In today’s news in UKconstructionblog, we will look into Holcim which purchased Wiltshire Heavy building materials. Cityfibre to invest £50 million to put in place a Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband ISP network in Maidstone, Kent. Mace intends to construct a 28-story office tower close to London Bridge station. Bouygues UK was chosen as one of the finalists for the Wales STEM award for the Girls Believe Academy. Cadworks was named as the most innovative office development in the UK. According to the Mayor of the West Midlands, those who work in construction have a promising future.

Holcim buys Wiltshire heavy building materials; terms unknown

Original Source: Holcim Buys Wiltshire Heavy Building Materials In UK; Terms Not Disclosed

Swiss construction materials maker Holcim Group (HCMLY.PK, HCMLF.PK) purchased Wiltshire Heavy Building Materials on Thursday. The deal’s finances are unknown.

Wiltshire was created in 1979 and employs 80 employees. 2021 net sales topped 20 million Swiss francs.

Wiltshire recycles 150,000 tonnes of construction & demolition waste annually into aggregates and concrete.

Wiltshire expands Holcim’s Aggregate Industries footprint between London and Southwest England. It has large customer bases in Devizes, Theale, Faringdon, and Fairford.

EMEA Region Head Miljan Gutovic said, “Wiltshire will help us reach our objective of recycling 10 million tonnes of C&D trash by 2025. Our UK market is at the forefront of circular construction with solutions like ECOPact+, green concrete with recycled particles.”

CityFibre UK to build £50m FTTP in Maidstone

Original Source: CityFibre UK to Start £50m FTTP Broadband Build in Maidstone

Cityfibre will invest £50m to establish their gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband ISP network in Maidstone, Kent. In January 2023, building will commence.

The operator’s rollout schedule and builder are unknown, but they won’t be the only gigabit network in town. Virgin Media provides significant coverage in the area, while Openreach and Netomnia (YouFibre) are installing complete fibre. Hyperoptic and OFNL have smaller builds, and Trooli is expanding in Loose.

Vodafone (Gigafast Broadband), TalkTalk (Future Fibre), Zen Internet, Giganet, iDNET, and others support Cityfibre, however they aren’t all live or available everywhere yet.

This project is part of Cityfibre’s £5bn+ investment programme to cover 8 million premises in 285 cities, towns, and villages (30% of the UK) by 2025. (here). The operator has covered 2 million UK premises, with 1.8m RFS via a supporting ISP (here).

Mace drops on London Bridge

Original Source: Mace lands Edge London Bridge tower

Mace will build a 28-story office tower near to London Bridge station in 2023.

Mace will create a 260,000 sq ft office building on the site of Becket House at 60 St Thomas Street in London SE1.

It’s meant to spend less than 23 kWh/sqm to meet RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge operational intensity requirements for new-build offices. The team aims towards BREEAM Outstanding and WELL Platinum.

Local Pensions Partnership Investments (LPPI), The London Fund (a collaboration between LPPI, London CIV, and LGPS investment pools), and Goldman Sachs are funding the development.

Edge’s UK managing director Fons van Dorst said, “Edge London Bridge can set a new bar for sustainability in London offices.” Mace’s involvement as contractor will help us speed up construction.

Mace Construct CEO Gareth Lewis said, “This is a tremendous opportunity to provide a truly sustainable building, both during construction and operation, and we’re pleased to be part of it.” Mace has a solid track record in the London Bridge quarter, and we hope to continue transforming it.

Mace worked on the Shard.

Bouygues UK shortlisted for ‘Girls Believe Academy’

Original Source: Wales STEM award shortlists Bouygues UK for ‘Girls Believe Academy’

Bouygues UK is a finalist for the Wales STEM Awards’ ‘STEM Educational Programme of the Year (Private Sector)’

Bouygues UK is the only construction company among the 34 contenders for ‘STEM Educational Programme of the Year (Private Sector)’ in the Wales STEM awards.

Bouygues’ STEM schools programme, including ‘Girls Believe Academy,’ runs across the UK.

It tackles the skills gap by showing young females who are making career decisions the numerous construction and engineering job alternatives.

The initiative gives young ladies construction role models.

The academy was launched in 2021 by Bouygues UK’s women’s network WeLink.

The ambassadors represent Bouygues UK’s varied workforce and have roles at every level.

They are urged to present real-world instances of how they gained their role, the courses they studied in school, and the rewarding experiences they’ve had in construction and engineering.

Bouygues UK’s business growth and social value director said of Girls Believe Academy’s nomination for the Wales STEM award: “The academy showcases the great women who have been crucial in building some of the world’s most demanding and recognisable buildings.” This project promotes our internal STEM ambassador network, promoting community and shared responsibility.

Young individuals who participated in the academy went on to do work experience with Bouygues UK and in our supply chain. The prospect for industrial engagement is enormous, especially for individuals who face barriers or are at a social and economic disadvantage.

Bouygues UK is committed to solving the skills gap in our business and achieving gender parity in construction and engineering positions by inspiring young women to pursue these careers.

Bouygues UK gives young women virtual job experience.

This portal, created with Aspire2be, introduces young learners to Bouygues UK and its STEM-focused employment.

It enables its ambassadors to create an effective learning experience to help young girls increase awareness of the construction industry’s potential while developing STEM and curriculum-focused skills.

Simon Pridham, managing director of Aspire 2Be, said working with Bouygues UK was a delight. As a responsible business, they appreciate the necessity of educating young people about future skills, employment possibilities, and STEM disciplines. Bouygues UK is a proud partner of Aspire2Be.

All 12 Wales STEM Award contenders will be judged by an industry-leading panel, and the winners will be announced at the Mercure Cardiff Holland House Hotel on October 27, 2022.

Cadworks named UK’s most innovative office

Original Source: Cadworks crowned UK most innovative office development

The British Council for Offices (BCO) Awards 2022 recognised Glasgow’s ‘Cadworks’ for Innovation.

Cadworks was the only Scottish structure to win a national prize, but Kilmarnock’s HALO was Highly Commended.

Cadworks is the first net zero carbon building in Glasgow and one of the most sustainable in Scotland. The all-electric building’s smart technology, occupant wellness, and carbon reduction wowed the judges. The building has Scotland’s first cycle-in ramp and Glasgow’s first shell and floor’ finish to reduce waste. Using a smartphone app, occupants can use smart building technologies to increase workspace utilisation, visibility, and wellness.

Sunderland City Hall won ‘Best of the Best’ and ‘Corporate Workplace’ at the BCO National Awards last night. Six additional UK offices also won awards for their excellence.

The BCO’s National Awards programme recognises high-quality office design and functioning and sets the standard for office excellence. Over 1,200 industry leaders gathered at Grosvenor House to celebrate the best-in-class structures and aim to win a National Award.

Winners:

• Sunderland City Hall, Sunderland
• London’s Charlotte Street, 80
• FORGE, Woking
• Cadworks, Glasgow
• Dojo, London’s Brunel Building
• Bicester Eco-Business Centre, Elmsbrook
• The Enterprise Centre, UEA, Norwich

Highly commended projects were The HALO Enterprise & Innovation Centre, Kilmarnock, Plumtree Court, London, and Two New Bailey Square, Salford.

Tony Hordon, managing director of Parabola and chair of the BCO’s National Judging Panel, said evaluating this year’s BCO National Award candidates reminded him of the industry’s excellence, world-class design, and innovation. The winners will inspire the next generation of offices. “Congratulations to all teams!”

The BCO National Awards celebrated best-in-class office design, said Gillian Stewart, head of the BCO in Scotland. In addition to commercial success, this year’s winners prioritised sustainability and social impact in their designs.

“I’m pleased to see Cadworks, a Scottish building, recognised for its creativity and social engagement.” The HALO Enterprise and Innovation Centre also set new benchmarks in Scotland.

Midlands mayor sees promising construction future

Original Source: Future is bright for construction says Midlands Mayor

West Midlands Mayor says construction workers have a bright future.

Andy Street said people can get involved in a developing, mission-critical sector that’s crucial to the region.

Mr. Street spoke at UK Construction Week Birmingham at the NEC on Thursday. The trade show brings together construction and industry leaders and firms from throughout the country.

“We have 20,000 enterprises, 200,000 people, and it’s worth £8 billion, so it’s a growing sector that will add 30,000 jobs over the next three or four years,” he said.

“The Black Country has a possibility to lead in modern construction processes, especially in the housing industry, thus we aim to take the lead in this field.”

Mr. Street said he’s looking at two areas for greater investments and projects to boost the sector.

“We’ve done a lot of skills today, and for me, it’s about young people seeing their careers and people retraining from one field to another. This is an area with good employment prospects.”

“You can start with a defined training path, maybe an apprenticeship, and finish up with a lot of responsibility in this field.”

Mr. Street also discussed major projects accomplished in the recent year, including the Commonwealth Games, and the virtuous circle of the works.

“You have the Commonwealth Games, HS2 structures, housing plans, and city centre redevelopments and local transit schemes,” he remarked.

“These help create demand that helps companies expand, and it’s virtuous because a strong construction sector allows you to bid on projects.

“Part of my role is to win significant investments, like L&G’s Canalside development in Wolverhampton and the Metro developments in Dudley.

“Our region is full of optimism and excitement, and I think our capabilities will make our firms more competitive.”

Summary of today’s construction news

Overall, we discussed the construction materials manufacturer Holcim Group from Switzerland purchased Wiltshire Heavy Building Materials, the financial deals are still unknown. The plans to spend £50 million on an internet service provider (ISP) network that provides Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) service in Maidstone, Kent of the Cityfibre. Mace plans a 28-story office tower near London Bridge station for 2023 and also proposes to develop a 260,000-square-foot office skyscraper at 60 St. Thomas Street, London SE1. Bouygues UK is the only construction business in the Wales STEM awards’ ‘STEM Educational Programme of the Year (Private Sector)’ category  among 34 contenders. The ‘Cadworks’ in Glasgow were honoured for their innovative work by the British Council for Offices (BCO) Awards in 2022. The Mayor of West Midlands believes that people who work in construction have a bright future.