Burntwood School wins RIBA Stirling Prize 2015

Burntwood School, a large comprehensive school in Wandsworth, London, has won the prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize 2015.

Architects Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHHM), who worked closely with Lend Lease, Wandsworth Borough Council and Burntwood School, developed the £40.9M project and collected the award.

The School was one of the final projects to be developed under the Building Schools for the Future scheme that was axed by the then Coalition government in 2010.

The construction was completed in three phases, with 85% of the original 1958 school buildings being rebuilt and the main hall and gym block also being refurbished.

Burntwood School (C) Timothy Soar

Burntwood School beat off competition from the other five building shortlisted for the award, Darbishire Place, Maggie’s Lanarkshire, NEO Bankside, University of Greenwich’s Stockwell Street Building and The Whitworth in Manchester.

The judges said of the School: “Burntwood School is the clear winner of the 2015 RIBA Stirling Prize. It is the most accomplished of the six shortlisted buildings because it demonstrates the full range of the skills that architects can offer to society.

“It encompasses great contemporary design and clever reuse of existing buildings as well as superb integration of artwork, landscaping and engineering. It is a genuine collaborative project. There was a wonderful working relationship between the head teacher and the architect: a true partnership of equals.”

RIBA President Jane Duncan commented: “Burntwood School shows us how superb school design can be at the heart of raising our children’s educational enjoyment and achievement.

“Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, experienced school architects, have created a stunning campus. They have produced delightful, resourceful and energy efficient buildings that will benefit the whole community in the long term.

With the UK facing a huge shortage of school places, it is vital we learn lessons from Burntwood.”

Burntwood School (C) Timothy Soar

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Crossrail sucking up talent from across the country

Crossrail’s requirement for skilled workers has grabbed talented engineering and construction workers from hundreds of miles away leading to a skill shortage in other areas of the UK, according to new research from specialist recruiter Randstad CPE.

Crossrail is not only a powerful draw for international talent but also for workers within the UK. 28.3% of employees beginning Crossrail related work in the London area were originally from locations more than 30 miles away from the new railway line. This figure is from the analysis of over 40,000 individual construction and engineering placements in the UK, including more than 150 various Crossrail related job descriptions.

Of the 28.3% more than half have taken up Crossrail jobs 50 miles from their homes, while 4.7% have moved over 100 miles or more.

Out of an estimated 14,000 people to have worked on Crossrail since the start of the project in May 2009, 4,000 employees commuted or relocated more than 30 miles towards London and 2,100 originally came from over 50 miles away.

Owen Goodhead, MD of Randstad Construction, Property & Engineering, comments: “Britain’s construction and engineering skills gap has been a dilemma for decades.  But now it is biting.

“The infrastructure challenges of the 21st century make this an urgent issue. Crossrail is just one major project, and the effect is felt sharply across the UK.

“Employers want the right person for the right job – absolutely the correct approach – but this is unleashing a spiral of competition. Skills shortages are here to stay for the foreseeable future, and candidates looking for construction and engineering jobs are benefitting. At the start of the project in 2009, the draw of Crossrail was accentuated by the recession, and today it is one of the brightest symbols of recovery in the UK jobs market.

“The downside is in local areas at the other end of this skills vacuum. Crossrail will revolutionise the daily commute for thousands. But the people creating this engineering marvel have their own stories of relocation and long commutes – and their home towns will tell the story of a skills exodus.”

The potential for greater earnings in London is clearly a strong pull, with those workers in general Crossrail jobs earning £1,189 extra per year, a total of £10,701 if the employee works for the entire duration of the project (2009 -2018).

The difference in wages in even more significant when more specialist roles are examined. Tunnelling engineers working in the London area earn on average £25,000. Site manager jobs pay in excess of £30,000, while experienced project managers can see salaries of over £50,000.

Mr Goodhead commented: “Filling quantity surveyor jobs and project manager jobs can be a challenge for employers right across the UK. But London is the white-hot core – where the same job titles command an even greater premium. Especially for high-profile projects, employers are stumping up the cash to get the right skills.”

“All rail workers, tunnellers, automotive and structural engineers get a bonus for living in London – but those employed by Crossrail itself are likely to see even higher earnings again. Not only is Crossrail an iconic project for any CV, it has its own training and learning opportunities – and its own additional earnings premium, even in London.

“Crossrail will be winding down within the next two years, and ambitious skilled people may start to look to other regions. But for a decade one railway will have defined a huge portion of the jobs market.”

With Crossrail set to complete in 2018, the research indicates that the trend seen on the project is also being echoed in other construction and engineering roles. Since 2009, Randstad CPE have seen 38% of recruitment in engineering jobs and construction jobs unconnected to Crossrail, finding jobs in the London area over the last six years.

Owen Goodhead said: “London and the South East are now powering the whole UK construction industry. Crossrail represents a particular crunch point for even scarcer skills – but the trend is now growing. Property prices around London provide a steady underpinning to returns from residential house building – while huge infrastructure projects like Crossrail, the Thames Tideway and soon HS2, all radiate out from the capital.

“But while all roads may lead to London, the rest of the UK still needs skilled engineers and construction workers. In a world where jobs are increasingly outnumbering the best candidates, employers need to up their game to find the right people for the job.

“As a country we need more people to start from scratch in construction and engineering – which means training.  In particular, apprenticeships can be a huge part of the solution, invigorating the workforce with a fresh cohort of skilled people, and widening access to the very best jobs.”

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Suppliers sought for £113M Aston University redevelopment programme

Constructionline are inviting Birmingham contractors to meet with procurement decision makers at Aston University to hear about its forthcoming £113M redevelopment programme to take place over the next six years.

The schemes will include new builds and demolitions as well as major refurbishments and will vary in value from £25,000 to £20M.

The University is looking to create an approved list of suppliers for its main construction contractors.

A Supplier Engagement Day will be held on 21 October at Aston University’s Main Building and will be hosted by Constructionline. It will give suppliers the opportunity to meet with procurement decision makers from Aston University, and Constructionline staff will also be available to advise suppliers on how best to present their business.

Ian Oldacre, Deputy Director of Estates – Development and Facilities at Aston University, said: “We’re embarking on a long-term redevelopment plan to ensure that our university stays ahead of the curve. Working with local businesses is something that we’re really committed to so we look forward to discussing our plans in further detail with attendees on the day.”

Cheryl Wrench, Client Relationship Manager at Constructionline, said: “Aston University are offering local SMEs a fantastic chance to work on a large redevelopment project in the area.

“Often suppliers can be unclear on how to go about putting themselves forward for such high value work, which is where our events come in. They’re specifically designed to help suppliers gain knowledge of whether they are suitable for a project and how they can submit tender information, while at the same time equipping buyers with all that they need to cost-effectively source a reliable supply chain.

“I encourage all those in the Birmingham area to come along to the event at the university on the 21st – it’s an unmissable opportunity.”

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Five Pancras Square wins Prime Minister’s Better Public Building Award

Five Pancras Square in the London Borough of Camden has won the Prime Minister’s Better Public Building Award at the British Construction Industry Awards 2015 held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London last night.

The award was given in recognition of the community building being a fine example of public sector construction, making innovative use of space which contains a state-of-the-art leisure centre, library and Camden Council offices.

The building has the capacity to serve 225,140 residents in addition to the numerous commuters who pass through the area. It is anticipated the building will help the council to make savings of around half a million pounds a year.

The building is one of the first inner-city buildings to attain a BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ sustainability rating, with 90% of the building materials used being responsibly sourced. Low carbon emissions and reduced running costs were achieved the installation of an energy efficient ventilation system and solar panels.

Skills Minister Nick Boles said: “Five Pancras Square shows how government and construction firms working together can deliver innovative, environmental and cost effective buildings.”

The Prime Minister’s Better Public Building Award recognises publicly funded projects that are completed on time, on budget and bring significant change to the community. Previous winners of the award include the Tate Modern and the Velodrome at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

32 public buildings across the country were shortlisted for the award, including transport infrastructure, university buildings, healthcare and environmental projects.

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Only £1M of £525M Builders’ Finance Fund released

It has emerged that only £1M of a £525M government fund has been released help get housing projects that stalled during economic crisis under way again.

The Builders Finance Fund (BFF) was launched in April 2014 and is due to run until March 2017 but so far only two projects have benefitted from the fund. The two schemes, Poltair Developments’ Trecerus Farm project in Cornwall and Hallmark Developments for its Priory Hall Project in Essex, have shared just over £1M between them.

The news has come to light following the BBC’s Freedom of Information request.

The project was created to help restart housing developments that contained between five and 250 units that had stalled or slowed down, most likely due to difficulty accessing development funds, and also to help bring forward sites that had stalled but were otherwise viable.

In September 2014, the government published a shortlist of 165 schemes to go through the due diligence process to gain access to the Builders’ Finance Fund.

Industry experts have raised concerns that access to the Builders’ Finance Fund is overly complicated and putting developers off applying and called for the it to be simplified.

Rico Wojtulewicz, policy advisor for the House Builders’ Association, said: “The government stated that the fund would bring 13,000 new homes but that has clearly not been the case over the past year.

“More attention should be put into how to increase take-up.”

The government has pledged to build a million new homes by 2020 in an effort to deal with the housing shortage.

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Apprenticeship numbers at record high

The government has today released statistics that show that the number of people doing apprenticeships is at its highest ever figure, with strong growth also seen in the number of higher apprenticeships.

During the 2014 to 2015 academic school year, more than 872,000 people were employed on government-funded apprenticeships, with nearly 30,000 people working towards attaining highly valued skills via higher and degree apprenticeships.

The government has stated its commitment to building on the figures and vowed to launch more degree apprenticeships that mix a high quality degree with an apprenticeship.

It is hoped that reforms will ensure that every large business makes a contribution in terms of increasing the quality of apprenticeships offered and developing the next generation of skilled employees.

The reforms include the introduction of an apprenticeship levy to provide greater investment in apprenticeships, protecting the use of the term ‘apprenticeship’ in law and ensuring large value government procurement contracts have a commitment to hire apprentices.

According to government statistics, for every one pound invested in apprenticeships by the government, £26 to £28 is returned to the economy.

The provisional data also shows that 19,200 began a traineeship course in the last academic year. These courses provide experience and work skills that can progress to an apprenticeship or employment.

Skills Minister Nick Boles said: “Our apprenticeship reforms are helping to build the modern highly skilled workforce British businesses need. We are committed to delivering 3 million apprenticeships by 2020 because that means more opportunities for our young people, more growth for our businesses.

“Through protecting apprenticeship quality, reforming funding and working with top universities to launch new degree apprenticeships, we are making sure apprenticeships deliver for individuals, businesses and the economy.”

The government has made a commitment of delivering 3 million apprenticeships by 2020.

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House prices in England rising faster than rest of the UK

Official figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show that house prices in England have increased considerably faster than the rest of the UK.

UK house prices increased by 5.2% in the year to the end of August, the same rate as to end of July.

This is in comparison to a 0.8% increase in Wales, 2.9% in Northern Ireland and a drop of 0.9% in Scotland.

The fastest rises in England were in East and South East with an annual increase of 8.8% and 7.4% respectively.

The most expensive properties are in London, costing on average £522,000, down slightly on the figure from July. The North East had the lowest average house price at £160,000.

Average mix-adjusted house prices in August 2015 stood at £298,000 in England, £174,000 in Wales, £151,000 in Northern Ireland and £198,000 in Scotland.

The average price of a house in the UK is now £284,000 and £217,000 if London and the South East are excluded.

The figures also revealed that a prices for a new home paid by fist-time buyers were on average 3.8% higher than in August last year.

Adrian Gill, Director of estate agents Reeds Rain and Your Move, commented: “The cheaper northern regions are experiencing the fastest growth in property sales, while a shortage of property stock on the market in the South is slowing activity.

“The most frequently paid property price across England and Wales is just £125,000, mirroring the level at which stamp duty becomes payable, and reflecting the impetus that has been injected in the first-time buyer market recently.

“It is also the lower to mid-range properties priced between £180,000 and £360,000 which are seeing the fastest increases in value, while the shift in stamp duty bands continues to slow growth at the higher end of the market, and prices above £600,000 are largely stationary.”

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