Building Design & Construction - BDC

Please read the latest issue of Building Design & Construction Magazine - December 2024 issue... MAGAZINE - https://lnkd.in/efpNedXd NEWSLETTER - https://lnkd.in/eWga7MZk Veriforce CHAS The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) T-T Pumps Ltd Luminate Education Group Chesterfield College Inspire Education Group (IEG) Glancy Nicholls Architects Astrum Homes ECO Providers ASUC Croft Structural + Civil Dowds Group RICS Bankfoot APAM British Land University Vocational Awards Council (UVAC) Barclays Insight Data OryxAlign

HermeticaBlack expand real estate offer with hire of regeneration specialist Jason Robinson Leading decentralised energy consultancy HermeticaBlack have appointed Jason Robinson as Strategic Director for Real Estate and Regeneration. Aligning with HermeticaBlack’s industry leadership in the investment, development and asset management of energy and infrastructure, Jason will boost the company’s real estate practice in embedding net zero into development planning and delivery. Jason joins HermeticaBlack from his role as Director of Special Projects at London’s largest new regeneration scheme at Old Oak Common. While at Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC), he led the commercialisation and preparation for delivery of a new district heating network that will capture low carbon heating from data centres. The project has recently been named as one of the Government’s six new UK heat network zones and HermeticaBlack are key advisers. Across a successful career in the property sector, Jason has played an intrinsic role in leading large urban regeneration projects, including the successful environmental and social legacies of two Olympic Games – most recently the trailblazing regeneration scheme in Stratford that accompanied London 2012. He has also led the delivery of major regeneration projects in Australia and the Middle East. He will use this expertise to support HermeticaBlack’s clients across the real estate and infrastructure sectors, in embedding decarbonisation into their development and asset management strategies. https://lnkd.in/epPSN49P

The Crown Estate to breathe new life into Cambridge Business Park as it unveils bold proposals to support the UK’s science, innovation, and technology ambitions Cambridge Business Park is set to contribute to a new innovation ecosystem in Northeast Cambridge, providing a variety of office and lab spaces for start-ups and established businesses, alongside a residential, leisure and cultural offer for the wider community. It will greatly support the UK’s science, innovation, and technology ambitions.  Led by The Crown Estate, the mixed-use regeneration project worth £1.5bn will support the Government’s focus on keeping the UK at the forefront of global innovation. This builds further on The Crown Estate’s recent partnerships with Great British Energy to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy, and with Pioneer Group and Oxford Science Enterprise to deliver a new 100,000sq ft life sciences, technology and innovation space in the heart of Oxford.   As a major national landowner, The Crown Estate has a proven track record of enabling innovation and generating long-term social value, and is driven by its remit to create economic, social, and environmental value for the nation. Through redeveloping Cambridge Business Park, it intends to create an inclusive destination; connecting ideas, people, and industries that facilitate important science innovations with tangible social impact.   This is part of The Crown Estate’s wider long-term ambition to invest up to £1.5 billion in the science, technology, and innovation sectors nationally over the next 15 years. https://lnkd.in/ebwJrupW

Brackley Village Skills Academy set to inspire next wave of construction talent in Salford Vistry Group is celebrating the launch of a new construction skills academy at its Fairways residential development in Salford, further building on its commitment to inspiring the next generation of tradespeople and addressing the industry’s skills shortfall. The Brackley Village Skills Academy has been opened in collaboration with local education and training providers to introduce learners of all ages to the skills needed to thrive in a construction career. Based within a custom-built facility at Vistry’s Fairways development in Little Hulton, the Skills Academy is expected to inspire hundreds of learners as work continues on construction of new homes on the former Brackley Golf Club site over the next two years. The Fairways will feature 345 homes: 138 available for rent and managed by Sigma, 41 will be affordable and managed by Great Places, while the remaining 166 will be marketed for sale by Countryside Homes, part of Vistry Group. The Brackley Village Skills Academy launch was attended by local dignitaries and representatives of the training and education organisations collaborating with Vistry on the initiative, including the Salford Skills and Work Board, Ionic Community Connections and Frameworks Social Enterprise CIC. According to the UK Trade Skills Index 2024, 1.3 million new recruits and 350,000 apprentices are needed in the construction sector over the next decade if it is going to keep up with targets for new homes and reach net zero targets. https://lnkd.in/eTeYG6DM

GMI marks completion of steel framework at £15.7m North East waste to energy facility GMI Construction Group has completed the steel framework of a £15.7m waste to energy facility in the North East ahead of schedule. To mark the milestone in the delivery of the 75,000 sq. ft development, Gary Oates, GMI's Divisional Managing Director, and Ian Jones, Joint Managing Director of Fornax Environmental Solutions, performed a steel signing ceremony. Work on the high temperature thermal treatment facility in County Durham began in June and is due for completion by April 2025, after which it will undergo a three- month commissioning period. Developed for Fornax Environmental Solutions, it will process up to 10,500 tonnes annually of hazardous and clinical waste produced by the industrial and healthcare sectors, largely within the region. Using advanced rotary kiln combustion technology, the energy and heat generated will be made available to neighbouring businesses, reducing reliance on fossil fuels. The facility, located on Millennium Way, is the second development at Merchant Park in Newton Aycliffe, a £90m, 65-acre scheme that includes Hitachi Rail Europe. Creating 75 construction jobs and a further 27 permanent roles, the facility aims for a BREEAM rating of ‘Very Good’ and an EPC grade B, depending on fit outs. The building will feature first-floor offices, high eave heights, advanced warehouse floor loadings, secure yards, and EV charging stations. https://lnkd.in/ewhqVk9a

Bellway’s carbon reduction strategy wins leading industry award Bellway has won a prestigious award for its strategy to reduce carbon emissions across the business as it helps lead the housebuilding industry towards net zero. The company, which is based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and builds homes across England, Scotland and Wales, scooped the prize for Best Carbon Reduction Innovation or Practice at the 2024 Building Innovation Awards. The award was presented at a gala dinner and awards ceremony held at The Hilton Deansgate in Manchester on Thursday (17 October). Carbon reduction is central to Bellway’s Better with Bellway sustainability strategy, which aims to put people and the planet first. The company has taken an all-encompassing approach to the delivery of low-carbon homes – through pioneering research, collaboration with the energy industry, and sharing findings and knowledge with the wider housebuilding industry. Bellway has also made highly significant progress towards science-based carbon reduction targets, which have been independently validated by the SBTi. Simon Park, Group Head of Sustainability for Bellway, said: “Carbon reduction forms one of the three key priorities of our over-arching Better with Bellway sustainability strategy and we are delighted that our industry-leading work in the drive towards net zero has been recognised at the Building Innovation Awards. https://lnkd.in/erqpsa-C

Bridging The Gap Between Property Developers & Tradespeople Thought leader and ambassador for change Paul Tinker, 48, has really set himself a difficult and challenging problem that exists in the UK today. Former solider and bricklayer Paul has made it his mission to lead change in how construction projects are delivered in the United Kingdom and has set about this change through powerful events and training being delivered globally. Having delivered over £300M worth of local authority funded construction projects, he sought change after the stress, the booze and working conditions in the industry needed a desperate shake-up. Paul’s project management expertise was weaponised by tier 1 main contractor employers to win, to win the battle of project management. The war that exists between client and contractor. Paul was deployed when the hammer needed to be dropped to win the battle and end the war. When one side wins, inevitably, one side also loses. And this is the change that Paul so desperately wants to see in the industry. Holding a firm belief that there is room on the market for a collaborative way of working to ensure both sides get the results that they are looking for through effective communication, collaboration and negotiation. Recently back from a talk he delivered in Coimbra, Portugal on these challenges that the industry faces, he was facing an uphill battle with getting his message across and grabbing attention from his peers and from industry. https://lnkd.in/eEPYshaN

Leading the charge: Balfour Beatty Flannery trains 1,000 workers to bridge UK construction skills gap Balfour Beatty Flannery, a partnership between Balfour Beatty and Flannery Plant Hire, has trained its 1,000th student at its Operator Skills Hub - showcasing its commitment to diversity and inclusion, transforming lives and bridging the construction skills gap. With over 250,000 additional workers needed in the construction industry by 2028, Balfour Beatty Flannery’s Operator Skills Hub is key in addressing the sector’s significant skills shortage and providing trainees with a direct path into employment - with an 80% job conversion rate, far exceeding the national average of 36%. Established in 2021 and supported by the UK Government’s Skills Bootcamp initiative,the Hub offers innovative training and apprenticeship schemes in plant operations. It aims to attract new talent to the sector while upskilling existing operators, with over 60% of graduates being made up of, or being, women (5%), young people (13%), the previously unemployed (27%), people with disabilities (12%), ex-offenders (4%), and veterans (5%). In addition, the purpose-built facility in Birmingham provides 200 supplementary courses for current plant operators to further upskill and prepare them for the modern-day, digitally enabled construction site. Balfour Beatty Flannery’s 1,000th student, Abigail Cleverley, achieved the nationally recognised accreditation through the Skills Bootcamp initiative to operate articulated dumper trucks and rollers. https://lnkd.in/eVtbabBR

British Land Capitalises on Conviction Sectors with £711m Retail Park Investment British Land, a leading property investor and developer, has made significant strides in its strategy to focus on high-performing sectors, demonstrating robust operational and financial growth. The company’s strategic investments in retail parks and campus developments are delivering strong returns, underpinned by rising demand for cost-efficient and sustainable spaces. Key Achievements and Strategic Focus Simon Carter, Chief Executive of British Land, highlighted the company’s momentum: “Strong leasing levels, disciplined cost management, and focused investments have enabled us to grow profits and drive future growth despite a challenging environment. Our conviction in retail parks is paying off, with valuations and rental growth outperforming other subsectors.” Since April 2024, British Land has disposed of £456m of non-core assets and invested £711m into retail parks, increasing its portfolio exposure to this sector from 15% in 2021 to 32% today. These parks are benefiting from robust retailer demand for cost-effective out-of-town spaces to support online operations, driving both rental and valuation growth. Similarly, the company’s super-prime campus developments are capitalising on a severe shortfall of high-quality space, particularly in the City, where a 5 million sq ft gap is projected over the next four years. This imbalance is pushing strong rental growth at the premium end of the market.

SEGRO Unveils Sustainable Urban Warehousing in Hackney Wick and Deptford SEGRO, a leading developer and investor in industrial and logistics spaces, has secured planning approval for two cutting-edge urban logistics developments in Hackney Wick and Deptford. These projects represent SEGRO’s innovative approach to sustainable warehousing, blending modern design with local character to meet the demands of a 24/7 city while supporting the decarbonisation of supply chains. Transforming Inner-City Logistics The schemes, situated in London’s Zone 2, aim to enhance urban logistics infrastructure while aligning with SEGRO’s commitment to sustainable growth. - SEGRO Park Hackney Wick: This site will feature two urban warehouse units, totalling 53,000 sq ft, on a reclaimed brownfield plot in Wick Lane. Designed to the highest sustainability standards, the scheme will offer flexibility for a range of business needs and is expected to create 90 new jobs. - SEGRO Park Deptford: Comprising 24,000 sq ft of warehouse space across two adaptable units, this development focuses on energy efficiency and integration with electric fleet technologies. It will generate 40 new local jobs. Sustainability at the Core Both developments aim for BREEAM Excellent ratings and will include green features such as EV charging points, solar PV installations, and extensive landscaping to improve local wellbeing. SEGRO’s focus on sustainable urban assets helps reduce carbon footprints while cutting operational costs for occupiers. https://lnkd.in/ewSdztHw