Premier 18-1

Roma Publications

Volume 18 - Issue 1

Lacoste

Flagship Lacoste store opens in London

Michelin Tyre PLC

NHBC Pride in the Job Awards 2012

Celebrating the very best in construction excellence

ÂŁ20 million Michelin Remix Modernisation project continues

The Santon Group Developing properties across the UK

Train. Develop. Perform.

Improve your performance on projects and develop your career with our nationally certified courses.

CDM, Project Management, Building Regulations, as well as Contract courses & more....

See our fold out or www.constructionstudycentre.com

The project management boot camp – 50 things every PM needs to know 19 September 2012 16 October 2012 23 October 2012 22 November 2012

Bristol Leeds Birmingham London

COURSE BACKGROUND This 1 DAY COURSE will provide a tool kit for existing and potential project managers on the ‘do’s and don’ts’ of successful PM. A very popular course, yielding excellent feedback, provides an intense but focussed review of the principle areas of Project Management and gives delegates hands on exercises in programming, stakeholder management, working structures, people types and project monitoring.

SPEAKER ALL VENUES Nigel Clayton.

OVERVIEW The effective project manager • Establishing criteria for effectiveness • Leadership role explained • Knowing the stakeholders’ needs • Understanding project constraints • Identifying project aims and goals Project stages • Defining the concept and the business case • Identifying the key development stages • Planning implementation • Confirming handover • Final close out timing Project definition • What is the project management plan?

• Understanding project life cycle concepts • Creating a work breakdown structure • Establish an effective communications plan • Identifying the organisation breakdown structure Risk management • Identifying the risks

06 February 2013 07 February 2013 14 March 2013

Birmingham Manchester London

• Managing the risk through risk meetings • Appointing risk champions • Understanding the dynamics of risk management • Controlling the risk plan The team • Motivating the team • How to delegate effectively • Dealing with ‘obstructions’ • Responding to spoken, written and non verbal language • Knowing the people types Programming • What is a programme?

• Knowing the types of programme • Understanding basic Gantt charts • Terms used in programming • Critical path analysis Control of projects • How to manage conflict • How to monitor progress simply • Keeping an eye on KPIs • Reviewing with feedback • Review the PMP Managing change • Configuration management • Change control • Tools for valuing change • ‘Don’t forgets’ when dealing with change • Rescheduling with change Earned Value Analysis • Mixing time, cost & quality • Monitoring project using earned value – understanding cost & programme performance • Indicators • Knowing RIRO! • Calibrating EVA Closing out • Careful definition of the stage • Plan for the completion • Avoiding unwanted termination • Post implementation project evaluation • And don’t forget to praise & reward!

Managing Health & Safety in buildings – asbestos, fire safety, legionella, contracts and other H&S checks 19 September 2012 Manchester 28 November 2012 Birmingham 13 December 2012 London COURSE BACKGROUND This 1 DAY COURSE will provide an overview of the legal requirements and associated risks of managing all non-residential properties in the private and public sector.

The course will include detailed discussions about the role of the ‘duty holder’, the ‘responsible person’ and the ‘person in control’ in a number of different landlord/ managing agent /occupier contexts and situations. The course will also outline some of the key practical issues to enable you to effectively manage property related risks.

SPEAKERS ALL VENUES Rob Castledine and Rodger Hope.

OVERVIEW Basic principles of managing risk • Importance of managing risk • Hazard, risk and risk assessment • Risk management – a structured approach • The dangers of getting it wrong Legal framework and responsibilities • Property owner, managing agent and tenants • Third parties and occupier’s liability

• Regulatory framework including Corporate Manslaughter • Concept of the responsible person/duty holder • Working with contractors Legionella management • Brief overview of Legionella • Typical systems at risk • Requirements for water hygiene assessments – HSE document L8 • Scope & content of water hygiene surveys • Control scheme, log book and records • When to review the assessment Managing asbestos • Typical uses of asbestos in buildings • Adopting a structured process – surveys & documentation • Importance of the asbestos management plan • Keeping a check on conditions and managing works Managing fire risks • An overview of the new regime • Scope & content of fire assessments • Inspection and maintenance issues Statutory inspections • Electrical safety – installations and portable appliances • Pressure systems – written schemes • Gas safety • Lifting equipment – plant, access equipment, fall arrest systems.

Planning - negotiating the planning jungle. Including updates on current Planning Reforms, the Localism Act and the National Planning Policy Framework 26 September 2012 20 November 2012

London Birmingham

COURSE BACKGROUND This RECENTLY UPDATED 1 DAY COURSE is designed for property and construction professionals who wish to obtain a working knowledge of the planning system. It will emphasise a practical approach and will be of interest to all who require a greater understanding to aid their professional activities.

SPEAKER Jeremy Flawn.

INTRODUCTION • Where does planning fit into the development process?

• The key players • The roles of Government, Planning Authority, developers, advisors, statutory consultees • Third parties/objectors Regulatory background • Key planning legislation; The Planning Acts; Use Classes Order; General Permitted; Development Management Procedure Order • Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and protected trees rules • Environmental Impact Assessment rules • Major infrastructure procedures

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The planning system • The statutory duties of the Planning Authority: • Spatial planning overview; The Development Plan/Local Development Frameworks; other guidance (SPG/SPDs/design guides etc); • Development management overview Planning reform • Reform of the planning system • Localism – what it means for planning; how will it affect me?

• The National Planning Policy Framework Planning applications • When and where to seek advice • Which to submit (full vs. outline; change of use; variation of condition; reserved matters etc) • Validation of applications; mandatory requirements; additional local requirements; other key information (surveys/plans, planning statements, design & access statements, transport assessment and environmental impact assessment); who to serve notice to/how/when • When to negotiate • Procedures (pre-application consultation and associated charges; other consultations; submission; meetings; planning committee/ delegated decision; timescales) • Application fees • Section 106 agreements/undertakings and planning conditions • Whether/when/who to lobby and general publicity issues • Called-in applications • Judicial review • Case studies

Other important factors (material considerations) How to deal with these factors in the planning process: Protected habitats/species; heritage assets (Listed Buildings, conservation areas and archaeological sites); protected trees; amenity (noise, visual, vibration); landscape; contamination; traffic and transport; sustainable construction; sustainable drainage and the Flood & Water Management Act 2010 etc Permitted development rights • The national picture • Commercial, institutional and residential development • Changes of use and the Use Classes Order • Case studies Planning appeals • Deciding whether to appeal; the right type of appeal (written representations; informal hearing; public inquiry) • The cost of making an appeal; timescales; recovered appeals; when to involve counsel; cost awards; legal challenges; case studies Planning enforcement • What is enforcement? Who can enforce?

• Type of enforcement measure (Enforcement Notice; Breach of Condition; Injunction etc) • What rights does the landowner/developer have?

• Timescales/costs/outcomes Getting it right; getting it wrong • Lessons learned • Saving clients’ time/expense • What’s the worst that can happen?

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www.constructionstudycentre.co.uk

11 October 2012 06 December 2012

Birmingham London

COURSE BACKGROUND This 1 DAY COURSE is aimed at those who have a duty to ensure that safety is being managed to a suitable and sufficient standard. A course designed to give confidence to the delegate to challenge – am I doing enough? – are those controlling the activities on my site doing enough?

A practical course that will demonstrate how simple considerations, challenges and actions can achieve a high level of safety performance and benefit overall delivery of the project. The course will demonstrate that the planning for safety and managing safety need not be an obstruction to a successful project. The course tools provided can be enhanced to the delegates’ own area of construction.

The course is not an interpretation of legislation; it is a practical guide that can be applied to small or large, simple or complex, projects.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND? Those who have responsibilities to plan, monitor and inspect construction works. Those who have, or represent those with, a duty of care to ensure safety is managed and controlled to a good standard. Those who want to deliver best practice in their aspect of management in construction.

• Clients • Client-side project managers and supervisors • Contractors’ managers and supervisors SPEAKERS ALL VENUES Peter Nicholas and Nick Burton.

OVERVIEW A practical assessment of construction challenges - a developing case study that seeks to identify and establish key aspects of safety matters in practical terms.

The case study will develop through the lifecycle of a typical construction project and guide towards potential solutions in risk management control.

Basis of planning and management • Preparing for the nature and complexity of the works Strategy to minimise risk • Understanding the scope in the context of risk Site investigation and surveys • The requirement for risk support control in the field Site establishment and preparation • Space to be safe, traffic planning, early works, utilities Groundworks, excavations and foundations • Geological impacts, groundwater, spatial awareness, temporary works, unplanned events Structures • Movements, handling, lifting, temporary works, access, plant standing, emergency planning, work at height Fit-Out, fabric & finishes • Restrictions, temporary services, move around, handling, shop fit, time constraints System to monitor and management • Competence, responsibilities, effectiveness, records, inspections, advice, communications and reporting Summary • Risk focus, duties, liability, effectiveness • Open forum

25 October 2012 07 November 2012

Birmingham London

COURSE BACKGROUND Clients and major stakeholders are increasingly turning their focus to understanding the degree of confidence a project has in its ability to deliver against the agreed budget, programme and performance objectives.

This RECENTLY UPDATED 1 DAY COURSE will provide an awareness of recommended project risk management techniques and processes that should be considered in order to determine the level of uncertainty in the base cost estimate/programme and then effectively identify, assess, manage and mitigate the prevailing risks that may have an impact on the successful delivery of a project.

The course would be of benefit to people within commercial, planning, project management and those responsible for risk on a project.

SPEAKER ALL VENUES Mark Singleton.

OVERVIEW Introduction • What is project risk management?

– In context with other sectors.

Definition of uncertainty, threats & opportunities.

Understanding the project • Defining project requirements & objectives • Assumptions, exclusions & dependencies • Stakeholder identification

• Standard contract requirements (NEC, FIDIC, JCT, ICE) • Risk management plan/strategy (ISO31000, PRAM Guide, Orange Book) Cost & schedule estimation • Work breakdown structure (WBS) • Single vs. 3-point estimation – triangulation • Estimating uncertainty • Confidence modelling Risk workshop • Workshop preparation • Risk scoring matrix • Risk register • Risk checklists • Risk identification (inc TQ’s, EWN’s, CE’s & PMI’s) Risk assessment • Qualification • Quantification • Impact justification • Pre & post mitigation positions Risk response • Tolerate, treat, transfer & terminate • Controls & mitigations • Tracking & completion • Retirement profiles Risk analysis • Cost analysis • Programme analysis • Monte Carlo explained!

• Risk distribution curves • Setting contingency/management reserve Risk reporting • Reporting formats • Risk ranking • Reporting cycle

Putting project management into practice – advanced level 10 October 2012 21 November 2012 11 December 2012

Manchester Birmingham London

COURSE BACKGROUND The aim of this BRAND NEW 1 DAY COURSE is to provide the opportunity for knowledge transfer as well as the sharing of experience. The course covers a number of issues that have been raised by previous participants on PM courses and provides tools and tips in how to deal with some of the less tangible issues a PM has to manage. The course is aimed at both new and experienced PM’s who wish to improve their practice and progress beyond the standard PM skill set.

SPEAKERS’ PANEL The speaker for each course will be from a panel of either John Henry Looney or John Ross.

OVERVIEW The model project manager • Traits of the best project managers • Leadership role • Understanding stakeholders’ needs • Understanding constraints • Setting project aims and goals • Overcoming obstacles for effective project management Managing the client • Understanding user requirements • Setting expectations • Communicating during the project • Understanding the small yet important details • Dealing with complexity and changes to scope Managing the finances • The financial plan • Financial management controls • Estimating costs and benefits • Authorisation to spend funds • Recording actual costs and committed costs • Financial reporting

CORPORATE IN-HOUSE TRAINING To find out more call 0845 3133 414 or email enquiries@constructionstudycentre.co.uk

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Managing the people • Creating the organisation • Selecting the leaders • Motivating the leaders • Communicating the vision • Communicating the ethos • Developing the people Managing the change • Definition of change: Opportunity, threat or crisis • Impact assessment • Design of a solution • Approval to proceed • Implementation of agreed solution • Recording the result Improving the productivity • Measuring productivity • Measuring quality • Productivity and quality analysis • Increasing your team’s output • Organising time • Effective meetings • The supply chain Generating the business • Tactical marketing • Making the most of existing client relationships

• Client perceptions and client behaviours • Cross-selling • Asking for a referral • The email proposal Playing the great game • Power and politics • Identifying focal points • Gaining co-operation • Negotiation and bargaining • Making decisions Coping with a crisis • What are crisis management and project continuity?

• The business case for crisis and continuity planning • Creating a crisis management project continuity plan • Roles and responsibilities • Stress testing your plan • Maintaining your plan Understanding success (and failure) • Strike while memories are fresh • Importance of the project diary • Analysing the project outcomes • Tangible and intangible costs and benefits • Communicating lessons learned

As well as public seminars we can provide tailor made programmes for your organisation, held on your premises, for a wide range of construction and property related topics.

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Site management and supervision: Project risk – effective How to build safety into your projects management within construction

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Contents PREMIER CONSTRUCTION Dear readers, This month’s edition of Premier Construction focuses on a selection of fantastic projects – from new builds to restorations – which are taking place across the UK and overseas.

In this edition we profile the impressive work of The Santon Group; take a look at the brand new flagship Lacoste store; and highlight the extensive restoration work at London’s Victoria Park.

Founded in 1992, The Santon Group is one of the largest private developers in the country. The Group has substantial investments in listed property companies and its expertise lie in the planning and development of both residential and commercial properties.

Amongst The Santon Group’s impressive portfolio is the multiaward winning Highland Club; the Tesco Distribution Warehouse in Livingston; and the new North Street Quarter scheme.

Situated opposite Harrods, the brand new Lacoste London is the largest Lacoste store in Europe and boasts a Lacoste Lab – the brand’s new concept in shopping – along with a number of state-ofthe-art features.

The three-storey Lacoste site comprises a lower ground level aimed at shoppers aged between 16 and 24; a ground floor reserved for menswear - including Lacoste’s L!VE collection and Lacoste Lab; and a first floor for ladieswear and children’s clothing.

The Victoria Park Restoration project is a recently completed £12.4 million scheme that has restored the iconic London parkland to its former glory.

The project comprised a large number of new and exciting works, including the renovation of play areas, the restoration of the Burdett Coutts drinking fountain and the construction of a new Chinese Pagoda and bridge.

The Victoria Park Restoration project was funded by Tower Hamlets Council in partnership with The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman, commented: “The refurbishment was a once in a life-time opportunity to bring a much loved park up to date.”

Also in this edition of Premier Construction, we take a look at the important work being conducted by Construction Study Centre to train the future generation of the construction industry.

Lorne Alway, Managing Director of Construction Study Centre, said: “At Construction Study Centre we have been working with the industry for well over 20 years now to provide good quality training at a reasonable cost.”

We now invite you, readers, to join us as we praise the people who are developing our future.

Volume 18 • Issue 1

The Santon Group.............................................................................................10 Brindisa..............................................................................................................14 Australasia.........................................................................................................19 Bubbledogs......................................................................................................21

NHBC Pride in the Job Awards 2012 Academy Court.................................................................................................24 Lakeside............................................................................................................29 Hawthorns Rise................................................................................................33 High Point Village.............................................................................................36

RIBA Sainsbury Laboratory.......................................................................................38 Exhibition Road................................................................................................39

North West Manchester Town Hall.....................................................................................40 Premier Inn Hanover Street.............................................................................43

North East Roker Seafront.................................................................................................47 Keele Valley Business Park..............................................................................52

Midlands & East Anglia Thinktank..........................................................................................................54 Michelin Tyres Upgrade...................................................................................55

London & South East Victoria Park......................................................................................................62 Forty Hall...........................................................................................................74

Scotland Dumfries House.................................................................................................78 King’s Theatre....................................................................................................87

Wales 360 Beach and Water Sports..........................................................................96

Ireland McGurran Construction...................................................................................................102

Overseas Riffgat Offshore Windfarm..............................................................................114

Alex Follow us on twitter.com/pcbyroma and www.premierconstructionnews.com Managing Director: Marcus Howarth Editor: Alex Wiggan Assistant Editor: Siân Davies Production Manager: Kelsie Howarth Advert Co-ordinator: Nicola Owen and Sarah Goater

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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Training is the future of construction The Bank of England has recently released figures that show the UK economy has retracted for the third consecutive quarter. The construction industry has been hardest hit in what is now officially a double-dip recession.

As Mr Cameron’s government looks to austerity measures to reduce the country’s deficit; firms within our industry are also looking for areas to make savings and cut budgets. We asked training, legal and commercial expert, Lorne Alway, to argue the case for protecting your training budget.

Lorne Alway, Managing Director of Construction Study Centre The construction industry has traditionally been one in which a downturn in activity is immediately followed by a cut in training budget. At Construction Study Centre we have been working with the industry for well over 20 years now to provide good quality training at a reasonable cost and to educate people and organisations about the benefits of gaining knowledge and qualifications in a tough market.

“Even in recession there is work and jobs, the problem is making sure you are best placed to secure them”

Why keep training?

The benefits of continuing to train the people resource, which is the lifeblood of any successful organisation, through a recession are numerous. These include keeping staff up to date with legislation, heightened contractual and commercial awareness, developing management and motivational techniques, as well as keeping abreast of constructional regulatory controls such as Building and Fire Regulations.

All these issues, imparted to the relevant staff will have significant and tangible benefits not only to the organisation but also the individual.

Organisations, whether public or private, and involved at any stage of the project lifecycle are likely to benefit by; • • • • •

Providing a better service and being recognised for such Gaining access to more work opportunities Projecting the image and the delivery of quality Recognising problems and the solution to those problems earlier Developing and returning good quality staff

All of these are factors in project and procurement delivery and success, whether commercial or performance indicators.

From an individual’s point of view continuing good quality training develops them as people and professionals, allows them to grow within and with the business and to impart knowledge to

others for the benefit of all and to represent the organisation in the best way.

Delivering change In addition to improving the quality of service, training during and then coming out of a recession can be instrumental in helping organisations and individuals adapt to the market they find themselves in.

Even in recessions there is work and jobs, the problem is making sure you are best placed to secure them.

Over the last few years Construction Study Centre has been very successful, not least in providing training for organisations and people that want to offer their services in different sectors or even in alternative but related disciplines. This might involve learning about contracts or commercial arrangements, risks commonly found in different sectors or management and technical knowledge employed. This is true not just in different sectors but also in different countries and regions as well.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and Qualifications It is important for both the individual and the organisation that they have the appropriate recognition of their training and knowledge to add credibility to their claims as they compete for what opportunities remain in the sector. We recognise this need at Construction Study Centre and so all our courses are accredited by the Construction CPD Certification Service. This enables our clients to be better placed to meet industry and employer requirements.

In addition many of the courses provide, either by way of the training itself or the knowledge gained, recognised steps towards formal qualifications.

Long term development As well as delivering short term benefits, training can be used as a mechanism for guiding an organisation or individual towards longer term goals.

Good quality training by definition takes time to organise and structure, to suit the specific needs of the delegate and their organisation, be it on an in-house basis or one of the many public courses presented up and down the UK by Construction Study Centre.

Given then the lead in times as well as the benefits for the future, which are so essential in surviving and moving out of recession, then clearly the sooner the thought process is activated the better.

Lorne Alway can be contacted for further information through his Construction Study Centre team on enquiries@constructionstudycentre.co.uk or at www.constructionstudycentre.co.uk

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Britain’s largest floorcovering contractor Designer Contracts has opened a third regional office in the South East.

The new 10,000 sq ft unit in Biggin Hill is in addition to the company’s offices in Brentwood, Essex and the recently opened facility in Slough. The new building brings the total number of Designer Contracts regional offices across the UK to 12.

Designer Contracts’ Managing Director, Peter Kelsey said: “The Biggin Hill facility will allow us to cater for the increased demand from the south east and London. We will be able to provide an increased level of service to our existing client base, while increasing our market share in a very significant geographical area.”

The new Thames Medway offices are overseen by regional controller, John Kilmartin. John will drive business forward at the new facility along with newly appointed Biggin Hill contracts manager Debbie Bristow and sales manager Adam Baker.

John Kilmartin said: “There is no doubt that the Biggin Hill property will increase the company’s profile within the region, where businesses are looking for opportunities to reduce spend without compromising on quality.”

Designer Contracts employs over 150 people and in addition to floorcoverings, the company offers furniture, lighting, and custom-made curtain and blind packages to new home developers.

Follow us on twitter.com/pcbyroma and www.premierconstructionnews.com

Happy Birthday LEGO Construction (toy) giant LEGO is celebrating its 80th birthday.

The brick building expert was founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Christiansen and is today represented in more than 130 countries, with approximately 10,000 employees.

In addition to the birthday celebrations Lego recently opened a brand new store in Manchester following an extensive re-fit operation.

Lego Manchester opened in the city’s Arndale Centre in the 2,934 sq ft former Barratts Store. The new retail store is the brand’s eighth UK store which includes sites in Liverpool and London.

Senior Director for Lego Retail Expansion, Deny Andolscheck, said: “With the opening of the Manchester Arndale location, Lego continues the investment in its brand by opening stores in select locations throughout the UK.” To celebrate the opening of the store an amazing building event took place in Manchester’s Exchange Square between the 24th and 26th August.

Used by permission,(r) 2012 The LEGO Group

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An intelligent way of heating

Intelli Heat’s thermo-dynamic, fluid-filled electric radiators have launched in the UK. The revolutionary new heating system provides a remote, wireless controlled radiator for each and every room of the house and can run for 12 hours off just three hours of electricity input.

Intelli Heat UK spokesperson, said: “We believe our Intelli Heat electric heating system is a real revolution when it comes to energy saving. Pair it with a smart meter and not only can you monitor the overall energy usage of a domestic property, you can break it down into individual products such as the washing machine, the tumble dryer and even the kettle.

“Intelli Heat provides the perfect solution for stylish energy efficient, flexible and fully controllable electric central heating. We offer unrivalled programming & monitoring options and no plumbing is required.

“Intelli Heat the ideal application for all sectors of the property industry.”

The Intelli Heat system includes a handheld wireless controller (the My NEEDO) that displays real-time consumption from one appliance through to groups of devices. The device allows for remote programming of all connected electrical appliances and users have individual monitors for electric radiators and domestic devices.

The My NEEDO is a wall-mounted monitor with LCD display that can control and monitor up to 50 electric heaters, grouping radiators and appliances by rooms, zones or type of product.

For more information on Intelli Heat please visit www.intelligentheat.co.uk.

The Guild of Builders and Contractors Over the past two years The Guild of Builders and Contractors have been reviewing the safety of gas installations in new build and refurbishment projects.

The reviews have been initiated due to a number of fatalities caused by CO poisoning and explosions. A particular concern for the Guild is that there are some 50,000 gas fired boiler installations in new-build housing developments, with concealed concentric push-fit flues, that cannot be routinely inspected.

Over 1,200 installations that had been commissioned

by Gas Safe Registered Engineers have been declared ‘immediately dangerous’ on inspection and over 25% of the at-risk gas fired boiler installations are in the rented sector.

Edward Goddard, The Guild of Builders and Contractors, said: “Where the flue cannot be inspected because it is boxed in it should not be declared fit for purpose and given a certificate.

“We are of the opinion that no duty holder should accept Gas Safe Registration as proof of competence of any heating engineer carrying out the installation, commissioning or maintenance of a gas boiler unless considerable further steps and enquiries are made to ensure that the firm or person is competent.

“Gas Safe Register is too easily obtainable without comprehensive verification of experience and competence. The annual subscription payable to remain on the Gas Safe Register should cover for random checks to be carried out on installations, maintenance work or commissioning of gas fired boilers, including the associated flues, by the registered person.

“Fast track courses are a very poor substitute for comprehensive craft training.”

AEL distributes FARAL Aluminium Radiators AEL has been appointed the official UK distributor of FARAL Aluminium Radiators.

Faral Aluminium Radiators are available in a range of styles including FARAL Tropical 80, a horizontal die cast radiator; FARAL Alliance, a flat fronted low water content radiator; FARAL Tropical 95, a flat top radiator; and FARAL Sill Line; which is a low sill height radiator that is available in two styles.

In addition, the FARAL Vertical Longo is a tall cast aluminium radiator that provides aesthetically pleasing proportionality and balance to any room as well as the highest heat output achievable from any radiator of similar width.

A spokesperson for AEL, said:

Teknek to demonstrate contact cleaning equipment at W12

Visitors to this year’s W12 Exhibition will be able to see a leading range of contact cleaning equipment from Teknek.

The W12 Exhibition is the UK’s leading exhibition for joinery and furniture manufacturers and takes place between 7th and 10th October at Birmingham’s NEC. Throughout the event Teknek will be showcasing the company’s equipment on the Membrane Pressing Services (MPS) stand (Stand No. 8E531).

Teknek Sales and Marketing manager, Ruaridh Nicolson, said: “We are delighted to be part of the MPS presence at the W12 exhibition. Our contact cleaning solutions can help wood panel and furniture manufacturers boost productivity, slash waste and improve quality standards.”

MPS are specialists in thermoforming machinery and have partnered with Teknek to offer value added solutions to the wood panel and furniture sectors.

For more information about Teknek please visit www.teknek.com or call T: +44(0)141 568 8100 and for more information about MPS please visit www. mpsmachines.co.uk.

“Faral high efficiency aluminium radiators have been the radiator of choice for many Architects, Specifying Consultants and Local Authorities throughout the UK and Ireland since 1966, the FARAL aluminium radiators are not only aesthetically pleasing but are also the most efficient radiator available in the world today.

“The quality and reliability of the FARAL aluminium radiator is complimented by our friendly approach to customer service and a reliable technical department are available to offer you any advice and answer any question you have with regards to product or your system design.

“Faral aluminium radiators are the perfect choice for every type of heating system including the increasingly popular low temperature geo thermal and solar applications.”

For more information on Faral Radiators please visit: www.aelheating.com or www.faralradiators, or email: sales@aelheating. com.

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The Santon Group: Developing properties across the UK Founded in 1992, The Santon Group is one of the largest private developers in the country with its latest audited turnover in excess of ÂŁ600m. The Group also has substantial investments in listed property companies such as Raven Russia Limited and the Conygar Investment Company plc.

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The senior management team – Bim Sandhu, Vincent Donnelly, Clive Wilding, Humphrey Kelsey and Sean Carey – has worked together for over 12 years and it’s this lasting relationship which has helped to shape the Group.

Santon’s expertise lies in the planning and development of both residential and commercial properties.

Santon Group Chief Executive, Bim Sandhu, commented: “Our success has been based upon taking a flexible and valueenhancing approach to all situations and this has enabled us to overcome recent market conditions.”

The Group has won numerous awards over the years, including Best Conversion at the What House Awards for its Tehidy Park Development in Cornwall and Best UK Property for its St Saviours House development in Knightsbridge.

North Street Quarter North Street Quarter in Lewes, East Sussex is a new scheme for The Santon Group, which is scheduled to begin construction in 2014/2015.

Santon acquired the 15 acre industrial site in February 2012 and whilst the details of the development have yet to be finalised, initial surveys have been undertaken and consultations with both the Council and National Parks Association have progressed well.

Santon Group Property Director, Clive Wilding, said: “The site offers an excellent opportunity to make use of a currently underused riverside area of Lewes with capabilities for residential, retail and leisure developments, which will bring both economic and social benefits to the town.”

The North Street Quarter project has an estimated GDV of £100 million. Funding to date has been provided by Santon and its South African funding partners.

The Highland Club The Highland Club is a multiple award-winning development that was completed in April 2012. The £30 million development comprises 112 residential apartments and cottages, covering an area in excess of 200,000 sq ft.

Santon in this particular instance set up its own construction company, Santon Contracting Limited, which was used as the main contractor on The Highland Club project, whilst LDN Architects was the architect. Work on the project spanned 2004 to 2012.

Santon Group Planning and Development Director, Humphrey Kelsey, said: “The Highland Club is a project we hold with great pride as we believe it is an outstanding example of a conversion of a listed building, being a Grade A Scottish Heritage Abbey which will provide 112 homes, a restaurant and leisure facilities.”

To date, The Highland Club has won awards for Conversion of the Year at the Scottish Home Awards 2012 and Development of Multiple Units at the International Property Awards 2012; as well as receiving a number of nominations for other awards, being held later in the year.

Santon Group London Public House Portfolio As part of its impressive array of developments, The Santon Group has also undertaken an extensive portfolio of public house conversions. Sites within the portfolio include The Duke of Norfolk, Notting Hill; The Man on The Moon, Chelsea; and The Spencer Arms, Putney.

The Duke of Norfolk project comprised the conversion of an upper floor level into a residential apartment; the excavation of the basement to increase the floor to ceiling height; and the conversion of the ground and basement levels into 202 – a flagship store for Nicole Farhi.

The Man on The Moon project comprised the conversion of upper floor levels into five residential apartments, the conversion of the ground and basement levels into Eight over Eight – a high quality restaurant – and the construction of a three bedroom house to the side of the pub. Meanwhile The Spencer

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Arms project involved the conversion of upper floors into three residential apartments; the demolition of a single storey dining room; and the construction of a new build four-bedroom house.

Tesco Superstore Sheffield Completed in October 2011, this was one of over fifty supermarkets the Group has developed for Tesco over the last ten years.

It was a 7 acre site, situated 1.3 miles north-west of Sheffield city centre. The £45 million mixed-use scheme comprised a two-storey 120,000 sq ft supermarket, a linked petrol filling station, eight retail units - totalling 15,000 sq ft - and ancillary office accommodation. In addition, the scheme also included a 645 ground floor car park.

Bowmer & Kirkland was the main contractor on the project, whilst Saunders Partnership Limited was the architect. HSBC Bank provided debt funding.

The scheme was built on stilts and was customised using Multi Panel Facades (MPF) created by Hunter Douglas to meet a detailed design brief. A very unique feature of the scheme included the use of ‘shards’, which were metal strips that cut through the facade.

Tesco Distribution Warehouse Livingston Located in the heart of Scotland in West Lothian, along the M8 corridor and completed in August 2011, this project was a £65 million scheme for supermarket giant, Tesco. The project comprised construction of an 822,000 sq ft distribution warehouse, 30,000 sq ft of two-storey ancillary offices, a 105,000 sq ft recycling service unit and a 19,000 sq ft vehicle maintenance unit.

The project also included construction of 1,060 on-site car parking spaces and 621 trailer parking spaces.

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The Tesco Distribution Warehouse includes a number of multi-temperature chambers, including ambient, fresh, chilled and frozen environments. Cladding to the chilled and freezer environments comprises a single skin panel to walls and roofs, whilst a more conventional trapezoidal roof cladding system is employed on the ambient environments.

VINCI Construction UK Limited was the main contractor on the project, whilst Ashton Smith Associates was the architect.

Freshly prepared noodles and oodles of style for Wagamama Since the first Wagamama restaurant opened in London’s Bloomsbury in 1992, the company has developed an envious reputation for their delicious food and great service.

Wagamama is now an award-winning global brand, with accolades including ‘London’s most popular restaurant’ (2006-2010) and ‘official coolbrand’ (2003-2011).

The chain prides itself on using only the freshest ingredients, and their Japanese-inspired menu offers an extensive range of tasty noodles, rice and side dishes. Some of their most popular dishes include deep-fried chicken breast in panko breadcrumbs and the teriyaki steak soba, along with their signature dishes like chilli beef ramen, yaki soba and ginger chicken udon.

Throughout the years, Wagamama has experienced a huge expansion across the globe and the chain now boasts an extensive portfolio of restaurants across the globe – including 71 in the UK alone.

One of their most recent offerings is a stunning new restaurant in the Grade II* listed Regent Hotel, which is located in Leamington town centre. Handed over in June 2012, the restaurant boasts a number of original features – including marble fireplaces, chandeliers, wall panelling and ornate ceilings.

Working within a listed building posed several challenges, as Stephen Gee from G4 Design explained: “We worked very closely with a conservation officer throughout the project, and it was agreed that we could form some openings through the existing walls to open it out and carry out some structural works. Whilst this enabled us to make the building work for the client, it also facilitated the marrying of the Regency-style building features and the contemporary style that Wagamama is famous for.

Wagamama restaurants can be recognised not just by their delicious food, but by their distinctively simple interior design.

Each of the restaurants features trademark oak bench seats, along with a fresh and bright colour scheme.

The chain is also committed to their environmental responsibilities, having already implemented a successful nation-wide Clean Advertising campaign. Further sustainable schemes include the installation of LED lighting and eco-friendly heating and ventilation systems throughout their restaurants.

Whilst the restaurants may vary in location and size, Wagamama’s dedication to providing high quality restaurants for their customers remains constant. It is this enthusiasm that makes each project so enjoyable – as Stephen Gee explained: “All of the Wagamama restaurants are interesting to work on, and have enjoyed all of the projects we have completed so far.

We have particularly enjoyed working with main contractor McGoff & Byrne.”

The companies’ strong working relationship was further cemented with the completion of the new Wagamama at the

Cheshire Oaks Outlet Village. Boasting a 142-cover capacity, the restaurant was completed in April 2012 at a cost of £502,000.

Stephen Gee, G4 Design, commented: “This was a particularly interesting project as we had to transform an existing record store, which involved the installation of new drainage and a new shop front. Furthermore, we were able to incorporate a striking ceiling using angled ceiling rafts that clearly define the space.

“Our company has been working in the restaurant sector for 15 years, and we look forward to continuing our strong working relationship with Wagamama in the future.”

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Brindisa expands

A brand new Brindisa restaurant has opened in London.

The new site for the Spanish restaurant chain is Tramontana Brindisa Shoreditch, which is situated on Curtain Road and is within walking distance of Old Street tube station. The latest restaurant joins additional Brindisa sites – located in Soho, London Bridge and South Kensington – to become the fourth restaurant in the portfolio.

Work began on Tramontana Brindisa Shoreditch in June 2012 and was completed in September. The site is a Mediterranean tapas restaurant and bar which comprises 100 internal covers and 40 external covers.

Tekne was the main contractor on the project, whilst Grieg & Stephenson provided all of the design work on the site.

Technical Services was the mechanical and electrical consultant on the restaurant.

Prior to work taking place on the project the site was formerly a vegetarian restaurant, so an existing bar and kitchen were removed and replaced. A new bar which stretches throughout the main area of the restaurant was then installed on the site and provides an additional seating area for diners.

Following the installation of the bar the new kitchen was installed, whilst the back area of the restaurant was opened up to allow diners to have a view of the rear garden area. The garden was then transformed to create a fantastic external eating area for diners who prefer to eat alfresco.

To round off the works on the site, fixed banquet seating was installed, tiling was laid and new decorative finishes were completed.

Whilst a large amount of work was conducted to the interior and the rear exterior of the building, work on the front of the restaurant was kept to a minimum. The front-of-house exterior work involved a few cosmetic touches along with the installation of associated Brindisa restaurant signage.

Grieg & Stephenson Interior Designer Joanna Gomm, said: “Work ran smoothly on the project, however, the installation of the bar was a challenge as it was quite large and we had to ensure that the kitchen tied in with the design point of view.”

Joanna Gomm added: “This is our third site for Brindisa. We worked on the brand’s first site which opened in London Bridge and then we were involved in the refurbishment of an existing site in Soho, before tackling this latest restaurant in Shoreditch.

“This is the first Brindisa restaurant to open in five years so it is very important for the company to get this new restaurant up and running correctly and I believe this is something that we’ve achieved. There was a lot of anticipation in the opening of Tramontana Brindisa Shoreditch and whilst work was being conducted on the site people would come up to us and enquire about what was taking place.

“Moving forward Brindisa is looking at new sites and we hope to be a part of another one of their restaurants.”

Brindisa was founded in 1988 by Monika Linton – before branching out in 2004 to include Brindisa Tapas Kitchen – and derives its name from the Spanish word ‘Brindis’, which translates as the act of raising a glass in celebration. Brindisa keeps food central to its offering and sources over 400 different ingredients directly from Spain.

In addition to Brandisa’s four sites, the brand also sells its classic Spanish ingredients from its shop in Borough Market as well as from its online store.

Monika Linton said: “The start up of the tapas business began when I invited Mark Hix, a Brindisa customer since 1989 and good friend, to view the Borough market site I was being offered by the Borough Market Trust. Between us in seconds we could visualise a tapas bar.

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Mark introduced me to Ratnesh Bagdai – the finance and operations director – to help me outline a specific financial plan for a restaurant and to develop the initiative and we haven’t looked back since.

“I wanted the wonderful foods that we select from Spain to move to the front of the stage – from the warehouse to the table with all the support and enthusiasm that we can muster.

Brindisa Warehouse, after decades of working with our excellent producers, is thrilled to now be able to consolidate efforts with an energetic restaurant team dedicated to cooking and presenting these foods beautifully.”

For more information about Brandisa please visit: www. brindisa.com.

Technical Services (Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Ltd) Technical Services (Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Ltd) are a specialist catering equipment, refrigeration, mechanical and electrical building services design and installation company working in a variety of sectors including; restaurants, private members clubs, casinos, leisure centres, commercial offices, retail, education, local authority and residential. The company has been in operation for over 25 years and prides itself on project commissions primarily from repeat works with existing clients as well as from recommendations to new clients.

On Tramontana Brindisa Shoreditch Technical Services were responsible for the complete kitchen equipment and ventilation design and installation works package.

Technical Services MD Andrew Parton said: “We have worked extremely hard building up a strong working relationship with all our clients, and have had the privilege to have been involved with some of the most iconic restaurants in London.

“Working with Brindisa is very important for us and on this project we were given the opportunity to showcase our ADISA brand of bespoke design Kitchen suite working closely with the Brindisa Directors and Head Chef to create a ‘perfect’ Kitchen Bar and open servery that is the focal point of the Restaurant.

“It has been a real pleasure to work with such an enthusiastic client on this project as well as the main contractor TEKNE whose project Manager Martin Norman is a true professional with ‘old school values’.”

Andy Parton added: “We are the sole distributor of the ADISA brand equipment that

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offers Kitchen catering suite and bar products at an extremely competitive cost.”

For more information please email: info@tech-service.co.uk

Kate Eyre Garden Design Ltd For the past seven years, Kate Eyre Garden Design Ltd has specialised in the design of high-end garden spaces for the domestic sector. Most recently, the company has branched out to complete works for a garden project in Greenwich for Meantime Brewing Company, as well as completing the rear garden space for Tramontana Brindisa Shoreditch.

Kate Eyre Garden Design Ltd Company Owner, Kate Eyre, said: “For Tramontana Brindisa Shoreditch, we designed the exterior area to work in conjunction with the interior space. The exterior has a different feel to it, but we wanted to make sure it was aesthetically pleasing, whilst remaining comfortable and usable.

“It’s a small space but we worked hard to include as many covers as possible and the aim was to create an authentically Spanish garden with a modern twist.

“Tables include broken Spanish tiles, and we have planted a mulberry tree which will eventually grow to create a canopy that will cover the space.”

Kate Eyre added: “We have really enjoyed working on this project. It was something a little different, with an interesting brief and it was great working alongside Greig & Stephenson.

“At Kate Eyre, we’re incredibly creative, we get excited by new projects and we always try and bring something unexpected to the table.”

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Europe’s largest Thai restaurant opens in Glasgow Founded in Leeds in 2004, Chaophraya Thai Restaurant & Palm Sugar Bar is committed to bringing authentic Thai cuisine to eager customers across the UK. The chain has since opened restaurants in Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield and Liverpool, with their latest offering in Glasgow set to cement Chaophraya’s reputation for serving delicious Thai-style food in stunning surroundings.

Named after the Chaophraya River, Thailand’s main waterway, the chain serves to infuse traditional Thai food and drink with a bustling atmosphere that is reminiscent of the streets of modern Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Their tantalising menu boasts a range of delicious treats, including pineapple fried rice and sea bass with lime and chilli.

Each of the restaurants possesses its own unique character and reflects both the building and the city in which it resides, and the new Glasgow restaurant is certainly no exception.

Housed within a Grade A listed building that dates back to the early 20th century, the restaurant stands approximately halfway

along the busy thoroughfare of Buchannan Street in Glasgow town centre. Originally constructed as The Liberal Club of Glasgow in 1909, the building has also served as the College of Dramatic Art and the Royal Academy of Music.

Chaophraya restaurateurs Martin Stead and Kim Atcharaporn Keawkraikhot recognised the potential of the site and engaged their long-term interior design consultants JMDA Ltd to work alongside main contractor G F Holding and architect Horsley Townsend to transform the site into the largest Thai restaurant in the country.

The 14-week project was completed in July 2012 at a cost of £2.1 million. Working in an existing building posed several challenges, as Managing Director of JMDA Ltd, Jonathon Morgan, explained: “As we were working with such a sensitive building, it was essential that the project team were involved from the start to ensure that the listed features were not disturbed. Due to the age of the building, there was a distinct lack of services such ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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as gas, and the building therefore simply didn’t meet the client’s basic requirements for a comfortable environment, not to mention the essentials of state-of-the-art IT. By working closely with the Glasgow planning authorities, we were able to rise to the challenge and the end result provides ‘all mod cons’ in a discrete and sympathetic manner which everyone is proud of.”

Upon entering the restaurant, customers are greeted by a grand marble floored entrance hall that has been enhanced using authentic Thai furniture and a juxtaposing contemporary chandelier. A chic bar to the right of the imposing lobby celebrates an illuminated onyx backfitting and a Carrera marble topped server, with access from Buchannan Street provided via a floor-to-ceiling glazed architectural feature ‘lozenge’ with specially imported Thai Buddhas. To the left of the lobby, there is a relaxing lounge and bar area with huge antique mirrors and fuschia-inspired light fittings.

The ornate staircase features custom designed carpets, bejewelled elephants and Buddhas and bespoke pendant lights, and leads to the double-height, 140-cover restaurant. In order to retain the rich atmosphere, JMDA Ltd have cleverly incorporated a raised area that houses leather booth seating flanked on either side by 3.5m-high glass, chrome and timber wine walls.

Brass chandeliers with LED lighting illuminate the restaurant, whilst further details include the application of gold leaf decoration to the ‘wedding cake’ plasterwork of the ceiling.

An intimate arched hallway with original panelling leads guests into the main VIP areas, which comprise three separate screened-off rooms with the themes of ‘Authentic Thai’, ‘Cuisine’ and ‘Funky’. Each of the rooms boasts its own unique features – including 8ft-high carved Thai ‘thrones’, sunken seating, a padded TV wall and chrome display cases housing authentic Thai ingredients – whilst all of the rooms sit below an ornate coffered ceiling with gold paper detailing.

In contrast to the sumptuous decoration of the VIP rooms, a dark and moody Champagne bar area situated to one end features a backlit onyx bar, pendant lights, illuminated champagne tables and chrome and mirrored backfitting displays.

A further VIP room can be found off the arched hallway.

This breathtaking room features moulded panelling, a feature fireplace and large casement windows, and it is painted in a heritage dark blue/grey with pure white feature timber work. A central curved ‘figure of 8’ enclosure may be used for a single party of 24 or be divided by brass inlaid sliding/folding screens to create two rooms of 12. Floating lanterns, richly stained timber divisions, brass inlays and candle stands feature heavily throughout the VIP room, whilst bespoke contemporary chandeliers emanate sparkle and ambience below the gold papered ceiling.

Jonathon Morgan, JMDA Ltd, commented: “We only ever specify high-end materials for Chaophraya and have incorporated marble and granite elements for the bars and toilets, along with chrome and glass for the wine cases and feature walls. In addition, we have incorporated rich warm timbers to reflect those used in Thailand as it was important to us to create the authentic Thai feel.

“All of the carpets have been specially designed by Brinton Carpets in close collaboration with ourselves, whilst the bespoke light fittings were supplied by Chesterfield company Northern Lights and the furniture was created by Dawnvale of Oldham. We also imported some of the furniture from Thailand, which, along with the high class leathers and LED lighting has helped to create a truly stunning ambience.

“JMDA Ltd has a dedicated team who are all very excited to have worked on this development, which is our 8th project for Chaophraya. It is an extremely interesting building architecturally and historically, and it is fantastic to see what we have managed to achieve in only a year from brief to handover, which is something of a miracle for a listed building of this size and complexity. The restaurant is breathtaking, and I think I can safely say that Chaophraya Glasgow is one of the most exciting

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restaurant/VIP/bars in the UK at the moment.”

Oldham-based painting and decorating specialists Temple Somerville P&D Ltd completed both internal and external preparation and decoration works on Chaophraya Glasgow, which included the use of specialist wall coverings.

Temple Somerville P&D Ltd Managing Director, Michael Keighery said: “The building is quite old and was an interesting structure to work on – in particular the main stairwell is very impressive. It used to be an open market hall and has some original cornices.

It’s a lovely building.

“We do a lot of out of hours work to accommodate clients who need a flexible service. We always prided ourselves on our reliability and excellent quality of work.”

Australasia comes to Manchester As one of Manchester’s most stylish and popular restaurants, Australasia, in the city’s trendy Spinningfields district, has wowed customers with its delicious food and unique surroundings.

The tag line ‘A stylish but laid back slice of modern Australian life, down-under in Manchester’ provides a clue to what makes Australasia unique – the fact that it is entirely underground.

Michelle Derbyshire, who worked as lead Interior Designer on

Australasia, said: “The restaurant location is underground so there is no natural light; I had to think how I was going to transform the space to feel like Australia and South East Asia. Normally when you think of an Australian space you think of it being light and airy with lots of natural light, so the initial space was the exact opposite.”

The design process began in August 2010, with the building work beginning in February 2011. The restaurant opened at the ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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end of May 2011. The total value of the project was around £1.3 million.

The main contractor was ABM Pro. Michelle Derbyshire and Living Ventures in-house designer Edwin Pickett worked on the architecture and design.

Michelle Derbyshire said: “I was engaged to do the concept design and came up with the overall look and feel of the space. Working with Tim Bacon, the Managing Director of Living Ventures was great as we are both Australian, so there were no issues with my points of reference.

“It’s quite difficult to work out what is Australian without being naff and having obvious references – we didn’t want to have koala’s hanging from trees. I approached the project wanting to give the feeling of being in Australia rather than an ‘Australian’ look. I wanted to convey a warm, relaxed, chilled feeling –like you were in on holiday in Sydney.

“I was keen to have a lot of texture in the space so I used ghost wood trees with Slimbrick cladding on the walls. We also used a special Slimbrick lime wash on the project, which is what made the space come to life along with the faux white washed beams. I used a lot of relaxed and natural looking products, such as Dinesen Douglas Fir on the floor which gave it a glowing, vanilla look.

“I also used concrete and aged zinc for contrast cooler elements. For the back bar, Atelier Joinery Ltd did a wonderful job.

I used Singapore – with its British Colonial history – as the basis of my inspiration, as well as the Raffles Hotel which opened in Singapore in 1887. This inspiration is reflected in the bookcase bar and the paneling within the restaurant.

Given the restaurant is underground Michelle also had to consider how to attract people into the space, given the lack of a shop-front presence on the street.

“We decided to go with the concept of less is more, installing an understated glass pyramid on the street. The concrete stairs flanked in back lit Amberlite leading down to the restaurant give

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a feeling of almost walking through the core of the earth – quite literally walking down under.

“Australasia was a great project which I was passionate about from the start. Working on a new restaurant concept with such a wonderful client as Living Ventures was both interesting and enjoyable. It’s been well received and as a result of that I’ve had a lot of enquiries. I’m currently working for another project for Living Ventures nearby in Spinningfields.”

Atelier Joinery Ltd Atelier Joinery Ltd is a bespoke joinery manufacturer that offers a full design, manufacture and installation service. The company has worked on other projects with Living Ventures, such as The Alchemist in Spinningfields and the newly opened Alchemist on New York Street, Manchester. They have also worked on other high-profile projects such as the Rolex Boutique in Wilmslow, Manchester.

On Australasia, Atelier Joinery Ltd mainly worked on the bar area of the stylish restaurant.

Richard Albiston, Director of Atelier Joinery Ltd, said: “We were contracted to do the joinery and furniture elements within the restaurant. The main focus of this was the bar and back bar, incorporating large amount of antique mirror glass and a distinctive crackle glazed finish. In addition, we provided the amber glass screen that separates the kitchen from the restaurant and the host and DJ station. We are delighted to have been involved in such a prestigious project and are pleased to see the restaurant thriving the way it is.”

“We have a long working relationship with Living Ventures that we value enormously. We have recently worked on both Alchemist bars that have opened, in Spinningfields and New York Street - Manchester. We always enjoy working on their new concepts and working with Michelle and Edwin on Australasia was a pleasure.”

Bubbledogs introduces a new concept to dining A stylish restaurant serving champagne, Bubbledogs sounds right at home for a central London restaurant.

However, instead of bubbly served with caviar, Bubbledogs serves gourmet hotdogs with its fine selection of some of the world’s greatest champagnes.

The restaurant opened officially in August 2012 after construction began in May 2012. B3 Designers worked on the concept for the restaurant and DEP Construction was the main contractor.

David Elms, Managing Director of DEP Construction told Premier Construction about the project.

He said: “The building was originally an estate agents and the landlord had done some structural work to the basement and ground floor. It’s quite a compact place so the critical element was getting the design right and getting everything that B3 had envisioned to fit within the space.

“Essentially there are two restaurants – there is the Bubbledog section which serves gourmet hot dogs. Through curtains, there is also a secret restaurant at the back. It has chef’s tables and cooking going on in front of customers, which makes it quite a special place.”

A range of materials were used in the restaurant, giving it an urban feel.

David Elms said: “The whole design is quite industrial looking. In the rear of the restaurant there is a stainless steel kitchen counter, the front of which is clad in zinc. We’ve created timber wall cladding from

reclaimed timbers and also rusted panels. The wine storage is all being made from mild steel mesh to give an industrial look.

“The bar itself is clad in copper sheet with reclaimed metal work features; the balustrades, windows and doors are all in rustic steel sheet and steel mesh. All the wall cladding and flooring that we used was reclaimed.”

The project did encounter some issues, mainly to do with the

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size of the space and making sure the building was structurally sound.

David Elms said: “There were a few issues with getting the air conditioning correct and strengthening the roof structure. Everything just had to be really accurate due to the amount of space.

“This is an average sized project for us but each one brings its own challenges. This one was particularly difficult with trying to fit everything in, but we’re always pleased to be involved and it’s great seeing a high-quality finished product knowing you have overcome a number of setbacks.”

DEP Construction DEP Construction Services Ltd has worked in the leisure and retail sectors for over 25 years, providing a comprehensive construction and fit-out service. DEP Construction has a large amount of experience and a proven capability in delivering projects to a very high standard, on budget and on time.

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DEP Construction is able to undertake projects of any size across the country and are committed to working in a way which reduces the environmental impact of their work.

On Bubbledogs restaurant, DEP Construction worked to bring the design from B3 Designers to life. They completed the fit out of the restaurant, including installing the copper bar, kitchen table, preparation kitchen and wine storage.

David Elms, Managing Director of DEP Construction said: “The actual fit out itself went fairly straightforwardly apart from making sure that everything fitted, it was such a tight space.

“We sourced the raw materials and translated B3’s design into reality. We’ve done work for them before so we pretty much know the look they want and I think we’ve achieved something quite different.

“There were a number of unexpected problems encountered, but we pride ourselves at being good at getting things done and this restaurant is now open and trading, having overcome all the issues.”

NHBC

NHBC Pride in the Job Awards 2012 On June 22 NHBC announced the names of over 400 top achieving site managers who were recognised in the first round of the Pride in the Job Awards 2012. Names were shortlisted from over 13,000 UK site managers who have all excelled in their field over the past 12 months.

Pride in the Job is the only UK-wide competition recognising site managers who achieve the highest level of standards in house-building. All site managers registered for NHBC warranty are automatically entered into the competition and to date A Pride in the Job Award is the highest industry accolade a site manager can achieve.

For 32 years the award has been the driving force behind the production of top-quality homes in the UK.

Successful completion of CALA Homes’ Morningside development The completion of CALA Homes’ development at Morningside, Virginia Water has been met with praise by CALA Homes’ project manager and NHBC Award winner Terry Holmes.

Morningside is an exclusive housing development in the highly desirable area of Virginia Water, Surrey. Comprising three large five-bedroom houses, construction was completed in July 2012.

Discussing the completion of the project, Terry Holmes said: “Morningside was a genuine team effort and the completed work perfectly demonstrates the excellent teamwork that was employed by me, my team of sub contractors and CALA Homes head office.

“From digging the first footing to putting the finishing touches of paint on the walls, the quality of the work that we have undertaken has been second to none and it can be seen in the finished product.”

The luxury housing development was funded by CALA Homes – who also acted as the main contractor on the project – whilst Ashby Design Ltd was the architect.

Work began on Morningside in August 2011. Prior to work taking place on the site an existing house was demolished to make way for the new development.

The new homes were built using traditional construction methods of brick and block, with internal metal stud partition walls, UPVC windows and tiled roofs. Whilst each building is similar in design, the external facade of each property varies slightly and includes a mix of cladding, brick work and oak beams.

Each new home features an elegant entrance hall, reception areas, a modern kitchen/breakfast room, a library, five bedrooms and en suite bathrooms. The kitchens include high-quality units, granite worktops, a built-in wine cooler and a number of stateof-the-art appliances.

En suite bathrooms include Villeroy & Boch sanitary ware, chrome and white finishes and thermostatically controlled Hansgrohe showers.

Throughout the houses chrome electrical fittings have been installed at eye level, whilst white electrical fittings have been included at low level. Pre-wired TV/FM and satellite units have also been included in living rooms and master suites. These units are compatible with the popular Sky+ television system.

Additional features at Morningside include an impressive staircase, subtle downlighters, solar heating, a conservatory incorporating a mix of heat reducing and self cleaning glass and electronic garage doors.

Security alarm systems have also been fitted to each property to enhance security.

An extensive landscaping and planting scheme was also included as part of the project and has helped to create stunning gardens with associated blocked paving for each property.

All three houses on the Morningside project were designed for the most discerning property owner and benefit from excellent transport links into London and a picture perfect setting.

Terry Holmes, said: “In terms of the external appearance of each property there is a slight variation across all three houses, however the overall design remained the same and they all look fantastic.

“Work on the project ran smoothly – without any major problems – and most importantly for us we finished this project on time and within budget.

“Everyone is very delighted that the project has been recognised by an NHBC Award as it really is a great achievement after all of our hard work.

“To win this award is important for CALA Homes, but it is also very important for me. This is the first time that I have won an award like this after coming close on a few occasions. This award is certainly one that I will remember.”

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NHBC

Constructing Academy Court Phase Three Located on Green Lane in Edgeware, Academy Court is a brand new development offering a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments.

The most recent phase of the development, Academy Court Phase Three reached completion in June 2012 and has been awarded with an NHBC Pride in the Job Award.

Academy Court Phase Three comprises 67 units, an underground car park and a gymnasium. The project was delivered by main contractor Barratt West London and Soho-based architectural practice Sprunt Architects.

Work began on Academy Court Phase Three in winter 2010.

The apartment block was constructed using a concrete frame and included a mix of brick, metal and insulated render cladding. Aluminium windows and a concrete insulated roof were installed on the building and each individual unit includes its own balcony.

Additional features of Academy Court Phase Three include walnut internal doors and MDF skirting boards, whilst apartments range in value from £250,000 to £350,000.

Phase Three of the Academy Court development is connected to Phases One and Two via a central hard landscaped area –

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which includes a sculpted bench and flowerbeds. Whilst work was conducted on Academy Court Phase Three site staff encountered no major problems and the work was completed on programme and within budget.

Leading drylining and facade specialist subcontractor Plastering Contractors (Stanmore) Ltd conducted internal and external plaster work on the site, including the external render, internal plasterboard and dry lining. Plastering Contractors (Stanmore) Ltd has a long-term relationship with Academy Court and has worked on the site from the beginning of Phase One. Barratt West London Project Manager, Stewart Jones, said: “I have been a part of the project since 2008 when we began work on Phase One. The site is just short of 1,000 units and with Phase Three now complete additional phases will take place over the next five years.

“Academy Court is an important development for Barratt West London. The development will secure the company for the next five years and will be very important for the continued success of Barratt West London. In addition, Academy Court is part of a regeneration project – which is creating its own little community – and the feedback so far has been very positive.”

Stewart Jones added: “Winning an NHBC Award for Academy Court Phase Three is brilliant. We previously won an NHBC Award for Phase One and Phase Two and with this third award now under our belts I will strive to keep winning awards for each additional phase on the site.

“Achieving an NHBC Award is a lot of hard work but once you achieve one it makes all of the effort seem worthwhile. I’ve kept the same team since work first began on Academy Court and their continued hard work is very important to the continued success of this site.”

Plastering Contractors (Stanmore) Limited With an annual turnover of £52 million, Plastering Contractors (Stanmore) Limited is one of the UK’s leading drylining and facade specialist subcontractors. The company offers an extensive range of services from the installation of drywall partitions and insulated external render systems to copings and fascias.

Plastering Contractors (Stanmore) Limited has over 50 years experience in the industry and has worked with many high profile developers and contractors in the South East. The company’s list of projects is equally diverse and ranges from hospitals and residential units through to industrial warehouses and schools. Plastering Contractors (Stanmore) Limited recently completed work on Academy Court Phase Three.

Plastering Contractors (Stanmore) Limited has an expertly trained team of staff and is dedicated to providing clients with an excellent service every time.

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NHBC

Developing Coopers Mill Located just off the Belfast-Newtownards dual carriageway, Coopers Mill is a brand new 450 unit mixed-housing development under construction in East Belfast.

Coopers Mill comprises a mix of one and two-bedroom apartments, two and threebedroom semi-detached houses, two and three-bedroom town houses and three-bedroom detached houses.

Two and three-bedroom bungalows are also being constructed on the site. The bungalows are very unique units and have the potential to be converted into much larger properties should the need arise in the future. The attic offers a simple conversion space, whilst the ground floor level provides enough space to accommodate stairs.

All of the work on Coopers Mill is being conducted for McGinnis Group – who is also acting as the main contractor on the project – whilst leading architectural practice David Ferguson Architects is providing all architectural services on the site.

Work began on constructing Coopers Mill in spring 2009 and is currently scheduled to reach completion in 2014.

Work is currently being undertaken on Phase Four of the project and to date, Phases One, Two and Three have already been completed. Work will take place on Coopers Mill Phase Five in 2013.

Although the work on Coopers Mill has been divided into eight phases not all of the phases are being completed in numerical order, instead work is being conducted to best facilitate the development of the site.

McGinnis Group Site Manager, John Logue, explains: “Due to the arrangement of the site we have worked on the phases in a slightly different order than you might expect, so although we started with Phase One we didn’t automatically move on to Phase Two as our second phase.

“Once Phase One was complete we moved on to Phase Three because it was effectively a continuation of the first phase and then we moved on to Phases Two and Four because these are better suited for expanding the development. Phase Five will be the next phase and then we will begin work on Phases Six, Seven and Eight to complete the project.”

Houses constructed during the initial phases of the project were built using a timber frame construction. All of the houses on Phase Four are being built using brick and block and will include timber trussed roofs with a concrete tile finish, ivory coloured UPVC windows, timber front doors and UPVC back doors.

All of the houses on the Coopers Mill development will boast a number of high-quality fixtures and finishes, including integrated appliances in kitchens and utility rooms, white sanitary ware and chrome fittings in bathrooms and carpets throughout.

Additional features include Phoenix Natural gas fired central heating systems, smoke detectors, and moulded skirting and architraves.

Each house has a front and back garden and will be fenced to the side and rear of the properties. Four open grassed areas are also being included on the site and will include walkways and plants.

All of the houses on the Coopers Mill development will come with a ten year warranty.

John Logue said: “Getting housing developments such as Coopers Mill off the ground is very important to the McGinnis Group. Not only does a development such as Coopers Mill give the housing market a big boost but it also helps to develop nearby businesses and communities.

“Receiving an NHBC Award is a great achievement. The award demonstrates to the house buying market that we are building the homes with the correct materials and to the best standards.

We are providing high-quality finishes and our level of workmanship speaks for itself.”

John Logue added: “This is the seventh award that I have won, but each award is just as important as the first and it is just as important for my team members too.

“Although I am the site manager I have a very good team working with me from the engineers through to the health and safety guys. Everyone on the team plays a key role in bringing these houses in on programme and they ensure that all of the work remains at the same level of quality throughout.

“My name may be on the award, but Coopers Mill has received this recognition because of everyone involved.”

NHBC Award for Hagan Homes on Upper Newtownards Road Hagan Homes has won an NHBC Pride in the Job Award thanks to Site Manager Eddie Leitch and his work on the Upper Newtownards Road development in Belfast.

The site is located opposite Stormont cricket ground which is within the grounds of the Stormont Estate in Belfast, the seat of the Northern Irish Assembly. Previously the site was a car wash which was demolished to make room for the new-build.

The development consists of 33 apartments in total, split into three blocks. The apartments are divided into a block of five,

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a block of 12 and a block of 16. All apartments have two bedrooms and range in size from 550 sq ft up to 600 sq foot.

The project was started in July 2011 and reached completion at the end of august 2012. Hagan Homes used its own in-house architect for all architectural works.

Site Manager Eddie Leitch told Premier Construction about how the project. He said: “When the project was nearing completion; we were tiling, doing paintwork and fitting kitchens. The apartments are tradition-

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NHBC al build with areas of cladding and coloured renders, smooth and rough, to give the buildings a lift instead of having simple red brick elevations. Lawns and communal gardens have been built into the project. Decorative stones rather than just spaces of grass, it’s been nicely landscaped.

“There is also a GSM link on the electric gates which is quite handy, means that if residents are away or on holiday and get a package or delivery they can phone the gates to open them.

Couriers can leave packages safely, it’s a nice touch.”

Eddie Leitch, who has been a Construction Manager for 12 years, began his career in the construction industry as soon as he left school. He commented on his NHBC Pride in the Job Award.

Eddie said: “I was really surprised about the award, I didn’t realise they were actually marking me. A representative came on site from NHBC with his marking sheet and with every day pressures I completely forgot about it, until I got a phone call from the contracts manager who told me he had received an email saying we had won a Pride in the Job Award.

“I am really pleased, it’s the first time ever someone’s given me recognition so it’s good to get. I served my time as a carpenter and then decided to study my HND in construction management, so this is a great way to receive recognition for a long career.

“I have a great team with me, the subcontractors are fantastic.

One of the advantages that has come with the down-turn in the

market is that a lot of the tradesmen who have been retained are very good, whereas those who were there just making up numbers have left the industry. Those working on the build are also keen to keep up a good working relationship with Hagan Homes as a company, meaning that the work they do with us is outstanding.”

Doing Northern Ireland proud The attractive Leighinmor Avenue site in Ballymena, County Antrim, has scooped a prestigious NHBC award. Project manager, Albert Britton, was awarded an elusive Pride

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in the Job Award for his work on the development, which comprises a mixture of modern two and three-bedroom homes.

Located within easy reach of Ballymena town centre, the development boasts easy access to Galgorm Road and several of Northern Ireland’s top attractions, including: Slemish Mountain, Bushmills Distillery, The Giant’s Causeway and the Nine Glens of Antrim.

In total, main contractor Braidwater will oversee the construction of 48 private residential properties. Built using a modern timber frame with a concrete tiled roof and red brickwork, the two-storey homes will be arranged in blocks of 2, 4 and 6. All of the homes are heated using natural gas and are very well insulated.

Landscaping has included the construction of a spine road and the planting of trees, whilst the site also includes a river and an adjacent football field.

Albert Britton commented:

“This has been a challenging project as we are working on a former factory site and therefore great efforts have been made to reduce contamination. An environmental engineer has been employed on site to report to the local building authority, and a monitoring system has been in place for over the three years.

“I am delighted to have won a Pride in the Job Award, but I believe that everybody who worked on the site – from the plumbers and electricians through to the management system – is also part of the award and deserves to be commended also.”

Braidwater celebrates an outstanding reputation for their work within the private and social housing, commercial, office and healthcare sectors. The company is currently working on a range of projects in Liverpool, England – including Gilmartin Grove, LSEVEN, Poets Park and Paramount Business Park.

NHBC success for Lakeside The Lakeside development in Coleraine, Northern Ireland has been awarded an NHBC Award thanks to the hard work of Site Manager Stephen Foster.

This will be Stephen’s sixth award, showing a dedicated and impressive career.

The site is located off the Bushmills road, a regeneration project for the town of Coleraine where the focal point of the development is a large lake forming a central feature for the community.

The development has been a major civil engineering project as well as a large residential build.

Once completed, the development will consist of 300-400 homes including apartments, townhouses, semi-detached houses and town houses.

Around 40 units have already been completed since the project began three years ago, with an estimated 10- 15 years left on the project and a budget of £90 million. The architect on the project is Alan Patterson Design.

Stephen Foster told Premier Construction Magazine about the project. He said: “It is a pure Brownfield site. Northstone offered us the site as an opportunity to see if we wanted to do anything with it, so we employed Alan Patterson Design as architect and they came up with a scheme that was workable.

“The field was partially level, with 20 acres of pure level ground and 20 acres which had to be re-engineered.

We decided to form a lake so not only do we have a 40 acre site, we also have an 8.5 acre lake. When we ordered the material to form the retaining wall for the lake, they asked if we had made a mistake on our order. They said it was the biggest order they had ever had, it’s probably the biggest retaining wall on a lake of this type in the UK. “There was always groundwater in the lake so it filled naturally along with rainwater. The lake is going to be beautiful, in addition we will be building an amphitheatre, a boardwalk and the

lake will have an irrigation system so that it can be stocked with fish. It’s going to be something special.”

Coleraine is a market town on the famous Causeway Coast, with two championship golf courses, scenic coastal and countryside walks and a host of leisure facilities and attractions nearby.

Stephen Foster is delighted with his Award given the complexity and scale of the project. He said: “It’s my sixth NHBC Award and I’m delighted to win. I have a really good team around me and I tend to work with the same tradesmen and subcontractors on each project which really helps.

“Considering the size and scale of the project, I’m looking forward to seeing it change shape and develop over the next few years. It’s great to know we’re doing such a good job so far.”

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NHBC

New Central: Woking’s award-winning development New Central is a £55 million mixed-use housing and retail development currently taking shape in Woking.

The project is being constructed in Woking Town Centre, Surrey and comprises the construction of ten multi-storey mixed-use buildings and six town houses. The mixed-use buildings are predominantly being used for accommodation purposes and include 450 apartments, along with ten retail units, an office block and a resident’s only gym.

A below ground 350-space car park will also be installed in the development and will run throughout the entire footprint of the site.

Midgard Ltd – part of the JRL Group – is the main contractor on the project and has worked closely with a number of JRL Group companies including: Miller Piling, J Reddington Ltd, Thames Reinforcement, London Concrete Pumping, London Tower Cranes, Stairmaster and UK Facades. The project architect is KDS Associates and the structural engineers are Walsh Associates.

Grady Joinery is manufacturing and installing over 700 windows on the site and has been involved with the project for the past six months.

MHD Group Ltd is working on all the internal sealants around kitchenware and bathware on the New Central project, as well as all the external sealant works.

MHD Group Ltd Director, Anthony Betts, said: “It’s a massively important project for us and has led to a lot of work on future projects. We will also start on the next phase of the New Central project soon.”

Funding for the project is being provided through a joint venture by Barratt Southern Counties and CCH. Work began on New Central in February 2010. The development is a completely new venture for Woking and replaces a former Brownfield site which previously occupied the land.

New Central is split into ten individual buildings with eight of the structures reserved for housing. Building one is a 21-storey structure measuring 54,000 sq feet and comprising 80 apartments, whilst the second building on the development is 14-storeys high, measures 25,000 sq feet and comprises 34 apartments.

The remaining six buildings include a ten-storey building housing 106 apartments, a seven-storey building housing 68 apartments, a six-storey building with 40 apartments, two five-storey buildings housing 38 and 52 apartments and a four-storey building comprising 25 apartments.

The two remaining buildings on the New Central site will be kept for office and retail space.

The office block measures 50,000 sq feet, whilst the retail building will measures 12,400 sq feet and is divided into ten individual units. Within the development a gym, cafe and concierge office will also be included.

The multi-storey buildings are being constructed from a concrete frame with steel reinforcement and steel frame system.

The exterior facade of the buildings will be completed with a mix of terracotta tiles, Environwall render and brickwork. A number of the apartments will also include solar panels.

In addition to the ten main buildings on the site six townhouses will also be constructed and a mix of hard and soft landscaping will also be included. Landscape will incorporate a water feature and a sculpture commissioned by a local artist.

Midgard Ltd Construction Manager, Joe Naughten, said: “Midgard Ltd has completed 140 apartments, the office block, eight retail units and 140 parking spaces. We have 310 apartments, 2400 sq feet of retail, a gym, concierge office and 210 parking spaces left to deliver before December 2013.

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“So far the development has been a huge success, running on schedule, on budget and with 95% of the properties offered for sale now sold.

“Midgard Ltd works with Barratt Homes on a partnership basis rather than a traditional client/main contractor basis and this partnership is evident in the quality of the finished product as well as the aftercare service given to the purchasers.”

Joe Naughten added: “For me personally the success of this project is very important. You have to put your life and soul into a project of this size and to see it come to fruition gives me enormous satisfaction.

“This project will become an extension of Guildford Road high street and will offer a good source of affordable housing within commuter distance to London. New Central will provide more retail space to the high street and it will bring added vibrancy to the area once the development has reached full occupancy.”

The construction of New Central marks a significant phase in the development of housing within Woking. The tallest building on the site – the 21-storey apartment block – will be Woking’s tallest building and its inclusion is in keeping with Woking Borough’s drive towards creating high-rise developments within Woking town centre.

The development has been instrumental in helping Barratt Homes maintain its 5-Star Home Builders Federation status.

New Central has also been designed to incorporate the highest standards in thermal and acoustic insulation. The extensive use of insulated render to the exterior of the block adds to the thermal quality of the building and the internal party wall construction is designed to offer the maximum acoustic protection between each apartment.

Joe Naughten said: “This is a landmark development in the heart of Woking and I am proud to be a part of the delivery team.

“Midgard Ltd has been awarded a Silver Award at the recently held Considerate Contractors Awards, we have achieved a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating for the office block and we have had several external safety and quality audits which have been all very positive. Now we have received the Pride in the Job Quality Award.”

Joe Naughten added: “To me, winning a Pride in the Job Quality Award is recognition, not only my hard work and effort put into producing the high quality product that Midgard Ltd is delivering to our client, but also that of the entire Midgard site team. A development of this scale cannot be delivered, to the high standard it so far has, without the hard work of many individuals.”

Grady Joinery Director, Arthur Grady commented: “Grady Joinery is a window and door manufacturer with the capacity to produce approximately 3000 windows per week.

The work we are completing on New Central is typical of the type of work that we conduct on developments of this size however we value being a part of such an important project as this.

“We are currently in the final stages of window fitting, so we will be reaching completion of our part of the project very shortly.

“It is very important for us at Grady Joinery to be involved with Midgard Ltd on this project. The company has developed a high level of quality on this project and to be a part of this is a good testament of our own working practices which we adhere to.

“It’s great to know that we – along with all of the other contractors and subcontractors – have been a contributing element to the success of this project. There is a good team on site at New Central and it is proving to be very rewarding for all involved.”

New Central is due to reach completion in December 2013.

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NHBC

The sun is shining on Summers Field as Terry Brand wins an NHBC award Rural living and city access will be combined in a new development by award-winning David Wilson Homes. Site manager Terry Brand has now been recognised for the site’s success after winning a coveted NHBC Pride in the Job Award.

The Summers Field development on Ermine Street is in the thriving village of Papworth Everard, just 12 miles from the beautiful city of Cambridge. In total David Wilson Homes will construct 365 new homes, comprising a mixture of two, three, four and five-bedroom houses. The project began onsite in April 2011 and is expected to last for around 3 years.

Site manager and NHBC award winner, Terry Brand, commented: “This is a cracking project which is held in very high esteem.

The location is ideal for commuters as it is only ten minutes away from a railway station, yet it is technically still in the countryside.

We have had a lot of sales so far, and the range of houses allows the development to cater for anyone from first-time buyers to the executive market.”

David Wilson Homes is keen to utilise the rural location and beautiful surroundings, and the homes are therefore situated within an attractive open space with wide roads and walkways.

As a result, residents may enjoy village life whilst being within easy reach of Cambridge and London – with the nearby A1, A14 and M11 making travel easy and accessible.

The company is a division of Barratt Homes, which was established in 1958. Barratt Homes is now recognised as the country’s best house builder, having won a host of industry awards in recent years. They were named ‘Housebuilder of the Year 2012’ at the industry’s most prestigious awards, which are organised by the Home Builders Federation and ‘Housebuilder’ – the UK’s best-read housebuilding magazine. In their feedback, the judges recognised Barratt Homes as an “outstanding all-rounder” that is consistently “showing its prowess in the fields of zero carbon, regeneration, design and landscaping.”

David Wilson Homes are putting this expertise into practice on the Summers Field site, as Terry Brand explained: “Although we have encountered a few minor challenges, the project has progressed well so far. An initial challenge was gaining planning permission – this took six years, so the project was in the pipeline for a while. In addition, we built a feature entrance that the council unfortunately requested that we removed.

“To date, we have constructed just over 40 units and are laying the roads as we go. The rural location has made the project particularly interesting, and each of the challenges – including a brook that we will deal with later in the project – has just added to the interest of the project.”

The Summers Field development is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2014.

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NHBC Award on Molly Millars Lane Emm Square is a brand new housing development taking shape in Wokingham, Berkshire from leading property developer CALA Homes. The NHBC award-winning development comprises a mix of one and two-bedroom apartments and is located on Molly Millars Lane, which is conveniently situated close to Wokingham Station and Wokingham town centre.

Emm Square is the latest development in CALA Homes’ portfolio, which already boasts nearby developments that includes Ickenham Park in Hillingdon, Morningside in Surrey and Maple Lawns in Amersham. Not only is CALA Homes the property developer on the project, the company is also the main contractor on the site.

The apartments at Emm Square have been constructed around a green landscaped area and each unit includes a range of features such as spacious bedrooms, open plan kitchens and enviable living rooms. Each bedroom is fitted with a built-in wardrobe, whilst storage is provided for via hallway cupboards.

Kitchens on each unit are loaded with an impressive array of fixtures, finishes and appliances, including a touch control electric ceramic hob, an integrated telescopic re-circulating extractor, a washer dryer, an integrated fridge/freezer and a stainless steel sink with a chrome mixer tap. Additional features of the kitchens include designer units, high-quality floor tiles and an integrated dishwasher.

The bathrooms and en-suite facilities include Bristan thermostatically controlled showers, Kermi shower screens and white sanitary ware, whilst additional features of the apartments include UPVC windows, Vicaima internal doors and pre-wiring for Sky+ compatible TV/satellite units.

The apartments on Emm Square also include a number of safety and security measures, including mains operated smoke detectors, an audio entry system and for ground floor apartments only, an intruder alarm system.

All of the heating across the development is being provided

by Dimplex Monterey electric panel heaters, whilst all of the hot water will be generated by a twin immersion direct hot water cylinder.

At present two of the apartment blocks on the Emm Square development – Avon and Bourne – have been made available for purchase. All of the apartments on Avon have already sold out, whilst Bourne continues to benefit from good sales.

CALA Homes Sales and Marketing Director, Alison Deakin, said: “With the first people moving into our second phase of the new apartments in Bourne House, we are keen to continue to see strong sales by helping people to get on the property ladder.”

In addition to the new housing development on Molly Millars Lane a brand new supermarket and office block has opened in the area.

Hawthorn Rise on the horizon Hawthorn Rise in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire is a brand new housing development located close to the Cotswolds.

The housing development comprises 71 units, consisting of a mix between two, three and four-bedroom houses and an apartment block. The site benefits from excellent links to the centre of Cheltenham, whilst nearby amenities and leisure facilities include primary and secondary schools, Montpellier Gardens and Cotswold Hills Golf Club.

Construction got underway on the NHBC Award-winning Hawthorn Rise development in October 2011. The project is being built and funded by housing developer Taylor Wimpey – who is acting as the main contractor on the project – and is scheduled for completion in March 2013.

Phase One of Hawthorn Rise – which comprises the construction of the right hand side of the development – has already been completed and work is currently underway on Phase Two of the site.

Prior to work taking place on Hawthorn Rise, a sports pavilion and associated sports field was located on the site. The sporting facilities were removed prior to construction to make way for the new development.

The units on Hawthorn Rise are being built from a mix of timber and masonry construction methods, with a selection of brick and render being used to complete the exterior facade. All units include UPVC windows and a selection of high-quality fixtures and fittings, whilst internal areas include stunning bathrooms,

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NHBC spacious living rooms and rear gardens.

A large public open space is also being included on the development which will connect up all the areas of the site.

Taylor Wimpey Site Manager, Andy Taylor, said: “Hawthorn Rise forms part of a consortium site, which is a much larger complex that includes two additional developments for housing developers Crest Nicholson and Bloor Homes. Both Crest Nicholson and Bloor Homes are building similar house types, with a mix of three, four and five-bedroom properties and apartments, and are situated to the right and left of Hawthorn Rise.

“The consortium site is a large complex with lots of staff so for health and safety reasons we are working very closely with every team to ensure that we are all aware of where everyone is across the sites. We are working well with Crest Nicholson and Bloor Homes to deliver our respective developments and we conduct weekly meetings to ensure that work continues to run as smoothly as possible.

“A railway track located to the rear of the site caused a few initial problems, but we worked closely with Network Rail to

resolve the situation and apart from that everything else has continued to progress well.”

Andy Taylor added: “I’ve been a site manager since 1995, which is when I won my first NHBC Award, and in total I’ve won 12 NHBC awards, covering most of the sites that I’ve worked on. It is always difficult to get a site up and running but I’ve been in the industry for quite a long time, so I have the experience to overcome any challenges.

“What makes these awards special is the fact that NHBC is an outside source, so this award means that someone outside of Taylor Wimpey, an NHBC inspector, is aware of the good work that we are conducting on the site.

“In fact our NHBC inspector is part of the team. He works closely with me and if I am unsure about anything I ask him for his advice. Everybody works together very well and if they didn’t we wouldn’t achieve the work we have.

“We have a good team on Hawthorn Rise and this award gives recognition to all of us, highlighting all of the work that we have put in.”

St Agnes Place scoops NHBC Award St Agnes Place, an apartment block in Kennington Park, London, has received an NHBC Pride in the Job Award.

The £2 million development is an apartment block comprising 18 one, two and three-bedroom flats.

The project lasted for 50 weeks, beginning in July 2011 and completing just under a year later in July 2012. Rooff Ltd was the main contractor on the design and build project.

Award winner and Site Manager Dave Owers said: “The block has a concrete frame which was brick clad with a zinc clad upper floor, bolton galvanised steel and glass balconies and Rationel windows and doors. The development also achieved Secured by Design status and finished on time and within budget.

“The development is social housing but it looks like a private apartment block. This is reflected by the build, particularly the top floor which has terraces and balconies overlooking the park.

“Interestingly, there was a Rastafarian temple on the site before, which was a couple of old converted houses. This was demolished to make way for the new build, but we used the old railings which we re-painted to comply with planning laws for outside the new block of flats.”

St Agnes place used to be an area popular with the Rastafarian community; Bob Marley is alleged to have stayed there a number of times during the 1970’s. Lambeth Council put forward plans in 2010 to build new private and social housing on the site.

Rooff Ltd is a family run construction and development company, which has been in the industry for almost 100 years and has an excellent reputation.

Rooff undertakes general contracting in London and the north, east and southern Home Counties, on projects ranging in value up to £20 million. They work in a variety of sectors, including health, education, public and community, new build private and social housing, commercial and historical buildings.

Dave Owers from Rooff Ltd won an NHBC Pride in the Job

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Award for his work on St Agnes place, which he found out about in late June 2012.

He said: “It was a surprise, when you get an award it’s never really something you expect. I’ve been a site manager for 30 years and this is my first award. I think I have a good team here and we tend to use the same sub-contractors. I find it’s always better to have someone you know who works well than someone you

haven’t worked with before.

“Tenants have now moved in which is great to see. There is a housing need in that area, there have been some problems with crime but the police and local community are trying to improve things. There are extra patrols in the park and it’s an up and coming area for redevelopment. It’s a real privilege to be recognised by the NHBC, it is definitely a career highlight.”

Rationel Windows UK Ltd

doors in modern and classic styles for both new-build and refurbishment projects. Rationel has developed and manufactured high-quality windows and doors since 1954 and today their product range covers almost any imaginable need and architectural style.

Rationel is also the leading Scandinavian supplier of windows and doors for Passiv Haus and low-energy buildings.

Rationel Windows UK Ltd supplied the windows on the NHBC Award-winning Agnes Place project.

Rationel Windows UK Ltd offer a wide range of windows and

Success on Orchard Grove Orchard Grove is a brand new £21.5 million housing development in Ruislip, Middlesex.

The development comprises 66 units, divided into 36 houses and 30 apartments – evenly split across two blocks.

Work began on the site in early 2011 and it reached completion in late-August 2012. Linden Homes Chiltern was the developer on the site, whilst EHP Architects provided all architectural services.

Alex Peters Ceramic Tiling completed all ceramic floor and wall tiling works for Linden Homes Chiltern on the Orchard Grove development. The company has worked with Galliford Try and Linden Homes for over five years and has completed around 50 projects in total.

On Orchard Grove, Macs Plasterboard Systems conducted all dry lining, insulation and joinery work, and installed all metal stud walls and external render. Macs Plasterboard Systems was involved with work on the site throughout the duration of the project.

Macs Plasterboard Systems Managing Director, Tom McLoughlin, said: “We are always pleased to be involved with award-winning projects such as Orchard Grove. The project reflects the quality of work that Macs Plasterboard Systems can achieve and the high quality service that we can provide to other clients.”

Orchard Grove is located just a short walk away from a number of local amenities, including Waitrose, Marks & Spencer and numerous bars and restaurants. The site also benefits from a close proximity to the M40, whilst nearby Ruislip Train Station offers short trips to London-based stations Baker Street and King’s Cross.

All of the units on Orchard Grove were built from a timber frame construction; with brick face cladding and render, timber windows and doors and tiled roofs. All of the houses are accompanied by back gardens, whilst apartments have a communal front garden and balconies.

Features of Orchard Grove include a high quality fitted kitchens with integrated appliances, modern bathrooms and energy efficient gas fired boilers – supplying heating and hot water. Safety features include smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.

Linden Homes Chiltern Projects Manager, Karl Bray, said: “At Orchard Grove we present one of the best opportunities to reduce the energy consumption with modern central heating systems that reduce the amount of energy used which in turn

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NHBC saves on carbon emissions.

“Our new homes benefit from the latest heating systems, excellent wall and loft insulation and double glazed windows and doors, generating over 60 per cent less CO2 emissions than older homes.

“We design for the environment, researching the best building materials and installations – which can save on average up to £556 a year on energy bills – and our new homes are up to six times more energy efficient.

“During the construction of Orchard Grove we encountered no major problems and this was due to good planning, good preparation and good material storage. We communicated with the complete team from the engineers to the architects. Every aspect of the work was carefully considered and there was nothing that we didn’t foresee; this is why we achieved an NHBC Pride in the Job Award.

“Linden Homes is Galliford Try’s award-winning house building division and is the fifth largest residential developer in the UK, we produce a large amount of housing units, however this doesn’t change the fact that we treat every site equally and

there is no one site that is treated any differently. It doesn’t matter if the development is a high-end build or a moderately priced site we treat the customers the same whether the end user is spending £1.5 million or £250,000. The expectation is always the same and our quality never diminishes. We endeavour to ensure that customer satisfaction is always achieved and that each site is always of a high-quality and a high specification.”

Karl added: “Linden Homes has won quite a number of Pride in the Job Awards – as well as Seal of Excellence –however for me personally this is the first time that I have received such an accolade.

Receiving this award is the perfect culmination of a number of years of hard work and effort where we strived to ensure that the planning, specification and communication remained important throughout the project.

“Orchard Grove also won the National NHBC Health and Safety Award and with the scores that we achieved as part of the Considerate Constructors scheme we hope to win another award in the not too distant future too.”

NHBC Award is the high point for High Point Village The £100 million High Point Village in Hayes, Middlesex has greatly regenerated the area, providing excellent new housing and job opportunities.

Now the Ballymore site has also received an NHBC Pride in the Job Award, thanks to Site Manager Aaron Caffrey.

The huge development consists of eight buildings which house a total of 525 residential apartments, 199 hotel rooms and 127 aparthotel rooms. There is also a leisure suite, six retail units and two floors of car parking on the site.

Out of the five apartment blocks, two of them offer affordable accommodation, shared-ownership and rental, provided

by Thames Valley Housing Association. Notting Hill Housing Association also has some units in one of the private apartment buildings.

The residential accommodation comprises one, two and three bedroom apartments, studio apartments and duplex apartments.

The project began at the end of 2007 and is now almost complete. The architect was Rolfe Judd Architects who have worked on a variety of residential, retail and hotel project both in London and in other areas of the UK. High Point Village is situated directly adjacent to Hayes and Harlington station, providing journey times to Heathrow Airport in six minutes and Paddington in 17 minutes.

Site Manager Aaron Caffrey said: “It’s a great development- there is a canal on one side and we’re right beside the Hayes and Harlington railway station so the location is really good. The site has actually already won an NHBC Award in 2009, which shows the quality of the build and the team working here.

“I think it’s going to be a big change for the community, in Hayes it’s one of the standout sites. It’s a far higher specification and far higher quality than what you’ve got there already.

Crofton Interiors Ltd provide bespoke joinery and domestic and commercial fit outs for a wide range of projects in the UK and Ireland. They are currently working on a £22 million residential project next to Harrods in Knightsbridge, London, and the £5.5 million Embassy Gardens marketing suite on which they provided high-spec joinery, media units, wardrobes and bed heads.

Crofton Interiors worked on a number of areas at High Point Village including the reception area to the Stay City Hotel, which included a feature glass wall, and the Nuffield Health and Spa

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reception area.

Glen Remnant, Director of Crofton Interiors Ltd, said: “It was a small project for us, they needed someone to specialise in co-ordinating the design and manufacture of certain areas so we came on the project quite early to help them find a product that they wanted and they needed.

“We provide a good all round service and are able to see a project through from conception to completion. We were delighted

Aaron won an NHBC Award and are keen to support him, it was a good project to work on.”

Award winner Aaron Caffrey started working a junior level manager in Ireland 12 years ago. He has been with Ballymore for ten years, working as a manager on smaller sites before working his way up to developments like High Point Village.

Site Manager Aaron said: “I was told I was being put forward for the award and had representatives from the NHBC visiting the site, their regional inspectors came down and did a few walks with me so I knew it was potentially going to happen.

“I’m really pleased about the award, but to be honest if I’ve got a job, it gets completed and there aren’t too many problems then that makes me more happy than anything else. The better reward is to have a site that works, where you don’t have problems and people are happy with their homes. That’s the most important thing.”

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More Awards for Cambridge University’s Sainsbury Laboratory The multi- award winning Sainsbury Laboratory has won yet more awards; a Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Award given to Britain’s 50 best new buildings and the RIBA East Building of the Year Award.

As a result, the Sainsbury Laboratory is one of six buildings shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize 2012. The Stirling Prize is the UK’s most prestigious architecture prize and is awarded to the project built or designed in Britain “which has made the greatest contribution to the evolution of architecture in the past year.” The winner will be announced at a special event in October 2012.

The Sainsbury Laboratory is a plant science research centre located in the University of Cambridge’s Botanic Garden.

The £82 million project was funded by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, established by Lord Sainsbury, which has supported UK research in plant sciences since the mid-1980s.

The main contractor was Kier Regional and the architect was Stanton Williams Architects.

Construction began in February 2008 and was completed in December 2010, the Laboratory has been in use since January 2011 providing a world-class research facility.

The Laboratory combines the practical scientific requirements of a working laboratory with the need for a piece of architecture which also responds to its landscape setting.

Cambridge University Botanic Garden was originally conceived in 1831 by Professor Henslow, Charles Darwin’s mentor, as a place in which plant species would be systematically ordered and catalogued.

The building was therefore designed to be “rooted” in its setting and connections between the building and garden have been central to its conception.

There are two storeys visible above ground and one below ground level, in order to reduce the height of the building and to ensure efficient environmental control. Glazing is used to connect the building to the garden beyond.

The use of bands of limestone and exposed in situ concrete suggest geological concepts and the Darwinian idea of evolution over time.

Alan Stanton, Director at Stanton Williams, said: “The Sainsbury Laboratory is a highly energy efficient laboratory building which has been designed for a long life, with a robust structure and a high level of adaptability for future needs.

Efficient heating, cooling and ventilation systems, together with high levels of insulation and air-tightness in the facades and roof have enabled the building to significantly exceed emission targets set in Building Regulations and the energy rating targets for laboratory buildings. The building was awarded a BREEAM rating of Excellent.

“Technical aspects of the building’s sustainability are carefully integrated into the overall design. Particular attention has been paid to maximising day lighting and to harvesting of rainwater for irrigation purposes. On site renewable energy is provided by 1000m2 of photovoltaic panels mounted on the roof of the laboratory, providing 10% of the building’s energy load.

The Sainsbury Laboratory houses a variety of facilities including laboratories, the university’s herbarium, meeting rooms, an auditorium, social spaces and a public cafe.

Alan Stanton added: “The building has already gained significance for the academic and scientific community. For the public, it contributes to the experience and enjoyment of the Botanic Garden, underlining the significance of its scientific remit, and providing new public facilities with a new public cafe.”

The winner of the RIBA Stirling Prize will be announced at a special event in Manchester on Saturday 13 October, 2012.

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Optima Optima harness the latest technical innovations and the best engineering expertise to create exceptional partitioning.

Optima’s systems are more than aesthetically beautiful they are tested and tested again to ensure that they continue to be one of the most compliant and accredited products on the market.

This is further upheld by the recently won Gold awarded by the Association of Interior Specialists (AIS) for Optima’s prestigious installation at Chartis Insurance. The judges said the project was “sleek and crisp offering client functionality.”

Boasting clients in almost all industry sectors, Optima projects reach from high street retail, the top UK branded supermarkets, to financial and telecommunication sectors.

A service that combines the design, development and installation of a wide range of partitioning systems, including silicone and dry jointed glazing, demountable system partitions, advanced system drywall and doors and frames, Optima systems truly are designed, tested and tested again.

Rewarding design: Exhibition Road Exhibition Road stretches from South Kensington to Hyde Park and covers an area of 26,000 square metres. The road comprises a combination of museums – including the Victoria and Albert Museum – and universities.

The £25 million project was implemented by The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, Transport for London (TfL) and Westminster County Council in order to transform the existing road into a pedestrian friendly world class cultural destination.

Funding for project was provided by TfL, Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, Westminster City Council and English Heritage.

The innovative scheme comprised the installation of 16,700 square metres of granite to dramatically transform the existing road into one large shared surface that favoured pedestrian access over traffic requirements.

Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering Ltd Southern Division was the main contractor on the project and Schal was the project manager. Arup was the structural engineer, Davis Langdon was the quantity surveyor and Woodhouse was the lighting consultant.

The project was designed by Jeremy Dixon and Edward Jones from Dixon Jones Architects, whilst Sarah Rubinstein was the project architect. Project Centre Ltd was the design engineer on the scheme.

Dixon Jones Architects Director, Jeremy Dixon, said: “Exhibition Road hosts a world-class and unique collection of museums, performance spaces and universities all in one area.

However, it had become quite clear that this area of London was considerably under recognised as a public place.

“A number of projects over the years have attempted to correct this oversight, but they have never really got off the ground.

The idea behind this design was to create a shared surface that would introduce a continuous space with no major distinctions between the pavement and road. Although traffic can still move freely through Exhibition Road, there is now a greater emphasis on pedestrian usage.

“Dixon Jones Architects was selected as the architect on this project because we put forward a simple design that matched the ambitions of Councillor Daniel Moylan, who was a key driving force in this project. We worked with Councillor Moylan to address the concerns with Exhibition Road and, working together, we were able to devise this scheme.”

Construction work began on the project in January 2010 and was completed in December 2011. Whilst work was being conducted, Exhibition Road was divided into two in order to allow traffic to access the road.

The ground was excavated and a concrete base laid, with Chinese black and pink granite installed using the SteinTec mortar system. Stainless steel restraining strips and lamp masts were then installed, which in turn run through the centre of the route. The lamps provide an interesting design feature during the day as well as much needed illumination throughout the night.

SteinTec supplied specialist bedding and jointing mortar for the 16,700 square metres of granite setts installed on Exhibition Road. SteinTec’s technical director, David Burton, provided expert engineering advice from original concept through to completion in order to ensure that the project was designed and constructed to the most stringent requirements of British Standards BS7533.

David Burton, SteinTec’s Technical Director, commented: “We worked closely with the team on this project and provided most of the technical specifications and method statements for the paving. Our bedding and jointing mortar was used throughout the project due to its high performance for heavy trafficking.

“Exhibition Road was an extremely important project for Dixon Jones Architects and we were absolutely delighted to be a part of it. This ambitious project owes a lot to the power of the peo-

ple, who have been pushing for its creation. Everyone that has been involved has really helped to bring this together.”

Jeremy Dixon, Dixon Jones Architects, added: “We are always very pleased to be recognised for a RIBA Award. We have received a number of awards over the years and this just further cements our commitment to our work.

“What I think is important about this award is that it has not been given for a building. This award recognises the space that exists between buildings. Increasingly the architectural profession is becoming more aware of the importance of how buildings relate to one another and I think Exhibition Road emphasises this perfectly.”

Project Centre Ltd Project Centre is a registered landscape architecture practice, public realm and transportation consultancy providing its clients with the skills to bridge the gap between concept and construction. The company was a lead highway, traffic and lighting engineer for the Exhibition Road scheme forming a vital interface between design and delivery.

David Moores, Technical Director of the Public Realm, said: “One of our roles was to maintain the design integrity produced

by Dixon Jones Architects and to transfer this into a deliverable scheme. We unravelled the one-way system around the site to enable the larger scheme, produced detailed designs, supervised many aspects of construction, even seconded staff to the council to supervise consultation and publicity.

“Exhibition Road pushed the boundaries of the design philosophy in a busy London street. It was a very significant project, not just for us, but for London, Transport for London and the Borough.”

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Renovation of Manchester Town Hall Complex Two of Manchester’s best-loved historical buildings are undergoing a major transformation to bring them up-to-date and more usable for such a modern city.

The Town Hall Complex Transformation Programme started in 2009 and involves improvements to Manchester Town Hall Extension and Central Library, both of which are Grade 2* Listed.

The site has particular historical significance as the location of the Peterloo Massacre in 1819, when an estimated 18 protesters died as a result of being charged by cavalry. The site is also directly next to Manchester Town Hall, an impressive Victoriangothic building which was completed in 1877.

The two 1930s building’s will be brought into the 21st century by greatly improving the facilities of Manchester Town Hall Extension for council staff and the public, and making Central Library a much more accessible and usable space.

The council believes that this is a chance to bring a new lease of life to these two 80 year old buildings and make them fit for purpose for another 80 years of civic service.

The main contractor on the £100 million project is Laing O’Rourke. The architect on Manchester Town Hall Extension is Ian Simpson Architects while the architect on Central Library is Ryder Architecture.

Work began in 2009 and is scheduled to be completed in phases during 2013 and 2014.

The work on Manchester Town Hall Extension, which was originally built in the 1930s to provide extra space for local government staff, involves opening up and restoring the ‘Rates Hall’, extending Central Library into the lower ground floor and transforming the public spaces in the building.

For example, a one-stop Public Service Hub is being built which is hoped will transform the way the Council serves its customers. Upon entry to the hall, customers will be met by customer service staff and directed to where they need to go, receiving specialist advice in a private interview room, or using the self service computer or telephone areas.

Within the public service hub the original roof lights will be refurbished, making the space light and open. Light wells in the floor will allow natural light to stream into the extended Central Library in the lower ground floor. Included in this area will be a suite of meeting rooms with their own waiting area.

There will also be a cafe on the ground floor catering for staff

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and customers, with room for up to 80 people to sit.

Central Library is also undergoing major developments. As well as being extended into the lower ground floor of the Town Hall Extension, the library will provide a new Archives Centre, better access and more IT facilities for the public.

New layouts and technology will enable all types of visit, from groups working collaboratively on projects through to those who want to read or work in peace.

The project will also involve some landscaping thanks to the re-development of St Peters square, which is located at the front of Central Library. In addition, existing on-street parking will be replaced.

The project will incorporate some eco-friendly features, such as rainwater recycling, bio-diverse and green roofs, low energy devices, lead and brass recycling, timber restoration and recycled aggregates in concrete.

Work is due to be completed on the Town Hall Complex Transformation Project in phases, during 2013 and 2014.

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Ambitious accommodation plans at Edge Hill A thrilling new development at Edge Hill University in Ormskirk, Lancashire is nearing completion.

Chancellors Court will house residential accommodation and comprises 384 en-suite student rooms. The three-storey development will be divided into six separate blocks, and will include student bedrooms and shared kitchens.

The new halls of residence will provide students with an array of facilities that will be made available to them in safe and secure surroundings and will be built to the east of an existing sports centre. The contemporary living areas will be environmentally friendly and are already regarded as some of the best student accommodation units in the sector.

Project Leader, Pro Vice-Chancellor Steve Igoe, said: “For those moving away from home for the first time, many want the security and ready-made social life of halls of residence. The on-campus bed spaces are always in popular demand so I’m delighted that we’re able to build additional accommodation in time for the influx of new students.

“This is a remarkable achievement, constructing 380 bedrooms in 27 weeks, given the challenges presented by the wet conditions in April but our contractors are working round the clock to ensure the bed spaces are ready for the new term in September.

“This project will see the commencement of the development of the eastern campus with this phase providing space for new student learning and living facilities. The University has ambitious plans to continue to invest in its student centered teaching and learning facilities and we believe that further investment is

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vital to sustain our attractiveness to prospective students albeit that the University is already recognized as having a campus that truly matches, in both quality and scale, the very best in the United Kingdom.”

The contractors behind the scheme are John Turner and Sons who began work on the project in February 2012. ABW Architects is providing all architectural services on the site.

Chancellors Court is set to reach completion in early September 2012 in time for the upcoming intake of new students.

Built on a Greenfield site, the buildings consist of traditional masonry cavity wall construction with pre-cast concrete hollow rib floors. The exterior finish of the structure is made up of powder coated steel cladding and brickwork. The building is finished with an aluminium standing seam roof and has triple glazed windows with aluminium composite timber frames.

Design features include solar thermal systems as well as a highly insulated envelope built to passiv haus standards with heat recovery in ventilation. A CHP unit will provide heating and hot water.

In comparison to previous accommodation, improvements have been made in construction and performance, which have

made this expansion more cost effective, whilst providing a bigger living space.

Vice-Chancellor Dr John Cater, said: This is excellent news for the University and the community, creating over 200 construction and 50 permanent jobs at a time of economic recession, part of our £55m of investment in the local area and providing international-class facilities for over 4,000 local users every week.

“Once we received support from the Secretary of State, work started on site immediately. The end result will see the creation of the eastern campus and will provide space for new student learning and living facilities for many years to come, making it a campus that truly matches, in both quality and scale, the very best in the United Kingdom.

“We are very grateful for the support we have received from the Borough Council as we strive to turn these ambitious plans into reality.”

Premier Inn Hanover Street An £8 million project to construct a new Premier Inn hotel in Liverpool is nearing completion.

The project comprises the construction of a 183-bedroom hotel along with seven ground floor restaurant/retail units and is currently due to reach completion in late-October 2012. The project also includes a number of associated external works, including the creation of a service road which is located to the rear of the development.

Watkin Jones & Sons is the main contractor on the project, Allison Pike Partnership are the architects.

Allison Pike Partnership Associate, Simon Pryce, said: “Premier Inn Hanover Street is the penultimate part of the Liverpool One site which is currently taking shape in Liverpool.

“Liverpool PSDA, which comprises of a partnership between Grosvenor Group and Liverpool City Council, purchased a large area of Liverpool with plans for regeneration. This scheme included the Liverpool One shopping centre and amongst others, Premier Inn Hanover Street.

“Premier Inn Hanover Street is plot 21 of the 22 plot master plan and creates a vista between Liverpool One and the nearby Paradise Street. The site is a flagship development for Premier Inn in the north of England and is one of their largest sites to open in recent years. The scheme also creates seven retail/ restaurant units at ground level.”

Work began on the project in July 2011. Prior to work taking place on the development a car park existed on the site, but this was demolished before construction crews moved onto the project.

The new building is being constructed from concrete foundations with a steel frame, and includes metal decked floors, brick and block elevations, rainscreen cladding and Kingspan wall panels. A single-ply roof system is also being used on the hotel, whilst double-glazed aluminium windows are being installed

throughout the hotel.

A key area of the hotel is a stunning glazed entrance which creates a focal point for the building as it sits alongside Liverpool One shopping centre.

All of the restaurant/retail units on the project are being installed within the ground level of the development. Main contractors Watkin Jones & Sons has created the shells for the retail units with fit-out works taking place once retailers are appointed.

Upon entry into the building the main foyer opens out to staircases and two lifts which will take guests up to the first floor reception area. In addition to the reception, the first floor also houses the hotel restaurant and a number of bedrooms, whilst the remainder of the guest bedrooms will be located on the three floors and above.

Watkin Jones & Sons Contracts Manager, Nick Bumby, said:

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N o r th We s t “Premier Inn Hanover Street is currently nearing completion, with just internal fit-out and decoration works remaining. Some external works will also need to be completed which include completing David Lewis Street, the service road to the rear of the hotel.

“Premier Inn Hanover is a very important project for Watkin Jones & Sons to be involved with. We are delivering this hotel to meet Premier Inn’s very high standards of quality and with work continuing to progress well we are confident that we will meet their expectations.”

First phase of Barton Village development is complete An exciting project has seen the transformation of the Engels tower block at City West Housing Trust’s flagship Barton Village development.

The canal-side block is the first of four to be completed in a £14.3 million retro-fit refurbishment programme for the area.

City West Housing Trust has transformed the 1960s concrete tower block to create a modern residence that is eco-friendly, secure and energy efficient.

Under the 50-week project, all of the one and two-bedroom apartments have been remodelled to provide occupants with an open plan kitchen and living space, whilst the balconies have been enclosed to create a conservatory area. In addition, all of the windows have been replaced with self-cleaning and energy efficient panes.

Further improvements include the fitting of new kitchens, bathrooms and radiators. Furthermore, the exterior of the building has been completely wrapped with a thermal cladding, which has improved the thermal efficiency and made the building more aesthetically pleasing.

Main contractor for the project is Bullock Construction and the architect is the Halsall Lloyd Partnership.

Collette McKune, Director of Asset Management for City West

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Housing Trust, said: “We are delighted to be welcoming residents home to their newly modernised apartments, which provide some of the most cutting edge technology to keep their homes safe, secure and warm at a much lower cost.

“Work finishing on Engels is a very significant milestone in City West’s high rise improvement programme. It is the first of our 12 tower blocks to be completed and it sets the standard for the remainder of the programme. We will be providing sustainable, modern affordable homes for our customers.”

Michael Barton, 49, has lived at Engels House for five years. He praised the project, saying: “The refurbishments will bring the area into the 21st century and give people real pride in their homes. Because we have been consulted throughout, the work has really brought the community together – community spirit has returned. I can’t wait to move back in.”

One of the most exciting aspects of the project is the wealth of green technologies that have been implemented. Along with a state-of-the-art ventilation system and high insulation cladding, the development has been fitted with the award-winning EcoPod system.

Designed by Belfry, the EcoPod combines highly efficient cascade boilers with solar power. The free energy provided by the solar gain will be used before the cascade boilers switch on and will top up the heating and hot water supply. It is expected that the EcoPod will eliminate fuel poverty and reduce heating costs and carbon emissions by more than 40%.

Collette Mckune said: “In the past, residents living in these blocks have been faced with fuel poverty, as many of the people who live here are our older and more vulnerable customers, so we knew we had to provide a solution that would address this. The EcoPod allows us to heat these apartments at a cost that the people who live here can more readily afford, so we are tackling fuel poverty head on.

“Crucially, it also alerts us when vulnerable residents are not using their hot water, which is a great early warning mechanism when temperatures plummet in the winter. We can then step in and offer any additional support or sign post them in the direction of where they can access any winter fuel allowances.”

The refurbishment of Barton Village heralds the start of a wider regeneration programme in the Barton area of Eccles, which lies at the heart of the industrial revolution on the banks of the Bridgewater Canal.

The second phase of the high rise improvement programme will see £20 million invested in improving blocks at Ladywell Green in the heart of Eccles. In total, 349 homes at Craunton, Cremer, Ewood and Kemball will be refurbished to the same high standard as Barton Village.

Jon Hinson, Regional Director for Bullock Construction, commented:

“The Engels building at Barton Village is a great example of a tower block, built in the late 1960s, brought back to life in the 21st century, through careful design and considerate construction.

“The building typifies how sustainable methods can be applied successfully to mature buildings to reduce carbon emissions and save on energy costs for the benefit of customers.

“Bullock Construction looks forward to continuing the strong partnering relationship with City West on the following phases at Barton Village and supporting local employment initiatives to get skilled tradesmen back into work.”

Stannah: A moving service in Liverpool Cathedral The installation of a Stannah, bespoke glass, through-car, MRL (machine room-less) passenger lift in Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral is bringing access for all.

The new eight-person, two-stop, lift has been installed by the North West England & North Wales branch of Stannah Lift Services into the beautiful lower-level Lady Chapel at the Anglican Cathedral.

With the new bespoke passenger lift’s assistance, people of all mobility levels can access the tranquil haven of the Chapel to sit for a period of quietness, prayer or reflective contemplation.

In addition, visitors can also view the reredos (altarpiece) and principal windows from a balcony directly opposite the altar, and the newly restored window – depicting the Presentation of Christ in the Temple.

Working in partnership with the Cathedral’s building company the bespoke passenger lift was supplied, installed, tested and commissioned by the Stannah Lift Services team to a specification by international consulting services company, Lerch Bates.

The specification of the lift demanded that the centre line of the top floor door was central to the point of the existing stone arch; the rear of the top serving entrance was cladded in plaster board; and the lower level was fully glazed – to include a glass landing door. This final specification ensured that the installation of the lift minimised impact on the surrounding architecture whilst at the same time maximised the sense of space.

The lift’s motor room-less feature economically houses the operational elements in the lift structure and, by positioning the lift counterweight to the rear of the shaft, persons on the lower level corridor can see through the glass lift shaft when the lift is on the upper landing. When not in use, the lift is programmed to relocate to the upper landing after a period of inactivity.

Stuart Haynes, Media Manager for Liverpool Cathedral, said: “Before the arrival of our Stannah bespoke passenger lift, access to the Lady Chapel was by stairs only, so many of our visitors missed out on its valued presence in this magnificent Cathedral. Not only has the lift brought democratic access to the Chapel, it is sympathetic to the Gothic Revival architecture, complementing the ecclesiastical environment to become an integral part of the building.”

The Stannah bespoke passenger lift is serviced by the North West England & North Wales branch of Stannah Lift Services, part of a nationwide network providing 24 hour, 365 days a year support. This level of service covers repair, modernisation and refurbishment of all types of lifts, stairlifts, escalators and moving walkways – not only those from the Stannah product range, but also other lift manufacturers’ equipment.

Stannah also offers a bespoke lifts service, custom-building lifts to meet customers’ specific requirements.

Since 1867, Stannah has continued a family tradition; to keep people and goods moving. With more than 30,000 new installs per year and over 220,000 site visits too, the company gives its

customers expert support right across its portfolio.

For more information on Stannah please visit: www.stannahlifts.co.uk; call 01264 364311; or email liftservices@stannah. co.uk.

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N o r th E a s t & Yo r ks h i re

Award winning lighting scheme for Sunderland A feature lighting scheme for Roker seafront in Sunderland has won a Local Government News’ (LGN) 2012 Street Design Award.

The scheme for Marine Walk, part of Sunderland City Council’s Seafront Masterplan, has been awarded LGN’s Public Lighting Award 2012.

Developed by Aurora Street Lighting and working alongside the City Council’s in-house landscape architects, the scheme was funded by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) Sea Change fund.

Leader of Sunderland City Council, Councillor Paul Watson said: “The City Council is committed to improving green spaces in Sunderland and we are thrilled that this work has been recognised in this way.

“We are absolutely delighted with the improvements which have been made. As the winning entry in the LGN’s Public Lighting category, Marine Walk has received fantastic feedback far and wide and is just one of a number of developments which form our ongoing seafront regeneration.

“Our £3.6m transformation of Barnes Park in partnership with the Heritage Lottery Fund has also been tremendously received by those who have visited it. Although the park narrowly missed out on being named winner of the LGN’s Urban Green Space award, the feedback from the independent panel of judges was extremely encouraging and we are delighted once again with the recognition of the improvements made.”

Editor of Local Government News, Laura Sharman, added: “I was delighted to announce that Marine Walk was chosen as the winner of the Public Lighting category in the 2012 Street Design Awards. Our judges were extremely impressed by the work Sunderland City Council has done in transforming the seafront and how the new lighting scheme will contribute to the economic success of the area.”

With the new lighting scheme in place a 12-month lighting cycle is currently on display which takes into account a variety of design schemes that are showcased throughout the year. The designs were chosen by members of the public and will light up the area by night, whilst during the day the bespoke lighting columns will provide an attractive addition to the area.

The cliffs at Holey Rock Corner are being lit using Philips Colorburst LED spotlights, while the beach is lit using Philips ColorBlast LED floodlights. All of the lighting is controlled from a central location using a DMX controller.

The lighting has not only improved lighting along the seafront it has also reduced energy costs by 50%.

Cabinet Secretary, Councillor Mel Speeding added: “The brief was to develop a modern, sustainable take on the once popular Sunderland illuminations. We asked people to give us their ideas through a design competition, which invited residents to choose a collection of different colour arrangements for different months of the year.

“This proved really popular with local schools and from the 100 plus entries received we chose fifteen winning designs, which included designs for each month of the year, Valentine’s Day, Bonfire Night and RNLI day.

“The lighting, along with other public realm improvements, has transformed Roker Seafront and extended the lifetime of the resort into the evening. You can now see people using and enjoying the space every day. It’s an attractive and dramatic events space.”

Launched in 2009, Sunderland’s Seafront Regeneration project was introduced to make important improvements to both the beach and seafront in Sunderland.

The first completed phase of the scheme comprised the transformation of Roker Seafront into a dynamic events space, complete with cliff-side lighting.

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N o r th E a s t & Yo r ks h i re The recently transformed site includes a new raised viewing area with feature steps, a stage/performance area and the new lighting scheme. In addition, the phase included new bench seating and new paving, whilst an historic path underwent a series of refurbishment.

Locally sourced granite and magnesian limestone was used as the main construction material in the Roker Seafront project as it perfectly links the new improvements with the existing landscape.

LITE Ltd Working closely with Balfour Beatty Living Places, and in conjunction with Philips Lighting, LITE Ltd co-designed and provided a programmable and highly flexible street lighting scheme to upgrade the very popular beach area, at Marine Walk, Roker Beach Sunderland.

With the focal point being a new natural amphitheatre, located near the cliffs, and the entrance to Roker Park and other well know local landmarks, the design brief was to create a colourful lighting scheme to enhance the environment. Involvement of the local community, with the choice of colours decided by a local competition held in the nearby primary schools, it is hoped will encourage the local community to make more use of the space for event based activities.

One of the major features of the lighting scheme is the 255 event programmable lighting controller. Based on an anatomical clock, which automatically controls the start and finish times of the lighting, according to the time of year, it enables the lights to be used to highlight special occasions such as Valentine’s day, Saints days and Christmas/New Year.

To provide night time illuminate to both the cliffs and the beach, specially designed variable height lighting columns, which complied with normal road use, were designed and manufactured.

On these were mounted the high efficiency Phillips DALI dimmable CosmoPolis lanterns which provide low operating costs and high performance and produce a warm white light. These were

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combined with high-performance ColorBlast and ColorBurst high-intensity LEDs to generate rich, saturated colours and colour-changing effects for a range of wall-washing and floodlighting applications.

Activated by a lighting controller, located in the feeder pillar the wireless system runs along the whole 450 m frontage.

Located within each column a DALI to DMX converter allows the feature lighting to commence once the lanterns are dimmed.

The wireless controls were sourced and supplied by LITE and integrated into the columns with special high powered aerials from Lumenradio.

The Stone Chef LTD Nigel Fenwick, at the cutting edge of landscape design, has burst through even his own boundaries with the creation of his rock chair series. Innovative, wild and full of spirit, these beautiful river rocks and boulders will grace any garden, parkland or grounds.

Based in Porlock, West Somerset, Nigel designs primarily from this village within the Exmoor National Park. He chooses his stone from sustainable sources and is fully involved with each design piece from the conception to its birth in the flesh. And anything from stone is possible, hence his reputation as “The Stone Chef.

The Stone Chef offers a complete service, from the bespoke creation of the stone, through to transportation of it to its destination.

Current and past projects include universities, councils, National Trust, Eden Project, Hilton Hotel, English Heritage and island projects.

On the Roker Seafront project The Stone Chef LTD supplied all of the stone chairs on the site. Due to the success of the project The Stone Chef LTD will be supplying additional chairs on the remainder of the ongoing improvement scheme.

New sporting facilities for Walney School A £6 million project to construct a new sports hall for Walney School has been completed.

The project comprised the creation of the new sporting facility – which accommodates a range of activities including basketball, badminton and netball – plus the addition of ten new classrooms at the Sandy Gap Lane school. The new sports hall also includes a public access point – with a reception area – as well as changing facilities, so that the building can be used by the wider community.

In addition, new parking facilities, including disabled parking spaces and a new vehicular drop-off point for children with special needs, was also installed on the site.

Preston-based contractor Eric Wright Construction was the main contractor on the project, whilst Capita Symonds was the architect. The work was implemented by Cumbria County Council and forms part of the council’s overall education expansion programme in Cumbria.

Work began on the sports hall in summer 2011 and reached completion in July 2012, ahead of the new term in September.

Once work was completed on the sporting facility, the second phase of the project commenced which consisted of the erection of a new building for ten classrooms and the remodelling of existing facilities at the school.

During the works Eric Wright Construction produced a newsletter to keep both neighbours and parents updated on the site’s progress.

The new classrooms were designed to house a range of departments including humanities, foreign languages, music and art. Each classroom includes a number of interesting features,

such as interactive white boards and solar shading, whilst the building features a sedum grass roof. In addition, all of the classrooms include natural ventilation systems.

With the new classrooms in place the previous humanities department was reworked to become a pupil support department, whilst the old art rooms were remodelled to become a multifunction room for maths, science, technology and engineering.

Prior to work taking place on the site, a new sports hall at Walney School had been in the pipeline since 2004, however, plans were put on hold in 2006 when secondary education in Barrow underwent a process of reorganisation.

Walney School Head Teacher, Alan Dickenson, commented: “A sports hall has been a long time coming, but it has been worth the wait and we were eager to get in and share the facilities with our pupils and the community.

“You get a real sense of space; there has been no compromise in this building. Eric Wright Construction has done a fantastic job.”

Alan Dickenson added: “We are tremendously indebted to Cumbria Children’s Services which has secured the funds for our project in a very difficult financial climate.”

In addition to the new sporting and education facilities at Walney School, a brand new uniform will also be introduced over the next 12 months to complement the new developments.

The new uniform will include a change in the school’s colour scheme – reflecting the school’s recent transformation – and will also introduce a new school logo.

Walney School Business Manager, Vanessa Lloyd, said:

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N o r th E a s t & Yo r ks h i re “We rebranded the school logo and the colours and we had this fantastic expansion project, so it seemed the ideal time to update the uniform for September 2012.”

All of the pupils at Walney School will wear the new uniform by September 2013, with the old uniforms being collected together and sent to Africa to aid in ongoing education projects.

Eric Wright Group Founded in 1923, Eric Wright Group is a leading name in the industry, offering clients a wide choice of building options that take into account design, construction and financial responsibility.

From its base of operations in Preston, Eric Wright Group employs approximately 250 members of staff, with many members having more than 20 years of experience in the industry. The company completes work for both the private and public sectors and has an in-house team which includes surveyors, engineers, designers and a financial, legal and accountancy department.

Multi-million reconstruction of Northside Bridge is taking shape Main contractor Birse Civils is carrying out an important project to reconstruct the Northside Bridge in Workington, Cumbria. Designed by Capita Symonds, the bridge will carry vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists on a similar alignment to that of the previous bridge.

The three-span bridge is being clad in a mixture of new sandstone and sandstone that has been recovered from the original NorthsideBridge, which was destroyed during floods in November 2009. Each of the three sections is 60-metres long and consists of two steel ‘I’-shaped beams to form the main support to carry the road above.

Funding for the project has been supplied via a £11.7 million investment by the Department for Transport (Dft), and the project reached a key milestone in April 2012 when the steel ‘backbone’ of the structure spanned the River Derwent for the first time.

Cumbria County Chairman, Councillor Norman Clarkson, said: “With the central steel sections in place, the local community can now really see the new structure taking shape. It’s great to see the outline of the bridge and today marks a benchmark moment in the construction project.”

Stuart Macfarlane, Birse Civils, added: “Installing the final sections of bridge beams is always a key moment in the delivery of a project like this as it emphasises the progress being made. It is even more significant in this case as it will re-establish the connection between the north and south banks of the River Derwent on the alignment of the original Northside Bridge.

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“Through our engagement with the local community we are fully aware of the interest in the link and this is a key step towards the successful completion of the bridge for them.”

On Thursday 19th July 2012, pupils from Northside Primary School buried a time capsule containing objects from the school’s past and present alongside the new Northside Bridge.

Items included a book about what the children would like to be when they grow up, along with stories written about the Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Vice Chairman of Cumbria County Council, Councillor Alan Barry, commented: “This time capsule is part of the engagement with the local community and we are fully aware of the importance of the bridge to everyone in the area. The reconstruction and reopening of the Northside Bridge remains on schedule and will reestablish the connection between the north and south banks of the River Derwent later this year.”

Phil Dilworth, Birse Civils, added: “The school is very close to the bridge and our site, so we enjoyed both the interest from the school and the local community with the various milestones such as the main beam installation earlier in the spring. The bridge has a special place in the heart of the community so it was only right that we invited some of its younger members to take part in a little piece of local history.”

Expansion for Sainsbury’s in Darlington Sainsbury’s on Victoria Street in Darlington has undergone a £13 million expansion in order to provide more services for the town, almost doubling the space in the north east store.

The project began in January 2012 lasting a total of 33 weeks.

The new store launched on 22nd August 2012 and is now fully up and running.

The store now provides improved store facilities and more car parking spaces.

Project manager Paul O’Brien said: “The project started with a front extension to the store and the construction of a raised deck car park. Then we moved on to work on a side extension at the same time as the refurbishment of the inside of the store and back of house area, restructure of the deli and warehouse.”

Longcross Construction was the main contractor and the architect was Hadfield Cawkwell Davidson.

Longcross can provide a range of services including design and build, management contracting, construction management and traditional construction. The company was set up in the mid-1990s by three founding Directors in order to better deliver what the industry needed. In addition to the Darlington Sainsbury’s store, Longcross have worked on other developments for Sainsbury’s as well as projects at the University of Oxford, Tesco, Imperial College NHS Trust, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Natural History Museum and Pizza Hut. Hadfield Cawkwell Davidson is based in Sheffield and was established in 1834, becoming a Limited Company on 1st April 2008. The firm now has around 100 professional staff working throughout the country. Hadfield Cawkwell design has worked on numerous projects all differing greatly in design. As well as other Sainsbury’s projects, they have worked on residential projects, shopping centres, leisure centres, restoration projects and engineering projects, such as the New Wembley Stadium in London.

The new Sainsbury’s Darlington store now provides over 550 parking spaces, a pharmacy, key cutting services, Sainsbury’s clothing range, cookware range and an improved mezzaninelevel restaurant. It’s range of non-food products, including homewares, CD’s and DVD’s have particularly been expanded.

There is also a petrol station, recycling services, two ATM’s and customer toilets.

The supermarket has said that the newly refurbished store will create 120 new jobs.

Paul O’Brien told Premier Construction about the build.

He said: “The extension to the store was a steel frame construction with cladding panels and curtain wall. The car park was a lightweight mezzanine car park.

“It was a difficult build logistically. We had to maintain the level of parking, which meant we needed to build the car park before we took parking spaces away. Logistically it was quite a difficult task with the position of the front extension and the car

park going up. We also had limited access with it being within a highly populated residential area and being so close to the town centre.”

“The store was also open while the work was going on; it only closed for seven days.”

The whole store, including staff areas, has been refurbished, allowing Sainsbury’s to increase the scope and availability of the range they can offer.

Paul O’Brien added: “I have worked on several large jobs for Longcross but obviously this is a high value development, the budget was around £13 million. It was quite a standard build, but the trickiest bit was the access.

For the community, it’s a much improved environment, they’ve got more parking which is also servicing the town centre, and generally you’ve got an excellent improvement to the store.”

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Constructing Keele Valley Phase One Phase One of Keele Valley Business Park has reached completion.

Located on Cemetery Road, Newcastle, Keele Valley Business Park is a brand new business park from Vinewood Developments. The park is conveniently located near to the A34 and the M6 (J15), and is in close proximity to Keele University and Newcastle-under-Lyme town centre.

Phase One of Keele Valley Business Park comprises a 5,384 sq feet high-end commercial office building, a 60 space car park and associated landscaped areas. Work began on the first phase in February 2011, with work reaching completion in August 2012.

Two additional phases are now planned for the site and these will comprise Phase Two – construction of a similar 5,000+ sq ft building – and Phase Three – construction of a slightly larger, 7,000 sq ft building.

Vinewood Developments’ construction company Clarke Construction is the main contractor on the site and Ellis Hillman Partnership is the architect. The Co-Operative Bank is providing funding for Keele Valley Business Park.

The new building on Phase One of the project was constructed from a brick with a steel frame and features UPVC windows, aluminium door frames, a concrete tiled roof, a brickwork exterior and a rock panel facade. The building was built to meet all current building requirements, and this included air testing the unit and installing solar glass and double glazing to control the heat that enters and leaves the building.

Features of the new building include LGT5 lighting, suspended ceilings, a DDA compliant lift, and perimeter trunking with power points and data sockets. Meanwhile, security features include a fire alarm system, a video door entry system, a Nacoss approved intruder alarm system and secure car parking via the use of an electronic barrier. Fibre optic connections will also be made available on the site upon request.

Before work began on Keele Valley Business Park Phase One, the site was previously a car dealership which was demolished prior to construction work taking place.

Craig Clarke, Clarke Construction, said: “Keele Valley Business Park is located quite close to the centre of Newcastle-under-Lyme; just five minutes by bus and is perfectly situated in an area where there are already a couple of business parks nearby.”

Craig Clarke added: “We have two companies – Vinewood Developments and Clarke Construction – with the construction company set up to build projects for the development arm. In addition, we also have an investment portfolio which is constantly running in the background.

“The majority of our clients are government bodies, training groups or councils – including the NHS, Stoke City Council, JHP, Balfour Beatty and Remploy to name just a few. We are

always looking at the feasibility of new sites and moving forward we may start building outside of the area.”

Martin Lee, Co-Operative Bank, said: “We’re delighted to support a project that proves how well-run businesses with proven corporate strategies such as Clarke Construction can succeed despite the difficult conditions blighting the wider economy.

“We pride ourselves on our tried and trusted strategy of providing long-term relationship banking.”

Durham Cathedral Work on Durham Cathedral first began in 1093 and now, almost 920 years later, the way that visitors experience this magnificent building is set to be transformed.

The Open Treasure project plans to open up the space in the Cathedral’s Claustral buildings to allow visitors to appreciate more of the beautiful architecture. The development will include a sequence of linked exhibition spaces, a new shop and choir vestries, along with improved access for disabled visitors.

The £8 million project will be split over several phases, with Phase One completed in September 2012. Estimated to have a value of £1.5 million, the phase saw the redevelopment of the area known as the Undercroft, which lies directly below the

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space known as the Monks’ dormitory located off the Cathedral Cloisters.

Phase Two of Open Treasure, the Monk’s Dormitory marks the start of a new exhibition route which will display both the Cathedral’s own treasures and to house temporary exhibitions, as Head of Property at Durham Cathedral, John Holmes, explained: “Before, the space was an underused area and contained display and exhibition areas which were inadequate. We are trying to get more people to the Cathedral and also provide a better experience. It’s a stunning place already and this will enable them to better enjoy the Cathedral’s treasures.”

This is a major project for the Cathedral and the subject of a major fundraising campaign. A grant application is being submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund. A first stage pass has already been received for £3.5 million which means that HLF support the project in principle and will welcome a more detailed application for the amount proposed. A number of organisations are supporting the work already in progress including the Friends of Durham Cathedral.

Main contractor for Phase One the project was SIMPSON (York) Ltd and the architect was Purcell Miller Tritton. The Cathedral’s own yard staff, comprising a dedicated team of stone masons and specialist joiners who continually maintain and conserve the building, carried out the enabling works.

Dunhouse Natural Stone is the stone supplier for the restoration of the Durham Cathedral project.

Dunhouse Natural Stone Managing Director, Paul Allison, commented: “Dunhouse Quarry is proud to have supplied the stone for the ongoing restoration of Durham Cathedral and we hope to continue to do so for the foreseeable future.”

SIMPSON is vastly experienced, having worked on numerous heritage and listed building projects throughout the past, including Bishopthorpe Palace, York and Bowes Museum and Barnard Castle. They also have a large construction arm and are one of the largest fit-out companies in the UK, having recently completed work for some of the most established retailers in the UK. The project has involved taking down some of the more recently erected stone walls and lifting sections of the original stone flooring in order to install under floor heating. In addition, a new stone floor has been laid and the existing undercroft ceiling has been lime washed.

Further works will include the installation of a platform lift to help improve disabled access and the fixture of a number of feature glass screens for the retail and restaurant area.

John Holmes said: “Because the development is within the stone vaulted area of the Undercroft, everything has to be approved by the Cathedral’s Fabric Commission for England, a statutory body, as well as other consultative organisations, and has to be carried out in a very sensitive way. The stone needs to match what is already there, whilst woodwork and specialist joinery fittings have to complement the existing structure.

“We are also significantly improving the accessibility. As you can imagine with a Norman and medieval site, access has previously been very difficult. The Cathedral is looking to make all public areas fully accessible for disabled visitors and wheelchair users, which it has never been before.”

“We aspire towards RICS, RIBA and heritage awards in the future and are designing it to the highest quality that we possibly can.”

Mark Cregan Operations Director of SIMPSON, spoke of their aim to make best use of the Cathedral’s amazing spaces: “This project is about improving the whole experience and making it better for visitors – for example the shop, cathedral and other facilities are currently tucked away in small rooms, whilst the café/restaurant is located in another area of the building.

“Access to the development has been difficult and it has been approached in a sensitive manner due to the historic fabric we are working on. However, we are professionals in this field so it hasn’t delayed our main schedule in any way. We have taken on the challenges a building of this nature produces into consideration, and have programmed the works accordingly.”

SIMPSON craftsmen are using traditional lime plaster, lime wash and oak for all the feature joinery, including the fit-out of the new vestry and choristers. The company is also fitting feature lighting to enhance the undercroft, with the feature glass screens supplied by OAG - who carried out the glazing works on the recently completed St. Pancras Station in London.

Mark Cregan commented: “We are currently carrying out the ground works to allow the

underfloor heating to be installed, whilst all of the bespoke joinery is currently being produced in our own joiners shop. There is an air of excitement amongst our directly employed joiners and apprentices working on the stunning furniture, but the real feature is the space itself- it’s amazing.

“It was a dark dingy place previously unsuitable for the exhibits to be displayed and we’re bringing it to life. Open the Treasures is all about walking around the space and being able to appreciate and absorb all the dimensions the cathedral has to offer. It’s a beautiful cathedral and we at SIMPSON are privileged to have been selected as the preferred contractor to carry out these works.”

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Made in Birmingham: redeveloping Thinktank Located within Birmingham’s impressive Millennium Point building, Thinktank is an innovative science museum offering visitors fascinating insights into the subjects of science and technology. Thinktank opened in 2001 and features over 200 hands-on displays, a state-of-the-art digital planetarium, a fantastic new Science Garden and a full programme of exciting activities for all the family.

At present, Thinktank is undergoing an extensive programme of refurbishment works to improve the first floor gallery. The project, known as Made in Birmingham, comprises the complete refurbishment of the gallery and the introduction of new exhibits.

To help facilitate the project the dining area has been removed from the first floor of the museum and is now located on the lower ground floor.

Work began on the Made in Birmingham project in June 2012 with the complete strip out of Level 0 and Level 1 of the site. The refurbishment works are currently scheduled to reach completion in November 2012 and will be followed by a complete fit-out scheme to install the new science equipment.

Once work is complete on the project the new gallery will focus on displays and exhibits which showcase production and manufacturing procedures that are closely linked to the West Midlands area.

During the programme of works Thinktank remains open to the public and all efforts are being made to keep visitors updated on which areas of the site are closed.

Beck Interiors Ltd is the main fit-out specialist contractor on the Made in Birmingham project, whilst At Large is the exhibition designer. Beck Interiors has been appointed as the main

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contractor to undertake the refurbishment of two galleries on the site and was responsible for transforming Level 0 into a multifunctional dining area.

Gavin Ridley, Beck Interiors, said: “Following the careful disassembly and removal of the existing displays, we are currently installing a raised access floor with integral structural supports in readiness to accept the objects as part of the gallery transformation. Works also include, bespoke floor finishes, electrical & lighting, display cases, graphics, decorations, setworks and artefact display plinths.

“Beck Interiors is proud to be associated with this exciting project that will further enhance the Thinktank visitor experience.”

Eleanor Clarke of Focus Consultants LLP is the project manager and is overseeing all of the redevelopment work at Thinktank.

Focus Consultants LLP Project Manager, Eleanor Clarke, said: “We have been involved with Thinktank since 2008; from getting the funding in place to starting work on the new gallery and completing the recent Science Garden.

“The work that we are conducting is very much targeted at people who wouldn’t normally attend a museum, and we want to show people where industrial Birmingham has come from and where it is heading in the future.

“The new Made in Birmingham gallery will be highly interactive and will include exhibits which highlight the reasons as to why certain materials are selected when products are being manufactured.

“In addition, as there is a strong history of car manufacturing in Birmingham the gallery will also include an exhibition focusing on the Mini and all its unique components.”

Made in Birmingham is part of a much larger scheme that is currently underway to regenerate services and provisions at Thinktank. The refurbishment of the gallery follows the recent completion of the site’s new Science Garden which opened to the public in June 2012.

The Science Garden is an outdoor discovery space, loaded with interactive exhibits and attractions which are designed to appeal to all the family.

Work began on the £2.8 million Science Garden in October 2011. Fitzgerald Civil Engineering Contractors completed all of the groundworks and landscaping on the project whilst Science Projects was responsible for the installation of the new science equipment.

International urban and landscape designers, Gillespies, were

responsible for the design work on the Science Garden, whilst Outside Studios designed the exhibits.

The Science Garden is situated directly outside Thinktank and is the first of its kind in the UK. All of the machines and equipment contained within the garden are linked back to exhibits within the museum and the landscaped space is divided into three distinct zones.

Zone One – Mobilise – focuses on transport, power and movement; Zone Two – Mechanise –includes the 8 metre high motion machine known as the Terminus – and Zone Three – Energise –focuses on wind, solar and human power.

Eleanor Clarke said: “As part of Birmingham City Council’s redevelopment of Birmingham’s East Side plans were in place to create a large green space alongside Millennium Point.

“Thinktank saw this as an opportunity to create the Science Garden to sit comfortably in the middle of the wider green area.

The idea was to turn Thinktank into an all-season destination with internal galleries for the winter months and an external area for the warmer summer season.

“Before we started on the new gallery we completed the Science Garden however we phased the works so that the garden would be open in time for us to move work from one area to another.

“The Science Garden is very eye-catching and can be viewed from the nearby train lines at Birmingham New Street Station.

Children love it and everyone has been getting involved with the exhibits – including all age ranges and abilities.

“The new outside presence also ensures that Thinktank no longer gets lost within the Millennium Point building and despite the disappointing weather this summer the feedback has been very good.”

Made in Birmingham is being funded by Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), SITA Trust, Millennium Point Trust and a range of other charitable trusts and foundations. The Science Garden is funded by Biffa Award, the Wellcome Trust, Millennium Point Trust and other charitable trusts and foundations.

Made in Birmingham officially opens to the public in February 2013.

Michelin Tyre PLC wheels out important upgrade A tyre manufacturing facility in Stoke-on-Trent is currently undergoing an extensive refurbishment programme.

The £20 million Michelin Remix Modernisation project is being implemented by Michelin Tyre PLC to modernise and improve services at its Staffordshire plant. The works will see the installation of standardised processing equipment in order for Michelin to raise both the standards of technology and the technical competencies of its staff.

ETDE is the non-process principle contractor on the project and is responsible for all of the non-process supply work, the installation of infrastructure and the construction of a new extension at the facility.

IMECA – a subsidiary of Michelin – is supplying the new machinery for the project, whilst ARCADIS is working alongside ETDE to complete architectural work. The Rolton Group is the structural, mechanical and electrical consultant.

Jethro Smith from Michelin is the project manager on the site and will be overseeing all of the work at the facility until it reaches completion in July 2013. The project is being funded by Michelin and through a grant given by the Business Innovation and Skills Council.

Jethro Smith said: “We recently started producing some new truck tyre ranges – manufactured using Michelin Durable Technologies – which ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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offer much improved levels of performance. The work that we are conducting on this project links into the development of these new tyres and forms part of our overall strategy of Total Performance related to all our products.

“Once existing tyres have worn down they come back to our facility in Stoke-on-Trent where they are re-manufactured to achieve the same performance standards as our new tyres. In order for us to be able to do this we have had to reconfigure the plant to introduce new machinery. The machinery has been designed by Michelin and is standardised across the Group.”

ETDE Regional Director, Dominic Callan, commented: “ETDE offer turnkey, integrated process solutions to a wide variety of industries. Getting the opportunity to extend this service to a company of the stature of Michelin is very important to our

business here in the UK. “Our in-house design services developed the scope of the project working closely with Jethro and his team here in Stoke, as well as his colleagues in Clermont Ferrand.

Our international presence made this interaction easier.

“Our solution integrates the civil engineering, mechanical and electrical services, and construction activities, offering Michelin a single point of responsibility from design to construction and through to commissioning.”

Dominic Callan added: “The first phase of the project has been achieved on programme thanks to the great team spirit between both parties.”

Work began on the Michelin Remix Modernisation project in July 2011. Internal works comprise a phased reconfiguration of the existing workshop – to transform it into a highly automated state-of-the-art manufacturing facility – and the installation of new machinery.

A new building management system, a number of automatic closing doors and conveyor belts will also be installed.

Meanwhile, improvements will be made to the electrical distribution systems and the water cooling distribution systems.

Additional works on the site include the erection of an extension and the excavation of a four-metre deep basement to house six new curing presses. Each curing press weighs 30 tonnes, measures 7 metres in height and will be used during the vulcanising stage of the tyre manufacturing process.

Jethro said: “We completed the first phase of Michelin Remix Modernisation project in April 2012 which allowed us to produce the first tyre on our new production line. Phase Two will now improve the line so that we can close down the existing production line.

“Whilst work is underway the plant remains operational although we did reduce the production space down by around 50% in order to remove some of the existing machines.

“Since the project started we have only had to shut the plant for a total of five weeks and so far the biggest challenge has been to fit the new equipment into the footprint of the site.

“Safety is always important and so we are co-ordinating the flow of production and people whilst equipment is being installed in the building. If we ever have a contractor working in an area where we have staff we have measures in place to ensure that everyone is aware of where they can and can’t be. We are continually revising routes to ensure a smooth operation.

“To date we have not encountered any problems whilst working on this project. Our facility is situated next to a school, so this is always a working consideration, but we ensure that we do not cause any disruptions to the neighbourhood.”

Jethro added: “Most of our employees have worked at this site for the past 15 years so we are making sure that we keep an open line of communication with all of our staff so they can see the changes that are unfolding.

“We have been on this site since 1927 and this is the largest change the plant has ever witnessed. In February 2012 we walked each employee through the programme of works so that they could see what we are doing and the positive impact that this will have on the business.

“The investment in this site will serve another generation of employees, which will in turn safeguard many highly skilled jobs.

The community has grown around this plant and once work is complete its future will be far more secure.”

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Call our news team on 01706 719972

New Pathology building at New Cross Hospital The construction of a three-storey pathology centre at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton is well underway.

Construction of the new laboratory and accompanying facilities began in September 2011 and is due to be completed in late 2012, opening in early 2013.

A steel frame is now in place and concrete floors are being installed on all three floors. The main contractor on the 4,160 square metre centre is Morgan Sindall.

The pathology department handles various patient requirements such as blood tests, urine tests, and identifying viral and bacterial infections among patients. Once work is complete the centre will house various pathology functions and facilities including the microbiology, haematology, clinical chemistry and hisopathology units.

It is hoped the new unit will help to reduce patient waiting times as it will be able to handle tests more quickly, allowing patients to be treated sooner and therefore recover faster.

This is not the only work planned at the hospital, which is experiencing higher patient numbers than ever before, as a £27 million critical care unit is also planned, which will include a £10m accident and emergency centre.

In addition, a £550,000 extension will be built for the pre-operative assessment unit, beginning in October 2012. This new unit will provide separate male and female lounges for patients before they go into surgery and also discharge lounge facilities for patients recovering from surgery.

To accompany the project, the construction of a multi-million pound multi-storey car park, beginning in November 2012, will also create hundreds of new parking spaces. These

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developments are part of a £400 million transformation of New Cross Hospital.

Chief Executive of Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust, David Loughton said: “It’s great to see this project taking shape on a daily basis. This is going to be a really important facility and is another significant project in our redevelopment of the New Cross site.”

Fitness for all the family at David Lloyd Worcester An £8 million sports facility for David Lloyd Leisure is currently under construction in Worcester.

The new development is the 81st site for the group and will boast a range of sporting provisions, including indoor/outdoor tennis facilities, a state-of-the-art fitness area, an indoor/outdoor heated swimming pool and a dedicated zone for children’s activities. The 5,600 sq metre development will also include two physiotherapy rooms and a wet spa area – including a sauna, steam room and spa.

David Lloyd Worcester is being constructed next to Sixways Stadium – home to Worcester Warriors rugby team – and as well as offering a vast range of sporting activities the facility will be fully staffed by a dedicated team of gym instructors. Prior to work taking place on the project the site housed overspill car parking facilities for Worcester Warriors Rugby Club.

David Lloyd Leisure Regional Director, Jason Andrews, said: “We are very excited about coming to Worcester and providing the community with what will be a fantastic club offering excellent facilities, classes, programmes and expertise.

“The Sixways Stadium site is a fabulous location for our racquets, health & fitness facilities and we are very much looking forward to working in partnership with the Worcester Warriors, a first-class rugby team.

“We are also proud to be supporting the local economy by creating some 70 to 80 full and part-time jobs.”

Work began on the site in February 2012. Ryder Architecture is the architect on the project, whilst leading Dutch contractor Pellikaan Construction is the main contractor. Pellikaan Construction is a family business, specialising in the design & build construction of sports and leisure buildings for the commercial and public sectors and has a long-standing history of working with David Lloyd Leisure on its new sites.

The new development in Worcester is being constructed using a steel structure, with a metal deck first floor, composite panel walls and aluminium frame elevations. The external facade of the building will comprise facing brickwork whilst the roof will include standard seam roofing.

An important feature of the new development will be the 900

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sq metre gym, which will become home to the latest fitness equipment, including weights, Power Plates™ and an extensive range of assisted resistance and cardiovascular equipment. The gym will also boast a full programme of classes; catering for a broad range of abilities with a studio dedicated solely to spinning classes.

Swimming facilities at David Lloyd Worcester will comprise a 25 metre indoor pool and a 20 metre outdoor pool – offering aqua aerobics, family and adult swim sessions and All Star Swimming lessons for children. David Lloyd Leisure’s All Stars Swimming for children will cater for all swimming abilities, from beginners to advanced, will be fully endorsed by the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA), with classes taught by a team of qualified coaches.

Offering activities for the entire family is very important to David Lloyd Leisure, so three indoor and five outdoor tennis courts will provide the whole family with some of the best facilities in the region. The Tennis All Stars programme – accredited by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) – will be made available to children aged 3 and upwards, whilst adults will also benefit from classes instructed by a team of LTA-qualified coaches.

Children will also be encouraged to take part in DL Kids, the club’s activity programme designed exclusively with children’s fitness in mind. Progressive coaching sessions will take place in a dedicated DL Kids zone and will be scheduled to synchronise with adult programmes.

As well as providing a range of activities to keep everyone on their toes, David Lloyd Worcester will also include a DL Café bar lounge where families can relax and socialise with friends. DL Café bar will include an outdoor terraced area and will showcase a delicious and comprehensive menu catering for both adults and children alike.

Additional facilities at David Lloyd Worcester include an outdoor play area, a crèche and a 240+ car park. Plans are also underway for an exclusive adults only spa area, which will include a salt steam room, a sauna, saunarium, tiled heated loungers and a large spa pool.

Pellikaan Construction Contracts Manager, Corné Van

Mook, said: “We have a long standing relationship with David Lloyd Leisure and have constructed David Lloyd clubs for almost 20 years.

Previous projects include David Lloyd Farnham and David Lloyd Exeter and we hope to continue constructing new builds for the brand for the foreseeable future.

“David Lloyd Worcester is being constructed on land previously owned by Worcester Warriors and the club is very excited and enthusiastic about the progress of the work. I believe that the positioning of this site is very important to its future success and once this project is complete the new David Lloyd will work very well next to the rugby club.”

David Lloyd Worcester is scheduled to open on 1st December 2012.

David Lloyd Leisure At present, David Lloyd Leisure has 80 fitness clubs in the UK, as well as an additional ten sites across Europe. The group employs over 6,000 dedicated members of staff and in total its clubs provide fitness services for over 450,000 members.

Every week 20,000 children learn to swim with David Lloyd Leisure and 14,000 children learn to play tennis. The group’s racquet facilities include 700 tennis courts, as well as 180 badminton courts and 140 squash courts. Across the David Lloyd Leisure portfolio features include health and beauty spas, nurseries and specialist sports shops.

For more information on David Lloyd Leisure please visit: www. davidlloyd.co.uk

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Constructing MIRA Technology Park A £300 million project to create a new UK business and technology park in the north west of Hinckley is underway.

The MIRA Technology Park is being built for independent vehicle engineering consultancy, MIRA. The project comprises the creation of a new state-of-the-art Engineering Centre and Technology Park to replace existing buildings with modern low carbon designs, and the creation of new community cycle paths and sporting facilities. In addition, new lakes will also be created on the site whilst a number of trees will be planted around the development.

Once work is complete on the project, MIRA Technology Park will provide a unique opportunity for transport sector companies to base their European R&D operations in a central UK location.

Deeley Construction is the main contractor on the MIRA Technology Park project, whilst Geddes Architects is providing all architectural services.

Work began on the project in early 2012. The site spans 87.5 hectare and at present work is divided into a phased programme which will take place over a ten year timeframe.

Throughout the planning and the construction stages of the project, MIRA is working closely with local authorities – including Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council – to keep an open line of communication regarding the work. In addition, MIRA received a significant investment of £19.4 million from the Regional Growth Fund to help the company to increase its business growth.

MIRA Chief Executive Officer, George Gillespie, said: “This is a pivotal moment in our 65 year history. It paves the way for an unprecedented period of growth for our business and will turn the international spotlight on our region – attracting investment, boosting jobs and benefiting local businesses.

“We worked closely with both councils and the Highways Agency throughout the planning process and are delighted that this show of local support equals that which we received from the government - which saw us granted Enterprise Zone status and awarded £19.4 million from the Regional Growth Fund.

“Having met with Nick Clegg MP to explain our engineering capabilities, the job creation potential and inward investment opportunities that our expansion represents, I was very gratified with the result – which will help to create 2000 jobs.

“This is an excellent example of government working together with the private sector to encourage growth and investment – which in our case was critical for the creation of the 155,000 sq m MIRA Technology Park development which incorporates a new MIRA engineering centre and firmly establishes both the region and the UK as a centre of excellence in transportation R&D.” The money provided by the Regional Grant Fund will be used to improve roadways around the park – including junctions along the A5 – whilst at the same time will reduce the need for future private investments.

Commenting on the Regional Growth Fund investment

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Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council Leader, Councillor Stuart Bray, said: “I was delighted with the fantastic news which is great for MIRA and great for the Borough. This will help guarantee the delivery of over 2000 new jobs to the area, many highly skilled.

It will also secure major, much needed improvements to the A5, particularly at the notorious Redgate, Longshoot and Dodwells junctions.

“The Council worked closely in partnership with colleagues at MIRA on the bid and will continue that work on helping to deliver the exciting plans for the new world class transport Technology Park.”

MIRA Technology Park is scheduled to reach completion in 2020.

Lo n d o n & S o u th E a s t

Restoring Victoria Park A £12.4 million project to restore Victoria Park to its former glory has been completed.

Work began on the historic London park project in January 2011 and was completed in July 2012. The project comprised the renovation of two large play areas – complete with associated equipment – the construction of a brand new skate park, the restoration of the Old English Gardens and the construction of a new community building situated on the east side of the park.

In addition, a number of structures were also restored at the park, including the Grade II Listed stone alcoves from the original London Bridge and the Burdett Coutts drinking fountain.

Access was also improved to features such as the Bandstand and the East Lake.

Meanwhile a new Chinese Pagoda and bridge was installed on the West Lake, whilst the entrance and gates to the park, as well as a number of balustrades on Bonner Bridge received a makeover to complete the stunning restoration.

The Victoria Park Restoration project was funded by Tower Hamlets Council in partnership with The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman, said: “The refurbishment was a once in a life-time opportunity to bring a much loved park up to date and the multi-million pound transformation has ensured that the park continues to provide excellent facilities for years to come.

“I am proud of the investment which has been made as it really is the jewel in the crown for the borough.”

Osborne was the main contractor on the restoration project, whilst Landscape Design Architects provided all architectural design work on the site.

Halcrow Yolles was the mechanical and electrical consultant and Dossor Group was the structural consultant.

Victoria Park is an 86 ha public park, which first opened to the public in 1845 and was designed by Sir James Pennethorne.

Victoria Park is one of London’s most important historic parks and its oldest public park. It has been used by millions of Londoners for nearly 170 years as a place of healthy recreation,

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sports, play and relaxation.

It serves a large residential population and also attracts many tourists and visitors from outside of the borough. A wide range of formal and informal sports, sponsored activities, events and festivals take place throughout the year.

The decision was taken to refurbish many of the original features in the park along with adding new features.

Tower Hamlets Victoria Park Development Officer, Shane Carroll, said: “Two play areas – one in the east and one in the west – were upgraded with new features, including water play facilities and we also have three lakes on the site which were all given a new look.

“The west side was remodelled to include an island and it was here that we rebuilt the Chinese Pagoda and added the Chinese bridge now called the Pennethorne Bridge.

“Hire row and peddle boats were also returned to the lake. The East Lake was also redesigned and a smaller island added. With funding and advice from the Environmental Agencies fisheries department we plan on encouraging community groups and schools to participate in fishing on this lake.

“The third lake is called the model boating lake, and is one of the largest in the UK. It was drained like the other two lakes and benefited from new marginal planting. New bore holes were dug on both sides of the park to provide water for the lakes.

“The Old English Gardens whilst popular had become overgrown and in need of replanting. The original paving was removed during the works and re-laid after to fit the new design. A water feature was added along with new shrubs and perennials.

“One of the most important features of the park is the Burdette Coutts drinking fountain. It is a memorial drinking fountain, donated to the park in 1862 by Angela Burdette Coutts. Restoration work was carried out on the stone features and pluming. New formal bedding areas were added along with four new mirror pools. A new weathervane was also installed.”

Along with the restoration works on the site a new building, called the Hub, was constructed in the park. The facility includes a cafe and offers a dual role as it will be used for commu-

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nity events and exhibitions as well as providing a base of operations for site staff.

Whilst work took place at Victoria Park the site remained open to the public, so site staff did their best to work around park visitors and local wildlife, with some work scheduled to take into account nesting seasons for birds.

To further facilitate the work, the lakes were also drained and for health and safety reasons they were fenced off from the public.

The playgrounds, Burdett

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Coutts and the construction site of the Hub were also temporarily closed off.

Osborne Managing Director, Tommy Chambers, said: “The whole community have joined us in refurbishing this magnificent park, with residents getting involved in planting, and some local school children painting murals to go on our hoardings while the work was taking place. With the park remaining open throughout the renovation works, we made communication with residents and staff a key priority, so they knew what was going on and why.

“This park has been a key feature of the local landscape and in the lives of its residents since 1845. These renovations have been designed to improve the experience for visitors while complimenting the park’s Victorian heritage.”

Victoria Park has already won an award at the People’s Choice Awards 2011 in the category of Favourite Park and retained it Green Flag award for 2012.

Mayor Rahman added: “The park was always considered to be a great amenity for the people of East London and I feel that with this project now complete we have ensured that it continues to maintain its status as a park for the whole of London.”

Duncans Groundworks Duncans Groundworks specialises in all aspects of groundworks, predominately for park restoration projects, with works including the construction of new roadways, lakes and associated areas. The company has been in operation for over 15 years and in this time has completed work on a number of projects, including many park restoration schemes in London.

On the Victoria Park Restoration project, Duncans Groundworks created new roadways, drained and lined the lakes, installed new paving and completed earthworks. Duncans Groundworks was involved with the project for 18 months.

Duncans Groundworks Company Owner, George Duncan, said:

“This was a great project to be involved with and fitted in perfectly with the type of work that we specialise in. We completed the work on time and to the best of our ability.”

Titan Civil Engineering Established in 1972, Titan Civil Engineering specialises in paving, groundworks, utilities, formwork and civil engineering works across a broad range of projects and also has a dedicated maintenance division. Clients include the London Borough of Hackney, McAlpine and Osborne, whilst previous high profile works include the installation of utilities and paving for the O2 Arena (formerly the Millennium Dome) and the construction of relief roads for the Channel Tunnel road link.

For the Victoria Park Restoration project Titan Civil Engineering utilised specialist York stone to install paving around the Old English Gardens, the lakes and Burdett Coutts.

Titan Civil Engineering Managing Director, Paddy Donnelly, said: “Victoria Park was a very important project to be involved with.

I worked on one of the lakes over 22 years ago, so to return was fantastic. The site has now been completely transformed.”

Paddy Donnelly added: “At Titan Civil Engineering we are most proud of the quality of our work. We are currently involved with a number of schools in South London and this is down to the timescale and the quality of our work.”

Sarum Hardwood Structures Ltd For over twenty-five years, Sarum Hardwood Structures has specialised in the design, manufacture and installation of timber footbridges, light vehicular bridges, jetties and boardwalks and associated structures. Sarum Hardwood Structures Ltd installs footbridges within public spaces, including residential and commercial developments and has completed a number of high profile installations including the award winning Pennington Road Bridge, for Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council.

On the Victoria Park Restoration project, Sarum Hardwood Structures manufactured and installed the feature ‘Rustic Bridge’, constructed in European Oak. Sarum Hardwood Structures Ltd Contracts Manager, Julian Smith, said: “The design for the bridge at Victoria Park had already been carried out by the Dosser Group and this design was essentially adopted, along with a few minor amendments, before we carried out the fabrication and installation work on the bridge.”

Julian Smith added: “At Sarum Hardwood Structures we are very proud of the quality of our end product. We have a great engineering department with a fantastic manufacturing facility and there are not many companies in this field that would be able to provide a bridge of this type.”

Frametech Essex Ltd

heavy structural elements, complex loose cut structure and detailed finishes.

“We pride ourselves in our ability to undertake all types of structural carpentry work. Both myself, and owner Andy Perkins have worked within the timber engineering sector for many years, encompassing all types of projects. This allows us to offer our clients greater confidence in our ability to complete works to the highest standard, safely and on programme.”

Redhouse Forge For over 15 years, Redhouse Forge has completed bespoke feature ironwork for a broad range of projects, from restoration and conservation schemes through to high-end private developments. Redhouse Forge previously completed work on the Bishop’s Square development – which included the design and construction of 4m high stainless steel feature gates on the site – and has also provided bespoke work for a range of listed buildings.

On the restoration of Victoria Park, Redhouse Forge completed important restoration work on the Burdett Coutts memorial drinking fountain.

Redhouse Forge Director, Stephen Anderson, said: “When we first started on the project there was a small stub of a weather vane remaining on the fountain, so we conducted extensive research to uncover what had originally appeared on the structure.

“After much investigation we discovered that the fountain had originally been topped by a gold leafed statue of a mermaid. Sat on her tail and holding a goblet in the air she would turn in the wind to indicate wind direction. The design was very unique and no one had seen anything quite like it before.

“So we recreated the 3D mermaid using traditional techniques in copper and gold leaf, installed new cardinals and wrought ironwork and completed a number of additional repair works on the site to revitalise the fountain.”

Steven Anderson added: “We are local to the site, so it was very important to be a part of this project. We pride ourselves on our ability to meet the challenges that we are presented with.”

Frametech Essex Ltd specialise in structural carpentry work for the construction industry, working with main contractors and timber engineering specialists alike. The company was set up in 2000 and during this time has completed many prestigious projects. Recently these have included the roof structure to the Sri Lankan Consulate in London for Jerram Falkus, a new low carbon Visitors’ Centre in Prittlewell and are currently undertaking a complex steel and timber Mansard roof structure to an existing apartment block in Wood Green, partnering with Bartram Timber Limited.

Within Victoria Park, Frametech Essex Ltd were responsible for the construction of the Chinese Pagoda, cladding works to the Pennethorne Bridge and the reconstruction of the listed Rustic Shelter.

Frametech Essex Ltd Technical Manager, Marcus Luckett, said: “The Victoria Park scheme showcased our skills very well.

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Europe’s largest Lacoste store opens in London Fashion and sportswear brand Lacoste has opened its flagship store in Knightsbridge.

Lacoste London opened in July 2012 following a £1.4 million re-fit operation by Nottingham-based fit-out specialist DG Professional Interiors. Situated opposite Harrods, the brand new 6,500 sq ft store is the largest Lacoste store in Europe and boasts a Lacoste Lab – the brand’s new concept in shopping – along with a number of state-of-the-art features.

In order to mark the debut of the new store, an official opening day took place in July and featured DJ sets and live music, with many A-List celebrities in attendance - including Will.I.Am, Eliza Doolittle, Filipe Oliveira Baptista and David Ginola.

Work began onsite in April 2012. In order to meet the opening date deadlines the re-fit was condensed from a 14-week period to just 10 weeks, with site teams conducting work via two 24- hour shift patterns. DG Professional Interiors was the main contractor on the site, whilst Brighton-based practice Design LSM was the architect.

DG Professional Interiors has completed new and existing Lacoste store fit-out works for over 12 years. The company has achieved such a long-standing relationship with the brand due to its ability to design and manufacture bespoke products at their in-house workshop in Calverton.

Richard Potzesny, Lacoste, commented: “DG Professional Interiors invested a lot of time to understand the new concepts by visiting some of our European stores. They then worked with us to transfer these ideas to the actual fit-out of our new flagship store.

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“We are delighted with the quality of the finished store, and the feedback from guests on the opening night was tremendous. It is very interesting to have people we know we can rely on to deliver our project on time and within budget with no unforeseen surprises along the way.”

DG Professional Interiors Managing Director, Ian Coward, added:

“Before we started work on the site, I travelled to Paris and Germany with Design LSM so that we could witness firsthand what European Lacoste stores looked like once they had received the new fit-out.

“Upon our return we then manufactured some of the Lacoste fittings – with additional elements delivered from France – so that they were replicated in the same style as those that we had seen in Europe.”

The three-storey Lacoste site comprises a first floor, ground floor and lower ground floor. The lower ground level is aimed at shoppers aged between 16 and 24, whilst the ground floor is reserved for menswear - including Lacoste’s L!VE collection and Lacoste Lab. Lacoste Lab is the first of its kind in the UK and allows customers to order a selection of large items including footballs, bicycle helmets and surfboards directly to the Lacoste store. The concept was conceived by Lacoste’s design director, Christophe Pillet. The remaining level of Lacoste London contains ladieswear and a children’s section.

All of the work on the site was completed in June 2012. The transformation of the store involved the complete removal of all of the building’s existing features and the installation of a new staircase with LED lights in the base and a lift pit. With the pit in place, a new glass passenger lift was installed - subsequently providing access to all three levels of the building.

On the lower ground floor all existing plumbing services were redirected to match the building’s new configuration, whilst a new sprinkler and air conditioning system was also installed in the building. The lower ground floor received new wood-effect flooring, whilst a £98,000 resin floor was installed on the ground floor.

To complete the fit-out works, the stock room was improved, whilst Wi-Fi was installed and security measures - including a full CCTV and security tagging system - were also fitted. New signage was then installed at each level of the building and a full programme of decoration works took place. No exterior work was conducted on the site.

Additional features of the new Lacoste store include a heritage wall that showcases images which document the history of Lacoste. Visitors will also marvel at the Polo Fit wall and Polo Bar, where the brand’s iconic L.12.12 polo shirt is exhibited in all 65 colours and oak panel changing rooms.

Ian Coward, said: “The transformation of the building was a challenge logistically because the store is located in a very popular area of London opposite Harrods, with offices situated above. GVA – the company that operate from the offices above – commented on how well we dealt with the works and I think this was testament to all of our hard on the site.

“Prior to the opening of the flagship store Lacoste owned a smaller store nearby, however this is a completely new concept in shopping. Lacoste London is a boutique store with high-end finishes and a range of services from hotel delivery – allowing shoppers to have their items sent directly to their hotel – to multilingual staff who can help international shoppers.

“With this new store Lacoste is offering a personal service unlike any other. It is a modern reworking of an established brand and has been designed to improve the customer experience.

“DG Professional Interiors is the nominated shop fitter for all Lacoste stores in the UK. We have built up a great working relationship with Lacoste and the feedback for this store has already been very good, with suggestions that this is the best Lacoste site in the world.

“Lacoste continually alters its design in order to offer its customers the best possible shopping experience. Indeed, some of the existing stores – including Birmingham and Leicester – are undergoing a few alteration works to bring them in line with the new flagship store.

“Lacoste take the view that the world is always changing, so alterations allow them to be ready for any future developments.

Lacoste has stores in Paris and New York and now is exactly the right time to have this flagship store in London.”

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 ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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Lo n d o n & S o u th E a s t 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.

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

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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.

“Everyone who has been involved on this project has come

landscaping, an extensive planting scheme took place and a new lighting system was installed as part of the redevelopment works. The lighting scheme not only enhances the Gardens, it also accentuates the lighting scheme of the Cutty Sark.

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 that would take into consideration everyone else’s needs.”

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.”

Trinity Protection Systems

from all works of life and from all around the country. Everybody – 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.”

Cutty Sark Gardens 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

Trinity Protection Systems was approached in 2005 to assist with the design of the fire alarm system for the Cutty Sark. The design of the system had to take into account the unique restrictions and technical difficulties involved with such a classic piece of British History – The Cutty Sark is the nautical equivalent of a Grade 1 Listed Building. At an early stage, numerous issues had to be overcome as many initial ideas were made impossible due to the nature of the ship. Trinity was awarded the contract and was shortly due to start work.

In May 2007, the Cutty Sark was devastated by fire, and Trinity was again involved in the design, this time with new issues to overcome, particularly as the ship was to be raised above dry dock to enable visitors to walk underneath.

The system infrastructure was built around a four-loop analogue addressable panel with a repeater panel for staff indication, and wired automatic detectors were used wherever possible. A wireless detector range was fitted through all front of house areas and on-board the Cutty Sark itself, where cabling was not an option. Air sampling units were utilised for the automatic detection on board and in the glass atrium, as these provided zero aesthetic disruption.

Because of their understanding and patience used to overcome the challenge of the life safety system design, Trinity was also heavily involved in the design and installation of the discreet and highly effective CCTV and intruder alarm systems that provide a high level of protection for the visiting public. The IP dome mounted cameras – including high level mast mounted variants – offer a comprehensive coverage throughout the ship.

Trinity’s professionalism and adaptability was evident as installation changes were often required on a daily basis.

South East Regional Manager, Colin Smith, said: “It was a pleasure to work on this prestigious project, and we were delighted that we successfully delivered it on time and with minimal aesthetic impact, both to the Cutty Sark herself and to her visitors.

“It was a privilege for Trinity to be able to protect part of our naval heritage for future generations.”

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Call our news team on 01706 719972

Establishing the Ampersand Hotel Located within a Victorian building in South Kensington, Ampersand Hotel is a new five-star boutique hotel.

The six-storey building comprises 111 bedrooms, the drawing rooms patisserie and lounge, Apero restaurant and bar, the library, a private dining room, two meeting and events spaces and a gym. The restaurant/bar, meeting rooms and gym are located on the lower ground floor, whilst the drawing rooms, lobby and bedrooms occupy the five remaining floors of the building.

Work began onsite in October 2011 and involved the conversion of the former Grosvenor Hotel into the luxurious new Ampersand hotel.

Due to the historic significance of the building, many of the site’s original features were retained – including the stunning ceilings – whilst replacements and modifications were conducted in keeping with the original design scheme. The original staircase was also restored and extended, whilst a new entrance was installed in order to provide street access to the restaurant.

John Sisk and Son was the main contractor on

the project, Dexter Moren Associates was the architect, Bradbrooks were the project managers and BSDA were the mechanical consultants.

Goosebumps was responsible for all of the branding on the hotel.

The Ampersand Hotel includes an impressive range of guest bedrooms from double and superior rooms to deluxe studios with free standing baths and suites with balconies.

All of the bedroom furniture within the hotel has been individually designed by Dexter Moren Associates. The furniture and decor has been inspired by many of the landmark buildings located within the surrounding area, including the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Royal Albert Hall.

Each of the rooms has its own unique design concept ranging from music, botany and astronomy to geometry and ornithology. In addition, all rooms include complimentary Wi-Fi, tea/coffee making facilities, a mini-bar, a media hub, laptop safe, air-conditioning and LCD TVs with movies on demand.

Ampersand Hotel General Manager, Roberto Pajares, said: “The key was to be involved as early as possible to avoid any unnecessary and costly last-minute changes.

“The furniture and finishes are all new, and

www.romauk.net

the mechanical and electrical services have been replaced and updated to suit the modern requirements of our guests. All of the work that we have conducted has been implemented with great respect to the original building’s design.”

“There are a number of independent and boutique hotels in the surrounding area, but in terms of design the Ampersand Hotel is very different. We have linked ourselves directly to the local area – specifically to South Kensington – and we are very much about providing a place that is reflective of the space that we inhabit.

“Ampersand bridges the gap between the very small boutique hotels and some of the much larger hotels. There is a market out there which is very much music and fashion led, and that’s exactly what we are all about.”

New informal learning and social space for University of Hertfordshire A stunning new project has been completed at the University of Hertfordshire’s de Havilland Campus.

The £2.4 million project was implemented to rework the site’s existing Weston Atrium and was completed in September 2012.

The project comprised the refurbishment of the Weston Atrium, the remodelling of the Weston Auditorium Foyer, the installation of a mezzanine level, the introduction of a Students’ Union office and the installation of new furniture.

Fit-out and refurbishment specialists Pexhurst was the main contractor on the project and Moses Cameron Williams was the architect. Couch Perry & Wilkes LLP was the mechanical and electrical consultant, whilst the structural consultant was Aecom and Jam Tree was responsible for all of the furniture on the project.

Work began on reshaping the Weston Atrium in May 2012. The Weston Atrium is a large, four-storey area of the campus, used by students and staff as a gathering point between lectures.

The atrium provides access to the Business School (Block M), Humanities Law and Education (Block R) and the Weston Auditorium. Now that work is complete on the project, the remodelling of the Weston Atrium improves upon the facility’s original design and allows the atrium to become the perfect location for large scale events and exhibitions.

University of Hertfordshire Assistant Director of Projects, Ian Grimes, said: “We operate two main campuses and de Havilland is our new-

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est campus. The Weston Atrium is located at the heart of the campus, so it’s a very important area of the whole campus.

“The Weston Atrium was originally designed as an outdoor space which linked different areas of the various buildings together. Work was carried out in order to improve and modernise this key area of the campus in order to transform it into a student and staff informal learning and social space.

“As the Atrium was previously an outdoor space we upgraded the existing fabric and enclosed the atrium so that it could be heated. We then reworked the space to create lots of informal social areas where both staff and students can spend time

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Lo n d o n & S o u th E a s t working or relaxing. The incorporation of furniture was also a very important aspect of the reconfiguration process and was critical to making the new space work.”

As the original flooring of the atrium comprised traditional floor slabs the flooring was removed and replaced with a concrete base with under floor heating. The walls of the building were then upgraded, a mezzanine ‘study deck’ level was installed and the entire area was extensively redecorated. Booth seating was added to the ground floor, whilst additional furniture was fitted to the mezzanine level to define the social spaces, and a new Student Union facility – complete with a reception and office – was installed.

Additional features of the new Atrium include built-in booth seating on the ground floor, Wi-Fi access and vending machines.

In addition to the work on the Atrium, the linked Weston Auditorium foyer also received a makeover complete with a new box office. The work included the integration of graphics, wireless connectivity, lighting and power and the remodelling of existing space.

Whilst work was undertaken to improve the usage of the Western Auditorium foyer it was important for the University to retain the size of the foyer so that it could still accommodate footfall when the campus is in full use.

Although there were a number of internal alterations at the de Havilland campus very little external work was conducted on the site, with only minor cosmetic works and the installation of signage taking place in order to complete the transformation.

Ian said: “de Havilland campus is open 52 weeks a year and in addition

to our student intake we also run a very successful conference business as well as a sports centre which is open to the public seven days a week.

Conducting the work from May through to September was a conscious decision by the University as it is our quietest period and the only time that we can feasibly conduct work of this nature. We needed to complete the work ahead of the new term and this was one of the main reasons why we chose to work with Pexhurst – a contractor that we have previously worked with.

“We have a good working relationship with Pexhurst and this has developed over the last three years. The contractor has previously worked with us on the refurbishment of the de Havilland R Block, which comprised the construction of new offices for our law school and this work completely transformed the building from an academic space into what is practically a fully operational law firm.”

Ian added: “Logistically this was a very challenging project which required a great degree of planning. The Atrium is the heart of the campus and it affects the way that students and staff move around the site.

“Now that work is complete on the project the new atrium provides students with an area where they can grab a coffee or catch up with friends before they attend their next lecture.

Students want social spaces where they can sit down with their laptops, tablets or their notes and this atrium allows them to do this perfectly.”

Equinox: Stunning accommodation from Bellway Homes Situated along Chrisp Street, in Poplar, London, Equinox is a luxurious new development from Bellway Homes. The site is located near to Canary Wharf, Stratford and central London, is just four miles from Stansted International Airport and is close a number of universities in East London and Greenwich.

Equinox comprises a mix of stunning one, two and three-bedroom apartments, all featuring a range of high-quality fixtures and fittings. The units range in price from £233,950 to £352,950 and offer new homeowners spacious living quarters in a highly desirable location.

The one-bedroom units comprise a range of apartments including Cusp (plot 61), Saturn (plot 49) and Axis (plots 79 & 88 – 90); whilst the two-bedroom units include Eclipse (plots 23, 24, 45 – 47, 56 – 58, 68, 69, 76 – 78, 85 – 87 and 95 & 96), Aries (plot 36), Jupiter (plots 18, 29, 40 & 62), Polar (plot 74), Pisces (plot 83 & 92) and Vernal (plot 84).

The three-bedroom properties at Equinox include Kepler (plot 32, 43 & 54), Autumn (plot 22, 33 & 44) and Equiluxe (plot 37 & 48).

Ardmore Group is the main contractor on the Equinox project, whilst innovative design practice Stock Woolstencroft is the architect. RLT Engineering is the structural engineer on the project and CPC is the mechanical and electrical consultant.

Each of the units at Equinox comprises a spacious open-plan kitchen, with a living and dining area, a balcony and a hallway.

The apartments also include a family bathroom – including a number of high quality finishes – and a master bedroom with built-in wardrobe.

All of the accommodation within the Equinox development also includes a video door entry system, a Zanussi Stainless steel electric oven and an integrated fridge/freezer. Additional features include energy efficient pendant lights, chrome heated towel radiators, low energy downlights and carpets.

New homeowners will also be pleased to know that every Equinox unit includes a ten year NHBC warranty.

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In addition to the high level of luxurious features that Equinox boasts, a number of bespoke extras are also available to new owners for a selected number of plots. The bespoke extras allow buyers to tailor their new homes to meet their individual requirements, giving their apartments their own personal stamp.

Equinox is situated within one of the most dynamic quadrants of the capital and will soon benefit from a number of nearby schemes that are currently in place to improve transport and retail provisions. Poplar HARCA is completing a £100 million regeneration programme to transform Chrisp Street Market into a new food and shopping destination, whilst Crossrail is busy creating new transport links to Heathrow Airport.

Ardmore Group Over the past 30 years, the Ardmore Group has developed into one of the largest privately owned Design and Build contractors within the UK. The group has delivered a range of projects, from mixed-use developments, through to offices, industrial buildings, retail units and leisure schemes.

In addition to its vast portfolio of projects, Ardmore Group is also making a name for itself on a number of residential housing schemes. To date Ardmore Group has been involved with a number of high rise and luxury residential projects, including Equinox.

Ardmore Group ensures a high level of quality on all of its projects by working with a large workforce of skilled professionals which is backed by a number of specialist facilities, including trade workshops, manufacturing centres and centralised logistics facilities.

SAV Systems SAV Systems is an established provider of energy efficient heating and ventilation solutions, specialising in low carbon technologies such as combined heat and power (CHP), district heating and energy-efficient decentralised heat recovery venti-

lation systems. SAV is also a leader in the supply of advanced commissioning solutions for hydronic systems.

Established since 1988, SAV prides itself on working closely with specifiers to ensure the right products are used to deliver the best solutions. The company gets involved from the early stages of a project, working closely with the rest of the team every step of the way to see it through to commissioning and handover.

For the Chrisp Street development, SAV supplied two LoadTracker CHP engines to produce a combined output of 30kWe of electrical power and 60kWth of heating – along with two 475 litre thermal storage vessels. The key feature of

LoadTracker CHP is that it tracks the base electrical load of the building and modulates electrical output to match the building’s demands. This ensures that maximum use is made of onsite generated electricity, while minimising use of expensive mains electricity – thus reducing running costs and carbon emissions.

Within each apartment at Chrisp Street an SAV Series 3 FlatStation heat interface unit provides effective management of domestic hot water and space heating, ensuring hot water is always available at a consistent temperature. The Series 3 Flatstation was selected by Ardmore as this can also accommodate a hot water cylinder within the apartment.

Jubilee Gardens project blossoms As the capital’s newest landmark, Jubilee Gardens has finally opened to the public.

Located on London’s South Bank, the £3.6 million project reached completion in May 2012, ahead of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations. The project has been implemented by the South Bank Employers Group and comprises the regeneration of 1.6 hectares of existing garden space.

The project began in September 2011, with Frosts Landscapes Construction as the main contractor and urban planning and landscape practice West 8 as the landscape architect.

The scheme has been managed by the Jubilee Gardens Project Board, which comprises Southbank Centre, Lambeth Council, the Jubilee Gardens Trust and Transport for London. Now that the project is complete, the ongoing maintenance of Jubilee Gardens will be managed by Jubilee Gardens Trust.

Work on Jubilee Gardens included the installation of new top and sub soil, the installation of 3,675 square metres of granite paving and the introduction of a new irrigation and drainage system. Approximately 1200 linear metres of curved white granite seating was also installed at the site, whilst new tree planting

also took place.

Funding for Jubilee Gardens was provided by Transport for London and Lambeth Council, with additional contributions from a number of charitable trusts.

Frosts Landscapes Construction Contracts Manager, Martin Wiles, said: “It is a privilege to have been part of the Jubilee Gardens project. We are very proud to have helped to create a high quality green landscape in a prime location in London over such a short period of time.

“During the course of the work we removed approximately 6,000 tonnes of concrete from the site and created a vast and expansive grass-covered area that is accessible to the public.

“Jubilee Gardens will be a major asset for London and will receive a phenomenal amount of attention throughout 2012. For London’s South Bank this project is something to be very proud of.”

West 8 Project Manager, Maaten Buijs, said: “Jubilee Gardens is a quintessential English park with undulating lawns, large lush trees and boldly coloured flowerbeds.

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The wide granite pathways – with their generous flowing alignment – will meander in between the trees, providing constantly changing views across the site and over the Thames towards Westminster.

“The paths and granite seating will accommodate the many visitors who will come to the South Bank to discover the park and to enjoy this fabulous green space in London’s key cultural area.”

Lambeth Council Leader, Steve Reed, added:

“This is a really exciting moment for the borough – and for London – because Jubilee Gardens is one of London’s truly great green spaces, and a major new cultural centre to be enjoyed not just by Lambeth residents, but by visitors from across the world.

“Lambeth has undertaken a range of important regeneration schemes over the last few years and the Jubilee Gardens scheme is a fantastic complement to these.”

Restoration of Forty Hall Forty Hall in Enfield, North London, has been brought back to life in a project funded by Enfield Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The £2 million project has involved the restoration and refurbishment of the 17th century mansion.

The Hall was built by former Lord Mayor of London, Sir Nicholas Rainton in 1632 and stands on the edge of the capital city. Forty Hall is Grade 1 listed and is a good architectural example of a building on the cusp between the medieval and modern style.

The Hall is important in helping to understand the growth of the capital city and the lifestyle of the merchant classes.

The project began on site in February 2011 and was completed in March 2012. The Hall officially opened to the public on 30th June 2012. The main contractor was R G Carter Builder and the architect was Thomas Ford and Partners Brian Lofthouse from Thomas Ford and Partners spoke to Premier Construction about the project. He said: “The original mansion is a three-storey building, initially built as an imposing residence for a wealthy merchant. Later extensions have been two-storey and single-storey, with a single-storey range extending around an external courtyard. There is a small

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internal courtyard which has been roofed over as part of the project.

“The main materials which have been used are oak for the new staircase, steel framing and powder coated aluminium for the new glazed roof and York stone for the new paving in the kitchen and internal courtyard. The exterior finish to the building is brick with rendered window surrounds, green slate roofing and painted timber porches.”

Forty Hall will house exhibitions and displays, educational and administration facilities, meeting rooms, a cafe and shop. The Hall is also available to hire for weddings and other private functions.

The project is now complete however there is still some landscaping to do which is part of a separate project, also supported

by Heritage Lottery Fund grant aid.

The historical features of the building have been an important element of Forty Hall’s restoration.

Brian Lofthouse said: “The project has included the removal of the 1897 staircase and construction of new oak staircase in a 17th century style.

We have also recreated historic decorative schemes, restored

images to RG Carter Cambridge Ltd.

historic rooms internally including the kitchen. Here we have uncovered a large open fireplace previously concealed by modern plasterboard.

“There have been some difficulties with the site though. There was extensive contamination of some of the floor voids with asbestos, which was found at the beginning of the contract and not identified in pre-tender surveys, which caused 10 - 12 weeks delay.

“But the completed project has progressed well and was on budget and has been well received by the client and English Heritage. For me, it has been a rewarding project and is one of several that we have completed involving similar buildings at Thomas Ford, including Hall Place and Fulham Palace.

“For the community, a much loved local building has been sensitively restored and will be more fully used for educational and community activities. It has been a pleasure to work on and thanks are due in particular to Enfield Council’s Project Manager, Eleanor Hunter, and R G Carter’s Contract Manager, Steve Allen, for their contributions.”

“There were some challenges with it being a listed building, the size of the area we had to work with and the headroom. We installed one lift which was an enclosed disabled platform lift.

“We managed to overcome these issues by manufacturing something that was bespoke to the project, as a specialist company we are able to offer bespoke solutions to clients such as Forty Hall.”

Lifts UK Ltd Lifts UK Ltd specialise in bespoke solutions to passenger and goods lifts and were presented with a project during the restoration of Forty Hall Paul Askew, Director of Lifts UK Ltd said:

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Asta Development Plc Asta Powerproject is the project management software of choice for thousands of construction companies throughout the world. It is relied upon to plan and manage all aspects of the construction lifecycle performing equally well on simple tasks through to some of the world’s most complex construction projects, such as Europe’s tallest building, The London Shard; Jumeirah Park, Dubai; The Reichstag, Berlin; Petronas Towers, Malaysia; and Durban International Airport.

Unlike other software that can only address parts of the construction lifecycle, Asta Powerproject can be relied upon to create a plan and develop it through every stage. It offers a single, quality software solution which helps ensure project success – even in today’s current tough economic climate.

Create value-added tenders that win business During a recession, it is crucial to be able to submit a quality tender to a client in an easily read format. Unlike some software that can be complex and can require detailed WBS or Activity Coding, Asta Powerproject makes it quick and simple to create a reliable plan to support a tender. The software’s unrivalled presentation tools help tenders stand out from those of competitors.

GRAHAM Construction Planning Manager, Ray Ferguson, said: “Asta Powerproject allows us to add value to our proposal helping us to win many of our contracts.”

Develop accurate schedules to ensure confidence in the plan Once a tender is won, the details required to deliver the project – including procurement plans and fully resourced and costed

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plans for every task – all need to be refined. At this stage, it is essential to be confident that your plan is accurate to ensure that deadlines will be met. A detailed, accurate plan will instill confidence in clients.

Carillion Senior Planning Manager, Bob Davies, said: “Asta Powerproject has proved to be an excellent tool because of its ability to produce fully integrated, logic-linked programmes of several thousand activities that are easy to understand, backed up with cost and resource data as required.”

Manage onsite progress, reporting and monitoring for a successful project As the project moves forward, keeping track of progress and providing clear reporting is crucial for successful project delivery and to provide as built records for protection in case of litigation claims.

The financial penalties for poor project delivery can be crippling, so it is necessary to be able to prove that the project was delivered effectively and that any deviations from the contract programme were addressed and reflected in an updated version of the plan.

Wates Principal Design Manager, Phil Williams, said: “The software compares what was planned with actual progress. It plots a line that shows whether the programme is behind or ahead of schedule, from that we can see which items have fallen behind and take the appropriate action, in time.”

Asta Development (a part of Eleco plc) provides a complete range of project, portfolio and resource management solutions.

Asta Powerproject is the company’s flagship product.

For more information please visit: www.astadev.com/construction.

Award-winning Prittlewell Chapel is now complete Beardwell Construction Ltd has scooped a major award for its work on the Prittlewell Chapel development in Southend-on-Sea. After carefully renovating the ruined chapel, Beardwell Construction Ltd was awarded the title of Heritage Project of the Year 2011 at the National Federation of Builders Annual Awards 2012.

The company was commissioned by Southend-on-Sea Borough Council to undertake the £982,000 government-funded project. As a result of their work, the 130-year old building has been lovingly restored after years of suffering the effects of bad weather, vandalism and graffiti. Works included the reinstatement of the original roof slates and the restoration of the original Whitechapel Bell, which dates back to 1880.

The building will now be let on a 20-year lease to Southend Association Voluntary Services (SAVS), who will hire the two offices out for use by social enterprises and local voluntary organisations.

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council’s Executive Councillor for Planning, Councillor Jonathan Garston, commented: “Congratulations to Beardwell Construction Ltd for winning such a major national award. The company has respectfully transformed and regenerated the historic Prittlewell Chapel into an energy efficient building which looks to the past and the future at the same time.

“The Council has also recognised the excellent achievements of Beardwell Construction’s work at Prittlewell Chapel by giving the company a Conservation Award in our 2011 design awards.

When we carried out the judging process for these awards, we were extremely impressed by this project.”

The building now boasts the very latest in energy efficient technology, including photovoltaic cells, rainwater harvesting and an air source heat pump that is connected to the underfloor heating. Build with CaRe (Carbon Reduction), the forum for promoting energy saving buildings, filmed the progress of the project in order to enable the sustainable techniques used to be shared with others.

Alex Larn, Commercial Director of Beardwell Construction, said: “We are proud to have been entrusted with the delivery of this prestigious project. Delivered on time and on budget, we are delighted to say that it was a complete success in every respect.

“It has brought back to life a building that had stood decaying for 60 years. It has done so using sustainable building materials and renewable energy sources. It is a carbon neutral building, and energy costs have to all intents been eliminated. It is very satisfying to see the building being put to such excellent use.”

and decorative glassworks across the UK. The company is rapidly gaining an enviable reputation as specialists in complex heritage and ecclesiastical projects, where contemporary glass fits perfectly in ancient buildings without obscuring the intrinsic beauty of the original architecture.

Ion Glass worked closely with the main contractor Beardwell Construction to install various back-painted glass surfaces to Prittlewell Chapel, achieving a stylish, colourful and low maintenance finish to many areas within the building, including the reception areas, kitchens and meeting rooms.

Other heritage projects have included extensive bespoke glass for a new ringing chamber in an old church, involving an arched glass screen that provided acoustic protection whilst letting light flow into the church via a magnificent stained glass window. The project also involved a frameless glass balustrade – one of the keynote skills of Ion Glass who provide bespoke balustrading to meet a wide range of requirements in both ancient and modern buildings.

The company has also worked with the Tower of London installing grandiose glass doors to the recently refurbished Fusiliers Museum as well as a set of circular glass rooflights to the Devereux Tower.

Peter Hazeldean, Ion Glass, said: “Ion provides a wholly bespoke service working alongside clients and heritage organisations throughout the process, offering technical advice where needed and full templating to ensure the finished glass fits perfectly. Our glass works equally well in interior and exterior environments.” www.ionglass.co.uk

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New unit for Border’s General Hospital The creation of the Margaret Kerr Unit at Border’s General Hospital in Melrose, Scotland, will greatly improve the opportunities for specialist care at the hospital.

John Raine, NHS Borders Chair, said: “NHS Borders aims to deliver high quality health care at the right time and in the most appropriate way and this new Palliative Care Specialist Inpatient Unit will enable us to do this.”

Palliative Care is the term used to describe the care that is given when a cure is not possible.

Although usually associated with the later stages of cancer, it is now established that palliative care should also be a routine part of care for those suffering from a wide variety of non-malignant conditions, such as dementia, heart failure, Huntington’s disease, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease among others.

At present this care is given within a standard ward at Border’s General Hospital which is far

from ideal in terms of the environment required by the multi-disciplinary palliative care team.

The project will also incorporate the refurbishment of the Stroke Unit, which is currently co-located with palliative care in Ward 11.

Work began in Spring 2012, with the opening of the Specialist Palliative Care Unit and redeveloped Stroke Unit scheduled for the first half of 2013. The main contractor is BAM and the architect is Aitken Turnbull Architects Limited.

The new unit will be created by remodeling and extending one end of an existing ward building. The new unit will have its own entrance with adjacent landscaping and car parking, while also retaining an essential link into the main body of the hospital. There will be en-suite patient rooms, as well as clinical areas, day rooms and accommodation for relatives.

The aim of the new unit is to create a comfortable, welcoming and peaceful building for everyone.

A significant proportion of the funding for the project came from the legacy left by Miss Margaret Kerr – a nurse who lived in the Borders – and NHS Borders Board have agreed

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to name the new building ‘The Margaret Kerr Unit’.

In addition, substantial sums have already been secured from a number of partners, charitable trusts and individuals, including the Robertson Trust, Macmillan Cancer Support, the WRVS, the Friends of the Borders General Hospital, Callum’s Trust and The Lavender Touch. The remaining sum will be raised through a local fundraising appeal.

John Raine said: “It is an important step forward in providing local and quality health care that meets the needs of the people of the Borders and will make a huge difference in the lives of patients, and also their families, who will receive care and support from this unit.”

Restoration of Dumfries House Built between 1754 and 1759, Dumfries House is a beautiful and historic stately home located in Ayrshire’s sprawling countryside. The house and its estate are currently undergoing an extensive series of restoration works to upgrade, improve and replace key services in order to create a new functionality for the estate.

Prior to work taking place on Dumfries House, the building, its contents and the 200 acre estate were all set to be sold at auction, as Dumfries House Curator, Charlotte Rostek, explained: “In 2007, after 2 failed attempts to find an owner for Dumfries House it was decided that the house, the state and its unique collection of furniture would be put up for sale. The collection included all of the original 18th Century furniture – bought and commissioned specifically for Dumfries House –which had survived intact for over 250 years.

“When, just three weeks before the sale at auction, the fundraising campaign had not managed to reach the asking price, HRH The Prince of Wales got involved by providing an investment of £20 million to save the house and its invaluable contents.”

Dumfries House Estate Manager, Oliver Middlemiss, added: “At that point, The Great Steward of Scotland’s Dumfries House Trust was set up and the process of restoring the building, the collection and the wider estate began. The focus on this restoration is about opening up the house and the wider estate to the public in what HRH The Prince of Wales has referred to as a ‘heritage led regeneration’.

“At Dumfries House the whole focus is about welcoming people back on to the estate so that they can really enjoy this

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historic landmark. HRH The Prince of Wales hopes to use Dumfries House and the wider estate as a touching point for the regeneration of this part of Scotland.”

Work began on the restoration of Dumfries House in September 2010. Taylor and Fraser Limited is the principal contractor for the mechanical and electrical works on Dumfries House, whilst Keith Ross of Buccleuch Rural Design is the architect and McGowan Miller Partnership is the quantity surveyor and CDM co-ordinator.

Taylor and Fraser Limited were initially brought on board the

project to install a bio-mass heating plant to replace an existing plant. Once work was near to completion on the new plant the company was then asked to remain on the site to re-service the entire building.

As part of the restoration of the house the services infrastructure, including plumbing, heating and lighting have all been renewed and carefully integrated. Kitchen facilities and visitor toilets also received a makeover, whilst plaster repairs, decoration and general maintenance work has also taken place.

Due to the historic significance of the building, all work on Dumfries House is being conducted very sensitively, however as the fabric of the house is in very good condition external work is being kept to a minimum. Only the ageing formal steps at the front of the house have required significant repair, elsewhere a rigorous maintenance programme ensures that all areas are kept in good condition.

With the bulk of the construction work on Dumfries House already complete, a number of additional projects will continue to take place on the site and will be completed in the near future. These include a cook school, a residential outdoor activity centre, an education centre, traditional skills workshops and artist’s studios.

Of those recently completed and on-going projects, Sam Templeton is involved with a number of the operations and is the main contractor on the refurbishment of estate bridges and the estate’s extensive walled garden. Hope Homes Scotland Ltd are heavily involved with a number of projects on the estate as well as building houses at Knockroon, a sustainable mixed-use development that will serve as a model community for Scotland.

In addition, work completed on the Dumfries House estate includes the conversion of the coach house into a cafe, and the transformation of an old stable building into a bistro and conference facility.

The old home farm steading buildings have recently been refurbished with conversion of the original farmhouse into a sixbedroom guest house in addition to improvements to existing

holiday let cottages. Keith Ross was the architect on the guest house/holiday cottage project with Taylor and Fraser acting as principal contractor. These buildings provide the perfect accommodation for wedding parties and was officially opened by HRH The Prince of Wales in April 2012.

Keith Ross, Buccleuch Rural Design, said: “Dumfries House Estate is a beautiful place to work, with the highest quality of craftsmanship evident in all the buildings that we work with. The work that we are undertaking will ensure that this level of craftsmanship is maintained whilst at the same time introducing the necessary improvements to enhance its beauty and extend its life. “

Taylor and Fraser Limited Taylor and Fraser Limited is a mechanical service contractor specialising in heating, ventilation and air conditioning installations. Over the last nine years the company has diversified from its original discipline to conduct a variety of works as a principal contractor, working across many large scale operations in Scotland.

Taylor and Fraser Limited has previously completed work for universities, schools and hospitals, as well as large private estates, including Dumfries House.

On Dumfries House, Taylor and Fraser Limited was initially employed to install a biomass plant in 2010 and has remained on the site to complete additional works as the principal contractor.

Scott Taylor, Taylor and Fraser Limited, said: “An increasing number of clients view us as a contractor who is able to provide a one-stop shop to meet all of their requirements. However despite our diversification we still undertake work based upon our original discipline.

“At Taylor and Fraser Limited we have a great approach to our work and the high level of quality that we leave behind us speaks for itself.”

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Constructing a community on Seaforth Road King’s Park is a brand new housing development from Robertson Homes, which is currently under construction on Seaforth Road, Ayr. The development comprises 70 new build housing units, two play areas – for juniors and toddlers – and a village green.

Work began on the £17.1 million development in late 2008 and is currently due to reach completion in early 2014. Robertson Homes is the main contractor on the project, whilst Jim Kennedy of Robertson Homes is the architect.

Prior to work starting on the development the site was an area of Brownfield land which housed a bakery that was demolished by Robertson Homes ahead of construction. The site was chosen as it provides the perfect location for family housing in Strathclyde.

The houses on King’s Park comprise a mix of two-storey detached units, small terraced buildings and three-storey flats. The units are being built from a timber frame construction, with the external facade comprising a mix of facing brick and render. Additional materials on the units include concrete roof tiles and coloured UPVC windows.

All of the houses include a number of high-specification fixtures and fittings, with the interior design provided by Scottish interior

designer Amanda Rosa Interiors. Amanda Rosa Interiors is an award-winning design team that has provided design work for a number of boutique hotels, including Malmaison, Dakota and Gleneagles. The company’s work on the site has already helped King’s Park secure an award for best interior design for its show home.

The houses on King’s Park have been designed to incorporate an internal open-plan design – including a large dining area – which creates a sense of space. A garden room is also being incorporated into some of the properties and includes a grand vaulted ceiling which is already proving popular with potential buyers.

A room-in-roof design is also being incorporated into a number of units, to include an additional bedroom and bathroom on the upper floor.

Additional features on the development include front and back gardens with associated paving and a fully planted village green.

Robertson Homes Managing Director, John Murphy, said: “We’re about 60% complete on the development and a number of the properties already have owners. The village green is now complete and we are in the process of selling the last remaining units that surround this area.

“There are 18 dwellings remaining on the site and this is the area of the site that we will be working on next. To date we have not

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encountered any major problems and everything continues to run smoothly.

“Whilst working on the site we are very mindful of the residents that are living on the development and we are careful that construction activities are always taking place behind fenced areas. There is a separate construction access route so that there is never a clash between traffic entering and exiting the site and this continues to work well.”

John added: “King’s Park is a very important development for Robertson Homes. In the current climate buyers want to be able to see and feel a product before they buy it, so it is crucial to have a development like this which is up and running and can demonstrate exactly what it has to offer.

“King’s Park is within commutable distance to Glasgow and with good links to Prestwick Airport it is proving very popular with the house buying market.”

Breaking new ground with Bupa A £7 million specialist nursing and dementia care home is currently under construction in Bearsden, Glasgow.

Mugdock House Care Home is a three-storey, purpose built facility providing care for people living with dementia.

Construction of the 64-bed care facility is being implemented

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by Bupa Care Services and as well as offering dementia care the home will also provide specialist services for elderly people and those requiring general nursing care.

Features of Mugdock House Care Home will include distinctive reminiscence activity areas, secure sensory gardens and

memory boxes to help residents connect with the past. The site will also include a range of high-quality features, such as wet rooms, Wi-Fi access, a hair salon and a therapy room.

The care home is conveniently situated close to high street amenities and is within close proximity to transport links to Glasgow City centre.

Scotland’s leading construction company, Dawn Construction is the main contractor on the project, whilst world-class architectural practice Archial is the architect.

Once complete, the new care home will form part of a much larger development which will include St Andrew’s Primary School, Bearsden Community College and a residential housing development. The construction of Mugdock House Care Home will also create 90 much needed jobs for the local area.

Mugdock House Care Home has been specifically designed to encourage residents to engage with their surroundings and as such decorative features will include eye catching pictures colour co-ordinated corridors and signs to help residents manoeuvre around the building.

All of the bedrooms will be fully furnished – many including patio doors branching into the gardens – whilst large communal areas will include spacious lounges and dining rooms. An activity suite will cater for a varied selection of activities – including home baking – and family rooms will provide over night accommodation for residents’ guests.

Additional features of Mugdock House Care Home include a cinema and audio visual suite.

Work began on the project in November 2011. To mark the occasion local pupils from Bearsden Primary School attended an official ‘ground breaking’ ceremony in order to bury a time capsule on the site. As the event also coincided with the school’s 100th anniversary, pupils attended the ceremony decked out in centenary costumes.

Over 40 guests attended the ceremony, including Bupa Chief

Executive Ray King and after the time capsule was buried guests were taken to Bearsden Town Hall where they were encouraged to take part in Bupa’s ‘Your Memories Matter’ campaign. The campaign encourages people to share their memories in order to help those who may require specialist dementia care in later life.

In discussing the importance of Mugdock House Care Home, Bupa Regional Director, Kenny Valentine, said: “This will be a very special home in the heart of the local community. As experts in caring for elderly people and those living with dementia, we are proud to be offering the residents of Bearsden and Milngavie not only the very best facilities but the highest standard of care and support.

“It was great to see the children planting a little piece of the present day on the site as it made it more personal to us all and should be a great discovery in years to come.”

Bupa is the UK’s largest provider of dementia care, caring for over 2700 residents in Scotland and employs approximately 3300 members of staff. With no shareholders, Bupa is able to invest its profits to improve the services and amenities offered to its residents and to help improve the standard of care for older people.

Bupa care homes are open to everyone – with over 70% of UK residents receiving state funding – and in addition to its UK coverage, Bupa has facilities in Spain, Australia and New Zealand. Bupa’s purpose is to help people lead longer, healthier and happier lives and the new care home in Bearsden will help the group to continue to achieve this goal.

Work on Mugdock House Care Home is scheduled to reach completion in early 2013.

For more information about Bupa and its services, please visit: www.bupa.co.uk/care-homes.

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Major transport improvements across the Firth of Forth The Forth Road Bridge spans the Firth of Forth, connecting Edinburgh at South Queensferry to Fife at North Queensferry.

The bridge has provided a major improvement to the Scottish transport network since it was opened in 1964 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Unfortunately, despite significant investment and maintenance over its lifetime, the bridge is showing signs of deterioration and is not suitable in the long-term as the main crossing over the Firth of Forth.

Following research in 2006 and 2007 as to the best solution, it was decided that the Forth Replacement Crossing would be a cable-stayed bridge to the west of the existing Forth Road Bridge.

Construction began on all phases of the project in autumn 2011, following the completion of a two-year procurement process. All three main contracts that make up the FRC project have now been awarded, with all the successful bids coming in under budget.

There are three main phases to the project, each involving different contractors.

Phase One is the principle contract to build the new bridge and connecting roads. The contract was awarded to the Forth Crossing Bridge Constructors (FCBC) consortium, comprising Hochtief, Dragados, American Bridge International and Morrisons. The construction of this part of the project is scheduled for completion in 2016 at a cost of £790 million.

Phase Two is the installation of elements of the project’s Intelligent Transport System (ITS) on the M90 in Fife at a cost

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of £12.9 million. This contract was awarded to John Graham (Dromore) Ltd and is scheduled for completion in summer 2012.

Finally, Phase Three is scheduled for completion in 2013. This phase involves the upgrade M9 Junction 1a at Kirkliston and the contract has been awarded to a consortium between John Sisk and Roadbridge at a cost of £25.6 million.

The bulk of construction activity will take place from barges in the Firth of Forth however the Forth Crossing Bill Transport Scotland is also seeking provision for three construction compounds which are required to build the scheme.

The proposed new cable-stayed bridge will be 2.7km long and will have three slender single column towers, including approach viaducts.

The road carried by the bridge will be designated as a motorway, with two lanes of traffic in each direction and hard shoulders to ensure that breakdowns, incidents and any maintenance works do not cause the severe congestion which is currently experienced on the Forth Road Bridge.

The hard shoulders also provide the flexibility to carry buses unable to travel on the Forth Road Bridge during periods of high wind. Windshielding on the new bridge will provide a more reliable corridor, particularly for lorries and other HGV’s.

In the second Phase, the ITS measures will extend along a 22km corridor from the M90, over the Forth Replacement Crossing to the M9. Overhead signal gantries along the route will provide lane control, incident detection and variable mandatory speed control.

These gantries will provide traffic information to drivers and ITS allows variable speed limits to be applied so that vehicle speeds

can be managed during congested periods and in response to incidents. The system can automatically detect incidents and provide information on the road network.

In Phase Three, there will be improvements to M9 Junction 1a at Kirkliston, including new slip roads to the motorway. This will also incorporate new slip roads between the M9 and M9 Spur, which will require a new bridge across the motorway and the extension of an existing bridge.

Due to the lower than expected cost for the winning contracts, the total estimated cost range of delivering the FRC project is now £1.45 billion to £1.60 billion, a substantial reduction on the previous estimate of £1.7 billion to £2.3 billion. The Forth Replacement Crossing is scheduled for completion in 2016.

Developing Ailsa View, Stevenston Located in Stevenson, North Ayrshire, Ailsa View is a new housing development from leading property developer Merchant Homes. The site includes a stunning mix of two and three-bedroom properties all situated within a desirable area of Scotland.

At present, work is currently underway on the development which comprises 20 two and three-bedroom semi-detached properties.

Merchant Homes Commercial Director, John Jack, said: “Ailsa View is Merchant Homes’ first development within the Ayrshire area and is the flagship development for the launch of two of our new house types – the Glen – a 2 bed semi – and the Blair – a 3 bedroom semi. Both the Glen and the Blair have the benefit of state of the art downstairs shower rooms as well as family bathroom on the upper floor.”

Work began on the £2.5 million development in February 2012 and is currently scheduled to reach completion in late summer 2013. At present four units and a stunning show house have been completed, with two of the housing units already finding buyers.

The houses on the development are being built from a timber frame construction, with UPVC double glazed windows and

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concrete Russell roof tiles. Once complete, the exterior finish of each building will incorporate a mix of render and facing brick, whilst landscaping will include both front and back gardens and associated paving.

John added: “All of the units are being built to 2010/2011 Building Regulations so key factors we are aiming towards include high levels of air tightness and sound proofing as well as large thermal properties. In terms of the construction programme these elements add approximately a week longer to the build but the benefits to the end user completely outweigh any extra time required.

“We have a number of developments in the Lanarkshire and Glasgow areas and are excited at the launch of Ailsa View as it is our first development within the Ayrshire belt.

“The house types launched at Ailsa View will form part of a portfolio of four house types we will be building on our next programmed development, The Willows on the south side of Glasgow. This development will provide around 70 units with a mixture of two and three bedroom semi and detached properties.”

Merchant Homes

initial design stages and planning right through to the completion of each unit, every aspect of a project is expertly handled

by Merchant Homes’ team of professionals.

Developments within Merchant Homes’ portfolio are high in efficiency and low in maintenance and adhere to green policies and company objectives. Each home features high-specification kitchens, luxurious bathrooms and top of the range fixtures and fittings.

In addition to its stunning range of developments Merchant Homes has also recently launched its own television channel.

The presenter-led Merchant Homes TV is available online, via smart phones, tablets and computers.

Merchant Homes Sales and Marketing Director, Linda McLuskie, said: “We pride ourselves on providing high quality homes in excellent locations and Merchant Homes TV will afford us the chance to showcase this building ethos to a variety of customers across the country.”

For more information about Merchant Homes please visit: www.merchanthomes.co.uk.

Merchant Homes is a leading property developer dedicated to building high-quality homes within a safe environment. From the

Significant expansion for Marine Harvest Work to build a brand new fish farm in Lochailort, on the west coast of Scotland, is underway.

Marine Harvest is the largest producer of farmed salmon in Scotland and has been present on the site for over 30 years.

The new farm is their biggest new build to date and will greatly help to expand production and bring new technologies to the forefront of their business.

The project started in January 2012 and will be completed in March 2013 at a cost of £15.2 million.

Ben Hadfield, Production Manager at Marine Harvest said: “Our production of juvenile salmon, known as smolts, is around 12 million per year and we hope to increase that to 15 million per year thanks to this new centre.

“Due to the new technology involved it increases the number of fish we’re able to produce but it also increases the size and flexibility that we have to put smolts to sea all year round.”

Marine Harvest are building recirculation units within the new centre, allowing water to be purified within the building and reused, rather than using water from rivers.

Ben Hadfield explained: “We take a lot less out the river and also we control the light and the temperature so we can have any season we want at any

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time of the year. The building also contains five units so we can have different seasons under the same roof.”

Robertsons, the infrastructure, support services and construction group is the main contractor, Jacobs are the civil consultants and the architect is Duncan Kelly.

Frank Reid, Regional Managing Director for Robertson said: “Scottish salmon is one of the country’s greatest modern day success stories and we are delighted that we have been chosen to build this impressive new facility. We have the same passion for delivering high quality as Marine Harvest and look forward to working in partnership with them to deliver this project.”

The Aquaculture equipment inside the building is being provided by Aquatec Solutions and IAT is providing specialist ozonation equipment.

Ben Hadfield said: “The unit itself is approximately 150,000 square feet and it is composed of five key compartments; egg incubation, fry production, parr production and then smolts; smolt 1 and smolt 2.

“We bring in 10–12 million eggs and they come in during the natural cycle of December to March, when fish would normally lay their eggs in the river.

“Some of the eggs will be put on water which is a bit warmer to speed them up, some we put on water that is ambient and some we put on water that is chilled. We control the temperature so we spread out the periods that we can start producing smolts.

We’re aiming to get smolts in seawater pens all year round so we can get an even supply base for the market.”

The development is located on a greenfield site, around 400 metres from Inverailort Castle, where commando’s were trained during World War Two. This was the first castle in Scotland to be commandeered by Churchill’s commando regiments.

The 150,000 square foot centre is a single storey building and much of the construction is underground, such as the ozonation tanks and bio filtration equipment. Also half the fish tanks are located below the soul of the building.

Ben Hadfield said: “We basically have our own concrete batching plant set up on site, which brought about a very large saving in cash but also has made it more environmentally friendly. We estimate that we have taken over 900 trucks off the road by doing this – given the total concrete usage is around 8000 cubic metres.

“The building has a curved roof which is grey in colour to minimise its visual impact, and has a steel frame construction with an insulated steel roof. The walls are predominantly to be clad in timber, with feature areas of olive green steel sheeting, white render and natural stone.

“The whole perimeter is surrounded by a level of screening and there is a tree planting requirement all the way round the building. All the subterranean construction of the tanks, bio-filters and ozonation tanks is currently taking place, the steel frame is

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erected and the roof is being constructed.”

Ben spoke positively about the build and its impact for both the company and the community.

He said: “It has been relatively straight forward, we chose a company that has done waste water treatment before and we used a concrete specialist which has ensured the smooth running of the build.

“For Marine Harvest, it’s the most significant development in terms of scale and budget that we’ve ever undertaken. The area is where fish farming started in the 1970’s and the works on the site had become a little bit run down as fish farming had expanded and moved away, but we hope to bring a positive presence back into that community.”

Construction News

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HMP Grampian The Scottish Prison Service is investing in a new £90 million prison in north east Scotland. HMP Grampian is being built on the site of the existing HMP Peterhead which is located 32 miles north of Aberdeen.

The successful contractor Skanska was appointed last year and began work in February 2012. Work is scheduled to be completed at the end of 2013.

Tom Fox from the Scottish Prison Service said: “The project is to build a 550 place community facing prison. This is the first custom built community facing prison we’re going to have in Scotland, I think I’m right in saying it’s the first one in the UK that has been built to accommodate all of the different categories of prisoners in the local community.

The prison will unique in its ability to house male adults, convicted prisoners, remand prisoners, male young offenders both convicted and remand as well as female prisoners.

Tom Fox said: “The prison population will almost entirely be drawn from the north east of Scotland and the prison will meet all of the custodial needs of the area. That necessity requires a fairly sophisticated way of separating the different categories of prisoners and providing them with separate regime facilities within one perimeter.

“Work is well underway, some of the steel super structure is already in place and it is on schedule for completion next year. When the construction work is completed the prison population from the existing prison, HMP Peterhead, plus the prison population from HMP Aberdeen will be decanted into the new establishment and both the existing prison and HMP Aberdeen will be demolished.”

HMP Grampian is being funded by the Scottish Government.

The custom built prison will provide education facilities, training facilities and a range of facilities to engage with prisoners across a spectrum of needs. There will be a wide range of opportunities for staff to engage with prisoners and aid their rehabilitation into society.

Tom Fox explains the custom design of the prison to enable a range of prisoners to be sent there.

“I’m aware of prisons taking different types of prisoners, but this one’s built specifically to accommodate the wide range of prisoners coming from the community and that’s quite unique.

“For the Scottish prison service, it means we’ve got a new custom built facility to meet the custodial needs of the people of north east Scotland. It means that it’s a facility that will maximise our chances of engaging positively with offenders in fit for purpose, modern accommodation.”

Resource and Environmental Consultants Limited Formed in 1995, Resource and Environmental Consultants Limited (REC) are an Environmental, Geotechnical, Health, Safety and Energy consultancy. The renewable energy

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division, REC Renewable Energy Ltd was established in January 2012, as the latest service offering within REC Ltd. HMP Grampian is REC Renewable Energy Ltd’s first project. They have completed the first phase of installing vertical collector pipe and the header array as part of the groundworks. REC expect to return to the site in November once the main buildings are constructed to install the plant and control systems ensuring each building has its own dedicated heat source.

Jim Lofthouse from REC Ltd said: “We are a holistic provider of renewable energy solutions; ground source being one of those solutions we’ve supplied at the HMP Grampian site.”

“While REC are one of many professional contractors providing ground source energy solutions, we are one of the only specialists to provide a fully integrated Building Information Modelling (BIM) facility. We currently take BIM to level 2 and by utilising this we are able to pass significant cost savings on to our clients”.

Refurbishing King’s Theatre King’s Theatre has reopened to the public following an extensive refurbishment project.

The project was designed to improve the visitor experience at the theatre and to overhaul the existing fabric of the building.

The refurbishment of King’s Theatre was completed in time for the opening day of the 2012 Edinburgh International Festival.

H&J Martin was the main contractor on the project, whilst Edinburgh based architectural practice Smith Scott Mullan Associates provided all of the architectural services. Rybka was the mechanical and electrical consultant and the structural consultant was Will Rudd Davidson.

Funding for the £2.6 million refurbishment project was provided by The City of Edinburgh Council, Historic Scotland and the charitable organisation The Nancie Massey Trust. With work complete and the building reopen to the public, Festival City Theatres Trust will continue to operate King’s Theatre.

Festival City Theatres Trust Chief Executive, Duncan Hendry, said: “The restoration project has made significant improvements to the front of house areas and the auditorium. Our audiences will see and feel a real difference and we thank the City of Edinburgh Council for their substantial investment and continued support.”

Culture and Leisure Convener, Councillor Richard Lewis, added: “From The Royal Shakespeare Company to the Gang Show, from the best of London’s West End to Stanley Baxter, the

Image Michael Wolchover

Grand Old Lady of Leven Street has been a firm Edinburgh favourite for over a century. This essential investment ensures that audiences of all ages can continue to enjoy shows at the King’s in comfort for many more years to come.”

Work began on the project in September 2011. Phase One comprised a number of external improvements to the existing sandstone in order to make the building wind and water tight and some necessary modifications to the roof to improve insulaROMA PUBLICATIONS

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S c otl a n d tion. In addition, some external plant was introduced within the building to improve ventilation, whilst a few external cosmetic works also took place.

All of the refurbishment work on Phase One was completed whilst the theatre remained open to the public and reached completion in January 2012.

Phase Two of the project got underway following the final performance of the 2011/2012 pantomime. The second phase of the refurbishment project concentrated on internal improvements and comprised the redecoration of the main foyer and stairs, the installation of a new box-office, a new accessible toilet in the box office area, and a general improvement of key facilities for disabled customers. During the works, new carpets were also laid throughout the main public areas of the theatre.

A significant alteration at the theatre included the installation of new seats in the Stalls and Dress Circle. Essex-based theatre specialists Kirwin and Simpson manufactured and installed all of the new seating on the project. The seats replicate Lazarusstyle seating – a popular form of seating in the 1990s – and offer improved leg room and comfort for theatre goers.

Seating in the Upper Circle was also improved, before Phase Two reached completion in June 2012.

Festival City Theatres Trust General Manager, Brian Loudon, said: “What visitors will notice most when coming back to the theatre is that we have re-floored and re-seated the Stalls and the Dress Circle, and have improved ventilation in the building making the theatre a lot cooler.

“We have also improved access, so now wheel chair users can enter the building the same way as all of our other customers and a platform lift will now take them up to the Stalls.

“The works were implemented to improve the customer experience, to rework access into the theatre and to improve health and safety within the building. King’s Theatre is now slightly greener than it was before too, with draft proofing and heat re-

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covery systems installed into the building. Where we have made an intervention we have tried to make it as environmentally friendly as possible and even though the customers may not see all of the works, ultimately they will reap the benefits via a more efficiently run building.”

Brian Loudon added: “King’s Theatre opened in 1906 and a major refurbishment took place in the mid-1950s, but the last time that any significant improvements were made was in 1985.

“Our aim is to put art in front of people and so what is very important for us is that we present our customers with a comfortable seat so that they can enjoy the experience. A building that has not had any money spent on it for 25 years needs to be refreshed so this project was vital for our continued operation of King’s Theatre.

“The feedback has been great. Councillors and sponsors took a tour around the building and everyone is really pleased at what has been achieved.”

New cell for Bennadrove Landfill Construction of a brand new waste cell at Bennadrove Landfill has been completed.

The £2.5 million project took place on the Isle of Lewis and was implemented by Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council) – the unitary local authority for the Western Isles of Scotland. The project ran on programme with no major disruptions and reached completion in September 2012.

Approximately 30,000 tonnes of waste are produced each year on the Western Isles. Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar is responsible for collecting and disposing of all the waste throughout the Isle of Lewis with some waste material being sent to landfill and some being recycled. The new cell – Cell F – was built to increase landfill provisions at the Stornoway site, in order to meet the ever increasing demand for the service, and will help the local council to continue its important work.

Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar Waste Disposal Operations Officer, Iain Macleod, said: “The act of landfilling will never go away. Recycling initiatives will remove a certain amount of waste from the equation but there will always be a residual amount of waste which will have to go to landfill.

“To landfill any waste it has to be disposed of within compliant and regulatory boundaries, which have been fully engineered and developed to accommodate the waste.

“Bennadrove Landfill is approximately 30 hectares in size and roughly a quarter of the site has already been developed to include various active disposable cells and closed off cells. The remainder of the site is now available for future development and this is something that we will explore when needed in time.”

Iain Macleod added: “Cell F is a new disposable cell and was built as a continuation of the current active Cell 1E. Cell F joins Cell 1E on the north and the west side of the Bennadrove Landfill site and continues to extend the overall landfill provisions, albeit in individual stand

alone cells.

“Cell F has a similar design to the previous cell, Cell 1E, with the same lining system employed once again. The aim of this project was to continue the tried and tested method and I’m pleased to say it has been a success.”

Work began on the project at Bennadrove Landfill in February 2012. Construction engineering contractors Jones Bros Ltd was the main contractor on the project, whilst local company Duncan Mackay and Sons provided most of the heavy plant used on the site. During the initial preparation work for the construction of Cell F, Jones Bros Ltd employed a 35 tonne Komastu excavator with a specialist rock-breaker attachment to prepare the site.

WYG oversaw the quality assurance aspects of the project on behalf of Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar.

Cell F comprises a mix of aggregate, an underlining drainage system and soil. At the base of the cell sits a 500 mm layer of drainage stone which is then covered with a separation geotextile membrane and a 500 mm layer of Bentonite enriched soil.

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The Bentonite enriched soil was manufactured using a mix of aggregate and Bentonite powder and this layer is covered with a 2 mm thick liner of HDPE plastic. On top of the plastic is a protection geotextile membrane and this is topped off with a 500 mm layer of clean stone which is used for drainage. All of the works on the site were conducted to ensure that they were compliant with all current regulations, including the European Landfill Directive.

Towards the end of the works on Bennadrove Landfill, electronic leak detection specialists Sensor carried out work to test the water tightness of the plastic liner within Cell F. The operation involved passing an electric current underneath the cell’s liner to check for any weaknesses.

Sensor’s UK Managing Director, Jon Crowther, said: “We’ve been in business 22 years and we got into this line of work specifically to protect the environment from any leaks that can occur from landfill sites, lagoons or mining installations. We monitor the integrity of these liners and ensure that there is no contamination to the environment.

“We have tested over 15,000,000m² of geomembrane liners worldwide and we pride ourselves on our honesty and integrity.”

Iain Macleod said: “The construction of the new cell at Bennadrove ran fairly smoothly; there are always technical challenges, and we undertook an extensive period of testing throughout August 2012, but the completion date was reached on time.

“During the work we were able to make use of a high level of locally sourced materials which reduced the amount of materials that we had to import and this helped speed up the process.”

Iain Macleod added: “Bennadrove Landfill is the only active landfill site in the Western Isles, covering a geographical area between the Butt of Lewis and the Isle of Barra, as well as covering all of the southern isles. On average we accept something in the order of 30,000 tonnes of mixed municipal waste along with some construction

and demolition materials throughout the year.

“For the local economy this cell presents a more cost effective option than exporting the waste materials to the mainland.

If we were to export waste then we would have to cross a 14 mile stretch of water via a ferry and the costs would just be too prohibitive.

“Based on the present rate of infill, the life expectancy of Cell F is approximately eight years. We will be looking to the future to extend the provisions on the site and we will more than likely repeat the exercise within six years. Although work on this site is complete for now, this is an ongoing project.”

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New Health Centre for Hirwaun The village of Hirwaun, 4 miles from the town of Aberdare in South Wales, is benefitting from a brand new Health Centre which was completed in May 2012.

The project involved the design and construction of a 2 storey, 12,000 square foot medical centre which will include a pharmacy and a dental surgery.

On the £3 million Health Centre, the main contractor was Dawnus, whilst the architect was West Hart Partnership.

The new centre is fully equipped to meet the needs of the local community, and also houses GP consulting rooms, treatment rooms, training facilities and a medical promotions room. More widely, the building includes a library, administration facilities and staff facilities including showers.

Additional works on the project included car parking, bicycle parking and all necessary external works.

The fully DDA compliant medical centre was designed to achieve a category A Energy Performance Certificate and it was also built to achieve a BREEAM Very Good rating.

The medical centre was developed by MedicX, a leading specialist investor and developer of

healthcare properties, before being let to the Cwm Taf Health Board.

Regional Director of MedicX, Tony Coke said: “We were delighted to have developed this state of the art medical centre for Cwm Taf Health Board, which will provide a host of excellent and much needed services to benefit the local community.”

The Cwm Taf Health Board is responsible for the provision of healthcare services in Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taff Local Authority areas.

Allison Williams, Chief Executive of Cwm Taf Health Board said: “We are very excited about the new health centre and the fantastic facilities that it has to offer. This is a provision that local people desperately need and we are delighted to be able to share these wonderful facilities with the community.”

Paul Western, also of Cwm Taf Health Board, is

HRH The Prince of Wales opens the new Bodnant Welsh Food Centre As the largest investment in an independent consumer development in Wales for several years, the new £6.5 million Bodnant Welsh Food Centre opened its doors to the public on Monday 9th July 2012.

Situated in the Conwy Valley near the world-famous Bodnant Garden, Bwyd Cymru Bodnant Welsh Food is the brainchild of Bodnant estate owners, Michael and Caroline McLaren. Their vision of creating an innovative centre for the production, promotion and enjoyment of Welsh food has seen the transformation of a range of 18th century farm buildings at Furnace Farm, just off the A470.

Construction works included the refurbishment and conversion of the farm house into a five-bedroom accommodation centre. This element of the project involved the replacement of the old roof with a traditional Welsh slate roof and the removal of all internal walls in order to facilitate the reconfiguration of the interior. Feature arches and new box sash windows were incorporated, whilst render on the external elevations was removed to reveal the original stone walls, which were in turn re-pointed.

A former stable block was comprehensively renovated and converted to include a chocolatier outlet on the ground floor and an administrative office on the first floor, whilst the adjoining barns were extensively refurbished. Further works included the demolition and re-building of a collection of single-storey buildings known as the North Range Buildings, and the construction of a new production unit with refrigeration facilities for meat and

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enthusiastic about the impact that the Hirwaun Health Centre will have.

Paul said: “This is a major step to achieving a long held goal for Cym Taf Health Board, patients and the community in Hirwaun. I feel confident that the facilities and structure that MedicX has provided will contribute significantly to ensuring the long-term provision of effective healthcare services for the area.”

dairy products delivered to the site.

Main contractor for the project was K&C Construction and the architect was Capita Symonds.

The new Bodnant Welsh Food Centre is the only one of its kind in Wales and celebrates the very best in Welsh, seasonal and local produce. Comprising a new Welsh food shop, dairy,

bakery and butchery, the centre also boasts a tea room and a restaurant that serves food made with ingredients from the farm shop. In total, over 50% of the produce sold and eaten at the shop will derive from North Wales, whilst 70% of the produce will be sourced from across Wales.

Further facilities include a cookery school, training facilities and farmhouse accommodation, whilst the centre is also home to a new National Beekeeping Centre for Wales.

Bodnant Welsh Food Managing Director, Sand Boyd, commented: “There has been nothing like this in Wales before. The vision for Bodnant Welsh Food is to give local suppliers of high quality produce an outlet they would not otherwise have, to sell their goods. Our customers will be able to buy products made with the finest ingredients, sourced as locally as possible.

“We’ve recruited more than 60 people, 95% of whom live in this area and will spend their wages locally. In addition to the support of the local people, we also expect thousands of tourists to visit the centre each year, bringing further economic benefits to the area.”

The centre has been backed by a £3.3 million investment from the Welsh Government, including the European Regional Development Fund, Targeted Match Fund and a Processing and Marketing Grant as part of the Rural Development Plan.

Beech Developments: Gwel Y Castell Phase Two Located within the heart of Llandudno Junction, Conwy, Gwel Y Castell is a brand new residential housing development from Beech Developments. Following the successful completion of 45 homes at Gwel Y Castell Phase One, work has now begun on the second phase of the site, bringing additional housing to the development.

Gwel Y Castell Phase Two comprises 36, two, three and fourbedroom detached and semi-detached houses and bungalows, all boasting solar thermal energy heating systems and highquality finishes. The development is being built to meet very stringent standards – as set out in the Code for Sustainable Homes – and forms one of the most energy efficient developments in the area.

Gwel Y Castell is conveniently located close to the historic town of Conwy and near to the A55 trunk route. The site is perfectly serviced by both train and bus services and is close to four golf courses, the new Deganwy Quay Marina and is just half a mile from the national coastal cycle path.

Houses on Gwel Y Castell Phase Two are being constructed using timber frames clad in brick and block with low-maintenance self coloured render, energy efficient double glazed white UPVC

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windows and permeable paved parking bays. Glow Worm Solar panels and energy efficient boilers will be installed to heat the domestic hot water. Central heating is installed with time and zone control and weather compensation to increase efficiency and reduce running costs.

All of the properties on Gwel Y Castell will have top-quality finishes across kitchens, bathrooms and living areas. Kitchens include integrated brand name appliances, ceramic wall and floor tiles, feature lighting and plumbing for automatic washing machines. Meanwhile bathrooms include electric showers, extractor fans, recessed downlighters and chrome finish fittings.

As well as upgraded bathrooms and kitchens, the units on Gwel Y Castell will also include discreetly located telephone, internet and power points – with high-speed data cabling available in selected rooms and multiple satellite TV points.

Additional features include cycle storage, provision for a home office, drying space, external water butts, compost bins, energy efficient lighting and recycling bins and smoke alarms and heat detectors.

Architecturally designed landscaping will also be incorporated throughout the site and will include plants, shrubs and trees which have all been specifically chosen to encourage birds, butterflies and insects into the area. In addition, copses on the development will include bat and bird boxes so that wildlife can thrive across the site.

Beech Developments’ sister company, Brenig Construction is completing all of the ground works on Gwel Y Castell Phase Two. A spokesperson for Beech Developments, said: “The house layouts have been carefully thought out and are based on our best selling houses at Ebberston Place, Rhos on Sea, for which we have had positive feedback. All the properties have superior specifications are built with attractive materials and the imaginatively designed landscaping will form a very important feature of Gwel Y Castell and provide a real sense of place.”

Brenig Construction Brenig Construction provides turnkey project management and construction services for civil and building contracts throughout the UK. The company works across a range of projects from new builds to regeneration schemes and from utility infrastructure installations to marine developments.

Led by company founder Howard Vaughan, the Brenig Construction team has been delivering high profile projects for many years and strives to provide the best possible service to all its clients.

On Gwel Y Castell Phase Two Brenig Construction conducted earthworks, installed access roads, foul water systems and services and conducted work on the open space element of the site. Brenig Construction also installed an attenuation system which comprised a number of concrete pipes linked to a new hydro brake, and the Redi-rock wall – a retaining wall measuring 50 metres in length.

In addition to Brenig Construction’s impressive services the company has recently launched a brand new website to aid in its achievements.

Howard Vaughan, said: “Our new web presence gives visitors a flavour of what we do, and the competencies Brenig is bringing into the construction industry. Once completed, the client area will prove to be an invaluable communication tool for the successful delivery of projects.

“We would encourage anyone interested in our services to speak to us, as we believe it’s only through personal interaction that prospective clients can truly understand the benefit of working with Brenig.”

Brenig Construction works towards BREEAM and CEEQUAL standards and always aims to use renewable or recycled materials on all of its projects.

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Making a splash: Redeveloping Swansea A brand new water sports centre has opened in Swansea.

Situated along the seafront opposite St Helen’s, 360 Beach and Water Sports is a new community facility in Swansea Bay. The £1.4 million centre was delivered by Swansea Council and offers a diverse range of sports, including kite-surfing, kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding and windsurfing.

Opco was main contractor on 360 Beach and Water Sports, whilst Capital Design Group was the architect. Swansea City and County Council provided quantity surveying services along with structural engineering and mechanical and electrical services.

Funding for the site was provided by the Wales European Funding Office and the Welsh Government, through Visit Wales and the Regeneration Area programme.

With work complete the centre will now be operated by Bay Sports Ltd – a not-for-profit partnership comprising Bay Leisure Ltd and Swansea University.

Swansea Council Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Councillor Nick Bradley, said: “Swansea is fast developing an international reputation as a world class sporting city. We need to make the most of our stunning coastal location and the new water sports centre will generate more vibrancy on the promenade.

“The new centre complements what is already a fantastic sporting offer in Swansea, thanks to facilities like the Wales National Pool, our network for community leisure centres and the Liberty Stadium. It will also be a huge boost to have the water sports centre on a route that’s a key gateway to the outdoor playground of Gower.

“Our football and rugby teams are putting destination Swansea Bay on the world stage, but the new centre of excellence for water sports will further help us raise the profile of our outstanding natural location.

“The glorious sweep of Swansea Bay naturally lends itself as an amphitheatre for water sports and both residents and visitors are able to access a spectacular range of water sports equipment, expert advice and tuition.”

360 Beach and Water Sports offers a wide selection of sporting activities and training opportunities to appeal to a broad range of people, from sporting enthusiasts and students, to visiting tourists. Features of the centre include a beach-side bistro, changing facilities, a multi-function room and public toilets. In addition, 360 Beach and Water Sports also includes very unique state-of-the-art toilet facilities known as Changing Places, which cater for people with multiple or profound disabilities.

Swansea University Business Development and Marketing Manager, Ben Lucas, said: “360 Beach and Water Sports sits right at the heart of the local community and we are keen to develop the Centre as an asset for the city that promotes access to sport for all.

“We wanted to ensure that we developed a brand that was consistent with our core values, and with 360 we believe we have created an identity that is welcoming and accessible to all whilst conveying a professional approach and commitment to world class service.”

Welsh National and British Surfing Champion, Renee Godfrey, said: “I wholeheartedly support 360 Beach and Water Sports.

“The ideals behind the 360 brand – completeness, inclusivity and focus of the facility – go hand-in-hand with the approach Swansea University has to education and sport. It will add further value to the student experience, as well as the city’s sporting offering.”

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In addition to the new 360 Beach and Water Sports facility, work has also been undertaken to improve other areas of Swansea. These projects include the replacement of an existing council building at Knab Rock and the redevelopment of Glynn Vivian Art Gallery.

The new facility at Knab Rock includes public toilets, showering facilities, changing rooms, an office and a tourism information point. Meanwhile Glynn Vivian Art Gallery is undergoing an extensive redevelopment scheme which will see the installation of new collection and exhibition areas, the creation of new social spaces – with Wi-Fi access and refreshments – and a variety of new rooms.

Structural work began on the project in early 2012 and will take two years to complete. The project is being funded by the Welsh Government, the Arts Council of Wales and the City and Council of Swansea.

Whilst work is being conducted on the refurbishment of Glynn Vivian Art Gallery an exciting off-site programme of activities and events has been arranged to take place at venues across the city.

Glynn Vivian Art Gallery Curator, Jenni Spencer-Davies, said: “This will be an interesting and exciting time for the gallery and we hope that we can continue to develop and grow to ensure that the Glynn Vivian continues to thrive for future generations.”

For more information regarding the redevelopment works in Swansea please visit: www.swansea.gov.uk.

Efficient power in Pembrokeshire Work to construct the UK’s largest combined cycle power plant (CCPP) has been completed.

Pembroke B Combined Cycle Power Plant (CCPP) is a brand new facility, in Pembroke, Wales. The € 1 billion facility was constructed on the site of a former oil-fired power station and was completed in September 2012.

Alstom Power was the main contractor on the project, whilst funding for the development was provided by RWE nPower.

Alstom is a key player in the power plant construction industry and has already built 20 gas-fired power plants across the UK, producing approximately 12GW. Michael Scott, Alstom Power, said: “This project demonstrates Alstom’s capability to deliver efficient and clean integrated power solutions close to an environmentally protected area.

“The new Pembroke CCPP is one of the most modern combined cycle power plants with a low-carbon power generation.

These new, more efficient and cleaner power plants contribute to reducing the amount of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere and allow low and part load operations in compliance with strict environmental regulations.”

Pembroke B CCPP has a capacity of up to 2,160MW – enough to supply energy to three million homes – and will reduce the average annual CO2 emissions by up to 10 million tonnes, when compared with a coal-fired power station. Pembroke B CCPP uses a single shaft configuration and each combined cycle unit

includes a GT26 gas turbine, an HRSG, one reheat type STF30C steam turbine, one TOPGAS generator and the ALSPA Plant Control System.

The new CCPP is the seventh KA26 project in the UK, following Staythorpe and Grain in 2007; and Langage, Shoreham, Coryton and Enfield in 2006, 2000, 1999 and 1997 respectively.

Michael Scott said: “Construction was carried out at an accelerated pace, which

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Wa l e s presented many challenges to the team and logistics had to be carefully considered.

Constructability and execution methodology played a huge part of the project due to the plant configurations – something unique to the Alstom design.

“Getting the heavy oversized cargo onto the site was also very challenging, especially as the cargo came in by both road and sea transport.

The various consignments were transported and offloaded at site, with some items having a transportation weight of 300 tons.

“The project execution also faced many challenges in the field of industrial relations and as a result both Alstom and various Trade Unions worked together in an exemplary manner throughout the life of the project.”

Whilst work was being conducted on the site, both RWE nPower and Alstom worked very hard to ensure that the local community did not suffer any major disruptions during construction. RWE nPower limited the visual impact that the new plant would have on the area by implementing a design that took into consideration the colour, height and location of the facility, whilst Alstom updated the local community on the project’s progress and conducting a number of charity initiatives.

Michael Scott said: “Becoming an active member of the community was a priority for Alstom from the beginning and a crucial reason behind the Pembroke project’s success.

“It was important to Alstom that the community felt as much a part of the project as those on the site, so regular updates were given keeping the local people informed of our activities.

“Working closely with RWE’s community programme, Alstom played a significant role in supporting community activities

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wherever possible. One of the highlights included the annual Alstom sponsored ‘Charity Challenge’ fundraising event, which took place in July 2012 where over £15,800 was raised for local organisations. The challenge ran for three years under Alstom’s sponsorship and raised a total in excess of £50,000 for the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) and Wales Air Ambulance.

“In addition, throughout the course of the project, individual donations and sponsorships totalling over £25,000 were made to local clubs and charities.”

During peak construction 1,500 people were employed on the Pembroke B Combined Cycle Power Plant project and now that it is fully operational the facility will create approximately 100 permanent positions.

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Apex Housing Group: Supporting local communities As a leading name in housing association schemes, Apex Housing Group has certainly made its mark on projects throughout Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. The group’s key areas of expertise include house & property management, accommodation construction and the provision of a dedicated care & support service and with over 3,000 units already completed throughout Northern Ireland the group continues to build on its impressive reputation.

Apex Housing is registered with the Department of Social Development and provides housing and support for those in need, catering from young and elderly people, to those living with mental health and learning difficulties. The group also prides itself on its provision of housing for people who require emergency shelter. In addition, Apex Housing’s accommodation stock also includes nursing accommodation and hostels.

Apex Housing Group employs over 500 members of staff and is responsible for a range of accommodation and mixed tenure developments. The group views the need to provide residents with low cost home ownership options as vital for providing a full service to its tenants.

Current Apex projects include Tigers Bay in Belfast, a 10 unit terrace house development; and Church Bay in Rathlin Island, a 10 unit semi-detached housing development. Tigers Bay is being constructed on Limestone Road and Hallidays Road in Belfast and comprises six, three-bedroom houses and four, two-bedroom houses, with a completion date set for January 2013. Meanwhile, Church Bay comprises seven, three-bedroom

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houses and three, two-bedroom houses and is scheduled to reach completion in March 2013.

In addition, Apex Housing Group is also working hard to complete the Rinmore Re-improvement Scheme which is currently taking place in Derry. Prior to work taking place on the scheme The Housing Executive transferred 38 dwellings in Creggan to Apex Housing Association for the purpose of improving the units. As part of the scheme Apex Housing Association has offered tenants the choice of two or three-bedroom houses to meet their individual housing requirements.

The Rinmore Re-improvement Scheme is being conducted in five phases and with work already complete on Phase One the second phase of works is currently underway.

Apex Housing Group always strives to ensure that its dwellings meet the needs of its tenants so has a dedicated property services department which includes a planned preventative and response maintenance programme.

The programme is in place to protect and enhance the value of each property and key elements include response maintenance – a day-to-day repair service; planned maintenance – a contract refurbishment service; and cyclical maintenance – which include internal and external painting, equipment servicing and grounds maintenance works. In addition, the programme also includes miscellaneous maintenance, a service which takes into account fire precautions, asbestos management and other important aspects of health and safety.

As well as providing services that maintain the life of each

property Apex Housing Group is also interested in maintaining the well being of all its tenants. As part of this dedication, Apex Housing Group works hard to reduce anti-social behaviour across its accommodation portfolio, so that all its residents can live in a safe and friendly environment.

Although Apex Housing Group’s work takes place largely in Northern Ireland the group is involved with a number of schemes abroad. Since 2001, Apex Housing Association has worked with international charity Children in Crossfire (CIC) to fund a variety of projects taking place in Kenya and Tanzania.

Projects include Makutano in Kenya, which comprised the construction of a dam, a community food store and community centre; and more recently Milwaleni in Tanzania, which comprised construction of a community clinic and accommodation for clinic staff. In 2011, Apex also provided funding for the inclusion of solar panels on the clinic and accommodation unit.

All of the projects that form Apex Housing Group’s charitable work are carried out by the local community and a representative for CIC, whilst funding is raised by staff and tenant fundraising activities and donations.

For more information about Apex Housing Group please visit: www.apexhousing.org.

McAdam Design McAdam Design is one of the largest independent multi-disciplinary consultancy practices working in Northern Ireland. The practice was established in 1963 and is involved with a range of disciplines, from architecture, civil engineering, structural engineering and project management to environmental work and CDM co-ordination.

McAdam Design has provided services for a number of high profile projects, including New University of Ulster Belfast Campus, Peace Bridge Londonderry and the 50m Olympic Pool & Leisure complex in Bangor. In addition, McAdam Design is the project manager, architect and CDM co-ordinator on the Apex New Build framework and Apex Major Minor frameworks.

Current projects for Apex Housing Association include Clara Street in Belfast and Rosemount in Londonderry, whilst for Trinity Housing Association projects include Ballynoe Road in Downpatrick and Mourne Hospital in Kilkeel.

McAdam Design does not believe in ‘off-the-shelf’ solutions and ensures that an open-minded and appropriate response

is developed for every project. The practice’s flexibility is combined with sensitivity to the relevant environment, be that rural, urban, built or natural. McAdam Design’s approach ensures sustainable solutions and excellent value engineering, whilst at the same time provides innovation from experience and embraces whole-life costs.

Constructing Blenheim Drive and Brookfield Gardens Work on two new developments for Apex Housing Group – Blenheim Drive and Brookfield Gardens – has reached completion.

The first of the finished projects was Brookfield Gardens, an

£850,000 housing scheme in Ahoghil. Work began on the project in April 2011 and was completed in June 2012.

The Brookfield Gardens project included nine new units comprising, four, three-bedroom houses; two, two-bedroom hous-

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es; and three houses which were designed to accommodate tenants with special needs. The project also included front and rear gardens, parking and associated external works & services including the formation of footpaths and paved areas.

The second recently completed project is Blenheim Drive in Newtownards. Blenheim Drive is a brand new £1.6 million development for Apex Housing Group which got underway in July 2011.

The Blenheim Drive project comprised the construction of 15 new units, which included 14 general needs houses and one three-bedroom house for tenants living with complex needs.

The mix of dwellings is divided into ten, three-bedroom houses; four, two-bedroom houses; and one, three bedroom house.

In addition, the project also included construction of a new access road – and associated works and services – and the installation of 27 parking spaces for residents.

Work on the 14 general needs houses reached completion in August 2012, whilst the complex needs unit reached completion in early October 2012.

All of the units on both housing schemes are being constructed to meet Lifetime Homes’ criteria and Code for Sustainable Homes Code Level 3.

Leading construction company Dixons Contractors was the main contractor on both projects, whilst Todd Architects was

the architect on Blenheim Drive and Boyd Partnership provided all architectural services on the Brookfield Gardens project.

For over 30 years Dixons Contractors has grown to become an important name in construction in Northern Ireland. Dixon Contractors’ portfolio includes a mix of traditional and contemporary designs for both the commercial and domestic sectors and the company works on projects from the initial design stages through to completion.

Dixons Contractors Ltd was also the first construction company in Ireland to be awarded the Business Continuity BS 25999 certification.

In discussing the recent work on Apex Housing Group’s latest developments, Dixons Contractors Contracts Manager, Ryan McErlean, said: “We like to be involved with projects such as Brookfield Gardens and Blenheim Drive, which provide important accommodation for people with special requirements.

“Dixons Contractors has worked with Apex Housing Group for over five years and this long lasting relationship is very important to us. Apex Housing Group is one of the biggest social housing builders in Northern Ireland and we hope to continue this relationship with Apex on their future projects.”

McGurran Construction: Constructing communities Established in 1994, McGurran Construction is a family owned construction and development company with operations spanning throughout Northern and Northwest Ireland. The company builds and designs projects for clients in both the private and public sectors and works with many of the country’s leading housing associations.

As McGurran Construction offers a progressive and flexible approach to its projects, the company is capable of completing a wide range of developments that demonstrate innovation, imagination and high levels of quality in all its projects. To date, the company has worked with many high profile housing associations, including Apex Housing Group, Accord Housing Association, Oaklee Housing, Ulidia Housing, Helm Housing Association and Trinity Housing, amongst others.

Working with Apex Housing Group, McGurran Construction recently completed the £1.2 million Orchard Park project. Work began on the Orchard Park project in March 2011 and reached completion in June 2012. GM Design was the architect on the site.

Orchard Park comprised the construction of 15 social housing units and associated road and site works, and took place on a former Greenfield site. Works also included the introduction of retaining walls and all units were built to be compliant with Code

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of Sustainable Homes Level 3, Life Time Homes and Secured by Design.

Following the successful completion of Orchard Park for Apex Housing Group, McGurran Construction our nearing completion on the Comber Road project for Trinity Housing.

The £1.3 million Comber Road project in Dundonald, County Down, comprised construction of 18 apartments, including the installation of heating, plumbing and electrical services. Harry Rolston was the architect.

Most recently McGurran Construction has been involved with the £570,000 Rectory Close project for Oaklee Housing.

The Rectory Close project comprises the construction of six general needs houses, all of which include central heating, solar panels and a heat recovery system. The units are being constructed to Code Level 3 and works include engineering and civil engineering services, including the construction of gabion retaining walls.

Work began on the project in March 2012 and is due to reach completion in February 2013. Harry Rolston is the architect on Rectory Close.

McGurran Construction Systems and Business Development Manager, Aine Burns, said: “A couple of years ago McGurran Construction got into the housing association market and from there we have developed our portfolio to include schemes for many of the leading associations in Northern Ireland. We have successfully built and completed a number of social houses and apartments to Sustainable Code Level 4 and to see the developments completed is very satisfying.

Aine Burns added: “McGurran Construction provides good quality homes to areas of Ireland that really need them. When we hand over our units we liaise with tenants so that they are aware of all the important features of their new homes and it makes it all very worthwhile.

“We also liaise with community leaders and take part in charity events to contribute to the local community. We work towards the Considerate Constructors Scheme and we continue to work towards raising the profile of construction work across Northern Ireland.”

For more information about McGurran Construction please visit: www.mcgurranconstruction.com.

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Northern Ireland sees new mountain bike trail for World Games Construction work has now started on the £1.9 million development of purpose-built mountain bike trails in the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland.

Split over two sites, this 45km development of sustainable mountain bike trails includes Ireland’s first official downhill trails in Rostrevor Forest Park which has recently been selected as a site for next summer’s World Police and Fire Games.

With the cross-country trails through Castlewellan Forest Park also hosting the European Single Speed Championships in 2014, this project is already delivering on its potential to make Northern Ireland the next must-visit mountain bike destination in the UK and Ireland.

Euro Services Contracts Ltd, a civil engineering and trail building company based in nearby Camlough is the main contractor for the build and their Director Gerard Quinn is enjoying the challenges that this project is throwing his way.

Mr Quinn explains: “The trail building works are being completed by specialist squads at various locations throughout both sites however we are working in some difficult mountainous terrain so we have had to be quite inventive as we have progressed with the build.

“There are sections coming up in the next few weeks which will certainly require helicopter drops however as a company we relish these sorts of challenges and working out ways of overcoming the various issues that crop up.

“One of our main objectives is to ensure minimal disruption to the surrounding environment and ecology. As such, all of the trails are being constructed to highest standards of sustainability and this will certainly add the mountain biking experience on offer here once these trails open early next year.”

The Mournes Mountain Bike Trails is an initiative of Outdoor Recreation Northern Ireland (formerly CAAN) and is being led

by Down District Council with partnership funding secured from the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, Down District Council, Newry & Mourne District Council and Sport Northern Ireland.

The project is also being supported by the Forest Service of Northern Ireland.

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Clare Jones, Product Development Manager for Outdoor Recreation Northern Ireland explained: “Mountain biking has enjoyed a real surge in popularity in recent years and despite having an ideal landscape for world class trails we have not yet harnessed the opportunities that mountain biking holds for Northern Ireland.

“Now with a superb trails design from Dafydd Davis MBE and expert contractors in Euro Services Contracts Ltd, mountain bikers in Northern Ireland will no longer have to travel over the border or across the Irish Channel in search of trails that fit the bill.”

Mayor of Newry and Mourne District Council, John McArdle said: “I am delighted that Newry and Mourne District Council is involved with the mountain bike trail project and it is already clear that the purpose built trails will ensure that the Mournes area becomes one of the world’s top mountain biking destinations.”

By next April, Northern Ireland will have a network of sustainable trails that will rival any others in Europe so it is no surprise that large-scale events are already looking at the Mourne Mountains as a future venue.

Greg Bradley, the project’s representative for Down District Council and Newry and Mourne District Counci, said: “The World Police and Fire Games is a world event and it’s the first time it has come to this part of the world. The uniqueness of this project is that it stretches between two different council boundaries-Down District Council is project managing the construction of the trail on behalf of both councils.

“We are very much a tourist reliant district. The two councils are in a ruralised environment and we are expecting thousands of new visitors to use the bike trails over the year.

“It will be a world-class tourism attraction and it is a growing industry. Other regions in the UK have their own nationally recognised trails and it’s fantastic for the area that this development is happening here.”

Visit www.outdoorrecreationni.com to find out more information on the Mournes Mountain Bike Trails and other current activity developments taking place across Northern Ireland.

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IOG Saltex 2012 IOG SALTEX took place across 50 acres at Windsor Racecourse in Berkshire. Boasting around 9,000 visitors and 400 exhibitors, the event celebrated the very best in fine turf and sports surfaces, children’s outdoor play and safety surfacing, turf maintenance equipment and landscaping. Everything that was needed for the maintenance, management and development of open spaces – from commercial vehicles to outdoor leisure and facilities management and software and security equipment – was available at the event’s many exhibitions.

Each year the event is attended by open space management professionals and contractors – from groundsmen and greenkeepers to play officers, designers, architects and surveyors.

For more information, visit: www.iog.org

A one-stop shop The usefulness of IOG SALTEX as the ‘one-stop shop’ for all turf and open space management matters and as a showcase for new ideas and products – plus the event’s unrivalled ability to enable equipment to be demonstrated outdoors - continues to dominate the reasons why industry decision-makers make their annual pilgrimage to the Windsor show.

According to independent research, 88 per cent of visitors to 2011’s IOG SALTEX said it was important to see equipment working in a ‘real life’ environment. And more than half (59 per cent) said the show was the one event where they could see everything they need in one place at the same time, while 58 per cent go looking for new products and ideas to improve their routines.

In addition, the visitor research (by Vivid Interface) also reveals that 34 per cent of the 9,267 visitors to the 2011 show went to IOG SALTEX to source new or alternative suppliers.

A priority sales market The range of commercial vehicle companies that took stand space at IOG SALTEX 2012 (Windsor, September 4-6) reinforced how global motor manufacturers continue to regard the groundscare and open space management industry as a priority sales market.

Visitors were able to see a host of vans and trucks, and were able to compare capacities, capabilities, price and service back-up from Fiat, Great Wall, Iveco, Isuzu Truck and Isuzu

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UK, Kawasaki, KFS, Mercedes Benz, Renault, The Land Rover Centre and Vauxhall.

Iveco, the Commercial Vehicle arm of Fiat Industrial, also demonstrated the New Daily 35C15 Crew Cab with Ingimex tipper body, the Daily 4x4 50C17 with Neath Coachbuilders’ dropside body and the Eurocargo 75E16 Tipper.

In its latest form, the New Daily range offers gross vehicle weight ranges from 3.5 to 7 tonnes, six wheelbases and a choice of nine engines with five- or six-speed manual or the AGile automated gearbox.

As the best selling Iveco truck in the UK, the Eurocargo range (7.5 to 18 tonnes) extends to more than 11,500 configurations and represents a vehicle line-up that can be mission-matched to all types of applications, including off-road tipper work and specialist 4x4 models.

In addition, news also received from Renault revealed that IOG SALTEX the company showcased the new Tipper Utility Cab, the Kangoo ZE van (100 per cent electric), the Master Dropside, the Crewcab Trafic and the Master. The company’s award-winning line-up included panel vans and factory-built conversions, plus bespoke conversions via accredited partners.

An Olympic heritage A special display of turf machinery, tools and artefacts from the years 1908 and 1948 was also staged alongside their 2012 counterparts at this year’s IOG SALTEX open space management show to commemorate the historic Olympic events.

Working closely with the Hall & Duck Trust – an international collection of 1,000 lawn mowers dating from the 1850s, plus home to an extensive material archive – IOG SALTEX provided visitors with a range of mechanised and pedestrian-controlled machinery and tools, as well as a selection of interesting artefacts, photos and posters.

Included in the display was a rare Ransomes 30 inch Patent Motor Mower of 1907(a pedestrian machine), the likes of which would have been used in 1908 for the Olympic events. The original owner was Somerset County Cricket Club and the machine is still in running order.

The aim of the display was to show comparative equipment from each of the years when the event was held in London, illustrating how the industry has changed over the 104-year period.

Members of the Trust were available for discussion.

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Arboricultural show a resounding success The 2012 ARB show was heralded as a huge success when it was held at its showground on the Bathurst Estate in Circenster in June.

With something for everyone - from the absolute novice to the most experienced practitioner – show visitors were able to get advice on anything from climbing and work techniques to the latest products and climbing kit. In total, more than 65 trade stands were in attendance at this year’s event.

Practical demonstration sessions included the single rope technique, the Rope Wrench and Unicender, back-to-basics tree felling techniques, work positioning for pole dismantling and multi-anchor climbing. In addition, sessions also focused on tree work to veteran trees, specialised assisted felling and rescue from the periphery of tree canopies.

The extremely popular 3ATC (Arboricultural Association Arborist’s Tree Challenge) – sponsored by arbjobs.com – was also run across the event. The challenge included categories for novices, experts and premier climbers.

Stumpdrillers were also on hand at the event to demonstrate how ROTOP removes stumps efficiently, whilst Workware introduced the Faxko tripod latter system, Arborplan Insurance launched commercial vehicle insurance and Rock Croft launched their new mesh-specs ‘BX’ mesh safety glasses.

Another major event in the arboricultural world was the association’s 46th National Amenity ARB Conference. The conference is the largest and most established annual conference dedicated to arboriculture, and the event is the focal gathering of amenity arboriculture managers in the UK, consultants, local government managers, contractors and educators.

As the largest and most established annual conference dedicated to arboriculture, this event was 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.

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.

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 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: • • •

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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 PREMIER CONSTRUCTION

• •

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: • • • •

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

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: “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%.

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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.

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.

Hewden Training Hewden Training is a leading provider of specialist training courses for the construction industry. All of the company’s courses are industry accredited and cover such subjects as health and safety, crane operation and access training. In addition, Hewden Training also offers a bespoke training service whereby courses can be adapted to meet the requirements of contract customers.

Hewden Training has been in operation for more than 44 years – providing specialist training services to clients aged 17 and up – and has recently introduced a brand new online booking system. The new system allows clients to access information on all available courses and provides a one-stop-shop for customers requiring the company’s unique services.

Hewden Training Manager, Danielle Rigby, said: “In order to operate machinery, everybody in the industry needs some form of training. We fulfil our customers’ needs by providing a training service that allows everyone to be trained to the correct level and this is especially important for teams working on the same site.

“At Hewden Training we also provide a bespoke service which allows us to meet our clients’ requirements each and every time.

We are currently developing a brand new course for Barratt Homes – which is very specific to the way the company operates – and this is something we can do for other companies.

Not many companies offer this level of service and it certainly makes us stand out from the crowd.”

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Heritage

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 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.

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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

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O ve r s e a s

Harnessing the wind: Riffgat Wind Farm Construction work on Riffgat Wind Farm remains on schedule.

Riffgat Wind Farm is a brand new €480 million wind farm project currently under construction in the German North Sea. The site is located 15 kilometres from the island of Borkum and 25 kilometres from the Dutch island of Schiermonnikoog.

Once work on the project is complete, Riffgat Wind Farm will comprise 30 turbines – with a total capacity of 108 MW – and a transformer substation which will transfer power to the German energy grid. The total area of the site, including a 500 meter wide security zone, measures 13.2 square kilometres.

Riffgat Wind Farm is being developed by leading energy, telecommunications and information technology provider EWE in collaboration with Enova Energy Systems. Once the site becomes fully operational RIFFGAT GmbH & Co. KG – a joint venture between EWE and Enova Energy Systems – will operate the wind farm.

Work began on the project in May 2012. Leading wind power facilities manufacturer Siemens is supplying 30 wind turbines for the project, which will be installed throughout 2012 and early 2013.

Each of the turbines on the project has a 3.6 megawatts (MW) capacity and will generate enough electricity to power approximately 120, 000 homes. With an installed offshore capacity of more than 1,000 MW, Siemens is the leading supplier of wind power facilities in offshore operations.

The turbine foundations on Riffgat Wind Farm will be attached to the seabed using 30 monopiles; with one monopile being used per turbine. The monopiles measure 70 meters in length, contain up to 800 tons of steel pipes and were driven 40 metres deep into the ground during installation.

International offshore installation and removal contractor Seaway Heavy Lifting Contracting Ltd (SHL) installed the foundations on the project, with the first monopile operation taking place in June 2012. To date Riffgat Wind Farm is the second wind turbine foundation contract undertaken by Seaway Heavy Lifting Contracting Ltd in 2012.

A 183-foot crane ship known as Oleg Strashnov was responsible for carrying out all of the monopile work on the site. The ship transported foundation piles from the Dutch port of Vlissingen to the construction site where they were installed in a water depth of between 18 to 23 metres. The installation of monopiles took two months and was completed in September 2012.

The monopiles have a tip diameter of either 5.7 meters or 6.5 meters (depending on the water depth) and now that each is in place they will be topped with transition pieces. The transition pieces measure 26 metres in height with a tip diameter of 5.6 meters and a weight of 207 metric tonnes.

G&G and Idesa fabricated the majority of foundations on the wind farm project, except one foundation which was fabricated

by UK based company TAG. Following the completion of the monopiles, work began on the installation of infield submarine power cables.

Worldwide cable industry expert Nexans is supplying and installing the infield cables as well as ancillary equipment on the project. The company is manufacturing the cables at its facility in Hannover, with approximately 24 km of 33 kV XLPE submarine infield cables being used on the site. Once installed, the cables will connect the wind turbines to the offshore transformer substation, which is also currently under construction.

To complete the project, nacelles and wind turbine rotors will be erected in spring 2013.

Riffgat Wind Farm is scheduled to begin generating environmentally friendly power to the German grid from summer 2013.

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EWE Based in Oldenburg, EWE is a modern energy provider, currently serving more than a million electricity customers and 700,000 natural gas customers with reliable energy.

EWE offers a broad range of innovative energy services for use in the residential, industrial, public utilities and municipalities sectors. The company is also active in the gas storage business where it continues to build upon its already established position.

In addition to EWE’s involvement with Riffgat Wind Farm, the company was previously involved with Alpha Ventus, Germany’s first offshore wind farm.

Enova Group Since 1996, the Enova Group has been involved with the development of a number of high-profile offshore wind energy projects across the North Sea. From its base of operations in Bunderhee the Group’s team of experienced engineers have developed projects, taking concepts from the initial design stages through to planning and delivery. The company offers a turnkey delivery, alongside a technical and commercial management service which lasts the entire lifetime of the project.

Enova Group’s services include investments in windfarms, the optimisation of power consumption and the development, realisation and operational management of both onshore and offshore projects.

Fred Olsen Windcarrier AS Since 2009, Fred Olsen Windcarrier AS, has built up its organisation, by specialising in the installation of offshore wind turbines and the implementation of crew transfer operations across the North Sea. The “Brave Tern” and her sister vessel “Bold Tern” will be the flagships in the Windcarrier fleet and, at the time of their launch, will be the largest self-propelled, custom built installation vessels in the world. The vessels are capable of carrying up to 8-9 Siemens 3.6MW turbines, up to 10 Vestas 3.0 MW turbines and are designed to operate in water depths of up to 45m. The 800 tonne GustoMSC type GLC-800ED- crane has been designed around the rear portside leg to increase accessibility and full utilization of deck space. The three Voith Schneider propulsion units coupled with the three bow mounted tunnel thrusters will ensure unparalleled manoeuvrability and positioning capabilities in high seas. Fred Olsen Windcarrier AS also provides crew transfer services via its five purpose-built vessels – a service soon set to expand with additional vessels.

On the Riffgat project, Fred Olsen Windcarrier AS is involved with the transportation and installation of 30 turbines across the site, which also includes the installation of all towers, nacelles and blades.

Fred Olsen Windcarrier AS Commercial Manager, Carl Erik Gurrik, said: “The Riffgat project is very important to us. EWE is one of the largest German energy companies in the world and this project allows us to work closely with Siemens, a leading name in the wind farm sector.”

Carl Erik Gurrik added: “The work that we are conducting on the site allows us to optimise and improve the installation phase by using high-quality, state-of-the-art vessels, with experienced crew members.

“Our vessels allow for a higher crane capacity, more deck space and more reliability and this will eventually result in energy companies delivering power to the grid quicker than before.”

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