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
Willmott Dixon Interiors has been appointed to deliver a new biomedical research and development facility in central Oxford. The fit-out and refurbishment specialist contractor will redevelop two former retail warehouse assets on Botley Road into c.65,000 sq. ft of world-class laboratory and creative office space. Known as Inventa, the redevelopment
CROSS KEYS HOMES (CKH) has signed contracts with Willmott Dixon to build their flagship Northminster development. Willmott Dixon was invited on to the development team by Peterborough Investment Partnership (PIP) earlier this year before the site was sold on to CKH, and since then have led on the demolition of
ONE of the UK’s leading contractors has been appointed to deliver a pioneering Passivhaus leisure centre, designed by the sports and leisure experts at GT3 Architects. Willmott Dixon has been named by Spelthorne Borough Council as main contractor on the £43.5m project in Staines-upon-Thames, Surrey, which is targeting a Passivhaus certification for low
Construction at Millwrights Place and Coopers Court, Finzels Reach, Bristol, has reached a major milestone with ‘topping out’ being achieved. The projects form the second Cubex/Grainger Build to Rent scheme in the city, providing high-quality rental homes and much needed affordable new homes for Abri. Councillor Tom Renhard, Cabinet Member
TO CELEBRATE UNESCO’s World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development, digital construction company Collida highlights strategic alliances with three major international companies, SWAPP, Epic Games and Target 3D, that are driving the company’s UK growth. Founded by construction giant Willmott Dixon, Collida aims to harness the very latest digital technology to
NATIONAL framework provider Pagabo has announced the winners of its annual celebration of industry excellence ahead of the Pagabo Awards 2022. Being hosted at Pagabo’s headquarters in Hull city centre, the second iteration of the awards ceremony will take place in-person with many of the firm’s ecosystem partners in attendance.
Following the global focus on sustainability prompted by COP26, 300 public and private sector industry professionals recently came together to learn about how the built environment can do more and go further in their efforts towards net zero. Ed Reynolds, Midlands technical director at Willmott Dixon, reflects on the recent
MORE than 300 industry professionals attended the seminal built environment sustainability conference “Net Zero Carbon: What’s Stopping Us?” in Birmingham. The event, held at The Grand Hotel, was hosted by national construction company Willmott Dixon in partnership with Building Brum, the region’s largest built environment network. It saw industry leaders
HOT on the heels of the COP26 summit, national construction company Willmott Dixon is partnering with Building Brum to host “Net Zero Carbon: What’s Stopping Us?” on 16 November at The Grand Hotel, Birmingham. Britain’s ‘second city’ will welcome built environment sector leaders from across the country, as they outline the region’s
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
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
Willmott Dixon Interiors has been appointed to deliver a new biomedical research and development facility in central Oxford. The fit-out and refurbishment specialist contractor will redevelop two former retail warehouse assets on Botley Road into c.65,000 sq. ft of world-class laboratory and creative office space. Known as Inventa, the redevelopment is being delivered on behalf of a joint venture between property developer, Mission Street, and BentallGreenOak, a global real estate investment management advisor, which acquired the property in 2021. Willmott Dixon Interiors will reuse and extend the existing structure of the two warehouse buildings, adding a new internal floor and a colonnade to the north elevation. The additional floorspace will enable the creation of a new reception area and a combination of sustainable new spaces for market-leading life science companies. They include enhanced common areas and meeting rooms, new collaboration and circulation spaces, breakout areas and café provision, as well as a new cycle centre and shower facilities. The building fabric will also be substantially upgraded, including a new façade, while new mechanical and electrical services will also be installed. Externally a cycle and pedestrian route and a newly landscaped car park will create a revitalised visitor experience, with landscaping at the rear of the building doubling as an area for flood mitigation. Inventa is expected to be complete in summer 2023. Graham Shaw, managing director at Willmott Dixon Interiors, said: “Inventa will transform a redundant retail space into an exciting and dynamic science hub in one of the world’s leading research and innovation locations. We will be delivering a sustainable building with high quality facilities that will foster collaboration and meet a growing demand from life sciences companies in central Oxford.” The project team includes Owers Warwick Architects (Cambridge), Abakus Consulting, Buro Four Project Services and Hilson Moran Partnership. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
CROSS KEYS HOMES (CKH) has signed contracts with Willmott Dixon to build their flagship Northminster development. Willmott Dixon was invited on to the development team by Peterborough Investment Partnership (PIP) earlier this year before the site was sold on to CKH, and since then have led on the demolition of the existing buildings and groundworks on the site. Now it has signed a main works development contract which will see Willmott Dixon leading on all aspects of the build of this exciting £70 million development project. CKH’s Chief Executive, Claire Higgins, said: “We are delighted to have signed contracts with Willmott Dixon to deliver this flagship scheme for the city, which will provide 315 new affordable homes. “Willmott Dixon’s purpose is to deliver brilliant buildings, transform lives, strengthen communities and enhance the environment, which goes hand-in-hand with our core objectives and makes them the ideal partner for this exciting development.” David McCallion, director at Willmott Dixon, said: “We’re pleased to have now signed contracts with Cross Keys Homes for this fantastic ten-storey flagship development. “This is a hugely significant regeneration project, and we will be using innovative construction methods to build better, greener and smarter. Offsite elements will include a lightgauge steel frame, brick slips and the use of bathroom pods, which will help to ensure quality, programme certainty and come with environmental benefits.” Due to be finished in October 2024, the Northminster development, which is in part, being funded by a £12.5 million grant from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, will provide much needed high-quality affordable housing in the city centre. CKH are being advised on this project by construction consultants AA Projects, and working alongside Willmott Dixon are a project team which consists of architects Corstorphine & Wright, planning consultants ELG, structural engineers SBK, and mechanical and electrical engineers Briggs & Forrester. Willmott Dixon will be prioritising locally sourced labour, providing training opportunities and investing in local businesses throughout the build period, which is anticipated to take around two years with the first completed homes expected by summer 2024. The bespoke social value commitment planned will generate a social return on investment in the region of £3.2 million.
ONE of the UK’s leading contractors has been appointed to deliver a pioneering Passivhaus leisure centre, designed by the sports and leisure experts at GT3 Architects. Willmott Dixon has been named by Spelthorne Borough Council as main contractor on the £43.5m project in Staines-upon-Thames, Surrey, which is targeting a Passivhaus certification for low carbon buildings. The firm has been appointed alongside Passivhaus expert Gale & Snowden and will work collaboratively with GT3 to ensure sustainability is prioritised in line with the UK’s targets for reaching net zero. Spelthorne Borough Council have decided to adopt the Passivhaus approach, due to our net zero commitment, which will be the first wet and dry Passivhaus leisure centre in the UK. The centre will feature modern facilities such as a rooftop 3G pitch, sports hall, gym and competitive, learner and splash swimming pools. Alongside the core features, the design also includes a mini spa, flexible studio space, soft play, Clip n Climb and a community café, ensuring community-wide benefit for the project. Mark Gowdridge, director at GT3 Architects, said: “It’s great to see the progression of this fantastic project, and especially to have the team at Willmott Dixon now joining us with their wealth of knowledge in sustainable construction. “We are working ever closer to the Passivhaus certification for our design, which will save up to 60% in energy costs and ensure the building is futureproofed. We’re very happy with how the project is moving and having the input of Willmott Dixon will only enhance this. We are very much looking forward to bringing a fundamental space for health and wellbeing to the surrounding community.” Willmott Dixon is currently the only carbon neutral construction company and has set several further challenging targets to meet by 2030. Its ‘Now or Never’ strategy, launched in 2020, focuses on achieving operational net zero across all new build and refurbishment projects, being a zero-carbon company without any offsetting, and improving more than 100,000 lives through its social value commitments. Willmott Dixon has also shown its commitment to the environment by establishing the only dedicated in-house sustainability consultancy. Roger Forsdyke, managing director of London and the South, said: “We are hugely excited to be working alongside Spelthorne Borough Council, GT3 and Gale and Snowden on what will be a landmark project. Spelthorne Borough Council’s choice to adopt the Passivhaus approach is a testament to their commitment to carbon reduction. Within Willmott Dixon, we are putting maximum efforts in to supporting our customers to address the climate emergency, with projects like this ensuring we can continue in adopting our expertise to suit the ambitions of our partners. We are looking forward to working alongside both GT3 and Gale and Snowden again ensuring the project’s success will be realised.” Passivhaus methodology was established in the early 1990s and has since become the world-leading standard in energy-efficient design and construction. Passivhaus buildings provide users with a high level of comfort, while also using very little energy by optimising the design of the building and all its systems. Daniel Mouawad, Chief Executive of Spelthorne Borough Council, said: “We are delighted to be a pioneering authority, demonstrating our commitment to net zero by building an ultra-low Passivhaus leisure centre. Having declared a climate emergency, we recognise the need to lead by example to achieve cleaner and greener lifestyles and a sustainable borough for all to enjoy. This centre is a great example of partnership working and will provide the right infrastructure to meet our communities’ changing needs and will enable residents to stay active in a healthy environment, with low chemical pools and a dementia friendly design.” For further information visit www.gt3architects.com or join the conversation over on Twitter @_GT3Architects
Construction at Millwrights Place and Coopers Court, Finzels Reach, Bristol, has reached a major milestone with ‘topping out’ being achieved. The projects form the second Cubex/Grainger Build to Rent scheme in the city, providing high-quality rental homes and much needed affordable new homes for Abri. Councillor Tom Renhard, Cabinet Member for Housing, Delivery and Homes at Bristol City Council, laid the final piece of concrete at Millwrights Place alongside representatives from the respective owners of the two schemes, namely housing provider Abri and Build to Rent Landlord Grainger plc. Millwrights Place, developed by Cubex for Grainger plc, who will own and operate the scheme when complete, will provide 231 ‘Build to Rent’ homes created specifically for renters. All new homes will be professionally managed by Grainger’s dedicated onsite Resident Services team and in addition to offering high quality homes there will be a strong emphasis on shared resident amenity spaces, including roof top terraces, residents’ lounge, gym, co-working space and shared entertainment spaces. At ground level there will be co-working spaces custom-made for those working independently or running their own business. Grainger, the UK’s largest listed residential landlord and a FTSE-250 listed business has over 100 years’ experience as a residential landlord and is a leader in the UK private rental market, leading the way in the emerging Build to Rent sector and raising the bar in the rental market by providing high quality, mid-market rental homes for young professionals, key workers and families on regular incomes. Coopers Court, developed by Cubex for the social housing provider Abri, will deliver 66 affordable homes consisting of 48 homes for the social rented market and 18 for shared ownership. The energy-efficient building includes a bio-diversity roof amenity space, 94 cycling spaces and only four car parking spaces in line with the city’s drive to help tackle the environmental crisis. Together, Coopers Court and Millwrights Place will help to address the housing crisis in Bristol by providing social housing, an opportunity for first-time buyers to get on the property ladder and high-quality rental accommodation all of which is much needed in the city. Both buildings have been designed to have strong identities and a sense of place, whilst ensuring they integrate well with the surrounding area. Significant investment in improvements to the area around the buildings, including new landscaping, traffic management, pedestrian and cycle routes, will help create a more attractive area and foster a sense of community. As part of a £2.4m investment in improvements around the site, there will be new ‘pocket parks’ with seating and soft landscaping to create relaxing spaces the whole community can enjoy. As well as Coopers Court and Millwrights Place, the second phase of Cubex’s mixed-use Finzels Reach development on the former fire station site, incorporates a landmark, sustainable 116,000 sq. ft office building named Halo, with notable tenants confirmed including international legal firm Osborne Clarke and accountancy firm Deloitte. Councillor Tom Renhard, Cabinet Member for Housing Delivery and Homes, said: “Demand for housing in Bristol far outstrips the number of homes available and it’s vitally important that we deliver a mixture of different types of housing to meet our city’s need. These new developments at Finzels Reach, offering affordable homes for social rent and shared ownership, and managed homes for rent, demonstrate that by working together we can deliver good quality homes for all. “We’ve got Bristol building since 2016, with over 9,000 new homes delivered for Bristolians. These new homes in central Bristol will add another 297 to that total – including 66 new affordable homes.” Peter Walford, managing director at Cubex, said: “We are thrilled to have reached this important milestone on Coopers Court and Millwrights Place, an integral part of Finzels Reach phase two. Thanks to a successful partnership approach with both housing provider Abri and professional landlords Grainger, plus our construction partner Wilmott Dixon, this once-derelict city centre site is fast being transformed into much-needed, high quality affordable accommodation to add to the 440 homes we have already delivered at Finzels Reach. Neal Stephens, managing director from Wilmott Dixon Wales and West, said: “Together, Millwrights Place and Coopers Court are the fourth project that we have worked on alongside Cubex and as part of this long standing and collaborative partnership we are delighted to have the opportunity to deliver this regenerative development. Millwrights Place and Coopers Court will provide much needed high-quality housing in Bristol, and we at Wilmott Dixon are proud to be part of the team that has delivered this landmark scheme.” Helen Gordon, Chief Executive at Grainger plc, said: “We are delighted to have reached this milestone for our Millwrights Place development – a great addition to our Bristol portfolio and delivering much needed new homes in one of our key target cities. We look forward to seeing the development progress over the coming months in the lead up to our launch – providing high quality homes, a commitment to excellent customer service and establishing a thriving new community for renters in Bristol.” Michelle Hyde, head of land and planning at Abri, commented: “It’s great to be a step closer to providing affordable homes in such a central location in Bristol and to be helping to transform a former derelict site into a place of real value for the community. “On our part, Abri is committed to delivering 12,500 new homes by 2030 and Coopers Court is a great example of how working with our partners we’re collectively helping to tackle the unmet housing need.” Cubex bought the former fire station site in summer 2018 on behalf of Fiera Real Estate Opportunity Fund IV (UK), a programmatic joint venture by FRE UK that is exclusive to clients of CBRE Global Investment Partners (CBRE GIP). Award-winning Finzels Reach is one of the largest mixed-use developments in the South West. The first phase, which is complete, includes 440 new apartments, 240,000 sq.ft of office space including two Grade A office buildings, a 168-bedroom Premier Inn, plus a host of
TO CELEBRATE UNESCO’s World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development, digital construction company Collida highlights strategic alliances with three major international companies, SWAPP, Epic Games and Target 3D, that are driving the company’s UK growth. Founded by construction giant Willmott Dixon, Collida aims to harness the very latest digital technology to provide access to a portfolio of in-house platforms that deliver construction projects that meet a variety of sustainable benchmarks including, in the case of new homes, Passivhaus. Tim Carey, chief product director at Collida, said: “World Engineering Day is a celebration of how international cooperation is essential for how we design and engineer spaces that meet the demands of people in the future. “Collida’s suite of digital platforms that deliver heightened levels of customisable design, procurement and AI-generated technology is only possible by working with the best companies. This network of international industry connections helps us give our customers and contractors access to the very best technologies from all over the world.” SWAPP – Design and planning you can rely on, delivered fast. Partnering with Tel Aviv-based SWAPP, which prides itself on ‘designing buildings with data driven speed’, provides the perfect mix of design, sustainability, and technology to offer an experience at efficiency levels unheard of within the industry. Collida says that together, they can create multiple options, undertake site and building-code analysis, and tailor the outputs – which include feasibility studies, construction documents and 3D renderings – to the customer’s needs. This can all happen with the click of a mouse – no specialist knowledge or additional software necessary. Eitan Tsfarti, CEO and co-founder of Swapp, said: “Swapp is excited to partner with Collida. We share a belief that technology can be harnessed to revolutionise how architecture is practiced in modern times. Swapp looks forward to helping Collida leverage AI and data to enable the automation and optimisation of processes across the architectural ecosystem.” Epic Games – Gaming industry levels of immersion coupled with architectural expertise. Collida wants to provide an experience that changes the way it communicates the complexities of a construction project – and how its customers view, review, customise, and approve choices. It says that this can only be achieved through industry leading real-time visualisations coupled with both the flexibility of an underlying engine coding and industry expertise. This is why it has collaborated with the US-based founder of popular game ‘Fortnite’, Epic Games, to use their Unreal Engine real-time 3D technology to create this new experience. Ken Pimentel, architecture industry manager at Epic Games, said: “Pushing the boundaries of what’s possible is something the Collida team has been eager to do. The idea that we can radically simplify the process of stakeholder and client engagement by delivering high-fidelity experiences to any browser or device pays dividends for everyone involved.” Target 3D – Research and development enabled through collaboration. Elsewhere, Collida has been exploring the potential of immersive virtual learning environments to support the industry and workplaces of the future. Working with Target3D at its Virtual Production Test Stage, Collida employees have taken part in a virtual Collida Living home to test design options at 1:1 scale to demonstrate the smart inner workings of its sustainable designs. Dan Munslow, immersive producer at Target3D, said: “Target3D is delighted to have worked with Willmott Dixon on the Collida project. At our Virtual Production Test Stage, we have tested multiple workflows with filmmakers using Virtual Production in a traditional sense but this project has pushed the boundaries further. Working with the Collida team and a model at a 1:1 scale we were able to composite engineers and trainers into the build in real time using games engine Virtual Production techniques. This research has led to creating a new approach to construction design presentation and training tools.” To find out more about how Collida is building back wiser, visit www.collida.com
NATIONAL framework provider Pagabo has announced the winners of its annual celebration of industry excellence ahead of the Pagabo Awards 2022. Being hosted at Pagabo’s headquarters in Hull city centre, the second iteration of the awards ceremony will take place in-person with many of the firm’s ecosystem partners in attendance. With twelve winners set to celebrate on the night, companies that will take home silverware include VINCI, Willmott Dixon and Faithful + Gould for their contributions to major UK development projects, as well as local projects importantly supporting local people, economies and environments. Jason Stapley, managing director at Pagabo, said: “The whole premise of the Pagabo Awards is to celebrate and recognise the projects being procured through our frameworks and carried out by our ecosystem. “There is such a wealth of amazing work being carried out across the UK through our range of frameworks it makes for a very difficult judging process. Thankfully our team of experts have an eagle eye for spotting businesses going above and beyond ordinary expectations.” While some of the projects are categorised by financial value, such as ‘Best Project Delivered Under £5m’, the awards also recognise the wider responsibility of UK industry through awards including ‘Mental Health Ambassador Award’ and ‘Best Project Delivering Social Value’. A number of projects for each of the ten categories were nominated by internal teams at Pagabo, with the overall winners being selected by the experienced senior management team. Jason continued: “It’s going to be fantastic celebrating the industry success stories that we have helped play a role in making happen through our procurement support – and to be able to do so in person. Ultimately, we help connect the most suitable businesses to each public sector project and this is testament to the internal standards that we are seeing challenged and consequently bettered in all areas of the private sector.” The full list of award winners includes: Mental Health Ambassador Award – Rob Hall, Morgan Sindall Construction Best DPS Small Works Project Under £1m – ME Construction, The Tabernacle Community Centre Best Project Delivered Under £5m – Lindum, The National Centre for Craft & Design Best Project Delivered Between £5m and £15m – R G Carter, Swallowtail Place Best Project Delivered Above £15m – VINCI, Festival Gardens Best Consultancy Project – Edge, Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Best Framework Collaboration Project – Faithful + Gould, Sir Robert McAlpine and Manchester City Council, Co-op Academy Belle Vue Best Goods Project – Jigsaw24, Windsor Academy Trust Best Project Delivering Sustainability Outcomes – Willmott Dixon, Oaklands College Phase 2 Best Project Delivering Social Value – Overbury, Marches Centre of Excellence in Health and Social Care
Following the global focus on sustainability prompted by COP26, 300 public and private sector industry professionals recently came together to learn about how the built environment can do more and go further in their efforts towards net zero. Ed Reynolds, Midlands technical director at Willmott Dixon, reflects on the recent ‘Net Zero – What’s Stopping Us?’ panel event hosted in Birmingham and how the spirit of collaboration was felt more than ever. “Collaboration and transparency. If there were two words I heard over and over again during our debate, it was those. “It felt like times of old once again, with colleagues, customers and fellow industry professionals all gathered together with a shared interest to discuss. Events such as this offer a timely reminder of what can be achieved when we take the time to catch up with one another properly, instead of via Zoom or Teams, which we have all become reliant on over the past two years. “Bringing everyone together to discuss such a hot topic post-COP26 meant we saw over 300 people and from various organisations and walks of life – local councils, designers and consultants, students, universities, tech companies, LEPs and more. It was heartening to see the sector united in their efforts to drive forward sustainable practices and push for industry action in tackling the climate emergency. “It was my pleasure to open the event on behalf of Willmott Dixon and introduce our knowledgeable and insightful panellists, including our very own Julia Barrett; Deborah Cadman OBE, chief executive of Birmingham City Council; Belinda Morgan from Cundall; Tim Carey, chief product director at Collida; James Douglas from Lendlease, and Chris Clarke from Scape. “Together, the expert panellists pointed out opportunities for growth and shared visions for the future, whilst sparking meaningful conversations and drawing on their breadth of cross-sector experience. “Our sustainability strategy Now or Never, sets out our key priorities in three parts to take us to 2030: Brilliant Buildings, Building Lives and Better Planet. As a business we know that all three are important to align our customers, supply chain and the wider community in meaningful ways. But we also know that each of these three areas take investment, a commitment to continuous learning and development, and a determination to engage, collaborate and innovate to drive sustainability above all other interests. “Judging from the atmosphere in the room, and the conversations that have followed, the event has already had a significant impact, and I look forward to working closely with our industry on the topic again.” Challenging behaviours “One of the underpinning themes throughout the debate was the pace at which we need to change attitudes towards sustainability in the sector. To prevent the ‘race to the bottom’ on price, contract selection must be geared more towards sustainability. “Deborah gave her views, insisting that Birmingham Council would “turn investment and development away if it’s not done with good intent and with low carbon in mind.” “James, representing Lendlease, agreed: “We must report our performance and share our progress. I don’t want to see carbon become commercial, we’re all on the same journey. We are going to turn down investment and development opportunities if they don’t have low carbon in mind. We will simply say this is not the place for you.” “Julia also challenged panellists on the performance gap – or, in her words, “how long are we going to be building buildings that don’t do what they say on the tin?” “To ensure effective designs are robustly delivered on-site, it was agreed that more needs to be done in terms of legislation and holding businesses to account over sustainable standards – though believed the ‘carrot over the stick’ approach would be more effective to set targets and encourage greater collaboration. This is something I wholeheartedly believe in myself. “Belinda, speaking on behalf of engineering consultancy Cundall, emphasised that “early engagement is the key to collaboration” – and provided an example of where they had been appointed on a contract following a behavioural workshop to determine the team’s efficiency and said that fees came secondary. Belinda said the scheme was highly successful and believed that lessons could be applied from the experience. Cundall became carbon neutral last year.” We’re not moving quickly enough “There were also discussions about how many retrofits to buildings is now required, all of which could have been avoided had available energy-efficient methods been implemented at the time of construction. “To echo this, Deborah said that it is “almost criminal” for gas boilers to be installed in new homes in the next five years. Deborah was also “not convinced that innovation, research and development is where it needs to be. The industry needs to work with higher education institutions to fix this.’ “A section of the discussion focused on ‘whole life value’, and Julia explained how “we’re going to see the decarbonisation of the grid by 2035, which is when we will see embodied carbon take over.” “James believes that “it’s the biggest challenge to the construction sector. There is no legislation in place to drive forward lower embodied carbon and very little reporting. Leading private sector organisations are tackling this independently, but I believe there needs to be policy and intervention.” “Whilst positive strides from government have been made in recent years, I think that the allocation of funding to meet sustainability targets has been a cause of concern. “Julia pointed out that that the Code for Sustainable Homes existed in 2006 but was scrapped in 2016. She said that if the UK had stuck with it, every house being built today would be net zero carbon – and reiterated messages from her recent webinar series, shared as a podcast here. “Tim explained that Collida was established because they knew the construction industry needed to change. He said: “We know that we need to accelerate our rate of modernisation, embrace aspects such as the Construction Playbook and offsite manufacturing. We want to operate with integrity, so we chose
MORE than 300 industry professionals attended the seminal built environment sustainability conference “Net Zero Carbon: What’s Stopping Us?” in Birmingham. The event, held at The Grand Hotel, was hosted by national construction company Willmott Dixon in partnership with Building Brum, the region’s largest built environment network. It saw industry leaders from across the UK gather in the ‘second city’ to discuss how the sector can achieve its net zero carbon ambitions. A select panel – from both the public and private sector – shared their insights into the challenges, solutions, and realities of achieving carbon net zero in construction as well as discussing the outcomes of COP26 and how the built environment should respond. Peter Owen, managing director at Willmott Dixon in the Midlands, said: “We’re delighted with the success of the packed-out event last night, which demonstrated the passion and dedication of both the public and private sector in its efforts to reach net-zero. “It was important to us to bring together key players within the built environment industry to have meaningful discussions on net zero but also highlight the importance of collaboration in order to achieve our shared sustainability goals. The panel discussion, and subsequent questions from the audience, showcased the significance everyone is placing on this matter and how we can join forces to make it happen.” “One year after its launch, our ‘Now or Never’ 2030 Sustainability Strategy is well underway and we are on track to achieve multiple ambitious targets by 2030. By sharing our three key themes – brilliant buildings, building lives, and better planet – we hope to inspire other businesses to join us in aiming for zero-carbon in our own operations instead of settling for net-zero. Providing unique insight and valuable experience, the guest panelists included Deborah Cadman OBE, chief executive of Birmingham City Council, Belinda Morgan, partner at multi-disciplinary consultancy Cundall, Tim Carey, chief product director at integrated construction platform provider Collida, and Chris Clarke, director of performance and improvement at public sector framework provider Scape, and James Douglas, head of sustainability at fellow contractor Lendlease. The panel was led by Willmott Dixon’s chief sustainability officer, Julia Barrett, who is also director of the Aldersgate Group, a business, politics and civil society leadership alliance that drives action for a sustainable economy. Julia said: “Sustainability is at the centre of discussions in both the public and private sector, which was evident at the event. Collectively we are responsible for moving forward with carbon net zero, and the panel’s insights into solutions to achieve this really sparked conversation, and hopefully action, among attendees.” During the conference, guests learned more about how the sector can accelerate the journey to net zero. Topics included the widespread adoption of sustainable materials; prioritising sustainability against cost in contract selections, the importance of building for the future today as opposed to retrofitting, and the importance of working with and upskilling the supply chain. The event was held in partnership with Building Brum, a leading built environment networking platform that brings together passionate professionals across the sector, to discuss key topics. Conor Nolan, programme director at Building Brum, added: “The “Net Zero Carbon: What’s Stopping Us?” event exemplified the ambitions of Building Brum; to provide educational events and unique networking opportunities that spark meaningful conversations. We were delighted to collaborate with our construction partners Willmott Dixon to create such a successful event and hope to see exciting changes in the industry moving forward towards its sustainable goals.”
HOT on the heels of the COP26 summit, national construction company Willmott Dixon is partnering with Building Brum to host “Net Zero Carbon: What’s Stopping Us?” on 16 November at The Grand Hotel, Birmingham. Britain’s ‘second city’ will welcome built environment sector leaders from across the country, as they outline the region’s low carbon ambitions and debate its strategy in a live panel and Q&A session. Julia Barrett is Willmott Dixon’s chief sustainability officer and director of the Aldersgate Group, a business, politics and civil society leadership alliance that drives action for a sustainable economy. Julia will draw on the progress made at the COP26 summit, which runs until 12 November, during the panel debate. Providing unique insight and valuable experience, the guest panelists include Deborah Cadman OBE, chief executive of Birmingham City Council, Belinda Morgan, partner at Cundall, Tim Carey, chief product director at Collida, and Chris Clarke, director of performance and improvement at Scape. Nick Gibb, the deputy managing director of Willmott Dixon, who will be opening the event, said it will be a pleasure to be working alongside Building Brum, the city’s largest industry networking platform: “We are looking forward to hosting this event, which will make clear the region’s incredible efforts to support the Government’s ambition for net zero carbon by 2050. “The built environment sector plays a huge part in the country’s ability to reach this target, and the public and private sector must come together to make the changes we need to see. This event provides a valuable opportunity for growth – addressing topics such as technology, innovation, strategy, practical implications and changing mindsets.” The event will ask panelists to consider the challenges we face in meeting the ambitious targets as well as discuss the role their respective organisations are playing in delivering change. Conor Nolan, programme director of Building Brum, added: “Building Brum is committed to providing educational events and unique networking opportunities that connect industry specialists – sharing commercial approaches, learnings, challenges and solutions. “The event will deliver a strong environmental message. Birmingham is committed to playing its part in the national zero carbon agenda and welcomes fresh ideas and perspectives to accelerate change.” The event will take place in The Grand Hotel Ballroom between 5.30pm and 9pm. If you would like further details ahead of the event, please contact Conor Nolan – conor@curzon-consultants.co.uk or Louise Roden – louise.roden@willmottdixon.co.uk
