BUILDING DESIGN &
CONSTRUCTION THE MAGAZINE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY DECEMBER 2013
SAFETY
FIRST
AT SOUTH AND CITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE
SAFE AND RELIABLE ELECTRICITY FROM
GLOBAL POWER LEADERS
NORTHERN POWERGRID
CUMMINS TURBO TECHNOLOGIES
South & City College Birmingham :feature 2 18/10/2013 11:02 Page 10
EDUCATION SECTOR: SOUTH AND CITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM
SAFETY
FIRST SOUTH AND CITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM HAS BECOME ONE OF THE HEALTH AND SAFETY LEADERS WITHIN THE EDUCATION SECTOR
10
BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE
www.bdcmagazine.co.uk
South & City College Birmingham :feature 2 18/10/2013 11:02 Page 11
EDUCATION SECTOR: SOUTH AND CITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM outh and City College Birmingham has become one of the health and safety leaders within the education sector. The college, one of the largest and most successful further education institutions in the country, provides a wide range of vocational courses and qualifications to over 21,000 students. A specialist in the provision of construction training, the college has been recognised for its high quality teaching and success rates, achieving Beacon College status. These standards are mirrored in the college’s health and safety policies and procedures. The college recognises that safety across all its campuses is integral to the training environment but even more so in its construction, engineering and associated courses. Therefore, the aim has been to achieve a high level of health and safety by establishing a uniformed, consistent and proactive approach that
S
Being presented with the RoSPA Commended award in the Education and Training Services Sector
reflects both the management of safety within the college and an ability to deliver high class, industrystandard training. The success of its health and safety practices was celebrated this year when the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) presented the college with the Commended award in the Education and Training Services Sector. RoSPA’s awards manager David Rawlins said, “RoSPA firmly believes that organisations that demonstrate commitment to continuous improvement in accident and ill health prevention deserve recognition. South and City College Birmingham has shown that it is committed to striving for such continuous improvement and we are delighted to honour it through the presentation of an award.” Mike Hopkins, College Principal, said that the award was incredibly significant. “It isn’t the sort of thing that colleges are generally associated with. We are one of the largest construction training providers in the country, and to gain this award is a major accolade because not only does it reflect the qualities of the college but it shows the industry that we
www.bdcmagazine.co.uk
can achieve the standards that they would expect in the workplace. “Our construction training facilities provide industry standard environments for our students to learn the skills they require for careers in the sector. That means they are being taught in an environment that requires the same level of health and safety that any construction company would have to adhere to. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary that we set an example of health and safety best practice.” Driven from the top, a culture of health and safety has been established within the college that promotes effective communication and collaboration where employees and students are empowered to take a proactive role. “You have to have commitment from the top and you have to have the right people in place to do it,” remarks Mike. “In turn, they have to have the right commitment and support as well as the resources to go with it. “We’ve gained the award by establishing a complete culture of health and safety. It is essential that you are focused on everything you do in regards to
BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE
11
South & City College Birmingham :feature 2 18/10/2013 11:02 Page 12
EDUCATION SECTOR: SOUTH AND CITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM
12
BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE
www.bdcmagazine.co.uk
South & City College Birmingham :feature 2 18/10/2013 11:02 Page 13
EDUCATION SECTOR: SOUTH AND CITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM
health, safety and the welfare of the staff and students because the risks to you as an organisation are immense. “Notwithstanding our formal duty to the people we teach, from a business sense we have to demonstrate we not only have the highest regard for safety but we can deliver industry-leading practices. “So much of our success has been about having the support network in place to manage and oversee its implementation and to ensure the students themselves feel empowered to carry it out and even enforce it.” Key to South and City College Birmingham’s ethos is the work of Dawn Ward, a NEBOSH qualified health and safety manager who has been instrumental in embedding a strategic approach across the entire college. “There is always an assumption that because you are a health and safety professional in a college environment that your role is insignificant because the risk is traditionally very low. It is actu-
ally quite the opposite in our college and is a stereotype I want to change. “On a day to day basis we have a great range of risks that we must face. As a major construction training provider we have established a learning environment that recreates the experience students will see in the workplace. Therefore, the risks that go along with that environment are present. “From day one all students are trained in the correct use of personal protective equipment and in our construction training areas staff and students must wear the relevant safety clothing. This includes high visibility jackets, hard hats and heavy-duty boots. “The potentially dangerous equipment and processes our students experience carry significant risk if safety procedures aren’t in place. So we must ensure a competent safety regime is in place; a regime that is firstly developed to industry standards, and secondly, carried out by staff and students.”
“NOTWITHSTANDING OUR FORMAL DUTY TO THE PEOPLE WE TEACH, FROM A BUSINESS SENSE WE HAVE TO DEMONSTRATE WE NOT ONLY HAVE THE HIGHEST REGARD FOR SAFETY BUT WE CAN DELIVER INDUSTRY-LEADING PRACTICES.” www.bdcmagazine.co.uk
BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE
13
South & City College Birmingham :feature 2 18/10/2013 11:02 Page 14
EDUCATION SECTOR: SOUTH AND CITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM
Work in a learning environmental also poses further challenges. “For example, we work with people as young as 14 years of age. We also have a large number of students who have come to us because they have struggled to adapt to the traditional school environment. In addition, we are the largest training provider for over 16s with learning disabilities. So we have added pressures because we are dealing with very vulnerable people. “Therefore, health and safety at our college is far from simple. What the RoSPA award tells us is that we are doing the right things.” Dawn, who is a qualified Health and Safety Executive (HSE) consultant, acknowledges that she has been given the resources and support to invest in training and relevant safety measures. She considers that every health and safety professional requires 3 things: enthusiasm, passion and a caring attitude. “If any one of those factors are missing,” she says, “then safety management will fail in an organisation.” Part of a successful health and safety regimen is ongoing assessment of policies and procedures.
14
Dawn explains that, alongside human resources, she will identify any weaknesses and plan bespoke training courses for staff at times that suit them. At the moment she is focusing on the DSEAR risk assessment with a number of staff currently in training. The college is also beginning to enhance its health surveillance techniques with higher level training and has recently invested in new equipment to monitor noise levels. The college has put in the resources to establish a comprehensive health and safety regimen at a time when many construction companies don’t have the capital to do likewise. Dawn admits that she has had the support of the Principal and Governors to invest in health and safety which has seen her earn the NEBOSH Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety, and has allowed a number of staff members to go through the range of RoSPA training courses. However, recognising that the industry needs further support, South and City College Birmingham has set up a low-cost consultancy where small and medium-sized businesses
BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE
www.bdcmagazine.co.uk
South & City College Birmingham :feature 2 07/11/2013 09:07 Page 15
EDUCATION SECTOR: SOUTH AND CITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM
AFFORDABLE DESIGN, PRINT AND WEB SOLUTIONS CPL Design is a multidisciplinary design consultancy offering a complete range of cost effective design and print solutions to a range of clients. We specialise in branding, design for print, promotional materials as well as on-line and digital work translating your ideas into innovative visual communications with real impact. For more information call Kate or Steve
01484 411 400 www.designcpl.co.uk
www.bdcmagazine.co.uk
[CPLDESIGN] PRINT AND DESIGN SOLUTIONS
BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE
15
South & City College Birmingham :feature 2 25/10/2013 15:32 Page 16
EDUCATION SECTOR: SOUTH AND CITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM
16
BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE
www.bdcmagazine.co.uk
South & City College Birmingham :feature 2 18/10/2013 11:05 Page 17
EDUCATION SECTOR: SOUTH AND CITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM
from the local area can benefit from the college’s best practice expertise. “We’ve invested a lot of money in regeneration of our current estate as well as building new facilities and we are very conscious of utilising the skills of local businesses and supporting the local economy,” explains Dawn. “What we wanted to do was engage with small businesses, many of whom have worked with us on construction projects in recent years, and offer an affordable consultancy service that could help them during a tough economic period. “Because health and safety is of such importance today, most projects, particularly in the public sector, require contractors to have a variety of qualifications and accreditations. Many small and medium-sized businesses simply don’t have the financial capability to put staff through training schemes and apprenticeships. This can be quite disabling when seeking new opportuni-
www.bdcmagazine.co.uk
ties so we hope to provide them with a low-cost training solution that could potentially bring them further work.” Looking to the future, Dawn says she’s pleased with the college’s achievements so far but more can be done. “We are very proud of our RoSPA award because we know, as a higher education college, what we have is unique. But it is only a representation of the high standards we set ourselves. “I’m glad that we are breaking the myth that colleges are inherently low-risk environments and that we can demonstrate best practice in an education facility. I’m also pleased that the construction industry as a whole can now see that we not only have the highest levels of health and safety in the way we operate but can pass that knowledge on to the next generation as well.” www.sccb.ac.uk Tel: 0800 111 6311
BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE
17
Middlesex University London :feature 2 07/11/2013 09:12 Page 18
EDUCATION SECTOR: MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY LONDON
AN INNOVATIVE
APPROACH
MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY LONDON TEACH 40,000 STUDENTS AT THEIR CAMPUSES IN LONDON, DUBAI, MAURITIUS AND MALTA AND WITH PRESTIGIOUS ACADEMIC PARTNERS ACROSS THE WORLD
18
BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE
www.bdcmagazine.co.uk
Middlesex University London :feature 2 26/10/2013 09:50 Page 19
EDUCATION SECTOR: MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY LONDON any educational institutions are formed through mergers that create a variety of locations. In the case of Middlesex University London, that resulted in eleven sites which, as Director of Estates and Facilities Warren Forsyth attests, was far too many: “They were scattered, of differing standards and operated in insular ways. Students didn’t get the same student experience because each campus didn’t necessarily have enough accommodation, a student union, a student entertainments programme, student support in terms of disability support, financial advice and counselling. “There wasn’t the full range of services on every campus so it was difficult for students to have the level of university experience we wish to afford them. The
M
only way to do that was to create a level of mass to support students collectively and give them an opportunity for academic engagement across disciplines.” CONSOLIDATING CAMPUSES The decision was taken to consolidate everything onto the Hendon Campus, the first project starting in 2003 with the building of a new library. Since then, over £200 million has been spent on new buildings and refurbishing or refitting existing ones, culminating in the transfer of the final campus to Hendon in summer 2013. The process started with consultation with the London Borough of Barnet, which owned and occupied substantial property around the Hendon Campus. The University shared facilities at the North London Business Park and could vacate space the council needed there, enabling it to acquire space previously used by Barnet. “We developed an overall master plan and we share the Town Hall,” recalls Warren. “The Council uses the front and still has the Council Chamber for meetings but the back of the building is occupied by us. We also have a community library within the campus ‘quarter’ and our students can access the library as well as members of the Barnet and Hendon communities.” PHASED APPROACH Most development has taken place on vacant sites so there has been little demolition. And, as Warren recounts, it’s all been undertaken using a phased approach: “We had some quick wins early where we could close a campus and share with another one. That opportunity ran out quickly and we then closed a campus every two years. We would do some development at Hendon, close a campus and dispose of it, then repeat the cycle.” The approach had several advantages, including creating a rolling funding stream as the proceeds from each campus disposal were used to finance the next development. It also enabled every phase to be tendered separately, different firms generally undertaking each one. One of the biggest benefits has been an avoidance of disruption, each phase
www.bdcmagazine.co.uk
BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE
19
Middlesex University London :feature 2 26/10/2013 09:50 Page 20
EDUCATION SECTOR: MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY LONDON being timed to complete so students could finish an academic year at their old campus and move to Hendon at the start of the next year. The phased approach also gave health and safety benefits since students could largely be separated from development work. As with most new developments, there’s been an emphasis on sustainability, the university’s new laboratories building being the first building in Barnet to achieve a BREEAM excellent rating and one of the first laboratories buildings in the UK to gain that status. A progressive travel plan has enabled the new campus to have hundreds fewer parking bays than its predecessors and so release development space. “For all staff who came over to Hendon, if they gave up their parking permit we offered to pay for public transport up to zones 1-6 for four years,” states Warren. “Or we would pay for them to get a bicycle or motorbike and associated equipment up to £1,200. We encouraged car sharing by setting up a segment of the national database of Liftshare for Middlesex University staff and students to participate. There is no charge for parking if they can demonstrate at least two people were sharing one car at any point in time. So there was quite a wide-scale sweep of incentives for green travel and getting people into more environmentally friendly travel planning in the process. No staff joining since January 2010 have been eligible to apply for a parking permit.” The development has won the University a BIFM New Ways of Working award since the traditional
AS WITH MOST NEW DEVELOPMENTS, THERE’S BEEN AN EMPHASIS ON SUSTAINABILITY, THE UNIVERSITY’S NEW LABORATORIES BUILDING BEING THE FIRST BUILDING IN BARNET TO ACHIEVE A BREEAM EXCELLENT RATING way of people having their own office and desk with printer has changed. Centralised printing has reduced the number of printers, copiers and scanners from 1,800 to 85 and everyone has laptops that can be used anywhere, with wireless access to information available to both staff and students. All mail is digitised and posted direct to desktops, enabling working from any location in the world. Warren says: “We’ve not only built new buildings, we’ve built new IT architecture and infrastructure, created new printing facilities and provided completely different layouts to offices. I can work in any office across the campus rather than just the Estates and Facilities Office. There’s no ownership of a particular space; it’s for us to use collectively in the most effective and efficient way.” With the project finished and the last old campus closed, the challenge now is to keep everything fresh and meet student demand. That demand has increased with student recruitment significantly
higher because of the facilities on offer. The outcome is that Middlesex has become a victim of its own success, pressure on available space causing scheduling problems and infrastructure challenges. The main tasks now revolve around ensuring the enthusiasm, momentum and drive are maintained so the campus remains appealing and effective. “In some instances, we’ve reconfigured buildings that are only one year old,” comments Warren. “We’ve been quite ruthless when revisiting something that may be relatively new. We wouldn’t reconfigure the whole building but, if a space is under pressure for an alternative use, we will revisit that and do some reconfiguration work if we need to. We accept that, even if we’ve got something right, it may not be right forever because the world moves on and we’ve got to keep pace.” www.mdx.ac.uk Tel: 020 84115000
REACH THE PEOPLE
WHO MATTER
A DV E R T I S E I N
BUILDING DESIGN &
CONSTRUCTION
CALL 01484 411400 20
BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE
www.bdcmagazine.co.uk
Middlesex University London :feature 2 26/10/2013 09:50 Page 21
EDUCATION SECTOR: MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY LONDON
www.bdcmagazine.co.uk
BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE
21
University of Salford:feature 2 21/10/2013 10:27 Page 22
EDUCATION SECTOR: UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD he University of Salford’s extensive heritage is tied in with the city’s own industrial history, with the thriving textile industry in Salford during the 19th century leading to the foundation of the Royal Technical Institute In 1896. The school split into two separate entities in 1958, and after various incarnations for both institutions, the University of Salford was formed via a merger in 1996, a hundred years after the original institute had been founded. Since then, the ambitious university has established itself as one of the leading names in health, energy, the built environment and more recently, media. This newfound expertise in media subjects comes as a result of the University of Salford’s involvement in MediaCityUK, a huge regeneration project for the city, which has seen the BBC and ITV move production up north. “Part of our campus is based in MediaCityUK, and that’s formed a real unique selling point for us,” said Stephen Talboys, the Director of Estates and Property Services for the university.
T
THE UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD IS A FRIENDLY, VIBRANT AND PIONEERING UNIVERSITY CONTINUALLY INVESTING IN THE CAMPUS, FACILITIES AND INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS
AT THE HEART OF LOCAL
REGENERATION
22
BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE
www.bdcmagazine.co.uk
University of Salford:feature 2 21/10/2013 10:27 Page 23
EDUCATION SECTOR: UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD Appropriately, for a university so connected to its location, the HE institution has also undergone a great deal of investment, with Salford currently able to boast two multi-million pound projects which are being undertaken to improve student life on campus. “This part of Salford has been tagged as a regeneration area for quite a while, and there are still a number of projects happening just down the road from us along Chapel Street,” Stephen said. “We’re playing our part in a large regeneration project by making these investments and changing the place we’re all working in.” The first of the developments is the Residencies Project – an 80 million pound investment by our private sector partners, which will create over 1300 new student rooms at the heart of the university’s Peel Park campus. “It’s a big project which will make a big impact on the campus,” explained Stephen. “That’s all part of us seeking to create a more vibrant place that remains active after teaching hours, and at the weekends too.” The project is currently in the final stages of development, with the university hoping to open the new development to students in September 2015. The second big project being undertaken by the university is the Gateway Building, a 55 million pound project, which will house a number of schools, including arts and media subjects. “The building will include a performance space, theatre, workshops, and music rehearsal rooms, and we’re managing that project directly,” said Stephen. “The contractor is currently on site, and that building is due to open early in 2016.”
www.bdcmagazine.co.uk
THIS INVESTMENT IS JUST THE BEGINNING FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD. IN THE LONG RUN WE ARE AIMING TO BE SUSTAINABLE, AND I DON’T JUST MEAN THAT IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL SENSE, BUT ALSO IN MAKING SURE THE UNIVERSITY IS SUCCESSFUL AND STILL THRIVING IN 30-40 YEARS TIME.” STEPHEN TALBOYS THE DIRECTOR OF ESTATES AND PROPERTY SERVICES “Both projects are in place to ensure we have a campus that is fit for purpose in the 21st century. One of the things we’ve struggled with in the past is creating a vibrant evening and weekend atmosphere; we’ve got a great campus with so much green space, which is quite unique in an urban area like this.” In addition to offering a more productive environment for students and staff to enjoy, the investment will also look to improve the parts of the campus that are used by the public, says Stephen. “The public space on the campus will also be of high quality, by creating new squares and walkways,
which will completely change the external environment.” Associate Director Chris Large added, “That will also enable us to close one of our campuses, in order to consolidate on the Peel Park campus.” This investment is just the beginning for the University of Salford, says Stephen. “In the long run we are aiming to be sustainable, and I don’t just mean that in the environmental sense, but also in making sure the university is successful and still thriving in 30-40 years time.” www.salford.ac.uk/ Tel: 0161 295 5000
BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE
23
Anglia Ruskin University :feature 2 25/10/2013 14:53 Page 24
EDUCATION SECTOR: ANGLIA RUSKIN UNIVERSITY
INVESTING IN
EDUCATION FROM THE MERGER OF TWO COLLEGES ANGLIA RUSKIN UNIVERSITY NOW HAS SOME 30,000 STUDENTS WITHIN EAST ANGLIA WITH CAMPUSES IN CHELMSFORD, CAMBRIDGE AND PETERBOROUGH
24
BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE
www.bdcmagazine.co.uk
Anglia Ruskin University :feature 2 25/10/2013 14:53 Page 25
EDUCATION SECTOR: ANGLIA RUSKIN UNIVERSITY rowth is generally to be encouraged but can, as Assistant Director Akin Oluwatudimu knows, present challenges: “There are always new developments. Although we are educating many students, overall floor space is relatively limited so space per student is low compared to other institutions. So we are constantly reprogramming space and adapting, making sure space can be used to its best advantage.” Although a relatively young institution, Anglia Ruskin University has grown quickly and now has some 30,000 students within East Anglia. Having formed by merging two colleges, it has campuses in Chelmsford, Cambridge and Peterborough, plus a
G
fourth at Fulborn that’s due to close, with students moving to a new site adjacent to the Cambridge campus. That’s the main focus of development and covers the construction of a nursing facility on a brownfield site that will continue the University’s role as the largest provider of nursing courses in England. “We have demolished a good portion of the site but retained an existing Victorian school,” confirms Akin. “We refurbished that for a music therapy centre and the area around that we are rebuilding in three phases. Phase one is mainly skills laboratories, highly serviced simulation areas where students gain direct experience as though in a hospital ward. There is equipment that allows them to simulate human conditions with computerised mannequins. Then there are standard classrooms and offices for teaching staff. “We will have a 200-seat lecture theatre, a vision and eye research unit, nursing and midwifery training, therapy and a research unit. We finish phase one in December, move in January and subsequent phases are out to tender. There is high tech equipment for the nursing activities with audio visual facilities connected to hospitals. We have buildings
www.bdcmagazine.co.uk
where we can beam live operations from hospitals into lecture theatres and people in those theatres can talk to surgeons operating live on patients.” The Cambridge development is the latest in a series for an institution that acquired buildings of different types and ages across the campuses. A master plan for Chelmsford has seen the old central campus disposed of and the proceeds used to develop a new site. Cambridge has several older buildings, often with inherent issues and in conservation areas, which makes redevelopment or improvement difficult. In Peterborough, a new building has been constructed and a 1960s office block converted to academic use. The University has partnerships with various corporations for which it provides services, enabling it to build properties in Harlow and Peterborough plus a specialist training centre in Colchester. The relationships add to the funding streams that include own resources, grants, proceeds from property disposals, private donors and endowments. All new developments, as Akin recounts, incorporate sustainability features: “For the Cambridge phase one development, virtually the entire roof is covered in solar panels. We normally build to a minimum
BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE
25
Anglia Ruskin University :feature 2 07/11/2013 09:17 Page 26
EDUCATION SECTOR: ANGLIA RUSKIN UNIVERSITY BREEAM very good standard and this one is on target for that. We look for air source heating, mechanical ventilation and highly environmentally controlled areas, low energy lighting and other features to lower the carbon footprint. All buildings will be operated with building management systems connected to our main campus to remotely interrogate temperature controls and will have lighting sensors and other features for minimum energy consumption.” REDUCED EMISSIONS The emphasis on sustainability applies increasingly to existing properties since all higher education institutions are required to reduce carbon omissions. Over the last two years, it’s been changing light fittings and controls, attending to boilers and other M&E installations. There’s also been a concerted effort to get the message of sustainability across, including a ‘Switch Off’ campaign to encourage students to reduce energy use. “We’ve been successful in winning funding to develop an energy centre on the Cambridge campus,” comments Director of Estates and Facilities Sandy Lynam. “It will reduce our carbon omissions and we are designing that. We have invested a great deal in video conferencing so people don’t travel motorways as much as they did.” The high level of development activity has health and safety implications, given the need to ensure contractors, students, staff and visitors are free from harm. That’s made difficult by the lack of down-time outside normal academic terms due to summer
26
“OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE’VE BEEN THROUGH A PERIOD OF INTENSIVE REDEVELOPMENT AND THAT IS NOW SETTLING DOWN ALTHOUGH THERE ARE STILL NEW INITIATIVES” schools for overseas students, conferences, specialist course and other activities. Nevertheless, Sandy insists it’s all covered: “We are redeveloping two campuses, which present interesting construction challenges when we have demolished and rebuilt buildings in the middle of them. They include our Lord Ashcroft International Business School, right in the middle of the Cambridge campus, which we completed three years ago with much complex work and we maintained a working campus throughout. Health and safety is taken very seriously and we participate in RoSPA audits, our last one achieving a Level 5 Diamond Award.” CONTINUED GROWTH As it continues to grow, Anglia Ruskin’s development programme doesn’t slacken. “There’s been a focus on science and the fine arts so we’re finding space in those areas is more than a little tight,” remarks Sandy. “We are looking to develop science facilities in Cambridge because we have buildings where classrooms are too small for the sizes of
BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE
teaching we have today. We have invested a lot in modern teaching facilities and all our classrooms now have advanced media or interactivity but we need larger rooms. We can’t create them regularly and we’re going through a demolition programme to help renew some key resources.” A building innovation centre under construction in Chelmsford will bring together business innovation and advanced engineering. The University’s medical strength is being further developed with the new medical campus while construction engineering and engineering disciplines continue to grow. Sandy says: “Over the last few years, we’ve been through a period of intensive redevelopment and that is now settling down although there are still new initiatives. In Chelmsford, we have a bright new campus which has brought a lot of very positive comments. In Cambridge, we have to do a lot more work to make it the same standard.” www.anglia.ac.uk Tel: 0845 2713333
www.bdcmagazine.co.uk
Anglia Ruskin University :feature 2 25/10/2013 14:53 Page 27
University of Brighton:feature 2 23/10/2013 14:44 Page 28
EDUCATION SECTOR: UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON
THE
GREEN TEAM
ABIGAIL DOMBEY IS IN CHARGE OF THE TEAM RESPONSIBLE FOR REDUCING THE CARBON FOOTPRINT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON
28
s Environment Manager for the University of Brighton, Abigail Dombey’s responsibilities include ensuring it achieves its 50% carbon reduction target by 2016. And with a longterm strategic plan in place and plenty of development and refurbishment projects underway, that requires a good deal of input. Brighton became a university in 1992, having previously been a polytechnic and various colleges before that. It now occupies five campuses, three in Brighton and one each in Eastbourne and Hastings, with a wide variety of properties. These range from recent buildings to several Nineteenth Century Eastbourne properties that Abigail describes as ‘lovely but leaky’. The latter are having improved insulation but the main activity is in Brighton where capacity is being expanded with a new building,
A
BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE
part of the council’s redevelopment of the old fruit and vegetable market site. The largest university property in Brighton is the Cockcroft Building, originally a 1960s building, which is home to a wide range of facilities at the university’s Moulsecoomb campus. The university is investing £27 million in the project to refurbish the building, which is being led by the Estate & Facilities Management capital projects team. “There’s a window replacement project going on,” comments Abigail. “The new units will reduce solar gain and the building will be warmer in winter and cooler in summer. The works are improving insulation and refurbishing two or three floors at a time whilst occupied to ensure that everybody’s disrupted as little as possible.” As part of the drive to reduce carbon, an aquifer thermal energy storage system is being installed to provide low carbon warmth and cooling. All developments involve close working with contractors
www.bdcmagazine.co.uk
University of Brighton:feature 2 23/10/2013 14:44 Page 29
EDUCATION SECTOR: UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON which, as Abigail outlines, has resulted in various features: “We’ve installed the largest PV array in the city on the roof of the building.” By using these low carbon technologies, the Cockcroft project aims to reduce energy costs by up to £47,000 a year. Other measures have included a low carbon, water cooled data centre, two virtual servers and the installation of LED lighting across the estate. “We’re optimising our BMS to reduce carbon and we’ve installed automatic meter reading to monitor and reduce energy consumption,” continues Abigail. The initial focus is on bigger buildings where the greatest savings can be made, which resulted in a significant reduction in the first year. The aim is for an absolute overall carbon reduction, despite the estate increasing in size. The exception is the Varley Park halls of residence scheme, where several hundred new rooms are being added and a relative reduction is sought. This will be partly achieved through a centralised district heating and CHP system. A big focus is the university’s c-change initiative, which has seen it short listed in the Green Gown Awards. “It’s a behaviour change campaign to help us achieve our carbon reduction target,” explains Abigail. “It engages students and staff by using interactive engagements and it’s based on a sense of fun.” There’s a big focus on biodiversity, with a policy of only using native plants in projects and a proposal to bring sheep onto the campus to help manage the estate. That, together with purchasing electricity from renewable sources and aiming for BREEAM ‘excellent’ for new builds and 'very good’ for refurbishments, has helped Brighton be in the top five of the Green League, a list of 141 environmentally friendly universities. www.brighton.ac.uk Tel: 01273 600900
www.bdcmagazine.co.uk
BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE
29
Bournville College :feature 2 26/10/2013 14:43 Page 30
EDUCATION SECTOR: BOURNVILLE COLLEGE
100 YEARS OF
QUALITY BOURNVILLE COLLEGE AIMS TO BE THE EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROVIDER OF FIRST CHOICE s the name would imply, Bournville College started life as the Bournville Day Contination School and part of the Cadbury’s empire, having been founded in 1913 by the chocolate company to provide on-site education for the factory workers and their families. Since then, the college has built a rich history itself, moving to its former campus in Northfield, Birmingham in 1972 before securing a final move to the purposebuilt Longbridge site in 2011. The move, which marked the end of a 3-year development process, saw the college place itself in one of the most advanced FE building developments in the country, and at the heart of a billion pound regeneration scheme. The 250,000 square foot building occupies just over 4 acres of land in Longbridge, a part of the city where once stood the MG Rover car production plant. Executive Director of Estates and IT David Collins said, “Bournville College is essentially the anchor development – the hub of the site. Since our move in late 2011, we’ve seen numerous shops and businesses open here. The area now has the vibrancy of a proper town centre.”
A
30
This vibrancy is down to the eclectic student population, who enjoy a range of facilities at the college, says David. “The Learning Resource Centre (LRC), which is equipped with over 300 computers, laptops and Macs sits at the heart of the building.” He continued, “there is also a 3D cinema on site for students to see the latest releases in a more private environment.” An enclosed mall, known as ‘The Street’, runs from the LRC through the building and provides a hive of student activity. “There’s a refectory, deli bar here, and even a Starbucks café here,” says David. “We also have our own student staffed restaurant that serves the College and is also opened up to the public.” In addition to this contemporary restaurant, a number of Bournville College’s state-of-the-art facilities are available for public and corporate use. “We have a number of commercial activities on the site,” David explains. “We have a fully equipped conference centre which can take about 180 delegates, with its own break out rooms and catering facilities as well as a fully equipped MOT and servicing bays for members of the public to bring their vehicles for repair and servicing.” An ultramodern fitness suite is available to students and members of the public too.
BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE
It features an extended sports hall, basketball, badminton and 5-a-side courts, as well as a steam room and sauna. “People can come along and enjoy these great facilities,” says David Overall the building and facilities support the expert vocational training undertaken in the College and help create real working environments to give students an added advantage to gain employment or progress to further qualifications and /or higher education. The site at Longbridge has been designated as a ‘ITEC Park’ by the city council, and Bournville College are looking to develop even further with a new Construction Centre and other STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) builds/ developments The new college has been an integral part of the vivacious Longbridge regeneration project, all of which is thanks to sustained investment. According to David, “the success of the college, and the project in general is a testament to the huge investment that has been put in to the site by all parties involved in the development.” www.bournville.ac.uk Tel: 0121 477 1300
www.bdcmagazine.co.uk
Bournville College :feature 2 26/10/2013 14:43 Page 31
EDUCATION SECTOR: BOURNVILLE COLLEGE
REACH THE PEOPLE
WHO MATTER ADVERTISE IN
BUILDING DESIGN &
CONSTRUCTION
CALL 01484 411400 www.bdcmagazine.co.uk
BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE
31
City of Glasgow College:feature 2 07/11/2013 09:19 Page 32
EDUCATION SECTOR: CITY OF GLASGOW COLLEGE he City of Glasgow College was formed in September 2010 through a merger of three specialist further education colleges. The new College inherited an estate that required significant investment to provide the quality of learning environment expected by students, staff and the College’s industry partners. As Project Director Iain Marley confirms, the merger created an opportunity to do more than modernise the estate, it provided a context for a far more ambitious business transformation project with the new campus acting as both a catalyst and enabler of change: “The new campus strategy will address the fundamental weaknesses in the existing aged and dispersed estate through consolidation onto two sites. The property benefits are huge and include reduced running costs and greater flexibility but the biggest dividend is the benefits that will accrue for learners in the form of industry standard simulated spaces and inspiring, technology rich environments. The new facilities will be unrivalled in the UK and underpin the College’s vision to be a world class institution that redefines the learners' experience of a college education.”
T
WITH 32,500 STUDENTS AND 1,200 MEMBERS OF STAFF CITY OF GLASGOW COLLEGE IS SCOTLAND’S NEWEST AND LARGEST COLLEGE
CREATING OPPORTUNITIES
TWO CAMPUSES The intention is to create two campuses, one at the location of the former Glasgow College of Nautical Studies on the River Clyde with a particular focus on engineering and maritime curriculum for 20% of
32
BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE
www.bdcmagazine.co.uk
City of Glasgow College:feature 2 23/10/2013 15:26 Page 33
EDUCATION SECTOR: CITY OF GLASGOW COLLEGE students and the rest based at the city centre site. The project was procured under EU regulations competitive dialogue procedure. Following pre-qualification, bidders went through two phases of dialogue during which they developed and refined their design, ICT, facilities management and commercial proposals. A preferred bidder, the Glasgow Learning Quarter consortium was confirmed in January 2012, with a start made on site in June 2013. The development comprises around 80,000 square metres with completion of the Riverside Campus in time for the 2015/16 term and the City Campus a year later, designed to minimise disruption. “Scheduling the migration to the new accommodation to be outside term time was signalled as a strong preference but not an absolute constraint,” recounts Iain. “Bidders were incentivised to programme works to achieve this as it formed part of the bid evaluation process. In addition to design, construction and programme risks, migration risks are transferred to the consortium, which is a further significant benefit to the college given the challenges associated with the scale of the project.” Procurement was under the Scottish Government’s Non-Profit Distributing model, which replaced PFI/PPP in Scotland. The contract covers the three-year development and a 25-year operating period during which facilities management and lifecycle services are provided. The new contract incorporates transfer to new sites. Iain says: “There’s over 1,000 staff and 32,000 students so migration is a challenging logistical exercise.”
[
“IT’S AN EXCITING TIME: WE HAVE A VERY STRONG TEAM AND A ROBUST PROGRAMME SO WE ARE VERY CONFIDENT THAT THE PROJECT WILL BE DELIVERED ON TIME AND WITHIN BUDGET AND THE COMMUNITIES SERVED BY THE COLLEGE WILL BENEFIT FOR YEARS TO COME FROM THIS INVESTMENT.” “The consortium is also responsible for the design, build and handover of a new ICT infrastructure, the design playing an important role in creating a more flexible environment; for example, it will seamlessly allow students and visitors to use their own mobile devices. More generally, the ICT solution will facilitate new work styles and allow the College to be responsive to lifestyle changes and increasing demand for flexible working and learning.” SUSTAINABLE ESTATE A key aim is to create a sustainable estate that costs less to run, has improved energy efficiency and offers greater public access and utility. “The contract requires the achievement of BREEAM excellent on the teaching accommodation and very good for the halls of residence and all buildings must achieve an EPC A rating,” comments Iain. The development context for each site is different; the City Campus allowing the decanting
of students to reorganised space and temporary accommodation so the whole site is available unencumbered for redevelopment. The Riverside Campus, however, will remain operational so there is a phased development with internal moves for buildings to be demolished before new ones are built. It’s a complex undertaking but one that’s firmly on track. “We have high quality designs and we are confident these will blend well into the city’s architectural landscape,” remarks Iain. “It’s an exciting time: we have a very strong team and a robust programme so we are very confident that the project will be delivered on time and within budget and the communities served by the College will benefit for years to come from this investment.” www.cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk Tel: 0141 5666222
]
AFFORDABLE DESIGN, PRINT AND WEB SOLUTIONS
For more information or a free quote call Kate or Steve:
01484 411 400 www.designcpl.co.uk
www.bdcmagazine.co.uk
[CPLDESIGN] PRINT AND DESIGN SOLUTIONS
BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE
33
education news:feature 2 13/10/2013 14:56 Page 8
EDUCATION SECTOR: NEWS
GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES £5BN REGIONAL SCHOOLS FRAMEWORK THE EDUCATION Funding Agency has started the search for firms to sign up to its new regional school framework covering smaller upgrade projects. Its new framework will be split into five English regions and cover mainly refurbishment and remodelling work. The plan is to use the firms to deliver typical contracts of £3m-£5m, but could include projects from £200,000 to £10m. The Agency plans to hold a suppliers day in Sheffield on 18 October to set out its plans for the new programme of work. Procurement chiefs will stir up controversy among smaller regional contractors because the present plan is to exclude firms with turnover of less than £25m. This calls into question the Government’s commitment to supporting smaller contractors and suppliers.
The new upgrade framework is to be rolled out across the full spectrum of education facilities from free schools, university technical colleges, studio schools, Academies Capital Maintenance Funded schemes, basic needs and other work programmes. Bids will be invited on 25 November with successful contractors unveiled early in the New Year on a programme that will run up to July 2018.
REGIONAL LOTS Seven firms will be given place on each lot, except south east where eight will be appointed LOT 1: North East of England, value £750m LOT 2: North West England, value £750m LOT 3: South West, value £750m LOT 4: Midlands, value £1bn LOT 5: London and south east, value £1.75bn
BAM WINS £75M LONDON SCHOOLS PACKAGE BAM CONSTRUCT has been confirmed as the winner of the biggest batch of Government funded priority school projects let to date. The seven new schools will be located in Newham, Lambeth, Barnet, Waltham Forest, Greenwich, Bromley and Camden. The first estimated build cost has come in ahead of initial expectation for the London batch which had been estimated at around £50m. Work will now progress to the planning application stage.
8
It is BAM’s second batch after being appointed to deliver the £27m set of four schools in the Midlands last month. LAST TWO Bam is also in the last two bidders for last two of the four remaining batches of schools under the Government publicly funded programme. Both are in the North West region, worth an estimated £42m and £25m.
BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE
education news:feature 2 07/11/2013 09:03 Page 9
EDUCATION SECTOR: NEWS
NEWCASTLE UNI STUDENT HALLS UP FOR GRABS THE UNIVERSITY of Newcastle has appointed a project manager to oversee plans to demolish and rebuild student accommodation in the city. The university plans to demolish self-catering accommodation at its Richardson Road site to pave the way for nearly 1,000 student rooms and a new sports centre.
Project manager Summers Inman, which recently oversaw the refurbishment of the university’s student union building, will now steer the student accommodation project. Plans to demolish the site for new student halls boasting ensuite rooms were first revealed two years ago.
BUILDING WORK STARTS ON SWANSEA CAMPUS ABOUT 4,000 direct jobs will be created during the construction phase with a further 6,000 indirect posts supported in the wider economy as a result. The first phase of the project on the 69-acre site off Fabian Way will cost £250m and is expected to be completed by the summer of 2015. First Minister Carwyn Jones was the guest of university vice-chancellor Prof Richard B Davies on Thursday to mark the start of the work. He used the occasion to announce that a further £32m investment had been secured at the site to create a Engineering Manufacturing Centre. More than £20m of the cash is from EU regional funds, and backed by the European Investment Bank. Mr Jones said the investment would help drive forward the development of the campus, "creating a cornerstone" for research and employment opportunities in con-
HUDDERSFIELD UNI TEAM JOINS MACHINE TOOL RESEARCH PROJECT EXPERTS at Huddersfield University have joined an international research project to double lifespan of machine tools used in the engineering industry. A large machine tool can cost a firm many hundreds of thousands of pounds – so potential savings are enormous if its working life can be extended. The 6.2m euro project – named EASE-R3 – is funded by the European Union. Fourteen partners, including universities, research insti-
www.bdcmagazine.co.uk
tutes and engineering companies throughout Europe, are taking part. Huddersfield is the only UK university to be involved. The university is home to the EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Advanced Metrology – the science of measurement – which is part of the internationally-renowned Centre for Precision Technologies. The research is being co-ordinated by Italian engineering firm Fidia, which has been a frequent collaborator with metrologists at Huddersfield.
struction industry as work gets underway. He added: “I welcome the opportunity to be here on this significant day not only to mark the start of construction but also, crucially, to acknowledge the benefits to Wales of our relationship with Europe, including EU funding.” Oil giant BP originally donated the land for the campus, while Rolls Royce, Hewlett-Packard, Tata, Bell Labs and BAE will be involved in the project. The university estimates the campus will contribute more than £3bn to the regional economy over the next 10 years. It is set to include a research and testing facility operated in partnership with Rolls-Royce. There will also be new teaching and research facilities for the university's engineering, business and economics, maths, and computer science departments as well as student residential accommodation.
£100M HACKNEY FASHION HUB PLANS APPROVED PLANS to build a £100m fashion outlet centre in East London have paraded through the planning process. The joint venture project between Manhattan Loft Corporation and Chatham Works was given the green light last night by Hackney council. Two seven storey buildings will replace temporary structures currently home to several fashion brands in Hackney Central in what has been hailed as the first of its kind in an inner city location. Work to build the hub, which will include a “stitching academy” offer-
ing apprenticeships and training opportunities, will begin next year. Harry Handelsman, chief executive of Manhattan Loft Corporation said: “We are delighted that these visionary plans have been granted permission. “We can now start delivering the plans that will create a new fashion destination that will provide new jobs in the area and extra footfall to existing local shops.” Around £2m from the Greater London Authority’s post-riot fund is being ploughed into the scheme designed by architects Adjaye Associates.
BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE
9