Premier Construction 16-3

Getting the perfect matchPrecise matching of traditional materials for colour,

texture and mortar performance.

Roma Publications Volume 16 - Issue 3

ReardonSmith brings architectural inspiration to the world’s great hotels

St Andrews Cathedral A fantastic project to refurbish the oldest Catholic Church in Glasgow

Harper Adams University College’s Anaerobic Digester Plant

Focus on . . . Colour matching

Masons Mortar Ltd is the only traditional materials manufacturer in the UK offering a predictive colour matching service for its products.

We can provide this matching service for dry bagged renders, pointing & building mortars, stone repairs and lime wash & lime paints. This is perfect for those wishing to faithfully re-create original finishes, or for clients looking for bespoke solutions.

Getting the perfect match Bespoke colour matching to suit your requirements

When Masons Mortar was first established some 22 years ago, we effectively reintroduced building limes and lime mortars back into the Scottish Building industry.

Our business started out as Building Limes Suppliers and Mortar Manufacturers. We were ahead of our time back then - when others were supplying individual components, we were producing ready mixed bagged materials that provided our customers with all they needed to carry out their work successfully with minimum fuss or difficulty.

The building conservation industry was a relatively fledgling element of the general restoration and repair market. Our core aims and objectives, indeed our company policy, was to provide materials and advice for the care and repair of our built heritage. We never believed that ‘close enough was good enough’ and set out to differentiate ourselves from all other suppliers in our industry. We achieved this through our approach to customer requirements, providing information and advice for architects, builders and their clients alike, including publication of simple but concise guides, seminars and training days. That has not changed, however, in the last 10 years or so with a plethora of television programs and innumerable web based articles freely available for downloading along with word of mouth, has resulted in a much wider spectrum of people now seeking out our materials and advice either through the course of their contracts or in advance at the specification stage.

Masons Mortar Ltd has continued to develop and expand the materials and products we offer to meet this every growing market. We recognised at a very early stage the importance of matching materials, both on a technical performance level and on colour and texture, in the early days this was all laboriously worked though with sample mixes and trials. It became obvious to us that what was needed was a faster more sophisticated approach and so we embarked on a three year research and development program for predictive colour

matching with a premier Scottish University. We now have the most sophisticated colour matching system available anywhere for predictive matching on natural stone, render, mortar, lime wash and lime paints. In addition we have continued to expand and update our equipment for the mortar manufacturing side of the business.

In parallel to developing the colour matching service we have also introduce a wide range of repair products, particularly for natural stone and cast architectural masonry that not only matches in colour and texture, but performs at a technical level that sustains our original goal of providing materials that are fit for purpose.

Initially our core business was the conservation, repair and maintenance side of the building industry with special attention and focus on the nation’s historic building stock. Today, due to the significant technological advances we have made in colour matching and our continued investment in production equipment and development of diverse repair materials, our business is rapidly growing through reputation into much wider fields.

Mason Mortar Ltd now supply repair materials, colour matched for everything from all types of Natural Stone, Brick, Cast Concrete and Glass Reinforced Cement panels. We manufacture specialist Grouts suitable for consolidation of masonry of all kinds, to grouts that can be used under water.

We have also expanded into sophisticated renders to match masonry finishes. As an ISO 9001 accredited company for manufacturing of mortars and colour matching, we continually monitor and strive to improve our quality control & production processes. For businesses to succeed in this difficult market we all find ourselves in, customer satisfaction is paramount. Our philosophy has not changed and never will. We are passionate about delivering a great service to all of our customers, tailoring products and services to suit their individual needs. At the forefront of this commitment is our team. From our production colleagues, sales & technical support staff, Masons Mortar Ltd is dedicated to meeting your needs, just as we did when we first introduced our building limes and lime mortars to Scotland nearly a quarter of a century ago.

We now have the most sophisticated colour matching system available anywhere for predictive matching on natural stone, render, mortar, lime wash and lime paints.

Stone repair materials supplied for Perigueux Cathedral, France

Edinburgh 77 Salamander Street, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 7JZ Tel: 0131 555 0503

Glasgow Unit 1 Woodville Court, Woodville Street, Ibrox G51 2LR Tel: 0141 445 4812

Fife Merryhill Steading, Charlestown KY11 3DR Tel: 01383 873 049

Email: [email protected] Web: www.masonsmortar.co.uk Buy online at: www.masonsmortarshop.com

Buy online at:

www.masonsmortarshop.com

Training & consultancy

With the benefit of 20 years experience in the industry, we offer advice, training and consultancy services to our customers all year round. Whether it is a comprehensive site visit or an informal training session to brush up your skills, we want to equip you with the knowledge and support to succeed. Course details are available at www.masonsmortarshop.com Alternatively, why not discuss your requirements with one of our advisors at our Edinburgh and Fife branches. There’s no need to book an appointment, just pop in and we’ll do our best to help!

Materials

With the aim of being a ‘one stop shop’ for traditional building materials, we have over 350 products to select from, most available from stock. Add to this our capacity to manufacture custom mortars, renders, grouts and plasters and there is almost no limit to what can be produced. We can manufacture materials from a specification or we can arrange for samples to be analysed, allowing Masons Mortar to faithfully re-produce materials very similar to those originally used. With over 400 mortar samples to choose from, let us show you what is possible.

Manufacturers of mortars and renders for the care and repair of historic buildings and contemporary architecture

Key facts . . .

Masons Mortar established by Douglas Johnston in 1989 in Leith, Edinburgh

Business growth in 1990’s fueled by wider education and training

Development and early testing of Colour Matching technology in 2003

Masons Mortar website launches in 2004, full of useful information, hints & tips

Expanded range of limes in 2004 from France, Germany and Portugal

Focus on quality control led to ISO 9001 registration in 2005

‘Mix & Go’ pre-mixed lime mortars launched in Summer 2005

Ambitious growth plans underpinned with the re-branding of Masons Mortar

2008 sees Masons Mortar ‘online’ with launch of online store at www.masonsmortarshop.com

Masons Mortar Ltd stock the widest range of building limes of any supplier in the UK with 8 natural hydraulic limes, natural cement, lime putty and quicklime. With the addition of our new build lime binders, we have building limes to suit almost every building requirement. This is supported by the largest quarry database (over 400 sands and aggregates) of any traditional building material supplier in the UK.

Masons Mortar Ltd has sourced this wide range of materials to ensure the best possible match for historic mortars, perhaps anywhere in the world.

In addition, we have developed our own unique pigment based colour matching service combining the latest technology with more than 4 years of research and development. This enables us to provide predictive matching for virtually any masonry repair material or mortar. We can colour match lime wash, lime paint, pointing & building mortars, renders and Lithomex stone repair mortar.

At Masons Mortar Ltd we are committed to quality and standards. We are an ISO 9001 registered company and are continually looking at ways to improve our products and services for our customers. We were the first to introduce minimum relative bulk densities for our lime putty and the first to re-introduce ‘Hot Lime Mortar’. We have participated in 3 significant lime mortar research projects and operate and manage the Experimental Lime Kiln in Charlestown in Fife.

Our services . . .

Masons Mortar offer a wide variety of products and services including:

One stop shop for traditional materials

One coat coloured lime renders and plasters

Widest range of natural limes in the UK

Exclusive colour matching service

Building consultancy

Multi-use lime binders for new build

Training and on-site support

Online shop

Delivery throughout the UK

Mixers, tools and accessories

‘Mix & Go’ dry bagged mortars

Established in 1989 we have been manufacturing and supplying quality lime products for the care and conservation of historic buildings for over 20 years.

Colour matching

Masons Mortar Ltd is the only traditional materials manufacturer in the UK offering a predictive colour matching service for its products. We take the finest raw materials and use modern technology to give our customers custom coloured materials. We can provide this matching service for dry bagged renders, pointing & building mortars, stone repairs and lime wash & lime paints. This is perfect for those wishing to faithfully re-create original finishes, or for clients looking for bespoke solutions.

Modern construction

We are constantly striving to improve and expand our product range. We have collaborated with specialist manufacturers from across Europe to bring you a range of lime based materials that are specifically formulated for modern construction and application. We stock multi-use lime binders through to coloured one coat renders which can be mechanically applied. Formulated to provide consistent results on various backgrounds, these materials can save you time and money and allow fantastic finishes to be achieved.

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5R O M A P U B L I C A T I O N S

PREMIER CONSTRUCTION Volume 16 3

Contents

Managing Director: Marcus HowarthEditor: Lesley CowardProduction Manager: Danielle BurgoyneAdvert Co-ordinator: Kelsie Howarth, Nicola Owen Pub Roma Publications Ltd. t: 01706 719 972 f: 0845 458 4446 e: [email protected] w: www.romauk.net

Gra 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.

As the green shoots of recovery begin to make themselves felt in the construction sector, this month’s edition brings an encouraging batch of success stories, including a property developer with buyers queuing, an eco friendly project to construct an electricity from waste facility, an ancient cathedral restored ‘beyond the ability to imagine’ and a whirlwind of development activity from a wind energy giant.On the home front in Norris Green, Liverpool, developer

New City Vision has devised a scheme for purchasers of new affordable housing that is so successful that the company is being inundated with enquiries.The new homes are part of the regeneration of the former Boot

Estate and the current second phase involves the construction of 500 homes, including two, three and four bedroom houses, with the majority being for private sale. Meanwhile, students studying sustainable energy at Harper

Adams University in Edgmond will benefit from an ongoing practical demonstration of the subject in the form an a £3 million anaerobic digester plant nearing completion on their campus.In addition, to producing electricity from food and farm waste,

the plant will offset campus carbon emissions more than three times over.Moving from the modern to the ancient, St Andrews Cathedral

- the oldest catholic church in Glasgow - is positively radiant following a recent £4.5 million refurbishment that has been described as both ‘fantastic’ and ‘amazing’. Such was the dedication of the contractors on this prestigious project, that they voluntarily worked extra time free of charge and brought their families in to see what has been achieved.Back on the subject of sustainable energy, this month’s edition

includes a profile of one of Europe’s most successful developers of wind energy projects - ABO Wind AG.With a staff located throughout Europe, the company delivers

turnkey wind farm projects!and has been working with its Irish partner since 2006 to develop several wind farms in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.ABO Wind was the only foreign project developer to succeed

in making financing possible for Irish wind farms in 2009, under the difficult conditions of the financial crisis and has several wind farms on site, with more in the pipeline........Well, that’s just a taste of things to come on the following pages. Why not read on and find out more about all the hottest news in the UK construction industry this month, brought to you by one single, knowledgeable source -

HeritageCaring for England’s historic gardens and designed landscapes .................8Lead Sheet Association....................................................................................14

London & South EastReardonSmith Architects ...............................................................................20

ScotlandSt Andrews Cathedral .....................................................................................48CALA Homes ...................................................................................................53

North WestNOMA ...............................................................................................................66New City Vision’s Ellergreen development ....................................................68

North East & YorkshireWaterdale Civic & Cultural Quarter .................................................................76Chapel Hill development .................................................................................83

Midlands & East AngliaHarper Adams University College’s Anaerobic Digester Plant .......................88

South WestWichelstowe Pedestrian Bridge ....................................................................113

WalesSt Dunstan’s rehabilitation centre .................................................................114Beaumaris Pier ...............................................................................................116

IrelandABO Wind AG .................................................................................................118Giant’s Causeway visitor centre ....................................................................122

OverseasUN City ............................................................................................................126

AssociationsEcobuild post review 2011 .............................................................................130

6 P R E M I E R C O N S T R U C T I O N

INDUSTRY NEWS

Rises in tender and materials prices continue

This demonstrates the bottoming out of tender prices within 2010, said BCIS. It anticipates a continued slow upward trend over the coming two years, which will be driven by increases in input costs.!Material costs remained unchanged

from Q3 to Q4 2010 but they rose 6.8% over the year. It is anticipated that material prices will rise quite sharply in the first half of 2011 with rises in steelwork prices, copper, lead, and aluminium feeding

North-east and Yorkshire clean up from Growth Fund!

Con

!In total, 50 projects were awarded £450 million funding, which will be supplemented by private sector investment, following 464 applications worth £2.78bn.!Of the applications, 19 per cent were from the North-west, 16 per cent from the

West Midlands and 15 per cent from the North-east.!A total of 14 projects will be awarded funding in the North-east, including funding

for the development of a new conference facility with a 150-bed hotel and 2,000-seat theatre at Durham County Cricket Club.!There will also be funding allocated to the construction and development by A

V Dawson of a rail freight terminal in Middlesbrough, while Lotte Chemical UK is expected to create 300 construction jobs with funding for its new polyethylene plant at its Wilton site on Teesside.!The Yorkshire and Humber region saw seven projects awarded funding, including

the construction of 1,338 new and 137 refurbished homes over 13 years in Hull by Keepmoat Homes.! The funds will also be used to construct a link road between Doncaster and

Robin Hood Airport, to facilitate infrastructure, housing, industrial and commercial development, which will start next year.! A total of nine projects will receive funding in the North-west, including the

conversion of the former Royal Eye Hospital in Manchester into a 9,200 sq m biomedical centre.! A £15m improvement of the A45 to serve development sites including the

Birmingham Airport railway/airport interchange, the NEC and several employment sites was one of seven projects to receive funding in the Midlands.!Molecular Profiles is also expected to undergo a £10m extension to its existing

research and development facility in Nottingham.!A Department for Business, Innovation and Skills spokeswoman said full funding

details were not being released as due diligence would take place over the coming months before they were finalised.!More than 400 applicants who were not successful in the first round are expected

to be allowed to apply under the second round, worth £950m, which has now opened. It closes on 1 July.

through, combined with pressures from rising oil prices.!The fourth quarter of 2010 saw no

change in construction employment figures on the previous quarter but saw a 2% fall compared to a year earlier. Despite average weekly earnings in the economy as a whole rising 2.2% in Q4 2010, average weekly earnings within the construction fell 1.4% over the same period. New work output is expected to fall

in 2011 and 2012 as public spending cuts start to take force, this fall will be partly mitigated by private sector output starting to recover in 2012 and 2013. This decrease may also be further mitigated by anticipated growth in the infrastructure sector over the next three years, albeit slow in 2011.!!

Capita Symonds corners contract for Corrie move

Coronation Street production

The company will be providing civil and structural engineering and geoenvironmental services on the scheme on behalf of project manager Mace.ITV will be building a bespoke production

and studio centre for Coronation Street. The standalone facility will be built by ITV on a 7.7 acre site at Trafford Wharf, adjacent to the Imperial War


Museum North and accessed by a new bridge across the waterway to the main MediaCityUK complex.Dedicated office space has also been

earmarked for ITV within MediaCityUK’s Orange Building for ITV Studios’ production and management teams, ITV regional news and support staff from across the business.Coronation Street’s move to

MediaCityUK is subject to planning consent from Trafford Council, extends ITV’s long relationship with the north west of England. !Plans for the site alongside the historic

Manchester Ship Canal include a new external film set, two sound stage buildings, specialist production facilities and offices, dressing rooms and meeting space for production staff and cast.

Galliford Try sees boost from housing

“Against a background of challenging economic conditions in both the housebuilding and construction sectors, the housing market has exceeded our expectations throughout the spring selling season and we have continued to benefit from the strong southern bias of our expansion plan,” said chief executive Greg Fitzgerald. “Construction has also benefited from encouraging contract awards in the period and strong cash balances that lead us to expect the group’s gearing will be minimal at the financial year end. We therefore now expect full year results to be significantly ahead of the current range of market estimates and remain confident in delivering the objectives of our expansion plan during the next financial year.”The company reported a continuation

of improved market conditions through the spring selling season, with sales rates substantially up on the first half and sales prices remaining stable. It said that £532m of sales have been reserved, contracted or completed, of which £363m is for the current financial year to 30 June 2011. The figures for 2010 were £443m and £308m. The cancellation rate has been reduced to 16%, below historic average.

Bouygues plans huge Canning Town development

an application to

It contains an outline planning submission for the masterplan as well as a detailed application for Phase 1 of the development.!The masterplan provides

for a comprehensive mixed-use development consisting of town centre uses within a gross external floor area of 191,530 square metres, excluding basement zones.! Such uses will encompass retail, offices, leisure, hotel, student accommodation, health and community functions.! The outline proposal seeks approval for 1,130 residential units, including extra care apartments.!Phase 1 comprises 179 residential units of private and affordable housing, retail

and a Morrisons supermarket of more than 7,000 square metres.!The masterplan is being developed by Aecom and Haworth Tompkins Architects.The scheme is part of the development corporation’s £3.7bn Canning Town and

Custom House Regeneration Programme, which includes the building of up to 10,000 new homes and two improved town centres.

Willmott Dixon wins science park development

Working with architect Deveraux, the company will construct two separate two storey structures incorporating laboratory space and office space at the North East Technology Park (NETPark) Sedgefield, Each of the structures is designed to provide accommodation for up to four tenants and will include renewable technologies to the roof area.NETPark aims to encourage into

the area small to medium size high-tech companies that are developing technology and products in the physical sciences.

Energetica commissions study on low carbon housing for Scotland

Robert Gordon

between cutting-edge green

The study has been commissioned by ACSEF for its flagship project Energetica, which aims to create the world’s greatest concentration of energy technology companies, housing and leisure facilities along a 30-mile coastal strip betweenPeterhead and Aberdeen based on low carbon principles.The remit of the study is to provide a

diagnostic review of the developments and technologies used in the UK and Northern Europe to maximise energy efficiency while simultaneously lowering carbon levels.

Her i tage


As a national charity, the association’s focus is on promoting the enjoyment of gardens and parks to the general public. The association learns about garden heritage and designed landscapes, engages in conservation, planning and garden research, and encourages gardens in schools.“Our England is a garden that is full of stately views, of borders,

beds and shrubberies and lawns and avenues, with statues on the terraces and peacocks strutting by but the Glory of the Garden lies in more than meets the eye.”Rudyard Kipling’s familiar verse is as good a starting point as

any to convey the purpose of the Association of Gardens Trusts (AGT). The vision and strength of this unifying organisation comes together to conserve the country’s ‘thinking’ spaces. The AGT is a national charity, underpinned by volunteers,

working to prevent further loss or corrosion of specially designed green living spaces that imbue a sense of our past while we survey the present. But the association feels that there has to be more than nurture

and enjoyment - we have to think about the future. This far too

crowded island is under ever-increasing pressure from building development and motorways. Hence, since being founded in 1993, the AGT has been working

closely in association with 10 branches of the Welsh Historic Gardens Trust, and in partnership and cross-fertilisation with a range of like-minded garden heritage groups, especially English Heritage, the National Trust, the Garden History Society, and the Garden Museum, but also Green Space, Historic Houses Association, CABE, NADFAS, the Heritage Alliance (formerly Heritage Link) and the Woodland Trust.Old landscapes and gardens are spaces with a special sense

of place and narratives of the taste and ambitions of individuals, reflecting layers of family history, often over centuries. Gardens offer more than aesthetic pleasure, adding to the

visually enjoyable and often scented experience by engaging the mind with a much-rewarding fourth dimension: understanding the context of a garden, landscape or park. AGT President, Gilly Drummond is fond of pointing out:

“Gardens are tellers of tales; the skills of the designer allow the tale to be heard.” If you are interested to learn about the design development of gardens, she says, you may then begin to read them like a book, even if some of the pages are missing. Recently, as a trustee for the Chiswick House and Park Trust

seeking planning permission for a huge £12 million regeneration

Conserving England’s green ‘thinking spaces’


project, Gilly transported a group of Hounslow councillors by coach down to the outskirts of Swindon to view progress on the Lydiard Park project, to appreciate with their own eyes just what could be achieved. Consequently, those councillors who visited Lydiard

supported the Chiswick bid, including restoration of the walled garden. Those who had not taken the trip were noticeably ‘less enthusiastic’.The AGT works to ‘make a difference’ in conservation: by

organising friendly, enlightening annual conferences for county gardens trusts delegates to learn about and explore the wealthy mix of gardens and parks, and their designers, in diverse areas of the country; by emphasizing special events by suggesting issues and recommending speakers for major conferences, regional workshops and study days; by informing and advising county gardens trust committees and members with website, papers and e-newsletters, by forwarding planning applications and, lastly by arranging insurance cover with modest premiums. The AGT responds to government initiatives, sometimes

questions and challenges planning issues, but, perhaps above all, is committed to encouraging schemes to pass on valuable gardening skills and knowledge in schools and adult education and enable teachers and planners with local research. Hence the AGT supported the first phase of the unique online Parks and Gardens database www.parksandgardens.ac.uk and is now working towards expansion in a second development phase.Encouraged that the County Gardens Trust movement has

now come of age, the AGT team is determined to continue to support this valuable, pleasantly open, grassroots network. Rather like the vine and its fruit-bearing branches, the AGT is

only as good and as responsive as its committed volunteers. The ongoing work of these impassioned county gardens trust members goes largely unsung like seeds sewn on the Solent wind carried to evergreen landscapes and gardens from Cornwall to Northumberland.


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 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. 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, £30m is being targeted at those sites with the most commercial potential, in order to make as many sites as possible self-financing. 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

Ensuring a bright future for the past

Her i tage




The only entry criteria for the competition is that entrants should be 25 or under by the closing date for entries (which is 31st March 2011) and be employed by a member of the Lead Contractors Association.All entrants will be required to submit photographs of work they

have carried out together with details of the various projects they have worked on and the type of work done.Their work may be directly inspected by an LCA vetting officer,

either on site or by attending a convenient regional location where a series of practical tests will be carried out. All practical assessments will be completed by August 2011.Six finalists will then be selected by a judging panel which will

consist of Members of the LCA Council, LSA technical officers and Nigel Johnston, general manager of the LSA. The six finalists will then attend a finals day at the Lead

Sheet Association roof training centre in Kent, where they will be set a series of tasks over identical model roof sections, to be completed within a given time limit. On conclusion of the practical side of the final, the judges will then discuss design theory and working practices in order to test the knowledge of each finalistThe judges will examine each model roof section and, taking

account of the responses during the theory discussion, will then determine the overall winner of the ‘Young Leadworker of the Year’ award for 2011.The winner will receive £500 in leadwork tools, a copy of the

Lead Sheet Manual and a training bursary worth £3,500 towards a formal leadwork national vocational qualification.Each of the other finalists will receive a lead sheet manual and

three days personalised leadwork development training from the LSA.In launching the award, LSA Chairman Joss Campbell said

“We want to encourage and promote all young leadworkers that represent the future of our industry and hope this award will provide a significant recognition of the specialist individual skills that we know are being developed within the Lead Contractors Association”

Formed in 1984, the LCA aim to prioritise quality standards in all manors of lead work.The LCA now comprises of over 100 specialist contractors

committed to providing quality craftsmanship for their clients, supported by 15 associate members supplying materials and ancillary services.The LCA have expanded in recent years, increasing their

offices bases throughout the country as well as overseas. The LCA now operate in every region of the UK and have contractors located in Europe.In a statement, chairman of LCA Dave Martin reflects on the

current status of LCA: “I am proud to look around the current LCA Council and consider the wealth of knowledge and experience available to our members and the industry for the foreseeable future”.For further information regarding the LCA, details can be found

on their website at www.leadcontractorsassociation.com

Young leadworker of the year award


Her i tage

It comes as no surprise that lead is one of the key materials when considering heritage and conservation issues.One of the oldest and most durable building materials, lead

sheet to BS EN 12588: 2006 outlives any alternative building materials and has seen many of these come and go over the centuries. The Lead Sheet Association (LSA), together with the Lead

Contractors Association (LCA), has been one of the key supporters of major legislation to protect the nation’s heritage.From developing and running training programmes which

develop the necessary skills in heritage and conservation work, to the wholehearted support of the initiative at its inception, the LSA has pledged to back any plans that will conserve pre-1919 buildings and structures in England.Following a memorandum in early 2009, which was developed

by ConstructionSkills, English Heritage and the National Heritage Training Group in consultation with the Parliamentary Arts and Heritage Group, a number of pro-conservation initiatives were agreed.One of these was to introduce a new Construction Skills

Certification Scheme (CSCS) heritage skills and professional qualified person’s card for people working on built heritage projects and sites, so that they could demonstrate competency in their specialist area and in health and safety awareness.And from 2010, organisations providing funding and grant aid

for historic projects have had to insist that craftspeople hold their appropriate CSCS heritage skills card before they can carry out work on grant-aided projects.Until September 2010, leadworkers were able to obtain the

CSCS leadworker heritage skills card through the managed industry accreditation/grandfather rights process.Since then, leadworkers applying for their CSCS card must

have the new Qualifications Credit Framework (QCF) diploma in leadwork.Several of the LSA’s training courses have played an important

role in making sure that leadworkers are equipped to work on

old buildings with specific repair requirements. One aspiring heritage leadworker was able to pursue his career hopes, thanks to the LSA, Lincoln Cathedral and the Traditional Building Skills Bursary Scheme.Wez Blyth was funded for a 12-month placement in the works

department of Lincoln Cathedral, which included block-release training at the LSA’s training centre in East Peckham, Kent.He received a £15,000 bursary, which was largely funded by

the Heritage Lottery Fund (£1,400,000) and partners, English Heritage, The National Trust, Cadw, ConstructionSkills and the National Heritage Training Group. This bursary supported him while he learned his skills on a full-time basis at the cathedral. Block release training on the City & Guilds 6065 course at

the LSA‘s training centre enabled Wez to focus on specialist activities using various simulated rigs. This prepared him for the various tasks that he would encounter at the cathedral, which he could use to help him generate a portfolio of evidence that would count towards the heritage leadwork QCF diploma. “The LSA’s Nigel Johnston and Simon Wood were extremely

supportive, showing me many different methods and make learning my new skills interesting,” said Wez. In 2010 the LSA launched its heritage specialist apprenticeship

programme (SAP) in leadwork, which leads to the QCF diploma in leadwork.It is aimed at leadworkers with an existing NVQ Level 2 in lead,

or alternatively, individuals who can provide knowledge and competence at Level 2.

Lead: key to our nation’s heritage

Nigel Johnston


Accomplished roofer in roof slating, tiling and leadwork, with the qualifications to prove it, 30-year-old Matthew French jumped at the chance to gain this extra qualification by returning to the LSA’s training centre. “When I heard about the new heritage SAP I was keen to enrol,

as the training will further my skills and confidence to work on bigger and better jobs,” he explained. “The QCF diploma will really help us to show a competitive edge

when going for those sought-after heritage and conservation jobs.”To find out about heritage training in leadwork and possible

funding, please contact the LSA on 01622 872432 or visit the website at www.leadsheet.co.uk.

The British Lead Manufacturers Association (Management) Ltd was set up in 1926 and became the Lead Sheet Association Limited (LSA) in 1994. Affiliated to the Lead Development Association and the Lead Contractors Association, the LSA promotes the use of lead as a product and facilitates marketing, training and technical advice.

‘On-the-job training: Wez learns his skills under the watchful eye of Tony Greensmith of Lincoln Cathedral’

United front: LSA backs initiative to protect nation’s heritage


Her i tage


Telephone: 0131 665 [email protected] www.b-spoke.com

The Custom Build Manufacturing Company

As good as old!When it comes to restoring an historic

building to its former glory, attention todetail is what makes all the difference.

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So whatever your renovation requirements,whether you’re looking to reinstate a section ofarchitrave, or replicate existing sash windows,

contact us today for a b:spoke solution.

All too often, buildings are repaired with inappropriate materials and poor skills. Many are the subject of interventions that in time lead to their total loss. Others are simply changed out of all recognition. In most cases, the mortar used for repairs, restoration or

conservation contains cement. In these buildings, the use of cement mortars promote condensation build up, salt reactions and, generally, drastically affects the long term survival of the building.St. Astier natural hydraulic lime mortars provide a valid

alternative to cement mortars or cement/lime mixes and, if applied properly, they will have a much longer life. Environmentally, they offer far greater efficiency than cementicious mortars by re-absorbing CO2 and not compromising the recyclability of the building materials. We work with what we call the ‘ten commandments’ when

judging the suitability of mortar:

We prefer to look at compatible mortars rather than like for like. The reason for this is that today in most cases, it is not possible to reproduce exactly the mortars of the past.The binders are different; the sands might not be the same. In

the EU, a lot of sand pits have closed and some of the historic pits no longer exist. Compatibility should be both chemical and mechanical..Mortars introduced into existing structures must not react

chemically with existing mortars and surrounding masonry by introducing soluble salts such as sulphate (gypsum) or aluminates causing sulphate attack; or alkalis (potassium and sodium) causing a reaction with the sand (alkali-silica reaction).In mechanical terms, mortars should not be too dense to

impede breathability or have poor elasticity resulting in cracks that will allow water/moisture penetration.

Restoration and conservation mortarsBy Ugo Spano, St. Astier Limes Liaison Office


These are both properties affecting the durability of the mortar. High capillarity allows moisture penetration and, if a mortar has poor breathability (such as cementicious mortars), there will be condensation and associated problems.The main causes of high capillarity are poor sands and void

structure and high quantity of free lime in the binder. Free lime crystallises in the voids, reducing their size and therefore increasing their capillary action.Poor building details and drainage increases the amount of

water in touch with the masonry which can be absorbed by capillary action.High shrinkage is also a source of cracking and it is to be

avoided.

is not controlled by adequate wetting or dampening of the masonry, water in the mortar will be sucked into the masonry. The mortar is therefore deprived of the water necessary for hydration and the mortar becomes friable as its matrix has not formed properly.

and demands more water at the moment of mixing the mortar. The evaporation of this water leaves micro cracks in the mortar (shrinkage).

too much binder is used. Over-binding produces a heave effect, causing cracks.

areas and low binding in other with cracks as a result.

frost when the mortar is still fresh will also cause cracking and shrinkage. So will poor curing: mortars, especially lime mortars, need time to cure. So, depending on the weather conditions, mortar needs to be dampened for few days in warm weather or in the presence of drying wind. In cold rainy weather and when frost is expected, fresh mortars have to be covered to prevent damage. This is normally done with hessian sheeting.

2Free lime, high calcium lime, available lime, air lime, hydrated lime, portlandite, fat lime and slaked lime are basically all the same and consist of calcium hydroxide - Ca(OH)2. The trade uses all these denominations and sometimes people

do not know that they all refer to the same element. They are classified in BS/EN 459 Standard as CL (calcium limes) and are differentiated by the percentage of Ca(OH)2 content.Free lime makes mortars more workable and this is liked by

the mason. However, free lime affects a number of important properties in mortars such as:Setting and hardening time: an early set and a relatively quick

hardening are important to be able to build with some speed. Initial setting of a hydraulic mortar is within one or two hours; the final set is within 24 hours. The final set determines the moment when the mortar cannot be re-worked.Hardening takes longer. It is the time that the calcium silicates

and other hydraulic components in a mortar take to become insoluble. In the European norms, both properties are taken into consideration and the definition of NHL 2, NHL 3.5 and NHL 5 is based on the hardened strength at 28 days expressed in Newton per mm2.Free lime is not hydraulic and needs contact with air to re-

absorb CO2 and reconstitute itself to CaCO3 or limestone. This process called carbonation may take a very long time. Damp environment, rain, and the location of the mortar (exposure to air) contribute to slowing and in some cases even stopping carbonation. The result is that the mortar does not harden.Free lime will dissolve in water at a ratio of 1 to 6 and this is the

reason why leaching occurs. Leaching not only is an unwanted visual effect but also deprives the mortar of some of the binder

with the result that you have a different mortar in the structure from the one specified.Free lime, because of its fineness, increases water demand in

the mortar. This is one of the causes of shrinkage, as already discussed.It also increases capillarity by crystallising in the voids,

reducing breathability.The reduction of the void size affects also the frost resistance,

as we will shortly see.High free lime mortars such as 1:1:6 and 1:2:9 mixes or

hydrated (powder or putty) lime mortars might not be as suitable as they are supposed to be. Careful judgement has to be made in relation to their use. This also applies to lime mortars made with hydraulic lime with very high free lime content now being sold in the UK market.

RulThe reduction in void size - by free lime crystallisation or a poor void structure caused by poor sands and the slow carbonation of free lime - makes the mortar more susceptible to frost damage.Frost starts always from the surface and goes inward. Frozen

water particles in the surface voids push the water in the voids behind further in and so on. If there is a good void structure accommodating the water movement, this process will not generate a pressure and the mortar will resist frost. The size of the voids is also important: ice has a volume of 8%

greater than water so it will exercise pressure if the voids cannot contain more that the water they already contain. This is the case in saturated mortars where the water absorbed during rain before frost occurs is occupying all the voids.Hardened mortars with a good void structure will resist frost.

St. Astier NHL Mortars have been successfully used in areas of extreme cold such as Canada, Alaska, Norway, Finland, Denmark and wet/cold areas as part of Ireland and UK.The basic principle is to avoid saturation of the mortar when

still fresh, so protection at this stage is of extreme importance.

Her i tage


The same mortar will also resist the outward migration of salts contained in the masonry. A macro void structure in the mortar will accommodate the pressure exercised by salts when moving or crystallising.When structures contain salts, it is almost impossible to control

them if they become unstable. Their behaviour is linked to the relative humidity which is typical to each salt. A lower RH will cause crystallisation; a higher RH will cause the salt to go into a solution and migrate.If the void space is sufficient, these phenomena will not cause

a damaging pressure. If crystallisation occurs, they stay in the wall and if there is no space in the voids the pressure can be great enough to crack the mortar. If they go into solution, they will eventually come out and can be cleaned off the wall.Lime is hygroscopic: it attracts water and by doing so a new

lime mortar used for re-pointing or rendering might attract moisture contained in the structure and therefore change the RH of the wall in which the salts are contained, causing their movement. So a high free lime mortar will absorb salts. This is fine if we are using a lime mortar to diminish the salts content in the wall. Once the lime mortar is saturated with salts, it can be removed and the salts with it. It is not so good if we wish to keep the mortar. In this case, a NHL mortar with less free lime and a good void structure will obtain the required result.The same type of mortar will not suffer from salts ingress

promoted by external agents such as is common in marine environments.The re-pointing of the harbour wall in 2000 at Atlantic College

in Wales is still in perfect condition 10 years later. The mortar is an NHL 5 with very coarse sharp sand (pictured).

A breathable mortar is essential in the control of condensation. No damp; no rot; a much better living environment.It also helps in consuming less energy in heating. If a room is

damp, a lot of the heating will go in drying out the damp before heating the room.Hardened mortars with good breathability will dry faster than

dense mortar. Saturation of the mortar is well reduced and so is the risk of frost damage. St. Astier NHL mortars if compared to cement/lime mortars have a better breathability by 200%.The two main factors in achieving good breathability are: A relatively low free lime content in the binder to avoid too

much crystallisation in the mortar voids and the use of well graded sands in the mortar. The choice of good well graded sand is of paramount

importance in obtaining a breathable mortar.

Rule Setting and hardening determine the work rate. They are also related to the mortar dosage, the water addition and the weather conditions during execution of the work. Protection and curing methods are directly connected with setting, hardening and curing mortars.Therefore, it is important to have a good idea of the setting and

hardening properties of mortar to be able to determine whether it will be suitable for the work, what particular precautions to use and for how long.Elasticity determines the amounts of movement that the

mortar will take before cracking. It is also relevant in calculating the positioning of joints. A good elasticity will help in accepting thermal movements.Workability of a mortar is in many cases left to the mason

executing the work and, almost invariably, this results in excessive water addition to obtain the “plasticity” that masons like. This is wrong as too much (or too little) water can have serious effects on setting time, shrinkage, capillarity and so on. Information on the correct water addition should be given to

the mason and supervisors should check that the instructions are followed.

It is no good to look just at quick setting and hardening. A very hard mortar, especially when made with cement, is not the solution to all requirements.Quick setting and strong hardening have become synonymous

with “a good mortar” since the advent of cement but in restoration and conservation, setting and hardening should be only part of the evaluation to be made on the most suitable mortar for the job.Of course we need setting and hardening, especially in adverse

climatic conditions and seasonal work. But this should never be to the exclusion of all other considerations made up to now such as compatibility, breathability, elasticity and so on.In restoration and conservation, St. Astier NHL mortars comply

with all requirements.They set and harden faster and stronger than lime putty or

hydrated lime without the use of pozzolans ( a “dear” word to many but essentially a poorly known subject, open to uncertain results) or cement.Many producers state that their product contains “pozzolanic”

additions. This is in most cases cement. Just ask the question about re-working the mortar within 24 hours. If the answer is no, the mortar most likely has a cement content.The compatibility and other properties of NHL mortars ensure

that performance and durability are achieved without the use of cement. They represent a logical and natural choice in the restoration and preservation of our built heritage.

Lime mortars re-absorb CO2. St, Astier NHL mortars will re-absorb between 38% and 49% of the CO2 emitted in production. NHL mortars are also non toxic and, once hardened, they will not increase the water pH.Cementicious mortars can contain chromium VI (directly

related to skin allergies) and, depending on the type of cement used, components like pulverised fly ash (PFA), granulated ground blast furnace slag (GGBS) and others that contain a number of dangerous elements such as heavy metals and many other toxic elements.NHL mortars will also be easily removed from masonry units,

allowing them to be re-cycled.The breathability of St. Astier NHL mortars eliminates

condensation and contributes to a better living environment for people with breathing difficulties (asthma, for example).

Good materials can become useless if the correct site practices are not followed. Good workmanship and supervision are essential.If mortars are not dosed or mixed properly, if they are not

cured and protected correctly, if they are applied badly, if the application surfaces are not properly prepared, if suction is not controlled, if salt movements are not taken into consideration and so on, the result will be a failure.Architects, engineers – specifiers in general – should work

with the contractor to ensure that he has the necessary comprehension and skills to apply the mortars and follow the necessary site practice.Ii is, however, the responsibility of the mortar manufacturer to

give specifiers all the information they require for the evaluation of the mortar to be adopted. St. Astier Limes not only provide this information but also, when required, the technical staff actively work with the specifier giving technical advice to establish the most appropriate mortar for the proposed intervention.


London & South East

The ReardonSmith touch brings architectural inspiration to the world’s great hotels

Current projects include: Four Seasons hotels in St. Petersburg and Baku; Porto Montenegro; a JW Marriott in Baku; two ski resort hotels in Azerbaijan; and a new bespoke hotel in London’s Mayfair. The practice has just completed the total restoration of The Savoy in London and the rebuilding of the Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane. Demonstrating the practice’s flair for innovative and distinctive

design are four prestigious projects: The Savoy Hotel restoration; the Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane; The Travelodge at Waterloo and the new JW Marriott Hotel in Baku, Azerbaijan.! Each of these exemplifies the practice’s skill for meeting the client’s needs whilst combining architectural and design expertise.The new JW Marriott Absheron Hotel is ReardonSmith

Architect’s second major hotel project in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. !The hotel will overlook Baku’s Freedom Square, as well as

the seafront boulevard with the Caspian Sea beyond. In a city where new architectural schemes point to a futuristic transformation of the skyline, the JW Marriott will make a

significant contribution as an iconic contemporary building on a scale to endorse the monumental

square below. Replacing the now demolished famous

Absheron Hotel, the new development will include 16 floors

of private residences with prime views, serviced apartments, retail and office space as well as the 20-storey hotel with 228 keys.!The architects had a number of key considerations: the

location, the high water table, local conventions and the need for good views, successful hotel operations and of course the client’s aspirations for this important building.Due to location, a prominent landmark building was essential;

it was also a development requirement that the elevation facing Freedom Square would have an imposing symmetry. All the private residences were to have prime views over the sea and the square, and the visual clutter around the hotel, caused by visitor parking and disconnection with the immediate environs, was to be resolved. However, the site is 24 metres below sea level so excavation

had to be restricted to a single basement for parking, bouncing the issue of plant and back-of-house into the building above ground and, because the premier apartment accommodation commanding the best views would naturally be at the top of the



Area

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building, rooftop plant had to be limited. The ReardonSmith solution was to create

a stepped 20-metre high landscaped podium in to the first floor of the building, hiding the plant and equipment below, thus providing excellent views from the first floor restaurant and bar areas.! The goal of providing a 1200m2 column-free ballroom with views on to the square has been met, fit to host state events, but also able to be sub-divided into operationally independent spaces.! The issue of symmetry in the building form

has been addressed by segregating the residences and serviced apartments in two balanced oval wings that frame the central hotel component and rotating these wings on their respective axes to ensure that the building looks symmetrical from the square. All the private residences enjoy 180-degree views of the sea and the square. The structure will be clad in natural stone

with simple glazed effects, balancing both horizontal and vertical elements to create an impressive building in its futuristic environment.! “The project is fascinating and the

process dynamic,” says Ramsay Ritchie, the ReardonSmith architect leading the design team. “The vision for the building has progressed rapidly to become an example of quite futuristic design that embraces the ambitions of the client as well as the monumental site. And, it is continuing to evolve as construction progresses, which makes for a highly interactive relationship with our colleagues in Baku.” Completion is anticipated in late 2011.

For the Travelodge Waterloo, this new hotel has been accommodated in a former bank and office building to the front, with a brick and glass extension to the rear. The existing stone façade has been retained and the original building now accommodates some of the ground floor public areas with bedrooms above. The majority of the guestrooms, however, are within the extension and it was here by keeping ceiling heights to a maximum 2350mm and 2200mm within corridors that space was created for an additional floor,achieving a five-storey

Dikmen CaddesiNr : 5 3 8 / 1 4Çankaya, 06460Ankara, Turkey

Phone: +90 312 475 2848 or +90 312 475 2849 email: [email protected]

STRUCTURAL Engineering, Consulting & Supervision ServicesTURKEY - AZERBAIJAN - RUSSIAN FEDERATION - MIDDLE EAST

Ankara, !stanbul, !zmir, Antalya, Baku, Moscow, Sochi, Kiev, Batumi, Tiblisi, Tripoli, Bingazi, Al-Raji, Ashgabat, Almati, Erbil.


London & South East

[email protected] +994 12 498 6104

| Projects in Azerbaijan- JW Marriott Hotel- Port Baku Towers- 28 May Shopping Centre- Port Baku Residences- Absheron Apartments

| Construction Services- interior !t-out- decorative !t-out & furnishing- landscaping- multi-service contracting

| Design Consultancy- interior design- project management- development management


extension on a four-storey existing building. (On the basis of an average £79 per night per room rate and 75% occupancy over a year, this equates to additional revenue of just under £930,000 per annum.)!The Savoy Hotel restoration is one of the most ambitious hotel

restoration projects ever undertaken in London.! Over four years, a dedicated team of architects and technicians oversaw the rebirth of this great hotel tradition culminating with the official re-opening by Prince Charles on 2nd November 2010.! The building was taken back to its early structure, stabilised and given an entirely new services infrastructure including a new lift and new kitchens.!Spaces have been rationalised to include restored or

replicated features or re-discovered to become glamorous new areas. Edwardian and Art Deco architectural designs in the lobby, restaurant, bars, ballrooms, guest rooms and services facilities have been meticulously refurbished or sympathetically introduced.!“Virtually every square inch of the Savoy is imbued with historical association; it is the stuff of legend and we were very conscious of acting as custodians of this while creating a hotel for the 21st Century”, says Conrad Smith, managing director of ReardonSmith.The Four Seasons Hotel at Park Lane was re-opened on 31st

January 2011 after a multi-million pound re-building programme that has set a new benchmark in perfectly crafted quality and sophistication.A detailed design brief included a two-storey glazed extension

to the North elevation; newly modelled garden suites with conservatories; a new lift core and new kitchens.!The creation of an increased quantity of luxury residential-style suites formed an important part of this brief. The eight floors of guest accommodation have been reconfigured to achieve 192

guestrooms: 53 with modern wet rooms and 45 flexible, one-, two- and three-bedroom suites to accommodate different permutations of travelling families – all of them configured to maximise views.! The ground-level Amaranto lounge, bar and restaurant spaces work as one but have also been planned to provide areas of intimacy and to offer a range of experiences, with predominating dark French marble, classic timbers and rich red upholsteries as envisioned by interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon. ReardonSmith has once again created a timelessly chic hotel

of the highest quality design, increasing the value of the asset and delivering a hotel fit for one of the world’s leading operators.


London & South East

Trading since 1992 and based since March 2010 in Cheam, Surrey, the firm continues to develop housing across the spectrum - from affordable to luxury – often securing planning permission in circumstances that would force others to abandon hope.

The £3.8 million Butter Hill development is located in Carshalton, Surrey and has come in a month ahead of programme and on budget.! With a contract value of £3.8 million, the scheme comprises twenty-one, 1, 2 and 3 bed apartments, together with a terrace of 5 family sized houses. The scheme was developed in conjunction with one of Sutton’s partnering Registered Social Landlords, the Orbit Housing Group.Specifications meeting the requirements for Sustainable

Homes Level 3 included timber frame technology and 20% of the predicted annual energy consumption of the dwellings being generated from on-site renewable energy sources, principally photovoltaic panels. Water saving devices have been incorporated in to the design such as low flush cisterns, spray taps and low volume baths to reduce water wastage in the buildings.This scheme is now complete and all the accommodation has

been rented out by the Orbit Housing Group.

Oakwood Group, employed as the main contractor by KH Land Ltd,!have! just started work on this 1.1 acre site located at the heart of Brockley Cross very close to Brockley Station.! Formerly a scaffolding yard, it will be turned in to a mixed-use development, providing new homes, small commercial units and creating a!new!private road!in the middle of Brockley.!The council approved the plans submitted last December

and!Oakwood!started work at the end of March this year.Oakwood!are working to a 14-month!construction programme.

Surrey-based Oakwood raises the competition stakes.


The contract!sum is circa £7m, which will result in approximately 30,000 square feet of commercial (20 commercial shell and core units)!and 30,000 square feet of residential space (47 “sky loft” apartments) being created.This promises to be one of the most important developments

in the area, at last creating significant amounts of live / work space in Brockley for self-employed people and small business owners.The design for Martin’s Yard is a contemporary interpretation

of the surrounding Victorian and commercial buildings in Brockley.! The scheme will be constructed to meet Code For Sustainable Homes Level 3 standards. The designers have embraced the need for modernity and fresh design amongst the resident artist community, whilst reflecting the traditional design principles of the surrounding buildings.! Completion is expected in!June!2012.!

The Oakwood Group managed the planning process for this backland site comprising seven family sized homes, just completed in a £1.16 million project for Clients Places for People.The enabling works comprised the demolition of various single

storey buildings on the site and partitioning of several back gardens that make up the site assembly.The homes were built to meet the Code for Sustainable Homes

Level 3 and were constructed using timber frame technology with facing brick and render clad elevations.

Mollison Drive is situated in Wallington, Surrey, and is home to a new £7.2 million development. The Oakwood Group assembled this site, comprising 6 semi detached houses with substantial back gardens, via a series of Option Agreements with each of the registered proprietors, subject to planning permission.The site presented a significant challenge in planning terms

following refusal of two planning applications. The Oakwood Group lodged a Public Local Inquiry against

the decision and, following a complex and lengthy process, the Planning Inspectorate granted permission for the development.Oakwood is working in partnership with one of LB Sutton’s

housing association partners, Hyde Housing, to deliver the buildings which will ultimately provide homes for people currently on the council’s housing waiting list.The construction is being procured via a design and build

contract, managed under a JCT Standard form of building contract. The project is on site and has been nominated by the NHBC for a ‘Top 100 Award’. The buildings are due for completion in June 2011.

M & M Demolition Co. Ltd have a sound working relationship with The Oakwood Group and have completed numerous successful demolition and asbestos removal projects on their behalf over

the past eight years, with a recent contract being the demolition of a former car showroom and workshop buildings in Sidcup. Currently M & M Demolition are in the process of carrying

out demolition works on Oakwood Group’s latest project in Carshalton.


London & South East

The company’s expertise is in delivering projects within agreed time, cost and quality standards to exceed their clients’ expectations. As a testimony to this, the company boast an impressive portfolio of developments for world-leading clients including:

Warwick Avenue are currently D&B Main Contractor working with designers Icewit on a prestigious £5+ million design & build development at 96 Kensington High Street, in a scheme to create high end fully serviced office space through the refurbishment of McMillan House situated opposite Kensington High Street Station. The project is being carried out for Ocubis, a new serviced office concept aimed at the discerning business person looking to carry out their work in first class surroundings. Works within the four storey McMillan House include complete

stripping out of the interior, major structural alterations, including the removal and replacement of a lift shaft (requiring the removal of the building’s roof), complete internal reconfiguration, the construction of a predominantly glazed roof level extension, the installation of an impressive new feature helical staircase with a glass balustrade and full refurbishment to create five star quality offices.Additional works include: cleaning of the external facades:

alterations to windows: the formation of an atrium running through the centre of the building: the installation of new mechanical and electrical building services, including a power upgrade; the installation of raised access floors and top of the range glazed partitioning; feature joinery, and complete re-decoration throughout, including stylish lacquer finish ceilings. The project is due to be completed in July 2011.MJ Rooney Construction installed the lift shaft on the project

and innovated a system to make it work for the scheme. They devised a scheme using self compacting concrete poured though small holes in the slab, which avoided the need to vibrate the concrete. The works involved drilling 1,000 core holes though the building and pumping the concrete seven stories up the building.MJ Rooney Construction Ltd are a civil engineering contractor

based in London and have been trading for over 25 years, specialising in groundworks and basement construction.

Warwick Avenue have successfully delivered Endless’ new offices in an extremely tight 6 week construction programme. Endless LLP are the UK’s leading turnaround investor and appointed Warwick Avenue to both design and construct their new Mayfair home. The Independent UK based private equity house worked with WA and designer Putney Bridge to create a unique and unforgettable office experience. The project consisted of the full refurbishment of the existing

office over 5 floors to include bedrooms, offices, unique

Dynamic international construction !rm deliver prestigious portfolio of projects


business lounge along with a signature boardroom in the basement. WA had to complete the project in 6 weeks in time for the annual investment meeting which gave no room for error. The board room boasts a 6 meter bespoke table in the shape of the company’s logo and fully mirrored retractable AV wall for client presentations. Mechanical and electrical services were improved to ensure a comfortable environment throughout the building. WA provided a full turnkey service including all the FF&E and artwork throughout the building. The project was completed earlier this month.

In 2007 Moorfield acquired 23 Hotels from McDonalds. These were let to Accor and rebranded as Mercure hotels. Warwick Avenue were appointed as Main Contractor’s and Procurement Experts to overhaul and upgrade these properties.

Through HLH/Developers working with Rezidor, Warwick Avenue were Project Managers for a scheme to construct a 132 bedroom new build Park Inn Hotel in Rotherham. Warwick Avenue are now engaged as both cost consultants and project managers for three more Rezidor Park Inn hotels ranging in size from 140 to 210 bedrooms.

Warwick Avenue have previously assisted HLH Property Ltd (who are working with Hilton to introduce new hotels), on various projects, including developments in Glasgow centre and possible sites throughout the UK. Warwick Avenue are also assisting developer, Longrose Buccleuch with initial figures and feasibility studies on Hampton schemes.

Warwick Avenue were hired as Project Managers and Cost Consultants for a £20 million project to construct a new H10 Hotel, a 178 bedroom, 4 star property on Waterloo Road in central London.

A total of 551 bedroom refurbishments for Novotel at multiple locations across the country were carried out on a project in which Warwick Avenue acted as Project Managers, Cost Consultants and CDM Co-ordinators.

Warwick Avenue provided a turnkey refurbishment programme to refurbish 200 bedrooms and multiple public areas for Shearings, with external works also being included on many sites.

Warwick Avenue carried out a turnkey project to refurbish 100 bedrooms Dolphin Hotel in Southampton which was completed ahead of programme and under budget.

Acting as Project Managers, Cost Consultants and CDM Co-ordinators, Warwick Avenue were appointed to manage the capex rollout of room refurbishments, new conference facilities, new public areas and new build bedroom blocks for De Vere Hotels nationwide over three years.

For many years Warwick Avenue undertook projects to refurbish most UK Hilton properties, mainly acting as Project Managers, and continue to work for Hilton in Dubai.

WA are actively involved in circa 10 main contractor design and

build schemes varying from 100k to 1m, involving elderly and dementia units. Works involve extensive alteration, extension and refurbishment with live environments.Coolaid Air Systems Ltd provide air conditioning systems to

the Warwick Avenue Group and DP Flooring Uk are the main flooring contractors for the company.


London & South East

!The project is being carried out for Hambridge Homes, who are also undertaking the construction. Architects are JS Design, Fife Belcher are engineers. Kevin Field Carpentry carried out the asphalt flat roofing work, fitted all door linings and hung the doors and undertook all the window board work. Wise Roofing Contractors carried out all the asphalt roofing on the project The project’s site manager received particular praise for his

work on the scheme from Chris Pearman of Hambridge Homes, who said: “Zack Harden is an excellent site manager supervising all the works and doing a sterling job.”!! In November 2009, planning permission was granted by

London Borough of Southwark for the demolition of a former coach depot and construction of 22 dwellings, incorporating a four storey 10-apartment block on Evelina Road for affordable housing (including two wheelchair units), together with a row of 12 three storey terraced houses for private sale at Brabourn Grove. For information contact Hambridge Homes.Work started in May 2010, with Metropolitan Housing Trust as

the end client for the 10 apartments being constructed in the first phase of the scheme.!With its entrance on Evelina Road, the four storey apartment

block incorporates a mixture of two and three bedroom units, including two designed for wheelchair access.!External elevations of the building are in traditional brick with

cladding, incorporating Aluminium framed windows and a flat roof fitted with photovoltaic panels.!The flat block reinstates the streetscape with double height,

recessed balconies/ terraces that break-up the front façade and visually dissolve the corners of the building. External works include the creation of a small communal garden and the construction of a small cycle store and parking area. The project is due to be finished this summer in July/August, and the project is right on schedule.!The Brabourn Grove element of the project comprises the

construction of 12 three and four bedroom three-storey mews houses, providing exclusive housing for the area. The houses are a repetitive footprint and volume that form a terrace with three staggered units at the north west end.!The front façade of the houses is predominantly London Stock

brick, broken up with a vertical double height, protruding black timber box element; this is emphasized with an alternative corner window or ‘box’ window at first floor level. The houses will have flat roofing incorporating photovoltaic panels and private gardens to the front and rear, together with car parking.

This element of the project is due to start once the apartments are finished at the end of the summer, and will take around a year to complete.!The Hambridge Homes Group was founded to provide well

designed, highly specified, quality new homes. Managing Director, Mike Overton, is recognised as leading one of South East London’s most successful mid-sized house-building groups.!The key to his company’s success is retaining control of every

stage of the development process, from purchasing suitable land, to the acquisition of a complimentary planning consent through to the construction, interior design and subsequent sales.Hambridge Homes have a team of dedicated professionals

with a single philosophy, ‘to provide their clients with homes that are tailored to their individual lifestyle’. Such is the success of this simple philosophy that Mike Overton has been the proud recipient of three coveted design awards from local authorities across South East London.! Hambridge Homes currently have three live housing projects. Since greenfield sites are few and far between in South East London, the brownfield sites favoured by the company are more commercially viable.

Smart new private and affordable housing scheme rises in Peckham


Construction of the 700m2 fire station, which will operate on a 24/7 basis, is being carried out for Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS). The project follows an eco-friendly design plan with recycled

materials being used in the development and infrared technology for lighting.Initially, the project involved the demolition of the existing

fire houses and the construction of the new fire station on the Easthampstead Road end of the site. The existing Denton Road Fire Station is being kept in operation for the duration of the construction programme of the new station.The finished station will boast two appliance bays, a working

area, washroom, kitchen, manager’s office, dorm, and lecture room. It will also have a state-of-the-art gym and an on-site lecture room will provide a facility for members of the community to visit and interact with staff at the station. The construction of the new building will also mean the station is

operational 24 hours a day, with enough room to accommodate around seven officers at one timeDelta crew manager Paul Keen, based at Wokingham fire

station, said firefighters were looking forward to the completion of the new development and were excited about seeing the finished station.He said: “It seemed to start quite slowly and then all of a

sudden it just shot up. Everything will be state of the art and it’s going to give us a lot more room.“It’s very exciting seeing it all go up and we’re looking forward to

seeing it complete and being able to use it. We like to encourage people to come in to the station, particularly children who want to look around.”The project will be the first new fire station to be built by RBFRS

in around 20 years.The construction of the new building will also mean the station

is operational 24 hours a day with enough room to accommodate around seven officers at one time and Paul Keen said the teams were looking forward to starting night shifts.“It will give people a better service too, both in Wokingham and

across the county.“The fact we will be doing night shifts is good because it will

give us a larger range of incidents we go out too.“Certain kinds of incidents are far more prevalent at night. And

we are going to be working out of a fantastic new station.”The project is due for completion in July 2011.

Dawnus Construction Limited! is an international civil engineering and building company, established in 2001, which is committed to providing a first class service to clients through a network of strategically placed offices throughout the UK and West Africa.Established in 2001, Dawnus is proud to be the fastest growing

construction company in Wales and the South of England. Its roots are founded in the engineering ability of a team that has a wealth of experience in the construction industry.The company is committed to: delivering practical solutions

to complex engineering problems and maintaining quality and flexibility by undertaking the works in-house wherever possible; using innovation, value engineering and project management skills to add value to their clients’ businesses, and valuing their clients and treating them in a professional, open and honest manner geared to developing long-term relationships that benefit all concerned.

Fire crews on standby for new Community Fire Station


London & South East


The scheme is a highly visible, flagship project for London, located at 150 High Street, Stratford, at the approach to the Olympic Games and opposite the Olympic coach station. It will effectively ‘announce’ the entrance to the event. Situated on a 1.3 hectare site, the project will include 1017sqm

of flexible commercial space, a 6256sqm 153-bed four-star hotel, 27 workspace units (10 of which will be subsidised) and 655 studio, one, two, three and four-bed residential units with provision for 35% affordable housing. There is also associated car and cycle parking, landscaped amenity and children’s play space and a riverside walkway.Leading London housing association, Genesis Housing Group

has created the high profile scheme. The project also represents a benchmark S106 for the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation’s new tariff scheme. Stock Woolstencroft have designed the project, with Ardmore Construction as Main Contractors.Cost consultants are Gardiner and Theobald; Mechanical and

electrical Engineers are Hoare Lea; Structural Engineers are WSP Group plc and Facade Engineers are Buro Happold.A key design feature of the scheme is a fine curvilinear building

(one of the tallest residential buildings in London), which will soar into the skyline and be visible from areas as wide as Stratford and West Ham Stations, acting as a marker for the location of the Games. The scheme is an outstanding example of contemporary, quality design and planning and will exemplify the regeneration pace set by the Games when the world’s eyes are upon it in 2012.The revitalisation benefits of 150 High Street, Stratford are clear:

housing shortages will be addressed and environmental issues faced head-on. The mixed uses and range of housing tenures, from larger family-oriented dwellings, units suitable for smaller households and commercial units will attract a range of people to the area, helping to form the hub of a strong, sustainable community.This is the latest in a long-line of consents in the Olympic area

for Stock Woolstencroft, all achieved through close collaboration with private developers and registered social landlords.

As well as being architecturally adventurous, the development has been carefully devised in accordance with the principles of sustainable design and construction. Through the use of a combined heat and power plant and biomass fuel, major targets for the use of renewable energy will be met and the policy target for the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions exceeded.John Woolstencroft of Stock Woolstencroft said: “The scheme

is a bold, inspirational design, which is not only appropriate for the world stage, supporting and enhancing London’s Olympics, but will also help drive the long-term economic and social regeneration of East London.“It has been an enormous achievement for the team to obtain

planning consent within 12 months – particularly given the number of planning authorities we have had to collaborate with and the LTGDC’s new S106 tariff requirements.”Neil Hadden, chief executive at Genesis Housing Group, said of

the development: “It will have a positive economic impact on the area and meet local needs. The mix of tenures will meet a wide range of needs and aspirations and will help create a strong, sustainable community while contributing towards reducing the housing shortage in London.“The global financial changes that have taken place over the

last few years meant we had to stop, listen, consult and adapt to the new market conditions. We now have a scheme that works well for the local community.”Formed over 30 years ago, Ardmore has grown to be one of

the largest privately owned Design and Build main contractors in the UK. The company offers a unique, full capability service supporting

all aspects of the construction and development process enabling them to offer clients fixed price certainty on projects to a value of £150m. Ardmore’s services are structured to provide flexibility and

efficiency in delivering a high quality product suited to clients’ needs. The company pride themselves on their commercial approach and professionalism.Ardmore has an established reputation for delivering

major construction that includes residential and mixed-use developments, office and industrial buildings, retail and leisure schemes as well as high profile hotel and education projects. Increasingly, they are!becoming recognised for their successful delivery of high rise and luxury residential projects.

Massive mixed use development will form a ‘grand entrance’ to the Olympics


London & South East

The project is being carried out in the second phase of the college development by Main Contractors Kingerlee. Architects are Berman Gueddes Stretton.“The architects have done a fantastic job in designing the

project in what is a very small, complicated space. We are confident that the project will work really well” said Mr Philip Parker, Bursar at Brasenose College, adding: “The project is being carried out on a very challenging site but so far the contractors are overcoming the difficulties well.”The development is being constructed within a small internal

courtyard and the scheme will provide modern kitchen facilities on the ground floor, together with a lift, and a second floor servery, pantry, dining area, circulation space and staircase up to second floor bedrooms within the original building. The fitting out of the kitchens will be carried out in a separate contract.!A number of 20th century building additions within the

courtyard, including staircases and kitchen areas, were demolished to make way for the new extension.The new extension is a steel framed structure with concrete

floors and block work partitions. A key feature of the design is a

circular space topped by a dome, that infills the courtyard space between the original buildings, bringing the exposed external stone elevations of the Old Quad and the Jackson building inside a foyer. The surrounding buildings date back to pre 16th century, the 16th century and the 19th century. The design of the extension is complex, since it connects two buildings of

Challenging project spans ancient and modern architecture in Grade 1 listed college


slightly differing floor levels. For this reason, the lift within the new extension will stop at four levels and opens on three sides, despite serving only ground and first floor.Additional works include the conversion

of three existing cellars in the buildings adjacent to the new extension, to provide kitchen storage and preparation areas.The project also includes the creation of

two new dining rooms,- one through the conversion of the medieval kitchen from servery to a fine historic venue which can serve as both a dining room and a meeting/seminar room - and the other on the first floor extending an existing room into the first floor level of the new building.Currently the contract is just under half

way through and the contractors are building the structure of the new building and progressing towards starting the first fix.Restrictions on the contract team

include working on a site with very restricted access through a historic arch onto the High Street, and lorries over seven tonnes not allowed on site, and very limited parking - all within a working college where noise levels are a constant issue.The project commenced in July 2010 and is due to be

completed in February 2012.Brasenose College was established in 1509 and has a fine

legacy of historic buildings. The royal Charter which created the body of Principal and Fellows is dated 15th January 1511/12 (this

is 1512 in modern terms). It established a college to be called ‘The King’s Hall and College of Brasenose’ for the study of sophistry, logic, philosophy and, above all, theology.The greatest change in the history of Brasenose took place in

1971, when the college decided to alter the statutes to allow the admission of women. The first woman lecturer was appointed in 1972 and the first women undergraduates arrived in 1974.


London & South East

The improvements were carried out for Amicus Horizon Housing Association, who completed Decent Homes upgrades to all their properties in their three main regions of Kent, London and Surrey, and Sussex, to the required standard by December 2010.The works in the Kent area included kitchen and bathroom

upgrades, heating upgrades and electrical upgrades. No further works were needed as the housing stock is in good condition, having been well maintained by the organisation. “The majority of our housing stock is post Second World War

and is of traditional brick construction with no tower blocks or system build properties. This has been well maintained by us since the large scale voluntary transfer of housing stock from Swale Borough Council in 1990, so the works involved in the Decent Homes scheme were really more of a cyclical maintenance nature” said Victoria Benson of Amicus Horizon.The improvements were carried out to around 3,500 properties

mostly located in the Swale area, around Sittingbourne and the

Isle of Sheppey, where 95 per cent of the association’s Kent housing stock is situated. A small number of properties outside Swale were also included in the scheme.The properties where the improvements were carried out range

from bungalows to flats and houses.The works were carried out by a number of contractors

including Swale Heating for the heating upgrades, Terry Baker Electrical Contractors undertaking the electrical improvements and DCB Kent Ltd and WW Martin Ltd carrying out the kitchen and bathroom improvements.“Generally the works went exceptionally well and we had some

lovely complements for tenants” said Victoria Benson.Tenant consultation was key to the success of the scheme,

as Victoria Benson explains: “We involved tenants right from the start in 2004 when we were looking at the selection of kitchen units, and tenants were offered a choice of finishes, doors, worktops, paints and tiling. This helps create a sense of ownership for the tenants rather than have something forced on them. At the end of the day we have to realise that we are working in their homes and not on a building site, and they have to carry on living there whilst the works are underway.”Most of the contractors are still working for the association in

their ongoing rolling programme of housing maintenance.

Decent Homes success continues with further improvements underway


“These contractors are out our long term partners. We found that by establishing a long term working relationship rather than tendering for every job, we can build up a good relationship and establish continuity - which all serves to help achieve a good result” says Victoria Benson.“The thing about Decent Homes is that it doesn’t actually stop

with what we achieved in 2010, and needs to continue. We have now moved forward to establishing the Amicus Horizon Standard for or properties, setting new targets to achieve over the forthcoming years. The programme will certainly continue” she addedAmicus Horizon’s values set the standard as to how they

operate as an organisation. These values are central to the way the organisation treats both internal and external customers.Amicus Horizon developed their values with staff to support

their aim of being a three star organisation.These values include:Service – services that customers value and the organisation is proud of

– being open and honest and demonstrating integrity – taking ownership and responsibility

The organisation’s mission statement is:! Making homes, helping people.

£5 million college revamp is first stage of campus redevelopment

A £5 million college revamp at the Broadwater campus of Northbrook College in Carnegie Road, Worthing, will see improved facilities and space for an extra 100 students.Main Contractors are VINCI Construction UK.The !rst stage of the redevelopment of the

campus involves the destruction of the existing entrance of the college, and replacing it with a three-storey, 11m high building.

The new building will be home to a new entrance and reception area, classrooms and a training salon for health and beauty courses.The additional facilities could accommodate

a further 100 students and will see the

removal of what the college itself describes as “unsightly and sub-standard huts from the campus”.The majority of the

new funding will be paid for by £4 million of long-term borrowing and a £1 million grant from the Skills Funding Agency.The college

successfully appealed to retain the Government grant in September, one of only 15 colleges in the country to receive the full amount.The college had to shelve more ambitious

plans for the Broadwater campus after Government funding was pulled.The original plans granted permission in

2008 proposed a six-storey tower, design studios and a theatre and moving courses from the college’s West Durrington campus.The smaller redevelopment of the site now

also includes the construction of a new power station in Broadwater Road.VINCI Construction UK is a national

construction and facilities company and is part of VINCI, a world leader in concessions and

construction.At local level the company’s regional teams

operate throughout the UK, offering a fully-integrated service – from inception, ground investigation and remediation, through to project completion and beyond to the delivery of operational solutions.VINCI Construction offer customers

unparalleled breadth and depth of expertise. The company have strong working relationships with other VINCI companies and subsidiaries in the UK, all of which are leaders in their !eld. As a result, they can leverage ideas, skills and entrepreneurial "air to deliver top-quality work in all sectors.

Construction News Call our news team on 01706 719972 www.romauk.net


London & South East

About 80 per cent of heat generated in London’s underground system comes from braking and motors, another 15 per cent from other equipment, and only 5 per cent from passengers. London’s Underground is the oldest in the world and its deep tunnels

have a narrow bore, leading to problems of heat retention. Different cooling approaches are needed for the two types of lines on

the Underground’s subsurface those averaging about 5m below the surface and those on a deep level, about 20m. Different cooling methods have been deployed as part of the

programme - one of which is a programme of restoring ventilation shafts - involving many of the Victoria Line shafts in particular, being upgraded. This improves airflow - increasing air distribution capacity to allow hot air to escape more easily. Fans in the main ventilation shafts help to keep the air moving and Industrial, or ‘Blue’, fans have been installed in many stations of the network to blow air across them. London Underground has also installed ceiling mounted impulse fans

on Bakerloo line platforms at Marylebone and Lambeth North stations.Other methods being used include ground water cooling, including

a successful trial which has improved temperatures in the mid platform area of Victoria station. The groundwater trial provides an environmentally friendly cooling solution for the Victoria line platforms at Victoria station and uses groundwater which is already pumped out of the station.

Temple has been supporting Transport for London (TfL) with various

projects over many years including the Cooling the Tube programme by providing specialist environmental monitoring on the Victoria line mid-tunnel ventilation upgrade programme. As part of this work Temple has set up a bespoke and comprehensive environmental monitoring regime to address round the clock noise and vibration, air quality and strain movement issues. The process of upgrading the mid tunnel ventilation shafts on the

Victoria Line involved replacing existing fans with new upgraded fans in order to facilitate an improved airflow rate within the Victoria underground tunnel. Works have been undertaken in highly sensitive areas, including the Pulross Intermediate Care Centre, residential areas and the Cobourg Street electrical substation. As a result of a comprehensive environmental monitoring and management programme prior and during the works and post completion, Temple has assisted TFL in keeping environmental impacts to a minimum, avoiding delays in the construction programme and any disruption and inconvenience to sensitive receptors. In the past, Temple has provided support on other high profile projects

for TfL including Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and Crossrail. For the DLR Dagenham Dock Extension, Temple provided a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and related services including a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) and a Sustainability Appraisal (SA). Temple was closely involved with route optioneering through the design of a preferred scheme and prepared evidence for a Transport and Works Order submission. Temple’s work with Crossrail involved stakeholder management and communications (both strategy and implementation), securing Section 61 consent applications for construction work and associated environmental monitoring and management. Most recently, Temple in partnership with Turner & Townsend, has

been appointed to Transport for London’s Engineering and Project Management Framework to help deliver the Mayor’s Transport Strategy.

The heat is on to cool down London’s Tube


New landing stage will make ferry journeys plain sailing for passengers

A £5m new ferry landing stage, comprising a concrete !xed approach, a linkspan and a pontoon, is under construction at Gosport in a project replacing an older facility.The scheme is being carried out for Gosport

Borough Council and Gosport Ferry Ltd, with Trant Construction as Main Contractors, working with Atkins as Design Consultants and Faithful+ Gould as Quantity Surveyors.The !xed approach comprises six piles

surmounted by steel supports and a concrete platform. To better align with the street, it will be located slightly further to the north of the existing location on the seafront. The linkspan is a steel framed enclosed structure clad in a combination of pro!led metal sheet and glazing, with a pro!led metal sheet roof. It will link from the !xed approach to sit at a mid point on the pontoon and incorporate embarkation and disembarkation lanes for passengers. The linkspan will be hinged at the point between the !xed approach and the pontoon, enabling it to move up and down with the tide.The linkspan and the steel pontoon, with a

non-slip surface deck, are being built in

Holland by Ravestein, and then shipped over by barge. Incorporating a series of watertight "oatation compartments, the new 60 metre long by 12 metre wide pontoon will replace one constructed in the 1920s and split into three hinged sections, which would move up and down independently in rough seas. The new pontoon is constructed in a single section, making it much more comfortable for passengers.The pontoon will be secured by two tripod

dolphins on tripod piles - one to the northern end of the pontoon, and another on its western "ank. Piling operations comprised both vibro and percussion hammer methods which helped to minimise the effects of noise during the works.The scheme has been designed to provide

level access from pontoon to ferry - of particular importance for disabled passengers.

Currently, the contractors are completing#=construction of the !xed approach and the western "ank dolphin.

“The new facility is designed to perform much better than the old one in adverse weather and also provide passengers with a much better environment in which to wait for the ferry” said David Martin lead project of!cer for Gosport Borough Council.Completion of the project is expected in June 2011.


“Delighted to be associated with Trant Construction on the Gosport Ferry Terminal”

CSC Engineers Ltd Tel. 02380 630626 Fax. 02380 334065Anglo City House, 2-6 Shirley Road, Southampton,

Hampshire SO15 3EU. Email: [email protected]

“Brilliant” Project Team praised by delighted client for rural veterinary centre

Realising a life-long dream for vet Elizabeth Smith, the construction of a superb new state-of-the-art veterinary centre has just been completed at Upper Caldecote, Biggleswade in a project which won resounding praise from a delighted client.

The project team consisted of Robinson & Hall Planning Consultants, Project Managers Agora and the main contractor, Godfrey & Hicks. Elizabeth Smith commented, “The whole team worked extremely well together. We faced a very dif!cult challenge at the planning stage as the site lies in open countryside. In the face of signi!cant policy issues our planning team was able to put

forward a strong argument on sustainability grounds which carried the day at planning committee. I am very grateful to Robinson & Hall for their efforts in securing the necessary consent, !rstly for temporary premises and then for the permanent veterinary centre which we are so delighted with.”With planning secured

it was then over to the project delivery team. “The project managers and construction team were absolutely brilliant. I can’t praise them enough – this was all very new to me and they were very patient and explained everything. The project was carried out with the practice in full operation and the team were very responsible and sympathetic to our needs, especially during the change-over when we moved into the new premises whilst construction was being completed.”The veterinary practice was established 30

years ago and was purchased by Elizabeth Smith in 2002. Due to the practice being given short notice on the lease on their existing premises they had to move into Portakabins on a rural site which they leased and later purchased following the obtaining of planning

permission for the construction of the new surgery.Site works commenced in July 2010. The

centre comprises a two storey surgery with timber clad external elevations on a brick plinth, incorporating wooden frame windows and pitched tiled roof.Internal facilities include a large full two

storey height waiting room, four consulting rooms, a nurses examination room, separate dog and cat waiting areas, an X-ray and ultra-sound room, two operating theatres, a dental room, separate dog and cat kennelling for in-patients, two of!ces and a staff room. External works included conversion of a

former car park into a garden including tree planting and the creation of a new car park.



London & South East

The Sellar Property Group which is developing the scheme on behalf of LBQ Ltd, are working with architects Renzo Piano Building Workshop in collaboration with Adamson Associates and principal contractors Mace. Renzo Piano, the architect, described the design as a ‘shard

of crystal’, with sophisticated use of glazing and expressive facades of angled panes intended to reflect light and the changing patterns of the sky, so that the form of the building will change according to the weather and seasons.When taken to the 244 metre level recently, Boris Johnson

said, “If you want a symbol of how London is powering its way out of the global recession, the Shard is it, rising confidently up to the heavens. Once complete, this huge engineering feat will be the tallest building in Europe, and is destined to become as iconic a landmark on London’s cherished skyline as the Gherkin, St Paul’s or Big Ben”.The variable size of the floor plates is ideal for a mixed use

development. At the bottom the large deep floor plates are for offices, the middle floors incorporate an apartment hotel and the top floors comprise apartments. The building will incorporate 595,000 sq ft of office space, a collection of high quality restaurants and bars occupying three floors at the mid levels, a five star de-luxe Shangri-La hotel and spa, exclusive residences and a high level viewing gallery. Conceived like a small vertical town in which ten thousand people will work and

more will commute to and from, the tower is a holistic response to the sustainable development of the European city.The building will be 310 metres tall with a total floor area

of 90,000 square metres and have 72 floors, plus 15 further radiator floors in the roof.! Each facet of the building forms a shard, a plane of glass

gently inclined inwards, rising towards the top. The corners are open and the shards do not touch, allowing the building to ‘breathe’. In turn the glass surface visually fragments as it rises, and the tower appears to dissolve into the sky.Through the extensive use of the latest energy saving

techniques and materials, the building will need 30% less energy than typically required by conventional tall buildings. A ventilated double skin façade will considerably reduce heat gain and increase comfort levels close to the facade, while admitting the maximum natural light. Excess heat generated by the offices will be used to heat the hotel and apartments. Any additional excess will be dissipated naturally through a radiator at the top of the tower. Naturally ventilated winter gardens with operable louvre windows will be located on each floor and will allow the occupants to connect with the outside environment.Following lessons learned from the collapse of the World

Trade Centre, the building has been designed to maintain its stability under the most onerous conditions. It is the tallest building in Britain, even in its current

uncompleted state and is fast becoming London’s, and the country’s, most conspicuous monument. The central core is now complete. April 2011 saw steady progress in construction and cladding had enveloped half the building’s exterior. Pouring

Iconic new London landmark rises to become Britain’s tallest building

“Pleased to be associated with Mace Ltd on

The Shard Project”

Tel: 01277 372211 Fax: 01277 372224 [email protected] www.dgrmechanical.com

Ashwells Court, Ashwells Road, Brentwood, Essex CM15 9SR

DGROver 10 years of successful business, DGR have developed from a provider of simple packaged pipework installations to an organisation successfully delivering fully coordinated Mechanical Packages. Our portfolio of projects now ranges up to £12m, including sub-contract management of specialist packages.

We have extensive experience across a wide range of sectors, including Education, Healthcare, Transport, Banking, Residential and Commercial developments.

Our service capabilities include the following:Full Mechanical & Public Health Services Packaged SolutionsPipework Packaged SolutionsPublic Health Packaged SolutionsPipework Pre-FabricationGas System Certi!cation (Gas Safe – Commercial & Domestic)


Rock is the UK market leader in !"#$%&%''()*+"),+%$)$!"-.$+#$/0)'.'*12+

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Rock is dedicated to creating solutions that support more durable, attractive and sustainable environments. In addition to the Shard, recent projects for Rock include Ropemaker Place and Cafe Royal, Watermark Place, Drapers Gardens and Park House, Oxford Street.

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of the concrete floors had reached level 50 and progress on the towers cladding had picked up pace once again with cladding reaching level 38.Since construction commenced in March 2009, the Shard has

established a series of ’firsts‘ for a UK building. This includes Renzo Piano’s first UK commission, a pioneering ‘top-down’ construction strategy enabling the substructure and the superstructure to get underway simultaneously, ‘jump-lifting’ the central core, carrying out London’s largest ever continuous concrete pour at 5,500 m3 (delivered and poured over a 36 hour period) and utilising the UK’s tallest crane, which currently stands at 255 metres high.Stephen Pycroft, chairman and CEO of Mace commented:

“There is a lot of hard work to do, but the speed with which the Shard has risen out of the ground and the quality of the construction is testimony to the determination, innovation and team spirit of all those working on the project”.Completion of the entire London Bridge Quarter development

is anticipated during the first quarter of 2013.

Chiswick-based Rock Complete Waterproofing are making excellent progress carrying out a £1.4 million package of works on The Shard project. The works comprises of both waterproofing and internal cladding to the entire building from the basement to the very top of the 310 metre high building.!The waterproofing works commenced with basement level

tanking and will progress to the podium and on upwards incorporating exposed structures such as the ‘backpack’ area and BMU garages. Internal cladding is being carried out at various levels. This is one of many projects Rock are involved in which will impact the City skyline.The company, which has been established for over 40 years

as an asphalting specialist, has recently opened another office

in Scotland and operates nationwide with a capacity to carry out all commercial waterproofing solutions and associated disciplines as well as tunnel waterproofing, both in the UK and overseas. The changing profile of the firm over the last five years reflects its expanded capability to take on diverse and prestigious projects such as The Shard.

Appointed by Mace to undertake the Mechanical Pipework services installation on the Shard of Glass, DGR’s scope of works includes the labour and materials supply and installation for the CHW, Condenser Water, LTHW, Domestic CWS & HWS, Gas and Public Health services, throughout the Shell & Core, and final design development of expansion solutions.DGR’s 9000ft" Pre-Fabrication Workshops, based at Harlow in

Essex, has been key in enabling us to deliver the prefabrication requirements which are core to the overall project delivery strategyAs one of the largest specialist pipework packages ongoing

in London, DGR are adopting both off-site fabricating and modularisation methods to install services up to 600mm dia securing quality control, significantly reducing wastage and transportation, minimising site logistics and fundamentally eliminating many Health & Safety related risks.DGR worked closely with the Mace MEP Delivery team, having

very early involvement in the development of the construction details and buildability. DGR invested senior staff resource to review drawings and specifications to ensure efficient construction details were embodied in the final scheme.The project represents a major step in the continuing

development of DGR Mechanical Services as a leading player within this sector.DGR are proud to be part of the Mace team working on the

successful delivery of this iconic building

London & South East

Successful programme delivers decent homes

A rolling programme of improvements to bring council-owned properties up to the Government’s Decent Homes standard is progressing on programme in Thurrock, and achieving high levels of tenant satisfaction#The works are being carried out for for

Thurrock Council, who have a stock of 10,000 homes. Mr Geoff Brown of Thurrock Council said: “The programme is progressing very well with no delays and is achieving high levels of tenant satisfaction.”The programme, which commenced in 2006,

is open-ended and is being carried out under a framework agreement with the council by three Main Contractors - CG Interiors, HW Wilson and Breyer, working with numerous other contractors on homes throughout the borough.Internally, the works include the installation

of replacement kitchens (in a choice of !ve different colour schemes) new bathroom !ttings, new central heating systems and re-wiring. External works include the installation of new doors and windows, re-roo!ng and rendering.Generally, the !tting of new kitchens takes

around three weeks, with bathroom and re-wiring#work taking about a week.

So far, 500 properties have been improved

in the programme, with the works progressing at the rate of around 100 properties per year.#All the works are being

carried out in close liaison with the tenants via the contractor’s own tenant liaison of!cers and council representatives, with all the improvements being undertaken with the tenants in residence.CG Interiors is a

leading and fully approved multi-disciplined builder operating throughout London and the Home Counties of England. The company specialises in housing regeneration, refurbishment, Decent Home programmes, demolition and multi-trade packages.HW Wilson was established in 1928 by Henry

Wilson and was incorporated as a limited company in 1930.#Major clients have included Port of Tilbury and Royal & Sun Alliance, as well as Roomes Stores.Due to the retirement of Mr. Peter Wilson, the

company has been divided into two separate companies. The older parent company H.W.W. Ltd. has taken a back seat and the new

company H.W.Wilson#Ltd. was created in January 2001.#Breyer Group is a forward thinking

construction and specialist roo!ng contractor who are continuing to establish themselves as industry leaders.#Breyer has an impressive track record of

working with local authorities and RSLs in partnering and framework agreements. They have been involved in a large number of these initiatives that have delivered a workload in excess of £400 million. Projects have ranged from small street property refurbishment schemes through to comprehensive, multi-phase estate regeneration programmes.



London & South East

The project is being carried out by Main Contractors Cameron Black.St George’s is a unique health sciences university that has

its own identity through being co-located with its university hospital in South West London, enabling students and staff to walk the corridors from clinical teaching room to laboratory, hospital ward or clinic. The four-storey Jenner wing was built in the 1970s and is

named after Edward Jenner, the pioneer of smallpox vaccine.! The refurbishment works are being carried out within the

research and teaching laboratories and associated support spaces on one third of the top floor of the building. This area was in need of modernisation to provide a space fit for modern use.” The works include the complete stripping out of the area which

is being opened up to create a more open plan layout. The walls and roof are being insulated, the windows are being upgraded and new building services are being installed throughout, including new ventilation and extensive new laboratory services. GMK Contracts Ltd!are laying Rubber Flooring to the Lab areas and Carpet Tiles to the Office areas.! All the works are being carried with the building in full operation - including on the

remaining two thirds of the floor being refurbished.“Generally, the project is going well and Cameron Black have

been quite accommodating in scheduling the building work to suit the building occupants” said Mr Gordon Coutts of St George’s University of London.“The development will bring those working together into the

same spaces, will dispense with cellular accommodation and will introduce daylight into what is quite a deep floorplate” he added.

Complex and challenging refurbishment will accommodate leading edge research


The project, which commenced in December 2010, is being carried out in two phases - Phase 1A which is scheduled for completion in May 2011, and Phase 1B, completion of which is programmed for December 2011.A further project to re-insulate and waterproof the roof of the

Jenner Wing will be carried out in another separate project by Mitie Tilly Roofing.Cameron Black is a fit out and refurbishment specialist

delivering projects across a number of sectors.!!The company has near-on 100% levels of repeat business which they believe is a direct result of two things: the passionate approach they take in delivering their service and their willingness to truly

integrate with their clients and supply chain!on every project.!The company’s clients range from private individuals to blue

chip corporations and their external design teams.!The business was established in 1999 by Simon Black and

Rupert Shaw.!Simon and Rupert were joined in 2006 by Stuart Johnson and in 2008 by Bob Thomson.! Together they have grown the company to the size it is today. All of this has been achieved while maintaining an industry-leading level of staff retention.!!DCC Electrical Services Ltd are Cameron Black’s main

electrical contractor.

The project is being carried out for Southern Housing Group by Main Contractors Higgins Construction. Architects are HTA and Cost Consultants are Philip Rank Partnership.The project was awarded following a competitive tender, and

once appointed Higgins Construction adopted a ‘one team’ collaborative working approach with the client and consultants. Resident communication and consultation continues to be the key to the success of this project and Higgins Construction have community and resident liaison staff based on the site. An agreed neighbourhood policy is in place and a range of community initiatives have been introduced.!In March 2005, the London Borough of Islington granted

planning permission for the redevelopment of the estate into four new blocks comprising 359 new maisonettes, flats, houses and 14 shops and almost £1million of improvements to the adjacent Caledonian Park.! Master planners were Watkins Gray International Architects and the landscaping was designed by Whitelaw Turkington Landscape Architects.On further analysis it was agreed that there was a benefit in

acquiring a former council office building on the site to increase the number of housing units from 359 to 421 to maximise the scheme to its full potential.!Phase 1 involved the construction of 140 new build flats and

houses on an occupied estate, consisting of 4 separate areas of works across the estate. The contract also included works to public spaces.!The works were and continue to be carried out on a ‘live’ estate environment with demolition and new build being undertaken in close proximity to existing residential blocks.A significant element of the first phase was the redevelopment

and remodelling of the adjacent Caledonian Park. This transformed the park to provide extensive leisure facilities for the local community.Phase 2 was a continuation of the overall estate regeneration

and comprised the development of 94 affordable units.The final third phase of demolition and redevelopment!of the

estate is now under way! and comprises a mixed tenure scheme involving the construction of 187 new homes ( 67 affordable and 120 homes for private sale). This phase began in March 2010, the aim being to complete the whole project by late 2012.Southern Housing Group’s Reinvestment Director, Stephen

Ross, said:!

“The conclusion of this! regeneration project is now in sight; 230 families have been rehoused on site retaining community cohesion,!the new play areas of!Caledonian Park!are open and the final phase providing a further 187 new homes is under construction.! ! The Market Estate! project has been a great example of partnership working. In addition to the professional team, the project has involved the collaboration! of! residents of the!estate, the wider community and members and staff of Islington Council. It’s evident from the many positive comments we have received! both from the community and residents! that people are delighted with their new homes! and the improvements to Islington’s second largest public park.”!Resident, Maggie Veal, said: “It’s quite emotional watching the

last block come down. Market Estate was a great place to live when my husband and I moved here in the 1970s, but it really deteriorated over time. In March we had a big art event here to mark the end of the old buildings. It was a great way to say goodbye to the old estate.“From my new home I have easy access to the street, so I’m

always chatting to my neighbours. There’s more of a community feel to the layout, and I’m going to have a great view onto the park. Parkside Place is a fresh start for everybody.”Southern Housing Group Limited is celebrating after

scooping!two titles, including Affordable Home Provider of the Year, at the 2011 First Time Buyer Magazine Awards.The Affordable Home Provider of the Year Award rewards the

innovation the group has shown in the way it designs, builds and markets its properties, as well as offering a variety of services to help the first time buyer on to the property ladder.

Landmark London estate redevelopment scheme progresses in !nal phase


London & South East

‘Pleased to be associated with Arun District Council on their

Decent Homes Project’

Contact us for all your planned and responsive maintenance needs.

Extensive cover throughout the south east inc London

& the home counties.

Tel: 01494 810 059 Fax: 01494 774 169Unit 2, Waterside Business Park, Waterside, Chesham HP5 1PE

The 1,000th property to benefit from the improvements is occupied by Grandmother Jean Sheard who was delighted with the work carried out.Mrs Sheard had a brand new kitchen fitted in her Olivier

Court home in Bersted as part of the investment programme to improve council-owned homes across the district to meet the Government’s Decent Homes standard. Mrs Sheard’s home represented the Council’s 1,000th

successful improvement carried out since the Decent Homes standard works programme was introduced in 2005. Arun’s contractors Connaught carried out the work in

partnership with the council. Mrs Sheard said: “I’m delighted with the work and the way it

has been carried out. “It’s made such a difference to my home and to my quality

of life. Everyone who has seen it has commented on what a difference it has made. I am really grateful to the lads who have carried out the work.” Councillor Robin Brown, Arun’s Cabinet Member for Housing

and Community Care, said: “The 1,000th refurbishment is a significant milestone in our Decent Homes works programme which has seen more than £8 million pound spent on bringing properties up to the Government standard. “These improvements give a new lease of life to people’s

homes and I am delighted that Mrs Sheard is happy with the results.” To mark the occasion Mrs Sheard was presented with a

bouquet of flowers by Cllr Robin Brown and Brian Holden from Connaught. In the Arun District there are 6,554 properties in the social

sector ownership of which 52% (3,421) are owned by the local authority. Of the local authority stock, there are 363 bungalows, 1,308

houses and 1,752 flats and maisonettes which include 169 bedsit flats and 84 maisonettes. 41% of the stock comprises 1-bed properties, 27% 2-bed,

30% 3-bed and 2% 4 or more bedrooms. High right-to-buy sales have reduced the stock considerably, particularly in rural areas. There remains high numbers of 1-bed flats and 3-bed

houses relative to other types. The age profile of the council properties shows that

approximately 85% were built after 1945. Arun District Council owns no high-rise flats and only 54 properties were built using non-traditional methods. These property types are more expensive to maintain than conventional units.

Delighted tenant commends Decent Homes improvements


Main Contractors for the scheme are WW Martin; Architects are Clay Architecture.The main well-loved library is a beautiful Edwardian building.

It was built in 1905 as a library under a bequest to the town by famous philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie and has remained a library ever since. The project will enhance and preserve all existing original features. The original wall tiles and parquet flooring have been exposed

and windows at the back of the library have been unblocked to create a much brighter, lighter space. A new annexe is also being constructed, on the site of a former adjacent building which previously housed the reference library and has been demolished. The refurbished library will boast a new dedicated community

space, local studies area and a courtyard reading garden. Other facilities will include a room for teenagers, a place to register births and deaths and a changing room with showers for adults who live in sheltered or assisted living accommodation.Once the project is complete, Gravesend Library will offer a

whole range of services, including a room for library events and community meetings, more local history material and better collections of books and other materials.!Christoph Bull, the district manager of Gravesham and Dartford

libraries, said: ““This is the most significant development for the library since it opened in 1905. The new library will be one of the best in the county, and will be just as much a community centre as a library.”The transformation has already benefitted Gravesend’s

collection of artifacts, as workmen found a bottle and measuring bowl from the 18th century while digging.Both will be displayed in the new library, which Mr Bull says will

“combine the traditional with the new to create a place we hope will become a busy community hub”.WW Martin continuously strive towards ever improving

technical, management and service standards, a process they measure against their ISO 9001:2008 and OHSAS18001 accredited systems.Throughout a contract, large or small, the company is

committed to ongoing dialogue, communication and the avoidance of conflict.The company has an established supply chain of specialist

subcontractors and suppliers who work with them with enthusiasm, based on their prompt payment and exemplary health and safety regime.However, it is the company’s 135 directly employed staff,

craftsmen, apprentices and trainees who are the backbone of the firm. In-house trades include carpenters, painters and decorators, plumbers and labourers.WW Martin’s fully equipped joinery shop provides purpose

made joinery for their sites. Examples of its work can be found in Canterbury Cathedral, St Nicholas-at-Wade church, Belmont Estate in Faversham and the Central Bandstand in Herne Bay among many other projects.

Historic library turns over a new leaf


High praise for ‘fantastic’ refurbishment of listed cathedral

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Mr Ronnie Converoy of the Archdiocese of Glasgow praised the standard of workmanship achieved in the project, saying: “The project has achieved results which are fantastic beyond anyone’s ability to even imagine. Everyone who has visited the finished project has been amazed at the total transformation of the cathedral, creating a strikingly beautiful church appropriate for the needs of the 21st century in the heart of the city. !“The whole building is now filled with light in a way it never

was before. This is probably the first time that the cathedral architect’s original vision has been translated into reality.” “The sub contractors did a wonderful job and were totally caught up in the project with many voluntarily working extra time and bringing their families to see what has been achieved.”The renovated cathedral was officially opened in the presence

of the First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond in April 2011, with the first mass being held the following day and led by the Pope’s Ambassador to the UK Archbishop Antonio Mennini.The project was carried out for the Archdiocese of Glasgow,

who also took over management of the scheme, working directly with the sub-contractors, following the demise of the original main contractors.Quantity Surveyors were Brown and Wallace; Services

Engineers were Harley Haddow; Structural Engineers were McClay Colliers and Architects were Page \ Park ArchitectsLocated on the north bank of River Clyde, just south of St

Enoch Centre, St Andrews is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Glasgow. The original building, created by architect James Gillespie Graham,!was completed in!1816. The building was modified by architects Pugin & Pugin in 1864 when it became a cathedral. The cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Glasgow, currently Archbishop Mario Joseph Conti.The!renovations just completed are the first major works to be

undertaken at the cathedral in over 200 years.The wide-ranging works included the installation of newly-

commissioned bronze doors featuring bas reliefs of scottish scenes by artist Jack Sloane, who also created a new shrine to The Virgin Mary, using elements of the original altar incorporating new bronze work and depicting choirs of angels around the statue of the Virgin. Other new pieces include a centrally located baptismal font in white Carrera marble, made by the Scottish sculptor Tom Pomeroy, and a matching white Carrera marble altar and pulpit designed by Archbishop Conti himself.!New seating in the form of Scandinavian pine pews made in

Ireland to replace the 100 year old battered pews has also been installed, together with a new lighting scheme illuminating the newly gilded ceiling. The gilding involved the application of 3,000 books of 32.5-carat gold leaf by specialist gilder Scott Telfer. Some 25 decorative plaster boss caps on the ceiling were gilded and painted to bring out previously unseen biblical motifs


such as musical pipers, acorns, oak trees, vines and grapes, in colours that echo the original 19th-century stained glass.The plain walls and obtrusive pillars have also been transformed

in trompe l’oeil to look like blonde sandstone by the application of imitation ashlar. The pipe organ has been removed from the leaded front window that overlooks the River Clyde, allowing white light to flood the interior, and the internal wooden porch and doors have also been removed to create an open entrance space, which has a direct view to the altar.Further works included the installation of an underfloor heating

system, the replacement of old cracked tiling with new black slate tiles, the installation of a new sound system and the installation of a new canvas by Peter Howson depicting the martyrdom of St John Ogilvie.!A new café has also been created on the ground floor of

the existing presbytery to add!a much needed area for social interaction,!and a new cloister garden has been created on the eastern side of the cathedral to provide a new overflow space.The project commenced at the end of August 2008.

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One of the biggest projects of its kind ever undertaken in Scotland, the storm water management work will improve water quality in the River Irvine and Kilmarnock Water and the bathing waters of Irvine Bay.The scheme will help Scottish Water meet stringent

EU directives and bathing water standards and Scottish Environment Protection Agency regulations.MBV, a joint venture between contractors Morrison Construction

and Black & Veatch and their design partners Halcrow, are on site in the £31m first phase of the project and will install a new storm water network between Irvine and Meadowhead Waste Water Treatment Works. AG Wilson carried out all large diameter Butt fusion welding on the contract.The Irvine-Meadowhead project will improve storm water

management in the Irvine and Kilmarnock areas by creating a new collection and transfer system which will allow better control of waste water dischargesand substantially reduce unsatisfactory intermittent discharges (UIDs) to the rivers and the Firth of Clyde.The new systems in both towns will collect combined sewer

overflow (CSO) discharges, which occur when there is too

much water for the existing infrastructure to handle, usually during or after heavy rainfall. Excess flows are discharged into local watercourses to relieve pressure in the system and avoid flooding.At the moment the existing storm water network overflows into

the sewer network in both areas and this often leads to debris flowing into local rivers and burns.Creating the new storm water network involves constructing

about 12 miles of large pipelines; three new transfer pumping stations located at Irvine Sports Club, Milgarholm Park in Irvine and the addition of a new storage tank south west of Kilmarnock providing 12,000 cubic metres of storage capacity which will prevent early spills to rivers by holding back waste water in storm conditions before it is pumped forward for disposal via an existing long sea outfall at Gailes Pumping Station in Irvine.Further works include additions to the inlet works at

Meadowhead WWTW, including a new screening chamber that will provide preliminary screening to the storm water prior to discharge via the Gailes outfall.The improvements, which will benefit the Kilmarnock Water

and the River Irvine will, in turn, boost bathing water quality in Irvine Bay in compliance with European Union quality drivers. It is also hoped that it will aid the local economy by boosting tourism in the area.

Multi-million pound water project will deliver massive environmental bene!ts


Mr Rob Mustard, Scottish Water’s general manager of waste operations, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be underway with this scheme, which will make significant improvements to the natural environment in these parts of Ayrshire.“Scottish Water takes its environmental responsibilities very

seriously and we are continuing to deliver value for money to communities across Scotland.! Since 2002 we have invested £4.2 billion in Scotland’s water and waste water provision.“The natural environment will continue to be protected as

we plan to invest over £1 billion on pumping stations, waste water treatment works and the waste water network. This will safeguard and improve the quality of rivers, burns and coastal waters across Scotland.”Mr Alastair Graham, senior project manager for the!the Irvine-

Meadowhead scheme said: “We are minimising disruption to local residents as much as possible by using installation methods like tunnelling and by routing pipework away from major commuter routes. “However, there will be some disruption to road users because

we will have to lay some pipes beneath roads and this will require traffic management such as temporary traffic lights and lane closures.”Thus far, Principal Contractor, MBV have let two such specialist

sub-contracts to Ward & Burke and local contractor Pipeline Drillers. The former covers 8no. 1200mm diameter micro tunnelled crossings all being installed by Ward & Burke Ltd. This package also includes the 12.5m diameter wet well pumping station shaft for Irvine Sports Club (which gathers the flows from the North Irvine area) for which Ward & Burke are using their own innovative ‘top down’ construction method. The latter comprises two crossings, a 30m auger bore under a local road and a 125m horizontal directional Drill (HDD) 450mm diameter crossings under the River Irvine. A final sub-contract for the Puddleford part of the Irvine section is due to be let imminently and involves two micro tunnelled drives of 290m and 230m length. !

Mrs Jane McKenzie, Scottish Water’s regional community manager, said: “We had a number of community meetings to advise and inform residents and community groups of our plans and local councillors have also been kept informed.“A large part of the investment involves working on rural

land and, where that is necessary, we are working closely with landowners and their agents to keep them informed and minimise disruption where possible.”The second phase of the project, in the Kilmarnock area, will

involve an additional multi-million pound investment. The start time for the second phase has yet to be confirmed.In 2009-10 Scottish Water invested more than £42m in North,

South and East Ayrshire and more than £162m in the area in the 2006-10 investment period, which ended in March.Scottish Water is continuing to invest throughout Ayrshire in the

2010-15 investment period with improvements to our water and waste water assets bringing substantial benefits to customers throughout the region.!!

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The additional release comes less than four months since the launch of each site, reflecting rapid sales success at each development.Six additional detached four and five bedroom homes are

now available at Longacre, Kirkliston - and there is just one last property remaining from the first phase. The additional homes will build on a run of success at the

development, which witnessed a record number of visitors during its opening weekend and sold 50 per cent of the first phase pre-launch, amounting to around £3 million of advance sales.Longacre offers a peaceful location away from the hustle

and bustle, yet not too out of the way to miss the excitement of city life. Situated off Burnshot Road, Kirkliston, this stunning development enjoys views to the hills in the south. Every care has been taken to ensure that these four and five

bedroom family homes offer the finest in semi-rural living, while being within easy reach of every local amenity and Scotland’s inspiring capital.From galleried landings and spacious bedrooms to high quality

fittings and flexible living spaces, these homes are the last word in luxury. Located on the outskirts of Edinburgh, the small village of

Kirkliston has a variety of local amenities readily accessible. Steeped in history, the oldest surviving building in the village is Kirkliston’s 800 year old church, and historically called Temple Liston, the village originally belonged to the order of Knights Templar. Close to the famous Forth Road and Rail Bridges, Edinburgh

Airport and the M9 motorway, Kirkliston is ideal for commuting to Edinburgh, Glasgow or indeed further afield. The Mooring, Ratho – a highly anticipated new development

which will boast a canal basin as its centrepiece – has released an additional six homes, four and five bedroom properties.During its launch weekend in October 2010, a third of available

homes were sold over the two days.Nestling on the picturesque banks of the Union Canal in Ratho,

this superb new development brings contemporary family living to an idyllic waterside setting. Situated off Baird Road at the heart of Ratho, across from the

highly regarded Bridge Inn bar and restaurant, The Mooring mainly comprises four and five bedroom detached homes from CALA’s stunning Signature Collection, and also features a four

Sales success for CALA Homes in Scotland


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bedroom detached home from the company’s Lauriston range, nine three bedroom townhouses and 18 three bedroom terraced homes. Located within easy access to the M8 and M9 to the North and A71 to the South, Ratho is conveniently located on the edge of Edinburgh and is surrounded by a network of paths including the canal towpath, ideal for country strolls and cycling.Unrivalled CALA quality is evident throughout each home, with

spacious interiors and high specification as standard. The Mooring also benefits from convenient local amenities

including the Dalmahoy Hotel and Bridge Inn bar and

restaurant, good schools, plus of course miles of scenic canal and countryside walks. From stone-age circles to the medieval charm of Haltoun House and St Mary’s church, Ratho is an attractive, characterful village.Sarah Stanger, Sales and Marketing Director, at CALA Homes

(East) said: “Our Kirkliston and Ratho developments were highly anticipated pre-launch, with a staggering number of homes purchased as soon as they were made available. It’s therefore no surprise that additional phases are required to cope with demand at each site.“There is clearly a requirement for good quality detached

family homes in West Edinburgh and our success in the area is testament to that. As with all CALA developments, the attention to detail at Longacre and The Mooring is impeccable, with high quality fittings and finishes throughout. We’re looking forward to continuing the success at each development.”

LANDPAC were appointed by CALA Homes, to undertake HEIC ground improvement as part of the preparatory works, to permit the development of the site for residential use.! Phase 1 was completed in September/October 2010 and phase 2 will be completed in April/May 2011.! The objective of the HEIC ground treatment was to improve the performance of the made ground in terms of a required allowable bearing capacity, the restriction of differential settlement to acceptable magnitudes under the applied loading and acceptable long-term performance.


The Danish group Xergi will deliver the entire plant to Scotland for #8 million. It will then be constructed by Luddon Construction on behalf of Scottish & Southern Energy Generation Limited. The project is being built on a William Tracey Group landfill site. JBD Tritec provided specialist pipework, fabrication and pumps

and value services for the project. Burnhouse Engineering have been assisting with engineering designs, including the fibre handling system and acid storage system. They are also supplying 800 metres of process pipework, boiler, emergency flare to burn off gas, a 25 metre tall chimney stack and hydraulic tip tank doors. In addition, the company is assisting with 2D and 3D modelling drawings to determine plant layout.Project partner, William Tracey, has signed a 25-year contract

to supply feedstock materials for the plant, providing another recycling outlet for their customers to divert wastes away from landfill. Suitable materials will include waste foods, manures and organic effluent sludge.Zero Waste Scotland confirmed its largest investment to date

in anaerobic digestion with an investment of £2.2m for the Barkip site from its Organics Capital Grants programme.Once completed, the plant will be operated by Zebec Biogas,

also a West of Scotland company, who are enzyme and biological process experts and co-developed the project. It will create 10 permanent jobs.The plant includes a combined heat and power (CHP) unit

producing power and heat, and storage tanks for the fertiliser. It will be capable of processing around 75,000 tonnes of waste annually (enough electricity to power 4,000 homes), producing around 2.0mW of renewable electricity. Anaerobic Digestion is a natural biological process which

uses bacterial cultures within enclosed silo tanks to generate methane rich biogas from waste organic materials and energy crops such as grass silage. The biogas is captured and used to fuel engines which will generate renewable electricity that can be fed into the National Grid. It is a very different proposition from traditional power plants, as it uses a process which is an incredibly natural method (very similar to how a cow digests its food), so the fuel is not burned but digested by natural microbes instead! Other by-products from the AD process,

Scotland’s largest biogas plant takes shape

Raising the community spirit in Stonehouse

A new £6.525 million multi-use community centre is under construction for Stonehouse, in East Kilbride, replacing the existing Stonehouse Institute and Public Hall.Th project is being carried out for South

Lanarkshire Council by Main Contractors Gilbert Ash.Responding to the wider needs of the local

community, and scheduled to be completed by winter 2011, the centre will include a new community hall with kitchen and bar facilities, sound and lighting systems and can be sub-divided to allow different sized group activities.The centre will also have a community café

area with meals and snacks on offer as well as a range of meeting rooms for local groups and visiting services from the council and its partner organisations for housing surgeries, bene!ts enquiries and health activities.

Specialist facilities for adult day care including group rooms, a cinema room, arts and crafts room, multi sensory room and a quiet room will also be available for community use out with of!ce hours.The centre will also

include a landscaped garden area at the back of the building.Councillor Gerry

Convery, the chair of the council’s Community Resources Committee, said: “This facility which is fully funded by the council, will be a great facility for the people of Stonehouse and is another in the line of very successful integrated community facilities throughout South Lanarkshire.“I am sure the people of Stonehouse and the

surrounding area will be delighted with their new facility.”Raymond Gilroy, the contract director for

Gilbert Ash NI Ltd, said: “We are delighted to be constructing the new facility and to be working with the council to complete an outstanding quality project.”


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such as plastics and metals from food containers, will be sent for recycling and the residue that remains at the end of process will be sold on as a high quality natural fertiliser. This technology is already in wide use across mainland Europe. Environment Cabinet Secretary, Richard Lochhead,

commented: “This major investment helps place anaerobic digestion at the heart of waste policy and emphasises the importance of renewable energy. The £2.2m grant to SSE demonstrates a robust commitment by the Scottish Government to invest in the future of a zero waste Scotland. The Barkip plant will be the largest of its kind in Scotland and will divert a staggering 37,000 tonnes of food waste from landfill each year, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and recover value from resources that would otherwise be wasted.”Xergi UK Country Manager Colin Steel adds: “This project

is indeed a further leap forward and an important step in our establishment on the UK market. Everyone involved in this project should be congratulated in their efforts; we look forward to working closely with SSE in the future.”SSE Chief Executive Ian Marchant says: “Biogas has the

potential to be one of the most important new generation renewable and sustainable energy solutions available to us, capturing the energy contained in waste”.The plant is rapidly nearing completion with the installation of

the very heart of power production at the plant; the massive primary and secondary digesters.!Bobby Gavin, Organic Recycling Account Manager for the

William Tracey Group is delighted that the project has taken another huge step closer to completion: “This April, the landfill tax will increase to £56 per tonne. Companies who recycle food will have an opportunity to save costs in the face of such increases, so there’s now a very real opportunity to reduce waste, produce green energy, and lower their disposal charges; it’s just a pity that a Meerkat has already secured the “Simples” catchphrase!”


The WISP scheme will see the development of five schools over five sites. This is the first hybrid PPP procurement project in Scotland, which aims to provide all the best aspects of PPP without the perceived drawbacks. Funding is in the form of a government grant rather than a private investor. The contract, in essence, is a standard Design & Build project, tendered at Stage D, but with the added requirement for FM and building lifecycle expertise.!Construction of all the schools is being undertaken by an FMP

Joint Venture involving Farrans (Construction) Limited, H&J Martin Limited and David Patton and Sons (NI) Limited, with 3DReid carrying out the design contract. The private sector development partner is Faithful & Gould.3DReid have also taken the positive step of employing the

whole consultant team to offer the client a one-stop service.An SPV (called Sgoiltean Ura) was set up as a legally separate

arms length (but Council owned) entity to deliver the project and operate the buildings on their behalf. The SPV is acting as the contracting party throughout the entire construction contract and into the FM/LCM stages.The new Point Primary School is being constructed on the

former site of Bayble Primary School, and will amalgamate three primary schools - Bayble, Knock and Aird Primary Schools.!The old Bayble primary school has been demolished in an

earlier enabling contract, with the pupils being decanted into another block on the site which was previously used for secondary education, with this block too being demolished once the new school has been completed.!The new single storey school will include general teaching

classrooms with breakout areas, a dining room, catering kitchen, library ICT areas, and a secure external courtyard in the centre of the building, which will also be used for teaching.!External works include the creation of a synthetic all-weather

football pitch, MUGA and hard and soft landscaped play areas, an environmental garden, a car park and a bus turning area.!The building is of steel frame structure with external elevations

in rendered blockwork, incorporating aluminium framed windows and a monopitch aluminium standing seam roof.Currently, the new school building is largely wind and

watertight, with the internal fit-out underway and the services being installed.The project commenced in July last year and the main school

building is due for completion in July 2011.The other four schools involved in the PPP contract are:

The Nicolson institute: Stornoway, Lewis; Sir E Scott School: Tarbert, Harris; West Side Primary School: Barvas, Lewis and Balivanich Primary School: Balivanich, Benbecula.The project at The Nicolson Institute involves the construction

of a new high school for 1,100 pupils, including the refurbishment and remodelling of existing listed buildingsThe existing Sir E Scott Secondary School is being refurbished,

remodelled and extended to form an all through school which will now also include a new primary school for 75 pupils and a nursery for 20 pupils, in addition to the creation of new secondary school accommodation and centralised catering and gym facilities.West Side Primary School is a new primary school being

constructed to accommodate 100 pupils, together with a nursery for 23 pupils.Another new primary school is Balivanich Primary School,

which will accommodate 150 pupils and is being constructed together with a 0-5 Nursery for 60 pupils.In addition, the Council has recently taken the decision to

include a sixth school as part of the contract which will be located in Daliburgh, South Uist and which will comprise a new primary school designed to accommodate a pupil roll of 100.Alex Donaldson, Partnerships Director at 3DReid said:“Our key aspiration for these community focused schools

is to! create innovative, sustainable and environmental design!solutions and we are working closely with the rest of the team and the local community to achieve this.”!!

Schools take shape in Scotland’s !rst hybrid PPP project

Scot land


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The development comprises just six, detached new villas and four sympathetic conversions set against the backdrop of the scenic Scottish borders, within commuting distance of the capital city. Carefully set amidst the exhilarating rural scenery is a

beautifully kept, 18 hole golf course. The manicured greens and rolling fairways were lovingly laid out here just ten years ago by a local landowner, whose dream it was to have a golf course on his doorstep. Beside the course, tucked discreetly away at the end of a tree-lined lane sits this magnificent development each luxurious home as spacious as one would expect in such an expansive landscape.The magnificent new Diplomat style showhome has been

expertly designed by interior designer Eileen Kesson with bold yet inviting colours to create a house which any buyer would be proud to call home.The Diplomat’s fabulous entrance hallway is spacious and

bright with a feature staircase leading to the upper “minstrel” style gallery landing.The generous kitchen, with separate utility room and boot

room, is designed in a striking red with a separate free standing unit, with space for an informal dining area, and incorporates a range cooker, American style fridge freezer and wine cooler. The formal dining room has a bold feature wall with dark

brocade wallpaper, a fabulous mirror and stunning chandelier over an elegant, eight seater dining table. Upstairs, four double bedrooms, three of which enjoy the

privacy of their own ensuite, and a luxury family bathroom are designed around the landing with another unique chandelier positioned above the handcrafted staircase. The master suite is the epitome of luxury with steps leading

down to the opulently designed room, which features an ensuite bathroom with free standing bath and a separate dressing room incorporating fitted wardrobes. A fabulous chaise longue sits

in the window with a Juliet balcony offering a beautiful design feature for buyers to enjoy. The three further bedrooms are each bright and airy with

individual designs. One boasts a classic black and white Audrey Hepburn design, another has French style cream furniture, and the third bedroom is designed with trendy denim highlights. An upstairs drawing room on the first floor incorporates a

feature fireplace and two balconies which offer commanding views over the Diplomat’s landscaped back garden. The back garden offers plenty of space for enjoying the surrounding countryside and entertaining family and friends in the summer. Estelle Dougan, sales manager for Manor Kingdom, said: “The

Diplomat is an extremely impressive house style, particularly the new showhome at Rutherford Castle as the interior design gives each room the wow factor. The striking combinations of colours highlight the generous space and unique features of the property while creating a fabulous family home. “Visitors to the showhome can’t fail to be impressed by the

house style which offers an enviable amount of space for all the family in a wonderful semi-rural location.”

Manor Kingdom Opens Doors to the Diplomat in West Linton

Scot land


Approximately 200 people (around half with special needs) live and work in the community which offers a home and meaningful work along with opportunities for personal development to adults with learning disabilities and other special needs.The project to construct the new building is being carried

out for Camphill Village Trust by Main Contractors Robertson Construction. Architects are Camphill Architects.The new building reflects the community’s commitment

to working with ecological and natural materials, creating a sustainable development within a social-therapeutic environment. The building will transform the community’s village green into an environment that is more accessible, user-friendly, functional and aesthetically pleasing. Facilities will include an auditorium large enough to comfortably

seat 200; an activity centre an office and learning centre and an outdoor amphitheatre to the front of the building.The auditorium will enhance all the community’s endeavours

in the field of drama, eurythmy, music, singing, folk dancing, community gatherings and celebrations. In recent years the community has encouraged many more artistic performers from out-with the community to share in and augment the community cultural life. The auditorium will feature a stage with increased depth and

full front of stage curtaining to allow for eurythmy performances and much greater flexibility in drama performances. The stage will have full disabled access and a modern lighting

system, sound system and video/cinema screen. There will also be two designated changing rooms with toilet and shower, a storage for chairs and access equipment and direct access to the outside amphtheatre and performance space.The activity centre will feature a foyer, a kitchen and social

space, an activity room, offices and a multi purpose space.The foyer will be the entrance to both the activity centre and

the auditorium, whilst the kitchen and social space will be used for the tea breaks of those working in the office and those in the activity group and could also provide refreshments during performances.The activity room will be a space for the elderly activity group,

the size of which is expected to grow over the next few years and the multi

purpose space will be used for a variety of activities including games, music, painting, exercise classes and performance rehearsals.The office and learning centre will feature: eight offices,

two meeting spaces, rooms for copying and the storage of stationery and archive, an internal mail sorting and distribution area, a library and teaching and study space.The lower ground floor of the building will include toilets, a

series of storage rooms for costumes, play props, activity equipment and a link to the auditorium and activity centre by both stairs and lift. The design of the building and associated earthworks will

create an amphitheatre space at the front of the Community Centre. This will offer new possibilities for outdoor performances and gatherings. The space will also offer a sheltered place to sit and socialise. The building design features a highly insulated partial

timber frame element combined with steel frame with generous sections of glazing towards a south westerly courtyard to

maximise solar gain and use of daylight for all activity rooms. External elevations are in a combination of Siberian Larch boarding, blockwork and K Rend, incorporating timber external and aluminium internal framed windows and a part slate and part timber shingle roof.Renewably sourced timber, warm-cell insulation and triple

glazing combined with highly efficient heat pumps and 24/7 programmers for climate control to all spaces underline the efforts made to find sustainable solutions for the development. Other works include the expansion of the existing car park to

the rear of the new building.

New multi-purpose hall will serve special needs community


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Scot land


The scheme is being undertaken for the Highland Council, with AECOM providing detailed design.The overall South West Inverness Flood Relief scheme

involves the construction of a channel to collect water from the burns on the south side of!Inverness!and transfer it (east to west) into Holm Burn and onto the River Ness. The scheme is approximately!4km long with!2-3km of newly constructed flood relief channel. The design will provide capacity for a 1 in 200 year flood event.!The scheme is split intro!a number of!phases. Phases 1&2, now

complete, involved works between the River Ness and Culduthel Channel, whilst! the remainder!comprises the upstream length from Culduthel Channel to Ault na Skiah! taking in Lochardil Burn, Slackbuie Channel and Slackbuie! Spring! and also the replacement of!Holm!Burn!Bridge.Phase 3 comprises the construction of a 600m long channel

commencing at Culduthel Channel and terminating Lochardil Burn.!The channel is a combination of culverted sections and open channel and includes the installation of 200 metres of 4m by 1.8m precast concrete box culvert sections manufactured by Solway Precast. This element of the works involves bulk excavation and the laying of a concrete surface onto which the concrete box culvert sections are laid and then jacked together.!The 400m of open cut sections being constructed in this phase

require the excavation of a large ditch lined with geocomposite clay liner, with fill material laid over and topsoiled and seeded.!Phase 3 also includes a section of box culverted channel

construction above the Fairway Golf Course a section technically included in Phase 4, but being carried out in the current phase due to the need of a local housing developer to access their site.Completion of Phase 3 is expected in June 2011.Phase 4 is will commence at Lochardil Burn and end at Ault

na Skiah, taking in Lochardil Burn, Slackbuie Channel and Slackbuie Spring. The channel is a combination of culverted sections and open channel.Andy Yarde, Regional Director at AECOM said: “This is a highly

complex scheme with many challenges including working within residential and recreational areas, coping with fluctuations in water levels and protecting the environment.“As the new flood relief channel flows through residential areas,

public safety and safe access for operation and maintenance of the scheme are paramount. AECOM has a significant track record in delivering flood schemes of this type and looks forward to working with The Highland Council’.! Provost Jimmy Gray, Chairman of the Council’s Inverness

City Committee, said:! “I am delighted that the Council is making such good progress on this important scheme which will provide flood protection for many houses on the south side of!Inverness.! It is important that the Council takes account of the impact of climate change by investing in flood mitigation measures such as this to ensure that cost effective measures are in place to deal with exceptional weather flood events as and when they may arise in the future.”The total cost of the Scheme is about £10 million and has been

funded by!The Highland Council.

CETCO Europe Limited manufactured and supplied the Bentomat® AS50 grade geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) for this project.! The Bentomat® GCL was used to line and waterproof the embankments on project.! CETCO’s Bentomat® Geosynthetic Clay Liners offer a fast and

simple solution and can be installed in most weather conditions, requiring no complicated seam welding often associated with alternative membrane systems.

Flood scheme will protect 200"Inverness"homes



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Nor th West

NOMA will transform Manchester’s Northern Gateway into a remodelled and truly mixed use area anchored by large corporate office occupiers, retail, residential and leisure uses and home to a broad range of SMEs and will be built at a cost of £800m over 10-15 years on land owned by The Co-operative Group in Manchester’s northern pocket.The project is being carried out for The Co-operative Group

and Manchester City Council, and has been designed by Mecanoo architecten.The public realm of NOMA includes 4.5 acres of land designed

to complement the new district, also ensuring that the area’s industrial roots and The Co-operative Group’s values of community, sustainability and mutuality are incorporated.Over the course of its transformation, NOMA will deliver:

1,500,000 sq ft of prime new build office space; 1,000,000 sq ft of prime refurbished office space in its numerous heritage buildings; 1,000,000 sq ft of residential accommodation; 300,000 sq ft of retail and space, and 200,000 sq ft of hotel accommodation. NOMA will feature a number of environmental and social

innovations. It will generate all of its own power, with a renewable energy centre providing for all of its needs through a smart grid. It will also be integrated into the existing transport network, with

tram, rail, bus and road connections, all immediately adjacent to the site.The master planned scheme is already underway with the

construction of The Co-operative Group’s 400,000 sq ft new head office building in the first phase of the development, which is scheduled for completion in September 2012.Martyn Hulme, Managing Director, The Co-operative Estates

said: “A well-crafted, ergonomic and green space will ensure that NOMA becomes a destination location and also creates a perfect environment for those living, working and relaxing in the area. He added that NOMA will take advantage of The Co-operative

Group’s unique land ownership in the city centre to deliver a regeneration project like no other. “Manchester is a great place to live and work with an innovative

commercial community; however, like most cities it has suffered disappointment as the downturn in the economy has affected many developments across the city. The Co-operative Group has the strength and capability to deliver NOMA and confirm Manchester’s position as the UK’s original modern city, and confirm its position in the European premier league of cities. “NOMA will be a city district like no other. Firstly because

it is rooted in Manchester - the UK’s second city and one that is growing in strength as a centre for key industries like media and financial services. Secondly, it has been built on a socially responsible vision which will encompass ethical business

£800 million scheme will create a dynamic new destination in Manchester


practice in the way in which it is built and operated, thanks in large part to the heritage and progressive approach of the group.“This commercially led scheme will offer a range of floorplates

to satisfy the needs of both large corporate occupiers and small and medium sized enterprises. Its retail and leisure offer will add to the variety already available in Manchester and be focused on independent, high quality businesses. Similarly, the residential component will widen the choice available in the city centre, with family housing a key part of the mix, NOMA will importantly be underpinned by the world’s largest consumer co-operative. “A responsible development, NOMA will firmly position

Manchester as the first choice for business in the UK, building on existing clusters of global head offices, media enterprises, professional and financial services.” Francine Houben, Founding Architect and Creative Director,

Mecanoo said: “When visiting the NOMA site we saw its potential

and importance immediately. Manchester’s heritage and values inspired us to reflect the long history and strong future ahead for The Co-operative Group and its unique relationship to the city of Manchester and the new district.” The design of NOMA’s public realm will be underpinned by

several factors, including the specific and unique relationship between The Co-operative Group and the City and citizens of Manchester.Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, said:

“This is a hugely important site with the potential to provide up to 15,000 jobs and act as a catalyst to further investment, thanks to The Co-operative Group’s ambition and commitment to the area. NOMA is a key piece in the jigsaw of our plans for the northern part of the city centre and both the council and The Co-operative Group share a determination to ensure it is a high quality commercial district with world-class public space and the best standards in urban, sustainable design.”


Nor th West

The scheme is being constructed on the site of prefab homes that were demolished on the former Boot Estate built in the 1920’s. Of its 2000 homes, 500 around the edge were built of brick; whilst some 1500 in the heart of the estate were built with prefabricated reinforced concrete. These homes were popular when they were first built.! However, by the end of the 20th century the prefabricated houses suffered greatly because of a design fault. The concrete used in the 1920’s was poor and created structural defects that were serious enough for them to be classed as “defective dwellings” under the 1985 Housing Act.!!It was decided that that these defective prefabricated houses

which form the major part of the estate should be demolished; and that new homes be built to replace them.New City Vision is one of the partners working with Liverpool

City Council to rebuild the former Boot Estate.! New City Vision is a property developer, formed as a partnership company between Bishop Loch and Laing O’Rourke.! These are both well known house building companies, each with over 40 years of experience.!New City Vision’s main task is to build quality, affordable

housing on time and to budget - which will support the renewal programme for the local area and the community.!The current second phase involves the construction of 500

homes, with around 250 having already been built. The homes are two, three and four bedroom two storey houses, including some for Cobalt Housing Association, but the majority being for private sale. These include detached, semi detached and mews houses, with the mews houses being in blocks of three and four.New City Vision have been inundated with enquiries for the

homes with sales soaring - thanks to the Homebuyer Direct shared equity scheme and another new initiative under which they are being sold. Don Craven of New City Vision explains: “The Homebuyer Direct scheme involves selling 100 per cent of the property to the purchaser who are only paying 70 per cent now. The other 30 per cent is an offset loan for 10 years, with interest free payments for the first five years. This enables home buyers to be able to afford the mortgage on the latter amount.”!The other initiative from New City Vision is an arrangement

where homebuyers can move into their new homes and pay nothing for six months, giving them time to save up the initial deposit required for the purchase. This enables them to get over

the initial problem of not having the deposit. “We are finding people coming on board from the rental market who, although they have good jobs did not have the capital for the initial deposit” says Don Craven.What’s more, these contemporary style homes feature

innovative design and energy saving features focusing on reducing energy consumption and conserving natural resources.! All the new homes will be highly economical to run, helping both the owner’s pocket and the environment. They are being built from more thermally efficient block work and timber frame which is far more effective at retaining heat than previous houses.! This will reduce the costs of heating and cut both fuel bills and carbon emissions. Larger windows will create a brighter interior, cutting lighting costs. Air to water heat pumps are being installed to all plots which are 400 per cent efficient further cutting fuel costs.Together these features have helped Ellergreen’s homes to

achieve Sustainable Code Three.!This phase is expected to be on site for around five years

and follows on from the first phase which comprised the construction of 190 homes with 90 being managed by Cobalt Housing Association. !

Developer’s vision sends house sales soaring


Church project wins praise for contract team"

The congregation of Bethel Church in Green Lane, Liverpool has every reason to give thanks - following a project which has just been completed, involving signi!cant demolition, together with major rebuilding and extension which has completely transformed the complex.The project, which commenced in September

2010, was carried out for the Bethel Church Trustees by Main Contractors Krol Corlett and Co, working with Architects Condy and Lofthouse. “The project has bene!ted from what has been a very good relationship between the client, the building contractors and the design team” said Mr Robert Patkai of Condy and Lofthouse.The original building incorporated a 1970s

built element to the front (which included the worship hall), with an older church hall to the rear.The project involved signi!cant demolition of

the original buildings. “Basically there wasn’t much left of the original church, most of the

walls were demolished and the roof was removed. We did however retain the the 1930s built element to the rear” said Mr Patkai.The footprint of the

original building has been enlarged and incorporates new facilities# including the addition of a new stage, a new baptistry, an audio visual room, a second meeting room, a new vestry, as well as the installation of new building services throughout. Other new facilities include a large lobby and coffee area#and a buggy and coat store. The works also involved the refurbishment of an existing creche and the original toilets have been completely rebuilt and relocated, including the provision of facilities for disabled people.The original church has been virtually rebuilt,

with new elevations in brick to one and a half

storeys high, incorporating all new doors and aluminium framed windows with integrated roller shutters for extra security, together with new roo!ng in a metal#tile effect roo!ng system.A#new storage building has been constructed

and new paved access to the building has been laid.



Nor th West


Main contractors Costain are working to schedule to complete this much needed project by the end of August 2011. The existing runway lighting system requires full replacement

in order to ensure ongoing reliability of the system to maintain safe operations. The project requires a huge team of specialised personnel

including Manchester Airport Policy and Planning department, the Costain workforce, designers, project managers, airfield engineers, air traffic control and specialised equipment suppliers to name but a few.After clearance of localised shrubs and trees in the Bollin

Valley, the main works began in November 2010. The project includes the construction of a new sub-station to

provide power to the new runway lighting system; provision of a new ‘pit and duct’ system around Runway 1 which will provide the infrastructure for the new lighting cables; installation of new lighting cables and other electrical infrastructure such as transformers throughout the pit and duct system, and the construction and installation of a new approach lighting system (including the construction of new foundations and the erection of a new mast and lights).Other works comprise the insertion of over 1000 new ‘primary’

and ‘secondary’ light fittings into the existing runway; removal of existing light fittings and, finally, resurfacing the full length and width of the runway. The works include remediation of the existing Runway 1

drainage system and some land drainage at the eastern end to reduce the incidence of flooding in this area, which can act as an attraction to birds.Manchester Airport intends to use two materials that have not

yet been used at any major UK airport: LED centreline lights

and un-grooved BBA (Beton Bitumeux Aeronautique) surfacing material.Unlike most previous runway resurfacing/refurbishment

projects at UK airports, Manchester will remain open and operational as arriving/departing aircraft will operate from Runway 2 whilst Runway 1 is closed. Due to the layout of the runways at Manchester, aircraft taxiing

to and from the terminal buildings from Runway 2 have to cross Runway 1. Hence, due to the potential conflict between aircraft and site traffic, particular attention has had to be paid to ensuring the safe management and movement of both aircraft and vehicles. Due to traffic volumes during the day and at the weekend during

the summer season, the works can only take place between the hours of 9.30pm to 6.30am, Sunday through Thursday nights inclusive. The handover procedure prior to the start of morning operations has to be particularly thorough due to the potential for Foreign Object Debris (FOD) being left on the runway from the previous night’s works. This could cause serious damage to engines/ tyres with consequential risks to safety. There are also the usual security considerations to be taken

into account when working in an airport. These include the management of aircraft/vehicular conflicts, and the fact that forecast visibility/cloud base below certain set criteria limits the use of Runway 2 - and therefore in such conditions Runway 1 has to remain open and night closure has to be postponed. In addition, constructing new approach lighting is problematical due to the topography at the western end of the runway (River Bollin Valley) and the presence of the railway line at the eastern end. Despite all these challenges, this phase of the works is on

schedule and the construction of the sub-station and pit and duct system is ongoing. Manchester Airport Community Relations Team is updating their web-site with an informative account of the work progress with videos of the work involved.

Contractors rise to the challenge of runway refurbishment


Contract praise for listed building refurbishment on World Heritage site"

Providing elegant, stylish of!ce accommodation on a World Heritage site, is a recently completed project to refurbish the ground and fourth "oors of the Grade#II* listed Atlantic Pavilion on Liverpool’s Albert Dock.Main Contractors Globe Management

Services, who#brought the project in on time and signi!cantly under budget, have been commended for their work on the scheme. The project, carried out for SJS Property Management, was completed in March 2011. CDA Architects, worked alongside Ernest Grif!ths as Building Services Engineers, Curtins as Structural Engineers and Tweeds as Cost Consultants.David Holt, Regional Projects Director#at#CDA

said: “Globe Management has done an excellent job on the project along with the consultant team.# The project came in on time and was signi!cantly under budget, with minimum disruption to the other occupants of the building.# For us to !t out such a contemporary of!ce within a very sensitive, listed building, the good relationship which we had with the conservation team was crucial”.#The project involved the refurbishment of the

top "oor and ground "oor reception area, together totalling 18,000 square feet. The original partitioned of!ce units on the top "oor were completely stripped back to the original brickwork shell and transformed into an open plan of!ce "oor space to suit modern requirements.#At the same time, the building’s chillers and air handling units, serving the remainder of this fully-occupied of!ce building, were replaced in stages and the Building Management System was revitalised. On the fourth "oor, the project involved

restoring the original appearance with exposed brick walls and creating contemporary open plan of!ce space. This included the installation of two new WC blocks; a new suspended ceiling system; new "exible lighting system;# high tech ventilation and heat-recovery VRF heating and cooling heat-pump systems; the refurbishment of the lift; the installation of new data cabling and power within the existing raised "ooring, and !nally, carpeting throughout. #Works to the ground "oor reception area

involved stripping out the mid 1980s interior; full restoration of the existing York stone "ag "oor; the installation of new lighting, and heating systems; the installation of a modern, bespoke curved reception desk in hardwearing Corian material made by Dupont, and the installation of backlit LED panels throughout the reception area. Other works comprised the installation of an automated, frameless glass revolving entrance door and pass door; the installation of#contemporary access control#security barriers, and the !tting of backlit signage on the exterior of the building.# The work was carried out with the remainder of the building fully functioning and was phased to ensure minimum disruption.


Nor th West


Consort Healthcare (Salford) is redeveloping the existing facilities and providing new buildings on the original hospital site, under a 35-year PFI concession contract. Consort Healthcare (Salford) are responsible for the

procurement, design, construction, operation and maintenance of the new acute hospital building, the education building and the multi-storey car park, in all cases using Balfour Beatty Group companies. Construction is being carried out by Balfour Beatty

Construction, with Haden Young carrying out all the electrical and mechanical systems work and Haden Building Management supplying a range of facilities management services. The new buildings have been planned to complement the

existing estate and combine the retained buildings within an overall site master plan that will provide modern medical facilities for patients.A curved three-tier clinical building will welcome patients into

the hospital, with projected images displayed on the walls of the ground floor public area, shops and a cafe surrounded by landscaping. Medical provision will also be upgraded with single beds and smaller wards.The main entrance to the hospital, via the clinical building, will

no longer be at Stott Lane and is being replaced by an entry on Eccles Old Road. Designers say this is the more obvious opening for the facility.A new emergency village will be housed in the clinical

building, with an A&E department, including eight resuscitation bays, and an integrated 55-bed emergency admissions unit, and new paediatric assessment and treatment unit.Critical care and

dermatology, as well as some of the hospital’s specialist services, including urology, renal and the intestinal failure unit, one of only two in the country, will also be provided for in the clinical area.The site’s new education centre will include lecture theatres,

a library, 30 seminar/training rooms and numerous interview rooms. A new entrance for cars will also be created with redesigned

junctions to help with traffic congestion. In addition, a 1050 space car multi storey park is being built alongside the M602. The project will replace outdated, 125-year-old Victorian wards;

creating a hospital which meets staff and patient expectations of a modern NHS hospital, creating brighter, roomier areas and buildings; provide Improved infectioncontrol and sanitary facilities and generally deliver a better coordinated hospital site with facilities specially designed for modern healthcare, whilst allowing for future expansion to meet service demandsOverall completion is planned for June 2012.

New ‘Hope’ for Salford


A £27 million project to improve high-rise flats is underway in Wirral, for Wirral Partnership Homes (WPH), which took over Wirral Council’s housing stock five years ago.The scheme was originally conceived to carry out improvements

to meet the Government’s Decent Homes standard, but was then expanded to include many other wide-ranging improvements geared to completely transforming the homes.Main Contractors are Bullock Construction, working with

WPH’s in-house Building Services team, who are carrying out some of the Decent Homes improvements.WPH originally had 15 tower blocks and decided to retain and

improve 7, with the remaining 8 blocks being decommissioned and are in the process of being demolished. Brian Seddon, senior projects manager for Wirral Partnership Homes said: “The demolition of Sandborne started about some months ago and most of it was internal. It’s only become noticeable now because of the appearance of the huge crane outside.”The seven blocks being improved are: Brackendale, Liscard

House, Sunningdale, The Towers, Vittoria Court, Neston Gardens and Knowseley Court.“More than just an improvement programme, this scheme is a

complete makeover” said Brian Seddon, adding “The need to achieve the Decent Homes standard was the initial driver, but now the scheme is going to be much more than that.”Brian Simpson, chief executive of Wirral Partnership Homes,

said “There have been a number of views about how to deal with the issue of the high rise blocks. It’s taken a couple of years to reach a solution and I think we have now got it right. The project isn’t just about putting in new kitchens and bathrooms for residents; it’s about giving something back to the borough that will have lasting benefit.”The three-year project includes the installation of new kitchens,

bathrooms and showers, re-wiring, central heating upgrades and insulation upgrades which involve fitting external cladding to most of the blocks and internal dry lining to one block. The internal dry lining has been completed and reported to be very effective by tenants who said that the building was very warm in cold weather. Blocks that are not being clad are being repainted.Corridors, communal areas and lifts are also being improved,

fire alarms are being fitted in some blocks and new CCTV and secure access systems are being installed on the ground floors of all of the blocks. Most of the blocks have some form of communal area on

the ground floor and these areas are being improved, and in some cases, extended, with one of the blocks having a new conservatory. Liscard House in particular is benefiting from this element of the contract and will have communal facilities occupying the whole of the ground floor, including a new lounge, dining and IT areas. Other works include the upgrading of balconies and re-roofing.

In addition, since many of the blocks have older tenants using mobility scooters, the works will include the provision of storage and recharging areas for these.Further improvements include the upgrading and remodelling

of gardens and car parking areas.Brian Seddon was pleased to report that “Throughout the

process we are trying to maximise the input from tenants and also to provide a range of employment and training opportunities for local people and businesses” The company is working with WPH, schools and colleges to create employment and training opportunities.The local economy too has been given a boost, as Bullock

Construction is using many Wirral-based sub-contractors. “We are very proud of the work we are undertaking across

Wirral, which will improve the homes of hundreds of people” said

Brian Seddon. “The project represents a significant investment from Wirral Partnership Homes, which we are certain will pay dividends in the enhancement of the lives of those living in the high-rise buildings as well as, crucially, facilitating and driving job creation across Wirral.” Training and new employment opportunities in the building

industry as a result of the investment will be led by Wirral Metropolitan College. The partnership will also be working with Build Wirral, a project that aims to ensure people from disadvantaged groups in the borough are able to access construction jobs and training. Bullock Construction has! been operating for over 50 years,

and is one of the UK’s leading construction service providers in the social housing sector.The company work in the West Midlands, East Midlands,

North West, North East, Yorkshire & Humber and South Wales, delivering the refurbishment of occupied homes and new build housing projects through collaborative partnering and framework arrangements.Customer focus is one of Bullock’s key core values and the

company is highly rated by all of their clients for their caring approach to liaison and consultation with tenants.Bullock embraces partnering and has developed strong

alliances with their clients and supply chain. Over 95% of the company’s turnover is now delivered through partnering and strategic framework contracts. Bullock works with arms length management organisations,

local authorities, transfer companies and traditional housing associations to deliver both new build and refurbishment projects in line with the Government’s new affordable homes and decent homes initiatives.The company’s ultimate objective is to provide tenants and

residents with high quality, sustainable and affordable homes and make a real difference to their quality of life.Bullock prides itself on delivering a customer-focused

service, which adds value for clients and the communities in which they work. The company is committed to training their staff, supply chain

and people from the local community and have been very successful in implementing training and employment initiatives on all their long-term partnering projects.

The high rise Decent Homes scheme that grew....and grew

Nor th West



Nor th East & Yorksh i re

The project is being delivered by Doncaster Council and development partner Muse DevelopmentsThe first phase of the scheme includes the construction of

a new civic offices and one-stop shop for customer services, an exciting new performance venue and the town’s first public square. There will also be new town centre housing, a refurbished southern multi-storey car park and changes to the

road layout with Waterdale Road becoming a shared space for pedestrians and public transport and College Road opened up to Chequer Road.The! ! CCQ! has an important role to play in Doncaster’s

economic future. The scheme will create hundreds of jobs and enhance Doncaster’s reputation and image as a town on the up. This should encourage further investment in the town centre and across the borough.The new civic offices, including a council chamber and a

one stop shop four council services, are being built by Wates Construction and will become the council’s new headquarters.

Multi million pound new town hub delivers major regeneration


Overlooking the new public square and helping to encourage people back into the Waterdale area, the new building should be complete!September 2012.The one-stop shop for council services will have an open and

bright environment creating a welcoming place that improves the experience for over 5,000 customers every week.The centre will include a large reception area, a relaxed seating

area for up to 100 people including a children’s play area, 14 enquiry booths, nine interview rooms, six of which will be sound proofed for private discussions, and a self service area where customers can access council services online.A separate disabled toilet and baby change facility and a

‘Changing Places’ adult changing area for customers with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD) will be provided.The building is constructed on piled foundations requiring the

sinking of 400 piles of nearly 10 metres deep below a ground floor slab of concrete.!The £2.5 million refurbishment of the 850-space southern multi

storey car park is being carried out by Muse sister company Morgan Sindall.An extensive range of improvements is being made to the

existing building, providing car users with a safe and secure parking experience and ensuring that the building fits into its new environment in this new quarter of Doncaster.The scheme includes the creation of a new entrance and exit

off College Road; upgrades to the CCTV system; the installation of energy efficient lighting to provide better lighting levels; and new lifts, improving the access to all levels.!The concrete parking levels are being repaired and treated to safeguard against future corrosion and there is an extensive repainting program. The previous pay and display system is also being replaced by the more popular pay on foot system.Dan Needham, regional director for Muse commented: “This

extensive refurbishment will provide visitors with a much improved parking experience and will ensure that the car park sits well within its new environment in Doncaster’s Civic and Cultural Quarter.”The new look car park will provide visitors to the! !CCQ!with

good quality parking. It will support people going to the new performance venue, the integrated customer service for council services or meeting friends in the public square.The car park should be completed by September 2011.Doncaster Council’s contribution to the £300 million CCQ!project

is about £85 million! of capital funding made up of mainly land assets.! Up to! £200 million! worth of investment is! anticipated from the private sector!and the balance!is!European Union, Arts Council England and Yorkshire Forward!funding.!!Work on the!public square and new performance venue!will

start in the summer and the overall first phase of the scheme is expected to be complete by summer 2013.


The project was carried out for Pendragon plc by Main Contractors Talbot Construction. Project Architects were the Unwin Jones Partnership.The building was constructed on a brownfield site, where

demolition of former potteries buildings had been carried out under a separate contract prior to the start of the development. Initial site works included raising the level of the site by two metres to the same level as the adjacent A61 Trunk Road.The ground floor of new two-storey building incorporates two

showrooms - one for BMW cars and the other for MINI. Both display areas link to a shared 12 bay service workshop with an MOT facility, whilst the first floor comprises office accommodation.

! Structured around a steel frame, the building features large aluminium framed double glazed frontages to the showrooms, with flat roofs featuring wide overhanging eaves projections reducing solar glare. External walls are clad with insulated steel cladding - with black cladding to the Mini dealership and white rendered cladding to the BMW element giving each franchise it own clear identity.Internally, the building incorporates balconies overlooking

each of the showrooms and is designed with aluminium internal screens with timber doors. Internal finishes of the building are to full BMW and Mini corporate specification.External works included the creation of external display areas

for both BMW and MINI, a dedicated customer parking area and soft landscaping.!“This has been an exciting project from the outset, and despite

Contract creates stylish showcase for BMW and Mini



Birse Civils in the driving seat of roundabout revamp"

A £1.4 million project to improve the A19/A1237 roundabout#at Rawcliffe, York, is underway in a scheme designed to reduce delays in the area and improve safety for all road users.

The project is being carried out for the City of York Council by Main Contractors Birse Civils; Project Managers are Halcrow, working together with Mr Paul Thackray, the council’s project manager for the scheme.City of York Council has a strategy to improve

capacity on the A1237 outer ring road by upgrading the existing junctions.

The A19 roundabout is one of the biggest constraints for eastbound traf!c and needed to be upgraded for the journey times in all directions to be signi!cantly improved.Works to the

roundabout include widening of the entry lanes, with the A19 north, A1237 east and west approaches being widened to three lanes at the roundabout.The exit lanes are also

being widened, with the A1237 east and west exits being widened to two lanes, merging down to one lane after approximately 250m.Other works include alterations to the existing

road markings on the roundabout and approaches to accommodate the entry and exit changes; the creation of pedestrian and cycle crossing points and the provision of additional islands on the A1237 west approach and A19 north approach to ensure pedestrians and cyclists do not have to cross more than two lanes of traf!c at a time.Alterations are being made to the existing

embankment and landscaping on the A1237

east of the roundabout to enable the road to be widened, retaining as much of the existing vegetation as possible and the A1237 westbound layby is being removed.Further works include the installation of new

lighting, extending the existing lighting along the A1237 to cover the full extent of the new road layout to improve safety.Challenges overcome by the contract team

have included the discovery of old sections of carriageway which are too high for the current works and need to be broken out, and carrying out the works within the restricted hours necessary to keep traf!c "owing. The project is due to be completed at the end of May 2011.


poor weather conditions Talbot Construction have successfully delivered another quality project” said Mr Don Reay of Unwin Jones Partnership.!The project, which started on site in late summer 2010, was

completed in March 2011, and is now trading as part of! the ‘Stratstone’ brand.! Talbot Construction has been in the construction business

since 1978, when, Chris Talbot founded the company and quickly gained a reputation for combining design flair with a professional and reliable service.!From the very start the company became known for their ability

to manage complicated design and build projects. They have

now grown into a comprehensive team working on commercial construction and refurbishment, specialising in motor vehicle dealerships.! The company’s philosophy on all projects has always been

to deliver complete client satisfaction. They have a formidable management team and a committed work force and their aim is to ensure that every client returns to Talbot Construction again and again. The loyalty of the company’s satisfied customers has been a huge factor in their sustained growth. Proof of Talbot Construction’s position as one of the UK’s leading construction companies is their inclusion in the Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100 league table.


The project was undertaken for Broadacres Housing Association, who carried out the development in conjunction with Yuill Construction, who constructed the affordable properties, together with a further 54 homes for private sale, which are still under construction.The development occupies the former site of the Co-Op

Creamery building, which was demolished as part of the project to make way for the new development.The affordable homes were eagerly awaited, as housing

need in the area is “quite phenomenal”, according to Mr Andi McLoughlin of Broadacres Housing Association, who added: “We were quite surprised at the need for local housing. Local people struggle to find affordable housing for both rent and purchase in this seaside resort, which is very popular. The level of need for affordable housing in the Scarborough area is estimated at 600 units for 2011” he said.Commending the contractors he said: “The project went well,

Yuill Homes are a very good contractor and the quality of their build is really good. This was a very successful partnership”.Situated a short walk from the heart of the historic coastal

resort of Whitby, the affordable housing at The Old Creamery comprises two and three bedroom houses on an imaginatively designed development offering the best in modern living and

great design. Built to the Government’s Design Quality Standards, all of the

affordable homes have gardens, fitted kitchens, central heating and roof mounted photovoltaic panels to generate electricity.The playground of a local park was also upgraded as part of

the contract, with the works including the refurbishment of the play equipment.Broadacres Housing Association are also working with Yuill

Homes on another housing scheme in Great Ayton, involving the construction of eight affordable units and four for private sale.Broadacres Housing Association provides a comprehensive

range of services to! over 5,000 homes in North Yorkshire. Established in 1993 the association has grown both in terms of the number of properties it manages and its awareness of the needs and aspirations of its customers. Broadacres operates under charitable rules and has a governing body of! 12 volunteers, including four tenants of the association. The association’s headquarters are! in Northallerton, North Yorkshire. They!currently have stock in!Hambleton, Darlington, Spennymoor,!Richmondshire, Harrogate, Selby and!East Riding of Yorkshire and!Scarborough.Yuill Construction is the contracting division of Yuill Homes has

the expertise and flexibility to deliver a professional one stop shop service to all private and publicly funded projects, while maintaining the same high standards that Yuill Homes is known for.For more than 80 years, Yuill Homes has been building inspiring

Opening doors to affordable family housing in Whitby



and quality homes throughout the North of England.!Founded back in 1927, Yuill have built more than 30,000 quality homes and are nationally recognised! for their first class design and build innovation.The company is renowned for not just their superb homes, but

for their!exacting standards in terms of design, specification and overall attention to detail ensuring that a touch more imagination goes into every home and community they help create.

With a track record for delivering award winning schemes Yuill have established successful communities combining residential, commercial and partnership developments. Today working closely with their partners, the company is embracing innovation with passion and developing environmentally efficient technologies and solutions. They are committed to the regeneration of the North East and specialise in providing quality housing that helps to create the communities of the future.

New care home for over 55s complements Edwardian residential area

Work has been recently completed on a £3.6 million 29 bed care home, to be known as Martin Grange, in Otley Road, Harrogate for MHA Care Group by main contractor Termrim and architects West & Machell.The 70 week project started on site in

October 2009 and involved the renovation and conversion of a 19th century property and associated out buildings into 6 apartments and 2 cottages. In addition, a further 19 new apartments and 2 bungalows were built at the rear of the main building.The development for people aged over 55

provides communal facilities including a lounge, restaurant, hair dressers and therapy room.

The properties are available for sale, shared ownership and rent. The development is located within the built

up area of the town, to the southwest of the town centre, and included the refurbishment of Berwick Grange, a former residential home for the elderly. Prior to recent alterations, the premises were based on an original Victorian villa situated nearby. The main building had been substantially altered and had a large modern (1970s) two-storey bedroom block extension to the rear. The residential home had recently closed

and the main buildings were vacant before the extensive refurbishment began. The surrounding area is predominantly residential and is characterised by large Victorian and Edwardian houses. Project architect Robin Machell said, “Given the residential and mainly Edwardian feel of the area, our design is sympathetic and includes matching stone and slate within its traditional and contemporary mix”.



The development is being carried out for Amber hotels by main Contractors JF Finnegan.Hermann Beck, director of Amber Hotels, which will run the

business, billed as the first of a new generation of Holiday Inn Express Hotels, praised the contractors and said: “To see the completed building framework is an exciting step in the delivery of this flagship hotel. The contractors are fantastic builders who really know what they are doing and are currently ahead of programme.”Amber Hotels initially acquired the Blonk Street land three

years ago, but work was delayed by two archaeological digs, since the site dates back to the 17th century and construction was preceded by an archaeological investigation. The recession and the impending release from Intercontinental Hotels of the new generation Holiday Inn Express branded hotel also delayed the start of building.The seven storey building is being constructed on a former

cattle market site adjacent to a river, and is situated on alluvium strata requiring the sinking of 50m deep piled foundations. Finnegan’s has completed work on a show room within the hotel and will now install a natural stone facade, designed to ensure the building is in keeping with the local environment.In addition to the bedrooms, internal facilities include a meeting

room, a restaurant, bar and lobby.External elevations of the building are clad in natural stone,

incorporating full length floor to ceiling windows and a flat roof. Both internal and external finishes are of an extremely high quality.A topping out ceremony for the building was held recently, at

which Hermann Beck placed the final piece of pre-cast concrete to signify completion of the seven-storey structure’s roof.Tom Charles, construction manager for JF Finnegan, said:

“Despite the heavy snow falls in December, the hotel remains on programme for completion this summer and is already taking bookings.”

The next step will be to create a pedestrian walkway linking the Wicker and Five Weirs Walk, adjacent to the hotel, to Victoria Quays, through the Holiday Inn Royal Victoria Hotel’s listed archways.JF Finnegan is a national builder working in both the public and

private sector on a traditional and a design and build basis, on contracts ranging from £1 million to £50 million.As a property developer, the company creates a multitude of

construction opportunities throughout the UK, whilst maintaining a strong profile in South Yorkshire where they continue to play a valuable role in the economic regeneration of Sheffield. Their development success means that they have first-hand

knowledge of the issues facing their partners/clients and can help them through the whole construction process.JF Finnegan has a modern, in-house joinery works which

also offers bespoke joinery products of the highest quality, at competitive prices. Their aim is to provide a friendly and informed manufacturing service.

New hotel construction ahead of programme with “fantastic builders”



This development is being carried out in a funding partnership between Leeds City Council, Yorkshire Housing, Aire Valley Homes Leeds and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). Main contractors Mansell plc are working with Brewster Bye Architects on the development, which has a construction value of £2.9m.Councillor Peter Gruen, Leeds City Council’s executive board

member for neighbourhoods and housing, said: “It is exciting to see how Morley Bottoms will look once work has been completed on this development. The Chapel Hill apartments will compliment the regeneration of the area and further demonstrates the commitment from both the council and our partners to deliver more affordable housing across Leeds, even in these difficult economic times.“They will be aimed at customers who are under-occupying

larger family sized homes which will assist in increasing the number of family sized homes available to customers in the Morley area. That way everyone wins.”Mark Henderson of Brewster Bye Architects said that “the

project is good news for the area; the local councillors have been supportive of the scheme following extensive community consultation - a good!example of housing for local people in the Morley area”.

Initial works on the scheme comprised the demolition of the!retail units and existing residential!accommodation.The internal specification for the new apartments includes a

fitted kitchen complete with floor finishes, bathrooms with bath and/or shower, a communal staircase with glass and stainless steel handrails and carpeting throughout the common areas.The flats are - a mixture of one and two bedroom units, all

within one linked building located on a steep road! and split into an upper block and a lower! block, both feeding off the central

Smart new eco-friendly homes regenerate local area


staircase. To the rear there is under croft car parking below the building and adjacent car parking to the side of development. The development has been designed to achieve the Code for Sustainable Homes level 3!and Secured By Design!.!The! front external elevations feature a combination of

local materials including split face natural stone! with inset brick panels! on the front elevation; with the back and sides in!combination of brick and stone, incorporating aluminium and timber composite windows and a pitched slate roof incorporating solar panels to generate electricity for the apartments.!To!the left hand side of the building there!was an existing!public

footpath! and stairs which were in poor condition! which fell within!the!conservation area,!!these are being rebuilt as part of the project.”Currently working on ground and first floor levels, the

contractors are making good progress despite challenges posed by the poor quality bedrock on site as well as the steep gradients. The teams have been on site since April last year and are aiming for completion by late September this year.


The development has been made possible through a £1.5 million grant from the Homes and Communities Agency. Sheffield City Council was required to match this by borrowing a further £1.5 million on low-risk terms. The architects for the scheme were Stephenson Bell, who

were chosen through a competition judged by local people and the Council.! ! Developer Henry Boot Construction Ltd, who won a competitive tender to build these affordable homes, started work on the first phase in Boynton Road in March 2010! and!handed over the final properties to the Council in May 2011. The scheme is designed to integrate a small number of new

build properties within an existing council estate, to address changing housing needs in a thriving community. Clustered on sites around Shirecliffe Road, Longley Avenue West and Boynton Road, the homes include six two-bedroom bungalows, seven two-bedroom apartments, four two-bedroom houses and ten three-bedroom houses. Increasing the quality and range of housing available to people

living in the area, the properties are fitted with solar hot water panels and photovoltaic panels to make use of renewable energy. The homes are also well-insulated and use less water and energy, so tenants will save on fuel bills, and feature innovative

drainage solutions and multi-species planting. !One property has been built to achieve Code for Sustainable Homes Level 5 after a research and development pilot funded by Henry Boot Construction, while all other properties achieve Code level 4. The development has already won recognition in the shape of a

Housing Design Award for the scheme itself and a Considerate Constructors Gold Award for Henry Boot Construction.!

£3 million project delivers high quality new council homes

“Pleased to be associated with Henry Boot Construction Ltd on the

Shirecliffe New Homes Project”

Tel: 01246 569575 Fax: 01246 569174email: [email protected] Contractors (Northern) Ltd

44 Yew Tree Drive, Somersall, Chester!eld, Derbyshire, S40 3NB.

BARTON CONTRACTORS (Northern) LTD


The Housing Design Award has been running for over 60 years and is geared to promoting excellence and sustainability in home design. It!is considered the most prestigious recognition that can be achieved within the housing industry. The Shirecliffe development was selected from over 200 projects nationally. The Considerate Constructors Gold award was one of two won

by Henry Boot Construction for their work on social housing schemes this year. The company won two Gold and one Silver Considerate Constructor’s Scheme awards and they are the first contractor ever to win two ‘Safest Site’ runners-up awards two years in a row.Following a resounding success in last year’s awards, the

Shirecliffe, Denaby Main and Airey Houses teams were the latest HBC sites to be honoured at a ceremony in Manchester recently.The gold awards went to the Shirecliffe new homes (Sheffield

City Council) and Denaby Main (St Leger Homes) schemes, and the Silver was given to the Airey Houses team (Rotherham MBC). National runners-up awards for ‘Most Considerate Site’ were

also given to the Shirecliffe and Denaby projects. The homes at Shirecliffe are part of wider plans to regenerate

housing in the area including building a further 52 homes for sale on 12 more sites. The 27 rented properties were constructed as part of the first phase setting a!high standard for!new build in the area and representing!the first new build council housing in Sheffield for 20 years. Through a commitment to involving the local community in the

development, Sheffield City Council is pleased to report that the designs and plans have responded to the needs of local people in a number of ways. A variety of homes, including bungalows, apartments and family homes are planned, reflecting the changing demand in the area. Throughout the process there has been emphasis on the

design quality and energy efficiency of the new homes. It is hoped that these features, and the addition of properties for sale in the area, will help to create homes that people aspire to live in and help regenerate the area. Henry Boot Construction Ltd is part of the Henry Boot Group

of Companies, with over 125 years of proven construction expertise. The company is an award winning contractor committed

to sustainability, the highest standards of health and safety,

corporate responsibility and reducing environmental impact. Henry Boot invest heavily in their people to make sure they combine the very best of traditional values with the latest construction techniques.



The project is a joint venture between! Rotherham Borough Council and NHS Rotherham, and! is the sixth new Customer Service Centre to be opened by the Council since 2005. It is also the third joint venture offering health facilities provided by NHS Rotherham, the other two being at Maltby and Aston.The 52 week programme of works is being carried out by Henry

Boot Construction’s Eastern Division. Architects for the scheme are Rotherham Borough Council.The Joint Service Centre is the final project under the

Rotherham Construction Partnership framework, under which Henry Boot Construction have delivered almost £20m of works over the last five years.The new centre is located on the former site of the run down

Rawmarsh Leisure Centre, which was demolished in a separate contract. Initial works on the current scheme comprised an enabling

works package involving ground remediation required due to the fact that the site incorporated shallow former mine workings. This element of the scheme was also carried out by Henry Boot Construction.The building is divided into two elements, connected by a

single storey link corridor. One element will contain the health centre and the other will contain the council services.The health centre element features a reception and waiting

area, doctor’s surgery, minor treatment rooms, consulting rooms and staff offices.The council services element includes a customer service

centre, additional council services areas, a library and sports changing facilities for the adjacent playing fields.The buildings are both two storey steel framed structures with

external elevations in a combination of curtain walling, cladding and brickwork, incorporating aluminium framed windows and flat roofing. External works include the creation of car parking and

landscaping.The project is due to be completed in January 2012, with

opening scheduled for March 2012.The Joint Service Centre programme is a Government

response to the need for local authorities and partner agencies to provide services in a more joined up way (a policy dating back to the March 1999 Modernising Government white paper).The Department for Communities and Local Government Joint

Service Centre Private Finance Initiative (PFI) programme has funded a series of pathfinder projects. The centres provide a variety of front-line services and include services provided both by local authorities and other agencies. These are often, but not always, health services or leisure services and one service must be an integrated first point of contact offering advice and information on authority and partner agency services.The benefits are: it is easier for people to access the services

they need (they don’t have to repeat themselves, don’t have to travel between sites, and don’t have to search to find the right person to talk to); efficiencies!can be achieved as!premises and functions can be rationalised, and links and ways of working together!can be made between different services.The programme will have funded around 35 such centres once

it has finished, providing a variety of services from a range of differently sized buildings.Henry Boot Construction Ltd is a leading construction

company with a proven pedigree and renowned reputation for

providing a high quality and flexible service, to both private and public sector clients.From humble roots as a sole

trader in 1886, Henry Boot has grown steadily over the last 125 years to become one of the leading property and construction groups in the UK. The family values that have helped the company succeed are still evident in the structure of the business today.With a strong focus on

sustainability, corporate and social responsibility and reducing the impact of construction activities on the environment, alongside a commitment to local employment, training and development, Henry Boot Construction Ltd is a responsible, forward thinking company.Working in the health, education, custodial and housing

sectors, as well as the industrial and commercial markets, the company is one of the market leaders in the north of England, covering Yorkshire, Humber, the Midlands and North West.The key to sustaining this growth and success over many years

is adapting to new cultures and procedures, remaining customer focused and always delivering on promises. The company works on a foundation of transparency and trust through the professionalism of their people, whilst remaining sensitive to the environment and communities in which they work.

£4.8 million council and health service centre takes shape


New centre brings culture fusion to Bradford

A spectacular community hub for young people with a roof-top cafe overlooking Bradford city centre, is being created in a project to transform a former derelict mill in Bradford into a new Culture Fusion Centre.The project aims to combat barriers faced by

young people aged 13 - 19 in Bradford, tackling territorial and safety issues and isolation, by providing a central, neutral hub.The development, in Thornton Road, is being

carried out for the University of Bradford Estates Department and Bradford YMCA, with BAM Construction as Main Contractors, and Bowman Riley as Architects.The scheme includes the refurbishment of the

existing building, together with construction of a modern extension. The new centre will have an atrium rising to the top "oor and will feature a six-storey climbing wall, dance

studio, hostel accommodation, counselling rooms and a rooftop café. It is hoped that the

new centre will provide a focal point for a new era of cooperation and understanding between young people of all ethnic backgrounds. The exterior will have

some innovative features designed to make the building highly noticeable both to young people and to the general public. A unique rooftop feature is intended to set the building apart, and, combined with a publicly visible cafe, will showcase to passers by the potential of such a diverse city. The interior of the building is also being designed to meet the needs of a diverse clientele.

Wasiq Khan, 15, a member of the Young People’s Steering Group who helped develop the project, said: “I couldn’t believe it when I found out we’d got grant funding. Culture Fusion will bring the young people of Bradford together and make a real difference to their lives.”


Shef!eld retail development to bolster construction

Having initially suspended the Sevenstone retail quarter regeneration project, the chancellor George Osborne has confirmed that construction work will proceed on the £660 million scheme after plans were revised to generate more private sector support. The scheme will provide a high class regional shopping facility to compete with other city centres such as Manchester, Leeds and Nottingham.Sheffield City Council announced that by July it will have

executed a compulsory purchase order for the 20-acre site in central Sheffield, where 800,000 square feet of retail space will be built and 4,000 new jobs in construction will be created. The Council is to borrow £10m to enable the retail quarter by developer Hammerson to move forward.The execution of the Compulsory Purchase Order at the

Sevenstone site means that construction work on the scheme could begin “at the earliest in 2013/14”.The CPO obtained by the Council expires at the end of July,

and its expiry without a concrete funding structure in place had!threatened to put the scheme into doubt.The council’s partnership funding arrangement with

Hammerson will “both secure the budget for acquisition purposes and protect the long term development opportunity within the city centre” but will not act as a “financial subsidy” to Hammerson, Sheffield City Council said.In a statement, Councillor Paul Scriven, leader of Sheffield City

Council, said: “This is the biggest step forward we have seen

in making Sevenstone a reality. In basic terms the council will commit £10m to securing this development opportunity.“What we are saying now is that Hammerson will provide

additional funding so that we can move forward and secure the development site during 2011.“This is a major and necessary step to make Sevenstone

happen and bring the people of Sheffield a first class retail experience.”


Midlands & East Angl ia

It is anticipated that the plant will offset campus carbon emissions more than three times over.The civils work on the scheme is being undertaken by Adonis

Construction, working with EPC Contractors BiogenGreenfinch who have designed and will commission the plant, and utilities company E.ON.!Mr John Greaves of BiogenGreenfinch said: “The contractors

have done very well, despite challenging weather and still tried to keep things moving when temperatures failed to exceed minus 10 degrees for 11 days during the works. In fact,!based upon their performance,! we are discussing future! plant builds! with them.”A two storey steel framed building houses the front end of the

plant, with the plant’s five!!process tanks including a!14 metre wide by 14 metre high digester tank being located externally, on specially reinforced foundations to the rear.! The process tank area is contained within!a specially constructed 2m high!bund which will be grassed. The biogas!produced by the plant will fuel a Jenbacher CHP unit which will produce 11MWh/day of electricity.!!!!The steel framed building features external elevations in metal

College project is a study in the success of sustainable energy


cladding, incorporating aluminium framed windows and a metal cladding roof with skylights.Internally, the building includes a reception hall were food

waste for processing will be delivered, a staff kitchen, toilets, a visitor centre and a first floor viewing gallery where visitors can see the anaerobic digestion process taking place.External works include the construction of a special

hardstanding area for the digester tanks, a large turning area for deliveries and a weighbridge.The Anaerobic Digester plant will produce renewable electricity

from food and farm waste and provides a highly effective waste management system. At the start of the process, food delivered in bags to the plant’s! reception hall will be fed into the plant and mixed with liquid before being pumped further on into the process. The facility can help businesses in the food industry, from producers to processors, distributors to retailers and caterers to hoteliers - cut costs, avoid landfill, meet environmental objectives and help keep customers happy.!The plant will also be available as a demonstration facility,

showing farmers and other business people how they can use by-products of their existing work to generate power and an additional source of income.In addition, demonstration could benefit a wider circle of

learners - from Harper Adams students to primary school children, who will be able to see a full, sustainable food cycle in one location, from farm to fork and back to the farm again.Harper Adams is just one of three higher education institutions

in England to have won a share of £10 million set aside for ‘transformational’ projects under the Revolving Green Fund- which was set up by the Higher Education Funding Council for England and Salix Finance.!Harper Adams Estates and Facilities Manager Paul Moran

said: “AD is fully supported by Defra as an excellent method of generating renewable energy in rural areas. This waste-to-energy project meets many of the criteria set out in the

Government’s 2007 Energy White Paper and has the potential to greatly benefit both Harper Adams and the wider community.“Instead of being left to degrade in landfill or elsewhere,

leaking methane into the atmosphere, food and farm waste can be digested in the AD unit and recycled into three useful by-products.“The first is biogas, which will fuel a unit producing both heat

and power. This, when combined with the output from our biomass unit and photovoltaic (solar-power) array, makes! the northern half of the campus entirely self-sufficient for heat and power, meaning we will hopefully be sheltered from fluctuating energy prices for at least the next 10 years.“The other products of the process are a liquid fertiliser and

compost, which can be used for the college’s farm and grounds operations, reducing reliance on manufactured fertilisers. This will, in effect, bring the Harper food chain full circle.“Our calculations show that the project will create ongoing

carbon savings of 11,229 tonnes a year - which is 3.4 times the current emissions from campus buildings, meaning that Harper Adams will become more than three times carbon neutral.”Don Leiper, Managing Director of E.ON’s Energy Services

business, said: “The way we create and use energy is changing and projects like this will help us develop new, sustainable energy solutions for the future.“Smaller, community scale, renewable energy projects such

as this have two benefits; they provide a secure, reliable and low carbon energy supply whilst also making use of a valuable waste resource that would otherwise be sent to landfill.”Since its foundation in 1901, Harper Adams has had a long

and proud tradition of working closely with the rural sector and will continue to do so, to add relevance to their teaching and research and to act as a focal point for transferring research into practice. Harper Adams is in the midst of an ambitious investment programme to provide the best possible facilities for their learning and teaching and research activities, and will




continue to make strategic investments in new staff to ensure that their academic community remains at the forefront of their specialist subject base.Some of the most pressing global concerns involve the

future provision of food, the impact of climate change and the management of rural land and environments. Harper Adams believe that they make a vital contribution by producing graduates with the capacity to address these issues, helping develop those already in work who need to acquire new skills and by creating knowledge that will help the rural sector, its businesses and its communities to flourish.Harper Adams has a vision to maintain a high-quality university

institution made distinctive by: Activities closely related to the needs of the rural economies and industries reliant upon those economies, with a specific commitment to farming for sustainable environments, re-establishing connections between food producers and consumers, knowledge transfer to support the rural economies and the international dimension of environmental and food chain sustainability.The development of national and international markets for students from a wide range of backgrounds wishing to specialise in rural subjects, with associated course and pedagogic developments.The provision of a learning environment and promotion of a student culture that enhance employability and personal development.Strong industry links that add business relevance to the college’s role in higher education and encourage lifelong learning.A central role for the college in generating and promoting innovation and the provision of higher education for the rural economies, during and beyond the planning period.

Adonis Construction is renowned for being very competitive generally,!and particularly in their specialist market sectors. This



is achieved primarily by engaging specialist sub-contractors from their dedicated supply chain. Furthermore, the company is able to draw upon the many years of market sector experience in-house to deliver innovative solutions and best value.The company achieved ISO 9001 in 2002, and held ISO 9002

before that. They strive to ensure that every building they hand over is of exemplary quality and has zero defects and achieve this by implementing a quality management process covering all stages including tendering, procurement, production and maintenance. These processes are being continually improved by

incorporating in-house recommendations, suggestions through the company’s supply-chain and, most importantly, clients’ comments received through their customer feedback programme.Adonis Construction have an enviable record of handing over

projects on time. They also have plenty of experience of fast-track starts and short contract periods for their motor trade clients, getting them on site and selling cars quicker than even they thought possible.Employees are the company’s key asset. Senior management

has an enviable level of construction experience, with the directors having an average service time of 23 years each, and the department heads having an average service time of 12 years.The company’s office and site-based staff and their supply

chain are all extremely experienced in the nuances of their specialist sectors and the company has worked on projects for a wide range of private and public organisations.“BiogenGreenfinch is unique. It is the only specialist British

anaerobic digestion company that can design, build and operate large-scale anaerobic digestion plants with a proven

track record.”! Richard Barker, CEO, BiogenGreenfinch.He adds: “We take what everyone throws away – waste from

the UK food chain. In a low carbon process, we recycle waste food in our anaerobic digestion (AD) plants to make renewable energy. All that remains is a liquid, rich in nutrients, which we return to the land as a biofertiliser to grow crops, replacing fossil fuel derived fertilisers.“Our digesters are filled with food waste from homes, shops,

pubs, restaurants, hotels, offices and the factories producing and processing our food.! Nothing is wasted: it is the truly green alternative to landfill: our AD plants are helping to make landfill history. No other alternative can match the environmental credentials of anaerobic digestion.“Disposing of food waste to landfill is no longer acceptable

because of the damage it does to the environment and its contribution to climate change through methane and other gases escaping into the atmosphere.! Increasingly it is prohibited by regulations and made expensive through the imposition of special landfill taxes.! We must act now.”BiogenGreenfinch is a national company with offices

in!Bedfordshire and and!Shropshire, designing, building, owning and operating commercial-scale anaerobic digestion plants for processing food waste.Food waste is a serious problem – some 18 million tonnes is

produced in the UK every year, of which roughly 6 million tonnes has to be collected by local authorities. Treating food waste in an anaerobic digester is cost-competitive

with landfill and other alternatives, and it is more environmentally sustainable.! It is recognised by the UK government, Defra, the Welsh Assembly, the Scottish Parliament, Friends of the Earth, the National Farmers Union and others.


The project, being carried out by Interserve, involves both new construction and the refurbishment of existing facilities.!Some projects are being financed using the Private Finance Initiative, where Interserve construct the schools and provide FM services for 25 years.! Others were procured through a conventional design and build route. Interserve are reported to be making good progress and have

a good working relationship with both the local authority and the schools involved.The project is being undertaken in conjunction with Sandwell

Futures, the organisation overseeing BSF in the borough.The schools involved include: Alexandra High School and

Batman’s Hill Pupil Referral Unit (Tipton Learning Campus); Wodensborough Technology College and Woden’s Rise Pupil Referral Unit (Wednesbury Learning Campus); Oldbury College

of Sport (Oldbury Learning Campus); Smethwick Learning Campus and Rowley Learning Campus.Constructed in the £42 million first phase of development at

Rowley Learning campus, Westminster Special School and Whiteheath Pupil Referral Unit have already moved into their new premises. Thirty six pupils started at Whiteheath in March and 71 pupils began lessons at Westminster.Around 1,300 pupils from St Michael’s CE High School will

move to the site when the second phase of development is completed in June 2011.The new campus will play an important role in the community,

serving one of six districts in Sandwell Borough and delivering an innovative design to meet diverse pupil needs across all three schools. Although the co-location solution will unite 1,850 students and staff on one campus, the three schools will continue to have their own individual identities.Westminster Special School and Whiteheath Pupil Referral

Unit are both two storey buildings of steel frame structure with external elevations predominantly in cladding incorporating a combination of aluminium and wooden framed windows and flat

Interserve at the forefront of multi-million pound schools BSF scheme



roofing. Each school will include general teaching classrooms and resource areasThe schools will share a number of areas to make maximum

use of space. The shared areas include a sports hall, fitness suite and a theatre. Another shared, facility, a catering kitchen, will provide meals for all three schools on the campus and Westminster Special School and St Michael’s C of E High School will have a shared staff area. Outdoor shared spaces include an all-weather sports pitch and a games area, with each school having its own multi use games area.St Michael’s CE High School is a three storey building

constructed in similar materials to the other two schools. In addition to general teaching and learning resource areas, the school will incorporate hub spaces to serve as additional leaning and breakout areas.Eco friendly features incorporated on the campus include

photovoltaic cells, a wind turbine and a biomass boiler, which will all serve all three of the schools.The project at the Smethwick campus, is being carried out

under a design and build contract and primarily involves the refurbishment of 1920s and 1930s buildings, together with a new build element.The refurbishment works include opening up classrooms

where possible, to provide larger teaching spaces; the provision of larger breakout areas and the clearing and renovation of a formerly overgrown courtyard to provide an outdoor leaning space.A new three storey block is also being constructed adjoining

the two original school buildings and comprises a sports hall, fitness suite, dance studio, science labs and a cafe area. The block features external elevations mainly in brick, with aluminium framed windows and a flat roof.In addition, a new single storey administration building has

been constructed and includes accommodation for the head and deputy head teachers.

External works include the creation of a new multi use games area and a new car park, and the upgrading of existing sports pitches.The first phase of the works has been completed, with overall

completion due at the end of summer 2011.The developments at Oldbury College of Sport, Wednesbury

Learning Campus and Tipton Learning Campus all commenced in January 2011.The project at Oldbury College of Sport is designed to

bring what was previously accommodation on a split site into one single location. The scheme involves predominantly refurbishment, with a smaller element of new build. Existing classrooms are being refurbished and the two and three storey new build element, which joins together some of the original buildings, will provide accommodation for mathematics and science studies. The new building is a steel framed structure in a combination of brick and cladding and has a flat roof.


Completion is due in February 2013.At Wednesbury Learning Campus, the works are due to

be completed in 2012 and predominantly involve classroom refurbishment, as well as alterations to comply with new DDA requirements. A small new build element is included and is designed to link some of the school’s existing blocks together. The project will also provide new build accommodation for the Woden’s Rise Pupil Referral Unit, which was previously housed in temporary classrooms.Also benefiting from a combination of refurbishment and

new build, the project at Tipton Learning Campus includes the upgrading of classrooms and the construction of new business training areas housed within a new block which also links with existing buildings. The new two storey steel framed block is constructed with external elevations in brick, with aluminium framed windows and a flat roof.



The impressive new development replaces the Prestwood Arms, a well known locally listed building, which fell into disrepair.The home will incorporate the most up-to-date design

features and technologies and is owned and managed by Avery Healthcare, an experienced and respected provider of residential care services for older people, with many years of experience and a growing portfolio of homes across the UK. Avery says that “All rooms will far exceed national standards

and the new home will operate with a formula that provides a wide range of leisure activities and choice for all its guests”.Designed by Gelder and Kitchen, experienced architects in

the field of healthcare facilities, the project is being managed by Goodrich Projects, who are also acting as Quantity surveyors and CDM co-ordinators Structural engineers are Cameron Darroch Associates.Paul Riley from Goodrich Projects praised the Main contractor

he said: “Dunelm Property Services are a pro-active building

Impressive new £5 million care home will “far exceed national standards”


contractor delivering a high level of quality in their work”.The design of the building has already received praise

from planners who were impressed with the blending of contemporary features in a traditional form that works well with the surrounding neighbourhood. Newcross Care Home will offer residential and dementia care

as well as shorter term, respite care. It will have 62 en-suite rooms purposely designed for care of the elderly. Facilities will include: large spacious rooms (among the largest of any care facility in the country), with en-suite walk-in showers; flat screen TV/DVD’s in all rooms; a dedicated cinema room; several lounges, dining and quiet areas for moments of reflection or relaxation; specialist bathing facilities to accommodate the needs of all residents; a hairdressing salon attended by professional staff and on site laundry facilities.The public house was demolished in the initial stages of

the project, as part of the site preparation. The building is of traditional construction incorporating elements of steel frame. It comprises three storeys, with the ground and first floors being for the residents and the second floor designed for staff. External elevations are in brickwork and scratch render, with windows in light green uPVC frames and a pitched tiled roof incorporating areas of flat roofing. The main feature is a two storey rotunda with flat roof over one corner of the building. External works include high quality landscaping around the

whole perimeter of the building, including extensive mature planting and a secure garden at the rear, as well as car parking to the side of the building. Artwork from Heath Park Business & Enterprise College,

working with locally based, professional stone sculptor Michael Scheuermann, will be featured on the two storey rotunda.Avery is one of the few care companies in the UK with an

active building programme, so this build plan is good news for the local community as the opening of the home will create many jobs for local people. There is already a waiting list for future residents.

Avery Healthcare Managing Director John Strowbridge commented: “The site on Prestwood Road, so near to the hospital, was ideal for us. We can promise the people of Wolverhampton a care home operating to the best standards in Britain – a care home that will be the best in the town and one they can be really proud of.”Work started on site in April last year and is approaching

completion for May 2011. Newcross Care Home will have a grand opening in June 2011 when the students’ artwork will be affixed on the rotunda.Dunelm Property Services are a major player in the social

housing sector in the North East. The culture of the business, under which it developed its systems and procedures, was chosen as the ‘preferred way to run a business’. !The senior management had over seventy years experience in

social housing in the region and knew exactly what they wanted to achieve. !This company culture was set up by adopting the principles of!Constructing Excellence and Investors in People.

National Breeding Centre to increase guide dog production

Guide Dogs is striding towards achieving its strategy aims as building work on its new National Breeding Centre nears completion.

Work began on Leamington Spa site in late February 2010 and construction work on the multi-million pound build will be completed this month (April 2011) under main contractor Morgan Sindall.The state-of-the-art centre will be a "agship

for Guide Dogs, purpose built to keep up with both demand for new dogs and the charity’s high standards of dog welfare.The centre will give Guide Dogs the capacity

to increase the number of puppies bred annually, which is crucial as the charity wants to be able to create 900 new guide dog partnerships annually by 2015.Carol Warner,

operations project manager, said, “As we provide people with guide dogs for life - and a person could have eight dogs in their lifetime - we need to be able to breed more dogs. “The current facilities

at Tollgate House are outdated and do not have enough capacity for expansion. The new centre will be world-class and allow us to meet our challenging aim to substantially increase our guide dog partnerships.”The centre also has specially designed visitor

features, opening to the public later this year around November, to allow people to get closer than ever before to the charity’s work.Carol Warner, operations project manager,

said, “We have always welcomed visitors to our current breeding centre, but there are

restrictions due to infection risk and disruption to the operation of the site.“We have always been very proud of our

transparent and ethical breeding policies and the National Breeding Centre will allow people to see exactly what we are so proud of.“It will also mean we can more easily share

our knowledge and experience with veterinary professionals, other dog breeders, other guide dog schools and assistance dog charities”.For more information visit www.guidedogs.

org.uk/aboutus/national-breeding-centre




The project was carried out by Main Contractors Gelder Group for Lincoln Co-operative Society Ltd, who already have a 9,500 sq ft food store on the site. Project Co-Ordinators were Hodgson Elkington LLP; Architects were Brian Wright Architects.Birchwood Centre, originally developed in the 1980s, is firmly

established and well recognised throughout the local community. It is anchored by the Co-op supermarket and is home to a variety of national and local businesses offering a diverse range of services on a two acre site which benefits from over 12,000 customer visits per week.!The first phase of new units was completed in 2009 and is fully

let. The second phase was completed in March 2011 and offers a range of unit sizes ready for immediate occupation. Both phases complement the existing units, many of which were retained and upgraded.!Phase one of the scheme involved the creation of 12 new retail

units, with the works including partial demolition of several food take-away and other units at the site entrance, and the construction of new units with offices at first floor level. This element of the project also involved re-formatting of the entrance to the site, including the replacement of an old bus lay-by. Further works included the refurbishment of the remainder of the original building, including! the addition of a new roof, new shop fronts and a new canopy.Phase two of the scheme involved the creation of nine new retail

units ranging from 9,085 sq ft to 546 sq ft. The works involved both refurbishment of the exterior of the existing units and new build to infill the missing elements of the centre left from the phase 1 demolition. The new build element comprised the construction of a two storey extension with retail units on the ground floor and 18 one and two bedroom apartments on the second floor. The extension features external elevations in brick incorporating a canopy and a pitched roof.The second phase also involved the re-cladding and re-roofing

of retained elements of the shopping centre with a pan tiled pitched roof and the addition of a new canopy.External works involved the re-levelling and re-formatting of two

car parks, soft landscaping and the block paving of footpaths.Speaking of the challenges faced by the contract team Mr

Sam Heathershaw of Hodgeson Elkington LLP said: “It was a huge undertaking to allow the centre to continue trading whilst completely redeveloping it.”The centre is the only significant retail location serving the

immediate catchment population of approximately 17,000. This catchment is also regularly supplemented with visitors living within the local suburbs and satellite villages.!The Co-op store on the site has also been refurbished in a

separate project, including the addition of a new roof, and complete by completely altering the internal reconfiguration, in a scheme that has been well received by local shoppers.

Construction expertise ensures success of centre’s £7 million transformation


The project is being carried out for Newark and Sherwood District Council in partnership with its arms length management organisation Newark and Sherwood Homes, who are Project Managing the scheme.The partnership worked together in a successful bid for

grant!funding of £1,025,839 from the Homes and Communities Agency for the project.!All of the new properties are of timber frame construction and

are being constructed by the Apollo Group.The four sites where development started in September 2010

and are due to be completed between June and August 2011, involve the construction of: five one bedroom apartments at Sycamore Close, Newark; three two bedroom terraced houses and two, two bedroom bungalows at Grange Road, Newark; three two bedroom terraced houses and six one-bedroom apartments at Stafford Avenue, Balderton and three two bedroom terraced houses and four one bedroom apartments at Norwood Gardens, Southwell.Currently, construction is at first fix stage on most of the sites.! All of the sites are council owned and were previously

occupied by lock-up garages, which were demolished as part of the project.All of the properties are being built to high standards including

the Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4 and Homes and Community Agency Standards, with the houses being built to Lifetime Homes standards. The project is also being carried out under the Considerate Constructors Scheme and is utilising local labour and training initiatives.The new properties mean that local people on the housing

waiting lists will have a quality new home at a rent they can afford, with lower energy bills and a reduced impact on the environment.The project follows on from a first phase, carried out under a

Affordable, energy ef!cient council homes take shape on four sites



separate contract by a different contractor, also involving the construction of 26 homes - the first new family council homes to be built in the area for 30 years.The partnership has ensured that the development provides

opportunities for its communities through the building process. Contractors are required to use local labour where possible and provide training for apprentices as part of the programme meaning that local people have literally had a hand in being able to provide these new homes for local residents.! In Newark and Sherwood there is a significant need for affordable housing and indeed one of its priorities is to provide Good Homes for all.! Margaret Allen, director for the HCA East Midlands, said:

“This is good news for the local community. The council’s development programme will provide high quality affordable homes for tenants, of which there is a significant need.!“A crucial element of our work is to maximise local opportunities

as a result of public sector investment, and therefore the use of local labour was a major factor in supporting the project.”Ginette Hughes the Chair of Newark and Sherwood Homes

said “I am delighted that! we are building a further 26 much needed Homes for our Tenants and I look forward to returning in the summer to view the completed quality Affordable Homes and welcome the new tenants.”Peter Fulcher, Apollo’s Director of New Build Housing added:

“This is one of a number of projects recently awarded to our New Build division, which, I am delighted to report, continues to exceed all expectations.”


Increasingly a modern congregation will expect video projection, multimedia facilities, an extensive mixing console and a sound system more akin to a concert venue than a church hall.In fact over the last few years the use of technology in church

worship has increased exponentially and the hymn book has been replaced by computers connected to flat screen TV’s or to high powered video projectors onto electric screens. Similarly progressive congregations will sing to the accompaniment of a worship band comprising electronic keyboards, guitars, and a kit of drums providing high energy praise and worship songs far removed from the style of hymns traditionally led by a choir and organ.Working almost exclusively in church installations, B&H Syscom

based in Peterborough are heavily involved in equipping church for modern worship, and work with established churches and new builds alike to integrate hi tech systems for sound, light and video into older buildings and turnkey design and build. Brian Hillson , the MD from B&H explains; “ church

worship styles vary from meditative Plainsong to full on rock gospel services at sound levels closer to the O2 Arena than country church, so its no longer appropriate to simply provide a sound system just to handle the speech from the preacher, but often a full range music system which would be at home in a high quality disco or concert venue. Equally well , innovative churches are using video clips, downloads, specialist softwares to show supporting multimedia material to re inforce the Christian message, add to the worship experience, and make the services more creative and relevant to an all age congregation.Some services aimed at people who are not regular church

attenders are more like concerts and meant to appeal to teenagers who are used to loud and interactive music and so the equipment has to be capable of handling this kind of programme. So church worship is not static, and the styles of service are as varied as the people who attend church, so we need to ensure that the technology in church buildings keeps pace with the changing demands of technology, and keeps the teaching relevant and meaningful for new generations of Christians to express their faith.”The new Salvation Army building at Sheringham is just one

example of how even a new Hall in a long established coastal resort has taken the opportunity to update its technical facilities to the most up to date standards by installing a comprehensive 24 channel sound system, an extensive video projection system with multiple screens, and a stage lighting system as part of the M&E provision for the new build.The Message of Christ may be 2,000 years old but the

expression of Faith is definitely 21st Century

Church in the 21st Century



The design and build project is being carried out by Main Contractors Lawson Construction for Moundsley Hall Healthcare Group. The new building is being constructed on a level site in a Green

Belt area, and the project is now progressing through its second phase.The three storey building is divided into three blocks - two

containing 30 bedrooms and having an approximate gross external area per floor of 608 m2 - and a third containing 15 bedrooms. Each block has its own kitchen, dining and lounge facility.The building incorporates 22 dormers to each block with

main entrance porticos and is of traditional brick and block construction with feature render panels and Georgian style uPVC framed windows incorporating toughened external K reflective glazing. Roofing is in pitched, traditional style.External works on the project include the creation of a car park

and landscaping.The project commenced in September 2010 and is due for

completion in January 2012.Lawson Construction has achieved turnovers of up to £6 million

over the last few years over a wide spectrum of construction projects. The scope of work ranges from commercial,

industrial, new build and refurbishment, to private and public sector housing.The company was founded in 1966 and has expanded over the

years, thanks to its good reputation for high quality, completion to time and working within cost budgets.Moundsley Hall Care Home is set in six acres of tranquil

landscaped grounds and woodland. Its unique location, accessed via a tree lined avenue, provides a country setting whilst enjoying the amenities of an urban location. The home provides accommodation for those requiring continuous nursing care, residential care, convalescence, or respite care and can also cater for younger adults and for clients with physical or learning disabilities.

Major new care home takes shape in prestigious project


The project, for Telford & Wrekin Council, is being carried out by Main Contractors Kier Moss; Architects, Landscape Architects, Civil and Structural Engineers, Mechanical, Electrical and Environmental Engineers, Lighting Designers and Acoustic Consultants are BDP.“This will be a fantastic development in a lovely setting. We are

hoping to create a suitable gateway for visitors to the nearby World Heritage site at Ironbridge” said Mr Guy Kershaw of Telford & Wrekin Council.The Abraham Darby Academy (part of the Haberdasher’s

family of schools) is the first secondary school in Telford & Wrekin to be rebuilt as a sports and learning community. The project includes the demolition of the Abraham Darby Academy and Woodlands Primary School and construction of a modern educational facility, together with the construction of a new community leisure centre. The academy is a 1050 place school including a sixth form and

will incorporate flexible spaces with breakout areas. The primary school is designed to accommodate 420 children, and features classrooms arranged in a semi circle facing open teaching areas, with external teaching areas also being incorporated within the design. The community leisure centre will incorporate a 25 m swimming

pool with a moveable floor, a ‘whole life’ fitness suite, a sports hall, a suite of offices and meeting rooms for the council’s Integrated Services Family Support Team and three consulting rooms for the PCT to accommodate visiting professionals such as speech therapists.According to Architects BDP: “The design combines an

academy sponsored by the Haberdashers’ Livery Company, with a primary school and a community leisure centre, set on a sloping site at the gateway to the Ironbridge World Heritage Site. The scheme exploits the levels to produce a highly compact design, thereby freeing up as much space as possible for external play, learning and sports provision.“While the project brings together the three stakeholders

(primary, academy and leisure) into a single entity ‘The Abraham Darby Sport & Learning Community’, one of the key requirements was to configure the space in such a way that the individual stakeholders could express their own identity and ethos.“The design articulates the different elements as a series of

linked pavilions stepping down the hill. The primary school is sited on the high level plateau, with its own entrance and south facing garden - reflecting its ethos of ‘learning by doing’. The academy is composed as a formal ‘collegiate’ block, with performing arts at the heart of the school, its foursquare traditional form reflecting the Haberdashers’ ethos of ‘enlightened traditionalism’. The leisure centre (to which it is linked) is set to its side, with substantial areas of glazing allowing users to see in and out and promote the council’s ‘wellness’ agenda.”The design has been developed to the highest environmental

standards and has a host of sustainable features including on site CHP generation and an anaerobic digester. As designed it achieves a BREEAM excellent rating and generates a 64% carbon reduction over current Part L2 requirements.The academy is a concrete framed building, whilst the

community centre is mostly steel frame construction and the primary school mostly of timber frame. External elevations of the interconnected buildings are in a combination of brickwork, cedar panels and faced concrete, with a variety of roofing including a large 20m span dome on the academy, a sedum roof on the primary school and a flat roof on the community centre.External works include the creation of hard and soft landscaped

sports pitches, a sensory garden for the primary school and soft landscaping of the whole site.

Three into one will go - in major academy redevelopment



The new fire station was commissioned by Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service. The project was designed and managed by Focus Consultants and built by Bowmer and Kirkland. Civil and structural engineers were BSP Consulting and Mechanical and Electrical engineers were EP Consulting.“Our new Carlton Fire Station offers first-class training

resources and equipment essential to effective 21st century fire and rescue operations,” said Chief Fire Officer Frank Swann. “The former station, although serving the people of Carlton and surrounding areas well for many years, had become outdated and maintaining its upkeep was no longer a cost-effective option. The opening of this station is a positive step forward in providing us with excellent facilities for the future, and I am pleased to see it completed.” !

Ian Pritchard, Estates and Procurement Manager for Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service said “Crews think the new building is fantastic compared with the old station which was in a state of dilapidation – it’s a big morale booster for the fire service”.Initial works on the scheme included the demolition of the old

fire station and the remediation of contaminated ground.The community fire station houses more than 50 fire fighters

and support staff. It incorporates an ultra efficient heating system, a fully-networked computer system, three fire engine bays and purpose-designed facilities for community meetings and other events.!Other facilities include six changing pods with self contained showers and locker units and a kitchen.External facilities include a rear yard incorporating a training

tower and an attached two storey building for rope rescue training; an RTC compound where fire fighters can practice car-cutting techniques and a maneuvers yard for refuelling and washing down equipment.The two storey main building is constructed on a tight site,

New £3.5 million !re station is ‘big morale booster’ for crews


covering the entire footprint of the old fire station which had reached the end of its useful life. The new building is steel of frame structure with block infil, incorporating aluminium and timber framed windows and a green sedum roof to help keep the building cool in summer and warmer in winter, as well as delaying the release of rainwater to lessen the impact on drains during flooding.The building has been specially-designed to be energy efficient

and has been submitted for a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating. The project has already been awarded the Secured By Design

certificate – the official UK Police flagship initiative which focuses on crime prevention - at the design and layout stages of construction.

Arch Timber Protection is the leading European supplier of fire retardant treatments for the effective protection of timber, including leading brands such as DRICON and NON-COM Exterior treated timber.Both fire retardant treatments, with proven track records going

back over 25 years, are applied by industrial pressure treatments. This provides a long term and highly effective surface spread of flame protection that allows timbers to be used with real confidence in a wide variety of interior and exterior applications.DRICON is the only BBA approved fire retardant treatment for

timber.

ARCH TIMBER PROTECTIONTel: 01977 714000Fax: 01977 714001E-mail: [email protected]: www.archtp.com



Begun in January 2008, the Cube’s striking mirrored glass exterior makes it an iconic building in the town centre. Designed by Hawkins Brown Architects, and constructed by Galliford Try, The Cube has already received international acclaim as runner-up in the prestigious 2007 LEAF Awards for the Best Public Building Design of the Year, second only to the Beijing Olympic Swimming Pool and now it seems to be setting a construction trend, and is the only theatre in the UK to have a BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’.Leader of Corby Borough Council, Cllr Pat Fawcett said,

“The Cube is already an iconic building and it’s wonderful to be associated with a project that brings so much pride to the people of Corby. “Feedback has been fantastic, residents have been wowed by The Core, have already taken out books, have used the One Stop Shop and that is what the building is all about, bringing services together and making them accessible for the people of Corby. I am very proud that the building is now open and after two and a half years of construction residents can finally enjoy their Cube”.The building incorporates accommodation for direct services

for the council, including a One Stop Shop, housing repairs, advice and tenancy, council tax, benefits, environmental issues and cash payments for Council Tax and housing rent. The splendid walnut clad Council Chamber holds all of Corby Borough Council’s public committee meetings and is also available for weddings and to hire out for meetings. The Theatre is a stunning 445-seat venue with a curved

retractable seating system to facilitate a flexible flat floor auditorium space that can hold up to 700. The library is located on a ramp, full with new stock and a

computer suite. Corby’s Registry Office is now located in the Corby Cube and Weddings will take place in the Council Chamber. The most recent addition is the family friendly Corby Café, with the level four rooftop garden being opened later in the year.

The 12,500 m2 building features four storeys above ground level and one below. Its construction involved more than 2050 panes of glass and 15,500 tonnes of concrete. On behalf of Bates Timber, Arch Timber Protection supplied

320 square metres of birch plywood treated with their DRICON fire retardant to be used as both visible and concealed interior wall cladding in the iconic building. “Arch provided us with a full service from source to delivery, exactly to the specification of the architect,” said Peter Bates, Director, Bates Timber Merchants.Arch offers the most comprehensive choice of latest generation

fire retardant treatments for timber and board products that allows their safe use in public buildings. In a fire situation, these treatments retard the rate of ignition and the surface spread of flame, as well as reducing smoke emissions - all factors that provide more time for escape from the building.“These plywood panels are not all visible when the building

is complete, but they give a proven fire retardant protection in the background structure of the building,” says Jacqui Hughes, Arch Timber Protection’s Fire Retardant Sales Manager. “Dricon is the only BBA-certificated fire retardant treatment for timber and provides the perfect proven fire protection for interior applications such as this.”

Iconic £30 million Corby Cube completed


From September 2011, the Academy will move to brand new buildings with 11-16 provision located on the Woodhouse site and post 16 provision located on part of the Queen Elizabeth’s Mercian School site.Commissioned by Staffordshire County Council, the main

contractors are Willmott Dixon, working to the design of Aedas Architects Ltd.! They will be supported by Mechanical and Electrical engineers WSP Group, amongst others.Nick Heath, Project Director for Willmott Dixon Construction

Limited, said: “Willmott Dixon’s!philosophy of partnering runs central to our approach in dealing with our clients, consultants, contractors and local communities. One key element of this approach is our commitment to using local supply chains, wherever possible, to ensure that local economies reap the benefits of major capital schemes situated within their midst.”Liz Staples, Cabinet Member for Education & Skills said of the

project “The new Academy buildings will be flexible, sustainable and inspirational environments that will actively promote learning and provide a catalyst for raising standards and aspirations.! The educational needs of the students will remain our top priority throughout the design and construction phase.”Landau Forte Academy 11 – 16 Centre opened in existing

buildings in September 2010 as another member of the family of schools operated by Landau Forte Charitable Trust. Landau Forte Academy Tamworth offers dual specialisms in Science and Business Enterprise.Due for completion in August 2011, the Academy will move to

the new purpose built accommodation for 960 11 - 16 year olds and 860 16 – 19 year olds.The 11-16s facilities include science, technology and

engineering faculties, each in separate blocks. Accommodation includes learning bases with modern and moveable furniture and moving walls, an art plaza, library and ICT centre, on site kitchen, theatre with folding seating and wall, stage lighting, sports hall with changing facilities, sports pitches, outside terrace, student canteen and staff parking.The Post 16 facilities include a range of classroom sizes and

open learning spaces, with clear articulation and circulation, together with a new restaurant and dining terrace, fitness suite, performance spaces, library, new business centre and flexible use spaces for use by the community and students alike.

The two-storey buildings are predominately naturally ventilated with heating supplied through the building fabric via the floors, and generated naturally by a!ground source heat pumps!located beneath the playing fields. Mechanical ventilation is limited to the larger spaces and volumes, and together with enhancement of the thermal performance of the building fabric, running costs of the new buildings are minimised. All mechanical plant is located at roof level above the street and is screened from view by parapets.

New term brings superb new £35 million academy



BFAP moves forward in latest stage of works

The Broadland Flood Alleviation Project is a long-term project to provide a range of "ood defence improvements, maintenance and emergency response services within the tidal areas of the Rivers Yare, Bure, Waveney and their tributaries. Broadland Environmental Services Ltd, a joint

venture company between BAM Nuttall Ltd. and Halcrow Group Ltd., has been appointed by the Environment Agency to deliver these services and, in partnership with the agency, it is now implementing the 20-year programme of works. Compartment 7, of a total of 37, comprises an

11.4km stretch of "oodbank on the left bank of the River Thurne between Thurne Dyke and Somerton Dyke. The bank passes through the important and busy tourist centre of Potter Heigham as well as some quieter areas such as around the margins of Martham Broad.Flood alleviation improvement works started

on site in spring 2009. Currently, some 240km of "oodbanks protect approximately 21,300 hectares of Broadland containing more than 1700 properties, of which more than 1000 are residential. Most of the original material used for the construction of these "oodbanks was silty clay and as a result many have deteriorated over time. Combined with changes to river channels, many are now susceptible to seepage and in danger of being undermined and/or subject to breaching. Many "oodbanks

have also settled since they were built or last improved and are at risk of being overtopped by even fairly small tidal surges.In some parts of

Broadland, the existing defences are also threatened due to erosion of riverbanks caused by wind and waves, boatwash, normal river "ows and the action of the tide. Although many areas have been protected by steel or timber sheet piles, much of this was installed over the last 40 years and now needs to be replaced.Paul Mitchelmore of the Environment Agency

was able to give some insight into the project:“This is a PFI initiative, so it carries more risk

than our usual contracts, and it demands trust in the contractor. So far, the trust has been justi!ed and things have progressed well. Once the improvement works to the "ood defences have been completed in each compartment, the contractor is responsible for maintaining those defences until the end of the contract period in 2021. At this point the defences, with a guaranteed residual life, are handed back to the client who can expect only to have to carry out light maintenance for several years...“The latest stage of the project is still on site

and it should be complete by the middle of this

year. With a project of this kind, there can be a lot of concern amongst the public in the initial stages. That’s because we’re talking about sensitive areas – national parks, which are areas of natural beauty – that have quite fragile eco-systems and very little human infringement, other than for leisure. There’s a large boating industry in the area, for example, as well as a lot of !shing. Those interests, added to the local residents, make up a diverse group of stakeholders keen to protect the area.“However, we alleviate concerns by showing

that our presence is far from destructive. In fact, it’s the opposite – we’re investing a lot of money to protect the area and leave it better off than it was before. Once people see that, there’s a strong tendency for them to get right behind us, even if our work causes temporary disruption from time to time.”


The external walls are generally of facing brick to provide a simple yet robust surface with minimal maintenance and high durability. Zinc cladding is featured on the elevations of the new business centre and library to generate a strong visual identity and focal point for the community.The roofs are predominantly metal standing seam and pitched

for ease of maintenance and longevity, with inverted hot melt roofing over the plant area to aid durability and minimise maintenance. Rainwater is harvested for flushing of all WC’s and for maintenance of plants within the courtyards.Tamworth’s Member of Parliament, Christopher Pincher, said:

“It really will be a fantastic building – modern, light and spacious – which will provide an excellent space for children to learn and develop.! No more cramped classrooms and narrow, winding passageways.! I am sure staff and students cannot wait to get into their new school.”


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The new building, named after Jack Judge, the Oldbury-born songwriter who wrote the timeless classic ‘It’s a Long Way to Tipperary’, is constructed on a site previously occupied by a bus station.Sandwell Council were the Architects and Quantity Surveyors

for the project and the building was constructed by Morgan Ashurst. Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for safer neighbourhoods

Cllr Derek Rowley said: “This new building is an incredible example of sustainable construction. The fact that it will emit just a seventh of the carbon compared to the buildings it replaces is a testament to the design and building work that has gone into the project.”Dave Smith, Morgan Sindall’s area director, added: “We

were delighted to unveil the completed library building to Sandwell Council. We pride ourselves on delivering the highest standards of sustainable construction for all our customers and we are confident the new library offers a contemporary and environmentally-friendly space that will benefit the local community.”The building houses the new Oldbury library and offices for

300 Sandwell Council staff. On the ground floor, the library has just under 400 square metres of floor space and is a modern and vibrant area with its own children’s section, reading tree and community room. Other facilities include welcoming areas to relax and read; a community room providing learning opportunities for local people; tea/coffee vending machines and toilet and baby changing facilities. The development has been designed to achieve an ‘excellent’

BREEAM rating. The main structure is made of reinforced concrete with blockwork and render. The external elevations incorporating timber and aluminiumframed windows, steel and aluminium doors and a combination of monopitched and curved roofing, including a sedum roof section. Using timber from traceable sources, the building includes environmentally friendly heating and cooling systems and the the concrete floor slabs retain heat. Other eco-friendly features include roof level solar panels; energy efficient lighting; triple glazing; cavity wall insulation and roof mounted solar panels.One of the new users is delighted with the new building and

said “First impressions are that it is very light and airy much better than the old building”.Sandwell Mayor Cllr Pauline Hinton opened the building at a

ceremony attended by dozens of people, including local pupils on Thursday 25 March 2011.Morgan Ashurst is part of the Morgan Sindall Group plc - a

leading UK construction and regeneration group with a turnover

of £2.2 billion, employing over 7,000 people and operating in the public and commercial sectors. The company operates through five divisions of construction

and infrastructure, affordable housing,!fit out,!urban regeneration and!investments.Working on everything from small scale fit outs and utilities

projects to major urban!regeneration schemes, the company’s strength comes from this balance of activity and their ability to provide integrated solutions comprising a range of their services.The company aims to develop market leadership in all of the

sectors in which they operate. To provide long-term success for the Morgan Sindall Group and its shareholders, they will continue to grow both organically and through acquisitions.

Eco-friendly new home for Oldbury Library



The project, which was completed in April, was carried out by Main Contractors AC Loyds, working with Architects BDP.Speaking of the contract team, one of the company’s Directors

Theresa Jackson said: “We just can’t praise them enough, they were absolutely fantastic.”Jacksons was founded in 1963 by Ronald and Catherine

Jackson and moved to the Old Arley site 40 years ago, becoming one of the largest suppliers of camping equipment in the Midlands. The company is still run by members of the Jackson family.In the early hours of May 14 last year, a blaze began at the shop

when a van, parked in front of the roller door entrance, was set alight deliberately. That fire quickly spread to the main building and tore through the shop.It took four hours for more than 70 firefighters from across

the county to get the blaze under control and neighbours were evacuated from their homes in Spinney Close as flames and thick black smoke leapt high into the air.Two warehouses containing camping and caravan equipment,

tents and clothing were destroyed as well as the sales department.“We were absolutely devastated - a lot of blood, sweat and

tears went into building up the business” said Theresa Jackson. But their sadness turned to joy on completion of their superb new premises. Speaking of the building’s completion she said: “What a day that was - it was what we had been living for the last 11 months - an incredible feeling. It’s a fantastic building - a real joy to walk into. It is light, bright and airy and has a lovely feel to it. AC Lloyd have done an excellent job.” She added that AC Lloyds also finished the contract a week early and this was extremely helpful in planning the shop’s re-opening.Internal facilities of the new 210,000 sq m two storey building

include a foyer, main sales areas at ground and first floor level and offices - all with an open plan layout.The steel framed building features brickwork to the front

elevation and cladding to the remainder, incorporating ground floor shop frontage glazing and skylights at first floor level, topped by a shallow pitched roof.

Externally, there is an 80 space car park and two garden areas complete with rose bushes and seating, dedicated to the memory of Ronald and Catherine Jackson and Mark Luton.The new premises also much more suited to the business,

as the old store was a combination of add-on buildings and extensions, which the business had outgrown.Jacksons of Old Arley claim to be one of the largest stockists

of camping, caravanning, outdoor clothing and spares and accessory equipment in the Midlands. The company stock everything for the outdoor enthusiast, and have thousands of satisfied customers, who come back year after year, safe in the knowledge that the company has the biggest stocks at the best prices.Established in 1948, A.C. Lloyd has over 60 years experience in

the construction industry and has risen from humble beginnings to become one of the Midlands most respected companies, working on a diverse range of projects from those in the education sector to retail and religious buildings.AC Lloyd is a proactive company who treat every contract as

a mutually beneficial collaboration of the industry professionals and tradesmen to produce the best quality construction at the best price.

Jubilant client praises ‘fantastic’ contract team for camping !rm’s new premises


South West

At the end of March it was announced that the Trust had secured the £70 million loan for the refurbishment by the Department of Health. The Trust aims to sign a contract with construction company Laing O’Rourke in the summer.The refurbishment will include the provision of: an integrated

assessment unit, bringing together all the clinical staff to assess and treat adult patients who need to be admitted to hospital; an urgent ambulatory care centre, adjacent to the emergency department, where the patients who do not need to be admitted to hospital can be treated, and sent back home or into community services, and a purpose built short stay unit for patients who are likely to be discharged within 60 hours;Other new facilities include: a state-of-the-art intensive care

unit; a surgical floor with wards that are located directly next door to theatres and the intensive care unit; and a medical floor where key medical wards are adjacent to each other to allow integrated care by all clinical staff.

Robert Woolley, Chief Executive of the Board of University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust said: “We have worked on this redevelopment for many years. We are redeveloping our hospitals to improve the hospital environment for our patients and our staff and the new facilities will enable us to transform the ways in which services are delivered to patients.“This redevelopment will enable us to work more efficiently,

ensuring that patients are diagnosed and treated quickly and are only admitted to hospital if they need to be. We are working with our NHS partners in this area to transform care for our patients and this is a very important part of this.”Dr Mike Nevin, a consultant in intensive care and Head of

the Division of Surgery, Head and Neck, said: “It is impossible to overstate exactly how important making these structural changes are in regard to our ability as a Trust to offer the highest standards of clinical care to the people of Bristol. We will be offering 21st century models of care for medicine and surgery in state-of-the-art buildings that are fit for purpose. Better diagnostics, and senior medical input in the new integrated assessment unit, will help decrease the number of patients admitted to hospital unnecessarily, returning the patients back to the safety of their homes, and to our partners providing community services.”

Go-ahead for £80 million Bristol Hospital


The location for the structure was selected at the site of an existing at-grade pedestrian railway crossing which was closed and replaced by the bridge.Swindon Borough Council awarded the contract to Alun

Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd following an open tendering process.The structure obtained full planning permission and technical

approval from Swindon Borough Council. The new bridge has a 27m main span and is a Warren truss,

steel superstructure. The height of the structure gives railway track headroom of 5.8m to allow for the future electrification of the line. The upper 50m of the approach ramps are of steel construction and the lower ramps are bitumen macadam surfaced pathways constructed on earth embankments. The embankment at the south abutment incorporates a concrete crib wall approximately 60m long varying from 1.5 to 5.5m in height. The original design concept was for the whole approach

ramp structures to be of steel construction. Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd offered an alternative proposal to construct the lower ramps on earth embankments. This was accepted by Swindon Borough Council and offered significant whole life maintenance cost savings. Advance vegetation clearance / tree stump removal, Great

Crested Newt fencing under an ecological licence and tree protection fencing was required to be carried out prior to the main construction stage of the projectDue the existing poor ground conditions the reinforced

concrete abutments and substructure were constructed on 17m long continuous flight auger piles to transfer the loads into the soft clay. The steel superstructure was fabricated off site and transported to the site. One of the main construction challenges for the team was

access to the bridge site location. The location had no highway links and was only accessible through farmland on the south side and via an existing cycleway on the north. A temporary haul road was designed to allow for all construction vehicles. These included the abnormal load vehicles required to transport the main bridge to the location for lifting into its final position, and the 500t crane required for the lift. The method employed for the installation of the superstructure required approval of Network Rail and was carried out under a railway track possession.There are approximately 300 bridges managed by Swindon

Borough Council. The rest are either motorway bridges, boundary bridges or privately owned. The council’s aim is to manage and maintain the borough council’s highway bridges and structures assets in a cost-effective, sustainable and safe manner. !Swindon Borough Council inspect and maintain a range of

bridges as simple as stone slab or clapper bridges to state-of-the-art cable stays.In addition to the bridge stock, the council looks after highway

retaining walls.Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd is a leading regional civil

engineering and construction contractor with a track record stretching back over 40 years.! Operating out of strategically located centres, with a large directly employed workforce

and extensive plant fleet, the company has the flexibility and resources to respond swiftly to clients’ needs. Their experience embraces both the public and private sectors and includes major and minor capital projects, framework and term maintenance contracts, partnering and joint venture alliances.Road construction, bridge works, factory complexes,

industrial or commercial buildings, urban regeneration, car parks, energy projects, land reclamation or waterways – whatever the civil engineering or building project, Alun Griffiths has a reputation of delivering professionally and expertly for their clients.The company puts the needs of their clients first and

as a consequence delivers the optimum solutions.! Their professional, collaborative approach combined with their value engineering expertise is proven to add value, whilst minimising disruption and other adverse impacts, consistently delivering successful framework and award winning projects on time and to budget.The company pride themslves in providing the ‘personal touch’

establishing and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships at all levels within client organisations, throughout the supply chain and with stakeholders.Alun Griffiths have a directly employed and loyal workforce,

which combined with their own extensive plant fleet, gives them the resources and flexibility to deliver what’s needed when it’s needed.

Forging a vital link - new £1.2m bridge completed


Wales

The wing will look to help those from the armed services from Wales and the north west of England who have lost their sight through injury, illness or old age to gain independence.The project is being carried out by Main Contractors Wynne

Construction.The new centre, which will include 10 beds, a gym, an arts

and crafts room and a training kitchen, will provide rehabilitation and training, teaching independent living skills, such as getting around safely, navigating a kitchen and IT skills. It will also include specially adapted leisure, dining and accommodation facilities catering for everything from residential training weeks, to nursing and respite care. The centre is due to be up and running in autumn 2011. Robert

Leader, Chief Executive of St Dunstan’s said: “The unit is essential to ensure St Dunstan’s can continue in its mission to enable blind ex-service personnel to live independent, full lives.We are delighted to be underway with the refurbishment. The

New rehabilitation centre for St. Dunstan’s

P & T Ceilings Ltd“Pleased to be associated with

Wynne Construction on the St. Dunstan’s Project”

Tel: 01352 713811 Fax: 01352 714315email: [email protected]

Unit 70, Green!eld Business Centre, Green!eld, Holywell, CH8 7QB.


On track for transformation

Swansea railway station is being transformed into a bright, accessible, clean and secure station !t for the 21st century.More than 1.6 million passengers who travel

through the Swansea station every year are set to bene!t from a much better rail travel experience. The project is being carried out for Arriva Trains Wales Ltd by Strategic Team Group.A larger concourse area with better and more

fully accessible passenger facilities is being introduced under the scheme as well as new waiting rooms, toilets, digital information boards, shops and CCTV cameras.The station will also become more

aesthetically pleasing thanks to a combination of refurbished canopies and new contemporary !ttings that will blend in with existing architecture.A side entrance from the taxi rank, additional

bicycle racks, renovated toilets and a centralised customer information desk will also be among the new features.

A glazed wall is being installed between the station’s concourse and platform areas to allow more natural light into the building. Swansea railway station is one of the key gateways into the city and the upgrade scheme will sit alongside ongoing works to refurbish the city’s Quadrant Bus Station.Work on site started

in#September 2010.The improvement

work is being carried out in two key phases to bring incremental bene!ts to passengers. Passengers will bene!t from an improved concourse area by August 2011, before further work on the platform area begins in the second phase which is due for completion in December 2011.The improvement work is being carried out

with minimal disruption to passengers and extra steps will be taken to keep the station open at all times.

The scheme is part of the Wales Station Improvement Programme, part funded by the Welsh European Funding Of!ce via the Welsh Assembly Government, and is jointly delivered by Arriva Trains Wales, Network Rail and the Welsh Assembly Government.It also has !rm support from Swansea

Council, which sees the planned improvements to the station as a further boost to the city’s regeneration plans.


new facility will help ensure that we are reaching more blind ex-service personnel in need of our specialist assistance. It will enable them to access bespoke services and support, equipping them with the skills to lead full and independent lives. We have been overwhelmed by the welcome received from the people of North Wales and look forward to becoming part of the local community”.Chris Wynne, managing director of Wynne Construction, said,

“As an established firm in North Wales we are delighted to have been awarded this prestigious contract. Our proven experience in this field equips us to deliver the project to a high standard. The project will also enable us to offer employment to a number of skilled workers in the area, as well as affording valuable opportunities for the future”.Project manager Mick Byrne told Premier Construction “A lot

of the work will involve improving access – widening corridors and installing a new lift, as well as rails with tactile signals to help with orientation. We will end up with a building perfectly suited to its users”.For almost a century, St Dunstan’s has been giving invaluable

physical and emotional support to blind and visually impaired ex-service men and women. With their unique expertise, experience and comprehensive range of services, St Dunstan’s enables those in its care to lead independent fulfilling lives.! Sir Arthur Pearson, a newspaper proprietor who owned the

Evening Standard and founded the Daily Express, established St Dunstan’s in 1915. Pearson, who lost his own sight through glaucoma, was shocked at society’s attitude to blindness. He decided to help those who had lost their vision in the recent First World War by giving them the care and rehabilitation they needed to lead constructive, self-sufficient lives. Nearly a century later, St Dunstan’s still cares for those blinded in action, but also supports blind and visually impaired ex-service men and women who have lost their sight through accident, illness, or old age. The charity also helps those who have served in the emergency services.


The condition of the pier had recently deteriorated and major investment was required to safeguard its long term future and viability. Given the condition of the pier, the timings of the works could not be delayed or changed, since failure by the county council to undertake these works at this time would have put the future of the pier at risk.The project, being carried out for the Isle of Anglesey County

Council, is geared to improving the structural condition and accessibility of the pier in a bid to boost the local and regional economy.The scheme is being undertaken as part of the County

Council’s £5.6 million Development of Anglesey’s Coastal Environment Project which started in 2009, will be completed in 2013, and involves 18 separate projects geared to developing on-shore and off-shore facilities to maximise economic benefits and impacts from the coastline of Anglesey. Bam Nuttall are the Main Contractors for the pier project,

working with the county council who are acting as Client Project Managers, led by Mr Simon Philips, together with Design Consultants Capita Symonds, who are also responsible for site supervision and co-ordination, as well as health and safety.All of the refurbishment works are being carried out with the

pier in full operation, and this is being assisted through good liaison with a local pier users society.Works being carried out include reinstatement of the four

metre wide pier to its former width of eight metres. The underlying structure of the former, wider pier is already in place, so the works include the repair of the existing timber piling and structural framework, the laying of new timber decking, the installation of new handrails in this area and the refurbishment of handrails on the older section of the pier.A significant part of the project involves strengthening the

pier’s existing timber structure, including driving new timber piles down to the seabed and replacing rotten timbers in the superstructure. In addition, the timber decking section of the pier is being replaced and the masonry section is also being resurfaced. Existing timber steps from the pier to the sea are being virtually rebuilt.A stone kiosk at the entrance of the pier is being refurbished,

including repairing the stonework and installing new windows and a new copper roof. A timber shelter at the end of the pier is also being refurbished, and has been removed from its site for general repair, with the works also including the addition of a new copper roof.A new floating pontoon secured to the seabed by tubular steel

piles is being constructed at the end of the pier and will be accessed by a new link-span bridge. In order to minimise any potential disruption, the original works

programme (as announced by the County Council in March 2010) has been halved from 18 months to 9 months.Funding for the Coastal Environment Project has been

secured from the European Union’s Convergence Programme – European Regional Development Fund (ERDF); Welsh Assembly Government’s Môn a Menai Programme and Targeted Match Fund and Isle of Anglesey County Council.The project commenced in March 2011, with current works

including piling, which was to have been carried out in the summer, but is being completed ahead of schedule in order to minimise disruption to visitors during the holiday season.The project is scheduled for completion in October 2011.

Seaside pier restored to Victorian splendour

Wales


The conservation programme, which started in 2002, been supported by a £5.7 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, with additional financial support from CADW and Visit Wales.As part of the whole programme of works, external elements

were treated first including the clock tower decoration, all external masonry and aspects of the proximity walls around the castle.Recent works include the construction of a lift the main house

at the castle. The newly completed lift gives disabled visitors access to the most impressive parts of the house which previously has not been possible.The basement level of the castle, containing the 15th century

undercroft hall and Education Centre,! is already accessible to wheelchair users, with ramp, stair-lift and adapted toilet facilities. The new glass platform lift enables visitors to travel from the basement level to the first floor and second floor of the house.By using the lift, visitors are able to see the entrance hall,

library, drawing room, small dining room, Arab Room and banqueting hall -! all previously off limits to people who were unable to climb stairs.Another recently completed element of the scheme involved

the restoration of Lord Bute’s Sitting Room.Photographs of the room in 1910 were used to re-instate

furniture and fittings, including some pieces which were moved to the Bute family home in Scotland and have now been placed back in their original setting at Cardiff Castle. Of all the items put back into the Sitting Room, the most

striking feature which could not be displayed were the wall coverings, which were removed by the Bute family in 1947 and subsequently went missing. Because the surviving pieces had become too delicate for display, they are now kept in the castle archives so replicas were needed to decorate this room.Volunteers from Malvern Hills Decorative and Fine Arts Society

stepped up to the challenge of taking seven years of painstaking research and needlework to create the wall hangings that are now displayed.The replica hangings are identical to the originals in every way.

The fabrics, colours, techniques and design are true copies of the Victorian textiles. Even the wool fringing was specially made for the hangings to match those designed by Burges.The Sitting Room was used by the 3rd and 4th Marquesses of

Bute for reading, writing letters and attending to paperwork. In the 1950’s and 1960’s it was used as the Principal’s Office when the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama were based here. Since then it had been closed to visitors until recent restoration work was completed. The castle’s decorative interior programme was awarded

to specialist wall painting conservators Paine & Stewart, who built up a multi-disciplined team of conservators working with many specialists from different fields in order to preserve these unique interiors. Two years of preparation led to the start of the treatment programme in April 2007 and successfully concluded with the conservation of eighteen historic interiors in April 2009, as well as vital remedial work to roofs, gutters and windows.Cardiff Castle is one of Wales’ leading heritage attractions and

a site of international significance. During 2000 years of history, the castle has been a Roman Garrison, a Norman stronghold and in Victorian times was transformed into a gothic fairytale fantasy.

Cardiff Castle – the biggest conservation project in Wales


I re land

The company plan and build wind farms both domestically and internationally, and has! a staff of 160 professionals located in Germany, Spain, France, Argentina, Belgium, Ireland, Great Britain and Bulgaria. Expansion into other European countries is scheduled.ABO Wind initiates wind farm projects, acquires site locations,

organises all technical and business planning, arranges international bank financing and delivers turnkey wind farms. Up until now, ABO Wind has connected more than 270 wind turbines to power grids with a total capacity of 400 megawatts (as of 2nd quarter 2011),ABO Wind has been working with its Irish partner since 2006

to develop wind farms in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.! Their office is in Killiney, Co. Dublin, Republic of Ireland.

The company’s main area of operation is the planning and construction of turnkey wind farms. This ranges from the procurement of construction sites to initial operations and includes the complete planning of technical and business operations. In Ireland, they are mainly interested in procuring project rights for developed sites.ABO Wind was the only foreign project developer to succeed

in making financing possible for Irish wind farms in 2009, under the difficult conditions of the financial crisis.!Due to the market position that has now been reached, good

business is also anticipated in the Republic of Ireland during the coming years, which offers many opportunities, due to its attractive remuneration for feeding electricity into the grid and large space potential, and it will be one of ABO Wind’s most important markets in the long term.As part of its geographically diversified investment portfolio,

the team aims to acquire additional assets of wind generation

European wind farm giant focuses on Ireland


capacity in Ireland over the course of its investment period. “We are securing a deep pipeline of projects with a number of developers and owners to enable us achieve our target investment size in Ireland,” says Francesco Cacciabue, chief financial officer and investment director. “We target both operational wind farms and wind farms under constructionRecent, current and forthcoming wind farm projects for Abo

Wind in Ireland include those at Gortahile in County Laois, Glenough in County Tipperary and Gibbet Hill in County Wexford. The civil works for the Gortahile and Glenough projects have been carried out by main contractors Denis Moriarty whereas

the electrical works were carried out by Kirby Group, who have been highly praised for their work by Abo Wind.The construction of the EUR 42 million project at Gortahile - a

20 megawatt wind farm providing enough electricity to meet the annual needs of over 11,200 households - has now been completed and connected.“This acquisition represents the cornerstone of a larger

portfolio that we intend to build in Ireland,” says Joost Bergsma, chief executive of the fund managed by BNP Paribas Clean Energy Partners, which has acquired 100% of Gortahile Windfarm. “Ireland is a very attractive renewables market for

120 P R E M I E R C O N S T R U C T I O N6

AllSafe

A llSafe was established by Peter Fehily in 1996 to cater for

six years in Tara Mines, Co Meath and two years work in West Cork as a mine engineer. a responsibility on employers in all workplaces to safeguard the safety,

activities. To assist in this responsibility in the workplace, AllSafe provides the following services:

Workplace Hazard & Risk Audits/Assessments.Safety Statements.Employee Safety Handbooks.Safe Operating Procedures for workplace equipment.Safety Training – Manual Handling, First Aid, AED.

Under the Construction Regulations 2006, any enterprise or client undertaking construction work, either new build or refurbishment, must make appointments for the safe design and construction of the project, namely a PSDP and a PSCS. AllSafe provides advice in both of these roles and facilitate or

advisor service with full and part-time safety advisers available to implement site safety rules.

Other services provided include:Liaison with the Health and Safety AuthorityAdvice on prevention of non compliance notices by HSA.

Ergonomic/VDU assessmentsAchieve safety management standards accreditationSafety implications in CPO compensation hearings Accident/incident investigationsAdvice during litigation and defence of insurance claims

AllSafe has provided safety advice and training in the following industry sectors:

Construction projects (new and refurbishment)Demolition projectsAll construction trade activities

ALLSAFE IN THE WORKPLACEAllSafe provides advice on compliance with statutory safety in a wide variety of workplaces to assist employers in their moral and statutory duties to provide a safe place of work for their employees and to avoid the prospect of litigation.

Wind farm construction and operationNursing homesQuarrying and concrete productionSchoolHotels/bars/nightclubs

WarehousingMussel factories and mussel harvesting vesselsDockyardsGarden centresJoinery workshopsSteel fabrication workshopsWindow fabrication and installationBakeriesArchaeologistsTunnellingSolar panel installationCommunity AssociationsSports clubs/golf clubs

AllSafe can provide advice on compliance with statutory safety in a wide variety of workplaces to assist employers in their moral and statutory duties to provide a ‘Safe Place of Work’ for all employees and to avoid litigation

may also help to reduce EL/PL insurance premia for employers. It is always when ‘things go wrong’ that employers look at the safety procedures in place for their employees. Email Peter Fehily for any queries regarding workplace safety, health and welfare on [email protected] or visit www.allsafe.ie

Tel: 021 4347436 Fax: 021 4347214 Email: [email protected] Website: www.allsafe.ie

‘Corrigan House’

Bishopstown Road, Wilton, Cork

Workplace

Safety Advisors

since 1991

Workplace Safety Inspections / Audits

Safety Statements & Safety Procedures

Full / Part Time Safety Advisers

PSDP & PSCS for Construction Projects

Specialists in Wind Farm Safety Management

Method Statements with Hazard & Risk Assessments

Traffic Management Plans

Safety & Health Plans & Safety Files

Safety Training (Manual Handling, Abrasive Wheels, First Aid, etc.)

‘Safe Pass’ & C.S.C.S. Training

financial investors because of its strong wind regime, its robust REFIT support policy, and its commitment to achieving its 2020 renewable energy target.”Abo Wind installed eight Nordex N90 turbines with a hub

height of 80 metres, in the Gortahile project which included the construction of internal site roads, crane hard standings and turbine foundations. Other works included the laying of underground cabling to connect each of the turbines to the 20/38 kV site substation, the laying of further underground cabling to connect the site substation to another substation in Carlow and the widening of a public road required in order to be able to deliver the turbines. “We were very pleased with the work of the contractors - the work went smoothly and was finished on time” said Ute Schulmeister of Abo Wind.Wind conditions at the location are excellent – at the hub

height of the turbine, the wind blows with an average speed of more than 8 metres per second. This offers the guarantee of high energy yields (approx. 76 gigawatt hours per year) and very good profitability. The electricity production from wind power is possible at this location, at prices which are only minimally above those for conventional power plants – and it is well known that the external costs, such as for climate damage, are not taken into account.At the Glenough Wind Farm project, which is still on site, 13

Nordex N90 turbines have been installed, internal site roads, crane hard standings, turbine foundations, a 20/38 kV site substation and a 38/110 kV substation at Cauteen (to serve this and other wind farms) have been constructed, and site cabling has been laid, together with 19km of off-site underground cabling. In addition, most of a public road which had collapsed is having rebuilt to provide access for lorry deliveries to the site. Currently the turbines have been erected, the Cauteen sub-station is under construction and the rebuilding of the road is underway.This was a particularly challenging project as a planning

stipulation stated that the contractors were not allowed to

carry out any works in the summertime or in the bird breeding season. This meant that the wind farm had to be constructed during last winter, in difficult weather conditions requiring the frequent clearing of ice and snow from the site roads. “Despite the challenges Denis Moriarty have done very well and have still done a brilliant job -” said Ute Schulmeister.This wind farm at Glenough, with an investment value of EUR 71

million, will remain in the ownership of the Group of companies and after commissioning will be operated by the subsidiary, Eurowind, which is building up a European wind power portfolio.Six Nordex N90 Turbines are to be installed at Gibbet Hill, in

a project due to commence in summer or autumn 2011. After initial concerns by the local community as to the aesthetics and safety of turbines on their hillsides, planning permission was approved. Currently a site investigation of the ground conditions is underway. The works involved are very similar to those at the Gortahaile and Glenough Wind Farms.

AllSafe Risk Management & Safety Consultancy Ltd. were engaged as safety advisors on both Gortahile & Glennough projects and acted in the role of project supervisor construction stage (planning supervisor) primarily during turbine erection and commissioning. The service provided by AllSafe with the cooperation of all contractors on site working as a team allowed them to achieve completion of both projects without incident, despite some serious weather conditions.

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The Giant’s Causeway lies in Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coast World Heritage Site, in a location where the landscape features cliffs formed by hexagonal basalt stones, agricultural land and cliffside walks. The causeway itself features over 38,000 hexagonal columns of basalt and is visited annually by over 600,000 people from across the world.The £9.4 million contract to build the new visitor centre is being

carried out for the National Trust by main contractors Gilbert-Ash. Architects heneghan peng’s design for the new centre was chosen from entrants in an international competition. Structural consultants are Arup; building services consultants are Bennett Robertson; civil engineering consultants are White Young Green and quantity surveyors and project managers are Edmond Shipway.As the site is continuing to remain open throughout the

contract, a number of enabling works were required and have been carried out by FP McCann with a fit out by Gilbert-Ash. These works include the construction of temporary kiosks and the transformation of the nearby Causeway Hotel’s function room to accommodate the National Trust’s shop to provide for visitors during the construction works, The Causeway Hotel itself is providing catering, and a temporary road now guides visitors via the front of the hotel to the stones.Other enabling works include extending the car park in front

of the Causeway Hotel, changing the use of Innisfree Farm to become an additional car park, installing a series of variable

message signs in the wider causeway area, and relining the car park at Dundarave in Bushmills to allow for a park and ride service.Currently the enabling works are being completed and

construction of the new visitor centre has commenced.The design of the new single storey visitor centre utilises

the large difference in level across the site, where two folds are created in the landscape. One of these, extending the line of a ridge, will accommodate the building. The second, extending the level of a road, will screen the building’s new car park from view.

Award-winning design for a truly ‘giant’ world-class attraction

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The new 1,815 sq m state-of-the art building is structured around a steel frame with elevations in locally sourced basalt cladding, incorporating a glazed frontage which will ensure that people with disabilities who may not be able to walk on the site will be able to enjoy the spectacular coastal views. The building

will also be slightly sunken into the ground, and will have a grass roof to restore the natural ridgeline of the surrounding landscape and provide a habitat for wildlife.The centre will include an interpretation area, a shop, an

80-cover cafe serving light refreshments, toilets and baby


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changing facilities and a tourist information centre providing guidance on the Causeway Coast and Northern Ireland.!Externally, a new car park will be constructed to the east of the

building, trail paths will be upgraded and new paths created.John Davis, contracts manager for Gilbert Ash, said, “Obviously

we were delighted to have been chosen because it’s such a landmark scheme. It’s going to be a world-renowned visitor centre and it’s fantastic to be part of that”, he added.


Commissioned by the East Belfast Mission, the Skainos Project recognizes the complexity of the area’s current multidimensional need, and is committed to meeting the whole community’s present and prospective needs in an inclusive and empowering way. Membership of the Skainos Board is drawn from the main

partners in the project, East Belfast Mission and Oaklee Housing, as well as members of the local community in East Belfast and the trustees of the Methodist Church in Ireland. Farrans Construction are Main Contractors for the scheme, working with Architects Donnelly and O’Neill.The design solution for the project will attract residents and

visitors for work, study and worship, as well as socially. With its courtyards, bold panelled facades and versatile, inspiring spaces, the emerging development will be an iconic landmark. The development has two key elements – the first is the

development of the “Town Square” project developed by Skainos Ltd, which has a total development cost of £15.7 million. To date, DSD has agreed funding of up to £5.4 million with further funding being provided by IFI, SEUPB and EBM.The second element is the replacement of the present Hosford

House being taken forward by Skainos Ltd and Oaklee Housing Association. The anticipated cost of the housing scheme is £5.1 million with the Department paying a total grant of £4.1 million.The Hosford House scheme will include a shared bedspace

unit for the homeless and 10 one-person single bedroom self contained apartments for the homeless. A second block on Baskin Street will include four one-person, one bedroom self-contained apartments for the homeless and five three-person two bedroom apartments for general needs housing.Another block will contain apartments for general needs

housing including six three-person two bedroom duplexes and seven three-person two bedroom apartments. Additional facilities will include a family/youth centre, seminar/training facilities, 300-seat auditorium, a community hall, social and private housing, a hostel, a community café, office space and a day nursery. Amongst others, the facilities will be used by Age Concern and Belfast Metropolitan College. The development will also feature 5800 square ft of ground floor retail space and 11,100 square ft of office space.The future of the Newtownards Road is firmly in the hands of

the East Belfast Partnership, with the new NR2012 scheme. “As this area regenerates it is going to attract new businesses,” reflects Elma Newberry, Chief Executive.

The project commenced in 2010, with the expected completion date being May 2012.Farrans Construction

is a building and civil engineering contractor headquartered in Northern Ireland and operating throughout the UK and Ireland.!The company is part

of the Northstone group of companies which in turn is wholly owned by CRH plc, the multi-national building materials group which employs over 60,000 people world-wide with an annual turnover of #24billion.Farrans continue to

develop excellence in all aspects of building and civil engineering while at the same time the boundaries of service level delivered to their customers are continually being extended.! At the heart of

this approach is the recognition of the company’s wider social responsibility.! They share their workplace with communities and the natural environment making it vital that they implement sustainable business practices across their operation.The concepts of partnering, alternative forms of contract,

value engineering, public private partnerships and performance related partnering have all been eagerly embraced at Farrans and this has facilitated the development of a world class pool of expertise.

£20 million urban regeneration has community needs at its heart


Overseas

In January 2009, the detailed planning of common premises for all UN Agencies in Copenhagen, better known as a “UN City” commenced. The development is based on a partnership between the Government of Denmark and CPH City & Port!Development.The project will accommodate the United Nations’ six

organisations on its own specially constructed island section of the new Marmormolen (Marble Pier), on the waterfront in Østerbro, Copenhagen.The project, with construction at a cost of over £60 million, is

being carried out for CPH City and Port Development. An EU tender was held between six pre-qualified contractors from 15 March 2010 - 17 May 2010. E. Pihl & Søn A.S. won the turnkey contract working with Architects 3XN Arkitekter.“Pihl has many years’ experience of large, complex construction

projects and our employees are therefore well equipped for the task at The Marble Pier,” says Director Hans Anker Nielsen of E. Pihl & Søn A.S.!The six UN organisations which will be accommodated within

the new building are: UNOPS – United Nations Office for Project Services; UNDP – United Nations Development Programme; WHO – United Nations World Health Organization; UNICEF - United Nations Children’s Fund; WFP – United Nations World Food Programme and UNFPA – United Nations Population Fund.!The six storey UN City will incorporate around 33,000 sq m

of internal space, including: 28,000 m2 of well equipped office space for 1059 employees; a 4,900 m2 basement storage area; a meeting centre; an auditorium with seating for 450 guests; a catering kitchen and canteen dining area and a fitness centre. The eco friendly building has a number of ‘green’ features including a district heating system, a rainwater recycling system, a cooling system using seawater, roof mounted photovoltaic panels as well as Sedum roofing, and is designed to achieve an American LEED Platinum standard of energy efficiency rating in a system similar to BREEAM in the UK.The star shaped building, which is of pre-cast concrete

construction, is built on piled foundations, with external elevations in an aluminium curtain walling system and flat roofing. Externally, there will be a concrete apron/promenade around the building and there will be no car parking on site due to security considerations.Currently construction of the basement has just been

completed and the ground floor is being erected.Lars Hormann, international civil servant of the UN in charge

of overall planning for the UN City in Copenhagen said “The construction activities at the UN City have made a good start in the New Year and are well underway. Time flies!- it is hard to believe how far we have come during the last 9 years, since the idea of UN City was born.”Construction started in November 2010 and is due for

completion in December 2012.Marmormolen gives the quarter of Østerbro a new access to

the harbour and to the waterfront. It is formed as three islands, adding 1.3 kilometres to the length of the whole wharf system. A bridge will connect Østerbro and the new neighbourhood. There will be a much stronger connection between Langelinie and Nordhavn; and with two towers and a 65 metre tall bridge as landmarks, the plan for the development of Marmormolen will be an asset for the whole city.

UN City comprises two campuses. Campus 1 – part 1 contains the largest office component (approximately 28000 m2) whilst Campus 2 is primarily UNICEF’s warehouse facility. Construction has begun on Campus 1 part 1 and on the warehouse. The construction of a part 2 of campus 1 (approximately 17 000 m2) has been approved by the Minister for Development Cooperation.With more than 1000 United Nations employees, Copenhagen

is the world’s sixth largest UN city. On November 9th 2010, the Danish Minister for Development Cooperation cut the first sod of the new UN building that will bring together all UN staff members in the Danish capital under one roof.UN representatives say there are a number of reasons for

building the new office in Copenhagen. They highlight the very well-educated Danish work force, a comprehensive and modern infrastructure, a well functioning society and a high level of security.Ever since Pihl was founded 124 years ago, the company has

been in constant development. Today, Pihl is one of Denmark’s leading contracting companies and ranks number!116 among the world’s! larger contracting groups working on the international markets.Pihl’s projects cover many different areas of expertise from

large infrastructure works to hydro power plants and building. The driving force behind Pihl is the joy of creating. The company takes pride in the projects they carry out for public and private customers worldwide, and they have a desire for constant development and expansion.At the same time Pihl endeavours to assure that the company

upholds its reputation as an attractive and ethical workplace that attracts and retains! the most talented and committed employees, who constitute one of Pihl’s most vital resources.

Copenhagen’s prestigious new UN City building will house United Nations



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There have been discussions about new treatments for Japanese knotweed; one potential treatment is a biological control. This would involve the introduction of the sap sucking Aphalara psyllid from Japan. This is a host specific bug i.e. it won’t create new problems with other plants. There are many advantages to biological control, not least that it will reduce the vigour (and hence spread) of large areas of Japanese knotweed, which are currently not being treated. However, the release of biological organisms into a new

environment is strictly controlled and is subject to scrutiny and legislation. Once the decision has been taken to release this insect, it could take up to 10 years before it controls Japanese knotweed successfully and it is not guaranteed to eradicate the Japanese knotweed completely. Developers will still need to factor in sufficient costs and time to manage any knotweed on site.The key challenges for the battle to control Japanese knotweed

in the next few years are likely to be getting the necessary funds to treat the large land bank that developers and others have. While this should be through a relatively inexpensive herbicide programme, lasting a minimum of three years, there is a temptation to not spend the necessary money. This may not be the best strategy as with every year that passes, the knotweed will cover larger areas on the re-development sites and, when the time comes to develop the site, the solution may prove very expensive. To put matters into perspective a herbicide programme for a small area of knotweed on a site (20m" of visible growth), may cost as little as £2000.00+VAT to treat over 3-4 years. At an annual cost of £500.00+VAT, this is not an expensive option and, if you have the time, why not use it? You could even claim Land Remediation Relief for the work! To contrast this, a budget cost for the ‘dig and dump’ methodology ranges from £800.00 (ex VAT) to £2500.00 (ex VAT) per 20-tonne load. To excavate the 20m" as above would consist of more than ten such loads. Within the Japanese knotweed industry, there are a number

of new techniques that are being developed. One developing technique is that of reduced level excavation (typically to formation level), and then encapsulating the knotweed under a specialist root barrier. Root barriers can then be sealed effectively to the new or existing buildings structure provided always that the surface to be sealed to is clean and firm. This technique can be cost effective and is an approved method of dealing with Japanese knotweed. Construction companies may wish to keep Japanese knotweed

away from their sites, and indeed there have been instances of knotweed being imported onto site in loads of crushed concrete or soil. The more usual problem that arises on construction sites is when knotweed is already present on site and is spread in an uncontrolled manner across the whole site. Trevor Renals of the Environment Agency states that:“Japanese is unlike any waste a developer is likely to encounter

on a Brownfield site. If you remove 99% of most contaminants,

the tiny residual that gets spread around the site usually doesn’t do much harm. Try that with Japanese knotweed and within a few years you’re back to where you started. It is a waste that can perpetuate itself, which is why we have to be so strict with its management.”Costs can escalate if knotweed is spread by site clearance

or demolition works across the area to be developed; typically remediation costs will rise tenfold. Brian Taylor of Wreford Limited, says that a simple verification

visit to identify whether Japanese knotweed is on site or not, could cost as little as £175.00 + VAT, a more detailed survey could cost between £6-700.00 + VAT. If you have or suspect you have Japanese knotweed on your

development site, than you need to take the following steps:

A professional Japanese knotweed company could provide you with simple cost effective solutions, so that when you need to develop the site, you are able to do so. However they can only do this, if they have enough time. The answer to whether it is a nightmare or a manageable

problem is in reality down to the options that you have. The more time you have to manage the problem, the more options you will have. If you have time, use it wisely!

Japanese knotweed – a nightmare or a manageable problem?



Highlights from the exhibition floor – over 1,300 suppliers, offering an incredibly diverse range of products – included the StramitZED from eco-architect Bill Dunster, a code level 6 home that can be built for just £135,000, constructed using straw casettes within a timber frame. Continuing the timber theme, Pasquill’s engineered timber structure was a show-stopper, a stunning hyperbolic paraboloid which demonstrated both the design possibilities and the great structural spans that can be achieved with glulam. Energy, both generating and saving it, was a prominent theme,

with numerous technology options on display by with suppliers of PV and solar, and energy-efficient boilers, heating and hot water systems. Visitors keen to take advantage of the opportunities afforded by the Feed-in Tariff flocking to Ecobuild’s Solar hub and Practical installer attractions for expert advice and the chance to get hands-on. Cityscape, which this year took Greening the city and

Enhancing biodiversity as its themes was an enormous hit, packed with apprentice bee keepers and others keen to bring life to even the grittiest urban environment. And at Natural, traditional…sustainable, crowds of enthusiastic visitors were treated to demonstrations of straw bale construction, dry stone walling and cob brick building.Away from the exhibition floor, Ecobuild’s conferences and

seminars gave visitors the most impressive free education programme. Over 130 sessions, delivered by 750 speakers, took place over three days, all packed to the rafters whether it was Professor Brian Cox asking Can science save us? or an in depth look at latest building regulations in Regulations revealed.Whilst visitor numbers are still to be announced, they have

certainly outstripped the organiser’s forecast of 50,000 over the three days, further underlining Ecobuild’s position as the biggest event for sustainable design, construction and the built environment in the world, and highlighting the sector’s commitment to the sustainability agenda.Ecobuild’s new location at ExCeL proved to be popular

too. Exhibitors and visitors alike commented on the ease of navigation, the standard of the facilities, and the buzzing atmosphere that reached out into every corner of the event, from the central boulevard to the furthermost seminar room. Reflecting on Ecobuild’s first time at its new home, managing

director David Wood said, ‘We are enormously pleased that exhibitors and visitors have turned out in record numbers to take part in this year’s Ecobuild and that ExCeL has been so well-received. But the venue is just a part of the experience of course. We’ve worked hard at putting together a proposition that specifiers from across UK construction – and increasingly, further afield – find compelling when there are so many other competing pressures on their time. Continuing to strengthen that proposition remains our top priority for Ecobuild 2012 and beyond.’

Ecobuild exceeds expectations

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