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UK-based construction firm Hill has begun construction on a housing project worth about £70m for army families at Tidworth in Wiltshire.Hill will deliver the project working on behalf of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, an operating arm of the UK’s Ministry of Defence.The development will include 322 new three- and four-bedroom homes for service personnel and their families based at barracks on and around Salisbury Plain.The housing units will incorporate red bricks and traditional roof styles that feature in surrounding villages. The project will also feature five open green spaces.The project is set to be completed in spring 2018.Hill deputy chief executive Kieran Larkin said: “We are delighted to be partnering with the Ministry of Defence in what will be our largest single contract to date.“This is not only a completely new sector for us at Hill, but it’s also our first project in Wiltshire, and is a fantastic opportunity to create homes for service personnel.”
The University of Glasgow has unveiled expansion plans to transform the former Western Infirmary site into a learning hub.The university has taken possession of the 14-acre site that will see an estimated £1bn investment over the next 10 years.The proposed plan will involve the creation of a research and innovation centre and new facilities for social sciences, health and engineering.It will include public routes and a new central square that will connect Byres Road to the cultural centre for the West End, with new connections to Kelvingrove and the newly-revamped Kelvin Hall. The proposed development will also feature a hotel, restaurant, bars and cafes. It is expected to create 2,500 jobs during the construction period.The University of Glasgow principal and vice-chancellor Anton Muscatelli said: “We hope to use the new site as a catalyst to attract and grow the very best academics, to attract the very best students and to ensure that Glasgow continues to be one of the top universities in the world.“The first major development will be a Learning and Teaching Hub – situated not on the former Western Infirmary site but on University Avenue. It will provide spaces for 3,000 students at any one time, as well as state-of-the-art facilities, and will allow us to use the latest techniques in pedagogy.”
Linkcity Ile-de-France has signed a construction contract worth about €200m with Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) for the construction of the Alto Tower at La Défense, Paris.The company is the property development unit of Bouygues Bâtiment Ile-de-France, a subsidiary of Bouygues Construction.Designed by IF Architectes, AltoTower will be 150m tall, and provide 38 floors of office space with total floor space of 51,000 sq m. It will feature glass-scale façade and an unusual flare shape.The surface area of each floor will range from 700 sq m at the foot of the tower to 1,500 sq m at the top. The project will also include a car park, shops and a vast square developed with EPADESA, the development authority of La Défense.The new tower will replace the Les Saisons office building, which leads into the Les Saisons sector. It will form part of the urbanisation of the La Défense ring road and will link the Ancre neighbourhood in Courbevoie with La Défense.The detailed preliminary design is slated to be completed during 2016, with site work to begin in September 2016. The handover is scheduled for the first quarter of 2020. Construction will be undertaken by Bouygues Bâtiment Ile-de-France Construction Privé.Bouygues Bâtiment Ile-de-France CEO Bernard Mounier said: "The award of this contract, following 18 months of technical and engineering studies, repays the motivation and hard work of all the teams."By combining their range of skills, we were able to meet our customer's expectations. We are very enthusiastic to have the chance to build a new skyscraper in the La Défense district."
Keepmoat and Strata have obtained a contract from Leeds City Council to build 1,000 new homes in Leeds, UK, which will involve an investment of £142m.The homes will be built across 13 sites in the Seacroft, Halton Moor and Osmandthorpe areas of Leeds.The council has committed to ensure that development takes place on brownfield land first, and hence all the construction will take place on land previously used for industrial or commercial purposes. Construction is slated to begin in early 2017.Keepmoat operations director in Yorkshire Ian Hoad said: “We are actively expanding our presence in West Yorkshire, where we see a real appetite for new homes. With 95% of our developments built on brownfield land we are perfectly placed to deliver this scheme and we’re thrilled to have been selected as chosen developer alongside Strata.“Working in partnership with Strata will allow us to accelerate the delivery of these new homes, with the target of achieving 150 properties per annum.“We aren’t just taking one development in one part of the region. We are completely overhauling three neighbourhoods and potentially putting nearly 1,000 people in the region on the property ladder.”
Balfour Beatty has secured an £82.5m contract from BAE Systems to build engineering and training facilities at RAF Marham in Norfolk, UK.The contract will help prepare the base for the arrival of the RAF's first F-35 Lightning II aircraft in 2018. RAF Marham will be the main operating station for the F-35 Lightning II jets.Under the contract, Balfour Beatty will construct three new facilities covering 25,000 sq m that will feature an integrated training centre, a logistics operations centre and a maintenance and finishing facility.Balfour Beatty will use digital tools such as 4D modelling and BIM throughout the construction of the facilities.Before getting the contract, Balfour Beatty worked closely with BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin, the UK Ministry of Defence's Lightning Project Team and RAF Marham for the past six months as a preferred supplier to prepare for the project.Construction on the project is scheduled to begin in April 2016 and will be completed by mid-2018. The project will create 300 construction jobs during the peak phase.Balfour Beatty managing director UK construction services Dean Banks said: "Our proven expertise in defence and aviation means that we have developed technically advanced delivery solutions that will help to ensure that RAF Marham's operational capability is maintained throughout our construction activities on base."
Facebook has started construction of a EUR200m ($227.9m) data centre in Clonee village in County Meath, Ireland.The 621,000 sq ft Clonee facility will be Facebook’s first in Ireland and second in Europe, and sixth across the globe. The facility will be a central part of Facebook's global infrastructure allowing customers to connect with each other.Facebook has signed a long-term renewable energy supply agreement with Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners to supply 100% renewable wind energy to the Clonee facility. The agreement is in line with the company’s plan to reach the goal of powering 50% of its infrastructure with clean and renewable energy by the end of 2018.The data centre is scheduled to be operational by late 2017 or early 2018. It is expected to create 2,000 jobs during the construction phase and around 150 longer-term jobs.
Westminister Council has approved a £1bn plan to redevelop the Whiteleys shopping centre in west London.A joint venture between a Meyer Bergman-advised fund and Warrior Group has submitted a planning application to Westminster City Council redevelop the former Whiteleys department store in Bayswater.Designed by Foster + Partners, the mixed-use project will include more than 500,000 sq ft of homes and shops built behind the existing 1911 facade.It will include the construction of more than 100 homes, a mixture of apartments and townhouses. These will be arranged around an inner courtyard with new retail units, a boutique hotel, gym and other enhanced leisure facilities, including a new cinema at basement level.
Developers Ashfield Land and local house builder Kirkwood Homes have submitted plans to Aberdeenshire Council for a new £150m mixed-use development.The site for the proposed construction is located five miles north of Aberdeen. It was allocated for future development in the 2012 Aberdeenshire Local Development Plan (LDP). If approved, the plans will bring to life the Blackdog Masterplan that was approved by the council in 2013, calling for a new town centre with business space and substantial additional housing.Ashfield Land and Kirkwood Homes have been refining the proposals since late 2015, and after detailed consultation with local residents and community representatives.The proposed development will include the construction of a new town centre, with around 600 homes, including 150 affordable homes, to accommodate around 2,100 residents.It will also include offices, industrial accommodation, a regional food hall, a supermarket, a petrol station, a hotel, a cinema, shops, a park and ride facility and also a primary school.Subject to Aberdeenshire Council’s approval, construction will begin in early 2017 and will be delivered in partnership with major stakeholders including Aberdeenshire Council and the local community.The project is expected to create 1,200 jobs during construction and 1,500 full time jobs after completion.
Construction work is set to start next month on a £800m new community development in Aberdeen after the UK government pledged £86m in funding for the project.The project, which received in principle planning approval from Aberdeen City Council in October 2014, will be built by Stewart Milne Group over 15 years. Work will involve the construction of new housing, schools, healthcare and parks at the Countesswells site. Mobilisation and compound facilities will commence this month, with infrastructure works expected to begin in April. The first homes are expected to be available later in 2016. The project is anticipated to create 1,000 construction jobs.Stewart Milne group managing director homes John Slater said: “Countesswells is an important project that will deliver a vibrant new community for Aberdeen that will include three new schools, medical facilities, leisure, retail, commercial & business accommodation and a wide range of homes, from first time buyer apartments and young family homes to townhouses and executive villas, all contributing to Aberdeen’s attractiveness as a place in which to live and work.”
Fife College has secured the option to buy land for the construction of a new college campus on the Shepherd Offshore site on Dunlin Drive, Dunfermline, Scotland.The project, which forms part of a broader plan announced to improve College estates across Fife, is estimated to cost about £90m ($130.1m).Principal Hugh Logan said: “Our students’ needs are paramount when making decisions about our new campus. The new state-of-the-art college will be built around the requirements of our students, from location and accessibility to the layout, design and resources required.”Scottish government’s NPD Programme will provide £70m of the project funding, while the remaining amount will be procured from Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and college resources.SFC has already given the go-ahead to an outline business case for the use of the site for the college build. A full business case for the college project is expected to be considered later in 2016. “Transport links will also be an important factor and we will work with Fife Council and partners to ensure the new campus benefits from excellent transport links,” Logan added.
Birmingham City Council has revealed details of the £500m Birmingham Smithfield redevelopment project.Spanning 14 hectares, the development will include over 300,000 sq m of commercial floor space, as well as 2,000 new homes in a mix of two-, three- and four-bed apartments.The project will also feature new squares, parks and gardens, retail markets, leisure facilities, cafes, independent shops, restaurants and hotels, buildings for cultural events, and pedestrian boulevards. It is expected to create 3,000 jobs in the region.Birmingham City Council chief executive Mark Rogers said: “Birmingham Smithfield will have a transformational impact that capitalises on the area’s unique heritage and focus for markets.“It will radically enhance the city’s retail, visitor and residential offer, as well as unlocking the growth potential of a much wider area.”
Developer Ballymore has received funding from British property investor M&G Real Estate for the construction of the £200m Three Snowhill development in Birmingham, UK.The office development, which will cover an area of 420,000 sq ft, is due to be the largest ever speculative city centre office project built outside London.The property will feature 385,000 sq ft of office space, 35,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space, accommodating nearly 4,000 workers.BAM Construction was appointed as preferred contractor for the project in June 2015. The project is expected to be completed at the end of 2018.Ballymore CEO Sean Mulryan said: “Ballymore is delighted to announce a start on the third and final phase of our Snowhill scheme. “Working with the city, our funding partner, M&G Real Estate, and our main contractor, BAM, we will deliver a landmark building and the final element of what is one of the largest and most prestigious commercial developments in central Birmingham.”
A joint venture (JV) of Bouygues Travaux Publics and Cimolai has signed a construction contract with the Garden Bridge Trust to deliver the Garden Bridge project in London. The JV’s scope of the work will include the completion of the detailed design, construction and planting the trees and shrubbery for the project, which is estimated to cost £175m. In April 2015, the JV won the contract for preconstruction services.The project has been designed by Flint and Neil and Moxon Architects. Arup, Heatherwick Studio and Dan Pearson Studios will offer advice to the trust on the bridge design and construction.Construction work on the project is expected to start in mid-2016 and will be completed in late 2018.Garden Bridge Trust chairman Lord Mervyn Davies said: “The Garden Bridge is a reality. We are on course with our fundraising targets, we are meeting the requirements of our planning conditions.“We have huge public support for the project and we look forward to working with Bouygues TP and Cimolai and all our partners to make this a special place to be enjoyed by Londoners and visitors in the heart of the city for years to come.”
Ground has been broken on the first phase of the £400m Kirkstall Forge mixed-use project in Leeds, UK.Located on 57 acres, the development will include 1,050 new homes, 300,000 sq ft of office space, as well as 100,000 sq ft of retail, leisure and community space. Wates will serve as the project’s principal contractor. Phase one of the project will involve the creation of a Grade A office building, covering an area of 110,000 sq ft. The seven-storey building is expected to be ready for occupation in the third quarter of 2017.With the ground breaking, Zenith, a leasing, fleet management and vehicle outsourcing business, has signed a pre-let agreement to occupy a new flagship headquarter office building at the development. Under the deal, the company will occupy over 45,000 sq ft net over the three upper stories that include a roof level meeting room suite.In addition, developer CEG has announced plans to relocate its northern office to the new development. The developer will occupy nearly 10,000 sq ft on the ground floor, with the remaining ground floor and three remaining floors of 18,500 sq ft each to be made available to the market.CEG director Jon Kenny said: “Kirkstall Forge is unique, it will deliver fresh, sustainable new ways of living and working amongst acres of green space in a wooded riverside setting. With schools, contemporary housing, restaurants, cafés and light-filled offices, it will provide the vibrancy of city life as well as the tranquillity of the outdoors.“Ultimately, this will not only be an ambitious and innovative development for Leeds, but will establish a new benchmark for office developments across the rest of the UK.”
Implenia has secured a contract valued at over CHF100m ($101.2m) to construct a new landmark for North Zurich, Switzerland.The company has won the total contractor mandate by making use of digital 4D Building Information Modelling (BIM) in the tender phase. The scope of the contract, awarded by SBB Immobilien, will include the construction of the Andreasturm building. The 80m high building, located next to the railway station in Oerlikon, Zurich, has been designed by architects Gigon/Guyer.The development will include about 20,000 sq m of office space, ample room for shops, cafés and restaurants, and a direct link to the platforms and station underpass. It will also be energy efficient, and will comply with the DGNB Platinum label standards adapted by the Swiss Sustainable Building Council. Construction work on the project is expected to commence in April 2016.
Town Centre Securities (TCS) and GMI Construction Holdings have formed a joint venture company known as Belgravia Living Group to deliver a residential project in Piccadilly Basin, Manchester.Phase one of the residential project, which has already received planning approval, will include the construction of the 90,000 sq ft Burlington House building. Designed by architect Simpson Haugh, Burlington House will feature 91 apartments.The Greater Manchester Combined Authority has approved a £9.741m loan from the Greater Manchester Housing Fund to support the first phase on Tariff Street. Preparatory site work is expected to begin in April 2016, with an 18-month development programme expected to commence in June 2016.Overall, the project will deliver 900 homes over the next six years. The development of all phases of the project is expected to entail an investment of nearly £300m.GMI Construction Holdings group managing director Jarrod Best said: “We are delighted to have joined forces with TCS to deliver what will be a high quality residential scheme to suit discerning owners and occupiers within the key Manchester M1 postcode.”
Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) has secured planning consent for transformation of the former Royal Mail sorting office at Copperas Hill in Liverpool, UK into a new £100m building for the university.
Developer CLS Holdings has confirmed plans to begin enabling works on phase one of its Vauxhall Square project in London in 2017.
Work on the £150m redevelopment of the Chase Farm Hospital in Enfield, London is set to commence in early 2016 after receiving planning consent from Enfield Council.
Henry Boot Construction, a UK-based construction firm, has been selected as the main contractor by the Barnsley council for the Better Barnsley town centre redevelopment project.
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