Leading modular housing pioneer ilke Homes has started work to deliver 146 energy-efficient, affordable homes at the Glenvale Park development in Wellingborough, as part of Man GPM’s community housing focus. The announcement marks the second time ilke Homes and Man GPM have worked together to deliver an affordable-led scheme, having
Winvic Construction and its client Edmond de Rothschild has celebrated the topping out of a 406-apartment build-to-rent project on Kent Street in the centre of Birmingham. To mark the occasion, one of the final sections of concrete was poured – an upstand to an automatic opening vent on the seventeenth-storey
Beard Construction has completed two deluxe Signature Senior Lifestyle care homes under projects worth a combined £24.8m. The two projects – Signature at Caversham, in Berkshire, and Signature at Farnham Common, in Buckinghamshire – provide luxury, high-end apartments and residential communities for residents, delivering nursing, respite and dementia care. High-end
Developer Ask Real Estate has handed over One Strawberry Lane in Newcastle city centre to Home Group, one of the UK’s largest providers of social housing. The 70,000 sq ft six storey building, designed by Ryder Architecture and built by BAM Construction, is Home Group’s new headquarters providing a sustainable
MSV Housing’s new Housing our Ageing Population Panel for Innovation (‘HAPPI’) development has launched in South Manchester. Cllr Bev Craig and Andy Burnham buried a time capsule to commemorate the occasion, created by the residents at neighbouring Elmswood Park extra care scheme. Bowes House offers 40 high quality 1 and
Midlands-based contractor, G F Tomlinson, has been announced as a successful partner for the Pagabo National Framework for Medium Works, which launched this month. Running from January 2023 until January 2027, the next-generation framework is one of Pagabo’s most popular and active construction procurement routes for clients, with 148 projects
Wates was selected by Be First to develop over 330 new homes in Barking and Dagenham, as part of an £874 million regeneration of the Gascoigne Estate. This will be the third project Wates has undertaken for Be First in the area, having recently completed 201 homes at Gascoigne West
Tritax Symmetry has appointed GMI Construction to develop a 132,750 sq ft logistics facility at Symmetry Park Doncaster. The facility will be built on a speculative basis to net zero carbon in construction. “Symmetry Park Doncaster has become a prime logistics location with successful companies such as Butternut Box and
Leading Midlands-based contractor G F Tomlinson will spearhead the design and construction of the new £15.4 million state-of-the-art Air and Space Institute (ASI) aerospace project for Newark College, part of the Lincoln College Group, at the former cattle market site in Newark. The ASI provides a unique opportunity for school
Willmott Dixon has been appointed to work with the University of Exeter to complete detailed designs to build a new Multi-Faith Centre at Streatham Campus. Construction is due to start in summer this year. Exeter City Council recently approved plans to develop the Multi-Faith Centre, which will replace the existing
Leading modular housing pioneer ilke Homes has started work to deliver 146 energy-efficient, affordable homes at the Glenvale Park development in Wellingborough, as part of Man GPM’s community housing focus. The announcement marks the second time ilke Homes and Man GPM have worked together to deliver an affordable-led scheme, having struck a £31 million deal in December 2020 for a 226-home affordable housing development in Grantham, Lincolnshire. The 7.8-acre site forms part of phase one at Glenvale Park, which once complete, will deliver a total of 3,000 homes, over 200 acres of parkland, a new local centre and two new schools. The wider masterplan for Glenvale Park is expected to generate more than 3,000 jobs and £1.4 billion in economic impact for the area – with £2 of social value generated for every £1 spent during construction. Having received approval from North Northamptonshire Council, ilke Homes has started work delivering a mix of multi-tenure single family houses, apartments and maisonettes, ranging in sizes from one to four bedrooms homes. The homes – which are due for completion in 2024 – are being manufactured offsite at ilke Homes’ 25,000 sq. ft. factory in North Yorkshire, where precision-engineering techniques enable the company to deliver highly sustainable modular homes. ilke Homes can therefore commit to delivering energy-efficient housing, with a likely EPC rating of A, putting the properties in the top five percent nationally for energy efficiency, with the knock-on effect of saving consumers hundreds of pounds a year on energy bills. Thanks to most of the build stage taking place offsite, traffic disruption to the local community will be kept to a minimum. Man Group’s Community Housing team seeks to achieve the dual objectives of providing both social and financial returns, addressing the housing crisis in the UK by building homes that are affordable to households. The UK has experienced a significant, long-term mismatch between supply and demand in the housing market, which has led to an affordability crisis impacting households earning the median income and below. The team deploys institutional capital to build new homes with the aim of generating positive returns for investors and delivering a demonstrable social impact. Tom Heathcote, executive director of development at ilke Homes, said: “This scheme is testament to the continued confidence our customers have in our product, and we’ve enjoyed working with local planning officials and other stakeholders throughout the planning process and into the construction phase. After the success of our first joint scheme in Lincolnshire, we’re delighted Man Group have shown the confidence in us to deliver a second sustainable urban development scheme together. “Through our accredited modular methods of delivery, we can ensure the scheme aligns with Man Group’s own stringent ESG criteria, while also providing much-needed, energy-efficient and well-designed homes for the local community.” Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Winvic Construction and its client Edmond de Rothschild has celebrated the topping out of a 406-apartment build-to-rent project on Kent Street in the centre of Birmingham. To mark the occasion, one of the final sections of concrete was poured – an upstand to an automatic opening vent on the seventeenth-storey roof of Block A – and finished by the investment house’s leadership team and Winvic’s Director of Multi-room, Mark Jones. The project, which comprises 154 one-bedroom, 228 two-bedroom and 24 three-bedroom apartments is on the former site of the Kent Street Swimming Baths. Winvic began the enabling works in April 2021 and construction works commenced in August 2021. Contained by roads on all sides, the compact site has seen the reinforced concrete slip formed cores and frames rise to seven, eight, 10 and 18 storeys since then. The 10-storey tower is on the corner of Gooch Street and Kent Street and the tallest block – which also has a basement car park for 95 vehicles – is on the corner Bromsgrove Street and Henstead Street. Works to the roofs as well as the Steel Frame System and window installations are over halfway through their programmes across the whole project. The Winvic team is also focusing on the façade to Block D – where brick slip panels are being installed – and internal fit out to Blocks D, A and C including partitions, first fix mechanical and electrical works and the plant room. The scheme will also feature green roofs, a ground floor commercial space, shared resident amenity areas and a landscaped central courtyard with community hub. Winvic is scheduled to hand over the scheme in 2024. Mark Jones, Winvic’s Director of Multi-room, said: “It’s particularly rewarding to reach the topping out stage of a RC Framed building and we were delighted to be able to celebrate this important milestone with our client and the funders. We’ve been working as one team with Edmond de Rothschild to ensure progress is on track and the people of Birmingham will now start to see the brick slip façade envelop the buildings. I’d like to thank our team for their hard work to get to this stage. Everyone is looking forward to a productive year and final push to completion in 2024.” Tim Holden, Edmond de Rothschild – REIM Head of Residential UK – added: “We are delighted to be developing 400 apartments for Build-to-rent in Birmingham in partnership with Winvic. This scheme is an important project in our 2,600-unit portfolio. Working with Winvic is always a good experience and the topping out is an important milestone. We look forward to reaching practical completion so that our in-house lettings and property management service can begin to let and manage this exciting place-making scheme in the centre of Birmingham. I would like to thank our investors for participating in this project and the project team that’s bringing this landmark project to fruition.” Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Beard Construction has completed two deluxe Signature Senior Lifestyle care homes under projects worth a combined £24.8m. The two projects – Signature at Caversham, in Berkshire, and Signature at Farnham Common, in Buckinghamshire – provide luxury, high-end apartments and residential communities for residents, delivering nursing, respite and dementia care. High-end materials and finishes – combined with Beard’s reputation for building excellence and quality – ensure five-star hotel comfort across both care homes. Farnham Common, which opened in January 2023, offers luxury assisted living and nursing in 74 studio-style apartments with private wet rooms, alongside facilities which include a café, restaurant, cinema, lounge areas, activity room, a pub, spa bathrooms, hair salon and therapy room. Officially opening in February 2023, Caversham is a four-floor care home with 86 apartments, split across a sloping site with views across to the Caversham lakes. Communal facilities will include the same range of facilities as Farnham Common on hand to residents. Both homes have been constructed from brick and render. Farnham’s roof is a tiled, mono ridge design while Caversham’s is Sarnafil topped with pebbles and lined with paving. Both projects remained operational during the second wave of the Covid pandemic with enhanced health and safety procedures designed to keep staff safe. Beard director Mike Hedges said: “The care sector is important to us, and our expertise means we can help clients to meet the increasing demand for the very best in assisted living spaces. Signature’s attention to detail in these homes and the high level of fit and finish is testament to the quality of living and care demanded by modern-day residents. “Beard’s core aim is to build with ambition and this project more than lives up to that ethos.” Alex Alexandru, General Manager at Signature at Farnham Common, said: “We are delighted to have worked with Beard to demonstrate what is possible in care home design. “As a community within a community, Signature at Farnham Common offers excellent residential, nursing, dementia, and respite care in luxury surroundings. “Our care home has been designed to be a hub of activity, with a host of communal spaces and social activities for residents, supported by highly trained team members committed to delivering true peace of mind to residents, relatives and their loved ones.” Carmela Magbitang, General Manager at Signature at Caversham said: “Signature at Caversham provides a warm, welcoming and luxury community which will offer industry-leading care, luxurious facilities and surroundings along with top-quality dining and nutrition. “We look forward to working in partnership with the communities we serve, both inside and outside of our home. We are also delighted to have partnered once more with Beard, who have meticulously supported us to realise our aspirations for excellence in this project.” Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Developer Ask Real Estate has handed over One Strawberry Lane in Newcastle city centre to Home Group, one of the UK’s largest providers of social housing. The 70,000 sq ft six storey building, designed by Ryder Architecture and built by BAM Construction, is Home Group’s new headquarters providing a sustainable workspace for 700 of its 3,500 strong workforce. It will be open and accessible to the local community and is the first workspace in the UK to be specifically designed for a post-Covid hybrid way of working. Home Group has taken a 30 year lease on the building which was acquired by Canada Life Asset Management in 2020 for approximately £30 million. Two of the five floors will be let to external organisations. During development, Home Group has worked closely with Connected Voice, an organisation which supports local charities, social enterprises and voluntary community groups, to help tailor One Strawberry Lane’s space, and the expertise within. During construction One Strawberry Lane returned a 44% social value score, (validated by The Social Value Portal), three times the national average for a similar sized project. Home Group and its delivery partners Ask and BAM also set up a community projects fund, with a pot of £150,000, comprising financial contributions, labour and donated materials. Seven projects run by local charities and community groups were selected for support, including: a new lwellbeing centre at The Mercy Hub; a community garden at Pendower and the redecoration of the West End Foodbank. Ask worked closely with Home Group to secure funding and to deliver a next generation office building which would satisfy the Group’s long term workspace requirements whilst also delivering a highly sustainable, energy efficient and flexible building. One Strawberry Lane is the first in the region to achieve both SmartScore and WiredScore certifications. Mark Henderson, Chief Executive of Home Group, said: “This is a building like no other presently in the city. We are proud to be leading the way for things like SmartScore certification and to deliver the first purpose-built workspace for hybrid working. But, for me, what sets One Strawberry Lane apart above all else is the fact it will be integrated into its environment, working to support and interact with the city’s organisations, businesses and communities. Home Group has been rooted in the North-East for close to 90 years. We know this region, we know this city and we know its communities. One Strawberry Lane represents Home Group’s absolute determination to be ever closer linked into our communities. And I hope our office is the beginning of a trend for city centre offices to be more open and welcoming to their fellow citizens and be a part of a vibrant city culture.” Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
MSV Housing’s new Housing our Ageing Population Panel for Innovation (‘HAPPI’) development has launched in South Manchester. Cllr Bev Craig and Andy Burnham buried a time capsule to commemorate the occasion, created by the residents at neighbouring Elmswood Park extra care scheme. Bowes House offers 40 high quality 1 and 2 bedroom apartments as shared ownership for the over-55s and is MSV’s fourth HAPPI scheme, designed to adapt over time to meet the changing needs of the occupants. This is the latest MSV development at the award winning 5 acre Stagecoach site (now known as The Depot) in Whalley Range. Working in partnership with Manchester City Council and Homes England, MSV has played a key role in providing suitable homes at The Depot for every stage of life, from young families needing contemporary homes to the older generation wanting to live independently but with support in beautifully designed spaces. The 40 apartments at Bowes House have been designed and built to meet the ‘HAPPI’ design principles, ensuring they are adaptable and accessible with plenty of space, natural light and communal areas. Each apartment incorporates stylish open plan living and large private balconies. There is also a shared roof terrace and beautifully landscaped gardens at the scheme. The homes are all available for shared ownership, which enables people to buy a share of a property and pay a subsidised rent on the remaining share, a scheme which offers a route into affordable home ownership whilst helping those who may wish to ‘rightsize’. Delivering the new HAPPI scheme has seen MSV invest £5.6m in Bowes House with £2.2m funding from Homes England. The entire Depot site now provides over 200 homes including 30 family homes for shared ownership and 72 apartments at extra care scheme Elmswood Park, which offers a high standard of on-site support from housing management staff and a consistent care service for customers who need it, helping to relieve pressure on residential care settings. Total Investment by MSV on The Depot has been £18.4m with funding from both Homes England and Manchester City Council totalling £9.07m. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Midlands-based contractor, G F Tomlinson, has been announced as a successful partner for the Pagabo National Framework for Medium Works, which launched this month. Running from January 2023 until January 2027, the next-generation framework is one of Pagabo’s most popular and active construction procurement routes for clients, with 148 projects having completed to date. As part of the partnership, G F Tomlinson has been appointed to deliver projects from £500,000 up to £10million, throughout Yorkshire, and the East and West Midlands. G F Tomlinson will deliver public sector projects across the education, healthcare, civic, leisure, housing, blue light, highways and infrastructure sectors. In order to be successful, G F Tomlinson’s bid demonstrated relevant experience, financial stability and a strong commitment to social value and the carbon reduction agenda. As well as providing value for money for clients, delivering quality builds on time and on budget, and managing supply chain to a high standard. “We are delighted to have been appointed to the National Framework for Medium Works, which is our fifth framework agreement with Pagabo. G F Tomlinson has delivered in excess of £500 million projects through public sector frameworks to date and with our expertise, commitment to delivering high-quality projects and our passion to enhance social value for local communities, we are best placed to serve public sector clients on all their project requirements,” said Chris Flint, Managing Director at G F Tomlinson. “We look forward to constructing and delivering significant developments through this framework, that will support the regeneration of local communities across the Midlands and North, over the next threeto four years.” Since 2020, G F Tomlinson has partnered with Pagabo on several frameworks including the Major Works Framework, the Framework for Refit and Refurbishment Solutions, and the previous Medium Works Framework, which the new iteration now supersedes. Under these frameworks, the contractor recently delivered the £3.7m extension and remodelling of Cardinal Newman Catholic School to provide an additional 200 school placements, alongside a £2.4m urgent treatment centre at Lincoln Hospital, which expanded the facility’s existing accident and emergency department. “Congratulations to G F Tomlinson on securing their place on the second iteration of our Medium Works Framework. Pagabo have formed a close working relationship with them over the years, delivering 14 projects worth a combined value of £45m across our various construction frameworks, and so we’re excited to be continuing this through the duration of the framework,” added Tom Retallick, Framework Manager at Pagabo. They are currently on site constructing the £15.4m new Air and Space Institute (ASI) at Newark for the Lincoln College Group, which will provide a unique opportunity for school leavers 16 -18 to train for pilot, engineers and ground-crew roles in airlines, the military, airports and logistics companies in a state-of-the-art college facility. The company also has other projects in the pipeline procured via Pagabo, to the value of circa £35million still to come to site. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Wates was selected by Be First to develop over 330 new homes in Barking and Dagenham, as part of an £874 million regeneration of the Gascoigne Estate. This will be the third project Wates has undertaken for Be First in the area, having recently completed 201 homes at Gascoigne West Phase 1. The £142 million Gascoigne East Phase 3B scheme will provide 277 apartments, 46 houses and 11 maisonettes as well as new public spaces connecting pedestrian and public transport links, centred around a garden square at the east of the site, as well as delivering £30 million in social value to the area. The build will use modern methods of construction such as offsite production of balconies, bathrooms and utilities cupboards, which will reduce construction time on site. “At Wates we believe everyone deserves a great place to live. This new project will provide huge economic, social and environmental benefits to local people and the local businesses that will be involved, as well as providing safe, healthy and comfortable places for communities to flourish,” said Helen Bunch, Executive Managing Director, Wates Residential. Be First has a strong track record in delivering new, high-quality homes for people and communities in Barking and Dagenham, with the borough named the most affordable for housing in the capital. The latest phase of this major development will complement the award-winning regeneration of the eastern side of the Gascoigne Estate, where Be First is delivering 526 new flats as part of a safer, healthier, and more sustainably designed environment. The wider Gascoigne Estate will include tree-lined public spaces, a new 5,000 sqm park Gascoigne Square along with public art and stunning designs in a mixture of traditional and modern styles. The Gascoigne East Phase 3B project will allow Wates to invest in the local community through the provision of 13 apprenticeships and a minimum of 40 work placements for local people. During the Gascogne West Phase 1 programme, the pandemic inspired Wates to find innovative ways to bring £45 million in social value to the local community including the creation of 21 apprenticeships, 22 work experience placements and £89k of investment in local charities and community causes. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Tritax Symmetry has appointed GMI Construction to develop a 132,750 sq ft logistics facility at Symmetry Park Doncaster. The facility will be built on a speculative basis to net zero carbon in construction. “Symmetry Park Doncaster has become a prime logistics location with successful companies such as Butternut Box and B&Q choosing to be based here. The highly sustainable facility we are developing will undoubtedly attract a sophisticated business looking for a build which supports its ESG and operational objectives,” said Scott Meakin, Development Surveyor at Tritax Symmetry. This is the third building to be constructed on the site: the first unit (151,000 sq ft) is occupied by Dogmates Ltd, trading as Butternut Box on a 15-year lease whilst the second unit (430,000) is being built by GMI and has been pre-let to B&Q, which is due to PC imminently. An additional 1.26-acre plot is available for development. “We are delighted to continue our long-standing partnership with Tritax Symmetry to deliver a facility that will contribute to the levelling up of the region by providing much-needed logistics space that encourages investment and job creation. This project reflects GMI’s growing position in the construction of manufacturing and logistics facilities not only in Yorkshire, but the other areas in which we operate – in the North West, North East and the Midlands,” added Andrew Hurcomb, GMI Construction Group’s Divisional Managing Director Yorkshire. Located at Junction 34 of the A1 (M) on the North Nottinghamshire/South Yorkshire border, Symmetry Park, Doncaster is a 54-acre site, located adjacent to J34 A1(M) and Blyth Services. Representing the development are the Leeds offices of Savills, Dove Haigh Phillips and Colliers International. “Tritax Symmetry’s decision to speculatively build out the net zero carbon in construction 132,750 sq ft unit comes at a time when Grade A standing stock in the region is at record low levels and we are already fielding strong enquiries regarding the unit which will practically complete in quarter three 2023,” concluded Rob Whatmuff, Head of Colliers Leeds. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading Midlands-based contractor G F Tomlinson will spearhead the design and construction of the new £15.4 million state-of-the-art Air and Space Institute (ASI) aerospace project for Newark College, part of the Lincoln College Group, at the former cattle market site in Newark. The ASI provides a unique opportunity for school leavers aged 16-18 to train for pilot, engineer and ground-crew roles in airlines, the military, airports and logistics companies across the UK and abroad. “We are delighted to be appointed as main contractor on the ASI which offers state-of-the-art training for students at a brand-new campus in the heart of Newark. We are extremely pleased to have secured this project under the Pagabo National Framework for Major Construction Works. Through our early contractor involvement and close collaboration with the Client team, we look forward to turning Lincoln College Group’s vision into a reality by providing a world-class training facility for young people throughout the region,” said Chris Flint, Managing Director at G F Tomlinson. The new three-storey building, which is due to complete at the end of 2023, will be only the second of this type of college building to be built in the UK and will provide world class training for the air and space industry, accommodating a full-sized Airbus A318 for hands-on teaching experience, alongside a double height entrance hall, large open space hangar, flight simulator, teaching zones and lecture and seminar areas for students and staff. The scheme will be finished off with a combination of soft and hard landscaping works. “Like the whole of the town, we’re hugely excited about the progress being made on site and we can’t wait to see the building. Young people completing their GCSEs this year can apply for our engineer, pilot, space engineering, groundcrew and military pathways now and they will benefit from these fabulous new facilities during their course, as well as the chance to fly in our ASI aircraft and flight simulators,” commented Lincoln College Group Director of ASI and Strategic Growth, Tom Marsden. From conception, G F Tomlinson used BIM technology software to digitally map the complex build of the aerospace project, which includes numerous articulated angles, using world coordinate systems for the design and construction of the build. This allowed the contractors and Lincoln College Group to work the design and use real time updates to navigate the build through all the fundamental stages through to completion. “It is fantastic to see the vision for the Air and Space Institute coming to life in Newark and I know many local people are looking forward to having this huge asset in our district. Providing skills locally is a key driver for the whole package of projects being funded under Newark’s Town Fund initiative,” said Councillor David Lloyd, Co-Chair of Newark Town Board and Leader of Newark and Sherwood District Council. “The ASI will be a huge boost for Newark’s inspiring generations of future pilots, ground crew and engineers to see its new home when it is completed. It will help shape the ambition for Newark’s future, making it a place people want to live, work, study and visit and I look forward to seeing the progress over the forthcoming years,” he concluded. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Willmott Dixon has been appointed to work with the University of Exeter to complete detailed designs to build a new Multi-Faith Centre at Streatham Campus. Construction is due to start in summer this year. Exeter City Council recently approved plans to develop the Multi-Faith Centre, which will replace the existing Muslim prayer rooms and multi-faith spaces in the Old Library with a 50 person Muslim prayer space and a multi-faith space. It will also house communal meeting space, a kitchen, a dedicated office for the Multifaith Chaplaincy Team, a Changing Places facility and an external terrace area. “We are really excited to progress our plans for the new Multi-Faith Centre. The University is committed to supporting equality, diversity and inclusion and developing cultural competence working with partners across Exeter and Cornwall, and the wider region,” said Shraddha Chaudhary, Assistant Director for Culture and Inclusion at the University of Exeter. Sustainability and reducing carbon emissions are fundamental to the design of the new Multi-Faith Centre, which aims to achieve the Passivhaus standard. Features include the use of highly efficient porotherm blocks, air source heat pumps and PV panels on the building’s roof. Willmott Dixon has been working with a professional team, that includes Faithful and Gould, Group Emmett Design, SE3Design, Sands, SDS and ARUP. “Having worked with the University of Exeter on a number of projects, we are looking forward to delivering this new and inclusive Multi-Faith Centre and supporting the University’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, culture and heritage of its students and the wider community. This project aligns with our commitment to push the boundaries of sustainable design construction and operation of building,” added Rob Woolcock, Director at Willmott Dixon. The contractor has worked for the University of Exeter before on several projects. It has also several Passivhaus projects under its belt, including the Centre for Medicine at the University of Leicester and the Harris Academy in Sutton. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
