UPP selected to deliver major 890 bed student scheme at Bristol’s Temple Quarter
University of Bristol has named UPP as preferred bidder to deliver a significant new purpose built student accommodation scheme at Temple Island, forming a key part of its expanding Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus. The development will comprise three buildings providing 890 student bedrooms, creating one of the principal accommodation hubs for the University within the Temple Quarter area. The scheme is expected to primarily serve postgraduate students, supporting the University’s growing academic and research community in central Bristol. UPP will work in partnership with Watkin Jones as delivery partner, with Cushman & Wakefield advising the University on the procurement process. Located within the wider Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus, which is set to open in 2026, the accommodation forms part of a broader vision to create a leading innovation district. The campus will deliver advanced teaching facilities, research laboratories and collaborative workspace for students, staff and enterprise partners, reinforcing Bristol’s position as a key knowledge and innovation hub. Designed by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, the PBSA scheme will incorporate over 1,100 sq m of amenity space, including flexible study areas and social environments aimed at enhancing the overall student experience. The focus on high quality shared spaces reflects the evolving expectations of modern student living, particularly within postgraduate markets. Sustainability is a core element of the development, with the scheme targeting a BREEAM Excellent rating and an EPC A rating. These ambitions align with both the University’s and UPP’s commitment to delivering energy efficient, future ready buildings that support long term operational performance and reduced environmental impact. The appointment marks a further milestone in the delivery of the Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus, with the PBSA scheme set to play a central role in supporting the University’s continued growth and strengthening the integration of education, research and urban development in the city centre. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Stagnant UK property market is bad news for the Government’s target of 1.5 million new homes
No motivation for builders to build if they can’t find buyers The Government will miss their target of 1.5m new homes due to a stagnant property market, say leading audit, tax and business advisory firm, Blick Rothenberg. Heather Powell, a Partner at the firm, said: “The latest property statistics published by HMRC are bad news for the Government’s target of 1.5m new homes. They show a stagnant market with low appetite for buying, which means there is no motivation for builders to build.” She added: “Property sales continue to be steady. There has been no major increase in the number of residential or commercial properties sold per year in comparison to the last three years. A huge injection of confidence is required to end the market’s stagnation, but the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, seems to be bereft of ideas on how to generate this.” Heather said: “The Chancellor is going to have to reflect on the impact this will have on Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) receipts, as well as all of the taxes that are collected as a result of property moves – VAT on move costs and refurbishment and taxes payable by the businesses selling to the new property owner.” She added: “This continued stagnation is not surprising. People are worried about the cost of living, job security and the cost of a mortgage and so are not rushing into home ownership – or stepping up the housing ladder. Commercial investors, the buyers of offices, factories and similar buildings have similar concerns – will tenants be found, will they be able to pay the rent, and will the rent received cover interest charged by lenders?” Heather said: “HMRC’s statistics highlighted an increase in the number of sales in March compared to February, which reflects the annual trend as the UK moves into the summer months. But property prices are unlikely to increase significantly over the next twelve months, so buyers will not rush to purchase a property.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Siemens’ Gridscale X redefines system operations and agentic transmission planning
Siemens continues to be at the forefront of technological innovation, today announcing the next evolution of its Gridscale X platform at the Grid Software Summit in Amsterdam. Gridscale X provides the digital foundation for utilities to manage their grids at greater speed, and complexity at scale. Siemens also unveiled the next generation of PSS E on Gridscale X, introducing advanced AI‑powered, agentic capabilities to the transmission planning software. As utilities face rising demand and growing system complexity, both transmission planning and grid operations are being pushed beyond the limits of traditional approaches. Electrification, data centers, and AI‑driven industries are scaling faster than anticipated, while renewables are injecting volatility that traditional grids cannot absorb. Meeting these challenges requires true system operations. A unified grid model and digital twin enables system‑wide visibility to actively manage flexibility, reduce operational risks and operate grids closer to their technical limits with confidence – laying the foundation for autonomous, resilient grids. “Gridscale X is the integral digital backbone that bridges long‑term planning and real‑time operations to enable true system operations,” said Sabine Erlinghagen, CEO of Siemens Grid Software. “The platform can support self-developed applications, enabling utilities to migrate their own applications onto Gridscale X to run and scale them on a shared grid model, integrating their innovations directly into system operations workflows. We are delighted that this has already been deployed by Alliander in The Netherlands.” Dutch network operator Alliander, a strategic partner of Siemens, is the first utility to integrate its custom-built applications directly into the platform. Since announcing the partnership in 2024, Alliander has expanded medium‑voltage grid coverage from 65 percent to 100 percent, migrated 85 applications onto Gridscale X, and achieved a 30 percent leaner IT landscape. This demonstrates how a shared digital backbone can unlock grid capacity, reduce complexity, and scale at speed. Gridscale X PSS E: Unlocking the future of agentic transmission planning Extending the same platform and shared grid model principles into transmission planning, Siemens has taken a major step toward unlocking the future of agentic transmission planning, unveiling the next generation of PSS E on Gridscale X. The software introduces new AI-powered capabilities that deliver the speed, transparency, and scalability required for resilient, sustainable, and autonomous grids. By combining proven simulation with domain-specific AI-automation and a new user experience, the software accelerates planning studies and workflows, expands team capacity, and improves decision-making end to end. Supported by over 2000 open APIs with automation capabilities, Gridscale X PSS E enables seamless integration, powerful automation, and the foundation for digital twin-based planning. The latest release directly supports data center and large load integration scenarios, enabling planners to assess, prioritize, and respond to connection requests with significantly greater speed and transparency. A redesigned, cloud-native user experience streamlines workflows and automation for connection studies, cutting response times by up to 50 percent and helping transmission operators manage surging demand while maintaining system reliability. “For more than 50 years, PSS E has been widely regarded as the benchmark for transmission planning, trusted by planners around the world,” added Erlinghagen. “We are incredibly proud to build on that foundation with the next generation of PSS E. By introducing AI‑powered, agentic capabilities and a modern user experience, we are giving planners the tools they need to tackle growing complexity, work faster under increasing time pressure, and lead the next era of transmission planning with confidence.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Glamox’s office light wins prestigious Red Dot Award for outstanding design
Glamox, a global leader in lighting, has received a prestigious Red Dot Design Award for its newly launched Luxo Align office light. In recognition of its high design quality, the stylish free-standing office light received the Red Dot Award 2026 in the Product Design category. This latest award is the second major design award for Luxo Align, following its Best Industrial Design award at the IDC.25 Awards last year in Norway. Luxo Align is a family of free-standing and pendant luminaires designed to integrate into any modern office space. With a minimalist Scandinavian aesthetic and flexible configurations, the Align range allows you to personalise your lighting to suit any office layout. “Winning the Red Dot Award for Luxo Align is a strong validation of our focus on high-quality design and continuous innovation,” said Astrid Simonsen Joos, Group CEO of Glamox. “We supply lighting solutions to commercial office buildings all over the world and we are seeing demand for products that are not only aesthetically pleasing but are also highly energy efficient, environmentally friendly, and durable.” “At Glamox, the research and development of our lighting products are led by the needs of our customers. Through our range of quality lighting brands, we create comfortable, flexible and stimulating working environments. Our office lighting is also built with sustainability in mind, helping our customers to reduce their energy footprint, as well as costs.” The collection features a slim, free-standing single-arm model suitable for 1-2 desks and a double-arm model for 2-4 desks. The Pendant variations use clean line design principles and seamlessly blend into any office environment. Built to be highly energy-efficient and sustainable, the Align family is created using circular-economy design principles. All models are constructed using 75% recycled aluminium and are equipped with presence sensors and support daylight harvesting to reduce energy consumption when natural light is available. The environmentally friendly LED luminaires provide an energy-efficient 144 lm/w, while an innovative reflector design provides comfortable light with good distribution, upwards (Ca. 70% or 80%) and downwards (Ca. 20% or 30%), eliminating the need for ceiling lights. Smart technology is incorporated into both the free-standing and pendant designs. In the free-standing models, light output is easily adjustable via built-in controls on the pole or remotely through Bluetooth via an app. The pendant version uses an IR switch for individual light control. The luminaires are matte powder-coated and available in white, grey, or black. Users can personalise their light by dimming it and selecting the light temperature that’s best for them. “When designing the Luxo Align, we wanted to create a lighting solution for the modern office environment that combines style with long-term usability,” said Hans Bleken Rud, Industrial Designer at Glamox. “The project builds on Luxo’s heritage in task lighting, where ergonomics and visual comfort are fundamental. By rethinking how one luminaire can serve multiple workstations while maintaining performance and simplicity, Luxo Align represents a more resource-efficient and human-friendly approach to office lighting. This is especially important given that the luminaire could last 40 years, while offices are normally refurbished every 10-15 years.” The Red Dot Design Awards is one of the world’s largest design competitions. Glamox has received numerous Red Dot Design Awards in previous years, including a Best of the Best 2023 award for Luxo Adapt in the Lamps and Luminaires category and a Best of the Best 2022 award for Glamox in the Corporate Design and Identity category. This year’s Red Dot award ceremony will take place on 7 July at the Red Dot Design Museum in Essen, Germany. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Perega appointed on major Horsham residential development
Perega is tackling some of the South East’s toughest water neutrality requirements and fifteen metres of unstable made ground to deliver the civil and structural engineering strategy for Taylor Wimpey’s major residential masterplan in the Horsham and Crawley region. Early ground investigations confirmed deep and variable fill across the development parcels. To address this, Perega has designed a piled foundation solution with piles driven up to 25 metres through the deep unstable material to sufficiently embed into the soil beneath. The piles are linked by reinforced concrete ground beams to support the walls of the masonry housing with precast concrete floors. Pile layouts have been coordinated with the architectural design to suit each parcel and tying beams were omitted where the pile’s lateral capacity allowed. This reduced concrete volumes while maintaining structural performance. Water neutrality has been a key driver of the overall civil engineering strategy. Perega has incorporated sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) across the site, including permeable paving and controlled discharge developed in coordination with the wider drainage masterplan. Ground beam concrete mixes include GGBS to reduce embodied carbon and a cut-and-fill earthworks approach retains material on-site to limit waste and vehicle movements. The civils package includes highways, drainage and external works delivered within defined level constraints. Perega is managing technical approvals with the local Highways Authority and AWIN – an independent water company – while supporting the project through RIBA Stages 4 and 5 across multiple parcels. Amy Norman, Senior Civil Engineer at Perega, said: “This project demonstrates what’s possible when you combine rigorous engineering with environmental responsibility. Having built a strong relationship with Taylor Wimpey over similar developments, we’re effectively coordinating multiple parcels simultaneously. The challenge is ensuring every individual plot achieves seamless integration back into the masterplan infrastructure.” Finn Neylon, Associate at Perega, added: “Establishing the piled foundation strategy early allowed the team to manage ground risk and support the delivery programme. Close coordination with the wider design team has been essential in delivering a practical solution suited to site constraints.” Tom Emery, Land Manager at Taylor Wimpey South Thames, said: “This site presented a complex engineering challenge and we are grateful to Parega for stepping up with a robust solution. Their excellent work in the early stages of the site will mean a smooth transition to construction, and will give our customers added confidence that their home is built on solid foundations.” The appointment demonstrates Perega’s capability to deliver integrated civil and structural engineering solutions on multi-phase masterplan developments. For more information on Perega, please visit: perega.co.uk. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Steel rises at Mountpark Ferrybridge as first unit takes shape
GMI Construction Group has begun erecting the structural steel frame of the first unit at Mountpark Ferrybridge, marking a major milestone in the regeneration of the former Ferrybridge C Power Station coal yard. Developed by specialist industrial and logistics developer Mountpark, the scheme secured hybrid planning consent in 2024, paving the way for up to 1.64 million sq. ft of B2 general industrial and B8 storage and distribution space, alongside significant infrastructure and connectivity improvements. Once fully operational, Mountpark Ferrybridge could support between 2,000 and 2,500 jobs. The first unit now rising on the 110-acre site is a 65,800 sq. ft distribution facility pre-let to Warburtons, the UK’s largest bakery brand. Secured on a 20-year lease, it will become the company’s 18th UK distribution depot. The project also marks the first collaboration between Mountpark and GMI. As part of the first phase of the development , it will also construct a second high-specification industrial unit. The second unit will total a 40,000 sq ft Grade-A logistics facility where foundations are underway. Practical completion is expected to occur in October 2026 and is available to let. Both buildings are targeting BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ certification and EPC A/A+ ratings. Sustainability measures include roof-mounted photovoltaic panels, air-source heat pumps, enhanced building fabric performance, intelligent LED lighting, electric vehicle charging infrastructure and facilities designed to encourage active and sustainable travel. Yorkshire-based GMI will also deliver extensive enabling works unlocking the wider site. In addition, there will also be new highway junctions, estate roads, drainage and landscaping infrastructure, together with modifications to existing rail infrastructure to maintain operational connectivity for neighbouring industrial users. Strategically located north of Ferrybridge, adjacent to the A1(M) and M62, the previously developed site is bordered by the River Aire and surrounded by established industrial operations. Following demolition of the former power station in 2022, the site was designated for employment use, creating a significant opportunity for long-term regeneration. Working alongside GMI as principal contractor, the wider consultant and advisory team include Oxalis Planning, SMR Architects, Ridge and Partners, SK Environmental, BWB, Circle Sustainability, Lampos, and Whitings. Ed Weston, Regional Director (Yorkshire) at GMI Construction Group, said: “The erection of the steel frame is a highly visible sign of progress and a real milestone. Ferrybridge has long been synonymous with energy and industry. Seeing new structures take shape signals the start of a new chapter focused on advanced logistics, manufacturing and high-quality job creation. We’re proud to be working alongside Mountpark to bring forward this next phase in the site’s evolution.” Brett Huxley, Development Director UK and Ireland at Mountpark, added: “Seeing real progress at this stage of construction is a key moment for the project. The strong momentum on site reflects continued demand for high-quality, sustainable logistics space in strategically located markets. With steel now in the ground, our vision is rapidly becoming a reality.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals