co.uk or call the sales team on 01245 269208.
Kingsmere, Countryside Properties (Bicester) Limited’s development in Bicester, will be welcoming a first-class line up of retailers to its Village Centre in Spring 2019. Brands and retailers which have secured units at the commercial centre include Mid-Counties Co-op, Starfish (Fish and Chips), Domino’s Pizza, Haart Estate agents, Bicester Hairdressers and Busy Bees Nursery. “The Village Centre at Kingsmere has a high quality, contemporary design, which will enhance the area and create a place for the local community to shop, eat and meet. The prominence, accessibility and car parking that are already included made it easy for us to find interested parties who will do very well from being centrally located in Kingsmere,” said Ed Sutton, Managing Director of LSP Developments. The Village Centre is situated on Whitelands Way, where the commercial units are currently under construction, adjacent to the new Community and Youth Centres, which were recently handed over to Cherwell District Council and will officially open this September. “We have taken great care to design a Village Centre that will serve as the ‘heart of Kingsmere’, and we are delighted there will be such a tremendous line up of occupants for the use of our residents and the wider community. For a project of this scale, providing first-class amenities and a central point for residents to come together is crucial to its long-term success and vital to ensure the new community can flourish,” commented Andrew Carrington, Director of Countryside Properties (Bicester) Limited. “The Village Centre sits centrally within Kingsmere, alongside the community and youth centres and St Edburg’s primary school. The selection of retailers will ensure that people can not only stock up on their daily essentials but also spend time socialising, relaxing and making the most of the new facilities and surroundings,” he continued. Kingsmere is served by excellent transport connections and the development is home to a selection of house styles which have proved hugely popular for a range of home buyers.
Castlebridge Group have announced that they are on site developing a new 75-bedroom Hotel Indigo situated in the city centre of Chester. The first key milestone has been achieved with the erection of the steel super structure. The hotel will be managed by Castlebridge Hotel Management Limited who have a successful background in managing hotels across the UK. The food and drink offering in the hotel will be operated by MasterChef Champion Simon Wood who will open his second restaurant Wood Chester within the hotel. Simon’s first restaurant, which is located on First Street in the city centre, brings Simon’s passion and creativity for food to life with powerful flavours alongside a touch of playfulness. It offers a stylish yet relaxed dining experience with high end food, and has received rave reviews in the Guardian and Telegraph since opening one year ago. This exciting boutique hotel is due to open at the end of 2019. The main contractor on the project is Bowmer & Kirkland who are based in Derbyshire with a regional office in Manchester. They are also building a hotel at Birmingham Airport for Castlebridge Group and a further Hotel Indigo in Manchester City Centre. Regional Director, Neil Brook, said: “It is a pleasure to be working again with Castlebridge and IHG on this prestigious hotel development in Chester.” The Architects and Interior Designers who have been working on the new Hotel Indigo are Franklin Ellis, and the firm’s design team have worked hard to ensure that the hotel guestrooms have a unique boutique feel, taking inspiration from the different aspects and features that make Chester such a great place. Wood Chester will be a sophisticated and relaxed restaurant and bar that overlooks Grosvenor Park Road. Partner at Franklin Ellis Architects, Ben Dudley, said: “It’s been a real joy to be involved in this hotel and signature restaurant project. Led by Castlebridge’s vision for the scheme, our team have been inspired to create something very special. On a personal note, it’s fascinating to work with the Chef Simon Wood and to see how his attention to every detail ensures his guests have a wonderful dining experience. I’m certain this project will be a fabulous new venue for Chester and a delightful place to stay.” Hotel Indigo is a part of the IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) portfolio. This hotel will be a part of one of the world’s leading hotel companies with a presence in almost 100 countries. Inspired by the neighbourhood around each property so, just as no places are alike, no two Hotel Indigo properties are the same. Each Hotel Indigo property features thoughtful design touches and vibrant restaurants and bars connected to the spirit of the local neighbourhood. This particular hotel will feature rooms based around Chester’s historic architecture, racecourse and famous clock tower. The new hotel will create 50 new staffing positions for which Castlebridge will begin recruitment from early 2019. Wood was introduced to Castlebridge Group – which is managing the project – by national property consultancy Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH), which brokered the deal between Castlebridge and BP Assets (Chester. Commenting, LSH Hotels Director Hugh Anderson, said: “Chester is a strong market for hotels and the new Hotel Indigo and Wood restaurant will provide an excellent addition to the city’s hotel and dining offer.” Castlebridge Group’s Commercial Director, Jenna Dienn, commented; ‘This is a very exciting opportunity for the group, Chester is a great city and we believe that both hotel and restaurant will trade extremely well’
The construction of three new Waterside Lodges at Center Parcs Elveden Forest is an ambitious architectural and engineering project. The stunning new lodges have been designed to compliment the woodland landscape in which they sit, while connecting guests with the surrounding natural environment. Wood was a natural choice of building material, which would blend in seamlessly with the natural forest setting. When designing the new accommodation, the choice of building materials was a key consideration for the architectural practice Jackson Design Associates (JDA). They were faced with the challenge of not only creating a design, which would blend in with the natural surroundings, but also be sufficiently lightweight to achieve the impressive arches, overhangs, and cantilever designs, without needing a considerable amount of foundation works. The only material that could meet all the requirements of the structure was Metsä Wood’s light, yet extremely strong Kerto® LVL (laminated veneer lumber). The use of Kerto LVL enabled an efficient and fast building time, which was a key factor as the project needed to be completed in time for the summer. Innovative design Architects JDA created an elegant shape, reminiscent of a boat turned upside-down. The lodges have two levels; the forest-facing side is situated higher, accessed through a wooden bridge on the first floor. The first floor contains three en-suite bedrooms, two of which open onto a deck and balcony facing the lake. The ground floor combines kitchen, living and dining areas opening out on to a terrace on the waters edge. Luke Hunter, Director at JDA said: “It was important to the Client to develop an exciting and interesting building form that made references to the boating activities of the watersports lake. This concept is continued inside the lodges where the ‘ribs’ of the boat hull are exposed to express the building’s structure and form.” Particularly unique to this project is a two storey ‘leaning’ arch overhanging the lake edge, which is also curved three times to suit the sectional profile of the main roof. While providing an impressive architectural feature, the arch also serves as a shelter to the cantilevered terrace and first floor balcony, which look out over the lake. The architects at JDA needed to find a solution that would make the structure easy to assemble and stay/remain stable from wind action or ground settlement. They choose to use lightweight and versatile Kerto LVL for the portal frames. Paul Kent, Development and Construction Director at Center Parcs said: “We have been delighted to work with Metsä Wood on the supply of Kerto LVL for our new Waterside Lodges at Elveden Forest. The versatility of their product has helped to create a unique design feature in this brand new style of accommodation, complementing the nautical theme and lakeside setting.” Fire safety Another important consideration was fire safety – an issue that often discourages architects from specifying wood. However, in the event of a fire, Kerto LVL performs predictably. As a result of burning, the surface of Kerto becomes charred, which protects the product, insulates it and slows down the burning process. Strong yet lightweight building material Kerto LVL was chosen as the construction material as its solid bonded structure offers incredible strength and dimensional stability, while its high strength to weight ratio allows for smaller spacing in mechanical connections. It is also a versatile and lightweight material, which is easy to work with. Luke Hunter, also said: “Kerto LVL was the perfect choice to help us achieve the leaning arch and thin roof / facia profile on the lake facing elevation. This flexible material helped to overcome the challenge of cutting the leaning, curved roof edge on an angle. A number of systems were investigated to achieve this, however, Kerto LVL was the only material that fully achieved the concept’s vision.“ One of the most complex elements of the structure was an exposed arch at the front, which leans towards the lake. This needed to withstand biaxial bending and compression, while supporting the roof structure with a large cantilever. Kerto LVL Q-panels were used to create the long span to the first floor deck, which was designed to bear the weight of the column horizontally with a spring support. Another factor was that the angled arch had to have a considerable bending moment connection at the top. This had to be manufactured in such a way that there was a perfect connection between the deck and arch, resulting in an irregular shape. Vertical columns were formed with two members spaced to support the first floor’s beams and curved roof beams. Kerto LVL was also used to create a recessed infill detail, closing the gap between the two vertical columns, a bespoke detail developed by JDA and Metsä Wood. Innovative bracing and connections The columns, floor beams and support ribs of the curved roof were created using Kerto LVL Q-panel structural members. This allowed for smaller spacing in the doweled circular bending moment connection and better moisture stability. The bracing of the roof and floor was provided by Kerto LVL Q-panels, which were connected together with 3-dimentional screwing. In this way no steel bracing was required. Engineering firm, BSP Consulting, designed the foundations and the steel platform supporting the frames, which cantilevered over the lake. The Kerto LVL frames, consisting of the arch, two columns and the floor beam, are connected to the steel through metal shoes, which transfer shear and horizontal forces to the platform. Working together to solve the structural engineering Divisional Operations Manager at Cocksedge Building Contractors, Tom Courtney, said: “The project combined a unique architectural approach with challenging structural engineering to great effect. The success of the project demonstrates the technical know-how and expertise of everyone involved. “The use of engineered wood allowed us to overcome a number of challenges that simply wouldn’t have been solved using other materials, while at the same time maintaining a look and feel to match the surrounding natural environment.” “The use of such a versatile and lightweight material
