NEWS
INDUSTRY UPDATES Each month PSBJ rounds up the latest public sector construction updates, from new contracts to industry awards.
Regional construction firm to create music recording facility at Durham University Sendrig is delivering a new, innovative music recording facility at Durham University’s Collingwood College site. The iconic singlestorey, new-build project, which started on site in June 2021, will further enhance the campus at Durham University, part of a series of regeneration projects to improve student experience and encourage a return to collegiate life post-pandemic. The project, which was won through the NEUPC (North East University Procurement Framework), is due to complete in July 2022, ready for the 2022-23 cohort to start in September. Constructed on an existing car park, the building will create more space and flexibility for music performance, consisting of a new, custom music recording studio, complete with a live room, drum booth, vocal studio, circulation/breakout space and practice rooms. Divided into three sections – recording, social and practice – the layout has been designed to eradicate disruption to the recording studio from the practice rooms and will also include photovoltaic panels to the roof. Sendrig, which is headquartered in Jesmond and has a satellite unit in Team Valley, will operate as the main contractor in a team that also includes GSS architects, Link MEP Consulting Engineers and Jasper Kerr Structural Engineers.
Wates and Rother District Council to build 200 affordable eco EarthSheltered Homes Just days after being named as the best in the UK, a housing development in Rother has announced the contractor who will build the housing scheme. Blackfriars in Battle, an initiative led by Rother District Council’s housing company, Alliance Homes, to provide 200 new homes, has named Wates Residential – part of the Wates Group – as the partner contractor to build the development. The construction project – which includes the provision of 42 affordable, rented homes and 28 homes for shared ownership – is due to begin in early 2022. The contractor announcement is the second major boost for the project in just a matter of days. Earlier this month, Blackfriars was named best housing development in the UK (suburban and rural category) at the Inside Housing Development Awards. All new homes have been designed to significantly reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, whilst minimising energy costs for residents. The site will see the unique use of Earth-Sheltered Homes and inclusion of principles taken from Passivhaus – a building standard that is energy efficient, comfortable, affordable and ecological at the same time.
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Developers secure green light to deliver new landmark for Leeds’ international pool site A £270m development proposal to transform the former International Swimming Pool site at Lisbon Street in Leeds city centre has been granted full planning consent by Leeds City Council. The 2.8-acre strategic site, which has been used as a car park since the pool’s demolition in 2009, has been the subject of much scrutiny around its development potential due to its gateway location. DLA Architecture has designed the much-anticipated landmark development on behalf of Lisbon Street Developments, a joint-venture partnership between Marrico Asset Management and Helios Real Estate. Plans for Lisbon Street include two BTR residential towers of 33 and 22 storeys, offering 629 apartments, a 24-storey student accommodation building with 548 bed spaces, a 15-storey, 120 key aparthotel with 22,000ft2 of co-working office space and 131,000ft2 of Grade A office accommodation, along with further retail and leisure provisions. Construction is ear-marked to commence in spring this year.
Tetra Tech wins all six lots on £1.7bn CCS framework Tetra Tech has been named as a supplier on Crown Commercial Service’s (CCS) Construction Professional Services framework (RM6165). CCS supports the public sector to achieve maximum commercial value when procuring common goods and services. The framework, which has a potential spend of £1.7bn, will cover multi-discipline, project management, architectural, cost management, civil and structural engineering, building services engineering and environmental services. Tetra Tech has won a place on all six lots of the new four-year agreement – the only consultancy to do so. The lots, divided by project type and worth between £75m and £577.5m respectively, include: Lot 1 – Built Environment & General Infrastructure; Lot 2 – Urban Regeneration; Lot 3 – International; Lot 4 – High Rise; Lot 5 – Defence; and Lot 6 – Environment & Sustainability technical services. It replaces CCS’s previous Project Management and Full Design Team Services framework (RM3741), which Tetra Tech was a named supplier for three of its six lots – multidisciplinary services, civil and structural engineering services, and building services engineering.
