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THE MAGAZINE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
BUILDING DESIGN &
CONSTRUCTION ISSUE194
FEBRUARY 2014 ISSUE 193
FEBRUARY 2014
IKEA
YELLOW, BLUE AND GREEN BUILDING DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
IKEA is the first big UK retailer to start selling solar panels but its vision doesn't stop there
TIDEWAY
THE COMPLETE ASSET AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SERVICE
CLARKE ENERGY ENGINEER, INSTALL AND MAINTAIN
LONDON BOROUGH OF HAVERING HOMES AND HOUSING
ALSO INSIDE: MAKE YOUR MOVE WITH TSP
education news:feature 2 12/12/2013 11:51 Page 62
EDUCATION SECTOR: NEWS
AN ‘INNOVATIVE’ CONSTRUCTION A GROUND-BREAKING ceremony has been held to mark the start of work on the University of Northampton’s new £8.5 million innovation centre, known as the ‘innovation cube’. The centre will house up to 55 small businesses, each with access to support from the university in “developing their business in a socially responsible manner.” It is one of three major university projects within the town’s enterprise zone, alongside the proposed £330 million campus, and the halls of residence at St John’s. Terry Neville, chief operating officer at the university, said: “The centre will be a flagship for the social enterprise sector and will specialise in business support, which is rapidly expanding across the UK and globally. “Encouraging enterprise and entrepreneurship is crucial to the university and significantly enhances the experience and employability prospects we offer to our students.” University of Northampton vice-chancellor Nick Petford added: “This will be the second university building in the enterprise
zone, joining the halls of residence, which open early next year. “We see ourselves as a catalyst for development in Northampton and beyond. “This building will act as a social enterprise hub, alongside the new railway station, which will be an iconic gateway to Northampton town centre.” The university is delivering the project along with the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation, with Northamptonshire-based Kier Construction appointed as the main contractor. Graham Howe, managing director of Kier, said: “There is a huge amount of investment going into Northampton and we are very pleased to be associated with it. “We have nearly completed the new bus terminus and are well on the way towards completing the new student accommodation at St John’s. “This is quite a challenging site, but nothing which will be too difficult for us.” The centre is expected to open in early 2015.
ROTHERHAM COUNCIL INVESTS IN BOROUGH’S SCHOOLS ROTHERHAM Council is making a number of multimillion pound investments in construction projects to meet increased demand at schools in the borough. The Council recently gave approval for a new 17-classroom building at Wickersley School and Sports College as part of a £3m extensionn that will also include a a new special educational needs unit. The new accommodation, designed by the authority’s Design and Projects Team, will be located within a separate building on three
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floors, sited and situated within the existing grounds of the school facing Bawtry Road. Councillor Paul Lakin, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families Services, at Rotherham Borough Council, said: “This new building will be bright and modern and will maximise teaching space. It will will be built with sustainable, energy-saving materials of a design geared to creating a stimulating, exciting and friendly school environment that will link-in well with the school's teaching vision.”
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EDUCATION SECTOR: NEWS
GRAHAM STARTS £81M STUDENT HALLS JOB GRAHAM Construction has started work on an £81m student accommodation complex for University of Salford. The apartments at the campus in Peel Park will provide 1,367 bedrooms with ensuite facilities and are targeted to achieve an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating. Salford Village consortium – comprising investment companies Equitix and Kier Project Investment, Graham Investment Projects and student accommodation operator Campus Living Villages – is developing the property with project finance provided by Standard Life Investments.
Graham Construction will do the building work while Campus Living Villages will run the development on behalf of the consortium when it opens to students in September 2015. Along with its partners, the University is investing a total of £136m in the Salford campus over the next two and a half years. Last month BAM Construction started building the state-of-the-art £55m ‘Gateway Project’ which will have a theatre, recording and photography studios, café areas, performance and rehearsal spaces, computer suites and lecture theatres.
WINNERS NAMED FOR SCHOOLS FRAMEWORK GALLIFORD Try, Bowmer & Kirkland and Thomas Vale are celebrating after securing places for the first time on the national school building framework. The Education Funding Agency has named the 10 contractors it will use for its £4bn, four-year framework covering school, academy. It has pared down the original 13-firm line-up on each of the two existing regional frameworks to panels of just nine on the
SURGO CONSTRUCTION WINS £9M CONTRACTS
GUILDFORD VETERINARY SCHOOL APPROVED SURREY University’s plan to build a new school of veterinary medicine has gained planning approval from Guildford Borough Council. At least four contractors are in the race to design and build three separate buildings on the Manor Park campus: an 80,000 sq ft academic building, a clinical skills centre and a veterinary pathology facility. The construction cost is estimated £20m, exclusive of the universi-
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southern and northern areas. The selection will come as a bitter disappointment for Interserve, Clugston, Shepherd Construction and Vinci, which all held places on the previous framework and made it through the shortlisting process. All but two of the industry bug guns made both regional panels, with Willmott Dixon taking a seat on the southern region and Thomas Vale, now owned by Bouygues, securing the northern area.
ty’s direct fitting-out works. Bam, Kier, Miller, Shepherd and Vinci expect to hear whether they are the winning bidder early next year to allow work to start in the spring. Fit-out firms will move in under separate contracts in April 2015. The school will be the first in the South East outside London and includes a main academic centre with offices, teaching spaces, lecture theatres, and labs.
SURGO Construction has won three new contracts worth over £9m in the education sector. The Newcastle-based firm has been awarded contracts by Sacred Heart in Fenham, the Royal Grammar School in Jesmond and Durham University. At the two Tyneside schools, the firm is building new elements and refurbishing works and at Durham University the contract is refurbishment work, which the contractor will carry out over three phases. The Royal Grammar School new build will include a 25m indoor swimming pool, changing facilities, a first-floor sports hall, weights room,
performance and dance studio and a fitness room. The building will also feature a viewing terrace overlooking the outdoor sports pitches. Work is due to be complete in the spring. At the university’s library, three levels of the Bill Bryson Library are to be refurbished. Surgo director Jeff Alexander said he hopes the three contracts will lead to further work in the education sector. He said: “Having recently secured work in new markets which we anticipate will lead to further work we are delighted that we have secured three new contracts within the education sector which has traditionally been a core market for us. ”
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University of West London :feature 2 07/01/2014 10:04 Page 64
EDUCATION SECTOR: UNIVERSITY OF WEST LONDON
ENHANCING THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE
THE FUTURE CAMPUS PROJECT IS PART OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WEST LONDON’S VISION TO CONTINUALLY IMPROVE STUDENTS’ LEARNING AND SOCIAL EXPERIENCE
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ne reason the University of West London was voted the best modern university in London in the Guardian University League Table, believes Interim Director of Estates and Facilities John Killeen, is because of its Future Campus Project. “It is part of the vision to improve the students’ learning and social experiences as well as drive business opportunities,” he says. “These building developments further enhance our status by creating a positive environment for students and staff.” Future Campus is a three-year, £50 million project and the first phase to refurbish the Student’s Union is now complete. Next is the demolition of one central block. At the same time, the library has moved into dormant office space that was converted in 3.5 weeks to fit the academic year. Refurbishment starts in three other blocks next spring, with the aim of completing this by September for the start of the new academic year. Contingency plans are in place should unforeseen events arise.
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Work on the main teaching centre starts summer 2014. This involves the refurbishment of classrooms, the replacement of the 130-metre curtain wall with new windows and heat efficient walling, and remodelling the central space. John says: “We have an old and disparate estate where people have to walk outside between buildings. The plan is to connect all buildings via a central atrium that will house a new performance area, restaurant, library, refectory, book shop and social space right in the heart of the campus. Throughout this development phase, we worked closely with students and staff to understand their needs and get input on the final design.” Replacement of the heating system by the University’s in-house team requires close working with the contractor to resolve interface issues and establish working practices. This adds to the University’s carbon plan, where a switch to LED lighting has reduced power load and the use of CHP is included in the Future Campus Project. www.uwl.ac.uk Tel: 020 8231 2468
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EDUCATION SECTOR: UNIVERSITY OF WEST LONDON
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canterbury college:feature 2 12/12/2013 12:33 Page 66
EDUCATION SECTOR: CANTERBURY COLLEGE
AN EXCITING
ENVIRONMENT SITUATED IN THE HEART OF EAST KENT CANTERBURY COLLEGE WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1947 AND HAS GROWN TO BE ONE OF THE LARGEST FURTHER AND HIGHER EDUCATION COLLEGES IN THE AREA
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canterbury college:feature 2 12/12/2013 12:38 Page 67
EDUCATION SECTOR: CANTERBURY COLLEGE anterbury College’s vision is to be the best in teaching and learning. Since 2004, it has been redeveloping its campus to deliver that promise with a diverse and wide-reaching programme of work that is due for completion in 2015. Operating primarily as a further education college with a higher education provision, it was originally established in 1947 as a mining college. In the 1960s and 1970s it operated as a technology college before becoming an independent in 1992. Today it provides education to over 9,000 students in a wide range of disciplines, from floristry to engineering, accounting to hairdressing, business to travel and tourism. Its estate, managed by a 100-strong team, consists of 18 buildings on its Canterbury campus with a further two blocks at its Swale campus. The majority of buildings are under nine years old featuring a 100-seat theatre, a food hall for 250 students, a training restaurant, commercial spa, hair and beauty salons, and the college’s own recruitment and job placement shop.
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Recent developments include the completion of a new block to accommodate higher education facilities. This £9 million project provides much needed support to the local area’s learning provision. Next up is another project of similar value to develop a new sports centre in line with Sport for England criteria, as well as a new business block and dedicated pottery and sculpture studios. Estates manager Craig Nimmo is suitably excited about the expanding property portfolio, particularly how it will complement and enhance the learning experience. “The new sports centre will provide us with national quality sports facilities, up to date business accommodation and specialist studios for pottery and sculpture which will complete the final phase of redevelopment for the college providing our students with modern equipment and facilities to aid their learning and progression into employment or further study,” he says. Craig heads the Estates and Building Services Department which oversees the upkeep of the entire property portfolio. This includes light and heavy maintenance, soft and hard services such as engineering and cleaning, security, heath and safety, fleet, reception, first aid, parking and deliver-
ies/post. The department has its own Helpdesk, planned preventative maintenance programs and various specialist contracts. The department is also responsible for managing the college’s carbon reduction plan and implementation of green initiatives such as voltage optimisation, photovoltaic technology and LED lighting. The progress made in environmental efficiency is something the college is extremely proud of. Indeed, the college won an award from KEIBA (Kent Excellence in Business Awards) this year for its “green” successes. The judges were impressed by work relating to energy consumption and carbon emissions, waste reduction strategies and encouragement in the promotion of bio-diversity across the campus. Craig believes part of the department’s success is down to its collaborative work with academics and students. “The department works closely with academic areas and their students by using the campus as a learning resource for multi-skills students (painting), land based studies and supported learning students and the creation of an eco-garden and so on. Rather than be a back of house department it has become ‘student-centric’ in its operations.”
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EDUCATION SECTOR: CANTERBURY COLLEGE
To this end, all recent developments have achieved BREEAM standards of Very Good or Excellent, with its latest development working towards Excellent status again. “We have a CHP plant delivering power and heat to two new buildings with 80 PV cells installed on the roof of our latest building. And we are looking at adding cells to an existing roof in the new year. The new development is considering air source heat pumps, more PV cells and solar thermal as well as active solar air technologies,” remarks Craig, who is also the college’s Green Champion and chair of its Environmental Committee. The estates manager, who spoke about green initiatives in November at the Kent County Council’s Low Carbon Conference, added, “We are currently looking at introducing voltage optimisation campus-wide and new LED lighting to our technology blocks through Salix loans.” Similarly, the department is as concerned about health and safety as it is about the environ-
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ment. “Health and safety is something we pride ourselves on especially as we work in some high risk areas such as working at height and electricity. I am qualified up to NEBOSH General Certificate standard but we have a health and safety advisor based within my department that also works across the college and as a result accidents and near-miss incidents have fallen consistently over the last five years with RIDDOR reportable cases in single figures,” explains Craig. It is an exciting time for Canterbury College. With the new block now in full swing to support Kent’s learning provision, the college continues to go from strength to strength. 2014 promises to be a similarly eventful year for the estates department as it continues to remain on schedule to complete the redevelopment programme within the next 24 months. www.cant-col.ac.uk Tel: 01227 811111
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EDUCATION SECTOR: CANTERBURY COLLEGE
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Lambeth College:feature 2 14/12/2013 12:01 Page 70
EDUCATION SECTOR: LAMBETH COLLEGE
‘THE CAREERS COLLEGE’
LAMBETH COLLEGE IS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING THE BEST EXPERIENCE THEY CAN TO ALL THEIR LEARNERS, WITH MODERN INDUSTRY STANDARD FACILITIES AND EXCELLENT SUPPORT FROM EXPERIENCED TEACHERS.
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ambeth College uses the branding ‘The Careers College’ to promote its prime aims of enabling learners to attain employment or to improve their existing skills to further their careers and enhance employment opportunities. The college estate across three campuses has been in a poor condition and barely fit for purpose. The Estates Strategy recognises the need for improvements in the teaching and learning environments to make them inviting to learners and to enable high levels of teaching. Works were completed on the first phase of the improvements at the Clapham campus in London SW4 in August 2013. These primarily focused on the refurbishment of existing buildings to transform parts of them into exciting new facilities and included a new bright and inviting entrance and reception area, hair and beauty salons, curriculum kitchens and a restaurant. The exciting new facilities were located at the front of the campus so that passers-by could look in and see learning taking place and to enable them to use the hairdressing and beauty therapy facilities
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EDUCATION SECTOR: LAMBETH COLLEGE branded as ‘The SW4 Spa’ and the ‘SW4 Restaurant’. Costs for using the Spa or receiving treatments are low and the restaurant meals are tremendous value. Learners are already benefiting from serving the public as they would during real employment and it will equip them well in their chosen career. In addition to the learning environments, the opportunity was taken to develop ‘The Street’, which in essence is a main internal thoroughfare in the main building that was enhanced by multi-use spaces off it. These spaces include a ‘pop up shop’, a shop operated by LLDD students to sell stationery and a Skills Exchange which learners can use to attain work experience or internments with organisations with which the college has links. The Vauxhall campus also benefited with new facilities by new workshops being constructed for motor vehicle maintenance. This has provided new courses for the local community and further embeds the college branding as the Careers College. Phase 2 of the Estates Strategy for the Clapham campus will see outdated modular buildings replaced with fit for purpose exciting new learning
environments to provide more and better learning opportunities for the local community. Part of the £12 million project is expected to commence in February 2014 with full completion ready for learners in August 2015. KEEPING A PRESENCE The Brixton campus is to be sold although a presence will be maintained during redevelopment of the site and when finished. Upon completion, there will be brand new classrooms and support facilities fronting the road in this important part of the borough. Whilst there will be less classrooms than currently exist, the college will continue to meet the needs of the community by providing teaching there and at the other two campuses. Plans for the Vauxhall campus are still to be confirmed but it is expected that some improvements will be made as and when monies become available. Common features of all the campuses are high energy costs due to old heating systems, inadequate insulation and limited energy saving opportunities. The buildings are costly to maintain but
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EDUCATION SECTOR: LAMBETH COLLEGE
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EDUCATION SECTOR: LAMBETH COLLEGE
the new buildings will be much more energy efficient and accordingly the new facilities at the Clapham campus attained the BREEAM rating. APPROPRIATE MAINTENANCE Ongoing maintenance of the campuses is undertaken in house by a small Estates team supported by an M & E contractor and other necessary subcontractors. As the estate changes and evolves, reviews will take place to ensure contracts meet the needs of the college and that money is wisely spent. Acting Head of Estates and Health and Safety Nicholas Brick says: “Appropriate maintenance regimes will always be in place but we have to be mindful of not spending on parts of the buildings which are to be replaced. At the same time, we must be mindful to ensure they remain
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in a condition suitable for staff and learners, a fine balancing act at times! Obviously, we ensure we comply with our statutory duties and spend as necessary to manage all health and safety risks.” The college is committed to the excellent management of health and safety and has been certified to BSI OHSAS 18001 for the past eight years, undergoing frequent on-going assessment visits by BSI. “Our ethos is to not only comply with the standard but to take every opportunity to improve,” states Nicholas. “During Phase 1 construction works at the Clapham Campus, the BSI auditor identified best practice in co-operation with the principal contractor and the management of risks associated with the works.” www.lambethcollege.ac.uk
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Crescent Purchasing :feature 2 07/12/2013 09:23 Page 74
EDUCATION SECTOR: CRESCENT PURCHASING CONSORTIUM
VALUE FOR MONEY THE CRESCENT PURCHASING CONSORTIUM IS THE ONLY PURCHASING CONSORTIUM OPERATED EXCLUSIVELY FOR INSTITUTIONS WORKING IN THE FURTHER EDUCATION SECTOR
eing a relatively small organisation hasn’t stopped the Crescent Purchasing Consortium achieving a lot, with 73 frameworks and around 600 supplier agreements in place accounting for £120 million of spending. It manages to do that by a process of collaboration with other organisations and not duplicating successful existing frameworks. CPC started thirteen years ago as a group of nine colleges operating as an enterprise organisation. It’s since become wholly owned by the Further Education sector and has charitable status. CPC membership has grown organically to over 2,300 members across the UK in the Further Education and Academy sectors. That growth has been driven by the increased focus on efficiency savings, although Contracting Manager Adrian Davies insists that’s only one area: “The aggregation of spend offers value but we also support members if anything goes wrong
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and support suppliers by promoting frameworks to members. We want the frameworks to be successful so suppliers are happy and members get best value for money, compliance with EU directives and their own internal financial regulations.” The aim is to offer frameworks members want, which covers a diverse range of requirements for products and services. There’s ongoing activity to ensure those requirements are met, including member involvement in formulating and reviewing frameworks. The frameworks cover various commodity areas and are based on member requests and suggestions from the independent Procurement Advisory Group. “We advertise in the European Journal for frameworks accessible to our members and partner organisations,” recounts Adrian. “We run the tender, put the framework in place and market that to members via our website, supplier directory and by emails and newsletters. We try to get as much information as possible to members about available frameworks
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Crescent Purchasing :feature 2 07/12/2013 09:24 Page 75
EDUCATION SECTOR: CRESCENT PURCHASING CONSORTIUM and they can download user guide information on suppliers so they can liaise directly with them.” It’s a detailed process that includes a selection stage looking at finances and supplier background followed by the award stage with a range of criteria that includes price, customer requirements, added value and corporate responsibility. Those are assessed through questions against which suppliers are scored. There’s an increasing focus on sustainability with pre-qualification questions covering environmental accreditations and practices, members being keen to include local suppliers. That’s backed by membership of the Environmental Association of Universities and Colleges and working with other organisations to provide sustainability details for members. The consortium also works with suppliers to promote sustainable products and features them on its website. For example, office and workplace supplier Lyreco, which has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with CPC, was recently awarded the prestigious BOSS Federation Environmental Award for its committed approach to sustainability and outstanding environmental results. It’s part of the ongoing process of reviewing frameworks to ensure they’re relevant to members’ needs. And though the consortium’s area of work is expanding, Adrian emphasises that it is a steady and controlled development; “The academy sector is currently a growth area for CPC. We work with members to make sure we’re focused on their requirements and to further promote and develop frameworks for suppliers. We constantly review frameworks and, if one hasn’t been successful, we redevelop it in a different way or concentrate on another requirement.” www.thecpc.ac.uk Tel: 0161 295 5354
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Aspect Construction :feature 2 12/12/2013 13:54 Page 76
EDUCATION SECTOR: ASPECT CONSTRUCTION
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spect Construction was proud to announce recently that it was awarded a place on the new University of Liverpool Framework for design team consultants and contractors. Building on the success of the Minor Works Framework Agreement, the University of Liverpool has completed the re-tendering of the framework agreement, substantially increasing the value bands, for both consultants and contractors.
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Aspect Construction :feature 2 12/12/2013 13:54 Page 77
EDUCATION SECTOR: ASPECT CONSTRUCTION These frameworks will cover the refurbishment and new construction of facilities across the university estate to support a modern and sustainable campus, through improved amenities. This will enable the university to further enhance its research performance and student experience, as well as continue to drive knowledge exchange and innovation. During the selection process over 230 expressions of interests were received, to be part of the framework, for both contractors and consultants. The process concluded with the appointment of 42 organisations across all the disciplines and the two contractor value bands. Aspect Construction was appointed to deliver contractor for works between £500,000 to £5 million to support the University of Liverpool deliver its capital investment plan, over the next four years. The university envisages circa 130 projects to be completed over the duration of the framework at an estimated value of £200 million. Steve Dickson, director of facilities management, stated, “The new frameworks will seek to build long term collaborative relationships with all our framework partners, improving further the delivery of the projects on time, within budget and to the desired quality standards.” Elsewhere, Aspect recently completed work on the state-of-the-art sports complex at Stoke on Trent College, Cauldon Campus. Once a former council depot, the site was transformed into an indoor sports hall by Aspect Construction, complete with fitness suite and aerobics facilities. The beginning of July saw the final sections of the roof being put in place on the building, which marks a £4 million investment in the Cauldon site, and forms part of a series of projects being carried out by the college to improve and enhance both its campuses at Cauldon and Burslem with works being carried out by Aspect Construction. Wesley Allmark, construction director at Aspect, said: “The construction of the new Sports Academy at Stoke on Trent College has been a great success, and the completion of the building envelope was finalised at the beginning of July when the last photovoltaic panel was placed. The scheme has not only delivered an excellent sports facility with
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sustainable innovation that includes recycled material from the existing structure being used to form the foundations of the new building, but it has also provided a platform for Aspect to support the college in the creation of new apprenticeship opportunities. The Aspect Future Skills scheme was delivered last month and delivered six new apprentice placements.” Overall the development will enhance the City’s University Quarter (UniQ) offer which covers the whole of the area from the new Sixth Form College through the existing university buildings to Stoke on Trent College and on into the city centre, taking in both Cauldon and Burslem campuses. Aspect Construction was extremely pleased to be part of this transformation and has enjoyed working closely with the college for the duration of the project in both construction and student development. www.aspect-construction.co.uk Tel: 01928 739 330
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