G F Tomlinson renews its commitment to young people in sport
Midlands contractor, G F Tomlinson, has renewed its partnership with Derby County Community Trust (DCCT) for the 2026/27 season, continuing its support for the Trust’s Female Talent Pathway and its commitment to creating opportunities for young people across Derbyshire. The Female Talent Pathway is a structured development programme supporting aspiring female footballers from under-9 through to under-21 level. The programme provides talented young players with a progressive route into elite football, with the potential to advance into Derby County Women’s First Team. Through the partnership, players can benefit from high-quality coaching, regular competitive fixtures and access to a professional training environment. Alongside football development, the programme places an important emphasis on education, personal development and the wider skills needed to help young people thrive both on and off the pitch. The renewal reflects G F Tomlinson’s continued commitment to investing in the communities in which it operates and supporting initiatives that can have a lasting impact on young people. The continued investment also comes at an important time for women’s and girls’ football, with participation and interest in the game continuing to grow year on year. By supporting DCCT’s Female Talent Pathway, G F Tomlinson is helping the Trust maintain high-quality provision for its players while contributing to the development of the next generation of female footballers. As part of the partnership, G F Tomlinson also provides support to the local community through the Harrisons Hub Community Meals programme at Pride Park Stadium to help the most vulnerable members of society. Andy Sewards, Chairman at G F Tomlinson, said: “We are delighted to renew our partnership with Derby County Community Trust and to continue supporting the Female Talent Pathway for another year. What stands out to us about the programme is that it is about so much more than football, it gives young people the opportunity to develop their confidence, resilience, teamwork and self-belief, while providing a clear pathway for those who aspire to progress within the game. “As a business with deep roots in the Midlands, supporting the communities where we live and work is significantly important to us. We are proud to play a part in helping local young people access these opportunities and are looking forward to seeing the pathway continue to grow throughout the 2026/27 season.” Chris Tomlinson, Head of Business Development at Derby County Community Trust, said: “We are absolutely delighted that G F Tomlinson has chosen to continue its partnership with DCCT for another year. The support of our partners is fundamental to the work we do, enabling us to provide high-quality opportunities for young people and continue developing programmes such as the Female Talent Pathway. “G F Tomlinson shares our belief in the importance of investing in local communities and creating opportunities for young women to fulfil their potential. Their continued support will make a real difference to our players and help us to keep developing the pathway both on and off the pitch.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Green Light for 200 Council Homes in Next Chapter of Battersea Power Station Regeneration
Plans for 200 new council homes at Battersea Power Station have secured planning permission, marking another major step in the transformation of the landmark 42-acre regeneration site in London. The homes will be delivered by Battersea Power Station Development Company in partnership with Wandsworth Council on an undeveloped brownfield plot forming part of Phase 5 of the wider masterplan. All 200 properties will be operated by Wandsworth Council and made available at social rent levels through its Homes for Wandsworth programme. The development will include a mix of homes, including larger properties designed to meet the needs of families. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with completion targeted for 2029. Designed by Peckham-based Dowen Farmer Architects, the scheme will combine new housing with landscaped communal areas and ground-floor commercial and community uses. Residents will have access to communal gardens as well as a substantial south-facing roof garden, bringing additional green space into the development. Funding will be provided through Wandsworth Council’s Housing Revenue Account, supported by grant funding from the Greater London Authority. A multidisciplinary professional team has been assembled to progress the project, with Buro Happold appointed as structural engineer, MKP as M&E consultant and Cast Consultancy as cost consultant. The approval comes as attention increasingly turns towards the remaining phases of the Battersea Power Station regeneration. Around 16 acres of brownfield land are still to be developed, offering the potential for up to 3.2 million sq ft of additional residential, commercial, cultural and leisure space. Studio Egret West has been appointed to evolve the original masterplan created by Rafael Viñoly more than 15 years ago, as the development team considers how the remaining half of the regeneration site should respond to changing demands across London’s property market. Battersea Power Station Development Company chief executive James Saunders has also confirmed that a Section 73 planning application covering the future phases is due to be submitted later this month. The latest approval adds an important affordable housing element to one of London’s most prominent regeneration projects. The redevelopment of the former power station and its surrounding land has already created a major new mixed-use destination, combining homes, offices, retail, leisure and public realm around the restored Grade II* listed landmark. With 200 council homes now approved and further phases being reconsidered, Battersea Power Station is entering another significant period of construction and development as its long-term regeneration continues. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
PKF Campus Receives Best Workspaces Award 2027 Recognition
A workplace landscape with conviction: the PKF Campus by Philipp Architekten brings together work, encounter, landscape and identity. The PKF Campus in Balingen, designed by Philipp Architekten, has been recognised as part of the Best Workspaces Award 2027. The project is therefore among the awarded workplace environments demonstrating how architecture can give spatial form to corporate culture, human interaction and long-term identification. Since 2020, Callwey Verlag has honoured outstanding workplace environments and office buildings from around the world through the Best Workspaces Award. The award recognises projects that define office architecture not solely through efficiency, amenities or floor area. Its focus is on places that enable collaboration, foster a sense of belonging and create an atmosphere where people genuinely enjoy spending time. A Workplace Landscape Rather Than an Office Building The PKF Campus emerged from the expansion of an established site within the urban fabric of Balingen. Rather than responding with a single dominant volume, the architecture takes the form of an ensemble of four distinct buildings. Each has its own address and character, while remaining grounded in a human scale. At its centre, a park-like garden links the existing buildings with the new additions. It is not simply residual open space, but the social and spatial heart of the campus: a place between work, exchange and landscape. Beauty as a Long-Term Strategy The PKF Campus is guided by a simple conviction: beauty is not an added extra. It is what allows buildings to endure beyond their original function. A place that moves people is used, cared for and carried forward. Architecture is then not replaced as soon as needs change, but can grow with them. For PKF, this has resulted in a campus that does more than provide space for work: it makes the company’s culture visible and tangible. The recognition at the Best Workspaces Award 2027 honours this ambition—to create workplace environments that are not interchangeable, but bring together identity, atmosphere and lasting value. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Glencar starts piling on final build phase of Pure DC’s £1bn+ Brent Cross data centre campus
Glencar has commenced piling works for the West Shell of Pure Data Centres’ (Pure DC) 70MW LON01B2 facility, marking the start of the final major build phase at its £1bn+ Brent Cross campus in North London. The development will extend the campus by more than 23,000 sq. m and, once complete, bring total capacity to 90MW. Completion of B2 is scheduled for Q2 2029. Glencar’sscope includes delivery of the West Cold Shell, incorporating piling and foundations, underground services and associated works, structural frame and connections to the adjacent East Cold Shell, concrete and slab works, stair cores, building envelope and roofing. The project isbeing delivered within a live operational data centre campus, requiring close coordination between Glencar, Pure DC and the wider project team as multiple construction and fit-out activities progress simultaneously across the development. LON01 is being developed as a next-generation, closed-loop, liquid-cooled data centre capable of supporting high-density AI inference and cloud workloads. Designed for long-term resilience, the campus incorporates sustainability measures including recycledsteel and low-carbon components. Following completion of B2, the site will also be home to one of the world’s largest living walls. More than 750,000 plants will wrap around the building, helping to reduce noise and air pollution while creating habitat for insects and birds adjacent to the Brent Reservoir Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Representatives from Pure DC and Glencar joined the project team on site to mark commencement of piling and the transition into the structural phase of the programme. Dan Priest, Campus Delivery Director at Pure DC, said: “Piling commencement represents an important milestone in the continued development of our Brent Cross campus. LON01B2 is amajor part of our investment in London’s digital infrastructure, and it isencouraging toseethe final stageof construction now progressing onsite. Welookforward to continuing towork closely with Glencar and the wider project team asthe development movesforward.” Roy Jones, Managing Director of London and The South at Glencar, said: “Piling getting underway marks the transition into the structural phase of the programme. Delivering a project of this scale within a live and highly constrained data centre campus requires detailed planning, closecollaboration and careful coordination across every stage. “Our teamshave worked closely with Pure DCand the wider project teamtoprepare for this phase. LON01B2 further demonstrates Glencar’s capability todeliver complex, mission-critical infrastructure within live operational environments, and we look forward tobuilding on this momentum asthestructure begins to take shape.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Kennedy Wilson Targets £750m Folio Deal in Major UK BTR Expansion
US real estate investor Kennedy Wilson is set to significantly increase its exposure to the UK Build to Rent (BTR) market after being selected as preferred bidder for Notting Hill Genesis’ £750 million Folio rental portfolio. Kennedy Wilson is understood to have entered exclusivity with Notting Hill Genesis (NHG), with due diligence now set to progress on the proposed acquisition. The portfolio comprises 2,079 rental homes across 15 developments in London and Chelmsford and is currently around 98% let. The transaction would represent another major institutional investment into the UK’s operational BTR and private rented housing market. Around 85% of the Folio homes are located in London, with schemes spread across boroughs including Newham, Greenwich, Southwark, Ealing, Croydon, Barnet and Hammersmith and Fulham. Among the portfolio’s largest assets is Royal Wharf Estate in Newham, where Folio owns 338 homes, while City Park West in Chelmsford accounts for a further 317 properties. Approximately nine in ten homes across the portfolio are one and two-bedroom apartments, while 98% have an EPC rating of C or above. The sale process, known as Project Vanguard, has been run for NHG by UK professional services adviser Deloitte. Kennedy Wilson emerged ahead of rival interest from Hyde Group and a partnership between investor Adira and European asset manager Hayfin. For Kennedy Wilson, the acquisition would build on an already expanding presence within the UK rental housing sector. Its suburban BTR partnership with Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, established in 2024, has grown to around 2,000 homes across 23 sites. The scale of the Folio transaction also demonstrates the continuing attraction of established rental portfolios to large institutional investors seeking immediate exposure to income-producing UK residential assets. From a wider built environment perspective, investment of this scale also creates long-term requirements around property management, maintenance, refurbishment, building services and improving the energy performance of residential assets. If completed, the £750 million acquisition would position Kennedy Wilson as an increasingly significant player in UK BTR while adding further momentum to institutional investment across the country’s professionally managed rental sector. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Gilbert-Ash Secures £40m Transformation of RIBA’s Historic London Headquarters
Gilbert-Ash has confirmed its £40 million contract to deliver a major refurbishment and restoration of the Royal Institute of British Architects’ landmark headquarters at 66 Portland Place in Westminster. The extensive programme will transform the Grade II* listed building, upgrading its environmental performance, accessibility and public spaces while protecting the architectural character of one of RIBA’s most important assets. Construction and restoration work is now being undertaken by Gilbert-Ash, with completion scheduled for September 2027. Built in the 1930s, 66 Portland Place requires significant modernisation to its fabric and building services. The project will see ageing services stripped out and replaced, alongside improvements to the external envelope designed to increase energy efficiency and address water ingress. Sustainability sits at the heart of the programme, with the Portland Place redevelopment set to act as a pilot project for the Net Zero Carbon Building Standard. The approach will provide an important real-world test of how ambitious carbon and energy objectives can be incorporated into the sensitive refurbishment of a major listed building. Accessibility will also be substantially improved throughout the headquarters. A new fully accessible entrance is planned on Weymouth Street, while the internal layout and public-facing areas will be remodelled to create a more welcoming and inclusive destination. The café and RIBA shop will be given greater prominence, while new exhibition and events facilities will form part of RIBA’s wider House of Architecture programme. The project brings together a specialist professional team with extensive experience across architecture, heritage, engineering and complex refurbishment. Purcell is architect for the delivery phase, progressing the original concept developed by Benedetti Architects. Gardiner & Theobald is acting as project manager, with Jackson Coles as quantity surveyor. Eckersley O’Callaghan is structural engineer and Harley Haddow is responsible for building services engineering. For Gilbert-Ash, the £40 million contract represents a high-profile addition to its portfolio of complex heritage and cultural projects. More widely, the transformation of 66 Portland Place demonstrates the growing role that retrofit can play in extending the life of significant existing buildings. Rather than replacing an important piece of London’s architectural heritage, the programme aims to retain and restore it while introducing the services, environmental performance and accessibility expected of a modern public building. When completed in September 2027, the renewed headquarters will provide RIBA with a more sustainable and accessible home while preserving the architectural significance of its historic Portland Place address. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals