Work starts on HS2 Curzon Street station five-year build

HS2 joint venture Mace/Dragados has kicked-off construction on the landmark Birmingham Curzon Street Station.

Major earthworks have got underway to prepare the site for piling and foundations work to start in the Spring.

This will pave the way for main construction to start in the Summer on the £570m main station building.

During construction itself, hundreds of jobs will be created, including an estimated 100 new entrant roles, new apprenticeship positions and Restart scheme opportunities for unemployed people.

Sir Jon Thompson, executive chair of HS2, said: “This is a major milestone for HS2 in the West Midlands.

“As work ramps up over the coming months, many jobs, apprenticeships and supply chain opportunities will be on offer – building on the economic benefits already making an impact in the region as a result of HS2.”

Jason Millett, Mace Dragados JV Board Director, said: “We’re looking forward to bringing industry-leading ideas, innovations and expertise from across our international construction and consultancy teams to deliver this landmark station for the West Midlands.”

The station will deliver excellent connectivity to Eastside and Digbeth to enable wider regeneration in the area.

There will be seamless connections to the local transport network including buses and the Midland Metro with a tram line running alongside and under the station, connecting the city with Digbeth.

Birmingham City Council’s Curzon Street Investment Plan will see £724m spent on regenerating the area around the new station.

The scheme will take place over 30 years, leading to the creation of several new neighbourhoods across almost 150 hectares, including 4,000 homes and 36,000 jobs.

Suppliers owed £4.8m after fall of groundworks specialist

Corby based groundworks specialist NRI Civils Ltd owed £4.8m to suppliers and subcontractors when it went into administration.

The scale of the firm’s debts were revealed in a Companies House update after the firm went under last November.

NRI had worked at a Barratt housing job in Cambridgeshire where 83 new homes are being demolished because of faulty foundations.

Problems were found last year with new homes under construction at the Darwin Green site where Barratt David Wilson Homes Cambridgeshire is building a new community of nearly 1,600 homes.

The report said NRI had become subject to a dispute with a major house builder that left “a large hole in its cash flow”.

NRI had an adjudication hearing go in its favour but the ruling was disputed and the firm was placed into administration.

NRI had been in business since 2012 reaching a turnover of £21m in 2021 generating a pre-tax profit of £826,000

BAM clinches Uni of South Wales £40m teaching block

The University of South Wales has selected BAM to build a £40m academic building at the Treforest Campus in Pontypridd.

BAM will now help to develop the detailed designs for the building which is scheduled to begin construction later this year.

The proposed academic building will provide teaching, research, and support space for Computing, Engineering, and Technology.

It will contain more than 40 new teaching, learning and research spaces, including electronics and hydraulics labs, a flight simulator and robotics lab, as well as virtual reality capability, and exhibition spaces.

Justin Price, construction director at BAM, said: “The COMET project is an exciting opportunity for us to showcase our expertise and deliver a masterpiece that will stand the test of time.

“BAM will work with University staff and students to provide unique opportunities on the project, ensuring we leave behind a positive legacy as well as an outstanding new building.”

Subject to the planning permission being granted, the building will be constructed on vacant land at the campus, taking two years to complete.

Moda lodges Birmingham 37-storey tower plan

Moda Living and Calthorpe Estates have lodged plans to build more than 460 flats in a 37-storey block in Birmingham.

The plans are the second phase of the 11-acre New Garden Square masterplan, which will feature over 2,000 homes and £6m of public realm.

Winvic has already started work to build nearly 400 rental flats in a block, called The Mercian, due for completion later this year.

The latest block will tower above this project with a roof terrace, 24-hour gym, co-working space and resident lounges

Up to 425 jobs are expected to be created during the construction phase.

James Blakey, planning director at Moda Group, said: “These plans represent a huge step forward for the next phase of the New Garden Square masterplan, bringing us closer to delivering additional much-needed, high-quality new homes for Edgbaston with substantial public space next to Edgbaston Village metro station.”

Naturally Beautiful

The allure of the natural world is the inspiration for Woven Image’s extended colour palette with 5 new colours: dusk, mint, butter, cayenne and nutmeg. By embracing the ongoing evolution of colour and textural finishes in the built environment, these portfolio refreshments support interior designers and architects to deliver sustainable, acoustic solutions that evoke moods of relaxation and happiness through clever function and aesthetics.

The EchoPanel® 12mm colour palette is the anchor which drives this material evolution. EchoPanel® acoustic panels, which are now carbon neutral certified, remain the benchmark for innovation in sustainable, design-led interior acoustic solutions. The new palette expands to the stunning 12mm EchoPanel® precision cut designs, including Ohm, Longitude, Palace and Empire, as well as the embossed acoustic panel collection comprising Zen, Pico, Gem and Ion. These textural ranges are ideal finishes for open plan workspaces, learning environments and social settings, incorporating a functional, sensorial solution with a contemporary design aesthetic.

Fuji acoustic ceiling tiles along with Array 12mm ceiling baffles become further enhanced with an updated colour palette

Dusk captures the ethereal allure of a stunning sunset; a unique hue comprised of a subtle fusion of tones between peach and mauve. This shade embraces the ongoing evolution of pinkish tones, highlighted in fashion and interiors.

Mint shows a fresh juxtaposition of pastel style tones with a glow reminiscent of refractions of light beams from patina-style surfaces and translucent tropical waters. This provides a feeling of weightlessness within a space, evoking a mood of calm and relaxation.

Butter encapsulates the concept of wellness within workplace, education and healthcare sectors. It is a fresh positive colour, providing an elegant alternative solution to a traditional neutral palette. When utilised in the Embossed series, this comforting hue creates an unwavering desire to touch and experience these textural surfaces.

Cayenne reflects the popularity of browns, chocolates, caramels and wood tones, as we continue to embrace earthy natural hues. This provides a unique depth of colour with a warm and spicy accent.

Nutmeg completes the earthy palette, mimicking a natural oakwood tone whilst providing a rich decadent caramel hue. This versatile mid-tone allows for a creation of acoustically superior cosy interior environments and is easy to specify as an anchor colour to blend with many feature colours, including trend colours of orchid, mint and blush.

Woven Image is also launching its new digital print collection, Digital Spirit. The collection offers a refreshingly modern colour palette, printed on EchoPanel® with both muted pairings and contrasting tones. Typically seen on workstation screens, this now showcases print designs as large-scale wall installations or partitions, with the option for single or double sided printing. Digital printing offers specifiers more customisation opportunities with reduced order minimums and lead times.

With these new additions, Woven Image continues to provide enhanced acoustic solutions for a diverse range of commercial interior spaces. 

Employee autonomy in open-plan offices. How to achieve it

Popular in the business world, open-plan offices are spaces full of possibilities, but also places where true employee autonomy is difficult to achieve. Freedom and independence in decision-making can bring significant benefits to an organisation, including increased engagement, productivity and job satisfaction. How do you introduce autonomy into open-plan office spaces that are inherently communal and often lack privacy? Read the article and find out how to help your team achieve self-reliance in an open office, to the benefit of the whole organisation.

Open space deprives employees of autonomy on many levels 

Open space, a popular office design concept that aims to promote collaboration and communication between employees, can unfortunately deprive them of autonomy on many levels. The boundaries of private office space are disappearing, meaning that every employee activity is visible to others. This leads to a sense of constant supervision by superiors or team members. In addition, loud conversations, phone calls and other sounds can be a major distraction for those who need silence to perform tasks with focus. 

Above all, the lack of privacy, noise and constant breaks in concentration can lead to a decrease in efficiency and the sense of a lack of autonomy. Therefore, while open space has its advantages, it is worth paying attention to the possible negative consequences and ensuring that everyone is comfortable in the professional environment. The most satisfied employees are those who have a wide choice of workstations, control over their privacy and feel that their employer trusts them. 

Why is autonomy at work important?

Autonomy at work is fundamental for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is a key factor in building engagement and job satisfaction. When employees are free to make decisions and do their work, they have a greater sense of responsibility and are more committed to what they do. Autonomy allows them to use their unique skills and talents, which in turn leads to better results. The freedom to work also encourages innovation. When people feel free to explore new ideas, they are more likely to think creatively and solve problems. Autonomy allows for career development. Employees who are in control of their work have more opportunities to learn and succeed.

How to ensure autonomy for open-plan office workers

Workers who have no control over their working conditions or choice over where they perform their duties feel oppressed. In open-plan offices, ensuring staff autonomy can be a major challenge. One way of providing greater control over the working environment is with Hushoffice acoustic cubicles for individual and team tasks. These mobile spaces provide a place to focus on tasks that require concentration and an opportunity to break away from the all-day use of a desk in a noisy open space. They can be easily rearranged and adapted to the current needs of the office, giving employees the opportunity to change their working environment according to individual preferences.

Choice of workplace

Within an open-plan space, it is a good idea to separate out zones to suit different needs and the specifics of the tasks to be performed. A variety of private spaces, such as acoustic booths, collaboration areas, telephone conversation areas or café annexes, help to balance open-plan offices and provide greater autonomy.

Acoustic cabins are redefining the concept of the working environment by providing workers with choice, both physically and environmentally. The first level is concerned with the specific features of office cubicles, such as their size, structure (open or semi-open) and working position (sitting or standing). Will it be a single-person cabin guaranteeing quiet and concentration, or perhaps a four-person hushMeet booth, which is ideal for brainstorming and spontaneous meetings? The second level of selection refers to environmental conditions that can be adjusted to individual preferences, such as lighting, ventilation and sound background. In this way, acoustic pods give employees control over their working environment, increasing satisfaction, motivation and creativity.

hushoffice.com

Turn chaos into calm

Employees in open-plan offices often face excessive noise, which affects their concentration and productivity. Smaller acoustic pods, such as the hushHybrid, with their finely tuned sound insulation technology, make it possible to effectively mitigate this problem. However, they do not introduce total silence, as this would be unnatural. Surrounding sounds are merely reduced to a pleasant background level and conversations carried out in the cabin are not heard outside. By using single and multi-person office cubicles, changing the office layout is simple and cost-effective, allowing the space to adapt to the changing needs of the team.

chapmanbdsp further strengthens its team in the Middle East with key senior appointment and opening of Riyadh office

Building on its success over the last 15 years in the Middle East, chapmanbdsp announces its further commitment to the region, with the opening of an office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and the appointment of Andrew Morris as Director for the Middle East & North Africa region, who will be based in Dubai.

Andrew Morris has 40 years’ industry experience, 15 of which have been in the Middle East. During this time, he led the growth of a prominent engineering consultancy practice in the UAE and Qatar, delivering several notable regional projects, including key elements of the Dubai Expo 2020 project, the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, the Doha Metro Greenline, the Sidra Hospital and the Al Rayyan Football Stadium, also in Qatar, which was one of the locations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Andrew Morris joins an existing robust leadership team, alongside Russell Hunter, Principal, who played a crucial role in establishing chapmanbdsp in the region over ten years ago, and Andrew Russell, Regional Director of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) as the company targets further strategic growth in the region following a period of sustained progress and significant project wins.

Russell Hunter joined chapmanbdsp over twenty years ago, relocating to the UAE in 2013 and is a building services engineer with over 25 years’ industry experience internationally across a range of sectors. He currently leads the company’s UAE-based team of building services engineers, delivering a wide spectrum of large-scale projects in both the UAE and KSA.

Andrew Russell, Regional Director, KSA, is a chartered engineer with over 35 years’ experience. He is skilled in all aspects of MEP design strategies and stage submissions, with technical design expertise in public health engineering and water conservation. Key to the Middle East growth strategy is the opening of the Riyadh office led by him,  previously served from the UAE.

This additional presence in Saudi Arabia’s capital and main financial hub is evidence of chapmanbdsp’s continued commitment to the market with a local operation to work closely with Saudi nationals and local talent.

Ray Upjohn, Chief Executive Officer of chapmanbdsp, said:

“We are targeting growth in the region and we see Andrew Morris as the catalyst for that, as we take the business to the next level.  Andrew has a great track record and extensive regional experience and joining us at a time when the whole of the Middle East is experiencing a surge of investment growth and cultural change, which is incredibly exciting.”

Andrew Morris said: “I am delighted to have joined chapmanbdsp in Dubai to lead the Middle East and Africa operations. Having lived and worked in the UAE for 15 years, I am thrilled to be embarking on this new and exciting journey using this insight into local markets in the region.”

Surface Design Show Announces Furnishing Futures as Charity Partner for 2024 Edition

Innovation in surface materials is the focus of the Surface Design Show 2024, with this year’s theme focusing on Mindful Living.  Our charity partner for this year goes above and beyond with Mindful Living at the centre of what they do.  We are proud to announce our partnership with Furnishing Futures, an innovative charity founded by interior stylist, writer, and social worker Emily Wheeler.

Furnishing Futures focuses on creating beautifully designed, fully furnished healing homes for women and children who have suffered from Domestic Abuse. After escaping domestic abuse these individuals often find themselves in social housing without basic amenities, such as flooring or white goods. The charity addresses this critical gap by partnering with the interiors industry to repurpose good quality ex-display items, returns, props, or donated furnishings. Through this sustainable approach, the charity transforms empty spaces with these items into beautiful, fully furnished homes that help people heal.

Based in Leyton in East London, Furnishing Futures works closely with specialist domestic abuse services and grassroots organizations, taking referrals to ensure their support reaches those who need it the most.

Furnishing Futures is the only furnishing project in the UK to create trauma-informed healing homes, fully furnishing and decorating homes at no cost to their beneficiaries. This includes flooring, painting and white goods. Trauma-informed design is used to create healing, restorative spaces that nurture and uplift women and children who have experienced domestic abuse or the impact of poverty. Biophilic, evidence-based design principles are also used to harness the healing power of natural light, shapes and materials to create healthy, healing homes, centred on beneficiaries' needs. The charity work in partnership with the beneficiaries to give them choices about the furniture they have and the way their home is decorated. Having a beautifully furnished home raises self-esteem, alleviates stress and can help break the cycle of poverty for the most vulnerable women and children as well as increasing their safety.

Emily Wheeler has stated “Through our partnership with Surface Design Show we hope to strengthen our industry partnerships, enabling us to support more families with comfortable homes, while protecting the environment. We're really looking forward to seeing how our partnership develops."

As part of the partnership with Surface Design Show, renowned UK street artist Olivier Roubieu will create two live murals across this year’s events. These unique artworks will be auctioned, with all proceeds contributing to Furnishing Futures' mission of creating safe and welcoming homes for survivors of domestic abuse.

Emily Wheeler, continues "Furnishing Futures is absolutely delighted to be chosen as Surface Design Show’s charity partner, and we want to say a huge thank you to all the exhibitors for supporting us.”

The interiors industry work closely together with this charity partner, with many organisations in the interiors industry donating high quality products such as returns, seconds or ex-showroom stock that might otherwise end up in landfill. Furnishing Futures operates from donations alone, any donations of the following items can help support this amazing charity.

Architects and designers come together at the Surface Design Show 6-8 February 2024 to view, source, and specify the newest and most creative exterior and interior surface materials from more than 180 exhibitors. This wide reach of industry professionals coming together will also help to increase awareness of this amazing charity to over 5000 architecture and design professionals.

For more information about Surface Design Show, visit;

http://www.surfacedesignshow.com

For further information please contact Cora Kemp;

Email: cora@informare.co.uk

Phone: 07903481131

For more information about Furnishing Future please contact Emily Wheeler;

Email: emily@furnishingfutures.org

Phone: 07415779190

Website: www.furnishingfutures.org

Surface Design Show 2024 Showcases the best New Talent in Material Innovation

Surface Design Show, the leading event for architects and designers to explore the best in surface material innovation will be welcoming over 180 exhibitors to its 2024 edition. Held 6-8 February at London’s Business Design Centre, amongst the established exhibitors there will be over 30 New Talents.

Curated by Chief Creative Director at Trendease International Jennifer Castoldi and sponsored by CDUK, New Talent is a key focus for Surface Design Show. Once again, the New Talent section will inspire and excite visitors whilst supporting those starting their career in the design world.

Jennifer Castoldi CEO and Chief Creative Director, Trendease International comments:

“Since 2018 Trendease International has been scouting talent from around the world for the Surface Design Show and we are excited to bring the next selection of innovative minds to showcase at the Business Design Centre in February.  We have quite the line up including: a cutting-edge translucent tile made of broken ceramics and waste ash that can be used to make furniture, lighting, and tableware, biomaterials such as one comprised of discarded ceramics and sugar beet pulp, tiles for thermal and acoustic insulation, interactive lighting design, alternative flooring, and a large collection of talented wallpaper and textile designers.”

New Talent, Nanxi Ai founder of Incro Design comments:

“Surface Design Show provides a great platform for exchanging new ideas and meeting new friends. We are curious and passionate about joining other designers and brands to work together to call for a more inclusive and sustainable material future.”

Amongst the New Talents represented are

Rosy Napper

Rosy Napper is a ceramic material researcher interested in the intersection of science and design, specialising in the sustainable development of waste-based ceramics. 

She uses unwanted and unused resources to replace environmentally damaging ones in the hopes of one day reducing the ceramic industry’s impact on the planet. In 2022 she developed ‘ReCinder’, a 100% recycled material made from discarded ceramic and waste ash that has been diverted from landfill. The material is versatile and suitable for furniture, tiling and tableware. However most importantly it can be used for lighting due to its unique translucent quality. ReCinder is currently one of the only 100% recycled ceramic materials on the market capable of translucency.

Sauda Imam

Sauda Imam’s brand weaves a mesmerising tapestry that seamlessly connects Nigeria’s storied heritage with the contemporary world. Rooted in a passionate commitment to preserve traditional weaving techniques, her creations breathe new life into age-old artistry. With a mastery gained through academic pursuits at prestigious Central St Martins and Royal college of Art, Sauda creates designs that transcend time, with her designs already being featured in British Vogue. Imam’s brand is more than textiles; it's a living canvas that redefines heritage for contemporary audiences. It is an invitation to experience the timeless charm of Nigerian weaving through a distinctly modern lens.

Jane Gray

Having grown-up in the Scottish countryside most of Jane Gray’s Design work is inspired by the landscapes that surround her and that of her childhood home. That could be the lighthouses that she used to visit on family day trips, the dandelions used to play “tell the time”, or the coastal shores. Recently graduated with a First-Class Hons BA in Design for Textile from Heriot-Watt University in Galashiels, specialising in printed textiles she is very excited about what her next adventure will be and how she will tell the story via her designs. Currently based in Midlothian, Scotland working predominantly in ink and in a fine line illustrative style capturing the delicate and calming elements of her studies and translating into digital prints and homeware items that include handmade lampshades, cushions and other accessories.

Incro Design

Incro Design is a London based design studio created by Nanxi Ai which was established with a bold mission: to elevate the sensory aspects of human life through innovative design. Incro’s journey is marked by an unwavering commitment to weaving inclusive design principles into the very fabric of textile design, positioning them as pioneers in this ever-evolving field. With an unrelenting passion for the humanities and a profound appreciation for neurodiversity Nanxi was inspired to envision a world where every sensory encounter is not just acknowledged but celebrated. Incro challenges the conventions within textile design, placing people and their surroundings at the core of its creative process, transcending the bounds of artistic imagination.

Design enthusiasts are invited to discover the brilliant New Talent, as well as seeing the new and innovative materials of the already established surface specialists exhibiting from 6-8 February 2024 at the Business Design Centre London.

For more information about Surface Design Show, visit;

http://www.surfacedesignshow.com

https://twitter.com/surfacethinking  

https://www.facebook.com/SurfaceThinking  

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/surfacethinking

https://www.instagram.com/surfacethinking

#SDS24 #SDAwards

Workspace Design Show reveals all-encompassing speaker programme

The speaker programme at Workspace Design Show (27-28 February 2024, Business Design Centre, London) has been an integral part since the event’s inception in 2021 and this year is no exception with over 120 speakers featuring across four key elements of discourse.

The Workspace Design Talks programme, which will take place in a dedicated space, the Design Talks Lounge, designed by global design and architecture firm Gensler, will feature inspiring sessions from leading industry professionals over the event’s two days. Speakers include Helen Berresford, Head of ID:SR, Sheppard Robson; Alan Bainbridge, Director of BBC Workplace; Naomi Sakamoto, Principal, Gensler; Matt Jackson, CEO, BDG architecture + design and Grant Kanik, Partner, Foster + Partners. The latter will be speaking as part of a panel entitled ‘Insights and perspectives on the convergent future of workplace’ which also features panellists Yasmin Al-Ani Spence, Director, WilkinsonEyre and Nicola Gillen, EMEA Lead, Total Workplace, Cushman and Wakefield, chaired by workplace design journalist and author Helen Parton.         

Sustainability Works returns for 2024 and is held on 27 February, once again bringing together a selection of key figures behind the workplace market’s leading sustainable initiatives and projects. Curated by Mick Jordan, Editor of Works magazine confirmed speakers include Golnaz Ighany, Sustainability Director, BDP; Gurvinder Khurana, Director, M Moser; Pernille Bonser, CEO, Resonate Interiors and Mario Viera, Head of Sustainability, Scott Brownrigg.

The Occupiers Forum, held on 28 February, is the complete ‘The View from HQ’. Located in the Insights Lounge, it will provide unique insights into what employers are doing to create an engaging workplace experience. The Forum’s speakers include Steve Wright, Director of Workplace Design & Change Management, GSK; Sarah Murdoch, Corporate Real Estate Director, Visa; Sue Glew, Programme Director, The Better Workplace Programme, BT and Kate Smith, Executive Director, Occupier Consulting UK, CBRE.

Both the Sustainability Works session and the Occupiers Forum will be held in the Insights Lounge designed by BDP.

Also returning for this year across both days of Workspace Design Show is the FIS Conference, a crucial in-person gathering for the not-for-profit representative body of the finishes and interiors sector in the UK.  Sessions held on both 27 & 28 February will provide a platform for the latest industry thinking, supporting the organisation’s aims of improving safety, minimising risk, enhancing productivity, and driving innovation in the sector. The conference will include professional insight from the likes of Chris Webb, Head of Sustainability, tp bennett; Helen Gawor, Group Director of Strategy & Innovation, ISG; Vidhi Sharma, Creative Director, Modus Workspace and Ana Rita Martins, Sustainability Lead, MCM.

Once again, Workspace Design Show will gather together leading architects, designers, real estate professionals, tenants and other industry experts to exchange their insights around the world of workplace design.

Workspace Design Show 2024, 27-28 February 2024, Business Design Centre, 52 Upper St, London N1 0QH

workspaceshow.co.uk