Construction Global magazine - September 2016

September 2016

www.constructionglobal.com

Building

sustainable stores

TOP 10 ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDS IN CONSTRUCTION

Egyptian Steel SUSTAINING STEEL

Green building WITHIN THE SOUTH AFRICAN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

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Hello and welcome to the September edition of Construction Global.

Our cover feature this month looks at Marks & Spencer’s Plan A sustainability strategy, with the aim to meet the demands of both consumers and the environment. As Plan A nears its 10-year anniversary, we look at the challenges Marks and Spencer have faced in creating these builds, alongside the successes, all of which will provide increased benefits.

Also featured is a piece on how The Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA) has been tirelessly working towards the transformation of the South African construction industry, with a shift towards providing high standard solutions and sustainable building methods in an ever changing building industry.

Also included is our favourite archaeological finds which have been found as a result of construction works, which have provided excitement and wonder throughout the world.

We sincerely hope you enjoy the issue, and as always, please tweet your feedback to @ConstructionGL

Enjoy the issue!

Catherine Rowell Editor catherine.rowell@bizclikmedia.com 3

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CONTENTS

F E AT U R E S

06

PROFILE

Building sustainable stores

14

TECHNOLOGY

Adding a layer of green to the S.A. construction industry

LIST

Archaeological finds within construction

22

5

CONTENTS

Company Profiles

46

Perkins + Will

MIDDLE EAST

Middle East

34 Perkins + Will

Building Sustainable Cities for the Future

AFRICA 44 Egyptian Steel

USA & CANADA 56 Alterra Power Jimmie Creek Hydroelectric Project

80

T2T Alliance Australia

70 Ames Construction

AUSTRALIA & ASIA 80 T2T Alliance 94 John Holland Group - Utilities Division 106 Building Sustainable Cities for the Future

94

John Holland Group - Utilities Division Australia

70 6

September 2016

Ames Construction USA & Canada

106

34

Egyptian Steel

56

Alterra Power Jimmie Creek Hydroelectric Project

Africa

USA & Canada

PROFILE

Building

sustainable stores

As Marks & Spencer’s Plan A approaches its 10th anniversary, Construction Global takes a look at what the retailer has discovered about constructing a sustainable built environment Writ ten by: LUCY DIXON 9

PROFILE WHEN IT COMES to sustainable businesses in the UK, you’d struggle to find a more inspiring example than Marks & Spencer. In fact, earlier this year, the retailer was named the 21st most sustainable company in the world by Corporate Knights in its annual ranking, revealed at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

M&S has set – and achieved – many ambitious goals in the almost 10 years since its Plan A sustainability strategy was launched, including sending zero waste to landfill.

Plan A is still very much at the heart of business operations for M&S, including how it builds new stores and manages existing ones. Munish Datta is Head of Plan A & Facilities Management, working with Plan A’s Director Mike Barry, leading the strategy and implementation for M&S properties across the world. “Plan A

“Our aims are ambitious and that’s always been one of the great pillars of Plan A” – Munish Datta, Head of Plan A and Facilities Management 10

September 2016

has 100 commitments within it and 25 relate to our operations, in particular, our built environment. My area is very much what I call our back yard: M&S’s back yard. It’s really important that as we engage with our value chain, our customers and supply chain, that we first and foremost lead by example.

We make sure that our operations are as sustainable as they possibly can be. That’s the scope,” he says.

Today, there are 14 Plan A stores in existence, but back at the start of the journey, M&S first had to learn what creating a sustainable built environment actually meant, by collaborating with experts in the field such as the BRE and UKGBC. Datta explains: “Once we’d understood this better, we started to look how we could make major retrofits of existing stores or building new stores more sustainable, and we went into a series of experiments. We call them sustainable learning stores because what we wanted to do was use them as experimental labs for ourselves to test new equipment.”

Using real stores in this way has been crucial at allowing M&S to see how a sustainable store will perform in reality – when it is full of products,

B U I L D I N G S U S TA I N A B L E S T O R E S

staff and shoppers – and not just at the concept stage. The buildings must meet the demands of both challenging sustainability goals as well as the M&S customers’ needs.

“Back in 2011, we opened our store in Sheffield and it was the first UK store that was 100 percent LED lit, and we learnt a great deal from that experience,” Datta says. M&S worked with Philips on this project, also installing an intelligent control system with sensors that detect the amount of daylight coming in the building, dimming the lights automatically and switching off completely if there is enough daylight.

Another example is the Cheshire Oaks store, which opened back in 2012, featuring Hemclad panels in the external walls and 100 percent Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified

CHESHIRE OAKS • Cheshire Oaks is second biggest M&S store in the world, and the biggest it has ever built from scratch • It is the first retail store to have a 100 percent FSC-certified glulam roof – glulam is an incredibly strong engineered timber • It is the first store to use hemp and lime external wall panels, which have excellent insulation properties, resulting in the store losing less than 1°C of heat overnight compared to 9°C in other store environments.

• It is 42 percent more energy efficient than an equivalent store • It has a 80,000 litre rainwater harvesting tank that supplied a third of the store’s water • It features a sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS)

PROFILE

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B U I L D I N G S U S TA I N A B L E S T O R E S

glulam timber in the roof. M&S achieved full project certification for FSC timber, something that Datta describes as “difficult and challenging, but not impossible”.

So with each project, M&S has accrued more expertise on building a sustainable store, informing its specification for all new stores. For the last few years, the focus has shifted to retrofit, with initiatives including lighting, controls and refrigeration efficiency. Working on existing buildings, of course, has its own set of challenges. Datta says: “When you go into an existing building, there’s a lot of stakeholders that you have to consider, such as the landlord and neighbours. And we don’t close our stores necessarily when we do this kind of work.”

The goals set in Plan A, with the target date of 2020, are extremely ambitious, but M&S has already achieved 57 of the 100 commitments.

The 2016 update published earlier this year revealed that total energy use across UK and Ireland stores, warehouses and offices was down 39 percent and water use was down 31 percent (compared to a 2006/07 baseline). Datta comments: “Our

“We make sure our operations are as sustainable as they possible can be.

That’s the scope” – Munish Datta, Head of Plan A and Facilities Management

aims are ambitious and that’s always been one of the great pillars of Plan A. Sometimes it felt a little bit naive when we set the targets in 2007 as we had, at that stage, no idea how we were going to get there but you have to set ambitious targets otherwise, there’s no point.” And of the 25 commitments that Datta’s property team leads on, 12 have already been achieved and another 12 are firmly on plan to be delivered on time. And the Plan A team is already looking ahead for what lies beyond 2020 when it comes to building and running sustainable stores, from procuring construction products to using the best methods of construction constantly raising the bar for creating a sustainable built environment.

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TECHNOLOGY

Adding a layer of green to the S.A. construction industry W r i t t e n b y : TA M S I N O X F O R D

THE GREEN BUILDING Council South Africa (GBCSA) has been working towards the transformation of the South African construction industry since 2007. Its goal is to provide information, guidance, training and the certification of green buildings, creating a community of organisations that support the green building movement. The GBCSA is part of the World Green Building Council network, one of 95 member organisations across Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada among others, and is committed to adding

much needed green credentials to the South African market.

Manfred Braune, Chief Technical Officer of the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA) said: “There can be only one member council per country which is allied to the World Green Building Council and which adheres to its goals and methodologies. The GBCSA is the official green building representative for South Africa and we operate in a very similar way to our international counter parts – we use certain tools to educate our market and set specific standards as to how green building

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TECHNOLOGY

is defined within this country.”

This global network of green councils plays a fundamental role in how green is measured and standardised within the context of their own countries, taking the challenges which impact their region into consideration before instituting green building regulations and standards.

“In developing Green Star SA, we had to consider that the standards which are established as best practice in other leading green building countries, may not be appropriate for the South African market,” explains Braune. “Market economics, environmental factors and climate are rating tool for fundamentally green buildings different here, – Manfred Braune, to suit the South as is our history.

CEO of GBCSA African context.”

We didn’t want to force South Africa is not as far inappropriate standards onto ahead on the green trajectory our market as we could cripple our as Europe or Australia, because it has industry so the GBCSA developed the legacy challenges to overcome. An Green Star SA standard and voluntary example can be found in something

“Technology is a fundamental component to creating sustainable solutions”

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September 2016

SOUTH AFRICAN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

as simple as the humble window.

South Africa is only just embarking on the journey into double-glazing with new buildings slowly adopting and introducing the system. In France, however, the standard to use triple glazing has been introduced. For South Africans, this would be too challenging to implement at this stage

and making it mandatory would likely have a negative impact on adoption.

The same can be said about a number of different standards and legislative regulations which are considered essential internationally, but are yet to find a footprint in South Africa. “If you take a look at Denmark or Germany, for example, they introduced

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TECHNOLOGY

their minimum energy efficiency standards as a legislated requirement in the mid-1970s and they have progressed aggressively since then,” says Braune. “In South Africa, the first time we put a peg in the ground regarding energy efficiency was in 2011, almost 40 years later, when the South African government put a minimum energy efficiency standard in place for new buildings. There is some leapfrogging we can do, but this would need to take place in the context of the existing economy and skills gap.”

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September 2016

South Africa doesn’t necessarily have to take 40 years to get to where Germany or Denmark are now. For Braune, it might take South Africa 10-20 years to achieve these goals, possibly even less as the country slowly introduces international concepts and makes them into a local reality.

“We have done no small amount of leapfrogging when it comes to doubleglazing or our façades,” says Braune.

“If you take a look at the Number 1 Silo Building at Cape Town Waterfront it is an incredibly advanced façade in terms

SOUTH AFRICAN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

of design and high-tech glazing. You could walk around top-end buildings in Europe, designed to super efficiency levels, and see its equivalent. In South Africa there has been a marked shift in attitude, investment and design of green standards and solutions.”

Much of this shift has been driven by the GBCSA through its events, training and Green Star SA rating system, along with an international influence impacting the attitudes of clients.

Braune believes that the construction industry is increasingly opting to provide green solutions because

that’s what clients are expecting.

Any company which doesn’t include a green menu of options is likely to lose out to a competitor that does.

“Our goal is to always contextualise our standards so we can ensure greater uptake and adoption while also driving the evolution of green within the country,” says Braune. “Recently we launched another green building certification programme called EDGE which will have a significant impact on the entire supply chain in the residential design and construction sector, by encouraging local uptake of best

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TECHNOLOGY

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September 2016

SOUTH AFRICAN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

practice green building standards.” creating sustainable solutions.”

The GBCSA records show that the Braune believes that photovoltaics volume of green buildings has doubled and their integration into building fabric nearly every year since the organisation and facades is one of the leading began. As of July 2016 the organisation trends in green building at the moment. has issued 189 certifications and the This is being driven by the global focus numbers appear to be growing along on renewable energy and integrating that same exponential trajectory. solutions right down to the building There is also a steady uptake level, solutions which really around solutions which grab hold of technology’s use technology potential and use and ingenuity it intelligently. to achieve “The best remarkable solution when it levels of comes to green sustainable building and the green standards. use of technology “It is a highly is to find the inventive – Manfred Braune, right balance,” space where CEO of the GBCSA concludes Braune. new projects appear “Ensure there is a good and new technologies fit with the property owner, are introduced on an almost the technical solution chosen and weekly basis,” says Braune. “This is the long-term management of both. especially true of the renewable energy That way green can continue its segment, air-conditioning, lighting steady growth within the South African and glazing potentially transforming industry, allowing building owners and how buildings work and how they tenants to realise the financial returns harness natural energy. Technology that their green buildings and staff is a fundamental component to working in green buildings can offer.”

“We didn’t want to force inappropriate standards onto our market”

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TOP10

archaeological finds within construction W r i t t e n b y : C AT H E R I N E R O W E L L

TOP 10

Archaeological finds within construction create excitement and curiosity, through revolutionising our understanding of the lives of individuals who lived thousands of years ago. From small, invaluable treasures such as jewellery or household goods, to large objects which need to be excavated with extreme care, construction companies are required to report all unearthed artefacts to the appropriate authorities to ensure they are preserved. Here are our top 10 archaeological finds within construction.

TOP 10

THE CHEAPSIDE HOARD Whilst demolishing a trio of houses within Cheapside in London, workmen discovered a decayed wooden box concealing several hundred jewels and Elizabethan and Jacobean jewellery under the cellar floors. The jewels and various gemstones, originating from the late 16th to early 17th century laid hidden for over 300 years, ensuring that they remained intact and suffered minimal damage.

Although keen to keep the jewels, the men presented them to an antiques dealer and pawnshop owner to inspect. Now named the Cheapside Hoard, the unique find contains precious jewels such as diamonds, pearls sapphires, rubies and opals and can now be viewed at the Museum of London, which displayed the jewels in 2014.

Location: London (UK, 1912)

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September 2016

TOP 10 ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDS

A 15TH CENTURY HOSPITAL Whilst undertaking work to build a seven storey Apple store in Madrid, Spain, workers unearthed remains of a 15th century hospital, alongside a church door. The find led to delays in construction work and plans for the basement had to be redesigned. The hospital was once used to treat plague victims, and although it was demolished in 1854 some features have remained.

The Spanish government allowed Apple to continue construction work, as long as they provided an outline of the remaining walls on their shop floor and provide information of the 600-year-old Buen Suceso hospital’s construction. The remaining foundations are covered with the new floor, occupying 6,000 square feet.

Location: Madrid (Spain, 2013) Photo source: Rob Wilson / Shutterstock.com

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TOP 10

UNEXPLODED WWII BOMBS Construction workers based at Volkswagen headquarters recently had a shock when they unearthed metal fragments, which were revealed to be unexploded bombs which had been concealed underground since the Second World War. Many other similar findings have been found within the facility.

It is possible that nearby residents in the Sandkamp district within Wolfsburg, Germany will have to be evacuated in order to remove the devices securely. Volkswagen has stated that the findings and possible evacuation plans will not affect production schedules within the facility.

Location: Wolfsburg (Germany, 2016)

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September 2016

TOP 10 ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDS

900-YEAR-OLD MEDIEVAL MANSION Whilst providing excavation work prior to the construction of a new housing development, workers were stunned to find medieval structures of an ancient manor house, built over 900 years ago. No other features, such as windows or doors have remained and there are no historical records of such a building ever existing.

It is believed the site would have been occupied by the wealthy and individuals of high status through the 12th and 14th centuries.

Tiles which have been unearthed possibly link with the name of a medieval aristocratic family which may have resided here. In the late 1500s, the daughter of Henry St Barbe, Ursula St Barbe, was a lady in the court of Queen Elizabeth I of England. The second tile found portrays an armoured King Richard I on horseback. Artefacts extracted will be relocated to the Museum of Somerset.

Location: Somerset (UK, 2013) Photo source: Wessex Archeology

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TOP 10

1,800-YEAR-OLD SARCOPHAGUS Construction workers in Israel unearthed an 1,800-year-old sarcophagus whilst undertaking building work in the coastal city of Ashkelon. Fearing it would halt construction work, the workers damaged the antique piece when removing it from the site with a tractor and concealed the discovery.

After an anonymous tip to the authorities, the unique find was revealed and the men were detained. The contractors will subsequently be charged and could face up to five years’ imprisonment. The Antiques Authority has referred to the tomb as “one of the most important and beautiful” artefacts to be found in Israel.

The sarcophagus is constructed of limestone, weighs two tonnes and is intricately decorated with mythological creatures and various elaborate designs which are all part of classical Roman culture, dating from the third century.

Location: Ashkelon (Israel, 2015)

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September 2016

TOP 10 ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDS

MAYAN BALL COURT Whilst undertaking work to construct a basketball court at West Technological University in Mexico, construction workers unearthed the foundations of an ancient Mayan ball court. There are debates as to whether it was deliberately placed on abundant land which could have been used for farming and fertility rituals. Archaeologists have revealed that the site was built between 250B.C. – 600A.D. The Mayan ball court consisted of two pink stone structures, placed upon a concrete centre and surrounded by rough stones. An alter has also been unearthed for ritual sacrifices.

Ball games have been part of Mayan culture since 1400 BC, and are known to have incorporated rituals to the gods. The ball court will now be preserved as a conservation area.

Location: Merida (Mexico 2014)

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TOP 10

700-YEAR-OLD MUMMY When construction workers were appointed the task of widening the roads within the city of Taizhou, situated within the Jiangsu Province in eastern China, they unearthed a stone box below the roads surface. Workers immediately called in archaeologists, realising it could be of historical importance.

Once opened, archaeologists discovered a 700-year-old female mummy, originating from the Ming dynasty. The woman’s features are fully preserved, with her skin, eyelashes and hair remaining in extraordinary condition.

The body was immersed in brown liquid which acted as a preservative, alongside the material of her dress, which was identified as silk and cotton.

Buried alongside the body were artefacts, such as bones and ceramics, but give an extraordinary insight into the life of citizens within 1368 – 1644.

Location: Taizhou (China, 2011) Photo source: Xinhua news

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September 2016

TOP 10 ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDS

CENTURY-OLD MASS BURIAL SITE Pennsylvania construction workers uncovered a mass human burial site whilst working on Route 61 in Schuylkill County near an US Army Reserve Centre. The site caused construction delays to allow for the fragments to be removed safely.

The remains were victims of the 1918 Spanish Influenza epidemic, which claimed the lives of over 1,600 locals in one month in the city and impacted over 17,000 residents. Due to the volume of deaths in such a short space of time, mass graves were common practice to cope with the increased numbers.

Location: Pennsylvania (USA, 2015)

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TOP 10

INCA WALLS Upon building a new hotel in Peru, situated within the city of Cuzco, construction workers were excited to find the existence of ancient Inca walls, halting construction works whilst archaeologists investigated.

Further excavations revealed ceramics, bones, with additional discoveries to be expected. Plans for the hotel will be revised to incorporate the findings and will become part of the hotels history.

Location: Cuzco (Peru, 2009)

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September 2016

TOP 10 ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDS

BURIAL SITE London’s Crossrail, Europe’s largest construction project, has unearthed several burial sites since it launched in 2009 in an effort to improve transport links within the capital, constructing a new train line which will traverse across the city.

Excavations have unearthed the Bedlam Burial Ground, containing over 20,000 skeletons which were laid to rest from the 16th century through to the 18th century, in addition to victims of the Great Plague of London which claimed the lives of a quarter of the city’s population at that time.

In 2013, construction workers on site discovered the burial ground of the Black Death pandemic in the 14th century at Charterhouse square.

Archaeologists hope to unearth and identify prominent figures as the project continues.

Location: London (UK, 2013)

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SUSTAINING STEEL Written by Nye Longman Produced by Richard Deane

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EGYPTIAN STEEL

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September 2016

AFRICA

LEVERAGING SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT AND NATIONAL DEMAND, EGYPTIAN STEEL IS MAKING A NAME FOR ITSELF AS AN EFFICIENT, THOUGHT-LEADING MANUFACTURER AT HOME AND ABROAD

S

tepping into the steel industry in 2010, propelled by over $2 billion of investment, Egyptian Steel is growing to become a leading diversified manufacturer and stalwart of the recovering Egyptian economy. Backing up substantial capex with robust social, environmental and operational programmes, the company is looking forward to years of sustained growth and success. Since we spoke to CEO Ahmed Abou Hashima in the July 2015 issue, the company has undergone a number of structural changes and is now in the process of diversifying its offering to the domestic and international market.

Abou Hashima is proud of how far his company has come – and is optimistic about its place in developing the country. He says: “Steel is crucial for

the economy. We have a shortage of 8 million housing units and infrastructure.

The whole population lives on only 7 percent of the land. In order to develop Egypt, steel is vital for at least several decades. It’s a strategic industry that employs thousands of people.”

Operational development Operations are shared across a number of subsidiaries which consist of Egyptian Steel for Building Materials, National Port Said Steel (NPSS), and IIC for Steel Plants Management.

Together, these divisions enable the company to provide a range of steel production capabilities to the market – supported by a number of technological innovations.

“When all four plants of Egyptian Steel are at full capacity we will be able to acquire a 20-25 percent

w w w. e g y p t i a n - s t e e l . c o m

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EGYPTIAN STEEL

market share in Egypt,” says Abou Hashima. “We’re also expanding into the cement industry with a production capacity of 2 million tons per year, and going into IPO is in our plan, although there’s no set time for it yet.

“We have already taken our first step into the cement industry by establishing the sister company Egyptian Cement, and in the future, after mainly operating in steel and cement we might look into diversifying into other building materials such as wood, ceramic, and glass.

Our vision is to make the group a onestop shop for all building materials.”

By the end of 2017, all of Egyptian Steel’s plants will become operational and the company will have an estimated workforce of 6,000 people. “With the opening of the Beni Suief plant we’re also opening a vocational development centre for training steel plant workers in order to improve their skills and performance,” Abou Hashima adds.

But the centre is not limited to just people working for Egyptian Steel: “It’s open for free to anyone who wants to learn,” he says, “It helps us raise

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September 2016

the calibre of our workers, and at the same time is part of our role to give back to society, and enable people to have an opportunity to improve their skills to be able to compete in today’s workforce market.”

While Egyptian Steel is backed up by significant investment, the company has had to face up to the industry-wide challenge of sourcing enough energy for production. “The government has made an enormous effort to improve the power grid,” Abou Hashima says.

“There have been new power stations launched, as well as mega projects with companies like Siemens to generate power, and the outstanding natural gas field discovered by Eni, which will have a great impact in the future.”

“The situation is definitely better, but we have started using new energy-saving technology which will enable us to avoid any problems in both the long and short run.”

Sustainable steel Embedded within Egyptian Steel’s business model is the imperative to operate as responsibly as possible, a

AFRICA

AHMED ABOU HASHIMA CEO

w w w. e g y p t i a n - s t e e l . c o m

39

EMB BUSI OPER

BEDDED WITHIN EGYPTIAN STEEL’S INESS MODEL IS THE IMPERATIVE TO RATE AS RESPONSIBLY AS POSSIBLE

EGYPTIAN STEEL

philosophy that it applies holistically to its workers, the environment and the Egyptian people.

At a technical level, the company has made massive strides in energy saving through use of more efficient technology. Combined, the eco-friendly technology the company is using saves almost 60 percent of the energy required and saves as much as 30 percent of emissions – innovations that have added an extra competitive edge. Egyptian Steel also recycles 100 percent of its steel scrap.

This technology is the first of its kind in the Middle East and Africa, and only the third instance in the world. The other two steel plants that use this technology - one in Arizona and the other in Greece - produce 250,000 tons/year, while Egyptian Steel’s Beni Sueif and Al Ain Al Sokhna plants each have a production capacity of 830,000 tons/year, making Egyptian Steel the biggest manufacturer of green steel globally.

Abou Hashima adds: “I created a concept that I like to call ‘socially responsible capitalism’ which emphasises that the civil society has rights that should be fulfilled - it’s our duty to improve people’s lives and to lessen their suffering as much as we can.”

And the company is continuing to achieve this social mission. In 2014 Egyptian Steel scrapped its advertising agenda in order to refit 40 of the poorest villages in the country with basic amenities. Since then it has also sponsored a large number of Egyptian

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AFRICA

EGYPTIAN STEEL IS w w w . e g y pBASED t i a n - s t e e IN l . c oCAIRO m 43

EGYPTIAN STEEL

WHEN ALL FOUR PLANTS OF EGYPTIAN STEEL ARE AT FULL CAPACITY WE WILL BE ABLE TO ACQUIRE A 20-25 PERCENT MARKET SHARE IN EGYPT – CEO Ahmed Abou Hashima

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AFRICA

athletes, and the Paralympic team.

What is clear from its conscious social work is a desire to share the success of the company in order to raise the standing of as many people in the county as possible.

Abou Hashima adds: “It’s very flattering that our CSR efforts got recognition on a local and on an international level. But what actually keeps me motivated is the happiness I saw on the villagers faces when they moved into their revamped homes.”

The company is also currently working to obtain ISO 9001 (Quality Management Systems), IS0 14001 (Environmental Management Systems) and OHSAS 18001 (Occupational Health Safety Assessment Standard).

Having built on an already strong foundation of investment and national demand for its products and services, Egyptian Steel is set to play a major role in developing the country’s economy and skills base for many years to come

w w w. e g y p t i a n - s t e e l . c o m

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Building

Written by N Produced by J

g trust

Nye Longman Jordan Platten

PERKINS + WILL

With over 40 years of operations in the Middle East, Perkins + Will has cemented its presence in this key market by building trust, developing talent and working innovatively

E

ven for architecture and design companies with the experience and track record of Perkins + Will, establishing a competitive presence in the Middle East can be challenging to say the least. It has not only been able to achieve this (doubling its business each year for the past five) but has also worked on such prestigious projects as the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid football stadium in Dubai, and the regional headquarters of global giants like LinkedIn and Google. Business Review Middle East speaks to Steven Charlton, Principle Managing Director at Perkins + Will and discovers how he has led the company to its enviable position.

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September 2016

Operations With a list of services covering architectural and interior design, strategic and urban planning, landscaping, and branded environments, it is clear why the company has a strong demand in the Middle East. The company’s specialist expertise also covers healthcare, education, corporate, civic, technology, sports and travel verticals.

But faced with a market that necessitates a strong physical presence in order to do business, it was not until five years ago – when its Dubai office was founded – that Perkins + Will was able to scale impressive growth.

“We went from the initial start-up

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Consorts diverse range of certified products are suitable for a variety of building uses, such as hospitality, schools, healthcare and commercial spaces.

T +971 (0) 4 446 0900 F +971 (0) 4 446 0999 E info@consortme.com www.consort-hw.com 3903/04 Mazaya Business Avenue, Tower BB2 Jumeirah Lakes Towers PO Box 19186, Dubai, UAE

MIDDLE EAST

team and we are now touching 100 plus people in the Dubai office. It’s been quite an aggressive growth period – especially in the wake of the recession,” explains Charlton.

“People thought we were crazy but it’s worked out very well.”

“We are pretty much doubling every year since we started. We are getting to a comfortable point in the market, and because of this we moved to a new 10,500 square foot office last September and are now working on strategic efficiencies and working smarter and more efficiently.”

The company is also refining its internal processes and capabilities in order to deliver on its increasingly strong reputation for effective delivery. He says: “We’ve gone from searching for the next job to a position where clients come to us knowing they get an exceptional standard of design and quality.

“There are of course inefficiencies that arise from doubling every year and we wanted to make sure we are improving everything.

From improving the way clients are greeted in the office all the way to the design process and documentation. It’s about looking at every single thing and making them better – marginal gains.”

The value of people In a market crowded with many of the world’s largest architecture and design companies, the need to attract and develop a highly skilled workforce is pressing; Perkins + Will is pursuing this with an innovative approach. Charlton ensures that his workforce is able to develop creativity outside of typical projects and that team members can develop their careers holistically.

“I always say that you’re selling people and their ideas when you sell design,” Charlton muses. “The

2,400

Number of employees at Perkins + Will

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stronger the team you have the wider it goes. We’re bringing in talented new employees in every month it’s a very dynamic environment.

“If you have exceptional people you get exceptional results; everything becomes a well-oiled machine. We employ the best in the region - people want to join us from other firms,” Charlton explains. “We help our people

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find out what they want to be and then we help them get there.

“We give people opportunities to do interesting projects; we want our people to try things and experiment.

We also ensure that there are experienced people around them to keep them in the right direction and reign them back when needed.”

With offices in every global region, and with over 2,400 staff globally, Perkins + Will is able to deploy the right expertise to take on a wide variety of projects – an aspect of its operations that not only enables it to fulfil the demands of the market, but one that enriches careers as well.

For the employees at the company, Charlton explains, personal and professional development is worthy of serious time and investment.

“Employees can dedicate a percentage of their time to projects that are not paid for. Any employee can submit a research proposal and we select them globally every quarter – employees can have time away from paid work to focus on these.

“Initially it’s about just trying

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MIDDLE EAST

ideas, new technologies, software and new ways of looking at things. But if successful it can be an incubator for genuine and systemic changes in our industry.”

In addition we have staff from various offices working in the studio at any one time, currently LA and, Boston teams are in our offices and we have people in Chicago – we move people around a lot which opens their eyes to working in different regions and cultures.”

Global company – local presence

local presence – a facet that Perkins + Will has not overlooked.

“When we first set up the office here, people always asked ‘how long have you been here? How big is your office and what projects have you done here?’ Even though we had experience elsewhere, it didn’t matter to them. They want to see the office and make sure we are real. We grew it organically.

That took hard work and long hours - it has paid off now. We have the back catalogue and an office which aligns with our aspirations - those questions are now answered.”

Backing up its exponential growth with a dedicated strategy to invest in people – both in and outside of the business – Perkins + Will is set to develop an already impressive presence in the Middle East. Having developed a profound understanding of its target region, the company’s reputation as a trusted partner can only grow.

Perkins + Will is headquartered in Chicago, IL, USA

“We tendered on a project recently and the client said – ‘why should we choose you?’ To which I said: ‘Just call one of our clients, choose any client’” says Charlton. And this is no small matter to consider when working in the region; many local companies prefer to partner with businesses that have a dedicated

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The renewable energy revolution

e n We speak to Jay Sutton, Vice President of Alterra Power Corp, about the firm’s brand new Jimmie Creek Construction Project

Written by Wedaeli Chibelushi Produced by Tom Venturo

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he world is becoming increasingly environmentally conscious. How can energy companies serve communities with minimal damage to their surroundings? Jay Sutton, Vice President, Hydro Power at Alterra Power Corp, presents a solution.

A civil engineer by training, Sutton is working with Alterra Power Corp to finalize the new Jimmie Creek Construction Project.

“Alterra is a renewable energy company and we have wind, geothermal and hydroelectric plants located in British Columbia, the US and in Iceland,” Sutton explains. The firm is a global leader in its sector, operating seven power plants totaling 819 MW of generation capacity.

The Jimmie Creek Construction Project is a renewable power facility constructed on the creek

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the project takes its name from, a waterway in British Columbia’s Toba Valley. The hydroelectric project produces 62 megawatts of power, enough electricity for over 15,000 homes. Sutton, who has worked on British Columbia hydroelectric projects since 2008, tells us more.

The project “There are incredible resources up in Toba Valley. From a water perspective it’s a great geographical location for run-of-the river hydroelectric projects,” he says. Unlike traditional hydroelectric projects, which flood large areas of land, run-of-river projects divert a portion of the flow from the river into a pipe called a penstock. The penstock carries the water downhill to a generating station.

Gravity produces the energy required to spin the turbines, then the turbines

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“They make sure there’s minimal environmental impact during construction so that there’s minimum impact afterwards”

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Photos sourced from the Jimmie Creek Hydro Project.

CONSISTENTLY EXCEEDING OUR CLIENTS EXPECTATIONS WITH OUR PROFESSIONAL AND CONSCIENTIOUS APPROACH IN COMPLETING EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, WHILE MAINTAINING BUDGET AND SCHEDULE GOALS. Hazelwood Construction Services Inc. has been in business for over 20 years. During that time we have accumulated a diverse construction portfolio, including run-of-river hydroelectric developments, bridge installations, road construction, municipal infrastructure, as well as a variety of industrial and commercial construction projects.

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Ross Beaty Executive Chairman Ross J. Beaty is a geologist and resource company entrepreneur with over 40 years of experience in the international minerals and renewable energy industries. In early 2008, Mr. Beaty founded Magma Energy Corp. to focus on international geothermal energy development. In 2011, Magma and Plutonic Power merged to create Alterra Power Corp.

Mr. Beaty also founded and currently serves as Chairman of Pan American Silver Corp., one of the world’s leading silver producers, and since 1985 he has successfully founded and divested a number of other public mineral resource companies. Mr. Beaty is a Director of The Nature Trust of B.C. and patron of the Beaty Biodiversity Center at the University of B.C.. Mr. Beaty is a past President of the Silver Institute in Washington, D.C., a Fellow of the Geological Association of Canada and the Canadian Institute of Mining, and a recipient of the Institute’s Past President’s Memorial Medal. In 2007, Mr. Beaty received the Association of Mineral Exploration of B.C.’s Colin Spence Award for excellence in global mineral exploration; in 2008, he received the Mining Person of the Year award from the Mining Association of B.C. and the 2008 Natural Resources & Energy Entrepreneur of the Year Award by Ernst & Young. In 2010, Mr. Beaty was awarded the prestigious Viola MacMillan Award by the Prospector and Developers Association of Canada and was selected as Mining Person of the Year for 2011 by Canada’s Northern Miner newspaper.

In 2014, Mr. Beaty received the CIM’s Vale Medal for Meritorious Contribution to Mining.

produce electricity. When the water leaves the generating station, it is returned to the river it was diverted from.

“There are many areas with steep valleys and high run-off in British Columbia,” Sutton continues. “So we hired a company do a screening of areas up and down the coast of British Columbia and the Toba Valley was one of the areas with the highest potential.”

The Jimmie Creek Construction Project will join two existing Alterra plants in the Toba Valley: The East Toba and Montrose projects.

Employees “The crews that operate our East Toba and Montrose project started training on the Jimmie Creek project

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“We had the company do a scr amount of areas up and down and Jimmie Creek was the are

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reening of a significant the coast of British Columbia ea with the highest potential�

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John Carson Chief Executive Officer John Carson is a highly experienced renewable energy business leader with a core expertise in structuring and leading financial transactions.

His experience over the last ten years includes senior positions held in GE Energy Financial Services (Renewable Energy Group), Terra-Gen Power and Noble Environmental Power, and he has closed billions of dollars of transactions, primarily in the renewable energy space. His education includes a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Bachelor of Science from Purdue University.

in January. They’ve been training for the last eight months so that when Jimmie Creek started generating in July they were fully prepared to start operations,” Sutton comments.

He tells us about the Jimmie Creek Construction Project’s employment structure. During construction 200 people were working on the site, but now that the project has finished, the staff size has been whittled down to two crews of six

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employees. The smaller team will operate all three plants: East Toba, Montrose and Jimmie Creek.

Sutton expands: “They’ll operate on a one week in and one week out rotation. There’s no roads to the valley, so when they work on site, they actually live on site at our East Toba plant.”

Partners Alterra Power Corp worked with a number of partners to finalize the Jimmie Creek Project.

“The financial partner that we own and operate the project with is called Axium Infrastructure, a Montreal based portfolio management company that are our partners on

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Jay Sutton Vice President, Hydro Power Jay Sutton has over 15 years of experience in hydroelectric, transportation and marine infrastructure projects. Mr. Sutton worked for BC Hydro as construction manager and for WorleyParsons for the construction of the William R. Bennett floating bridge in Kelowna. Most recently, Mr. Sutton worked for WorleyParsons as project manager for the Toba Montrose hydroelectric project prior to joining Alterra in May 2010. Mr. Sutton holds a Bachelor of Applied Science, Civil Engineering from the University of British Columbia. He is responsible for the development, construction and operation of hydroelectric projects at Alterra.

the two other hydroelectric plants, East Toba and Montrose, as well as our Dokie windfarm in Northeast British Columbia,” Sutton tells us.

Axium has followed the project closely. “They made regular trips to site during the construction and recently visited the site to have a look at the project as it is being completed,” Sutton says.

Alterra Power Corp also partnered with Klahoose First Nation. The Jimmie Creek project lies within the traditional territory of Klahoose First Nation.

Sutton elaborates: “We worked closely with the Klahoose during the construction, they performed to a number of significant contracts for the construction of the project and a significant amount of the workforce were Klahoose members.”

Regarding clients, “there’s only one customer in British Columbia that purchases the power: BC Hydro,” Sutton says. BC Hydro and Power Authority is the main electricity distributor in British Columbia. It is owned by the Province of British Columbia. The Jimmie Creek

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construction project is currently selling its power under a contract with Powerex Corporation. Its 40-year contract with BC Hydro will begin when full commercial operations start in August.

Sutton adds: “We’re still finalizing the last remaining items on each of the construction

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contracts and contractors have a warranty that lasts three years on the project.”

Sustainability Sutton moves on to talk about a

key focus of the Jimmie Creek Construction Project: sustainability.

“These projects are renewable, they take nothing from the environment, they have no exhaust pipes and don’t emit

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any greenhouse gases,” he explains. minimum impact afterwards,” Alterra Power Corp has tried to Sutton neatly summarizes. minimize the area that the plant is constructed on. When the plant The future is constructed, the Alterra team Alterra is not stopping at the Jimmie rehabilitates all the areas that they Creek Project. “We have one more can, so they can replant project located in the valley grasses and trees to try called Tahumming River to restore the area. and it’s another small “They have a very run-of-the-river small footprint project. We hope to and they have no start construction in emissions, they’re 2017.”

Number of low impact projects,” 2017 will be a employees at Alterra Sutton says. He big year for Alterra Power Corp added that there are – it is also looking at a number of people who developing wind and monitor the construction site solar projects in the US for and ultimately provide a review on construction around that time. Led by environmental stewardship. These the recently completed Jimmie Creek independent monitors are either Construction Project, Alterra is headed hired by Alterra or by the province. for future sustainable success.

“They make sure there’s minimal environmental impact during construction so that there’s

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Delivering the USA Pa

Rising to the design-build challenge of N Construction brings multi-sectoral exper Written by Nye Longman Produced by Tom Venturo

arkway Project

Nevada’s USA Parkway Project, Ames rience alongside operational excellence 71

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“O

ne of the really big benefits of the USA Parkway Project is that it will really enhance regional mobility by creating a new route between two major corridors, Interstate 80 and US Highway 50,” says Ames Construction Project Manager Seth Alexander, who is proud of his company’s crucial role in the development. Tasked with both designing and building the project, Ames Construction is playing a major role in delivering an important stimulus to the regional economy and beyond.

Operations Since its foundation in 1962 as an earthwork contractor, Ames Construction has always focused on delivering quality services. Now a mature player, the company has grown into a fullservice, heavy civil and industrial contractor. Still a family-owned operation, the business now has an extensive footprint across the United States and Canada and has developed its capabilities to serve customers from a number of different sectors. Together with transportation infrastructure

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“Water quality is a big issue within the State of Nevada. So we are constantly inspecting the site and making sure that we’re in compliance with all our permits” – Seth Alexander, Project Manager

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such as highways, railroads, and airports, Ames Construction’s expertise covers energy and mining installations, water processing, and a variety of commercial projects.

The USA Parkway Project was conceived by Nevada’s Department of Transportation with the goal of enhancing connectivity in the greater Reno/Sparks and Fernley/Fallon areas. This will be achieved on the ground by extending the Parkway southeast by nearly 13 miles to reach US 50, close to Silver Springs.

Alongside increased capacity for commuters, the expansion will also support freight traffic and serve as an alternative route in the event of poor weather conditions.

The project is executed using the design-build method - a construction procurement arrangement where both design and construction services are performed under a single contract by the design-build

team. Unlike traditional project delivery methods, design-build allows for a collaborative effort between the contractor and designer.

This collaboration allows for both the design approach and construction methods to be tailored to the needs of the project, which in turn, allow for reduced project schedules, reduced construction costs, and enhanced risk management.

“What’s interesting about this project is that the north end is close to the Taho-Reno Industrial Center” says Alexander. “It’s currently the largest industrial park in the world and home to Tesla’s Gigafactory.

Nevada is attracting high tech companies and one of the benefits of this project will be making the industrial park more accessible.

“The great thing about it is it’s going to create job opportunities for people that currently would have to drive a long way to get to the park,” he

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adds. “That’s going to create a better way for them to get up there and access higher paying jobs.

“It’s unique for me as a contractor; not only am I building a great project for Nevada DoT – and it’s a great project for Ames – but it’s a project that will have a lot of benefits to the surrounding communities.”

Ames Construction is also using GPS grade control on its equipment which minimises the amount of survey-staking that has to be performed onsite. The company is utilising UAV drones to survey quantities on the 18-mile corridor every two weeks. “That allows us to ensure we’re meeting our production goals and also allows us to report accurate quantities to the owner and ensure the minimum testing requirements

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are being met,” Alexander explains.

Sustainable development One key challenge for Ames and it’s 80-strong team is to ensure that the USA Parkway Project is delivered without damaging the cultural heritage of the area.

The assortment of protected and endangered wildlife, archaeological sites and historic mining operations dotting the desert necessitate a careful approach – one that is communicated across the operation.

In his role as the site’s Project Manager, Alexander has day-to-day responsibility for health, safety, and environmental protection on site.

He explains how the company is managing an increasingly important aspect of its operations: “One of the things that we were able to do with our design approach was to avoid environmentally sensitive areas 100 percent. Our staff also monitored construction activities to ensure that there’s no disturbance to those areas.

“Water quality is a big issue

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within the State of Nevada. So we are constantly inspecting the site and making sure that we’re in compliance with all our permits.”

Fully conscious of its scope to conserve local flora and fauna, Ames Construction is installing protective fences to protect both animals and

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motorists, and is also seamlessly accommodating two historic wildlife crossings into the parkway itself.

Safety on the job is supported by a team of health and safety professionals whose unflinching work has earned the company a number of prestigious awards in this regard, Ames has been recognized at the local and national level for incident rates significantly lower than the national average. “Our safety record is something that we’re very proud of,” Alexander adds. “We have a job-wide safety meeting daily, and all of our supervisors on site undertake an inspection for the area that they’re working and the tasks that they’re performing that day.”

Backed up by its enviable track record and dedication to quality value delivery, Ames Construction is set to complete the USA Parkway Project on time and in compliance with the high standards expected of such an important transportation corridor.

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“Design-build is a construction procurement method where both the design and construction services are performed under a single contract by the design-build team. Unlike traditional project delivery methods, where design and construction are often performed independent from one another, design-build allows for a collaborative effort between the contractor and designer. This collaboration allows for both the design approach and construction methods to be tailored to the needs of the project, which in turn, allow for reduced project schedules, reduced construction costs, and most importantly improved risk management.� – Matt Horrocks, Lead Engineer

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Building road

ds and breaking barriers

The Torrens Road to River Torrens Project is doing more than just improving the quality of a well-travelled route, it is also improving the quality of life for local residents in South Australia Written by Jennifer Johnson Produced by Tom Venturo

T2T ALLIANCE

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R

oad improvement projects can offer more than just a smoother road surface or reduced travel times to a local community. For the people of South Australia, the Torrens Road to River Torrens Project will bring social and economic — as well as logistical — benefits.

In 2015, the T2T Alliance, a consortium comprised of construction companies CPB and York Civil, consulting engineers Aurecon Australia and South Australia’s Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, broke ground on the originally-proposed project for a 3km non-stop roadway north of Adelaide. The scope of the project included 2km of lowered motorway; three lanes in each direction from South of Torrens Road to North of Ashwin Parade; parallel surface roads; two lanes in each direction, each side of the lowered motorway; improved cycling and pedestrian facilities and landscaping

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$

896 million T2T Alliance annual revenue

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and noise barriers where required.

In December 2015, the project was expanded to include the grade separation of Torrens Road, increasing the scope of the project to 4km of nonstop roadway, with a 3km lowered motorway.

Approximately 30 to 50 thousand vehicles per day travel this section South Road, with only two lanes of traffic extending in each direction.

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On paper, the scale of the project could seem indicative of a significant travel interruption for commuters.

However, the T2T Alliance is committed to ensuring that this isn’t the case, with all disruptive work taking place outside of business hours.

“We don’t actually alter any of the

existing travel lanes during the normal business hours through Monday to Friday,” says Paul Steendyk, Alliance General Manager. “We have had positive feedback from local stakeholders, businesses and residents. They very much value the fact that normal business and getting

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Paul Steendyk Alliance General Manager

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to work hasn’t changed. They can, therefore, allow the time at weekends to manage the impact of what we do.”

Both Steendyk and Jon Whelan, the Project Director, emphasise the importance of community consultation throughout the duration of works. Responsibility and respect are the values at the core of their interaction with the local residents.

“We have a strong community liaison group that has representation from businesses, local community and the surrounding council that meets to discuss the project on a regular basis,” Steendyk explains.

Ultimately, local people and businesses will be first to feel the positive impacts of the Torrens Road to River Torrens project, with an average of 480 jobs created during each year of the construction phase.

“This was the first major road infrastructure project that went to tender at that time,” says Whelan of the

construction market at the project’s inception. “This was near-on seen as the saviour for a lot of industries and a lot of people out of work.”

The T2T Alliance has committed to providing employment opportunities for a ‘target’ demographic identified by the Government of South Australia — including Aboriginal people, trainees and apprentices, local people with barriers to employment and displaced

Jon Whelan Project Director

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“With this project we put a lot of emphasis on urban uplift”

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automotive sector employees. Twenty percent of the project’s total onsite labour hours will be carried out by employees hired from the target group.

“With this project we put a lot of emphasis on urban uplift,” says Steendyk.

The landscaping and public spaces incorporated within the new road

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corridor are further designed with the wellbeing of local residents in mind.

“They’re not just concrete structures,” Steendyk says. “There is green space, some green area for people to use, noise walls. The existing traffic on the current road must have been unbearable at some properties.”

The T2T project is a part of a broader north-south corridor which is crucial for freight and commuter travel through metropolitan Adelaide. According to Whelan and Steendyk, the new road will improve travel times significantly.

“This road carries around the 10 to 15 percent commercial vehicles,” Steendyk says. “By actually improving the road network, not only the lowered motorway, but also the surface road, you’ll actually increase the productivity of freight and movement of produce within the local area.”

The safety of both road users and construction workers is a paramount

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concern for the T2T Alliance, and was factored into both the design and construction processes.

“When you build a new road corridor that incorporates a lowered motorway with three lanes in each direction and two lanes on the surface roads it is

about reducing the risk of crashes,” Steendyk says. “You’re separating the conflicts at intersections.”

‘Rubbernecking’ is a well-known phenomenon at construction sites, with drivers craning their heads to observe work in motion. T2T

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500

number of employees at T2T Alliance

workers are instructed to use a combination of ‘gawk screens’ and concrete barriers to ensure that prying eyes stay on the road.

At the end of the day, success in construction is about combining efficacy in design with effectiveness in execution. By all accounts, T2T is on the right track.

“It’s about having the right skill sets and being able to demonstrate a construction methodology that meets requirements and challenges,” Whelan says.

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Setting global standards in water security Written by Sarah Megginson Produced by Tom Venturo

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JOHN HOLLAND GROUP - UTILITIES DIVISION

John Holland’s utilities division offers end-toend solutions for complex issues surrounding the water cycle. But the projects that John Holland’s team delivers aren’t just at the peak of the industry standard. Rather, they are innovating at a global level, with world-first projects that are set to change the game

J

ohn Holland is one of the largest multi-disciplined engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors in Australia.

John Holland Water & Enviro, now rebadged to John Holland Utilities, offers end-to-end solutions to the Australian and international water sector, focused on meeting the needs and objectives of its customers and now with the ability to provide investment options such as Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). Capabilities range across the complete water cycle including bulk water management, irrigation systems dam and pipelines, to complexed treatment solutions of

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water and wastewater. The division also looks after power and gas.

With operations throughout Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia, the company has “established a strong reputation in the water market through deep engagement with our clients to fully understand their strategies and needs”, explains Mal Shepherd, Industry General Manager for Utilities.

“The Australian and global water and utilities market is being shaped by demand lead mega trends such as urbanisation, the food, water, energy nexus, climate change and technology.

Operating models are being

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re-shaped by major forces, such the changing role of the customer, as climate change, technological and we recognise the changing role advances and societal demands of our customers’ customers.” for smart and more livable cities.

Part of John Holland’s success The reality is that tomorrow is is owing to the passion and happening now. The question is pragmatism, which underscores how this changing environment will its approach to everything impact the future model of utility it sets out to achieve. companies, the effects of In this respect, it all comes which will be seen on back to the basics, which their assets, the is the fundamental technology that understanding that they deploy, how safe, clean water they are regulated is the bedrock of John Holland’s and customer a safe economy.

Utilities Division engagement.” is headquartered “John Holland Water as an in Melbourne has a rich history economic enabler in the water sector.

In a global context, We’ve been purely around 15 percent of all focusing on delivering services people – or more than 650 million and projects to the water sector for people – don’t have access to over 20 years, and with that comes clean, hygienic drinking water, a cohort of water professionals and at least that multiples circa within our business group who 1.8 billion again don’t have truly understand all aspects of access to good sanitation. the water cycle,” he explains.

These are facts that Shepherd “What really differentiates us in doesn’t treat lightly, as he believes the market, is that we recognise technological advances in the

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provision of water security and reliable sanitation systems which are the key to a healthier and more prosperous future.

“Water has largely been recognised as an economic enabler, because without good water and sanitation in a country, it really limits their ability to grow their economy,” Shepherd says.

“Without good health in society you cannot establish industry. In our emerging water economies the health of the people within those economies is at times so desperate that their ability to generate any investment and economic activity is significantly impacted. If you consider developed economies, they have already gone through that passage of [understanding] the importance of water.”

The well-known Broad St pump in London has been used as an example of the impact that poor sanitation system and the effect on water quality can have of society.

Dr John Snow in 1854 mapped the well as the cause of the Cholera outbreak. In contemporary

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terms albeit different context the Flint Michigan underscored the importance of safe and reliable water sources,” Shepherd reflects.

As a result, water is an industry Shepherd is ‘very passionate about’.

“I consider water to be a finite resource,” he says. “We can look at desalinisation as an alternate water source, but not all countries have access to the ocean.”

In Australia, the oceans are not something we lack access to. Perhaps that’s why, in terms of desalinisation, John Holland Utilities has been at the forefront of the industry in Australia, delivering two of the nation’s desal plants: one on the Gold Coast and another in Sydney.

“Our first large-scale desalinisation project was the Gold Coast desalination plant, which was delivered under an alliance agreement as a collaboration between Veolia, The Gold Coast City Council and John Holland.

This project was initiated in response to the millennium drought, when water storages in

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“Water has largely been recognised as an economic enabler, because without good water and sanitation in a country, it really limits their ability to grow their economy”

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Queensland were approaching critical levels,” Shepherd says.

“The innovation was around the procurement and delivery model, and the ability within that model to quickly derive an efficient design, leveraging the experience of both John Holland and our technology partner, Veolia.”

The company has also worked on a number of other large-scale water projects in recent times, including a major capital works project with Melbourne Water, and a large-scale irrigation scheme in Christchurch, New Zealand. It has also carried out important work with Sydney Water.

Under-valued and under-rated – but not for long Despite his personal passion for the industry, Shepherd is well aware that water has a reputation as one of the most under-valued and underrated commodities in the world.

However globally, he is seeing a subtle shift in which water is being recognised for its true value, and for the economic

benefit it brings about.

“Water is a truly valuable commodity, yet in Australia, it is one of the most undervalued resources we have when you consider the relative low cost we pay for either urban and rural water,” he says.

“In Australia, we live in the driest continent in the world. As a result, the rest of the world looks to us in terms of the work we’re doing in river basin management and the irrigation space, along with the work we’re doing in the urban context to make our cities more livable.”

Creating a liveable city is one thing; creating an enterprise that is capable of existing completely off the grid is quite another. As the world’s population continues to grow, traditional agricultural practices are putting increasing pressure on our planet’s finite resources, which has led John Holland Utilities to partner on one of its most ambitious projects to date, for its client, Sundrop Farms.

Sundrop Farms is a solar thermal desalination greenhouse project

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that essentially decouples food production from those resources, by relying on nature’s abundance of sunlight and saltwater to grow the world’s food industry — not just profitably, but also sustainably.

“Sundrop Farms is using solar energy to provide power to the greenhouse, heat within the greenhouse, and to run the thermal desalination plant that provides water to the greenhouse,” Shepherd explains.

“It’s a truly ‘off grid’ agricultural enterprise, in that it can run predominately if not solely off of the water grid and off the power grid. It is the first time the combination of all of those pieces of technology has been brought together in one integrated solution.”

Sundrop Farms recently produced its first crop, and it will ultimately deliver around 16,000 tonnes of tomatoes to national supermarket chain, Coles.

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The farm is strategically located at Port Augusta in South Australia, due to its positive Direct Normal Irradiance, and also because its produce can be readily ferried to the eastern states and western Australia by intermodal transport..

“It’s an exciting project to be a part of and it’s certainly very satisfying to see that first crop of red tomatoes. As the world population increases, and we end up with a megatrend of urbanisation happening across some very large, intensively populated countries, how people are catered for is going to become an increasingly important question,” Shepherd says.

“Innovation and technology has no small part to play in the future of the water sector globally, and with continued urbanisation of the world, secure water is at the heart of creating economic prosperity, and liveable cities that meet societal needs.”

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Building Sustainable Cities for the Future

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The Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) is in a very unique position: it is able to work very closely with the nation’s public agencies for building while also maintaining amiable relationships with the private sector.

D

eep involvement in the building and construction industry has allowed SGBC to observe the entire sector on a holistic level, taking into consideration every element of the value chain. This allows for a myriad of specially tailored programmes and initiatives custom-made to each and every demand.

At its core, SGBC advocates green building technology and design as well as driving environment sustainability in the building and construction sector. With the onset of global warming and climate change, buildings are in a great position to help mitigate the effects as they are responsible for 50 percent of the world’s carbon emissions while occupying only three percent of the Earth’s total land mass. Therefore, there is a lot of room for green building to combat this global issue, but it has to be an industry-wide effort in order to effect actionable change.

As a members-based organisation, SGBC counts more than 400 active companies and organisations in its growing membership. Once again reflecting its unique position in the ecosystem, SGBC’s membership consists of a number of Singapore government agencies.

In fact, representatives from key government agencies

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sit on the Board of the SGBC, helping to formulate and drive programmes together with their partners from the private sector.

Membership from the private sector is also diverse, counting listed developers, architectural firms, building consultants as well as building product manufacturers and suppliers. While the bulk of SGBC’s membership is rooted in Singapore, some international corporations operating in the regional space are also corporate members, tapping on SGBC’s network and expertise to create or better their foothold in the local marketplace.

Being a lean organisation, SGBC relies on its wide network

of like-minded organisations and individuals to fuel the green building movement in Singapore.

Collaborating with member organisations, SGBC regularly organises workshops, seminars and conferences to build knowledge and capability on green building.

Topics for these events range from improving energy efficiency in existing buildings to the benefits of using green building products, ensuring that every knowledge gap can be addressed.

Building on feedback, SGBC has organised a number of informal networking sessions for its member companies. Held in a cosier location, these Thirstday networking

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sessions allow representatives from SGBC member companies to let their hair down and mingle over food and drink, in the process striking up new friendships and possibly new collaborator partnerships. These sessions have received a tremendously good response, and SGBC will continue to organise more of these in future, perhaps with varying themes.

For the Industry, by the Industry Apart from helping the industry indirectly through its capabilitybuilding programmes and initiatives,

SGBC also takes a more direct approach to aid the industry in going green. The Singapore Green Building Product (SGBP) labelling scheme is the first and only dedicated green building product assessment programme, evaluating and rating green building materials through a holistic framework.

Each assessable product category is under the charge of its corresponding technical committee, which are in turn under the overwatch of SGBC’s Board Technical Coordinator.

These technical committees are made up of industry professionals

ASIA

well-versed in their respective fields and meet regularly to develop assessment criteria for specific products, review existing criteria to reflect changes in the dynamic business environment as well as to provide crucial advice on complex certification cases.

This essentially allows for the SGBP criteria to be self-regulating: project demands and changing public expectations will influence the yardstick to define green building products, confirming its continued relevance in an ever-changing marketplace.

The SGBP is also highly

With close to 900 products available, for more information, visit SGBC online: CLICK HERE

recognised by Singapore’s national green building rating tool the Green Mark Scheme (administered by the Building and Construction Authority), with SGBP products able to score bonus points for the projects they are used in, contributing to a higher Green Mark rating. This ultimately results in a greener, healthier building. To date, there are over 900 SGBP-certified products out in the market, with varying degrees of use in buildings.

To encourage more industry players to obtain certification for their products, SGBC has collaborated with SPRING Singapore to provide eligible building manufacturers and suppliers with Capability Development Grant (CDG) support for their standards adoption and accreditation projects. The CDG is a government scheme which supports SMEs’ upgrading efforts in 10 business areas, including projects that enhance their quality and standards. Eligible SMEs may apply for the grant to defray

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up to 70 percent of qualifying certification-related costs for up to two green building products (capped at $30,000 per project).

This grant covers product testing, development and enhancement costs, allowing product companies to green their product line to the requirements of SGBP certification without being discouraged by the costs involved. The CDG also supports SMEs’ ISO 14001:2015 certification projects, helping companies adopt international environmental management standards and improve their green credentials – essential aspects for companies that aim to gain prominence in the building and construction sector.

About Better Places for People As the general public grows more cognisant of green building, there is a need to raise awareness on what green building means.

Although people are used to living, playing and working in buildings, not everyone appreciates or

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understands the full spectrum of what green building actually entails. Research has also shown that a building’s design has a direct impact on the health, wellbeing and productivity of its occupants.

To address this gap, the World Green Building Council has launched an awareness programme called Better Places for People.

Just like its name suggests, the programme revolves around creating better places for people to live, work and play in through the adoption of green building design and technologies. SGBC works with the BCA and its programme

partners to bring this initiative to Singapore, tailored to the local context and situation. Through a series of powerful talks that gather expertise from a broad swathe across the entire building and construction value chain, the average man-on-the-street is able to glean a much better idea of what a green building is and what he/she can do to improve productivity in the office.

Banking on its unique position in the industry, SGBC will continue to explore new ways to advance the green building movement locally and beyond.

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