CONSTRUCTION & ENGINEERING AWARDS 2016
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Making Dreams Come True We speak to David Gage, Founder of Central London Lofts, a London based construction company, who told us about the firm’s approach to customer service.
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T: 0845 450 7475 info@spi-appleton.co.uk www.spi-appleton.co.uk
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Welcome to the 2016 Construction & Engineering Awards The construction and engineering industries are the hidden heroes of the building landscape: they change the face of the world around us, but are often overlooked when it comes to recognition and praise. As such, the 2016 Construction & Engineering Awards have been designed to reward and recognise the hard work, often undertaken over many months and years, by the myriad of professionals in this industry. From managers to subcontractors, supply chain professionals to finance experts, we are turning the spotlight on everyone involved at every stage in the construction process.
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COMBINED SOIL STABILISATION Ltd.
Providing services for your Civil, Ground and Rail Engineering requirements
www.aeyates.co.uk
WHERE QUALITY COUNTS
The Winners Are... 2 & 4. SPI Appleton Ltd / A E Yates 6. Central London Lofts Ltd 8. CERTASS 10. COPS Recruitment 12. Eat Sleep Live Ltd 14. Life Space Developments Ltd 16. Lippe Architects & Planners 18. Mark Physsas Architects Limited 20. Open System Solutions 22. Playle & Partners LLP 24. Workshop for Architecture LLP 26. 24hr Solutions Limited 27. Active Planning Leads 28. Adena Fire Safety Services Ltd 29. AKW 30. Amatola Glass Kensington - West End 31. AnyScale Ltd 32. Aspray Ltd 33. Bathroom Manufacturers Association 34. Blue Forest (UK) Ltd 35. Brightman Clarke Architects 36. Byworth Boilers 37. Clearly Renovations Limited 38. Climachill Ltd 39. Contemporary Graphic Solutions/Rondo-Pak 41. Cube Controls Ltd 42. dBx Acoustics Ltd 43. Deluxe Developers Ltd 44. Direct Lift Co 45. Drainpower Environmental Services Ltd 46. The East Anglian Lift Company Limited 47. Flowscreed Ltd 48. George Brown College 49. Glass Installations Ltd 50. Holliday Fielding Hocking Ltd 51. Inhabiture Design Inc. 52. IBB Polish Building Wholesale 53. Jamie Hempsall Ltd 55. Kincraig Construction Limited 56. Lee & Lee 57. Living Stone Construction 58. Locker & Riley Ltd 59. London Repointing and Restoration Ltd 60. LotusWorks 61. Maco Construction 62. Mandale Homes 63. Manrochem Limited 64. Munrostudios 65. Paton Developments 66. PaveDrain LLC 67. Powell System Engineering Ltd 68. R P L Construction Limited 69. Recon Electrical Ltd 70. Renehan Building Group Inc 71. Scott Davis Builders Ltd 72. S M I Construction Ltd 73. St Helens Plant Limited 74. Studio Munge 75. The Troyer Group Inc 76. Tony Pestana Builders Ltd 77. Urbanest Student Accommodation 78. Virge Temme Architecture Inc 79. Virtuoso Plastering Ltd. 80. Wilkinson Construction Consultants Ltd 81. One Touch Automation 2016 Construction & Engineering Awards Build
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Best Loft Conversion Specialists 2016 - London
Central London Lofts are a London based construction company that service all areas in and around the M25. They have over 30 years’ experience in the business and offer their customers a 1-stop service with complete design and build. We spoke to David Gage, Founder, who told us about the firm’s approach to customer service.
ur aim is to help our customers achieve the house of their dreams and help them to maximise their living space. We currently have multiple projects on the go, and the biggest challenge we have found that we face is communicating efficiently and making sure we entirely understanding our customer’s needs; when this is achieved, it is a very rewarding part of the job. With our own architects, project managers, planners and construction specialists, our team know how to turn any attic space into the crowning feature of any house. We are extremely flexible and determined to work around your schedule, and by sticking to the strict schedules that we set ourselves, you can be assured that your project will be completed in a timely manner.
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By focusing on customer service, and using our extensive knowledge, our team of loft conversion contractors aim to provide our customers with a quality end product at a competitive price. We have a reputation for reliability, quality and excellent customer service. Our showroom in Barnet means that we can provide a wide range of ideas and inspiration for anyone who wants to improve their home. Before starting a new project, our Project Manager carries out an extensive pre-commencement meeting where he revisits the project details with the customer and guides them through the construction process, which includes advising them what their responsibilities are, as well as stating what finishes are required on windows, doors, architraves, and staircases, along with any other requirements of the customer. Prior even to this, we provide free quotes and consultation, offering no-pressure advice on your project, as well as on whether you need to obtain planning permission. We want to help our customers figure out exactly what it is they want from their loft. After we have been selected by a customer, we produce a written programme, which leads our customer through the project week-by-week, schedule regular meetings between them and the project manager, and we regularly provide email updates which include photographs, to show how their home is progressing. We make sure to provide that we provide a full service for our customers, guiding them fully through the design and build process. We want to make sure that the project is fully managed so that our customers are able to carry on with their lives, in the knowledge that their property, and their needs, are being taken care of. Whether it is to create a master suite, a home office, or a child’s bedroom, we are able to handle everything in the process. Operating within the M25, we have completed projects all over the city. From Barnet to Battersea and Kensington to Kentish Town, and everywhere in
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between. We know the crucial differences in houses across the city, and how local councils operate in the North, East, South and West. Our experience is invaluable, and we utilise this to our customers’ advantage. There are always Planning and Building regulation changes throughout the year, and with our professional memberships and regular meetings, we keep abreast of the industry changes. We would like to see more changes in the planning process; if a uniform approach to planning could be achieved, this would enable the industry to work better and be more effective, thus being better for the economy. Our mission is to build trust and understanding between our clients and produce the best product available. We continually look for new opportunities for growth and expansion into new projects, new suppliers and new customers. We plan to build Central London Lofts to be one of the best companies in London.
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Company: Central London Lofts Ltd Name: David Gage Email: info@centrallondonloft.co.uk Website: www.centrallondonloft.co.uk Address:144 Wandsworth High Street, London, SW18 4JJ Telephone: 08006348271
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Best Building Installer Certification Specialist - UK
Certass act as a Certification Body, providing a quality assurance mark to its member companies, allowing the companies to use this mark to demonstrate their competence. They operate in the renovation, maintenance and improvement (RMI) construction sectors for both installers and product manufacturers. Certass currently has several thousand installer and manufacturer companies certified, covering most contractor trades through their schemes. We spoke to Jason Clemmit to find out more.
ertass are about to launch a brand new certification scheme, which will increase their scope of trades and which is aimed firmly at general construction projects, such as domestic extensions and loft conversions, as well as single trade installation works. Jason was eager to talk to us more about this exciting new project.
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“There are many quasi quality assurance schemes that rate builders’ competence, and which rely solely on consumer feedback. Our scheme relies on the assessment of installation work by professionals, and requires on-site assessment of the company, site operatives and installation works prior to approval, as well as a random sample of in-progress, on site assessment work. “We have designed this latest scheme to have many benefits for both the industry and consumers, although it is primarily about providing the consumer with confidence that their installer works to recognised industry standards. This allows the installer to differentiate themselves from their competition, and move away from the ‘lowest price tender wins’ culture. Certass are currently working on template marketing materials to support this. One of the key add-on benefits that we are currently working on is to bring a finance facility to the scheme, where the installer does not need to obtain a consumer credit license as it is handled by our partner. This will provide the scheme member with access to competitive finance options for home improvement works. “As a UKAS approved certification body, there are challenges set upon us that a traditional company does not face. We have an oversight committee which is in effect the social conscience of our organisation. A traditional company would look to develop a new product and maximise its profit; our committee looks at the benefits to the industry as a whole and to consumers as individuals, and we have to make sure that this is accounted for at every stage of our development. In addition, we have to price our certification products carefully, as any income is reinvested for the benefit on the industry, not returned to shareholders, but the scheme must be self-supporting within a reasonable timeframe. “Once we have undertaken these viability tests, we then have to ensure the scheme operates within the requirements of EN17065, which is the international standard for the operation of a certification scheme. We have to develop scheme rules to determine entry requirements, on-going surveillance requirements of the organisation, site operatives and standards for
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installation work. Our new Cq-Assured quality assurance scheme also has a consumer code, regarding pressure selling and complaints handling, which the installer must agree to work with. “We are now in the final stage of arranging installations to be assessed by UKAS’s technical assessors, to ensure our scheme is robust and effective. This, of course, has its own challenges, as we have to find installers willing to be assessed against a scheme that is not yet operational, and have the added pressure of an external body assessing us as we assess them. However, we are confident that we should have the scheme fully operational by the end of 2016.” Jason told us more about his approach to the creation of innovative schemes for Certass. “The start of the design process for a new product is asking ourselves the simple question; would I buy it? I started my career as a builder, and having this insight into the needs of builders and interactions with consumers, has given me the ability to see new opportunities for certification products. The second part of this process is to lobby people I have known in the industry for many years, and ask their opinion of the product, before then asking the same question of consumers. “Once developed, it is vital to have all our team supporting the new product so they can fully support our customers. The hardest part of this process is getting the message of the scheme to the RMI (renovation, maintenance, improvement) industry, as they are always a diverse group. Once the installer is a member, we believe we provide great support with template marketing material, technical support and most importantly, our friendly, helpful team of people. “We are a client led business that develops common sense solutions in the dry, tick box world of certification. We have an innovative culture, but it is all underpinned by the people within our company being genuine and really wanting to deliver a great service. Technology is key to our operation. Behind the scenes, we have complex systems to manage our many thousands of members and hundreds of thousands of installations with the required on-site surveillance audits. The key for us is ensuring that we keep the part that our customers interact with as simple as possible. We believe that we have built an industry leading IT platform which is easy and intuitive for our customers to use.”
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Company: Certass Limited Name: Jason Clemmit Email: info@certass.co.uk Website: www.certass.co.uk
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Best Construction Industry Recruitment Agency - UK
Cops Recruitment (Competent Operator Services Ltd) is a professional recruitment company registered in the United Kingdom. They specialise in employment within the Construction industry, providing competent and skilled operatives covering a wide scope of Construction industries. We profile the company and explore how it has come to achieve the success of being awarded this prestigious title. OPS Recruitment was founded on the principals of experience, commitment and support. Established by Nicky Davies, a former Plant Operator with over 30 years in the business, the company has worked with companies such as Skanska, Sir Alfred McAlpine, Sir Robert McAlpine, and Carillion plc, to name a few, on projects all over the United Kingdom as well as overseas in Spain, Dubai, Denmark, Norway, Germany and Canada.
From these humble beginnings, Nicky has built a successful company, initially contacting contractors he had previously worked for and offering a service unlike that offered by other recruitment agencies. He has also relied upon a bank of Operator staff, many of whom he has worked with on various projects all over the world during his career, and all of whom had a specific skill and a wealth of experience which they were able to offer to both Nicky and his clients.
Nicky has experience of driving various machines, such as 360 Excavators, Dozers, Graders, Motor Scrapers, ADT’s and Rigids, Piling Rigs and Loading Shovels. He has also worked on numerous types of construction jobs, such as building boulder clay damns, excavations and formations for motorways, ground stabilization projects, excavating rocks in Quarry work, and loading crushers. As such, the company were well equipped when they were developing their unique screening process that guarantees that their professionals meet the highest standard obtainable within the industry.
One recent project which showcases the company’s success is a Thames Water Pipeline Contract, which posed a number of challenges. With Nicky’s wealth of experience working on pipelines, after working on a machine for a few days he was able to see straight away what was required to overcome the issues presented. Nicky worked closely with the Contractor to resolve the problems.
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Company: COPS Recruitment (Competent Operator Services Ltd) Email: enquiries@copsrecruitment.com Telephone: 07528 160292
As a result of Nicky’s success, COPS then secured a contract with the sub-contractor for the remainder of the works, for which Nicky put a team of experienced pipeline workers together, as well as labouring staff. Now, thanks to COPS, this project is now back on schedule. The success of this project showcases the principals behind the company’s motto: ‘if you think it’s expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur’. The damage done by an unskilled member of staff can cost considerably more than simply hiring someone with the correct expertise in the first place, and as such, COPS is committed to finding the right staff to fit vacancies, not the other way around.
Looking to the future, Nicky’s plans for the company are to continue to adapt to the latest developments within the industry. This will include offering GPS System training to operators, as this technology is now being used on most machines and many operators do not have the skills to use it. With COPS providing training to operators, they will be able to offer clients staff who already have this capability. COPS aim to keep their drivers as up to date as possible with the machines they will be operating, and offer clients a service which they cannot get anywhere else.
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Best Rustic Furniture Supplier 2016 - UK
Eat Sleep Live was founded in 2004 and specialise solely in the design and manufacture of high quality solid wood furniture. They work mainly for domestic customers, but do undertake bespoke projects for bars, restaurants and boutique B&B’s – all manner of independent businesses. All projects however have one thing in common; they are all made from the finest historic reclaimed wood, which is generally between 100 and 200 years old. Mark Godsell-Fletcher told us more.
t is always challenging to use reclaimed wood. It is a massive labour of love; with new wood, you are able to pick it up off the shelf or order it whenever you need it, that is square and ready to turn into a product. The wood we are getting has still got rusty nails in it, and is dirty from having come out of a building that has most likely been scheduled for demolition. Before we can even begin to make furniture out of it, we have to remove the nails and then use a metal detector to make sure that every bit of metal is out. One beam could be a very quick job, while another could turn into a huge project; we never know until we start work.
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We offer a wide range of products, and even within our ‘standard’ range, we offer a number of options; we are able to offer a range of sizes, finishes and handle options for our customers to choose from, and this allows people to make sure that their piece is truly suitable for their home.
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Recently, we have gone through a complete rebranding of our business. We are passionate about furniture and reclaimed wood and this recent rebrand has allowed us to tell more of the story of our brand. Our aim is for our furniture to become part of the family for the customer, and to last a lifetime for them. Other companies have now started to branch into working with reclaimed wood, but we are the only one that solely uses it. We also now been specialising in this for 12 years and have only used reclaimed wood since day one, so really do consider ourselves at the top of our game. Our mission is to always go the extra mile, both in our product quality and our customer service. We aim to constantly improve and introduce new exciting pieces, and our overall goal is to continue to be the go-to name for unique wooden furniture.
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Company: Eat Sleep Live Ltd Name: Mark Godsell-Fletcher Email: info@eatsleeplive.co.uk Website: https://www.eatsleeplive.co.uk/ Address: The Archer Exchange, 139 Lower Parliament Street, Nottingham, NG1 1EE Telephone: 01159 700 060
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Best Social Housing Development Company - UK
Life Space Developments Ltd is a Northampton based house builder specialising in bespoke dwellings and social housing on a national scale. We invited Sean Duggan to talk us through the firm and its service offering.
stablished in 2005, Life Space Developments has built up a strong reputation for excellence over the past 11 years, growing year on year to expand its’ portfolio across a range of projects, locations and clientele. Sean discusses the firm’s approach to client services, which has helped it to achieve the success it enjoys today.
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“Here at Life Space Developments we manage, consult and fulfil all stages of the RIBA Plan of Works, from inception to completion for national house builders, organisations, companies, trust committees and private individuals. Previous clients include major brands and household names including Taylor Wimpey, Orbit Homes, Origin Housing, Watford Community Housing, Metropolitan Housing Group, Grand Union Housing, Richmond Housing Partnership, and many others. “Our approach is holistic in nature yet is crucially focussed around key organisation, planning and project management techniques. “When we start a new project the first thing we require is a clear understanding of the brief, one which incorporates the needs and wishes of the design team and other stakeholders in the project, including the neighbours and the Local Council. Our developments aim to run with as minimal disruption to the wider community as possible to avoid/reduce any impact on their lives and activities. “Secondly we translate these needs, wishes and schedules into a working procurement schedule and project programme as the construction methodology and key decisions will then be informed by their best interests. Effective programming is crucial to the project’s workflow in all parts of the team as well as helping to create positive relationships with the local residents/organisations. “As a result of this programme, we are able to produce a rigorous set of documentation, supported by the design team, to explore potential possibilities of deviations that can cause delays or abnormal costs. These are factored in as an element of risk and the project budget and procurement schedule is adjusted. With effective planning and co-ordination amongst the design and construction teams in tandem with the local community, our projects have a strong start in achieving success.” The firm’s mission is to provide a service from inception to completion at an affordable price that will help inspire its clients and stimulate the housing industry to provide much needed housing for the country, as well as the individual. Sean describes the techniques Life Space Developments employs to achieve this ambitious target.
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“A key factor in achieving our mission is expanding our project team, our in-house staff and our network of external consultants. The better we help our team to develop, the greater a service we can provide to help our clients. Therefore, investing in our team is also investing in our clients’ satisfaction. “Another vital aspect of our strategy is to provide an innovative and fair service by adapting the nature of our work by incorporating new innovations into our projects and working directly with the manufacturers. This helps us to maintain an honest and innovative service at a competitive price.” Innovation is particularly vital as in an ever growing technological age, the ability to market yourself and compete is becoming more easily available. It is imperative to stand out, be competitive and demonstrate that you are the correct firm for the project, as Sean explains. “Our key approach to being competitive is a two-step approach; firstly by developing strong relationships with local labour and consultants to the project, we minimise procurement costs, and secondly by repeatedly going the extra mile for our clients we further our reputation. “Life Space Developments consistently show performance of strong economic competitiveness and having a reputation as being a developer who works with their client’s needs and wishes. Our project portfolio is expansive as a result and this further helps to demonstrate our capability, professionalism and adaptability to an ever changing industry.” Overall Sean is optimistic about the firm’s future as it strives to build upon its current success whilst maintaining the exceptional standards which it prides itself on. “Looking ahead, everyone here at Life Space sees a bright future for the firm, as we have an ever-growing mission to provide a better service and the growing team to enable us to achieve that. We have numerous exciting upcoming projects such as a high rise apartment block in London with Origin Housing through to low rise residential homes across numerous sites with Grand Union Housing in the Midlands. We look forward to the opportunities these will bring us and hope for more great projects in the months and years to come.”
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Company: Life Space Developments Ltd Name: Sean Duggan Email: sd@lsdev.co.uk Website: www.lsdev.co.uk Address: Unit 1, Preston Lodge Court, Preston Deanery, Northampton, NN7 2DS Telephone: 01604 871199
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Best Full-Service Design & Construction Company - Aberdeenshire
Lippe Architects + Planners are based in Inverurie in the north East of Scotland where the company was established in 1985 by William Lippe. Over the years, the company has expanded its range of professional and architectural services while continually striving to provide a high level of service provision for its clients with a strong work ethic and understanding of the commercial obligations and aspirations of clients and the practice is working on a range of projects across Scotland.
ollectively, the workforce supports each other within three teams to ensure deadlines are met. The company, including its highly knowledgeable and experienced Management team, currently has 15 personnel with expertise across various disciplines with all employees keep up to date with Scottish Government and Local Authority guidance and associated frameworks and monthly CPD workshops.
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Lippe Architects and Planners have achieved an excellent reputation in the North East and throughout Scotland with a diverse Portfolio covering all sectors, from residential, commercial, leisure, tourism, education, historical and restoration to regeneration and masterplan projects. Current challenges in the service industry to the oil and gas sector have created new opportunities, including recent success in a social housing design competition for the local authority. Winning the Aberdeen City Council’s innovative Smithfield Project was quite a coup. Won on design merit, there was no opportunity to engage with the client pre-bid so it had to be based on interpretation of their requirements from text only and was a test of confidence that as the designer they were delivering the brief to the best of their abilities but it had to work on an economic level too. The recent completion of Meldrum House involved the addition of 28 bedrooms and function facilities to a B listed building in a sensitive location. Level change, context and existing trees were just some of the challenges, while not undermining the existing structure, all required great thought and attention across the design team. With a direct focus on old and new, historic and contemporary, the extension was a modern addition to the baronial mansion. Using a modern material pallet which complemented the existing stonework, slate roof and traditional sash and case windows established a connection and clear distinction with what was original but effective for 21st century guest expectations. Looking ahead, one of our really exciting projects, especially in light of the recent success at the Rio Olympics is the £14 million extension to existing sports and community centre, programmed for completion April 2019. Providing additional indoor and outdoor facilities catering for football, rugby, gymnastics, swimming, tennis, basketball, and badminton. this project has a simple, but innovative design layout, formed by distinct zones accessed from an arrangement of ‘Sport Street’’ and a ‘Sports Square’ and Sports Barn’, and a covered stadium seating up to 500, hospitality and conference suites.
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Lippe Architects + Planning’s architectural policy is based on bringing high quality design committed to combining sustainability and community awareness while protecting our natural environment outline, maintaining the fundamental principles of improving quality of life for our clients and their surroundings. For further information, visit www.lippe-architects.co.uk or T: (01467) 622785 Meldrum House Country Hotel & Golf Course
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Company: Lippe Architects & Planners Name: Kirsten Will Email: kirsten@lippe-architects.co.uk or admin@lippe-architects.co.uk Website: www.lippe-architects.co.uk Address: 4 St. James Place, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, AB51 3UB, UK Address: 25 Albyn Pl, Aberdeen AB10 1YL Telephone: +44 1467 622 785 or +44 1224 531333 Fax: +44 1467 624 185
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Best Bespoke Architecture & Planning Company - Kent
Mark Physsas Architects Limited provide a number of architectural design services, including architecture, interior design, space planning, urban design, master planning and sustainable and environmental design. They also specialise in a number of unique areas which includes infrastructure master-planning and airports, but are constantly expanding their portfolio to include other sectors. They are always interested in a challenge, and currently support a number of contractors in airports and residential projects. Mark Physsas provided us with an insight into his firm.
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s a microbusiness, Mark Physsas Architects Limited boasts some high-profile airport experience, and is currently developing projects for a number of international airports. Mark was delighted to tell us more.
“A few of our live projects include airline facilities for EasyJet, British Airways, and Virgin Atlantic, and include airport masterplans for a number of small airports in Africa and Europe. Airports globally have faced great challenges in improving their security without affecting the passenger experience, so we as designers have a great challenge to meet this expectation from our airport clients. “We have also seen great challenges in our residential projects. The last couple of years has seen a boost in residential development, which includes smaller scale domestic work. The South East in the UK in particular has seen a great boost in domestic refurbishments and extensions, however it has also been met with an unprecedented spike in construction cost, which has been difficult to contend with. We have had some great success in planning, and needless to say our passionate team have found innovative ways of cutting the cost of construction, utilising different building methods that are not usually associated with domestic projects. “Our approach to a project is to keep it simple, yet innovate at the same time. Due to our commercial involvement in projects, we get to engage with suppliers on an R&D level, so get first hand exposure to new building materials and techniques. We like to utilise this where possible, finding simple solutions to complex issues that our clients are facing. “One example of this was an airport operator’s desire to convert part of an existing transitional space in a building into staff accommodation. The existing building was not insulated to building regulation requirements and our solution was to utilise rain-screen cladding to efficiently improve the U-value of part of the building. Our experience with a particular cement board cladding system enabled us to quickly develop a simple solution. “To ensure that we develop designs objectively for our clients, we conduct reviews on a regular basis, done by someone in our team that has not been involved directly in that project. We are also vigorous in our early stage options studies, and recommend the development of a report to capture as much of the criteria as possible.”
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Mark notes that his firm has an unusual structure, to which he accredits their ability to stay competitive in a challenging market. “We employ a number of freelancers who are not confined to an office environment. This poses some initial challenges in that its success is vastly dependant on our communication and IT. We run on a number of cloud services which enables us to collaborate easily, and we also make good use of communication messenger services and video conferencing systems. By removing the need for a large office environment, we believe we get more out of staff. A lot of staff with children enjoy working for us, as they are able to work around their family life. This is crucial for getting the most out of your staff, and reflects positively in their work. “Our mission is to provide a collaborative approach to projects. We do what we do because we enjoy it, and we thrive on a good challenge. We almost always go for more challenging projects, as we feel we get more out of this on a professional and personal level.” There are always challenges facing Architects when it comes to remaining competitive, but Mark Physsas Architects Limited have found that the last few years have been a very exciting time for Architects, as there has been a lot happening in the construction industry in general. “Development is on the rise in the commercial, transport and residential sectors, so there are lots of opportunities for Architects. The immediate challenge is that construction costs are increasing at an unpredictable rate. We find this to be the biggest challenge for architects in general, as discussions with our peers has demonstrated that this has affected the materials that we specify and in some cases the quality of construction. “Our short-term plan is to remain a small practice, as we believe that we can nurture talent better this way. We have had some great success stories, such as our involvement in Gatwick Airport and our successful planning achievements. We have a clear picture of our future for the next couple of years as we explore further opportunities within our industry.”
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Company: Mark Physsas Architects Limited Name: Mark Physsas Email: info@physsas.co.uk Website: www.physsas.co.uk Address: 54 St Martins Drive, Eynsford, Kent, DA4 0EZ
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Award for Innovation in Building Control & Automation & Best Building Management Controller: NeOSS-V3
Open System Solutions (OSS) provide Building Management Systems and controls that are truly open in both functionality and usage, at unexpectedly competitive prices. The company was established in 2006, and continues to deliver innovative and sustainable solutions to clients globally. SS provides genuinely open controls and has an open way of interacting with customers. They work closely with both integrators and clients to ensure requirements can be achieved in an easy and cost effective manner. Today’s intelligent buildings consist of several diverse systems such as heating, ventilation, air conditioning, utility metering, security, lighting, fire safety and door access. Organisations are more conscious of their energy expenditure and ways they can reduce the energy usage through careful monitoring and ensuring that all systems are working in tandem to achieve maximum efficiency.
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The NeOSS range of HVAC controllers offered by OSS have been designed from the group who specialise in open protocol architecture, and delivers a common platform for exchanging data with third party protocols and providing full access to real time data across multiple protocols, enabling organisations to efficiently monitor their building performance and energy consumption. OSS’s Broadsword visual programming application provides a common platform for creating all type of HVAC building control strategies, offering seamless integration with third party protocols. The intuitive and powerful visual programming environment has been designed from the ground up to enable both novice and advanced users to create sophisticated and complex control systems with full protocol integration across multiple platforms. Open System Solutions are proud to be able to offer this service to their clients. Recently, Open System Solutions were a late entry into the tender process for the Marylebone Cricket Club and were very proud to have been selected to be the provider of the BMS controls for Lords Cricket ground. The media centre here is now completed, and the new Warner stand is under way. They are also proud that Hampshire County Council have rolled out their controls across all of the 620 funded schools in the county, and made a huge saving in implementation costs, as well as subsequent energy savings. OSS would like to think they have removed all barriers that could prevent partners becoming involved in their company. Their most recent product, the Excalibur Series NeOSS building management controller, NeOSS-V3-16A-MP®, provides the latest advancement in building controls technology and delivers a complete open solution for today’s building control applications. All controllers are freely programma-
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ble and support multiple protocols allowing for a fully open and integrated system to be implemented in the easiest and most cost efficient manner. Additional I/O is provided by using NeOSS I/O expansion modules which are available in various configurations. Key features of the NeOSS building main controller NeOSS-V3-16A-MP® include its dynamic graphics, user definable interface and how cost effective it is for the user. It also has distinct capabilities in alarm handling, logging, PID loops, function modules, logic modules, and time scheduling, and can support LON, BACnet, TREND, Modbus, MBus. Open System Solutions strive to deliver the highest level of quality products and services throughout their organisation. With their product research, development and product support team under one roof, they are committed to bringing their clients cutting edge technology and innovative designs, backed with an unsurpassed level of technical support and after sales care. OSS has lots of exciting new developments and products on the near horizon. In December, Open System Solutions are running a free two-day training course for installers of their system at their office in Hamble. If you are interested in attending this training course, please get in touch with a member of the OSS team, either via email or telephone.
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Company: Open System Solutions Email: info@opensystemsolutions.co.uk Website: www.opensystemsolutions.co.uk Address: Unit 33, Ensign Way, Mitchell Point, Hamble, Hampshire, SO31 4RF Telephone: 02380 453700
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Best SME Quantity Surveyor Practice 2016 - South East
Playle & Partners LLP have provided clients in the public and private sectors, with construction and property advice for over 60 years. We spoke to John Farrow about the firm’s service offering, supportive approach to client services and their exciting future plans.
Established in 1954 as a Practice of Chartered Quantity Survey¬ors, Playle & Partners LLP have extensive experience in all as¬pects of quantity surveying and cost consultancy services. In his opening comments John discusses how the firm has changed since inception, growing its services in order to adapt to the ever evolving needs of their clients.
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“Playle & Partners have evolved since their inception, over sixty years of professional services have required the practice to change, adapt and extend our services at the request of our client base. “In addition to the Quantity Surveying team, we now have in house depart¬ments for Architecture, Principal Designer in compliance with The Con¬struction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, Building Surveying including Party Wall advice and Access Consultancy services. Such a range of services means that we can provide Project Management and Employer’s Agent services across a wide range of projects. “As with all practices, the construction sectors within which we operate vary with the times but it is fair to say that we offer the full range of quantity sur¬veying services to public and private sector clients which have incorporated Modern Methods of Construction and required fast track build programmes. The work includes education projects, housing programmes, Major Headquarters projects, Data Centres, Emergency facilities, industrial work, and listed building refurbishment works. With over 60 years’ experience in the Construction Industry virtually every sector has been worked on at one point or another with project value ranging from £100,000 to £50 million. Together with a variety of procurement strategies” With three equity partners and two salaried partners, the firm provide a partner led service, with a partner working at senior level on the project as and when required. This approach provides an added value service to clients as a partner is available to provide advice to client teams whenever required. This partner led approach, combined with the firm’s dedication to providing quality in every aspect of its work, is what differentiates it from its competi¬tors, as John explains in more detail. “The reputation built up by our long serving Partners and staff members is the key to our success throughout the peaks and troughs encoun¬tered working in the construction industry. We consider that approximately 70% of our work is repeat business, which is a testimony to our firm’s strong management and ability to provide consistently high quality of professional service at competitive fee levels.
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“Alongside our strong client retention, we also have low staff turnover, and a number of staff who have been employed by us for over 10 years, 20 years, 30 years and 40 years. This is a reflection on the ethos of the practice and is reflected in the service we provide our clients.” Retaining experienced and professional staff is critical across the con¬struction industry, as the skills shortage continues to take its toll on many companies. As such John is justifiably proud of Playle & Partners’ employee support programme. “The challenges have been the identification of good professional staff mem¬bers and hence the opportunity of training in house and investing in our staff members has been very rewarding. We have continued this way of recruiting the best, by taking on new staff members with First Class degrees, having researched the available graduates and now putting them in a training programme or on MSc degrees in Quantity Surveying or similar. “Representatives of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors who have visited our offices have stated that out training for cost analysis work is “as close to perfection as you could get”. We were BCIS champions for April 2016. “As part of our firm’s commitment to supporting our staff we recognise achievement by way of promotion and reward and will continue to demon¬strate our commitment to the long term career of our staff members. We are, however sensible and strong in our resolve regarding level of pay compared to turnover and have in place clear guidelines to maintain sustainable pro¬gression without introducing management redundancies.” Looking to the future, John states that the continued development of this team will be the firm’s focus as it strives to build upon its current success. “To maintain the development of the strong, youthful team assembled, working on the outskirts of Greater London, we would welcome assistance / opportunity to work on larger construction projects being judged on our merits and not the numbers of staff employed and turnover. “We often consider that decisions are taken without realising that even large schemes only require a small number of quantity surveying staff to control the financial aspects of the project. Our senior staff members have expe¬rience of major town centre developments, specialist data and technology centres as well as education and housing programmes of work.
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Company: Playle & Partners LLP Name: John Farrow Email: jfarrow@playleandpartners.co.uk Website: www.playleandpartners.co.uk Address: Crest House, 138 Main Road, Sidcup, Kent, DA14 6NY Telephone: 020 8300 6811
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Best Integrated Architecture & Construction Company - New York & Award for Excellence in Technically Complex Construction
Workshop for Architecture LLP Workshop for Architecture and Workshop for Construction is a design build firm, interested in designing unique architectural solutions and building them to high construction standards. The architectural company was established in 2003, and started as a small firm providing a range of design services, from site planning to interior design. In 2008 the construction business was established, to execute their designs with a full service general contracting team. John Lee told us more about how their focus has always been to make the process of design and construction a rational one, in which knowledge leads to a better build.
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ohn believes that although there are several design build firms in their region, the strength of Workshop for Architecture and Workshop for Construction lies in their long standing interest on the architectural design.
“Historically design build firms came out of the construction industry, and these companies typically emphasized building over design. We did not start our construction company to become contractors. We started WFORC in order to build our designs to the highest standards, whilst remaining within the clients’ budget. After working on many projects with third party general contractors, and being either disappointed at the detailing or simply exhausted by the endless discussions that led to no results, we decided that we had to build our own projects if we wanted the quality represented in our details. Much like a car company that designs and builds their vehicles, we complete our projects under one roof. This is very different to the traditional ‘bid-build’ model of project delivery that typically exists in our industry. Furthermore, from the inception of WFORA, we have been interested in sustainable design, or as we call it, simply ‘smart design’. This type of design requires a high commitment from the builder to get everything right. We feel better managing this aspect of our design rather than leaving it to any builder.” The Millerton Pool House is one of the latest projects undertaken by the firm, and is the second design build project for the client. The first project for this client was a large private residence at 21,500 square feet in size. That house employs several energy efficient systems, such as geothermal wells with seasonal heat recovery, PV panels, radiant roof panels, high R-value walls and roofs, and solar hot water. “The pool house project started as a renovation of an existing structure, but quickly became a complete reconstruction project due to extensive deterioration of the building infrastructure. One of the biggest challenges on this project was to effectively address the condensation problems of the previous pool house, whilst also pushing the design envelope, literally and metaphorically. We understood that an all glass pool house would present unique challenges to our design. “One of the first recommendations we made to our client was to hire qualified engineers to be part of the team that would be dealing with indoor environmental conditions. As a result, we hired Buro Happold and Simpson
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Gumpertz and Heger to work with our design team. While the project team generated countless thermodynamic models to study air movement and dew points, we had the construction team investigate material properties of different design components being considered for their viability in an indoor pool environment. In the end, we balanced the intense environmental requirements with design components that will be able to endure in high humidity conditions. “As an overall approach, we look at our projects with an interest in making them perform better from an energy usage standpoint, without sacrificing any design considerations. Currently we are designing two projects using the Passive House standards, as defined by the Passive House Institute in Germany. Typically, these projects increase construction costs because of the intense detailing and stringent standards for building performance but we’re interested in employing them without affecting the budget. It’s a challenge, but we fully believe in the future of Passive House standards and believe that we can help lead the use of these methods in high design projects from a design build standpoint.” Workshop for Architecture and Workshop for Construction pride themselves on having regular and open communication with their clients even when it comes to discussing actual subcontractor costs. This helps to make the firm unique, as it means they can provide clients with true, meaningful estimates and an overall budget framework that can drive the design decisions, rather than the other way around. This not only gives the design team reassurance to move the project forward, but more importantly reassures the client. This “real time” cost management is something they will continue applying to all future projects. “We hope the future provides us with more opportunities to refine our design build methodology, not only in the project types we have completed, but also for new building types. We are currently designing a small firehouse using prefabricated steel building components, primarily to keep costs low. In the process, we have done research on the history of these kinds of steel building and how they fit in our built culture. What we are learning is how these buildings might be customizable for other project applications. We also hope to enter into the hospitality market going forward. We feel projects such as those are a logical progression to the expertise we have developed completing high end residential projects. We are also knowledgeable about controlling construction costs, which is a major part of hotel development.”
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Company: Workshop for Architecture & Workshop for Construction Name: John Lee, AIA LEED AP, Principal & Owner Email: jlee@wfora.com Website: www.wfora.com Address: 526 West 26th Street, Suite 410, New York, NY 10001 Telephone: 212-674-3400
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Company: 24hr Solutions Limited Name: Phil Turner Email: info@24hrsolutions.co.uk Website: www.24hrsolutions.co.uk or www.propertybuildingmaintenance.co.uk Address: 3se Faulkner House, Victoria St, St Albans, AL1 3SE Telephone: 020 8819 3117
Best Building Maintenance & Mechanical Engineering Firm - UK & Specialist Engineering Contractor of the Year - UK
24hr Solutions is a Building Maintenance and Mechanical Engineering Company, based in Hertfordshire. In 1999, Phil Turner set out with a vision to build the ultimate engineering company that would lead the industry in service, safety and innovation. 24hr Solutions LTD is now internationally recognised throughout the market as a premiere engineering company.
ounded many years ago, but not incorporated until 2012, 24hr Solutions has grown from strength to strength. Specialising in Building Maintenance, specifically Planned Preventative Maintenance, 24hr Solutions has contracts with clients ranging from local authorities and councils, to small and medium commercial and industrial businesses, as well as major blue chip clients.
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In addition to the PPM, test and inspection services, 24hr Solutions has also acquired an install team of engineers like no other. Covering all aspects of install, and supported by a team of service engineers, no other company can claim to bring ‘no problems, only solutions, like 24hr. It is Phil’s approach to the company and engineering standards that separates 24hr Solutions from its competition. In a quote from the globally known Director of Engineering, Stephen Holroyd, Phil is referred to as an ‘amazing Technical Engineer. The term ‘no problem’ does not apply to many, but in Phil’s case there is no problem, ever, whatever the project.’ It is this ability to apply the term ‘no problems’ that has maintained 24hr Solutions and continues to ensure its growth in the market place. Currently, 24hr Solutions is focusing on educating companies on the need for Planned Preventative Maintenance by promoting the security it brings, particularly during the uncertain times we are currently facing in the business world. The benefits of having an engineering company on call 24/7 cannot be ignored; ability to reduce breakdowns, reduction in down time, ability to meet statutory requirements provided by local authorities, insurance companies and HSE. 24hr Solutions is currently investing heavily in new diagnostic tools and service equipment, making sure they keep up to date with the latest service protocol. This ensures they have the ability to install, maintain, repair and upgrade to the highest standard of workmanship and quality.
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In the coming months, 24hr Solutions will continue to grow its service contracts, pushing maintenance and its specialist engineering solutions out on a national and international scale.
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Company: Active Planning Leads Name: Ian McLean Email: ian.mclean@planning-leads.info Website: www.planning-leads.info Address: The Old Chapel, 33 Church Street, Coggeshall, Essex, CO6 1TX Telephone: 01376 566 846
Best for Construction Sales Leads 2016 - UK
Active Planning Leads have been providing a planning information service since 1988, with the mission being to put subscribers in touch with potential customers in a bid to help them find valuable new business. Whether subscribers are looking for more sales, better quality sales or sales closer to home, Active Planning Leads can identify the planning applicants who will soon require their services. We spoke with Ian McLean, who told us more about the unique offering of this company. ctive Planning Leads is designed to allow businesses within the construction and home improvement industries to contact people who will soon be looking to buy the products and services that they provide. It is also designed to deliver planning leads as fast as possible, which means that our subscribers can offer their products and services long before permission is granted; by using our data they will know of all of these projects long before their competitors are even aware that these sales opportunities exist. Being fully registered with the information commissioner’s office, ICO, gives us licence to create our own copyrights.
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databases and copyrights, under the supervision of the ICO, we ensure that our subscribers are not put in this position and make sure they receive the best possible quality data and services.
The information we deliver is usually unique to the subscriber who can chose which types of project they wish to receive and from which local planning authority areas. For instance, a builder specialising in loft conversions in South London could chose and receive exactly those types of planning leads. Technologically speaking, there have been a number of new developments since we began in 1988, but the service that we provide has changed very little. The cost to our subscribers has always been much less than if they attempted to collect and collate the information themselves. The real advantage of Active Planning Leads is that the leads are delivered in excel spreadsheet format, ready for mail merging, or delivered as printed mail labels. Either way makes it quick and easy for subscribers to get their sales letters and promotions in the post when doing their own mailing. A challenge that we are currently facing is companies collecting information by ‘data harvesting’ or ‘data scraping’, whereby software is used to trawl council websites for any information they can find. Whilst it is not illegal to harvest data or illegal to sell data gathered in this way, it can put the purchaser of that data in contravention of section 47 of the copyright act, should anyone complain. Apart from this illegality, the overall quality of ‘harvested’ data is generally poor and incomplete. By creating our own
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Company: Adena Fire Safety Services Ltd Name: Jacqui Critch née Gotts Email: jacqui@adenafire.co.uk Website: www.adenafire.co.uk Address: 1 Atlas Works, Foundry Lane, Earls Colne, Colchester, Essex CO6 2TE Telephone: 0845 6432 999 / 01787 220471
Best Independent Fire Safety Services Company - UK
Adena Fire is an independent Fire Safety Services company based in Colchester, Essex and owned and managed by husband and wife Gary and Jacqui Critch. We caught up with Jacqui to gain an insight into what differentiates this innovative and committed firm.
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dena Fire has celebrated five years in business, having grown year on year since inception, which, according to Jacqui, is thanks to the experience, dedication and professionalism of its workforce.
“Adena Fire was founded on the expertise of our staff, which is what sets us apart from our competitors. My husband Gary, who helped establish the company, worked for a number of years prior to this as a fire safety consultant and has been in the Fire Service for almost 25 years. “In addition, we take great pride in the fact that all of our assessors, consultants, engineers and trainers are serving or ex Fire Service Professionals. All of them have a wealth of experience working in the public and private fire safety sector, and are strictly vetted. We encourage our team to share experiences and knowledge - liaison will often take place within the team to discuss issues on work they may be undertaking. We pride ourselves on providing independent advice and the most cost-effective solutions to our clients.” The firm offers a wide range of fire related services including dry and wet riser testing and maintenance; fire risk assessments; fire safety consultancy; fire safety training; and fire strategy arrangements. Jacqui discusses the firm’s clients and how it aims to ensure that it always offers them the service they need. “Adena Fire works with a number of ‘Partner’ companies who generally use our services to provide a more complete portfolio for their own clients. These are most often provided as white label services, with Adena Fire working seamlessly as ambassadors for our ‘Partner’ companies. Many partners use our services as a foot-in-the-door, from which they are able to up and crosssell higher ticket services. “We ensure that we work with our clients and partners to understand exactly what their requirements and expectations are for the outcome of the project,
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and that this information is shared with the team involved in the project – from the business administrator in the office to the consultant, engineer, assessor or trainer” Looking ahead, Jacqui expressed her optimism for a bright and opportunity laden future for the company. “Moving forward, we are excited about the future of Adena Fire Safety Services. We will continue to develop relationships with our existing clients, and are looking forward to working with new ones and the opportunities this will bring.”
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Company: AKW Website: www.akw-ltd.co.uk
Best Accessible Bathroom & Kitchen Product Manufacturer - UK
AKW are the leading designers and manufacturers of stylish accessible bathroom and kitchen products for older people, the disabled and those with mobility issues, having supplied this market for over 28 years. With over one million satisfied customers worldwide, they supply the majority of social landlords, local authorities, housing associations and care and nursing home groups in the UK, as well as customers internationally.
t the beginning of any project, AKW begin by assessing the needs of the end users, followed by meetings with their clients. They do not just do this from their desks, they endeavour to go out and meet their users, managing to get to the heart of what will be required and when. They have a dedicated national team of surveyors who, in the case of kitchens, will take over 160 measurements to ensure the solution is just right for the resident it is intended for.
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At AKW, they are not resting and standing still. They have looked at new opportunities to take their products and services into the mainstream marketplace. They have recently begun working with leading providers, and are developing propositions and solutions to help AKW become the market leader in the private sector for wet room and kitchen solutions.
They have differentiated themselves from their competition by not only offering high quality products, but through their enviable customer service. AKW have their own dedicated delivery service ensuring that their products are delivered on time and undamaged. They also offer a free nationwide support and surveying service, helping their clients specify and install the most appropriate solutions for their end users and residents. Over the last 28 years, AKW have worked closely with healthcare professionals to design and manufacture market leading solutions which are suitable for their clients. They always strive to provide innovative showering, kitchen and daily living products, to improve the quality of life. They are recognised for their passion for excellent quality, choice and outstanding customer service. They make significant investments in market research and product development across their entire range to ensure this always remains the case. A challenge that AKW face as part of their work is the effect of the ageing process on their customers. All of their field based teams are trained by Age UK in how to approach older people, and go through ‘sense of ageing’ training to help them understand the different types of conditions that may be affecting someone. They have also made changes to their literature which is aimed at older people. They have developed leaflets and ‘sorry we missed you’ cards in much larger fonts, and have been developing name badges which have braille on them.
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Company: Gavin James LTD t/a Amatola Glass Name: Gavin James Stephen Email: info@amatolaglass.com Website: www.amatolaglass.co.uk Telephone: 07766583464
Best Bespoke Glass Product Provider 2016 - UK
Amatola Glass has over 20 years of experience and has operated across three continents, and now provides bespoke glass services throughout the London area. From quoting to templating and fitting, they design, supply and fit high quality glass products to the highest standards. Gavin James Stephen told us about one of their latest projects and their approach to customer service.
matola Glass’ latest project was the Cumberland Mansion in Central London, for which they designed and built bespoke frameless showers and antique mirrors. Gavin points out that one of the major challenges on this project was the fact that none of the walls were square.
“There is never ‘just a job’ for us; what we do is our passion. Our mission is not just to meet our client’s expectations, but to exceed them. Within our long experience, we have managed to overcome an array of challenges, and have continuously improved our services to be able to reach the highest possible standards within the glass industry.”
“This meant that we had to data line – which means measuring everything out of proportion/square – in order to achieve a successful outcome; in this instance, two wrongs really did make a right! We were very proud of the outcome of the antique mirrors and frameless showers despite this challenge, and most importantly, the client was very satisfied with the end result.
Amatola Glass has been given the opportunity on several occasions to subcontract for bigger glass companies, simply because they have the expertise necessary to create unique products. Some bigger companies become too interested in turnover and profit, and then begin to lack in the services which require quality time with the client, which Amatola Glass are able to provide.
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“We always approach new projects with an open mind, as every client is unique. Our designers work hard in order to achieve our clients’ vision to create their perfect home/office. We are a small family business, and we attract the attention of our clients with our unique bespoke products which we discuss directly with our customers on site. We have the luxury of time, which we are happy to spend with our clients in order to discuss possibilities with their home or business.
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“The future of Amatola Glass is focused on continuously providing quality service. Our current project involves providing curved colours splash backs in a bathroom, and we are very excited to see the outcome, as this is yet again a new challenge which we have happily accepted.”
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Company: AnyScale Ltd Name: Leanne Mitchell Email: leanne@quickscale.co Website: www.quickscale.co
Best PDF Design Scale Measurement Software 2016
AnyScale Ltd AnyScale Ltd is an on-line company which develops and sells QuickScale software for taking areas and measurements from pdf drawings. We spoke to Leanne Mitchell to find out more.
riginally designed for the building and construction industry and the smaller one-man trader who would not have CAD or extensive computer knowledge, QuickScale is so simple to use and inexpensive that it has become very popular with larger companies and organisations around the world, and in other industries such as marine insurance, cleaning and hygiene, business management and investment. Leanne outlines the firm’s client focused approach and how this has helped the firm to achieve the success it enjoys today.
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save the user having to print out the pdf, fill it in by hand, scan it and email it back. We believe this could revolutionise our industry and look forward to the opportunities it will bring both our firm and clients in the future.”
“Our approach here at AnyScale is to keep it simple. When we release new features we ask our customers to test it and we listen to their comments. We have delayed the release of a new product while we find ways to make it much more simple and user friendly. We keep in mind the more mature small trader who would have missed the computer generation and still measures his drawings with a scale rule. “Technology has moved on so quickly that they are now forced to try and catch up, just to stay in business. As such we help our clients step by step through the free trial and for as long as they need us after they purchase a licence. We have found that as soon as they start using QuickScale, they do not actually need our help any longer but we are always available if they do. “Ultimately what makes our firm stand out from the rest is that we go the extra mile with customer support. We help our customers until the licence is downloaded and they know how to use it.” Moving forward, Leanne is confident of a bright future for the firm as she talks us through the upcoming plans it has to build upon its current success. “Looking ahead, we will continue to grow QuickScale and work on new products, including our latest innovation, Thingy. With Thingy clients will be able to fill in specifications, tenders, bills of quantity etc. in pdf format. The solution will keep running totals on each page and totals at the end and will
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Company: Aspray Ltd Address: Aspray Ltd, 9 Dalton Court, Commercial Road, Darwen, Lancashire, BB3 0DG Telephone: 0800 077 6705 Email: info@aspray.com Website: www.aspray.com
Best Property Insurance Project Management Firm - UK
Aspray specialise in project managing both property insurance claims and the repair works for any home or business owner who has suffered damage to their property. We profile the firm and invite Managing Director James Whittle to tell us more.
stablished in 2005, Aspray is an award winning insurance related service provider specialising in project managing property damage insurance claims from inception to completion on behalf of the policyholder. The firm operates throughout the UK and is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for claims handling only.
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James Whittle, Managing Director discusses the firm’s aims and how it works to achieve these. “My goal from the beginning of Aspray was to build a leader in the field of claims handling and whilst we achieved this goal some time ago, the sights of the company are focused on maintaining this valuable stance. The continuing hard work from the Head Office and field teams help ensure that Aspray is a name to be proud to be a part of, long may this continue.” Aspray provide a loss assessing and project management service for both residential and commercial property owners when they have to make an insurance claim because their home or business has been damaged, and is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The company negotiate a fair settlement for the policyholder, and once the repair works have been agreed, they then instruct and oversee vetted contractors to reinstate the property to its original condition whilst aiming to minimise inconvenience and disruption to the policyholder. James outlines how the firm’s approach revolves around supporting clients and ensuring that they receive the best outcome possible. “Here at Aspray, our friendly and approachable team means that we aim to ensure you receive a professional and efficient service for any commercial or residential property insurance claim. Our experience of dealing with loss adjusters, insurers and tradespeople ensures a successful outcome to reinstating your property back to its previous condition. Our network of local loss assessors across the UK help you to relax in the knowledge that you are
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receiving a professional and efficient service so that you can go on with your day to day activities.” Not only have Aspray won awards within the Construction industry, but they have also been finalists of the “Insurance Times” Claims Excellence Awards 2015 and 2016 and this year, also gained a finalist position at the UK Financial Services Experience Awards alongside large institutions including the RBS, Royal London, Direct Line and the LV Group, highlighting the firm’s success so far. Moving forward the firm are keen to build upon this success.
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Company: Bathroom Manufacturers Association Name: Yvonne Orgill, Chief Executive Email: info@bathroom-association.org.uk Website: www.bathroom-association.org Address: The Bathroom Manufacturers Association Innovation Centre 1 Keele University Science and Innovation Park Newcastle-under-Lyme ST5 5NB Telephone: +44 (0) 1782 631619
Best Trade Industry Intelligence Cooperative - UK
The multi award winning Bathroom Manufacturers Association represents the interests of over 100 well-known bathroom brands. Based at the Keele University Science and Innovation Park, the BMA provides the primary forum for bathroom manufacturers to debate matters of common interest. The association acts as an information hub for the industry, the consumer and the government on any issues affecting the bathroom business in the UK. hree major current initiatives include the development of the European Water Label, the Hot Water Burns Like Fire campaign, and the CE Marking Campaign. The European Water Label has been developed by the BMA, and is a scheme aimed at informing users about the water and energy consumption of bathroom and kitchen products. It is a catalyst for behaviour change and its rapid progress has resulted from collaboration with like-minded organisations throughout Europe.
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room industry and to offer relevant information sources to aid the members within their day to day business. The association is committed to working with all of its members, and complementing their work by focusing attention on issues which are more effectively dealt with by a collective body.
The last place you would expect deadly accidents to occur is in the bathroom, but it is a shocking fact that people do die from scalding accidents due to uncontrolled hot water. The Hot Water Burns Like Fire campaign aims at stopping scalding accidents by raising awareness of the dangers and by promoting the use of simple thermostatic devices to eliminate the risks. Bathroom products are required, by law, to meet certain British standards. These standards are in place to ensure that they perform as described and that they conform with regulations. Some standards are also covered by the CE Marking Regulations; this mark became legally binding for sanitaryware relatively recently in 2013. Now, all bathroom products covered by Harmonised European Standards must have the CE Mark fixed to the product, its instruction literature, or its packaging. CE Marking is not a quality mark, but it does indicate ‘fitness for purpose’. The BMA works hard through this campaign to emphasise the importance of CE Marking and ensures that its members do follow the requirements. The Bathroom Manufacturers Association pursues six key objectives; to keep members informed of developments and changes in legislation, regulation and conditions affecting the industry; to provide a channel for representations to governments on proposed changes and other matters that will have an impact on the industry; to communicate the strengths of the bathroom industry to all sectors; to raise standards and promote the benefits of better bathrooms; and to educate all people engaged within the UK bath-
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Company: Blue Forest (UK) Ltd Email: info@blueforest.com Website: www.blueforest.com Address: The Studio, Bensfield Farm, Beech Hill, Wadhurst, East Sussex, TN5 6JR. Telephone: 01892 75 00 90
Best in Luxury Tree House Design & Construction - UK
Blue Forest specialise in building and designing the most exceptional tree houses and arboreal abodes in the world. We invited Andy Payne to tell us more.
nspired by founder Andy Payne’s childhood spent living in the inspirational and striking natural surroundings of Kenya, Blue Forest aims to reconnect people with the great outdoors in the most imaginative of ways. In his opening comments, Andy talks us through the firm’s approach and how it aims to produce the very highest standard of quality for its clients.
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“Here at Blue Forest, we take our clients through the whole process, explaining what needs to be done at each stage. We come and visit them to see the site, help them to identify the best positioning in the garden (exposure to sunlight, shelter from the wind) and discuss how they would like to use their treehouse. A lot of clients like to create their own Pinterest boards or design scrapbooks before they sit down with us, or ask their children to draw some ideas.” If looked after well, a treehouse can provide many years of enjoyment for the whole family, and as such Blue Forest are committed to providing regular maintenance as well as quality products, as Andy emphasises.
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“Blue Forest provide annual service maintenance for all of our clients and most importantly, we check the health of the tree and the support brackets for the treehouse. Maintenance is particularly important when the tree passes through the floor and roof of the building, and Blue Forest have developed a special way of creating a waterproof seal between the tree and the roofing that needs to be replaced every few years which is included in the maintenance agreement. Our structures are designed to move and adapt as the host trees grow but over time, the host tree can change shape and if the structure is not adjusted and maintained this may have a negative impact on the support points, deck and host tree.” Looking ahead, Andy outlines the firm’s exciting plans for the future which focus firmly on growth and greater success. “Over the next five years we intend to become not just the UK’s but the world’s leading treehouse Design and Construction specialists. As a key element of this plan we are pioneering a new approach within the leisure and public services sector, developing bespoke sustainable accommodation solutions for the hotel and leisure industry as well as continuing to design and build the most spectacular treehouses in the world.”
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Company: Brightman Clarke Architects Name: Jonathan Clarke Email: info@bcarchitects.co.uk Website: www.bcarchitects.co.uk Address: 90 Chatsworth Road, Chesterfield, S40 2AN Telephone: 01246 383707
Best Residential Architecture Practice - Derbyshire
Brightman Clarke Architects are a vibrant team of architects based in Sheffield and Chesterfield, with a passion for contemporary architecture and sustainable design. They provide a professional and highly creative service that moulds around their client’s requirements. Their specialities include house extensions, bespoke new build homes, residential developments, children’s day care nurseries and small, niche, commercial developments. heir clients are generally members of the public who are looking for a one off house extension or bespoke house. They do, however, have a number of retained clients, varying from developers to commercial clients. This is unsurprising, given that they provide full architectural services through all of the RIBA work stages, from assessment and conceptual designs, to planning and building regulations approvals, and even on site delivery as contract administrators.
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It is no longer limited to huge bespoke new build homes with million pound budgets, there is now scope for the delivering on a far more modest budget for even the smallest of house extensions. This is something that the general public has been increasingly begun to recognise, and Brightman Clarke Architects aim to deliver cutting edge modern designs for their clients.
Brightman Clarke Architects believe there is no secret solution to making a project successful. They just believe that good communication, particularly listening to a client from the outset, builds a strong working relationship which creates a sturdy foundation on which to build the project. They utilise 3D visualisation packages to assess numerous design principals throughout their schemes in order to develop appropriate and exciting designs that relate to their surroundings and reflect their owner’s personality. Interpretation between client and architect is particularly crucial when they are given a far more open design brief. The temptation can be to design something that they really like or to try out a new idea that they have been inspired by; but that may not suit their clients’ needs. Instead, Brightman Clarke Architects use the knowledge and understanding gained in the early stages of their involvement, intuitively designing stunning homes that suits the client’s architectural preferences and how they intend to live within the space once it has been built. This holistic approach of collaboration between client and architect ensures a positive experience and process from conception to delivery. Their long term ambition is to become the leading architectural practice in Chesterfield and Sheffield for modern, sustainable and contemporary domestic architectural solutions, from unique house extensions to new build homes. Contemporary architecture is becoming far more prominent and desirable, not only for grand-designs scale projects, but also smaller house extensions.
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Company: Byworth Boilers Limited Email: sales@byworth.co.uk Website: www.byworth.co.uk Address: Parkwood Boiler Works, Parkwood Street, Keighley, West Yorkshire, BD21 4NW Telephone: +44 (0)1535 665225
Best Industrial Boiler Manufacturer 2016 - UK
Byworth Boilers are the leading British manufacturers of industrial steam and hot water boilers. Their products offer excellent efficiencies across a diverse range of energy sources, including waste heat and biomass. The company continues to invest heavily in R and D, targeting reduced customer running costs. Customers include manufacturers of food and drink, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, plastics, construction machinery equipment, homes, hotels, restaurants, HVAC, utilities, energy and extraction. yworth Boilers understand that it is crucial that the customer is getting the right product to meet their needs. This means that if the customer has to be told that they need a smaller boiler than they asked for, or in some cases, even referring them onto a technology that Byworth Boilers themselves do not produce, they are not afraid to do it.
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Their aim is to be the preferred partner in providing efficient heat solutions. Byworth achieve this through design, manufacture and service to the highest quality. It’s all about working with the customers to help them achieve their goals and to the mutual benefit of Byworth and their customers. They are lucky enough to employ some very skilled designers and with their ability to be flexible during the manufacturing stage, they are often able to build bespoke equipment or adjust the standard product in order to make it a better fit for the customer’s requirements. Buying a boiler is a long term investment, so it is important that it is as efficient as possible and extremely easy to maintain, in order to maximise the investment and product lifecycle. Byworth have always pushed to be at the forefront of technology and they have turned their attention to looking at improvements in boiler-house control and management. Unity is Byworth’s revolutionary boiler control system, which harnesses the power of digital technology to transform the industrial boiler industry. A solution for any industry using process steam and hot water, Unity makes it easy to understand what is going on with their energy and operations. The system employs the Internet of Things (IoT) and advanced data analytics to systematically change boiler-related operations and services. Its skill is in its capability to significantly reduce cost, improve product and service performance and provide better value to Byworth customers. Encompassing a range of smart data, predictive tools and engineering proficiency to obtain additional insight, the results will help customers reduce
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fuel usage, increase operational efficiency and significantly reduce any potential downtime. Delivering a step-change in boiler servicing, Unity helps improve response time as well as enhancing onsite efficiency. All of its attributes support a vision of providing efficient heat solutions with each partner.
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Company: Clearly Renovations Ltd Name: Jeremy Bayliss Email: j.bayliss@clearlyrenovations.com Website: www.clearlyrenovations.com Address: Brampton House, Scabharbour Rd, Hildenborough, Kent TN11 8PJ Telephone: 0844 800 9536
Best Residential Renovations Contractor – London & the Home Counties
Clearly Renovations Limited are one of London and the Home Counties finest residential home building renovation contractors and also Gold Award winners of the Considerate Construction Scheme. Founded in 2005, and basing their core business in Notting Hill, Chelsea, Fulham, Mayfair, Knightsbridge, Clapham, Dulwich and Barnes, they are able to provide design and build property services with ongoing maintenance services through Clearly Maintenance™. Jeremy Bayliss was happy to tell us more. learly Renovations Limited pride themselves on their strong project management abilities. Their daily, weekly and monthly site processes and procedures are incredibly thorough, and mean that they are able to complete every project to an exceptional standard. Jeremy was proud to talk about how Clearly Renovations strive to differentiate themselves from their competitors.
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“We are very excited when we look to the future; we have a full order book at the moment, and have £7 million worth of contracts that we are waiting to hear about, and £2 million that are currently being priced, with a pipeline of roughly £9.5 million.”
“We have regular Business Coaching via Action Coach UK, which helps us to maintain our ability to get results. We make sure during all of our works that we consider the surrounding community, whether the appearance of the build suits the area, whether it is environmentally friendly, and the health and safety precautions that will need to be implemented. “Our vision is a clear one; we want to be the best high end residential contractor in London and the Home Counties. We are trying to surround ourselves with the best team who epitomise our ‘can do’ culture, and make sure that we remain a fun and exciting place to work. Overall, we want to be a company that is recognised by architects and clients alike for the highest quality service. We believe that we are fairly close to achieving our vision, but this does not mean that we will stop striving and learning every day, maintaining the high standards that we set ourselves.” Jeremy has very strong ideas when it comes to the environment that he wants Clearly Renovations Limited to have, and is excited as he looks towards the future for the firm. “It has always been our belief that our people are our best asset, and our culture helps win the war for talent. Our HR policies are vertically and horizontally aligned with our company culture. We believe that having a company culture will be the difference between average and excellent and it will set the company apart and help us to build a brand.
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Company: Climachill Ltd Name: Paul Goldstein Email: sales@climachill.co.uk Website: www.climachill.co.uk Address: The Oaks, Lordings Road, Billingshurst, Sussex, RH14 9JE Telephone: 01273 803820
Best Mobile Air Conditioning Unit Provider - UK & Award for Excellence in Air Conditioning Installations - Sussex
Climachill Ltd is family run Air Conditioning Contractor based in Sussex and offers a complete range of air conditioning, heating and ventilation services to commercial end users, domestic clients and main contractors. We spoke to Paul Goldstein, who told us more about how the company has achieved these impressive awards.
e at Climachill pride ourselves on providing honest advice to our clients and clearly explaining what can and can’t be done; fully explaining how we will complete the task, providing as much information as the client requests and proving our competence through our industry qualifications.
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Our mission is to continually provide the best service that we can and to treat our customers the way that we would like to be treated. One of our most recent projects was installing air conditioning into the offices of Furniture Village’s National Distribution Centre in Milton Keynes. It was a ‘live office’ and our works had to be done out of hours so as to have minimal impact on the work of our client. We are particularly proud to have completed this installation ahead of schedule and to have received positive feedback regarding how clean the job had been and the lack of interruption we had caused during the works.
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In 2016, we provided our engineers with mobile internet enabled tablets and a bespoke reporting programme, allowing them to submit photos of the works they are doing and problems they encounter in one simple form. All engineer visits and works undertaken by us are now digitally reported and are signed for by our clients. When our engineer leaves the site, the report is submitted and arrives in our office email inbox within a few moments. This means we can immediately see what the engineer has reported and can be quick to order the parts that our clients need. It is also invaluable in helping us to keep accurate records and our clients value having the reports emailed to them for easy filing. Over the last few years we have grown well, adding new staff to our team in order to meet demand for the increased levels of work we are undertaking. The first apprentice we employed in 2013 has now completed his Level 3 qualifications, and is a fully qualified and important member of our team. We plan to recruit a new apprentice in the future and to continue to build our team at Climachill to benefit our clients.
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Company: Rondo-Pak/CGS Name: Timothy Moreton Email: TMoreton@ContemporaryGS.com Website: www.RondoPak.com Address: 1200 Ferry Avenue, Camden, NJ 08104 Telephone: 800-575-4238
Best Integrated Print & Packaging Provider 2016 - USA & Excellence Award for Sustainable Packaging Solutions
Rondo-Pak/Contemporary Graphic Solutions, CGS, is a global print and packaging specialist providing effective solutions and comprehensive services to the pharmaceutical, medical device, and consumer industries. The company’s portfolio consists of specialised packaging & components, FDA Regulated repackaging & assembly, quick turn marketing materials and services, and value added solutions.
ondo Pak/CGS has been a recognised leader in pharmaceutical folding cartons for over 70 years, and is a proud part of the Körber Medipak network of companies. Their sophisticated packaging solutions and quick-to-market printed materials address the precise requirements and compliance required in the Pharmaceutical industry.
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tions and comprehensive services. They deliver a broad range of products and services including; printed commercial packaging, leaflets/PI, marketing collateral, cGMP compliant and FDA registered for fulfilment, re-packing/ re-labelling for Rx product, carton production and erection of products. They are focused on the needs and requirements of the major pharmaceutical, OTC and consumer healthcare companies, and will continue to meet the unique needs of their customers.
In July 2016, Rondo-Pak/CGS finished its transition into its newly renovated facility on 1200 Ferry Ave, in Camden, New Jersey. As part of their move into Camden, they performed major renovations to convert an old Postal warehouse and distribution centre into their operational headquarters. The building had virtually no infrastructure; no information networking, a very limited power supply, an antiquated HVAC system, an antiquated fire suppression system, amongst other things. They were proud to be able to preserve some of the unique architecture from the original Post Office part of the building and incorporate it into their design. Tim Moreton, CEO of Rondo-Pak/CGS, stated: “It has been a rewarding experience to revitalise and repurpose an existing structure into a new state-of-the-art print and packaging facility that will bring new business and jobs into the area”. Community values and hiring local employees have always been a major part of Rondo-Pak/CGS’s business model. They are a true manufacturer that has many varied opportunities for different skill sets and capabilities, and are excited to be a part of a community where they knew they could offer employment to a large group of residents. The recent move into Camden provided additional growth opportunities, allowing them to hire 32 new employees in 2016, of which, 18 are Camden residents. Employees have also participated in multiple local volunteer activities in 2016, and they look forward to participating in other city events. As a result, they believe they have improved part of the community infrastructure. Rondo-Pak/CGS is a best-in-class partner of the regulated Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Consumer industries, for specialised packaging solu-
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T: 0845 450 7475 info@spi-appleton.co.uk www.spi-appleton.co.uk
Specialist Steel Piling Contractor ABI Rig with new VV Technology Hydraulic ‘Silent’ Pile Press Movax ‘Side Grip’ Hammer Conventional Piling Marine Piling
Nationwide Service
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Company: Cube Controls Ltd Name: Jo Williams Email: sales@cubecontrols.co.uk Website: www.cubecontrols.co.uk Address: Unit 5, First Floor, Parkland Business Centre, 44 Chartwell Road, Lancing, West Sussex, BN15 8UE Telephone: 01903 694279
Best Building Control Systems Design Firm - UK & BUILD Excellence Award for Energy Efficient Building Management Systems
BUILDING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS SPECIALISTS
Cube Controls Limited provide well-designed and intuitive building control systems that can help to balance healthy environmental control against significant energy savings. Their clients range from commercial to domestic buildings, from office blocks to luxury apartments. Jo Williams told us more.
ube Controls experts provide extensive design and consultancy services to ensure the right fit for your building and to guarantee energy efficiency. Their specialist operatives guarantee both cost effective system installation and modification, alongside a reliable maintenance service to both pre-empt and prevent failures. Jo is proud of the work that Cube is doing, and was happy to tell us about their high referral rate.
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“We will continue to investigate new technologies and solutions to ensure that we can offer our clients the best solution, with the most up-to-date equipment. The research being undertaken by Cube2 on protecting again cyber-physical threats will be filtered back into Cube Controls, ensuring that the systems we design for clients are safe, and that they are made aware of the constantly changing threats.”
“Within our industry, word or mouth is the best advertisement there is. The majority of our work is either repeat business or new leads that have come from a professional recommendation. We trade upon our reputation, so we ensure that we consult, design and engineer to the highest level to ensure that our clients are looked after.” “After seeing so many companies fail to provide effective and efficient system designs, we wanted to make sure that we are able to give customers the systems and service they deserve, and make them aware of any new technologies that would benefit them.” Security is a big concern in the construction industry currently, especially with the future developments of BIM within the UK. “We are industry leaders in dealing with the new threat of cyber-physical attacks on automated building systems. We have even started a sister company, Cube2, which is developing new techniques, practices and hardware solutions to provide clients with the protection they need from this type of cyber threat.” “At Cube, over the many years that we have spent within this specialist field, we have refined the vast amount of control systems equipment for commercial buildings into a definitive selection that offer the best performance, the best value and the best reliability. Our staff are fully trained and experienced, and the entire project team stays close to a given project from conception through to completion.”
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Company: dBx Acousitcs Limited Name: Susan Witterick, Director Address: 23 Sam Road, Diggle, Oldham, OL3 5PU Telephone: 0161 408 6058 Email: Susan@dbxacoustics.com Website: www.dbxacoustics.com
Best Acoustic Design Consultancy 2016 - UK
acoustics dBx Acoustics is an award winning acoustic consultant and acoustic designer with offices in Manchester. They have 17 years’ experience of building acoustics and environmental noise, and they are able to offer practical and cost effective solutions to all noise and acoustic related questions. They are a small, productive and caring team, who encourage their staff to think outside of the box, and believe that technology and innovation is the way forward for Acoustics. Susan Witterick, the Director of dBx Acoustics told us more about recent developments for the company.
e believe that we differ from our competitors because we have a small company mentality, coupled with big company experience and projects. This means that our clients are able to form a relationship with one point on contact who they can refer to with any questions throughout the project; others in the team are available to help however, if needed.
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Our reputation and the satisfaction of our clients is everything to us, and we gain most of our business through repeat custom and referrals. We are focused on helping our clients meet their acoustic needs in a practical and cost effective way, and we go the extra mile to make sure that our advice is relevant, timely and easily understood. dBx are highly innovative, using auralisation to help our clients hear the effect our advice will have, rather than simply presenting them with meaningless numbers. We also use video reporting to help clients understand the technical issues discussed in our reports. Through industry channels, we are encouraging the Government to create a formal acoustics apprenticeship, and are committed to hosting one of the first apprentices. In our office, we have introduced cloud based systems to increase our efficiency regarding our CRM, accounting, and project management software. These are all now linked, so provide a smoother client on-boarding experience, and helps to avoid repeat work for our team. Working with Renewables First in Eaton Socon, Cambridgeshire, we modelled potential noise impacts from a proposed Archimedes screw hydropower turbine on the surrounding residential neighbourhood. Through a SoundPlan model, we projected the proposed turbine’s noise levels by first measuring existing noise output from turbines located elsewhere, then com-
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paring their output with the existing background sound experienced in the neighbourhood. Modelling results indicated sound mitigation was needed to keep proposed noise levels 5dB below existing neighbourhood levels, and through modelling, we verified the competency of the client’s proposed mitigation. We look forward to completing more projects like this in the future.
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Company: Deluxe Developers Email: info@deluxedevelopers.co.uk Website: www.deluxedevelopers.co.uk Telephone: 01908 510118
Best Low-Energy Sustainable Home Contractor - South England
Deluxe Developers Deluxe Developers is a planning, design and construction company, and build some of the most technical, ecological and sustainable homes available to date. Over the past two years, Deluxe Developers have designed and built a prototype zero carbon/eco home which meets the strict code level six for sustainable homes, as well as the Passivhaus standard. This unique project proved that a code level six home could be built with an aesthetically pleasing and traditional home design. eluxe Developers are currently working at varying stages of the design and build of individual properties for their forward thinking clients, who appreciate the benefits of energy saving homes; perhaps one of the most interesting projects they currently in progress is a 25-unit development of energy saving homes. In addition, the commercial division is currently converting a large grade II listed property into an Autistic Adult Care home.
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with energy costs inevitability rising, the prospect of zero carbon and energy saving buildings will become an increasingly attractive prospect, and will create an exciting challenge for their company; construction companies, now more than ever, have a huge responsibility to look after the environment and work towards a greener future.
Deluxe Developers believe it is essential that they involved from the beginning of the process, so that they are able to build properties which incorporate the latest energy saving methods. Their principal is personally involved in their projects, and they focus on every aspect of the build and the environment, both during construction and through to the finished project. Deluxe Developers work closely with their clients to create bespoke homes, and actively project manage every aspect of the build using their qualified workforce. They know that the industry is competitive, but their skilled workforce and experience in energy saving and bespoke projects allows them to create the dream home of any client. Deluxe have a proven example of this in one of their latest developments, Cedar Barn; their clients visit this, and see a home that produces three and a half times the electricity it uses, with enough surplus to charge an electric car. Deluxe Developer’s will continue to design and build the most advanced energy saving bespoke homes whilst addressing the challenges of taking the energy positive concept of Cedar Barn to the mass market, at a price which is competitively affordable. They have already developed a smaller modulised version of Cedar Barn, incorporating substantial energy saving technology, which they intend to incorporate into their future developments. Deluxe Developers will continue to hone the success of Cedar Barn in developing and building the Nil-Bil homes of the future. They believe that
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Company: Direct Lift Company Name: Dave Embling Managing Director Email: dave@directliftco.co.uk Website: www.directliftco.co.uk Address: Unit 1a Grange Farm Road Colchester Essex CO2 8JW Telephone: 01206 861686
Best Elevator Inspection & Maintenance Company - UK
Direct Lift Co are a lift maintenance and repair company offering servicing, repairs, 24-hour emergency breakdown cover, modernisations and installations. We caught up with Managing Director Dave Embling to learn more about the firm and the secrets behind its success.
irect Lift provide a wide range of lift maintenance and installation services, serving clients across the public and private sectors including councils, universities, the NHS and the entertainment market. Dave outlines the importance of clients to his firm and how it works to ensure they receive the very best service every time.
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“Here at Direct Lift our clients are the driving force behind our company, through them we strive to continue to be the Best within our Industry. Our mission is to offer our services further afield whilst steadily growing and to receive the Construction and Engineering Award 2015 and now 2016 is great recognition of all the Staffs hard work. “To achieve this we do not class any client to be more important than any other, ‘Every Client is Important’ and this is adopted throughout the work force. Direct Lift Co are aware of each client’s needs thus ensuring we deliver a personal approach at all times, this is evident from our loyal customer base which has been built on reputation.” This client focus begins from the moment the firm starts working with a new client, as Dave explains. “Welcoming New Clients is always a proud moment for all the staff following hard work that is built on the company’s reputation. As such at the start of every project we ensure the client is informed from the very start of the process, making sure that equipment is ordered in advance to ensure continuity throughout the job. Providing communication, planning and job management are the three key areas to which Direct Lift Co pride themselves in and communication with the client from start to finish is always paramount.” Moving forward, Dave emphasises his firm’s continued focus on excellence as it seeks to grow and support a wider range of clients.
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“The future for the company is very exciting, as we continue to grow at a steady pace increasing our client portfolio through our great reputation and the hard work undertaken by all of our staff, of whom we are immensely proud and who, ultimately, are key to our success, both now and in the future.”
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Company: Drainpower Environmental Services Ltd Name: John Fanning Mob 086 050 5454 Email: info@draindoctorireland.com Website: www.septictankanddraincleaning.com Address: Pallasmore, Portroe, Nenagh, Co Tipperary
Best Drain & Repair Service - Republic of Ireland
Drainpower Environmental Services Ltd is based in Newtown Nenagh, Co Tipperary and Mitchell St, Limerick City, and has offered local employment for the last 5 years. They specialise in drainage maintenance and CCTV inspection service, but they excel in adapting their No-Dig technology to resolve complex engineering and environmental issues. riginally from Thurles, Managing Director, John Fanning, diversified from a dairy farming background to establish his drain maintenance business and now he is acknowledged as one of the market leaders in drainage maintenance and ‘no-dig’ repair technology. Recent investment has upgraded the Drainage CCTV equipment and robotic repair to exceed industry standards.
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Recently, Drainpower completed a series of underground repairs to a combined wavin and concrete process drainage system in Co Kildare for a worldwide chemical company, and in the process they offered significant savings to both the client and the local town council. Clonmel Shopping Centre were experiencing significant water ingress into the mall area and Drainpower Environmental had a solution in place within 10 days. There was minimum disruption to leaseholders and management while the Resin seal was being applied to the leaking drains.
of Limerick Leprechauns RFC, which has raised in excess of €1.3 million for local charities since 1986. John adds that regular contact within a business network has significantly increased his exposure and awareness of the services that Drainpower can offer to customers. Drainpower are approved Kingspan Klargester distributers and installers in Ireland. This strategic alliance between both market leaders has increased employee numbers to manage the increase in workload. Some projects to be completed in the future include an upgrade to the drainage systems for Glanbia. Proctor and Gamble drainage upgrade and a handover survey to the new Tuam to Gort Bypass road in Co Galway.
Recent acquisitions of Blackberry Drains in Kildare, Free and Clear Drains in Cashel and Kilkenny Drain Services, have had an immediate positive impact on company turnover and staffing levels. John’s future plans include similar acquisitions to increase his customer base. Drainpower Environment hold a nationwide waste licence which is a contributing factor in the company’s success. Construction is nearing completion on an office extension at company HQ in Newtown Nenagh, where there an impressive display of Boxing and Rugby trophies and medals. A keen sportsperson, John has also provided a gym and Sauna room for his staff to wind down after a hard day’s work on site. On receiving the news of his nomination, John was keen to acknowledge the invaluable support that he has received from the local work force, businesses and neighbours. John is an active member of Limerick Chamber of Commerce and Derg Business Alliance group. He is also a past President
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Company: The East Anglian Lift Company Limited Email: sales@ealifts.co.uk Web Address: http://www.ealifts.co.uk/ Address: Slate House Farm, Halls Corner, Hevingham, Norwich, Norfolk, NR10 5NQ Telephone: (01603) 755680
Best Independent Lift Company - UK
The East Anglian Lift Company Ltd is a leading independent company dedicated to supporting customers with all of their lift needs. Director, Robert Howe, talks us through how the firm’s commitment to providing the very best products and services is key to their success.
he East Anglian Lift Company only offer top quality products with proven reliability whilst remaining competitively priced. Priding itself on delivering the highest possible level of service, the firm has been working with some of its clients for over 15 years. This repeat business is testimony of the dedication to customer satisfaction that the East Anglian Lift Company demonstrates. Their clients include, University of Cambridge, Greene King, SCC, Anglian Home Improvements, Kingsley Healthcare, Cambridge Assessment.
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Robert explains that “here at The East Anglian Lift Company, we will always do the utmost to meet our customer’s needs. We will work with our customers to find the best solution for their lift requirements and talk through all the possible options such as, finishes, colours and materials, making sure the finished installation provides them with the best possible product and result. We are able to offer many types of lift installation, including the standard specification through to bespoke sizes to fit minimal space, when available.” The East Anglian Lift Company is a supplier of ‘Gebhardt’ Goods Lifts, renowned throughout the industry for their impeccable reliability and high build quality. In recent years, since the Disability Discrimination Act (1995), and now The Equality Act (2010), East Anglian Lifts has progressed well within this fast paced and competitive industry. The firm takes great pride in providing a service to all sizes of company, as well as individuals. “Looking ahead, we are excited to announce the launch of our new, ‘state of the art’, website. This will be far more interactive and will include a technical download area, testimonials, together with news and information on the latest products from within the lift industry. We are also offering a single-phase passenger lift with speeds of 1 m/s!” “It’s not every day you buy a lift; therefore, please contact East Anglian Lifts with any questions you may have, or if you would like a quotation.”
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Example of a Recent Installation Anglian Home Improvements were looking for a 2000kg goods lift with a large car, 2.8m wide x 2.8m deep, the lift car and doors were also specified to be 3m high! East Anglian Lifts installed a Gebhardt Goods Lift, and not only were they able to meet the specification, they also met the tight timescale and the project was delivered, well within budget!
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Company: Flowscreed Ltd Name: Hugh Doggett Phone: 01945 232111 Address: 62 Gorefield Road, Leverington, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, PE13 5AT Email: info@flow-screed.com Website: www.flow-screed.com
Best Liquid Floor Screed Surfacing Specialists - UK
Flowscreed Ltd Flowscreed is a premier underfloor heating, liquid screed and concrete specialists, providing innovative, quality flooring solutions. Director Hugh Doggett discusses the solutions his company provides and how it has grown since inception through its dynamic and creative approach.
stablished in 2007, Flowscreed support a wide range of clients, ranging from main contractors, medium size builders, and those looking to self-build. The firm provide a complete package, installing damp proof membranes, insulation, underfloor heating and flowing liquid screed. Hugh talks us through how the firm’s client focused approach ensures that each project meets their needs.
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have a quick turn around on their projects, which is vital for them and is, fundamentally, what has helped to lead us to our current success. “Moving forward we will be concentrating on growing our staff, looking for experienced and dedicated employees who are able and willing to provide our clients with the high standard of service which we are renowned for.”
“Here at Flowscreed, our ethos is focused on achieving 100% client satisfaction. To achieve this, we work closely with our clients and involve them with every aspect of our process, which ensures that our clients are happy with our finished product. We believe in being open and transparent to all our clients, as well as providing a first class service. Across the board, we are a company with an unrelenting focus on customer service.” The firm’s product, a flowing concrete, liquid floor screed provides a fast, efficient and precise floor covering, with many advantages over traditional concrete and floor screeding solutions. It is ideal for underfloor heating as the screed flows around the pipes, forming a void-free finish. With an underfloor heating system, warm water from any heat source is circulated through a series of pipes installed and integrated within the floor. The heat that is emitted from the floor is natural radiated heat, providing a more comfortable and even temperature throughout the room. Ultimately, Hugh believes that what differentiates his firm is the expertise and knowledge of his staff. As such the firm will continue to focus on building its workforce in the future, despite the challenges of the skills shortage, so that it can grow and serve a wider client base, whilst at the same time retaining the high standard of quality which it prides itself on. “Overall Flowscreed’s unique selling point is that we a specialist company, and provide a complete package including DPM, insulation, underfloor heating and flowing liquid screeds. Furthermore, this allows our clients to
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Company: George Brown College Email: info@gbctechtraining.com Web Address: www.gbctechtraining.com Address: P.O. Box 1015, Station B, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5T 2T9 Telephone: 416-415-4726 Toll-free: 1-888-553-5333
Best Technical Trades School - Toronto
George Brown College offers certificate distance education programs in Automation, Electronics, Electromechanical, Robotics, PLC and PLC II, designed to provide students with a complete technical introduction to these subjects.
he cornerstone of the Electronics, Electromechanical, Robotics and PLC programs at George Brown College is the simulation software, which is fully integrated within the learning material and which bridges the gap between theoretical and practical usage. By utilizing leading commercial simulators to introduce content, students learn to design, program, install, operate and troubleshoot industrial electronics, robotics and PLC equipment; skills that are fundamental in a successful student’s skill set.
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The skills developed through completion of these programs give George Brown College graduate’s knowledge and hands-on experience that can be readily transferred and applied in the workplace. “The job market for technicians is continuing to grow as companies automate their manufacturing systems and compete in today’s tough business environment. Entering our programs, students of George Brown College can get the training they need, on their own terms, and are well prepared and positioned to move into new jobs in this exciting area of technology,” says Colin Simpson, Dean of Continuing Education at George Brown College. Students from different countries are all very welcome in the programs. In fact, about 10 % of GBCs students live outside of North America, spread all around the world. George Brown College’s programs are based on a selfpaced, self-study model that works very well for distance education students anywhere; and with all the curriculum available on program disk or USB with additional resources online, it is very simple for anyone, anywhere, to register and successfully complete the programs. Even technical and tutorial support can be easily accessed through online forums and email, regardless of time zone.
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Meet a Graduate Jordy Risser works as an industrial electrician at High Liner Foods Inc, a leading North American processor and marketer of frozen seafood. “I was interested in learning more about PLC’s and their role in automation, so I enrolled in the George Brown College PLC Technician program on the recommendation of my colleague. Since taking the PLC program, I have a better understanding of programming and how PLC’s work, making me a better trouble-shooter. I have also been given projects with more responsibility and as a result have received a raise in pay.” “GBC made it very easy to complete the PLC program; the Support Advisors were just a phone call away and helped with any program related problem. Their service was excellent. I would recommend the PLC program to any electrician, in the industrial sector, that wants to learn more and keep up with the growth and change in automation technology.”
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Company: Glass Installations Ltd Website: http://glassinstallations.co.uk/ Email: sales@glassinstallations.co.uk Telephone: 01782 317620
Best Mirror Installation Company 2016 - UK & Ireland & Most Innovative Gym & Dance Mirror System: Image 18 Mirror System
Glass Installations is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of high quality mirror solutions for the fitness, dance, leisure, theatre, film and exhibition sectors. Their Image 6 and Image 18 mirror systems are used for some of the major leisure and dance projects across the UK, and they are delighted to work with major players in the construction industry such as Willmott Dixon, Balfour Beatty, Wates, Morgan Sindall and BAM, amongst others. ith 35 years’ experience in the industry, Glass Installations’ team work to the highest personal and professional standards; not only delivering their client’s vision, but making sure that the finished result exceeds all expectations when it comes to service, cost and quality. As mirror installers, they are, of course, very vigilant when it comes to the safety of their products and processes. They hold CHAS, SMAS, Construction Line and SafeContractor health and safety accreditations.
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Being based in the heart of the Midlands, they are geographically well placed for projects throughout the UK. One of their recent projects has been the supply and installation of mirrors, wall fixed ballet barres and vanity mirrors into the Holly Hill Leisure Centre, on behalf of Balfour Beatty. As with all large scale projects, scheduling is critical, and by working with the on-site management and other contractors, all work was completed on schedule and within budget. As one of the last products to be installed on any project, they have to be flexible in their approach, as timescales can change, so the ability to adapt is essential.
Glass Installations’ aim is to stand out from their competitors by continually delivering the highest level of quality and expertise on all of their projects. Their knowledge and experience, combined with their innovation and creativity, means that they consistently produce outstanding results in some of the most demanding arenas. In the future, Glass Installations plan to increase their market share in the commercial and retail sectors, alongside expanding their glazed partitioning products and Featherweight Foil Mirror product. Their Featherweight foil products are manufactured from state of the art 23 microns thick PET film, metallised with 99.9% pure aluminium and fitted to their bespoke aluminium framing. The products give a bright, sharp reflection, and are a perfect alternative to glass mirrors where weight or safety is an issue. These mirrors are an ideal choice for exhibitions, theatre, film or any performance related venue. They require minimum support and can be fixed to any surface or easily suspended, providing an ideal elevated mirror option.
2016 Construction & Engineering Awards Build
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Company: Holliday Fielding Hocking Ltd Address: Unit 9a, Aire Place Mills, Leeds West Yorkshire, LS3 1JL Email: info@labfumecupboards.co.uk Phone: +44 (0) 113 245 4111 Website: www.labfumecupboards.co.uk
Best for Fume Extracted Products 2016 - UK & Most Innovative Ductless Fume Hood: Purair Advanced
Holliday Fielding Hocking offer a wide range of fume extracted and filtered products to suit all applications from laboratories in schools, universities and hospitals to research companies and industry. We invited Mike Holliday to tell us more.
olliday Fielding Hocking is a Leeds based, family run fume cupboard dynasty going back over 70 years, with both 3rd and 4th generation Holliday’s working for the company. Mike talks us through the firm’s dedication to providing the highest quality service whilst ensuring clients receive solutions which meet their needs and save them money.
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“Here at Holliday Fielding Hocking, rather than mass producing or providing glossy brochures, we pride ourselves on giving a one to one personal service. Preferring to liaise direct with our prestigious clients to tailor the product however small to their needs. “Ever aware of our duties to the environment and conscious that not all our customers can afford nor want a new system, we are very proud that we opened the first fume cupboard hospital. Many customers have equipment that does not meet current standards or needs major attention. Instead of replacing this with new products we can often give the equipment a major overhaul, not only saving money but increasing the product shelf life.” The firm are able to offer an extensive range of laboratory fume cupboards for education and industry, ducted fume cupboards, ductless recirculation fume cupboards and enclosures. laminar flow cabinets, safety cabinets and an extensive range of fume extraction equipment. Mike depicts how the firm is able to provide a solution no matter what the client requires. “There is a solution for every problem, and Holliday Fielding Hocking has the solution. For equipment that is beyond repair or you prefer the new option, we have the facilities to safely remove and dispose of redundant items. “If funds do not allow for a new replacement system we have many pre loved refurbished cupboards in stock. We strive to continually develop and improve our products, incorporating modern materials and design concepts to increase both function and longevity of all products in our range.”
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As his final comment Mike discusses how the firm is committed to supporting clients in the long term, ensuring that they get the most out of their equipment. “Ultimately, once we have completed the supply and installation of any products we believe that it is the start of the relationship with our customer and we endeavour to ensure all runs well for the lifespan of the product.”
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Company: Inhabiture Design Inc. Name: Forrest Linebarger Email: forrest@inhabiture.com Web Address: www.inhabiture.com Address: 785 Castro Street, Ste A Mountain View, CA 94041 Telephone: 650 400-2266
Best Architectural Award of California
DESIGN
Inhabiture Design Inc. designs sustainable modern homes and interiors for tech executives in the Silicon Valley, focusing on the creation of healthy, efficient, modern buildings that are breathtakingly beautiful, and which reflect their client’s values.
nhabiture has an incredible track record for creating outstanding buildings. It is on the forefront of the emerging field of Indoor Ecology, where a healthy biome of interior space is given natural light, living walls and water features, to create a healthy balanced biome within the structure. Forrest Linebarger, Principal of Inhabiture, commented that “numerous studies link Indoor Ecology Principles with reduced occupant illness, whilst improving the mood and increasing the occupant’s ability to concentrate. We take the health of our buildings seriously, because it effects the health of the occupants.”
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on the interior though the pinhole shafts of light; at night, a ribbon of LED lights creates a translucent glow from the exterior. The home then opens up into extraordinary views accented by living roof decks. Inhabiture’s current project sees them working on a mixed use space, combining a large commercial client’s headquarters, with housing and services for their employees and their families.
In many ways, Inhabiture believes that the construction industry has lost its way, with money often being spent in areas that are only for show. Inhabiture finds that they can keep costs down and provide better quality and value by utilizing materials and methods that are both utilitarian and visually stunning. Inhabiture thinks deeply about how people interact with their environment, and the best ways to create an experience for the occupant that is inspiring, healthy and treads lightly on the earth. Inhabiture utilizes the latest tech and material science to advance building science to an even higher level. Often, they use technology in combination with traditional natural methods that together, achieve greater results than either method can achieve alone. They carefully select their materials and use the correct methods to allow for a successful build. One of the firm’s latest projects involved the design of an incredible custom home in Los Altos Hills, CA. The home’s modern zen aesthetic feels elevated, owing to its pure lines and breath-taking siting, but also grounded, owing to the use of simple authentic materials that integrate with the site seamlessly. The tension between these two design aesthetics imbues the structure with a timeless dignity. The careful use of steel, stone and glass give the home a delightful feel, with just enough mystery to enchant the observer into probing deeper into the spaces. The entry is captivating, with its translucent laser cut core-ten steel walls. During the day, the sun dances
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Company: IBB Polish Building Wholesale Name: Jacek Ambrozy Email: ja@ibb.pl Web Address: www.ibb.uk Address: 18 Gorst Road, Park Royal, London NW10 6LE Telephone: 02089657972
Most Trusted Building Merchant 2016 - London
IBB Polish Building Materials Wholesale is a London based wholesale provider that has recently launched a new line of materials. We spoke with Jacek Ambrozy to find out more.
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stablished in 2005, IBB Polish Building Wholesale supports small and medium-sized construction businesses with all of their wholesale material needs.
A number of new developments for the firm include its new magazine, IBBBuilder, which reaches the firm’s 10,000 plus clients, as well as its new estimating program IBBestimator and Earn With Us software, a mobile app which allows for the promotion of clients businesses through the firm’s software. What Jacek is most proud of its latest line of products, as he explains. “This year we have launched in the UK’s market our own new line of materials within the framework of External Insulation Render System - IBBTherm; this innovative technology is incredibly popular and the most beneficial technology for supporting the reduction of CO2 emission through insulation of solid walls. Having over 20 years of experience in implementing that technology, we chose the best and the most cost-effective materials to be launched on the market in London and in the whole UK.” Looking ahead, Jacek made it clear that the firm is eager to continue to provide the highest quality products, whilst at the same time growing both the business and those of their clients.
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“Moving forward, our focus will remain on growing our business and network, aiming to support others and ensure that they grow as we do, giving them the benefit of our many years’ experience to ensure that they utilise the best materials for their business.”
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Company: Jamie Hempsall Ltd Name: Richard Bond Email: richard@jamiehempsall.com Website: www.jamiehempsall.com Address: North Beck, Low Street, East Drayton, Nr Retford, Notts, DN22 0LN Telephone: 01777 248463
Best Commercial Interior Design Firm - UK
Jamie Hempsall Ltd is a multi-award winning interior design consultancy established in 2003. They are based in the East Midlands, but undertake High-End Residential and Commercial Projects throughout the UK. Richard Bond spoke to us about the processes utilised by Jamie Hempsall Ltd and plans for the future.
e provide a complete end-to-end solution for interior planning and design. Our services include developing practical space layouts with architects; assisting with client planning applications; liaising with trades to finalise best electrical and plumbing solutions and full interior specification, design and installation services including project co-ordination.
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Communication and planning are the most critical aspects to ensuring a successful outcome. We have developed a way of working that has shown incredibly positive results over the years. We hold initial meetings with all of our commercial clients to understand the way that their business works and the target markets that they are aiming for. We then produce full written remits stating our understanding of the full project and our remit within it. This always helps to ensure that everyone is clear from the ‘get go’. We never provide a standard ‘package’, but always develop schemes with our particular clients, and their properties, in mind.
Meetings to review Mood Boards are followed by the production of full designs in an iterative process with fully detailed specification schedules produced to ensure everyone understands exactly what is being provided and what the cost will be. We hate estimates or hidden costs, as this benefits no one, so everything is ‘up front’ for all to see. This is a very exciting period in our history. We are taking on larger projects all the time. Our Residential work now tends to be whole houses, often from pre-architect appointment, rather than the odd room. We are often managing 15 – 20 projects at a time, with them all running at different stages – it is busy, but a nice problem to have. Our Commercial practice is growing year on year as knowledge of our work grows, and we are very excited at how open-minded our clients are when it comes to designing working spaces. In the coming months, we are looking to put the finishing touches to a number of key residential properties including a significant Country House restoration and a breath-taking Thames Side Apartment at One Tower Bridge. Our commercial projects include work for Legal Chambers in Lincoln’s Inn, the creation and installation of a major new Sculpture for a Commercial Office Complex and the development of a 200 Seat Staff Restaurant, for a company who really understand the productivity benefits of providing a dining area that their staff will love to relax in.
2016 Construction & Engineering Awards Build
Jensen Underground Utilities, Inc. Serving SW Florida’s underground construction needs Services offered ranges from water, sewer, drainage and firelines to total sitework packages.
www.jensenunderground.com kevin@jensenunderground.com 239.597.0060
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Company: Kincraig Construction Limited Name: Mark Hanson, Managing Director Email: mark@kincraigbuild.co.uk Website: www.kincraigconstruction.co.uk Address: St Nicolas House, 4-6 Portesbery Road, Camberley, Surrey, GU15 3TA Telephone: 01276 26184
Home Refurbishment Specialists of the Year - South England
Kincraig Construction Limited, established in 1971, is a refurbishment and planned maintenance specialist. Their clients include social landlords and local authorities, schools, colleges and universities, private developers and homeowners. As a principal contractor, they provide a fully project managed service for planned maintenance programmes, including refurbishments to kitchens and bathrooms, void properties aid and adaptations and associated works. Mark Hanson, Managing Director, told us more. incraig Construction’s reputation has been built on its ability to work to budget and agreed programmes, the competence of their management team and the quality performance of their workforce. This has resulted in the majority of the company’s work arising from recommendation or repeat business from previous clients. Mark was happy to talk to us more about one of the company’s most recent projects.
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“Our ability to maximise productivity, deliver total predictability, whether it be cost or completions times, and our commitment to continuous improvement will ensure we remain a key player in this sector and maintain the company’s longevity.”
“One of the larger projects we are currently engaged on is a 9-year refurbishment programme working in residential homes. We were successfully awarded the contract back in 2000, and are proud to have maintained it ever since through successful re-tender. Our ability to keep offering the best value in key areas is why we believe we have kept this contract, and we have been able to deliver at speed, cost effectively and to a very high standard, whilst maintaining exceptionally high levels of customer service throughout. We are extremely proud of the long term relationships we have with our workforce and their ability to work as a team and deliver each project to the highest possible standard. “In this company, there is a burning ambition to be the best. This ambition is driven by the Directors, and spreads throughout our management team and staff at all levels. Our philosophy is to perform at the highest level at all times, creating the best product, and in doing so, providing the best service available. Our greatest asset is our people, and we are fortunate to have a group of like-minded people with the same aims. The standards we expect from our people are very high, but our results which include a very low turnover of staff and high customer satisfaction levels, clearly demonstrate that our philosophy works.” The future is looking very bright for Kincraig Construction. With the increasing number of social and private landlords renovating and refurbishing their housing stock, the demand for a quality contractor is high. Mark is confident that Kincraig will stand firm with its dedicated workforce and customer focused service.
2016 Construction & Engineering Awards Build
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Company: Lee & Lee Name: Adrian Lee Email: info@leeandlee.co.uk Web Address: www.leeandlee.co.uk Address: 17 Higher Warborough Rd, Galmpton, Brixham, Devon, TQ5 0PF Telephone: 01803 267647
Best for Residential Renovations 2016 - Devon
Lee and Lee Extensions and Conversions offer a wide range of professional services across Torbay and the surrounding areas. Their services include loft conversions, renovations, extensions, barn conversion, general building work and they are Cut Roof experts. They have years of experience working in these areas, and specialise in extending and converting their clients’ homes to their specific requirements. Adrian Lee discusses the firm and its vast service offering. lot of the work that we partake in is domestic, but we do have one very notable commercial booker; Paignton Zoo. We do a lot of work for the zoo, and are proud to be able to say that we have completed three major projects there within the last year. The Jungle Fun area that we have created is an indoor play area, and we have extended this to include catering and first aid facilities. We have also created a new hangout area, which is a themed restaurant that we kitted out with full catering facilities and toilets. One of our favourite projects was the creation of the new Lemur house; a project that we have tried to make both funky and practical.
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We employ 12 full time members of staff, who coupled with our day-to-day contractors, give us a daily team of about 18. At any one time we can have between 3 and 5 jobs, which we schedule dependent on the size of the job. A lot of the domestic jobs that we take part in are extensions, loft conversions and renovations, and our mission is to provide these kind of services with excellent service at an affordable price.
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Currently, we are involved in two live renovations. One of these has been particularly challenging as it has involved completely removing the roof, and then redesigning the shape of it. We are very excited to see the finished product shortly. We stand out from our competition due to our dedication to being clean, tidy and polite. Sometimes this means we take a little longer, but the feedback that we have had from our customers is that they prefer this approach; if our customers are happy, then we are happy. We carry a lot of cleaning equipment onto jobs to make sure that are customers are not effected by dirt and dust that may be caused by renovations. Looking to the future, we are happy to say that we are now booked up until the end of the year. We will be doing more work for the zoo, and will be starting a new live renovation in March that is set to be our biggest job, financially speaking, to date.
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Company: Living Stone Construction Name: Sean Sullivan Email: information@livingstoneconstruction.com Website: www.livingstoneconstruction.com Address: 706 NC Highway 9, Black Mountain, NC 28711 Telephone: 828.669.4343
Green Design/Build Firm of the Year - North Carolina
Living Stone Construction is a residential design build firm that specializes in designing and building happier, healthier lives. They do this through a process which they like to call the Living Stone difference, where they simplify the entire process for their clients. Sean Sullivan, President and Accredited Master Builder, talked to us about how the Living Stone difference shapes their approach to building homes.
iving Stone Construction’s most recent project has been the renovation of a 110-year-old farmhouse, which perfectly demonstrates the principles behind the Living Stone Difference. We have brought this home into the modern century and tripled its size, whilst retaining as much of the original house as possible. This was very important to our clients, and we made sure that they were included throughout the entire design process. We really managed to infuse the old with the new on this project, by updating older elements of the house but managing to keep the appearance like that of a 1900s farm house. As the wife’s family were part Swiss, she was keen to add elements that reflected this into the build; we were happy to accommodate this, and have even included an exterior Swiss oven, much to her delight.
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We are proud of our client inclusive process, and that it is so different from the old process which involved all parts of the build being undertaken separately which often lead to poor communication. Instead, we sought out people who wanted to partner with us on a regular basis, and brought them to the table to assemble a team for each set of our clients based on their needs and wants. We knew our clients deserved better than the old process, and this is what makes the Living Stone difference. At Living Stone Construction, we strongly believe that if a home is going to be built, it should be done right. It should not only be beautiful and built using high quality materials, but should also be designed deliberately, making effective use of the space available. We also believe that all homes should be as energy efficient as possible; this doesn’t mean that you have to spend lots of money on renewables or extras, but it does mean doing the basics right. Our homes are about 50% more efficient than code, as a standard. We have a third party energy rater engaged on every project who works on computer modelling and efficiency design, and who tests and certifies our projects at the end. This not only brings an immediate return on the investment for our clients, it helps improve their overall health. We look forward to partnering with our clients to build happier, healthier lives well into the future.
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Company: Locker & Riley Ltd Website: www.lockerandriley.com Address: Capital House, 42-50 Bancrofts Road, South Woodham Ferrers, Chelmsford, Essex, CM3 5UQ Telephone: +44 (0) 1245 322 022
Best Plasterwork Design & Installation Company - Europe
Locker & Riley was founded by Clive Locker and Michael Riley in 1982, after joiner Clive saved 7,000 beautiful woodblock carvings from being destroyed. Since then, Locker & Riley have become internationally renowned for the design, production and installation of the highest quality plasterwork, and have an exceptional portfolio covering everything from luxury private residences, grand and historic landmark properties, palaces around the globe and high profile flagship stores. fter Clive initially stopped the destruction of these woodblock carvings, he spent two years researching their origins, which lead him back to a fibrous plaster company that closed in the 1960s. With Michael as a partner, they revived the business and its skills, and thus opening Locker & Riley. Jon Riley has been running the business since 1992, and has owned the business since 1995.
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Since then, the master craftsmen at Locker & Riley have focused on using techniques and production methods passed down through generations to recreate and restore plaster mouldings. They are renowned specialists in the restoration of plasterwork to Grade I and Grade II listed buildings in the UK, from delicate minor repairs to full reinstatement. Whether its luxury bespoke plasterwork for a grand London Theatre or the finest heritage mouldings and features for a private family home, Locker & Riley provide the perfect finish for any interior. Their highly skilled team of artists, model makers and master craftsmen produce plasterwork of the very highest standard. Working with the client, a designer or architect, Locker & Riley can create original and totally unique pieces, work from original drawings or create stunning plasterwork features from any reference materials. Locker & Riley provide a personal, professional and efficient service built on trust and respect. Whatever the level of experience of a client, they will help to make the best decisions for any project, whether a small and one off installation, or a large and technically complex one. They will happily provide expert guidance throughout the process, with knowledge, patience and humour, to ensure a perfect end result. With training at the core of the company, Locker & Riley are proud to maintain the traditional skills by developing future generations of their craft via formal apprenticeships. They are delighted to have been the recipients of awards, owing to this specialist training.
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Locker & Riley’s extensive design team and range of stock moulds, amounting to over 20,000 pieces, provide them with a much envied ability to create bespoke ceilings, whilst remaining economically attractive for their clients.
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Company: London Repointing & Restoration Ltd Phone: 0208 306 8233 Address: 71 Preston Drive, Bexleyheath, Kent, DA7 4UG Email: info@londonrepointingandrestorationltd.co.uk Website: www.londonrepointingandrestorationltd.co.uk
Best Brickwork & Stone Restoration Company - London
London Repointing & Restoration are London’s leading brick repointing and stone restoration company. We invited Founder Kevin Ryan to talk us through the secrets behind the firm’s success.
ondon Repointing & Restoration have enjoyed a very stable growth since Kevin Ryan set up the company in 2006 and have fast become London’s leading specialists in tuck pointing, ribbon pointing, pebbledash removal, brick cleaning and paint removal. Kevin discusses the firm’s service offering and how it aims to support clients through every stage of the process.
The firm has been recognised for its quality brickwork and stone restoration, which forms a key part of its service offering. The company have a team of skilled craftsmen who can restore any damaged or worn stonework, including offering cornice repairs, mullion repairs, window sill repairs and portico repairs. Kevin outlines how the firm aims to ensure that clients receive the service they need when working with his firm on restoration projects.
“Here at London Repointing & Restoration we have over 30 years’ experience working on all types of period homes, including Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian properties, working across London, Kent, Surrey and Essex.
“When working to restore buildings, we aim to help clients find a cost effective alternative to the costly replacement of new natural stone. In accordance with our philosophy we only use traditional materials from Bath Premix, Portland Premix and York Stone thus keeping stone repairs sympathetic to the building.”
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“As a business we are highly professional conservation specialists and have an affection and respect for the design and craftsmanship present in period properties. When working on any new project our starting point is to understand the individual character of the building before starting work and we are particularly skilled in the integration of modern and traditional technologies in period properties. Our philosophy is to understand the unique characteristics of your property to ensure a living continuity.”
Ultimately, London Repointing & Restoration offer a professional, reliable and affordable service finished to a very high standard, and going forward the firm will continue to focus on providing the very highest quality of services to clients.
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Company: LotusWorks Address: LotusWorks, Building 3, Finisklin Business park, Sligo F91 KAP2, Ireland Email: contactus@lotusworks.com Phone: +353 (0)71 9169783 Website: www.lotusworks.com
Best for Commissioning & Calibration Engineering Services 2016
LotusWorks provides engineering and technical experts to some of the world’s leading companies. We invited CEO and Founder Fergal Broder to talk us through how the firm has experienced substantial growth in Europe and the USA under his leadership, and the secrets behind this phenomenal success.
otusWorks manages and executes scopes of work on client sites in the areas of commissioning, calibration, operations and maintenance. We started in 1989 in Ireland and we’ve now almost 30 years working with cutting-edge companies in a variety of industries. Our 470 staff are gaining exposure to the very latest technologies and innovations at world leading organizations in the Life sciences, Advanced Technology, Medical Device and ICT industries.
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Our mission is “To deliver the highest standard of technical solutions to our clients”. We achieve this through our people, who are focused on working safely and delivering quality, while maintaining the renowned reputation of LotusWorks. What sets our firm apart from our competitors is our talent- the experience our clients value is the high level of professionalism, integrity, openness and honesty LotusWorks teams display within client organisations. We are delivering results which are tune with our clients’ time to market schedule by using our well-honed, tried and tested process for rapidly teasing out key criteria. Within that process we map market boundaries, assess talent pools and calculate the profit potential of future business and solution offerings within specific sectors quickly and precisely. We respond with momentum to clients with proposals focused on their needs and requirements to ensure that we react with the changing market, not to it. One of the key challenges our firm faces is talent management, which poses an ongoing operational challenge for many firms in our sector. Attracting and retaining talent with the specific skill sets we require surpasses price pressure and rising costs as a barrier to our growth. As such employee loyalty is being cemented by a belief and understanding in the repeatable and adjacent growth strategy that is firmly in place. In addition, we regularly benchmark salaries and increase soft benefits to attract the best talent. Our robust training and upskill programme supports
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our staff with career and progression planning. Reward and recognition programs are in constant change and development to continue to attract and retain excellent talent. Ultimately our people are our product, and our talent drives our level of client satisfaction and helps us to sustain our reputation as a technical engineering solution delivery leader. The future looks bright for LotusWorks, as our agility will play a key factor in remaining a leader in technical and engineering solution delivery. Fergal Broder CEO LotusWorks & Tom Cafferkey COO LotusWorks
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Company: MACO Construction, Inc. Name: Duane Cannon, President and Co-Owner d.cannon@macoconstruction.com Cee Freeman, Vice President and Co-Owner c.freeman@macoconstruction.com Website: www.MacoConstruction.com Address: 1718 Humble Place Drive, Humble, Texas 77338 Telephone: (713) 453-1234
Best Church Design & Construction Firm 2016 - USA
MACO Construction is a Design/Build Construction Management firm, founded in 1984, that has successfully completed the design and construction of over 150 churches. Although churches are their main focus, MACO Construction also has an extensive list of commercial clients, such as fire and EMS stations, commercial office and manufacturing facilities, tenant space build-outs, and private schools.
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ACO Construction assist their customers in making the right decisions for their projects; developing the master site plan and providing the architectural design and construction expertise that their customers need.
Duane commented regarding their approach and motivations; “Our system provides our customers with the best possible method of realizing their vision at the very lowest cost possible. The goal for MACO is to assist local churches in seeing their vision become a reality; we become an extension of their ministry, always working for the benefit and welfare of their church. “It is important to us that our customers understand that we are a ministry supported by a backbone of a successful business model. A percentage of our profits support humanitarian and outreach efforts around the world. We love to give, and we love supporting our troops; that is what drives our strong work ethic. I am currently involved in building schools in Haiti and Kenya, and my fellow Co-Owner, Cee Freeman, served in Desert Shield and Desert Storm with the 82nd Airborne and is currently on the design committee in charge of designing the Desert Storm War Memorial to be constructed in Washington DC. Duane Cannon
“When you do what you do for a higher purpose, it drives you to go the extra mile and go above and beyond the call of duty. We have found that many churches have building committees that are made up of professionals that are not familiar with the construction industry, and are charged with a task that is outside of their realm of expertise, so we perform consultation services, at no charge to the church, to assist them in moving their project forward.” 2016 was a record breaking year for MACO Construction, and Duane hopes to see this trend continuing. “This year, we have completed three times the average number of projects that we ordinarily complete in a year, and we are set to repeat this in 2017. We have hired additional superintendents and project managers, and are currently working to evaluate all of our systems so as to further streamline our processes.”
Cee Freeman
2016 Construction & Engineering Awards Build
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Company: Mandale Homes Name: Harriet Spalding Email: info@mandale.com Web Address: www.mandalehomes.com Address: Mandale House, 5 Neville Road, Stockton on Tees TS18 2RD Telephone: 03300 165 005
Best Luxury Property Development Company - UK
Mandale Homes are a development company, covering all types of development from commercial and large apartment schemes, through to home developments and conversions. Harriet Spalding tells us about their approach and how they use technology within the business.
e always start with the basics before we begin a site development, and ask ourselves the most important questions: what does the area need? Are there environmental considerations we need to make? Is the area a conservation area, or is the development in an area of outstanding natural beauty? As we develop primarily on brownfield sites, we have to consider our impact perhaps even more than larger builders, as we are often right in the middle of a community, not on the fringes of it.
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The drawings and house designs are checked and changed, then checked again, as many times as is required until we feel the plans are perfect. We have bought developments before where the existing planning permission just didn’t work, whether this was the development layout or internal layout of the homes. We will change these, and do not shy away from the hard work required to make sure that the development is perfect before we start, even if it requires a full re-draw.
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Our sales staff are experienced enough to be able to provide one to one service for our clients, and are able to build up a personal relationship with each buyer. We understand that moving house is a big deal, and that home buyers are becoming more and more discerning, and this plays right to our strengths. We are able to provide them with the product, the quality, and the service that is better than the rest. As a forward thinking company, we are always on the lookout for new technology to assist us where possible. As technology improves and develops, it is easy to get left behind before you have even started, so we are always innovating and looking at new technology to put into our homes. We have found that technology within the home is a love/hate topic, and many buyers are wary of embracing ground breaking technology for fear of it breaking or being too difficult to use, and it can be hard to find the balance. We have many projects in the pipeline and are even tapping into new areas that we haven’t been to before. Our main focus at the moment is to continue growing our business whilst maintaining the reputation we have built, and increasing our output year on year.
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Company: Manrochem Limited Name: Edward Jennings Email: Edward.Jennings@manrochem.co.uk Web Address: www.manrochem.co.uk Address: Hastings House, Birds Royd Ln, Brighouse, HD6 1LQ Telephone: 01484715781
Best Mechanical & Electrical Project Engineering Department - UK & Best Industrial Installation & Construction Management Project: M2980A. Stepan UK Limited, Stalybridge
Founded in 1990, Manrochem is a competent, friendly, and client focused design house, providing help and support across a comprehensive range of industries. The organisation was born out of providing design solutions to the process industries, evolving into the company it is today, and is proud to have now completed more than 1,500 projects for a wide range of Blue Chip and niche organisations. Edward Jennings tells us more. anrochem are experts at providing customised engagement models to suit your organisation and to meet your project requirements. We have continued our early success by providing design solutions to the process industries, we now offer a whole spectrum of multi-disciplinary engineers which gives us the ability to provide Process Design, Mechanical Engineers, Electrical Engineers, Instrumentation and Control Engineers, Project and Construction Engineers and AutoCAD Draughtsmen, plus a range of the allied supporting disciplines.
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Our business is based around building long-term relationships, which stand as a testament to the amount we care about our clients and their business. We are passionate about what we do and pride ourselves on delivering the right solution to the challenges our customers face. We strive to work closely with our clients and develop the best practice for them and their organisation, and our goal is to seek out the most cost-effective and appropriate solutions.
Based on client need, we have over the past five years developed a first class ‘Project Team’, who have undertaken the management of many high profile and detailed site projects. They have undertaken projects such as managing major tank farm construction, through to reactor, pipework and plant installations, and our highly qualified team now have many years’ experience in managing any job, and doing it in line with current legislation. If a client needs it, we can offer a thorough and complete service, right from the ‘blank sheet of paper’ phase, right through to final commissioning and hand over. Whatever our client’s needs, we do our best to accommodate them, and make sure that any venture they undertake has been prepared thoroughly by ourselves. In January 2016, we relocated our head office into desirable new build premises in Brighouse; a new base where we aim to continue to provide stellar customer service. We pride ourselves on living up to our strap line, Making It Possible, and we believe that our competent, friendly and client focused approach is the reason we continue to expand our services.
2016 Construction & Engineering Awards Build
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Company: Munrostudios Name: Caroline Hopkins Email Address: caroline@munrostudios.com Web Address: http://www.munrostudios.com/ Address: Munro Studios, Suite 1, Dunedin House, 2 The Mews, Wharf Street, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 1NN Telephone: +44 (0)1483 422788
Best for Built Environment CGI and Animation – UK
Munrostudios has over 18 years’ experience delivering large scale international projects for architecture, aviation, motorsport, infrastructure, stadia and brands. They deliver photorealistic CGI, animations, motion graphics and all forms of verified images for planning applications. Their work helps to win planning permission, engage key markets, develop brand equity and safeguard ROI.
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he firm works internationally on projects for Atkins, Populous, M&C Saatchi, Versace Home, Damac, BUJ Architects, Jaguar Land Rover, and a long list of architectural and marketing firms.
Caroline expresses her pride in the firm’s performance over the past 12 months. “In the past year we have collaborated with heavy weights including Damac, Versace Home and M&C Saatchi on Aykon London One, Nine Elms. Our studio did a brilliant job, delivering an outstanding animation of the internal and external of the development, with impressive photorealism throughout. We enjoy working with clients from early planning applications through to the marketing phase. Our client, BUJ Architects, recently won planning for Portal Way West Residential Tower in London. We delivered all planning images and supporting documentation, through to marketing CGI’s followed by the final animation.’ Caroline believes her firm is set apart from its competitors by its focus on providing an increasingly wide range of services. “Our USP as an agency covers multiple areas. Firstly, we are a cross specialist studio, delivering CGI, animation and verifiable projects. We are able to do this due to our talented studio teams and large render farm, which was purpose built to over 728 cores, with 1.45 terabytes of RAM. This capacity means that we can work on a high volume of animation and CGI projects at any one time. “We are unique, as we deliver photorealism to our clients by creating images using highly detailed and accurate models, rather than just using Photoshop alone. The way we work allows flexibility in amending images. Once we have created a model or worked on and updated a model, multiple views can be quickly updated as well. Our clients are able to choose whether they wish to animate their project, and this gives them further flexibility. They are able
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to do this because most of the CGI elements are modelled, meaning we can stretch the CGI or animation phases as far as needed. This approach also benefits clients who have already modelled projects, in part or in full, themselves. “Our specialised planning team deliver verified photomontage projects for planning applications, including strategic view analysis from both 3D models and on-site work, wireline, full documentation and EIA.”
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Company: Paton Developments Email: info@patondevelopments.co.uk Website: www.patondevelopments.co.uk Address: Paton Developments Ltd, Capital House, Guildford Road, Runfold, Farnham, Surrey, GU10 1PG Telephone: 01252 783995
Best Bespoke Interior & Exterior Construction Services - Farnham
Paton Developments was founded over 20 years ago, with the aim of providing a complete turnkey construction service within the hotel, leisure and commercial market. They are a specialist business, providing bespoke interiors, exteriors and commissioned buildings, and the business has been built on reputation and word of mouth recommendations.
aton Developments’ clients include some of the top hoteliers, leisure owners, developers and leading corporations. They place their clients and their needs as the main priority of the business, and focus on holding both their trust and respect. Paton’s competitive pricing is backed up by their range and depth of professional resources, encompassing all disciplines that bring together the best in technical and aesthetic design with specialist project management skills. They are also proud members of Safe Contractor and within Group Companies ISO 9002.
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Five years ago, Paton Developments embarked on a business strategy aiming to provide a full turnkey solution to hotel owners. As such, each of their clients can opt for the full service of select from a menu offering. Their in-house 360 degree departments and services include property surveyors, architects, interior designers, programme managers, construction directors and contracts managers, site managers and quantity surveyors. The Paton Group now have some 50 operational and production staff, over 60 employed site construction staff and a further 200 trade skills. The Group has significantly grown in line with the business strategy, and is targeted to £20 million turnover in 2016.
As Hotel groups or individual sites refurbish their bedrooms, bars, meeting rooms, etc., there can be a large number of suppliers, manufacturers and service providers delivering material, equipment and FF&E to the hotel. Paton Distribution takes delivery of all items into their very own dedicated 12,000ft storage and distribution facility, utilising their bespoke ‘stock, track and trace’ system. Deliveries can be picked, collated and packed in accordance with the lead contractor’s build requirements. For example, complete room kits can be built onto pallets and stored in onsite containers, giving the contractor everything they need from all the suppliers to complete a single room new build or refurbishment. Within the Paton Group, there are three further companies that focus on supporting Paton and their customers in the role out and refurbishment of hotels. These include Inspire Upholstery, which is a full joinery workshop and upholstery manufacturer, HW Group, which is a door and case goods facility manufacturer and Capital Fabrications, their metal fabrications company. The excellent communication between these increase the time and cost efficiency of Paton as a whole, and these savings in cost and time are ultimately passed on to their customers in order to deliver the right competitive price.
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Company: PaveDrain, LLC Name: Doug Buch Email: dbuch@pavedrain.com Website: www.pavedrain.com Address: 247 Freshwater Way, Suite 520 Milwaukee, WI 53204 Telephone: (888) 575-5339
Best Permeable Pavement Design Manufacturer - USA & Innovation Award for Sustainable Storm Water Infrastructure Solution: PaveDrain
PaveDrain, LLC was founded seven years ago by current President and CEO, Doug Buch, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The PaveDrain system is a revolutionary permeable paving system, that incorporates a patented arch design in the middle of an articulating concrete block to create an internal storage chamber, that can be used as a reservoir for storm water runoff, whilst simultaneously providing strength for heavy vehicular loads.
he PaveDrain® system has been utilized by municipalities, private land owners, developers and home owners. The PaveDrain system is manufactured in conventional block facilities throughout the world benefiting, local economies and keeping freight costs to a minimum. Doug was keen to talk to us more about their latest project, and the challenges associated with this.
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“Our latest project was a high school parking lot in St. Louis, Missouri. Like most projects, they were way behind schedule and needed to have the parking lot ready to go before school started, and the weather was not hindering progress even further. However, the precast concrete block PaveDrain system and its free draining aggregate base is purpose made for this. The PaveDrain system came palletized with 11 square foot layers and was ready to install. The six-man crew installed 49,000 square feet in just seven days! We are proud that we helped get the school open in time, and gave them a 21st century parking lot that is environmentally friendly and low maintenance.
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“Our block manufacturing plants typically use the latest and greatest manufacturing processes to ensure the highest block quality. The contracting community is starting to arm themselves with the best grade and base preparation equipment. This saves them time and money on the jobsite. The PaveDrain system is highly dependent on a well prepared aggregate base.” Doug strongly believes that storm water should not be treated as waste product. Instead, he believes it needs to be looked at as a valuable resource. “In arid parts of the world, rain is precious, yet it is piped away at a staggering rate and treated as a problem. This resource could be used or reused in grey water applications or manufacturing operations. Looking to the future, we would like to be able to utilise this natural resource further. We are expecting to see double digit growth this year in the United States, and we have recently sold our first international franchise and are excited to see where this takes us. We also have several more international franchises that we are in discussions with.”
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Company: Powell System Engineering Ltd Name: Ian Powell Email: admin@powell-systems.co.uk Web Address: www.powell-systems.co.uk Address: Unit 2 Fitzroy business Park, Sandy Lane, Sidcup, Kent, DA14 5NL Telephone: 01689879000
Best Building Energy Management Systems Designer - UK
Powell Systems Engineering specialises in the design, installation and maintenance of building energy management and control systems. We invited Ian Powell to tell us more.
stablished in 1991 to offer a full bespoke, energy efficient, hardware and software design and installation solution to completely control a buildings heating/cooling and ventilation systems, Powell Systems Engineering has since successfully designed, installed and maintained control systems for and on behalf on many blue-chip companies including Overbury, MJL, BBC, Coutts Bank and RBS, among others. Ian explains how his firm aims to offer them the highest possible quality of service.
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“As a company Powell Systems Engineering believe in honest and fair pricing and agreed rates, discounts and mark-ups. We believe in ‘working with the customer’ to achieve a common goal as opposed to working for the customer. We provide a one-stop shop for all of their needs and provide turn-key packages. We also issue out to the market a monthly email flyer with news and energy saving tips, which has also raised our company profile and market awareness.”
came together very quickly. I think the best things that came out of the was the working in partnership with each other that made the job a difficult but great experience.” Looking ahead, the firm has a number of exciting new projects on the horizon, as Ian is eager to emphasise. “Powell Systems has been able to secure a major project with MKL on what will be Imperial Colleges new flag ship chemistry building with over 350 fume cupboards, making it one of the largest in the UK and a really exciting project for us.” Matrix House in Basingstoke
Powell Systems has successfully delivered several projects over the £1,200,000.00 with extremely tight programs, and in one case within eight months. These include the British museum extension project, RBS Flagship building, the Houses of Parliament, BBC and ICL ICTEM building in Hammersmith, which Ian is particularly proud of. “One of our latest projects is a Laboratory building in Hammersmith for Imperial College London, that has start up Lab space and office space, this project was an outline design by Hoare Lea, but with a Powell Systems controls design. The main contractor on the project was Crown House and working with them on this exciting project was a great experience due to the actual build time of the project which was about 10 months for a full 13 story building. “The biggest issues here were coordination of getting the work done in time, but with the joint planning and the build off site plant rooms the contract
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Company: RPL Construction Ltd Name: Nick Lamb Email: contact@rplconstruction.com Web Address: www.rplconstruction.com Telephone: 01983 856031
Best Construction Company 2016 - Isle of Wight
RPL Construction Limited has been working in the construction market for over 30 years, and regularly work for architects, employer’s agents and surveyors, and for developers, commercial enterprises and residential owners. Nick Lamb gives us an insight into the sectors they work in, and into some of their recent work.
e work in a number of sectors within construction, including general building works, industrial refurbishment, loft conversions, residential new builds and extensions, barns conversions and property conversions. We pride ourselves on our attention to detail, and are members of the Federation of Master Builders, The Guild of Master Craftsmen and are CHAS registered.
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As well as the Isle of Wight, we have an office in Bedfordshire, and as a company cover the Home Counties, Central London, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, although we have worked as far afield as the Channel Islands, Wales and Scotland. Our workforce has been directly working with us or as part of our supply chain for many years, and our contracts are managed by three experienced Contract Managers and a specialist Project Manager, who in total have over 40 years’ experience working for RPL We assign a site supervisor or foreman to each of our projects, who support the work done by our Contract Managers and Project Manager. One of our latest challenges was to remove two external corners of a house whilst keeping the roof in place. To do this, we inserted steels the length of the building under the wall plate, and cantilevered the corners so that one corner has opening doors with the roof floating above. The other corner is all glass, with a magnificent view across the Solent; it is a project we are very proud to have been a part of. Our approach is to understand our clients’ needs and wishes thoroughly, so that we can produce the desired end result for them. Communication with our clients and their neighbours is crucial in our work, and the RPL Construction team brings values such as first rate service, presentation and punctuality to every job. We are honest in our approach and don’t give the clients false hope regarding what they can achieve within the budget and time frame they have available;
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we would rather be upfront with our clients, than lead them to disappointment further through the process. Luckily, our industry sector currently seems to be very buoyant. Looking to the future, our main challenge is sourcing skilled labour; I employ a steady stream of apprentices who are now coming through their training and providing us with reliable and skilled staff to work around this.
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Company: Recon Electrical Wholesale Ltd Name: Russ Gratton / Andy Salvin Email: sales@reconelectrical.co.uk Website: www.reconelectrical.co.uk Address: Units 1-6 Ambrose Buildings, Broombank Rd, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S41 9QJ Telephone: 01246 455565 / 07984 125584
Best Electrical Wholesale Company - Chesterfield
Recon Electrical Wholesale is an electrical wholesaler with a difference; at Recon, they are dedicated to getting you the right part, for the right job, at the right time and for the right price. Whether its lamps, lighting, cabling, sockets and switches, a miniature circuit breaker, consumer unit, CCTV or alarm system, they make sure the customer gets what they need. Russ Gratton tells us more.
e have been in the electrical wholesale business for over 20 years and have an electrical skill base within our technical team of over 50 years. We are always on hand to offer our customers advice and assistance, and can help with everything from the supply of simple items such as lamps and switches, through to the designing and building of bespoke distribution and control system panels for major industrial installations, which is a service that few other wholesalers provide. If we design a bespoke system, we provide our customer with a fully tested unit including schematics and an operational manual, saving them valuable time and money.
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current premises, as well as looking for further depots in the near future whilst keeping a firm hold on our core values and ensuring our quality of service does not suffer during growth.
As members of the IBA, we have the same buying power as national supply chains, delivering anywhere in the UK, but with the added advantage of having a dedicated team who are knowledgeable and care about what they do. With over ÂŁ250,000 of stock on site, and a supply chain of reliable manufacturers, we can ship most things to most places, almost immediately. Even with the most reliable of manufacturers however, the supply chain can sometimes fail. Our team are so dedicated, that one member once drove over 400 miles in the early hours to source an urgently required part for a customer. Our entire product range has been filtered and built around the requirements of our customers, we only stock products from recognised manufacturers so that we are assured of their quality, and they can provide solid after sales support if we ever need it. The supply industry is always tough, everyone is always searching for the cheapest deal and the competition online is ever increasing. Thankfully, most electrical contractors and engineers understand that the quality of a product is key, and that cheap imported products do not have the same life span or guarantees as a product purchased through ourselves. We are looking to expand in the future, developing our market share and building on our company name. We are currently looking at expanding our
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Company: Renehan Building Group Inc. Name: Jim Renehan, President & CEO Email: jrenehan@renehanbuildinggroup.com Website: www.RenehanBuildingGroup.com Address:318 E.King Street, Malvern, PA 19355 Telephone:610-251-9333
Best Custom Home Builders - Pennsylvania & Excellence Award for Home Additions
Renehan Building Group Inc. is a Malvern, PA based custom home building and remodelling company, serving Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties. They deliver high-quality construction at excellent value, and are known for their personalized customer service, integrity, constant communication with homeowners about the status of their build, and their ongoing community involvement.
enehan Building Group works with civil engineers and architects while employing their own full time staff. The staff includes project managers, an estimating and purchasing manager, and a selections coordinator, all of whom oversee work from initial design through to engineering and construction, to completion. Jim Renehan, President and CEO, was happy to talk us through the firm’s approach to starting to new projects.
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“We begin each project with a series of meetings. Clients’ goals are clarified, a procedure is developed to best meet their needs, and every step of the construction process is discussed. To help manage costs, our team guides clients as they choose all materials for their project. We streamline the process for everyone by using our exclusive web based ‘Build Right’ system, which communicates complete and detailed information to customers including a construction schedule, materials, selections, change orders, photography, and even warranty items for each project. This Build Right system helps us maintain an extraordinary attention to detail which we pride ourselves on.” “We believe that being personally accessible to customers and doing what is right for the clients is of the utmost importance; that type of truly personalized service is why the Renehan name is on our business. We also believe that an important component of our small business is to support the community where you live and work. We are proud to have had the ability to donate and build the Great Valley Football League Concession Stand, the Great Valley Little League press box and the Great Valley High School dugouts.”
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Asked about the challenges associated with construction in the current economic climate, Jim noted that the most difficult challenge currently is striking the balance between investing in the community and growing the business. “In 2007, when the housing market crashed, we surged forward and launched Renehan Building Group, with a commitment to both our customers and the community. Community and business go hand in hand and we have done a good job at balancing the two. We hope to keep growing our business in the future, while adhering to our high quality construction standards, customer satisfaction and community involvement.”
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Company: Scott Davis Builders Ltd Email: OFFICE@SCOTTDAVISBUILDERS.CO.UK Web Address: http://scottdavisbuilders.co.uk/ Address: 3 David Road, Paignton, TQ3 2QE Telephone: 01803 391176
Best Domestic Building & Maintenance Company - Devon
Scott Davis Builders LTD is a well-known and well respected building and maintenance firm, operating throughout the Southwest and Torbay areas. They offer a fast and efficient building service to a range of domestic and commercial clients, of differing sizes.
oasting over 15 years’ experience in the building trade, any job that Scott Davis Builders LTD undertake is in professional hands. They take a great pride in their work and always ensure that their standards of workmanship are of the highest quality. Understanding that customer satisfaction is the key to any building firm is crucial, and Scott Davis Builders have recognised this since the beginning. It allows for the creation of a positive working environment, and means that clients can approach the team with their ideas and thoughts about the project; after all, it is the clients vision that Scott Davis Builders are trying to create. This is why they work hard to ensure that their customers receive a quality of work that continues to strengthen their strong reputation as a top quality building and maintenance company.
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They also carry full public liability insurance for a client’s peace of mind, making them the ideal team to carry out any building or maintenance project. Looking to the future, Scott Davis Builders are looking to continue to grow as a leading building company in Torbay and Devon, by continuously working to the high standards that they have set themselves.
Scott Davis Builders LTD are able to offer a wide variety of services, including; extensions, new builds, loft conversions, alterations, driveways, bathroom and kitchen supply fitting, plastering, rendering, slabbing, brick and block work, roofing, damp proofing solutions, window supply and fitting and carpentry. They also have fully qualified electricians and gas safe plumbing engineers amongst their ranks, amongst many other skilled tradesmen. They make sure that their team always look professional, and that they always take the time to speak to clients, and give them their professional advice and ideas. One of the firm’s current projects is a bungalow renovation, where they are currently in week 3 of 12. They are completely remodelling both the interior and exterior of the bungalow, taking it from a 2 bedroom to a 3 bedroom, with the inclusion of a family bathroom, an en-suite and walk in wardrobe. The design also includes an open plan kitchen, lounge, and dining area, with the central feature of this space being a stainless steel log burner. The team are also fitting new window openings into the property, thus allowing the occupants to take advantage of the panoramic sea views their property has to offer. The firm are credited with CITB Construction skills in health and safety certificate, which shows their competency with all aspects of health and safety.
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Company: SMI Construction Limited Address: 127a The Grove, Stratford, London, E15 1EN Telephone: 020 8215 6200 Email: info@smiconstruction.co.uk
Best Private & Commercial Contractor - London
S M I Construction Ltd SMI Construction Limited is a well-established construction company working within the North London, East London and Essex areas. They provide residential new build, as well as refurbishment services, for homes in prime areas of these regions.
MI Construction Limited specialises in high-end traditional and contemporary new build projects, as well as renovations and refurbishments. They offer a full spectrum of building services which include new build projects, extensions and renovations, loft conversions, kitchen and bathroom fittings, insurance based work and are the retained contractors of a number of Managing Agents for major works projects.
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At SMI Construction, they strive to exceed the expectations of every customer, whilst at the same time continuing to offer genuine value for money. They have an incredibly keen eye for detail and aim to ensure that all aspects of any building project are fully considered.
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“We don’t just build houses, we build homes” said Project Manager, Pravin Mayor. SMI base everything they do on this belief. They recently completed a new build, 5 bed, 3 storey, luxury home in Chigwell, Essex with the added benefit of BLP new build warranty. This property sold for £2,360,000 in April this year. SMI’s numerous current projects include full refurbishment of an executive home and garden in Wanstead, Ell – due for completion in October 2016 – and the conversion and refurbishment of a public house in Green Street, London E7 to ground floor A1 commercial with 9 residential units above – estimated completion July 2017. They are highly honoured to have won the Best Private and Commercial Contractor – London award in the 2016 Construction and Engineering Awards.
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Company: St Helens Plant Limited Name: Gordon Pilling Email: gpilling@sthp.co.uk/ info@sthp.co.uk Website: http://sthelensplant.co.uk/ Address: St Helens Plant Limited, Neil’s Road, Bold Industrial Estate, St Helens, Merseyside, WA9 4XG Telephone: 01744 850 300
Winner: Excellence Award for Scaffolding Fabrication, Repair and Reconditioning
St Helens Plant is the UK’s only all-encompassing scaffolding manufacturer and scaffold reconditioning specialists, consisting of two main divisions; a manufacturing and engineering division and a scaffold repair and refurbishment division. We spoke to Gordon Pilling to find out more about what sets them apart from their competitors.
s a traditional, yet forward thinking, manufacturing and repairs company, safety is our first priority. We offer our customers factor fresh fabrications, alongside repaired and refurbished systems and products. The company as a whole has an opendoor policy, and we maintain strong communication between all divisions to ensure our customer’s requirements are met in a safe manner.
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St Helens Plant continues to grow and support others within the scaffolding and access industry, with our problem solving solutions, impeccable standards and commitment to safety. In the future, St Helens Plant looks to continue to diversify to meet the needs of our expanding and interesting customers and their industries.
Our manufacturing and engineering division provides fabrication of all non-mechanical scaffolding and access equipment, scaffolding safety solutions, edge protection systems, and fall prevention solutions, alongside industrial stillage systems, storage systems and bespoke fabrications. The scaffold repair and refurbishment division has gained a reputation as one of the UK’s and Europe’s most reliable and reputable reconditioning centres. It provides repair and reconditioning of all types of scaffolding, access equipment, scaffold components and fittings, coupled with formwork repair and refurbishment. The repairs and refurbishment division also provide testing and verification, guaranteeing safety of supply on every system, fitting or component manufactured, supplied or reconditioned by St Helens Plant. Our testing and verifications division provides final validation of all products, systems and solutions that we manufacture and repair. Each system, solution or product that we pass for dispatch, must not only meet, but also exceed, all ISO and HSE standards and regulations. We invest strongly in all forms of marketing, both online and offline. We have had our own web and marketing division for almost four years, and have gained a strong online presence, supported by regular project achievements, awards recognitions and marketing campaigns. Without this online presence, especially with our web design, SEO and marketing, we would not have secured, or been noticed, by as many UK and international customers. We are also active members of NASC, keeping the industry and our customers up-to-date with what we do on the frontline, as the UK’s most reputable scaffold manufacturers and repair and refurbishment specialists.
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Company: Studio Munge Email: hello@studiomunge.com Marketing/Press: media@studiomunge.com Website: www.studiomunge.com Address: 25 Wingold Ave, Toronto, ON, M6B1P8 Telephone: +1 416.588.1668
Best Multi-Disciplinary Design Firm - Canada
Founded in 1997 by Alessandro Munge, Studio Munge is an award-winning interior design firm specializing in luxury hospitality projects. Throughout the firm’s history, Alessandro’s creative leadership and entrepreneurial spirit have inspired the firm’s diverse teams with passion to produce exceptional designs. With more than 20 years of experience in the industry, Alessandro’s global perspective, inquisitive nature and unfailing quest for the perfect solution has propelled Studio Munge to become a global design leader. ith projects in many iconic metropolises such as New York, Toronto, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Vancouver, Hong Kong and Shanghai, Studio Munge continues to grow, forming longstanding partnerships with a global roster of pre–eminent developers, world renowned architects and leading hotel brands. The firm has been lauded for its unique approach to every project, its bespoke design process and the emotive response its spaces evoke. With a growing staff of over 60 talented designers, technologists, project managers, furniture and furnishing specialists and an in-house art consultant, the firm is poised to embrace and ever increasing and sophisticated clientele.
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A big part of what they do is help their clients realise the business behind great design. Alessandro Munge’s desire has always been to marry creative sense with business sense by providing concrete solutions to help companies succeed from both perspectives. He built Studio Munge on those ground, and the team have become experts at it. Some designers have a very set look and feel, but Studio Munge believe that every project has a life of its own and deserves a fully tailored design solution. They go beyond an established recipe and spend a great deal of time analysing their client’s branding, business needs and target demographic before coming up with a design concept and narrative. Ultimately it results in very authentic spaces filled with individuality and personality. Nowadays, the vast majority of their drawings and sketches are done digitally by their team of expert designers and technologists, which is a big part of what they do as a design studio. When it comes to applied technology at construction level, Studio Munge have an in-house resource specialist travelling the world to discover the latest and greatest materials, suppliers and fabricators. They have many great luxury hotels and residences, as well restaurants and lounges on the go, over 50 projects all in all. They wouldn’t want to favour
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one over another, but following the construction timeline, the next properties to open will be the William Vale Hotel in Brooklyn NY, The Parkside Residences in Hong Kong and Libertine Social at Mandalay Bay for MGM Hospitality.
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Company: Troyer Group Name: Luke Troyer Email: lat@troyergroup.com Website: www.troyergroup.com Address: 550 Union St. Mishawaka, IN 46544 Telephone: 1-574-259-9976
Best Full-Service Engineering Construction Company - USA & Most Innovative Theme Park Project: The Ark Encounter
troyer group Together, We Will Troyer Group is an innovative design, engineering and construction solutions firm with uncompromising integrity. For 45 years, they have been focused on people and their experiences, working with clients across the world. They concentrate on listening, supporting, and helping their partners meet their goals, visions, and ambition for success, subsequently making themselves and their projects successful.
royer Group has never limited themselves to the problems they look to solve from large destinations to small renovations, , they seek to make a positive economic, environmental, and social impact. Luke Troyer, Director of Business Development, was happy to tell us more about their most recent project, the Ark Encounter.
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“We were commissioned for the design and construction of a full size replica of Noah’s Ark, based on the biblical account. Seven stories tall, 510 feet long, and over 3 million board feet of wood, the modern engineering marvel opened on July 7th 2016, and is the largest heavy timber structure in the world. “This amazing project presented us with numerous challenges, the first of which was the fact that there are minimal written accounts of the original structure. We were able to take the vision of our client, and couple this with extensive research to develop the final project.
“The site topography also presented a number of challenges; the Ark Encounter is located on 800 hilly acres in the Ohio River Valley of Northeast Kentucky. When we took over the site, it was non-buildable and there were a lot of environmental and design issues that we had to deal with. Since 1971, we have been working whilst keeping in mind sustainability and environmental issues, and minimizing our impact on this project was important; reducing the number of trees felled, reducing impact on local waterways, and orienting the Ark structure so that it could take maximum advantage of the wind and sun are just a few examples of how we actioned this on the project.” Troyer Group are proud of the teamwork and communication which was demonstrated by all stakeholders in order to accomplish such a unique project, as without this, it may never have been fruitful. Post completion, Troyer Group remains excited about the future. “We weathered the recent downturn very well, and this forced us to assess our strengths and focus on them to ensure a strong future. We have found that it is important to do things that you enjoy, things that help people and things that challenge you.”
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Company: Tony Pestana Builders Limited Name: Antonio Pestana Email: mail@tonypestana.co.uk Website: www.tonypestana.co.uk Address: 581 Wandsworth Road, Battersea, SW8 3JD Telephone: 08000 234249 / 02077 388550
Most Innovative Loft Conversion: Dulwich Loft Conversion - London
Tony Pestana Builders Ltd specialises in all areas of a building project, working closely with architects, structural engineers and interior designers to provide a full design and build solution; they are confident they can offer you competitive rates without compromising on quality and finish. Their portfolio covers everything from renovations, extensions, conversions, to large extensions and refurbishment projects for residential clients. Antonio Pestana gives us an insight into the company. ll of our building services are fully project managed, insured, guaranteed and carried out by friendly and helpful builders, architects and designers. We offer a free estimate service, followed by a detailed quotation. We at Tony Pestana Builders Ltd offer a full range of skills and trades to carry out any project through to successful completion. We are fully compliant with Building Control and Health and Safety Regulations, and offer a professional and considerate approach for all our projects.
Delivering on our promises and offering our clients flexibility and transparency are qualities that we pride ourselves on. We believe that clear channels of communication between client and contractor are vital to a project’s success and client satisfaction. Project Managers ensure that the client is kept up to date with the progress of the building programme, and that workmen, subcontractors and consultants provide the most efficient service throughout. We encourage weekly client meetings to ensure that the design and functionality of a client’s facilities are on track to fulfil their expectations.
We were recently involved in a very innovative kitchen extension. The challenging part of this extension was that the roof was designed to be made completely of glass. The installation of the very large panels took a great amount of attention to detail, care and effort. Our client had been rejected by two building firms previously, as they had a very strong idea about what they wanted. We accepted, confident that we could fulfil their dreams; they were very pleased with the work, and very happy that we finished the project in a timely manner.
The construction industry as a whole is trying to compete in an ever ‘greener’ market, whilst tackling challenging economic, regulatory and environmental issues. In recent years, the industry has faced increased pressure in their response to waste, resource use, carbon and energy management and their supply chain. Efficient and innovative design and construction not only paves the way towards a future of sustainable construction, but also reduces construction and facilities management costs, while providing a competitive edge.
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Company: Urbanest Email: enquiries@urbanest.co.uk Website: http://uk.urbanest.com/ Address: 55 Strand, London, WC2N 5LR
Best for Student Accommodation Development - UK
Urbanest was formed 8 years ago with the aim of purchasing, developing, managing and owning student housing in London and Australia. In London, the company is on course to develop 5,000 beds by 2020.
rbanest’s schemes are concentrated in Zone 1 of Central London, and the company currently has five operational properties, with one under construction. Each scheme is approached with a high standard of design and sustainability criteria and they have all been recognised for their architectural merit.
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Urbanest Westminster Bridge Road opened in September 2015 and boasts unparalleled views across to the City of London, whilst compromising of; 1,143 student bedrooms, a 65,000ft² sixth form college, a swimming pool with a fully equipped health suite, a 4,000ft² Incubator facility (which will be leased to We Are Waterloo), and has 5,000ft² of common rooms over-looking the House of Parliament, the London Eye, the River Thames.
Urbanest develop student accommodation in unparalleled locations across central London that are of the highest architectural merit, complimented by sector leading management and customer service for their residents, university partners and other stakeholders. They have recently started construction on Urbanest Vauxhall. This is a 32 storey development of 454 student bedrooms, that forms part of the wider Vauxhall Square Masterplan, due for delivery in advance of the 2018/2019 academic year. This will be Urbanest’s sixth operational property, taking the number of student beds under management to 3,000.
The London School of Economics has leased close to 500 of the bedrooms on a long term basis, whilst there are almost 300 students from King’s College, London living within the building. It was designed by Stirling Prize winners Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, with the building’s height and massing being sensitively crafted according to statutorily protected World Heritage views. Internally, the upper floors have been configured to reduce actual and perceived corridor length, while a central atrium on the lower levels brings light into the college and crown a generous social space. Every scheme is designed having learnt the lessons from previous Urbanest projects. The development and construction team spend a considerable amount of design time with their operational colleagues to learn what has been successful previously, in everything from bedrooms and communal spaces to the management back of house facilities. Despite the company getting older, their customers remain the same age, so they work hard to ensure that their new schemes are designed to allow for the latest living, design and IT trends. Input from their operational and management teams, that spend every day of the year working in their buildings and interacting with students, is therefore critical in achieving this.
2016 Construction & Engineering Awards Build
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Company: Virge Temme Architecture Inc Address: 9098 Lime Kiln Road, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 Phone: 920.824.5746 Website: http://virgetemme.com/
Recognised Leaders in Green Architecture - Mid-West USA
Virge Temme is an award-winning architect with a focus on environmentally responsible and energy efficient design. We profile her and explore the secrets behind her success.
omes can change the world.” This credo forms the basis of work done by Virge Temme Architecture since its founding in 1999. The firm specializes primarily in single family homes and boutique galleries, restaurants and spas. In order to ensure the long term benefits for the world, education about the environment and how choices in our buildings and lifestyles affect the world is a key component of her architectural practice.
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Principal Virge has designed homes in a variety of styles including rustic log cabins,1920s-style cottages and sleek modern design, depending on the needs and preferences of the owner. Several of these homes have received national recognition, but regardless of their varied appearances, all her homes are designed based on strict conservation concepts and climate-specific principles wherever possible. Virge has implemented numerous sustainable design and construction techniques in her designs which have been carried into the local construction industry. These include advanced framing, local materials sourcing, Passive House modeling, net-zero energy and carbon-neutral design, as well as the first state-approved residential rainwater catchment system. She is now starting what will be her fourth and fifth LEED Platinum homes, and throughout all of her projects Virge has made it her mission to assist the public in understanding the health and financial benefits of green design, as well as the environmental benefits. Each LEED home opens its door four times to the public during construction to present mini-seminar topics which include high-efficiency HVAC systems, super-insulated envelopes, site conservation, solar energy, and materials recycling. In addition to designing some of the most energy-efficient homes in Wisconsin, Virge is also creating a series of net-zero energy single family homes called “SAGE”, which stands for Small, Affordable, Green and Expandable, in response to the need for lower and moderate income sustainable housing.
Build 2016 Construction & Engineering Awards
All SAGE homes come with pre-designed expansion capabilities to account for changes in households or budgets. Each element and material selected for the homes is vetted and selected based on cost, enhancement of thermal envelop, visual appeal, and environmental impact. Currently Virge is collaborating with local government to review and revise zoning codes to allow for smaller homes and lots, integration of housing within commercial districts, and application of LEED protocols for all new construction and remodeling projects within the community.
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Company: Virtuoso Plastering Ltd. Website: www.virtuosoplastering.com Address: Unit 29, Penraevons Light Industrial Estate, Jackson Road, Leeds West Yorkshire, LS7 2AP Telephone: 0113 262 5252
Best Full-Service Plastering Company - Leeds
Virtuoso Plastering offer a varied range of services including all types of colour through rendering systems. Their expertise in partitioning and plastering allows them to offer supply and fix packages in partitioning, ceilings, floor screeding, structural stud (sfs) and all aspects of plastering, including the renovation of listed buildings.
irtuoso Plastering’s clients include Caddick Construction, Redrow Homes, Simpson of York, Clegg Construction, Geo. Houlton and Sons, ESH Group and Beaumont Morgan Developments. One of their latest projects is the conversion of an existing college building into 39 apartments, located on East Street in Leeds, for Beaumont Morgan Developments. On this particular project, half of the building is existing, and they are working alongside architects, designers and the main contractor to ensure that everything fits at site level, in accordance with the architect’s vision. Another recent project for the company has been a large new build, two storey Lidl store in Leeds, for Caddick Construction. This will be 73 meters long and 6 meters high, with the main body of the building made up of steel columns encased in concrete, with an infill of Paraton blocks between the columns.
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The future looks very good for Virtuoso. They are currently working with light weight, advanced European renders, which puts them one step ahead of their competitors.
When approaching new projects, Virtuoso Plastering structure costs to ensure that their management team can manage the project from start to finish, and also manage their labour requirements and control quality. They set themselves apart from their competition by delivering only the highest quality of workmanship and using only the very best materials. Their wealth of experience means they can also advise architects and designers on the most relevant materials to use on particular projects. Virtuoso Plastering have excellent relationships with the best suppliers throughout the UK and Europe, meaning they work hand in glove to ensure the best outcome for each and every client. Their goal as a company is simply to continue providing clients with the very best workmanship and materials, whilst also delivering projects on time, to budget and above and beyond the expectations of their clients. One of the main challenges in the industry at the moment is finding high quality skilled labour. To overcome this, Virtuoso Plastering work hard to source and retain only the best operatives, and to provide ongoing training, making sure workers are instilled with the company ethos and that they take pride in the work they do.
2016 Construction & Engineering Awards Build
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Company: Wilkinson Construction Consultants Ltd Email: office@thebuildinginspector.org Website: www.thebuildinginspector.org Address: Wilkinson Construction Consultants, Suite 7, 70 Churchill Square Business Centre, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4YU Telephone: 01732 523466
Best Approved Inspectors 2016 – UK
Wilkinson Construction Consultants are a multi award winning specialist practice, based in London and the South East, advising clients on how to solve problems that they might have complying with Building Regulations and Fire Safety.
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e are pleased to announce that Wilkinson Construction Consultants have been awarded the title of Best Approved Inspector for the 2nd year running.
“Building Control Approval is an essential part of any construction project and the choice of supplier can make a huge difference to the success of a project, with early engagement, adequate levels of inspection and depth of knowledge setting apart a good building control body from an average or poor one. Wilkinson Construction Consultants are a private sector Building Control Body (known as an Approved Inspector) and licensed by the Construction Industry Council to offer Building Control Approvals on all types of projects throughout England and Wales. They pride themselves on being a small family business with old fashioned values of good service and ethical behaviour offering the levels of engagement, resources and knowledge necessary to win this award. In the first two years of trading the company established itself as a thought leader within the construction industry and despite being a small business the company have featured in National TV and Press Coverage including BBC 1, Channel 4, Guardian and Daily Mail as recognised experts in their field. The company gained its Approved Inspector Licence in 2011 and expanded rapidly, picking up Blue Chip clients along the way, doubling turnover from 2013 levels in 2016 and increasing shareholder funds tenfold. Working across all sectors from small domestic projects to large commercial schemes they have demonstrated a commitment to excellence that has resulted in ISO 9001 accreditation and the Nation Workplace Wellness Charter. They understand that one of the most important things to a client is that works are completed on time and on budget. As a result, they look to find ways to help with compliance, and offer advice early in the process to avoid the need to correct defective work. Each employee plays an integral role, working together, communicating and supporting each other in a team atmosphere that is busy and challenging, but equally rewarding and enjoyable.
Build 2016 Construction & Engineering Awards
The company are dedicated to “Building Standards in the UK” and allow staff time off to sit on working groups within Government, Business Groups and Professional Organisations, promoting the development of new standards and best working practices. They have shown the ability to innovate and expand into overseas markets in the past year - providing a remote inspection and consultancy service to the Building Control Department of the Cayman Islands on a project designed and built in the UK, but erected in the Cayman Islands. They have also advised the World Bank on how foreign developers can obtain permits in the UK which will assist in attracting overseas investment in the UK following the Brexit decision. “
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