Developer Quintain has awarded another construction project on the ongoing build-to-rent development at Wembley Park. John Sisk & Son has been appointed to deliver its tenth scheme, which will see 458 new homes built over three blocks on plot E05. “Sisk and Quintain have a great partnership at Wembley Park.
IMPORTANT plans for the future supply of homes in Edinburgh have been given the go-ahead by Councillors at a hearing on the 22 MAY 2019. The 655-home development at Cammo Estate is a consortium project by CALA Homes and David Wilson Homes and includes 164 much-needed affordable homes. The development
Winchester’s first primary academy school is due to be delivered by contractor Willmott Dixon, which was awarded the £8.35 million contract by Hampshire County Council. The new Barton Farm Academy is a single storey two-form entry school that features a main hall, holistic music and drama studio, ‘discovery point’ library,
Leading UK construction company Willmott Dixon has strengthened its presence in Sussex with a new office. The firm held an event to celebrate the opening of the Gatwick office, welcoming leaders and representatives from both Crawley and Surrey County Council. The new base expands the company’s presence as it looks
Schoolchildren in Cheshire are enjoying a renewed sense of health and wellbeing, following a ground-breaking project at Alsager School. The £320k development has provided students with space to enjoy the fresh air – whatever the weather. Tasked with overseeing the design, build and installation of a sleek new ETFE canopy
An £8 million industrial scheme has been completed by Caddick Construction in Knowsley, Merseyside, boosting the provision of warehouse space in the area. The scheme called Element is part of a bigger development at Network Space’s Alchemy Business Park, which will provide three highly specified industrial warehouse units of 22,900
Apartments complete with floor-to-ceiling glazing, stunning views and luxury resident facilities including a swimming pool and cinema, have sold in London. Riverlight occupies a prime central London location directly fronting the River Thames and comprises a group of six pavilions ranging from 12 to 20 storeys in height. As part
Property developer Futureal Group has sold its Advance Tower located on the Váci road office corridor to Erste Real Estate Fund. This is the first transaction in the Hungarian market, which includes a WELL pre-qualified office building having a beneficial impact on employees’ health and comfort. The real estate fund
The importance of placing people at the heart of home building is one of the key messages being delivered to over 1000 senior industry representatives attending the Annual Lunch of trade body Homes for Scotland in Edinburgh later today (Friday 17 May). Highlighting examples where such focus has delivered tangible
When patients are allowed to recover in a more comfortable environment studies show there is a positive impact on their healing and well-being. Effective building design has been widely used to help patients recover more quickly and hospital staff to work more efficiently. Evidence-based design (EBD), the process of making
Developer Quintain has awarded another construction project on the ongoing build-to-rent development at Wembley Park. John Sisk & Son has been appointed to deliver its tenth scheme, which will see 458 new homes built over three blocks on plot E05. “Sisk and Quintain have a great partnership at Wembley Park. As a business we are focused on building strong relationships with our partners. We are delighted to have agreed the contract for E05 while continuing our work to deliver the ‘Eastern Quarter’ as part of this iconic regeneration scheme,” said Stephen Bowcott, CEO of John Sisk & Son. The contract will see the largest number of ‘family units’ being delivered on a single development plot at Wembley Park to date, with a total of 115 three- and four-bed homes. With 25% of homes provided as family dwellings, the new apartments have been designed to ensure the project continues to develop as a vibrant, balanced and sustainable neighbourhood. The building reflects the growing demand for larger homes, as an increasing number of families are choosing to rent in a high-quality development rather than buy. The apartments and shared social spaces are designed to be as flexible as possible to allow multiple uses – living, working, playing, entertaining. Sisk has been working with Quintain to transform Wembley Park for 14 years. Amongst other projects, they are delivering Canada Gardens which was the largest construction contract ever awarded. During their tenure, Sisk has successfully delivered Emerald Gardens, London Designer Outlet, the Hilton London Wembley Hotel and the reconfiguration and refurbishment of the Grade 2 listed Wembley Arena now The SSE Arena, Wembley. “Our relentless focus on quality and safety means we can deliver projects of this scale, working closely with our supply chain partners. We have been part of the Quintain story at Wembley Park for over 14 years now and we feel part of the community that has been created. We are proud of the social value we have helped deliver in the area through engagement with local schools, community groups and charities, as well as the great homes and amenities we are delivering for the people who live at Wembley Park,” added Stephen.
IMPORTANT plans for the future supply of homes in Edinburgh have been given the go-ahead by Councillors at a hearing on the 22 MAY 2019. The 655-home development at Cammo Estate is a consortium project by CALA Homes and David Wilson Homes and includes 164 much-needed affordable homes. The development will provide a unique mix of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments, terraced homes, colonies as well as detached family homes. A spokesperson on behalf of the consortium, said: “We must thank the local community first and foremost for engaging with us throughout, helping us to shape the final proposals which have evolved over the past two years. “We fully understand how important the junctions at Maybury and Barnton are and traffic was a key concern for many people at the outset. “We feel the improvements made through Planning Gain contributions will benefit the wider community and those commuting in or out the city. “Following yesterday’s decision our focus now turns to assisting the City of Edinburgh Council to ensure a timely delivery of these improvements” A key component of the site is the extent of publicly accessible green space – which totals over a third of the entire development and includes linear parks, a seven-hectare park, and over 700 new specimen trees. In addition, a half kilometre 20-metre wide green corridor at Maybury Avenue will feature a much-needed cycle and footpath detached from Maybury Road. Further improvements to the walking and cycling network will be made from Planning Gain contributions the developments will make. In line with the Local Development Plan these routes will connect to the land at West Craigs, and as part of that development connect onwards to the Gyle and Edinburgh Park. The spokesperson added: “At the heart of the design solution has been the delivery of an outstanding landscape environment along with significant investment to improve public transport, education and health care and the delivery of an excellent pedestrian and cycle network. “Within the development site we will deliver new bus infrastructure in addition to making contributions to public transport connections to the site. “In addition, there is an exceptionally wide range of homes that will help to ease the supply shortfall that features throughout the market.” As part of the 655 homes, 25% of the development units will be of affordable tenure delivered with our Registered Social Landlord partner; comprising a wide range of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments and terraced homes. The affordable housing will commence as part of the initial phase of development.
Winchester’s first primary academy school is due to be delivered by contractor Willmott Dixon, which was awarded the £8.35 million contract by Hampshire County Council. The new Barton Farm Academy is a single storey two-form entry school that features a main hall, holistic music and drama studio, ‘discovery point’ library, staff room and workspace, administration offices and parent waiting rooms. As a response to the 2,000 new homes that are being built on the Barton Farm site, the Council has decided appoint a contractor and build further school places too. The school will target a BREEAM Excellent energy efficiency rating to provide a sustainable learning environment when it opens in September 2020. “The University is an outstanding provider of teacher education and has a strong track record of raising aspiration among young people. Pupils at the school will benefit from our values-driven ethos, extensive regional school partnerships, our evidence-based learning and teaching, our powerful links with local business and community organisations, and our passionate commitment to social justice and sustainability. The innovative Academy buildings, including state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor learning environments, will also meet our very high standards for sustainability,” said Professor Joy Carter CBE, DL, Vice-Chancellor of the University and Chair of the University of Winchester Academy Trust, which will run the school. This project win adds to Willmott Dixon’s recent contract to build the new Winchester Sport and Leisure Park to replace the River Park Leisure Centre. “Willmott Dixon is delighted to be involved in this project. The new school will provide much-needed inspirational learning spaces. We are always delighted to play a part in supporting the learning of the next generation. As will all our projects we aim to leave a positive legacy in the local community and are targeting 140 apprenticeship weeks on the project,” added Richard Poulter, managing director of Willmott Dixon in the Central South. Barton Farm Academy has been designed by Hampshire County Council’s in-house team of architects and landscape designers and meets the highest standards for environmental sustainability and will provide inspiring and creative learning spaces for children to flourish. The new school forms part of the County Council investment in new school places across Hampshire.
Leading UK construction company Willmott Dixon has strengthened its presence in Sussex with a new office. The firm held an event to celebrate the opening of the Gatwick office, welcoming leaders and representatives from both Crawley and Surrey County Council. The new base expands the company’s presence as it looks to deliver more projects that play a key role in the county’s future. The opening comes shortly after the successful completion of L3 Technologies’ new flight simulator production and training facility on Gatwick Road in Crawley. It was designed to promote an agile, collaborative, project-led working approach, and will accommodate both pre-construction and operations staff, with partners and customers also encouraged to utilise the space. “Willmott Dixon has been well established in the county since 1930 when we built Bailiffscourt at Climping near Littlehampton for Lord Moyne. Since then we’ve grown across Sussex and opening our new Gatwick hub, close to where many of our people live, is a natural evolution,” explained Russell Miller, Willmott Dixon Director for Delivery in Sussex. “Gatwick is a thriving area and has, along with Sussex, a really bright future with many bold and imaginative initiatives to encourage growth and investment. We want to be part of shaping that by basing ourselves in an area close to our partners and customers,” Russell added. The event also saw Chestnut Tree House – the children’s hospice for Sussex –presented with a cheque for £7,104.12 which was raised by the team at Willmott Dixon following a sponsored skydive.
Schoolchildren in Cheshire are enjoying a renewed sense of health and wellbeing, following a ground-breaking project at Alsager School. The £320k development has provided students with space to enjoy the fresh air – whatever the weather. Tasked with overseeing the design, build and installation of a sleek new ETFE canopy to enclose what was previously an open courtyard, Access North Build has made waves within the education sector with its industry-first solution. Yorkshire-headquartered Access North Build designed, developed and installed a pioneering solution, a lightweight steel space frame – the first of its kind supporting an ETFE membrane in the UK – erected to span the quad, thus enclosing the area beneath. Alsager School site manager, Matt Harris, explained: “Fresh air plays a pivotal part in the wellbeing and health of people of all ages. Creating a space which allows students to ‘go outside’ while providing protection from the elements – including rain and solar shielding – is key to supporting their development.” Engineered to carry more weight over a greater area – in order to provide plenty of natural light and promote student wellbeing – the greatest challenge was the location and layout of the outdoor space, which was enclosed by existing buildings on all sides. As a result, the superstructure – which is over 400 square feet in size – had to be assembled in the school car park before being carefully manoeuvred over the establishment and precisely into position on the pre-installed locating bolts. Access North Group managing director, Berenice Northcott added: “This type of ETFE enclosure provides an extremely beneficial space for organisations within the education sector where student wellbeing is crucial. Additionally, the new ETFE canopy has a design life of 70 years providing it is regularly maintained, but if the time comes when it is no longer required, the ETFE membrane and steel space frame are recyclable, extending the environmental-friendliness of the build with the circular economy in mind. “We relished the challenges of this particular project. Craning a huge space frame over a school and courtyard – which was bordered on all sides – without damaging buildings or people, was a testament to the planning, organisation and attention to detail of the team. The new roof has transformed a previously under-utilised area into a light and airy multifunctional space, resulting in a positive impact on staff and pupils.”
An £8 million industrial scheme has been completed by Caddick Construction in Knowsley, Merseyside, boosting the provision of warehouse space in the area. The scheme called Element is part of a bigger development at Network Space’s Alchemy Business Park, which will provide three highly specified industrial warehouse units of 22,900 sq ft, 35,200 sqft and 45,450 sq ft. “Element offers a prime location in Knowsley and enjoys exceptional transport links. This latest speculative development demonstrates the high level of confidence that developers have in Knowsley as a place to invest and do business,” said Dale Milburn, Knowsley Council’s Executive Director for Regeneration and Economic Development. The development, which was supported by a £1.8 million Local Growth Fund grant, has been designed to appeal to a wide range of logistics and industrial occupiers and feature generous self-contained yards, office and car park provision, separated office and yard access with 10m eave heights and dock level access provision on the two larger units. Once let, the Element units could accommodate up to 250 jobs and produce a net additional GVA per annum of £9.90 million for the region. “This is Network Space’s fourth self-financed scheme to complete within the last 12 months, taking the total space delivered within that period to just under 400,000 sq ft across 14 units. Within that same period, we have already let nearly 60% of the space and have good prospects for the remaining units. There remains a shortage of industrial warehouse space across the region and this coupled with the prominence, accessibility, quality and presentation of this scheme makes Element a compelling prospect for future occupiers,” commented Stephen Barnes, Managing Director (Development) at Network Space. B8 and CBRE are the appointed agents for the scheme and both have reported encouraging interest from a range of prospective occupiers.
Apartments complete with floor-to-ceiling glazing, stunning views and luxury resident facilities including a swimming pool and cinema, have sold in London. Riverlight occupies a prime central London location directly fronting the River Thames and comprises a group of six pavilions ranging from 12 to 20 storeys in height. As part of the multi-million pound project, air distribution products were supplied by expert manufacturers, Waterloo Air Products plc. Each building featured bespoke glazing and inverted balconies to increase daylight and maximise views of the river. To create the perfect living environment for new owners, Waterloo’s air terminal devices were fitted inside five of the six buildings. Waterloo delivered aesthetically-pleasing linear bar grilles which were integrated at a high level in every room. The APM plasterline grille was chosen so that the surrounding frame could be plastered into the wall with only the central core visible. Special clip fixings were developed so that the frame could be installed first. After the room was decorated, the core was then fitted. Diffusers were fed via thermally-lined plenums which were sized to give good throw patterns at various fan coil air volumes. Before the installation of any products, Waterloo created working mock-ups in the test lab to ensure perfect air performance and specified noise levels could be achieved. Waterloo’s variable ventilation controllers deliver the exact amount of air flow to enhance the luxurious feel of each of the residential and retail blocks. Once Phase One was completed, the same format was created through to the other blocks. Over the course of several months, hundreds of apartments were installed with a state-of-the-art air distribution system. As well as this, other onsite facilities, which included restaurants, a gym and virtual golf, all needed specialist air distribution. Maximising space and ensuring each grille was finished to a high specification was of paramount importance to Waterloo. Consideration had to be given to each of the separate apartment blocks and, in a bid to minimise disruption, work was carried out in organised phases. Waterloo staggered manufacture and delivery to the London site to facilitate the needs of the developer. Speaking about the project, Andrew Mildon, sales office manager at Air Systems (SW), said he enjoyed being involved. He says: “This project was really exciting. Our aim was to deliver excellent air conditioning and air distribution throughout each apartment. When one block was complete, we literally moved on to the next.” From initial design stages, developers were keen to create something truly unique within this area of London. Considering the central location, it was paramount to conjure up a unique flagship development. And it seems buyers could not wait to invest.
Property developer Futureal Group has sold its Advance Tower located on the Váci road office corridor to Erste Real Estate Fund. This is the first transaction in the Hungarian market, which includes a WELL pre-qualified office building having a beneficial impact on employees’ health and comfort. The real estate fund has acquired the first phase of the complex developed by the group, while the second phase could join its portfolio under a forward deal. The first phase of the Advance Tower has already been occupied by tenants with 1,400 employees last year. The 8-storey, category “A” office building has been chosen by prestigious companies such as KPMG Global Services consulting company and Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world’s leader in serving science. The second phase with a GLA of 8,000 sq m will expand the complex to a total GLA of over 20,000 sq m, handover is expected in the second half of 2019. The transaction of the first phase of Advance Tower was completed in April this year, and the parties entered into a pre-agreement to purchase the second phase. Advance Tower has been awarded BREEAM certificates and the office complex has been designed and will be operated according to the WELL Building Standard™. Futureal Group is the first European property developer with three projects receiving WELL Platinum Precertification at the same time. The purpose of the WELL certification is to create office buildings that, in addition to protecting the environment, have a beneficial impact on employees’ health, well-being and comfort. Washington-based International Well Building Institute’s system examines buildings’ impact on the human body, health and wellbeing, rating them based on 7 categories – air, water, opportunities for healthy nourishment, natural light, fitness, comfort and mental freshness. “With the current transaction, we are realizing the second successful deal with Erste Investment Fund. The acquisition of Vision Towers and Advance Tower proves the high standard of quality of Futureal Group’s developments that we will continue to guarantee for our partners in the future. Futureal Group has been committed to developing all of its future office buildings according to WELL Building standards, since the health of the employees working in the building must be a key priority during planning,” said Tibor Tatár, CEO of Futureal. “The recent agreement is a new milestone in a tried and tested professional relationship that will further strengthen our unique real estate portfolio. State of art solutions provided by Advance Tower and its international tenant portfolio provide us with innovation and stability for long-term,” stressed Balázs Pázmány, Chairman of the Managing Board at Erste Asset Management Ltd.
The importance of placing people at the heart of home building is one of the key messages being delivered to over 1000 senior industry representatives attending the Annual Lunch of trade body Homes for Scotland in Edinburgh later today (Friday 17 May). Highlighting examples where such focus has delivered tangible results across a wide range of areas (including customer satisfaction, quality and placemaking) Chief Executive Nicola Barclay will say: “I talk about homes all the time, but today I’d like to talk about people. We build homes and great places to live but it is people who bring them to life – by living in them, designing them, consenting them, funding them and constructing them. So we are, by any definition, a people business. “And what I hope today will demonstrate is that it simply doesn’t matter what size of company you are – if you put people at the heart of it, you’ll get great results.” With the industry having been challenged on a number of fronts in recent months, Barclay will also add: “We are often told that as an industry we must evolve. I believe that evolution is well underway and will continue to gather pace as we move towards a decarbonised society. As we compete for talent and the future pipeline of people to work within our industry, it is vitally important that we continue to innovate and create flexible, attractive environments for our people to work in as well as for our customers to live in.”
When patients are allowed to recover in a more comfortable environment studies show there is a positive impact on their healing and well-being. Effective building design has been widely used to help patients recover more quickly and hospital staff to work more efficiently. Evidence-based design (EBD), the process of making changes to the built environment based on research to improve outcomes, has helped lower the incidences of hospital-acquired infections, medical errors, patient accidents, and staff injuries. “The environment’s influence on a patient’s well-being was first, scientifically, explored by professor Roger Ulrich in his 1980s study that sought to determine whether there was any measurable positive influence in a patient’s recovery when they were given rooms with different views,” commented Gareth Rees, Head of UK Strategic Market – Healthcare Siemens Smart Infrastructure. “The research showed that patients who had views overlooking nature [rather than that of a building] experienced shorter stays, needed fewer pain medication and were more optimistic about their prospects. These findings paved the way to a greater awareness and understanding of how space and hospital architecture can affect our physical condition and state of mind.” Using EBD techniques today architects and designers have been developing solutions for better healing environments. Healthcare facilities often have unique individual requirements with specialised hospital rooms requiring bespoke implementations for patient recovery wards, operating theatres, pressurised rooms and laboratories. Careful design can improve safety and productivity, reduce staff stress levels, lower resource wastage and enhance environmental sustainability. There is a delicate balance between providing the ideal recovery conditions in patient rooms and an optimal work environment for staff to deliver the best possible care. The provision of WiFi and personal control over room conditions are important elements for patient satisfaction. Room automation controlled by a patient’s smartphone or tablet allows the precise control over temperature, ventilation and other functions that affect comfort. Wearable tags can also be deployed to monitor the vital signs of patients to automate control of a recovery environment. Circadian lighting that follows a patient’s natural daily rhythm or sleep/wake cycle reduces tiredness and enhances recovery sleep while audio levels can be improved through the use of sound-absorbent materials installed in ceilings and flooring. Acuity-adaptable spaces lessen the movement of patients reducing stress on both patients and staff. Operating theatres are complex environments that need to be spacious, hygienic and well-lit (with overhead surgical lights). Generally windowless temperature and humidity levels are tightly controlled. Pressurised rooms are designed to isolate a patient with infectious diseases and require air management and filtering systems. Medical or clinical laboratories where approximately 70 percent of treatment decisions are made require stable conditions with exact controls over temperature, humidity and sometimes, pressure. Smart infrastructure and IoT technologies are an expanding area of interest to healthcare planners and allow owners and operators of hospitals to leverage more from their existing assets which are becoming more intelligent- producing and using data to perform better throughout their lifetime. Total Integrated Power and lighting control systems, air, space and asset tracking solutions all improve energy usage, space utilisation and real-time location usage. Concluded Rees: “Hospitals are never going to be places that any of us are going to particularly enjoy visiting but through better physical environments designers can speed up our recovery and alleviate a lot of the stress and fear. Better performing buildings can provide higher comfort levels and well-being for all occupants.”
