On-Site Sustainability & Innovation Hub Revealed

Following on from the launch of the on-site ‘Future of Construction’ Training Centre at Mercia Park, Winvic Construction and its client, IM Properties (IMP), have unveiled a Sustainability and Innovation Hub (SIH) at the same location.

The Leader of North West Leicestershire District Council (NWLDC), Richard Blunt; Deputy Leader, Richard Ashman; and Chief Executive, Bev Smith, visited the site to see first hand the progress of the 238-acre employment park and experience some of the training taking place as part of the scheme’s employment and skills commitments.

Their visit also included an opportunity to see the impressive civils and infrastructure works which Winvic has delivered at the site, including the recently handed-over 550,000 sq ft facility for DV, and the progress of Jaguar Land Rover’s 2.94 million sq ft global parts and logistics centre. Along with this, the visitors got to see Winvic and IMP’s commitment to sustainability and innovation which has culminated in the opening of the first satellite Sustainability and Innovation Hub.

The Hub comprises three zones – Sustainability, Innovation and Learning – which provide areas to showcase Mercia Park’s sustainability credentials, demonstrate Winvic’s digital advancements, train Winvic’s staff and supply chain more creatively than ever, and inspire young people through educational visits. Its proximity to the ‘Future of Construction’ Training Centre also means both facilities can be used for linked training activities. One key feature of the SIH is a 360-degree BIM CAVE area, which will aid the BIM design process in a real-time scenario by facilitating design team meetings and workshops and help develop VR imagery for health and safety training. Unlike the BIM CAVE located at Winvic’s Centre for Innovative Construction, it is a 360-degree resource where Virtual Reality (VR) 3D design models can be viewed as an immersive room experience, without a headset.

Also found within the SIH, Winvic’s Technical Director, Tim Reeve, who sits on the company’s Sustainability Leadership Team, commented: “The Sustainability and Innovation Hub – the second facility we have launched with IM Properties at Mercia Park in a matter of weeks – is testament to both company’s commitment to the future of construction, which has sustainability and innovation at its very heart. We can’t thank IM Properties – and our suppliers – enough for their willingness to drive this initiative in partnership with us.

“Mercia Park’s green and state-of-the-art digital credentials make it the ideal location for the facility. It’s not only an operational digital design centre for Winvic, IM Properties, consultants and suppliers to utilise, but also showcases the scheme and our team’s innovative initiatives and acts as an education and training centre for young people in the community. The value of such a facility was clearly seen by the visitors from North West Leicestershire District Council who were enthused all day, and we’re now looking forward to welcoming schools, college and universities, as well as more companies in our supply chain, to the Hub.”

David Smith, Planning Director for IM Properties, added: “It is great to see the commitments we made at the planning stage of the project being turned into reality. It has been an incredibly difficult period in which to mobilise these activities; however, our creative thinking, partnership approach, persistence and passion to maximise the employment and skills outcomes associated with the project is beginning to yield some very positive outcomes.

“Winvic is particularly proactive and we are delighted to be able to host their first Sustainability and Innovation Hub to showcase our joint ambitions to deliver net zero in construction on-site as part of our overall commitments as a business to achieve new targets for improving our carbon footprint over the next decade.”

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