INDUSTRY UPDATES

Each month, PSBJ rounds up the latest public sector construction updates, from new contracts to industry awards.

Planning permission granted to retrofit Atlantic House into vibrant new junior school

Planning permission has been granted for the extensive retrofit of 21 St. Albans Grove into an exemplary new junior school for Thomas’s Day Schools within the De Vere Conservation Area in Kensington, west London. The design, by award-winning architect firm Ackroyd Lowrie, introduces sensitive, modern interventions to tie together the two historic buildings, one of which is Victorian, the other mid-20th century, and revitalise the character of St. Albans Grove with improved landscaping and boundary treatments. The firm’s Managing Director, Jon Ackroyd, comments: “This project has been another opportunity to weave Thomas’s Schools’ ambitious brief into the fabric of two wonderful historic buildings that sit within a rich, urban fabric. The challenge was to provide a modern and safe learning environment, whilst respecting the existing character, and upgrading the fabric to achieve ambitious energy targets.” Ackroyd Lowrie’s approved design will provide an exceptional, five-storey school comprising 23 teaching classrooms for pupils from reception to Year 6, soundproofed music rooms, libraries, dining halls, assembly hall, reception, head’s office, meeting/administration rooms, flexible community spaces and a planted biodiversity roof garden.

Building a Safer Future announces new assessment pathway

Building a Safer Future has announced the launch of a new assessment pathway in its Champion scheme for housing associations and the social housing sector, designed to help them explore and reduce their building safety risk profile. The new pathway is specifically designed to suit the unique responsibilities of these key organisations, and makes the building safety culture change assessment scheme accessible to a wider section of the built environment industry than ever before. The BSF Champions process gives companies detailed insight into their existing leadership and culture around building safety and equips them with actionable data and practical tools to help review, prioritise and upgrade their approach to building safety and, in doing so, help rebuild public trust. The new pathway was officially launched at the Building and Fire Safety in Housing conference hosted by National Housing Federation (NHF) on 22nd February. The NHF has advised and inputted into the creation of this new specialist pathway as part of an ongoing partnership between the two organisations with a shared aim of raising standards and shifting culture in building safety.

Former Arnold Clark garage to be transformed into new homes

Planning permission has been granted for a former Arnold Clark branch in Glasgow Southside to be transformed into 50 modern flats for social rent. Developer, AS Homes (Scotland), will deliver the homes on behalf of Southside Housing Association. Located within Glasgow’s popular Strathbungo location, the site will be redeveloped to create affordable flats and associated outdoor amenity spaces. The new development has been deemed to play an important role in providing much-needed housing in such a sustainable location. Furthering its commitment to building energy-efficient homes and to provide lower energy costs for residents, AS Homes (Scotland) will be delivering the homes to Gold Hybrid sustainability status by installing air-source heat pumps and PV panels. Lower energy lighting will also be incorporated into each home. Designed by architect practice Keppie Design, the development will comprise a mix of one-, twoand three-bedroom flats, including wheelchair-accessible homes, set across four-, five- and six-storey blocks. A selection of flats will also offer additional outdoor balcony space. Work is due to start this month with an expected completion date of April 2025.

ArtsEd shortlisted for two prestigious architectural awards

Phase one of De Matos Ryan’s redevelopment and masterplanning of ArtsEd performing arts school has been shortlisted for the 2023 AJ Retrofit Awards as well as the RIBA London Regional Awards. De Matos Ryan Director, Jose Esteves De Matos, says: “We are delighted to be shortlisted for these two prestigious architectural awards. Located in a tight and landlocked block within a largely suburban site, the redevelopment has unlocked the potential of ArtsEd’s existing footprint to create much-needed new studio, rehearsal and teaching spaces in the previouslyunused courtyard and rooftop areas. The scheme maximises every millimetre of space available to ensure that ArtsEd’s four distinct schools can now all operate from their own state-of-the-art site. The school’s facilities will now match the exceptional quality of teaching to ensure that future generations continue to leave ArtsEd as outstandingly confident and creative young performers.” Established nearly 100 years ago, ArtsEd was founded by groundbreaking educational pioneers who believed passionately in the value of combining a general academic education with a specialised training in dance, drama, music and art.

Cruden Homes set to bring 122 new homes to west Edinburgh

Cruden Homes, part of the Cruden Group, has received planning permission to build 122 new homes for sale in the heart of west Edinburgh. The development forms part of the West Craigs Masterplan – a growing new community between Barnton and The Gyle. Once completed, West Craigs will include at least 1700 new homes, a new primary school, nursery, health centre, cafe, extensive parkland and woodland and a network of cycle routes that feed into Edinburgh’s Green Corridor. West Craigs is positioned in the suburb of Maybury, on the edge of rolling countryside with excellent transport links to Edinburgh’s city centre, making it a highly sought-after location. Cruden Homes’ 4.25-acre site is ideally placed within this new community, overlooking the green open space of the newly-formed Lennie Park and within walking distance of the popular Cammo Estate. Designed by ISA Architecture & Design, the range of energy-efficient new homes features one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, many with balconies, along with three- and four-bedroom terraced and semi-detached houses and townhouses, all with private gardens. The development will also provide communal electric vehicle charging points and breakout garden spaces with BBQ and seating areas for the apartments.

McLaren chosen for £30m infrastructure works at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Greenwich

McLaren Construction has been appointed on behalf of Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust to deliver site-wide infrastructure works to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich. The 482-bed hospital serves the south-east London community. The circa £30m capital cost investment will bring improved estate resilience by delivering new primary high-voltage and low-voltage electricity distribution, back-up generators, a refurbished energy centre, a new vacuuminsulated evaporator compound and associated structural and building works. Ventilation improvements include replacement of the air-handling units serving the operating theatres, pathology, delivery suite, special care baby unit and ward areas. The extensive works require around 6km of armoured electrical cable including 1km of high-voltage electrical cable, 1.3km of busbars, nine new airhandling units, 19 refurbished air-handling units and three 1.5kVA generators. McLaren engaged with clinicians, the estates team, the facilities management provider and other stakeholders in the hospital to develop an 80-week programme to support the trust’s ‘business as usual’ policy. The resulting programme of works avoids intrusive structural alterations impacting clinical delivery and allows sufficient lead time to engage with departmental heads.

Sunderland City Council closer to carbon neutral with £9.1m depot

The £9.1m redevelopment of Parsons Vehicle Workshop and Depot in Parsons Road, Washington, a project that began in the summer of 2021 for Sunderland City Council (SCC), is now occupied. Over the coming years, SCC aspires to move towards electric vehicles in lieu of petrol or diesel, therefore, electric vehicle charging was a significant element of the project. The building will act as an electrical vehicle charging hub for the council’s fleet of vehicles, utilising a large array of roof-mounted solar PVs and battery storage units to obtain maximum efficiency out of the system. To make way for the brand-new, twostorey mixed-use vehicle depot building, the existing workshop was demolished to be replaced by one that houses workshop spaces and office accommodation as well as a fuel station, electric charging hub and a security gatehouse to service the entrance, which leads to parking facilities for fleet, visitors and staff. After a competitive tender, Esh Construction (Esh) was appointed as contractor in the summer of 2020. In keeping with its social value strategy to work with local firms whenever possible, Esh appointed Durham-based Howarth Litchfield as architect with shared responsibility for submitting the planning application, which was given the green light in early 2021.

Economic Boost

Morgan Sindall Construction’s Yorkshire operation has shared details of its far-reaching investment in Wakefield following its move to the city just over three years ago. Since the end of 2019, Morgan Sindall has been located in the heart of Wakefield town centre at Merchant Gate. In that period, the leading contractor has been appointed to a range of milestone construction jobs that are helping to shape a bright future for the city. This has seen the delivery or ongoing delivery of £27m worth of projects across Wakefield. As a result, Morgan Sindall has developed social value plans that have seen it engage with the Wakefield community around employment and skills training, conservation, volunteering and offering its support to local projects where possible. This has included £22,500 worth of community investment, six apprentice placements, 17 weeks of work experience for local people and 27 engagements with local schools. Ben Hall, Morgan Sindall’s Area Director for Yorkshire, said: “We’re proud to call Wakefield our home, and it gives us a real thrill to know that we’re playing a key role in creating a bright future for the city. Whether that’s creating outstanding facilities for the next generation to hone their craft or learn about the world around them, or giving Wakefield Trinity’s stadium the makeover needed to become the home the club deserves.”