Plans to develop a modern government office development in York have been approved. The application to build a six-storey, 195,000 sq ft government hub, put forward by partners the Government Property Agency (GPA), Homes England and Network Rail, was given the green light by the City of York Council. Earmarked
Mace has scooped a £184 million contract to deliver the next expansion phase at The Oxford Science Park, The Daubeny Project. The project will see the construction of three new state-of-the-art laboratory and office buildings, further cementing Oxford’s position as a world-leading centre for scientific innovation. The expansion will add
Ballymore has put forward an outline planning application to redevelop the Edgware Broadwalk Shopping Centre, the bus station and the garage, in partnership with Places for London. The masterplan, designed by Howells, proposes to deliver 3,365 new homes, including 1,150 affordable homes, and 463 student accommodation spaces. A significant increase
Citu has secured plans for Phase One of the Attercliffe Waterside urban regeneration scheme in Sheffield. The 23-acre brownfield site is owned by Sheffield City Council and straddles either side of Sheffield and Tinsley Canal, once a vital waterway in powering the city’s Industrial Revolution. The transformational scheme will celebrate
BDP and the University of Cambridge have unveiled ambitious plans to restore the Grade II listed History Faculty Building, which is also the home of the Seeley Library. This landmark project will restore and revitalise one of the iconic ‘Red Trilogy’ – the triumvirate of highly significant university buildings designed
Caddick Construction Group has launched its new headquarters at Wakefield 41 Business Park in Yorkshire. The launch signals a new phase of the Group’s growth strategy and provides a new base for delivery of its £700m+ forward order book. Formerly Cape House, the new office will now be named Calder
Willmott Dixon has been selected by Bridgend College for the £60 million project to build its new Town Centre Campus development. The College is relocating from its current base at Cowbridge Road Campus to a site previously occupied by the former Police Station and a multi-storey car park at Cheapside,
Morgan Sindall has been appointed to Phase 2 of works at Southlands Hospital, in Shoreham, Sussex, to further add to the new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC). The project has been procured via SCAPE on behalf of the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust. Works at Southlands Hospital involves the strip-out
Sewell Construction has been appointed to manage all minor building works at Hull College’s city centre campus. The contract will see Sewell Construction manage all minor building works at the college’s city centre campus, including replacing doors, windows, flooring and minor repairs. The company will also provide 24/7 emergency response
Watkin Jones has secured plans to develop a 484-bed purpose-built student accommodation (‘PBSA’) scheme on Malago Road, Bedminster in Bristol. This development represents one of the final projects of the Bedminster Green regeneration area and follows two years of negotiation and engagement with the Council. Formerly an engineering works and
Plans to develop a modern government office development in York have been approved. The application to build a six-storey, 195,000 sq ft government hub, put forward by partners the Government Property Agency (GPA), Homes England and Network Rail, was given the green light by the City of York Council. Earmarked for completion in 2027/2028, the hub will be home to up to 2,600 civil servants. Building features include solar panels, air source heat pumps and a green roof, as well as 230 cycle spaces and a planted pedestrian area. The development includes 135,000 sq ft of flexible office space, with ground floor retail and ancillary space. The hub is the first part of York Central – a major initiative to redevelop a substantial area of land close to York city centre and boost the regional economy. Mark Bourgeois, the GPA’s CEO, said: “We are delighted to achieve planning permission to develop this new facility, which will deliver a modern, inspirational and energy-efficient office development for up to 2,600 civil servants. “The new hub will help to accelerate the York Central development, stimulate economic growth and investment in the North of England as well as supporting the transformation of the Civil Service. “It’s another milestone for us at the Government Property Agency to deliver smart, modern, sustainable and digitally connected workplaces that focus on improving productivity and wellbeing.” York Central is one of the largest brownfield sites in the UK, and is located next to the city’s railway station. The scheme is being brought forward by a collaborative partnership between Homes England, Network Rail, the City of York Council and the National Railway Museum. It will be developed by private sector partners McLaren Property and Arlington Real Estate. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Mace has scooped a £184 million contract to deliver the next expansion phase at The Oxford Science Park, The Daubeny Project. The project will see the construction of three new state-of-the-art laboratory and office buildings, further cementing Oxford’s position as a world-leading centre for scientific innovation. The expansion will add 400,500 sq ft of premium laboratory and office space to the park, addressing the critical demand for high-quality facilities in the thriving life sciences sector. The Oxford Science Park is majority-owned by Magdalen College, Oxford, and is at the heart of its strategy to support discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship. The new buildings are designed with sustainability and occupant well-being as primary considerations, featuring biodiverse landscaping, extensive photo-voltaic energy generation and optimised building orientation for natural light and energy efficiency. Mace, in collaboration with the client and the design team, has been working to ensure that sustainability translates into the build, using innovative ground engineering solutions that will save around 3000 tonnes of embodied carbon. The facades will also be the largest use of recycled aluminium for a stick curtain wall project in the UK, saving over 500 tonnes of embodied carbon. These solutions demonstrate Mace’s ability to add value beyond traditional construction services and deliver its vision to build sustainable communities. Rory Maw, CEO of The Oxford Science Park, commented: “Mace’s knowledge and expertise in large-scale construction projects will be crucial to helping us deliver The Daubeny Project, our most ambitious development to date. “These new high-performance laboratory and office buildings will offer much needed space for life science and biotech companies to scale and allow them to benefit from being located at the heart of Oxford’s thriving innovation ecosystem.” Robert Lemming, Managing Director, Public Sector and Life Sciences, Mace Construct said: “The Oxford Science Park is home to some of the most forward thinking and innovative companies, and these new cutting-edge facilities will help unlock ground-breaking research that people will rely on for decades to come. “As our population grows and ages, more sites like these will be needed to meet the pressing demand for high-quality laboratory space, and at The Oxford Science Park we are setting new standards for efficiency and sustainability.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Ballymore has put forward an outline planning application to redevelop the Edgware Broadwalk Shopping Centre, the bus station and the garage, in partnership with Places for London. The masterplan, designed by Howells, proposes to deliver 3,365 new homes, including 1,150 affordable homes, and 463 student accommodation spaces. A significant increase in green space for the town centre includes a new Deans Brook Nature Park, which is to be created by unlocking nearly five acres of land which has been inaccessible to the public for almost 100 years. To complement the high street offer, the new town square and centre will more than double the existing volume of commercial space and reintroduce a cinema following the loss of the former Ritz cinema over 20 years ago. Edgware’s daytime and mid-week economy will be bolstered by new office, and workspace for small and medium businesses. The development will open up access to green space that has been closed off to the public for almost 100 years, by creating the 4.7 acre Deans Brook Nature Park. The current scrubland will become a nature trail with wild planting, walking routes, seating and play areas for the local community to relax, enjoy and spend time in nature within the Town Centre. Across the project, landscape design by Gustafson Porter + Bowman includes 400 new trees, as well as 2.5 acres of new play space for children of all ages integrated across the site. The development aims to generate zero emissions once in operation and includes the use of renewable energy sources, such as air heat pumps, and will incorporate solar panels, green roofs and community growing gardens. Plans will more than double the existing commercial, retail and leisure space on the site, with 460,000 sq. ft. for new shops, cafes and restaurants as well as a new larger Sainsbury’s, cinema and leisure centre, plus flexible floorspace that can deliver office, workspace and hotel uses – centred around a new town square that will complement the existing amenity offer in the town centre. The masterplan will prioritise pedestrians, cyclists and encourage active travel with significant improvements to connectivity within the town centre and a new public cycle hub offering 200 cycle spaces. The development will deliver a future-proof transport interchange including a new bus garage which can be easily adapted to EVs in the future. The garage will contribute towards future use of electric buses across London – improving air quality and helping to tackle the climate emergency. Subject to consent, the first phase will be delivered by 2031 which includes: the new nature park, retail, leisure, cinema, around 1,000 homes, a new Sainsbury’s store, office, bus station and garage as well as the library and community centre. The whole development has an anticipated completion date of 2036. The application will now be validated by the Barnet Council, after which an extended eight-week period of statutory consultation will be undertaken by the council. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Citu has secured plans for Phase One of the Attercliffe Waterside urban regeneration scheme in Sheffield. The 23-acre brownfield site is owned by Sheffield City Council and straddles either side of Sheffield and Tinsley Canal, once a vital waterway in powering the city’s Industrial Revolution. The transformational scheme will celebrate the rich heritage of the site which has been derelict for years and is now destined to become one of the largest low-carbon communities in the UK. Around 1,000 homes will be delivered in three phases across the scheme, complemented by community-focused leisure opportunities and creative workspaces. Phase One – which includes 362 homes, a new public realm, a new pedestrian bridge across the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal, and the repurposing of existing buildings – was approved by Sheffield City Council’s Planning and Highways Committee. The first phase on the north side of the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal will form the heart of the new district, with work expected to begin this autumn on the leisure and commercial elements, ahead of construction of the first homes on site. Six existing historic buildings will be reimagined at the centre of the new neighbourhood which will include a café, bar, bakery, restaurant, offices and multi-purpose venue. Contemporary designs and surviving architecture will be interwoven to create a new Attercliffe Waterside that respects its industrial heritage and paves the way for a sustainable future. A public and commercial square will also be created, alongside a series of south-facing courtyards and walkways down to the canal. The new pedestrian and cycling footbridge will connect Phase One to the south side of the river, opening up the community to Sheffield’s wider East End, additional green space and a tram stop for easy access to the city centre. The first homes to be built on the site will consist of 3 & 4-bedroom townhouses and 1 & 2-bedroom apartments, all constructed using Citu’s ground-breaking timber-framed housing system. This combines bold architecture with flexible designs alongside sustainable, low carbon materials to ensure the highest standards of energy efficiency. The houses will be constructed on a podium which sits above an under-croft car park, with plans to remove cars from specific stretches of Effingham Road which will be replaced with pedestrianisation, public realm and a cycle lane, all part of the scheme’s vision to create a landscape that prioritises people over cars. Public art by local artists will also be introduced throughout the public and private spaces, with murals on building facades, existing building structures being repurposed as sculptural artefacts and imaginative new play areas integrated into the local landscape. Chris Thompson founder and co-director from Citu said: “We are delighted to have secured planning permission for Phase One of Attercliffe Waterside that will kickstart the wider regeneration of Sheffield’s East End. “It’s an area steeped in history and our plans have been inspired by the heritage industries that were powered by the waterways running through it. The area presents huge opportunities from its location alongside the canal and the River Don, with green space, the Olympic Legacy Park and easy access to the city centre by tram in just ten minutes. “We are creating a new community in this beautiful waterside location that will have its own identity; one that pays homage to the area’s rich history but that adapts the landscape to address the various challenges of our day, not least the climate emergency.” He added: “Attercliffe Waterside will enable future generations to live more sustainable lifestyles, in homes that are built to the highest environmental performance standards, setting an exemplar nationally for this type of regeneration.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
BDP and the University of Cambridge have unveiled ambitious plans to restore the Grade II listed History Faculty Building, which is also the home of the Seeley Library. This landmark project will restore and revitalise one of the iconic ‘Red Trilogy’ – the triumvirate of highly significant university buildings designed in the 1960s by prominent, post-war architect, James Stirling. The project presents a once in a generation opportunity to provide a new range of enhanced learning and working environments at the heart of the University’s Sidgwick site while improving the building’s accessibility, safety and comfort and provide a new range of learning and working environments at the heart of the University’s Sidgwick site. The comprehensive refurbishment will safeguard the use and enjoyment of the building; repairing and upgrading building fabric and replacing services to improve thermal comfort, while introducing a range of carbon saving and climate resilient measures. The project has followed a meticulous conservation-led approach that embraces the value, significance and distinctive character of the building while recognising the need for change to meet contemporary requirements. After considering the multiple adaptations to the building, careful judgements have been made about the recovery and reinstatement of materials and details. In conjunction with an approach to new and repaired fabric, this project will breathe new life into the building, making its architectural value more tangible. A key driver for the project is to meet equality, diversity and inclusion goals. Critically, the project will significantly improve step-free access throughout the building, including external terraces, to ensure equitable entry and circulation for all users. Internal treatments will also provide a more comfortable range of environments, recognising the needs of a broader spectrum of people. Construction is due to start from 2025, subject to university approvals, including a Grace to Regent House, and planning and listed building consent approvals from Cambridge City Council. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Caddick Construction Group has launched its new headquarters at Wakefield 41 Business Park in Yorkshire. The launch signals a new phase of the Group’s growth strategy and provides a new base for delivery of its £700m+ forward order book. Formerly Cape House, the new office will now be named Calder House as a nod to the former headquarters at Calder Grange in Knottingley where the business has been based for 45 years. The launch follows an extensive £3.8 million renovation to modernise the building, increasing its size from 11,000 sq. ft to 15,000 sq. ft and adding a range of features to improve sustainability. These include EV charging points and solar panels, which will supply power to the new office. Designed to future-proof the business for growth, the opening of Calder House closely follows the release of Caddick Construction Group’s most recent annual results, which saw turnover rise 38% to £318m with a profit of £7.4m for the year ending August 2023. Features of the new office include a glazed atrium, open-plan office space, feature walls, a cafe and breakout spaces, and a wellbeing zone to help attract and retain talent within the region as the business expands. Chosen for its connectivity, the new office will be home to 130 employees that lead business development and project delivery across Yorkshire as well as supporting the Group’s regional premises in the North West, Midlands and North East. Calder House will also provide headquarters for the Group’s multi-disciplinary businesses, including Caddick Civil Engineering, which achieved a record £13.5m turnover and £2.1m profit in its last trading year. Also based at the office will be the Group’s facade specialists, CCL Facades, which was established in 2022 when Caddick acquired assets and IP rights from the former Yorkshire-based Speedclad business. The Leeds-based design team supporting the renovation included DLA Architecture, commercial fit out specialist, Design Tonic, civil and structural engineering firm, Roscoe, and engineering consultancy, CSD, with a range of locally-based supply chain partners also contributing. Paul Dodsworth, Construction Group Managing Director at Caddick, commented: “Caddick Construction was established in 1979 at our former premises at Calder Grange in Knottingley, and these offices have served us well as we have grown and evolved over the years. We are undergoing an exciting period of change; we are growing in size and stature, but we are also determined to enhance our reputation for delivering high quality projects whilst ensuring the family ethos and feel is retained.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Willmott Dixon has been selected by Bridgend College for the £60 million project to build its new Town Centre Campus development. The College is relocating from its current base at Cowbridge Road Campus to a site previously occupied by the former Police Station and a multi-storey car park at Cheapside, in the heart of Bridgend. The new 13,000 m² development, which Willmott Dixon was procured to build under the SEWSCAP 3 framework, will target net zero in operation when completed in the summer of 2026. Encompassing two new buildings, it includes a 200-seat theatre, hair and beauty salons, recording and dance studios, design workshops, flexible meeting spaces and more. Willmott Dixon is teaming up with Rio Architects on the new campus, providing exceptional teaching and learning facilities for a wide range of courses for post-16-year-old education in Bridgend. It represents one of the biggest-ever investments in Bridgend for the training of young people and members of the community who need to retrain and gain valuable employability skills. Neal Stephens, managing director for Willmott Dixon in Wales: “We are delighted to be chosen for this transformational project in Bridgend. With a strong presence across south Wales, it follows our work to deliver the Police Learning Centre for South Wales Police in Bridgend, which was completed three years ago. “Just like then, our focus will be on supporting the ‘local pound’ by using regional supply chain partners where possible and working with students at Bridgend College to support their own learning journeys.” The redevelopment is partly funded by the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning programme and will play a key role in the regeneration of Bridgend Town Centre, supporting local businesses and utilising public transport links into the town. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Morgan Sindall has been appointed to Phase 2 of works at Southlands Hospital, in Shoreham, Sussex, to further add to the new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC). The project has been procured via SCAPE on behalf of the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust. Works at Southlands Hospital involves the strip-out and demolition of the previous structure, with the new facility housing four state-of-the-art ultrasound rooms, two dedicated echo treatment rooms, two lung function testing rooms, and a specialised gynaecological treatment area. Additionally, the project includes the strategic reconfiguration of an existing X-ray section. Complementing these clinical spaces, the CDC will incorporate various ancillary facilities such as waiting areas, cleaning stations, restrooms, a welcoming reception area, office spaces, and medical storage facilities. Preliminary works began in January with extensive site setup, enabling works, underground drainage, foundations and all new internal block walls. Work is scheduled to complete later this year, in time for the Trust to start using the centre in full by Autumn 2024. As part of the governments scheme to deliver more community-based facilities, statistics show patients have already benefited from over 7 million tests, checks and scans via CDC funding across England. Since opening in October 2023, almost 30,000 patients have already been seen at Southlands CDC. As part of Morgan Sindall’s commitment to social value generation and upskilling the next generation of construction professionals, its team are supporting two local T-Level students during the construction activity. The team have also arranged several trips for students from nearby Northbrook College to visit the project at various times throughout the development. Additionally, Morgan Sindall supported a jobless individual from the local area by employing them as an operative on site who will be helping with site duties. To assist the team’s physical wellbeing, several health sessions have also been arranged which will check on cholesterol, prostate cancer, thyroid testing and blood pressure. Guy Hannell, Area Director for Morgan Sindall in the Southern Home Counties, said: “The new Community Diagnostic Centre is a brilliant community asset. It brings a high-quality diagnostic service to the heart of the local area, helping better assess those in critical need while also vastly reducing waiting times. We look forward to continuing our relationship with University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust and SCAPE throughout this project, and to seeing the new centre in action once delivered. “At Morgan Sindall, we’ve worked on a number of similar projects across the country and so our team has been able to bring a lot of experience and insight to the project, ensuring that the completed facility will meet the needs of patients, clinicians and stakeholders. “The nature of such developments means they are often situated in the heart of local communities, and therefore we’ve applied our Intelligent Solutions approach to ensure that disruption is minimised while social value generation is simultaneously maximised.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Sewell Construction has been appointed to manage all minor building works at Hull College’s city centre campus. The contract will see Sewell Construction manage all minor building works at the college’s city centre campus, including replacing doors, windows, flooring and minor repairs. The company will also provide 24/7 emergency response for urgent works and set up a new CAFM (Computer-Aided Facilities Management) system to help the college oversee its maintenance. Sewell Construction has been working on various projects with Hull College over the past few years, including the replacement of an extensive glazed roof and frontage on their Hull School of Art and Design building. Matthew Blowman, Head of Facilities and Contracts at Hull College, said the college was looking forward to beginning the partnership with Sewell Construction. “We’ve worked with Sewell Construction a number of times in the past, and they’ve always impressed us with their can-do attitude, and the way they go the extra mile to ensure all work is completed to the highest standard. “We’re delighted to have them on board to ensure our campus can continue with the transformation to provide a high-quality learning experience for all our students.” Geoff Smith, Construction Services Sector Head at Sewell Construction said: “We’re really pleased that Hull College have shown faith in our work by appointing us for this three-year partnership, and we’re looking forward to helping students achieve their career goals by ensuring they have the best facilities possible.” Sewell Construction has a wealth of experience in education settings, with recent projects including the £14m refurbishment of the former Endeavour building into a new home for Hull Trinity House Academy, the creation of the state-of-the-art STEAM Studios for Ron Dearing University Technical College, and the creation of new vocational education facilities at Bradford College. Highly skilled in working in live education settings, the company is an expert at getting the job done with the minimum of disruption to those working and studying on campus. Hull College is a further education college offering a wide range of technical courses for school leavers, adults and apprentices. The college, which is rated ‘good’ by Ofsted, aims to inspire, empower and educate young people and adults in Hull to realise their full potential. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Watkin Jones has secured plans to develop a 484-bed purpose-built student accommodation (‘PBSA’) scheme on Malago Road, Bedminster in Bristol. This development represents one of the final projects of the Bedminster Green regeneration area and follows two years of negotiation and engagement with the Council. Formerly an engineering works and foundry, the project is a prime opportunity to revive a disused brownfield site and contribute to the broader regeneration of the Bedminster Green area. The scheme will deliver high-quality managed homes for students ranging from six to ten storeys in height across three buildings. The proposals will deliver broad benefits to the local community, including the creation of a new public space and improvements to the highway infrastructure. The new student population is expected to support local businesses, including those along nearby East Street in particular. Compared to the proposals of previous developers, Watkin Jones’ proposal promoted significant changes including reducing the number and height of buildings across the site and decreasing the number of rooms to better reflect the local character and in response to public engagement. With support from the University of Bristol, this scheme will help to meet the higher education needs of the city that continues to be a premier destination of choice for both UK and international students as numbers continue to rise. Importantly, it has been designed sustainably to support the Group’s ESG strategy. The scheme will be BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and WiredScore ‘Gold’ enabling the best connectivity for students, in addition to an EPC rating B. Watkin Jones is expected to partner with its award-winning management company Fresh to deliver well-maintained, 24-hour on-site services for students. As a leading and long-standing student accommodation developer, Fresh can ensure the site is well cared for and that the student population is well integrated with the existing community. The site offers excellent public transport links and includes storage for 130 bikes, three disabled car spaces that can accommodate EV charging, significant new tree planting, and green landscaping along Malago Road, seamlessly integrating with the council’s highway improvements and river restoration works. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
