A student-led mixed-use development scheme in London has secured funding of £125 million. The development, which will be offered exclusively to King’s College London (KCL) students, will feature 654 beds alongside 60,000 sq. ft of Grade-A office accommodation and an incubator space for entrepreneurial start-up businesses. Urbanest’s Aldgate scheme, to
An acoustic system from Sto has been specified for a £7.5 million museum redevelopment project in London. The StoSilent Distance system has been installed in the Garden Museum, which is Britain’s only museum covering the art, history and design of gardens, located at the Church of St Mary-at-Lambeth. “We specified
A residential development in Canary Wharf, London, has reached a significant milestone. With leading developer Canary Wharf group building residential apartment on the 10 Park Drive site, the building has recently been topped out, reaching its full height of 149 metres above ground level. It will offer 345 homes when
A new 306-home student accommodation development in Acton, west London, approached completion and it now stands at 7-storeys, offering 306 studio apartments complete with communal spaces including a café, student lounge, arcade and gym. Developed by Tide Construction and its offsite manufacturing company Vision Modular Systems, Chapter White City is
Activity levels at the very top of the London property market have stabilised after a tumultuous few years, the latest analysis reveals. Sales in the super prime market with homes valued at £10 million plus have been underpinned in many cases by the release of pent-up demand, says the report
A location along Marylebone High Street in the middle of London is to be the site of an all new fitness space from its original state as a bargain basement that was quite frankly none other than a sad waste of property building space. Now, these 3,000 square feet of
Lendlease and Multiplex have entered the race to bid for Google ’s £600m HQ in London, alongside Mace and Sir Robert McAlpine. Bids were submitted last Friday for the mammoth project, ahead of an announcement by the internet giant this week that it was committing to building the scheme. Construction
The new London high-rises create unique opportunities to utilise energy saving, there are opportunities to maximise the benefits of district heating or centralised boiler systems. The ‘St Pauls Heights’ policy of 1937 put a limit on the heights of new builds protect London views, however new builds are actually on
The image of the construction industry has long been challenged by unsightly, ungainly or noisy site works – often, presenting inconveniences to those living and working nearby. With a radically different approach that places due consideration at its centre, McAleer and Rushe continues to maximise property assets with minimal disruption.
As Mayor of London, Boris Johnson prepares to face stern competition for the top job, mayoral candidates went head-to-head at this week’s LandAid debate to discuss their plans for the London, in particular, its housing stock. Topics included affordable housing, the private rented sector (PRS), overseas investors and featured speakers
A student-led mixed-use development scheme in London has secured funding of £125 million. The development, which will be offered exclusively to King’s College London (KCL) students, will feature 654 beds alongside 60,000 sq. ft of Grade-A office accommodation and an incubator space for entrepreneurial start-up businesses. Urbanest’s Aldgate scheme, to be known as UrbanestCity, is being completed by Balfour Beatty with a funding loan from M&G Investments. “This is Urbanest’s most ambitious student-led mixed-use development to date, providing a unique blend of student housing, heritage, entrepreneurial innovation, commerce and leisure space uses which will sit alongside and complement each other in the completed scheme. We are delighted to be working with M&G and KCL again and our aspiration with Urbanest City is to add another landmark location within our expanding PBSA portfolio,” said Vicky Skinner, CFO at Urbanest. The remains of a bastion tower and part of the 4th century wall that encircled the Roman City of Londinium are concealed beneath the Aldgate development. Urbanest is working with Museum of London to incorporate these archaeological remains into the project, which consolidates two former office buildings (Emperor House and Roman Wall House) acquired by Urbanest in early 2017. The Roman remains are set to be made readily accessible to the public for the first time within a three-storey gallery and museum. “Urbanest continues to provide fantastic facilities for students in London and we are delighted to expand our relationship and enable the construction of this exciting development. We continue to see increasing demand for student accommodation in the capital and this deal provides our institutional investors with access to attractive returns secured against high quality real estate in London’s city centre,” added Adam Willis, Associate Director in M&G’s Real Estate Finance team. The building is scheduled for completion in 2021.
An acoustic system from Sto has been specified for a £7.5 million museum redevelopment project in London. The StoSilent Distance system has been installed in the Garden Museum, which is Britain’s only museum covering the art, history and design of gardens, located at the Church of St Mary-at-Lambeth. “We specified the StoSilent Distance system for a number of reasons,” explained Alun Jones of Dow Jones Architects. “The building work involved the creation of a cluster of copper-clad pavilions around a cloistered garden area. These house two new educational spaces and a cafeteria, and they are connected by a number of covered walkways. These spaces feature concrete floors and floor-to-ceiling glazing, so in order to achieve an acoustic environment with a reverberation time of less than 0.8 seconds we used a Sto seamless acoustic ceiling. Having used the Sto solution on a previous project we were confident that it would be perfect for the museum, and Sto worked closely with us to create a balanced acoustic system which would satisfy all the different requirements.” The StoSilent Distance system provides a modern, clean, monolithic alternative to the standard options. It is ideal for situations where, as with the Garden Museum, these surfaces must be suspended to accommodate services, and where the ceilings were being used as negative plenums for air extraction and movement. The StoSilent Distance system utilises its own Sto SC400 metal framework, and StoSilent Distance 110 boards. The boards are manufactured from 96% recycled glass and can be integrated with lighting, grills and other M&E considerations. StoSilent boards are permeable, and have a honeycomb-like structure which allows noise and sound to dissipate through a void space and so balance the acoustic environment. StoSilent Distance is a lightweight system, and unlike exposed grid and soft tile alternatives, the boards will not sag or delaminate. It can be used to create many different design features, including seamless, inclined planes or curves, or sharp and consistent joints. The benefit to the architects and end user is that the system can also be repaired and refurbished throughout the lifetime of the building without greatly negating the value of the acoustics, wherever the system has been installed.
A residential development in Canary Wharf, London, has reached a significant milestone. With leading developer Canary Wharf group building residential apartment on the 10 Park Drive site, the building has recently been topped out, reaching its full height of 149 metres above ground level. It will offer 345 homes when completed in the final quarter of 2019. “This is an exciting step in the construction of 10 Park Drive, both for the area and for us at Canary Wharf Group as we top out our first residences on the Estate. The work that has gone into the development so far has been phenomenal, and we look forward to it reaching completion and for the first residents to move into Canary Wharf,” said Brian De’ath, Director of Residential Sales at Canary Wharf Group. “Some of our purchasers camped out overnight to be able to secure a home at 10 Park Drive which I strongly believe says a great deal about the quality of the offering here. The extensive calendar of events, diverse community and excellent transport links on the Estate are making it an increasingly hard location to beat within the London property market,” Brian added. 10 Park Drive has been designed by Stanton Williams Architects and it forms a key part of Canary Wharf’s new residential district, Wood Wharf, alongside neighbouring residential development, One Park Drive. It will comprise 74 studios, 115 one-bedroom apartments, 141 two-bedroom apartments and 15 three-bedroom apartments. The apartments’ design maximises the light and vistas of the surroundings at every opportunity, with interiors developed by Make Architects. Residents of 10 Park Drive will have access to a private sky terrace on the 13th floor, with bookable facilities and free use of shared spaces. The development sits adjacent to South Dock and is linked to the water by landscaped gardens and parks. Purchasers will also have access to a state-of-the-art new health and fitness club with a swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna, steam room and fitness class studio.
A new 306-home student accommodation development in Acton, west London, approached completion and it now stands at 7-storeys, offering 306 studio apartments complete with communal spaces including a café, student lounge, arcade and gym. Developed by Tide Construction and its offsite manufacturing company Vision Modular Systems, Chapter White City is located on the site of the former Savoy Cinema. “Chapter White City is a fitting tribute to the famous cinema that once stood on the site, and the students that have chosen to make Acton their home will bring a vibrancy to this historic gateway to central London. Our work here with Vision and HTA is testimony to the versatility of modular construction and what it can deliver throughout London and the rest of the country, in both the residential sector, the hotel sector and the student sector,” said Christy Hayes, chief executive officer at Tide Construction. Manufactured by Vision in their purpose-built factory in Bedford, the modules used precision engineering production line techniques designed to streamline the process and deliver a quality end-product at a faster pace of construction. “Chapter White City is a stunning new addition to our growing London student portfolio, completed in time for the start of the 2019 academic year this September. Vision and Tide have perfected the art of modular construction, with Chapter White City standing as proof of the high-quality craftsmanship which can now be achieved by this innovative construction method,” said Troy Tomasik, Managing Director – Investments at Greystar. In addition, Tide and Vision Modular Systems are also onsite in Holloway delivering a 257-home student accommodation scheme for Chapter. Tide Construction Limited is a unique development and contracting company, utilising both traditional and Offsite Manufacturing Methodologies (OSM). The team provides full turnkey building solutions using highly advanced offsite techniques and are market leaders in modular construction.
Activity levels at the very top of the London property market have stabilised after a tumultuous few years, the latest analysis reveals. Sales in the super prime market with homes valued at £10 million plus have been underpinned in many cases by the release of pent-up demand, says the report from international real estate firm Knight Frank. The figures show that the number of new prospective super prime buyers registering in the first three months of 2018 was 7% higher than last year. And, although the number of transactions in the year to March was 9% lower than over the previous 12 months, this is an improvement compared to annual falls of more than 20% registered throughout 2016 and the first half of 2017. The steepest price decline since the peak of the market in prime central London in August 2015 has been in Chelsea where a 15.5% fall took place between then and March 2018. However, buyers have responded to the decline and the value of super prime sales has risen as a result while the effects of a weaker pound also continue to drive sales, alongside the continued appeal of London. The report points out that US dollar denominated buyers would have benefitted from an effective 11% discount at the end of March compared to the period before the European Union referendum ‘Though London has had a tough time recently, it is seeing renewed vigour. The effective discount provided by a weaker pound has certainly helped some buyers seeking value. There is a continued focus on safe haven investments for the long term with increasing focus on income generation and longer-term returns,’ said Paddy Dring, head of global prime sales at Knight Frank. ‘Although political risk remains with us, economic fundamentals underpinning the market remain strong, with interest rates at an all-time low and global economic growth improving,’ he added. Family houses in the Kensington and Chelsea are in relatively strong demand at the start of 2018 among needs driven buyers, according to Thomas van Straubenzee, head of Knight Frank’s private office . ‘While international investors are proceeding with more caution, British families committed to London are more comfortable buying given that pricing has largely adjusted for stamp duty. It means areas like Notting Hill have done very well at the start of 2018,’ he pointed out. But some buyers remain hesitant. ‘There has been a definite uptick in enquiries from prospective buyers, which is feeding through into sales. However, those buyers making commitments have either been in the market for a while or have a pressing social or personal need to move,’ said Daniel Daggers, a prime central London partner with Knight Frank. ‘So there is a ticking clock for many of them which, together with the price declines and favourable currency movement, means they are now deciding to act. Buyers are less location specific and new focal points include Fitzrovia and W2,’ he added.
A location along Marylebone High Street in the middle of London is to be the site of an all new fitness space from its original state as a bargain basement that was quite frankly none other than a sad waste of property building space. Now, these 3,000 square feet of valuable space in the bustling London metropole will become an all-new studio for fitness enthusiasts and those wishing to get their regular exercise in on track. Commissioned by US corporate giants Xtend Barre for AGA (or Amos Goldreich Architecture) to visualize the ambitious project, the architectural design firm has delivered the project on time to include a variety of luxurious facilities but with an added down-to-earth feel that will delight and appeal to users from all levels and skills. The original space itself being a dark and dilapidated space, AGA took steps to make sure that enough light could be let into the space by stripping down the walls and then covering them in white paint so that enough light would be reflected all around the walls of the studio. In addition to this, the main entrance area will also feature some eating and drinking facilities, as well as a sign for exercise tops and gear, in addition to a general sitting space for tired would-be athletes and their impressed guests. Locker room storage areas will also be made available on demand for those that seek it. This is all wonderful news no doubt for the employees and founders of Xtend Barre London as they grow a community that will be able to benefit from the brand new services that the studio will have to offer. This is especially good tidings for Ms Catie Miller, the creator of the London branch of Xtend Barre, and she is ecstatic that the collaboration with Amos Goldreich Architecture has been an all-round success.
Lendlease and Multiplex have entered the race to bid for Google ’s £600m HQ in London, alongside Mace and Sir Robert McAlpine. Bids were submitted last Friday for the mammoth project, ahead of an announcement by the internet giant this week that it was committing to building the scheme. Construction News reported in June that Mace and Sir Robert McAlpine were among those interested in the project. Google chief executive Sundar Pichai told the BBC: “We see big opportunities here. “This is a big commitment from us – we have some of the best talent in the world in the UK and to be able to build great products from here sets us up well for the long term.” Google said it planned to invest more than £1bn in the new King’s Cross building, designed by BIG and Heatherwick Studios, and hire thousands more staff. The scheme was put on hold in November 2013 after Google called for it to be redesigned. Bam Construct had been appointed as main contractor for the original scheme in March 2013, in a deal worth £300m. Plans for the new London HQ have an estimated construction value of more than £600m: £400m for the shell and core, and around £200m for the fit-out. Google’s staff are currently spread across offices in Covent Garden and Victoria, with the new offices bringing them together under one roof. The tech giant already has a presence at the King’s Cross redevelopment site, having taken 6 Pancras Square (pictured). It is also developing a 280,000 sq ft office block known as S2 on the site, which was given the green light by Camden Council in March. The 27 ha King’s Cross site is one of the largest redevelopments in London, with the masterplan including 50 buildings and 1,900 homes. It is being developed by the King’s Cross Central Limited Partnership, which includes Argent, DHL and London & Continental Railways and was formed in 2008. Argent declined to comment. One of the key ways Google brings in revenue is through ‘adwords’. Because this service is so important to many companies, you must make sure you use the best google adword agencies.
The new London high-rises create unique opportunities to utilise energy saving, there are opportunities to maximise the benefits of district heating or centralised boiler systems. The ‘St Pauls Heights’ policy of 1937 put a limit on the heights of new builds protect London views, however new builds are actually on the rise in central and suburban locations around the capital. There’s an estimated 260 towers currently in construction or in the planning phase in the capital all between 20 and 60 storeys high. Over 80% of these new towers are being built for residential use rather than the commercial buildings typically associated with new London builds. This news comes as a worry for those interested in the consumption of energy in the city. The towers under construction pose a unique opportunity to maximise floor space and reduce energy required for heating and cooling. Most new residential buildings now utilise community heating or centralised boiler systems and can optimise the efficiencies offered by dense populations and enable the use of low carbon energy, combined heat and power enable companies to become eco-efficent and maximise energy saving. New technologies such as microplate heat exchangers, cam highly accurate controls and provide a good system balance to ensure operations of the eco- system is as good as the design. Tall builds system pressure becomes a major issue and in simple terms the system in use doesn’t tend to cause any issues however, the problems come with a 30storey building being nearly 100m high and some of these builds are due to be double that. The technology of microplate heat exchanges mean that there is a reduction in the loss of pressure by 35%, resulting in smaller, more efficient exchanges of heat with minimal temperature loss as a result. This includes heat networks and centralised boiler plants. Saving money and energy as a result.
The image of the construction industry has long been challenged by unsightly, ungainly or noisy site works – often, presenting inconveniences to those living and working nearby. With a radically different approach that places due consideration at its centre, McAleer and Rushe continues to maximise property assets with minimal disruption. With almost 50 years’ experience in all aspects of property, McAleer and Rushe has established itself as a leader in design-and-build construction, quickly picking up awards in anything from design excellence, to NHBC’s much-revered Pride in the Job accolade. Working across the student, residential, office and hotel sectors, the company has offices in London, Belfast, Dublin and Cookstown, and has been part of some of the largest, and most well-known development projects of the new millennia. What’s most notable about McAleer and Rushe however, is neither its size nor its scope but the reputation it has built as a considerate constructor. Since becoming a member of the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS), the company has incorporated the body’s ethics of responsible, attentive site works wholeheartedly. Indeed, at the end of last year, McAleer and Rushe earned a Considerate Contractor Scheme Gold Award for the London-based development for a leading German hotel chain. The construction of a 291-bedroom, to be owned by Motel One, was not without challenge – not least in view of its busy, central location. “From a site point of view, the biggest issue was our proximity to live roads and live traffic,” explains Conor Feeney, Site Manager at McAleer and Rushe. “That presents difficulties to both carrying out structural works in general, and maintaining considerate practice. Whilst such problems are fairly standard in the sector, the lengths we go to, as a company, in order to combat those potential issues is where standard practice becomes exceptional.” By opening up dialogue with neighbouring properties, businesses and facilities during the early stages of development, the company streamlined the build considerably – posing little to no impact on either private or public services. And it was no mean feat when one takes into account the major gas works replacement taking place at the same time. In fact, what began as a one-way street at the commencement of the contract was, part-way through the hotel construction, restored to a two-way through-road following work on the gas mains. The facilities maintenance, carried out by the City of London was nevertheless uninterrupted by McAleer and Rushe’s project thanks to intelligent planning and a proactive approach. Putting in place a dedicated environmental officer as well as a health and safety officer at each active site, McAleer and Rushe has a clear vision from the outset and one by which subcontractors and suppliers have to abide. “All our partners have to buy into our ethos as a Considerate Constructor,” insists Feeney. “At the bottom line, it’s about good communication. Motel One was situated on a busy street local to Liverpool Street where London’s commercial district is. Most of our deliveries were arriving at peak commuting time, and adequate signage and diversions were really important. We see sub-contracting as an ongoing process that has to be negotiated and re-negotiated as a project develops. It might take time and effort but, once the considerate practice system is in place and working properly, they appreciate why it’s needed.” Of course, before inspiring best practice from sub-contractors and suppliers, operatives have to be on side. Acknowledging that a positive culture is best fostered from the bottom up, McAleer and Rushe has invested heavily in education and training for its staff so as to inspire pride and confidence in the job. And, in what Feeney describes as the biggest change to the company’s outlook, McAleer and Rushe now holds regular toolbox talks across sites up and down the country, many led by its newly-appointed environmental manager. Amongst covering environmental aspects with a Considerate Constructor crossover (such as waste management and transport), the company has also strived to give voice to the concerns of civil, electrical and construction specialists, inviting a host of different speakers to deliver its talks. McAleer and Rushe is therefore at the forefront of developing best practice models that are not only more in-tune with each other, but are most closely aligned with the needs of the modern construction industry. What boils down to an ethic of communication and responsibility has also given a competitive edge to the well-accomplished company. As Feeney explains, “Membership with the Considerate Constructors Scheme is increasingly something that clients look for during procurement. Alongside price and specification, it’s one of the leading ways to establish yourself above others. The Gold Award is the pinnacle of all that the organisation stands for and, for that, our team’s hard work and dedication has to be applauded.” With sights set on further accolades this year, and highly complimentary feedback thus far, McAleer and Rushe is set to remain the people’s contractor. Determinedly in-step with both clients and the neighbourhood, this is one company that not only gets it, but gets it right.
As Mayor of London, Boris Johnson prepares to face stern competition for the top job, mayoral candidates went head-to-head at this week’s LandAid debate to discuss their plans for the London, in particular, its housing stock. Topics included affordable housing, the private rented sector (PRS), overseas investors and featured speakers from four of the UK’s main political parties. Somewhat predictably, Labour representative, Sadiq Khan, and Tory, Zac Goldsmith, were at loggerheads over what constitutes an “affordable home”. While Goldsmith expressed ambitions to tackle the consistent pricing-out of “average”, £34k-earning Londoners, Khan went further and was keen to stress the need for a London Living Rent and a structured calculation for house prices. Labour’s plans for Living Rent specific to London was the single policy dedicated to the rental sector. Delegates heard Khan provide details on the proposed rental rate which would be one third of average earnings in the area. The Conservatives, on the other hand, devoted attention to the housing crisis and suggested that the government needed to open more publicly-owned sites up for development. Goldsmith also added that transport infrastructure would have to be upgraded in line with any new development projects so as to join areas with the centre of the city. Caroline Pidgeon for the Liberal Democrats raised questions about foreign investment strategies, and insisted that overseas businesses ought to be taxed at a higher rate to discourage over-investment. In Green Party candidate, Sian Berry’s absence, Darren Johnson stood in to outline her plans for a not-for-profit company to shoulder all new development. The body would prioritise local and smaller developers in the hope to build affordable homes that were fit for purporse and beneficial to the local economy. All parties committed to building 50,000 new homes in the capital though they were hesistant to disclose just where they’ll find the land to do so. The LandAid debate was sponsored by Savills and attended by 350 representatives from some the UK’s largest contractors and property management companies.
