The Grade II* listed Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) headquarters has celebrated a major landmark in its redevelopment, with a topping out ceremony in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London. Professor Derek Alderson, President of the RCS, was joined by Sir James Wates, chairman of Wates Group, whose construction arm is carrying
Network Rail has announced the award of 82 framework contracts to deliver design services across the country, worth an estimated £400m for Control Period 6 (2019-2024) and up to £640m including the options to extend the framework into Control Period 7 (2024-2029). The Design Services Framework (DSF) consists of four
The Grade II* listed Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) headquarters has celebrated a major landmark in its redevelopment, with a topping out ceremony in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London. Professor Derek Alderson, President of the RCS, was joined by Sir James Wates, chairman of Wates Group, whose construction arm is carrying out the heritage project, to mark the occasion of reaching the highest point of the build. The RCS began as the Company of Barber-Surgeons, established in 1540, and has been based at Lincoln’s Inn Fields since 1796. The historic home of advanced surgical education in the capital is being refurbished to enable it to continue providing the best learning, examination and research resources for the nation’s surgeons, while retaining elements of its illustrious history. In 2019, the number of people waiting for operations across the NHS rose to 4.4million, increasing the urgency of training more surgeons to cope with demand. With the introduction of new robotic, AI and VR technology in surgery, the shape of surgical training is also changing. The £75m redevelopment of the RCS will provide a modern learning facility that will play an integral role in training the next generation of surgical practitioners. As a specialist in heritage works, Wates Construction has ensured the historic neo-classical frontage, heavily influenced by Charles Barry, the architect behind the House of Parliament, will be maintained. Humidity control in the library spaces will preserve the historic timber construction, while the Hunterian Museum, which opened in 1813, is being expanded to occupy the majority of the ground floor, allowing greater accessibility to the museum’s internationally-important historical collections when it reopens in 2021. Upon completion, the Royal College of Surgeons will have an environmentally friendly building, incorporating a highly insulated, air-tight envelope to ensure thermal and energy efficiency; photovoltaic panels on the roof providing a sustainable energy source; and space for 120+ cyclists to store bikes and shower, encouraging greener travel in the capital. Speaking at the ceremony, Professor Alderson said: “This marks an important milestone in transforming our treasured home and the world-famous Hunterian museum. We will create a modern, state-of-the-art headquarters for training the next generation of surgeons, and to continue our long history of supporting the exchange of learning and ideas on the future of surgery. The building has been designed to retain our rich surgical heritage, while embracing the cutting-edge future of modern surgery. “The RCS has over 27,000 members across the UK and internationally. Our new building will be the nerve centre for the development and proliferation of the best surgical training techniques and practice in the world. Surgical skills taught here in the coming century, will radiate into operating theatres around the world, for the benefit of millions of patients.” Mark Craig, Operations Director at Wates Construction London, added: “The RCS requires modernised facilities to help it continue improving surgical standards through education, research and clinical performance. At the same time, it has a tremendously rich heritage going back hundreds of years in central London, which it is important to preserve. “This is just the type of challenging build that our team love, using modern methods of construction to balance proud history with the need for a facility fit for the 21st century. Best of all, once construction is complete, the RCS will have a world-class home for its community of trainees and surgeons, its museum and library, supporting its mission of driving forward the standard of surgical practice through years to come.” Wates’ extensive portfolio of heritage projects across London also includes the refurbishment of the V&A Museum extension at Exhibition Road, the Metropolitan Police Service’s Grade II listed Hammersmith Police Station and multiple buildings on Parliament’s Westminster estates.
Network Rail has announced the award of 82 framework contracts to deliver design services across the country, worth an estimated £400m for Control Period 6 (2019-2024) and up to £640m including the options to extend the framework into Control Period 7 (2024-2029). The Design Services Framework (DSF) consists of four multi-discipline frameworks and 78 single-discipline frameworks. The new DSF aims to provide access to a wider range of multi-skilled suppliers including small and medium enterprises (SMEs) who form circa 25% of the single discipline suppliers on the DSF. The framework contracts, which went live on 1st January 2020, have been awarded to the following 34 suppliers: Multi-Discipline National Frameworks Supplier Discipline DSF Region* AECOM Multi-Discipline National Jacobs UK Multi-Discipline National Mott MacDonald Multi-Discipline National WSP Multi-Discipline National Single Discipline Regional Frameworks Supplier Discipline DSF Region* AECOM Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited Track North West & Scotland Track South West Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd Telecoms North West & Scotland Telecoms South West Telecoms North East AM Signalling Design Ltd Signalling South West Signalling South East Amey OWR Limited Electrification & Plant – Plant South West Signalling South West Track North East Andromeda Engineering Ltd Electrification & Plant – Contact Systems South East Electrification & Plant – Contact Systems South West Arcadis Consulting (UK) Ltd Electrification & Plant – Distribution North West & Scotland Electrification & Plant – Distribution North East Civils & Structural North West & Scotland Buildings & Architecture North East Baker Hicks Limited Track South West Electrification & Plant – Contact Systems North East Geotechnical North West & Scotland Balfour Beatty Rail Electrification & Plant – Contact Systems North East Track South East Track North East Capita Property & Infrastructure Ltd Civils & Structural North West & Scotland Civils & Structural South East Consents & Environment South East DB Engineering & Consulting GmbH Telecoms South East Egis Rail UK Ltd Signalling North West & Scotland Signalling North East Idom Merebrook Ltd Buildings & Architecture South West Electrification & Plant – Contact Systems South West Jacobs U.K. Limited Geotechnical North East Geotechnical South West Civils & Structural North East Kier Integrated Services Ltd Electrification & Plant – Plant South East Signalling South East Kristelan (UK) t/a SVM Glasgow. Electrification & Plant – Plant North East Electrification & Plant – Plant South West Electrification & Plant – Plant South East Mott MacDonald Limited Track North West & Scotland Electrification & Plant – Contact Systems North West & Scotland Navitas Engineering Ltd Electrification & Plant – Distribution South West Pascall & Watson Limited Buildings & Architecture South East Pell Frischmann Consultants Limited Civils & Structural South East Buildings & Architecture North West & Scotland Civils & Structural North East Ramboll UK Limited Geotechnical North East Geotechnical South West Geotechnical South East Buildings & Architecture North East Robert Bird & Partners Ltd Civils & Structural South West RPS Consulting Services Ltd Buildings & Architecture South East Buildings & Architecture North West & Scotland Buildings & Architecture South West RSK Environment Ltd Consents & Environment South West Siemens Mobility Limited Electrification & Plant – Distribution South East Electrification & Plant – Distribution South West Softech Rail Limited Telecoms South East Telent Technology Services Limited Telecoms North West & Scotland Telecoms South West Telecoms North East Temple Group Limited Consents & Environment South East Consents & Environment North East Tony Gee & Partners LLP Geotechnical North West & Scotland Geotechnical South East Tony Gee & Partners LLP and Egis Rail UK Ltd Track South East UK Power Networks Services Ltd Electrification & Plant – Distribution North West & Scotland Electrification & Plant – Distribution North East Electrification & Plant – Distribution South East VolkerRail Specialist Businesses Ltd Electrification & Plant – Plant North East Signalling North West & Scotland Signalling North East Waterman Infrastructure & Environment Ltd Consents & Environment North West & Scotland Consents & Environment North East Consents & Environment South West Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions UK Ltd Consents & Environment North West & Scotland WSP UK Ltd Electrification & Plant – Contact Systems North West & Scotland Electrification & Plant – Contact Systems South East Civils & Structural South West *Note: The DSF Regions align to the Network Rail Regions as follows: North West & Scotland = North West & Central; and Scotland’s Railway North East = Eastern South East = Southern South West = Wales & Western Daljinder Chatta, Network Rail’s commercial director, said: “Network Rail will have greater access to a design support network providing mutual benefits to both Network Rail and the supply chain. Some of these include working more directly with suppliers, improved assurance, getting closer to experts, improved business and safety performance and enabling innovation to thrive.”
