Build September

Build Magazine: September 2016

NVM Solutions An Ironclad Reputation

- Page 60

Also in this month’s issue...

City Landscape Services: A Bold New Future for the Horticultural Industry - Page 76 Petra Richards Interiors: International Experience and a Passion for Interior Design - Page 46

PEEK Architecture & Design Individuality, Adaptability and Ingenuity - Page 42 BIM Global Solutions Pvt. Ltd.: Championing Construction Strategy in India - Page 20 Fong & Chan Architects: International Reach, Indisputable Reputation - Page 22 Bllend Design Office: A Three-Dimensional Identity - 12

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Editor’s Letter Welcome to the September issue of BUILD Magazine.

The construction industry, in its broadest sense, is not strictly limited to erecting grand structures and the logistics that goes into doing so – in reality, there are any number of different disciplines and specialisations that can be found under this broad umbrella. Interior design, architecture, and the practice of law are just three other central components, whose input cannot be overstated.

It is our joy at BUILD Magazine to find those individuals and firms that adopt the very best practices, the strongest objectives, and the most innovative people, to fulfil projects that might not have been possible just 20 years ago.

Within recent memory, there has never been a time when international markets have diversified and grown so rapidly.

In particular, the passion behind leading construction professionals from across the world is a driving factor.

There are those whose entire professional lives have seen them surrounded by their chosen profession – in particular, horticulture has had a life-long influence on Nick Crosby, who now looks to transform the way that we think about garden spaces in an urbanising world.

As the construction industry, in all of its facets, gathers momentum, it requires the constant input of manufacturing and supply firms, without which the wheels might well simply stop turning. It is the job of individuals like John Seymour, from North Valley Metal, to liaise with the client, contractor or architect in providing not only automatic door entry systems, but also a well-tailored and effective customer service.

Just as the world’s economies are becoming more and more interconnected, individuals within the construction industry have the opportunity to travel the planet and discover architectural and design ideas to enhance their own work, and bring something unique to their own market; this has been the approach adopted by Petra Richards for 18 years.

Another major source of innovation for the construction industry is driven by the constantly evolving world of technology. Its potential to attract new, young blood to the construction industry has been proven through the efforts of the French 3D interior modelling start-up Snapkin. Also, the creation of new, versatile software by Houston-based NAJMTEK brings the Internet of Things to bear in a way that will extend the computing capabilities of construction companies.

We hope that you enjoy this latest issue of BUILD Magazine.

Contact the Editor: George Millar George.millar@ai-globalmedia.com +44 (0) 203 725 6842 Build Magazine

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Contents 46.Bringing the World into Clients’ Homes

4. News

48. An Architectural Experience

Architecture 12. Unique Architectural Identities

Leadership

14. Archetypes of Innovation

52. McBains Cooper gets motor retail boost with appointment of

16. Aukett Swanke completes new landmark

leading architect

office building in Thames Valley

Legal

17. Brown and Brown Architects

56. Construction Litigation Made Easy

Construction 20. Visualising a Model for Success

Manufacturing & Supply

22. Committed to Feasibility

60. An Ironclad Reputation

24. Morris Celebrates Year of Growth with Midlands Expansion

62. Steeling Themselves for the Future

26. NHBC Awards Builders for Contribution to High-Quality Homes in Wales 29. Successful Global Implementation

64. Modern Materials, Straightforward Service 67. Double or Nothing

Personnel

30. Sweeping curves and glittering bronze for

70. Is your office in need of elastic walls?

environmentally-sustainable Moneypenny 31. “In a hole in the ground, there lived a Hobbit.”

Sustainability & Eco

Design

74. Sophistication and Simplicity

34. Creating Comfort and Cohesion

76. 21st-Century Urban Landscaping 78. Process industry – what’s the energy and emission savings potential?

Finance 36. Lulu Construction Limited v Mullaley & Co Limited: Debt recovery costs and adjudication

Interior Design & Decorating

80. Surface Water Flooding: the Forgotten Threat?

Tech 84. Creating the Perfect Universal Tool

42. Understated, Sophisticated, inventive 44. Modelling the Future of Interior Design

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News Hinkley Point C Gets the Go-Ahead: The New Arrangement When it comes to headline-making news, the UK has had no shortage of it over these last three months. The first two months of Theresa May’s tenure as Prime Minister has left many with bated breath, anxious to see how the UK will capitalise on new developments; none more so than those with a stake in the thousands of contracts and billions of pounds involved in the heavily prevaricated nuclear power station at Hinkley Point, Somerset. Today, after an eight-week review, the Government announced that the project would be going ahead, with substantial revisions being made to the deal with EDF.

When the board members of the French electricity provider EDF came to a final decision on 28th July of this year that Hinkley Point would be going ahead with construction, they must have had every confidence in its successful implementation.

Unfortunately for them, the subsequent EU referendum happened, and its result proved to be a spanner in the works when the newly-formed government under Theresa May held off giving a final approval – considering that preceding governments, including that of David Cameron, had been so supportive of the project, the Prime Minister’s decision to enter a review process was received with surprise.

Today, after an eight-week process, Mrs. May has given the all-important go-ahead to the Hinkley project, but from this process has emerged key details pertaining to a shake-up of the original deal: EDF will not be able to sell its controlling stake in Hinkley Point without government approval, effectively putting a greater degree of control over the project in the hands of the UK Government and Mrs. May. The primary worry that Theresa May’s government seemed keen to address was the 33 per cent ownership of the Hinkley deal by the Chinese government. Concern had clearly been building over this area even before the deal was put on hold – while Britain and France’s EDF were the original partners in the broad commercial agreement back in 2013, China became involved two years later via China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) – the state visit by Xi Jinping that ensued was meant to cement a ‘golden era’ of relations between the UK and China.

However, amid concerns over spiralling costs for the Hinkley Point nuclear plant, and especially over the right of the Chinese to build its own nuclear power station – with its own designs – at Bradwell in Essex, Theresa May’s first major action as Prime Minister saw her put the deal on hold.

This has caused its own fair share of controversy, with the Chinese government expressing displeasure with Theresa May, and hinting towards the future of Sino-English cooperation, while the ‘golden era’ is still in its crib. At the start of August, the new Prime Minister, barely a month in her new digs, was warned not to drive away Chinese investors.

CGN, meanwhile, said on Saturday that it would respect the decision of the new British government to take time in order to familiarise itself with the programme; Xinhua News Agency further tried to alleviate fears of China putting in ‘backdoors’ to the technology used on the project that might present potential threats to UK national security.

It is worth mentioning that George Osborne, the previous Chancellor of the Exchequer, was claimed by to have blocked moves intended to provide extra protection for the Hinkley Point installation against such threats. This claim, levelled by the Liberal Democrat ex-Energy Secretary Ed Davey, came after Theresa May, then the Home Secretary, was overruled by Osborne on the matter of relaxing visa requirements for visiting Chinese businessmen.

Vince Cable, the former Business Secretary under the Conservative-Liberal coalition government, suggested that May had a “general prejudice” against Chinese investment as Home Secretary, due to concerns over the UK’s national security.

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However, according to a statement by the official spokeswoman of Theresa May, “the Government has been clear Britain is open to business and wants to be attracting investment from all around the world.”

The statement further revealed that the new deal would effectively require a new legal framework, which would be applied to future foreign investment in Britain’s critical infrastructure, and would apply to Hinkley Point as well as all subsequent arrangements thereafter.

In the matter of Hinkley Point, the statement clarifies, “existing legal powers, and the new legal framework, will mean that the Government is able to intervene in the sale of EDF’s stake once Hinkley is operational.

“Existing legal powers, and the new legal framework, will mean that the government is able to intervene in the sale of EDF’s stake once Hinkley is operational.”

Liz Jenkins, Partner at the noted international law firm Clyde & Co, commented on the development.

“It’s a shrewd move by the Government to try and replace the existing legal framework with one that allows for more control over ownership of British infrastructure projects. The ‘golden share’ proposal will ensure that significant stakes cannot be sold without the Government’s knowledge or consent.

“However, there are still plenty of question marks around the viability of Hinkley, especially given its huge price tag and worries about delays in construction before the project has even begun.”

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Increase in Number of New Homes Built and Started The number of newly built homes has increased 6 per cent in the past year, new figures released in August show.

The latest house building data shows that 139,030 new homes were completed in the year to June and have continued to build gradually over the last two years.

2016 than the previous year with local authorities in Greenwich and Waltham Forest seeing completions soar 126 per cent and 103 per cent respectively over the same period.

More than 144,280 homes were started in the year to June 2016.

Added to this, in Swindon and Wakefield, completions were up 104 per cent and 41 per cent respectively.

Meanwhile, figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders show there are more first-time buyers than at any time since 2007, with 72,800 in England in the second quarter of 2016.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said, “we’ve got the country building again with more new homes started and built than this time last year.

Figures published last year show that the total number of across the country rose by 25% in 2014 to 2015, when account all homes, including new builds, houses that converted into flats and buildings whose use has been residential.

“This is real progress but there is much more to do. That’s why we are going further and increasing our investment in housebuilding to ensure many more people can benefit.”

The Government is committed to building the homes this country needs and investing £8 billion to build 400,000 more affordable homes to rent and buy.

Today’s figures show strong regional growth in London, Swindon and Wakefield, which are all experiencing high levels of completions.

The landmark Housing and Planning Act will help deliver on its ambition to build a million more homes by ensuring councils continue to play a key role in delivery, and through new measures that will allow them to deliver more homes more swiftly.

Delivery in London saw 24% more homes being built in the year to June

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new homes taking in to have been changed to

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Business Is Picking up in Construction but Skills Shortages Loom, Says One Way The construction market is on the up, but ongoing skills shortages continue to pose a threat, according to an analysis by One Way. The construction and rail recruitment specialist found that the majority of building firms have overcome the initial hesitation shown following the Brexit announcement, leaving the sector in a relatively positive state. However, this could all be affected by ongoing and ever worsening skills shortages.

This comes at a time when the latest Markit/CIPS data suggested the industry showed signs of recovery in August following a difficult July.

Many commentators compared this downturn to the one experienced by the market during the recession in 2008.

However - speaking to Sky News – Paul Payne, Managing Director of One Way, dispelled fears.

“We as a business haven’t experienced the effects of anything like the negativity felt back in 2008. It was quite a shocking time in all honesty. However, the market is drastically different now and we’re not seeing any similar effects.”

Continuing, Payne also commented on the current market: “The sector experienced a challenging July, but the majority of that was down to firms holding back from investing because of uncertainty over the state of the market following the referendum. However, now the dust has settled somewhat and organisations are seeing that, actually, not a lot has changed, they’re giving projects the go ahead once again.”

“The main issue facing the industry continues to be the ongoing and ever worsening skills shortages. As we, and a number of other major firms have said, there’s just not enough people operating in the sector to work on all the projects currently in the pipeline. If the market continues to expand and becomes more positive, we could reach a stage very shortly where projects are put on hold solely due to skills shortages.”

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Storey Homes Selects Mark Plowman as New Head of Construction Up to 100 affordable homes will be delivered in island communities through a new £5 million fund. Speaking during a Scottish Parliament debate Housing Minister Kevin Stewart announced the Scottish Government will establish a new Islands Housing Fund - backed by up to £5 million funding over three years - to increase the availability of affordable housing in the islands, and provide a contribution towards the 50,000 affordable homes target set by the Government.

Smart Property Purchasers Putting Faith in Spain’s Quality Developers With customer expectations soaring ever-higher, Spain’s top developers are pushing the envelope in terms of build quality, interior design specification, world-class facilities and innovative after-sales packages. There’s never been a better time to buy off-plan.

This investment is in addition to the £25 million Rural Housing Fund, which is supporting the building of new homes and refurbishment of existing properties in rural areas.

For many, the prospect of waiting for their new home to be transformed from run-down cattle barn to the house of their dreams is their worst nightmare, and they are realising in great numbers that for them, there is another way.

The fund has two components: the main fund offers capital support through grants and loans for the direct provision of new affordable housing, as well as the refurbishment of existing empty properties. The second, smaller part of the fund contributes towards feasibility studies.

Official figures from the beginning of August say that the construction industry in Spain is booming, with an increase of 12 per cent in new build homes sold in May compared to the previous year, and more and more customers are turning to the quality housebuilders of Spain to fulfil their dreams.

The applications list for the Rural Housing Fund is limited to exclude individuals – instead, only legally constituted bodies are eligible – these include community organisations, development trusts, private landowners, private developers and traditional housing providers.

Stefan Noben, UK Market Manager at TM Real Estate Group commented: “We predict that the sales of new homes will continue to rise this year and the idea of buying off-plan is set to rise in popularity. Indeed, many of our customers start off thinking that they would like to buy what looks like a ‘cheap’ older property and renovate it themselves but very quickly realise that the amenities and highend interiors that come with buying a quality new-build are just too tempting.”

Even then, for a project to be deemed eligible it must meet a number of criteria: among others, an applying body must have a specific site or properties identified for building or refurbishment – this must itself be within an eligible rural area, at Levels 4-6 of the fold urban/rural classification index – as well as demonstrate evidence of housing pressure within the identified area, and have the support of the relevant local authority.

Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said, “Scotland’s islands have rich and vibrant cultures and make a huge contribution to Scottish life but we know people living there can face challenges when it comes to accessing the home they want.

“Our new £5 million Island Housing Fund will increase the supply of good quality affordable housing which is an essential part of attracting and retaining people in our islands.

“Investment in this support for the islands and through the Rural Housing Fund will help us deliver at least 50,000 affordable homes over the lifetime of this Parliament and ensure we are reaching across all of Scotland in our ambitions.

“Our Island Housing Fund demonstrates our strong and continued support for our islands, with the forthcoming Islands Bill set to provide lasting benefits for these communities for generations to come.”

SG Communications Email: SGCommunications@scot.gov.uk Gillian Provan Email: gillian.provan@scot.gov.uk

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So what are the advantages of buying a new property when buying overseas?

• Peace of Mind – buying a property – at home or away – is not always straightforward but buying off plan makes this important life-event just about as simple as possible. Without the stress of a chain, at least at one end and possibly at all if you have no property to sell, both time and money can be saved.

• Budgeting – deciding to buy a property off-plan gives you time to get properly organised. It gives you more time to save and also a chance to work out a detailed budget and plan for the future. With some developments it is normal for payment to be made in stages which may make saving even easier.

• Price – in Spain it is normal for purchasers to pay the price of the property when the agreement is made to purchase the property rather than the price when it is completed. As houses prices are expected to rise in price, this could save you money. However you must also take into account that if anything happens to adversely affect the price, this could work against you.

• Choice – if you buy off plan, the earlier you buy in the life of a development, the more choice you will have about interior layout, the situation of your property on the overall site and even the fixtures and fittings.

• Personalisation – you might not be doing the decorating yourselves, but you can still be involved in how your home looks. Many of the best developers allow customers to choose interior design accents such as the floor and wall tiles, doors, windows, kitchen cabinets, bathroom fixtures bedroom units and many other items.

• Settling In – buying off plan gives you plenty of time to get to know a new area you can find out the best places to go and thoroughly research your new neighbourhood so you can make the most of all it has to offer from day one.

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Be part of the one of the UK’s leading areas of economic growth and development The Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire area boasts one of the fastest growing economies in the region. Now’s your chance to be part of its exciting future as the second most influential powerhouse in the South of England.

Property developers, businesses and residential buyers continue to see Milton Keynes as a prime location to live, work and invest due to its:

Superior infrastructure with easily accessible amenities Well-designed road systems and easy access to the M1 and London Affordable new homes and development opportunities Working on behalf of Developers, Builders, Investors, Land and Property Owners, The Wilkinson Partnership is helping to shape Milton Keynes’ future by sourcing potential development sites, negotiating with planning authorities and effectively marketing rural property and land and more.

For detailed information on how we can also help you become part of the second Capital of the South’s future, please contact us today.

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01525 851616

01296 712717

lbres@qualityhomes.co.uk winres@qualityhomes.co.uk

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Architecture

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Architecture

Unique Architectural Identities Bllend Design is a design company who are focused on its effort in promoting research, 3D architecture identities, furniture design and networking outside Greek borders. The company, located in the Greek capital Athens, was rebranded in 2011 after eight years of successful service in architecture, landscape, interior and lighting design. llend is a multidisciplinary design and research office developing unique identities in the fields of architecture, landscape, interiors, furniture and lighting design. BllendDesignOffice has acquired a reputation working in residential projects or commercial branded environments that in their majority have received international distinctions, among which is the inclusion in the World’s Best 2014-2015 International Property Awards for the Best Leisure & Office Interiors.

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Developing unique architectural identities involves working in unison with the clients within a contextual research-based framework, to develop a design concept that translates into a variety of design applicationsarchitecture, industrial design, engineering and branding, or the interweaving of various disciplines in one project. The strong contextual impact every project involves empowers the bonding among scapes, materials, form, light and human condition in an organic substance that results in purposeful design for wellness and longevity.

BllendDesignOffice provides a service that transcends the application of current design norms or technical standards. The company sets the contextual framework from scratch, questioning, analysing and foot printing the environment following international design research practices. Aspiring change not for the sake of novelty, but employing experiential, educational and research feedback for the design of all-inclusive experiences for the client. The design outcome is not a static solution, but a dynamic design organism that grows in line with the natural and built environment.

Being a multidisciplinary design firm, the resulting design concept translates into a variety of design applications and identities - be it architecture, furniture design, interior architecture, branded environments, landscape, lighting, or the interweaving of all the diverse disciplines in one project.

The project, context and human scale have also played an important role in furniture and building design in the brand’s philosophy that approaches every furniture item as an organic part of a whole which cannot be completed without each other. Following that approach and a long expertise in bespoke furniture, the brand provides custom designs for the residential or commercial interior.

The design of the furniture is imperative to complete the building typology, topography and materials. This concept almost forced Mies van der Rohe, a pioneer of modern architecture, to design the furniture for his buildings in order to provide harmony to the interior. It is reported that Mies once said it was easier to design a skyscraper than a chair, as a chair has to be light but also stable and comfortable.

A company’s physical environment communicates a message to clients whether intentional or not. Spatial design does play an undeniable and important role The only question that is raised is whether the conveyed message is carefully crafted to reinforce the brand identity or left unattended to weaken it The aspects that contribute to creating a company’s physical environment-space, scale, materials, technology, colours, functionality and ergonomics are too visible to be left out of the branding equation.

Helen Brasinika, Principal Architect Designer & Co-founder of BllendDesign & Research Office believes that, “a brand is understood as a sensation of perceptions and the key point to extend those perceptions to the customers is to engage them in living the brand and not just promoting it.” This is what we call the new living experience in architectural branding and we design as well as materialise the architectural identity to achieve that.

When it comes to interiors and exhibition design, the practice has developed a unique human-centred approach consolidated by focused design research.

It empowers the dynamic interaction of landscape,

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material, form, light and users to blend in naturally in order to let the spatial environment to acquire significance due to the engagement of the end-user.

Each design proposal involves rigorous analytical thinking, advanced design methodology, material and technological innovation and coherent project development. These explorations synthesise one of the most unique spatial design outcomes based on an acute understanding of environmental impact, human health and wellbeing, behavioural studies, perception and consumer analysis, social responsibility, historical precedent and joy. This philosophy applies equally well to residential or commercial interior architecture and design.

The pursuit of leisure, as an opportunity to find more time in order to be engaged in relaxation, pleasure or joy is of vital importance. Particularly, in the modern world, trips take place instantly via the web, while actual travelling and moving in space acquires a new importance due to all the information and travel images available at hand. Design is a powerful tool in crafting spaces that enable the visitor or user of a hotel, restaurant or spa brand to be instantly taken away, travel to new realities or get involved in a different state of mind.

At the same time, holiday or business destinations are targeting a new, more open minded and demanding clientele that absorbs images and spaces, seeking the maximization of the service provided, functionality, comfort and also a new lifestyle experience.

With a view to assisting clients, design is employed as a powerful tool in order to allow the spatial elements of materials, colors, lighting and form to awaken the senses of wander, while making every space an intriguing destination without differentiating leisure, travel or daytime pleasure.

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Most Innovative Designers of 2016 - Greece

Company: BllendDesignOffice Name: Helen Brainika Email: info@bllend.com Web Address: www.bllend.com/templatehome.aspx Address: 75A Alimou Ave, Irous 2, Alimos, Athens, 17455, Greece.

Telephone: +30 210 9904255

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Architecture

Archetypes of Innovation A small practice by their own admission, with a central focus around design led projects across the UK and Ireland, Paul O’Neill Architects are no less a notable entity in their market. Offering a broad spectrum of services covering everything from small scale domestic extensions on any budget, to large complex medical facilities, they also work on education and commercial projects. As Paul O’Neill himself puts it, “it is safe to say that no two days are the same.” eing a young and relatively new practice, set up in 2010, Paul describes his company’s focus as being built around good design and implementation of truly effective schemes. “We find that fostering a good relationship with our clients is essential to this, and helps our projects to run smoothly. We also think it’s important to give our clients the feeling that they deserve good architecture and design, no matter how small the project or the budget.

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Paul has been practicing his trade, first as a Sole Practitioner, and currently as a Limited Company, for seven years now. During that time, the economic climate has been varied, and Ireland in particular has seen especially trying times, according to Paul.

“We have seen projects come and go, and be put on hold only to be reignited years later when funding comes through. It has certainly not been without its challenges, but working across two countries and in different sectors has helped to keep us busy.”

Assessing the state of his company at present, Paul has certainly come a long way since his early days, and he acknowledges the limitations that he is under whilst expressing undaunted enthusiasm.

“We only have a small core team of permanent staff, but we also employ people on a project by project basis under short term contracts where necessary.

This collaborative approach to working has been very rewarding, and has helped to develop some of our best design work. Generally, we try to keep the workloads varied and interesting, to ensure that everyone is stimulated and motivated by what they are doing.”

“Because of our size, we are able to be quite flexible in our approach to projects. Design is at the heart of what we do and we strive to innovate rather than settle for the ordinary. We are conscious of the inherent trust clients put in us when allowing us to shape their home or workplace and manage their budgets. This is something we never take for granted.

“The key for us at the outset of any project is to strike up a good dialogue with the client, and to make sure we listen to them carefully. Some clients have no

real idea of what their brief is; let alone what kind of building or project might be developed, whilst others have formed very definite ideas. We find it is always helpful to explore other avenues, and stretch clients’ imaginations to see what can be achieved within budgets and briefs. Sometimes the outcome is similar to what the client had in mind, and other times the solution is completely different and unexpected, and the client is delighted.”

Research is also very important to Paul’s work, and he strives to use the latest building methods and sustainable technologies in his projects wherever possible. To exemplify this, he refers to his most recent project, which is also incidentally his firm’s largest: the Kells Primary Care Centre, which received a BER A-Rating.

“The project taught us a lot about our capabilities as a young practice. It was quite daunting taking on a project like this at first, but we took the plunge and we are really glad we did. We are very proud of how we managed the project, and as a consequence of this, the end result. It’s an exciting building, which has had such a positive impact on the small historic town in which it is sited.”

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Drawing inspiration from this project, Paul surmises his company’s ethos. “We believe that successful collaboration with other consultants and professionals involved in the building process is very important for creating innovative design solutions.

We also think that fostering a good relationship with contractors from early in the project, helps to ensure that designs are implemented with care. We find that inventive construction methods suggested by experienced contractors can really help the designs come to life.

“Ultimately, our simple, day to day aim is to produce high quality buildings. We try to achieve this through the considered design of every aspect of a project – from the overarching concept down to the minute details.”

Already, Paul is looking to take on bigger projects, and does not shy away from the effort that these will require. Rather, his experience with the Kells Centre lends him tremendous optimism. In particular, he highlights a notable contract that his firm have taken on: a high-end, multi-million-pound apartment in central London. “We are expecting to see this finished in the summer of 2017, hopefully with some exciting results.”

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BUILD’s Industry Elite: Best New Practice

Company: Paul O’Neill Architects Name: Paul O’Neill Email: paul@pauloneillarchitects.com

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Architecture

Aukett Swanke Completes New Landmark Office Building in Thames Valley Aukett Swanke, an award-wining architecture and interior design practice defined by its fluid and interactive approach to design and its delivery, has completed No 1 Forbury Place, a 185,000-square-foot Grade A office development that brings Central London design standards to Reading, Berkshire. eveloped speculatively by owners M&G and development manager Bell Hammer on a site adjacent to Reading railway station, the entire building was let last year to Scottish and Southern Energy ahead of completion, making it the largest letting in the Thames Valley for over a decade. It will be followed by a second phase on the adjoining site. Together, they will form a landmark for both Reading’s newest business district, and for the city as a whole.

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Aukett Swanke‘s design responds to the historic urban context of the neighbouring Forbury Gardens through the massing and sculpted form of the Forbury Place buildings. Laid out over eight storeys, the building has large flexible floorplates, which narrow to the upper levels to form a roof terrace that overlooks Forbury Gardens. The terrace is protected from nearby Forbury Road by extra-tall glass balustrades that provide uninterrupted views beyond over the Thames Valley, the Cotswolds and countryside to the south.

The design incorporates a structural diagrid that gives a distinctive and dynamic identity to the new building. The glazed east and west façades are protected from solar gain by vertical fins that twist to create a pattern that becomes increasingly solid towards the centre of the building. This gives a sense of movement for those passing by the building, with further animation provided by the varying effect of different light conditions on the bronze-coloured blades. These blades are held in place by bespoke brackets designed by Aukett Swanke in collaboration with specialist fabricators. They also provide the inspiration for a dramatic feature wall of twisted blades in the double-height reception area.

external structural diagrid. Feature bronze profiles at each floor level help create a kaleidoscopic effect to views up through the atrium when combined with the reflected light from the roof.

High quality finishes were specified throughout the development, which was awarded a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating. Notable sustainable features include air source heat pumps, Micro Combined Heat and Power, rainwater harvesting and electric car charging points.

Luke Schuberth, Aukett Swanke UK Managing Director said, “this highly efficient, agile building brings Central London design quality to the Thames Valley. Our design for No. 1 Forbury Place demonstrates how striking architecture with quality finishes, naturally lit deeper floor plates, in a location with unrivalled connectivity really resonates with today’s occupiers. This appeal was evident when the whole building was let prior to its completion. Our ability to design spaces that anticipate the increasing importance and convergence of health, wellness and productivity, allows us to deliver the truly flexible,

Inside, generous 26,000-square-foot floorplates are well lit by both the external floor to ceiling windows and a full height central atrium. The latter is supported by a slender steel frame that echoes the

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sustainable and connected workplaces the market now demands.

“Construction is well underway on No. 2 Forbury Place, and we are proud of our continued relationship with M&G and Bell Hammer as we deliver the final phase of this exciting development.”

Construction has started on the second phase, also designed by Aukett Swanke, which is due for completion in summer 2017. No. 1 Forbury Place won the Best Development Outside Central London category of the OAS Development Awards 2016.

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Architecture

Brown and Brown Architects Brown + Brown Architects are an award-winning design-led architecture practice, based in Aberdeen and Inverness, with a passion for materials, detail and craftsmanship. We understand the importance of collaboration, and work closely with our clients to ensure that their unique challenge receives a unique solution.

Who are your clients?

Private residential, arts organisations, charities, commercial businesses, public sector Organisations.

What makes you unique?

Our architecture is strongly influenced by “place” and by exploring the qualities which each individual site brings, whether physical, social or cultural, we are able to experiment with form and materiality to create buildings which sit comfortably within their context and enhance their surroundings.

What’s your biggest challenge facing you at present?

We’ve recently opened a new office in Inverness, and are continuing to build our client base in that part of the world, which allows us to cover an extremely large geographic area. We’re currently working on projects from the South Coast of England to Lerwick on Shetland, so having an additional base will only augment our ability to work across the UK. What’s the aim for your business?

Continuing to expand our non-residential portfolio.

At the moment we have a long list of arts and public buildings we’re currently working on, following the success of our Portsoy Boatbuilding Centre project, for which we were fortunate enough to receive several awards.

What’s your company’s biggest challenge?

Apologies - I think I’ve probably answered this in question 4. If you can let me know if you require anything further here that’d be great.

What individual in your industry and beyond do you admire the most and why?

Paulo Mendes da Rocha - He has produced some fantastic buildings and furniture across a 60-year career, and his Paulistano Armchair is a design classic.

Name: Andrew Brown Company: Brown + Brown Architects Email: mail@brownandbrownarchitects.com Web Address: www.brownandbrownarchitects.com Address: Aberdeen: The Soap Factory, 111 Gallowgate, Aberdeen, AB25 1BU Inverness: Ness Horizons, Kintail House, Beechwood Park, Inverness, IV2 3BW Telephone: Aberdeen: 01224 518300 / Inverness: 01463 630640

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Construction

Visualising a Model for Success BIM Global Solutions Pvt Ltd was established in the year 2009 to cater AEC market’s requirement with prime focus to provide BIM services and training. Under the BIM services, they undertake BIM implementation, modelling, and model analysis, and additionally provide optimum BIM uses. There are 20 identified uses for BIM, most of which Seyed Ibrahim and his team are able to provide.

eing based out of the Nungambakkam locale in the east Indian city of Chennai, BIM Global Solutions are heavily exposed to the ever-changing scenarios of the Indian construction market. As India continues to lead world tables in economic growth, the construction industry is a significant indicator of the country’s development, due to its ability to create investment opportunities that cross multiple related sectors.

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As such, any construction firm in India faces inherent challenges in carving out a unique presence. Fortunately, the increasing popularity of BIM construction practices still provides relatively newer firms with a foothold to propel them ahead of the competition. Seyed comments on the unique, privileged position that his company maintains in the industry. “We are a BIM Consultancy firm that is run by the Architects and Engineers. The management and the team are fully experienced in their respective fields and they extend their knowledge to the BIM services. Also, we deliver our services to the utmost client satisfaction. These set us apart from others.

“We have undertaken various projects in the AEC industry. We have done Residential, Commercial, Educational, Healthcare, Hospitality and Civic buildings.”

As BIM practices become more and more widespread throughout the industry, the BIM Global Solutions team have to continually find new ways of working in an environment that meets the everchanged scenarios whilst delivering solid service to its client base. This, as Seyed explains, is achieved by a process of continually “updating and upgrading knowledge in the BIM. It is one of the fast changing world, so we make sure that our team is kept abreast with the new developments. We continue provide training on new development. We keep expanding our infrastructure to meet ever changing scenario.”

In order to achieve this, BIM Global Solutions have moved beyond architectural design, laser scanning and CAD drafting services, each one a staple of

BIM practitioners the world over, Seyed and his team have also begun to explore master planning as framework for the development of an entire area of communities, including residential housing and mixed-use projects. Being involved in the regeneration and sustainability of these communities is a proud achievement for Seyed, as it provides the company with unrivalled practical knowledge to back up their proposals.

Holding a dear aspiration to become a one-stop solution centre for the architecture and engineering support services, Seyed examines his future business milestones. “As an engineering and architectural support service firm, the future is very bright and promising. More and more complex design and environmental requirements are arising and evolving. These designs can be analysed and studied and modified to construct only by adopting BIM and also the environmental requirements can be met by using BIM only.

“We are one of the pioneers to do projects in BIM platform in India and we have been always ahead of others.

Seyed proudly maintains that all of his company’s projects are completed successfully. “We dedicate ourselves to the success of each and every project received by us. The most important aspect in all of the projects is planning and managing to ensure the timely delivery of the deliverables.”

Within a relatively short space of time, BIM GS has laid the foundations of an inter-continental enterprise – they currently maintain two offices in India, in addition to strategically-placed outlets in Indonesia and Dubai. With this well-establishing network covering some of the fastest-growing regions on the globe, the company’s most prestigious projects include a host of recognisable names. Sydney Cricket Ground, Bangalore International Airport, Kolkatta Water Treatment Plant and Jurong General Hospital have all benefitted from the BIM approach thanks to Seyed Ibrahim and his teams.

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BIM 3D Innovators 2016

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Company: BIM GLOBAL SOLUTIONS PVT LTD Email: seyed@bimgs.com Phone: +91 80 65340188 / +91 8050010099 / +919880066942 Web Address: www.bimgs.com Address: 14, Chinnappanahalli, Marathally Outer Ring Road, Bangalore - 560037.

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Construction

Committed to Feasibility Fong & Chan Architects (FCA) is an award winning, international design firm, established in 1982 and based in San Francisco. The firm renders complete services encompassing the fields of architecture, master planning, programming, interior design and other related disciplines. The firm’s portfolio of work is widely diversified in scope and building type.

Since its inception, FCA’s design philosophy dictates that all undertaken projects are to be functionally feasible, as well as aesthetically pleasing.

The firm’s highly acclaimed designs not only satisfy each client, but also affect people’s lives, the environment, and the surrounding community in a positive way. ounding Partner Chiu Lin Tse-Chan has an indisputable reputation in the field of delivering projects on schedule and within budget, and has a unique quality control methodology that consistently results in the highest level of document coordination possible.

the U.S. Green Building Council and employs LEED certified Design Professionals. The Society of American Registered Architects has recognized FCA with its highest honour, the State-wide Architecture Firm Award in California in 2002 and the National Architecture Firm Award in 2005.

David Fong, the other Founding Partner, is a sensitive, people-oriented designer, who guides Fong & Chan Architects with a unique aesthetic vision and believes that the design must satisfy both the rational and emotional needs of the occupant. His view of each design as not only a practical, problem solving endeavour but also as an expressive work of art results in design solutions that are unparalleled in their effect on the human spirit. FCA’s 34-year involvement in the design industry has witnessed many changes, most notably the effect the computer and new technology has had on the process of design and the generation of construction documents.

Perhaps the greatest feature in the cap for FCA, the project that best exemplifies their commitment to architectural daring and innovation, is the new Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Centre. Today, this institution is an international leader in HIV/AIDS care, providing primary and specialty care for patients in more than 20 languages, and is recognised for excellence in care given – it owes its current incarnation to Fong and Chan.

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The Founding Partners believe that architects have a responsibility to educate and mentor young architects so to that end the firm participates in lectures and has established numerous internship and scholarship programs.

Since the inception of the firm in the early 1980s, FCA embraced computer-aided drafting when it was a new technology; this willingness to adopt new technology has been a keystone to the firm’s success over the years. Presently, the firm uses building information modelling and is continually exploring new programs and technologies that can aid and improve the design process.

FCA is strongly committed to providing professional services with an emphasis on personal attention, technical competence, efficiency, and the highest calibre of architectural design and planning. FCA is committed to protecting the planet’s natural resources and strives to incorporate sustainable design principles into their designs. FCA is a corporate member of

“Designing the new ZSFGH has been one of the greatest honours of our career,” the partners say.

“As architects and as members of the San Francisco community, we are keenly aware of the vital role this Hospital plays in people’s lives and have witnessed first-hand the compassion and exemplary service rendered here.” The Company Partners both equally believe wholeheartedly in San Francisco General Hospital’s mission to serve those in need, especially the marginalized and the low income members of the community, and hope that the new building provides a space for the Hospital to continue its great legacy of service to the people of San Francisco.

The project was developed to address the seismic deficiency of the existing acute care hospital in compliance with the California State Senate Bill 1953.

It is the only Level 1 Trauma Center in the area and a healthcare safety net for the low income population.

The building rests upon a complex base isolated structural foundation system that allows 30 inches of horizontal displacement and 6 inches of vertical displacement. This significantly reduces the effects of earthquake related ground motion from the building, to the point where allowing the Hospital to remain operational after a major seismic event.

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The 433,000-square-foot building is located at the centre of the Medical Campus, and is connected to the existing Hospital with a ground level plaza, a bridge connection and an underground service tunnel. The new facility contains all the acute care services for the hospital, as well as a new main public lobby and rooftop garden.

Ed Lee, Mayor of San Francisco, has heaped appraisal on the new construction, saying, “you don’t often associate public hospitals with world-class standards.

Here in San Francisco, we do.”

“The new hospital is beautiful, filled with natural light that creates wonderful healing environments for patients and an exceptional place to work for our staff,” says Iman Nazeeri-Simmons, Chief Operating Officer of ZSFGH. “It is a reflection of the best of San Francisco.”

The FCA design for the ZSFGH creates a distinct and contemporary centre for the San Francisco General Campus, while also meeting the operational requirements and healing environment required for a hospital.” states David Fong, Design Principal at FCA. “We were honoured to have this opportunity to design one of our most important projects, and to make a 21stcentury contribution at the heart of the campus.”

The ZSFGH Building is indeed a modern marvel of engineering, showcasing the high standards that FCA strives towards. Its exterior features a dramatic curved glass and steel sunshade façade on both the Potero Avenue and interior Hospital-site elevations. The curved building exterior allows the building to integrate with the adjacent buildings on the very tight site, by stepping back and allowing each adjacent building to interact gracefully with the massing of the new building. A central tower clad in precast concrete with brick cladding, provides a strong central vertical element and relates to the historic brick structures flanking the new building. A double-height atrium with a glass curtain wall and skylight system extends into the plaza, creating a dramatic and welcoming front door for the

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new campus. The colourful Main Lobby integrates the public art into the design through the strategic use of finish materials for the artwork. A Rooftop Garden, accessible to the public, patients and staff, allows for respite from the stresses of the healthcare experience while providing unmatched views of San Francisco.

At the centre of the building, two courtyards allow light to penetrate into the centre of the building and provide an interior focus and wayfinding element for the building. Again, the public art is integrated with the design through the use of glass panels onto which the artists have placed their work providing a distinct character for each floor.

Green Building Council, the ZSFGH has set a new standard for green technology and building practices on the San Francisco General Hospital Campus. To meet this sustainability goal, FCA developed integrated building systems that influence all aspects of the building’s design, construction, and operation. The ZSFGH features an energy-efficient approach to climate control that utilizes high-efficiency air handling units and building controls. Water saving technology helps reduce usage by over 30 percent. In addition to the ample natural light provided by glass atrium and the exterior windows, the building’s main corridors, patient rooms, and offices are situated around two adjacent courtyards to minimize the use of artificial lighting.

projects are to be functionally feasible, as well as aesthetically pleasing. The firm’s highly acclaimed designs not only satisfy each client, but also affect people’s lives, the environment, and the surrounding community in a positive way. The two business partners, having achieved dramatic success across three decades of experience in their respective field, are making leaping strides in contributing to the ongoing development of San Francisco and the surrounding area, both now and well into the future.

Having achieved LEED Gold certification from the U.S. FCA’s design philosophy dictates that all undertaken

Sustainable Construction: Building for the Future - USA Company: Fong & Chan Architects Email: info@fca-arch.com Phone: +44 415-931-8600 Web Address: www.fca-arch.com Address: 1361 Bush Street, San Francisco California, 94109

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Morris Celebrates Year of Growth with Midlands Expansion Following 12 strong months of trading in the region, housebuilder Morris is continuing to expand its Midlands operations with the creation of a new Morris Eastern division.

These strong sales indicate a bright future for the award-winning housebuilder, as Adam Knight takes the helm of Morris Eastern, while Dominic Harman takes the reins of Midlands Division. orris is one of the country’s largest privately owned house builders. Based in Cheshire, the award-winning company provides new homes across the North West, Midlands and South of England. More than 90 per cent of the firm’s development projects take place on previously-used brownfield sites, transforming existing buildings and disused land into welldesigned, energy-efficient housing.

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Morris were also the first house builder in the UK to comply with SAP 80+, the Government’s accreditation energy efficiency scheme and hold a What House?

Award for Best Energy Efficient Development.

Demand for new homes across its divisions has showed no sign of slowing post-EU referendum, and as the fundamentals of the market remain strong, future expansion looks likely for the independent housebuilder, whose forthcoming developments include sites at Alconbury Weald, Stamford, Rugby and Milton Keynes.

Former Morris Midlands managing director Adam Knight will lead the new Morris Eastern division when it becomes fully operational in September and new hire, Dominic Harman, takes over as managing director of the existing Morris Midlands region.

Dominic joins Morris from Taylor Wimpey and brings extensive sector experience to the role. He will oversee growth and development and work closely with regional colleagues to maintain sales and high standards across the UK.

Dominic says he is enjoying becoming part of the Morris team – a company he has long admired.

He explains: “Morris has a great product and has always enjoyed a reputation for producing the type of well-constructed, quality homes people want to buy and invest in so when the opportunity arose I didn’t hesitate.

“This is an exciting time for housebuilders and Morris is experiencing significant demand in the Midlands, so I’m looking forward to being part of a dedicated, growing team.

Of course, it’s too early to predict what the long term implications of the EU referendum on consumers will be, however we are seeing continued, healthy sales and with good mortgage availability and low interest rates we are confident of further growth and expansion.”

Speaking about his new role as Morris Eastern region managing director, Adam Knight, says: “The Midlands has always been a key area for us and as we continue to work to meet demand, the creation of a new East Midlands region was a logical next step.”

Having two divisions will allow us to serve the needs of both communities even better. As someone who lives and works in the East Midlands I am looking forward to bringing even more high-quality homes and jobs to the area.”

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Construction

NHBC Awards Builders for Contribution to High-Quality Homes in Wales On Friday 2 September 2016, nearly 250 leading figures in the Welsh house building industry gathered at NHBC’s 36th Pride in the Job Regional Awards ceremony in Cardiff City Hall. egional award winners Steve Northam (Large category) from Taylor Wimpey South Wales, Dale Dickenson (Medium category) from Llanmoor Homes and John Greggain from L Greggain & Co Ltd (Small category), were selected from more than 16,000 UK site managers, and were recognised at a ceremony held at Cardiff City Hall. A further eight sites were awarded Seals of Excellence. The Regional award winners will now go on to compete for the Supreme Awards to be announced in January 2017.

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Now in its 36th year, Pride in the Job is the only award scheme in the UK to recognise the contribution a site manager makes to a development. It is one of the most intense and celebrated awards in the industry, marking out recipients as exceptional performers in UK housebuilding. It has helped drive up the standard of new UK homes, producing a better end product for homeowners.

NHBC inspectors began judging developments for the current Pride In the Job campaign fourteen months ago, assessing managers against stringent criteria based on the definitive technical standards laid out by NHBC. Known as ‘the Oscars of the House Building Industry’, winning an award is an exceptional achievement, and for 36 years, NHBC has been rewarding the best site managers in the UK delivering the high quality homes the country needs.

A non-profit distributing organisation with no shareholders, NHBC’s role is to support the industry

in maintaining and improving the build quality of new homes for homebuyers, whilst providing the benefit of its 10-year Buildmark warranty protection, when required. The company does this through a wide range of activities, from standards setting through technical support to warranty and insurance. It invests any surplus into activities that improve new homes further, in particular through its research arm, the NHBC Foundation.

Taking pride of place as the UK’s leading new-home warranty provider, Paul Edwards, NHBC’s Regional Director, congratulated them on their win.

“Pride in the Job is now firmly established as a significant proof of distinction for the best site managers in the UK,” he commented. “The fact that winners are automatically entered into the competition based on the results of their work onsite is a huge endorsement for all winners. It’s been a tough year of judging starting way back in July 2015 and it’s a long hard road to win a Pride in the Job Award. The Awards recognise site managers who know how to go one stage better, whose hard work ensures we live in high quality homes and rewards dedication and expertise.

“Last year NHBC registered nearly 4,700 new homes in Wales, site managers play an important role in delivering these. By recognising exceptional site managers like these, Pride in the Job promotes continuous improvement in the quality of new homes, year on year, for homeowners and their families to enjoy.”

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It’s a

NEW WORLD

Think differently

to compete and stay ahead of the competition

A new way of doing BIM from Redstack

Internationally BIM qualified, experienced and independent

��en we see the builder or the architect trying to manage BIM on major projects. More o�en than not, this does not deliver the desired outcome.

Successful BIM Management is much more than using CAD, it requires a deep understanding of processes and workflows to ensure all stakeholders are collabora ng effec vely according to a detailed BIM execu on plan.

If your current BIM strategy centres only on Revit, 3D modeling and clash detec on, then you might need to reconsider BIM Management. In today’s construc on environment, does it make sense for someone inside your organisa on, or your architect to verify and audit their own models/designs?

Redstack BIM Services can provide your project with a complete BIM or Facili es Management solu on.

www.redstackbim.com

Interna onal Phone: +61 8 8360 7000 Local Phone: 1300 66 7263

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Construction

Successful Global Implementation Redstack BIM Services provide a complete “Turn Key” solution for Virtual Deign & Construction (VDC) by using methods, innovation and technology to digitally construct before actually building an asset. This ensures accuracy, reduces the cost of material and labour, improves construction time, and reduces risk by correcting problems in the digital model instead of during the construction phase. We also ensure the BIM process continues beyond construction so the asset can be maintained for its entire lifecycle. ho are your clients?

Our clients are extensive, ranging for the owner / developer, architects, engineers, construction companies, subcontractors, health, education, defence, government and more. Our clients are from all sectors of private industry and government.

BIM Management company in Australia and Asia Pacific markets with global reach. With a Global team implementing successful BIM outcomes for our clients in Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan and Qatar, we are already a leading provider of BIM in the Australia and Asia Pacific markets.

What makes you unique?

Redstack BIM Services provide the missing links between owners, builders and sub-contractors by working closely with all stakeholders to manage a process which is often challenging because not everyone has the same levels of skills and experience in using BIM processes.

What’s your company’s biggest challenge?

Convincing industry to change their mindset towards design, building and construction is a big challenge.

The construction market has been adopting the same traditional practices for many, many years. Proving the benefits of BIM will take time as many in the industry are reluctant to change, but those who adopt the new BIM methodology early will reap the rewards on offer first and leave their competitors wondering why their bids are no longer successful, why their profits are declining or worse, going out of business.

Now is the time for early adopters of BIM to develop sustainable competitive advantages.

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We work with every sector of the Integrated Project team by managing the entire BIM process for everyone, ensuring smooth and accurate progression throughout the entire process of pre-construction and construction.

After the construction process is completed, Redstack can then continue to support the asset owner with a facilities management system so the asset brings a major return on investment to the owner / developer.

What individual in your industry and beyond do you admire the most and why?

I guess there is no one individual in particular but

What’s your biggest challenge facing you at present?

Few people understand the enormous benefits BIM can bring. There are many misconceptions around what BIM is. Without the Australian government mandating BIM as we have seen in other countries, BIM education and adoption is going to take time.

It is up to progressive companies like Redstack to educate the market on what BIM is and the benefits it can bring. We’ve been able to prove the benefits of BIM with satisfied clients from BIM projects throughout the Asia Pacific region and can now leverage those successes in the Australian and wider Asia Pacific markets.

What’s the aim for your business?

Redstack BIM Services intend on being the leading

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there are several organisations who I admire for their courage in using innovation and technology to deliver better outcomes for industry and society.

I admire The UK, Singapore and other governments around the world who have had the courage to mandate the BIM process to boost their economies and develop their local industries. If I had mention an individual, it would be our Redstack Global CEO, Mr Japri Maming who genuinely has a passion to ensure BIM helps every organisation to achieve better, profitable and successful outcomes.

Japri has been involved with BIM for many years, and his cutting edge knowledge and experience has enabled him to be a leading ambassador of Building Information Modelling around the world.

Name: Jack DeCandia Company: Redstack BIM Services Pty Ltd Email: jdecndia@redstack.com.au Web Address: www.redstack.com.au/bim-services Address: L1, 145 O’Connell Street, North Adelaide, SA, 5006 Telephone: 1300 66 7263

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Construction

Sweeping Curves and Glittering Bronze for Environmentally-Sustainable Moneypenny Aliva UK has created an environmentally-friendly and visually stunning façade for the new £15-million headquarters of Wrexham-based telephone answering firm Moneypenny. The UK leader in exterior and interior finishes, Aliva crafted a clean, crisp façade that wraps in unbroken lines around the curved exterior of the building. acked by six decades of Italian flair from its parent company, Aliva UK is a privately owned subsidiary of IVAS Group, with offices in Reading and London, and a network of sales managers throughout the UK. Designing, manufacturing and supplying bespoke façades, rainscreen cladding, insulated render and render-only systems, paints, and polished plaster, Aliva works in close partnership with its customers to ensure they get the most from its expert, end-to-end service, which combines highly-developed design skills with detailed technical knowledge. It means that Aliva follows through to a first-class finish on every project.

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5,000 square metres of Aliva’s Termok8 insulated render system delivered a finish that will withstand the worst of the British weather, imperative in the building’s semi-rural location. The British Board of Agrement certified render was chosen for its excellent thermal insulation credentials. The render’s self-cleaning and anti-algae staining properties will also ensure the building maintains its pristine finish for years to come.

Aliva also provided 500 square metres of their Alucovering aluminium cladding in an anodised bronze colour matched to the architect’s specifications. This was used to create window detailing which adds an extra dimension to the building’s external appearance.

AEW Architects selected Aliva to deliver every aspect of the façade design from panel layouts and window details, to the design of a bespoke façade fixing system for the building. The new headquarters will be able to accommodate 1,000 staff over three floors, allowing for Moneypenny’s planned business growth. The 10acre plot includes nature trails, orchards and gardens, with the interior of the building featuring a treehouse meeting room and a ‘village pub’ for employees.

The building is designed to be as environmentally sustainable as possible. By using rainwater recycling, solar energy, ground source heating and natural ventilation for climate control, the company aims to be almost entirely self-sufficient. The thermal efficiency offered by Termok8 insulated render was therefore a key consideration in the architects’ selection process.

Phil Hepworth, Associate at AEW Architects said:

“Aliva helped us achieve the effect we wanted for Moneypenny’s new headquarters by providing a high quality self-cleaning insulated render system that highlighted the smooth curves of the building and complimented its picturesque setting. The bronze aluminium cladding was selected to create window detailing and highlight the stunning picture windows of the building.”

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Ed Reeves, co-founder and director of Moneypenny, who led the groundbreaking project, said: “Since we founded Moneypenny we have strived to set the industry standard for ‘excellence’. Our new head office once again raises the bar in achieving this and will offer clients an unrivalled service and environment in which to answer their calls, as well as provide our employees with a world-class space to work.

The environmental credentials of the building were also important to us and Aliva’s insulated render not only creates the visually striking finish that we envisaged for the building’s exterior, but it also lives up to the energy efficiency standards that we wanted to reach.”

James Ormerod, Managing Director at Aliva UK, said: “We were delighted to be selected to design and supply the façade for this stand-out project. The crisp, unbroken lines of the render create sweeping curves that attract the eye, while its thermal qualities ensure it boosts the building’s environmentally-friendly credentials.”

A popular choice for energy-conscious building projects, Aliva’s Termok8 render systems provide a beautiful, weatherproof and long-lasting finish which meets the highest modern thermal requirements.

Ruth Devlin ruth@weareic.com 0161 694 3977 or Kam Arkinstall kam@weareic.com 0161 694 3976

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Construction

“In a Hole in the Ground, There Lived a Hobbit.”

Kingston-based designer Lili Giacobino is setting out to bring to life the facades and interiors inspired by J.R.R. Tolkein’s beloved book The Hobbit. In so doing, she is joining a growing international movement devoted to echoing the stylisations of Tolkein’s work, which were popularised in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film series. riginally from Switzerland, Giacobino worked as a social worker helping children with special needs when she began to help make the childrens’ ideas a reality through decorations and additions to their surroundings. She started her own furniture company in 2005, focusing on the use of recycled cardboard. She moved to the UK in 2008 to study Product and Furniture Design at Kingston University London, graduating with a First Class Honours.

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After 3 years as a property developer herself, Giacobino awakens the nostalgic imagination within us through her interior design. She utilises her knowledge in plumbing, carpentry, tiling and her expertise in furniture to give form to her creative and fantastical designs.

She confesses to her interest in “upcycling and recycling materials found around [her]”, as she sees the “new life for the material and a whole new story it can tell; it triggers the imagination.” As well as her Hobbit house design, this feature is also found in her most recent property development where by tilting a specific book on the shelf it opens up to a hidden room, as if plucked from its own fantasy novel.

However, like most vast, mystical spaces, Giacobino believes that, “it is not about how much space you have but how you manipulate it and how you wish to feel within it.” It is her priority to develop the space, regardless of size, to become

edithpifpaf / Shutterstock.com

“the Hobbit house uses recycled floorboards and reclaimed portholes found second hand, which came from a ship that had travelled the world. These additions create a lovely sense of adventure and narrative for the project, much like the novel it was inspired from.”

She states,

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the ideal atmosphere for your aspirations.

She now wishes to share her sense of adventure with you and incorporate her creative flair into a dream space, personally tailored for you. Looking beyond the current design trends, this interior designer aims to transform your home or even just an unloved room to suit your interests and appeal to the unique individuality of each person. “A virtual makeover of the room is a perfect way to begin the process, and also to visualise the changes to the space. It’s amazing to see how one space you see all the time can be transformed before your eyes, while you sit relaxing with a cup of tea!”

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Design

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Design

Creating Comfort and Cohesion

Most Innovative Designers of 2016

Patricia Hope Sharp is an interior and architectural designer in Prescott, Arizona, who is the Principal and Managing Member of Sharp Design, LLC. She has worked extensively from the West Coast to the East Coast, designing for commercial and residential construction, as well as for renovations and restorations. Patricia wholly believes that an interior designer is the tool and the avenue to reaching the quest of a client’s dream environment, and has been making her patrons’ visions a reality since 1980.

harp Design, LLC stresses the fundamental elements of timeless design to all of their clients. Patricia believes that a client hires a designer as a director in the establishment of their design concept, and that the designer must then reflect the client’s personality, interests and style. The designer will then create something that is mutually committed to the goals of comfort, function and superlative aesthetics. Patricia’s own designs reflect the collaborative relationship between architecture and furniture, function and form, and client and designer.

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Patricia excels in the art of architectural planning, space planning, furniture design and light design.

She has extensive architectural and interior product knowledge, and an acute colour sense. She also has the ability to create exterior hardscape design for tranquil outdoor living, bringing cohesion inside to the outside, and vice versa.

Architectural detailing is tantamount to all design styles, and Patricia is comfortable operating within a range of styles including modern, Asian, traditional, rustic, and post-modern, managing to create a refined space with reflections of bouncing light within these settings. She is equally at ease restoring a 1920s Craftsman Bungalow in Prescott or a 1910 Estate on the New Jersey shore, a Florida beach estate remodel or a new construction residence at High Valley Ranch, The Heritage, American Ranch, Forest Trails Community, among many Prescott area retreats.

Sharp Design, LLC has extensive experience in the interior design and specification of hotels, libraries, restaurants and institutions.

Ms. Sharp’s body of work includes architectural design and interior design for a variety of projects, including commercial, mixed use buildings, retail, private residences, educational facilities and multi-unit housing design projects. As a leading member of the

Prescott, AZ design community, she is also proud to be able to frequently use green materials in her designs, as sustainability is a key motivation for her.

Patricia enjoys using her skillset to give back to the community, whether this be on the Prescott Library renovation project’s Aesthetic Committee or detailing design for the animal spaces with scientific names and tracks at the Heritage Park Zoo Wildlife Refuge, or organizing funding events for the American Cancer Society. Some of the other community projects and services that Patricia has been involved in include; Tualatin Hills Parks & Recreation District, Design Showcase for preservation of Jenkins Estate (Tualatin, Oregon), Marketing design illustration for Chase/Pepsi with La Canesta – Feliz Navidad in El Barrio (Glendale, AZ), Design review for Sweetwater Ranach Homeowner’s Association (Scottsdale, AZ), Monuments and Signage for Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary (Prescott, AZ), Prescott Public Library (Prescott’s Living Room) renovation project (Prescott, AZ), and American Cancer Society Fundraising and Events Planning (Red Bank, NJ).

“Let’s create your place of intrigue – a place of pleasure, a place to rejuvenate, a place to inspire… a place of comfort for enjoyment by you and those that gather in your home or work environment” – this is Patricia’s mission for Sharp Design, LLC, and what she most hopes they will continue to do for their client’s in the future.

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Company: Sharp Design, LLC Email: SharpDesignLLC@msn.com Web Address: http://www.sharpdesignllc.com/ Address: Prescott Office, 1577 Plaza West Drive Suite E, Prescott, AZ 86303 Telephone: 001 928 443 9787 Build Magazine

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Finance

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Finance

Lulu Construction Limited v Mullaley & Co Limited: Debt Recovery Costs and Adjudication Parties to adjudication have generally accepted the position that they cannot stipulate in their construction contracts that an adjudicator will have the power to award party costs. These costs usually being legal, consultant or experts’ costs incurred preparing for and during the adjudication.

This can only be agreed after the service of the notice of adjudication. While this protects parties from onerous drafting that may seek to disproportionately allocate cost risk as a way of deterring a contractor or subcontractor from starting an adjudication it also means that the costs of adjudication are irrecoverable which can put parties under significant financial strain.

ontrast this with litigation where the successful party can recover its costs.

The downside being that the costs risk to the losing party is significant because it may be required to pay its own costs and a high proportion of the other party’s costs. However, some would argue that is a fair consequence if parties’ have been illegitimately kept out of funds owed to them and the law such as the Late Payment Act 1998 has also served to compensate parties by facilitating the recovery of interest on late payments and fixed sums up to the value of £100. Additionally, the 2013 amendments to the Late Payment Act 1998 have enabled parties to claim reasonable costs of recovering debts which has prompted some to speculate whether this legistlation could be used to argue for costs at adjudication.

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In Lulu Construction Limited v Mullaley & Co Limited a summary judgment application was made to enforce the unpaid element of an Adjudicator’s decision. The Defendant, Mullaley, had paid the majority of the sum in question but disputed Lulu’s debt recovery costs of £47,666.27 claimed under the Late Payment Act 1998 and refused to pay them. This was “disputed on the ground that the Adjudicator was without jurisdiction to make any decision in respect of those claims because it was not part of the dispute referred to him”.

The initial dispute had, somewhat unusually, been referred to Adjudication by the paying party, Mullaley, after Lulu had presented a claim for disputed sums under the contract. The debt

recovery costs were not referred to in the Notice of Adjudication, which is hardly surprising.

However, although they could have been raised in the Response, they were instead raised for the first time in the Rejoinder. This was met with a jurisdictional objection from Mullaley.

Although other arguments were raised, Mullaley’s substantive objection was that the claim for debt recovery costs “was not within the scope of the Referral and the claim is not something which can be run as what might be called a defence”. The court accepted that the debt recovery costs were not “within the wording of the Dispute referred”, but acknowledged that this was because “the Notice of Adjudication was… issued by [Mullaley] and their only concern was to try to sort out the payments due under the sub-contract… although the Notice does also refer to such other sums as the Adjudicator may decide”.

Lulu’s argument that the adjudicator did have the jurisdiction to award the costs relied upon the decision of Akenhead J in Allied P& L Limited and Paradigm Housing Group Limited [2009] EWHC 2890 (TCC) where he noted that it was open to the defendant to raise any defence, thus widening the scope of the adjudication.

On this basis, the judge took the view that the debt recovery costs (i.e. the costs of running the adjudication) were “clearly connected with and ancillary to the referred dispute and must properly be considered part of it”. As such, the adjudicator had been correct to say that he had jurisdiction Build Magazine

to decide this element of the dispute. Although the claim for debt recovery costs was not within the scope of the referral, it was something which was connected with and ancillary to that referred dispute. Summary judgment was therefore granted to Lulu.

On the face of it, this seems to be controversial as recovering costs at adjudication is not permitted as a matter of law. However, what we need to bear in mind is it is established law that the enforcement of adjudicators’ decisions is not contingent on the decisions being correct as a matter of fact or law. The requirements are that the adjudicator has acted within his jurisdiction and without a breach of natural justice.

As a consequence, at the summary judgment hearing, the inquiry into the application of the correct law was not undertaken. Arguably, although it would increase legal costs, what Mullaley could have done is applied for a declaration on the correct law to be heard at the same time as the enforcement hearing in addition to its defence to enforcement. If such an application was possible that may have resulted in a different outcome.

Therefore, while this decision provides us food for thought it is not cause to suggest adjudication costs can be recovered. The position may of course be different for debt recovery costs incurred before the adjudication.

Theresa Mohammed, Partner, & Beth McManus, Associate in Dispute Avoidance and Litigation, Trowers & Hamlins

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Interior Design

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Interior Design & Decorating

Understated, Sophisticated, Inventive When Georgina Turvey set up PEEK Architecture & Design roughly nine years ago, the firm started out small, but quickly found itself gaining work through word of mouth from other professions and happy clients. Their client base now ranges from end users to developers and companies, who require a very tailored approach to their project as well as careful management of all the permissions and constraints you face with Central London developments.

ccording to Georgina, each site and client is different, and has to be treated that way.

This is a key element of the way that she does business with her growing clientele.

“It is paramount to assess the restrictions of the site first, and what is architecturally possible, before making promises you can’t keep to a client,” she observes. “It is also important to get the client to define their brief again and again, interview them on requirements, their needs, their dream spaces. This confidently transpires into a scheme. Also, in most cases the constraints on a city site can create the most interesting outcomes’’.

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This approach guarantees that Georgina and her team at PEEK always practice what they preach, following through on each of their promises for clients and other professionals alike. “We build about 75 per cent of the projects that come through our door,” she says, “and we go into great detail when designing and drawing all aspects of a build. Whether it’s providing 1:1 templates for each tread of a spiral staircase or building stainless steel light fittings ourselves because we can’t find the right product on the market. We enjoy the process of turning a design prototype into a reality.”

these things. In the end, it was best so that natural light flowed over it into the entrance lobby.”

For this project, Georgina and her team were shortlisted for an Architects Journal award in the Heritage category, and also won an International Design Award for the kitchen designs. “The apartments all sold within a couple of months of completion, too, which the clients were very happy about.

“The main success though, was how the various teams worked together. The building hadn’t been touched for years. Anomalies that were uncovered meant we had to frequently adapt the design, but all the professional teams solved these problems together – it was pure poetry. Everyone was so enthusiastic about the project, and were rightly proud with the results.”

Georgina looks forward to the future of the industry, taking her success with Gatti House as a sign of bigger and better things to come.

“We’ve experienced that clients are becoming more aware about the quality of design,” she observes.

As an example, PEEK Architecture & Design demonstrated their expertise ably when they were chosen as the architects and designers for a project on a Grade 2 Listed Building on the Strand called Gatti House. “Our clients had fallen in love with the building, which used to be the dining rooms for members of the Adelphi Theatre in the 1870’s. It had fallen into disrepair, so in 2013 we started the long task of refurbishing, extending and creating 4 unique apartments and a restaurant on the ground floor. There was an initial challenge in that no walls were allowed to partition off some of the vast rooms. We needed to overcome this if we wanted to find a way of including a storage space, a cloak cupboard and a guest WC into the new design. So, reflecting on the theatrical heritage of the space, we created an ornate ‘pod’ that houses

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“Not just for the latest fads, but they also want a design that is integral with the architecture it inhabits, more timeless. It’s not cool anymore to have huge air conditioning systems, alongside massive, ugly speakers and a media room lit up like Heathrow Airport. People want understated, lo-fi, sophistication.

“We are also encouraging use of energy saving interventions, such as triple glazing and heat recovery systems, to private clients. We also refuse to specify tropical and unsustainable timbers, and encourage recycled items, even in our high-end projects.”

With this ideal in mind, while aspiring to create wellintegrated designs that forge a personal bond with the client, Georgina has set up PEEK Architecture & Design to be a major up-and-coming player in a new wave of bespoke Architecture and interior design.

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Most Innovative Designers of 2016 - UK

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Interior Design & Decorating

Modelling the Future of Interior Design Snapkin offers a snapshot of the new generation of French start-up companies looking to carve out a new, distinct niche, in a hugely competitive industry. Specialising in generating 2D and 3D models of building interiors and floor plans, the founders, Jérémy Guillaume and Damien Dous, along with their team, offer the first tool to automatize drawing of 3D architect plans using a SaaS web service. It affords creation of digital model and architect plan exportable on professional architecture software. This process takes few minutes against 3 days of work for 1000 square meters. ur overall aim is to go on in improvement in service speed and accuracy. On the other end, we are building strategic partnership with 3D scanners companies and their distributors in order to quickly distribute our service.

This will lead us to be the main company in 3D architectural drawing that speeds up and simplifies the work of our clients.

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This approach has been more than enough to give Snapkin a distinct edge over its competitors, but Jérémy goes further, to discuss other boons that customers find when dealing with his company compared to his competitors. “Our patented developed technology gives us a main competitive advantage. This provides to our clients a service quick and accurate. Moreover, the operating processes installed in all the company enabled us to have a good reputation among the market.

Now that Snapkin are well positioned on the national French market, they are looking forward with unmatched anticipation to starting their development across Europe throughout 2017. “Of course, we plan to release new products during this important process, and our R&D team have been very successful in managing to develop many new ideas within the last two years that can be adapted in these new markets. To aid in continuing our development, we are actually raising €2 million to achieve our international expansion plans, and go on to develop our product for wider audiences.”

“Also, we learned that the weight of data is a very important problem when you use a 3D scanner, when a classical project can take 20 Gigabit you can imagine the problem of storage cost or the problem to exchange data online.

“The most important thing we learn of them is the needs of our clients have to be in the core of our service.”

In direct response to this, Snapkin developed and launched their flagship Snapsend product.

Jérémy claims that this is the first software able to achieve cloud-compression without suffering a loss of accuracy points. It can reduce its size by 60 to 80 per cent to facilitate its operation and archiving, using an algorithm that removes unnecessary elements whilst retaining more detailed ones.

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Architecture Start-ups of 2016

Company: Snapkin Email: contact@snapkin.fr Phone: +33 (0)9 72 51 33 50 Web Address: www.snapkin.fr Address: Rond Point Benjamin Franklin CS Avenue du Walhalla Cap Omega CS39521 34960 Montpellier Cedex 2 Build Magazine

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Interior Design & Decorating

Bringing the World into Clients’ Homes Born and raised in Germany, Petra Richards has travelled the world extensively for many years, all the while developing her passion for interior design. Long before she settled – for now – in Denver, Colorado, she began her studies in the discipline whilst living in London, MILAN BARCELONA AND NYC her subsequent work has led her back to Barcelona, the South of France, Palm Desert, New York City, Los Angeles, Aspen, Vail and her native Germany. Now based out of the ‘Mile-High City’, Petra has been expanding her portfolio by partnering her instinct and high sense of sensibility with a close sense of camaraderie with her clients and partners. like to take on a project from the ground up,” she begins, “in close teamwork with the client, builder and architect following it through the whole design process starting with the space planning aspect to the material specifications, all the furniture selections, accessorizing as well as art consulting. On occasion, I’m seeing a project through all the way - including a toothbrush and a decorated Christmas tree…”

According to Petra, inspiration can come from almost anywhere.

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Petra’s extensive knowledge of different styles and her willingness to experiment with ideas make her ably suited to making full use of a space, and to bringing out the best possible result from her surroundings.

In spite of her natural flair for interior design, and evident love AND PASSION for her craft, Petra is humble in attributing her success down to good fortune. “Being in the right place at the right time has perhaps been the key to my success. My life is design and traveling, so I am in constant search for beautiful things.

“Beautiful, detailed craftsmanship is essential for a home to stand the test of time.”

Petra’s extensive portfolio has seen her bring a new and extraordinary life to interior spaces, in a way that other interior designers would never have fathomed.

There is a clear balance at work in her designs, delicately complimenting tastefully decadent styles with bold new directions and materials. While some of her projects seem steeped in modernity, with bright splashes of colour and contrasting schemes dominating an interior, other examples offer a more balanced, yet no less radiant tone.

To Petra, the key to her designs is in the willingness to realise an opportunity when it is there. Her message to all interior designers, past and present, strikes a remarkable tone as a life lesson.

Balancing out this classic décor with more modern amenities is also made especially easy – Petra recognises the impact that technology has upon her work and her industry at large.

“Always walk around with your eyes open and be on the hunt for new things,” she proclaims. “It is important to absorb all the visual material you can get your hands and eyes on. You must keep yourself informed of all that is happening in the industry. Most of all, it is essential to discover your client’s vision, in order to bring them the perfect selections and solutions.

“Technology has really changed the way in which my projects are executed,” she explores. “I cope by outsourcing the more technical aspects, which means that I can focus on the most important things – the very personal interactions and the actual process of creating and realising the vision, these are the most important things to me.”

“Most of all, don’t take design so seriously; have fun with it!

“The aim is always to create a space that makes the client feel at home. A big smile on my client’s face is the biggest reward for me, especially after traveling through – and surviving – a lengthy process together.”

Based on this ideal, Petra has been able to realise unique visions to fulfil a range of design purposes.

From velvet furniture in well-appointed dining rooms, to roaring hearths in a lounge, to ultra-modern fourpost beds spacious, grandiose bedrooms, Petra has always sought to introduce a certain quirkiness to her design that lingers like a signature.

“I’ve had many successful projects,” she comments simply. “I feel so grateful for the opportunity to work with an array of clients, giving me the ability to learn so much along the way. The challenges and discoveries are different with each project.”

Aesthetics in interior design are, of course, constantly changing and evolving, especially as the tastes of Petra’s clients continue to fluctuate; however, Petra has identified that classic principals still prevail.

There will always be room for a chandelier in the sitting room, for an ornate wooden sitting table in the bathroom, for the sun lounger in the master bedroom.

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Lending further weight to her ideas, Petra points towards her innate ability to communicate with her clients, and gain a full understanding of their own desires and the space in which she will be working.

“I focus on building a relationship with the client and their space so I can make sure I understand their needs and desires. getting a feel of their spaces is essential to my creativity in every given project.

The relationship with the client is the foundation of a project, and the follow-through determines their happiness and your reputation.

Casting observations on the wider industry, Petra comments upon the prospect of attracting a clientele with a heightened awareness for interior design, to match her own passion and extensive knowledge. “It is a strong industry currently,” she says, “especially for designers that have access to a high-end, designoriented clientele, which I believe is particular to the United States and England.”

While petra lives in Denver, she still calls Europe her home – the world is her backyard, so she will always have one eye searching the wider world for opportunities to explore and bring back something new. As such, again and again, Petra feels the need to escape from Colorado, and refresh her world view in order to further enhance her next batch of projects.

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Most Innovative Designers of 2016 - USA

“Constant globe-trotting keeps me in touch with the vast options around the world. My travels fill me with knowledge and inspiration. I’m always on the hunt for new impulses, textures and layers.

This balance allows Petra to achieve an incredibly positive work culture – drawing on highly sought-after knowledge, a penchant for the luxurious, and a uniquely personal touch, has allowed a culture to evolve within Petra Richards Interiors that she describes as “very personal, respectful and creative. It’s just that simple.

“I’m extremely grateful to the people I’m able to collaborate with, and I make sure to express my gratitude at every opportunity.

“If a day arrives when I have more time on my hands I hope to share my knowledge and experience of the industry. Until then, I will stay true to myself and my vision, take risks and not always play by the book.”

Petra has been in the interior design business for 18 years now, and after so many years of travelling and bringing bespoke designs into the homes of hundreds upon hundreds of clients, she feels no less inclined to keep going out into the world, packing it all up (figuratively) and bringing it back to both her world and that of her clients.

Company: Petra Richards Interiors Name: Petra Richards Email: petrarichardsinteriors@gmail.com Web Address: www.petrarichardsinteriors.com Address: 1265 South Corona Street Denver, Colorado 80210, USA Telephone: 001 720 201 1999

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Interior Design & Decorating

An Architectural Experience Kern-Design was founded in 1986 by designer and interior architect Norbert E. Kern, with its office in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. With his long-standing partner Sabine Kober, stylist and interior designer, Kern-Design has a furnishing studio for luxurious, exceptional projects of private clients, professional customers and project developers. or 30 years, Kern-Design’s supervised core design on national and international projects at the highest individual level, along with its empathic understanding, cost safety and punctuality for interior design, has made the company successful in long-term customer satisfaction.

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No room is like any other, and certainly no person is like another either. That is why KernDesign’s architects do not simply build rooms, but instead use observations of people’s living and application habits, as well as findings on the basis of the limbic system in our work to create projects. This way, room designs and tailor-made interiors are created, combining all the things that define the company - a puristic sense of aesthetics, a passion for technology and the highest standards for quality in the craftsmanship.

Everywhere in the world, there are people with a high standard of design when it comes to their living environment. Knowing this makes Kern-Design very happy, as it has allowed us to produce multiple projects in a wide variety places all over the world. In western and eastern Europe, in the vibrant metropolis of London, Zurich, Madrid, Vienna, on Portugal’s southern coast Algarve as well as in Nigeria’s capital Lagos.

Both private clients, as well as companies such as LVMH, Dior, Bilfinger, Steigenberger Hotel Group AG, Thai Airways, Kenzo, Givenchy, Vila Vital Hotel Group, Pearls of Kuwait Real Estate Company, Capella Hotel Group etc. put trust in our experience and empathy.

the common goal of the company: - to create an architectural experience.

“Before we talk with our customers about form, style and materials, we ask for their requirements and ideas concerning the new concept of space - our plan diagnostic. Together, we develop the desired functional areas, their respective space requirements and assign them a function which is logistically useful to the room.”

Kern-Design offers the full range of draft planning, regardless of the particular project volume. With a network of experts from all disciplines and many years of experience in construction supervision, core design manages a detailed, faithful implementation. “Our motto is holistic aesthetics, passion for technology and the highest quality standards of design, planning and implementation.

“Whether we are consulting, looking at interior design for individual parts or complete interior finishing, we analyse clients’ requirements, habits

Kern-Design’s integrated design approach begins with the origin of any good design: the needs of the people. We think and work holistically.

From the beginning of any project, we are brainstorming until the final stage - supervision and building inspection. Every construction project requires commitment and confidence in

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and everyday processes, depending on the task at different depths.

Together, we rapidly build clients’ design ideas.” The result is a matrix of the desired, useful and what is feasible, newly added ideas. After sufficient pillars are defined, Ken-Design’s holistic, goal-oriented spatial planning begins on the jointly developed base (plan optimization). If the complete interior design is chosen, the designers can start to build in-depth planning documents as well as wall elevations, perspectives, collages and mood boards developed.

This systematic introduction to the creative process of interior design planning, ensures us the coveted success of satisfied customers for decades.

Now begins the exciting and subsequent spatial quality – the all-important work of layout analysis with solutions. By cleverly combining and superimposing individual functional areas, it is a very important first step towards impressive interior design. Kern-Design hopes to continue their award winning work long into the future, whilst expanding their global reach.

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Most Innovative Designers of 2016 Germany

Company: KERNDESIGN.STUDIO Name: Dipl.-Ing. Norbert E. Kern Email: Kober@kern-de-sign.de Web Address: www.kerndesign.studio Address: Walter Kolb Str. 9-11, D-60594 Frankfurt am Main Telephone: +49 69 789 54 33

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Leadership

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Leadership

McBains Cooper Gets Motor Retail Boost with Appointment of Leading Architect Architect Andrew Prosser has joined leading interdisciplinary property consultants McBains Cooper to boost its motor retail sector.

ndrew Prosser is one of the leading motor-retail architects with over 20 years of experience in this sector.

His specialisms include retail design, motor-dealership design, master-planning, feasibility studies and planning. He has previously worked for Mountford Pigott LLP, PDP Architects (Project Design Partnership) and Chapman Taylor.

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His previous projects have included the twelvestorey brand showcase building for Hyundai on the Great West Road, the four-storey dealership for Kia on the Great West Road, Audi’s outdoor exhibition stand and grandstand at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2015 as well as numerous Audi and Volkswagen dealerships.

McBains Cooper acts for major motor manufacturers, large dealership groups as well as individual privately owned dealer franchises, delivering architectural advice, dealership management and design team expertise and its architects have been appointed by Jaguar Land Rover, Hyundai, Peugeot, Citroen and DS. Mark Leeson, Director of Design at McBains Cooper, said, “Andrew has vast experience working for a number of major retailers and brands and brings excellent design skills to the team as well as in-depth knowledge of the motor retail sector.

“Our view is that the motor retail sector will continue to grow as brands/ manufacturers compete for sales and showrooms become ever more sophisticated.

“Post-Brexit, all of the brands we work with remain committed to investing in the UK and are constantly improving their network, the customer retail experience and innovating the way vehicles can be purchased.”

Alan Wheeler Apollo Strategic Communications alan.wheeler@apollostrategiccomms.com

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Legal

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Legal

Construction Litigation Made Easy Gogulski & Associates is a legal firm which was established in 1999 and specialises in a wide variety of claims, construction accidents and testimony on personal injury litigation. ogulski & Associates are experienced in general contracting, forensic engineering, structural failure and every aspect of construction litigation, and work hard to be clients source for construction expert witness testimony and construction consulting services. If requested, we will act as an extension of staff and are qualified as Quality Control Managers by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. We are also an OSHA certified construction outreach provider.

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Gogulski & Associates have provided reports, depositions and court testimony on “slips, trips and falls” as well as major construction litigation. No case is too big or too small; each client receives our full attention with professional service and bottom line results. We have completed over 200 cases across 18 states over the last 12 years.

Our litigation and expert witness expertise typically results in a shorter trial because of early settlement. With a reputation for finding irrefutable evidence trial after trial, their nickname, “The Construction Experts” lives up to the firm’s billing. Led by Mr. Paul Gogulski, a construction and civil engineer expert with over 50 years’ experience, this team of 11 experts has extensive knowledge in all facets of engineering to cover problems in the world of construction.

With more than 15 years of experience and testimony provided on over 200 cases in 18 states, Gogulski & Associates, Inc. is one of the most reliable legal consultants for accident investigations in the country. The firm proudly offer our services throughout the United States including New York, Nevada, California and 18 other states. “No matter the size of the job, we have the staff, experience and resources necessary to assist clients.”

construction accident areas.” This shows the frequency to which our company is turned to for our expertise. Our company is well-versed in nearly every aspect of the construction industry.”

In addition to construction litigation, Gogulski & Associates deal with insurance claims. These claims can cover everything from a small “slip, trip and fall” to a major claim involving hundreds of millions in dispute. When dealing with construction claims, the highest level of expertise and professionalism is required to get to the bottom of an accident. Claims on construction sites can be very complicated because multiple parties could be responsible - which could cause a mess with the insurance company or in court.

“Our insurance claim experts have delivered very successful results and are passionate about achieving those results for our clients.

Gogulski & Associates have insurance claim experts who can diagnose a claim and the accident to give a professional opinion that typically stands unfettered. When an insurance claim expert is needed, a thorough investigation is required to gather facts about the entire case.

The insurance claim experts at Gogulski and Associates use their experience and knowledge to gather facts along with observing, listening, touching, feeling, smelling and asking a lot of relevant questions to gather the information needed for the claim and to distinguish a thorough opinion. When we arrive at a determination, it usually prevails in court and stands up under cross examination.”

Gogulski & Associates have proven experience and success in construction accident litigation.

From crane accidents to hazardous vapours from chemical welding, to slip, trip and falls, the team has extensive experience in a number of

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Presently, Gogulski and Associates are developing state-of-the-art claim presentations using 3D models and software with timelines and proprietary cost analyses, which save considerable time for attorneys, and offer easyto-understand 3D videos of complex issues in litigation. This not only saves their clients money, but further enhances our insurance claim experts’ honest and reputable opinions.

Gogulski & Associates is a recognised leader in its contribution to the engineering profession and to the clients they serve. As a Development Manager who oversees four architectural firms, Paul Gogulski played a key role in Boston’s largest urban-mass transit project. The $900 million Southwest Corridor Project; consisting of seven new stations, four transit and two Amtrak lines through six communities, five miles of parkland, 38 bridge renovations, relocation of utilities and five miles of new road. The National Endowment of the Arts designated this project for its prestigious President’s Award.

As the owner’s representative for Disney, Paul Gogulski oversaw design and construction on the Contemporary Resort Hotel in Orlando, a $100 million award-winning project. This project was one year behind schedule when Paul was called onsite. It was completed on time by working 1,200 men through two 12-hour shifts, seven days per week during the final months.

These projects show the dedication Gogulski & Associates has to their profession, which we will continue to build upon in the months and years to come.

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Ones to Watch for 2016: Construction (USA)

Company: Gogulski & Associates Name: Paul Gogulski Email: paulg@construction-expert.com Web Address: www.construction-expert.com Address: 346 Coston Rd, Richland, North California, 28574, USA Telephone: 001 843 470 0459

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Manufacturing & Supply

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Manufacturing & Supply

An Ironclad Reputation As a solutions provider for door and entrance systems to contractors, architects and End Clients, NVM Solutions Ltd provides a truly end-to-end service. The company, based in Nelson, Lancashire, surveys, quotes, manufactures, supplies and installs all types of doors, entrance systems, fire systems and more, to their growing list of clients. e liaise with the client, contractor or architect,” says John Seymour. “For End Clients, we ask detailed questions to get a true understanding of what their needs are before providing them with a quote, and then we offer them the very best solution.

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“For contractors and tenders, we are required to go a stage further. After first conducting a survey of the site, we identify any possible snags based on the tender requirements compared to the actual site, and put together a solution that is both manageable and ideal for the client. Our solution encumbers everything so the contactor knows that the price is fixed based on supply and install.”

As John describes them, the strategies employed

by NVM Solutions are fairly straightforward. “Listen to what the Client is saying; understand what their needs are; and make sure we deliver solutions to their needs.”

Whilst the processes and procedures that the company utilise internally are incidental to the client, they act as a path that the estimators must follow, from concept to completion. This rigidity to internal procedures guarantees the right product is manufactured to the right specification and delivered on the right day.

“Speaking corporately,” John continues, “it would be easy to say our aim is to be the biggest provider to the industry, but we are realists, and in that reality our aim is to be the best at what we do. Our philosophy is it that it is better to have 10 satisfied clients than 100 dissatisfied ones.

“Our overall aim is to ensure that the client is happy with the service and solutions we provide. It is our professional obligation to provide a service that will make them trust us to undertake their service requirements, and this can only be to our benefit, as they will hopefully be open to considering us for future projects.”

John further boasts a deep understanding of the industry that he and his company operate in. He is proud to work with leading manufacturers, offering a crucial service to a number of them as a key UK distributor of their products.

“We look to develop our own products, based on what technology is available and what is a viable solution.

But, for example, we are not experts in manufacturing and developing various ranges of intelligent sensors.

“Instead we work with the market leaders such as Optex, Hotron and Pepperl-Fuchs, all of whom are experts in their respective fields. We take these products and integrate them into a wider range of products that enables the right solution for the client.

“Our industry is closely tied into the construction industry; however, we offer solutions to the refurb & repair market, Contract Maintenance and Service market, as well as the new build sector.

“This diversity protects us in many ways. When the new build sector is stagnant, you tend to find that the refurbishment market is buoyant – and vice versa, whilst the maintenance / service sector enables us to tender for work on projects where we might not have had a direct input at the construction stage.

Additionally, the range of Entrance / Exit solutions we offer opens many different sectors within the construction market. This allows us to tender for work on industrial, commercial, and retail projects.”

To aid in this, North Valley Metal makes use of a number of marketing tools, from the company website to social media, to market-orientated publications.

“It would be fair to say our expertise speaks for itself.

This can be recognised in the conversations between our Sales & Estimation Team and their clients/contacts.

Our customers know and trust us because of our past history with them whilst new contacts learn very quickly that we know what

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we are talking about. The construction industry can be very unforgiving at times, and clients can and will see straight through anyone that doesn’t know what they are talking about. That is what pushes us to uphold a strongly disciplined business model, based around ascertaining the clients’ needs above all to base our solutions around.”

Through these strategies, NVM Solutions have become involved in many projects, either in a leading position, or simply as a provider of a service or product. This has given John great ambitions for the future of the company.

“Our aspiration is to grow the business to a point where we can approach other similar-minded companies that might not have a range of products as comprehensive as ours, or offer services in another complimentary field, and have the expertise and infrastructure to enable us to bolt on to NVM Solutions.

“Partnering in this way enables growth and wider range of skills and products which in turn opens the market to bigger and different contracts.

Surmising his experiences whilst offering sage advice, John concludes, “the most important thing we have learnt throughout our 50-year history is to make sure you understand the client’s needs. It really is the pinnacle of the relationship between the supplier and the client. Fail to do this and the project will not deliver to the client’s expectations.”

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Ones to Watch for 2016: Construction (USA)

Company: NVM Solutions Name: John Seymour Email: john. john.seymour@nvmsolutions.co.uk Web Address: www.nvmsolutions.co.uk Address: NVM Group House, Netherfield Road, Nelson, BB9 9QL, Lancashire, UK Telephone 01282 618141

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Manufacturing & Supply

Steeling Themselves for the Future Online Metal Ltd. is an e-commerce metal store, with over 30 years’ specialist steel experience at its foundation. They offer the largest range of sizes in the market, and provide free cutting services to any size. Offering a ‘no minimum order’ service, with trade prices still intact, has allowed them to obtain a vast customer base ranging from large fabricators to artists, architects and home DIY projects.

nline Metal Ltd. are currently the largest sheet metal supplier in the country, with their products ranging from Bright Spangled Galvanized steel coils to Corten steel sheets. “Supplying the London Sculpture Workshop, the Museum of Liverpool and the RCA, to name but a few,” as Sara Halman relates, “we plan to become involved in art projects supporting these major players and others across the UK.

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“Our parent company, Amerex Ltd, a specialist steel Stockholder has been established for over 30 years. Due to this we have a highly experienced team, with extensive technical knowledge at hand for any advice our customers may need. It also positions us to source metal that we may not stock, through our large and ongoing network of metal sheet suppliers and allows us to offer the most competitive pricing on mild steel in the UK market.” Based on this, Online Metal aim to provide customers with a hassle-free service from start to finish. Ensuring the most competitive prices, exceptional customer service, precisely cut high quality products and prompt delivery.

“Since our company’s inception in 2013, we have increased our product range and we now offer aluminium steel sheets, galvanised and copper mesh and Corten steel sheets, to name but a few recently introduced products.

“In the next 12 months we plan to offer bespoke fabricated items, from Corten planters and ponds to galvanised steel containers, in an effort to become the primary metal superstore in the UK for all of our customer’s metal needs.”

Online Metal Ltd. cater to any quantity orders, and to almost any type of project, all from their website, www.buymetalonline.co.uk.

In terms of architecture, design and art, metal doesn’t show any sign of becoming less popular.

The team at Online Metal Ltd. are constantly seeing different types of metal becoming the fashionable trend, which has been the scenario since the beginning of the modernism and simplistic design era. “For us,” observes Sara, “it is all about being aware of the next growing trend within that sector of the market. For 2017, we see Corten being a favourite especially in the landscape and gardening sectors and expect to see copper and brass carry on being the big interior trend.

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Ones to Watch for 2016: Construction (USA)

Company: Online Metal Ltd. Name: Sara Halman Email: sales@buymetalonline.co.uk Web Address: www.buymetalonline.co.uk Address: Unit 26-29 Shelley Road, Newburn Industrial Estate Tyne and Wear NE15 9RT Telephone: (0191) 2646464

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Manufacturing & Supply

Modern Materials, Straightforward Service Monolith is part of a group of companies owned by Stephen Waring. Originally a construction company with the aim of utilising new and eco-friendly technologies to build modern, innovative and thermally efficient homes, whilst giving the outward appearance of more traditional buildings. Subsequent research in this market led to the use of Insulated Concrete Formwork construction as a platform, which culminated in the development of the company’s StonePlus and BrickPlus products, and since then Monolith has undergone a transformation from construction to solely manufacturing. anaging Director Keith Hepplewhite takes the lead on exploring Monolith’s breakout success. “Our products are unique within the construction industry, as we are able to offer much more flexibility than traditional materials. We can create bespoke brick and stone pieces tailored specifically to clients’ needs providing a lightweight, thermally efficient products perfect for most types of construction projects.”

Discussing the relationship that Monolith maintains with its customers, Keith further comments, “our client base is extremely important to the success of our business, our aim is to engage with our customers at every stage of the process. We make every effort to ensure that they are happy with all aspects of their project from the size, shape, colour and texture of the product, to their experience and engagement with our professional sales, technical and production teams.

Keith is especially eager to demonstrate the advantages of his company’s new flagship lines.

“StonePlus,” he describes, “is a lightweight natural stone alternative. The product is a highgrade expanded polystyrene core coated utilising limestone and GRC technologies that can be made to match the existing features of a building.

Keith ultimately aspires to make Monolith a market leader, providing bespoke and complete brick and stone cladding solutions and developing long term mutually beneficial partnerships with industryleading companies. There is indeed a sizeable gap in the market for him to do so, which is widening under ongoing industry trends.

“Meanwhile, our BrickPlus product provides for a brick finish that can match the majority of brick types and colours – including those that have been out of production for decades or even those that have been weathered by time – where even the original brick if still in supply would not match.” The flexibility in this product has given rise to a number of spin-off products that can likewise be utilised on a wide range of construction projects from new modern builds to listed building renovations.

Transferability is evidently the name of the game when it comes to creating innovative solutions for Monolith’s clients.

“There appears to be an increase in construction projects at the moment but with skilled labour in short supply.” Keith sees a significant place in the market for Monolith’s systems, “which in response to these market pressures, require minimal training, saves money and time, particularly in relation to labour and scaffolding costs, whilst providing additional benefits such as thermal efficiency and reduced carbon footprint.”

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To back up their acumen, Monolith have a range of literature detailing their products, informing potential clients of their systems, how they may be used and also showing case studies of recent projects. They also work closely and engage with a number of architects providing details to support and contribute toward their ongoing Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programmes.

Monolith’s key strength lies in their ability to offer products specifically to each of their clients’ individual requirements, while the technical research and development team develops bespoke solutions to keep the company well ahead of its competitors. “We are extremely proud of our products and their capabilities within the industry.

We do have however a number of standout projects which clearly demonstrate what we know can be achieved with our StonePlus and BrickPlus Systems.” Keith summarises a few of the most notable past instances where Monolith has surpassed customer expectations.

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“One of our clients, who had been developing retirement living accommodation in Truro, was looking for a stone product which would eliminate the issue of cold bridging. They decided on Monolith’s StonePlus system to develop bespoke Window Headers, Cill’s, Stringers and Quoins. The overall effect looks fantastic and our client deemed the project a massive success.

Another of his clients, developing student accommodation, had been looking for an effective way to finish the exterior of the building. This, as Keith reveals, was a large scale project resulting in the BrickPlus system providing a noticeable improvement aesthetically from traditional brick construction.

“It’s easy to fit and cut and can certainly be installed by any competent tradesman. We certainly found it good to use in confined spaces, at height and anywhere conditions for fitting are particularly tough,” was the verdict of approved installers Anthony Jones and Malcom Rossington.

“Everything is so straightforward, on the plain walls it’s embarrassingly quick,” commented Ara Ashdjian, from Stef & Philips.

Monolith’s products have not only proven popular among its clients, but they have also caught the eye of the wider industry and its various regulating bodies. Monolith has recently earned the prestigious honour of receiving a European Agrément Certificate that is UCAS approved and in partnership with KIWA. In addition, the eco-friendly technologies within the products are approved by the Local Authority Building Control (LABC) for a number of systems; these are Insulated Concrete Form (ICF), Timber Frame, SIPS, Steel Frame, and Solid Wall.

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“We are also at present seeking the approval of the British Board of Agrément (BBA),” states Keith, “which will further demonstrate to potential customers within the construction industry that our products are fit for purpose.”

The BBA do indeed offer a keystone to Monolith’s mission, as their recognition as a symbol of quality and reassurance, along with their fully accredited independent inspection services, will be a true testing ground for StonePlus as well as BrickPlus, as to their potential for further growth as sustainable products in the market.

“Our aim is to further progress the Monolith Brick and Stone Brand by developing and maintaining strong partnerships with industry leaders,” Keithe concludes. “We will achieve this by capitalising on our strength to develop unique and bespoke solutions and continuing to innovate construction techniques. Monolith Brick and Stone will be the first choice provider of brick and stone products for many construction projects in the future.”

Company: Monolith Brick and Stone Ltd Name: Keith Hepplewhite – Managing Director Email: info@monolith.build Web Address: www.monolith.build Address: Llys Edmund Prys, St Asaph Business Park, Denbighshire, LL17 0JA Telephone: 01745 535 855

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With over 25 years experience in the industry we offer a comprehensive range of surfacing nationwide: • • • •

Play surfaces Sports surfaces Gravel surfaces Structural surfaces

DCM source premium materials for all products and directly employ highly trained installation experts who pride themselves on consistently providing the highest quality finishes.

All DCM installation teams are DBS checked and approved and hold CSCS cards.

To arrange a site visit, or for a quotation contact us today 01772 440340

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Manufacturing & Supply

Double or Nothing

We are manufacturers of building materials, primarily clay and plastic pipes, although we also manufacture concrete products and terracotta flowerpots. Our Head Office is in Barnsley and we have 6 UK manufacturing operations, employing around 400.

Who are your clients?

UK Builders Merchants are our main customers, although we also actively export. Our Yorkshire Flowerpot range is stocked by many of the UK’s leading garden centres.

What makes you unique?

As a fourth-generation family business, we’re very much a people business: many of our employees, customers and suppliers have been associated with Naylor for decades. We also have a long-term outlook in terms of our business decisions.

What’s your biggest challenge facing you at present?

The construction industry thrives on confidence and stable economic conditions, and the current European referendum related uncertainty is most unwelcome What’s the aim for your business?

We want to double our £50m turnover to £100m by 2020 What’s your company’s biggest challenge?

We’re trying to achieve dramatic growth without external equity investment, although the support (and debt facilities!) of our bankers HSBC has already allowed us to come a long way What individual in your industry and beyond do you admire the most and why?

Early in my career I worked in the City with accountants Deloitte. One of my clients was Hays plc, whose Chief Executive Ronnie Frost was inspirational – a real entrepreneur. Closer to home, our Non-Exec Chairman David Fletcher, an experienced local businessman, is a great sounding-board.

Name: Edward Naylor- CEO Company: Naylor Industries plc Email: Edward.naylor@naylor.co.uk Web Address: www.naylor.co.uk Address: Cawthorne, Barnsley S75 4AD Telephone: 01226 794039

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Personnel

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Personnel

Is Your Office in Need of Elastic Walls?

Grabbing a coffee-to-go and a newspaper, the average businessperson would be forgiven for doing an internal fist-pump if they managed to secure a seat on public transport in London’s rush hour. With increasingly limited space available, and with numbers constantly rising; can London’s offices really accommodate in excess of 6,408,607 people? Or, are offices slowly shrinking?

ear on year, an increase can be seen in the hordes of commuters, visitors and residents who flood the capital during rush hour. Tracking back to 2014; the Office for National Statistics (ONS) recorded a ‘3.5 per cent increase in the number of foreign tourists visiting London from that of the previous year.’

Following this, in 2015, the BBC acknowledged a monumental rise in numbers again, with a staggering 17.4 million overseas visitors, and 8.6 million London residents.’

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These statistics would go some way to explain the swarm of people jostling to get a space on the tube.

However, the real culprit, it would seem, is the influx of daily commuters. As noted by the Telegraph, the workday population accounts for an extra 6,408,607 people in the capital. Although London is never truly quiet, post-rush hour sees a significant reduction of people on the streets and on public transport.

Given the pressure that is being observed on London’s finite public transport system, what can we draw about the similar effect on office spaces in the city?

With London businesses enjoying the added capital from the throngs of visitors, the need for expansion may closely correlate with business success. More employees will be needed to meet the surge in demand, and with more employees hired, the necessity for more space becomes a reality too.

Some businesses may be reluctant to move owing to their location being a popular one with their target market. And, with little room for expansion, the employee density in such offices could easily rise.

It would therefore be fair to assume that London offers the densest work space for employees however, statistics from the BCO revealed that ‘the South West was recorded to have the highest density for office work space at 8.6 sq. m. per workstation, whilst London offered an average of 11.3 square metres.’ The South East offered a larger workspace still, at ‘12.7 square metres.’

Considering the aforementioned statistics for the South West and London, just what constitutes as a healthy work-space for employees?

According to Hse.gov.uk, the national guidelines for office space are as follows: ‘The total volume of the room, when empty, divided by the number of people normally working in it should be at least 11 cubic metres. In making this calculation a room or part of a room which is more than 3.0m high should be counted as 3.0m high. The figure of 11 cubic metres per person is a minimum and may be insufficient if, for example, much of the room is taken up by furniture etc.’

The figure of 11 cubic metres does not apply to retail sales kiosks, attendants’ shelters, machine control cabs or similar small structures, where space is necessarily limited; neither would it apply to rooms being used for lectures, meetings and similar purposes.

In a typical room, where the ceiling is 2.4m high, a floor area of 4.6m2 (for example 2.0 x 2.3m) will be needed to provide a space of 11 cubic metres.

Where the ceiling is 3.0m high or higher the minimum floor area will be 3.7m2(for example 2.0 x 1.85m). (These floor areas are only for illustrative purposes and are approximate).

Astonishingly, the average London office offers ample room for employees to work within, compared to the insufficient space provided for employees in the South West of England. Considering these statistics; it is worth noting whether the current situation is likely to improve or decline?

“We could pick our feet up off the ground and not fall” A decade ago saw employees working on the trade floor, experiencing one of the densest working environments. Despite the modern day stock exchange still making for a busy working

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environment; beneficial changes have been implemented in order to allow workers more space.

In an interview by Business Insider, a former worker described his experiences: ‘In 1997, there were close to 10,000 traders on some trading floors. It was physical. It was loud. It was total mayhem. “The physicality in the pit was ridiculous.

We got to the point where at times the pit was so physical that before the start of the opening bell we could pick our feet up off the ground and not fall”.’

‘However, with modern technology slowly taking over, most trading pits have now closed in favour of computerised technology, allowing traders more space.’

The improvements seen in conditions at the stock exchange have unfortunately not been mirrored in other job sectors. Officespacefinder.co.uk, published figures suggesting that: • ‘The average required space per person for clerical or secretary positions in an open space office is 60 to 110 sq. ft.’ (which equates to 1.83m2 per person).

• For reception areas, it was advised that ‘125 to 200 sq. ft. was allowed where there were two to four receptionists working’, and ‘200 to 300 sq. ft. for receptions where six to eight people were working.’ These statistics would see the former with 1.6m2 and the latter with 1.5m2 of workspace each.

Regardless of the fact that workplace guidelines state 11 cubic metres to be ‘insufficient if much of the room is taken up by furniture etc.’; employers across job sectors regularly ignore this clause, filling an employee’s workspace with large office materials.

A survey carried out by Building.co.uk found, ‘the occupational density on a call-centre floor is usually high, typically 5-8 m2 per person.’ This would instantly be considered insufficient by governmental guidelines however, the study went on to find that, ‘even then, some of the workspaces [are] filled with

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Personnel

filing cabinets, desks, chairs, drawers and lockers, which can see the employee with a measly 0.5m2 per person.’

Other professions regularly requiring their employees to work in cramped spaces include jobs roles such as; cruise ship staff, flight and train crew.

Certain job roles such as an airline crew member is unlikely to see much of an improvement in workspace in the foreseeable future owing to the nature of the job. However, other sectors are able to explore additional avenues in order to address the problem of shrinking office space.

Commonly used by businesses that have a greater number of employees than desks; hot desking sees employees sharing their work station with other colleagues. Typically, after one employee finishes their shift, they pack up their materials and clear their desk for the next employee.

Benefits of this include: Savings: It is thought that hot-desking can reduce a company’s costs by up to 30%, with UK businesses able to save a total of £34 billion a year.

Meanwhile, the potential disadvantages are: Hygiene: Risk of infection is thought to be higher in offices where hot-desking is present, with only one third of workers washing their hands after visiting the bathroom.

Clean desk policy: Offices which use hot-desking more often than not introduce a clean desk policy, meaning no personal belongings are allowed on desks at the end of the day, the impact of this on work is the subject of much debate.

Collaboration: Despite hot-desking supposedly being a way to promote this within the workplace, many argue it is hampering staff: “Employees that do not have a desk of their own have a weaker sense of cohesion within a team.”

Virgin detailed some of the potential merits and flaws of this practice:

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Sometimes the best option for your business (and particularly your employees) is to move premises.

Darren Best, MD of London-based estate agent, www.savoystewart.co.uk commented: “It is essential that your business premises is fit for purpose. Employee health and safety is paramount, and a better working environment will yield enhanced business results.”

It is mandatory that all legal requirements are met when moving business premises for example; giving notice, offering redundancies, and the secure handling and transportation of certain documents.

While improvements have been made across the majority of job sectors; many employers continue to disregard workplace guidelines, subjecting their employees to cramped workspaces. The problem therefore lies in how such practises can be monitored.

Employees should address workspace issues with their employer, and should this prove fruitless; advice can be sought from citizensadvice.org.uk.

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Sustainability & Eco

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Sustainability & Eco

Sophistication and Simplicity Bentomat Geosynthetic Clay Liners (GCL) are widely used in the construction of lakes, reservoirs, wetlands, reed beds, lagoons, swimming ponds, school ponds, golf clubs, Aquaponics & fisheries, as well as more industrial applications such as in SUDS attenuation pond lining projects, anaerobic digestion basins, canal lining and river & stream diversions. As Client Services Director Jay Rooney describes it, Bentomat is essentially a GCL consisting of a layer of bentonite encapsulated between two textiles which are needle-punched together. The result is an easy-to-install, self-healing, selfseaming liner that requires very little maintenance. Furthermore, because it does not require specialised welding equipment or labour, Bentomat can be installed with minimal instruction or supervision, at a cost that, despite its numerous benefits, is often less than regular liners. The swelling properties of the bentonite clay and cushioning of the textiles eliminate the need for seam welding and underlayment. Bentomat CL has the additional benefit of a thin, laminated, flexible membrane that adds an extra layer of protection to the GCL. Jay discusses the product and company strategy with BUILD in intimate detail. hen undertaking a new client or project what approach do you use to ensure the best possible outcome?

It’s all about client confidence, the best ideas are always simple and Bentomat is very simple, however clients need hand holding throughout. Once the client has completed the project, we always receive the “it was a lot easier than we thought it would be” feedback.

We use a bespoke calculation to ensure the clients receive the correct amount of liner based on their supplied dimensions and follow a very straightforward process of suitability assessment and costing.

Because clients range from individuals looking to create a natural pool in their garden to civil engineering companies constructing large attenuation lakes, we have a checklist of criteria to consider covering everything from ground conditions through to the correct delivery vehicle.

Within the wider industry, how do you distribute your knowledge and experience (for example, do you speak at industry conferences or write literature on your area of expertise)?

Our strategy has been to be “Client Led” and to position the company and the products where and when prospective customers might need Bentomat.

There is nothing overwhelmingly sophisticated about Bentomat – if anything it is overwhelmingly simple.

As demand for cost effective natural solutions increases, we hope that awareness of Bentomat as a brand does so exponentially. Just yesterday I received an email from a residential client in Berkshire stating how he wished they’d known about the product a year ago and had told a couple of his friends who are thinking about creating reed beds. I mention this because, there are no expertise required to use Bentomat, which is a talking point for the industry and clients alike, it’s part of the attractiveness of the product.

What sets you apart from other companies in this industry? What marks you out as the best option for your clients?

Communication. Apart from the product itself and price, we offer unparalleled support to our clients, this is reflected in a Client Satisfaction Survey we undertook recently where 100% of our customers rated us as Good or Excellent for every element of the purchasing process from enquiry to post-delivery support. We manage the stakeholders’ expectations unlike any other company offering GCL’s.

What are your overall aims, and what strategies do you employ to achieve these?

My favourite brands are Hoover and Sellotape, this is simply because they have achieved the status of ‘Verb’. People often refer to “Hoovering” and “Sellotaping”, yet these are just reflections of the brands power, not really words. I don’t envisage “to Bentomat” appearing in the dictionary, but as an industry benchmark for product quality, price and service I think we set the standard, so we’ll just continue doing what we do.

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How do you make sure you create innovative solutions to maintain your success?

Being a natural mineral, Sodium Bentonite is what it is and although there are restrictions with the use of any GCL, the R & D team are often presented with client scenarios where innovation manifests itself as either a bespoke product manufacture or through liaison with the Technical team, a project specific installation processes. There are no problems, only solutions!

What has been your most successful project to date?

What has been the most important thing you have learnt from working on this?

Because we don’t install the products, it would be unfair to single out a single project. We are just as pleased with Mrs Smith using Sodium Bentonite to plug a hole in her failed butyl lined pond as we are seeing windsurfers on a lake created using Bentomat.

We ensure we are part of the team delivering the end result – there is a map on our website elucidating some of the projects we’ve supplied to and we, like our clients class them all as successes.

What does the future have in store for your industry?

How do you see your market changing over the next 12 months?

The construction Industry is on the up again by all accounts which is great news for everyone.

Attenuation, Sustainable Urban (and Rural) Drainage (SuDS) are key elements of development and Bentomat is a logical solution to these. I think

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Pictures Courtesy of Bentomat Client - Susie Younger people are looking more for natural solutions and Bentomat is not only very easy to install, it is invariably cheaper than other solutions and Bentonite has occurred naturally for millions of years. There is also the opportunity to transform ugly exhausted quarries and mines into fantastic watersport complexes or havens for wildlife – the latter we would like to see more of.

What are your future aspirations for your company? Do you have any plans or projects you would be willing to share with us?

We have clients such as the National Trust, Froglife, UK Coal, Tarmac and the EA, I would personally like to see an increase in environmental awareness amongst the more corporate civil engineering and construction companies. There is obviously a responsibility, but surely by using natural solutions such as Bentomat, these companies have something else to differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive market.

Image from before

Do you have anything further to add?

Do you need a lake?

Sustainable Construction: Building for the Future

Company: Bentomat Ltd Name: Jay Rooney – Client Services Director Email: interest@bentomat.co.uk Web Address: www.bentomat.co.uk Address: GCL House, No20 Nursery Road, Scholar Green, Cheshire, ST7 3BW Telephone: 0845 643 9795

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Sustainability & Eco

21st-Century Urban Landscaping DESCRIBE THE BUSINESS? My business specialises in the installation and initial development stages of green landscapes over a concrete deck. In the UK, most concrete decks cover subterranean carparks for large communal developments.

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OW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN BUSINESS? I have been in business 20 years. I have specialised in this sector for eight years.

WHERE IS THE BUSINESS? About 90 per cent of the business is in north and central London.

WHAT IS YOUR SPECIFIC INTEREST IN THIS SECTOR? I have always been incredibly interested in plants.

WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH PLANTS? Over the past fifteen years, I have developed a private nursery in Suffolk where I experiment with different growing methods. I am particularly interested in root development and its relationship with leaf and branch development. Drought tolerance and cold hardiness are also interests.

I have been working at an estate in northern Italy for the past 12 years and have experimented with cold hardiness there. I have also spent time in Norway and Russia.

I have experimented with many small trees and most shrubs and bulbs in circulation.

Tree planters over a concrete deck HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS SECTOR? Incredibly important to the future landscape of cities.

It is a precise construction method placing soil over concrete. It is in its infancy but will develop greatly over the next few decades.

WHY IT IMPORTANT? Green landscapes are incredibly important for our well-being. Whether to look down upon or interact with. Green landscapes are essential for insects and the wildlife they support.

HOW CAN THIS SECTOR IMPROVE? In the UK, landscape design hasn’t really adapted to this new environment. Design is still formal and traditional in the plant selection. Birch trees, boxwood and yew will struggle on a concrete deck with an average maintenance budget. Small Magnolias, Japanese maples, Rhododendron, Azalea and Camelia will thrive. This is due to the nature of their root systems.

HOW CAN THE PHYSICAL CONSTRUCTION OF THE CONCRETE DECK BE IMPROVED? A minor gradient should be created when the concrete is set. Drainage through attrition doesn’t work. Over winter soils become wet and compact. A gradient will improve drainage.

Fixings through the concrete deck such as drains need to be sealed adequately. 95 per cent of leaks are through fixings.

Photographic evidence of the construction process will also aid problem solving in the future.

WHAT WILL HELP THIS SECTOR DEVELOP? Landscape architects need to communicate with managing agents and landscape companies to understand how these landscapes can be improved.

Landscape architects need to connect with the horticulture industry for plant availability or contract growing of plants.

climates protected from the damaging effects of cold winter winds. Such landscaping will enable continental cities where there are cold winters and hot summers to diversify their landscape by introducing new plants.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT? I am working on a project called Hamilton Drive in St. Johns Wood, London. We are building the back gardens of ten town houses. The lawns have been laid over 40 centimetres of sandy soil. As the lawns are in the light shade of the houses during winter, we have over sown our lawns with a variety of shade tolerant Kentucky Blue Grass. We have built the irrigation tank into the front of a tree planter which also houses the electrics for the lights. The lawns are cut by a Husqvarna Robotic lawnmower.

The gardens are simple yet beautiful adding another visual dimension to the kitchen space. I believe that only 5 per cent of us are true gardeners and the other 95 per cent of just want to look upon a beautiful easily maintained garden.

And owing to the mild climate of central London and the sandy soil built up over the concrete deck, Mixed border Finchley Road enthusiastic home owners would be able to establish unique gardens of tender plants such as Fuschias, Pelargoniums and Begonia.

‘Mixed border over a concrete deck

Builders need to become more interested in landscape sustainability. Development is profit driven and sometimes poor decisions are made for very small gains in profit.

There are a growing number of developers with a keen interest in the finish to their projects. These individuals will drive change.

WHY IS THERE SUCH POTENTIAL WITH THIS SECTOR? Landscapes over concrete decks are, ideally, perfect environments for plant health. Cities are micro

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WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO IN THE FUTURE? I would like to assist the industry on which plants can be used based on site and situation and availability.

I would like to extend that assistance to the industry in other European cities. I think they should look to the UK horticultural industry for innovation in their designs.

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Living Art: Garden & Landscape Designs of 21st Century UK

Company: City Landscape Services Name: Nick Crosby Email: info@cls.london Web Address: www.cls.london Address: City Landscape Services, 16a Park Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP13ST Telephone: +44 7957 416674

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Sustainability & Eco

Process Industry – What’s the Energy and Emission Savings Potential?

The process industry has a lot in common with the construction sector in terms of ways of reducing energy consumption and CO2 emission. In both cases a key to sustainability lies in viable solutions that lower the operating costs by minimising heat transfer and therefore – the final energy demand. How much can a single factory save with proper insulation?

ccording to Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) regulations, organisations that qualify as large undertakings must choose one or more routes to compliance that cover all areas of significant energy consumption and are bound to carry out ESOS assessments every 4 years. These assessments are audits of the energy used by their buildings, industrial processes and transport to identify cost-effective energy saving measures. Unfortunately, the savings potential is not always recognised.

The report covers several case studies where TIPCHECK energy audits were performed. In a chemical plant in France, 30 valves and 35 storage tanks rooftops were uninsulated, generating a total of 12.600 Mwh of unnecessary heat loss per year. “An investment of €100,000, which covered audit, insulation instalment and material costs, allowed to achieve approximately €405,000 of energy cost savings in the first year and €505,000 in the following years. Payback?

Merely two and a half months,” explains Craig Treanor from Paroc Ltd.

“The level of insulation applied may be based on a minimum investment decision following requirements regarding the maximum surface temperature to avoid personal injuries, minimum process needs or based on generic maximum heat loss rates only,” says Craig Treanor, Technical Support Manager at Paroc Ltd and certified TIPCHECK engineer. “There is a recognised gap between current and costeffective insulation levels,” he adds.

Paroc is one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of energy-efficient insulation solutions for new and renovated buildings, marine and offshore, acoustics and other industrial applications.

Throughout its over 75-year history, the Finnish supplier has built a reputation for innovation, product performance, technical expertise and sustainability. Paroc aims to remain an innovative and trusted partner for a sustainable built environment.

Recognising the potential How much could we save? The answer to that question can be found in the European Industrial Insulation Foundation report, ‘Climate Protection with rapid payback – Energy and CO2 savings potential of industrial insulation in EU-27’. According to the non-profit organisation, the share of equipment without insulation or with damaged insulation in EU is conservatively estimated to be 10%, 6% and 2% for low- middle- and high temperature surfaces respectively. There is a significant energy saving and CO2 mitigation potential related to improved thermal insulation in industry. This potential is currently untapped, despite being cost-effective to implement.

TIPCHECK (Technical Insulation Performance Check) is laid out in conformance with article 8, Annex 6 of the Energy Efficiency Directive, and with EN 16247 and ISO 50001/50002, as a contributing industrial process energy survey – and supports the requirement for auditing every 4 years, working to reduce energy consumption to reach the -20% target in 2020.

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The aim of the TIPCHECK Programme established by the European Industrial Insulation Foundation is to provide industry with a standardized, high quality thermal energy audit tool focusing on the thermal performance of technical insulation systems. TIPCHECKs quantify the amount of energy and money

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an industrial facility is losing with its current insulation system (including uninsulated parts).

Payback on insulation investments can be clearly demonstrated by industrial site temperature and heat flow measurements, calculations and thermal imaging.

Benefits for European industry The study goes the extra mile to describe the potential of energy and emission savings for all European Trading System members, including the UK. EIIF estimates that if the plant managers in EU-27 would consider economically viable solutions such as insulating bare surfaces to costeffective levels and repairing damaged insulation in industry, we could save approximately 620 PJ of energy and cut the emission of CO2 by 49 Mt yearly. This energy savings potential is equivalent to the energy consumption of all Dutch industry, while the annual CO2 reductions potential is equivalent to 18 million medium-sized cars each running 12,500 kilometres per year.

In order to tap into this potential, the assessors at EIIF estimate a one-time investment of €900 million is required. At current prices, it would help reduce industry production costs Europewide by €3.5 billion every year and diminish the gas import from Russia by up to 12.5% The average payback period of industrial insulation improvements is 1-2 years and it is easy to achieve compared to other Best Available Techniques. It can be even shorter depending on energy prices, energy losses and insulation costs.

The complete study can be found on European Industrial Insulation Foundation’s website.

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Sustainability & Eco

Surface Water Flooding: The Forgotten Threat?

The Government’s National Flood Resilience Review was prompted by a series of storms that hit the UK with devastating flooding. Having begun in January 2016, shortly after Storm Desmond’s impact reverberated through destroyed homes, businesses and communities, last week the Review pledged a £12.5 million investment in temporary flood defences.

his means that a greater number of barriers and pumps will be available to defend key high risk locations. Alongside this headline financial figure, the review’s authors also promised to persuade utility and water companies alike to shoulder a larger portion of the responsibility for protecting vital infrastructure against the ravages of flooding.

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However, according to Chris Griffiths, flooding expert at leading hard landscaping supplier Marshalls, the Report fails to take a holistic view of the flooding crisis.

Chris commented “The National Flood Resilience Review’s findings and pledges of action make sense, and demonstrate some very pragmatic and necessary approaches to dealing with flood affected areas. However, the report concentrates heavily on protecting communities in the event of a flood. While this is absolutely the right approach in coastal areas, we would have liked to see equal attention given to reducing the impact of surface water flooding in inland areas.

“We believe the report’s lack of focus on surface water flooding is an oversight, not least because Environment Agency figures show that 2.8m UK homes are at risk of this type of flooding - and with towns and cities expanding, this number could easily increase. It may also infer that householders who don’t live in close proximity to a river or the coast are at low risk of flooding, which as recent events demonstrate, frequently isn’t the case.

“As discussed in our recent report Future Spaces, which looks at how the built environment will be shaped in the next 10 years, Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) are an incredibly important strategy for tackling surface water flooding. SuDS are absent from the Review.

“While barriers and pumps can be used to minimise damage in the event of a flood, SuDS are an intelligent preventative measure. They work by mimicking natural drainage processes, allowing excess rainwater to soak into the ground as it falls.

Importantly, SuDS come in many different forms, meaning they’re suitable for all sorts of environments, including heavily built-up areas like cities and towns.

Permeable paving, harvesting rainwater using rain gardens, plus more sensitive urban design which anticipates potential flood risk, all form important parts of the solution.

“In actual fact there is legislation in place around the installation of SuDS but enforcement can, at best, be described as ‘patchy’. Frustratingly, the Review does not even call for more effective implementation of this existing legislation. This is a missed opportunity as, if properly implemented, these measures would help to mitigate the risk of surface water flooding in the first place and reduce the need for last-ditch defences – which, as the report recognises, can never be relied upon to provide 100% protection.

The measures discussed in the Government’s National Flood Resilience Review may indeed be a step in the right direction, but overall the Review fails to take a holistic view of flood risk and mitigation, instead concentrating on last ditch defences in the face of particular types of flooding. An equal focus on sensible, pragmatic methods of holding back and slowing the flow of surface water would have provided a longer-term solution to the flooding crisis.

Although we welcome and encourage any steps to minimise the misery caused by flooding, it remains to be seen how much more resilient the UK will really be to flooding this winter.”

Sophie Rowe sophie.rowe@marshalls.co.uk 01422 312 902

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Tech

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Technology

Creating the Perfect Universal Tool Based out of the Technology Centre in Houston, Texas, NAJMTEK is a company that prides itself on providing a truly global innovative solution not existing anywhere else, and with no equivalent in its industry.

ur mission at NAJMTEK,” says Sophie Ennadi, “is to change the way users interact with their technology as they will participate in, and contribute to the world while being custodians of the planet.”

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This core objective is best demonstrated through the launch of NAJMTEK’s new UBook – a ‘Universal Notebook’ that does away with keyboards to boast a multi-touch input screen, 140 international languages, and a versatile OS; the UBook can be transformed from one virtual machine to another, be it an ultrasound machine, an EKG machine, a diagramming or designing tool, or a simple notepad.

As Sophie relates, “when creating the UBook, we wanted to build a technology that worked well with these changing lifestyles by providing a device that meets all users’ needs, without the necessity of purchasing additional devices or having to go back and forth between their phone, laptop, computer, tablet, etc. As such, UBook is the first all-in-one multi-touch laptop, fully customizable according to the end user’s needs.

user-friendly software. As such, we will provide them with a free Software Development Kit (SDK).

In case they can’t find the right application on our store, they can develop it by themselves, whereupon they have the option of sharing it, for free or not, via the online store.”

With such versatility and ability to manipulate the UBook’s features according to the whims of its users, NAJMTEK will always be able to provide what the customer needs, and thus to stay ahead of the competition. To bolster that, NAJMTEK has noted that their vision is perfectly aligned with the concept of the Internet of Things. Sophie states, “as the objective of the IoT is to extend network and computing capabilities to all objects, UBook is tailor-made for this. By bringing external, portable devices, and even control panel tools for heavy and huge machine, into software applications and making it all directly available through the input screen-board, we will be able to contribute to connecting any device that may not have been able to connect together beforehand.”

As NAJMTEK is currently geared towards bringing

The innovation behind the UBook speaks volumes as to how NAJMTEK defines itself as a truly nonconventional company. “We love to brainstorm and mastermind in our company. Every idea is welcome, and each employee can submit a new proposal. Then we open a discussion to see what can be done or not.

“An atmosphere built around close, constructive teamwork is what moves us ahead, and contributes to our success.

“As a non-conventional firm, we are keeping an eye on what our competitors are doing, but we focus more on our customers’ needs; through our strong analyses, we can work on and find the best solution. For us, the answer lies in developing

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their UBook device onto the market, their thoughts turn to funding. With a view to implementing a series of apps and fonts for dyslexic users, the start-up hopes to work with school districts to provide one device per child. “As it is a Universal Notebook, it can be used by anybody, and we will not have this issue of language barrier anymore.

“We will look to properly establish our online store and the free SDK, with a view to making it available before the launch of the device; that way, our clients have a head start in developing the tools that they need to make the UBook successful.”

Architecture Start-ups of 2016

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Company: NAJMTEK Email: contact@najmtek.com Phone: +1 (713) 357-9523 Web Address: http://www.najmtek.com/ Address: Houston Technology Center, 410 Pierce Street #310, Houston, Texas 77002, USA

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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