Tuesday, 27 September 2016
Plan unveiled for £60m UClan Preston gateway
The University of Central Lancashire has unveiled plans for a £60m civic square and student support centre at its Preston campus.
The university has selected architect Hawkins\Brown’s design concept for the gateway building, which will form part of a £200m 10-year development masterplan.
Roger Hawkins, partner at HawkinsBrown, said: “We are tremendously excited about getting started on this project, testing some of our initial design ideas with students and staff from UCLan and with people from the city of Preston.”
The project is due for completion in 2019. AECOM is project and cost manager and BDP is providing a wide range of multi-disciplinary engineering services.
The design concept features a biodiverse roof, LED lighting underfoot, a pavilion café bar and a large glass façade to create feelings of light, space and airiness.
Michael Ahern, Chief Operating Officer at UCLan, said: “These are exciting times for the University and the city and there is huge potential in the Hawkins\Brown scheme, which is just the start of the development process. We will continue to work very hard with our partners at Lancashire County Council, Preston City Council and the local community so that the final design reflects a shared vision that improves connectivity with the city centre.”
from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2016/09/28/plan-unveiled-for-60m-uclan-preston-gateway/
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Wates links-up with Trafford Housing Trust to transform eysore
A new joint venture between Trafford Housing Trust and Wates Living Space Homes has been launched to deliver mixed tenure homes in the North West.
The partnership’s first scheme will be the redevelopment of the abandoned Bayer industrial complex in West Timperley.
The 1.4-hectare plot is a local eyesore having lain derelict for many years and subject to numerous acts of vandalism.
It will be replaced by 33 high quality family homes and 29 apartments accessible via a newly built road bridge over the A56.
Phase one of the scheme will be completed in summer 2017.
Trafford Housing and Wates will also be working together to deliver a wide range of local business, training and employment opportunities linked to the scheme.
Larry Gold, Trafford Housing Trust’s Deputy Chief Executive, said: “We’ve worked closely with Wates Living Space Homes on a number of major projects over recent years and this new joint venture will build on that experience.
The abandoned factory will be totally revamped
“It also reflects our progressive, partnership approach to housebuilding; working with commercial developers and others to help accelerate the pace of new home delivery in Trafford and beyond.
Joanne Jamieson, Managing Director, Wates Living Space Homes, said: “Our business has a long-established reputation in sourcing innovative means to address the evolving needs of the housing sector.
“Through our strategic development partnerships with housing associations and local authorities, we bring 119 years of house building expertise to address the UK’s urgent need to deliver more homes for affordable rent and sale.
“Our joint venture with Trafford Housing Trust will be a partnership that will serve to accommodate the rising demand for high-quality and efficient homes, whilst also providing a vital catalyst to unlock further regeneration.”
from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2016/09/27/wates-links-up-with-trafford-housing-trust-to-transform-eysore/
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Crystalline fault lines provide pathway for solar cell current
A team of scientists studying solar cells made from cadmium telluride, a promising alternative to silicon, has discovered that microscopic “fault lines” within and between crystals of the material act as conductive pathways that ease the flow of electric current. This research may help explain how a common processing technique turns cadmium telluride into an excellent material for transforming sunlight into electricity, and suggests a strategy for engineering more efficient solar devices that surpass the performance of silicon.
from Engineering and Construction News – ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/09/160926115500.htm
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Newlon starts race for £200m new-build framework
North London’s Newlon Housing Trust is planning to assemble a select list of builders for a new-build framework to deliver up to £200m of housing.
The housing association aims to build 2,000 homes by 2022 and will divide the work up into three project lots over the four-year programme.
Small projects of £2.5m-£10m are expected to account for around £35m of the projected spend. There will also be a pipeline of projects from £10m-£25m projects, expected to account for £55m of total investment, the the third lot for large schemes of £25m-plus expected to deliver a £110m spend.
Procurement documents are available free on the local Government sourcing website.
from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2016/09/27/newlon-starts-race-for-200m-new-build-framework/
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Monday, 26 September 2016
Wolseley to close 80 branches axing 800 jobs
Plumbing and builders’ merchant chain Wolseley plans to shut 80 branches and a major distribution centre laying off up to 800 staff.
The firm said the UK streamlining strategy would cost £100m, with £70m of the cost funded by savings and cash from disposals.
John Martin, group chief executive, said: “Our review of UK operational strategy has identified opportunities to transform our customer propositions while simplifying our branch network and supporting logistics facilities to greatly improve service levels.
“Regrettably this will result in job losses which we will handle sensitively and minimise through redeployment and attrition as far as possible.”
He added that the realignment would take two to three years, generating annualised savings of up to £30m.
Wolseley also plans to spend £40m over three years refurbishing branches and stepping up investment in digital tools.
The rationalisation plan comes on top of 21 branch closures last year as trading profit fell by £16m to £74m on flat revenue just short of £2bn.
In the UK, which contributes 8% of group trading profit, the business saw growth in demand from new house building but a big decline in repair and maintenance work, a mainstay of its trade.
The group, which includes US and Nordic businesses, delivered a 43% uplift in pre-tax profit to £727m from sales ahead 8.5% to £14.4bn.
from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2016/09/27/wolseley-to-close-80-outlets-slashing-800-jobs/
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Skanska to start next £70m phase of Helical Bar Old Street site
Skanska has won the next phase of Helical Bar’s £250m The Bower development on Old Street in the City of London.
Demolition work is nearing completion on Phase Two of the scheme which will sit alongside the completed Warehouse and Studio developments.
Phase Two is known as The Tower and will provide 170,000 sq ft of office space and 7,300 sq ft of retail/restaurant space.
Helical Bar has set aside around £70m to build The Tower and it is due for completion in the second quarter of 2018.
John Sisk was originally lined up for The Tower scheme at the back end of last year when work was due to start before Christmas.
from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2016/09/27/skanska-to-start-next-70m-phase-of-helical-bar-old-street-site/
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