center parcs

EDMOND SHIPWAY TO SUPPORT CENTER PARCS’ €85M IRISH EXPANSION

LEADING construction consultancy Edmond Shipway has been appointed to provide project management, cost consultancy and mechanical and electrical engineering consultancy services for the proposed €85m expansion of Center Parcs’ Longford Forest resort. Building on the success of the resort since opening in July 2019, Center Parcs has recently announced its

Read More »

Balancing nature with wooden building at Center Parcs Elveden Forest

The construction of three new Waterside Lodges at Center Parcs Elveden Forest is an ambitious architectural and engineering project. The stunning new lodges have been designed to compliment the woodland landscape in which they sit, while connecting guests with the surrounding natural environment. Wood was a natural choice of building

Read More »

Center Parcs Woburn Forest £9.1m Lodge Scheme Underway

Construction specialist Stepnell has begun construction work on a £9.1 million project to build 57 single-storey timber frame lodges at Center Parcs Woburn Forest, Bedfordshire. Stepnell is building a mix of two, three and four-bedroom lodges on a sloped forest clearing to the north of the development, west of the

Read More »
Latest Issue
Issue 325 : Feb 2025

center parcs

EDMOND SHIPWAY TO SUPPORT CENTER PARCS’ €85M IRISH EXPANSION

LEADING construction consultancy Edmond Shipway has been appointed to provide project management, cost consultancy and mechanical and electrical engineering consultancy services for the proposed €85m expansion of Center Parcs’ Longford Forest resort. Building on the success of the resort since opening in July 2019, Center Parcs has recently announced its intention to submit a planning application for a significant investment to further develop its Longford Forest resort, which is set in around 400 acres of woodland located five kilometres from Ballymahon. The plans include the addition of 200 new lodges, including four of Center Parcs’ most luxurious accommodation – Treehouses. Hidden within the forest, each Treehouse sleeps up to eight people and comes complete with a games den, outdoor hot tub, private parking, and a dedicated Treehouse Host for the duration of the break. Alongside increasing the number of lodges, the development also proposes to extend existing facilities, including leisure facilities, restaurants, and cafes, back of house facilities, the Subtropical Swimming Paradise and Aqua Sana Spa. The development will remain within the existing site boundary. David Stevenson, managing director at Edmond Shipway, said: “We have a relationship with Center Parcs that spans decades, so we are really pleased to be continuing to support its latest ventures. We provided services for the delivery of the initial Longford Forest scheme, which is one of the biggest tourism investments Ireland has ever seen and brought the high-quality resort facilities that Center Parcs is renowned for to the country. “We look forward to working closely with the team, supporting the planning application for these expansion plans and to hopefully leading on the delivery of more exceptional facilities for the Irish resort.” Martin Dalby, CEO at Center Parcs, said: “We are thrilled to be developing the next chapter for Longford Forest, reaffirming our confidence in our product and the Irish market. We are delighted to be working once more with Edmond Shipway, who I’m sure will deliver for us once again.” The development, which will remain within the existing site boundary, is driven by a great confidence in the business and the Irish domestic tourism market and will create 250 permanent jobs, along with a further 300 jobs during construction. Edmond Shipway’s four core services – cost consultancy, project management, M&E and sustainability consultancy – allow the practice to add value to all of its projects, and its specialist teams focus on individual markets to deliver industry-leading expertise and maximise efficiencies and results for clients. For more information about Edmond Shipway, please visit https://www.edmondshipway.com/

Read More »

Balancing nature with wooden building at Center Parcs Elveden Forest

The construction of three new Waterside Lodges at Center Parcs Elveden Forest is an ambitious architectural and engineering project. The stunning new lodges have been designed to compliment the woodland landscape in which they sit, while connecting guests with the surrounding natural environment. Wood was a natural choice of building material, which would blend in seamlessly with the natural forest setting. When designing the new accommodation, the choice of building materials was a key consideration for the architectural practice Jackson Design Associates (JDA). They were faced with the challenge of not only creating a design, which would blend in with the natural surroundings, but also be sufficiently lightweight to achieve the impressive arches, overhangs, and cantilever designs, without needing a considerable amount of foundation works. The only material that could meet all the requirements of the structure was Metsä Wood’s light, yet extremely strong Kerto® LVL (laminated veneer lumber). The use of Kerto LVL enabled an efficient and fast building time, which was a key factor as the project needed to be completed in time for the summer. Innovative design Architects JDA created an elegant shape, reminiscent of a boat turned upside-down. The lodges have two levels; the forest-facing side is situated higher, accessed through a wooden bridge on the first floor. The first floor contains three en-suite bedrooms, two of which open onto a deck and balcony facing the lake. The ground floor combines kitchen, living and dining areas opening out on to a terrace on the waters edge. Luke Hunter, Director at JDA said: “It was important to the Client to develop an exciting and interesting building form that made references to the boating activities of the watersports lake. This concept is continued inside the lodges where the ‘ribs’ of the boat hull are exposed to express the building’s structure and form.” Particularly unique to this project is a two storey ‘leaning’ arch overhanging the lake edge, which is also curved three times to suit the sectional profile of the main roof. While providing an impressive architectural feature, the arch also serves as a shelter to the cantilevered terrace and first floor balcony, which look out over the lake. The architects at JDA needed to find a solution that would make the structure easy to assemble and stay/remain stable from wind action or ground settlement. They choose to use lightweight and versatile Kerto LVL for the portal frames. Paul Kent, Development and Construction Director at Center Parcs said: “We have been delighted to work with Metsä Wood on the supply of Kerto LVL for our new Waterside Lodges at Elveden Forest. The versatility of their product has helped to create a unique design feature in this brand new style of accommodation, complementing the nautical theme and lakeside setting.” Fire safety Another important consideration was fire safety – an issue that often discourages architects from specifying wood. However, in the event of a fire, Kerto LVL performs predictably. As a result of burning, the surface of Kerto becomes charred, which protects the product, insulates it and slows down the burning process. Strong yet lightweight building material Kerto LVL was chosen as the construction material as its solid bonded structure offers incredible strength and dimensional stability, while its high strength to weight ratio allows for smaller spacing in mechanical connections. It is also a versatile and lightweight material, which is easy to work with. Luke Hunter, also said: “Kerto LVL was the perfect choice to help us achieve the leaning arch and thin roof / facia profile on the lake facing elevation. This flexible material helped to overcome the challenge of cutting the leaning, curved roof edge on an angle. A number of systems were investigated to achieve this, however, Kerto LVL was the only material that fully achieved the concept’s vision.“ One of the most complex elements of the structure was an exposed arch at the front, which leans towards the lake. This needed to withstand biaxial bending and compression, while supporting the roof structure with a large cantilever. Kerto LVL Q-panels were used to create the long span to the first floor deck, which was designed to bear the weight of the column horizontally with a spring support. Another factor was that the angled arch had to have a considerable bending moment connection at the top. This had to be manufactured in such a way that there was a perfect connection between the deck and arch, resulting in an irregular shape. Vertical columns were formed with two members spaced to support the first floor’s beams and curved roof beams. Kerto LVL was also used to create a recessed infill detail, closing the gap between the two vertical columns, a bespoke detail developed by JDA and Metsä Wood. Innovative bracing and connections The columns, floor beams and support ribs of the curved roof were created using Kerto LVL Q-panel structural members. This allowed for smaller spacing in the doweled circular bending moment connection and better moisture stability.   The bracing of the roof and floor was provided by Kerto LVL Q-panels, which were connected together with 3-dimentional screwing. In this way no steel bracing was required. Engineering firm, BSP Consulting, designed the foundations and the steel platform supporting the frames, which cantilevered over the lake. The Kerto LVL frames, consisting of the arch, two columns and the floor beam, are connected to the steel through metal shoes, which transfer shear and horizontal forces to the platform.  Working together to solve the structural engineering  Divisional Operations Manager at Cocksedge Building Contractors, Tom Courtney, said: “The project combined a unique architectural approach with challenging structural engineering to great effect. The success of the project demonstrates the technical know-how and expertise of everyone involved. “The use of engineered wood allowed us to overcome a number of challenges that simply wouldn’t have been solved using other materials, while at the same time maintaining a look and feel to match the surrounding natural environment.” “The use of such a versatile and lightweight material

Read More »

Center Parcs Woburn Forest £9.1m Lodge Scheme Underway

Construction specialist Stepnell has begun construction work on a £9.1 million project to build 57 single-storey timber frame lodges at Center Parcs Woburn Forest, Bedfordshire. Stepnell is building a mix of two, three and four-bedroom lodges on a sloped forest clearing to the north of the development, west of the Village Square. The lodges, designed by Jackson Design Associates, will be made from timber and stone cladding. This will keep in with the character of the village’s surrounding 643 lodges, which opened two years ago. The development is expected to be completed by next Autumn, and will see Stepnell building 15 of Center Parcs’ well-known open-plan woodland lodges, and 42 of Center Parcs’ executive lodges in Woburn Forest. Project manager for Stepnell, John Neill, commented: “We are delighted to be working with Center Parcs for the first time on this exciting and ambitious guest accommodation project which will be carried out in a ‘live environment’ with the short-break village, roads and footpaths remaining open throughout the construction. “Over the next 48 weeks, we will be liaising closely with Center Parcs to continue to deliver an excellent experience for guests.” Nestled in 365 acres of natural forest, Center Parcs Woburn Forest is one of five UK villages and is only an hour away from London. Center Parcs accommodation project manager, Fiona Owen, commented: “We are delighted to be working with Stepnell to help deliver additional accommodation at Woburn Forest. “The team has really understood our requirements for the project which will allow more families to experience Center Parcs.” Half-year revenue and profit has climbed at holiday park operator Center Parcs, despite a dip in occupancy due to ongoing upgrades. In the 24 weeks to 6 October 2016, turnover rose by 4 per cent to £208.3m, compared to £200.2m a year earlier. Accommodation revenue was up by 5.1 per cent while village revenue increased by 2.6 per cent.  

Read More »