HS2’s reveals first completed ‘green’ tunnel
The first completed cut and cover tunnel on Britain’s new high-speed railway has been revealed at a site on London’s western periphery. HS2’s 880-metre Copthall ‘green’ tunnel near West Ruislip has been created using 1.2 million cubic metres of material excavated during construction of the line’s nearby twin-bore Northolt tunnel. Originally planned as an open cutting, engineers opted for a cut and cover design. The decision enabled the Northolt tunnel material to be kept on site – negating the need to transport it elsewhere by road in an operation that would have resulted in around 100,000 truck movements. It is the only ‘single bore’ tunnel on the new high-speed line and its cavernous size is engineered to accommodate the forces generated by 200mph passing trains. The tunnel is built by SCS – HS2’s main civil engineering contractor for the route’s southern section – which is made up of Skanska, Costain and STRABAG. Copthall is the first of five cut-and-cover tunnels to be completed on the HS2 route between London and the West Midlands – meaning both the tunnel structure and the covering of earth over the top is finished. The next stage of works includes the planting of trees, plants, and shrubs on top to blend into the landscape. The other four green tunnels are also well advanced, with an announcement earlier in July that the structure of Chipping Warden tunnel in Northamptonshire has been completed ahead of works to backfill material. The milestone underlines the scale of the progress being made on HS2 that will create vital new rail capacity between London and the West Midlands – providing faster and more reliable journeys while releasing space on the crowded West Coast Main Line. HS2 Ltd CEO Mark Wild is now leading a comprehensive reset of the project to ensure that it is delivered as efficiently as possible and for the lowest reasonable cost. The 140-mile railway is now at a peak construction and significant improvements in productivity have been made over the last year, with six major milestones being reached ahead of schedule. In May, the Department for Transport confirmed a new delivery schedule and costs for the programme as part of the project’s reset, providing certainty for the taxpayer and local communities. It also announced plans to simplify the railway – operating trains at the same speed as those in Japan and mainland Europe – in a move designed to save up to £2.5bn and cut a year from the construction programme. Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy said: “The completion of Copthall tunnel marks another significant milestone for HS2. Making use of innovative design, the tunnel reduces the impact on nearby communities by blending into its surroundings whilst keeping thousands of truck journeys off local roads by using materials close to the site. “Our reset of HS2 is driving faster, more efficient construction on-the-ground and supporting thousands of jobs as we work to deliver the project at the lowest reasonable cost.” James Leeming, Head of Delivery – HS2 said: “Finishing civil works on HS2’s first-completed ‘green’ tunnel clearly demonstrates the progress that’s being made to deliver the first new intercity railway north of London in over a century. “I pay tribute to the dedicated workforce that has worked since early 2021– and in all weathers – to deliver this remarkable structure, which was a key component of our plan to deal with the muck excavated to build part of HS2’s tunnelled sections.” Copthall is positioned between the twin-bore Northolt tunnel and the Colne Valley viaduct – Britain’s longest railway bridge, which was completed last year. It is more than half a mile long, 12m high and up to 16m wide inside. Its five natural ventilation shafts reach down a maximum of 17metres to the tunnel’s roof from the newly-created landscape above. The team used innovative travelling ‘form work’ and ‘false work’ systems that moved forward 20m at a time enabling them to achieve the tunnel’s gentle curve. Situated next to the Chilterns railway and at the southern end of HS2’s viaduct across the Colne Valley, engineering this route section involved moving the busy Harvil Road and rebuilding it to modern standards that included a new bridge to carry it over the high-speed line. Jonathan Morris, Managing Director at SCS, said: “Combining an ambitious tunnel design, engineering expertise, and high-quality construction, Copthall Tunnel is a fantastic example of how we are building the railway in harmony with the environment. “Skanska Costain STRABAG joint venture has delivered this key part of HS2 thanks to great partnerships and a collaborative approach to every stage of construction. My thanks go out to the brilliant team who has delivered this milestone whilst maintaining the highest levels of safety throughout delivery.” With civil works now complete, over the coming two years Copthall tunnel’s earth covering will be planted, and then start to blend into the surrounding environment. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
£24bn Regeneration Partnership to Deliver Thousands of Homes and Commercial Spaces
A landmark £24 billion regeneration partnership between Lendlease and The Crown Estate is set to transform major urban locations across London and Birmingham, creating tens of thousands of new homes alongside world-class commercial, science and innovation space. The newly established Impact Partnership Joint Venture represents one of the UK’s largest long-term regeneration programmes and will initially focus on three flagship developments at Euston, Silvertown and Stratford Cross in London. Together, these schemes are expected to deliver around 9,000 new homes and more than 7 million sq ft of commercial, research and innovation space, supporting economic growth while helping address housing demand. For the construction sector, the announcement signals a significant pipeline of work spanning residential development, commercial construction, infrastructure, public realm, building services and sustainable placemaking over the coming decade. The construction programme is already moving forward. Work is scheduled to begin in September on 326 affordable homes at the 60-acre Silvertown regeneration scheme in East London, marking the first major delivery phase of the partnership. Meanwhile, plans continue to progress at Euston, where a planning application for the comprehensive redevelopment is expected to be submitted in spring 2027. The partnership has also confirmed that a second phase of expansion will see two further landmark regeneration projects join the joint venture later this summer. Birmingham Smithfield and Thamesmead Waterfront will increase the overall programme to approximately 27,500 new homes and almost 10 million sq ft of commercial floorspace, significantly extending the partnership’s development pipeline. Infrastructure works at Birmingham Smithfield are expected to commence later this year, with temporary market facilities due to open early next year before construction of the first residential buildings begins in 2027. The regeneration will transform one of Birmingham’s most strategically important city centre sites into a vibrant mixed-use destination combining homes, workplaces, retail, leisure and public spaces. The projects reflect the growing emphasis on large-scale mixed-use regeneration, where residential neighbourhoods are integrated with commercial, science and innovation districts to create sustainable, connected communities. Significant investment in transport infrastructure, public realm, green spaces and social infrastructure will also form an integral part of the long-term vision. By combining the development expertise of Lendlease with The Crown Estate’s long-term investment strategy, the Impact Partnership Joint Venture is expected to accelerate the delivery of complex regeneration projects while attracting further institutional investment into the UK’s property and construction sectors. As construction activity gathers pace across multiple sites, the partnership is set to generate extensive opportunities throughout the construction supply chain, supporting contractors, consultants, manufacturers and specialist trades while delivering new homes, commercial space and employment opportunities that will help shape the future of several of the UK’s most important urban regeneration locations. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
From Empty Offices to Student Living: £113m Funding Unlocks Royal Albert Dock Transformation
One of London’s largest office-to-purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) conversion projects has taken a major step forward after a £113 million funding package was secured to transform the long-vacant Royal Albert Dock office complex into a thriving student community. Specialist lender Firma Partners has agreed the financing with DPK Group, enabling the redevelopment of approximately 450,000 sq ft of vacant commercial space into 1,085 high-quality student bedrooms. The completed scheme is expected to have a gross development value (GDV) of around £300 million. Located within the Royal Docks regeneration area in East London, the development will breathe new life into 20 office buildings originally constructed by Brookfield Multiplex for Chinese developer ABP. Following the collapse of ABP in 2022, the waterfront complex has remained largely vacant despite its prime location and excellent transport connections. Rather than undertaking extensive demolition and reconstruction, the project will focus predominantly on internal refurbishment and fit-out works, with no significant structural alterations required. This approach not only reduces construction costs and programme risk but also supports sustainability objectives by retaining the existing building fabric and significantly reducing embodied carbon compared with a new-build development. Construction is expected to take around 18 months, with practical completion targeted for the third quarter of 2027. For the construction and property sectors, the scheme highlights the growing importance of adaptive reuse as developers respond to changing market demands. With office vacancy rates remaining elevated in some locations and continued pressure on student accommodation across London, converting existing commercial assets into residential uses is becoming an increasingly attractive regeneration strategy. The Royal Albert Dock development also reinforces the ongoing regeneration of East London’s Royal Docks, one of the capital’s largest Opportunity Areas, where significant investment continues to reshape the district into a mixed-use destination combining residential, commercial, education and leisure facilities. Victor Librae, Chief Executive of Firma Partners, described the project as an outstanding opportunity that addresses London’s shortage of quality student accommodation while unlocking the value of a strategically located waterfront asset with significant regeneration potential. David Maxwell, Founder of DPK Group, said the site’s excellent connectivity and scale made it ideally suited to becoming a student-led campus environment, adding that the tailored funding solution would support the project’s successful delivery. As demand for PBSA continues to outstrip supply across many university cities, the Royal Albert Dock conversion demonstrates how innovative financing, sustainable refurbishment and adaptive reuse can work together to regenerate underutilised commercial assets while helping to meet the evolving accommodation needs of London’s growing student population. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Group Metropolitan Completes Highest Value Project
Group Metropolitan has successfully completed a workplace refurbishment for a leading financial services client, delivering new front-of-house and meeting facilities on Level 18 of a 32-storey landmark high-rise building in Canary Wharf. Acting as Principal Contractor under a Design and Build delivery, Group Metropolitan provided Project Management, Design and Commissioning Management. The project involved the refurbishment of 43,000 sq ft to create a premium suite of client-facing facilities capable of supporting up to 450 occupants. The completed space provides a flexible and highly technical environment designed to meet the operational, acoustic and sustainability requirements of a modern workplace. “This is a proud moment for Group Metropolitan, marking the completion of one of our highest‑value turnkey projects to date, with a client we’ve proudly partnered with for 40 years. This achievement is another milestone in our ongoing journey in the fit out sector, showcasing our expertise and opening the door to future ambitious projects.” The revitalised space, developed to Stage 3 by Gensler, was developed around ‘Metropolis Bloom’ capturing the dynamic interplay between London’s urban energy and the moments of natural release found within its textured landscape. Industrial influences with a natural and warm material palette intertwine, shaping a workplace that is both invigorating and restorative. Each space was developed as main destinations, each supporting both focus and connection. Carefully curated furniture arrangements, material palettes, and visual elements infuse the space with a distinct character, one that balances the city’s fast-paced rhythm with an underlying sense of calm. Acting as Principal Contractor under a Design and Build delivery, Group Metropolitan provided Project Management, Design and Commissioning Management. The project involved the refurbishment of 43,000 sq ft to create a premium suite of client-facing facilities capable of supporting up to 450 occupants. The completed space provides a flexible and highly technical environment designed to meet the operational, acoustic and sustainability requirements of a modern workplace. “This is a proud moment for Group Metropolitan, marking the completion of one of our highest‑value turnkey projects to date, with a client we’ve proudly partnered with for 40 years. This achievement is another milestone in our ongoing journey in the fit out sector, showcasing our expertise and opening the door to future ambitious projects.” The revitalised space, developed to Stage 3 by Gensler, was developed around ‘Metropolis Bloom’ capturing the dynamic interplay between London’s urban energy and the moments of natural release found within its textured landscape. Industrial influences with a natural and warm material palette intertwine, shaping a workplace that is both invigorating and restorative. Each space was developed as main destinations, each supporting both focus and connection. Carefully curated furniture arrangements, material palettes, and visual elements infuse the space with a distinct character, one that balances the city’s fast-paced rhythm with an underlying sense of calm. The final design arrangement delivers comprehensive front-of-house client meeting spaces, including 24 large meeting rooms, executive boardroom with adjoining ante-room and dedicated dining facilities, a 104-seat conference suite with an integrated AV control room, various break-out areas, open-plan café and bar space opening into the 6 storey atrium, a fully equipped commercial kitchen and pantry facilities, new WC provision, two communications rooms and three AV rack rooms. Technically the project included new lighting control systems, BMS, automated weather-controlled blinds and curtains, and automatic fire curtains throughout the floor. Cooling is provided by a VAV system, supported by Air Towers to the presentation suite and CRAC units within the technical plant rooms. Specialist lighting design was implemented throughout the entire space, designed by WSP, who also delivered the Clients Stage 3 design. The project was originally tendered under a two-stage contract, with Group Metropolitan proposing an ambitious and aggressive completion within a year including delivery of the full stage 4 design. Following the successful award of the contract, the programme was impacted by a one-month delay to the Stage 3 design release due to a change in brief, impacting package procurement and followed by approximately £2 million of client change. Despite these challenges, Group Metropolitan maintained the original tendered completion date to protect the client’s operational requirements. This was achieved through fast-track design delivery using Group Metropolitan’s extensive in-house team and a non-contractual approach to reacting and implementing change, with much of the project delivered on a 24/7 basis. Significant spatial constraints at high level, combined with changing fire control regulations and the absence of verified fire encasement solutions at the time of construction, required multiple re-routing and re-coordination of distribution services. Detailed BIM modelling was essential to the delivery strategy, allowing fast track design programming to avoid clash issues during the construction progress. The project also demanded a very high acoustic performance standard. Slab-to-slab partitions were installed throughout the space, and penetrations were carefully coordinated and treated to ensure compliance with the specified acoustic criteria. This project scheme gains BREEAM Outstanding and WELL accreditations, with key sustainability measures, including weather station controlled automated blinds to manage solar gain and maximise natural daylight, and the re-use and recycling of materials throughout the project’s process. “This was a challenging project from the outset with high specification products, demanding design criteria, and a tight programme with a known opening date which simply could not move. The final product, delivered on time, and within budget is nothing short of exceptional and I hope this will be a highly sought after space for our client for years to come. We believe what has been achieved would not have been possible without the continuous collaboration of a fantastic client team and Group Metropolitan’s ‘can do’ approach that we always bring to our projects. I am very proud of the team for what has been delivered on a project which was a pleasure to be involved with from start to finish.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Government agency achieves a world-first in providing ‘exceptional workplace experiences’
The Government Property Agency’s (GPA) Birmingham hub has become the first public sector building in the world to retain a coveted quality mark. Its flagship site at 23 Stephenson Street has secured Leesman+ accreditation – a prestigious global workplace experience rating – for the second time, demonstrating a sustained commitment to delivering an exceptional workplace experience for civil servants. Carly Ersser, Director of Workplace Services at the GPA, said: “We are incredibly proud that 23 Stephenson Street has secured Leesman+ accreditation for a second time. Surveying the people who work from our buildings gives us invaluable insights that directly inform how we design our services and continuously improve the workplace experience. “While this historic milestone is a fantastic achievement, we recognise there is always more work to be done. This rigorous feedback helps us target our resources to where they are needed most, ensuring we make a meaningful difference to civil servants working productively and happily from the office.” Leesman+ is a globally recognised certification awarded to top-tier workplaces that achieve outstanding employee satisfaction scores. To earn the accreditation, buildings must undergo rigorous, independent surveying and analysis of their features, services, and infrastructure. The GPA government hub at Stephenson Street first achieved this benchmark in 2023. The Birmingham office hosts 1,700 civil servants from more than 20 government departments and agencies. It was transformed from disused retail and commercial space into a modern, digitally-connected, and inclusive workplace in 2022, and now features a variety of spaces to support productivity, collaboration and wellbeing aligned to the Government Workplace Design Guide. Dr Peggie Rothe, Chief Insights and Research Officer at Leesman, said: “Leesman+ certifications have been awarded to just three per cent of the more than 10,400 buildings Leesman has assessed worldwide, and only 10 per cent of those have been re-certified. The GPA’s Stephenson Street Hub is the only public sector building globally to achieve Leesman+ re-certification, testament to the agency’s programmatic, data-led approach to delivering and sustaining exceptional workplace experience.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Hill Group bucks market trend as profits rise to record £92.5m and revenue hits £1.2bn
Award-winning housebuilder The Hill Group has published its financial results for the year ending 31 March 2026, reporting increased turnover, profit and new homes completed despite restrained housing market conditions. The Group reported revenue of £1.164 billion and profit before tax of £92.5 million, having completed 3,329 new homes across its operations – all increases on the previous year’s figures. Net assets increased to £493.1 million and net cash rose to £129.1 million, with no drawings against the Group’s Revolving Credit Facility, reflecting the resilience of Hill’s diversified operating model and the successful delivery of the first year of its new five-year growth strategy. Land and work-in-progress increased to £733.9 million as the Group continued its policy of retaining the majority of annual profits to invest in future growth opportunities. Hill invested £54.6 million in new land acquisitions and strategic opportunities during the year, with commitments in place for a further £44.1 million of future investment. Hill’s development pipeline includes 10,800 homes with planning consent and a further 1,900 homes controlled on a subject-to-planning basis. In addition, Hill’s long-term strategic pipeline includes 29,900 homes owned or controlled under option and promotion agreements. Combined, the Group’s controlled pipeline has the potential to generate more than £14.5 billion of future revenue. Hill’s contracting pipeline also increased during the year to more than £5.6 billion, up from £4.8 billion the previous year. Andy Hill OBE, Founder and Group Chief Executive of The Hill Group, comments: “These results demonstrate the resilience of our business model and progress towards our long-term objectives. In a restrained market, we have continued to increase turnover, profit and completions while investing in future opportunities. Our contracting business continues to expand, and we remain confident in long-term demand for the high-quality homes that Hill has always been known for.” The Group further enhanced its financial flexibility in December 2025 through the successful refinancing of its Revolving Credit Facility with major lenders. The new £300 million facility extends through to 2030 and retains its Sustainability Linked Loan status, reflecting Hill’s continued commitment to environmental and social value objectives. Hill delivered a successful year in an uncertain sales market, with average selling prices of £520,000 reflecting a change in product mix as two-thirds of completed homes were apartments across London, Cambridge and Oxford. The Group’s Build-to-Rent (BTR) activities also continued to mature, with the completion and handover of many BTR homes at various locations across the South East and London. The business continued to perform well despite delayed starts on a number of high-rise buildings in London caused by protracted Building Safety Regulator approval processes. Activity improved during the year, with major regeneration projects, including City Centre South in Coventry, and Dollis Hill and Wembley in northwest London, progressing to construction stage. Hill also secured a major strategic land opportunity at Colworth in Bedfordshire, with the potential to deliver 4,500 new homes. The Group continued to invest in its people and communities, reaching approximately 1,000 employees and launching its new Social Value Strategy 2025-2030. Hill also retained its five-star status in the Home Builders Federation’s National New Homes Customer Survey for the ninth consecutive year. Andy Hill adds: “While market conditions remain challenging and economic uncertainty continues to impact buyer confidence, we remain optimistic about the future. Recent commitments to affordable housing investment provide greater certainty for the sector, and with a substantial strategic pipeline, a growing order book and an exceptional team in place, we are well positioned to deliver the ambitions set out in our 2025-2030 business plan.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals