Uncover the Latest News on Kevin McCloud of Grand Designs, High Prices Dampen U.K. Buildings, McLaughlin & Harvey to Rebuild Ayr Hospice, and Kier Wins £50m Office and Residential Contract

Discover and understand the latest news in this article. The lecturer walks us through a possible scenario for the development of housing in the future. Kevin McCloud has been showing some of the most distinctive home-building projects in the United Kingdom since the premiere of the new season of Grand Designs last week. Meanwhile, in August, demand for residential construction, commercial construction, and civil engineering was hindered by high expenses. The building and civil engineering industries have requested that Liz Truss increase her level of support. Furthermore, McLaughlin & Harvey has been selected to serve as the main contractor for the Ayrshire Hospice’s Racecourse Road location in Ayr, which is undergoing a £13 million renovation. Moreover, Kier has been given the go-ahead to begin construction on a significant office and residential scheme on Tottenham Court Road in London. The proposal is being developed by M&G Real Estate, and CO-RE is managing the development of the property.

Kevin McCloud of Grand Designs discusses homebuilding’s future

Original Source: Grand Designs’ Kevin McCloud gives glimpse at future of home-building

A new season of Grand Designs started last week, with Kevin McCloud showcasing the UK’s most unique home-building projects.

In an exclusive RadioTimes.com clip, McCloud believes Britain’s building industry is “notoriously sluggish to embrace change.”

In the second episode, Harry meets Kate and Rob, who reside in a home built by Rob’s grandparents in the 1940s. The factory-built home was supposed to last 10 years, yet it has outlasted that.

When McCloud meets Kate and Rob, they want a bespoke, modern, prefabricated home. As with Rob’s grandfather’s home, the couple’s new home will be factory-built.

Some new techniques will be employed, though. With volumetric modular construction, their home should be ready in six weeks.

In the clip below, McCloud visits TopHat, the basis for Kate and Rob’s Derby home, and seems pleased with the atmosphere and “absolutely precise” engineering.

McCloud previously discussed whether the housing crisis has affected the show with Radio Times.

He claimed it’s the third time the economy has been jolted. “Our contributors are outstanding and work hard. If they’re in trouble, they’ll find a cheap and cunning way out.

High prices dampen UK buildings in August

Original Source: UK construction falls in August as high prices weigh on demand

High costs hampered demand for homes, commercial construction, and civil engineering in August.

The S&P Global/Cips UK construction purchasing managers’ index was 49.2 in August, up from 48.9 in July but below the 50 threshold that implies contraction.

John Glen, chief economist at the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, which runs the poll, said the UK construction sector was “poised for recession” due to increased raw material prices.

The PMI index for manufacturing and services revealed that activity in the rest of the sector has fallen for the first time since January 2021, a sign the UK economy is on the brink of recession.

During the epidemic, significant home demand boosted the construction industry. Glen said that 40-year high inflation is causing home and commercial building to stagnate and civil engineering work to decrease.

Construction experts urged the new PM, Liz Truss, to do more.

Joe Sullivan, partner at MHA, said rising energy costs must not cause a rash of business bankruptcies.

Lloyds Bank’s infrastructure and construction head, Max Jones, said the government should place emphasis on infrastructure and net zero targets to give construction firms confidence to invest in their businesses and workforces.

Forward-looking indications in the study pointed to a worsening downturn. New order growth was the smallest since June 2020, with some builders citing cost difficulties as a reason.

Economic worries lowered company confidence and slowed job creation.

Civil engineering activity fell the most, likely because new projects were delayed until the Tory leadership race ended last week, said Gabriella Dickens of Pantheon Macroeconomics.

Commercial activity fell, ending a year-and-a-half of growth, while housing stalled.

Dickens expects the housing downturn to continue, questioning whether “housing activity will weather the startling climb in mortgage rates in the coming months as buyer demand cools.”

Builders cut input purchases for the first time since Covid-19 began, causing delivery times and input price inflation to slow.

Lower demand means fewer purchases, lower input prices, and more responsive supply chains, said Glen.

McLaughlin & Harvey rebuild Ayr hospice

Original Source: McLaughlin & Harvey wins Ayr hospice rebuild

The site will reopen in the summer of 2024 once work begins next year.

McLaughlin & Harvey operations director John McClintock commented, “This project is a testament to our reputation and experience in healthcare for high-quality construction.” This is our first Frameworks Scotland 3 project, managed by Health Facilities Scotland, an NHS National Services Scotland agency.

The Ayrshire Hospice is the first non-NHS organization to use the ‘Frameworks Scotland 3’ approach to recruit a contractor. This rigorous selection process got us an experienced Tier 1 Principal Contractor who will restore our listed buildings while delivering high-quality new-build features.

Kier wins £50m office and residential contract in Fitzrovia

Original Source: Kier gets go-ahead for £50m Fitzrovia office and resi job

The Fitzrovia, an 87,000 sq ft redevelopment project 200m off Oxford Street, aims to meet growing demand for larger office space in the West End.

The contract is valued at over £50m, and when completed in Autumn 2024, the building will exceed the highest environmental and welfare requirements – NABERS Design & Performance Rating of 5 Stars (Excellent), BREEAM Outstanding, and Platinum WELL accreditations.

David McKenzie, Kier’s Managing Director for London, South & Strategic Projects, said offsite construction will save carbon and on-site emissions while novel building materials would optimize prefabricated components.

The asset will be all-electric with solar panels on a green roof to promote biodiversity in central London.

John Duxbury, Head of UK Portfolio Asset Management at M&G Real Estate, said, “Fitzrovia intends to be a champion of sustainability and wellness in central London.”

“Our investment in The Fitzrovia continues our strategy to construct large assets in prime locations with best-in-class ESG credentials.”

Currently, we’re doing this at 40 Leadenhall in London and Haymarket in Edinburgh.

“These assets, along with The Fitzrovia, are attracting considerable interest from major occupiers whose decisions are affected by sustainability and welfare, allowing us to pursue compelling risk-adjusted returns for our clients.�

Summary of today’s construction news

In today’s construction news, McCloud expresses his belief that the British construction industry is “notoriously reluctant to embrace change” in an exclusive clip available on RadioTimes.com.

In addition, the S&P Global/Cips UK construction purchasing managers’ index rose to 49.2 in August, from 48.9 in July; nonetheless, this number is still below the threshold of 50, which indicates that the industry is contracting. Construction industry veterans asked the next prime minister, Liz Truss, to step up her efforts.

On the other hand, the Ayrshire Hospice has made history by being the first non-NHS organization to adopt the “Frameworks Scotland 3” methodology to select a contractor. Through careful screening, we found a Tier 1 Principal Contractor who can both repair our historic structures and add modern conveniences without sacrificing quality.

Over and above that, the Fitzrovia is an 87,000-square-foot redevelopment project located just 200 meters from Oxford Street, and it was designed to accommodate the region’s rising demand for greater office space. The deal is worth more than £50 million, and when the building is finished in the fall of 2024, it will meet or exceed all applicable sustainability and amenity standards.