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Cambridge major landowner Marshall Group has signed up to a joint venture with house builder Hill to deliver 450 homes around the city’s airport. The new development, Wing, will sit on a 160 acre parcel of land owned by the Marshall Group and is the business’ first major residential development project. With a masterplan that allows for a total of 1,300 homes, the first phase of the development will be delivered by Hill and when complete, will comprise 315 private homes and 135 affordable homes – including shared ownership and affordable rent tenures. Designed by Pollard Thomas Edwards architects, this first phase will offer a range of properties including 1-3 bedroom apartments and 2-5 bedroom houses. The scheme includes a primary school, sports pitches, allotments and retail and commercial space. New transport infrastructure will…

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The Government has selected its preferred nine firms to deliver a massive programme of fit-out work on its estate reorganisation programme. HMRC is looking at Cardiff’s Central Square scheme as a home for one of its regional hubs The Government Hubs office closure and relocation plan will run over the next seven years and promises up to £1bn of fit-out work. This will be shared between a line-up of big industry players and several smaller firms like Shaylor Group and BW Interiors. All three lots: Mace, Interserve, Overbury, Wates Construction. Lots 2+3: BAM Construction, ISG Fit-out, Shaylor. Lot 2 only: Styles and Wood. Lot 3 only: BW Interiors

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Commercial spaces are at a premium and mortgages are harder to secure than ever. But George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces show has inspired people across the UK to use innovative design to navigate building regulations and live mortgage free. Whether you want to seek advice on converting a farm shed into the ultimate mancave or transforming an abandoned lorry trailer into your dream home, here are five awesome design ideas to get your creative juices flowing. Outstanding home offices Creating cost-effective practical space is essential for new business owners but building regulations can put paid to the best laid plans. Using existing structures creatively is a great way to get around this. Mezzanine floor specialists can help you beat planning regulations by converting an existing warehouse shed …

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Gilbert-Ash Completes British Embassy Fit Out in Kathmandu, Nepal UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office project assists with local rebuilding efforts Award-winning UK construction, refurbishment and fit out contractor, Gilbert-Ash, has put the finishing touches to a £1m fit out project on the British Embassy compound in Nepal.   In the wake of the Gorkha earthquake, the project included design, fit-out and seismic reinforcement. Within the British Embassy compound in Kathmandu, the project builds on Gilbert-Ash’s international expertise with work completed for the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office in a total of 41 countries to date. Nepal has been rebuilding since the devastating Gorkha earthquake which took place two years ago killing 9,000 people and causing widespread structural damage.  The fit out team at Gilbert-…

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The skills and ingenuity of UK-based acoustic professionals working on national and international projects across a variety of environments were celebrated at a trade body awards. ANC, the Association of Noise Consultants, unveiled the winners of its acclaimed Acoustic Awards programme at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham. Promoting and recognising excellence among UK acoustic consultants, the awards showcased the skills of members across five categories. Hoare Lea secured the winning project in the award for ‘Architectural Acoustics: Commercial Buildings,’ sponsored by H & H Acoustic Technologies, with Sandy Brown Associates highly commended and SRL Technical Services commended in this category. ‘Architectural Acoustics: Education Buildings,’ sponsored by Ecophon, was secured by Sandy Brown Associates, with Adrian James Acoustics receiving the highly commended accolade and a commended …

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In the aftermath of the horrific fire that engulfed the Grenfell tower in London there is a feeling of frustration and anger emerging among those who work in construction. The disaster has raised many questions. How did the blaze defy accepted thinking, spreading so rapidly with such devastating effect and at such a terrible human cost? Should building regulations be improved, were they ignored and was the management of the block also a key factor? There is also the question of who is to blame. The concerns of hundreds of thousands of residents in tower blocks across the country need to be addressed with urgency. Deeply concerned industry experts have responsibly driven a rapid first response from authorities, using media pictures and footage to speculate about what…

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Berkeley Group has been given cash from the Government to speed up a housing scheme to house survivors of the Grenfell tower fire in West London. Extra construction staff have been committed by the group’s development arm St Edward and working hour restrictions will be relaxed so work can continue around the clock. The government is putting up extra cash to fit-out the flats to ensure they are ready for people to move in to sooner. The Housing and Communities Agency has struck a deal to purchase 68 flats in the Kensington Row scheme which forms part of the Warwick Road masterplan. Homes will be a mix of 1,2 and 3 bedroom flats across 2 blocks. The new permanent housing is expected to be completed by the end of July…

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The NHS was a high-profile victim of a WannaCry Ransomware attack that hit businesses in over 150 countries recently. Find out more about the attack and how you can prevent your business from becoming the next victim What Can I Do? If you haven’t been a victim of this particular Ransomware attack, this doesn’t mean you won’t be in the future. There are a number of steps you can take to protect your systems against future attacks – not just Ransomware attacks, but exploits in your operating systems that could lead to additional attacks. Always update your systems We know, Windows updates are notoriously laborious. But it’s no longer something you can ignore. These updates might be cumbersome but they’re deployed to keep your systems and your…

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Aarsleff Ground Engineering, one of the UK’s leading driven piling and geotechnical contractors, has launched 4 new CPD seminars enabling engineers, designers and graduates across the UK the opportunity to enhance their knowledge and skills on a variety of ground engineering based topics this summer. The new seminars, respectively titled An Introduction to Geotechnical Solutions, An Introduction to Pile Design, An Introduction to the Precast Ground Beam System and An Introduction to Sheet Piling, form an addition to the well-regarded Leading the Way in Driven Piling seminar that was launched in January of last year. The new seminars aim to develop understanding on a variety of topics including Geotechnical Techniques; such as Ground Anchors and Soil Nails and how these can be used in a variety of …

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The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has appointed Graham Construction as sole contractor to deliver a £50m programme of works. The project is another major coup for the contractor in the south east as it seeks to expand its presence across the region. Over a five-year programme valued at £5m to £10m per year, Graham will deliver projects including new builds, refurbishment of historic Grade I and Grade II listed buildings,  as well as the repair and replacement of M&E systems. Key areas where the works will be delivered include The Herbarium, Palm and Water Lily Houses, Pavilion, Arboretum Nursey, and the Family Landscape Area. Rob Joyce, Graham Construction’s London office director, said the firm would also deliver roof repairs at the Grade…

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