The £3.5 million community facility in Bicester, Oxfordshire, has officially opened. The Kingsmere Community Centre was built by Deeley Construction on behalf of site owners, Countryside Properties; the project was managed by Buro Four, designed by Robothams and mechanical and electrical engineering (M&E) services were provided by Building Services Design
Most hotels want their guests to spend time in them; however, for millennial travellers, the priority is to get out and experience the city. Assembly is a new hotel brand from Criterion Capital, designed to inspire people to make the most out of their trip. Branding agency Ragged Edge partnered
Nottingham City Council has been asked to award a contract for the construction of the Broadmarsh Car Park and Bus Station scheme part of the £250 million regeneration of Nottingham city centre. Member sof the Council’s executive board will be asked at a meeting next week to approve the project
A new £160 million retail designer outlet will be brought to Cannock in West Midlands by Bowmer & Kirkland (B&K). McArthurGlen has confirmed site preparation and earth works will begin this month to create a landmark 285,000 sq ft retail destination and community hub for the area. The development of
Total Developments Ltd has acquired a 16-acre site with planning consent in place for 265,000 sq ft of mixed-employment development.The vacant site occupies a key location fronting the A63 in the Aire Valley area of Leeds and its development has the potential to provide up to 500 new jobs for
Construction permission was given to Sir Robert McAlpine for the next phase of Manchester’s Citylabs biomedical research campus. Following the successful pre-let on the Citylab 2.0 building from global diagnostics firm QIAGEN, joint venture developers Manchester Science Partnerships and Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust received approval for the
New smart pavement technology could soon be introduced to the streets of the UK. Engineers are currently developing pavements that will allow roads to be widened and narrowed depending on the flow of both motor and pedestrian traffic. This technology is called FlexKerb, and it could be the solution to
Luxury Welsh housebuilder Waterstone Homes has been inspired by the picturesque coastline of Pembrokeshire to create Wales its very own Sandbanks, the renowned millionaires’ playground in Dorset. The Sandbanks peninsula has some of the most exclusive and expensive postcodes in the UK, taking the prize for Britain’s priciest seaside town.
Northcare has been chosen as the preferred bidder by Multiplex for the £400 million design and build contract to redevelop a previous New Scotland Yard location in Westminster, London. The scheme secured its planning consent in 2016 and it will see the 1.72 acre mixed-use development feature six towers rising
HFD Property Group (HFD) has announced the successful practical completion of TUV SUD NEL’s (TUV) new test flow laboratory in East Kilbride. The construction work on the base building, known as the Reynolds Building, is finished and TUV have now commenced the fit out of the £16 million Advanced Multiphase
The £3.5 million community facility in Bicester, Oxfordshire, has officially opened. The Kingsmere Community Centre was built by Deeley Construction on behalf of site owners, Countryside Properties; the project was managed by Buro Four, designed by Robothams and mechanical and electrical engineering (M&E) services were provided by Building Services Design (BSD). “We developed an M&E design that would allow for the building to be used for multiple purposes,” said Joel Sawyer, director at BSD. “This is a building designed to perform different roles for different members of the community so we needed to be flexible with our strategy, while ensuring that we created a functional, contemporary space that was sustainable and long-lasting.” Features include offices spaces, a kitchen, youth centre, activity hall and meeting rooms. The main hall is fitted with a roof mounted natural ventilation strategy, as it lacks openable windows. This solution has saved a lot of money when compared to installing air conditioning units. “The ventilation turrets also have an internal solar powered fan, providing additional ventilation during sunnier conditions, boosting air flow and boasting a zero noise level,” added Joel. “We provided a robust design scheme for the youth centre so that it could withstand considerable use over a longer period of time. The radiators have been covered and we used a more malleable material – mild steel pipework – rather than copper to allow them to withstand any potential impact. The lighting is also impact resistant, as are the fire alarm call points. PV panels were also fitted to the roof to allow for electricity independence,” said Joel. Matthew Keegans, senior project manager at Buro Four, also commented on the project: “Community and place making are essential and we are very passionate about getting right within all of our projects. Working with the BSD team, we were able to incorporate innovative solutions to provide a future proofed and sustainable community hub on time and budget.”
Most hotels want their guests to spend time in them; however, for millennial travellers, the priority is to get out and experience the city. Assembly is a new hotel brand from Criterion Capital, designed to inspire people to make the most out of their trip. Branding agency Ragged Edge partnered with Criterion to define a proposition aimed at young urban travellers, and bring it to life across every touchpoint, from identity right through to the customer experience. The first Assembly hotel opened last month on Charing Cross Road. A single-minded focus In today’s ultra-competitive hotel market, affordable hotel chains must achieve 97% occupancy to succeed. This drives many of them to try to be all things to all people. Criterion saw the market differently, aiming to deliver a compelling offer for a specific audience of experience-hungry travellers with distinctive wants and needs. Out went mini bars, towelling robes and tvs, in favour of the things that really matter – best in class beds, showers, sound-proofing and wi-fi and most importantly, a unmatched location to go and explore the city. Get up and go “Young travellers don’t come to the West End to hang out in a hotel room,” said Max Ottignon, Ragged Edge Co-founder. “So we set out to fuel their sense of adventure. The brand idea – Get Up and Go – reflects Assembly’s disruptive approach, and informed every element of the offer, from identity through to customer service.” An adventurous identity founded on a bespoke typeface The identity was designed as the antidote to the inoffensively bland aesthetic favoured by other millennial-focused hotel brands.It was built around ‘Assembled’, a bespoke typeface designed to reflect the diverse range of experiences on the hotel’s doorstep. The eye-catching letterforms are used playfully throughout the customer experience, scattered across layouts in a visual representation of the brand idea. Bringing the brand to life The agency delivered a full range of assets, from room art, purchased from locals in the area, right through to disruptive takes on the expected suite of hotel collateral. They also designed and wrote a website that aims to capture the energy of the hotel experience, far away from templated feel adopted by much of the category. Built to scale “We’ve created a powerful proposition designed to meet the distinct needs of young, urban travellers. That single-minded focus has allowed us to create a brand that combines an incredible location, affordability and comfort, without compromising on character or excitement. Assembly has already been a resounding success in London, paving the way for planned new sites in some of Europe’s most vibrant cities,” said Asif Aziz, Criterion Capital.
Nottingham City Council has been asked to award a contract for the construction of the Broadmarsh Car Park and Bus Station scheme part of the £250 million regeneration of Nottingham city centre. Member sof the Council’s executive board will be asked at a meeting next week to approve the project and award a contract for construction. “This is an important milestone in the project that will enable this exciting development to be delivered,” said Council leader John Collins. “The positive impact of investment to date, such as the transport hub at the station, the latest tram extension and the transformation of Station Street, can already be seen in the form of renewed interest in the area and other, private developments coming forward.” The Broadmarsh Car Park and Bus Station scheme will also feature retail units and is part of the wider Broadmarsh programme that will deliver significant regeneration on the southern side of the city centre and complement intu’s redevelopment of the shopping centre. “Work began recently on the new Nottingham College and the castle refurbishment is now under way,” said Cllr Collins. “Moving ahead with the new car park and bus station development is the next piece of the jigsaw and can only further promote this regeneration momentum, bringing undoubted economic benefits to the city centre, and providing a high quality addition to the streetscape between the station and the city centre.” The Car Park development replaces the previous 1960s building, which was demolished earlier this year, offering a 1,341-spaces car park, a modern bus station and retail units in Carrington Street, Collin Street and along the concourse area fronting onto the bus station. The £250 million investment includes developments in the wider Broadmarsh area, such as the car park, bus station, shopping centre, college and castle. These developments are expected to create 3,000 jobs, £10 billion GVA uplift over ten years and attract around three million new visitor every year. The car park development alone is forecast to create more than 100 jobs and generate almost £3 million a year for the Nottingham economy.
A new £160 million retail designer outlet will be brought to Cannock in West Midlands by Bowmer & Kirkland (B&K). McArthurGlen has confirmed site preparation and earth works will begin this month to create a landmark 285,000 sq ft retail destination and community hub for the area. The development of Cannock Designer Outlet has been on the table since December 2017 when McArthurGlen announced a joint venture with Aviva Investors, The Richardson Family and U+I. The first phase of the scheme will feature 80 premium and luxury brands, along with a selection of restaurants and cafes, a children’s play area, bike parking for cyclists and 1,400 car parking spaced. The outlet is expected to be completed by 2020. “We are thrilled to start construction on this milestone development for Cannock. The new centre will generate significant employment for the local area and create a new retail destination for the region, serving 11 million local residents. Cannock Designer Outlet will be built to the highest standards of architectural design and sustainability, reflecting and respecting the the surrounding natural landscape,” said Gary Bond, Joint Managing Director of Development at McArthurGlen. In addition, as part of the investment is also the enhancement and ongoing maintenance of the Mill Green Natural Park, improvements to Cannock Town Centre and the railway station, and support for developing skills and employment prospects for local people. “The reality of creating one of the most significant things to happen in the district in recent memory is definitely here now, with this exciting news. As construction commences we will be working closely with McArthurGlen to ensure that disruption is kept to the minimum for our residents, as we progress to a development we can all be very proud about,” commented Council Leader George Adamson.
Total Developments Ltd has acquired a 16-acre site with planning consent in place for 265,000 sq ft of mixed-employment development.The vacant site occupies a key location fronting the A63 in the Aire Valley area of Leeds and its development has the potential to provide up to 500 new jobs for the area. The sale of the site was completed by Keyland Developments Ltd, the property trading arm of Kelda Group and sister-company to Yorkshire Water, following a market campaign by industrial property specialists Gent Visick. “We are delighted to announce the sale of this site, which is one of the most strategically linked development opportunities in the region,” said Ryan Unsworth, development manager at Keyland Developments Ltd. “The shortage of industrial accommodation across the wider Yorkshire area is well-known and bringing forward this development will significantly help to manage the lack of available, new industrial space.” The approved scheme will provide 265,000 sq ft of B1, B2, and B8 industrial and commercial space, creating a prosperous new employment hub that can be accessed directly off the A63 East Leeds Link Road Thornes Farm Roundabout. “The level of interest received through our marketing is indicative of the quality of this asset,” said Rupert Visick from Gent Visick.“Total Developments purchased the site on an unconditional basis against stiff competition which is testament to their faith in the location and belief in the strength of the market for mid-sized distribution boxes.” The site is located off Pontefract Lane between the existing Cross Green Industrial Estate and the Leeds City Region Enterprise Zone, giving easy access to the M62 motorway, as well as a direct link into central Leeds.
Construction permission was given to Sir Robert McAlpine for the next phase of Manchester’s Citylabs biomedical research campus. Following the successful pre-let on the Citylab 2.0 building from global diagnostics firm QIAGEN, joint venture developers Manchester Science Partnerships and Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust received approval for the next phase. “We are proud to be part of the partnership that has led to this hugely important deal for our great city, and a thrilled that our long-standing customer QIAGEN has chosen our Citylabs 2.0 for their new home as they make this significant expansion,” said Tom Renn, Managing Director of Manchester Science Partnerships. Subject to the completion of further design work and funding being secured, the partners intend to move forward with Citylabs 3.0 as soon as possible. Together, the projects will involve an investment of approximately £60 million in the heart of Manchester’s Innovation District. Citylabs 2.0 and 3.0 will be located on the corner of Oxford Road and Hathersage Road, opposite Whitworth Park, with the £30 million Citylabs 2.0 comprising 89.500 sq ft of lab and office space.The first £25 million phase of the scheme was completed by Lendlease in 2014. “With our joint venture partner, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, we are excited to progress our £60 million, 220,000 sq ft Citylabs campus extension which will enable the creation of a world-leading precision medicine campus in Manchester,” added Tom Renn. Manchester Science Partnerships (MSP) is the UK’s leading provider of specialist environments and growth support to science and technology companies on their journey to business success. With campus facilities across Manchester and Cheshire, they offer incubation, laboratory, office and meeting space for businesses at all the different stages of their lifecycle, from start-up to global corporate. As a partnership business comprising key education, research and clinical organisations across the Manchester city region, MSP’s wider network connects it into initiatives across the whole of the UK, providing unrivalled access to funding, markets, talent supply and professional services.
New smart pavement technology could soon be introduced to the streets of the UK. Engineers are currently developing pavements that will allow roads to be widened and narrowed depending on the flow of both motor and pedestrian traffic. This technology is called FlexKerb, and it could be the solution to the growing problem of congested traffic in London, New York, and some of the other busiest cities on the planet. Developed by London-based engineering company Arup, FlexKerb uses smart cameras and various sensors to assess current road conditions. It then uses this data to determine the most efficient way to divide up roads. This is accomplished through lights embedded in the FlexKerb system. Red means that a section of the road is for pedestrians, while green is for cars. Meanwhile, white is the marker for bike lanes, and purple allows loading and unloading for use by couriers and delivery vehicles. More than just an idea, FlexKerb is already gaining lots of traction and could be tested out on UK roads soon. A recent competition held by the UK National Infrastructure Commission called for ideas to prepare UK roads for autonomous vehicles – and FlexKerb was one of the five shortlisted concepts. This earned Arup an official research grant of £30,000 for further development, and if a feasibility study finds that FlexKerb can actually be implemented, another £50,000 will be granted. It’s a sign that the government is taking this new smart pavement technology very seriously. As Arup’s associate director for transport consulting Susan Claris explains to the Highway Industry, “This idea is about having something that’s more responsive and more adaptable to changing travel patterns. Rather than trying to maximise vehicle throughput, which was the thinking that characterised transport planning 20 or 30 years ago, it is about looking at how streets can be managed to make them healthier and happier places.” While most transport experts welcome the idea of developing existing infrastructure to be more responsive to human traffic, some are concerned about the cost of such an undertaking. As our roads get smarter, newly installed technologies need to be powered in better ways. The solution to this lies in new electricity generating methods that utilize the very roads that they’re powering, an idea that BDC Magazine have previously covered. Both in the UK and the US, engineers are working on a speculative way of harnessing road surface movement and heat using thermodynamics and piezoelectrics. A more feasible idea is to create roads and road utilities like barriers, verges, and pavements with photovoltaic capabilities — especially now that the much more efficient crystal silicon solar cell is getting more affordable. If the UK is serious about developing smarter roads, it also needs to be exploring which of these options can viably power smart pavements and other new technologies. In truth, concern for road and pavement safety has been growing in the UK in recent years. Following the 2017 attack at London Bridge, the government has been putting up security barriers in strategic places as deterrents to stop similar incidents. The temporary steel highway safety barrier systems are from a company called Varioguard. Meanwhile, the UK’s own citizens have adopted their own strategies for road and pavement safety as well. Auto Gate Shop on their Hydra bollard page show how the automatic barrier is commonly used to protect pavements. This type of hydraulic barrier is seeing use now in both commercial and residential spaces. If these growing concerns and measures are any indication, it seems that the UK’s citizens are ready for smart pavements, as well as other new and practical innovations to make our roads safer for everyone.
Luxury Welsh housebuilder Waterstone Homes has been inspired by the picturesque coastline of Pembrokeshire to create Wales its very own Sandbanks, the renowned millionaires’ playground in Dorset. The Sandbanks peninsula has some of the most exclusive and expensive postcodes in the UK, taking the prize for Britain’s priciest seaside town. Broad Haven is now ready to welcome its very own multi-million-pound luxury property development, called ‘Sand Banks’. Sharing similar waterfront views and an abundance of natural beauty as its English namesake, the new Waterstone Homes development, which is just a five-minute walk away from the sea, will offer stunning shore-side homes at a fraction of the cost of its multi-million-pound English counterpart. The Sand Banks developments consists of 17 three-storey, four and five-bedroom family homes, each featuring large open-plan spaces, private garages and driveways, and bright rooms due to a focus on glass within the design. The site is located close to Wales’ famous coastal path, including the stunning beaches of Newgale and Little Haven, and just a 30-minute drive away from the UK’s smallest cathedral city, St Davids. With prices ranging between £460k and £560k, prospective buyers will be able to snap up a luxury home for a tenth of the cost of an average property in Dorset’s Sandbanks. Often cited as one of the most desirable place to live in Wales, Broad Haven shares many similarities with the English gem, from a spotless blue flag beach and clean sea, to spectacular views and rich wildlife. Plus, with a harbour nearby in Little Haven, residents could even sail between the two destinations. “Broad Haven is an absolutely beautiful area and was the perfect spot for our latest seaside location. With its award-winning sandy beach, breathtaking views and tranquil setting, Broad Haven shares many similarities with Sandbanks in Dorset and definitely deserves to receive the same level of recognition and prestige,” said Andrea Gardner, Sales & Marketing Director at Waterstone Homes. Properties at the site are currently on sale with the development due to be completed in March of 2019.
Northcare has been chosen as the preferred bidder by Multiplex for the £400 million design and build contract to redevelop a previous New Scotland Yard location in Westminster, London. The scheme secured its planning consent in 2016 and it will see the 1.72 acre mixed-use development feature six towers rising from 14 to 20 storeys, offering 268 apartments and 142,000 ft2 of commercial and retail space. Moreover, the Broadway development project will have a new thoroughfare connecting Victoria Street to St James’s Park tube station. The towers will provide views of The Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, St James’s Park, Horse Guards Parade and Green Park. “We are delighted to announce the selection of Multiplex as our preferred main contractor to deliver this landmark development in central London,” said Northcare development director for Broadway, David Harman. “This is a major milestone for the project and demonstrates our commitment to delivering a world-class, vibrant destination located in one of the capital’s most exciting areas.” The development was designed by Squire + Partners, while Robert Bird Group were chosen as the structural engineer and Keltbray was chosen to deliver enabling works and piling package for the site. “We look forward to working alongside Multiplex to realise our vision and see them forge ahead with construction. To date, all milestones have been delivered ahead of programme, from securing planning consent in 2016, completing demolition of the existing 1960’s 22-storey building in 2017 and more recently finishing the piling phase in June 2018,” David Harman added. Work on the project will begin by next January and is expected to be completed in December 2021. Northcare (Scotland) Ltd is a family run business, which has been established for over 25 years and owns care homes in the South Lanarkshire, Glasgow City and East Renfrewshire areas, expanding into Edinburgh with a state of the art care home opening in spring 2018.
HFD Property Group (HFD) has announced the successful practical completion of TUV SUD NEL’s (TUV) new test flow laboratory in East Kilbride. The construction work on the base building, known as the Reynolds Building, is finished and TUV have now commenced the fit out of the £16 million Advanced Multiphase Facility (AMF) in East Kilbride. Once the fit out is completed, the AMF’s test range capability, including operating pressures, temperatures, flowrates and metrology will be beyond anything currently available in the world. Operating at pressures up to 150 bar, the facility will double current capabilities to replicate extreme production conditions experienced by the oil and gas production industry. The AMF will provide opportunities for industry-led projects, training and academic research. It will create at least 17 new jobs and safeguarding 82 and it will futureproof the delivery of innovative technical services to the oil and gas production market for the next 25 years, and position Scotland as a world leader in multiphase flow measurement. “HFD are delighted to be part of a Scottish led project of such international import; HFD as a group prides itself on working with occupiers to ensure our buildings meet their needs in full. In this instance the challenges were both technical and timebound; and we are delighted to have succeeded in delivering this key milestone for TUV. HFD has a wealth of experience working with Oil & Gas occupiers and having provided this platform for the project, we will continue to support TUV throughout their fit out and beyond,” said Matt Bellshaw, Property Director of HFD Property Group. The 20,000 sq ft building has been under construction since September 2017 and despite major weather disruption during the winter months, the work was completed on time and on budget to a short 6-month programme. The AMF development was supported by Scottish Enterprise with £4.9 million of research and development funding, while TUV’s parent company, TUV SUD AG is investing £11.1 million. The project marks the largest capital investment to date in the company’s UK business.
