bdc magazine

Gazeley Eco-Template 2 Sustainable Warehouse

Chetwoods have designed this scheme for an iconic national distribution centre that aims to be the ‘most sustainable warehouse in the world’. Commissioned by logistics developers Gazeley, the scheme seeks to enhance its environment and improve the health and wellbeing of its occupants. The building and the landscape which surround

Read More »

Kingspan’s new SmartServ Pro ensures proactive pollution prevention

Ensure Full Legal Compliance for Your Drainage Products with Kingspan’s SmartServ Pro Managing below-ground drainage products across a company’s estate can be a huge challenge for energy management teams.  Ensuring that a company’s collective separators, pump stations and sewage treatment plants are all working safely and correctly is difficult when

Read More »

SCANLANS TO MANAGE THORPE PARK OFFICE BUILDINGS IN LEEDS

Surveying and property management company Scanlans has been appointed to manage a development of office buildings at Thorpe Park in Leeds. The Pentagon comprises six, two-storey buildings totalling about 25,000 sq ft. The buildings are owned by companies involved in construction, property development, financial services and financial planning. Thorpe Park

Read More »

Indego Service To Manage Flexi-space is launched by Cushman & Wakefield

Cushman & Wakefield has launched Indego, a new white label service for office landlords and investors looking to create bespoke flexible workspaces in the UK. Indego is a customisable service that encompasses design & build, marketing, sales and on-site operations offered under a management agreement with Cushman & Wakefield. The

Read More »

NHS Property Services insources Hard FM services

NHS Property Services (NHSPS) has today announced changes to the way it delivers hard facilities management services (‘Hard FM’), which will see the government-owned company take direct control of selected services. Responsible for the management and maintenance of 3,500 properties across England, encompassing 7,000 tenants, NHSPS has one of the

Read More »

Selco to reopen after coronavirus closure

One of the UK’s leading builders’ merchants will resume its online service to tradespeople on Wednesday. Selco Builders Warehouse’s 68 branches and all its delivery services have been closed since the UK officially entered lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak on Monday, March 23. A decision has now been taken

Read More »
Latest Issue
Issue 343 : Aug 2026

bdc magazine

Gazeley Eco-Template 2 Sustainable Warehouse

Chetwoods have designed this scheme for an iconic national distribution centre that aims to be the ‘most sustainable warehouse in the world’. Commissioned by logistics developers Gazeley, the scheme seeks to enhance its environment and improve the health and wellbeing of its occupants. The building and the landscape which surround it act as one entity, each benefiting from the other in a symbiotic way.  The native flora and fauna spills into the site, and the landscaping is either edible, encouraging pollinators, or used for recreational purposes. The project continues our long-term work with Gazeley on its ‘Route to Net Zero’ sustainability roadmap, which outlines the vision for creating the world’s most innovative sustainable buildings. Graeme Munro, head of construction Europe, Gazeley: “We’ve worked with Chetwoods for the last 30 years and their specialist environmental sustainability and wellbeing knowledge was key to developing our Route to Net Zero. Thrive is the perfect partner to help us realise our sustainability goals.”

Read More »

Kingspan’s new SmartServ Pro ensures proactive pollution prevention

Ensure Full Legal Compliance for Your Drainage Products with Kingspan’s SmartServ Pro Managing below-ground drainage products across a company’s estate can be a huge challenge for energy management teams.  Ensuring that a company’s collective separators, pump stations and sewage treatment plants are all working safely and correctly is difficult when they aren’t always easily accessible and may be widely distributed across remote geographical locations.  Nonetheless, this level of oversight is a requirement for all businesses under current EN 858-2 legislation, in order to protect the environment and public health from local pollution events. Kingspan’s brilliant new SmartServ Pro system now offers energy management teams an all-encompassing solution to the problem of monitoring and compliance, at a relatively low-cost (https://youtu.be/Vj7An5CTa54).  The system provides instant access to real-time performance data for each individual drainage product and gives early warning of any issues.  The benefits this brings include not just effortless oversight, compliance and optimum asset performance, but also significant time and cost-savings for a company.  James Curran, Kingspan’s Commercial Director, advises: “Proactive pollution prevention, such as via early fault warnings on SmartServ Pro, is now more important than ever.   “SmartServ Pro has been developed in line with Kingspan’s commitment to Planet Passionate, a series of ambitious targets to reduce the company’s carbon footprint.” How can SmartServ Pro help FMs save time and money? Once installed, SmartServ Pro sends alerts to users about the need for servicing and emptying/tankering of an asset as and when required, rather than simply when a maintenance contract requires it.  This intelligent monitoring solutions avoids the disruption and costs, as well as the additional carbon footprint associated with unnecessary tankering.  It also ensures a clear management plan is in place – all of which can be outsourced to the Kingspan Service team if required.   Predictive maintenance support is provided through an online platform and this also gives immediately notification of a drop in performance of any individual asset along with details of the problem (ie. which component is failing).  This gives teams the all information they need to action a repair in good time, reducing the risk of local underground pollution, which can occur when drainage products fail. Furthermore, SmartServ Pro acts as an asset register for a company, providing detailed, easy to access data which can be exported/shared as needed.  James continues: “Separators, pump stations and sewage treatment plants are not fit-and-forget products; they need regular servicing and maintenance.  “Many businesses choose to service them based on historic precedent rather than need – in other words when it’s been done in the past.  That’s unnecessary and it’s very wasteful.  Added to which, you could be fined for not complying to EN 858-2 guidelines, or prosecuted for polluting the local environment.” “Kingspan’s SmartServ Pro solves all these issues.  It’s a big step forward from previous asset management solutions – even those which currently use sensor technology and end-user text alerts.  And users can be confident that the system is built on tried and trusted technology and software, backed by Kingspan know-how.”  For more information, or to book a demo please contact our Service Team: E: helpingyou@kingspan.com T: +44 (0) 333 240 6868 (NI 028 3836 4600 / ROI 0818 543 500)

Read More »

Finland’s Hospital Nova uses VR to involve staff in building design

Innovative processes have been used in the co-design of Finland’s new Hospital Nova, using BIM models and involving over 350 staff As the first completely new hospital to be built in the Central Finland Healthcare District since the 1970s, Hospital Nova aims to be the one of the most modern and efficient hospitals in Europe. With a planned opening in late 2020, the project is an entirely new building type and concept compared to traditional hospitals, with a target to cut traditional operating costs by 10%. Virtual visits Due to the ambitious nature of the project, the project team wanted to involve staff in the design of the hospital to ensure it would meet everyone’s needs. “Our objective was to engage hospital staff in the project before construction had even started, by allowing them to visit the building virtually,” explained Mikko Jylhä, Project Director, Hospital Nova,  Central Finland Healthcare District. “Right from the early stages we wanted to share the new designs, collaborate with the building’s future users and gather vital feedback for the design process.”  Streamlined BIM workflows Hospital Nova decided to use Tridify to convert their BIMs into virtual models, as it was quick and easy to update the models with ongoing changes. Tridify’s automated service processed the architect BIM files into 3D interactive models, saving the hospital a lot of time and effort. The VR solution involved building a hospital demonstration space next to the construction site, for both the staff and the public to visit. Facilities included a virtual space where staff could use VR goggles to explore the future hospital and an auditorium where others could follow the virtual experience on a large screen.  The response from staff was impressive, with over 350 registering to be involved in the design process with many using the virtual model. At the height of its use there were several visitor groups per day, including members of the public interested in seeing what the hospital would look like. In 2019 alone there were over 3,000 visitors to the showroom. Due to its ease of use, Nova’s own project team were able to operate the demonstration space without the help of any external specialists. They were also able to use the Tridify virtual model to create their own videos and images for use in other promotional and educational activities.  Design feedback Staff have been able to explore the future building using the virtual model and provide feedback in the early design stages. Various different clinical and operational teams were able to make plans for new facilities based on their virtual visits, the model helping people to understand the design and if space was adequate for the planned functions. “Many different staff groups were involved, ranging from clinical staff, consultants, doctors, nurses and laboratory staff,” explained Jylhä. “Gathering feedback from so many different groups who would be using the building was invaluable in helping shape its design. Changes were made to the architect plans based on feedback. The result being an improved hospital which avoids any expensive alterations once the hospital is complete.” With construction now in its final stages and a planned opening in late 2020, the virtual model is currently being used by staff to test the hospital signage and ensure the smooth flow of different users around the site. This will allow further cost savings to be made as any changes can easily be done in the design phase. Staff are also becoming familiar with the new premises even before entering the building. BIM to web publishing Hospital Nova is now starting to use Tridify to publish the 3D model to mobile devices via the web, to help communicate the design to additional stakeholders. The hospital is also planning on using the virtual model throughout the hospital’s lifecycle in facilities management. “Using virtual reality for hospital co-design on this scale is rare so we are proud to be at the forefront of such developments, seeing how it can help shape the hospital so it functions as efficiently as possible, for both staff and patients. An efficient design is critical as it helps guarantee the delivery of the best quality and economically efficient healthcare in years to come,” concluded Jylhä.

Read More »

SCANLANS TO MANAGE THORPE PARK OFFICE BUILDINGS IN LEEDS

Surveying and property management company Scanlans has been appointed to manage a development of office buildings at Thorpe Park in Leeds. The Pentagon comprises six, two-storey buildings totalling about 25,000 sq ft. The buildings are owned by companies involved in construction, property development, financial services and financial planning. Thorpe Park has been developed by Scarborough International Properties and its joint venture partner Legal & General and includes a 900,000 sq ft business park alongside homes, shops and green space. Michael Willans, senior property manager at Scanlans’ Leeds office, said: “We are delighted to win the instruction for the commercial estate management of The Pentagon area of the Thorpe Park business park. “The Pentagon plays an important part in the thriving regional business hub. We are excited to implement our property management services and look forward to getting involved in the management of the buildings for our client, Pentagon Management Services.” Scanlans has also recently secured an agreement to manage 68 energy-efficient homes at the Ironworks development in Holbeck Urban Village.

Read More »

BUREAU VERITAS LAUNCHES NEW ‘RETURN TO WORK’ SERVICE TO HELP BUSINESSES RESTART POST-LOCKDOWN OPERATIONS

As businesses plan their return to work following months of coronavirus restrictions, Bureau Veritas has launched a new service to help construction firms meet the robust health and safety standards required to safely restart their operations. It comes as the UK government prepares to end the coronavirus lockdown by drawing up guidelines for the safe return of employees to different working environments. According to latest reports1, the guidance, which has yet to be published, will differ according to each company’s operating environment. It will, however, seek to maintain social distancing, variable shift patterns, encouragement of continued homeworking and strict hygiene practices. As such, committed to helping the construction industry navigate the current conflicting advice on resuming operations, global health and safety expert Bureau Veritas has developed its new ‘Return To Work Assurance’ solution. The service provides a voluntary, independent assessment of a firm’s COVID-19 readiness to re-open their business premises, with a statement of assurance issued on completion that can be displayed on its website and at its properties. The scheme covers best practice measures required by firms to meet the local and international standards on managing coronavirus risks in the workplace. These include hygiene, disinfection and cleaning assessment, social distancing best practice, personal protection equipment requirements as well as employee specific risk assessment. Ken Smith, UK Chief Executive at Bureau Veritas UK, said: “As we emerge from lockdown, which is currently in its sixth week, for almost all businesses across the UK, the urgent priority will be how to get back to work as quickly as possible and with appropriate health, safety and hygiene measures in place to protect their employees and their clients. “Safely restarting business amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic remains unchartered territory for many, especially construction sites. That’s why, we’ve created our Return To Work Assurance solution to aid business owners, property managers and employers to put in place hygiene, safety, maintenance and regulatory processes that will ensure a safe working and trading environment.” One of the key challenges for firms planning on resuming operations, says Bureau Veritas, has been deciphering conflicting advice on appropriate health and safety measures required in the workplace, which is impacting organisations operating across multiple countries in particular. Ken adds: “With many nations across the world having their own policies, regulations and standards on managing coronavirus risks, this can leave many multinational organisations confused as to the correct action to take. Luckily, as a global leader in compliance operating in more than 140 countries, our Return To Work assurance scheme can provide solutions tailored for specific sector and geographical needs. We’d urge all our new and existing client to make use of this fantastic new service.” To find out more about Bureau Veritas’ Return To Work Assurance Solution, call 0345 600 1828 or visit: https://share.hsforms.com/1tTRe4h7IQZOBHtRBmdDDfg2z02a

Read More »

Indego Service To Manage Flexi-space is launched by Cushman & Wakefield

Cushman & Wakefield has launched Indego, a new white label service for office landlords and investors looking to create bespoke flexible workspaces in the UK. Indego is a customisable service that encompasses design & build, marketing, sales and on-site operations offered under a management agreement with Cushman & Wakefield. The proposition is new for the office market but follows principles which are already well established in the hotel industry. It will meet the demand from office owners to create a flexible workspace solution without operational complexities. “Indego enables our clients to meet the rapidly growing demand for flexible workspace and the improved returns it offers – on their terms.” – Emma Swinnerton Head of Flexible Workspace EMEA, Cushman & Wakefield  Indego lead Indego is led by flexible office sector expert, Emma Swinnerton, who joined Cushman & Wakefield in April 2018 to provide strategic advice to operators, landlords, investors and new entrants on how to respond to the changing dynamics of the flexible office market. Prior to this position, Swinnerton held the role of Global Commercial Director for Spaces & New Formats at serviced office giant, Regus. Swinnerton said: “Cushman & Wakefield has been at the forefront of the evolving office market for many years and our investment in Indego demonstrates where we believe this exciting sector is heading next.”

Read More »

Canmoor drives Scotland’s largest lockdown industrial deal with Malcolm Group at Westway Park, Renfrew

Canmoor is delighted to announce that Malcolm Group has agreed terms for 67,000 sq ft of warehouse space at Westway Park in Renfrew. The deal represents the largest lockdown industrial deal to be concluded in Scotland so far. Malcolm Group, one of the UK’s most successful logistics, construction and maintenance services companies, will use Block E3 for short-term storage requirements. Rob Large, director of Canmoor said: “Westway continues to offer the ideal property solution for prestigious occupiers like Malcolm. We always adopt a practical and ‘can do’ approach and were able to provide the right product and terms to meet Malcolm’s key business requirements.” Iain Davidson, of joint agent Colliers International added: “Malcolm has a long history with Westway and was attracted by the quality of space, as well as the great location and flexibility. The space requirement was time-sensitive and we were able to conclude the deal within six days of viewing.” Norman Pollock, of Pollock Property Advisors, who represented Malcolm, said: “Malcolm had an immediate need for storage space in a secure and well-connected location. Westway was quickly able to provide the perfect space solution, less than three miles from Malcolm’s headquarters at Linwood.” Westway offers excellent connectivity to the whole of Central Scotland, with Junction 27 of the M8 only 3 minutes drive away. The park is located in the heart of the Glasgow Airport Investment area, which is one of the key City Deal projects that will benefit from £39.1m of inward investment over the next 10 years. This will deliver significant infrastructure investment to the area including a new two-lane bridge over the White Cart, directly linking Westway with the investment area and airport. Other key occupiers at Westway include Doosan Babcock, AMG Group, JW Filshill, Malin Fabrication, the NHS and Strathclyde University. Westway joint agents are Colliers International and JLL. The Malcolm Group was represented by Pollock Property Advisors. 

Read More »

NHS Property Services insources Hard FM services

NHS Property Services (NHSPS) has today announced changes to the way it delivers hard facilities management services (‘Hard FM’), which will see the government-owned company take direct control of selected services. Responsible for the management and maintenance of 3,500 properties across England, encompassing 7,000 tenants, NHSPS has one of the largest portfolios in the UK, valued in excess of £3bn and representing approximately 10% of the total NHS estate. The move to insource Hard FM services, i.e. those that relate to the maintenance of the physical materials of a building, follows a detailed review by NHSPS. This has determined which services should be delivered directly by NHSPS instead of the current provider Mitie. These include plumbing, electrical, mechanical, water systems, fire safety systems, lighting and building inspections. Other selected services such as air conditioning, heating, and gas will continue to be provided by Mitie or transferred to trusted partners. The change will take place on 1 April 2020 when approximately 140 Mitie employees affected by the decision will transfer to NHSPS’s employment. Martin Steele, Chief Executive Officer of NHSPS, said, “This decision supports our business strategy to deliver improved value for the NHS and is part of a wider program to rebalance our service delivery model. By taking these elements of facilities management in-house, we will have greater control over the standard and flexibility of service we provide our NHS customers. Given the scale of this service nationally, we will also be able to achieve significant cost efficiencies, to be reinvested back into the NHS.”

Read More »

Selco to reopen after coronavirus closure

One of the UK’s leading builders’ merchants will resume its online service to tradespeople on Wednesday. Selco Builders Warehouse’s 68 branches and all its delivery services have been closed since the UK officially entered lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak on Monday, March 23. A decision has now been taken for Selco to re-open 42 branches to support the delivery of online orders – through Click & Collect and Click & Deliver – only. No customers will be permitted to enter branches and other social distancing measures will be in place for collections and deliveries. Any collections will be made from the car parks of those branches that are open. Chief executive Howard Luft said: “It’s been an incredibly difficult period for the whole country and it’s been no different for us at Selco. “We have been monitoring events and government guidance extremely closely and now everything is in place to enable us to offer our customers a revised service, while closely following the social distancing guidelines. “We are fully aware our customers offer a vital service to the communities in which they operate, providing essential maintenance and repairs to properties, and we are delighted we can once again begin to make at least part of our usual offering available to them. “The health and wellbeing of our customers and colleagues remains our No 1 priority.” Opening hours at those Selco branches opening will be limited to 7am-5pm, Monday to Friday. All branches will be closed at weekends. Customer numbers will be managed through collection time slots to collect their orders, to ensure that social distancing can be maintained. Howard added: “We would urge only people who have pre-ordered products and materials to visit branches – and then only at the time they have been allocated. “We will constantly monitor operations in all of our branches which are re-opening and make adjustments as and where we see fit. “We will provide a further update on the remaining 26 branches which remain closed in due course.” For more information on Selco visit www.selcobw.com The full list of Selco branches opening is: York, Ardwick, Leeds Elland Road, Coventry, Baguley, Stirchley, Tyburn, Tyseley, Wolverhampton, Leicester, Nottingham, Cardiff Hadfield Road, Swansea, Bristol Filton, Cricklewood, Kingsbury, Ruislip, Hanger Lane, Southall, Watford, Hemel Hempstead, Camberley, Reading, Slough, Isleworth, Chessington, Poole, Southampton, Walthamstow, Barking, Tottenham, Romford, Thurrock, Chelmsford, Charlton, Catford, Old Kent Road, Sidcup, Croydon, Sutton, Wimbledon, Redhill.

Read More »

GMI receives RoSPA President’s Award for consecutive health and safety achievements

The highly prestigious RoSPA Presidents Award is presented to those organisations who have received 10 consecutive RoSPA Gold awards for health and safety GMI Construction Group PLC, which has bases in Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester, has announced that it has been presented with an internationally recognised award for demonstrating high health and safety standards on a consistent and continual basis. GMI has received a RoSPA President’s (10 consecutive Gold Awards) Health and Safety Award for working hard to ensure its staff, clients and sub-contractors get home safely to their families at the end of every working day. Organisations receiving a RoSPA Award are recognised as being world-leaders in health and safety practice. Every year, nearly 2,000 entrants vie to achieve the highest possible accolade in what is the UK’s longest-running H&S industry awards. Andy Bruce, GMI Construction’s Group Managing Director, said: “Providing a safe working environment for our employees, operatives and visitors as well as the general public is our number one priority, the robust systems we have in place demonstrate our commitment towards that. We’re delighted that RoSPA has recognised GMI’s achievement over 10 years and the President’s Award is a real testament to our dedicated and hard working team. To achieve the President’s Award for 10 consecutive years of Gold medals is truly an outstanding achievement for the company. I would like to thank everyone involved in helping us achieve this accolade.” Julia Small, RoSPA’s head of qualifications, awards and events, said: “The RoSPA Awards scheme is the longest-running of its kind in the UK, but it receives entries from organisations around the world, making it one of the most sought-after global accolades in health and safety. “RoSPA wants every employee, wherever they are, to work safe in the knowledge that they will be going home unharmed and healthy at the end of every day. The RoSPA Award winners are vital to help achieve this goal, as by entering they are driving up standards and setting new benchmarks for organisations everywhere. Currently, around 7 million people are directly impacted by the RoSPA Awards, but the scheme’s influence is even wider.” The majority of awards are non-competitive and mark achievement at merit, bronze, silver and gold levels. Gold medals, president’s awards, orders of distinction and the Patron’s Award are presented to organisations sustaining the high standards of the gold level over consecutive years. Competitive awards go to the best entries in 24 industry sectors including construction, healthcare, transport and logistics, engineering, manufacturing and education. There are specialist awards for health at work, environmental management, safety delivered outside of the workplace, and fleet safety, and excellence trophies for the best international organisation, new entry, workforce involvement, leisure organisation, and organisation operating or based in Scotland. RoSPA’s top accolade is the Sir George Earle Trophy. Headline sponsor of the RoSPA Awards 2020 is NEBOSH – the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health – for the 15th consecutive year. For more information about the RoSPA Awards visit www.rospa.com/awards

Read More »