Premier Construction Magazine 17-6

Roma Publications

Volume 17 - Issue 6

Sea City Museum

“The most important development in Southampton for a generation”

Number One Riverside

State-of-the-art development will provide office space for 2,000 Rochdale staff

Durham Castle

£5 million refurbishment project will upgrade and improve facilities

The University of Cambridge NBBJ are set to deliver first-class science department

Are you up to date?

Contracts are changing. In the last six months the New Construction Act has come into force and the JCT have released new editions. Get up to date and learn how to perform better with a one day training course from Construction Study Centre.

See our fold out or www.constructionstudycentre.com

JCT 2011 Contracts – at the cutting edge + Construction Act update 16 May 2012 14 June 2012 20 June 2012 04 July 2012 27 September 2012 02 October 2012 15 November 2012 04 December 2012

Birmingham Manchester London Bristol Leeds Birmingham Bristol London

COURSE BACKGROUND From 2005 to 2011 there has been an avalanche of revised contracts from the JCT, including its first Framework Agreement, first Partnering contract, various revisions and amendments.

This RECENTLY UP-DATED 1 DAY COURSE brings all of these changes together, including those operating generally across JCT contracts, those contract specific, and any new contracts.

SPEAKERS’ PANEL The speaker for each course will be from a panel of Jaz Bilkhu, Nigel Clayton, Kevin McKee, Ashley Boon and Ryland Ash.

OVERVIEW Across the contracts changes • Section headings, integration of sectional completion and design portion supplements; simplification; abbreviation and modernisation of wording; changes in dispute resolution provisions; review of extension of time and L+E clauses; removal of statutory material and procedural matters; appendix replaced • Contracts covered will include the following, together with the other contracts and amendments published prior to the course: - SBC, Intermediate, Minor Works, Framework, Repair and Maintenance and Measured Term JCT 2011 Standard Building Contract • Reduced number of versions: integrated options built into the contract for – Contractor’s design portion; division of work into sections; third party rights; subcontractor collateral warranties; design document procedures; PI Insurance; exclusions from SBC 2011 when compared with JCT 98 including performance specified work and nominated subcontractors; review of adjustment to

completion date and L+E provisions; clarification of payment provisions, comparison with earlier 2005 forms.

• Related sub-contracts JCT 2011 Intermediate Building Contract & With Contractor’s Design • Changes including new design version; named sub-contractors; division of the works; inclusion for collateral warranties; omissions will be covered • Related sub-contracts JCT 2011 Minor Works Building Contract & With Contractor’s Design • Replaces JCT MW 1998; traditional form and with a contractor design version JCT 2011 Framework Agreement • Non-binding and binding versions • Role of the framework agreement; parties to work with each other, legal status of framework agreement; organisational structures; decision making; collaborative working; supply chains; information sharing; confidentiality; risk; health and safety; environmental considerations; value engineering; change control; problem solving; performance indicators; termination

JCT 2011 Repair & Maintenance Contract (commercial) • For simple, one-off jobs.

JCT 2011 Measured Term Contract • Formatting changes, added flexibility; simplification of pricing mechanisms including a schedule of hourly charges Subcontracts for: • Standard Building Contract • Design and Build • Intermediate • Minor Works • Generic Subcontract • Generic Sub-subcontract Constructing Excellence (Partnering Contract) Pre-construction services agreement Consultancy agreement Construction management appointment Management Contract Collateral warranties The New Construction Act Brief Review of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 and its impact on payment and adjudication provisions.

Working with JCT Minor & IFC contracts + Construction Act update 02 May 2012 28 June 2012 05 July 2012 18 July 2012

Leeds Birmingham Bristol London

COURSE BACKGROUND This 1 DAY COURSE reviews the JCT Minor Works Building Contract 2011 and the setting up and administration of the forms in practice. All too often, given their targeted use with small and intermediate scale works, ‘Minor Works’ and ‘Intermediate’ Contracts are entered without real understanding or care of what the implications will be.

The course is suitable for Employers, Architects, Contract Administrators, Quantity Surveyors, Contractors and Subcontractors.

SPEAKERS’ PANEL The speaker for each course will be from a panel of Lorne Alway, Ryland Ash, Peter Ormston, Jaz Bilkhu and Ashley Boon.

OVERVIEW Introduction – using the appropriate form of contract Importance of adopting the right form. Risks of inappropriate use of Minor Works and Intermediate Building Contract 2011. Main criteria for choosing. Advantages and

disadvantages of simplified contract conditions. Other forms available.

Contract Documentation.

Amendments. Conflict of documents.

Terms – express/implied. Content of the form. Project specific matters.

Execution of the works Contractor’s general obligations.

Architect’s/Contract Administrator’s power and authority. Instructions.

Statutory Obligations. Materials and workmanship. Defects and making good. CDM. Insurance. SubContractors and Assignment. Design.

Time Possession of the Site. Practical completion. Late completion.

Extension of time – events and contractual mechanism. Progress

requirements. Suspension.

Liquidated and Ascertained Damages.

Sectional Completion.

Payment, valuations and variations Flexibility of pricing documents.

Certificates and payments, interim and final measurement. Variations.

Provisional sums. Loss and/or expense. Interest. Payment for offsite goods and materials.

Common law claims.

The New Construction Act Brief Review of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 and its impact on payment and adjudication provisions.

Construction contract principles – the must know guide + Construction Act update 09 May 2012 13 June 2012 10 July 2012 12 July 2012

London Manchester London Birmingham

COURSE BACKGROUND This 1 DAY COURSE will consider the principles of contract law in practice and their application to construction contracts and administration, including an examination of main terms and conditions, sub-contracts, potential problem areas and risk factors to consider.

SPEAKERS’ PANEL The speaker for each course will be from a panel of Michael Rowlinson, Ryland Ash and Peter Ormston.

OVERVIEW General principles of contract • What constitutes a binding contract?

• What is a ‘construction contract’?

• Offer, tender, quotation, estimate, acceptance, counter-offer; acceptance by conduct

• Information and documentation to be provided to contractor/ sub-contractor – its significance and contractual status • When can a tender be revoked?

• Keeping a tender open • Open invitations • What are the contractual consequences of revoking a tender?

• Oral/written agreements Mistake and misrepresentation • The effect of mistakes and misunderstandings.

• The nature of misrepresentations and pre-contract statements.

• Errors in pricing/scope.

Contract terms and conditions • Express/implied terms • Unfair contract terms • Terms implied by statute – sale of goods, supply of goods and services, ‘The Construction Act, ‘Third Parties Act’ 1999 • Essential conditions that are desirable for both parties • Standard forms of building contract – advantages and desirability

• Problems of non-standard forms of contract • Different contractual arrangements – allocation or commercial risk • Choose the right contractual arrangement Subcontractors, suppliers and third parties • The contractual chain • Assignment and novation – when appropriate • Sub-contracts, named/nominated subcontractors – risk and responsibility • Concept and philosophy of subcontracting; principal sub-contract conditions • Suppliers Problem areas • Practical completion • Slow/no progress • Force majeure and the implications • Extensions of time • Late payment • Finance/interest: late payment of Commercial Debt (Interest) Act, 1998 and contract provisions • Ownership of goods and materials

Elements of liability • What are common law damages and how are they assessed?

• Liquidated damages or general damages for delayed completion?

• Provisions in standard forms of contract for recovery of loss and expense • Claims at common law • Design liability – standards and allocation • Limitation of action • Cause and effect • Defects – latent/patent/correction • Defects liability period Termination • How a contract can be terminated • Rights of the parties on termination • Importance of understanding obligations and responsibilities of the parties • Mediation, Adjudication, Arbitration, Litigation The New Construction Act Brief review of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 and its impact on payment and adjudication provisions.

Construction Disputes – adjudication and dispute resolution + Construction Act update 16 May 2012

London

COURSE BACKGROUND Construction disputes are increasing.

Therefore, a knowledge and understanding of managing these, if unavoidable, including adjudication, mediation and arbitration, are becoming very important and involving more time input.

This 1 DAY COURSE is aimed at those in the construction industry who get involved in disputes from time to time, whether on behalf of employers, contractors or subcontractors, but who do not specialise in disputes work.

The course will deal with the nature of disputes in the industry, adjudication, the process and the procedures, review the Construction Acts as well as the procedures of the JCT and the NEC. It will also consider other forms of dispute resolution such as mediation and arbitration, as well as negotiation techniques, settling and concluding a dispute.

There will also be workshops to apply the information.

SPEAKERS’ PANEL The speaker for each course will be from a panel of Ryland Ash, Peter Ormston and Michael Rowlinson.

OVERVIEW Introduction • What is a dispute and, if it cannot be avoided, how can it be resolved?

• History & background to adjudication, what is it? The process, procedures, appointment of the adjudicator and the role. The nature of adjudication and questions of liability. Mediation and arbitration.

Dispute resolution — objectives • What is a dispute?

• The objectives and outcome sought • Tactics and direction • Keeping control • Balancing loss and risk Construction Acts • Contracts subject to the Act including recent cases • Affect of the Act and requirements for adjudication • Timescales and extensions • Failure to comply with the Act • Terms of the contract

Delays, damages and claims 28 March 2012 29 March 2012 22 May 2012 12 June 2012 17 July 2012

London Leeds Manchester London Birmingham

COURSE BACKGROUND This BRAND NEW 1 DAY COURSE deals on a ‘practical’ basis with the law and its application to ‘real’ construction time and/or money claims. It covers all main contract publications including NEC, JCT and PPC 2000 and is relevant to all ‘mainstream’ contracting, including traditional (with BOQ), design-build, target cost, partnering etc.

The course will be of benefit to those working for employers, contractors and subcontractors.

SPEAKERS’ PANEL The speaker for each course will be from a panel of Lorne Alway, Michael Rowlinson, Peter Ormston, Nigel Clayton and Ryland Ash. OVERVIEW Introduction to delays, damages, disruption and compensation Types and nature of claims, meaning of claim. Understanding the background law. Claims for breach of contract, claims under the express terms of the contract.

Provisions in NEC, JCT and PPC Record keeping and evidence • On site and head office records • Purpose and preparation • Timing of preparation and submission • Use of records • Advantages of systematic approach • Division of responsibility • Records as evidence - weight and credibility Delays, extensions of time & liquidated damages - principles • Principles of fixed completion periods

• Acts of prevention/hindrance, time at large • Obligations to progress the works • Liquidated damages background principles • Unliquidated damages • Extensions of time mechanisms • Compensation events • Notices – written / email • Programmes and accepted programmes Analysis and entitlement - delays • Analysis of the relevant circumstances • The role and significance of the ‘programme’ under different contracts • Establishing an extension of time • Cause and effect • Concurrent/competing causes of delay • Contract provisions - various forms Acceleration • Defining acceleration • Main criteria • Obligations to accelerate • Entitlement for acceleration costs • Establishing cause and effect • Issues falling outside the scope of the express terms • Express terms Damages, loss, expense and cost • Liquidated/unliquidated • Provisions in the contracts • Mechanisms and notices • Ascertainment and quantification • Loss, expense and cost and defined cost • Heads of claim • Other rights and remedies Preparing/reviewing a claim • Structuring a claim – content and format • Evidence and backup • Alternative methods of presentation • Getting to the actual events • Law and fact Settlement • Negotiation – techniques & issues • Objectives and outcome • Settlement agreements and privileged communications

• Effect of the adjudicator’s decision • Questions of jurisdiction and scope • Notice of intention – timing and content • Dispute/difference – crystallised • Withholding/deductions • Review of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 and its impact on payment and adjudication provisions.

Scheme for construction contracts • The Scheme rules • Applying the rules on appointment of the Adjudicator and replacement • Referral and further submissions • Presenting a persuasive case • Evidence and documents relied upon • Power and duty of the adjudicator • Fees and costs • Applying the law • Meetings – representation and procedure • Burden & standard of proof • Arguing the case • The decision and reasons • Interest • Challenging the decision

Contract adjudication rules • Review the adjudication rules in the main standard form contracts including JCT and NEC • Further proceedings – time and procedure Enforcement & recent cases • Enforcement of an adjudicator’s decision – practice and procedure • Step in/step out jurisdiction • Set off against a decision • Power to award costs • Slip rule and mistakes • Construction operations • Contracts in writing • Binding but not final • Same dispute • Framing the reference • Pre-conditions to adjudication Dispute resolution — alternatives to adjudication • Consider mediation – contract terms and process.

• Arbitration – summary of the law – practice & procedure Concluding a dispute • Procedures • Negotiation • Settlement • Binding compromise agreements Practical examples & workshop

Commercial awareness for construction professionals Sharpen up! + Construction Act update 08 May 2012 30 May 2012 27 June 2012 03 July 2012

Birmingham Leeds Bristol London

COURSE BACKGROUND This 1 DAY COURSE will help those in the industry consider issues having a significant impact on the commercial outcome of projects. The subject matter includes setting the contract up and settling major risk issues such as price and scope, and then reviewing things which regularly come under scrutiny in the harsh climate of a recession such as design responsibility, variations and valuing changes, letters of intent and time and money differences.

The course is suitable for all those involved in setting up or administering construction contracts including architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, managers and whether employed by employers, contractors or subcontractors.

SPEAKERS’ PANEL The speaker for each course will be from a panel of Michael Rowlinson, Nigel Clayton, Peter Ormston, Ryland Ash and Ashley Boon.

OVERVIEW Getting into contract • What is a contract – the essential elements • What form might it take – documents • Procurement routes and strategy • Contract arrangements • Contracts and subcontracts • Scope and risk • Negotiation • Setting the price • What are the terms?

The contract • Contracting characteristics • Entering the contract • Link with other contracts • Collateral warranties Design • What is design?

• Standard of care • Expressed requirements • Drawing submission procedure • Novation Managing the contract • Record keeping – generally • Record keeping – practical pointers • Administration and paperwork • Notices and communications Contract mechanisms • Variations – scope and nature • Valuing of variations • Payment – timing and quantum • Suspension • Termination Dealing with site problems – monetary claims • Claims • Breach of contract • Damages • Compensation • Ascertainment • Heads of claim • Loss and/or expense and/or cost Dealing with problems – extension of time, liquidated / unliquidated damages • Extensions of time • Liquidated damages • Delays • Assessing delays The New Construction Act Brief Review of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 and its impact on payment and adjudication provisions.

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Contents PREMIER CONSTRUCTION Dear readers, This month our magazine celebrates the exciting revitalisation of areas across the UK. After almost six years, the £50 million restoration of the historic Cutty Sark has finally reached completion. In addition to the conservation of the world’s last surviving tea clipper, the project saw new visitor facilities installed that will highlight the historic significance of the museum ship for generations to come.

In Campbeltown, Scotland, The Royal Hotel has undergone a £2.8 million redevelopment to repair and restore the four-storey Grade C listed building. Twenty-three new luxury guest rooms were also created, whilst the reception, restaurant and public bar have also been transformed.

Another exciting development is the new £2.2 million Google Campus, which now provides an important working space for many high-tech businesses. Located within a seven-storey building in the heart of London’s Tech City, Google’s latest facility incorporates a mix of office and event space complete with meeting rooms, informal break-out spaces and presentation areas.

Once again, thrilling new restaurants are on the menu. As the fastest-growing buffet chain in the UK, Red Hot World Buffet offers diners over 300 freshly made dishes from across the globe. With restaurants in Leeds, Manchester, Milton Keynes and Nottingham, the Red Hot World Buffet chain continues to enjoy unrivalled success.

Over in Newcastle, the new Browns Bar & Brasserie is the latest in a long and successful line of Browns restaurants to open in the UK. Housed within a Grade II listed building, the 200-cover restaurant opened in April and has already proved a hit with local diners.

We now invite you, readers, to join us as we toast the success of these projects.

Volume 17 • Issue 6

Giraffe................................................................................................................10 Nando’s..............................................................................................................14 YO! Sushi...........................................................................................................20 Zizzi Ristorante..................................................................................................27 Red Hot World Buffet.......................................................................................33 Las Iguanas.......................................................................................................37 Browns Bar & Brasserie...................................................................................40

North West Number One Riverside.....................................................................................46

North East & Yorkshire Spence & Dower LLP........................................................................................49 Durham Castle................................................................................................. 50

Midlands & East Anglia St Michael on the Mount..................................................................................59 Bus Rapid Transport Scheme...........................................................................62

South West Bodiniel Solar Energy Farm.............................................................................68 Newquay Cornwall Airport..............................................................................70

London & South East Sea City Museum..............................................................................................76 Google Campus................................................................................................77 SS Robin............................................................................................................80

Scotland Lanarkshire Memorial Hall...............................................................................86 Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa............................................................................87 Tollcross International Swimming Centre........................................................94

Ireland Titanic Quarter Station.....................................................................................100

Wales George IV Hotel................................................................................................104 Aberystwyth University....................................................................................106

Heritage The Cutty Sark.................................................................................................111

Follow us on twitter.com/pcbyroma and www.premierconstructionnews.com Managing Director: Marcus Howarth Editor: Charlotte Emily Brazier Assistant Editor: Alex Wiggan Production Manager: Nicola Owen Customer Manager: Joanne Murphy

Published by: Roma Publications Ltd. t: 01706 719 972 f: 0845 458 4446 e: admin@romauk.net w: www.romauk.net Graphic Design by:

www.marcusmacaulay.co.uk

© Roma Publications Ltd. All contents are copyright. All rights are reserved. No part may be stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from the publishers.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, no responsibility can be accepted for inaccuracies however caused. Contributed material does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher. The editorial policy and general layout of this publication are at the discretion of the publisher and no debate will be entered into. No responsibility can be accepted for illustrations, artwork or photographs whilst in transmission with the publishers or their agents unless a commitment is made in writing prior to the receipt of such terms.

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Dining in style with Giraffe Family-friendly restaurant chain Giraffe has a reputation for providing high quality, delicious food in a vibrant and modern setting.

Giraffe is the brainchild of Russel Joffe and his wife Juliette, who had previously operated the popular Bistroquet and Café Flo establishments in Camden and together with life-long friend Andrew Jacobs set up their first site in Hampstead. The restaurants are now located all across the UK, with locations in Aberdeen and Manchester, all the way through to Portsmouth and Bristol.

Director of Giraffe Concepts Ltd, Andrew Jacobs, said: “Giraffe is a collaborative concept that was first conceived in 1998 by Russel, Juliette and myself. We were sat on the beach talking about businesses that we would like to create and came up with Giraffe – a quirky, family-friendly restaurant that provides fresh and delicious food from all around the world.

“The original idea behind the chain was to offer food from all

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“We have a lot of experience in completing fit-outs for restaurants. So far all of the projects that we have completed for Giraffe have been very interesting and each one is special in its own right.”

over the world with music from all over the world. We believed that this would create both a vibrant atmosphere and facilitate the informal yet professional service, together with freshlycooked food and competitive prices, marking Giraffe out from all of the other restaurants.

“It is an innovative concept that is constantly adapting to ensure that everyone can enjoy the Giraffe experience. For instance, our decision to implement all day dining – breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week – was virtually unheard of in 1998.

“Although we have an excellent reputation as a family based restaurant, Giraffe is also keen to attract an evening clientele.

As a result, several of our restaurants have undergone refurbishment projects in order to attract a more mature market – for instance those visiting after work or who are on a big night out.

“We provide our diners with a delicious, healthy menu and there truly is something there for everyone, from coffee to salad to a three-course meal. Most importantly, the service is always delivered with a smile.”

There are currently 46 Giraffe restaurants in the UK, each offering one of five unique dining experiences to suit the local market: Giraffe, Giraffe Bar & Grill, The Giraffe Café, Giraffe Stop and Giraffe Burgers & Cocktails.

In July 2011, the original Giraffe restaurant in Hampstead was refurbished in order to make it more appealing for the cosmopolitan adult market and was transformed into The Giraffe Café.

The group’s trademark orange branding was toned down and replaced with a more natural and earthy design which features original brickwork and maps of the world, whilst the food offering was updated to include a more sophisticated all-day menu.

Another very recent addition to the ever-evolving Giraffe chain is their first quick-service restaurant – Giraffe Stop – at King’s Cross Station’s new concourse, which opened on 19th March 2012. The new brand extension serves takeaway food on-thego including burgers, hot-dogs and soup whilst also featuring some seating for eating in.

Leading commercial interior shopfitters Interiors UK have enjoyed a strong working relationship with the Giraffe chain since 2009.The company works predominantly within the restaurant, retail and leisure industry and their clients include: The Restaurant Group, Gondola Group, Jamie Oliver, Rocket, Yo Sushi and AB Hotels.

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Angus Gregory of Interiors UK, the main contractor for Giraffe Stop said: “Every Giraffe restaurant is different, depending on the location. For instance, the aim of the King’s Cross Station project was to create a restaurant that catered for a quick turnaround – people come here to buy food and take it out. However, for other projects – including the recently-completed Giraffe Bar & Grill in Leeds – we have created restaurants or a restaurant bar and grill, which are more evening-based or focused around an all-day offer. This has enabled the Giraffe chain to tap into both the more mature and the stop-and-go markets.

“The King’s Cross project was particularly challenging because it was an environment in which we were a small element within a very large construction project. We therefore had to work around a number of obstacles, particularly with regards to security and deliveries – which had to be booked in advance, arrive at exactly the right time and be unloaded into the unit at the right time. However, despite these challenges the project progressed well and we are very pleased with what we have managed to achieve.

“We have a lot of experience in completing fit-outs for restaurants. So far all of the projects that we have completed for Giraffe have been very interesting and each one is special in its own right. One of my personal favourites is the Giraffe in Bath, which has a very up-to-the-minute design and a lot of exciting finishes.

For instance, there is a first-floor mezzanine level that gives the restaurant a much greater feeling of space. Interestingly, there are also different views of the restaurant from different areas of the restaurant.

“Another quirky site is the Giraffe Bar & Grill in Soho, which features a warm and inviting environment with lots of reclaimed finishes. Whilst some features remain constant throughout the Giraffe developments – for instance the striking signage, funky music and delicious food – the wide array of different finishes keeps each Giraffe establishment unique. For us, that’s what makes working on the Giraffe projects so enjoyable.”

Interiors UK works closely with architects Harrison Design to ensure that each project meets the high standards set out by Giraffe, as Angus Gregory explained: “We begin every project with the aim of maximising the effect whilst minimising the cost. When working with Harrison Design, we spend a lot of time value engineering: we formulate an ideal

scheme, then work backwards from this to create a programme that incurs the correct budget whilst maintaining as much of the original scheme as possible.

“We create the maximum ‘wow’ effect for the best possible value.”

Kevin Grima of Harrison Design added: “We are extremely pleased to be involved with the Giraffe chain, as they have a very different way of doing things. As a company we enjoy working with people that are very passionate and Giraffe are certainly passionate about what they do.

“One project that Harrison Design has recently been involved with is the Giraffe in Sheffield, which is located in The Oasis Food Court within the Meadowhall Shopping Centre.

“The development is split on two levels, with a bar on the ground floor and a restaurant on the first floor, and features a retro 60’s vibe with a mixture of industrial and raw materials. The wide pallet of materials includes: blackened steel, oak, plied wood, mosaic tiles and sandblasted reclaimed timbers.

“This was an extremely challenging project as the restaurant is split over two levels: the concourse is in one half of the unit, whilst the other half goes down by 900mm. Usually units are on one level, so trying to achieve a visual link between the two areas was a challenge.

“As with all Giraffe restaurants, the graphics are very strong and the materials are vibrant and fresh. We are extremely pleased with the end product.”

The latest edition to the restaurant chains portfolio is Giraffe Bar & Grill which opened in Leeds on 31st March 2012. Located in the heart of the dining district on Greek Street, the restaurant is spread over two floors and will serve up delicious breakfasts through to dinner, whilst boasting an extensive wine and cock-

tail menu.

Angus Gregory explained why their relationship with Giraffe works so well, adding: “I think we understand what they want to achieve and what is important to them, and we work very hard to make sure that we deliver.

“As a company we are very excited to work with a client that understands their market. Giraffe are also very passionate about design, which is the element that we are most interested in. The chain has an endless supply of fresh designs and ideas, which we are more than happy to develop and realise.

“One of the most enjoyable things about working with Giraffe is their respect for the hard work that we put in. They don’t suffer fools, but they are the first people to be there thanking you when you’ve done a good job – which for us is everything.”

Chapman Ventilation Ltd Starting life as a general ventilation company in 1967, familyrun business Chapman Ventilation Ltd. has since become an industry-leading supplier of kitchen ventilation systems for the leisure and fine-dining industries.

High-profile clients include Nando’s, Frankie and Benny’s, Byron and Jamie’s Italian.

Chapman Ventilation Ltd. has over forty years experience designing, manufacturing and installing odour control, grease and smoke removal, and kitchen ventilation solutions for a wide range of clients. The company is committed to using the most sustainable products that they can find, partnering with market leaders and sourcing from companies that have a good reputation for sustainability.

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Spicing up the UK with Nando’s With over 300,000 Twitter followers and more than 900,000 ‘likes’ on Facebook, it is fair to say that Nando’s has tickled taste buds across the globe.

Founded in 1987, the Nando’s chain now operates in thirty countries spanning five continents. Boasting a scrumptious menu that is bursting with authentic Afro-Portuguese flavours, the family-friendly chain has since become synonymous with delicious flame-grilled chicken and spicy PERi-PERi sauce.

In 1992, Nando’s expanded to the UK, opening their first restaurant in Ealing, London. The organisation now celebrates over 250 restaurants across the United Kingdom in locations including Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds.

One factor that has remained constant throughout the expansion of the Nando’s chain is leading international design consultancy Harrison Design, who has completed over 200 projects for the organisation over the last 14 years.

Dean Concannon, Harrison Design, said: “It is always fantastic to work with Nando’s as they are all creative and passionate about everything that they do, which makes our job a pleasure. It came as no surprise that the company was voted Sunday Time’s best big company to work for in 2010 because they are such an innovative, energetic team and they are bursting with ideas that we are more than happy to help implement.

“The best thing about working with Nando’s is that each project is completely different. Whilst certain features remain the same – for instance the use of terracotta and reclaimed timber – the design is constantly adapting and changing and we are continually adding new elements to keep the Nando’s experience fresh.”

One particularly striking Nando’s restaurant is Stratford addi-

tion, which is based in the Westfield Stratford City shopping centre. Occupying over 7,500 square feet in a prominent second floor position within the mall boulevard, the restaurant has managed to complement the grandeur of the Stratford development whilst embodying Nando’s unique Afro-Portuguese style.

Up to 200 customers can access the restaurant via an avenue of olive trees and once inside the building they are immediately greeted by a luxuriously patterned black and gold mosaic tiled floor which leads to a sweeping seven-metre server that flaunts an organic rolling oak countertop with a snaking frontage that is clad in polished copper.

The timber floor provides natural warmth and is contrasted by the raw concrete circular booths and red leather and oak tables.

Another central feature is the single flowing curved wall, which transforms across its length into varying textures including: reclaimed cedar timber shingles, vibrant South African art panels and handmade ceramic tiles. All of these exciting elements combine to form a pixelated wave that flows through the full length of the space.

Perhaps the most striking feature is the textured hazel ceiling coffer, which was formed using 10-metre long panels that were woven in Suffolk by hurdle maker David Downie before being transported to the site by lorry and carefully knitted into place.

Four enormous circular columns punctuate the hazel weave.

Two of these were created through the artistic arrangement of recycled bottle tops, whilst the remaining two were created by Spiers Arts Academy and are composed of thousands of tightly coiled paper rolls from unwanted magazine publications.

To soften the effect of the high ceiling, Harrison Design dropped sparkly glass pendant lights and a swarm of tiny ‘firefly’ lights through the central areas at varied lower levels, which has in ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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“It is always fantastic to work with Nando’s as they are all creative and passionate about everything that they do, which makes our job a pleasure.”

turn created sparkle and movement.

The development has also incorporated a six-metre long coordinator, along with 30 square metres of cold room storage and a separate room that houses four combi-ovens and wash up area with a full recycling waste management area.

Dean Concannon, Harrison Design, commented: “Shopping centres are always a challenge because everyone in the building finishes at the same time – for the Stratford job, this was around 7,000 people per day and as a result, we had to work around the clock. Luckily we have an excellent working relationship with the main contractor for the project – French Joinery – and we were able to launch a fully coordinated attack.

Jobs like this have to be completed like a military operation or they just won’t happen.”

Another unique Nando’s restaurant is the Clink Street offering.

Located on the banks of the Thames, the 200-seat restaurant is built on three levels and offers stunning views of the surrounding area.

The innovative development has incorporated Nando’s signature materials palette, along with a copper ceiling that vitally diverts water ingress and regulates the temperature, as Dean Concannon explained: “This was a challenging project as the Cannon Street station was located directly above the restaurant. When it rains, it can take a week or more for the water to percolate down through the soil and we would then have to work out where the water would come out. Heating was another issue due and we had to introduce underfloor heating as some of the ceilings were ten metres high.

“However, we love a challenge and working in such varied locations keeps the work interesting. Furthermore, French Joinery were able to demonstrate their practical approach when faced with such technical difficulties and their work was both efficient and effective.”

One of the most recent additions to the Nando’s chain is the Kensington restaurant, which has been created through the conversion of an Italian restaurant. The two-storey restaurant features a beautiful external courtyard and peach-pip textured walls. In addition, the development has incorporated polished concrete floors and 100 terracotta pots that are spread across the back wall.

In April 2012, the restaurant celebrated a secret gig with acts including Conor Maynard, Clement Marfo, The Frontline, Cleo Sol and Tanya Lacey in front of 200 Nando’s VIP fans.

A Nando’s spokesperson commented: “It was an incredible way to show off our latest restaurant.

Everyone had an amazing night thanks to Conor and all the other performers and of course our Nando’s team who kept us all topped up with PERi-PERi treats.”

One aspect that the Nando’s chain remains dedicated to is ensuring that their restaurants remain sustainable. Along with the use of recycled materials and reclaimed timber for their construction projects, the organisation also incorporated low & zero carbon technology within their Leeds restaurant, which was completed in January 2009.

Dean Conannon designed the building, which was to be Nando’s first Eco development. Architects Aedas then worked with main contractor McGoff & Byrne to incorporate a range of exceptional features including a grass roof, a biodiesel fuel plant and photo voltaic cells. In addition, the innovative restaurant also boasts rainwater harvesting, heat recovery systems and high levels of insulation.

Head of Development at Nandos, Stephen du Plessis, said: “McGoff & Byrne were engaged early in the life of this project in order to release construction intellect into the early design stages, eliminating waste from the design review cycle and de-

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livering a safe, more sustainable building. This early contractor involvement definitely encouraged collaborative working and joint decision-making and we are delighted with the end result.”

The £1.2 million project was delivered in just 20 weeks, including a 6-week design team lead-in. The building was granted its HM Government Energy Performance Certificate and has an energy performance rating of 7, achieving an A+ Excellent rating.

With more Nando’s restaurants in the pipeline, the chain is expected to eclipse its rivals in the following years. The organisation now offers a range of exciting products, including sauces and even a Nando’s app for your iPhone, iPad or Android mobile device.

Dean Concannon, Harrison Design, commented: “Nando’s is one of the fastest-growing chains in the UK and we are very excited to be a part of their success. We enjoy every project that we undertake with the chain and look forward to developing our working relationship with them through future projects.”

Pure CF (part of Cottage Furniture Ltd) Pure CF manufactures and imports contract furniture for the hospitality and leisure industry. The company has successfully completed works for many high-profile clients including Nando’s, Strada, Gaucho and Cote Restaurants and has recently expanded its customer base to include airports, theatres and hotel chains.

Pure CF Managing Director, Paul Gill, said: “Pure CF is very proud to work in partnership with key companies within the restaurant sector and we receive a lot of recommendations from existing clients however as our business expands we look forward to working with new clients.

Pure CF has over 100 cabinet makers and upholsterers as well as an in-house logistics team and this enables us to supply and fit bespoke furniture and seating more efficiently.

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“Our speciality is working alongside construction teams to install distinctive one-off designs and this includes wall panels and unusual design features. The majority of our work can be prepared off site and delivered for fitting by our in-house team of experienced fitters.”

Paul Gill added: “Next year we will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of the company. We plan to take Pure CF forward by offering additional solutions for our growing customer base.”

Parkside Tiles Established in 1983 Parkside Tiles is a specialist supplier of high-quality wall and floor tiles. The company supplies tiles to both the commercial and private sector and provides customers with an extensive range of tiles from traditional designs right through to the latest contemporary styles.

Parkside Tiles has completed work on many high-profile projects including works for Bentley, the London Eye and Belvoir Castle for the Duke and Duchess of Rutland. The company also has a strong working relationship with Nando’s and has supplied over 25 sites with tiles, with their work on the Stratford site being nominated for an award at the 2012 Tile Association Awards.

Parkside Tiles Managing Director, Richard France, said: “All of the Nando’s sites are very unique in their design, so we supply them with products that reflect this including many handmade bespoke tiles.

“This is something that we are very proud of at Parkside Tiles and we go that extra mile to source products which make us stand out as a company.”

Caswell Engineering Services Ltd For over 40 years Caswell Engineering Services Ltd has been a leading provider of HVAC Services for use in the restaurant, retail and commercial markets and specialise in providing ven-

tilation and air conditioning solutions for customers in the fine dining and restaurant sector.

Previous and on-going high-profile projects include, Café Anglais, Pizza Express, Royal China, McDonalds Restaurants (Olympic Village and Media Centre), Harvey Nichols, John Lewis, Selfridges and Arndale Centre, Manchester.

Caswell is a HVAC specialist for Nando’s, designing and installing bespoke kitchen ventilation and air conditioning solutions within restaurants throughout the UK and Eire. Caswell provide their own range of kitchen canopies, kitchen diffusers, fire rated ductwork, fire suppression, odour control and control systems.

Caswell Engineering Services Ltd Chairman, Richard Coxen, said: “We work as part of the design team to develop a scheme for the individual restaurant’s ventilation requirements and once approved we take our scope of works forward from manufacture and installation to hand over. The Junction 27 project in Leeds was a scheme of great interest and significance as a low energy/carbon building.”

Richard Coxen added: “At Caswell Engineering Services Ltd we are experts in our field, providing restaurant and kitchen services, ventilation and air conditioning turnkey solutions and we constantly strive to enhance the services we provide.

“Working with Nando’s is very important to us and we’re very proud to continue our long-standing relationship with them.”

NCR Ltd NCR is the global leader in hospitality technology solutions and supplies its award winning Aloha point of sale software and hardware to the hospitality industry throughout the UK. Radiant Systems – recently acquired by NCR – has a long standing relationship with the team at Nando’s, both here and

internationally. Nando’s have always invested in the latest POS technology and all their restaurants are equipped with Aloha point of sale solutions.

NCR’s ongoing development programme means that the company is continually providing new and innovative products to keep its customers at the forefront of new technology, to ensure a smooth dining experience for everyone involved.

Call Craig Francis today on 07713 307703 to find out more about Aloha point of sale solutions.

British Blinds For many years, British Blinds have specialised in the manufacture and installation of blinds, shutters, awnings, canopies and curtains.

The Company has completed work for many high-profile Clients including the £48m Cardiff City Football Stadium and the state-of-the-art £8m Blackburn Market Mall. In addition to this, British Blinds is heavily involved in ongoing projects for universities, hotels, restaurants, shops and contracts within the leisure industry.

British Blinds Partner, Paul Lister, said: “We have a strong and sympathetic working relationship with the Nando’s restaurant chain who is a great client to work for.

Their briefs are always very precise and it is a joy to be associated with and to support Nandos.”

Paul Lister added: “At British Blinds we take pride in every project undertaken, however diverse. Our clients’ needs are always of paramount importance and customer satisfaction is what motivates, drives and strengthens our company.”

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Dishing up YO! Sushi When YO! Sushi first opened in 1997, the British restaurant chain unveiled a very unique eating experience – delicious Japanese food served via a central conveyor belt.

The innovative concept allowed customers to pick and choose their meals from a mouthwatering selection as it passed by their tables at 8cm per second. The concept brought a slice of urban Tokyo living to the UK and with the opening of its 60th restaurant, YO! Sushi has certainly changed Britain’s view of raw fish.

Located on Finchley Road just two minutes from Camden Town tube station, YO! Sushi Camden opened its doors in March 2012. The £550,000 restaurant is the latest site to be opened by owners Quilvest and the YO! Sushi management team and is just as dynamic as the 59 that came before it.

Work began on YO! Sushi Camden in December 2011. The main contractor on the project was Matrix IDC Ltd and Philip Watts Design was the interior design architect. Philip Watts Design has worked on more than half of the YO! Sushi restaurants and manufactures and installs many of the bespoke features that can be seen within each site.

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Set within a two-storey building, YO! Sushi Camden comprises a 67-cover ground floor restaurant along with first floor washroom facilities, staff areas and associated areas. The site has a fully glazed shop front and features associated YO! Sushi signage.

Inside the restaurant, the decor takes inspiration from its surroundings and combines a rough edgy interior with a hip urban vibe. The walls and columns are covered in Corten cladding to give the impression of a rusty and weathered setting, whilst towards the rear of the site there is a graffiti mural that depicts the Tokyo skyline.

To add to the restaurant’s vibrant theme, concrete-effect wallpaper runs up the stairway, whilst inside the washrooms bright yellow urinals and sinks offer a quirky surprise for diners who are freshening up.

Additional features include a bright orange light fixture, printed upholstery on the seats and a glamorous mirror that juxtaposes the striking interior.

YO! Sushi Camden is a very unique site that reflects the ever-

evolving design aesthetic that has become synonymous with the brand. The layout complements the location perfectly, whilst the restaurant has maintained the tried and tested formula that has made the chain so successful.

Philip Watts Design Managing Director, Philip Watts, said: “We’ve been providing design consultancy for YO! Sushi since 2005 and over the last seven years we’ve had to meet some very unique requests from the YO! Sushi team. From a designer’s point of view YO! Sushi is all about innovation, so every single restaurant has to be different.

“What we tend to do is look at the site’s location, work out the type of customer that it is likely to attract and then calculate how this will affect the layout. Once this is all weighed up, we adapt the site to meet these requirements.

“The brand has standard components that go into each restaurant - such as the belt and the signage - but beyond this everything else changes. Once we’ve found a design format that works, we use it for that particular restaurant then throw it away when we start on the next.

“YO! Sushi’s can be placed anywhere as they’re highly adaptable, however they need to maintain their functionality. If we were installing a restaurant in an airport or train station we’d include more stools, but if it was in the centre of a town we’d incorporate more booths.

“This way of working can be very challenging as we are unable to reuse the layout for the next restaurant; however, it allows us to develop the type of service that we provide.”

Phillip Watts added: “Everything ran very smoothly on the site and we completed our work a week earlier than was scheduled, which was very satisfying for the YO! Sushi team and ourselves.

“We’re now looking at four new sites for YO! Sushi in Windsor, Guilford, York and Leeds. The sites couldn’t be more different if they tried and range from period buildings and existing restaurants to a site that isn’t even built yet.”

As the YO! Sushi brand continues to push forward with new and exciting developments, the company continues to maintain

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Inside the restaurant, the decor takes inspiration from its surroundings and combines a rough edgy interior with a hip urban vibe.

strong working relationships with its contractors and suppliers.

This relationship has resulted in some truly unique design work and it’s a formula that has proven to suit the individuality of the brand.

Ewan Dryburgh, Dryburgh Gillian Associates Ltd, said: “We’ve worked with YO! Sushi for 10 years and they’re a fantastic bunch of people to be involved with.

“We got started with the fourth YO! Sushi restaurant in the chain and over the years we’ve witnessed the design continue to evolve into something truly unique.

“The site in Oxford Circus is one that really stands out for me as it was designed after we came back from spending a week in Tokyo. We were on a fact finding mission to absorb the culture of the city and the site’s design was a direct result of this journey.

“YO! Sushi is a flexible concept that can be weaved into any area and all of the sites perfectly demonstrate what the brand has to offer.”

YO! Sushi Stratford Located on the first floor of the Westfield shopping centre, YO! Sushi Stratford opened in October 2011. The restaurant is extremely stylish and features oak and copper walls with marble counter tops to create a stunning place to eat. YO! Sushi Stratford includes a mixture of both stool and booth seating and is therefore capable of catering for both busy shoppers and diners with a little more time on their hands.

Philip Watts Design Managing Director, Philip Watts, said: “YO! Sushi Stratford is located within one of Europe’s biggest shopping centres, so what we wanted to do was to reflect the hustle and bustle of the location in order to create a feature that is very unique and memorable for customers.

“We took a thousand sushi plates, placed a steel rod on the rear of each and then positioned them at different heights to form a quantum cloud of utensils. The sculpture is easily noticeable to all who dine within YO! Sushi Stratford and has created a great talking point for customers.”

YO! Sushi Festival Hall YO! Sushi Festival Hall opened in the summer of 2011 and is instantly recognisable to diners for the external conveyor belt that is located outside the restaurant.

Philip Watts Design Managing Director, Philip Watts, said: “When we provide outside seating, the relationship to the conveyor belt is usually a secondary consideration. However, we had a different way of thinking at Festival Hall: we made it more of a feature by fitting an external belt alongside umbrellas and heaters. This has in turn provided the restaurant with a very interesting feature.”

Although many customers would agree that the external belt is a highlight of the restaurant, it is not the site’s only interesting

“We took a thousand sushi plates, placed a steel rod on the rear of each and then positioned them at different heights to form a quantum cloud of utensils.”

feature. Inside the site is an internal ‘s’ shaped conveyor belt, whilst timber ceiling rafts and a large light fitting give diners many reasons to stay indoors.

YO! Sushi Norwich YO! Sushi Norwich opened in September 2011 and continues to prove a very successful site for the chain. The interior features textured stone mosaic, timber walls with wicker ceiling rafts and a snaking steel gantry.

Philip Watts Design Managing Director, Philip Watts, said: “YO! Sushi Norwich is another fantastic restaurant that is doing great business in Norwich. Seeing a site in full swing is always great and it fills us with a fantastic sense of achievement to know that we have been involved in something so successful.”

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YO! Sushi Liverpool Located within another shopping centre, YO! Sushi Liverpool opened in 2008 in the city’s prestigious Liverpool One. Once again the site offers a very imaginative interior with camouflage wall paper and a hexagonal lighting raft that is reminiscent of the game board on the classic TV show, Blockbusters.

Philip Watts Design Managing Director, Philip Watts, said: “Like with any of the sites we work on, YO! Sushi Liverpool offered up challenges. However, it opened on time and was a great site to be involved with.”

YO! Sushi Brighton When it opened in 2005, YO! Sushi Brighton was the first YO! Sushi restaurant to be built outside of London.

Philip Watts Design Managing Director, Philip Watts, said: “Not only was Brighton the first YO! Sushi outside of the capital, it was also the first of their restaurants that we were involved with. The brand was already established in London and so the site had to introduce its own unique flavour outside of this location.

“The takeaway area in the restaurant was made up of half an ice cream van, whilst the ceiling was painted to look like the sky and the floor was covered in fake grass. There are even little gnomes on the tables. The restaurant is very different and yet very much in keeping with Brighton.”

He added: “There’s something about the YO! Sushi brand and the service that we provide that has resulted in a very natural working relationship that continues to grow.

“We were very flattered to be asked to work with YO! Sushi all those years ago on the Brighton site and we are still flattered that they keep asking us.”

VincentStokes Ltd VincentStokes Ltd is a Principle Contractor that specialises in

fit-out and new build works, primarily within the health, fitness and retail sectors.

The company’s wealth of experience in design and construction enables Vincent Stokes Ltd to build long-term relationships with its clients, working on £40,000 refits right through to £5 million projects.

As well as Yo! Sushi, clients include Reebok, Nuffield Health and Wellbeing, Virgin, Spire Hospitals, NHS and Sports & Leisure Management Ltd along with a large number of local authorities.

VincentStokes Ltd has been the main contractor on more than 20 YO! Sushi restaurants including Norwich, Blue Water, Bath and Royal Festival Hall.

Working for YO! Sushi, the company provides buildability advice and is involved with design development from the initial stages right through to completion. Through careful consultation with its clients, VincentStokes Ltd is able to implement techniques and processes that deliver a product that everyone can be proud of.

VincentStokes Ltd Financial Director, Rob Deans, said: “We are proud to be part of the Yo! Sushi delivery team. We have a hands on approach to working with our clients, suppliers and contractors which allows us to provide a single team approach to fast track, and often logistically difficult, schemes.

“It is great being part of such a dynamic roll out and realising some really great, vibrant designs.”

IVC Signs Ltd IVC Signs Ltd manufactures and installs all of YO! Sushi’s building signage, hoarding graphics, architectural signage, light boxes, wallpaper murals and lighting gantries. Over the last five years, IVC Signs Ltd has developed a successful working relationship with YO! Sushi to provide signage and graphics for more than 20 of its restaurants.

IVC Signs Ltd Partner, Phil Stratten, said: “We have thoroughly enjoyed the challenges of such creative and diverse projects. We like to push the boundaries of modern sign making and are very excited to be working with such a professional and dynamic company as Yo! Sushi.”

“At IVC Signs Ltd we have specialised in the building signs corporate sector for over 20 years. We offer a comprehensive nationwide service encompassing full surveys, design, manufacture and installation services on retail building signage for restaurants, shops, offices, schools, hospitals, airports and local authorities.”

Phillips Decorators Ltd Phillips Decorators Ltd is an experienced commercial decorating company that provides decorating services to industrial and retail sectors throughout the UK. The company completes work in a prompt and professional manner and offers competitive quotes.

On 11 YO Sushi! restaurants Phillips Decorators Ltd has provided specialist interior decoration works for both front and

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back of house areas.

Phillips Decorators Ltd Contracts Manager, Ian Rabbetts, said: “YO! Sushi are great sites to work on. For front of house operations we use acrylic emulsion to cover walls and we use oil paints to cover any finished woodwork. For the back of house we cover ceilings in mat emulsion.”

“At Phillips Decorators Ltd we provide a first class finish, first time, every time.”

PHCC Ltd PHCC Ltd is a specialist designer and supplier of commercial catering equipment to the whole foods service industry within the UK. The company design, supply, project manage and install commercial kitchens, counters and bars for many well-known businesses from fast food restaurants to Michelin star establishments.

PHCC Ltd also supply light equipment, refrigeration units, furniture and exhaust hood systems. With an expert team of experienced staff, PHCC Ltd provides a full consultancy service to its clients whether they are opening a new kitchen or remodelling an existing unit.

PHCC Limited has worked with Yo! Sushi for over six years, manufacturing bespoke equipment to over 45 new restaurants.

The company designs kitchen and catering equipment to reflect the interior layout of each restaurant.

PHCC Ltd Managing Director, Steve Hammond, said: “PHCC Ltd is a small, yet professional company where a lot of work comes from repeat business due to the excellent service that we provide.

“We have a fantastic reputation throughout the UK for our attention to detail and we pride ourselves on meeting the needs of our customers.”

Matrix IDC Limited Matrix IDC Limited specialises in medium-sized commercial design and build development throughout the UK. The company offers an unrivalled service to their long term clients and together with their joinery arm – Premier Joinery –

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Matrix IDC Limited’s independent specialisation in high speed shopfitting, barfitting and bespoke joinery leads the way for many clients throughout the UK and overseas.

Matrix IDC Limited and Premier Joinery offer the ‘full one stop shop’ service to their clients, covering all aspects of in-house construction and specialist joinery from pre-tender advice to the finished article.

Matrix IDC Limited are very pleased to be associated with the YO! Sushi brand and are particularly proud to have been chosen to work on: YO! Sushi - Camden YO! Sushi- Stratford City YO! Sushi - Arndale Manchester YO! Sushi - Selfridges Manchester YO! Sushi - Poland Street, London YO! Sushi - Reading YO! Sushi - Aberdeen YO! Sushi - Glasgow YO! Sushi - St Paul’s London YO! Sushi - Oslo Norway YO! Sushi – Plymouth YO! Sushi – Solihull YO! Sushi - Norwich “We are delighted to be part of this international iconic success and to work with YO! Sushi’s highly dedicated professional team.”

“Working on the YO! Sushi projects often demands high standards of workmanship coupled with demanding timescales. We have continued to excel in both of these respects in order to meet the client’s satisfaction.”

Launching Zizzi Ristorante

A brand new Zizzi Ristorante has opened its doors in Greenwich.

Housed within Greenwich Promenade, Zizzi Ristorante Greenwich is a three-storey Italian restaurant that is situated close to both the pier and the historic Cutty Sark. Offering an extensive range of tasty treats - including pasta dishes, pizzas, steaks and salads - the restaurant is the latest site to open in a long and successful chain of eateries from owners the Gondola Group.

Work on the restaurant was completed in April 2012 and Gary Bluff Projects Ltd was the main contractor. Restaurant interior design specialist Dover Design and concept designers B3 Designers were responsible for the interior work on the project.

Zizzi Greenwich covers an area of 4487 sq ft and comprises three dining levels over the ground floor, first floor and mezzanine level. In addition to the three dining floors, the site has also incorporated a 1367 sq ft external terrace. Due to a number of unavoidable delays, work on the external terrace is yet to be completed and it is not currently open to the public.

The restaurant features a contemporary interior that is in keeping with the innovative design theme that all Zizzis share.

However, the development has maintained a unique sensibility with a range of stylistic touches that are associated with the exclusive Greenwich location.

Dover Design Managing Director, Jon Dover, explained: “All Zizzi Ristorantes connect themselves to their surroundings by establishing a design theme that is in some way closely linked to their location. As Greenwich has a rich maritime history, the designers at B3 decided to continue that narrative in the restaurant by including specific imagery and design features.

“Because the building is quite compact and features low ceilings, it gives the impression of being aboard a ship. To enhance this idea further, B3 created three specific environments that are

apparent as you move through the building: the embarkment, map room and promenade. On the ground floor we included gauge lines, welded details to the bar and kitchen and installed over-head luggage racks, reclaimed suitcases and tea crates.

The aim of this was to create an area that was reminiscent of a boat’s hull.

“On the mezzanine floor, to evoke the feeling of being in a ship’s map room, the dining space was designed accordingly with navigational paraphernalia and map drawers.

“When we came to the design of the first floor, B3 wanted an on-deck feel and used dark blue timber with white tiles, deck chairs and bulkhead light fittings. The external deck provides diners with tremendous views that overlook the Cutty Sark and the River Thames.”

Additional features include marble countertops, bespoke elevated seating and a drinks bar on each level of the building.

The exterior facade of the restaurant features a flat brass shingle roof with treated timber slats and associated restaurant signage. Timber fins were also installed on the exterior of the building in order to minimise glare.

During the construction of Zizzi Ristorante Greenwich, three other restaurants – Nando’s, Byron and Frankie and Benny’s – were built concurrently on Greenwich Promenade. Whilst this has created an eclectic eating hotspot for diners, the close proximity of each site created a number of challenges for the contractors working on Zizzi Ristorante.

Gary Bluff Projects Ltd Managing Director, Gary Bluff, said: “There were four restaurants being built at the same time, so access to site was often very difficult and some vehicles had to queue for a considerable amount of time just to access our site.

We tried to schedule work as best as possible but as this wasn’t always achievable we had to work around this problem as best as we could.”

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“Despite the challenges faced we really enjoyed working on this project as all of Zizzi Ristorantes offer something different.”

Jon Dover added: “With four restaurants conducting fit-out work simultaneously, this put pressure on some areas of our project and unfortunately this resulted in a few delays. However, in spite of the challenges the project was completed only a week behind schedule.

“Gary Bluff Projects Ltd is one of the best contractors we have worked with, and under the circumstances no one else would have been able to complete the work on this project any quicker.”

Gary Bluff said: “Despite the challenges faced we really enjoyed working on this project as all of Zizzi Ristorantes offer something different.

Seeing what designers such as Dover Design and B3 can come up with is very interesting and from our point of view we never feel as if we are conducting the same work twice.

“It is very satisfying to see this project completed but what’s best is the knowledge that the site is now open and running smoothly. This is a prime location for a restaurant like this and I believe Zizzi Greenwich is going to be a fantastic success.”

(SUB) Zizzi Ristorante Shrewsbury (END SUB) Completed in March 2012, Zizzi Ristorante Shrewsbury is located in Shrewsbury town centre on the site of a former public house. The site was converted from a Grade II listed building and takes inspiration from naturalist Charles Darwin.

Dover Designs project managed the site and provided the framework design for the project.

Jon Dover said: “Prior to our involvement on Zizzi Ristorante Shrewsbury, this building had been converted at least three times. As a result, the site was a warren of small spaces created from previous works.

“This created a number of challenges for the conversion, however we overcame them to create another successful Zizzi. It’s great to see the transformation completed.”

Zizzi Ristorante Harrogate Zizzi Harrogate was completed in February 2012 and like the Shrewsbury site was converted from a Grade II listed building that was previously a public house. As the building is a lateVictorian structure, a degree of internal structural works was undertaken during the conversion to open up the building. This created three distinct areas within the restaurant – the Park, the Tearoom and the Parlour – and also helped to create a bright and inviting interior.

As with all of the Zizzi Ristorantes, the interior design takes its inspiration from its surroundings, including the rural countryside and Harrogate’s famous tea room Bettys. The site features tea cup lighting and milk bottle chandeliers.

The contractors encountered a number of unique challenges whilst working on the site, which subsequently required careful planning and organisation to overcome.

Jon Dover said: “Due to the legal status of the lease we were unable to conduct a survey prior to taking over the site. This meant that we couldn’t identify potential problems until we occupied the building on the first day. This wasn’t an ideal situation and we did encounter a few problems, but we managed to rectify them, and now Zizzi Ristorante Harrogate looks fantastic.”

Zizzi Ristorante Lincoln Completed in 2011, Zizzi Ristorante Lincoln is situated on Brayford Wharf on the site of a former nightclub. Due to the building’s spacious interior, Dover Design reworked the layout of the building to introduce a sharp contemporary design inspired by the famous local aerial stunt team the Red Arrows.

Features include a theatre kitchen, circular booth seating, a bold mural and LED lighting. The site also features artwork designed by artist Matt Kavan Brooks and textiles created by ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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Luke Trybula. These design elements were included as part of Zizzi Ristorante’s ‘Fresh Talent’ initiative, a scheme designed to provide opportunities for talented individuals to showcase their creative skills.

Zizzi Ristorante Lincoln has already proved very successful with diners and is currently being considered for the Restaurant and Bar Design Awards.

Zizzi Ristorante Cardiff Located along the city’s busy high street – just 200 yards from Cardiff Castle and five minute’s walk from Millennium Stadium – Zizzi Ristorante Cardiff is a 160-cover restaurant that has been converted from a former bank building.

The mid-Victorian structure features stunning period columns to the front of the building, whilst internal features include a spacious banking hall, exposed brickwork and a large drinks bar.

Dover Design Managing Director, Jon Dover, said: “We first became involved with Zizzi & ASK in 2003 and Zizzi Cardiff was our very first site.

“Whilst the interior design of some restaurants can instantly put some diners off, the Gondola Group avoids this by presenting a warm and inviting environment within each Zizzi. Each restaurant is very tactile and engaging and this is something that really appeals to us as a designer.

“We’re very fortunate to have such a long-lasting working relationship with Zizzi Ristorante and we value our contribution to each site.

“We are now working on restaurants in Romford, Worcester and at Mermaids Quay in Cardiff. With more Zizzi Ristorantes planned for the future, we look forward to continuing our working relationship with the brand.”

J S Plumbing Services Ltd Since 2004, J S Plumbing Services Ltd have provide specialist plumbing services for both the commercial and retail sec-

tors. The company specialise in plumbing works for hotels, restaurants, public houses and leisure clubs and have worked on many high-profile projects including Pizza Express, Café Rouge, Menzies Hotels, Bella Italia and wagamama.

For Zizzi Ristorante J S Plumbing Services Ltd provide hot and cold drainage sanitary ware which includes the fit-out and installation of water systems for toilets and associated areas.

J S Plumbing Services Ltd Director, Alan Picken, said: “Working on Zizzi Ristorante is extremely important for us and it’s equally important for us that they are satisfied with the work that we conduct.

“We like to get in on the ground level of a project to ensure that we can provide the highest quality of work for our clients.”

MDL Contract Furnishings MDL Contract Furnishings specialise in all areas of contract furnishings for the leisure industry, from fixed seating and furniture to curtains and blinds. The company has been in operation for over three years and has provided furnishings for the likes of Pizza Express, Chimichanga and Greene King amongst others.

For Zizzi Ristorante, MDL Contract Furnishings has manufactured and installed fixed seating for more than a dozen restaurants.

MDL Contract Furnishings Managing Director, Paul Cuff, said: “We value our relationship with Zizzi Ristorante and we enjoy working with such a high-profile brand.”

Paul Cuff added: “What we’re most proud of at MDL Contract Furnishings is the fact that we offer our clients a personal service.”

Leech Group Services Ltd Leech Group Services Ltd specialise in the design and installation of air conditioning, ventilation and kitchen extract systems.

For over 20 years Leech Group Services Ltd has carried out projects for many restaurant groups including, ASK, Burger King,

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Café Rouge, Pizza Express, wagamama, Prezzo and Ping Pong.

For Zizzi Restaurants Leech Group Services Ltd have designed and installed the kitchen extraction and ventilation systems, extract canopies, and all associated HVAC systems for restaurants throughout the UK. Leech Group Services Ltd Managing Director, Donald Leech, said: “At Leech Group Services Ltd we pride ourselves on our innovative design, service, and the high standard of our installations – from conception to completion. We appreciate being part of a team and we value our working relationship with Zizzi Restaurants as we do all of our clients, undertaking all aspects of the HVAC projects including noise and odour control, planning and design.”

Technical Signs Ltd Based in Watford and within the M25, Technical Signs have over 30 years experience in the manufacture of signage, bespoke lighting features and architectural metalwork.

Using the latest equipment and innovative ideas, the company believes that it is at the forefront of product design. Consistently being asked to help with projects by some of the country’s leading designers and whatever the request Technical Signs will endeavour to apply the design to the manufacture.

Technical Signs has manufactured and installed throughout the UK and Europe for many of Europe’s leading brands including Zizzi Ristorante, Pizza Express, Byron, Prezzo, Primark, Marks & Spencer and Thistle Hotel.

Technical Sign’s Managing Director, Ian Bigley, said: “We have worked closely with the above clients for the past 15 years based on quality workmanship which has resulted in a long-standing partnership.

“Whether it be a simple one-off or a full scale roll-out programme, you can be assured that our full personal and professional commitment is guaranteed”.

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Red Hot World Buffet fights off the competition As the fastest-growing buffet restaurant chain in the UK, Red Hot World Buffet celebrates an unrivalled reputation for providing eager customers with a range of cuisines from all over the world.

Offering 300 freshly made dishes from across the globe, the chain celebrates an extensive menu that boasts a huge list of cuisines, including: Italian, Cajun Mediterranean, Thai, Tex Mex, Chinese, English and Japanese.

With restaurants in prime locations such as Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Milton Keynes, Northampton and Nottingham, the Red Hot World Buffet chain enjoys a constant stream of both loyal and new visitors who are keen to sample the scrumptious food on offer.

The first Red Hot World Buffet restaurant opened in Nottingham in May 2004 to an unprecedented public response, which would ultimately see the opening of a second restaurant in Northampton in 2006. Following this, restaurants began to spring up in locations across the UK – including Milton Keynes

in 2008, Liverpool in 2009, Leeds in 2010 and Manchester in 2011.

Dan Brown has been with the brand from the start and is part of the senior management team, offering a range of services including project management, interior design and post-construction supervision. In an exclusive interview with Premier Construction Magazine, he discussed the phenomenal growth of Red Hot World Buffet: “International buffet cuisine is an exciting concept as it allows an interaction between all of the different types of food. Unlike other competitors that offer multi-cuisine, we have individual live stations for each of the different cuisines; even the dessert counter is alive with ice cream and pastry kitchens.

“We have experienced a huge surge in visitors over the last few years as restaurant-goers are becoming more and more eager to sample foods from all over the world at a competitive price. In fact, the restaurants have become so popular that we have even had to go back and expand some of our existing developments.”

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One such development is the Manchester restaurant, which is currently undergoing an extension project in order to expand the existing restaurant across two floors. An additional 150 seats will be added, along with another bar and waiting area.

Furthermore, a unique concept named ‘Red Hot Rooms’ will create themed booth rooms for hired parties and large groups.

Before the existing restaurant was constructed in 2011, the development required a complete strip-out back to the shell before the conversion phase could take place.

Dan Brown commented: “The Manchester project has been very challenging, as it was an old office block and was therefore not designed to welcome thousands and thousands of visitors a week through its doors.

As a result, we had to alter the low office ceilings and configure the substation so it was capable of powering large catering equipment.

“Other features include glossed ceilings to give the illusion of double-height space, and the trimming of openings to get rid of the claustrophobic office feel. In addition, we have used cutting edge materials throughout the development and incorporated a range of sustainable features.

“For example, all of the lighting is LED based, whilst the heating and cooling systems are as energy efficient as possible.

Furthermore, we have also incorporated motion-sensitive lighting, recycled materials and reclaimed goods.

“We are delighted to be opening this restaurant in the heart of the city, and Manchester is set to become one of our flagship developments. The need for additional floor is a mark of how popular the restaurant has become, which, in my opinion, is an excellent thing.”

One of the main factors behind the chain’s immense success is the welcoming atmosphere that each restaurant exudes. The

restaurants celebrate a broad customer base, as Dan Brown explained: “All of our customers are completely different. They may be someone finishing at the gym and coming for food in their casual clothes, they could be coming in for a business meeting or they might be on a date or with their family. Our restaurants aren’t pretentious and we try hard to make sure that each one of our customers feels relaxed and comfortable.”

As their impressive portfolio continues to expand, Red Hot World Buffet is fast establishing a distinctive brand design that is as flexible as their menu. The colour scheme remains the same throughout their restaurants – a striking palette of red and black – however each restaurant celebrates features that make each Red Hot World Buffet experience unique.

Dan Brown explained: “The venue of each restaurant is different, and each restaurant therefore slightly deviates from the distinctive Red Hot World Buffet concept. For instance, at the Leeds restaurant we created an airport check-in desk and different feature zones for the different cuisines, whilst the Cardiff restaurant has a very contemporary feel as a result of a low, mirrored ceiling and mezzanine floor.

“We always endeavour to make the customer experience completely unique, at every restaurant, every time. Our aim is to ensure that every time a customer chooses to visit, they will see something that they haven’t seen before or try a dish that they haven’t seen before.

“Our interiors are like our cuisine: there is so much variety and choice, and different world influences are all merged together under one roof. Here at Red Hot World Buffet, we like to say that we provide a visual feast along with an actual feast.”

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Featuring multiple levels with ceilings of up to eight metres in height, the restaurant will incorporate a stunning bar area the original Nottingham restaurant is set to be expanded to become the largest Red Hot World Buffet restaurant in the UK. Opened in 2004, the Nottingham restaurant was Red Hot World Buffet’s first entry into the world of buffet cuisine and comprised just 5,000 square feet. The restaurant is currently undergoing an exciting extension programme that will see the restaurant increase in size to a colossal 30,000 square feet, with a capacity of up to 650 customers.

Dan Brown said: “We are hugely excited to be carrying out this extension project. The Nottingham restaurant will collate all of the materials that we have implemented over our previous projects, truly creating the ‘wow factor’ for customers.

“Featuring multiple levels with ceilings of up to eight metres in height, the restaurant will incorporate a stunning bar area and a huge buffet with all of the live counters. The uniform look that we have developed across the brand will be piloted at the Nottingham restaurant, taking the brand forwards into the future.

“It is set to be our largest restaurant yet – and the best part is that we’re back to Nottingham, where it all began.”

For more information on Red Hot World Buffet or to find the nearest restaurant to you, visit www.redhot-worldbuffet.com

Shellshock Designs Ltd Shellshock Designs is the world’s largest manufacturer of opulent Mother of Pearl tiling and mosaics for use in hotels, restaurants, clubs, bars and private residences. The company sources its materials from all over the globe and cultivates up to 75,000 sq. metres of Mother of Pearl per year.

Shellshock Designs Ltd has worked with Red Hot World Buffet for over three years, supplying the restaurant chain with many high-end niche materials that are otherwise unavailable in the UK. Shellshock Designs Ltd CEO, Jonathan Kern, said: “We have a factory in China and we have an association with 15 like-minded companies all working to the same standards of quality.

“Whether it is glass mosaics, translucent stone or semiprecious stone slabs we are world leaders in sourcing these materials and we can offer our clients direct factory prices by cutting out the middle man.

Jonathan Kern added: “At Shellshock Designs Ltd we have access to facilities that no one else has and we constantly explore new materials to provide our clients with new and unusual high-quality finishes.”

CK Direct Ltd Peterborough based company Commercial Kitchens Direct supply and install bespoke extraction canopy and ventilation systems for schools, hotels, government buildings and brewery chains. Amongst its many services this includes the installation of commercial extraction hoods and canopies, bespoke kitchen ventilation and extraction systems, stainless steel wall cladding, UV odour control systems and replacement fans and filters.

CK Direct Ltd has become a well established and leading supplier of commercial kitchen extraction systems and the team

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invests heavily in fabrication machinery and its skilled work force to reduce prices.

The CK Direct team believe in identifying their customers’ requirements and carrying them out to the highest order, making them fully qualified to give the best service possible. In just nine years CK Direct has achieved multiple accreditations including: CHAS Registration, Safe Contractor Registered, ISO 9001, City and Guilds NVQ Level 3, Duct Hygiene Operative Grade 1, Corgi Air and Ventilation Accredited and HVCA Membership. All of CK Direct Ltd’s staff is fully trained in health and safety and all operatives and duct fitters are trained to skill card level.

When setting up a new kitchen, the canopy and extraction system is a key aspect and a large part of a customers’ investment.

CK Direct Ltd has a very comprehensive range of products and services, with canopies available at the lowest possible prices in the highest possible quality. All canopies are made with 304/430 grade stainless steel and include a full installation of all types of fans and speed controllers along with all relevant spiral or rectangular ducting.

Call Now for a Free Quotation 0808 1780001

Image credit: James Mcdonald

New Las Iguanas brings flavour to Cambridge A new Las Iguanas restaurant has opened on the beautiful piazza beside the Scudamores punting station on Quayside, Cambridge.

The 225-cover restaurant opened in April 2012 and is expected to bring some Latin chic to an area that has celebrated the recent arrival of Argentinean steakhouse Cau and Italian restaurant chain Zizzi Ristorante. The restaurant has been leased to Las Iguanas by Magdalene College.

Founder of Las Iguanas, Eren Ali, commented: “We have been dreaming of bringing a taste of Latin America to Cambridge for over 10 years and are thrilled that we have finally found the perfect riverside location with undoubtedly one of the best views of the city.”

Boasting a delicious menu that is brimming with a mouthwatering fusion of Latin American, Indian, Spanish, Portuguese and African influences, the Las Iguanas chain has a well deserved reputation for providing fresh and affordable food.

Since the first Las Iguanas restaurant opened in Bristol in 1991 the chain has expanded to establish restaurants across the UK, with locations including Leeds, Cardiff, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield. One of the latest offerings from the Las Iguanas chain is the new Cambridge restaurant, which is located on the site of the former Henry’s Cafe.

Senior bursar at Magdalene College, Steven Morris, said: “The former Henry’s bar was tired and a bit outdated, and had been for a while. It’s a key unit in the commercial development and the outgoing tenements were not planning to invest in a major way.

“Las Iguanas will bring a fresh and exciting new environment to Quayside which will have wide appeal, drawing in more visitors to this key location and boosting business for all the outlets operating there.”

In order to create the new Las Iguanas restaurant, it was necessary for main contractor Shone Building to completely strip out the existing building and replace elements of the windows along the side elevation. Once this was completed, the entrance was reconfigured to open out onto the courtyard and the interior was fully refurbished – including a new bar, kitchen and M&E services.

One of the most striking features is the curved bar, which at 8.5 metres long features a bespoke steel over-bar with wall lights hanging from the suspended structure. In addition, there is a handmade triangular tile feature on the lower section of the bar that has incorporated four colours of tile arranged in a pattern that is based on traditional South American architecture from the 1940s and 1950s.

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Image credit: James Mcdonald

The wall cladding has incorporated reclaimed painted pine in muted greens, blues and creams whilst stained oak has been used throughout. Other interesting design features include the handmade terracotta hexagonal floor tiles within the bar and entrance area and the cross-cut oak floorboards throughout the restaurant.

Andy Goodwin from project designer Martin Brudnizki, said: “This was a very interesting project for us, particularly as we have previously completed the Stratford City Las Iguanas, which is set within a shopping centre environment. The Cambridge restaurant is located within a much more traditional high street location with fantastic views over the canal and as a result has a more intimate atmosphere on more of a residential scale.

“Although the concept is similar in each restaurant, we try and encourage an individuality of style that is largely based on the restaurant’s locality, current trends within restaurant design and the conceptual Latin American inspiration that is key to the brand. Some elements will however remain constant – for instance the beautiful handmade solid oak table tops that we have spent considerable time developing specifically for Las Iguanas alongside Matthew Cox. “We have an excellent working relationship with Las Iguanas - they are open and receptive to ideas and we are particularly impressed by their unwillingness to simply repeat and roll out the same scheme across their expanding estate. Las Iguanas are constantly looking to develop the brand and the identity of their restaurants through every project that they complete and we are more than happy to help them create enjoyable, fun and practical spaces.”

Catering Projects Ltd Catering Projects Ltd specialises in the design, supply and installation of commercial catering equipment for high street eateries. Clients include: Las Iguanas, Chipotle, Nando’s, Giraffe, Byron Burgers, TRG, Butlins and YO! Sushi amongst others.

Catering Projects Ltd specialises in fast track work and can install a full commercial kitchen within four weeks. The company undertakes special 3D design & images, along with specialist attendances in places such as airports and railways with a projected turnover of £5 million.

Working from its new modern offices in Barlborough, Catering Projects employ a staff of 14, has a 3D CAD kitchen designer amongst its team and has recently invested in a new look web site along with a 3D Inventor drawing package.

Most of the company’s work is self-generated from ‘word of mouth’ and the completion of successful projects and it takes

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pride in the relationships that it builds up with its clients.

Catering Projects Ltd Managing Director, Andy Fulham, said: “We were approached 18 months ago by Las Iguanas to design, supply and install kitchens within their high street sites. We have developed a new kitchen design & specification with their Group Chef and the equipment – with minor tweaks for each site – is fully supplied and installed by ourselves complete with a full two years warranty.

“We’re proud to have completed six projects for Las Iguanas.”

Andy Fulham added: “At Catering Projects Ltd we pride ourselves in our ‘account management’ approach to our customers, we have our own very high standards, a great eye for detail and we always aim to meet the specific requirements of each client.

“Our team works on the principle that ‘you are only as good as your last job’ – which has to be great!”

T R Mechanical Services Ltd T R Mechanical Services Ltd is a leading specialist in the design and installation of air conditioning and ventilation systems for the restaurant trade. The company provides a wide variety of services including mechanical, water, gas and above ground drainage services.

T R Mechanical Services Ltd works with many leading industry names including Wahaca, YO! Sushi, Be At One cocktail bars and Frankie & Benny’s. For Las Iguanas, T R Mechanical Services Ltd has provided consultant services for the design and installation of mechanical systems in 19 restaurants.

T R Mechanical Services Ltd Company Director, Tony Rosset,

said: “Las Iguanas is a high-quality restaurant and is a very good client to work for. We always aim to go the extra mile and we have a good working relationship with them.”

Tony Rosset added: “At T R Mechanical Services Ltd we offer a competitive service that is precise and tailored to our clients’ requirements. To us no site is the same and we offer good value for money on all of the services that we provide.”

Connect Electrical Ltd Connect Electrical Ltd specialise in domestic and commercial electrical installations from lighting, fire alarms and data cabling through to maintenance and servicing. The company has completed works for clients including Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, Holiday Inn, Butlins and Stork Food & Dairy Systems and has worked on more than 20 Las Iguanas sites.

For Las Iguanas Connect Electrical Ltd conduct maintenance work – including 24 hour call-outs – as well as complete periodic inspections and testing.

Sue Jones, Connect Electrical Ltd, said: “We’ve got a great working relationship with Las Iguanas which runs from the company head right through to all of the office staff. Las Iguanas is a great company to work with and for us they are our major client.”

Sue Jones added: “We’ve built our business up over the last six years from a oneman band to a much larger operation that employs 12 members of staff.

“Throughout the more uncertain financial period of the last few years we’ve managed to keep everyone consistently in employment and last year we even took on extra staff.

“Our clients are happy with the services we provide and we continue to complete all our work to the highest standards.”

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Images courtesy of Paul Chilton www.primephotography.co.uk

Branching out with Browns Bar & Brasserie Contemporary cuisine is being served up at the brand new Browns Bar & Brasserie in Newcastle.

Located on Grey Street in the city’s central conservation zone, Browns Bar & Brasserie Newcastle is the latest in a long and successful chain of Browns restaurants to open in the UK. The 200-cover restaurant switched on its ovens for the first time in April and has already proved a hit with local diners.

Owned by bar and restaurant management group Mitchells & Butlers, Browns Bar & Brasserie has been serving simple, classic and freshly prepared dishes since 1973. Although food is important to Browns, the location of each restaurant is also a key ingredient for the chain’s continued success and this latest site is no different. Browns Bar & Brasserie Newcastle is housed within a Grade II listed building and has retained many of the features of its former existence as a bank, offering a unique eating experience for the North East.

Sandeson Ltd was the main contractor on the project and Harrison was the interior fit-out designer.

Harrison Senior Designer, Andrew Kirk, said: “Located on a Georgian street in Newcastle, Browns Bar & Brasserie is perfectly situated in an area of the city that is known for its history. Typically Mitchells & Butlers invest in period buildings and so the location of this latest restaurant is very much in keeping with what the Browns Bar & Brasserie brand is all about.”

Work began on Browns Bar & Brasserie Newcastle in February 2012 and the project was completed in just 12 weeks.

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The restaurant is located on the ground floor of a five-storey building and notable features include a solid wooden bar with a polished brass counter top, along with limestone and reclaimed oak block flooring. All of the lighting in the restaurant is provided via bespoke LED lights, whilst large sash windows provide additional illumination.

Exterior work on the building included the restoration of stonework and the installation of a freestanding menu and associated signage. Tables and chairs – providing an additional 20 covers –were also added to the entrance of the building in order to allow diners to eat alfresco.

Andrew Kirk said: “Traditionally Browns Bar & Brasserie are fitted into buildings that already have their own unique style. We then borrow elements of these existing features and enhance them with Browns’ own scheme to create the perfect dining experience.

“We begin with the back of house areas to ensure that we provide a workable restaurant that offers impeccable service and then we move on to the remainder of the site to complete the internal layout.

“Browns retain a traditional style regardless of where they’re located and this creates very strong brand recognition. We may tweak the colour scheme a little and the furniture may become a touch more relaxed from time to time, but each restaurant will always retain its own unique classic style.

“The feedback for Browns Bar & Brasserie Newcastle has been great and clients Mitchells & Butler are extremely pleased with

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Images courtesy of Paul Chilton www.primephotography.co.uk

the opening of the site. This is another great restaurant and another great investment in their already successful portfolio.”

dining spaces – and it has really transformed this building.”

Browns Bar & Brasserie Nottingham

Located next to Selfridges just outside Birmingham’s prestigious Bullring shopping centre, the 2-storey Browns Bar & Brasserie Birmingham opened in November 2011. As well as offering up a selection of fine foods and real ales, the restaurant has a range of signature cocktails to tantalise the taste buds.

The restaurant is situated within the Bullring’s Dining Quarter, which includes Nando’s, Pizza Hut, Jamie’s Italian and ChaoBaby. As the Dining Quarter opens late into the night, this site is the perfect location for Browns and provides shoppers with a place to dine once the shops have closed for the day.

Harrison Senior Designer, Andrew Kirk, said: “Recently Browns Bar & Brasseries has started opening sites within new builds, usually within retail districts or shopping centres. These sites allow us to add a new facet to the Browns Bar & Brasserie brand by modernising some of the traditional elements of the brand so that we can create restaurants that are relevant to a different target market.

“With this site being located next to Selfridges, a somewhat outrageous yet iconic landmark building, this new restaurant had to be as equally dynamic in its design so that it didn’t get over shadowed.

“From a design point of view we got a great deal of enjoyment out of trying to fit the Browns style into this site and it made this a very interesting project to be a part of.

“We had to design the interior to look very organic in its shape and then we introduced a fully reclaimed bar feature on the ground floor to create a focal point for the restaurant. Although the building was new, we didn’t eliminate the sense of history that Mitchells & Butlers like to maintain within the brand and we made sure to include reclaimed materials where possible within the site.

“Along with the Bullring, we’ve also completed work at

Browns Bar & Brasserie Nottingham opened its doors in February 2012 with a champagne and cocktail party to welcome diners to the latest site in the East Midlands. The restaurant is situated on the corner of Park Row and East Circus Street in Nottingham city centre and is just one minute’s walk from the Nottingham Playhouse and five minutes from the city’s Cathedral Quarter.

Before being transformed into an exquisite eatery, the Nottingham branch of Browns was formerly a Victorian house that existed in a semi-derelict state. As part of the work to transform the site, a great deal of conservation work took place to return the building to its former glory. Work included the reinstatement of many existing features including door frames, floors and ceilings.

The interior design of the restaurant features a cream and black colour scheme, whilst the drinks bar runs along one of the main walls and leather booth seating provides a comfortable dining experience for guests.

Additional features of the restaurant include spacious dining rooms, a large open fireplace and a feature clock. A conservatory is also located towards the rear of the building.

As part of the refurbishment and conversion of the building, an extension was built along one side of the restaurant to connect an external courtyard with the site.

All of the new elements of the building – including the extension – were designed and built to match the existing features of the site.

Harrison Senior Designer, Andrew Kirk, said: “There is a positive buzz about Browns Bar & Brasserie Nottingham and since it opened it has been a very successful site. The new build elements and the existing features create an interesting contrast of styles – creating a selection of different

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Browns Bar & Brasserie Birmingham

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Bluewater shopping centre in Kent and there are more restaurants in retail areas in the pipeline.”

Browns Bar & Brasserie Manchester Browns Bar & Brasserie Manchester opened in January 2011 on the corner of York Street and Spring Gardens. When the site opened, it marked the first time in eight years that a Browns Bar & Brasserie had opened outside of London.

The building is a Grade II Listed structure that was built in 1902 by architect Charles Heathcote and it was chosen to house Manchester’s Browns Bar & Brasserie due to its historic significance.

Spread out over a ground floor and basement level, the Manchester site is a 265-cover restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and evening meals. Browns Bar & Brasserie Manchester is also surrounded by a number of highprofile eateries including Rio Ferdinand’s restaurant Rosso and Jamie Oliver’s diner, Jamie’s Italian.

Prior to housing the restaurant, the site was a former bank and many of the site’s existing features were therefore retained, restored and incorporated into the finished design. A wood panelled manager’s office was retained and transformed into an intimate private dining room, whilst ornate ceilings and marble pillars were cleaned and given a new lease of life.

Additional features include an island drinks bar located within the centre of the restaurant and a grand piano, which in turn provides diners with sophisticated sounds as they dine.

Harrison Senior Designer, Andrew Kirk, said: “As Browns Bar & Brasserie Manchester was installed into a Grade II listed building, a large amount of the existing features – including a great deal of the original light fixtures – couldn’t be altered.

“These features became necessary design considerations that we had to incorporate into the overall style of the restaurant, however instead of creating problems we saw this as a way to add character to the site.

“I’ve worked on a number of Browns Bar & Brasseries alongside my design partner Joanne Tedstone and one of the most interesting aspects of our job is watching the brand continue to evolve.

“All of the sites have their own unique character and present their own individual challenges, but one of the most enjoyable elements for us is that we get to take an existing design and give it a new twist to suit each site.”

Quartz Electrical & Mechanical Services Ltd Quartz Electrical & Mechanical Services Ltd specialise in mechanical and electrical installations for the commercial and industrial sectors. The company has branches in the North East and West Midlands and with over 100 staff the company has an annual turnover of £10 million.

Quartz Electrical & Mechanical Services offers its clients a wide range of specialist services from design and installation through to refurbishment, shop fit-outs and 24 hour maintenance.

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For Browns Bar & Brassiere, Quartz Electrical & Mechanical Services Ltd conduct all electrical and mechanical works on each site, which includes distribution, lighting, power and rewiring, heating, plumbing, ventilation and air conditioning.

The company is involved with each restaurant throughout the entirety of the project.

Quartz Electrical & Mechanical Services Ltd Midlands Manager, Karl Genway-Turner, said: “Working with Browns Bar & Brassiere is very important to us and we value our working relationship with the brand.”

N o r th We s t Construction News

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Bury Transport Museum will stand the test of time An exciting project to carefully restore the early Victorian Castlecroft Goods Warehouse has created a popular visitor attraction in Bury Town Centre.

Dating back to 1848, the goods shed provided handling and distribution facilities for over a century until it was closed by British Rail in 1963. Over the years, the progressive failure of materials and the discharge of rainwater led to significant water ingress within the building and the extensive dilapidation of the roof structure and fabric.

Following the closure of the building, British Rail demolished the remaining external/ ancillary buildings and removed the internal corner spaces. Bury MBC purchased the site and building in 1965 and then use was transferred to the East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society in 1972 in order to create the Bury Transport Museum.

With the financial backing of HLF, NWDA and Bury MBC, the £2.27 million restoration project commenced in October 2008 and was completed in December 2009. Main contractor for the scheme was Irwins of Leeds and the architect was Brock Carmichael Architects.

Bury Transport Museum features a Welsh slate roof with a timber truss and cast iron column structure. Roof glazing has been reinstated in order to create effective internal lighting, whilst the large door openings on each elevation facilitate ease and flexibility of access by rail and road vehicles.

The building envelope has been accurately restored, whilst the internal elements of the building have been retained, repaired and

restored. Additional facilities include a reception area, a large education room and toilets.

Sustainable features include solar heating for the hot water and low-energy electrical fittings.

David Watkins, Brock Carmichael Architects, explained: “The approach of the project was to sensitively reinstate the original building in order to accurately reflect the existing details. In addition, new elements were required to facilitate the change in function from a goods warehouse to a museum; therefore modern materials were incorporated in the design.”

Lime-washed masonry walls, the exposed timber roof structure and new lighting has provided a stunning backcloth to the road and rail vehicle exhibits, which are arranged on the two original raised platform areas and within the large central ground floor area. Safe access for visitors is ensured by a combination of stairs, platform lifts and bridge links.

In December 2011, the project won an award at the prestigious National Railway Heritage Awards.

David Watkins commented: “The building was dilapidated and large areas of the roof structure had begun to collapse. As a result, one of the biggest challenges was to repair the large timber trusses that were rotten and severely displaced. We used a system of

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resin and stainless steel reinforcement within the repaired timbers, which has restored the original appearance. In addition to this, a new boarded deck was added over the rafters and the slate roof and original rooflights and cast iron valley gutters were repaired and reinstated.

All such details were carefully researched and analysed before they were put into practice.

“Common Pipstrelle bats were also recorded as nocturnal visitors to the building, and the scheme carefully considered any impact in order to minimise disturbance and ensure that roost opportunities would not be lost as a result of the restoration work. A number of bat boxes were integrated within the south wall of the building externally at eaves level to maintain and encourage further roosting.

“Bury Transport Museum has exceeded projected visitor numbers, and has proved very popular with the local residents. It is a pleasure to know that we have been a part of this important project.”

Developing Number One Riverside A state-of-the-art municipal building is currently under construction in Rochdale.

Number One Riverside is an open-plan six-storey development that is being built for Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council.

Once complete the development will provide office space for over 2000 Council employees, partners and tenants, alongside a number of facilities for the local community.

The ground floor of the development will comprise a customer services department, library, coffee shop and restaurant, whilst half of the first floor will be used as a training and conference facility. The remaining floors of the site will be used as office space for Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council, its partners and tenants and will include a series of grouped meeting areas for staff to engage with each other.

This development is also seen as a catalyst for the wider physical regeneration of Rochdale Town Centre which includes the construction of a new transport interchange, the arrival of Metrolink and a new retail and leisure development in the town centre.

Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council Programme Manager, Christine Jones, said: “In 2008 a business case was compiled to construct a new fa-

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cility that would enable 2000 staff from approximately 50 buildings in Rochdale to relocate into one central development. By amalgamating services into one site this would save the Council money but at the same time allow us to deliver a quality public space that benefits the community.

“Number One Riverside has been specifically designed as an open-plan development to encourage staff to interact with one another so they can share and develop their ideas in a more efficient way.

“One of the schemes that we are running alongside the construction of this development is an internal transformation programme that will allow the Council to improve the way it works and this site will be an important step in this programme.”

Work began on Number One Riverside in April 2011 with Sir Robert McAlpine as the main contractor and FaulknerBrowns as the architect.

The development is being built using a reinforced concrete frame that is supported by precast concrete driven piles and has incorporated a membrane roofing system. The external facade comprises a mix of Reglit glazing, precast concrete panels, fibreC and aluminium.

The sustainability of Number One Riverside is a very important

aspect of the project and so all efforts are being made to ensure the development is as cost effective and environmentally friendly as possible. A bio-mass boiler will provide power to the development, whilst solar shading will eliminate the need for air conditioning and greenwater storage tanks will be housed on the roof to harvest rainwater. The building is predicted to achieve a BREEAM ‘excellent’ rating.

To complete the project some external landscaping will take place. This will include the installation of paving, plants and concrete seating, whilst a secure storage area for 100 bicycles will also be created along with 19 DDA compliant parking spaces that can be used by members of staff and the general public.

Sir Robert McAlpine Project Manager, Paul Walker, said: “Number One Riverside is a one-off development that will ef-

fectively be two buildings running parallel with a central atrium in between. The two sides of the complex will be linked together by bridges to create a bright open space within the development and was designed to follow the contours of the River Roch.”

“In terms of its design there aren’t many developments in the North West that can compare to this one. Number One Riverside ticks all the boxes in terms of modernising facilities and when it is complete it will look fantastic.

“The development will be something Rochdale people can be proud of and Sir Robert McAlpine is thrilled to be playing its part in the transformation of the town centre and Rochdale Borough.”

Number One Riverside is scheduled for completion in November 2012.

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Restoring the North East: Spence & Dower LLP Established in 1946, Spence & Dower LLP are chartered architects and historic building consultants who specialise in all aspects of architectural work. The practice predominantly works in and around the North East of England and principally this involves the conservation and refurbishment of historic buildings, the integration of new developments within existing structures and contemporary design work.

Spence & Dower’s services include: full measured surveys, feasibility studies, condition surveys, planning and listed building consent applications, heritage impact assessments and conservation audits. The company has been involved with conservation projects for Newcastle City Council, English Heritage and the National Trust and in 2010 were awarded a four-year framework agreement with English Heritage to carry out conservation work on their historic properties in their Northern territory.

Two of Spence & Dower’s most recent projects include the ongoing conservation of Seaton Delaval Hall in Northumberland and the conservation of a mediaeval monastery on Coquet Island.

Seaton Delaval Hall Seaton Delaval Hall is a Grade I listed site that is located in the South East industrial corner of Northumberland. The estate was purchased by the National Trust following a national fundraising campaign from former owners Lord and Lady Hastings and includes a grand country house located within 450 acres of farm and park land. The building was completed in 1728 but sustained extensive damage in 1822 when a fire swept through the building.

A series of on-going conservation works is planned for the site including repairs to the interior of the building, the two flanking stair towers and the conservation of damaged statues. The work will also help to facilitate safe access to the site for members of the public.

Some areas of the work have already been completed including the conservation of the Hall’s interior stonework. During this part of the project visitors were admitted to the first floor of Seaton Delaval Hall to witness firsthand the careful conservation works that were being conducted by the skilled masons.

This part of the project allowed visitors to see Seaton Delaval Hall from a completely new perspective.

Presently works are continuing to conserve six statues on the site. The statues are an original feature of Seaton Delaval Hall and are one of just a few decorative features to have survived the fire of 1822. The statues depict the six muses – representing architecture, astronomy, music, geography, literature and poetry – and are constructed of stucco which is formed around iron work and built up from a brick base.

Due to the intensity of the fire and subsequent weathering, the statues have suffered much deterioration over the years and were considered to be unstable during a structural survey. To protect the statues from further damage the structures were boxed in timber and Perspex and scaffolding was erected to facilitate the first phase of works.

Throughout this stage of the project all efforts are being made to conserve, consolidate and not recreate parts of the statues.

The statues are being cleaned by very light brushing before material bandage dressings are used to hold weakened parts of the statues together. A sample of the original material is also being taken for analysis.

The main contractor for the project is Team Force Restoration Ltd.

Island is a nature reserve that is home to more than 35,000 pairs of nesting seabirds. The Island is managed by the RSPB and due to its quite unique status as a bird sanctuary it is protected under European Law and is not accessible to the public.

As well as the wildlife, Coquet Island also houses a lighthouse – built in 1841 – and other associated buildings, including the remains of a 15th Century monastic cell. English Heritage recently identified the mediaeval parts of the building as a safety risk and work has been conducted to consolidate and restore these parts of the site.

Team Force Restoration was once again the main contractor for the project and work included the conservation of key areas of the monastic cell, the base of the lighthouse and the former Buoy Keepers’ Cottage. Due to the sensitive nature of the Island’s inhabitants no work can be carried out between April and September as this is the birds’ nesting season. Gaining regular access to an island to carry out work during the winter months contributed an interesting dimension to a very sensitive project.

The Coquet Island project was co-ordinated by the North East Civic Trust with funding from English Heritage, RSPB, Northumberland Estates, Trinity House, the Northumberland Coast AONB and the Community Foundation.

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Refurbishing Durham Castle

An extensive refurbishment project to upgrade and improve facilities at Durham Castle – home to Durham’s University College – is now complete.

The main contractor for the £5 million project was Miller Construction and the project was completed in early 2012.

Phase One began in July 2011 and was largely centred on improving the Great Hall, kitchen and dining facilities. As part of the project, the kitchen equipment was completely strippedout and the kitchen upgraded to transform it into a commercial kitchen.

Alterations and improvements were also made to the Castle’s keep and the junction between the keep and the Castle’s northern range of buildings, whilst additional work included the restoration of chandeliers, timber rafters, radiators and oak panelling.

Phase Two involved the upgrading of student accommodation to include en-suite facilities. The residential areas of the building were reconfigured to accommodate the new bathrooms, whilst new joinery mouldings and fittings were also incorporated.

Thirty-six en suite pods were supplied by Taplanes Ltd. The pods incorporate a WC, washbasin, shower fitments, lighting and extraction units. Metal stud work and plasterboard were subsequently positioned around the pod to create a ‘built in’ appearance with the en suite pod door matching the Walnut bedroom furniture. This blended in well with the surrounding décor.

Due to the building’s significant historical value, all original features were maintained and carefully protected during the refurbishment process. This included protecting doorways and entry points whilst materials were being brought onto the site and modelling all fixtures and fittings to match existing features.

University College Bursar, Michelle Crawford, said:

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“We are delighted with the refurbishment and the Castle’s facilities have been transformed from 1 star to anticipated 4 star Visit England grading. The Great Hall, servery, kitchen and bedrooms look fantastic, and provide a great community setting for students to live in and a majestic venue for weddings.”

Durham Castle was constructed as a Norman fortress and is a Grade 1 listed building which forms part of Durham’s UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 11th century castle was home to the Bishops of Durham until 1837 when it was handed over to Durham University by Bishop Van Mildert, who founded the institution. It has been the home of Durham University’s University College ever since.

University College currently provides educational services for 700 undergraduates and 150 post-graduates, whilst the Castle

provides term-time accommodation for 339 students. It also receives tens of thousands of visitors per year and is used for special events and functions including daily conferences.

Miller Construction Regional Managing Director, Ian Jubb, said: “We are delighted to have completed the student residences at Durham Castle on behalf of University College, Durham University. This was an extremely challenging yet exciting project for the team to work on, in terms of surroundings and historical importance. The biggest challenge we faced whilst on-site was working to preserve the original, historical features of the building.

“We worked very closely with Durham County Council Conservation Department throughout the project, which enabled us to fully understand the limitations and restrictions of working within a World Heritage Site. We are confident that the students will benefit from their newly refurbished facilities whilst still being able to enjoy and appreciate the original features of the Castle.”

Miller Construction As one of the largest construction companies in the UK, Miller Construction designs, develops, builds and manages projects in both the public and private sector. This includes working on projects for the rail, retail, education and commercial sectors as

well as for a number of community regeneration projects.

The company is led by a professional and experienced management team that employs a collaborative approach to work and it is this ethos that has helped Miller Construction to maintain long-lasting relationships with both clients and partners.

Miller Construction is also very proud of their health and safety records and has a zero-tolerance approach towards unsafe working practices.

Miller Construction always aims to exceed the expectations of clients and as part of the Miller Group provides services for the whole life of a project.

The company has been awarded Investors in People accreditation for over 10 years.

V.N.C Cleaning Ltd V.N.C Cleaning Ltd provide specialist cleaning services for both new build and refurbishment projects. The company tailor their services to meet the individual requirements of their clients and have previously worked on projects including Durham University, Theatre Royal in Newcastle, Hartlepool College of Further Education and many other high profile projects.

VNC Cleaning Ltd Managing Director, Victoria Madrell, said: “For Durham Castle and Library we provided ongoing cleaning services, with the final ‘sparkle work’ taking place during and after contractors had completed their work. Our involvement on the project culminated with the final handover being achieved on schedule.

“Great care was taken during each operation and we were very privileged to be given the opportunity to be involved with these high profile projects.

“Detail and commitment to the finished project is of utmost importance to both companies and we are very proud to provide our services to Miller Construction. We have an excellent working relationship with Miller Construction and they are a very professional company.”

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Improving space at Manor Park A £3.4 million project has rejuvenated a neglected estate in Sheffield.

In the 1990s the Manor area was reported to be the worst estate in Britain. The estate contained large areas of undervalued green space, which is believed to have had a significant impact on the local quality of life.

The Manor Park project will vastly improve three large open spaces whilst incorporating public art, a community orchard and wild flower areas. Areas have been re-landscaped to accommodate parking, whilst grass verges have been improved in order to create pathways across the spaces to make them more usable.

Main contractor for the project is Bramall Construction, whilst the landscape architect is Planit. The project has been funded by a VAT Shelter agreement with Sheffield City Council following the stock transfer of the Manor Park estate.

Pennine Housing is responsible for almost half

of the housing on the estate and has played an important part in the regeneration process. The organisation has worked closely with Planit and Fourth Wall Creations (a team of public artists) to engage residents, schools and other community groups throughout the project.

In addition, Pennine continues to work closely with Green Estates to deliver horticultural apprenticeships through its own in-house team.

John Darwen, Site Manager for Bramall Construction, commented: “This project has brought a lot of exciting

A1 Dishforth to Leeming project reaches completion A £330 million improvement scheme on the A1 in Yorkshire has been delivered by Carillion – Morgan Sindall JV on behalf of the Highways Agency.

The aim of the project was to reduce the high levels of accidents and congestion on the route and enhance journey time reliability by upgrading the existing A1 to dual 3-lane motorway standard.

Works began in March 2009 and the contractors worked closely with design partner AECOM to deliver the project.

An enormous amount of carriageway construction was involved in the scheme – including 2.5Mt of earthworks, 1Mt of imported starter and capping layers, and 980,000t of sub-base and asphalt.

Speaking during the course of the project, JV Project Director, Chris Hayton, commented: “Logistics are a challenge on this project given the sheer volume of deliveries and the need to manage them safely. We have 700 people working out here. Safety is our number one priority.

“Nobody is allowed to cross the A1 and we have 250,000 wagon loads on and off site to manage. When divided by the number of working days we have, it works out that we have to handle on average 60 vehicles an hour. It’s a massive issue because we cannot have vehicles queuing to discharge and backing up access points.”

The A1 Dishforth to Leeming project made the best possible use of ‘site-won’ materials to minimise the import of first generation stone. In order to minimise the carbon footprint, stone was sourced locally and balanced out amongst local quarries to minimise the impact of wagon journeys on the local population along the delivery routes.

Furthermore, works traffic was banned from using many of the local roads and great effort was made to inform the public in advance of any proposals. Working hours were restricted where possible to 07:00 – 19:00 Monday to Friday, and neighbours were offered alternative accommodation if necessary.

Working with care The road passes through a Scheduled Ancient Monuments (SAM), site where considerable archaeological findings were discovered during investigation and recording by a team of 35 archaeologists.

Considerable efforts were made to protect various animal spe-

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improvements to Manor Park, which has really helped to tidy up the area. Although there have been challenges along the way, it has been a pleasure to be involved with the project and we are delighted with what we have managed to achieve.”

cies – badgers, otters, bats, great crested newts and nesting birds – and the site team also had to deal with a number of noxious or invasive plants such as giant hogweed, Japanese knotweed, Himalayan balsam and ragwort.

Chris Hayton commented: “The drainage from the existing A1 issued directly to local watercourses. With the new scheme, all the water from the new road flows to balancing ponds, which attenuate the flow to watercourses and carry out initial settlement of solids as well as some treatment of pollutants through the action of reed beds.”

£60m Leeds project prepares to take centre stage The exciting new Leeds Arena will provide state-of-the-art entertainment for up to 13,500 spectators when it hosts its first event early in 2013.

Main contractors for the project are BAM Construction and strategic design partner Jacobs is leading a multi-disciplinary design team to conclude the design of the Leeds Arena to the RIBA stage D, having appointed Populous to offer them specialist arena architectural expertise.

Expected to boost the city region economy by £25.5 million, the project will create approximately 450 jobs and help to attract further investment in the area.

Councillor Richard Lewis, Leeds City Council executive member for city development, said: “The arena is a hugely important construction project for Leeds – it is estimated to bring an additional one million visitors to the city and add around £25.5m per year to the city’s economy.

“It is already playing a catalytic part in the wider regeneration of the city centre as further investments and developments are brought forward linked to the arena. All of this helps to take Leeds up a league and plays an important contribution to ensuring the city is in a strong economic position to recover from the current economic climate.

The ‘super-theatre’ style arena will have a total capacity of around 13,500 people in a combined standing/seating mode and circa 12,500 in full seating mode. Spectators will be much close to the stage than other traditional bowl venues as all seats

will face the performance area, each of them with perfect sightlines.

The external design of the building is a stunning honeycomb design, with lights that can change colour to reflect the mood of the arena event at the time.

A 45-metre long proscenium beam is one of the arena’s most imposing features and at 180 metres long is the heaviest piece of steel in the entire arena building, having required two cranes – each weighing 500 tonnes – to lift it into place. Once it was lifted, twelve people worked for around 36 consecutive hours to hoist it into place. The beam now provides stability to a complex steel structure that has involved 3,500 tonnes of steel and would stretch for 24 miles from Leeds to York if laid flat.

John Sutherland, Managing Director/ Senior Vice President for the Leeds Arena operators SMG Europe, said: “We look forward to the construction schedule really starting to accelerate ahead of the handover in 2013. It’s still a little too early to announce any events, but we have been extremely encouraged by the excitement this project is generating within the live entertainment industry.”

The arena has been funded by Leeds City Council with grant support from Yorkshire Forward. Leeds City Council will use the rent and other commercial revenues generated by the associated commercial development to finance the balance of the proposal. Just over two thirds of funding is from third parties or commercial revenue generated by the scheme.

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N o r th E a s t & Yo r ks h i re BAM Construction BAM Construction UK Ltd is part of the European construction enterprise, Royal BAM Group. Their origins in the UK stretch back as far as 1874.

BAM Construction has a strong national and international profile. Their projects include the O2 Berlin Arena, Soccer City (the venue for the 2010 world cup final) and the Leeds Rose Bowl.

The company has a large network of offices covering England, Scotland and Wales and projects in the education, retail, mixed use development, health, office, leisure and law order sectors.

Caring for Liversedge Completed in January 2012, Norcott House and Norcott Lodge is a residential care development that has been designed for people living with complex needs.

Located on Leeds Road in Liversedge, the development comprises six single-storey and one-two storey housing units.

The single-storey buildings feature a mix of two, three and fourbedroom apartments, whilst the two storey building comprises two one-bedroom apartments.

Construction began on the £2 million project in May 2011. The project was funded by Woodleigh Care and built on what was previously derelict land in Liversedge. Eaker Build was the main contractor and The Design Works was the architect.

Each housing unit on the development is a timber frame construction and features a natural stone exterior and concrete

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tiled roofs. All of the buildings are fully insulated and extremely energy efficient.

Woodleigh Care Property Director, Cyril Clarke, said: “At Woodleigh Care we continually try to improve our developments so that they meet the requirements of residents. To this end we adapt internal and external areas accordingly so that each resident will be comfortable and happy in their new home.

“Most of the rooms in each apartment measure 3 metres in height and we’ve tried to incorporate quite a lot of glass, with south facing living spaces that emphasis spaciousness.

“I’m really happy with this project and it’s great to see another successful development for Woodleigh Care completed.”

Paul Batty, The Design Works, added: “We’ve been working with Woodleigh Care for the best part of

ten years and with such a good working relationship we always do our best to suit their requirements with each project.

“They trust that we understand their requirements very well, so our brief is usually very flexible, which allows us to offer a great deal of input for making a project like this work so well.”

Both Norcott House and Norcott Lodge feature self-contained apartments complete with a dining room, lounge, bedroom and kitchen to provide the perfect living space for residents with complex needs. A large amount of timber work has been incorporated into each apartment including hardwood windows, doors and skirting boards. Under floor heating was included to eliminate the need for radiators within each apartment.

Additional features include fully fitted modern kitchens, laminate flooring and carpets. Each apartment is also fully furnished.

External works included the construction of new roads and drainage points, the installation of timber fencing around the perimeter of the site and the development of associated car parking spaces. A lawn was also constructed for each apartment complete with block paving, shrubs and plants.

As the development was constructed adjacent to a listed building, construction crews worked with conservation specialists prior to any works taking place on the site.

Eaker Build Ltd Company Director, Craig Dyson, said: “There were a number of restrictions for accessing the site and as the buildings were rather large, we were also only able to construct one unit at a time. This restricted our time considerably, however we worked through this challenge and completed the project on time.

“This development also marked the first time that we’d ever constructed buildings using a timber frame construction and although this was something that I was very sceptical about, now I can see the finished results I know I will be using this method of construction for some of our future projects.”

Craig Dyson added: “For Eaker Build this new development is very significant because we weren’t just the main contractor on the project, we will also be the company responsible for the continued maintenance of the site. This was a great project to work on and it will continue to be a fantastic development for Woodleigh Care.”

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‘Leading the way across the world’:

UK’s first carbon capture plant opens The UK’s largest carbon capture plant has opened at SSE’s Ferrybridge Power Station in West Yorkshire.

The exciting development was designed by Doosan Power Systems and is the result of a collaboration between SSE, UK based Doosan Power Systems and Vattenfall. Supported by the Technology Strategy Board, DECC and Northern Way, it is the first carbon capture plant of its size to be integrated into a live power plant in the UK. Each day, the plant will capture 100 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the equivalent five megawatts (MW) of coal-fired power generating capacity.

Jean-Michel Aubertin, Chief Executive Officer at Doosan Power Systems, explained: “The CCPiolot100+ plant which we have designed, built and commissioned using our advanced amine scrubbing technology is an essential step in the optimisation and proving of post-combustion capture of CO2, and will be the most significant project of its kind in the UK.” Mark Bryant, Director of Carbon Capture for Doosan Power Systems, added: “I am very proud that we have been able to complete a project of this nature – the first of this kind – at the scale that we have. It is a major step forward for carbon capture and I think that whilst everyone who has been involved has recognised that it has been a difficult project, it is one that we are all very proud to see in operation. We see this exciting project as a stepping stone for larger, commercial-scale projects in the future.”

The plant represents a major step forward in proving that carbon capture technology is viable on a commercial scale, bridging the gap between various ongoing pilot-scale trials and the commercial-scale demonstrations envisaged by the UK government.

SSE Chief Executive, Ian Merchant, commented: “The development of viable carbon capture technology is central to the UK’s climate change and energy security objectives. We believe projects such as this will be absolutely crucial in establishing when and how the technology can be developed. What we have here today at Ferrybridge will provide an invaluable source of reference and learning for the industry as a whole.

“This pilot project is all about carbon capture on coal; however, if we are to be successful in reaching our carbon reduction targets, we also need it on gas, which is why SSE is seeking to develop a larger, commercial scale demonstration at our Peterhead gas-fired station.”

Industry regulators including the Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive will also be able to learn from the project, enabling the UK to move closer to widespread deployment of CCS. MP Chris Huhne, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, said: “This flagship test programme at Ferrybridge represents an important milestone in the UK’s plans to develop CCS and provides a critical bridge to meeting our long term aim of cost competitive CCS deployment by the 2020s.

“This is the first operating carbon capture plant attached to a power station at this scale in the UK and has benefitted from more than £6 million in public money. This investment will be invaluable to the wider commercial scale deployment of CCS by reducing uncertainty, driving down costs and developing the UK supply chain and skills.”

Local MP, Yvette Cooper, added: “This is a pioneering project

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supporting high skilled jobs here at Ferrybridge. Developing carbon capture is critical to cutting carbon emissions and this plant, supported by £6m announced by the last government, could lead the way across the world. This state-of-the-art technology is a vital opportunity for protecting the environment and for developing British science and technology.”

The original concept for the project was created in 2008 and the project formally started on 1st January 2009.

Doosan Power Systems designed, constructed and commissioned the plant and are now completing the final tests of the process performance. The EPC power company provides both after-market and new build service for the power industry, supplying a full range of products from boilers to air quality control systems and turbines.

Construction News

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South Yorkshire Police will fight crime from new station A state-of-the-art police station is under construction in Malton Way, Doncaster.

The new Adwick Police Station is a purposebuilt station that will house approximately 70 police officers and staff. The station has been designed by BNP Paribas Real Estate and the construction phase began in December 2011, with Bramall Construction as the main contractor.

Following a review of the existing police stations in the area, it was decided that the dilapidated station at Ardwick should be replaced by a modern and sustainable new police station. The existing building needed extensive repairs and modernisation, which unfortunately was not cost-effective in the long run.

The two-storey police station will comprise approximately 640 square metres of space.

Constructed using a steel frame with a masonry exterior, the development will incorporate a fully-operational police station with office accommodation and conference facilities.

Additional facilities will include changing

facilities, response cycle storage and a passenger lift.

Designed in conjunction with operational police officers to ensure that the building is practical and functional, the station has also incorporated a range of sustainable technologies. The building has been designed as a low energy development and features solar thermal domestic hot water, photovoltaic panels and innovative LED lighting in the office space.

Extensive landscaping has been included as part of the planning conditions stated by the local authority.

Adam Laing, Building Surveyor for South Yorkshire Police, said: “It has been a very well executed development

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to date, carried out by a professional local principal contractor. So far we have received positive comments by all parties concerned, and South Yorkshire Police look forward to occupying the space, improving the service and continuing to provide customer satisfaction to the community.�

The new Adwick Police Station is scheduled for completion in June 2012.

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NBBJ Architects are set to deliver first-class project A prestigious project to amalgamate the Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy at the University of Cambridge is progressing well.

The Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy is responsible for the synthesis, processing and patterning of materials to form significant advances in addressing such issues as sustainability and resource use. The department is currently spread over five separate buildings, some of which date back to the 1870s and are therefore becoming unsuitable for conducting modern scientific research.

The new state-of-the-art facility, currently under construction at the University’s West Cambridge site will cover approximately 10,000 square metres and will include a mixture of research laboratories, support facilities, teaching space, offices and social space.

One particularly exciting feature is the electron microscope facility, which is being constructed on a two-metre deep concrete slab in order to eliminate ground borne vibration, with further measures also being incorporated to reduce electro-magnetic interference from external sources.

Boasting a patterned brick facade and glazed curtain walling, the building has also incorporated a range of sustainable features. These include passive solar design measures, naturally ventilated office spaces, a green roof and a photovoltaic array at roof level. The building is currently on target for a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating.

The main contractor for the project is Willmott Dixon Construction and the architect is NBBJ. Rebecca Mortimore, NBBJ, said: “One of the biggest challenges we have faced is accommodating the various functions of the brief within a brick building without it looking old-fashioned. The ambition has been to create a building that is both contemporary and expresses the department’s unique identity.

“The new Materials Science & Metallurgy department is a quality addition to the West Cambridge site, which already celebrates an eclectic mixture of buildings.”

Mark Andrews, NBBJ, added: “The department is comprised of a number of groups that focus on different aspects of materials science research. One of the key challenges of the brief has been to understand and respond to the complexities of the departments’ current needs, whilst also looking toward the future of research at the department.

“We have enjoyed a strong working relationship with the main contractor Willmott Dixon, who have been integral to both the construction and pre-construction phase.”

The relocation to the University’s rapidly expanding Science and Technology site at West Cambridge will allow the department to engage in cross-disciplinary work with neighbours such as the Institute for Manufacturing, Electrical Engineering, the Computer Laboratory and Cambridge Enterprise.

The project has been made possible by generous funding from the Wolfson Foundation, The Ann D Foundation, the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths and the Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers.

Professor Lindsay Greer, Head of the Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy, said: “The project team have done a great job in meeting our requirements and we are very excited at the prospect of seeing our new home rise out of the ground. In addition to research, the building will incorporate teaching of undergraduate years 3 and 4, masters and doctorates.

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Image credit: NBBJ

“Uniting the department together in one building will enable the development of a highly integrated research facility, promoting better communication and reaction.”

The project is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2013.

St Michael on the Mount is transformed A unique project has seen the transformation of a Grade II listed church into a 16-bed boutique hotel.

The 16th century St Michael on the Mount is situated approximately 30 metres west of the Bishop’s Medieval Palace in the heart of Lincoln. The church was damaged during the English Civil War and had been rebuilt several times.

Under the project, the church has been converted into a luxury hotel with office and administration areas for the Bishop of Lincoln. The building was made redundant for church use in 1998 and apart from a brief stint as an art studio for the University of Lincoln had since gone unused, whilst previous proposals to convert the building into flats had been turned down.

Works have involved a new three-storey internal construction to provide 16 en-suite bedrooms with communal areas, meeting rooms and office accommodation. Whilst the interior of the building has been completely transformed, certain items – such as monuments, windows and statues – have been retained.

Further improvements include the conservation of the roof and the introduction of greenery to the area, along with improved fencing and a new driveway with six gravel parking spaces.

Deputy Chief Executive of Visit Lincolnshire, Emma Tatlow, added: “The proposal for developing a new hotel in Lincoln clearly indicates there are growth opportunities in the county’s tourism industry. This proposal, along with the new DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel being built on the Brayford Water Front, shows there is a strong appetite for investment within the county, which is very good news.”

The project is part of the extension of The Old Palace, which will create 31 new hotel rooms – 16 of which are contained within the St Michael on the Mount development.

Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce spokesperson, Hannah Young, said: “We are always very pleased to hear about our members’ good news, and the Old Palace extension is brilliant. It is not only positive for the Old Palace, but for Lincoln’s local visitor economy, as it is clear they believe there is a market for another hotel.

“A boutique hotel such as the Old Palace will complement larger chains and give our overnight visitors a choice of where they want to stay.”

Lincoln Business Improvement Group Chief Executive, Matt Corrigan, added: “It is good to see that the building is going to be used. The more facilities we have, the more attractive the city becomes for people visiting. It is vital that Lincoln remains economically active.

“It is also important to get more investment into the city due to borrowing from banks being much more difficult today. I think a project like this really underlines the growth potential of tourism in Lincoln. It’s also good for employment because it is creating

jobs and providing more business for the area.

Main contractor for the St Michael on the Mount project was the Gelder Group and the architects were Franklin Ellis Architects.

Gelder Group Formed in 1988, the Gelder Group is a modern, forward-thinking company that employs over 300 people nationwide.

The company consists of eight operational divisions and six associated companies, which allows them to offer an extensive range of services to meet the needs of their clients. With six strategically located offices in and around the Midlands and Yorkshire area, the Gelder Group can provide widespread geographical coverage.

The Gelder Group has received several awards for their services, including the Investors in People Gold Award.

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Updating education at Ormiston Bushfield Academy

A £20 million project to design and build new premises for the Ormiston Bushfield Academy in Peterborough is well underway.

Initial enabling works included re-routing a cycle way, the part construction of a new all-weather sports pitch and the construction of a new maintenance depot. Construction works began in March 2011 and included the removal of the existing all-weather pitch.

The new two-storey Ormiston Bushfield Academy covers 9,713 square metres of space and will accommodate 950 students, an increase from the current number of 730. It features a curved double height fully-glazed entrance that will open onto a public plaza with a colonnade link to the sports centre, whilst additional facilities include a library and centres that will cater for young people and early years.

The project will also include a small extension to Bushfield sports centre and the refurbishment of the changing room pavilion. Once the new premises are completed in the summer of 2012, the existing 8,500 sq metre buildings will be demolished.

Main contractor for the project is Kier Eastern.

Councillor John Holdich, Peterborough City Council’s cabinet member for education, skills and university, said: “Completion of these projects will mean that all our secondary school pupils benefit from some of the best learning environments in the country. These new state-of-the-art buildings will enable the schools to attract the best teaching talent to the city.

“In addition to this massive investment in new buildings, we are working with schools on a far-reaching ‘strategy for change’ that focuses on helping pupils achieve improved academic results.”

Kier Education Principal Director, Neil Pates, added: “The educational facilities will become beacons of learning.

The student-centred designs will ensure that the pupils of Peterborough gain maximum benefit from the combined commitment of the local authority, sponsors and Kier to deliver the very best learning environment for the community they serve.”

Ormiston Bushfield Academy is recognised as one of the fastest improving Academies in the country. In January 2012, the school became the first Academy in the UK to receive the prestigious Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT) quality mark in more than one subject area.

The new Ormiston Bushfield Academy will open to pupils in September 2012.

Ltd implemented the design, supply and installation of daylight solutions at roof level. This involved the use of modular polycarbonate rooflights, access hatches and bespoke glass rooflights over occupied areas.

Naturalight Systems Ltd has developed a strategy that enables all aspects of roof glazing to be catered for. This strategy has allowed Naturalight Systems to become a key supplier for Schools for the Future, the MOJ and Tesco supermarket stores to name but a few.

Naturalight Systems Ltd are able to provide modular rooflights, canopies and walkways, major roof glazing, smoke ventilation and roof access solutions. The company recognises the requirements of current legislation and environmental impact and can provide unrivalled quality, experience and cutting edge design for your next project.

Naturalight Systems Ltd Established for over 12 years and based in the north east of England, Naturalight Systems Ltd are at the forefront of the rooflight industry.

The company boasts a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant, powder coating plant and recently built office extension housing the expertise and knowledge to deliver the requirements of various projects nationwide.

For the Ormiston Road Academy project, Naturalight Systems

Innovative St John’s project is complete An extensive refurbishment project has transformed St John’s Innovation Centre in Cambridge.

St John’s Innovation Centre was established by St John’s College and offers advice, strategic consultancy and flexible accommodation to early stage knowledge-based companies.

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Located in the heart of the Greater Cambridge technology cluster, the centre was the first of its kind in Europe and has since become world-renowned for its success as a business incubator.

The centre offers six light and airy conference spaces, all of

which are equipped with state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment – making the centre the ideal venue for all business events within the Cambridgeshire area.

Jeanette Butterfield, Conference Manager at the centre, commented: “It’s great to see clients taking an active interest in the new rooms and the response has been excellent. The new catering menu, in particular, has received positive feedback and we look forward to welcoming new and old visitors to the building.”

The St John’s Innovation Centre buildings were constructed in 1987 and 1992 respectively and had not undergone any significant refurbishment works over the last twenty-five years. In consultation with St John’s College, it was decided that the time was right to renovate the centre. Interestingly, the refurbishment project coincides with the 25th anniversary of the establishment of St John’s Innovation Centre.

Funded entirely by St John’s College, the £750,000 project has seen the refurbishment of all of the meeting rooms, conference rooms and lavatories. In addition, the majority of the staircases and corridors have been completely stripped out.

Each wing of the building has incorporated an innovative colour scheme that signals which part of the building the visitor is in, whilst sustainable features include motion-sensitive lighting and natural ventilation.

David Gill, Managing Director of St John’s Innovation Centre Limited, said: “The centre is quite remarkable. Although the original design

was created twenty-five years ago, a visitor could believe that it was built last year. Clearing out the features that have accumulated over the last twenty years and stripping back to the plain walls and furniture has made everywhere in the building seem so much larger.

“The interior design is spectacular and is focused around a scheme that is based on a variation of white, black and grey.

This has made the building feel extremely calm and it has helped to promote a creative atmosphere in which there is a sense of still and the opportunity to concentrate on a difficult project.

“One of the largest challenges that contractor Rival 4 Limited had to face is the fact that the building remained in use during the entire construction phase. As a result, the contractors took on a lot of evening and weekend work in order to ensure that disruption to the day-to-day operation of the centre was kept to a minimum.

“We are currently in discussions with the college for the next phase of the project, with our overall aim being to keep upgrading the building in ways that make it more sustainable and cost effective.”

Following the opening of the conference suite in May, the main conference rooms will be opened by the founder of St John’s Innovation Centre, Dr Christopher Johnson.

As a regional centre of excellence, St John’s Innovation Centre supports high growth businesses across the region, particularly through the recent Coaching for High Growth and Understanding Finance for Business programmes. The centre is currently delivering Enterprising Fenland via a combination of workshops and is pleased to announce the Business Coaching for Growth programme, which commenced in the spring of 2012.

For more information on St John’s Innovation Centre, visit www.stjohns.co.uk

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BRT Phase One arrives Phase One of the £1.5 million Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) scheme in Norfolk is now complete.

The first phase of the scheme took place between Dereham Road and Barn Road in Norwich and was implemented by Norfolk County Council in order to provide the city with a more efficient bus service. The scheme has offered more frequent and reliable services to key routes within Norwich City centre and included the introduction of intelligent traffic light systems, the improvement of roads and the installation of new ticket and information systems.

Work began on Phase One in October 2011 and funding was provided by the Greater Norwich Development Partnership’s Growth Point budget. May Gurney was the main contractor on the scheme and Mott MacDonald Group was the structural engineer.

Dereham Road is an important route in Norwich and provides travel links to the city centre for many residents and businesses. The route provides services for Longwater, Lodge Farm, Bowthorpe and West Costessey and up to 20 buses pass through the route per hour during peak times.

In 2009 Dereham Road was identified during the Norwich Area Transportation Strategy (NATS) consultation as a key route for providing high quality public transport. Norfolk County Council now plans to introduce six bus corridors into the county to improve travel.

As part of Phase One, a number of improvements were carried out including the narrowing of junctions at Golding Place and Charles Square and the widening of a junction at Grapes Hill and St Benedict’s Street. New traffic lights were introduced at Grapes Hill, whilst a new 24-hour bus lane was constructed between Orchard Street and Barn Road and works were carried out to enhance an area of St Benedict’s Street.

Work was also carried out on the southern footway, which is situated adjacent to the petrol station and cycle path on Boatman Way. Additional works on the scheme included constructing tactile

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paved crossings, the planting of trees, the introduction of new bus and cycle route signage and a number of streetscape, landscape and resurfacing works.

As the programme of works commenced prior to the Christmas period in 2011, works were reduced in December to minimise the impact the scheme would have on the increased amount of traffic at this busy time of year. As some pedestrian and cycle routes were affected by the scheme, a number of signed alternative routes were provided throughout this month. Works resumed in full in January 2012 until the scheme was completed.

FW Hall & Son Ltd Established in 1893, fourth generation company FW Hall & Son Ltd are stainless steel fabricators that specialise in marine, architectural and bespoke applications. The company is a bespoke manufacturer of staircases, balustrades, ornamental work and marine applications and has recently provided services to national construction companies, many large and small local building firms and a number of 5* hotels in London.

For Phase One of the Dereham Road Bus Rapid Transit project, FW Hall & Son Ltd provided a number of stainless steel applications including a plaque and frame for signage and some seating.

FW Hall & Son Ltd Managing Director, Ian Hall, said: “We’ve worked with Norfolk County Council on a number of projects to manufacture bespoke applications – including a bronze handrail at Norwich City Hall – and it’s great to be involved with them again.

“Being included in the Bus Rapid Transit scheme was something that we really enjoyed as we’re a local business and it was a local project.

“Over the generations we’ve built a good reputation for quality with a particular eye for detail that only comes with bespoke items fabricated by craftsmen. I believe this will serve us well for the future as we strive to maintain the high standards we’ve set.”

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New £3 million cinema for Worksop A state-of-the-art cinema complex has opened in the heart of Worksop.

Located on Bridge Street in Worksop town centre, the development has been constructed on a site that was formerly used

by Worksop Market. The market was relocated through the main thoroughfare, Bridge Street before works on the cinema commenced and the six-screen cinema was completed in March 2012 following a nine-month construction phase.

To mark the exciting occasion, an exclusive Hollywood-themed launch party was held ahead of the opening to the general public. The glamorous event saw more than 200 specially invited guests walk up the red carpet to enjoy a champagne and canapé reception before watching blockbuster ‘The Hunger Games’.

Guests at the VIP event included footballer Liam Palmer and Crystal Lane, a member of the GB Para-Cycling Talent Team and world number one para-cyclist in both the 500-metre time trial and the 3,000-metre pursuit.

James Collington, Managing Director of Savoy Cinemas Ltd, said: “We are delighted to bring the first ever fully digital cinema to Bassetlaw. Our goal is to provide film lovers with the very best in customer service, in a high quality facility, with state-of-the-art technology, to provide the best overall entertainment experience for the entire district to enjoy.”

Neil Taylor, Director of Resources at Bassetlaw District Council, added: “This project is a significant achievement for Worksop and is great that we can work in partnership with the private sector to get much needed investment. Although the relocation of the market was a bold move, the project progressed smoothly and we are delighted to see this welcome addition to the Worksop town centre.”

Boasting the very latest in 3D and digital technology across six fully air conditioned wall-to-wall auditoriums, the 920 sq ft cinema also features a large double-height foyer space with a fully glazed frontage and facilities such as a ticketing office and a retail space for food and drink.

The auditoriums have a combined capacity of over 900 seats and the centre of each auditorium features bespoke double seats that were manufactured in San Diego, California, before

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being shipped across the Atlantic ahead of the launch. Each of the auditoriums is kitted out with the latest digital film technology, including Dolby sound systems and projectors that have been delivered from Germany.

Specialist acoustic panelling has ensured optimum acoustic properties inside each auditorium, whilst mass barrier acoustic lining systems that expand and retract will maintain complete acoustic separation between adjacent screens and ensure unrivalled surround sound quality.

A fresh and innovative design ensures that the development sympathises with the surrounding buildings. A vertical fin extends along the glazing in order to create a canopy area that forms a split on the south west end of the building, which in turn reflects both the shop fascias of the neighbouring units and the design of the Town Hall.

In January 2012, custom-produced windows that span the height of the building were installed. Each of the 65 panes measures an impressive 1.6 metres by 3.2 metres and the cinema now provides a startling backdrop for Worksop town centre.

An important part of the project was the partnership with Bassetlaw District Council, which aimed to encourage locals to enjoy visiting the cinema and the local businesses around it.

As a result of the partnership, free parking for cinema goers is available at both the Newgate Street East and Town Hall car parks for up to four hours.

Managing Director of Savoy Cinemas Ltd, James Collington, explained: “We wanted to create an all-inclusive cinematic experience at the forefront of audio-visual technology for residents of Bassetlaw. The Council’s free parking scheme will not only encourage trips to the cinema from more rural areas, it will help support local shopping outlets and eateries by increasing footfall into the town centre which can only have a positive effect on the district as a whole.

“We expect it will help to regenerate the night time economy, leading to the opening of a number of outlets that will complement the cinema.”

Main contractor for the project was Lindum Construction and the architect was XL Architects LLP.

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Chesterfield Hospital project sees fantastic progress Works to create the new Chesterfield Eye Centre are well underway. Once the centre is complete in the summer of 2012, a range of ophthalmology services will be amalgamated under one roof.

The £2 million project will bring all of the ophthalmology services – currently spread over two outpatient suites and the Saltergate Health Centre – into one state-of-the-art centre. This has involved the renovation of the existing Chatsworth Suite, along with the creation of an extension to house additional facilities.

Sustainable features include the use of fermacell for the walls, heat recovery systems, LED lighting and natural ventilation where possible.

Main contractor for the project is GF Tomlinson Building Limited and the architect is The Manser Practice.

Guy Barlow, The Manser Practice, said: “We carefully considered the target audience in order to create a design that was deceptively simple and easy to navigate round. By moving the entrance from the existing location to the south side of the hospital, we have aligned it with the existing entrances. This has enabled single access and a main reception area from which patients can access their designated facilities.

“The central hub is a particularly interesting feature, whilst we are also incorporating artwork throughout the development in order to give each area a distinct character. Another interesting concept is the colour scheme, which is based around natural eye colours.

“Although the project has been challenging, it is progressing well and is on track to be completed in June 2012.”

Once the new Chester Eye Field Centre is complete, the 2,000 weekly patients will benefit from one-stop clinics that will provide a range of tests and investigations on the same day. The project will create clearly defined waiting and recovery areas to improve privacy and dignity, whilst separate children’s areas will provide a safe and friendly clinical environment for the youngest eye patients.

Chief Executive at Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Eric Morton, commented: “This is an exciting project and one which will have a huge impact on the quality of service we offer. Over the years, to keep up with referrals and demand, there has been rapid expansion in our ophthalmology services.

“However, as a result it means we are currently providing excellent clinical care from at least three different locations. This is not an efficient way to work and is frustrating and confusing for patients and staff.

“The Chesterfield Eye Centre will make an enormous difference to the way we care and treat for patients with eye conditions. And to have everything in one specialist centre will be the icing on the cake.”

Opthalmic Matron, Jane Walker, said: “We’re all very excited about the prospect of this state-of-theart facility and we have a lot of work to do to ensure that we are not only ready to move in when it opens in June, but that we can provide the top class service our patients deserve.”

Managing Director of G F Tomlinson Building Limited, added: “We are delighted to be working again with the Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Trust to deliver the new, state-of-the-art Eye Centre. This brand new facility is being built under a fast track programme to bring together all elements of clinical eyecare under one roof in a welcoming, modern, efficient and high quality environment that has been designed by leading British architects The Manser Practice.”

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Lighting the way to success A brand new 5MW solar farm in Cornwall is now complete.

Bodiniel Solar Energy Farm is located on a 35-acre site in Lower Bodiniel, Bodmin and comprises 20,800 Canadian Solar polycrystalline solar modules capable of converting sunlight into electrical power. Construction of the solar farm was completed in March 2012 and once fully operational the site will power up to 1,250 homes and will supply electricity for at least 25 years.

Solar Securities was the developer on the project and German construction company GOLDBECK Solar GmbH was the main contractor. Waldon Security Ltd provided the CCTV camera security system for the project.

Solar Securities Managing Director, Nick Richardson, said: “Cornwall was the first area in Britain to have a solar field so it’s great to see another project like this one successfully completed and it will be great for the people of Bodmin.

“Solar energy is becoming an increasingly cost effective resource and we’re pleased that residents understand the need for generators such as this to be built in their area.”

Nick Richardson added: “There were over 65 ground workers involved on this project, which was a massive mobilisation. However, everything ran very smoothly and we had a tremendous health and safety record on the site which is something we’re very proud of.

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“GOLDBECK Solar GmbH is a first class construction company and they managed the entire construction process perfectly.”

The project began in January 2012 and involved the construction of galvanised steel mounting structures, along with the installation of the polycrystalline solar modules. As the site is home to a number of nesting birds, certain areas of the solar farm had to be left empty. For this reason 240-watt modules were specifically chosen as they allow the project to reach a 5MW capacity using fewer modules and therefore less land.

Antje Bergmann, GOLDBECK Solar GmbH, said: “When work began on Bodiniel Solar Energy Farm the ground conditions were very good and this provided us with a great start for construction. From there onwards everything ran to plan and this allowed us to remain on schedule for the remainder of the construction period.

“Bodiniel Solar Energy Farm was one of our biggest projects to date, so seeing it completed is a great achievement for us.

Bodiniel Solar Energy Farm looks great and from my point of view as a civil engineer the way the solar farm follows the contours of the landscape is very special.

“We’re very proud to have been involved with Bodiniel Solar Energy Farm and we hope that the project continues to be a success.”

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Improving access at Newquay Cornwall Airport A £1.64 million scheme to construct a new southern access road at Newquay Cornwall Airport is now complete.

The Newquay Airport Southern Access Road project was completed in February 2012 and involved the construction of a brand new roadway to improve access at the airport. The airport remained open during the entirety of the project and as the road was constructed on a Greenfield area of land there were no disruptions to airport services.

Work began on the project in May 2011 with CORMAC as the main contractor, having won the contract through a two-stage price and quality bid.

Along with the construction of 900 metres of new carriageway, cycleway and footway, the scheme also involved a substantial amount of earthworks, cut and fill, alterations to the existing A3059, various types of drainage works, security fencing and the installation of a new culvert to the existing stream. To complete the culvert a large heavy duty crane was required, so CORMAC had to liaise with the airport to ensure that work did not affect radar and communication systems.

Although the scheme did not include the installation of any lighting systems, CORMAC did install electrical and communication ducting to future proof the road for any later developments.

Network infrastructure and IP surveillance specialists Voicepath Ltd were responsible for the relocation of the site’s barrier access control system. The company also repaired existing fibre optic cables and installed new cables to link with existing buildings and fitted the site with an IP CCTV system.

CORMAC Sub Agent, Hannah Chance, said:

“When the Ministry of Defence (MOD) sold off the airport to Cornwall Council they retained some of the land for themselves, which created problems with accessing the southern side of the airport. This necessitated the building of the new road to access this area of the site.

“It is rare that a new road of this length and importance is constructed in Cornwall, so it was quite a major scheme for us to be involved with. The construction of this road tied in with other developments at the airport as well as maintaining the future of the facility for Cornwall.

“Being part of this package of works was something that we appreciated and it has given us the opportunity to further develop our relationship with Cornwall Airport Ltd.”

Delivering Delta Taxiway Newquay Cornwall Airport’s Delta Taxiway has been refurbished as part of a scheme to upgrade and improve facilities at the airport.

Colas Ltd was the main contractor for the project, which was completed in March 2012.

Delta Taxiway is located at the airport and is an exit route that allows aircraft to leave the airport’s runways at high speeds.

Work began on the project in January 2012 and included the refurbishment of the existing concrete apron, the improvement of associated paving and the installation of new lighting on the

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main airport hangar.

During the course of the project, Colas Ltd revised the original design of the scheme to save costs and introduce a sustainable element to the project.

Colas Ltd Airfield Manager, Simon Downing, said: “Civil engineering work on airports is a key focus for Colas Ltd and during the refurbishment of Delta Taxiway we were able to employ our expert skills in this area in order to complete the project.

“This was a good project for Colas Ltd to be involved with as

we were able to draw on our own resources instead of having to source work out to subcontractors. A number of Colas Ltd divisions were involved in the project and this helped us complete work efficiently.”

we’re working with Colas Ltd on a project at Gatwick Airport.

“Wherever there is a concrete pavement, there is a potential need for our services.”

Asphalt Reinforcement Services Ltd Established in 2002, Asphalt Reinforcement Services Ltd are asphalt reinforcement specialists who work to extend the life of carriageways on motorway networks and airfields.

For the Delta Taxiway project Asphalt Reinforcement Services Ltd supplied 4,000 sq. metres of GlasGrid materials. Asphalt Reinforcement Services Ltd worked on the site throughout the duration of the project as a supply chain partner to main contractor Colas Ltd. Asphalt Reinforcement Services Ltd Company Director, Gerald Byrne, said: “Working on the Delta Taxiway project was very important to us and we enjoyed being involved with such a prestigious site as Newquay Airport. Our working relationship with Colas Ltd is also very important to us and following on from this scheme

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Tottenham Court Road transforms Tottenham Court Road Tube station is currently undergoing an extensive redevelopment programme that will dramatically reduce congestion and provide vital links to Crossrail services.

The £500 million redevelopment of the Tube station will create a huge amount of new underground space, with stunning new entrances, step-free access to all platforms and a direct interchange with Crossrail services when they arrive at the station in 2018.

When Tottenham Court Road station was built over a century ago, it was not designed to cope with the 147,000 people that currently use it every day. As one of the most important stations in the heart of London, the station serves the Central and Northern lines that bisect the city. To combat increasing levels of congestion, an intensive upgrade programme is now underway.

Preparation work began back in 2007, when a three-year programme of utility diversions, strengthening and replacement commenced. This work effectively created the space below Charing Cross Road for the new ticket hall to be constructed and culminated in the strengthening of old cast iron trunk utilities below Oxford Street to protect them from the potential effects of settlement.

The main works contract to build the station got underway at the start of 2010. London Underground appointed a joint venture of Taylor Woodrow BAM Nuttall (TWBN) to deliver the works over a seven-year construction programme.

London Underground Programme Manager, Les Hamilton, said: “Anyone who has visited the area recently will recognise that construction of the station is a huge logistical challenge.

“Our site is surrounded on all sides by busy streets, offices, shops and homes, not to mention a Grade II* listed church.

“Space on site is at a premium so co-ordinating the works efficiently is hugely important – our contractor simply has to make the most of every inch of space.”

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The site includes the northern end of Charing Cross Road which now diverts around Centre Point. Multiple works have been carried out simultaneously including the construction of the new ticket hall, an entrance from Oxford Street, a new emergency escape shaft, new tunnels to the Central and Northern line and a deep shaft that will link the new ticket hall with Crossrail below Goslett Yard.

Taylor Woodrow BAM Nuttall’s Project Director, Jez Haskins, said: “London Underground’s new ticket hall is a huge double basement excavated within a secant piled box.

“The new ticket hall will be nearly six times bigger than the existing station which will ease congestion once it’s built, but for now the challenge is civil engineering – during 2012 we will excavate around 30,000 cubic metres and pour around 20,000 cubic metres of concrete.

“The engineering challenges posed by the project could hardly be greater. The design required the Northern line platform tunnels to be reshaped during an 8 month platform closure in 2011.

We had to create space between the tunnels to install new lifts and staircases to platform level.”

Jez Haskins added: “Over the 8 months our tunnel gangs removed around 800 tonnes of old cast iron segments and installed around 1000 tonnes of new steel props. This was all done in the narrow worksite down the length of the platforms in very difficult conditions.

“All materials and plant were lowered down to platform via a 4.5 metre diameter shaft that will ultimately be fitted out for passengers to access services step-free – and vitally for London Underground we handed back on time as planned.”

While the majority of the Tottenham Court Road improvement scheme focuses on providing better facilities for passengers, external areas will also be transformed as part of the project.

London Underground’s project team, including architects

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Gillespies, have been working with Camden and Westminster councils to develop a brand new urban environment. This centres on a large new piazza which includes glass station entrances at the foot of Centre Point.

Reinstating the urban realm in this way will help improve pedestrian routes to Soho, Covent Garden, Fitzrovia, Bloomsbury and of course, Europe’s busiest shopping street – Oxford Street.

Capital Programmes Director, David Waboso, said: “The upgrade of Tottenham Court Road station is underway.

The station is currently operating with heavy congestion, which is why it is essential to upgrade the station. The new ticket hall will be 6 times that of the current ticket hall and the station will also have step-free access along with new lifts.

“While the entire Crossrail project will be the biggest construction project in Europe, no-one should underestimate the scale and extent of the work that will take place at Tottenham Court Road. This will be one of the biggest station redevelopment projects ever undertaken in central London.

“By 2018, Tottenham Court Road station will be one of the most important stations in the West End, serving both London Underground and Crossrail. The expanded tube station will be integrated with the new Crossrail station to form a major interchange.”

Ardent Services Ltd Formed in 1998 Ardent Services Ltd specialise in fire protection and specialist builders work services for rail and infrastructure sectors.

Ardent Services Ltd is UKAS 3rd party accredited by FIRAS alongside their PROMAT licensee and Approved Installer status for Fire Protection. The company are also LINKUP Audited

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annually for Builders Work activities. Ardent Services Ltd’s Fire Protection expertise include diaphragm and tunnel walls, hoardings, ceilings & partitions, duct work, glazing, steelwork protection & Durasteel systems. The company also have inhouse trades to carry out minor builders’ packages that invariably arise as part of their works.

With an extensive background in construction projects for rail services Ardent Services Ltd has completed over 150 rail projects including Blackfriars and Kings Cross for Network Rail and Elephant & Castle and Warren Street for London Underground.

Projects range from 100k to 2m.

On the Tottenham Court Road project Ardent Services have been involved during the early stages of the project engaging with the engineers through the design process to the construction phase sub-contracted with Vinci BAM. Ardent are currently also substantively deployed at Blackfriars and Farringdon Phase One. Ardent Services Ltd Operations Director, Jonathan Davey, said: “When working on rail infrastructure projects health and safety is of paramount importance and we are committed to meeting all of the requirements. Our clients’ commitment to the Fair Payment Charter ensures we have the capital to invest in health and safety from the start of these demanding and complex projects.

“We are working with our suppliers to ensure the creation of local jobs and adherence to the principles of the Cross Rail Skills pledge and CBH scheme.

“At Ardent Services our ethos is quite simply in our company name.”

Connecting the capital through Crossrail Crossrail Limited (CRL) is a subsidiary of Transport for London and is responsible for delivering the Crossrail project, which is Europe’s largest civil engineering tunnel project.

The company was set up in 2001 to develop vital commuter links for people and businesses across the southeast and supports regeneration projects throughout the region.

Crossrail is CRL’s most significant project since the Jubilee Line Extension and Channel Tunnel Rail Link and will see new Crossrail stations built along the central route of Paddington, Tottenham Court Road, Bond Street, Farringdon, Whitechapel, Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf. The stations will link routes from Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east.

The UK’s leading architects and engineers have worked on the design stages of the new Crossrail stations, with each stage promising a distinctive style that has taken inspiration from the local area. Additional architectural components will also be included throughout the tunnels and platforms in order to ensure that each station retains an individual identity throughout.

As part of the project, station platforms will be constructed to cater for the 200m-long trains that will operate from the stations.

Provision for future platform extensions will also be provided, enabling the Crossrail stations to cater for larger trains as the number of passengers using the service increases. Between

Paddington and Whitechapel, up to 24 trains per hour will operate during peak periods.

It is predicted that the new route will increase the travel capacity of the capital by 10%. Once completed, an additional 1.5 million people will be within 45 minutes commuting distance of London’s key business areas.

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Lo n d o n & S o u th E a s t Tunnelling is due to commence in March 2012 and it is estimated that a total of 21 kilometres of twin-bore tunnel will be constructed under London.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “This crucial project that I fought for will be of huge importance to the future of our city and these contracts will provide an immediate boost to employment in the UK.” Crossrail’s central section will be delivered in 2018 and a phased introduction of services along the Crossrail route will follow. It is expected that the Crossrail project will generate up to 14,000 jobs between 2013 and 2015.

In addition to the Crossrail project, the Tunnelling and Underground Construction Academy (TUCA) has been established in order to provide training for approximately 3,500 people throughout the lifetime of the project.

TUCA opened its doors in early 2012 and as well as providing a number of vocational training courses, one of its first courses will focus on the Tunnel Safety Card. This is a vital training course required for anyone working below ground on the Crossrail project.

Boris Johnson said: “I am a huge supporter of the aims of this academy and I am thrilled that it is now enrolling its first students. At the height

of construction many thousands of people will be working on Crossrail, so our new academy in east London will be a vital resource. Crossrail is working closely with job centres along the route to ensure that as many local people as possible are able to learn the skills necessary to play a part in the largest construction project in the southeast for 50 years.”

Rail Minister, Theresa Villiers, added: “Investing in this Academy further emphasises the government’s commitment to rebalancing our economy and promoting the skills our young people need to help Britain compete in the world.

“This academy’s legacy will be a new generation of specialists able to help deliver important infrastructure projects to support growth here and anywhere across the globe.”

Students attending TUCA will include first time entrants to the industry as well as existing Crossrail contractors. In addition to teaching new skills to the next generation of industry workers, those already experienced in specific practices and procedures will be able to gain nationally recognised accreditations and NVQs alongside other training programmes. The academy is valued at £13 million and is one of only two dedicated training facilities in Europe, with the other academy based in Switzerland.

Sea City Museum project finally docks In what has been described as “the most important development in Southampton for a generation,” a new museum to celebrate Southampton’s maritime past has been constructed by Kier Construction. The museum’s first temporary exhibition - ‘Titanic, the Legend’ - opened on the 100th anniversary of the Titanic disaster on April 10th 2012.

Councillor John Hannides, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Heritage, commented: “More than 550 people from Southampton lost their lives and the vast majority were crew, so the theme we have adopted is very close to the hearts of the people of Southampton.

“The attraction will not only bring together the city’s heritage, it will attract thousands of visitors and create many new jobs.

This investment demonstrates our ongoing plans to develop Southampton as the capital of the south.”

The £15 million Sea City Museum is situated in the Grade II listed former magistrates court, which adjoins the Civic Centre.

The existing two-storey building has been converted and a onestorey extension has been added, bringing the total floor area to 3257m².

Sea City Museum was designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects and features a steel-frame structure with precast reconstituted concrete cladding and translucent glazing. Interestingly, the museum extension has incorporated raked precast concrete panels in order to create a contemporary interpretation of the existing rusticated Portland stone building.

Under the project, the police cells have been converted into toilets and the court rooms into an impressive exhibition space.

Additional facilities include a shop and a cafe.

The requirement for a highly mechanised solution to create the necessary conditions for the exhibition led to the incorporation of internal wall panels and suspended ceilings within the existing shell. Whilst the existing features have been retained where possible, a large part of the refurbishment phase involved enabling level access and upgrading facilities for disabled people.

This involved the demolition of an external flight of stairs and substantial negotiations with English Heritage.

The existing building has been insulated and secondary glazed

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in order to improve thermal performance, whilst the extension is a highly insulated shell with minimum glazing. In addition, the

plant is very efficient with a sophisticated BMS system to support the internal operation of the spaces.

External works have included hard landscaping and planting for the public realm outside the museum. This included modifying an existing road and linking the building to a previously walled area of park.

Funding for the project has been provided by a £4.9 million investment by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and a DCMS/ Wolfson Fund grant of £200,000.

Sea City Museum is expected to attract up to 150,000 annual visitors.

RMS Titanic The RMS Titanic struck an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City and sank on 15th April 1912 with 2223 people on board. Of these passengers 1517 would lose their lives, in part due to the inadequate provision of lifeboats.

Built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast in order to compete with the rival Cunard Line’s ‘Lusitiana’ and ‘Mauretania’, RMS Titanic was intended to be the largest and most luxurious ship to ever set sail. Construction began on 31st March 1909 and was funded by the American J.P Morgan and his international Mercantile Marine Co. The hull was launched on 31st May 1911, and the outfitting was complete by 31st March the following year.

RMS Titanic was equipped with two reciprocating four-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines and one low-pressure Parsons turbine, each driving a propeller. There were 29 boilers fired by 159 coal-burning furnaces that made a top speed of 23 knots (43km/h) possible.

The overall length of RMS Titanic was 882 feet and 9 inches (269.1m) and the height 59 feet (18m), whilst the ship had a breadth of 92 feet (28m) and a tonnage of 46,328 GRT.

Carry on campus Developed by Google UK Ltd and its partners Seedcamp, Tech Hub, Springboard and Central Working, the £2.2 million Google Campus provides an important working space for many high-tech businesses.

Located on Bonhill Street in the heart of Tech City, Google’s latest facility is a seven-storey building that incorporates a mixture of office and event space all under one roof. Google Campus comprises 200 desk spaces, 16 meeting rooms, a number of informal work and break-out spaces and a café.

The building also has two presentation areas that are capable of accommodating up to 205 people. The ground and first floor of the building were designed to incorporate the social aspects of the facility, whilst the upper five floors of the building are open-plan working spaces.

In addition to providing office accommodation for new businesses, Google Campus is the perfect location for networking events and leading business experts regularly hold talks at the site to share their experience of the industry. Furthermore, a number of Google staff also take part in a continuous mentoring program at the facility, which allows them to pass their expertise on to likeminded businesses.

Work began on the Google Campus in November 2011, with work reaching completion in February 2012. Como Group was the main contractor for the project, whilst Jump Studios was the architect and Medland Metropolis was the mechanical and electrical consultant. Key Joinery was responsible for the bespoke joinery work on the project and Viaduct provided the site with furniture.

In order to create a unique working environment at Google Campus, the existing building was stripped back to its core to create a low-tech blank canvas for the site. During the strip-out phase of the project all of the internal workings of the building

were exposed – including ceiling slabs, columns and services.

Following this, inexpressive materials such as linoleum and plywood were incorporated to create a raw workspace similar in design to a workshop.

Despite the low-key internal aesthetics of the building, a number of features are present to stimulate and inspire creative minds. These features include a large ‘inspiration’ wall made from reclaimed vegetable crates along with a reception desk made from multi-coloured Lego bricks. Interestingly, the Lego themed desk is one of the only branded elements included within the whole building.

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area and upholstered walls. A loading bay located next to the reception area also accommodates up to 40 bicycle stations.

External features of the building include a courtyard located on the ground floor of the site. The courtyard includes a timberdecked patio, a fern garden, moss covered walls and technologically enhanced flowerbeds that contact site staff – via Twitter – when they require watering.

Residents of Google Campus also have access to a designated external area located on the roof of the building. The external area is decked out with timber flooring and during the warmer months of the year the roof top area will provide the ideal location for cinema screenings and social gatherings.

Jump Studios Established in 2001 by Shaun Fernandes and Simon Jordan, Jump Studios is an architecture and design practice based in London. Jump Studios design high-concept interiors for many leading brands within the commercial sector working on retail, exhibition, restaurant, bar and office projects.

With an experienced team of architects as well as graphic, digital and interaction designers, Jump Studios has completed several award-winning projects for clients including Levi’s, Adidas, Honda, Red Bull and Wieden+Kennedy.

Jump Studios is currently working on projects for Selfridges, Marks & Spencer and Nike. www.jump-studios.com

Key Joinery Ltd With roots going back to 1923, Key Joinery Ltd has come a long way since it was first established. Key Joinery is now recognised as one of the UK’s leading specialist joinery manufacturers and offers an extensive range of products and services that cover all aspects of the fit-out and refurbishment markets.

For more information please visit: www.key-joinery.co.uk

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Travelling back in time with Stowe’s New Inn A £9 million project to restore and transform the gateway to one of the world’s most beautiful gardens is now complete.

For the first time in 150 years, visitors to the 250-acre landscape garden in Buckinghamshire will now be able to experience the garden the way its Georgian designers intended.

The Old Bell Gate has been sensitively reinstated as the main entrance, whilst the prestigious New Inn has been completely refurbished to create a new visitor centre, cafe and shop.

The New Inn was built in 1717 by Lord Cobham and was the original purpose-built entrance for visitors to Stowe. After the National Trust acquired the site in 2005, a huge project to restore the development commenced in 2010 and the dilapidated inn has now been transformed.

Over 20 specialist contractors were used and approximately 75 builders were involved with the project over the two-year build period. In addition, more than 60 volunteers offered their services, which included clearing the site and rescuing and reclaiming many of the original cobbles, tiles, bricks and timber.

David Brooks, National Trust property manager at Stowe, said: “Stowe is an inspiring place for visitors to get outdoors and explore thanks to its 250 acres of gardens, 2,000 trees, 40 temples and two large lakes.

“Due to its scale and the calibre of architects and garden designers involved including Sir John Vanbrugh, William Kent, Charles Bridgeman, James Gibb and Capability Brown, it is a garden of monumental significance on the international stage.

“Until now we were lacking a ‘heart’ to the property – somewhere worthy of the magnificent grounds. Rebuilding the New Inn means that day-trippers can now follow in the footsteps of the original Georgian tourists. The reinstatement of the Bell Gate means that visitors will now catch their first glimpse of the breathtaking grounds as originally intended.”

The project involved the installation of over 128,000 clay tiles, whilst all of the windows were taken out individually and repaired by hand. Bricks have only been repaired where necessary to achieve a natural look and the other wall coverings are traditional chestnut lath with lime plaster.

Interestingly, 62 different wall paper designs dating from the 18th to mid 20th century were discovered during the restoration project. One of the most interesting finds is a rare wallpaper from around 1720, which is the National Trust’s oldest known wallpaper.

External works included the construction of a car park in a former quarry. The car park is sunk within the landscape to conceal the cars, whilst gravel has been used to hold flash floods and willow plants will help with drainage.

A range of Buckinghamshire fruit species have been planted in the hedgerows and the avenue of trees along the Ratley Ridgeway have been replanted after they were felled during World War II. A wildflower meadow and vegetable garden has also been planted by the Inn, whilst other wildlife considerations include preserving habitats for snakes, the creation of insect banks at the far end of the car park and the installation of 100 bird and bat boxes.

Richard Wheeler, National Trust garden historian, commented: “Money was no issue for the Cobham family who commissioned the gardens. Lord Cobham and his nephew and heir Earl Temple could spend liberally on making their own paradise, and created what became a theme park style tourist attraction of its time.

“Over the last two decades we’ve restored much of the grounds and recreated three pathways – ‘Vice’, ‘Virtue’ and ‘Liberty’ – to encourage visitors to fully explore the grounds which will be, we hope, a fantastic playground for young and old alike.”

The National Trust has spent £9 million on the restoration of the Grade II listed building, which includes £1.5 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund and local fundraising.

Main contractor for the project was ISG and the architect was Cowper Griffith Architects.

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Lo n d o n & S o u th E a s t Image credit: Ambrose Greenway

SS Robin is lovingly restored in £1.9 million project As the world’s oldest steamship, SS Robin enjoys a rich maritime past. Built on London’s River Lea in 1890, the ship was constructed at a time when industrial development and engineering dominated the British landscape.

The steamcoaster is listed in the Core Collection of the UK National Historic Ships Register and is regarded to be as historically important as Cutty Sark, HMS Belfast and SS Great Britain.

She was sold to Spanish owners in the early 20th century and remained a working ship until the 1970s.

At this time, the Duke of Edinburgh had formed a collective organisation named the Maritime Trust, which aimed to safeguard the country’s maritime history by preserving a number of historic ships. As a result, SS Robin was returned to the UK. In 2008, the SS Robin Trust secured a funding package from Crossrail and the two-year conservation project began at a cost of £1.9 million. Lead project managers for the conservation works were KDC London.

Nishani Kampfner, KDC London Director & cofounder of the SS Robin Trust, said: “Unexpectedly, we discovered that there was a substantial amount of steelwork that needed to be replaced. The biggest hurdle we faced was keeping her afloat on her own hull, which required the replacement of 60-70% of the riveted steel plates and would therefore have been a substantial change to the original fabric of the ship.

“So instead of this, we decided on a world-first conservation solution: to support the ship’s hull using a brand new, specially commissioned floating steel pontoon, which would act as the structurally sound support for the vessel. This would in turn keep her afloat and act as a floating dry dock so we could continue management and maintenance over a longer period of time, as well as offering 750 square metres of useable interior space.

“This has never been done before and it is an exemplar project for the conservation of historic ships in the future.”

For more information on SS Robin, visit www.ssrobin.org and www.kdclondon.com

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London Marine Consultants For over twenty years London Marine Consultants has specialised in the design and provision of mooring systems for FPSOs, FSRUs and FSOs. Additional services include third party reviews, field development studies and the provision of CALM buoys.

On the SS Robin project London Marine Consultants advised the Trust on numerous technical aspects related to lifting the vessel, ranging from the verification of the ship’s structural integrity to the provision of lift plans and refurbishment works.

London Marine Consultants Naval Architect, Vishnu Mukundan, said: “Our involvement with the SS Robin was a refreshing change as it was quite different from the typical projects that we work on in the offshore sector.

“The SS Robin is the last of her kind in the UK and it is not every day that you get the opportunity to work on a project like this.”

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Maukinhill nears completion An extensive demolition and new build programme has seen the phased demolition of 217 former council properties in Greenock.

The Maukinhill Phase 2 project commenced in November 2009 and comprises the construction of 145 properties including a mixture of semi-detached, terraced and split level three-storey townhouses. In addition, there will be two fully adapted homes for wheelchair users.

Main contractor for the £17.8 million project is McTaggart Construction Ltd and the architect is Coltart Earley Architecture.

The development has been partly funded by a £10 million grant from the Scottish Government, a £7.7 million private loan from The Nationwide Building Society and a £79,000 contribution from Scottish Water.

As of March 2012, 105 of the properties have been handed back to the residents, many of whom had been decanted to alternative Cloch Housing Association properties during the demolition phase. The remaining 40 homes will be handed over between April and the end of July 2012.

Elaine McShane, Cloch Housing Association, said: “Several road closures have been enforced in order to allow for service connections and the resurfacing of the roads. A traffic management system has also been necessary for the main Kilmacolm Road, whilst temporary changes have been made to the one-way system to maintain access for residents.

“A further factor that we had to take into account was the topography of the site, which ultimately led to the need for split level housing. However, despite all of the challenges the project has progressed extremely well and is on track to be completed well before the scheduled completion date of December 2012.

“We have also made a significant effort to involve the local

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community throughout the project. For instance, the Maukinhill Steering Group attended fortnightly meetings during the design process, whilst open days and public committee presentations have also taken place.

“Everyone is very pleased with what we have managed to achieve so far.”

The site enjoys excellent panoramic views to the north and is well served by the Lady Octavia parkland to the east. Along with a post office and a central row of shops, the area also boasts a community resource centre known as Auchmountain Hall. As part of the project, attractive areas of open space will be created and improvements will be made to the play facilities at the resource centre in order to meet planning requirements.

Elaine McShane added:

“I would like to emphasise the excellent performance from McTaggart Construction Ltd and the design team for their invaluable assistance in implementing a rolling programme of demolition and new build to suit the needs of the existing residents.

“In addition, the project has created seven apprenticeships, six jobs for local people and eight jobs for local young people through the Action for Children Youthbuild Initiative – which demonstrates the significant economic benefits that can be achieved by major investment in new build development programmes.”

£25 million water improvements bring clear benefits to Scottish Loch Scottish Water’s £25 million Loch Ryan project is now at an advanced stage, bringing a modern waste water treatment system to Stranraer, Leswalt, Kirkcolm and Cairnryan.

The scheme is necessary to satisfy the legal requirements of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive and Shellfish Directive, and will deliver significant improvements to the water quality and shellfish environment in Loch Ryan. The scheme is being carried out by a Leslie MWH joint venture.

The project involves the demolition of the existing waste water treatment works (WWTW) at Port Rodie and the retirement of three WWTWs at Cairnryan, Leswalt and Kirkcolm. New facilities replacing the old treatment works include a new pumping station being built at Port Rodie which serves Stranraer. From Port Rodie, the flows will be pumped to another new treatment works being constructed at Smithy Hill near Leswalt, after which the flows will undergo secondary biological treatment before being pumped to Larbrax Bay to be discharged into the Irish Sea. The secondary treatment works includes an inlet works with screening, screening handling and grit removal processes, primary settlement; a plastic structured media biofilter; sludge management comprising holding tanks and thickening processes; final settlement facilities and a pumping station to discharge treated effluent.

Stephen Hepburn, Construction Manager, Scottish Water, said: “This is great news for the area. After years of studies and

surveys to assess the best option for an extremely difficult civil engineering challenge, Scottish Water is removing the permanent discharge of waste water to Loch Ryan.

“The waste water from the surrounding communities will receive a greater level of treatment than is currently provided.”

Work at the Port Rodie site to construct a new pumping station is entering the next phase now that the large excavation for the station is completed and covered.

The pumping station building will be constructed on top of this and has been designed in consultation with local planners to be

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S c otl a n d in harmony with other buildings in the area.

Work on the new treatment works near Leswalt is also well advanced. Major excavation works have been completed for the new tanks which will process the waste water from Stranraer and the surrounding villages of Kirkcolm and Leswalt.

Construction of the new Cairnryan Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTW), a joint project with Stena, was completed in October. The original plan was to construct a pumping station to carry Cairnryan’s waste to the new Loch Ryan WWTW, but the ongoing energy costs and maintenance made the option of a shared facility with the ferry terminal a preferable option.

This facility will offer a three-tier level of water treatment that will protect and enhance the natural environment in Loch Ryan.

The next stage of this improvement programme involves laying a new section of sewer from the Pumping Station at Port Rodie to the new works at Smithy Hill near Leswalt.

Stephen Hepburn said: “For this work we will be using the traditional open trench method which involves excavating the entire length of the sewer from ground level to the full depth required.

“In order to ensure overall safety temporary road restrictions will need to be put in place. This will include local control by temporary traffic lights, restriction of on-street parking and in some areas temporary road closures.

“Part of this work is located on Seabank Road, Sheuchan Street, Foreland Place, Leswalt High Road and Spring Bank Road.”

Stephen continued: “Our Loch Ryan project will provide the first ever modern waste water treatment solution for Stranraer and surrounding villages.”

The project is expected to be complete in late 2012.

Huber Technology For over 20 years Huber Technology has provided state-of-theart stainless steel equipment for municipal and industrial waste

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water treatment. This includes supplying water companies with inlet screens, sludge screens, thickeners and dewaterers and tertiary treatment along with a comprehensive line of stainless steel equipment.

Huber Technology works closely with all of the major water companies, as well as their main contractors and consultants.

Along with the current longstanding frameworks that they hold with the water companies, Huber Technology has just been awarded a further two frameworks for the supply of sludge thickeners and dewaterers.

On Loch Ryan Huber Technology UK supplied sludge thickeners and control panels to suit the requirements of Scottish Water.

Huber Technology Marketing Co-ordinator Hannah Ryan, said: “We have a great reputation within the industry and supply high

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S c otl a n d quality products for all of the industry’s water treatment needs.

“It’s very important for us to be involved in projects like Loch Ryan. We have a lot of experience in working with Scottish Water and the water industry.”

Central Industrial Services Established in 1990, Central Industrial Services specialise in industrial cleaning, liquid waste removal and high and ultra-high pressure water jetting in the petrochemical, Gas and utilities industries.

The Loch Ryan project required the supply of a large fleet of tankers to remove a significant amount of liquid off site. Central Industrial Services was also involved in the decontamination of the internal works and supplied equipment and operators to undertake the specialised cleaning services that were required.

During this process confined space personnel and Central Industrial Services’ own in-house rescue squads were utilised.

Throughout all of the tasks Central Industrial Services undertake, the company conducts itself with the utmost integrity and provides exceptional standards of health and safety.

Sales Marketing Manager, Paul Durning, said: “We are very proud of each and every one of our employees.

When they are working on our customers’ site they conduct themselves with professionalism and have a fantastic understanding of what it takes to get the job done safely and efficiently.”

Paul Durning added: “The majority of Central Industrial Services employees have at least fifteen years service experience and in the current global working environment that is pretty impressive. We believe a good workforce equals a good job.”

Refurbishing Lanarkshire Memorial Hall A project to transform Lanarkshire Memorial Hall into a state-of-the-art community centre continues to make good progress.

Work began on the £5.3 million refurbishment project in March 2011, however due to unforeseen ground condition problems the works hit a delay and had to be revised. With the new schedule now in place, Lanarkshire Memorial Hall is back on track and is scheduled to reopen in December 2012.

The refurbishment of Lanarkshire Hall is being undertaken by South Lanarkshire Council, with Construction Services Ltd as the main contractor. An extensive programme of refurbishment works is being carried out, along with the installation of a brand new extension.

Once work is complete, the building will boast improved catering and bar facilities, a multipurpose community area and an events venue. A timeline and electronic information kiosk – developed by the Lanark Museums Trust and a number of local schools – will also be installed, whilst provisions for disabled visitors will include a brand new entrance and improved access

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to the site’s war memorial.

Deputy Chair of the Community Resources Committee, Councillor Hamish Stewart, said: “South Lanarkshire Council, together with Heritage Lottery Fund and Historic Scotland, has fully funded the refurbishment of this significant Grade B listed building.

“I am sure the people of Lanark will be delighted with this marvellous facility which will give Lanark an excellent arts venue to accommodate the cultural life of the town and surrounding area and will make full use of all it has to offer.”

Colin McLean, Heritage Lottery Fund, added: “These works will repair and transform Lanark Memorial Hall into a contemporary facility so that it can continue to involve, delight, educate and entertain people for many years to come.

“We are particularly pleased to be involved with this project as South Lanarkshire is a priority area for us. We are working hard with a lot of local groups to make sure they get the most out of any lottery funding available to them.”

Work conducted so far includes the completion of concrete

ground works, rot works, chimney repairs and all lead and slate works. Windows have also been installed, whilst all stone work has been completed. Scaffolding will be removed from the building towards the end of May 2012.

The steel frame for the new extension is currently being installed and this stage of works will be followed by the installation of floor slabs, along with stone and brickwork.

Provisions will also be made to accommodate the Cargill House Club, which is an area of the site that was demolished prior to work taking place.

Cargill House Club Chairperson, Kevan Carty, said: “I am delighted on behalf of our members that the work will

provide a superb venue, not only for club members but for the many other organisations in our town that use these facilities.

Better access for the disabled will be a great bonus to both members and non members alike.”

Additional works include internal repairs to the basement and floors as well as the replacement of heating and ventilation systems throughout the building.

Minister for Culture and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop, said: “Lanarkshire Memorial Hall has had an important place in the community since its creation. It began as a tribute to the memory of 232 Lanark men who lost their lives in WW1 and these repairs will see it continue as a cultural venue for generations to come.”

Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa is better than ever One of the most opulent hotels in Edinburgh has undergone a magical transformation.

Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa opened in 1985 and is considered one of Edinburgh’s most luxurious hotels. Boasting an enviable location in Edinburgh’s city centre, the hotel celebrates dramatic views of Edinburgh Castle and is within walking distance of all of the major attractions including the Royal Mile, Arthur’s Seat and Princes Street.

Owned by the Hotels Corporation of Edinburgh, the entire development was renovated over a two-year period, during which time the hotel remained open. The five-star hotel now offers 269 fully refurbished guest rooms, along with over 15,000 square feet of newly renovated meeting and event space.

Hoyt Harper, Global Brand Leader for Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, commented: “We have spent the last few years renovating and rebuilding one of the hotel industries most iconic brands and Sheraton’s all-time high guest satisfaction scores are a direct result of this investment. As one of our flagship hotels, the newly renovated Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa in Edinburgh showcases our commitment to making the brand an unparalleled leader in the hospitality sector.”

Roeland Vos, President of Starwood Hotels & Resorts (Europe, Africa and Middle East), added: “I would like to thank our owner partner, Hotel Corporation of Edinburgh, for their long-standing belief in the Sheraton brand and enormous support in the refurbishment of the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa. Sheraton now stands taller than ever before with the strongest portfolio in its history and we are proud to offer guests new flagship hotels, renovated properties and signature brand offerings.”

Offering a warm and welcoming atmosphere with a contemporary feel, the hotel features spacious guest rooms with a neutral

Image credit: Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh

colour palette, modern materials and elegant Scottish finishes.

All of the rooms feature the Sheraton Sweet Sleeper Bed and a frost-glazed bathroom suite with a shower cubicle.

The Grand Suite is the hotel’s most luxurious suite and boasts a master bedroom with a spacious dressing room, a separate twin-bedroom, a lounge area and a private lobby and cloakroom. The stunning suite also celebrates spectacular views of Edinburgh Castle.

Exciting new facilities include the Sheraton Club Floor, where guests have exclusive access to a spacious Club Lounge that serves breakfast, drinks and snacks throughout the day. In addition, there is a dedicated meeting and event complex that offers 14 flexible function rooms, making it the largest hotel conference and banqueting area in Edinburgh.

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Image credit: Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh

Another exclusive facility is the One Spa, which is one of Europe’s most advanced city spas and offers a wide range of treatments. Stunning facilities include a shimmering rooftop Hydropool and a Thermal Suite, along with an advanced gym and studio. All guests are also invited to use the 19 metre swimming pool, Cleopatra Baths.

The hotel also offers the Sheraton Fitness scheme, which has been programmed by Core Performance – a holistic fitness programme that helps travellers to stay fit and healthy away from home.

Signature brand experiences offered at Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa include the Link@Sheraton, a communications hub in the lobby that provides complimentary Wifi and PC workstations.

This exciting facility allows guests to surf the internet, email their friends and family or review local attractions.

The phased refurbishment project was completed in February 2012 and involved the refurbishment of all of the guest rooms, public spaces, meeting rooms and kitchens and therefore required negotiation between the contractors and the hotel management.

Hamilton Kennedy, Director of Currie & Brown UK Ltd who project managed the entire refurbishment, explained: “This was a challenging project as we had to keep some of the space open to members of the public at all times during the construction phase. As a result, we had to ensure that the elements still operated efficiently and effectively while being safe enough for visitors. It was a very fast track scheme and the team worked in cooperation with hotel management to deliver the project with minimum conflict.

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“We have created a new standard for the hotel by completely transforming the appearance and ambience of the accommodation, giving the hotel a very contemporary and modern image.”

Main contractors for the project were Thomas Johnstone Ltd and Olgivie Construction and the architect was 3DReid Architects. Currie & Brown also provided cost management and CDM-C services.

The revitalisation of Sheraton The improvements to Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa are part of a worldwide reconfiguration of the Sheraton brand, which currently operates 417 hotels. To date, this has involved a $6 billion investment in new hotels and the renovation of existing properties.

Hoyt Harper, Global Brand Leader for Sheraton, said that the worldwide improvement of the brand has seen the removal of 80 underperforming hotels from the portfolio over the last threeand-a-half years, along with the addition of 80 new hotels.

He commented: “We are very excited about the relaunch of the Edinburgh property, which is now our flagship hotel in the UK. No part of the property has remained untouched.”

There are currently 100 Sheraton hotels in the pipeline across 15 countries and there are plans for more openings in the UK to join the existing four hotels in London, Heathrow and Edinburgh.

Other key openings include the world’s largest Sheraton hotel, which is a 4,000-bedroom property in Macau.

Sheraton is the largest brand owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.

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New development opens on Princes Street A brand new £34 million hotel and retail development has opened in Edinburgh, following a £10m investment by Deramore Property Group.

121 – 123 Princes Street is a seven-storey complex that comprises 30,000 sq ft of retail space and a 97-bedroom hotel.

Fashion retailer New Look is located on the basement, ground and first floors of the development, whilst Premier Inn is located on the upper four floors.

Work began in March 2010 and was completed in February 2012.

Deramore Property Group was the developer on the project, whilst Gilbert-Ash (NI) Limited was the main contractor and Archial Group Plc was the architect. URS was the mechanical and electrical consultant and the structural consultant was Acies Group.

Prior to construction of the new complex, the site housed four buildings including 2 Grade B listed buildings and a Grade C structure. In 2008 Deramore Property Group bought the site and after obtaining planning and listed building consent, subsequently demolished three of the buildings whilst retaining one of the Grade B listed buildings. Three new buildings were then built on the site, whilst the existing building was integrated into the development to form one large complex.

Deramore Property Group Commercial Director, Darren Lonergan, said: “121 – 123 Princes Street was a complicated and challenging

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build, however the project went well and we’re delighted with what we have achieved.

“During the course of the construction we developed a good relationship with our neighbours and this allowed us to coordinate access to the site without causing too many disruptions.

There were a couple of road closures when we were working with statutory service providers on the incoming services but this particular area of construction ran smoothly and we didn’t experience many problems.”

The steel frame construction features an attractive stone exterior and as the development incorporates an existing building, a number of the structure’s original features were retained –including plaster work on the ground floor and a feature Bryce ceiling located on the first floor.

Most of the internal walls of the remaining building were removed to open up the interior of the structure however the four external walls and many of the building’s original windows were retained.

Darren Lonergan added: “Due to the site’s prominence to Edinburgh Castle, the City of Edinburgh Council offered us guidance on the design of the building and all work was completed to ensure that the new development fitted in with the look of the existing Grade B listed building.

“When the development was designed it cleverly incorporated the existing building along with the new structures. As a result,

most shoppers and guests at the hotel wouldn’t know that it was constructed from four separate buildings.”

Darren Lonergan added: “Working on this project has been fantastic and we are delighted to see 121 – 123 Princes Street completed.

“There’s no denying that bringing this project together has been hard work, especially considering the recent economical situation. Despite this, we continued to move forward and now there are two very happy tenants in New Look and Premier Inn. “We have very recently sold the development and we’re now working on our next project in Edinburgh to deliver a Sainsbury’s Local on Shandwick Place.”

Deramore Property Group Founded in 1974, Deramore Property Group specialises in the development and investment of industrial, commercial and retail properties. From new builds to careful restorations, Deramore Property Group has been involved with projects ranging from shopping malls to office blocks and has built developments for clients such as British Telecom, Next, Marks and Spencer, New Look and Tesco.

Since its inception, Deramore Property Group has continued to consolidate and grow and the company cites its strong and innovative management team, along with the development of new building concepts, as the reason for this achievement. With an extensive portfolio of UK investment and development projects, the company continues to look to the future with confidence.

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Building a campus for the future As the largest project in Glasgow Council’s plan for secondary education in Inverclyde, the new £44 million Shared Campus in Port Glasgow is expected to provide a wealth of state-of-the-art facilities when it opens in 2013.

The development will be located on the current Port Glasgow High School site and the shared campus will comprise: Port Glasgow High School, St Stephen’s High School and an Additional Support Needs (ASN) School.

Whilst the project is underway, the two secondary schools have moved into temporary shared accommodation at the St Stephen’s complex.

Once the Shared Campus is complete, Port Glasgow High School and St Stephen’s will each have their own distinct entrances and a separate foyer that leads to the teaching spaces.

However, whilst the schools will function as standalone institutions, they will share the common facilities – including an Enterprise Centre and sports, music and performance arts spaces.

The ASN school will comprise nursery, primary and secondary blocks and will cater for both moderate and complex learning difficulties. In total the school will have the capacity for 8 nursery pupils, 60 pupils with complex learning difficulties, 30 primary pupils with moderate learning difficulties and 50 secondary pupils with moderate learning difficulties.

Leisure facilities will include a multi-use games area (MUGA), a fully equipped gymnasium and fitness suite and two all-weather pitches.

The Enterprise Centre will be an important community learning facility and will also serve the needs of the schools during regular school hours. As a result, it will have its own entrance and reception which can be securely accessed from the campus internally.

Main contractor for the project is GRAHAM Construction and the architect is Ingenium Archial Architects Ltd. Education and Lifelong Learning Convener, Councillor Terry Loughran, said: “When it is completed in summer 2013 it will be a centre of educational excellence and a prized asset for the local community. The new Enterprise Centre will also offer opportunities for adults.

“We are continuing to deliver on our promise of new and refurbished schools for all of our children and young people, despite the squeeze on public sector budgets. I am particularly pleased that this project puts those with additional support needs at the

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heart of our schools estates strategy, where they belong.”

Council Leader, Stephen McCabe, added: “I am delighted at the way the two schools have settled into their temporary surroundings and the feedback from the pupils, staff and parents has been very positive. I think everyone recognises what an exciting time this is for secondary education in Port Glasgow and Inverclyde in general. The new campus is the single most ambitious project in our £220 million schools estate strategy.

“This has been a real team effort and I thank all of those involved and in particular the school communities for the invaluable contribution they have made to getting us to where we are today. Without their support, this project would not have been possible.”

Michael Graham, Executive Chairman at GRAHAM Construction, said: “The new shared campus at Port Glasgow is one of the most significant education projects we have ever been involved with.

This will be a unique, showpiece structure when it is completed in 2013 and GRAHAM is tremendously proud to be playing a part in such an iconic, keenly-anticipated facility.”

CALA opens the door to luxurious living On Saturday 25th February, CALA Homes celebrated the opening of two highly-anticipated showhomes at one of Edinburgh’s most prestigious city-centre developments.

Trinity Park is inspired by the highlights of Edinburgh’s rich architectural tradition and once completed will boast a mixture of high-quality Georgian inspired villas, mews homes and apartments enclosed within a timeless walled garden.

Following the release of five Georgian inspired four-bedroom villas – each of which provide between 2,198 and 2,342 sq ft of luxurious living space – the first phase of homes are now available to buy, with prices starting from £775,000.

Sarah Stanger, Sales and Marketing Director at CALA Homes (East), commented: “We have taken the best of space and scope of traditional building design, with classic facades and high-proportioned doors and ceilings, and combined it all with the advantages of contemporary living – such as modern kitchens, en-suite bathrooms and open-plan living space. The end result is the ultimate in spacious and luxurious city living.”

Jeffreys Interiors created the showhomes with the aim of bringing Edinburgh’s classic Georgian architecture to life without compromising on the advantages of contemporary layout and design.

Alison Vance, Jeffreys Interiors, explained: “We have mixed traditional and modern pieces, taking advantage of each home’s stunning high ceilings by incorporating crystal chandeliers and large scale mirrors. The end result honours Trinity Park’s Georgian roots without compromising on the advantages of contemporary layout and design.

“Luxury living is at the heart of Trinity Park, and its impressive proportions are the perfect partner for stunning interior design concepts. We’ve used a feast of colours, patterns and bespoke artwork alongside beautiful furniture and innovative use of fragrance and sound to make sure each visitor’s experience is unforgettable.”

The Trinity Park showhomes are now open daily from 11am to 5.30pm.

For more information, visit www.cala.co.uk/TrinityPark

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Tollcross International Swimming Centre makes a splash A £14 million project to transform Tollcross International Swimming Centre into a world class sporting venue continues to progress swimmingly.

The project has been implemented by Glasgow City Council and Glasgow Life. Once completed, Tollcross International Swimming Centre will provide a permanent training and recreational facility for the local community. The centre will also become the competition venue for swimming events at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Barr Construction is the main contractor for the project, whilst Glasgow City Council’s in-house design team is responsible for the building’s design work and John Arnott Associates is providing a full clerk of works services on the site.

Forge Leisure is supplying the Centre with a heat retention system which will cover the pool when the facility is not in use.

The cover system will retain the heat within the pool to reduce energy costs.

The refurbishment of Tollcross International Swimming Centre includes the construction of a six-lane 50 metre warm-up pool, the installation of 1,000 new spectator seats and a brand new fitness suite with over 100 pieces of equipment. A brand new dance studio will also be created, whilst changing facilities will be upgraded and the café will receive a makeover.

During the refurbishment works high-level steel work will be repaired, new floor and wall tiles will be fitted and up to 3,000 temporary spectator seats will be installed solely for use during the Games.

Additional work includes an extension to the existing car park, along with associated landscaping and drainage features.

As part of the project a new community area will replace Shettleston Burgh Halls, which was destroyed by a fire in 2008.

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The new community facility will be located at the front of the building and will comprise a main hall, a kitchen, bar, a number of function rooms, toilets and storage areas.

In order to accommodate the new features of the Centre, front and rear extensions have been constructed and the existing roofline has been re-profiled.

In December 2011 a crucial stage in the construction process was reached with the installation of a structural truss measuring 78 metres x 7.5 metres x 4.2 metres and weighing 152 tonnes.

The truss was installed by two 500-tonne cranes and was used to form the framework of the building extension.

The installation of the truss supports the roof of the pool and aided in the removal of the existing support columns. Due to the length of the truss, the support structure was split into sections and delivered to the site via eight different vehicles.

Glasgow City Council Executive Member for the Commonwealth, Councillor Archie Graham, said: “Work is progressing well on a facility that can host swimming competitions at the highest level and the new centre will be a fantastic new facility for Glasgow, benefiting the city for generations to come.

“The installation of the truss was a landmark stage in the creation of Tollcross International Swimming Centre.”

Shona Robison, Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport, added: “This venue will not only showcase the world class facilities available in Glasgow, it will leave a lasting legacy for the local community and the city as a whole.”

Tollcross International Swimming Centre is scheduled for completion in spring 2013.

Construction News

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Greenwood Centre reopens The Greenwood Centre has reopened in Dreghorn following an extensive £1 million revamp.

Completed in May 2012, the project comprised the complete strip-out and refit of the building along with the construction of a new extension and the installation of a brand new heating system. As part of the project one former plant building – located on the site – was converted into a double garage, storage area and plant room, whilst 87 new car parking spaces were also constructed to extend parking provisions.

The Greenwood Centre is a teacher training facility that is located adjacent to the Greenwood Academy in Dreghorn. In addition to providing a facility for teacher training, the building also houses a number of community resources including library books and the local library bus. The work on the Centre was implemented by North Ayrshire Council in order to improve services for staff at the building.

Ashleigh (Scotland) Ltd was the main contractor for the project, whilst David Watts was the architect, the Clancy Group plc was the mechanical and electrical consultant and ATK Partnership were the civil & structural engineers.

Work began in September 2011 with the complete strip-out of the centre. This was

followed by a number of internal alterations to provide the building with space for additional training rooms, a conference hall, office space and toilets.

The electrics in the building were then completely rewired, whilst a brand new heating system was installed to cut energy costs and reduce the centre’s carbon footprint. Following this, a new extension was constructed from a steel frame and completed with a brick exterior and metal sheet roofing.

External work included the reworking of one plant room into a double garage that will house the community library bus.

As Greenwood Centre is located adjacent to the Greenwood Academy, all efforts were made not to disrupt the daily activities of the school.

This included scheduling all site deliveries

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around the school’s opening and closing hours.

Ashleigh (Scotland) Ltd Project Manager, Jimmy Phillips, said: “This was a great project to be involved with and we are pleased to see it completed for North Ayrshire Council. We strive to complete the job to the best of our ability and that’s exactly what we did on this project.”

Restoring The Royal Hotel A £2.8 million redevelopment project to repair and restore The Royal Hotel in Campbeltown is now complete.

The project was finished in April 2012 and included the refurbishment of the existing hotel, along with the erection of a bedroom extension over the former function suite.

The project was completed for Southworth Development LLC, a Massachusetts based company that specialises in the development of residential resort and hospitality communities. In addition to The Royal Hotel, Southworth Development LLC has recently completed a similar refurbishment of the Ugadale Hotel in nearby Machrihanish.

Work began in March 2011, with Graham Construction as the main contractor and Glasgow based practice GD Lodge as the project architects. Tim Sullivan of Southworth Development LLC was the project manager, W.A. Fairhurst & Partners was the structural consultant, J. R. Cant Building Services Design was the mechanical and electrical consultant and Van Dijk Design conducted the interior design work.

The Royal Hotel is a four-storey C listed hotel that was built in 1908. During the 1940s, the hotel underwent significant refur-

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bishment following a German bomber attack on Campbeltown Harbour. A function suite was added to the west end of the hotel in the early 1980s but little has changed since then.

The hotel is in two distinct halves, comprising the historic stone and brick structure and the function suite. Under the project, the existing concrete and steel structure of the function suite was retained for the ground and first floor levels, whilst a new timber structure was added above to form the remaining two floors of the building. This new extension features a painted render facade with ashlar stone window details to compliment the distinctive character of the building.

Internal works involved substantial alterations to the existing structure to create 23 luxury guest rooms above the remodelled reception, restaurant and public bar.

In addition to these works, the internal fabric of the building was stripped back to the masonry shell and upgraded with insulating plasterboard and new acoustic partitions. Ceilings were then stripped back to the existing joists so that an acoustic separating ceiling could be installed. The existing stair and

service hoist was also removed to make way for a new stair and lift core.

A similar design layout was incorporated on each level of the upper floors which has helped achieve a uniform design throughout the building.

Care was taken with the interior design to utilise many of the building’s original features, including existing fireplaces, plaster detailing and historic stained glass windows. Plumbing and electrical services were also distributed around the building and communication and fire safety points were installed.

External works included replacing the existing slates and the replacement of matching cast iron gutters and downpipes. The existing sash windows were also replaced with new sash and case windows by Blairs Windows. Substantial stone repairs were undertaken sensitively and deliberately avoided works to stones that had been marked or pitted as part of the historic bomb damage. These works were implemented in association with Campbeltown Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI).

Public realm works included the formation of an outdoor seating area and the upgrade of the existing hard landscaping. This part of the project was implemented in conjunction with Kinloch Road Regeneration (KRR).

The Royal Hotel will reopen in May 2012.

Investing in Rhu Marina Improvements are currently being made at Rhu Marina following a £700,000 investment from property managers The Crown Estate.

Following previous investments that include a £1.4 million injection in 2010, The Crown Estates’ latest investment will provide the Marina with new equipment including concrete-decked walkways, pontoons and Wi-Fi. This will help to modernise the facility and allow Rhu Marina to secure its position as a leading name in the marine tourism industry in Scotland.

GSS Marine Services is the main contractor and is working with pontoon manufacturers Varis Engineering Ltd to carry out the installation of equipment using their versatile multipurpose work boat, Laura M. Scotland Coastal Manager, Paul Bancks, said: “This investment will provide new state-of-the-art facilities for local customers and the wider UK boating community. Our total investment in Rhu Marina of over £2.3 million over two years shows our continued commitment to the marine leisure sector and the benefits it delivers to the economy and communities in the Clyde and beyond.”

Quay Marinas Managing Director, Simon Haigh, added: “This investment is great news for all our boating customers.

All boats can now be berthed within the more sheltered areas of the marina during winter months and the upgraded equipment will provide a modern and robust pontoon system.

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“Work has already started and we look forward to working with The Crown Estate and Varis Engineering to complete the projects and bring real benefits to our customers.”

Located on the Firth of Clyde in Scotland, Rhu Marina comprises 35 swing moorings along with a number of marine workshops, a chandlery and boat storage areas capable of holding 140 boats. In 2008 The Crown Estate purchased Rhu Marina for £4 million and subsequently leased the operation of the site to Quay Marinas Ltd. As landlord of Rhu Marina, The Crown Estate continues to invest in the facility and actively encourages nearby businesses to become as successful as the Marina.

Mike Balmforth of the Scottish Boating Alliance and British Marine Federation Scotland, said: “Additions and improvements to boating infrastructure are always welcome. The Crown Estate’s financial input to the recreational boating and marine tourism industry is a significant factor in its expansion in recent years. Today, the industry is worth some £300 million per year and growing.”

GSS Marine Services Established in 1989, GSS Marine Services is a marine construction consultancy that specialises in vessel hire and civil engineering works. In 2005, the company was bought by managing director Jamie McGarry and this fresh injection of management

led to an expansion of services to include a larger fleet with increased capabilities.

GSS Marine Services plays an active role in marine construction works around Britain and Europe and presently has contracts in Sierra Leone, Australia, Papa New Guinea and Nigeria.

GSS Marine Services Business Development Manager, Billy Hamilton, said: “The original Rhu Marina piles and pontoons were installed in 1976 and were near the end of their life expectancy. The recent extreme storms in late 2011/early 2012 caused extensive damage to the original timber decked pontoons and so The Crown Estate ordered the replacement of all the remaining walkway pontoons and fingers. Associated greenheart timber piles will also be removed and replaced with new steel tubular piles. The operation will be carefully planned and executed to minimise disruption to the busy marina.”

Billy Hamilton added: “At GSS Marine Services we pride ourselves on providing top quality vessels with the best crew currently available. We keep our crew on fixed contracts and as they work on the same vessels with each job our skippers and crew know exactly which parts of the world they are going to.

“This allows each operation to run smoothly and it’s this way of working that has allowed us to expand the company onwards and upwards.”

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Relieving Ballyconnell A brand new scheme is being implemented in County Cavan in order to reduce congestion in the town of Ballyconnell.

The N87 Ballyconnell Inner Relief Road scheme will reduce the volume of traffic travelling through the town by linking the N87 national road to the R205 regional road. The project includes the construction of 1.8km of carriageway and the installation of associated lighting, lining and signage and a river bridge.

At a construction cost of €3.45 million, the scheme is being implemented by Cavan County Council in conjunction with the National Roads Authority.

Gibson Bros (Ireland) Ltd is the main contractor for the scheme, whilst John Wilson from Cavan County Council is the project manager and Brendan Smith and John Kearns are the resident engineers. Tony Mortimer and Sean McDonnell from Atkins are the consulting engineers.

The bulk of the N87 Ballyconnell Inner Relief Road scheme involves the construction of 1.3km of carriageway and an additional 0.5km of ancillary roads, including two roundabouts and associated junctions. Work began on the scheme in June 2011 and is scheduled for completion in July 2012.

Cavan County Council Project Manager, John Wilson, said: “The scheme is progressing well with no major problems and without many disruptions to road users and services.

“As we’re effectively constructing a brand new road, most of the work is taking place away from the main route. With the exception of maintaining access for local farms and businesses, the work is pretty much self-contained.

“One of the most significant elements of the scheme is the inclusion of a 38m clear span bridge that carries the road at a high level over the Woodford River.

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“The bridge was constructed using precast concrete beams, which were manufactured offsite and then transported to the site for installation. Each beam weighed 95 tonne and required a crane with a lifting capacity of 800 tonne in order to hoist them out over the river and into place.

“This part of the scheme involved a considerable amount of preplanning and detailed consultation with Waterways Ireland.

Careful consideration was made to ensure that the navigation

of the river was still achievable once the bridge was in place.”

Phillip Greaves, Gibson Bros (Ireland) Ltd, said: “The bridge was a critical part of the scheme as it provides a vital link for the town and is one of the largest bridges to ever be built in the county.

“The bridge proved to be a massive challenge as we had to coordinate with a number of different teams to deliver all of the beams, but luckily the weather was on our side and it all came together as planned.”

John Wilson added: “It is very important and very satisfying to see a scheme like

this being implemented in Ballyconnell.

“Cavan County Council identified the need for this relief road a number of years ago and although it has taken a while to reach the construction phase, it will be of great benefit to the town when it is complete.

“We’re now approaching the finishing line without any major problems and that’s something that is not only a great achievement for ourselves and Gibson Bros (Ireland) Ltd, but also a great achievement for Ballyconnell.”

The completion of a brand new church in County Tyrone has been hailed as a fantastic success.

Valued at just under £1 million, the Dungannon Free Presbyterian Church Development project has seen the construction of a brand new church in Dungannon. The project was completed in November 2011 – four months ahead of schedule – and has already proved very popular with the congregation.

Work began in February 2011 when the former church was demolished. Construction on the new building then commenced with Russell Brothers Builders as the main contractor and McCarter Hamill Architects as the architect.

Russell Brothers Builders Quantity Surveying Director, Douglas Fraser, said: “There was a real team ethos on this project, which helped us to complete the job successfully and ahead of schedule. Tender documentation stated the project was to be finished by March 2012 however we completed the church well ahead of this date which made this project a fantastic success.

“We achieved our goal through teamwork and a great deal of communication. Any design feature that the church wanted to include we tried our best to incorporate and we also worked very closely with the building committee. We also appreciate all of the assistance of McCarter Hamill Architects and the staff at Dungannon Free Presbyterian Church.”

The new church building was constructed using a steel frame with cavity block walls and aluminium windows. The roof features cut timber beams and Cupa Spanish slates, whilst the exterior of the building is clad with a sto render.

Internally, the walls were covered with plaster whilst the floors were finished with a mixture of carpet and ceramic tiles. A number of stained glass windows were also incorporated in the building.

Additional features include a pulpit, prayer rooms, a minister’s room, a mezzanine floor, a kitchen and toilets. The building is also fully DDA compliant.

Although the majority of the work involved the construction of a brand new building, one very important element of the original structure was retained.

Douglas Fraser said: “The original church building was beginning to look a bit dilapidated and had reached the end of its use, however the church hall was still functional and so it was decided that it would be more cost effective to keep it intact than to replace it.”

Although the decision was made to retain the original church hall, a few alterations were made to bring the structure up to date. New storage areas and toilet facilities were incorporated and the external facade was covered in sto render and painted to match the design of the new building.

To complete the project a car park was built on the site to provide up to 100 parking spaces for the church, including provi-

sions for disabled drivers.

Douglas Fraser said: “We’ve worked on quite a few churches in the past but it was great to see this project completed as it was well designed and looks great. The building now offers a multipurpose function for the community and the feedback so far has been very positive.

“We always strive to complete a job as efficiently as possible and we think we outdid ourselves on this particular occasion.”

High praise for church project

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Titanic Quarter Station opens Following an extensive £800,000 refurbishment, Titanic Quarter Station in Belfast has opened.

Work was completed on Titanic Quarter Station – formerly Bridge End Station – in March 2012 ahead of the Titanic Centenary events that took place in April. The three-month project involved the modernisation of the station to renew and extend existing platforms, along with the renaming of the facility as part of its inclusion in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter.

Construction and civil engineering contractors McLaughlin & Harvey were the main contractor for the project and Atkins was the civil engineering designer and project manager.

Work began on the project in January 2012 and included the replacement and extension of existing platforms to accommodate larger Class 4000 trains. In addition, a DDA compliant ramp was constructed and new signage, shelters and lighting were installed.

Transport Minister, Danny Kennedy, said: “The new Titanic Quarter is the gateway station to many of Belfast’s newest attractions and developments in the area including Titanic Belfast, the Public Records Office, the Odyssey and Belfast Metropolitan College.

“I am confident that the completion of this overall project will ensure the continued modernisation of the transport infrastructure, whilst the introduction of Class 4000 trains will help contribute to increasing rail passenger numbers.”

Translink Group Chief Executive, Catherine Mason, added: “The renaming of the station to Titanic Quarter reflects the work that has been done to modernise facilities and position the station as a quality and accessible travel option for anyone visiting the Titanic Quarter area.”

The station remained open at all times during the project so a temporary footbridge was installed to allow passengers to access platforms. Furthermore, works were phased so that trains could run as scheduled.

Translink Structures Project Engineer, Anthony Stove, said: “The existing platforms were built in the late 1970s and were in a very poor condition. However because we needed to work

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on all areas of the station we could only conduct work when the trains were not running.

“We decided that the best way to work around this problem was to phase works so that we could continue whilst keeping the station and existing train services fully operational. As we completed new platforms we simply moved the trains and then demolished the older platforms so that everything could continue without disruption.

“There were some challenges on the project, including a number of high voltage power cables, some of which we had to divert. Cables that we couldn’t divert we simply had to work around.

“The site was situated by the M3 motorway, one of the largest arterial routes in Northern Ireland so work was also restricted by the availability of road lane closures. However we adapted our project to work around these issues very successfully to complete the job.

“Titanic Quarter Station is part of a much larger £7 million scheme to update and improve up to twenty different stations across the railway network. Despite the short timescale on the project, it was important to us that we completed the modernisation of this station ahead of the Titanic Centenary. This was a good indication of what we can achieve on future stations with limited timeframes.”

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Ballyroan Library is set for success An exciting project to create a new and improved library in Dublin is well underway.

Under the project, the existing Ballyroan Library will be demolished and a new state-of-the-art library will be built in its place.

Georgina Byrne, County Librarian, South Dublin County Council, commented: “The former Ballyroan Library was built in the 1980s and was in need of upgrading, particularly as it generated the highest user rates in the greater Dublin area. The new Ballyroan Library will form the final part of the new community campus that Dublin County Council has created over the last three years. Located at the heart of the community, the state-of-the-art building will be an important landmark for the area.”

Main contractor for the project is MDY Construction and the architect is Box Architecture.

The new Ballyroan Library will be part single and part doublestorey. Two entrances will be provided – one which will be accessed from Orchardstown Avenue and another that will be accessed via Orchardstown Villas. This will in turn create access into a new double-height internal street, which may be used for group activities, larger exhibitions and meetings.

Covering approximately 1,400 square metres of space, the development will include a staff office on the ground floor and two seminar rooms that may be divided into separate rooms of varying sizes. The flexible rooms will also allow for interchangeable internet use, which can be used for individuals or groups accordingly in order to maximise computer usage.

On the other side of the internal street, there will be an openplan reading room that is lit from above by roof lights. In order to create more intimate reading areas, individual and group pods will be constructed.

The lower section of the northern two-storey element will house cellular elements and the timber lining will snake in and out the areas in order to clearly indentify the regions designated for public and private use. A fully flexible children/group area will

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be located to the south and will be suitable for book readings and arts and crafts.

On the first floor, there will be a more private area – the ‘Long Room’ – which may be used for local research or as a private study area. Additional facilities on this floor include book storage, whilst access will be provided via a public staircase or lift.

External works will include the remodelling of the car park to the south, the planting of trees and the installation of benches so people can sit and read. In addition, the area between the street and the pods will be landscaped to provide a buffer zone, whilst on-street parking will be maintained on the perimeter of the site.

Funding for the £2.6 million project has been provided by the Irish government and South Dublin County Council.

The project is scheduled for completion in November 2012 and the new Ballyroan Library will open to the public in 2013.

Fingal will soon celebrate new church An exciting project to create a much-needed Baptist church in the heart of Fingal, Ireland, is well underway.

The new Swords Baptist Church is a state-of-the-art development that will comprise two floors spread over approximately 1,600 square metres of space. Located on Feltrim Road in Kinsealey, Ireland, the church will house a range of facilities including a large octagonal auditorium and associated office space.

Additional facilities will include meeting rooms, counselling rooms, toilets and kitchen space.

Youth pastor, Tim Burton, commented: “We’re delighted, it’s great news. It’s been a while coming and we’re very excited about the future of the building project.”

Constructed in response to an increase in congregation numbers, the £2.0 million (€2,500,000) church, designed by McDonnell & Dixon, will provide up to 400 seats for worshippers. The project will create a permanent meeting space for the congregation, who currently meet at St Finian’s Community centre every Sunday morning. When the auditorium is not being used for religious purposes, the space can be used for a range of community activities.

External works will include the creation of 9 car park spaces, whilst a further 129 spaces will be provided by Fingal Council, on land to the immediate south that will eventually serve the planned Kinsealy Melrose Community Centre.

Eric Gill, McDonnell & Dixon Architects, said: “It is excellent that there is a need for churches such as this to be built in the Fingal area, and we are delighted to be involved with this project.

“We have incorporated a number of interesting features throughout the design. For example, the octagonal shape of

the auditorium is relatively unusual and will facilitate a more informal seating arrangement, whilst sustainable features include high levels of thermal insulation, under floor heating and rain water recycling.

“The project is progressing well and the church is expected to be completed In September 2012.”

Main contractor for the Swords Baptist Church project is Collen Construction.

Making waves in Loughlinstown A €6.5 million project to provide Loughlinstown Leisure Centre with a brand new swimming pool is currently underway in South County Dublin.

Work began on the project in October 2011 with the construction of a new extension to house the 25-metre swimming pool.

The extension is being constructed using concrete foundations with a timber roof, aluminium windows and a brick finish. As well as housing the five-lane swimming pool, the extension will also incorporate village changing rooms and a small spectator area.

Green features of the new extension include a combined heat and power (CHP) plant and photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roof.

To integrate the extension with the existing building, a new reception foyer will also be constructed at the front of the facility.

In order to accommodate the ongoing running of the Leisure Centre, a temporary reception area has been installed at the facility so that the site can remain fully operational until the new foyer is finished.

To complete the project, three synthetic playing pitches and associated floodlighting are being constructed and Loughlinstown Leisure Centre’s car park will also receive an upgrade to extend provisions and make the car park fully DDA compliant.

The project has been part-funded by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council. Main contractor for the project is PJ Hegarty & Sons Construction and the architect is Simon J Kelly + Partners architects.

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, Rory O’Sullivan, said: “Work is currently on time and on schedule and so far we’ve not encountered any major difficulties with the project. So far the synthetic pitches have been completed and are already being used by the public and we will shortly be installing the roof

on the new extension.”

Rory O’Sullivan added: “This project is very important for Loughlinstown Leisure Centre as it’s the first time the facility has had a swimming pool.

Once we have completed this project a large proportion of the Leisure Centre’s income will come from local schools attending the site for swimming lessons and this will benefit the facility greatly.

“The inclusion of the pool at Loughlinstown Leisure Centre is a major development for the local community and will add to the existing facilities that the Centre already has to offer.”

Work on Loughlinstown Leisure Centre is due to be completed in December 2012.

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George IV restoration is on track for success Criccieth is a beautiful seaside holiday resort on Tremados Bay in North Wales and enjoys stunning views of the Cambrian Mountains and the 13th century Criccieth Castle.

Interestingly, a former club president of the golf course is David Lloyd George, who was the Liberal prime minister during the First World War. With an envious location on the high street, the George IV Hotel is the largest hotel in Criccieth and offers a relaxed, familyfriendly atmosphere for all visitors. Following the purchase of the hotel in 2007 by Leisureplex Hotel Group, a number of efforts have been made to restore the Grade II listed building to its former glory.

To date this has included replacing and refurbishing the stonework and the restoration of the stained glass windows on the facade with the support of Cadw, the Welsh public body responsible for historic buildings.

In November 2011, a project to extend the George IV by adding 36 en-suite bedrooms and remodelling and extending the entertainment room commenced. The £1.25 million project will allow the hotel to increase the capacity and efficiency, enabling it to grow from a small 2 coach to a 3 coach hotel.

Furthermore, the project is expected to ensure the preservation of one of the most historically important buildings in the Criccieth area. The existing George IV Hotel was constructed in the Jacobean style in 1890, whilst the two westernmost bays on the hotel’s facade are extensions from the 1920s.

The three-storey extension has been designed by architect Jon Sam Williams and is a timber frame construction with rendered external walls and a slate mono-pitch roof. In order to complement the existing building, the extension features double steel glazed windows in a similar design to those installed when the hotel was built in the 19th century.

Emlyn Jones, Contracts Manager for main contractor Henry

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Jones Ltd, said: “As we are working in a commercial area, access is restrictive.

Luckily our builders’ yard is behind the hotel so we can gain access to the back of the hotel through our own land, which has ultimately helped to keep the disruption to the high street to a minimum.

“A further challenge that we have faced is the fact that the hotel has been in operation throughout the project. As a result, works – including the new boiler rooms – have had to be phased in with the hotel opening times.

“This is a substantial local contract for the company and has created employment opportunities in the area. It has been a pleasure to be involved with such an important project and we look forward to delivering the hotel in June 2012.”

Steering success at Deeside A £1.15 million commercial vehicle workshop has been completed in Clwyd.

Road Range Deeside is a brand new auto repair facility that has been constructed on Deeside Industrial Park to provide new premises for Mercedes-Benz dealership, Road Range Ltd. The facility is a two-storey building that comprises ground and first floor office space along with five commercial vehicle repair bays complete with service pits.

Prior to construction of the new facility, Road Range Ltd leased a similar unit on the industrial park. However, once this unit was no longer able to accommodate the company’s working practices the move to a new and improved facility was a necessity.

Road Range Ltd’s former home will now be refurbished before it is leased to a new tenant.

Work began on the project in October 2011 and was completed in April 2012. Williams Build & Design Ltd was the main contractor for the project, whilst Maybin Architectural Design Ltd was the architect. Funding for the project was provided by The Robert Smith Group Executive Directors Pension Fund.

Williams Build & Design Ltd Managing Director, Jeff Williams, said: “Work progressed well and we even managed to complete the job a month ahead of schedule, which is something we were very proud of. The early completion was down to an efficient working practice, a lot of combined hard work, team ethics from us and the client and a little help from some good weather conditions – which allowed us to make great progress with our programme of works.

“The only problem that we did encounter involved the inclusion of a surface water retention system requiring Flintshire C.C approval, which did cause us a few issues. However we eventually managed to resolve the situation and once this was rectified the rest of the project ran smoothly.”

The new facility was constructed using a steel framed portal with insulated composite metal clad walls and roofing, aluminium thermal windows and insulated doors. The building covers 13,000 sq ft, with 3,000 sq ft of the building dedicated to office space.

In addition to the creation of the new yard and connected roadways around the perimeter of the facility, a car park was also constructed and some minor landscaping work took place.

Jeff Williams added: “We are very proud of this project and we’re really pleased

to be associated with a prestigious name like Road Range Ltd, and it was a pleasure working with The Robert Smith Group team. This new facility provides Road Range Ltd with improved premises and we hope they are just as pleased as we are with the finished work.

“With work now complete on this facility, we’re hoping to develop future projects with the Robert Smith Group and we hope to build on our success.”

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Developing IBERS at Aberystwyth University A £25 million project to construct two brand new buildings for Aberystwyth University is complete.

The new buildings were built for the Institute of Biological Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) department, which are located on the University’s Penglais and Gogerddan campuses. Each building acts as a central hub for IBERS by integrating existing facilities at each campus.

The project was completed in early 2012 and both buildings are now occupied by staff and students at the University.

Funding for the project was provided by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) through the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW). As part of the financial requirements of the project both buildings were built to achieve BREEAM standards of ‘Excellent’.

Willmott Dixon was the main contractor for the project, whilst Pascall+Watson architects were the architects and Sean Kenny was the project manager.

IBERS is an award-winning and internationally recognised research and teaching centre. Prior to the completion of the project IBERS was located across three campuses in a collection of buildings without a central connection.

Aberystwyth University Senior Project Manager, Sean Kenny, said: “Aberystwyth University wanted to construct a building at both campus’ that would link together all of the existing IBERS buildings.

“Both buildings were designed to strengthen IBERS by encouraging a community feeling within each campus. This was something that was missing prior to construction, but now that work is complete and the buildings are being used I’m very confident that we have achieved this integration.

“Academics now connect in a way that they didn’t before and it creates a more stimulating environment for everyone involved with this area of the University.”

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The project began in 2009 with a lengthy process of enabling works. Construction on both developments then followed in 2010, taking a total of 60 weeks to complete. Both buildings are clad in insulated cedar board and comprise a ground and first floor. In addition, the buildings include a number of energy saving features such as intelligent lighting systems, grey water harvesting and natural ventilation.

The building at Penglais measures approximately 1800m² and comprises office space, seminar rooms, teaching laboratories and a cafe located within the centre of the development. A noticeable feature of the new building is the fully glazed office spaces, which were designed to encourage natural light into the building. The development also includes a large communal and social area to encourage interaction between teachers, researchers and students.

To complete the integration of the new building with existing facilities, single-storey corridor links were constructed to connect all of the different areas of the site together. The links allow academics to pass from one area of the development to another without having to exit the building.

Sean Kenny said: “The building at Penglais looks fantastic and the internal glazing within the development creates a very light and airy interior.

This creates a more sociable environment, which is what we wanted to achieve along with the corridors which help to bring everything together.”

In order for the corridor links to be incorporated, a number of alterations were made to the existing buildings in order to redirect services. This phase of the project took a year to complete and ran concurrently with the redirection of services at Gogerddan.

The new building at Gogerddan was built between three existing IBERS facilities and includes a collection of state-ofthe-art glasshouses located towards the rear of the building.

The glasshouses are an important inclusion in the development

Working closely with the University of Aberystwyth to develop the user requirements to create laboratory and building services design solutions § Working as part of the implementation team with Willmott Dixon to create state-of-the art facilities for the University § Providing services as specialist laboratory space planners for the teaching, research, CAT II and III laboratories § Bringing innovation into laboratory facilities design § Mechanical and electrical designers specialising in laboratory design § Integrating low carbon technology and sustainable systems into the project including biomass, ground source and grey water systems § In-house multidiscipline design team § Design, Manage and Construct

The Austin Company of UK Ltd

Cardinal Point, Park Road, Rickmansworth, Herts, WD3 1RE

+44 (0)1923 432658 Fax: +44 (0)1923 432795 enquiries@austin.co.uk www.austin.co.uk

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Wa l e s and will be a BBSRC national facility – The National Plant Phenomics Centre for the study of Phenomics – a biological science that measures the physical and biological traits of organisms.

The glasshouses will enable researchers to control and monitor plant growth using a variety of different artificial scenarios. The plants will then be placed onto a scanning system for further study, whilst the Phenomics facility will interact with external laboratories to identify and characterise genes.

The Gogerddan development also includes an external grassed area – complete with benches, plants and hedgerows – to provide a retreat for academic reflection.

Additional planting also took place around the development.

Sean Kenny said: “My role on this project was to ensure that WIllmott Dixon and Pascall+Watson architects were fully aware of what Aberystwyth University wanted to achieve and with the project complete it’s clear to see the new buildings do exactly what we set out to do.

“As with any project there were a number of challenges to overcome, however Willmott Dixon took them in their stride and

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along with a great design team they dealt with any issues very swiftly to ensure that this project was a success.

“As the development at Penglais was the first to be completed it was the first to be occupied and the feedback has been very positive. Academics have now started to occupy the laboratories at Gogerddan and we’re getting great feedback about this development too.

“It is great to see these buildings being used as we intended.”

Willmott Dixon

LOCK-TECH SYSTEMS

Founded in 1852, Willmott Dixon is one of the UK’s largest privately owned contractors, providing services for capital works projects and regeneration schemes throughout the country.

Willmott Dixon works with a variety of clients including local authorities, private sector clients and the UK government for projects within the education, commercial, retail and social housing sectors. The company is also actively involved in estate renewal projects working as an equity partner for both private and public sector investors.

As a fifth generation company Willmott Dixon is extremely proud of its traditional family values and sites this as a main area of importance for its continued growth. The company has also achieved numerous awards - for two years running Willmott Dixon were named amongst the top ten companies to work for by the Sunday Times.

Welsh firm LOCK-TECH SYSTEMS – one of only 13 UK SALTO Certificated partners – was selected for the specification, supply and installation of the access control system on the Aberystwyth University project.

LOCK-TECH’s installation of the SALTO access control system to security strategic doors has further reinforced SALTO’s suitability as the ultimate security solution for integrated systems in the education and health sectors, where it maintains an enviable lead.

LOCK-TECH’s significant experience in integrating SALTO as a one-card campus system – together with their excellent after sales service – will no doubt see the University profit from this solution as they roll it out on other doors.

Pascall+Watson architects With over 50 years of experience in the industry, Pascall+Watson architects boast a very enviable portfolio of projects. The company has provided architectural services for university buildings, museums, offices, airports and residential developments across the globe and past projects include Birmingham Airport International Pier, St Pancras International Station, Cyprus University and the redevelopment of Pulkovo Airport in Russia.

Pascall+Watson architects believe in designing high quality buildings that combine elegance with efficiency and for this reason the practice receives a great deal of repeat business.

Pascall+Watson architects have also won a number of awards, including the CMG Building & Design Awards Public Building of the Year award in 2010 and the Wandsworth Council Green Business Award 2009.

Major road project is on the way The first section of Harbour Way has officially opened to the public. As part of a flagship £107 million project, the section opened in March 2012 and is the first of three sections that are due to open over the next six months.

Main contractor Costain is building the final link of the Peripheral Distributor Road through Port Talbot, which will link the completed Harbourside Road phase at Afan Way to the A48 close to junction 38 of the M4. The road will serve as a vital link to West Wales, the UK motorway network, the trunk road network and mainland Europe.

This final phase will make up to 210 hectares of Brownfield land available for development, complementing the Council’s regeneration plans for the waterfront from Margam in the east to Fabian Way in the west.

The project has been funded by European grant and a £50 million investment from the Welsh government.

Council Leader, Ali Thomas, said: “This is a significant step forward in this major project. Harbour Way will bring huge benefits to residents and businesses in Port Talbot and heralds a new chapter in the history of the town.

“This strategic road will provide an attractive gateway to the town and open up development opportunities along the waterfont, in particular the Harbourside and Port Talbort town centre regeneration areas.

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Wa l e s not only during the construction period, but for generations to come. It will also improve access to local amenities and leisure facilities within the county borough, bolstering its already expanding tourism economy.”

In addition to creating up to 600 jobs during the 33-month construction phase, Costain has also been awarded a Bronze National Site award for being a ‘considerate constructor’. The team was given a special commendation for being considerable, respectful and responsible, whilst they were also commended for their exceptional achievements in safety and protecting the environment.

Furthermore, Costain were subject to national media coverage following a visit to the site from BBC Radio 4 and BBC News, who were investigating the community benefits of the project.

Following a visit by Minister for Finance, Jane Hutt, BBC Radio 4 featured the project on ‘File On Four’. The programme illustrated how the project had shown that public service contracts could be won by incorporating both a cost-effective solution and a community benefit plan that includes economic regeneration and the creation of jobs.

John Skentelbery, Project Manager for Costain, said: “To have a prestigious programme like File on Four take an interest in the project for the work we are doing for the community of Neath Port Talbot is a fantastic boost, not just for the scheme, but for the people who are working on the PDR too.

“To be applauded for the extra work we are doing goes to show there is more to construction than just building objects, which helps to improve the image of our industry.

“The opening of the first section of the Harbour Way distributor road marks the end of a very successful and productive year for the project. With several other areas along the scheme to open to the public within the next twelve months, we are happy to confirm that our workforce is on programme, with the road still on target for an Autumn 2013 opening.”

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Heritage

Restoring the Cutty Sark A £50 million project to conserve and restore the historic Cutty Sark has been completed.

Work finished in April 2012 following a complex series of works to restore the vessel back to its former glory. As part of the project a number of new visitor facilities were also installed around the museum ship to highlight the historic significance of the vessel.

Alongside the restoration of the Cutty Sark a number of additional projects, including the redevelopment of Cutty Sark Gardens, also took place.

Located within Greenwich in South East London, the Cutty Sark is the world’s last surviving tea clipper and is one of just three vessels in London to be listed in the Core Collection of the National Historic Ships Register.

On Wednesday 25th April, Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh officially reopened the Cutty Sark to the public during a ceremony that marked the first time since 2006 that the site had been open to visitors.

Now that the vessel is open to the public, Royal Museums Greenwich will be responsible for the operational management of the site.

Ellmer Construction was the main contractor, whilst Grimshaw Architects was the architect. The construction manager was Gardiner & Theobold, Buro Happold was the structural engineer and Lorne Stewart was the service engineer.

Specialist Construction Managers Fraser Randall were employed to manage the delivery of the interpretative exhibition works that detail the historic story of the Cutty Sark. Fraser Randall has a long history of collaborating with the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich and some of the Museum’s figure

head displays feature in the exhibition.

Funding for the ship’s conservation and restoration programme was provided by many different contributors including: Greenwich Council, Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), DCMS, Greater London Authority, The Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Berry Brothers & Rudd, Sammy Offer Foundation, Michael Edwards and Alisher Usmanov.

Chairman of Royal Museums Greenwich and the Cutty Sark Trust, Lord Sterling, said: “Cutty Sark holds a unique place in the heart of the people of Greenwich, Great Britain and indeed the rest of the world, and it is splendid that she is re-joining the London skyline once again.

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Copyright of National Maritime Museum.

Cutty Sark is set in the newly-landscaped Cutty Sark Gardens, created by Greenwich Council - one of our strongest supporters.

“We are indebted to those members of the public from all over the world who have generously contributed to the preservation of this much-loved national treasure. We are also deeply appreciative of the many other major institutions, government bodies and foundations that have played a key role in providing the funds. In particular our deep thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund, who have supported the project and stood by the Cutty Sark through difficult times and allocated £25 million of public money raised through the National Lottery.”

Lord Sterling added: “Cutty Sark’s re-launch comes in an exceptional year for Greenwich, which was granted the status of Royal Borough in February 2012 and will have the eyes of the world upon it during The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympic Games this summer.

“On 25th June 1957 Her Majesty opened the Cutty Sark to the public the first time and we were delighted that The Queen and HRH Duke of Edinburgh – who has been President of the Cutty Sark Trust since 1951 – returned to reopen the ship.”

Work began on the restoration of the Cutty Sark in November 2006 with the dismantlement of the ship. Unfortunately this initial phase of works was interrupted in 2007 by a fire, which caused damage to the ship and delayed the programme by six months. A recovery operation then took place before the project

was restarted in 2008.

As a result of the fire a number of structural problems were uncovered that had not been encountered during the initial stages of work. This led to contractors having to devise new ways to strengthen the structure of the ship in order to move forward with the project. This period also allowed for a few alterations to other areas of the project.

Cutty Sark Trust Director, Richard Doughty, said: “It was recognised in the 1990s that the ship’s structure was very fragile and that it was likely to become a dangerous site in a matter of years. That’s what propelled the structural refurbishment work, however the fire made us aware of additional problems that didn’t present themselves in the initial surveys.

“Although the fire did cause us a number of delays, the recovery period presented us with time to rethink the more detailed areas of the project and redefine our vision. As part of this rethink, we changed the design of the glass canopy on the ship, altered the basement area and increased the size of the access tower.”

The next phase of the project involved raising the ship 11 feet off the ground to address issues with the weight of the vessel.

As the bulk weight of the ship bears down on the lower sections of the vessel, the weight needed to be transferred to the ground in order to create a more even distribution. Twelve support beams were installed into the lower hold of the Cutty Sark to help with the reconfiguration of weight and then a new structure was installed below the ship.

Located underneath the ship is the Sammy Ofer Gallery, a newly created glass-covered facility that acts as a viewing area for visitors. The gallery is named after late philanthropist and international shipping magnate, Sammy Ofer KBE, and for the first time ever allows visitors to walk underneath the hull of the ship. Due to a long-standing relationship with London s shipping community, Sammy Ofer KBE donated £3.8 million towards the restoration of Cutty Sark. In 2008 Sammy Ofer was appointed an Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of his support for maritime heritage.

Fit-out works were then conducted to complete the project, including three main trade package contracts across the interpretative fit-out works. SI Electrical undertook the lighting and electrical works, whilst Workhaus was responsible for all set works and graphic elements and Integrated Circles undertook the audio visual hardware and software works.

Royal Museums Greenwich Director, Kevin Fewster, added: “Cutty Sark is an iconic London landmark and a much-loved part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site. Bringing Cutty Sark into the Royal Museums Greenwich family strengthens the links between some of the key attraction of this unique World Heritage Site and helps us to explore the extraordinary maritime stories we have to tell.”

Global banking company HSBC is the primary sponsor of the Cutty Sark restoration project whilst trading partners include tea and coffee specialist Twinings, leading textile manufacturer The Woolmark Company and international premium spirits company The Erdington Group.

HSBC Group Chairman, Douglas Flint, said: “HSBC was founded in Asia to finance trade with the West five years before Cutty Sark first set sail in 1870. Although times have changed, we still see trade as the biggest driver of economic and business growth. So while Cutty Sark is an emblem of past glories, she is also a reminder of the opportunities and excitement that global trade represents. HSBC is delighted to have this opportunity to support the Cutty Sark.”

Richard Doughty said: “The Cutty Sark Trust was set up for the conservation of the ship and the fact that we’ve completed this restoration project to realise the Trust’s vision is something we’re all enormously proud of.

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Heritage – including myself – has gone the extra mile to complete this restoration and it’s been a privilege for all of us to have played a part in giving Cutty Sark a future.

“We worked down to the wire to complete this project on time for the official opening ceremony and what we’ve achieved has been fantastic. We have preserved this ship for future generations and in such a way that will ensure that we can maintain the Cutty Sark’s upkeep in the future.”

Richard added: “The Cutty Sark is unique in all sorts of ways. The vessel has been in Greenwich for the last 55 years and it symbolises the importance of trade to this country. It is very unique to have a merchant ship like this still here and it indicates an important time in our history where a vessel such as this helped to create employment and prosperity in this country.

“The Cutty Sark serves as a reminder that the sea was very important in transporting goods around the world and she captures that excitement and adventure of sailing across the open water.

“The ship was built to have a working life of 25 years, so the fact that it is still here is quite simply amazing. The Cutty Sark represents hundreds of year’s worth of design and development which is perfectly personified in the quality of the structure. As the Cutty Sark has inspired generations before, she will continue to inspire generations to come.”

(SUB) Cutty Sark Gardens (END SUB) Situated adjacent to the Old Royal Naval College Grounds, Cutty Sark Gardens forms an integral part of Greenwich Town Centre and is the major arrival point for visitors arriving by boat. Alongside the restoration of the museum ship, Greenwich Council organised the redesign of the Gardens to reinvigorate and reflect the improvements being made in Greenwich.

Although Cutty Sark Gardens is predominately an area of hard landscaping, an extensive planting scheme took place and a new lighting system was installed as part of the redevelopment

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works. The lighting scheme not only enhances the Gardens, it also accentuates the lighting scheme of the Cutty Sark.

VolkerFitzpatrick was the main contractor on Cutty Sark Gardens.

As well as the redevelopment of Cutty Sark Gardens, a number of redevelopment works also took place at Greenwich Pier and the Old Royal Naval College and the Greenwich Foot Tunnel.

Cutty Sark Trust Director, Richard Doughty, said: “With all of these projects taking place within a close proximity of each other and within similar timeframes, everyone acknowledged that there would be a number of inconveniences on their project, including access to their site.

“Each contractor made allowances and it was extremely satisfying for all involved parties to be able to coordinate a complex programme of works.”

Royal Borough of Greenwich Council Leader, Councillor Chris Roberts, said: “The Cutty Sark is an iconic symbol of our Maritime Heritage and I’m proud of the role we played in restoring and conserving the ship and the surrounding Gardens.

“A significant number of local residents were employed on the project and hundreds of local school children enjoyed welcoming The Queen and HRH Duke of Edinburgh when they visited Greenwich for the first time since bestowing Royal status upon us.

“Whilst it was a day to remember for everyone involved, the ship will provide a lasting memory for the 18 million people who visit Royal Greenwich each year and view the borough’s most iconic gateway.”

Grimshaw Founded in 1980, Grimshaw is an award-winning architectural practice that operates across the globe. The practice has offices in London, New York, Sydney and Melbourne and employs over 300 members of staff.

Grimshaw is currently providing design work for Miami Science Museum and the ‘Wimbledon 2020’ masterplan project.

Previous projects include International Terminal at Waterloo Station, the Southern Cross Station in Melbourne and the Eden Project.

Grimshaw has a very hands-on approach and delivers the highest possible standards of excellence with each design. The company is defined by its innovation, its eye for detail and its sustainable designs.

Steel Protection Consultancy Formed in 1992 – but with over 40 years of professional experience – Steel Protection Consultancy provides advice for owners and specifiers on the optimum method of preserving iron and steel structures.

The company provides consultancy services to many Government departments in the UK and overseas and has a successful track record of completing works for numerous major projects throughout the world.

On the Cutty Sark project Steel Protection Consultancy were retained as corrosion and coating project specialists to devise the optimum method for surface preparation, whilst identifying a coating system for the iron frame that would protect and last for the next 50 years.

Steel Protection Consultancy Managing Director, David H Deacon, said: “We’re known as a Steel Protection Consultancy but a lot of our work involves iron and so we’re very experienced in this area of preservation. Many people think that the Cutty Sark, particularly after the major fire, is constructed from timber but the whole vessel is dependent on the iron frame, without which the vessel would collapse, so it was vital to ensure this was protected to the highest possible standard.

“Many clients are looking towards achieving the optimum life from each paint application and that’s something we can help with.

“We’ve been involved in a large number of prestigious structures and buildings, including the Forth Rail and Road bridges, the Thames Barrier, and many new and old structures. We can identify, for our clients the correct system specification for any structure.”

Vitrine Systems Ltd Established in 2001, Vitrine Systems Ltd specialise in architectural glazing for the commercial and retail sectors. Vitrine Systems Ltd design bespoke glass structures tailored to the needs of their customers and the company has previously completed projects for The Bullring shopping centre Birmingham, Corinthia Hotel in London and Ascot Racecourse.

Vitrine Systems Ltd believe that its main strength lies in its flexible approach to meeting their customers’ requirements and ensuring that all projects are designed, manufactured and installed to the highest standards.

On the Cutty Sark project, Vitrine Systems Ltd designed two glazed enclosures on the deck of the ship, along with the total envelope of the access tower including four elevations of glazing, copper louvres, panels and the Kalzip roof. These were all bespoke designs created especially for the Cutty Sark.

Vitrine Systems Ltd Contracts Manager, Anthony Williams, said: “It was great to be involved with the Cutty Sark restoration. We got to work with prestigious clients like Grimshaw and as the ship was being opened by the Queen it added an extra dimension to the project.”

Anthony Williams added: “At Vitrine Systems Ltd we like to partner with our clients in order to ensure the architects’ vision is achieved and meets the highest standards that our customers expect.”

MSS (Steel Services) Ltd MSS (Steel Services) Ltd specialise in all aspects of structural and architectural metal work for use in domestic, commercial and industrial sectors. For over 23 years MSS (Steel Services) Ltd has worked on projects predominantly in the UK but has recently completed works in Europe.

On the Cutty Sark project, MSS (Steel Services) Ltd manufactured and installed structural frames and bespoke skirting for the glazed areas of the ship’s deck.

MSS (Steel Services) Ltd Contracts Manager, Dave Manners, said: “Being involved with the Cutty Sark restoration was very important to us, it was a great project to work on and we enjoyed being involved with such a historic vessel.”

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Bishops Park is set to blossom Bishops Park was officially opened by Sir John Hutton, chairman of the London County Council (LCC), in 1893.

In October 2011, the implementation phase of an exciting project to restore the park and the grounds of the adjacent Fulham Palace commenced. This followed a successful application by Hammersmith and Fulham Council to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and the Big Lottery Fund (BLF) as part of the ‘Parks for People’ initiative.

Main contractor Vinci Construction has overseen the successful restoration of both Bishops Park and Fulham Palace Grounds.

The Park restoration includes improvements to what is known as the central core and new children’s playgrounds, which have now reopened to the public. An interactive waterplay feature, beach and restored lake and bridge will be reopened in early May 2012. The restored cafe and new community buildings are scheduled to open within a similar timescale.

Drew Bennellick, Head of Landscape & Natural Heritage for HLF, said: “The Heritage Lottery Fund and the Big Lottery Fund have invested over £600 million in public parks since 1994. Over the next three years, we will invest another £30 million each year in around twenty park projects across the UK. “Britain is unique in having an amazing legacy of public parks and we are keen to protect this legacy. Many of the parks are Victorian and as a result of the competitive tendering and best value initiatives of the 1970s and 1980s have been left in appalling condition. Luckily in the late 1980s there was a realisation that parks are important for the community and quality of life, and this is a message that we are keen to promote.”

The multi-million pound project has been funded by a joint investment between HLF and BLF, along with funding from Hammersmith & Fulham Council. An important aspect of the project was community involvement, as lead landscape architect Mark Holland from Chris Blandford Associates explained: “Public consultation has been central to every stage of the project. To date this has included events at the park along with regular meetings, newsletters, questionnaires and surveys.

During the scheme’s implementation, neighbouring residents have been informed of the works taking place at each stage and have therefore been kept in the loop throughout the project.

“We also maintained a good relationship with the conservation officer and with English Heritage in order to insure that we maintained their confidence in the work as it progressed.

“Given the sensitivity of the sites and in particular the listed

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status of the buildings and Scheduled Monument status of the Palace, the client, contractor and design team has sought to establish a good working relationship with the conservation officer and with English Heritage in order to ensure that their confidence was maintained as the work progressed.

“This has been a complex project given the nature of scheme, in which we are dealing with an important historic site. We are also working in a park that is open to the public and have therefore had to manage public access whilst working on a live site.

“As a result, it was essential that the contractor was experienced in this type of work and that he had both safe methods of working and an effective communication strategy in place – and

I believe VINCI Construction has managed to rise to this challenge.

“The restoration of Bishops Park and Fulham Palace has been a very rewarding project for us and we hope that everyone will be as delighted as we are with the end result.”

For the project, Ramboll’s archaeological consultants were commissioned to develop the cultural heritage and archaeology elements, including the design and implementation of the archaeological mitigation strategy based on assessment of heritage, constraints, risks and opportunities.

Their role in the project included: preparing archaeological and built heritage appraisals, impact assessments, mitigation strategies and applications for listed building consent applications.

During the implementation stage, Rambolls were responsible for overseeing the archaeological fieldwork and ongoing consultation with English Heritage and stakeholders.

Drew Bennellick commented: “It is important to note that projects such as these represent a considerable investment in the construction industry – particularly the landscape construction industry.

“Investing in parks helps to create jobs, provide new free facilities for people to enjoy and improve people’s quality of life. Most crucially, they help to ensure our parks remain in good heart for future generations to enjoy.”

Leading Lights of London Ltd Leading Lights of London Ltd are specialists in the restoration of stained glass and leaded light windows for projects in and around London. The company also provide bespoke designs

for many of their clients. Previous restoration projects include St Mary-on-Paddington Green, St John the Baptist Church, N8 and St. Pauls in both Ealing and Furzedown.

On the Bishops Park restoration project, Leading Lights of London Ltd restored and made new box quarry leaded light windows in the Gothic Lodge. The company also supplied and fitted clear restoration glass to the stables along with various specialist glazing works to buildings in the park.

Leading Lights of London Ltd, Director Jonathan Hunt, said: “At Leading Lights of London Ltd, we aim to source glass to the client’s specifications and we use antique glass wherever possible. As this is not always available we use traditionally made crown glass or restoration glass. All materials are checked and agreed by our clients before starting works.”

SureSet UK Ltd SureSet UK Ltd supply and install permeable resin bound paving solutions for use in commercial and domestic projects across the UK. The company has a team of approved installers and has been in operation for over 15 years.

On the Bishops Park project, SureSet UK Ltd resurfaced pathways using resin bound natural cast materials.

SureSet UK Ltd Marketing coordinator, Yvonne Philp, said: “At SureSet UK Ltd we provide our customers with high-quality, environmentally friendly, surfacing.

“Our product has been developed to offer customers a permeable solution to meet their paving requirements and we offer a 15 year guarantee – one of the longest guarantees for this type of product on the market.”

Protecting the wildlife With many protected plants and animals finding a refuge within rough grassland, log piles, hedgerows, disused buildings and quarries, areas of wasteland can be a small haven for all types of wildlife. Understandably, the ecological value of such habitats may pose a number of challenges for contractors wishing to transform an underused area of land and as a result, ecological consultants are increasingly required to ensure the smooth running and future progress of a project.

Ecological consultants can offer advice and guidance for all types of projects involving wildlife – from redevelopments, conversions and demolitions through to new builds – in order to conserve the habitats of protected species. For most projects, this involves conducting a number of studies and surveys to determine the best methods for the long-term protection of plants and animals.

The initial stage is known as a Phase One Habitat Survey and determines which areas of land are of particular ecological value, including habitats listed under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. There are certain habitats and species listed within the plan that are defined as a conservation priority and this initial stage aims to ensure that these ecological resources are protected as such.

Windrush Ecology Ltd Managing Director, Dr. Ted Bodsworth, said: “Each species will have very different and very specific habitat requirements and so the work we conduct has to reflect this.

“Certain species – bats, the great crested newt and the dormouse – are European protected species and therefore have the highest level of protection throughout the UK and Europe.

Where impacts on these species are identified, we must obtain a licence from Natural England to demonstrate that we have plans in place for their continued protection and so there can often be a bit of red tape to work through first.

“If we are preserving a bat habitat, we conduct a series of surveys to determine what times the bats are roosting and then we prepare a mitigation strategy based upon this evidence. Careful

timing and a sensitive work practice is often the key to making a project involving bats work.

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retained and enhanced. Simple enhancement measures such as native planting, log piles and bat boxes can be very effective.”

Once a project is complete, ecological consultants will often return to a site to assess the new provisions that have been created. Ongoing monitoring may also take place to ensure that the project continues to protect the future needs of the wildlife that reside within and around the site.

Dr. Ted Bodsworth added: “The construction industry is becoming increasingly aware of the value of protecting wildlife and there are many simple ways to encourage wildlife to thrive using relatively inexpensive means.

“In the past there was a tendency to call upon the services of an ecological consultant once work got underway but now we’re on board from day one of a project. This allows us to offer input from the very beginning, which ensures a much smoother construction process throughout.

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“Most ecologists are enthusiastic natural historians as well as consultants. We’re really lucky to be able to do this as a profession and it’s great to be able to see a project come together whilst important work such as this takes place.”

Windrush Ecology Ltd Windrush Ecology Ltd is an independent ecological consultancy that specialise in wildlife surveys, assessment and research.

For over three years the company has provided services to the construction industry to help shape the design, plan and management of developments projects.

Windrush Ecology Ltd provides ecological surveys and services for new builds, brownfield regeneration and renewable energy projects through to building conversions, renovations and extensions. The work that the company conducts has a specific focus on historic buildings and landscapes and previous projects include St. Mary’s Church in Witney, St. Albans Cathedral and a number of works for Blenheim Palace Estate.

Ensuring a bright future for the past English Heritage exists to protect and promote England’s spectacular historic environment and ensure that its past is researched and understood.

English Heritage is the government’s statutory adviser on the historic environment. Officially known as the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England, English Heritage is an executive non-departmental public body that is sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

The powers and responsibilities of English Heritage are set out in the National Heritage Act (1983) and today they report to Parliament through the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

Although sponsored by DCMS, English Heritage works with a range of government departments, notably CLG and Defra, to help realise the potential of the historic environment.

English Heritage is funded in part by the government, and is also part funded from revenue earned from their historic properties and other services. In 2008/09 the organisation’s public funding was worth £132.7 million, and income from other sources was £48.1 million.

English Heritage works in partnership with central government departments, local authorities, voluntary bodies and the private sector to conserve and enhance the historic environment, broaden public access to the heritage and increase people’s understanding of the past.

The organisation meets these responsibilities by: acting as

a national and international champion for the heritage; giving grants for the conservation of historic buildings, monuments and landscapes; maintaining registers of England’s most significant historic buildings, monuments and landscapes; and advising on the preservation of the historic environment.

English Heritage also encourages broader public involvement with the heritage, promotes heritage-related education

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and research, cares for Stonehenge and over 400 other historic properties on behalf of the nation, maintains the National Monuments Record as the public archive of the heritage and generates income for the benefit of the historic environment.

English Heritage is currently running a five-year investment programme for its properties. Based on an audit of all the organisation’s properties, £30 million is being targeted at those sites with the most commercial potential, in order to make as many sites as possible self-financing. Projects range from major refurbishment and restoration works at Kenilworth Castle to relatively small but significant improvements to exhibitions and interpretation, catering and retail facilities.

In the construction sector, English Heritage has joined forces with ConstructionSkills to call for concerted action across the construction industry, the built heritage sector, educational establishments, careers organisations, funding bodies and government departments to tackle the continued shortage of heritage building skills.

English Heritage has also published research demonstrating the shortage of craft skills across the country and a Skills Action Plan which they are now implementing. This includes raising the profile of vocational training and the built heritage construction sector and attracting more young people to pursue careers within it.

The plan is also geared towards encouraging the use of suitably skilled and qualified people, and developing qualifications to ensure that traditional building knowledge and skills can be attained from GCSE to Master Craft level.

Find out more at www.english-heritage.org.uk

Meet the conservation specialists Mike and Gary Simpson, a father and son team, run a specialist conservation firm called Heritage Consolidation from their base in Northumberland. Their specialities include stonemasonry and lime-based mortars, along with plastering and render. Recent

years have seen them take the admirable and, some would say, bold decision to focus entirely on heritage restoration work.

The duo has completed restoration work for both English Heritage and Natural England. Their experiences have helped them to reach the conclusion that not only is a conservationfocused business an extremely viable enterprise, but their traditional skills are lacking across the UK. And that’s without mentioning their love for the work.

Scotcourt Ltd Scotcourt Ltd is proud to have completed numerous traditional masonry contracts, both as principal contractor for masonry projects and as sub contractor for traditional lime works. This work includes re-pointing, lime repairs and masonry restorative cleaning along with replacement operations using traditional methods and techniques of conservation.

All work is carried out by trained operatives which ensures that our built environment continue to be in safe hands.

A spokesman for Scotcourt said: “Your building’s past is our future.” www.scotcourt-stonemasonsltd.co.uk

Stewart & Hutchinson sees the light Stained glass and leadlight specialist Stewart & Hutchinson has restored a historic piece of artwork to its former glory.

The company painstakingly restored four irreplaceable stained glass windows at St Cardoc’s Church in Glynneath after two of the window lancets were identified as requiring urgent attention.

The work was completed in January 2012 and has helped to revitalise an important area of the church.

Each window lancet measures 9ft high and contains two medieval stained glass panes surrounded by a section of Victorian glass. The medieval panes were painted in the 16th century and feature images of abbots, monks and saints. Previous attempts to repair the windows had left the historic glazing showing visible signs of wear and tear so specialised restoration work was therefore required to protect the artwork from further damage.

Stewart & Hutchinson removed all of the glass panels from the lancet in order to enable conservator Bryony Benwell to clean, repair and restore the medieval panes. To ensure that the hard work will continue to payoff for future generations, Stewart & Hutchinson then employed a technique called Isothermal Glazing to help preserve the life of the windows.

The Isothermal Glazing process involved repositioning the medieval panes so that they sit 30mm in front of the background glass. A sheet of plain glass was then placed in front of the medieval panes to create a space within the lancets where air could comfortably circulate around the frame. The external face of the medieval glass is now protected from acid erosion and other external damage.

Stewart & Hutchinson Managing Director, Gordon Stewart, said: “Once we had completed the project I really couldn’t believe the difference that we had made by restoring the windows.

“This was the perfect job and we couldn’t have completed it any better if we had tried. The work was finished on time, within budget and to a very professional standard.

“At Stewart & Hutchinson we really enjoy being involved in work of this nature. Projects like this come up only once every so often, so we were very lucky to be a part of the restoration of such an important piece of history.”

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Arboricultural show is a resounding success The 2011 ARB show was heralded as a huge success when it was held at its new showground on the Bathurst Estate in Circenster in early June.

The exciting new venue offered a variety of superb trees to host the practical demonstrations and the popular 3ATC tree climbing competition that has proved so popular with visitors.

Run by the Arboricultural Association, the show’s fresh, inspiring and varied demonstration program offers something for everyone - from the absolute novice to the most experienced practitioner. Show visitors were also able to get advice on anything from climbing and work techniques to the latest products and climbing kit from over 70 trade stands.

The arbjobs.com sponsored 3ATC (Arboricultural Association Arborist Tree Challenge) was another popular attraction that ran this year. Open to all levels of competitor, the 3ATC was divided into three categories of competition, from novice through to expert and premier climber.

This year’s practical demonstration sessions included the safe configuration of rigging equipment and dismantling techniques.

The workshop sessions included the design of arborists’ hardware, competent hand splicing, the ARB Approved Contractor scheme and exploring Borneo’s rainforest canopy. Another interesting feature was the launch of the new Stihl MS201 T chainsaw and the Tree Climbers’ forum.

Another major event in the arboricultural world was the association’s 45th National Amenity ARB Conference 2011, which was held at the University of Warwick from Sunday 18th to Tuesday 20th September 2011.

As the largest and most established annual conference dedicated to arboriculture, this event is the focal gathering of amenity arboriculture managers, consultants, local government managers, contractors and educators in the UK. With new regulations and standards directly relevant to arboriculture appearing more frequently, Arboricultural Association conferences provide vital information to help those attending keep ahead - including formal lectures and seminars, networking and a great social environment.

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About the Arboricultural Association Since 1964, the Arboricultural Association has been the national body in the UK and Ireland for the amenity tree care professional in either civic or commercial employment - at craft, technical, supervisory, managerial or consultancy level.

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A s s o c i ati o n s or arborists).

Consultants provide specialist opinions on tree health, safety, preservation, trees and buildings, planning and other law.

Subjects on which arboricultural consultants will commonly advise include: • • •

•

• •

Assessing trees for hazard and where appropriate specifying remedial work Investigating cases where trees are alleged to be involved in structural damage to buildings Providing advice in relation to tree preservation law and where necessary, expert evidence to the planning inspectorate Providing advice in relation to trees and development and when necessary, expert evidence to the planning inspectorate Formulating tree and woodland management plans Investigating accidents caused by tree failure

Services typically required of an arboricultural contractor are: •

There are currently 2,000 members of the Arboricultural Association in a variety of membership classes. The objectives of the Arboricultural Association are to: advance the study of arboriculture; raise the standards of its practice; foster interest in trees through publications, exhibitions and the stimulation of research or experiment; assist in the training of students in disciplines where arboriculture is a major subject and to cooperate with other bodies having similar aims.

People able to care for trees are generally either consultants (tree advisors or arboriculturists) or contractors (tree surgeons

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Tree maintenance (pruning, bracing or fertilising operations) to a relevant British Standard • Tree felling including dismantling of dangerous trees or trees in confined spaces.

• Pest and disease identification and control.

• Advice on the above.

For further details, see the Arboricultural Association’s web site: www.trees.org.uk

Sustainabilitylive! – leading shows united at the UK’s premier energy, water and environmental event Under the banner of ‘leading the way for a sustainable future’, Sustainabilitylive! is once again at the NEC in Birmingham, from 22nd to 24th May 2012.

The distinctive individual shows - covering the energy, water, land and sustainability sectors - each give leading companies a chance to showcase their latest products and services and do business.

Not only will there be hundreds of exhibitors with something to offer, each show will also be running a FREE three-day conference and seminar programme where a panel of experts will put the spotlight on the big issues, latest advice and groundbreaking innovations.

All of the shows also offer free admission, so visitors looking for joined-up thinking to solve a problem across any environmental sector, will find everything they need is to hand.

And this year, Environmental Technology will be represented through a busy seminar programme discussing a wide range of issues, including waste management, zero waste, energy from waste, and driving resource efficiency in supply chains.

The programme will sit within the Environmental and Land Remediation theatre and will run on Days 2 and 3 of the show.

Get the latest on saving energy at the National Energy Management Exhibition (NEMEX)

names in the sector including Regenesis, Adventus Europe, PA Geotechnical, Derwentside Environmental Testing, Landmark, Ashtead Technology Ltd and GroundGas Solutions.

Exploring corporate sustainability at Sustainable Business (SB) - The Event Sustainable Business - The Event, offers a unique platform for industry experts to showcase the products and services that are helping to create more sustainable businesses.

It attracts high-calibre visitors and environmental decisionmakers across the full range of private and public sector organisations, all of whom have a commitment to respond to the sustainability challenge and find out how minimising environmental impact can maximise profit.

For up-to-date exhibitor news, seminar programmes, information on how to exhibit or how to register for free attendance visit www.sustainabilitylive.com or call +44 (0)20 8651 7120.

NEMEX 2012 will feature the latest advances in renewable energy products, energy management services and energy-efficient technologies.

In the last two years the UK’s leading event for energy management has seen a 37 per cent rise in visitors and it will keep up the momentum in 2012 by marking its 30th anniversary with an additional high-level conference programme.

Main sessions on the new stage will cover energy policy, EMR - Electricity Market Reform, REMIT, energy saving, carbon reduction, renewables, RHI, smart meters, PV/Solar, CRC and behavioural change. Utility Week will run sessions for its readers, as will the MEUC – the Major Energy Users Council.

The International Water and Effluent Exhibition (IWEX) highlights a new wave of innovation at the 2012 show IWEX is the UK’s leading water industry event with its unrivalled combination of showcasing the brightest ideas, and offering a rich seminar programme with up-to-the-minute insights and advice.

The 2012 event will once again bring together companies representing the whole spectrum of invention, from small businesses to larger product and service providers, all with the common aim of developing better ways to be more water-efficient.

Leading the way in brownfield regeneration Brownfield Expo (BEX) BEX is well established as the UK’s main event for all those looking to redevelop brownfield sites and attracts civil engineers, house builders, environmental health professionals, manufacturing and service industries, procurement managers and many others from across both the private and public sectors.

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Hidden cost of lead thefts threatening our heritage Ray Robertson, Secretary, Lead Contractors Association – Stealing lead from a church roof is no longer the victimless crime traditionally portrayed. Record metal prices have resulted in regional / national organised gangs that methodically strip vulnerable sites, with the lead easily distributed through the UK network of metals reclamation merchants.

Increasing demand worldwide for lead acid batteries has also spawned large scale thefts by the container load to be shipped directly abroad from UK ports.

More often than not the ‘vulnerable sites’ are church properties in remote locations where access is open and visitors are encouraged. This has meant the repeat targeting of some churches with the thieves simply waiting for the lead sheet to be replaced before stripping it off again.

Although perhaps involving relatively few people directly, the damage caused to the external building structure and internal decoration, as well as its precious, often irreplaceable contents is heartbreaking to those locals affected.

It is reported that between January and August 2011, the cost of lead stripped from ecclesiastical properties had exceeded £3.5M - more then the whole of 2010. More than 5,000 churches in the UK have now suffered from a theft of lead and this is not a problem which is going away.

Although lead thefts have been escalating chronically over the past three or four years, it affects relatively few. Ironically it has been the recent increase in the theft of copper cable and resulting massive inconvenience to thousands of rail commuters and cost to transport, power and communication companies (and their insurers) which has dramatically raised the public awareness of ‘metal thefts’ and led to demands for action.

Now there are investigations into security systems, alarms, lighting and lead theft deterrents such as Smartwater and Led-Lok. Neighbourhood watch schemes such as Church Care and National Church Watch have quickly become a focal point for the community. The entire UK metals reclamation network (colloquially “scrap metal merchants”) has come under the microscope, with calls for changes to legislation, stricter regulation, licensing, banning of cash scales, improved identification procedures, record keeping, Certificates of Origin, etc.

Demands for the skills of the experienced lead craftsmen increased to the extent where LCA members undertook to work to an agreed schedule of rates and an organised system approved

by Ecclesiastical Insurance which meant the rapid response by a leadwork specialist when a theft occurred. It also meant

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an installation carried out in accordance with the UK Code of Practice (BS6915) and which was sympathetic with the demands of the original roof design.

In the hands of a skilled and experienced craftsman, lead sheet can be shaped by hand to fit the most complex and ornate details which are found on our historic properties, in order to provide comprehensive and maintenance free weather protection that (untouched) will consistently perform for more than 100 years.

Because it is a soft metal, lead sheet reacts to temperature changes by expanding and contracting. The specialist leadworker knows exactly how to allow for this thermal movement in the sizing and fixing of each individual detail. However also because it is a soft metal which moves, lead cannot be sealed down on all sides and still perform, so increasing its vulnerability to theft.

Installing lead sheet properly is therefore a specialist craft that requires a degree of skill and knowledge which the general roofing contractor is unlikely to have, regardless of their competence in other materials.

When a lead theft occurs there is an increasing temptation to change materials. Even when lead sheet is re-installed, there is the mistaken belief that money can be saved by using a non

specialist.

These two consequences of lead theft have resulted in a sharp fall in demand for the services of the specialist leadworker, at a time when the entire UK construction industry continues to suffer from the economic downturn.

When metal prices ease (as they will), when lead thefts decline (as they will), when demand for lead sheet revives (as it undoubtedly will because of its unrivalled long term maintenance free performance), where will the specialists be to make sure it is fitted with the skill, knowledge and careful attention to detail it deserves?

For more information on the Lead Contractors Association: www.lca.gb.com

Associated Leadmills Ltd Associated Leadmills Ltd is one of the largest lead and hard metals distributors in the UK. The company supplies materials to both trade and domestic customers and lists SIG Construction Accessories and Travis Perkins Builders Merchants amongst its clients.

Presently Associated Leadmills Ltd is supplying hard metals

for a brand new Tesco that is under construction in Woolwich.

Once completed the Woolwich branch will be the world’s largest site for the supermarket giant.

Associated Leadmills Ltd is ISO9001 accredited and also manufactures bespoke lead pipes and rolled lead for the roofing industry.

Associated Leadmills Ltd Business Development Manager, Andy Denham, said: “At Associated Leadmills Ltd we have two sides to our business. The first is the distribution of lead which we sell directly to merchants, whilst the second is hard metal which we sell to the public, merchants and fabricators. Amongst our hard metals we supply copper, zinc, stainless steel and all ancillary products.

“If any member of the public requires lead we can also put them in contact with a relevant merchant within our vast network.”

Andy Denham added: “At Associated Leadmills Ltd we offer a trusted and reliable service to meet the requirements of all our customers. Our staff are fully trained and with a wealth of experience we provide a high-quality distribution service that is well respected within the construction industry.”

Apprentices needed as construction sector faces potential retirement time bomb It has been announced that problems could arise in the construction industry due to an ageing workforce and a ‘limited injection of new blood’.

Mark Farrar, Chief Executive of CITB-ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council and Industry Training Board for the construction industry, said:

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“When you look at the age profile demographics across the whole construction industry, there is a tendency towards older employees. Indeed, a significant number are coming up to retirement age in the next five to ten years.

“Fewer people are coming through behind them because of the recession in the early 1990s. During this difficult time, the industry lost many people who never returned.

“Statistics indicate that in the next 10 years there will be around half a million fewer 16 - 24 year olds in the country as a whole, and this at a time when firms are starting to fight hard for young apprentices or undergraduates to come into their sectors. As a result, the construction industry does have a fight on its hands; it has to make sure that it accesses good quality people from a significantly smaller pooler of talent.”

He added: “The sectors’ ageing workforce will need replacing; therefore one of our main focuses is promoting the entry of new talent into the industry and driving young people to us for training.”

CITB-ConstructionSkills has organised a series of events which have successfully increased the take-up of apprentices by 47%.

The events were run as part of the CITB-ConstructionSkills Positive Image campaign and led to 65 employers signing up to get their hands on the UK’s best young talent.

With over 200 employers now committed to offering apprenticeships in areas ranging from carpentry to craft masonry, CITB-ConstructionSkills calls on companies to follow suit and invest in the skills today that will drive future growth.

CITB-ConstructionSkills ran a programme of employer breakfast meetings, construction challenges, careers events and oneto-ones with its staff and staff from the National Construction College (NCC) as part of National Apprenticeship Week (NAW).

The event brought employers face-to-face with over 600 young people interested in the sector.

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Well over a quarter of the employers who attended an event committed to take on apprenticeships.

One employer who attended the event, CMC Ltd’s Martyn Price, said: “I was delighted to be associated with National Apprenticeship Week to support the benefits that apprentices can bring to any business. The pledge demonstrated our ongoing commitment which we anticipate will continue to benefit our business for many future years. The Positive Image campaign’s drive to recruit the brightest and best talent has really paid off.”

CITB-ConstructionSkills’ Mark Farrar added: “The events helped show employers the wealth of keen young people who were eager to work in the construction sector. We were delighted to see so many firms sign up to offer apprenticeships.

“However, there was an opportunity for many more employers to get involved and leave a lasting legacy for the construction industry. It’s only by investing in the workforce of tomorrow that we will survive.”

In July 2011 research indicated that employers felt there were significant gaps in their employees’ skills, which seriously limited the potential for growth in the industry. In a CITB survey of 1450 employers in the sector, specific gaps in skills that were identified included understanding the implications of green issues (43%), identifying potential new business (39%) and not having sufficient IT skills (43%). A further 32% also stated that their management team’s ability to identify the training needs of staff was an area that needed improvement.

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