NEWS
INDUSTRY UPDATES Each month PSBJ rounds up the latest public sector construction updates, from new contracts to industry awards.
Basildon homes made greener with energy-saving technology Basildon Council – in partnership with Morgan Sindall Property Services – has become the first local authority in the country to install goldeni, a new energy-saving software platform. The goldeni technology uses interconnected sensors to provide social housing landlords and tenants with real-time, actionable insights to help them ensure their properties are healthy, legally compliant and more energy efficient. It will play a crucial role in the council’s aim to make all its operations carbon netzero by 2030, with a wider target of 2050 for the borough. The goldeni platform has been developed by data scientists working for Morgan Sindall Property Services, which is the council’s property maintenance contractor. The platform collects data on the internal environmental conditions, including temperature, air pressure, light levels, humidity and carbon dioxide. goldeni also detects for water leaks and monitors electricity and gas consumption and, using intelligent boiler technology, provides tenants with more efficient boiler operations for heating and hot water in their homes.
Beard to deliver major improvements to tennis club’s community centre Guildford-based construction firm Beard will be playing its part in supporting the next generation of young tennis players with the development of key improvements at The All England Lawn Tennis Club Community Tennis Centre, at Raynes Park, London. Under the ownership of The All England Lawn Tennis Club, the facility services an array of requirements. It supports The Championships, Wimbledon, providing a training ground for the contingent of ball boys and girls, and is also home to the Wimbledon Junior Tennis Initiative coaching programme, which is at the forefront of nurturing young talent. The Community Tennis Centre also provides ‘pay and play’ opportunities for the public, with more than 5000 members having signed up so far. But the site is also in need of improvements in order to accommodate the demand for its courts and training facilities. Beard has been appointed to build a fantastic new clubhouse topped off with a section of green roof, a cafe lounge, a flexible studio space and an elevated terrace to view the new main court. The plan also includes creating a new carparking area to service the clubhouse, as well as landscaping work.
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£5.4m museum extension housing iconic WW2 plane celebrated Thousands of visitors have now visited the £5.4m extension to the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent, which now houses an original Spitfire aircraft thanks to specialist project management from national property, construction and infrastructure consultancy Pick Everard. The project comprised the design and construction of a new 3800ft2, double-height exhibition space with mezzanine and the alteration and refurbishment of the existing cafe space within the art gallery and museum, alongside extensive external landscaping. Utilising a steel frame and rainscreen cladding, the new exhibition space has been designed with specialist structural glazing to allow the main attraction, the city’s iconic RW388 Spitfire aircraft, to be exhibited. The area also houses a flight simulator, model Hurricane aircraft and other exhibitions. Matt Hall, National Director for Project Management at Pick Everard, said: “We are delighted to have delivered such a historically-significant development, which creates a lasting legacy for the city of Stoke-onTrent. Our expertise, combined with that from tourism and leisure architect Glancy Nicholls, has created a spectacular display space for the iconic Spitfire – a centrepiece the city can be proud of.”
Browne Jacobson re-appointed to Platform Housing Group’s four-year legal framework National law firm Browne Jacobson has been re-appointed onto Platform Housing Group’s (PHG) legal services framework for property and employment work. The new four-year agreement officially started on 17th January this year and replaces the current panel arrangement. The firm has worked with Platform Housing Group (which was originally a merger between Waterloo Housing Group and Fortis Living) since 2007 and the appointment will see it continue to advise on a broad range of practice areas including construction, development, planning, property and sales. They will also support the group from an employment law perspective for the first time. Nathan Barson, Procurement Director at Platform Housing Group, said: “It is great to see our new Category Management function using the tools and techniques to deliver such high-quality work; not only have we successfully mapped our complex requirements but we have managed to secure commercially-robust agreements with some of the country’s leading law firms. We have added value, successfully matched our ambitions to the leading players in the market and ensured we have the partnerships in place for a truly modern housing association.”
