Going through a home renovation isn’t easy. Even if you’ve renovated a number of houses in the past, there are always some unique surprises that come up and make your job more difficult. So, what exactly can you do to make sure your upcoming renovation project is a success? Listed
New spaces for students, staff and the local community have been opened at the University of Birmingham after the transformation work carried out at an area of parkland. The Green Heart project, located at the historic Edgbaston campus, was delivered by Willmott Dixon. “It has been fantastic to have been part
The new £98 million Heatherwood Hospital in Ascot has officially received green light and construction work is on its way. The project leader is Kier, aiming to replace the ageing Heatherwood Hospital with a new state of the art facility, located in woodland behind the current site. “We are delighted that
Homeowners keep choosing to take matter into their own hands and undertake their own home improvements, despite the difficulty of some of the projects, such as large kitchen renovations. This is partly due to the increased availability of ‘how to’ guides online and reduced consumer confidence causing people to tighten their
Insulation work is to be delivered on a renovation project at Coventry University by Western Thermal Limited. The former BT building in Mile Lane is being refurbished into a new cutting-edge learning hub for its students and faculty. The learning hub will make room for up to 3,000 students and faculties, with features
A few days ago, RIBA North East announced that it has shortlisted eleven new and exciting projects which will compete for a coveted RIBA North East Award in April. Over the coming weeks leading up to the cermony, RIBA’s judging panel will be stopping by at a host of the
Going through a home renovation isn’t easy. Even if you’ve renovated a number of houses in the past, there are always some unique surprises that come up and make your job more difficult. So, what exactly can you do to make sure your upcoming renovation project is a success? Listed below are five important considerations to have in mind. What are your reasons for renovating? When renovating a home, you need to know the reasons why you’re doing it. Maybe you want a change of lifestyle and giving your home a new look to go alongside is a great way to get underway. Or maybe you just more space for you and your family. Think about what your reasons for renovating are and coming up with a master plan for your project will become much easier. Not only this, but with clearly set goals, you’ll also be more motivated to tackle the project and wait for the outcome. On the other hand, if you realize there’s nothing you want to achieve with your renovation project, maybe you don’t even have to change anything in it. How much money do you have? Obviously, you can’t start a home renovation project without money. Whether you want to extend your home or freshen up a floor, you’ll probably need a lot in order to get the job done. This is why knowing how much money you can put into your renovation is a must. Figure out your budget and you’ll know exactly what kind of changes you can make. Bear in mind that structural changes tend to be more expensive than aesthetic changes you can make to your home. Also, it’s a good idea to have some money on the side just in case of some unexpected costs during the project. Can you take a DIY approach? Most people who decide to renovate their home end up hiring experts who’ll get the job done for them. Although you can never go wrong with hiring a renowned contractor, you can also consider the idea of taking a DIY approach. Why? Well, doing it yourself means you get to save a lot of money that you can put into better materials or a more expensive upgrade. If you know your way around tools, this can turn out to be an amazing idea. Just bear in mind that you’ll probably need to rent equipment if you want to tackle everything yourself. For example, when adding an extension to the top floor of your home, you’ll need to turn to a company that offers scaffolding for hire in order to stay safe. Is your plan realistic? Dreaming is the starting point of every successful home renovation. However, if you want to get everything right, it’s important to be realistic about what you want to accomplish. Sometimes, you might come up with an idea for your home that simply doesn’t work or it exceeds your budget. To avoid setting unrealistic expectations for your project, talk to your contractor or turn to a designer if you’ve opted for a DIY approach. They’ll be able to tell you if your plan doesn’t work and how much money it’ll take to turn your ideas into reality. For example, they might convince you that you don’t need that expensive flooring that doesn’t even fit into your budget. It is important to find the right home renovation company, this way you will get the job done right and on-time. How much time will it take? Renovating your home can be a lengthy process. The worst part is it that it’ll probably take even more time than you think. This is especially the case if you start the project before or during the holiday season. Depending on the size and nature of the project, you might need to find a place to stay until all the work has been finished. If you think you can get everything done in a week or two, staying at a friend’s house or in a hotel is your safest bet. For longer projects, consider renting a home on a one- or two-month contract. If you decide to stay in your home, knowing how to live on site while renovating might be necessary. It’s important to remember that the success of your home renovation project depends on the amount of work you put in. Consider all these things before you put any money into your renovation project to avoid any surprises.
New spaces for students, staff and the local community have been opened at the University of Birmingham after the transformation work carried out at an area of parkland. The Green Heart project, located at the historic Edgbaston campus, was delivered by Willmott Dixon. “It has been fantastic to have been part of the team creating this stunning parkland for the University of Birmingham and its local communities to use. University of Birmingham is exceedingly forward-thinking in terms of deliverable and sustainable technology and the implementation of the Pavegen system in particular is a real step forward. I’m excited for the Green Heart Festival later in the year, where we’ll celebrate our joint vision for the space coming to life, with students, staff and communities enjoying the space to its full potential,” said Nick Gibb, director of Willmott Dixon in the Midlands. The renovation works have delivered spaces for performances and events, markets, a café and bar, and dedicated areas for art and sculptures. Willmott Dixon has also installed a Pavegen walkway that generates data and off-grid electricity for USB charging point benches. This way, the Green Heart has comprehensive WiFi coverage and digital information totems. In addition, the project has also restored historic walkways as envisaged in the University’s original design from the early 1900s. “We are proud to play our part in this fantastic development, embracing design and the latest technology to provide a unique environment for the University of Birmingham community,” commented Pavegen CEO and founder, Laurence Kemball-Cook. “The Pavegen walkway provides a versatile platform that converts users’ footfall into off-grid energy to power local applications – we are monitoring it via a cloud-based platform.” The Green Heart was designed by Churchman Landscape Architects, with support from Associated Architects. A weekend-long event will be held in June 2019 to celebrate the official launch of the area.
The new £98 million Heatherwood Hospital in Ascot has officially received green light and construction work is on its way. The project leader is Kier, aiming to replace the ageing Heatherwood Hospital with a new state of the art facility, located in woodland behind the current site. “We are delighted that work to build a new hospital can now begin on the Heatherwood site. This will be a fantastic hospital fit for the 21st century, offering state-of the-art care for our patients and a first class working environment for our staff,” said Dr Tim Ho, medical director at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust. Specialising in planned, non-emergency procedures such as orthopaedics, general surgery, urology, gynaecology and endoscopy, the new facility will have six operating theatres and 48 inpatient beds, plus 22 day case cubicles. Moreover, it will also include space for the Trust’s private patient unit. In addition, the facility will offer a range of outpatient and diagnostic facilities, including cardiology, radiology, lithotripsy, children’s clinic, physiotherapy and orthodontics and space for a primary care hub with GPs, community nurses and other healthcare specialists. “We are delighted that we can now deliver our vision for the Heatherwood site. The new hospital will ensure we can offer local patients the best care in the best environment and it is a key part of our strategy to remain an innovative and outstanding trust well into the future. We can’t wait to get started,” commented Frimley Health chief executive Neil Dardis. The new Heatherwood Hospital is the latest major development in Frimley Health’s £200 million capital investment programme, expected to be complete by late 2021.
Homeowners keep choosing to take matter into their own hands and undertake their own home improvements, despite the difficulty of some of the projects, such as large kitchen renovations. This is partly due to the increased availability of ‘how to’ guides online and reduced consumer confidence causing people to tighten their purses. This boom has been witnessed first-hand by Roofing Megastore, which has shipped in excess of 250,000 products to over 12,000 customers. The majority of these customers are homeowners who are taking on small roofing projects themselves, typically reroofing a shed or constructing a polycarbonate shelter. Although, according to the Banbury-based supplier of roofing materials, a healthy portion of their customers still seek the advice of a tradesman, the company feels ready to provide one-to-one support to DIYers. This includes an award-winning Customer Care Team and steady flow of how-to guides to inspire homeowners. “When buying high involvement products online customers are often overloaded with information we commit considerable resources into simplifying that information and providing a seamless user experience. When combined with our dedicated Customer Care Team, we believe this provides homeowners with the confidence they need to turn their DIY dreams into reality,” said Managing Director Gian Carlo-Grossi. Having seen the DIY market’s continued growth, Roofing Megastore has decided to expand its offering to consumers. Not only will this involve welcoming leading brands, such as Redland and Britmet, onto its website, but continuing to remove the confusing lingo that often leaves homeowners bewildered. The company also has hopes of going beyond roofing to expand their offering to both DIYers and tradesman. Having witnessed almost 300% growth over the past 12 months, there is little doubt that Roofing Megastore will inspire more homeowners to take on their projects throughout 2019.
Insulation work is to be delivered on a renovation project at Coventry University by Western Thermal Limited. The former BT building in Mile Lane is being refurbished into a new cutting-edge learning hub for its students and faculty. The learning hub will make room for up to 3,000 students and faculties, with features including teaching rooms, IT suites, engineering and science labs, as well a café and extensive breakout areas for more social learning. “We are delighted to be working with Coventry University on what promises to be an exciting project. The university has a long and proud tradition of delivering first-class education and experiences to its students and local community, and we are happy to play a small part in helping them in uplifting their service to the students and the wider academic community,” said Phil Jones, Executive Director – Operations at Western Thermal about the prestigious project. Thermal insulation will be provided to the pipework and ductwork services from Western Thermal under a £180,000 contract. “Western Thermal Limited is a leader in the sector and continues to find ways to emphasise its expertise and experience through a number of exciting, high quality projects. It is our specialism which has enabled this company to deliver successful results on a consistent basis and has made us out a stand our performer in the market,” said Phil. “The project is certainly an exciting one and we are confident that it will prove to be a success. We are aware of the expectations placed on us and are know that our thermal insulation and pipework will contribute to providing the new campus with high quality heating and ventilation,” he added. The scheme will be delivered by Wilmott Dixon, which will work alongside NG Bailey to complete the work. Building work is expected to be complete in February 2019, with the facility opening the following month.
A few days ago, RIBA North East announced that it has shortlisted eleven new and exciting projects which will compete for a coveted RIBA North East Award in April. Over the coming weeks leading up to the cermony, RIBA’s judging panel will be stopping by at a host of the North East’s highest quality buildings in the hope of finding the region’s best. Buildings are marked against a number of criteria from interior design to environmental performance. Properties selected vary widely and include: a redevelopment still in its infancy which will house Blyth Workspace, and the new Ashington Community and Leisure Centre at the heart of Ashington town centre’s strategic regeneration. Alongside the much-revered Building of the Year Award, the shortlist will also produce a Small Project of the Year Award for a project costing less than £500,000. The jury panel will also be on the lookout for Project Architect of the Year, which is awarded to the architect who stands out as having significantly contributed to an award-winning project. Several North-East based architects are vying for the prize with a range of period, Grade II Listed developments, though they face stern competition Edinburgh-based, Sutherland Hussey Harris’s Edge Hill home renovation. The RIBA Awards have been running for 50 years, and continue to champion and celebrate the best and most progressive architectural feats. Despite being known for setting the aesthetic standard, the association prides itself on handing out gongs to those who effectively improve the lives of residents and tenants, and RIBA demands that functionality and operational afterlife be taken into account. Accolades are available for buildings in the UK by RIBA Chartered Architects and International Fellows. The RIBA North East award winners will be announced at an evening event at As You Like It in Newcastle upon Tyne on Friday 22nd April 2016.
