
One Stop Safety Training expands its range of safety training courses and UK locations
One Stop Safety Training is broadening its offerings by expanding both its safety training courses and UK location network. This ongoing investment is designed to address competency needs and higher industry expectations through health and safety training. With further development planned, these initiatives are altering access to training and improving standards across the construction sector. The construction sector continues to face evolving regulatory requirements and on-site safety risks, making health and safety training essential for every workforce. One Stop Safety Training has responded by expanding its range of safety training courses and increasing the number of training centres throughout the UK, helping firms meet new compliance challenges. This combination of greater geographic reach and varied course content ensures that both new and existing workers benefit from readily accessible, high-quality instruction. Increasing course offerings for workforce competency The diverse range of safety training courses now available from One Stop Safety Training covers essential areas required for modern construction sites. These expanded offerings include traditional classroom sessions, digital learning modules, and hands-on instruction, all designed to match specific job requirements and regulatory standards. By tailoring health and safety training to address current industry demands, workers gain practical skills that directly impact their daily performance and adherence to safety procedures. Expanding the curriculum also enables timely refresher training and accreditation updates for existing staff. Structured programmes help ensure that regular assessments and updates are in place, maintaining a high level of competency throughout construction teams. The ability to select appropriate courses for unique roles or specialist tasks strengthens the overall safety culture across projects and company locations. Extending geographical access for UK construction One Stop Safety Training’s growth strategy has included the opening of new training centres across wider UK regions. Increased local access helps reduce travel delays, improves attendance, and allows more teams to participate in scheduled sessions without disrupting ongoing projects. This approach also enables companies to maintain up-to-date training records for staff across multiple sites, supporting continuous compliance with industry standards. The presence of more training locations makes it easier for workers to access specific safety training courses when new regulations emerge or specialist skills are required. Employers benefit from enhanced flexibility, as training can now be delivered in closer proximity to their workforce and aligned with project timelines, resulting in reduced downtime and greater operational consistency. Ongoing investment and industry partnership Backing these developments is a strategic partnership and investment plan, with One Stop Safety Training operating as part of One Stop Hire Ltd. This relationship brings additional resources and expertise, enabling sustained improvements and further UK expansion planned for 2026. Industry collaboration ensures that training programmes remain relevant, supporting robust risk management and adaptation to future changes. Continued commitment to expanding training facilities, updating course content, and improving accessibility reflects an industry-wide focus on raising health and safety standards. These collective efforts support a culture of competency, making it possible for construction firms to adapt quickly to shifts in regulation and project requirements while reducing workplace safety risks.

How to Optimise Product Design with Custom Aluminium Extrusions
Aluminium extrusions are created through a precise manufacturing process that shapes aluminium by forcing it through a die that creates cross-sectional profiles. It’s widely used in modern product design due to its versatility, lightweight strength and cost efficiency. Designers can achieve complex shapes with minimal waste, making it ideal for industries seeking durable, scalable and sustainable solutions. What Are Custom Aluminium Extrusions? Custom aluminium extrusions are uniquely designed profiles made by forcing heated aluminium through a specially created die to achieve a specific shape. The process involves heating a solid billet and pushing it through a mould or a die, resulting in a continuous section with a uniform cross-section. Once fully formed, the material then cools down, is cut to the required length and is then finished to suit its intended use. The “custom” aspect comes from the design stage itself, where profiles are engineered to meet exact requirements. This gives designers the ability to control dimensions, strength and functionality, making the final product far more efficient and purpose-built. By contrast, standard extrusions are ready-made shapes like aluminium angles, channels, tubes, or simple aluminium sheets, that are produced in bulk. These are ideal for general applications, while custom profiles provide greater flexibility and are better suited to more complex, specialised or even bespoke designs. Benefits for Product Design Custom aluminium extrusions are a popular choice across multiple industries as they offer significant advantages for modern product design. Thanks to their exceptional flexibility, designers can create complex geometries that would otherwise be difficult or too costly to achieve through other manufacturing methods, allowing for more innovative and efficient products. This freedom also makes it easier to tailor components to exact specifications. Another key benefit is weight reduction. Aluminium is a naturally lightweight material with superior strength. Arguably, it has the best strength-to-weight ratio available. This enables designers to minimise overall product weight without compromising structural integrity. This is especially valuable in industries where performance and efficiency are critical. Custom extrusions also allow multiple functions to be integrated into a single profile. Features such as channels, grooves and mounting points can be built directly into the design, reducing the need for additional parts and assembly. Last but not least, aluminium also offers excellent thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance. This improves heat dissipation in technical applications and ensures long-lasting performance, even in demanding environments. Design Optimisation Strategies Effective product design that uses custom aluminium extrusions has a significant focus on manufacturability from the get-go. Profiles should be designed with simplicity and balance in mind, as consistent wall thickness and smooth transitions make the extrusion process more reliable and cost-efficient. Overly complex or certain uneven shapes can lead to continued production challenges and increased expenses, both long- and short-term. Another key strategy of this method is in the reduction of created material waste. By refining the cross-sectional design to use only what is necessary, manufacturers can lower costs and improve sustainability. Smart design decisions at this stage can significantly impact overall efficiency. Limiting secondary machining is also important. Features such as slots, grooves or fixing points can often be incorporated directly into the extrusion, reducing the need for additional processing and speeding up production. Lastly, the final tolerances should be carefully considered. Allowing for practical manufacturing limits helps maintain consistent quality while avoiding unnecessary precision that can drive up costs. Cost Efficiency Considerations Custom aluminium extrusions often involve an initial investment in tooling, but this upfront cost can deliver strong long-term value. Once the die is created, production becomes faster, more consistent and less wasteful. This is found particularly during larger manufacturing runs where unit costs decrease over time. They also help cut down on assembly and labour expenses. By integrating multiple design elements into a single profile, fewer components are needed, which simplifies assembly and reduces manual work. This not only saves time but also improves overall production efficiency. Over the full product lifecycle, aluminium extrusions can offer additional savings. Their corrosion resistance, combined with durability and low maintenance requirements, means that the final product itself lasts far longer and will require fewer repairs or replacements over its lifecycle. Collaboration with Extrusion Experts Choosing to outsource and engage with extrusion specialists early on into the design phase can make a significant difference to the overall success of a project. Their input can help to ensure that all designs are practical to manufacture while still meeting performance goals, reducing the risk of costly changes or problems later on down the line. Prototyping plays a crucial role in this process. Producing sample profiles allows designers to test how the extrusion performs in real-world conditions and confirm that it meets expectations before scaling up production. Continuous refinement is also important. By working collaboratively throughout development, designers can make incremental improvements, ensuring the final product is both efficient to produce and fit for purpose. Common Mistakes to Avoid A frequent issue in extrusion design is the temptation to add unnecessary complexity. While the process does allow designers to make highly detailed shapes and even features that have no clear benefits. These needless designs will increase production difficulty and cost without improving performance. Another mistake is failing to consider the practical limits of extrusion. Ignoring factors like minimum wall thickness or achievable tolerances can result in manufacturing problems or compromised quality. Making changes too late in the process can also be costly. Alterations after tooling has been finalised often lead to delays and additional expenses. Addressing potential issues early helps maintain efficiency and keeps projects on track. Conclusion Custom aluminium extrusions offer a strategic advantage in product design for multiple industries and projects. This is down to the combination of flexibility, efficiency and long-term durability. Incorporating extrusions into your design process from the outset is key for optimisation of designs, improved product performance, issue mitigation and reduced product costs.

Barbican Renewal Programme Swells Beyond £170m as Major Retrofit Push Accelerates
The landmark renewal of London’s iconic Barbican Arts Centre is gathering pace, with the value of planned upgrade works to the value of £170m as the City of London Corporation prepares for the next phase of the ambitious regeneration programme. A series of new procurement notices released this week has revealed the scale of the investment planned across the Grade II-listed Brutalist complex, with major contractors and specialist consultants now expected to be lined up for a range of high-profile packages. Alongside this, an additional £60m infrastructure package is also being prepared, while a further £50m programme will focus on the overhaul of the Barbican Conservatory — one of the capital’s most recognisable indoor gardens and public attractions. Other planned works include a £30m refurbishment of foyers and circulation areas aimed at improving accessibility and visitor experience. The procurement drive follows planning approval earlier this year for the wider first phase of the Barbican Renewal Programme, a £231m retrofit-led scheme designed by Allies and Morrison alongside Asif Khan Studio and engineering consultancy Buro Happold. The broader programme aims to modernise the internationally recognised arts and cultural venue while preserving its historic architectural character through a sensitive refurbishment approach focused on repair, restoration and infrastructure renewal. Plans include significant improvements to accessibility, environmental performance and public spaces, alongside the replacement of outdated building systems that have supported the complex since the 1980s. Major construction works are expected to begin in late 2027, with many Barbican activities temporarily paused between 2028 and 2029 during the most intensive stages of the programme. The project represents one of the UK’s largest and most technically complex retrofit and cultural infrastructure programmes currently in development, highlighting the growing focus on preserving and modernising nationally important heritage assets through long-term sustainable investment. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Legrand UK & Ireland Opens New Electronics Manufacturing Facility in Cramlington
Legrand UK & Ireland has opened a new 43,000 sq. ft. electronics manufacturing facility at Nelson Park in Cramlington, Northumberland, establishing a new centre of excellence for the Legrand Group in Europe. The purpose-built site is home to Legrand’s CP Electronics lighting controls and Legrand Care brands, positioned close to the North East’s growing clean energy sector and skilled workforce. The new manufacturing site will extend Legrand’s presence in the UK, which spans more than 40 years. Designed and built with Net Zero principles at its core, the facility is entirely gas-free. A high-efficiency air source heat pump system provides heating and cooling across the site, eliminating direct Scope 1 emissions. A rooftop solar PV array with an installed capacity of 163 kilowatt-peak (kWp) is expected to generate close to 128,000 kWh annually, significantly reducing reliance on grid electricity. The site also incorporates EV charging infrastructure, sustainable drainage, permeable paving and high-performance insulation. Wherever possible, the facility has been equipped with Legrand’s own products, including its Linea 5000 door entry panels, cable management solutions and digital energy metering technology. These systems contribute to the site’s connectivity and energy efficiency while serving as a working showcase for the company’s product portfolio. Paolo Murdocca, COO at Legrand UK & Ireland, said: “This facility represents a significant milestone for Legrand in the UK. We have built a site that not only strengthens our manufacturing capability but also reflects the standards we set for our customers. “Cramlington gives us a modern, sustainable base from which to grow our CP Electronics and Legrand Care brands, and it demonstrates that high-quality electronics manufacturing and genuine environmental responsibility can go hand in hand. The North east offers exactly the skills and supply chain we need, and we are proud to be investing here for the long term.” Legrand UK & Ireland continues to invest in its UK operations, and this investment highlights its commitment to powering technological advancements and providing exceptional value to customers. For more information, see Legrand.co.uk. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Fairbanks Studios name McLaren as main contractor
Planning consent was secured in December 2025, and enabling and demolition works have been completed. Around half of the 16‑acre site will be converted into a 266,000 sq ft, state‑of‑the‑art campus for high‑end television and independent film, due to be operational in late in 2027. The remainder of the site, recently upgraded by the BBC under a long‑term lease, continues to host EastEnders. The historic complex first opened as a film studio in 1914. The brownfield scheme is designed to keep the studios commercially competitive by significantly boosting production capacity, more than quadrupling stage space to approximately 100,000 sq ft across five advanced sound stages ranging from 16,000 to 21,000 sq ft. New workshops, offices and a café will be added, alongside a 58,000 sq ft Media Hub providing office and amenity space exclusively for media‑related industries and businesses directly connected to the studios. Fairbanks Studios is targeting Outstanding ratings from BREEAM and the Albert Studio Sustainability Standard, the world’s first environmental impact benchmark for film studios. The plans also include landscaped public areas and urban greening, with around 130 new trees to be planted. The project is expected to generate substantial socio‑economic benefits, supporting around 390 jobs during construction and more than 1,200 full‑time equivalent roles once complete, contributing approximately £80 million in annual inward investment. Paul Serkis, director of studio projects at McLaren Construction, comments: “Film and high-end TV production is one of the success stories of the UK economy and there is a real and pressing demand for high quality production space here. Approved schemes in the right locations need to come out of the ground quickly to meet that demandand take full advantage of the sector’s growth potential. We are delighted tobe working with BNPP AM Alts and Oxygen Studios to deliver Fairbanks Studios.” McLaren’s initial supply chain on the project includes Harringtons Builders (groundworks), Aarsleff (piling), SCWS (steelwork), Halsall (MEP) and Northern Cladding (cladding). Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

The AI data centre boom is putting commissioning and verification standards under unprecedented pressure
The data centre industry is sprinting to build the necessary infrastructure to support the next phase of the AI buildout. This year, the five biggest AI infrastructure companies will spend somewhere between $660 billion and $690 billion on building AI data centres, almost twice what they spent in 2025. Worldwide data centre power consumption is forecast to grow by 50% between 2025 and 2027, rising by as much as 165% by the end of the decade. The hurdles that have arisen as the result of meeting this generational surge in infrastructure demand are well documented. From securing the necessary access to power from ageing grids to securing skilled engineers and technicians, many challenges inherent to executing the AI boom are being widely discussed. But the accelerated pace and sheer scale of data centre demand poses other problems that, as yet, aren’t getting the attention they deserve from the industry. As AI demand pushes for faster data centre construction and compresses delivery timelines, the race to deliver the next generation of digital infrastructure is putting unprecedented pressure on the commissioning process. This is happening at a time when new data centre designs, bigger facilities, and shorter project windows are making independent verification and certification more critical than ever. The industry’s focus on speed-to-market is ramping up pressure on testing and validation processes, and the resultant incentive to cut corners is raising the potential operational and commercial risk if the need for speed compromises verification. Ahead of Datacloud Global Congress, Global Commissioning is sounding the alarm that, as AI demand accelerates data centre construction and compresses delivery timelines, commissioning and independent verification are becoming more critical than ever. They will be hosting a panel discussion on the topic at the upcoming event. Commissioning: the invisible, invaluable last line of defence Commissioning rarely makes headlines. But when it goes wrong, the consequences certainly do. The commissioning process is widely understood as a set of tests that take place close to the completion of a project. Its technical and regulatory necessities are broadly agreed upon, but ask why commissioning matters at a business level, and many people in the industry will struggle to articulate their answers. In practice, commissioning is so much more than an exercise in compliance. A rigorous commissioning programme begins at design review, long before a cable is pulled, and runs through every layer of a building’s systems, from the component level up to integrated performance under full operational load. It is the process that determines whether a data centre actually does what its designers intended. The industry shorthand for this is L0 to L6: a structured testing methodology that progressively validates each system layer, culminating in integrated systems testing and operational readiness. When it’s done properly, it produces a test record that is a genuine risk management instrument. That record protects developers, operators, and investors alike. When that process is compressed, deferred, or treated as a box-ticking exercise, that protection disappears, and the consequences tend to surface at the worst possible moment. This is the moment to centre commissioning, not set it aside Commissioning is not just a technical exercise or final-stage checklist. It is a critical risk management and accountability process that protects long-term data centre performance, resilience and investor confidence. The data centre sector is building faster than at any point in its history. Hyperscale demand, AI infrastructure investment, and energy transition pressures are all compressing timescales and raising the stakes on every delivery decision. In that environment, the tolerance for substandard commissioning, for incomplete test records, deferred defect resolution, and integrated testing that never quite happened, is shrinking fast. Operators who have been through difficult handovers are restructuring how they procure commissioning authority. Developers are being asked harder questions about what their documentation actually reflects. And the wider market is converging around a new understanding of what credible, independent verification looks like: one that integrates commissioning, certification, and operational validation into a single, accountable chain. The data centre industry is engaged in an infrastructure buildout of generational scale and significance to the fabric of the modern world. The industry responsible for certifying and verifying that infrastructure is fit for purpose should not be relegated to a box-ticking exercise. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
