HBD, part of Henry Boot, has secured planning approval for Colloco, a 200,000 sq ft office development, in the St John’s District of Manchester city centre. The developer is seeking a joint venture partner now to deliver the highly sustainable Grade A office scheme. Situated on the corner of New
Solihull Council approved the design for the HS2 green tunnel in Burton Green to cover it with plants and new footpaths to increase biodiversity. The designs respond to community feedback, focusing on bigger and better green spaces around the railway, following public engagement events in October 2019 and March 2022.
McAleer & Rushe has been appointed to develop a landmark mixed-use scheme in the heart of the City of London, and a permanent home for London’s Migration Museum, worth a construction contract value of over £100 million. The 65 Crutched Friars development, due to be completed in Summer 2027, will
South Gloucestershire Council has approved proposals for the revised masterplan for Brabazon, a new neighbourhood for South Gloucestershire and Bristol being built by YTL Developments on the historic former Filton Airfield. As the birthplace of Concorde and supersonic travel, home to over 100 years of aviation history, the former Filton
Esh Construction has completed work on a £3 million project and has handed over 20 new affordable homes at Fir View Gardens in Sheffield. Working on behalf of Great Places Housing Group, the development has been delivered on a vacant piece of land off Osgathorpe Drive, close to the Earl
Morgan Sindall Construction has commenced refurbishment work at Watford Colosseum to preserve, modernise and upgrade the historic live entertainment venue. Built in 1938, Watford Colosseum is a Grade II listed building renowned worldwide for its exceptional acoustics. Described by Julian Lloyd Webber as ‘the finest recording venue in the world’,
Spitfire Homes has officially opened a new Customer Suite at Malabar, a new neighbourhood in Daventry, Northamptonshire, against a backdrop of rising buyer demand across the UK. The collection comprises a variety of aspirational new two- to five-bedroom homes tailored to suit a range of lifestyles, showcasing Spitfire’s signature design-led
Plans to demolish and rebuild New Oscott Primary School in Sutton Coldfield have been approved by Birmingham City Council. Designed by CPMG Architects, the plans will transform the existing single-storey building into a purpose-built two-storey school with a sustainability specification including net zero carbon in operation. The school, located near
Stantec has been appointed to provide integrated design services for Agratas, Tata Group’s global battery business, which is building a battery cell manufacturing facility on the Gravity Smart Campus in the United Kingdom (UK). The new advanced manufacturing facility, comprising three separate buildings with associated ancillary structures, will create up
Birchgrove and Hybr have announced an industry-first intergenerational living scheme which will see students and key workers live alongside retirees in the same purpose-built, privately rented retirement development. Ayrton House is a new 60-apartment rental retirement community in Mill Hill, North London. When launched in October this year, 16 apartments
HBD, part of Henry Boot, has secured planning approval for Colloco, a 200,000 sq ft office development, in the St John’s District of Manchester city centre. The developer is seeking a joint venture partner now to deliver the highly sustainable Grade A office scheme. Situated on the corner of New Quay Street and Gartside Street and formerly the LTE Group’s Manchester College, Colloco will comprise 16 storeys of high-quality flexible accommodation. It will include communal spaces at ground floor level with a concierge reception, a roof pavilion with breakout and events space, and access to a landscaped garden terrace with views across the city. Each suite will also have a private external terrace. Designed by EPR Architects, with Asteer Planning acting as planning consultants, Colloco has been designed with sustainability at its core; the scheme will be built to Net Zero Carbon in construction and operation and is targeting EPC A and BREEAM Excellent ratings. It will also comply with British Council for Offices standards and include a host of amenities aligned with the WELL building standards. Sitting between St John’s and Spinningfields the area around Colloco is a vibrant hub for businesses in the media, technology, and creative sectors. In 2023, the district saw the opening of the new Aviva Studios, establishing its status as the epicentre of cultural and creative activity in the region. Securing planning and seeking a joint venture partner for Colloco comes a week after HBD and Greater Manchester Pension Fund topped out at Island, a 100,000 sq ft net zero carbon, smart-enabled Grade A office scheme on John Dalton Street in Manchester. Adam Brady, Executive Director at HBD commented: “Colloco represents a new era in workspace design. The building looks to attract dynamic, forward-thinking organisations, which see collaboration and the health and wellbeing of their employees as fundamental to the success of their business.” “We are pleased with the planning approval which recognises the value that a scheme such as Colloco will bring to the city. It will be one of the most sustainable new office buildings in the regional market at a time when high-profile businesses are looking to occupy space which will support their Net Zero Carbon commitments.” The project team includes Arcadis EPR Architects; Asteer Planning, Curtins, Hoare Lea and Ramboll. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Solihull Council approved the design for the HS2 green tunnel in Burton Green to cover it with plants and new footpaths to increase biodiversity. The designs respond to community feedback, focusing on bigger and better green spaces around the railway, following public engagement events in October 2019 and March 2022. The plans for the southern end of the structure have already been approved by Warwickshire District Council, where the railway will travel in a 400-metre green tunnel. The railway will be hidden, and the roof will be covered with landscape planting and new footpaths to sensitively integrate the railway into the surrounding landscape and enhance local biodiversity. Solihull Council’s approval of the northern section of the structure, where the railway exits the tunnel north portal in a 1.4-kilometre cutting with retained walls, completes the planning approvals for this stretch of HS2. A key feature for this area is the realignment of the Kenilworth Greenway, which provides a link from Balsall Common to Kenilworth via Burton Green for walkers, cyclists and horse-riders. The new Greenway will cross under Cromwell Lane and then cross the roof of the green tunnel and run alongside the railway cutting, with noise barriers further minimising impacts on the local community. Large-scale planting of native trees and shrubs will provide biodiverse habitats for wildlife, shield the Greenway visibly from the new railway, and re-establish vegetated connections to Black Waste Wood and Little Poors Wood, both areas of ancient woodland. Alan Payne, HS2’s Senior Project Manager said: “We’re delighted to receive Schedule 17 planning consent for the northern section of the green tunnel from Solihull Council. We’re committed to maximising green space around the new high-speed railway and have worked with residents and authorities to ensure our tunnel design conserves, enhances and transforms the landscape in this area. “The design for the permanent realignment for the Kenilworth Greenway and the landscape infrastructure created over the green tunnel is central to how we deliver this, linking the local community and railway with the wider landscape.” The green tunnel in Burton Green was designed by the Mott MacDonald SYSTRA Design Joint Venture working for HS2’s main works contractor for the West Midlands, Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV), who are constructing 90km of HS2 between Long Itchington in Warwickshire to the centre of Birmingham and on to Staffordshire. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
McAleer & Rushe has been appointed to develop a landmark mixed-use scheme in the heart of the City of London, and a permanent home for London’s Migration Museum, worth a construction contract value of over £100 million. The 65 Crutched Friars development, due to be completed in Summer 2027, will include new purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), to provide over 700 student homes in a 21-storey building. The student units will be complemented by green spaces open to the public, such as a new pocket park and public roof terrace, for the local community. Located on the eastern edge of the City of London, the scheme has been designed to be sustainable in both construction and operation, targeting a BREEAM Outstanding rating as well as utilising offsite manufacturing, including prefabricated bathroom pods, a precast and unitised façade and both blue and green biodiverse roofs. While demolition works have commenced, the major transformation of the former office block is due to begin in Spring 2024 with the accommodation ready for the 2027/28 student intake. Enhancing student living in London, Crutched Friars will help to meet the growing need for student accommodation within the City with an abundance of social and study spaces, including private dining rooms, gym and wellness zones, a TV lounge and entertainment spaces. The development also secures the future of London’s Migration Museum with a purpose-built, three-floor 30,000 sq ft space, free-to-enter thanks to a 60-year lease granted by the Ahluwalia family, with no rent or service charge payable, alongside a new pocket park. Mark Diamond, Senior Director, McAleer & Rushe said: “We’re thrilled to be delivering this prominent mixed-use scheme in the City of London as Construction Partner with Dominus. Our decade-long collaboration, involving several successful projects throughout the UK, is rooted in shared values and a commitment to delivering positive social value impact and community outreach. Crutched Friars is a prime example of our early engagement approach in action and with our experienced teams behind us, we are looking forward to working on this landmark visionary scheme with all stakeholders involved.” Designed by Danish architectural studio 3XN, the student residences will feature a mix of Premium Studios, Studios, Twodios, Threedios and affordable Cluster bedrooms and contain generous communal spaces, private study areas, a gym, laundry facilities and external rooftop terraces. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
South Gloucestershire Council has approved proposals for the revised masterplan for Brabazon, a new neighbourhood for South Gloucestershire and Bristol being built by YTL Developments on the historic former Filton Airfield. As the birthplace of Concorde and supersonic travel, home to over 100 years of aviation history, the former Filton Airfield is known worldwide for a community that changed the world. Under the plans, Brabazon will become a new urban destination that lives up to that legacy. The new place aims to provide every generation with the space, connectivity and opportunity to continue to shape the future of South Gloucestershire and North Bristol. It will provide new homes, and new jobs and renew the fabric of the community, driving local prosperity for the next century. Once YTL Developments, South Gloucestershire Council and National Highways have signed the Section 106 Agreement, Brabazon is forecast to create over £5 billion of added economic value for the local area. The approved plans should see Brabazon grow to over 6,000 new homes of every type and tenure and for every generation, from rental apartments to flats for first-time buyers, open-market houses and properties for retirement living. There will be up to 2,000 beds for student accommodation, while high-quality affordable homes will make up 26.5 per cent of properties, equating to over 1,700 architect-designed houses and apartments. The plans are based on a flexible framework so that development is phased alongside improved transport links. Three review stages are built into the approval to ensure that the number of homes built at Brabazon can only increase in line with the additional transport connections and community facilities needed to support those homes. The plans – developed by a consortium of world-renowned architects and planners – also include up to 3 million sq ft of commercial space: enough to support 30,000 jobs. The local area is already home to Airbus, Rolls-Royce and GKN. The top 25 employers alone have over 45,000 staff working within a few miles of Brabazon, many in high-skilled engineering, aerospace and technology roles. Yet recently this world-leading commercial cluster has lacked the space to grow. With three new schools and plans for a higher education or research campus alongside creative office spaces, laboratories and advanced manufacturing facilities, Brabazon will meet this need. It will act as a centre of learning and a launchpad for every type of business, from leading global firms to local start-ups shaping the latest technologies. Brabazon will also be a hub for culture, creativity and entertainment. You’ll be able to wander around independent stores, discover new cafes and restaurants or relax in over 86 acres of public space, from leafy squares to Brabazon Park: the largest new public park in the southwest for 50 years. At its heart will be the supersonic new YTL Arena Bristol, with a capacity of over 17,000. Finally, Brabazon will be connected to Bristol city centre and beyond over £100m is already being invested in the local transport network. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Esh Construction has completed work on a £3 million project and has handed over 20 new affordable homes at Fir View Gardens in Sheffield. Working on behalf of Great Places Housing Group, the development has been delivered on a vacant piece of land off Osgathorpe Drive, close to the Earl Marshal Recreation Ground. The two and three-bedroom homes have been built by Esh Construction for affordable rent and include associated parking and landscaping in Sheffield. A fabric-first approach was used in both design and construction, with maximising energy efficiency being a top priority. Esh Construction’s Operations Director, Simon Woodward, said: “Fir View was the first contract we were awarded through the Innovation Chain North framework, and it’s proved a real success for Esh in delivering energy efficient homes while providing added benefit to the community through school engagement, volunteering and community funding.” A comprehensive social value plan has been delivered which has seen 133 weeks of employment delivered for residents within 10 miles of the site and 108 weeks of employment provided for previously unemployed people in the area. A further 250 learner hours were delivered in partnership with local schools and colleges while four full-time apprentices were hired, contributing to more than 230 apprentice training weeks during the project. Fir View Gardens is one of the developments that Great Places Housing Group is delivering in South Yorkshire as part of the housing association’s commitment to build additional affordable homes in the area. Other projects include 50 homes at Riverdale Park in Doncaster and 51 apartments at London Road close to Sheffield city centre. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Morgan Sindall Construction has commenced refurbishment work at Watford Colosseum to preserve, modernise and upgrade the historic live entertainment venue. Built in 1938, Watford Colosseum is a Grade II listed building renowned worldwide for its exceptional acoustics. Described by Julian Lloyd Webber as ‘the finest recording venue in the world’, it is home to the BBC Concert Orchestra, has been used to record multiple famous movie soundtracks and has hosted a long list of musical as well as sporting greats. To ensure Watford Colosseum’s longevity and to position it as a cultural and sustainable quarter that will drive local investment, Watford Borough Council (WBC) appointed Morgan Sindall’s Northern Home Counties business to undertake an extensive refurbishment. The Colosseum project follows Morgan Sindall’s ongoing refurbishment at the adjoining, also Grade II listed, Watford Town Hall. When complete, the combined £20m project will preserve both buildings and make use of reduced civic office space to create areas that nurture a sense of belonging and identity. This will see a new interactive museum added alongside a hub to support young people, entrepreneurs, and start-ups as well as a community space and café. Scheduled for completion in Autumn 2024, Morgan Sindall will create a new stage and lighting rigs to enable a wider range of acts to perform and will reopen the original grand entrance, which has been closed for over a decade. Visitors will benefit from a new café as well as accessibility, lighting, and signage improvements to bring the pre-war site up to a modern standard. The tier one contractor will also install an external ventilation duct, and roof plant, and refurbish the existing canopy to the front of the building. To align the Colosseum with WBC’s sustainability goals, the project will minimise the amount of material sent to landfills and make the venue significantly more energy efficient. This will be achieved by installing modern insulation materials, upgrading the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems, and adding photovoltaic (PV) panels to the roof. Once complete, WBC can expect sustainability performance levels far beyond those typical of civic buildings constructed in the 1930s. This includes a 40% saving on gas bills due to new cavity wall insulation and when combined with replacing all lights with LED equivalents and installing new roof insulation, a 166-tonne annual saving in carbon emissions. The refurbishment will also realise U-value improvements, with the rate of energy loss from the walls reduced by a factor of six, and from the flat roofs by a factor of 17. The unique nature of this project will require Morgan Sindall to leverage its Intelligent Solutions approach to meet one-of-a-kind challenges. Maintaining the venue’s renowned acoustics is a top priority and has been factored into every stage of the Colosseum’s planning, design, refurbishment, and operation. Bringing the venue up to a modern benchmark for functionality and sustainability while respecting its historic fabric, such as the timber panelling and Art Deco façade, has likewise seen Morgan Sindall devise innovative solutions and construction processes. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Spitfire Homes has officially opened a new Customer Suite at Malabar, a new neighbourhood in Daventry, Northamptonshire, against a backdrop of rising buyer demand across the UK. The collection comprises a variety of aspirational new two- to five-bedroom homes tailored to suit a range of lifestyles, showcasing Spitfire’s signature design-led approach. All homes at Malabar include future-proof features and technologies to promote energy-efficient living. With sustainability a key focus for Spitfire, properties come complete with photovoltaic (PV) panels, underfloor heating, heating and hot water provided by air source heat pumps, and electric vehicle charging points. Spitfire’s opening coincides with a national fall in interest rates, with data from Zoopla showing mortgage providers offering rates at under 5% in recent months. As a result, national sales are 13% higher than February 2023, and 17% higher in areas across the Midlands. Malabar already has outline planning permission for up to 1,100 new homes, with the prime location providing access to local amenities including supermarkets, pharmacies and GP practices, as well as pubs, restaurants, and cafes. For families with children, Daventry is home to several well-established primary and secondary schools. The wider collection at Malabar will also incorporate over 50 acres of public open space along with plans to deliver a new primary school, nursery and community centre, alongside food and retail units. It is projected that the construction of the development will support the employment of more than 3,400 people. Ben Leather, Managing Director at Spitfire Homes, said: “Malabar demonstrates Spitfire’s goal of creating thriving, sustainable communities that deliver high-quality, future-proofed properties. Our range of two to five-bedroom homes suit a wide range of buyers and budgets, from first-time buyers to established families looking for more space. Now that our Customer Suite is open to the public, we’d encourage prospective buyers to book an appointment to come and see all that Malabar has to offer.” Knight Frank is the selling agent at Malabar and has worked with Spitfire Homes for over ten years. Its latest data published at the end of January 2024 shows that since interest rates have dropped, levels of sale interest across the market have increased. There is pent-up demand from buyers who have been waiting for more economic stability. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Plans to demolish and rebuild New Oscott Primary School in Sutton Coldfield have been approved by Birmingham City Council. Designed by CPMG Architects, the plans will transform the existing single-storey building into a purpose-built two-storey school with a sustainability specification including net zero carbon in operation. The school, located near to the historic Sutton Park, is home to more than 630 pupils with three classes per year group, alongside a 58-place nursery, and is set to offer an enhanced learning environment. This is to be achieved through a layout that has been tailored to the school’s needs, improved daylight and ventilation and a wealth of high-quality outdoor spaces to create a greater connection to nature and physical activity. Tom Ridley-Thompson, associate at CPMG Architects, said: “The New Oscott Primary School rebuild will enable a high-quality educational offering to continue. It is a highly successful school and we aim to make sure the building reflects expectations. “We know that schools built to the latest wellbeing and sustainability standards have a positive impact on student experience, so we’re pleased to be involved and helping schools reach important milestones in their journey to a new era.” The sustainability commitment is demonstrated by the use of a green roof combined with a large array of solar panels, as well as a new sustainable drainage system that will provide attenuation for surface water during heavy or prolonged rain events. The highly energy-efficient design also includes air source heat pumps, high levels of insulation and airtightness. To ensure the new school building fits into its surroundings, the brickwork at a low level matches the brickwork used in many surrounding houses. The light-coloured render at a high level also ties in with many local examples. The lightness of the finishes also helps to reduce the building overheating. Alongside CPMG Architects, the main contractor Tilbury Douglas’ project delivery team includes Hexa Consulting, David Paradine, Green Webb, Ares Consulting, Q+A Planning, Hoare Lea and OFR Consultants. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Stantec has been appointed to provide integrated design services for Agratas, Tata Group’s global battery business, which is building a battery cell manufacturing facility on the Gravity Smart Campus in the United Kingdom (UK). The new advanced manufacturing facility, comprising three separate buildings with associated ancillary structures, will create up to 4,000 jobs on-site over the lifespan of the project and thousands more in the supply chain. With innovative technologies and resource-efficient processes, the facility will produce high-quality, high-performance, sustainable battery cells. The next generation of batteries will support Britain’s energy transition and power hundreds of thousands of electric vehicles. This is one of the most significant manufacturing investments in the UK, and the factory will be one of the largest of its kind in Europe. “The Agratas facility will be pioneering in battery cell production, addressing demand in the advanced manufacturing space in the UK head-on, while benefiting productivity, the climate, and the economy,” said Gord Johnston, president and chief executive officer of Stantec. “Stantec has strong capabilities in the advanced manufacturing space, and we look forward to working closely with Agratas to provide our significant breadth and depth of experience and support the successful completion of its project.” “We look forward to working with Stantec to design the UK’s largest battery cell manufacturing facility. Using state-of-the-art technology, our facility will power the transition to electric mobility and clean energy storage,” said: Joe Hibbert, vice president of Capital Projects, Agratas. “Our partnership with Stantec is the next step in our mission to deliver best-in-class battery solutions for our global customers.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Birchgrove and Hybr have announced an industry-first intergenerational living scheme which will see students and key workers live alongside retirees in the same purpose-built, privately rented retirement development. Ayrton House is a new 60-apartment rental retirement community in Mill Hill, North London. When launched in October this year, 16 apartments across the third and fourth floors will be offered exclusively to trainee doctors and nurses from the local hospital, university post-graduates and graduate scheme students. The scheme has been designed to generate a vibrant community by harnessing the benefits of intergenerational living, with several pieces of research highlighting how the model is physically and mentally beneficial for both the young and the elderly. A 2019 UCL study highlighted how increased social contact for elderly people is associated with a lower risk of developing dementia, while an Ageing Research study has highlighted how intergenerational living benefits the elderly by giving them a greater sense of purpose and combatting loneliness, in turn leading to a greater life expectancy. Further research has also demonstrated how younger people benefit from living with elderly people – by enabling them to gain a deeper understanding of the older generation and increasing their tolerance, empathy and understanding. The students will live at Ayrton House on short-term tenancies running until June 2025, sharing communal facilities with the development’s retirees – including full access to the gym and the same subsidised rates in the restaurant. Furthermore, the rent on the 16 student units will be approximately 50% of the market value. The project therefore means that students will have access to affordable, high-quality accommodation at a time when nearly two-thirds of all students are struggling to pay their rent. At the end of the tenancies in June 2025, the 16 student units will be vacated and restored to first-use state, before being let to retirees. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
