Construction Manager january 2016

CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | JANUARY 2016 | WWW.CONSTRUCTION-MANAGER.CO.UK

THE BUZZWORDS OF 2016 LIFE AFTER FEED-IN TARIFFS CPD: ILLEGAL WORKING IN CONSTRUCTION INSIDE: CONTACT NEWSLETTER

FOR MEMBERS OF THE CIOB JANUARY 2016 WWW.CONSTRUCTION-MANAGER.CO.UK

NORTHERN POWERHOUSE

Can the Northern Powerhouse drive growth in 2016 and beyond?

Did you

remember

to renew your CIOB membership?

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Renewals were due on 01 January 2016 The quickest and easiest way to pay is to log in to www.ciob.org and use the secure payment facility If your payment does not reach us by the end of February, your membership will likely lapse. To avoid this please renew as soon as possible.

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VISIT M BS.CO CIOBJO E THE R WHE ATES ANDID BEST C HE BEST FIND T ES ROL

Agenda

Jan 16

News and views 04

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Brandon Lewis interviewed

Housing minister calls on contractors to innovate technically and build more homes in Private Rented Sector.

Birmingham forestry climate change project on site Shaylor Group installs FACE experiment infrastructure.

CMYA entry criteria revised CIOB to recognise the changing roles within construction.

New thinking on old buildings Hear experts on historic stock at CIOB’s Somerset House conference.

Plus Chris Blythe looks back through the smog in Beijing.

Feedback Letters, comments and readers’ views on the impact of the new apprenticeship levy.

18

Features

Construction professional

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24

18

30

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54

Cover Story Northern lights

Will George Osborne’s vision for the city regions of the north of England deliver increased construction workloads this year?

You heard it here first The innovative ideas and inventions that everyone’ll be talking about in 2016.

CPD: Operation Magnify Construction professionals should familiarise themselves with the requirements of the government’s clampdown on Illegal labour.

Recharging the PV industry Following cuts to feed-in tariffs, what will be the knock-on effect on photovoltaics in construction?

Project of the month The Diamond Building for the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Sheffield.

CIOB DIRECTED CPD

25

26

28

Taking the cultural intelligence test

Cultural intelligence (CI) is changing the way in which companies understand issues of diversity and inclusion.

BIM bytes Consistency and communication are particularly important to team-building when all the team members are working virtually.

Fighting talk?

Despite risk management and collaborative working, legal disputes are still on the rise.

Signing on Construction is well suited to accommodate deaf employees, so why are so many good workers still unemployed?

+ Contact

40-51 All the latest news and reports from CIOB members and branches

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54 30

Take the test on this issue’s CIOB directed CPD topic on illegal working in the industry and additional topics at

www.construction-manager.co.uk/cpd/

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News

Lewis: contractors have housing solutions

Minister for Housing Brandon Lewis urges contractors to develop directly in Private Rented Sector of weeks,” he said, adding that the DCLG was looking at ways of incentivising “Advanced Construction” under the Affordable Homes Programme.

Lewis was also enthusiastic about the wider adoption of custom build, where buyers have the latitude to determine the look and layout of new homes. He referred to a July visit to developer Urban Splash’s “House” project in New Islington, where customers can select the size and distribution of space thanks to the modular construction methods used.

Housing minister Brandon Lewis, in an “What really struck me at Urban Splash, interview with Construction Manager, was the speed of delivery, but also the has urged the industry to adopt new customisation. The only thing that’s fixed house-building technologies to shrink is the outer walls; internally you can lay delivery times, to embrace custom-build it out how you want. It’s about speed and development and to see the extension therefore choice for the customer.” of the Right to Buy policy to housing Lewis argued that the planning system associations as a way to raise output. was no longer a constraint on housing The DCLG minister of state argued supply, saying: “If you speak to people that the government had put in place like the Home Builders Federation, land policies designed to boost supply in the is not the big issue, 250,000 homes got forthcoming Housing and Planning Bill planning permission last year.” and it was now up to the supply side to But he stressed the role of skills present “solutions” to low output. shortages in putting a brake on output, But he acknowledged that the most urging everyone in the sector to “spread pressing factor holding back output was the message” of the career satisfaction it the shortage of skills: from site bricklayers offers. “It’s about doing something that’s to architects to back office administrators. lasting . When you’re finished with a job And he made light of his “target” of it can give a family a secure home for the 200,000 homes a year in the current rest of their lives. That’s something very Parliament, saying that he came up with few people have in a job.” the figure at an event where Labour’s He also likened the industry’s difficulty shadow housing minister Emma Reynolds in attracting new recruits to that of the and a LibDem housing spokesman had hospitality sector, where “working in a both come up with higher figures, so he pub as a teenager can be a way to run a “felt like Brucie on Play Your Cards Right”.

Asked how the industry could contribute to raising output above its current ceiling of around 150,000 units a year in England and Wales, his first target was the industry’s attachment to tried and tested methods.

“The reality is that we are still building homes the same way we did 100 years ago, which means it still takes 20 weeks on average or longer to build a house.

We’re moving into the realms of new technology but actually we need to look at it on a much bigger scale, and to reach a point where we can build in a matter

Above;Custom build developer Inhabit Homes and architect Poulson Middle Hurst are planning this scheme at Blenheim Grove, south east London

“The reality is we are still building homes the way we did 100 years ago.”

Brandon Lewis

multi-million pound businesses in your twenties. It’s the same with construction, you can have your own business, or work at very high levels in one of the big construction companies, or work in other parts of the world.”

But his most striking call was for contractors to directly develop homes in the Private Rented Sector, selling completed blocks to investors and asset managers rather than acting as “middlemen” between specialist developers and long-term owners.

Pointing out synergies with contractors’ skill-set, he said: “If you’re building for the PRS, you want to build high quality so there’s low maintenance cost, and you’ve got to do it quickly, because you need to realise that asset. In this country, the developer who constructs the property is generally not going to manage the property long term, it’s bought by institutional money. It means there’s an opportunity for more in the construction industry to come in to that sector.”

Art of Building shortlist revealed Photos from Denmark, the USA, Bangladesh and the UK have been shortlisted for the CIOB’s annual “international Art of Building” photography contest, with the public now set to vote on their favourite shot. The photograph with the most votes will earn the finalist the coveted title of Art of Building Photographer of the Year and a cash prize of £3,000. The twelve finalists include Bernabe Della Mattia’s image depicting a giant rockface seemingly crushing a shed in Iceland (left).

The result of the online public vote will be announced on the 8th February. www.artofbuilding.org

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News

Construction begins on pioneering Birmingham forestry testing facility Shaylor Group starts on site with UK’s first FACE experiment West Midlands-based contractor Shaylor Group has begun construction of a £10.4m facility to test the impact of elevated levels of carbon dioxide on developed woodlands.

Intended to be operational for 10 years, the Free-Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment (FACE) experiment is being built for the University of Birmingham’s recently created Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR).

The experiment aims to test the resilience of mature forest to a high carbon future and enable scientists to take measurements from deep within the soil to above the tree canopy.

Under construction at Mill Haft Wood in Norbury, Staffordshire, the facility contains six cylindrical 30m diameter FACE ring structures that resemble gasholders, each enclosing a segment of the forest.

Placed in mature temperate deciduous woodland, the 30m diameter rings are made up of 25m tall latticework masts. The pylons are supported on steel grillages; at the end of the experiment the site will have to be returned to its natural state so deep piles could not be dropped into the ground.

Martin Chambers, framework director at Shaylor Group, told Construction Manager: “Our biggest challenge on this project was delivering the infrastructure using completely sustainable products and processes. Our brief from the university was that the project could leave absolutely no footprint. Throughout the research project and the necessary infrastructure works we had to ensure the forest remained 100% in its original condition. So we had to throw our traditional methods of working out the window and start from scratch, researching and devising the best quality solutions for our client’s very exacting needs.”

Once built, the cylindrical structures will support the pipework needed to deliver CO2 in such a way that the woodland inside the ring is immersed in elevated levels of CO2 but the rest of the woodland remains largely unaffected. The structures will also support sensors to measure the impact of the CO2 on the woodland.

“There’s a mismatch between skills supply and skills need – once you’ve got the data you’re better able to deal with it”

However, only three of the structures will pump in the elevated levels of CO2, while the other three are “control” tests to study how the trees fare under atmospheric levels of CO2.

The steel grillages have been installed and the components of the masts delivered to a field north of the woodland where they are currentlty being assembled. Once complete, each mast will be lifted by helicopter into the forest and placed into position.

An average of 15 tonnes of CO2 per day – monthly usage is equivalent to one return transatlantic flight – will be used to maintain the artificially high levels of CO2 within the structures, due to the fact that winds will disperse the CO2 continuously.

The delivery of this quantity of gas requires the construction of substantial gas handling facilities and 1,000m of pipework being laid throughout the forest to distribute the CO2.

Industry’s carbon target re-think The industry is revisiting its policy on contractors’ commitments to reducing their own operational carbon emissions, following the shake-up caused by the creation of BuildUK, and also the end of WRAP’s involvement in the built environment sector.

The news also follows the conclusion of the COP 21 climate agreement in Paris, which commits 196 nations to drive down carbon dioxide emissions to limit global warming to “well below” 2 degrees C from pre-industrial times.

In September 2014, the members of the former UK Contractors Group signed up to the “WRAP Built Environment Commitment”, making a collective pledge to “take at least 500,000 tonnes of carbon out of our processes by 2025”.

This overall target was based on individual contractors’ commitments, which construction firms had the freedom to set themselves. Progress towards the targets was to be monitored

by WRAP, with contractors submitting their annual carbon data to WRAP’s online reporting system, called Measure.

But in March 2015, WRAP announced that it was withdrawing from all activities in the built environment sector due to funding cuts, and its Measure portal would no longer be available.

And, following the merger between UKCG and the National Specialist Contractors Council, the WRAP pledge disappeared from view – there is no reference to it on the BuildUK website.

But Rob Lambe, managing director of Willmott Dixon Energy Services, and chair of the newly formed Environment Leadership Group at BuildUK, said that BuildUK is now reviewing how to take the Commitment forward.

This could mean NSCC members signing up to the existing target, or a new target being put in place that better reflects the entire BuildUK membership.

When Construction Manager asked if BuildUK might consider signing up to “science-based targets”, a concept aligned with COP 21 that gained ground during the Paris talks, Lambe said that BuildUK was unlikely to sign up to “a more ambitious target”.

“The UKCG represents a significant number of organisations, and now there’s an even wider number of businesses and types, so rather than setting a more ambitious target, it’s more about setting a direction of travel everyone is comfortable with.”

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CIOB News

CIOB opens awards to non-site managers

Revision of CMYA entry criteria to more accurately reflect broad range of roles within industry

The CIOB has revised the criteria for entering the 2016 Construction Manager of the Year Award, opening up routes for non site-based managers to apply.

Traditionally, the entry rules have specified that candidates for the awards have to be “site based”. But the new entry rules will embrace project managers working directly for public or private sector clients, or those working for construction or project management consultancies who do not have a daily presence on site.

In addition, applications will also be welcomed from senior managers or operations directors who might be overseeing a portfolio of projects rather than having a hands-on role on a single project.

The CIOB hopes that drawing in talent from a broad range of roles and disciplines will mean that the awards line-up better reflects the diversity in the industry.

Last year, just two women, Leanne Broderick of John Sisk & Son and Polly Priday of Mace, reached the final, where

“We need to change CMYA to cover all the different ways we manage projects”

Broderick (pictured, above left) won a silver medal in the Residential over Six Storeys category. But this was an improvement on the 2014 awards, where no women were shortlisted or indeed nominated at all.

A spokesperson for the CIOB said that the shift was based on a general recognition that many members in project delivery roles were not “site based”, and therefore unable to apply.

“The changes have been made in order to encourage a wider range of companies to enter their best people who deserve to be recognised for their hard work within the industry.

“Construction managers cover a wide range of areas. CMYA has been going for 37 years, and the way construction projects are managed has changed a great deal over the years. Therefore we need to change the process of CMYA to cover all the different ways we manage projects within the built environment.”

The CIOB now plans to target

construction companies, consultancies and clients that have completed projects throughout the UK and Ireland in the relevant timeframe – projects must have been completed in the 12 months prior to 7 March 2016.

By targetting a range of organisations, it also hopes to encourage as diverse a community as possible to apply.

The CMYA awards’ traditional and rigorous judging criteria will apply to all nomonated candidates, whether they are in site-based or non site-based roles.

It will examine how the individual demonstrates professionalism in their field, taking into account communication; organisational skills; relationshipbuilding; overcoming obstacles in design management; implementing innovative solutions and overcoming challenge.

In April, a judging panel for each category will review applications and decide who passes on to the shortlist.

One judge from the panel will then visit each project between May and September.

Site visits are a key part of the interview and shortlisting process, as the CIOB believes it is important to see the individual in their own environment, and these allow the candidate to explain the project in detail with an industry expert.

An interview will then be scheduled for a later date, when the candidate will present the scheme to three judges.

Entries will close on 7 March.

The black tie dinner at which the results are announced will be held at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Central London, on 15 September.

CIOB urges members to pass+ CPD test on illegal working in construction The Continuing Professional Development article in this month’s issue examines illegal working and exploitation in the UK construction industry, an issue the CIOB put firmly on the industry’s agenda with the publication of its The Dark Side of Construction report in July 2015.

The institute is therefore strongly encouraging members to read the article and take the multiple choice test that follows it. The test can be taken by logging on the CIOB’s online CPD portal.

CIOB DIRECTED CPD

The CPD article (see page 30-33) explains the background to the Home Office’s ongoing Operation Magnify campaign, a multi-agency approach to reducing illegal employment on the industry’s sites that has been supported by the CIOB. The campaign included a week of interventions last October, where visits to 153 sites resulted in over 250 arrests and 9 ongoing investigations.

As the CIOB points out, where an individual does not have the legal right to work in the UK, due to their immigration status, employment is often accompanied by exploitation and human rights abuses.

In addition, any employer or agency using such workers is unlikely to be paying the right wages for the job, or the correct rate of tax and National Insurance, creating an unfair advantage compared to law-abiding competitors.

The Considerate Constructors Scheme has also announced that it is to add questions relating to illegal worker checks to its compliance monitoring checklists.

From 2016, all registered sites and companies will have to be able to provide positive answers to scheme monitors about how they are dealing with the issue.

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CIOB News

Chris Blythe The smog in Beijing shows how far the UK has come in 50 years

New thinking on old buildings CIOB’s Somerset House conference looks at re-use of historic stock The CIOB is to hold a conference exploring the latest thinking on how to get the best out the country’s traditional, pre-1919 building stock, in the setting of London’s historic Somerset House.

How to Make Traditional Buildings Work for You, on 17 March, will include a range of expert speakers looking at the re-use of older buildings, and sustainable refurbishment strategies – but also the potential for causing damage through ill-thought-out insulation retrofits.

The National Trust’s head of building Rory Cullen, who is chair of the CIOB’s Maintenance, Adaptation, Restoration and Conservation special interest group, said: “While the focus is on historic buildings, the event should appeal to anyone in the CIOB, in any role.”

A scene-setting speech from a government minister will launch the conference, which will be followed by a detailed case study of the ongoing development plan for Somerset House, which includes the opening-up of the west wing of the Edmond J Safra Fountain Court.

A highlight of this is the 2014 installation of the Miles Staircase, designed by architect Eva Jiricna and structural engineer Techniker. The new stair is a lightweight spiral made in a specially strong concrete, largely self-supported but anchored to a central newel post.

Delegates will then have the chance to view the staircase at close quarters,as well as the exhibition area, the renewable energy Combined Heat and

“While the focus is on historic buildings, the event should appeal to anyone in the CIOB” Rory Cullen, CIOB

Power system and retail and dining areas.

This will be followed by break-out sessions, where delegates can attend three from a menu of five.

These will include: David Philp on the technology of 3D scanning and BIM; a guide to the confusing world of Energy Performance Certificates and Display Energy Certificates; a guide to restoration and renovation legislation; harnessing the potential of existing buildings, and how to manage for damp, mould and ventilation.

Afternoon sessions will feature Colin King, director of the BRE in Wales, on upgrading housing and Charles Anelay, chairman of restoration contractor William Anelay, on commercial buildings. Tim Pollard, head of sustainability at Wolseley UK, will present a session on money-saving tips. The event concludes with a champagne reception.

Tickets are available priced £79, plus booking fee, at www.ciob.org.

Old and new: the Miles staircase at Somerset House by Eva Jiricna and Techniker

CIOB says older workers can help to cut skills gap Construction needs to encourage older workers to remain in the industry and harness their knowledge to help reduce the skills gap, says the CIOB. Its second report exploring the effects of the ageing population makes the core conclusion that we need to “view the ageing population positively, despite the phenomenon presenting a number of challenges for the construction industry”.

However, despite the introduction of the Equality Act 2010 to combat discrimination in the workplace, fewer members are aware of the ageing population now than in 2009, when the CIOB’s last report on the subject was published.

Of the 994 CIOB members that responded, 68% said they were aware of challenges of an ageing population compared to 76% in 2009.

Bridget Bartlett, deputy chief executive of the CIOB, said: “The findings from this report indicate that the impact of the ageing population and the role of the ageing workforce have slipped down the agenda.”

The report finds that employers need to overcome stereotypes to keep older workers in the industry, with 57% of respondents stating that it was “very important” to retain ageing workers.

However, very few companies have policies in place designed to actually encourage retention.

I write this in Beijing, on the day that the first red alert was issued about the smog level. Schools were closed and traffic severely restricted. Today, private cars with even registration numbers are allowed on the road. Tomorrow, if the red alert continues, it will be the turn of the odd-numbered cars. Everyone is advised to wear face masks to mitigate the impact of the polluted air on their health.

It has to be seen to be believed. Only if you are over 60 are you likely to have remembered how bad it was in the UK in the 1950s and early 1960s before the Clean Air Act began to have an effect.

So it was not the best time to be in China visiting our members and renewing our alliances with some of the key construction and government organisations we work with over here.

Our hosts have been very keen to point out the smog and refer to what it was like 50 years ago in the UK. It does make you appreciate the progress we have made in that time. We do still get those lingering high pressure systems which allow our much lower levels of pollution to build up over a couple of days, but it seems like nothing compared to this. At least the sky is still blue.

In Beijing there is no sky, just a dull greyness starting at the ground and going on forever. You feel as though you could cut it with a knife and you can smell the air everywhere. Even offices and hotels are not insulated from the bitterness that builds in the throat or the stinging sensation in the eyes. It is beyond being uncomfortable. Before coming here I thought the facemask business was a bit of an exaggeration.

The residents of Beijing are waiting for the weather to change to get some relief, which might happen in a couple of days. But looking at the forecast it looks like the smog will be back in no time.

The demands for energy, the vast amount of coal-fired power stations as well as the number of vehicles all contribute to the smog. It is difficult to see a solution in the short term that will not have a severe economic impact.

Just today, travelling by road has been bearable because the traffic has flowed as opposed to being jammed up everywhere. A journey that took us an hour yesterday before the restrictions took just 20 minutes today.

I am lucky I will be away from here in a day or so and back into relatively clean air, even though we might think it anything but. For the average Beijing resident, they are stuck with it until either it gets sorted or it kills them; only time will tell which way it will go.

But these sorts of conditions are going to be here for most of the winter.

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Views

In 2016, we'll need the tech 2015 talked about FUTURE GAZING at this time of year is a very tempting activity. Everyone likes to believe the year ahead will bring better opportunities, and better experiences.

At Construction Manager, and our sister website bimplus.co.uk, we spend a lot of time focussed on the future, writing about new innovations. Our "Buzzwords of 2016" feature in this issue also identified a bumper crop of new concepts that should start to make their presence felt, driving up efficiency and moving the industry away from the "it's always been done that way" factor.

FinTech, wearable technology and li-fi should also bring new suppliers and talent into the industry, refreshing the skills base and positioning construction as a forward-thinking industry, and a desirable place to work.

The industry is also adopting new thinking on "soft skills", the relationships and behaviours that form the substructure of any project. In the years to come, "behavioural assessment" and "cultural intelligence" will inform the way project teams deliver new schemes.

But if there's plenty to look forward to supply-side ideas, what about the demand side in 2016? Clearly, this is the year when we need final certainty on HS2. Although there's growing confidence that it will go ahead, and the Northern Powerhouse premise is heavily dependent on it, the project needs to pass the hurdle of final parliamentary approval. Only then can the spin-off development plans for Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield start to take shape.

Then there's the horribly familiar problem of low housing output, which, judging by the latest batch of ONS orders figures for Q3 2016, is still heading in the wrong direction on public housing. Minister Brandon Lewis, speaking to Construction Manager in these pages, is urging the contractor sector to step up and directly deliver more schemes in the Private Rented Sector. While there clearly is room for growth in this area, there's also room for more policy stability that allows housing associations to plan ahead.

Then, of course, 2016 is the longheralded year of the BIM mandate.

Clearly, BIM is a positive, efficiencydriving force for many of the sector's leading contractors and consultants.

What's less clear is whether it's actually improving outcomes and the financial bottom line for clients. So 2016 is not onlythe year of the mandate, but the year we need more transparency on what it's achieving, and where it could improve.

There's plenty of reason to think 2016 will bring many positive changes for the industry, many of them driven by technology, innovation and BIM. But the underlying economy, and therefore construction demand, is looking less robust than we would like.

So the message for 2016 is surely that we need technology and innovation, for its own sake, for the injection of new ideas it brings, and for its capacity to create an industry better able to withstand the uncertainties of the future.

Elaine Knutt, editor

More Construction Manager online and on Twitter Our twice-weekly newsletters give you breaking news, and online-only content, including more coverage of skills shortages and the carbon agenda, and fresh perspectives on the week’s news. Sign up at www.construction-manager. co.uk. For news from CM and other sources as it happens, join our 9,000+ Twitter followers @CMnewsandviews.

Feedback

Take a stand for Shrewsbury 24 Trevor Barfoot, via website I rarely advocate strike action by any group or individual, but there are some cases where such action is the only way to send a protest message to organisations (Why is Ricky Tomlinson in the news? Criminal case review process examined, online).

Therefore it is possibly time for the entire construction industry to come out and protest at the treatment of this group of people that were forced to give up their demonstrating for their rights and the rights of the whole of industry. There can be no other reason for withholding documentation other than it being motivated to prevent political embarrassment for a few individuals.

Think through Government Construction Strategy Gareth Dobson, via bimplus.co.uk As is common with UK government targets and policies, plans to update the Government Construction Strategy do not seem to have been thought through before being announced (Uncertainty over new update to Government Construction Strategy 2011, BIM+).

We've seen this in so many fields: zerocarbon targets are announced and then relinquished: Code for Sustainable Homes introduced and then set aside; incentive grants for low-carbon solar and other programmes introduced and then drastically cut; Green Deal announced but not taken up by consumers. Were private companies to run their businesses in the same way most would be in liquidation!

BIM is just the latest in a long line.

From heroes to zeroes Adam Harper, via website My feeling is that the government axing the zero-carbon homes target was bad for the industry and certainly bad for home occupiers/owners (Boris to push for zerocarbon homes in London, online).

The government had set out a long time ago in a white paper that zero-carbon

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Vox pop What impact do you think the government's new apprenticeship levy will have on training in the construction industry?

Martin Chambers PPCIOB Director, Shaylor Group Could the proposed 0.5% apprentice levy be the death knell for the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB)? Well, only time will tell, but either way a blanket industry-wide payroll levy should, in my opinion, be viewed as good news.

First, it is industry-wide so it shouldn’t disadvantage anyone – not even the ultimate bill payer, the client. Secondly, maybe it will prove to be the move that actually stimulates a real, consistent and long-term shift in attitudes towards craft and management training.

For too long the so-called main contractors — they would now be better termed process managers — have simply been the users of the skills base created by micro, small and medium contractors.

What we really need is for these guys to embrace the need and start to become genuine providers of training, in all its guises. I for one certainly hope the latter proves to be the case.

Maria Seabright Finance & HR director, Greendale Construction The introduction of the new apprenticeship levy will have a detrimental effect on employers within the construction industry taking on new apprentices. We as an industry already pay a levy to the CITB – this levy is significantly high to many organisations. How will we manage to pay yet another levy?

The government is strongly pushing the engagement of employers/ apprentices within the industry but I think knowing that we will have to

homes would happen in 2016.

Construction firms, architects, consultants and building products companies invested significant sums to gear up for this, as they did for the linked Code for Sustainable Homes, only for the rug to be pulled from under their feet.

Home-building must not become just be a numbers game. It's vital we ensure quality standards are met and construct low energy fabric in order to address fuel poverty and long-term rising gas prices.

pay an additional levy will deter employers from taking on apprentices.

We talk about a skills shortage, so surely this will not help with this situation.

Rebecca Lovelace Director, Circle Three Consulting It can be tempting to look at apprenticeship levies as a tax on construction businesses, rather than an investment in future capacity. Still facing a major skills gap, we have to develop both short and long-term strategies to identify future skills demands, and to understand and invest in meeting those needs. Doing this well requires a focus on quality not just quantity of training provision, and uncertainty about levies will hamper decision-making.

But there will be a host of new employers engaging in a more direct way with the skills agenda. What is key is to ensure absolute clarity on, and access to, training provision for these employers at the same time as minimising the administrative burden on employers, and establishing quality control standards for the range of new competencies and qualifications that the industry requires.

Bruce Boughton People development manager, Lovell The government is trying to replace taxpayers' money with the new levy — after all, we're in times of deficit reduction. The point should be made that the government is paying the college fees at the moment, so we're paying for something the government used to pay for.

The two levies do two different

Scrapping zero-carbon homes only benefits the profits of end clients and the big house-builders – it does a disservice to the occupants who will be locked into higher energy bills for decades. It's very unclear whether Part L will be uplifted even marginally in 2016.

Renewables don't come cheap Tony, via website If Julia Evans of the Building Services Research and Information Association

Building knowledge: Ian Hodgkinson dresses appropriately for the launch of the Hodgkinson Brickwork Academy at Derby College

things: the new levy funds the college fees of apprentices, and the CITB levy is more wide-ranging, funding training and support for the industry. I think we're really fortunate to have the CITB. The scheme overall is a force for good. Apprenticeships are a key part of how we bring more people in, so it is incumbent on us to find new ways of doing that. If this levy gives people more confidence to bring people in, then it's a good thing.

Mark Wakeford

"Knowing that we will have to pay an additional levy will deter employers from taking on apprentices" Maria Seabright, Greendale Construction

Contact us Do you have an opinion on any of this month’s articles? Email: constructionmanager@atom publishing.co.uk

Joint managing director, Stepnell The impact on our industry will wholly depend upon who controls the funds and how they are spent. My aspiration is that new funds will be used to provide high-quality apprenticeships that are set and managed by industry for industry.

I hope that by raising the awareness of training nationally we will more than double the number of training days from the paltry 1.2 days per year per employee.

If we can gain employer buy-in to the new qualifications then I hope that we can raise the profile of apprenticeships in general and they can become an accepted alternative to university for the majority of professional and trade new entrants to our industry.

(BSRIA) says wind and solar are cheaper, why is the renewables industry so hooked on subsidies? (Industry questions Rudd's energy policy speech, online).

Environmentalists saying that the wind and sun are free conveniently ignore the high capital costs of harnessing those "free" sources. And when you add the cost of manufacturing batteries to store all the energy produced by wind and solar, what is the total cost of relying on these?

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ILLUSTRATION BY ALEX WILLIAMSON.

Feature The Northern Powerhouse

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Feature The Northern Powerhouse

POWERING UP The vision of a Northern Powerhouse is starting to become reality as investors and developers get behind it. Elaine Knutt reports.

WHEN CHANCELLOR GEORGE OSBORNE first sketched out the ideas behind the Northern Powerhouse in a speech in June 2014, it immediately captured the public imagination. As Osborne said at the time, “the cities of the north are individually strong, but collectively not strong enough”. So take six city regions — Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, Newcastle, Hull and Leeds — and shrink the journey times between them.

Connect businesses, people and skills and make industries more efficient.

Specifically, that means building HS2 to connect Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield, then a new HS3 high-speed rail connection east to west. A new “oyster” ticketing system to link it all together, upgraded A roads and new “smart” motorways. Most ambitious of all, Highways England is examining a transPennine tunnel under the Peak District National Park, to remove the barrier between Sheffield and Manchester.

By investing in transport infrastructure, the idea is to tilt the economy so that skills, investment and GDP are no longer sucked towards the vortex of the south

east, and to raise the employment rates and productivity levels that are both currently lagging behind those of the south. The next stage is drawing private sector investment to the new transport interchanges and new routes, then harnessing the natural competitiveness and identities of the six regions to create, in Osborne’s words, something bigger than the sum of the parts.

Mark Robinson, chief executive of framework provider Scape, has a role that puts him in contact with local authority chief executives and senior procurement managers across the Midlands and the north, and says that the idea has caught the imagination of every local authority he speaks to.

“Devolution and the Northern Powerhouse come up naturally in every conversation,” says Robinson. “The north-south divide has been a problem for decades — we should be balancing out the economy across the country, and redressing the balance. Manchester is an example of a great success story over the past 20-30 years, so why can’t we build on that in Leeds and Sheffield?”

In the private sector, Lee Savage, development director at property company Scarborough Group, also says that he’s “a firm believer in the Northern Powerhouse.

It’s not about moving investment away from London, it’s about making the UK a polycentric economy like Germany.

The Northern Powerhouse growing its economy is going to contribute to UK plc through greater connectivity and play to the strengths of the regions.”

But if 2015 was the year that the Northern Powerhouse as a buzzword entered the public consciousness, then >

“The northsouth divide has been a problem for decades — we should be redressing the balance” Mark Robinson, Scape

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Feature The Northern Powerhouse

“ We need a coherent, concrete, integrated transportation plan for the whole Northern Powerhouse.”

Phil Cusack, Capita Property and Infrastructure

> 2016 is the year when it needs to take the shape and form that will drive decision-making and investment plans.

Robinson and Savage agree that, with the hearts and minds campaign won, every public body involved — central and local government, HS2, Highways England, Transport for the North, the newly-formed National Infrastructure Commission — needs to move from publishing strategy reports to firm, costed plans.

Phil Cusack, business development director at Capita Property and Infrastructure, who sits on the strategic board of Manchester Airport City Enterprise Zone, says: “I suspect 2016 will see a consolidation of the Northern Powerhouse, we will know how it will work politically in terms of local authorities and bodies. We need a coherent, concrete, integrated transportation plan: what are the schemes, the effects, the timescales, and where is the funding coming from?”

The bold thinking is to interrupt the current economic trajectory of the north and set it on a new route. The government report The Northern Powerhouse: One Agenda, One Economy, One North cited two examples from elsewhere in Europe.

Germany’s Rhine-Ruhr area, a triangle taking in five large cities (Köln, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen and Dortmund) and 10 smaller cities, works as one economic area, while The Netherlands has the Randstad region, bounded by Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the Hague and Utrecht.

Both regions are linked internally by road and high-speed rail journeys of around 30-50 minutes, but also by the fact that GDP per capita is higher than the national average: in the Rhine-Ruhr it’s between £22,900 and £25,300; in the Randstad

Value of planning approvals by region %: Annual growth

YORKSHIRE AND HUMBER

51%

NORTH EAST

41% NORTH WEST

24% 1,561 (£M)

4,714 (£m)

UK

16% 3,880 (£m)

41,827 (£m)

Includes underlying projects with a construction value of £250,000 to £100m. Source: Glenigan.

2015 approvals data covers up to the end of November

region it’s between £18,500 and £30,000.

In comparison, the same report says that the UK’s GVA per capita ranges from £17,400 in the north east to £19,900 in the north west. In 2012, London had the largest GVA per head at £37,232, while Wales had the lowest at £15,401.

Economic brake Scape’s Mark Robinson has had first-hand experience of the kind of long-distance commuting that puts a brake on economic growth. “I live in Sheffield, and used to work for Stockport Council. Stockport’s only 40 miles away, but that was three hours of commuting each day… after a while, that wears anyone down. Now I work in Nottingham, it’s about the same distance, but there’s a much faster route.”

And the north/south divide ultimately is a factor in the construction industry’s skills shortages: the fact that property prices and living costs are so much higher in the south east makes it harder to transfer skills and resources from one part of the country to another. “People are less keen to relocate, when I was growing up, you moved wherever the work was. But now it adds to the challenge the industry faces,” says Andy Rowley, commercial director for Tarmac’s contracting business.

But a survey carried out by Tarmac suggests that the wider industry still finds the Northern Powerhouse concept fairly nebulous. “We talked to the business leaders who are behind regional investment, but the level of knowledge was at a similar level [as the general public],” says Rowley. In fact, 86% of business leaders know nothing or little about the idea, including 24% who had heard of it but knew nothing, and 38% who had never heard of it at all. “So the real challenge is about communicating and getting more information in terms of the programmes,” adds Rowley.

Meanwhile, a BBC survey of the public in the north of England found that 44% of 1,003 respondents had never heard of the policy, and 20% had heard of it but knew nothing about it. But faith that the policy would ultimately redress the north/south divide was higher among the younger generation: 65% of 18-24-year-olds compared to 47% of over-55s.

One reason for the confusion is that the Northern Powerhouse entered the national conversation at the same time >

Salford Quays, Manchester

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Feature The Northern Powerhouse

investment from China. Developer Scarborough Group has secured investment from China’s Hualing Group as well as Top Spring of Hong Kong and Singaporean Metro Holdings to its £700m Middlewood Locks mixeduse project, where Chinese contractor Beijing China Engineering Group (BCEG) is also in line to be main contractor.

Manchester City football club has attracted £265m investment from China Media Holdings, which will be used to develop its infrastructure assets, namely the Etihad Stadium.

Following the Chinese template The north-west’s long-standing relationship with China The well-connected Randstad and Rhine-Ruhr areas may be the government’s inspiration for the Northern Powerhouse, but the most popular reference point is in fact China, where high-speed rail links have shrunk travelling times between major cities, boosted productivity and contributed to rocketing growth figures. The phrase itself has echoes of ambitious Chinese programmes — and coincides with China’s One Belt, One Road project to create connectivity and cooperation along the 21st century Silk Road.

The similarities are highlighted by Rhys Whalley, executive director of the Manchester China Forum, a businessled initiative set up in 2012 to increase Greater Manchester’s trade, investment and education links with China, and build on connections that go back to the nineteenth-century textiles trade.

“If you look to China to see how they’ve leveraged infrastructure development to drive economic growth, and create city cluster collaboration, there’s a huge opportunity there to look at best practice,” says Whalley.

“China has developed the technology to deliver 12,000km of high-speed

rail network that’s created a level of economic agglomeration and economic interdependency that wasn’t there previously. There’s a lot to be learned from what’s been done in China.”

Strategic partner The feeling of a connection between the Northern Powerhouse and China is mutual — and was underlined by Chinese president Xi Jinping’s visit to Manchester in October. Manchester has identified China as a key strategic market and partner, while the Powerhouse concept has captured the imagination of Chinese investors, at state, institutional and individual level.

“Manchester has gone out of its way to court the Chinese, with investment into Manchester Airport City, before anything was approved in London. And the city council has been twinned with the city of Wuhan for 25 years,” says Pinsent Masons’ partner Chris Hallam.

“Manchester is quite an investable area – it’s the fastest growing region in the services sector and there’s a key infrastructure demand.”

Four major property developments in Manchester have already secured

Airport tie-up In 2013, BCEG formed a joint venture with Carillion to invest in and build Manchester Airport City, the UK’s largest regeneration project since the London Olympics. Meanwhile, Manchester legends Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs’ £400m scheme to redevelop the Bootle Street police station has attracted investment from a Singaporean investor and BCEG. One factor in the synergies between China’s business community and Manchester’s is the fact that Manchester’s universities have the largest population of students from China in the UK, according to Whalley.

At property company Select Property Group,director Giles Beswick attributes securing investment from a Malaysian pharmaceuticals company to the fact that its chief executive is a Manchester University alumnus. “I sold a substantial investment to a Malaysian telecoms entrepreneur. He said ‘I used to live in that building’ — it turns out he studied here as a student.”

Much of Select’s pipeline is in student apartments and studios, where Beswick says that 18% of total investment sales come from the Far East region.

“With the Chinese economy slowing down, attention is shifting to other parts of the world. That also filters down to the retail level, and the UK has historically been considered a safe place to invest in real estate,” he says.

And that flow of investment is likely to continue, says Beswick. “A lot of our pipeline projects will be funded by institutions which will be funded via the Far East. They have mandates to spend money on projects that will generate significant funds, they will end up owning a lot of assets across the Northern Powerhouse. There are significant levels of interest in what

we’re doing from these types of institutional investors.“ Developer Scarborough Properties also exemplifies the bilateral links between China and the north west.

It’s had existing relationships with Chinese and Singaporean investors for the past 14 years, just as it is an investor in Chinese sporting, retail and real estate projects. When the Middlewood Locks project arose, its partners in the Far East also had the cash and liquidity to move quickly.

“They were looking for opportunities in the UK so it shows what a strong investment opportunity proposition it was, that Manchester was the first deal,” says development director Lee Savage. Scarborough has also awarded main contractor status on the scheme to BCEG, with Savage saying the scheme will be “delivered traditionally using the UK supply chain, with international materials where relevant.”

Savage also adds: “Manchester is a global brand and recognisable virtually anywhere in the world. It’s commonly known it has a clear investment proposition, they’re open for business and they communicate with the private sector and investors in a way they understand.”

And that clear proposition, says the Manchester China Forum’s Rhys Whalley, will help to drive further investment and the Powerhouse itself. “The Chinese president’s visit has helped to confirm the growing importance of Manchester in the North, and has helped us inject a new level of energy in to the relationship .”

“Manchester has gone out of its way to court the Chinese. It’s been twinned with Wuhan for 25 years.”

Chris Hallam, Pinsent Masons

David Cameron (right) and Xi Jinping (centre) visit Manchester Airport

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Feature The Northern Powerhouse

> as the related but separate policy drive towards city devolution and “Devo Manc”.

At Capita, Phil Cusack comments: “A lot of people are conflating the Northern Powerhouse with devolution. Although the two are related, they’re not the same, and can happen independently. One can succeed without the other.”

Devolved powers — already in place for Manchester, the North East, Tees Valley, Sheffield City Region, Merseyside, and the West Midlands, while Leeds City Region is also negotiating a deal — will create the power to set and control business rates, and devolve both powers and funding for transport and housing to regional levels. The plans, and funding deals attached, are all subject to the passing of forthcoming legislation, and not expected to kick in fully until 2017.

But Tarmac’s survey suggests there is strong industry support for the idea of local government being able to decide about infrastructure projects in its own region: 72% across the UK agree with this,, and 61% are confident that devolution of local government will help in the delivery of local infrastructure projects.

Above all, Cusack hopes that devolved powers will lead to more timely decision making. “The concept of having all the region’s financial and investment decisions made in London under Whitehall is an idea people are re-examining. If devolution allows that to happen, I think the local development sector will be better prepared to attract international investment and make it happen.

Devolution could also allow faster decision making, and developers need certainty.”

At contracts information provider Glenigan, economist Tom Crane believes that the ability to set and raise business rates will create the incentive for devolved authorities to fund new infrastructure that will, in turn, grow their economies, and their tax base. However, he also warns it could “strengthen city economies that are doing well currently — while the more modest tax takes of others could consign them to a future in the slow lane”.

“If you’re working nationally, you’ll probably not see a major difference, although the rate of growth between the south east and the north will be more balanced.”

Tom Crane, Glenigan

Powerhouse effect But the key question for the industry is: will workload and orders march north in 2016? In fact, Glenigan calculates that we’ve already seen a preview of the Northern Powerhouse effect in contract awards for the first 10 months of 2015 in the northern regions (see table). But Crane believes this is mainly “catch up growth” from private sector investment that had been held back during the downturn, rather than growth led by new infrastructure development.

Looking ahead, Glenigan does not expect a dramatic workload shift. “If you’re working nationally, you’ll probably not see a major difference, although the rate of growth between the south east and the north will be more balanced,” says Crane.

But while London and the south east will remain strong, he suggests that firms working nationally might want to shift staff and resources away from the relatively flat south-west market towards the Northern Powerhouse.

Tarmac has already noticed a pick-up in contract awards: “The number of schemes in the north is definitely showing a ramp up,” says Rowley, mentioning the Mersey Gateway, the M6 and M60 smart motorways, the A6 and the A556. “We’re expecting real demand for capacity in the north west, we’ve invested in a new asphalt plant in the region.”

But the region that has already been through the catch-up phase and moved into new growth, particularly in the commercial and residential sectors, is Manchester. It’s been helped by the phenomenon of “north-shoring” — or media, legal and technology organisations setting up in northern cities, to tap into the talent pool — and employment in the region is growing. The BBC in Salford is the best known example, but legal firms

Freshfields and Nabarro have also moved.

Here, London’s escalating property prices and growing affordability crisis are working in Manchester’s favour. “If you look at what’s happening in housing affordability in London, it’s increasingly unappealing as a graduate destination.

So a lot of businesses are saying, yes, we need a flagship head office in London, but let’s have our main office where staff can afford to live,” says Glenigan’s Crane.

A Savills report last month forecast that an additional 3m sq ft of offices and 55,000 homes are needed in Manchester over the next decade to avoid a deficit.

One developer responding is Select Property Group, which has introduced “City Suites” for business travellers who “spend part of their week in Manchester area but call somewhere else home”, and also “Affinity Living” for 24-25-year-old professionals comfortable with renting.

“If London is at the end of the property cycle, Manchester is at the beginning.

Twenty years ago in London international investors pushed up values, and then it’s plateaued in the last six months.

But the northern cities are at an earlier stage in the growth curve , so people are expecting - and seeing - rates of return outperform London,” says Giles Beswick, director at Select, adding that the same is happening in Germany (with Munich) and the Netherlands (Rotterdam).

Another reason often cited for Manchester’s success — both before the downturn and in the pre-Powerhouse boom — is that its city council has opened up both to the private sector and to its neighbouring authorities in the region.

The key to success in the Northern Powerhouse, it’s argued, is public bodies and individual leaders with the leadership vision and collaborative approach.

Scape’s Mark Robinson comments: “People like [city council chief executive] Sir Howard Bernstein will be key to lead the local authority agenda: we need to get high-calibre individuals in.”

The Northern Powerhouse has the feel of the right policy at the right time, with the south-east’s affordability crisis worsening and devolution adding to a growing sense of agency in the north.

But there’s a long way from visionary speeches to infrastructure projects and investment confidence. In 2016, the Powerhouse needs to power up. CM

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Training catalogue 2016 Explore our training catalogue for 2016 and choose from over 200 online learning and face to face training courses.

Topics covered include: • • • • • •

BIM Building surveying Project management Quantity surveying Construction contracts Dispute resolution

2016

catalogue out now

Find out more: w rics.org/2016Catalogue t +44 (0)24 7686 8584

Feature Buzzwords of 2016

What you’ll be talking about in From FinTech to broken-plan, a raft of new buzzwords are entering the language. Tom Ravenscroft looks at the hot topics you’ll be talking about at the water cooler this year, and offers a cups “talkability” rating.

Light work: Li-fi can use lightwaves from LED light sources to provide super-fast data transmission

LI-FI

C U P R AT I N G

Move over wi-fi, there’s a new kid in town.

Li-fi, which uses lightwaves to transmit data and is integrated with LED light fittings, is being touted as the super-fast, secure and energy-efficient successor to wi-fi. It can transmit data 100 times faster than wi-fi by using the visible light spectrum, which is 10,000 times larger than the spectrum for radio waves currently used for wi-fi.

As it uses standard LEDs, li-fi has the potential to turn every light source in the home, office and city into a super-fast data transmitter. As futuristic as this may sound, this is not a technology for the future — it already exists. Li-fi has been tested in labs and real-world environments, is already commercially available and

201

is to be installed in a Paris office next year.

Professor Harald Haas is co-founder of pureLiFi, a company spun out of Edinburgh University, where much of the early li-fi research took place. Haas, known in tech circles as the “father of li-fi”, believes it will emerge as a viable alternative to wi-fi over the next two to three years: “Architects and designers need to start thinking about li-fi right now. When they are thinking about light and IT infrastructure they can now solve these two things with one system.”

PureLiFi and French LED manufacturer Lucibel are currently working together to create the world’s first fully integrated industrialised li-fi luminaire, which they expect to install throughout the headquarters of French homebuilder Sogeprom in La Défense, Paris, next year.

At present, the technology is restricted by its high cost in comparison to wi-fi.

However, as demand rises, bringing economies of scale, expect the cost of li-fi to fall and its adoption to increase.

As offices, homes and cities look to switch their lighting to lower-energy LEDs, this could provide the perfect opportunity to upgrade to li-fi. Haas, however, doesn’t expect li-fi to replace wi-fi anytime soon.

“It's a disruptive technology. We are doing our best to introduce it as quick as possible, but it will still take a while until it is widely adapted,” he says. “It will take the same route as wi-fi: first it will be adopted by progressive enterprises and then a gradual transition until people have it in their homes.”

YOU MAY ALSO BE TALKING ABOUT...

light fidelity; VLC (visible light communications); data light; spectrum crunch; optical wireless communications

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Feature Buzzwords of 2016

016

WEARABLE TECH

C U P R AT I N G

Just as technology is transforming construction projects, it may soon be transforming the people who work on them, as employers look to monitor employees’ fitness, health and wellbeing — and even brainwaves — with wearable tracker devices.

Recording heart rates, perspiration and breathing may sound worryingly like an invasion of privacy, but the argument is that workers will accept this as a tradeoff for de-risked sites. Wearable monitors could send alerts when individuals are tired or stressed, or even exposed to dangerous levels of noise or poor air quality.

According to research company Gartner, wearable tech in the workplace could boom in the very near future. It reports that 10% of under-75s in the UK now use a fitness tracker and predicts people will become more accepting of sharing data.

In the US, wearable monitors are being incorporated into employers’ voluntary fitness-based reward schemes and Gartner predicts that by 2018, 2 million employees worldwide will be required to wear health tracking devices.

Simon Hart, built environment platform leader at Innovate UK, thinks that the technology will be adopted in the UK: “It’s absolutely a possibility that wearable monitors could become compulsory on construction sites. The technology already exists and is being driven by the consumer

market. It’s just about finding the right business model and a forward-thinking organisation to allow it to happen.”

In fact, Carillion explored trialling BUPA Boost, an app designed to motivate employees by tracking progress against colleagues. In Australia, Laing O'Rourke is piloting a scheme to collect data via a sensor strip inside a worker’s hard hat.

And the smart helmet of the future could monitor our brainwaves to check how focused we are on the task at hand. The Melon headband (above) includes electroencephalography (EEG) sensors to measure the electrical activity of neurons through electrodes on the forehead. It was acquired

by Daqri, which is trialling Augmented Reality “smart helmets” on Crossrail.

YOU MAY ALSO BE TALKING ABOUT...

Fitbit; biometric sensors; health tracking; smart helmets

BEHAVIOURAL ASSESSMENT In November, when HS2 advertised for a “provider of behavioural assessment consultancy services”, HR managers across the industry took a gulp. Assessment exercises for bid teams’ key managers are increasingly being deployed by major clients as part of the procurement process. They want individuals who can collaborate, solve problems collectively and not impose their world view on others. So think of the tasks set on reality TV programmes — standing between your firm and the next contract.

But what actually happens at an assessment? According to one report, you might meet a 30-strong assessment team,

“It’s absolutely a possibility that wearable monitors could become compulsory on construction sites.”

Simon Hart, Innovate UK

C U P R AT I N G

each armed with clipboards, monitoring every move as groups work through tasks.

“Some of the men were very ego-driven, trying to put their point across,” says one female participant. “We had to remind them it was about collaboration.”

But firms eyeing up HS2 should pay attention. According to a spokesperson, it will be “an important part of our tender evaluation to select successful suppliers”.

But it also plans “a wider strategy for building the right behaviours... to embed collaboration in our relationships.”

YOU MAY ALSO BE TALKING ABOUT...

cultural intelligence (see page 26) CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | JANUARY 2016 | 19

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Feature Buzz words of 2016

Above and below right: Zaha Hadid Architects is using generative design to optimise the position of artefacts in its maths gallery for the Science Museum

“Generative design is architecture’s version of data-led disruptive ideas” Shajay Bhooshan, ZHA

GENERATIVE DESIGN

C U P R AT I N G

Think of generative design as architecture by algorithms. Fully developed generative design could allow every element of a building to be generated by a computer by inputting large amounts of data and corresponding algorithms to simulate their influence.

This, according to Shajay Bhooshan, an associate at Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA), is the “holy grail” and, although we are undoubtedly many years away from this being a reality, elements of generative design are already being used by architects.

“Now is the right time to talk about generative design,” says Bhooshan.

“Every day, in all industries, there is more talk of data-driven processes like the self-driving car or algorithmic trading.

Architecture doesn’t operate in a vacuum and generative design is architecture’s version of these data-led disruptive ideas.”

Key to generative design is that the numerous inputs that determine a building’s form and structure — such as structural and manufacturing constraints,

planning requirements, site restrictions, ground conditions, environmental conditions — will all be available in a digital form in the era of Open Data transparency.

With the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) and increasing amounts of information being digitised, this data is becoming available and architects are beginning to take advantage of it.

Innovations such as Google’s Flux — currently only available in Austin, Texas —

which can create a maximum envelope for buildings by incorporating all the national and local planning regulations overlaid on a 3D map, show the ideas being implemented on an urban scale.

The concept is already in use on live projects. Bhooshan explains that ZHA used generative design at the Science Museum in London, to determine the overall spatial configuration and the arrangement of artefacts in the maths gallery.

Data points such as dimensions, lighting requirements and collection groupings were determined for each artefact. These were then inputted into a digital model that could assimilate all the inputs and determine the artefact’s optimum arrangement. As the model is flexible, if inputs change — in this case the choice of artefacts to be displayed — the arrangement can quickly be recirculated.

“Generative design is becoming more mainstream, and it is one to watch for the future,” concludes Bhooshan.

YOU MAY ALSO BE TALKING ABOUT...

parametricism; generative art

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Feature Buzzwords of 2016

FINTECH

C U P R AT I N G

Financial technology, often referred to by its snappy shortform name of FinTech, essentially means the use of software and apps to provide financial services. Often startup companies, these “digital disruptors” (a phrase that surely belongs to the 2014 buzzword top 10) challenge existing banking systems and processes by offering cheaper, quicker, online services.

A leading example is peer-to-peer currency platform TransferWise, which has been used to transfer £3bn of money around the world by matching up transactions in different currency pairs.

It offers better exchange rates than banks, and is marketed at SMEs as well as individuals sending salaries back home.

The industry will hear far more about FinTech in 2016, believes Neil Thompson,

the UK head of digital research and innovation at Balfour Beatty, although its impacts may not be felt for several years.

“This year expect to see keynote speakers introducing the idea at conferences and thought leadership pieces appearing in magazines. FinTech is only just starting to disrupt the financial services industry, but I hope that in 2016 we will start seriously talking about its potential in construction.”

Simon Hart, built environment platform leader at Innovate UK, agrees: “FinTech is certainly something we want to look at. It’s not something that I have seen trickle down into the construction industry yet, but I suspect it will. The digital team [at Innovate UK] has already run a funding call on this, and we are investigating the innovation requirements of FinTech for construction.”

“This year expect to see keynote speakers introducing the idea of FinTech at conferences” Neil Thompson, Balfour Beatty

FinTech offers the capability to make secure, rapid and cheap transactions that could enable a whole variety of functions, such as peer funding of major projects, or peer-to-peer energy purchasing. But the most immediate way it could make an impact on construction is in the digitisation of payments to replace contract-driven payment notices and invoicing. A digital system could speed up the system with e-signed invoices and verified receipts.

Thompson explains: ”This could mean digital payment methods allowing transparency between customers, main contractors and the supply chain and a clear understanding of scope and the quality of products and services procured.”

YOU MAY ALSO BE TALKING ABOUT...

digital disruptors; startups; block chains

BROKEN-PLAN C U P R AT I N G

For many decades “open-plan” has ruled supreme as the internal layout of choice for the UK’s modernising homeowners.

Countless renovations have seen walls removed and rooms combined, while the centre of almost all one-off houses is a sprawling open space. However, according to one leading architect, instead of knocking down walls, the trend for tomorrow’s homeowners may be to build them, as people seek to create more compact personal spaces.

Mary Duggan, co-founder of Duggan Morris Architects and a juror for 2015's RIBA House of the Year contest, has coined the term “broken-plan” to describe this.

“When we were judging this year's awards, there was a growing demand for emphasised spaces for individuals, which was evident at several of the houses we visited,” says Duggan. “The Kew House by Piercy & Company [pictured], in particular, has an interesting range of snugs, breakout areas and usable landing spaces.”

Duggan puts this down to the adoption of personal digital devices and modern flexible working practices. “I think that the change is down to IT,” she says.

“We’re working on two different houses right now that both share a common

desire to have spaces to play out real life scenarios. Gone are the days of a family gathering to watch TV, now each member wants their own space to watch an iPad. Also different working hours, with more people working from home, has created more demand for dedicated workspaces.

Opening a laptop and sitting on the sofa is not really enough any more.”

Although “broken-plan” is likely to be an emerging trend, Duggan says that open-plan will be with us for a while yet.

“I’m not saying that people are going to stop knocking down walls immediately, but we need to talk much more about how we create multifunctional spaces that are appropriate for modern family needs.”

Above and below: Piercy & Company’s Kew House, shortlisted for RIBA House of the Year, incorporates breakout spaces and useable landing areas to provide a multi-use family space

YOU MAY ALSO BE TALKING ABOUT...

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Feature Buzzwords of 2016

WELL BUILDING STANDARD

Sheppard Robson designed the interiors of KPMG’s offices in central Leeds specifically to promote physical movement throughout the office

CONTRACT ROBOT “We take unstructured documents and extract information to create accurate data” Peter Wallqvist, RAVN

After a period when the links between employee wellbeing, productivity and “green” buildings were explored in conferences and research reports such as the UK Green Building Council's (UK-GBC) Health, Wellbeing and Productivity in Offices, 2016 could be the year when wellness takes centre stage for developers and contractors.

“Around 86% of the total cost of an organisation is people, with property a much smaller proportion. So it makes sense to make sure those people perform well,” says Helen Berresford, head of ID:SR, architecture practice Sheppard Robson’s interior design group.

Berresford believes that we will see wellness placed alongside sustainability as a key client requirement. “All of our new briefs have a wellness agenda written in them — this was not the case last year,” she says. “The issue is really pertinent now as the economy has improved and everyone is trying to attract and retain the best talent. We are being asked to create holistic buildings that support organisations to do what they do better and to enable the best talent to operate the best they can.

“There's been a lot of circling around the wellness agenda. But now we have precedent studies and the building blocks

C U P R AT I N G

Contract robots are one of the first manifestations of how “cognitive computing”, or the simulation of human thought processes by a computer, is being used in the construction industry. It’s not quite Artificial Intelligence, but the robots’ ability to extract accurate data from chaotic documents is already saving one law firm hours of arduous work sifting through contracts looking for dates and addresses.

“We take paper-based contracts and unstructured documents and extract information from them to create accurate structured data,” says Peter Wallqvist, managing director of tech start-up RAVN, which has developed the UK’s first contract robot with international law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP).

The programme it has developed not only automatically reads documents, but interprets, extracts and summarises

information, much as a human would do — but significantly faster.

The contract robot is being used by BLP to submit light obstruction notices. It does

C U P R AT I N G

are in place; clients can see the impact wellness has on staff,” she continues.

One of those building blocks is the WELL Building Standard, created by a New York consultancy that also established the WELL Buildings Institute in 2013 to administer it.

Described as “the world’s first building standard focused exclusively on human health and wellness”, it is now being talked of in the same breath as BREEAM and Ska as a requirement for developers.

However, Berresford also notes that the expense of WELL certification, and the continuous assessment it demands, will be offputting for some clients, but expects that individual companies will still use wellness as a unique selling point.

Meanwhile, Jo Wheeler, senior sustainability adviser at UK-GBC, linked the wellness agenda with the growing trend for wearables. “In the not-toodistant future, cheap wearable and portable technology may allow occupierdriven comparisons of buildings at scale.

Engaging with this agenda early and carefully promises significant benefits for companies who put the health and wellbeing of their occupants first.”

YOU MAY ALSO BE TALKING ABOUT...

wellness; conscientious design; living building

this by extracting data from Land Registry documents into a spreadsheet, which is crosschecked for accuracy, then uses this data to send out the light obstruction notices. According to Wallqvist, the robot does this 10 million times faster than the human it has replaced.

Wallqvist’s business is currently focusing on the property management sector, due to the large number of pre-existing contracts that need to be interpreted.

However, as the majority of businesses have vast amounts of paperwork, often historical, to be processed, he believes that contract robots could have applications throughout the construction industry.

“We are experts in understanding existing contracts. If companies have a situation where they are using a lot of manual labour to read documents, that is the sweet spot for contract robots,” he concludes.

YOU MAY ALSO BE TALKING ABOUT...

cognitive computing; structured data

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Feature Buzzwords of 2016

HUMAN CLOUD

C U P R AT I N G

The “human cloud” is a term that describes the growing number of workers offering their skills for short-term contracts online, which could impact both on how construction companies recruit and the offices they work in and build.

Contract work has long been a feature of the management and supervisory section of the industry, individuals have often viewed it as a temporary response to unfavourable economic conditions and

a hiatus between permanent salaried jobs.

However, many white-collar workers are now choosing to opt out of salaried positions and pursue employment on a contract by contract basis, something that Jason Farnell, a director of CR Management, has identified as a growing trend.

“Gone is the idea that you work for one company for 40 years. Now it is about the ‘individual PLC’,” he says. “Main contractors will become much more light on their feet

“Gone is the idea that you work for one company for 40 years. Now it is about the ‘individual PLC’” Jason Farnell, CR Management

as each year we see more people moving to contract work and not thinking much beyond that contract.”

Farnell predicts that contractors will be employing fewer and fewer white-collar workers directly, as the best project and site managers choose to futureproof themselves by deliberately working on a variety of projects to gain experience. And it is the internet that is enabling this.

“Employees are going experience shopping. The internet gives people the opportunity to track upcoming projects and directly engage with employers,” says Farnell.

Guy Standing, professor of development studies at the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies and author of A Precariat Charter: From Denizens to Citizens, agrees that cloud labour will lead to “more very short contracts and flexible, insecure working arrangements”.

He adds: “The growth of platform companies acting as labour brokers means that middle management in construction companies will shrink even further.

But cloud labour will affect backroom operations most of all.”

YOU MAY ALSO BE TALKING ABOUT...

the gig economy; robobosses; individual PLC; experience shopping

BATTERY-POWERED BUILDINGS Rechargeable batteries are a technology we associate with annoying children's bunny toys, laptops and convenient, cable-free handheld site tools, but 2016 will see the technology shift to powering our homes and businesses.

Technological advances, combined with concerns over the UK’s future energy policy and the slashing of renewable energy subsidies, are set to supercharge demand for onsite power storage in 2016.

The evolution of the electric car has jump-started the development of costeffective electricity storage, which has long been the missing piece in the sustainable puzzle needed to balance out the peaks and troughs of renewable energy generation.

In 2015, electric car manufacturer Tesla released its Powerwall home battery, and experts predict the technology will be refined and scaled up quickly (see p34).

C U P R AT I N G

“There is so much capital being poured into car battery technology, making storage more dense, less heavy and less expensive,” says Barny Evans, renewables and energy-efficiency consultant at WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff. “Prices are dropping so fast that on-site storage is becoming increasingly viable.”

Evans predicts two key areas where battery storage will be seriously considered on projects over the next year. First, on residential properties where clients use large amounts of photovoltaics (PV) or other forms of renewable power generation.

Eco drive: Tesla, which has developed electric cars such as the Model S, now makes the Powerwall battery for the home

Here the reduction in feed-in tariffs for exporting to the grid means that the costbenefit equation will only work if all the energy generated is used on site — which will require batteries capable of storing the electricity produced.

Second, commercial properties can use the technology to avoid distribution use of system (DUoS) charges. In areas that are operating at near or peak capacity, the charges for using electricity at certain times of the day can multiply the costs up to five times.

“One big opportunity is to have batteries that charge during the day and then are used at peak times to avoid DUoS charges,” says Evans. “We are advising clients that, although not viable in most areas, it is already viable in some niche areas. We are already working with a supermarket that is setting up a trial to test the financial viability.”

YOU MAY ALSO BE TALKING ABOUT...

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Construction Professional

Broaden your horizons – without the baggage In an industry building its diversity, ‘cultural intelligence’ is helping business leaders navigate complex relations with clients and colleagues, says Natasha Levanti IN AN INDUSTRY misperceived as having

few diverse or inclusive companies, the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) spoke one-on-one to leaders from firms in the sector, to show that many positive initiatives and improvements are taking place. The lessons learned, set out in its upcoming report Diversity & Inclusion – Marginal or Mandatory?, can be applied to all firms, from micro-businesses to corporates.

In our research, we found the majority of companies interviewed offer training on diversity and inclusion, but usually only to senior-level leaders. Most saw “unconscious bias” training as their preferred way to promote diversity. This is predicated on making individuals aware of their own biases, of which they may not be aware, and examine their implicit assumptions.

Without knowing their unconscious bias, an individual will use past experience or innate assumptions to make a quick judgement on an individual based on appearance or behaviours. Proponents of unconscious bias training claim that when a person increases their understanding of innate assumptions, they will stop making decisions based only on these. This

awareness can be particularly helpful in interviews, when unconscious bias can cause managers and HR staff to overlook talented individuals.

However, no form of training is without risk. Our interviews with companies that had implemented unconscious bias training elicited the criticism that it did not aid colleagues in understanding relations with others – who may also have unknown biases. Others flagged that it can lead to hypersensitivity, making individuals so aware of their own bias that any “unnecessary” interaction with those perceived as different is feared.

However, some participants discovered another training tool, combining selfawareness with the realism to navigate complex relations in an interconnected world – cultural intelligence (CI).

CI is increasing in popularity in modern business and government programmes, specifically in North America. There are two ways of addressing CI. The first relies on tracking spectrums of cultural characteristics, cultural information acquisition and interaction potentials.

What do I need to know about Many schemes, particularly those on brownfield sites, are faced with the challenge of dealing with ground gases such as methane and carbon dioxide, which can be hazardous to human health and, in extreme cases, may pose an explosion hazard.

As with all site investigations, the assessment of ground gas risk should be based on a thorough understanding of both the ground conditions and site history. In the UK, the investigation, assessment and protection against ground gas is primarily guided by BS 8485, Code of practice

“CI training suggests that we do not highlight differences but politely accept and allow for them”

This is often based on the work of Dutch organisational theorists Fons Trompenaars and Geert Hofstede. While academically intriguing, this is not so easy to use in business.

The second is to view CI as a naturally inbuilt style of conducting day-to-day business activities, by navigating personal differences, seen or unseen. This is based on a mindset of inclusivity, and is easier to assimilate into daily business behaviour.

CI is predicated on the belief that each individual is different in a multitude of ways and no one can claim to understand another person to expert level. This is vital in business, where assumptions about colleagues or clients can win – or lose – a deal.

Unconscious bias teaches that you may not fully understand your own gut reactions, but cultural intelligence shows

The updated BS 8485 on ground gases?

for the design of protective measures for methane and carbon dioxide ground gases for new buildings.

The code, which was first introduced in 2007, underwent a major revision in June 2015. It has been improved significantly, now integrating the investigation, assessment and protection design and verification processes and providing a checklist for those commissioning investigations to ensure they are appropriate for the site conditions and development.

A particularly useful revision within the

code is the provision of an empirical method of assessing the ground gas regime, without the need for gas monitoring. Where a limited source of ground gas has been identified, testing of the organic content of soil – which is typically carried out anyway during brownfield investigations – can be used to demonstrate whether gas monitoring is necessary. This is a much more cost-effective – and faster – approach than installing monitoring wells and is less risky than relying on an engineer’s judgement, as was the case in the past.

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es?

ILLUSTRATION: EMMA RUSSELL

BIM bytes: Communication is key to building a virtual team

that the factors you know about others are only roughly 10% of those influencing behaviour. Fundamental to this mentality is admitting that one does not know 90% of the influencing factors in a workplace.

Empathy is another key element. As when a client travels 3,000 miles to a meeting, a similar appearance or behaviour is not expected, you can also not expect this from colleagues. Individuals will have different processes for nearly every facet of life CI training suggests we do not highlight these but politely accept and allow for them.

CI is hard to grasp, as it depends on individual realisation that little is explicitly known about the self or others, but it is by nature inclusive of all forms of protected characteristics including ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disabilities, religious and socio-economic factors.

Additionally, when gas monitoring is needed, the code allows for zoning of risk, rather than assuming a worst case scenario (the maximum concentrations and flow rates of gas identified during monitoring) across the entire site. This should mean protection measures can be designed more appropriately for the level of risk and, as a result, be far less conservative, and perhaps result in further cost savings.

Not only is the revised BS 8485 a useful primary reference for a wide range of professionals but it is also a

The desire to say the “right” thing is always high in business situations, yet it is reasonable to not always know what to say or do – and according to CI this is inevitable. One interviewee spoke about a member of staff who had a disability not encountered in the company before. CI allows admittance that this is a situation unknown to some involved that can be overcome by working together to ensure all individuals feel able to be themselves as well as a productive team member.

Our research also brought up examples where unconscious bias training did not adequately prepare individuals for situations they encountered, while with CI, the potential to sour work collaborations would have been less.

Here’s an example from our research: “Our team was visiting clients, when there was an obviously awkward moment between manager and employee on the client side. The manager was real chummy with most, but with this one individual the manager was completely stiff. When that employee left to see to another task the manager apologised to the visitors saying that he/she knew it was bad but he/she doesn’t know how to deal with the fact that the employee had a different sexuality. What made this announcement worse was that our visiting group had one member with that same sexuality. That particular group member was on high alert after that.”

The ACE’s report Diversity & Inclusion – Marginal or Mandatory?, will be published on 21January.

Natasha Levanti is group communications executive at the Association for Consultancy and Engineering.

timely reminder of the need to fully assess the potential risks that ground gases can pose. Its pragmatic approach, with simplified assessment processes and tailored protection design, should help lower costs and reduce the risk of delays from unforeseen ground gas issues, while continuing to ensure that construction workers and future occupants are safe from harm.

Jon Archer is principal engineer at Harrison Group Environmental, managing the geotechnical engineering department.

Some, including me, have expounded the theory that BIM and collaborative working are two sides of the same coin.

But can a virtual “team” truly work collaboratively?

The contributors to a BIM model will need to work consistently, and to the same requirements, in order to efficiently and effectively produce the model. Equally, the team as a whole will need to work together in order to resolve any issues that arise.

Working as part of any team can succeed or fail on the basis of the team’s behaviours.

To a large extent, the point of intelligent construction contracting is to encourage those behaviours in the team that are most likely to assist the project and lead to successful outcomes.

Most significant for collaborative working is the setting of shared and consistent objectives. In part, that may mean a clear set of Employer’s Information Requirements or, at the furthest extreme, open and consistent service schedules and contractual terms.

This does not necessarily mean each team member needs to be rewarded for success and liable for failure in the same way, but such open consistency does foster the most difficult ingredient to get hold of for collaborative working: trust.

Consistent contractual terms and requirements do at least mean that team members can clearly understand each other’s basic objectives and believe that they are being treated fairly as part of the team. Trust

is also built by clear and open communication.

There is therefore a need to have the clear communication protocols. However, the permanent record of electronic communication does to an extent present a bar to open communication: if people would like to discuss a potential problem, having such discussions permanently recorded is not attractive.

The issue becomes more complex at BIM level 3 when, theoretically, interaction can become entirely virtual. While we accept that services can be provided virtually to a consistent standard and accept that remote working and virtual teams are a good way to access resources and work more efficiently, is it possible for virtual teams to build the trust that is required to work collaboratively?

My opinion is that the teams cannot exist entirely virtually and that teamwork requires at least some face-to-face human interaction – at least an early meeting in a project to establish some trust among the team. During the project, this is using the most effective tools for communication, with a clear communication protocol.

Ultimately, these “soft” objectives to a collaborative team are difficult to establish so all rely on the leadership of a team or a project recognising that they are valuable and worthy of effort and expenditure to establish.

Assad Maqbool is a partner at Trowers & Hamlins specialising in projects and construction.

BIM best practice Read new case studies from around the country demonstrating BIM best practice from Balfour Beatty, BAM, Galliford Try, Kier, Costain and many more. Go to the awardwinning BIM+ website: www.bimplus.co.uk

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Construction Professional

Let’s give collaboration a fighting chance Theresa Mohammed and Beth McManus ask why industry disputes are still on the rise FOLLOWING THE PUBLICATION of the National

Construction Contracts and Law Survey 2015 towards the end of last year there has been speculation as to why the number of disputes in the industry has continued to rise. The three surveys conducted by RIBA Enterprises’ National Building Specification (NBS) over the past four years show an upward trend: in 2011, 24% of respondents had at least one contract that went into dispute, rising to 30% for 2012. The most recent survey shows a steep increase: 44% of respondents say at least one contract went into dispute in the past 12 months.

The fall in workloads during the recession could account for the lower number in the first survey, given that the spare funds for pursuing disputes simply weren’t available. On the other hand, our experience has been that squeezed margins and pressure on profits actually prompt disputes, however in recent years these have often been resolved without recourse to costly legal proceedings.

We have certainly seen a pattern of contractors actively managing risk and taking advice during the project, rather than the old-fashioned approach of serial adjudications or expensive litigation at the end of the job.

In general, it costs money to run a dispute, so even when parties have confidence in their prospects many hold off pursuing claims via legal proceedings until their financial situation is more secure. It is worth noting that although a greater number of disputes has been recorded in the most recent survey, this is compared to the very low base of the recession data.

A recent increase may be due to pricing disputes coming to a head where contractors on longer-term contracts have underpriced to secure work and this has encouraged claims for variations and performance disputes due to under-resourced works. “Low-balling” for work may have kept revenue streams open during

straitened times, but in a recovered economy, parties appear to be feeling the effects of contracts previously valued at artificially low levels.

So parties may have had historical claims but waited until recently to pursue them. Disputes clearly use up time and money so parties need access to a fighting fund before starting a claim.

At Trowers & Hamlins, we have definitely seen a rise in the number of claims commenced in court despite a significant increase in civil court fees by the Ministry of Justice, but we continue to advise clients to resolve disputes wherever possible as there will inevitably be irrecoverable costs and a huge diversion of precious management time.

The increase in civil court fees that came into effect in March 2015 has no doubt acted as a significant deterrent to commencing litigation – particularly if due to non-payment. The issue fee for money claims worth £10,000 or more increased substantially, to 5% of the value of the claim (capped at £10,000). For a claim of £200,000, the pre-March court fee of £1,515 increased by 560%, to £10,000 – a major increase for mid-value disputes.

It is worth considering that the fee change may have prompted those parties aware of the increase to rush to issue claims, even on a speculative basis,

“In a recovered economy, parties appear to be feeling the effects of contracts previously valued at artificially low levels”

before March 2015. This spike may at least partly explain the higher number of disputes in the most recent survey, but following the increase there is likely to be less appetite to litigate less robust claims.

As for adjudication, we consider that there is a certain degree of nervousness around the risk of adverse adjudicators’ decisions that can be enforced with relative speed. Further, the body of case law on technical defaults – for example in pay less notices or payment notices – has shown a significant change, moving away from “smash and grab” adjudications. This may mean that parties are instead having to consider longer-term solutions.

As such, the emphasis in the future is likely to be on alternative dispute resolution methods. From our own caseload, we have seen clients taking risk advice at an earlier stage in disputes. This prompts early resolution of any issues without recourse to formal proceedings.

The obvious practical point is that it is better to avoid disputes if possible, given the cost and time consequences involved. Collaborative working is universally encouraged, but some parties still prove resistant to increasing this. A commitment to active contract management and clear communication would also help to avoid disputes spiralling into legal proceedings.

But no matter what method of collaborative working is contractually specified, it can only be as successful as the people using it.

Team-wide commitment to collaborative working in both letter and spirit is required from the outset to reduce the number of disputes.

This approach also improves the chances of resolving disputes at an early stage. As finances hopefully improve, we must be optimistic that future surveys by the NBS do not show the same continuing trend.

Theresa Mohammed is partner and Beth McManus solicitor in the dispute resolution and litigation team at law firm Trowers & Hamlins.

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The Mesothelioma UK charity is a national specialist resource centre dedicated to improving the outcomes and experiences of those living with Mesothelioma.

To achieve this the charity:Provides funding for Mesothelioma Nurse Specialists.

Employs a Citizens Advice Bureau specialist mesothelioma benefits advisor Provides funding for research dedicated to Mesothelioma Is recognised as the UK’s provider of specialist mesothelioma information A specialist Freephone helpline Collates UK clinical trial availability and promotes equitable access

Maintains a comprehensive website Distributes a quarterly newsletter Holds educational events for patients, carers and health care professionals Delivers an accredited course in mesothelioma (in partnership with The Royal Marsden School).

Campaigns to raise awareness about the dangers of asbestos

DID YOU KNOW Mesothelioma is an incurable, debilitating, severely life limiting and yet PREVENTABLE CANCER caused by exposure to asbestos.

Asbestos is the biggest occupational disease risk to construction workers. HSE commissioned research estimates it was responsible for the death of over 2,500 construction workers in 2005 – more than two-thirds of cancer deaths in the industry.

Asbestos is a mineral not naturally found in UK soil but our imports of it were excessive through much of the last century. It is still very present in the UK. With over 2500 people diagnosed with MESOTHELIOMA each year the UK has the highest incidence in the world. There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos.

The disease presents many years after exposure, 15 – 40 years is not unusual.

DON’T HAVE REGRETS YOU CAN PROTECT YOURSELF. CM is partnering with Mesothelioma UK to raise awareness of their work and to generate donations. You can donate to Mesothelioma UK on our just giving page www.justgiving.com/CMMesotheliomaUK

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Construction Professional

The industry is losing out on deaf talent Employers would benefit from investing in workers with hearing loss, says Bianca Koslowski THE DEAF COMMUNITY adds up to a whopping

10 million people in the UK – a sixth of our population – 3.7 million of whom are of working age. Yet, depressingly, a significant percentage of these are not in employment. The words “disability” and “impairment” are very delicate terms in business but however politically correct Britain may appear to be, it is not as inclusionist as we would have hoped.

The employment situation for disabled people remains deeply challenging.

Unfortunately there are no statistics to represent the true percentage of those with hearing loss in work. In 2007, Action On Hearing Loss (AOHL), formerly known as the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, conducted research to investigate the work experiences of 870 participants who were deaf or hard of hearing.

As you might expect, the figures – in the report Opportunity Blocked – were disheartening: 63% of deaf and hard of hearing people are currently employed, compared to 75% of the population as a whole. And, of those in work, 53% advised that their employers had not offered any support such as Access to Work (AtW).

AtW is a government grant scheme that works in conjunction with 2010 Equality Act. Set up in 1997, it provides financial support for adjustments, and support such as physical alterations to the work area, technology or personal assistants and communication support.

In September 2015 the government published its response to the Work & Pensions Select Committee report into AtW, setting recommendations to improve the scheme. It has accepted plans to improve access for deaf British sign language (BSL) users, with plans for a video relay service later in 2015/16. It also made reference to the importance of BSL interpreter support for deaf people at work.

As CE0 of a construction company run for and by deaf employees, I look to my peers in construction to follow my example and extend employment to the deaf community. Many positives can be gained from embracing employees with hearing loss. In a Huffington Post article in

“Deaf people are naturally good mediators – due to always having to relate to the hearing culture”

November 2015, Lydia L Callis argues that there are six reasons to hire deaf workers who outshine their hearing counterparts: they offer adaptability, reliability, are good mediators, hard workers, and bring diversity and a unique perspective to enrich the team.

She sees these traits as a result of a deaf person’s life experiences. They are used to adapting to a hearing world so are more patient; they are hard-working and reliable because fewer opportunities are granted to them – so when one is, they are determined to succeed. And they are good mediators, and very empathic, due to having to relate to the hearing culture.

All in all, a recipe for success.

However, if employers are concerned about the financial cost of all these additional personality traits, fear not – the AtW was set up to support you. It allows the costs to be shared with the government – AOHL has full details. The Department of Work & Pensions calculates that for each pound spent the government receives £1.70 back in National Insurance, taxation and reduced demand on state benefits.

As for training for employers, AOHL’s Louder Than Words is an accreditation course that trains companies to be inclusive and accessible for deaf colleagues and customers. AOHL provides a work-based assessment if you wish to find out how to support employees on a personalised basis.

I have found the construction industry is set up to accommodate deaf people

– due to the physicality of the job role.

James Kendall demonstrates this. A deaf bricklayer with Scorpio Building Contractors, a company set up by two deaf builders, he won a CITB Apprenticeship Award for Achievement through Adversity last October. Speaking on a BBC See Hear programme about deaf people in business, he said: “Working with deaf people is straightforward. Someone may sign ‘screw that in there’ and it’s clear.” In other words, communication is quick and clear.

It is a view echoed by Emma Tracey, on the BBC’s Ouch! disability blog. “Factory work, building work and other jobs which don’t involve much conversation, have traditionally been very popular with deaf people as you’re on the same level as fellow employees,” she says.

Communication is the only barrier the deaf community need to breach – one that can be done with the support of a BSL interpreter. The interpreter is merely the worker’s ears and voice. The knowledge, the experience and the work comes from the individual. My company is proud of its deafness and welcomes others to enjoy the benefits of employing a deaf worker.

As our society ages the number of people with hearing loss is set to grow.

By 2031 there will be approximately 14.5 million people with hearing loss in the UK – what a large untapped resource.

Bianca Koslowski is managing director of Ankura (Make it Home).

Deaf bricklayer James Kendall (centre) receives a CITB Apprenticeship Award from Helen Skelton and the CITB’s Adrian Belton

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Continuing Professional Development Operation Magnify • Site visits target immigration compliance • Right to Work checks carried out on all employees • New Immigration Bill to create offence of “illegal working”

Stamping out illegal working on every site As the government gets tough on illegal labour, industry professionals need to make sure they’re familiar with the requirements of its Operation Magnify campaign. Construction Manager explains Office have launched Operation Magnify, a campaign supported by the CIOB. Operation Magnify is a rolling programme of site enforcement visits targeting illegal working in the construction industry, and raising the issue on the industry’s agenda. Construction is an area of focus in efforts to reduce illegal immigration and the exploitation of illegal labour in the UK, as it typically employs a high volume of non-English speaking and/or lower-skilled individuals.

Other areas where illegal employment is a problem include the cleaning sector, care homes, food and hospitality, and agriculture. Viewed together, the government is concerned that the existence of relatively accessible illegal employment in various employment sectors in the UK acts as a “pull factor” for illegal migration – which in turn denies opportunities and prospects for UK citizens and legal migrants.

From the industry’s point of view, there are compelling reasons to address the issue. Individuals working illegally in this country due to their immigration status will often be victims of abuse and exploitation, or caught in a situation we now define as “modern slavery”.

As Chris Blythe, chief executive at the CIOB, comments: “We welcome the government’s commitment to help tackle illegal working in the construction industry. Migrants without the right to work become vulnerable and, as our industry tells us, are at serious risk of injury, exploitation and human rights abuses.”

Businesses that knowingly hire illegal workers – or supply them to other contractors up the supply chain – are likely to be paying below the national minimum wage, undercutting their law-abiding competitors. And a business that’s willing to exploit underpaid, under-trained labour is also likely to cut corners in other areas, such as health and safety, employment legislation or tax and National Insurance.

The presence of exploitation and illegal employment in the industry therefore leads to downward pressure on safety standards and overall quality of output.

The Home Office believes that the construction industry has the management capability, resources and “corporate know-how” necessary to tackle the issue, and it hopes that the challenges it faces and solutions it devises could then be applied to other industries.

CPD

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES led by the Home

The legal position Employers have had a duty to prevent illegal working since 1997 by carrying out specified document checks on people before they employ them. Since 2008, this duty has been underpinned by a civil penalty scheme.

The Immigration Act 2014 doubled the civil penalty for employers that employ an illegal worker either knowingly, or with reasonable grounds for suspicion.

An employer can now be fined up to £20,000 for each illegal worker employed, with the new maximum penalty better reflecting the harm caused by employing illegal workers, including the costs to wider society and the unfair economic advantage derived from the activity.

But measures in the Act also made it simpler to check the immigration status of potential employees, reducing the number of acceptable documents they may have to check, as well as the frequency with which checks have to occur (see below).

Additionally, through the Immigration Bill currently going through parliament, construction employers should be aware of new proposed future powers including: l creating a new offence of “illegal working”, which means wages can be seized as proceeds of crime. Anyone prosecuted for this new offence will face a prison sentence of up to six months and an unlimited fine in England and Wales. l making it easier to prosecute an employer who knows, or reasonably suspects, that the person they employ

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Continuing Professional Development Operation Magnify

CIOB DIRECTED CPD

The CIOB strongly encourages members to study this CPD topic and take the accompanying online multiple choice test (see p36 for questions and details).

Illegal working is closely linked to labour exploitation and human rights abuses, whether overseas or in the UK, which has been a policy focus at the CIOB for some time. Its July 2015 report, The Dark Side of Construction, focused attention on the issue and its implications for the industry.

The CIOB is working with other agencies, including the Home Office, to ensure labour exploitation has no place in the industry, and hopes members will take this opportunity to fully inform themselves on this issue.

has no permission to work in the UK. The existing evidence requirement to prove this offence will be changed in order to boost prosecutions and the current maximum sentence will be increased from two to five years. l closing for up to 48 hours the business of employers who continue to disregard the law and do not comply with sanctions while they prove “Right to Work” checks have been conducted on staff.

Checking documents An employer who hires an illegal worker can avoid fines under the Immigration

An employer can now be fined up to £20,000 for each illegal worker employed

Act 2014 if they have carried out the Home Office’s recommended Right to Work checks – this is known as the “statutory excuse”. The Right to Work check process is straightforward and specifies that employers should: l see the applicant’s original documents l check that the documents are valid with the applicant present, either in person or a via an online platform such as Skype l make and keep copies of the documents and record the date you made the check.

But what steps should employers take to ensure that “documents are valid”?

Invalid documents are often created with high degrees of accuracy by organised criminal gangs (OCGs) equipped with

sophisticated printers and scanners.

Illegitimate documents can include: l a look-alike using someone else’s passport, known as impersonation; l counterfeit documents, created from scratch to resemble an official document forgeries; l a genuine document that has been altered in some way, for instance by adding fake visa stamps or other Home Office endorsements.

Hard-to-detect scams abound. For instance, an illegal worker might present a legitimate National Insurance card and number. But a single NI card could be shared by five or six illegal workers, with all their employers’ NI contributions being channelled into a single account. That original legitimate NI card could then be used to support a number of different identities, using different individuals’ photos and documents. The original NI card might have been stolen, or even sold to criminal gangs by a genuine UK citizen.

In addition, construction workers who don’t have the right to work in the UK can also present legitimate documents – such as CSCS cards, training certificates and company ID cards – which were > CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | JANUARY 2016 | 31

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Continuing Professional Development Operation Magnify

Exposing hidden exploitation Under Operation Magnify, October 2015 saw a week of interventions that targeted 153 construction sites across England and Wales, which resulted in over 250 arrests and nine ongoing investigations. Any of these investigations could result in substantial fines for the employers concerned.

According to the Home Office, the initiative deliberately targeted a mix of projects. The majority were smallscale sites run by local SMEs, such as residential conversions, high street shop fit-outs, and domestic extensions. As the campaign also intersected with efforts to uncover exploited labour, often linked

to the phenomenon of “beds in sheds” and rogue landlords, the campaign targeted sites in affected communities, such as Slough, Berkshire; Hounslow, west London; and Newham, east London.

But the Home Office says that around 40 of the projects visited were larger multi-million-pound projects behind the hoardings of major contractors, ranging across new build and refurbishment projects, and the commercial sector and publicly funded works. The scale of the programme was therefore designed to put the issue firmly on the industry’s agenda and prompt senior management to review their processes.

Sheds in the back gardens in Southall, west London, often house illegal workers

> acquired by presenting faked documents or personal history in the first place. Major construction institutions and businesses might therefore be giving their legitimacy to illegal workers, and even offering access to sensitive sites.

And it is worth noting that when illegal workers turn to OCGs to source illegitimate ID documents, they will then have a network of criminal associates, which raises both reputational and

THE SUN / NEWS SYNDICATION

Considerate Contractors Scheme sites will be asked about illegal working

l that the dates for the applicant’s right to work in the UK haven’t expired l photos are the same across all documents and look like the applicant l dates of birth are the same across all documents l the applicant has permission to do the type of work you’re offering (including any limit on the number of hours they can work) l evidence of students’ study and vacation times l if two documents give different names, that the applicant has supporting documents showing why they’re different, such as a marriage certificate or divorce decree.

If employers have doubts about a worker’s legitimacy, they can call the Home Office Sponsorship, Employer and Education helpline (0300 123 4699) to ask if there is an official record of the individual.

Site realities But the typical construction site is a complex place, where a main contractor with overall responsibility works with multiple sub-contractors, sub-subcontractors and labour supply agencies.

Operation Magnify recognises this complexity, but the Home Office believes that Tier 1 contractors in charge of overall project governance need to address this issue, in order to analyse and minimise risks to projects and – by extension – the wider industry.

The CIOB’s Chris Blythe agrees that the industry’s major employers need to step up on this issue: “The global trend towards outsourcing and cut-price contracting has made it too convenient for main contractors to duck out of their responsibilities by blaming the subcontractor. Contractors who take that line risk reputational damage and are liable to incur significant financial penalties, delays and site shutdowns.

security issues for employers.

The Home Office recognises that employers are not necessarily going to have the skills and procedures in place to weed out every false document. However, guidance available on its website suggests that employers should check: l if the documents are genuine, original and unchanged, and belong to the person who has given them to you

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Continuing Professional Development Operation Magnify

“The uncertainty amongst clients which stems from reports of modern slavery also risks the image and success of the entire industry. So it is clear that we all have a responsibility to come together and increase transparency at every level of the supply chain if we are to eradicate the exploitation of illegal workers.”

In effect, the Home Office is asking the industry to view illegal working as an issue that should be bracketed with health and safety as a key area for compliance and improvement. Main contractors should check their Tier 2 and 3 sub-contractors’ compliance with Right to Work checks in the same way that they would check contractual compliance on health and safety accreditation, employing local labour or checking the provenance of materials.

When appointing and assessing subcontractors, having effective Right to Work controls in place could also be viewed as a measure of competence in other areas of project compliance.

According to the Home Office, it is impossible to offer a how-to template on Right to Work compliance, as there will be many different contractual situations, and employers must implement the systems that best correspond to their working practices. However, it stresses that compliance systems should be in place at various levels of a construction business, from site to boardroom, and that checks should be reviewed at appropriate intervals. On projects where there is a high turnover of site staff that could mean every two to three weeks.

Take the test now Demonstrate your knowledge of this subject by undertaking this CPD test digitally on the CIOB’s CPD Portal.

Members can register now to join more than 11,000 professionals using the online CPD portal, which hosts around 100 modules in formats including video and Powerpoint.

This is hosted on the Construction Manager website, but is a separate system, for which users need to register and create a password.

To take the test (right), follow the link in the online version of this article, or click on the “CPD” tab in the top menu bar on the CM website.

Once registered, search for this article by keyword or filtered search.

Considerate Constructors The issue of illegal working is also being addressed by the Considerate Constructors Scheme, which is also supporting the Operation Magnify initiative. As the scheme makes around 17,000 monitoring visits a year to registered sites and companies throughout the UK, it is taking the lead to help raise awareness and provide support and guidance on the issue.

From the start of 2016, the scheme is including a question and a prompt within its monitoring checklist specifically addressing illegal working on sites.

This means that all registered sites and companies will have to be able to provide a positive answer to scheme monitors about how they are dealing with this issue.

In addition, the scheme’s Best Practice Hub – an online resource sharing best practice, tips, guidance and case studies across the industry – will gather examples of best practice from sites on this matter. This will provide a useful resource for the industry and show how it is possible to ensure that no illegal workers are engaged in supply chains of sites or companies registered with the Considerate Constructors Scheme.

Illegal working is not a victimless crime.

It defrauds the taxpayer, undercuts honest employers and cheats legitimate jobseekers out of employment opportunities.

Making sure that construction sites are staffed only by legitimate workers, employed by firms that pay fairly and legally, is likely to contribute to better outcomes for the industry as a whole. CM

CPD online.

Your new home for learning.

CPD test paper

Implementing Operation Magnify 1. Under the Immigration Act 2014, what is the maximum penalty for each illegal worker employed? l £1,000 l £5,000 l £10,000 l £20,000 2. Which action is not part of the Home Office’s recommended Right to Work check process? l See the applicant's original documents l Check the documents are valid with the applicant present l Check them with the employee’s previous employer l Make and keep copies of the documents 3. What will be the maximum sentence under the proposed Immigration Bill for an employer who knows, or reasonably suspects, that the person they employ has no permission to work in the UK? l Six months l Two years l Three years l Five years 4. When will the Considerate Constructors Scheme include illegal working within its monitoring checklist? l 2016 l 2017 l 2018 l 2020 5. If employers doubt a worker’s legitimacy, who should they call? l Call the subcontractor l Call the Considerate Constructors Scheme l Call the Home Office helpline l Call the police

Register now online at www.construction-manager.co.uk/cpd CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | JANUARY 2016 | 33

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Technical M&E services

THE REGENERATION GAME Last year’s shock decision to slash the feed-in tariff means the UK solar power industry is facing a much altered future. But how is it planning to come back from the brink? Andy Pearson reports

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Technical M&E services

THE SOLAR POWER INDUSTRY spent the latter

half of 2015 in a state of shock, following controversial plans announced in August by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) to slash the feed-in tariff subsidising domestic and commercialscale PV installations. Jonathan Bates, director and general manager of Photon Energy, a supplier and installer of photovoltaic (PV) systems for public and private sector clients, quoting an article in The Times, says: “The UK government is spending more on supporting grassroots football development in China than it is on supporting the UK solar industry.”

DECC’s plans – although not confirmed as Construction Manager went to press – were to cut the incentives for solar installations by up to 87% from next year, from £70m to £2m. There are concerns that the feed-in tariff (FiT) scheme might totally close as early as this month if a flood of new solar installations triggered by the announcement result in the budget having been spent by then. “Most people in the industry are planning their businesses on the basis that there will be no generation tariff at some point this year,” Bates says.

Changing face of the market But what will the changes, once confirmed, mean for the future of domestic PV installations on homes and flats, and how will the new market dynamics affect building-mounted PVs on commercial buildings?

Clearly, there will be difficult adjustments – and the social housing sector is likely to be badly hit. But over the longer term, with energy prices expected to rise over the medium to long term and PV unit costs still coming down, John O'Brien of BRE's innovations team believes that the elusive goal of parity between PV-generated electricity and the grid could be reached by 2018, driving greater uptake of the technology.

The feed-in tariff was introduced in 2011 to encourage the uptake of smallscale renewable installations and lowcarbon energy generation. The main component of the FiT programme is the generation tariff, a payment made by energy suppliers for each unit of electricity the installation generates. The rate varies depending on the size of the system, and this is where the cuts have fallen: the new

rate could be as little as 1.6p/unit for small systems from 1 January 2016 compared to the previous rate of 12.4p.

In addition to the generation tariff, the owner of a PV system can also sell any unused units of electricity to the electricity supplier; payment for this is based on the higher export tariff which works out at about 4.8p/unit and is likely to be unchanged.

Of course, organisations will also save money by offsetting electricity generated

by PVs against the cost of electricity they might otherwise have bought from the grid, at a tariff of between 8 to 15p/unit.

As Bates explains, PV has always been more appealing to heavy daytime power users benefiting from the “generation” tariff – a scenario that’s largely unchanged. “What the changes are going to do is to skew the future market to the people for whom PV will still work, which is the large daytime energy users,” explains Bates.

He predicts that the bulk of PV installations over the next couple of years will be manufacturing businesses running production operations from large flatroofed tin sheds, and the occasional large hospital, where the size of the savings from offsetting PV-generated electricity against the cost of grid electricity still make commercial sense. “PV will still be financially viable in certain scenarios, with a return on investment in the order of 9-10%,” he says.

Jonny Williams, director of the BRE National Solar Centre, agrees. “Without the FiT, industries with a high daytime power consumption operating in >

“What the changes are going to do is skew the future market to the large daytime energy users” Jonathan Bates, Photon Energy

Opposite: 5 Broadgate incorporates the largest number of solar PV panels on a commercial building in London

5 Broadgate: greenest in the City Built by Mace for developers British Land and Blackstone Group, and to be occupied by Swiss bank UBS, the 5 Broadgate building is designed to be the “greenest” building in the City of London.

Expected to receive a BREEAM “Excellent” rating, the building incorporates a green roof, rainwater harvesting, heat reclamation for underfloor heating and the largest number of solar photovoltaic panels on a commercial building in London.

The 1,200 sq m photovoltaic array, which has been constructed using 576 Panasonic N240 panels, is expected to generate up to 108,104 kWh of energy each year, offsetting more than 57 tonnes of CO2.

To ensure the building did not intrude on the protected views of St Paul’s, EvoEnergy, which installed the system, had to design a bespoke steel fixing base to ensure the panels were placed at a maximum angle of five degrees and did not break the building’s 75 m height restriction.

CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | JANUARY 2016 | 35

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Technical M&E services

> premises with large south-facing roofs will still provide a favourable rate of return on investment,” he says. He says this was evident at last year’s BRE Solar Conference where, cuts to the subsidy programme notwithstanding, “large developers were talking about developing hundreds of megawatts of PVs on commercial roofs” in 2016.

“There is a pipeline of projects ready to go post-FiT for the right owner-occupied building and where generation can be matched by demand,” Williams says. In other words, because the export tariff is unappealingly low, PV makes commercial sense only when all of the power generated by a roof-mounted PV system is used by the organisation occupying the premises, because it is offset against the cost of grid electricity.

Leasing benefits If clients and owner-occupiers want to take advantage of PV-generated electricity but don’t want to be responsible for installing or maintaining large arrays, one option is handing over responsibility for the entire PV installation to a third party – a common arrangement in the USA, according to Lauren Cook, a policy analyst at the Renewable Energy Association.

Under a power purchase agreement (PPA), a solar developer effectively leases an organisation’s roof as the site on which to install a large PV installation. The developer then sells the PV-generated electricity to the organisation at a price lower than that of the grid tariff. The organisation can benefit from the PVgenerated electricity, which is cheaper than grid electricity. “It means a company can benefit from lower energy bills without having to worry about the cost of installation or maintenance,” says Cook.

“You can have a PPA for a company that only operates on weekdays that allows the electricity to be sold at weekends.”

But if the manufacturing sector should be able to adjust to life after FITs, the domestic and social housing sectors are going to be much harder hit by the proposed changes, says Photon Energy’s Bates. “The bottom will fall out of the domestic and social housing markets, which will take an awful long time to recover,” he says.

The social housing sector will suffer because its PV installations are often >

“There is a pipeline of projects ready to go post-FiT for the right owneroccupied building” Jonny Williams, BRE National Solar Centre

Are we at last entering the battery age?

Tesla technologies look ahead to a new era of commercial storage Alongside improvements in photovoltaic (PV) generating technology, developments in battery storage technologies are set to change the economics of PV installations by allowing the energy generated by the sun to be stored.

Tesla, the electric vehicle manufacturer set up by PayPal founder and inventor Elon Musk, has used its battery expertise to develop the Powerwall and Powerpack energy storage devices for domestic, commercial and utility applications. It has already launched a 10 kWh and a 7 kWh version of its Powerwall home battery for domestic customers in the USA. The system is designed to be paired with a solar PV system to enable the homeowner to store the energy generated by the sun during the day to power the home in the evening.

Battery storage for domestic applications is relatively common in Germany as a result of government incentives. The rationale was not to encourage PV take-up but to smooth out the spikes in electricity flooding its national grid – on sunny windy days, Germany had more renewables generating capacity than its grid could cope with.

“The batteries allow the extra energy to be taken off the grid while enabling people to use the energy they have generated,” says Lauren Cook, policy analyst at the Renewable Energy Association.

Powerpack takes off Meanwhile, for the commercial sector, Tesla is set to launch a 100kWh Powerpack battery for use with large-scale solar applications. It has been successfully piloted at online retailer Amazon’s North Carolina data centre with the first full commercial applications installed early this year.

At the moment, however, the economic case for battery systems in commercial buildings that are occupied during the day is less clear cut. Tesla says that energy storage will also allow a business to control when and how it consumes energy – taking advantage of the cheapest tariffs and avoiding peak levies. A spokesman told Construction Manager: “Storage can give a business more control over its energy consumption by allowing on-demand

dispatch of the battery at the most optimal time for reduction of duos/triad charges and other demand charges.”

But Arup’s Rick Wheal believes the era of battery-powered buildings lies further ahead, in perhaps 20 years – when the UK has to deal with power shortages resulting from a lack of power stations and an intermittent renewable energy supply. “The situation might arise where companies are limited on the amount of electricity they can draw from the grid at certain times of the day, or through a dynamic tariff system to dissuade companies from using electricity at times of peak demand by trebling its price,” he warns.

Tesla is even working on grouping its 100 kWh batteries into installations capable of storing 10 MWh or more of electricity for utility applications. The battery could be installed at a substation to store excess capacity from renewables and dispatch it when needed, which could help curtail the UK’s reliance on dirty coal-fired power stations to balance the grid. It could also help electricity distribution network operators defer costs of upgrading the infrastructure to cope with the energy generated from large number of renewables.

However, Photon’s Jonathan Bates says that there is a lot of talk about battery storage as the panacea for the PV sector post FiTs, but the technology is too expensive to work without a subsidy. “It will happen; there are increasing constraints on the grid which means that storage will play an increasingly important role in domestic, commercial and even utility scale applications,” he says. “Give it a couple of years – perhaps five from a technical perspective.”

Top and above: Tesla’s Powerpack batteries have been piloted by Amazon in North Carolina

36 | JANUARY 2016 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

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Technical M&E services

> funded by third-party investors, who pay the cost of the installation and then own the system. Electricity generated by the PVs is given to the tenants to displace grid electricity, which helps reduce fuel poverty, while the investor takes the FiT’s generation and export payments to fund the asset and deliver them a profit.

“Without the generation tariff this system will be totally unviable,” Bates predicts, adding that the domestic Above and right: In 2014 Jaguar Land retrofit sector will suffer without the FiT Rover installed the UK’s largest solar panel because small one-off retrofits will be too expensive to be cost-effective. array, with a capacity of 5.8 MW, at its South But it’s not all doom and gloom. One Staffordshire Engine aspect of the PV market that will remain Manufacturing Centre largely unaffected by any change to the FiT is large new-build housing developments and new commercial schemes in metropolitan areas. PVs are installed on these types of development to meet local authority planning “If the EU obligations which require up to 20% of minimum regulated energy of a new building to be import price was removed, generated by on-site renewables. “In London, where planning rules are defined module costs by the London Plan, PVs are being will come installed irrespective of the FiT,” says down, which will help reach Rick Wheal, a consultant at Arup.

“For central London you have to consider solar parity” renewables where they are feasible, and Lauren Cook, the renewables that are feasible for a Renewable commercial office space are PVs, which can Energy be either integrated into the facade or Association mounted on the roof,” Wheal says.

“The key thing to bear in mind in central London is that total energy costs relative to the cost of rent, employees’ salaries and everything else is about 1%, so when you talk about generating 1% of energy from PVs it is 1% of 1%, which makes the contribution incredibly small and that of the FiT even smaller,” Wheal explains.

In contrast to central London, Wheal

says loss of the FiT will have an impact on the inclusion of PVs on commercial office, or retail developments outside of the capital. Here the economics and planning rules are different: while the build cost will be relatively low, rental values will also be lower.

As a consequence, the cost of putting renewables on an office in a secondary location will be a higher proportion of total build cost. “Without FiT funding, a developer is unlikely to install them, unless they have to, or, unless the developer wants to develop a green asset, because it is unlikely they will increase the value of the building,” Wheal says.

But, over time, improvements in PV efficiency and other technological developments are expected to improve the economics of PV so that even commercial developments outside the capital can benefit. The cost of PVs has fallen by 70% in the past five years and it is expected to fall further still.

Lauren Cook of the REA adds that the EU currently imposes a minimum import price on each PV unit manufactured outside the EU. “If that was removed then module costs will come down, which will help reach solar parity, which is the goal because you won’t need a subsidy.”

electricity. “Once the technology is available you can start to think about every window having the potential to generate electricity or even shop fronts or entire office facades,” Arup's Wheal predicts.

Clearly, the UK PV market will have to be pretty resilient to survive the cut to the FiTs. There will be a noticeable impact on the numbers of PV installations on commercial developments in the near future, and a sharp downturn in social Power performance housing installations. “It’s going to be New developments in PV technology a difficult couple of years,” Bates could see dramatic increases in summarises. performance. At the moment PV cells are But the fundamental advantages of manufactured from silicon, which is able generating electricity via PVs – for energy to harvest visible light. However, bills, for the environment and for corporate materials are starting to appear that can social responsibility – are only likely to harvest light from the ultra-violet and strengthen over time. And it's also clear infrared areas of the spectrum to generate that the industry is already looking beyond similar amounts of electricity. the demise of FiTs to new business models A number of businesses are even and new technologies that will power the working to enable glass to generate buildings of the future. CM

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Contact Contact THE CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF BUILDING MEMBERS’ NEWSLETTER ISSUE 138 JANUARY 2016

IN THIS ISSUE

41-44 ON THE RADAR

All the latest news and developments from the CIOB at HQ and in your area including the latest Teambuild event and CCISY awards

45 COMMENT

Philomena Hayward on creating successful teams

46 CBC IN PROFILE

How one construction company benefited from CBC status

47 ONE TO WATCH

Mace’s James Haywood

48 IN GOOD COMPANY

Several contractors are engaged in the North West Cambridge development

50 MEMBER BENEFITS

Take advantage of exclusive member offers

51 DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Key events by region for the month ahead

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ON THE RADAR Contact | Jan 16

thought leadership

International collaboration is the way forward, say experts

>

International collaboration is essential for addressing the acute skills shortages and financial challenges of the UK construction sector, delegates at CIOB’s International Inspiring Construction Conference heard in November. Contractors were urged to overcome cultural barriers and contemplate new business models to adapt to an increasingly globalised marketplace.

This follows the Global Construction 2030 Report which predicts that the UK will become Europe’s largest construction market by 2030. The majority of the work is likely to be funded by overseas investment.

Dr Jianxi Cheng, project manager for Wanda One UK which is building One Nine Elms, Europe’s largest residential tower in Battersea, said that Chinese contractors were keen to partner with European organisations and would be investing in subsidiary companies in order to grow their presence in the UK. He said: “Over the past 10 years, China has invested up to £25bn in the UK, but over the next decade expects to invest £105bn on infrastructure alone.

The trickle of investment is becoming a wave. There are opportunities for both sides. Chinese and British companies need to go through a learning curve to develop their joint innovative and management capabilities.”

Arnaud Bekaert, managing director of construction at Bouygues UK also stressed the importance of blending cultures and building new business models.

He said: “We can bring people in from any part of the world, and whilst they are skilled and highly motivated, they lack a crucial understanding of the British market.

So we need to have them working alongside people that have been in the UK a long time.”

Importing skills and exploiting inward investment were key themes at the International Inspiring Construction Conference

But Bekaert warned that weaknesses in the UK supply chain were forcing French-owned Bouygues to look further afield for a growing list of subcontractors.

“Like many of our competitors, we’ve been relying on importing expertise in specialist trades, but over the past few months we’ve been forced to bring over less complex trades, such as bricklaying, drywalling and decorating from the north of France. It’s a difficult thing to do. It’s not easy for them to adapt to local regulations and codes. Language barriers can also be a problem.”

For contractors chasing work in the Gulf states, plunging oil prices are forcing a radical rethink of local funding models, and increasing opportunities for different kinds of partnerships, according to Thomas Philip Wilson, managing partner of law firm Squire Patton Boggs.

Wilson warned that contractors working in the Gulf were increasingly being asked to redesign and scale back projects and were at higher risk of late or non-payment problems, but he added that Gulf countries were actively looking for alternative investment solutions such as PPP and privately financed structures. However, he warned: “If you come to the Gulf, don’t come alone. Take advantage of the number of contractors that have already learned hard lessons, and form joint ventures with regional players.”

Chris Blythe, CIOB chief executive, said: “Our industry is on the brink of exciting technological change. Collaboration and co-operation is essential to ensure that young people around the world hear our message, and understand the wealth of opportunities that are opening up in construction.”

awards

EXPERT JUDGES NEEDED FOR THE 2015 CONSTRUCTION MANAGER OF THE YEAR AWARDS The CIOB is on the hunt for judges for the Construction Manager of the Year Awards (CMYA).

The Awards promote the achievements of individual site-based managers with overall responsibility

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for final delivery of a construction project. They are one of the construction industry’s most coveted accolades.

Judges must be corporate members of the CIOB and possess

extensive knowledge and experience in construction management. Previous medal winners are encouraged to apply.

To be a CMYA judge, you will need to be available for three consecutive days

between May and July 2016.

If you are interested in becoming a judge, send a brief resume to Chris Richards on crichards@ciob. org.uk or call 01344 630 844

41

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ON THE RADAR Contact | Jan 16

teambuild

news in brief

Talent and tough competition at Teambuild 2015

>

The CIOB continued its sponsorship and involvement with the Teambuild competition in 2015. This annual event pitches teams of construction professionals in a bid to identify the way teams must work together in the construction industry by challenging them with scenarios common to construction projects across the UK. Teambuild is a registered Charity, providing education and training in the construction industry.

This year’s brief was dominated by infrastructure investment and SMARTcities innovation. The result was a series of outstanding proposals from 11 inspiring teams from 24 top construction industry companies. The winners were ‘BlueSteel’ – a team from Hawkins\Brown, Arup, Price & Myers, Max Fordham, Balfour Beatty and Sir Robert McAlpine.

Teambuild 2015 challenged teams to plan, design and present hypothetical proposals based around ‘Edinburgh Gateway’- the complex transport infrastructure interchange, west of Edinburgh. The project information was provided by the real site team: WSP|PB allowed competitors viewing access to the project BIM model. A further challenge was provided by asking teams to engage with the SMARTcities concept, and make intelligent data management a key driver.

> CREEPY CAPITAL TOUR

Teambuild 2015 in action

The winning team, excelling against a strong field, was formed of individuals from companies across the spectrum of the construction industry. All aged under 30, and majority female, they demonstrated excellent team-working and collaboration skills. Laura Purton (Sir Robert McAlpine/ARUP); Alex Moffatt (Balfour Beatty); Kate Keightley-Smith (Hawkins/Brown); Harriet Lilley (Max Fordham); and Carmel Lennon (Price & Myers) put the feedback loop in the foreground of their design and procurement ambitions, using digital technology to harness data in use, and enable an evolving, ever-more efficient, operational asset, based around local

identity and local employment. The team was awarded a cash prize of £2,000.

The Procurement Strategy Prize of £1,250 was awarded to Hestia, a team from Hawkins/Brown, Eckersley O’Callaghan, Curtins, Arup and Core Five.

The winners of the Judges’ Prize of £1,250, awarded for the team which showed the greatest improvement over the weekend, were Vokse, a team from BuroHappold Engineering and Hawkins/Brown. The Considerate Constructors Scheme sponsored a £1,000 prize for Excellence in Construction. This went to Ekistics, a team from BDP. Entries for the 2016 competition open in June.

The CIOB London and East of England NOVUS Committees hosted a Haunted Westminster Walk in the autumn. The event was led by Ike Ijeh, an architect well versed in the history of the city.

The group travelled the streets of Westminster, learning not only about the gothic architecture, but also about the uninvited inhabitants of the buildings.

Visiting the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, two pubs, two parks and several houses, including the most haunted building in Londo.n members saw the hidden side of the city and learned stories such as Buckingham Palace was built on a monastery; and bodies are buried under much of Westminster.

chartered environmentalist

CIOB News

CHARTERED ENVIRONMENTALIST WORKSHOPS IN THE DIARY FOR 2016

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CEnv workshops are being planned for 2016

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The Sustainability Support Group (SSG) of the London Branch is planning more Chartered Environmentalist qualification workshops for 2016. Three workshops are scheduled for this year, delivered by SSG

chair Adrian Clamp, where prospective candidates are taken through the process of application requirements and report writing with one-to-one mentoring assistance in report production. The workshops aim to identify

attendee’s environmental involvement and influence and how best to further develop their existing skills.

The SSG had a busy end to 2015, with some well attended and successful events. It hosted a CPD

event on ISO 14001 Standard and held a Carbon in Construction event exploring what it is and how it is calculated.

For more on the SSG Group see www. .ciob.org/near-you/ london

15/12/2015 16:25

HAVE WE GOT YOUR CONTACT DETAILS CORRECT?

• If you have moved or changed any of your details recently, don’t forget to tell

us. You can update your details online – simply log in to “members area” of the website www.ciob.org. Or email us at memenquiry@ciob.org.uk or call our membership customer services team on +44 (0) 1344 630706 for further help.

If you would rather post your details send them to: The Chartered Institute of Building, 1 Arlington Square, Downshire Way, Bracknell RG12 1WA, UK

yorkshire

news in brief

Winners celebrate at Yorkshire annual awards

>

Representatives from housing providers and construction firms across South Yorkshire came together in the autumn to attend the Celebrating Construction in South Yorkshire Awards.

The awards, held at the Cutlers’ Hall, Sheffield, were endorsed by the CIOB. The CCISY awards promoted a range of different sectors essential to the delivery of innovative construction, from empowering communities through corporate social responsibility and investing in skills, to creating low carbon developments and being environmentally pro-active.

CIOB Sheffield & South Yorkshire Centre chair, Andrew Nortcliffe said : “These awards celebrate the region’s commitment to building communities and highlight the broad spectrum of construction excellence delivered by businesses working in the area.

They demonstrate what can be achieved through strong partnerships, a clear vision and delivery through high quality implementation.

“We were overwhelmed at quality of the entries we received. The winners are all very deserving of their awards.”

Hosted by Seth Bennett, the 12 winners were presented with their awards by representatives from the category sponsors.

The chosen charity for CCISY this year was The Sheffield Children’s Hospital

Winners in Yorkshire celebrate success at CCISY

Award Sponsor Winner Achiever of the Year Award

4th Infantry Brigade

Sarah Burke – Avonside

Collaborative Working Award

Polypipe

National Federation of

Builders Contractor of the Year Award

Ambitemp

Interserve Construction

Corporate Responsibility

National Federation of Builders

Keepmoat – Thurnscoe Alliance

Health & Safety Award

Interserve Construction

Henry Boot Construction

Innovation Award

St Leger Homes

Citu – Little Kelham

Project of the Year

Classic Lifts

Stradia

SOAR Build

Doncaster Council - FARRRS

Sustainability Award

Henry Boot Construction

Carmody Construction

Team of the Year Award

Keepmoat

Futureworks Yorkshire

Training Award

Linear Recruitment

St Leger Homes

Young Trainee of the

Sheffield Hallam University

Curtis Baker – Togel Contractors

Award

Under £5M Award Project of the Year Over £5M Award

Year Award

Charity and £2,500 was raised on the night. Over £16,000 has now been raised by the CCISY Awards over the past seven years.

The donation comes at a pivotal time in the charity’s Make it Better appeal, which urgently needs funds to build a brand new wing at the hospital, on Western Bank. With just a year to go until building work is set

for completion, the appeal is calling for donations to help go above and beyond the standard NHS provision, keeping the hospital – one of just four standalone children’s hospitals in the UK – at the forefront of paediatric care.

The CCISY Awards will be held again next year in October 2016.

> STUDENT PRIZES IN EAST ANGLIA

East of England Novus attended Anglia Ruskin’s Graduation ceremony in October to present the CIOB awards to winning students.

The Certificate of Excellence For Outstanding Performance in FdSc Construction went to Lyndsey Burch; the Certificate of Excellence For Outstanding Performance in BSc (Hons) Construction Management was awarded to Chris Lowe; the Essex Centre Prize for Outstanding Academic Achievement in BSc (Hons) Construction Management went to Mitchell Allen; and Hannah Parry won the Certificate of Excellence For Outstanding Performance in MSc Construction Project Management.

cpd event

SUFFOLK SCHOOL GET LESSON IN CONSTRUCTION CAREERS

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activities, such as a building quiz, a careers talk and listened to talk sessions with managers from Lovell and Orbit Homes.

Students were very impressed with a demonstration of

Augmented Reality: an aid in visualizing building projects. An ipad was held over a piece of paper and this generated an image of a structure into a real life view of a property before the physical building is even

constructed.

Sally Hill, branch manager, said: “Working with the students and seeing them leave the event inspired to consider a career in construction is very rewarding”.

CIOB News

Pupils listen eagerly to tales from the construction world

Around 350 pupils from years 8, 9 and 10 of Stowmarket High School, Suffolk, attended a Careers In Construction event organised by CIOB East of England with Lovell’s and Orbit Homes.

Students enjoyed

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15/12/2015 16:25

ON THE RADAR

Subscription notice: The annual subscription renewal was due for payment on 1 January 2016. If you have not paid your subscription you can pay securely online at www.ciob.org. If you do not pay your subscription, your membership will lapse and you will have to re-qualify under the new grade structure.

Contact | Jan 16

PICK A WINNER

scotland

23 January is the closing date for public voting for the CIOB Art of Building competition. Pick your favourite to win from four categories. The winner will be announced on 8 February. www.artofbuilding.org.

Work experience paying dividends for Dundee students

Industry collaboration offers practical experience

>

The University of Abertay in Dundee is reporting excellent results from its collaboration with local construction firms. Local construction companies have been praised for collaborating with the education sector to provide opportunities for work experience and site visits to local students.

Projects such as the extensive waterfront redevelopment, infrastructure works including flood prevention measures, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Queensferry Crossing are some of the projects students were directly involved with.

The University of Abertay has built close working relationships with contractors in the Dundee area and it says this has led to a noticeable positive change in the

educational experience in recent years and the ability of students to be ready for sitework has improved considerably.

Last year, the first year students had chances to visit the Queensferry Crossing, several visits to the Victoria and Albert project with different contractors, Forfar Academy, SUDS at the Dundee Waterfront and the Harris Academy. The site visits leading up to placement for first year students have provided inspiration and valuable insight into the working environment. The engagement with contractors and the support they have provided has encouraged students into the industry and there has been a rise in student attendance at CPD events and an increase in interest in local professional body committees.

The University also collaborates with contractors to put on Constructionarium – a residential course that provides one week of simulated construction site experience.

Students work in groups as the construction company and supporting professionals act as the client.

Abertay introduced a full-time work placement of three months in addition to summer placement opportunities and this has frequently led to students being awarded bursaries and scholarships for Stage 4 and for subsequent MSc studies from their placement provider.

news in brief > SENT TO COVENTRY ON EDUCATIONAL TRIP

Coventry & Warwickshire members were recently treated to a visit around the new Coventry University Science & Health Building. Hosted

by BAM, attendees had an insight into lessons learnt, offsite fabrication and BIM with Autodesk Glue and Field.

Neil Marshall, Coventry & Warwickshire chair and BIM Hub Core member, said the visit provided a great opportunity to see the new facility during the early part of construction and understand the complexities of a concrete frame construction. “It was also very interesting to hear how BAM Construction had successfully implemented offsite construction for the

energy centre and is utilising BIM for construction activities and ultimately handover of the digital asset,” he said. > SCOTTISH SITE VISIT

Members in the East of Scotland paid a visit to Brookfield Multiplex’s new Royal Hospital for Sick Children and Department of Clinical Neurosciences in Edinburgh.

Led by project director Alastair Fernie and project manager Stuart Jackson, members gained a real insight into the requirements of managing this £150m project and enjoyed a tour highlighting the various construction techniques and challenges encountered so far.

Work begain in February 2015 and the facility is expected to open in autumn 2017.

> DARLINGTON STUDENT IMPRESSES

CIOB student member, Phillip Smalley (pictured) impressed building company Simpson so much during work experience at Durham Cathedral, that he has taken up a job offer and is now working full-time as assistant site manager with the York-based firm.

Smalley, 26, was studying for his Level 3 Extended Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment at Darlington College during his work experience. He was introduced to Simpson Construction by his college tutor.

wales

CIOB News

TEAM JEHU TAKE WELSH STUDENT CHALLENGE TROPHY

44

Team Jehu, winners of the student challenge in Wales

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Eight student teams from across Wales competed in the annual student challenge event recently.

Coleg Sir Gar, Coleg Ceredigion, Cyfle Building Skills, CIOB Higher Apprentices, Jehu, Kier Cadets, and Mott

Macdonald all took part in the competition which saw Jehu crowned 2015 champions. Runners up were CIOB Higher Apprentices and Cyfle Building Skills took third place.

The event was

sponsored by Bouygues UK, NPT Homes, CITB Wales, Laing O’Rourke, Kier, CASL development, Mott Macdonald and Jehu.

Justin Moore MCIOB, construction director at Bouygues UK was thrilled to support the event.

“Being involved with the Challenge was a fantastic opportunity; we got to see meet talented prospective employees’ and see their teamworking and leadership skills really put to the test.”

15/12/2015 16:25

COMMENT philomena hayward

Team tactics Philomena Hayward explains the secret to creating successful teams

E

very business needs its team to be successful. This is particularly true of construction where you can find yourself in more than one team at the same time and working to a matrix structure.

That interdependence shows up in the results you and your team deliver. We all have experience of teams that are not working so what does it take to get a team to gel and perform at a high level?

A useful place to start is the overall picture. The Tuckman model of team performance articulates the various stages a team will go through and the consequent impact on performance. The polite forming stage; the challenging storming phase when conflict can arise and a time when

“More than hard objectives team members also need clarity about what is expected of them individually”

Clarity

Commitment

A lack of clarity can put the brakes on anything being a success. Sometimes a team’s purpose and goals are really clear; my experience of working in organisations is things can be far more blurred. Yet this is key to team success. It is the reason the team exists and what brings the different team members together. More than hard objectives, team members also need clarity about what is expected of them individually and as a whole; what the team values are which in turn determine the way the team operates.

We don’t always end up in teams we would have chosen. Structures change, people come and go and we are constantly required to develop and adapt. The reality is that none of that just happens, team members need structures and support in place; training so that they are equipped to be flexible and have the skills needed in a demanding environment. If you show commitment to the team by investing in them, they will return in kind.

Capability Clearly when you know what you need to deliver you need to make sure you have the right capability and capacity in the team. So what mechanisms are there for assessing performance and identifying potential, for further personal and technical development for team members?

Conversation

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In the real world we know that things are not always clear cut which is where conversation comes in. Successful teams have effective working relationships and they are based on the quality of communication. How much listening goes on? What input is sought from all team members?How open and honest are conversations? How are success and failure handled? These are key to developing trust in the team and where there is trust anything is possible.

If you are the team leader your dependency on the team for success is brought into even sharper relief. As the leader you need to be aware that despite what you might say, how you behave will set the culture of your team, what informs your decisions, what you prioritise will influence what your team does. Key here is to ask yourself if you are consciously creating a high performing culture and are you consistent in what you say and do.

These are some of the questions we will look at at a CPD event in February and I will offer you practical tools and strategies to facilitate success in your teams.

•

>

Philomena Hayward is founder of Hayward Development Partnership.

She will be leading a CPD event ‘Creating a Successful Team’ on 9 February at 6pm at Coventry University.

To book email gfloyd@ciob.org.uk

CIOB Column

there is a higher risk of failure; the norming stage as the team settles and then finally the team really starts performing at a high level. Some formats also add adjourning – when the team comes to its natural end which is particularly true of project teams. Tuckman certainly offers a useful framework for pinpointing where your teams is and therefore what strategies are most appropriate. However, there are certain building blocks that are relevant to all teams.

Culture and Leadership

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16/12/2015 14:45

CBC

CHARTERED BUILDING COMPANY

>

STATUS SYMBOL >

Continuing the series on Chartered Building Companies we profile The Construction Partnership and ask how CBC status has benefited the business.

The Construction Partnership has successfully delivered more than 200 schemes since 1998. A Chartered Building Company working with a genuine partnership ethos, it builds projects from £250k to £4m and enjoys a turnover of around £10m.

The Construction Partnership was formed in 1998 when Ashe Group Holdings sold its Southern Division. Chris Horsefield, the managing director led a management buy out and the business now operates independently.

Its work includes new build, internal and external refurbishment, alterations and fit-outs to both private and public sector buildings under various contract forms.

The company operatives from two offices situated in Hampshire and Surrey, covering London, Hampshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Surrey, Sussex and Kent.

CIOB CBCs

CBC benefits

46

CPL was attracted to the CBC scheme as the values reflect CPL’s own values and vision. CPL’s vision is to become the trusted contractor of choice in the south, through ethical business practice, the provision of excellent customer service, efficient and defect-free construction projects and an exemplary health and safety record.

Managing director, Chris Horsfield, has had a strong connection with the CIOB for many years and is a FCIOB. He has worked his way up the career ladder which has helped him in his role on CIOB Professional Interviews panels.

“Being a CBC has helped us reach a wider audience of clients and has confirmed our commitment to professionalism, best practice and highlights our expertise

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and skill to carry out high quality building schemes,” says Horsefield.

“Our clients and Professional Team Members (Architects, PQS’s etc) have been impressed that the business is managed by highly-qualified, professional staff with a strong backing of the CIOB in their commitment to maintain rigorous standards for members.”

Horsefield cites its recent work at Bay House as a prime example of how the CBC scheme and CPL work in harmony (see case study , below left). “CPL was able to provide quality of service, attention to detail, value for money, any queries were dealt with quickly all the while maintaining a strong strength of professionalism and performance.

“As a contractor we like to be able to promote and enhance the image of construction. This includes not only raising the public image but also actively encouraging people into the industry.

CPL has had a long standing relationship with First Partnership, engaging with schoolchildren and students to show the construction process and techniques and promote careers in the industry.

The CBC scheme, along with Considerate Constructors, another scheme close to our heart, helps us to raise awareness of these issues.

CPL would have no hesitation in recommending being a CBC to other members. “The CIOB is a highly respected organisation and CPL believes highly in the CBC’s strapline of “Professionalism and Integrity in Construction”. The CBC scheme stands out as not only is it dedicated solely to the industry, but it also provides commitment and support to each individual staff member, whatever their role, by ensuring they feel valued and able to develop their professional career.”

For more on CPL see www. constructionpartnership.co.uk

REACHING A GOAL

> Further information about the CBC scheme can befound at:www.ciob. org/companymembership

Students at Bay House School in Gosport, Hampshire had been dreaming of having a new sports hall for years. Their previous one had been condemned on health and safety grounds. Local MP Caroline Dinenage supported the campaign for the new sports hall and the Education Funding Agency awarded £2.5m for its build.

The project consists of a new sports facility building including changing rooms, sports hall, gymnasium, dance studio and fitness suite together with refuse store, external works and access.

Construction consists of full ground stabilisation in the form of both stone and concrete piles with ground

15/12/2015 18:17

ONETOWATCH James Haywood West MIdlands Novus Chair and construction manager at Mace

»

James was recently nominated for a Future Faces award in the West Midlands

Variety show CPL’s work extends across a wide range of public and private sectors and extends from small projects to large major contracts up to £4m. Chris Horsefield (above) believes the firm’s CBC status works wonders for acquiring business

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of piling and started foundations, where further delay would have been very costly for a variety of reasons. The school was keen not to encounter the same problems again. With the help of its consultant, RUND Partnership Limited, the school decided to employ CPL on a cost plus contract with an open book arrangement with a view to give ‘best value’ for the client.

The new facility is now finished and at the end of this month, in partnership with Hampshire Football Association, the new sports hall hosts a five-a-side football tournament where the winners will play against a Celebrity Team.

•

Q What would you have done if you hadn’t chosen to work in construction?

Both my brother and father were and still are heavy duty mechanics, so growing up, I spent most of my weekends working in this environment, passing over spanners and playing around in excavators.

This is what really started my interest in construction and

Q What have you found to be the toughest challenge as a construction professional?

Meeting deadlines and more specifically managing the demolition of the Atrium at New Street. Removing 6000 tonnes of concrete from two floors over a live operational railway station, we managed to half the construction programme from 12 months to just six and get the station open on time. The success of the project was dependent on the success of the Atrium demolition as it was critical activity.

Q What are your career ambitions?

Firstly to complete my chartership, then continue to progress my career with Mace.

Ultimately I would like to end up as an operations director.

Q How do you relax when you’re not at work?

My partner and I are will finally be on the property ladder this year, so all of my free time is spent watching renovation/ restoration programmes and being dragged around homeware stores.

When I can get out though I like to go mountain biking with the guys from work, and have just started marathon training.

•

CIOB MEMBERS

beams. Superstructure construction is steel frame, masonry and eternite clad walls, composite roof/single ply membrane roof. Internally, wall partitions are fair faced blockwork with floors being a combination of vinyl and timber sprung.

A competitive tender process led to the appointment of the first contractor on a fixed price ‘design and build’ arrangement, but sharp increases in prices within the building industry meant that the original contractor found themselves with cash flow problems and eventually it went winto liquidation.

The project was at a crucial point, they had only completed the majority

Q Why have you chosen a career in construction?

My brother emigrated to Canada when I was 13, and I was fortunate to spend 18 months there after finishing my A-Levels. My brother helped me to secure a job with a large civil engineering contractor working on the 27km extension to the Anthony Henday Freeway.

This gave me my first real taste of working on big projects and how rewarding a career in construction could be. It was from this experience I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in construction.

I came back to England, enrolled at college and 10 years later having completed a BTEC, HNC and degree I have been lucky enough to work on some truly iconic projects, most recently the £750m transformational refurbishment of Birmingham New Street Station.

heavy equipment, and to be honest if I hadn’t decided to come back to the UK to start studying, I would have followed in their footsteps.

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15/12/2015 18:18

INGOODCOMPANY >

university of cambridge

various major contractors

Pushing the boundaries

The North West Cambridge Development is arguably the biggest development the City has ever seen and involves several major construction firms. Gavin Heaphy reports.

B

uilding the future for an 800-year-old institution is a challenging prospect. The University of Cambridge is undertaking the single largest project in its history to create an urban extension to Cambridge for the benefit of both the City and the University. Construction works have started on the delivery of this long-term project that will meet the institution’s growth needs for the next 20 years.

Covering a 150 hectare site, the North West Cambridge Development has high sustainability ambitions to be an exemplar of sustainable living through its adoption of Level 5 in the Code for Sustainable Homes across its 3,000 dwellings that will be built, and BREEAM Excellent in nonresidential buildings.

The University has been working with consultants to design the urban extension with high quality architecture and public realm that has been inspired by Cambridge. A range of architects, including some four RIBA Stirling Prize-winners, have worked collaboratively to a masterplan which won the World Architecture Festival – Masterplanning Future Projects award.

First phase in full flow

Case study

Construction is now underway for the first phase of the scheme which is estimated to involve over £300m of investment into the new district. Currently seven contractors are working on site with 1,000 operatives to deliver the first phase of the scheme which includes 700 key worker homes, primary school, community

48

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centre, supermarket and shops, energy centre and public realm.

Construction began in 2013 and there will be phased completions of the buildings. The first building in operation was the primary school which opened its doors in September 2015 and the completion of the whole of the first phase is due in 2017.

• B AM Construct working on Lots1&3

•

•

• • • •

Food store, energy centre, police touchdown facility, key worker housing Value £80m Wates working on the first stage of the two-stage tender process on Lot 2 key worker housing plus retail units Value £70m Graham working on Lot 5 Student accommodation for 325 post-graduates Value £25m W illmott Dixon on Lot 6 Primary School Value £11m F arrans on Lot 7 Community Centre and Nursery Value £10m R G Carter on Lot 8 key worker housing Value £12m S kanska on Site-wide infrastructure Value £50m

Building communities The local authorities have praised the University’s approach to development for its emphasis on building communities.

Community engagement with neighbours

and local authority representatives has been undertaken as dialogue and exchange through the consultation process. Uniquely, this scheme will deliver the community facilities at the start of the scheme, with a supermarket and shops, community centre, primary school and sports pitches all delivered as part of the first phase.

The Primary School, sponsored by the University of Cambridge, opened in September 2015 to its first intake of 120 school children from a local catchment, which is a testament to that promise of putting the community first. In the next 18 months 700 homes plus community facilities will be created.

•

“A range of architects including four Stirling Prize winners, have worked to a masterplan which won [a] World Architecture Festival award ” 16/12/2015 10:10

Clockwise from left: Community and shopping spaces will form part of the development; aerial view of the site; Mecanoo’s vision; ‘town square’ (AECOM, Stanton Williams); The University of Cambridge Primary School

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Gavin Heaphy Msc BSc(Hons) MCIOB is construction director at the University of Cambridge.

Case study

>

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16/12/2015 10:10

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16/12/2015 10:11

NAL

OB’s ries

EAST OF ENGLAND

Time Delay and Adjudication 12 January, 7pm, Mercure Hatfield Oak Hotel Contact: coh@ciob.org.uk Japanese Knotweed 19 January, 7pm, ARU, Chelmsford Contact: coh@ciob.org.uk How to Write your PR Report 21 January, 6pm, ARU, Chelmsford Contact: mrix@ciob.org.uk Lead Association 21 January, 6.30pm, SDC Caxton Road, Bedford Contact: coh@ciob.org.uk Buildings Now and Then – Walk around Peterborough 21 January, 5pm, Peterborough Museum Contact: mrix@ciob.org.uk Planning your Work for Ecology - Norfolk 21 January, 6pm, Lancaster House, Norwich Contact: mrix@ciob.org.uk

Update on CDM 26 January, Leyland Golf Club, Leyland, Contact: bbrown@ciob. org.uk Legal Update by Geraldine Fleming 28 January, The Liner Hotel, Liverpool Contact: kpercival@ciob. org.uk Modern Methods of Construction 28 January, Isle of Man. Venue tbc Contact: kpercival@ciob. org.uk

SCOTLAND

DUNDEE CENTRE CPD training 19 January, 5pm, Room 3522, Abertay University, Kydd Building, Bell Street, Dundee Speaker: Frédéric Bosché, Dr, HEA Fellow Contact: wmarshall@ciob. org.uk SCOTLAND BRANCH Glasgow Professional EAST MIDLANDS Review Workshop Can going digital help in 20 January, 9am, Construction?

Competence Matters, 12 January, 6pm, Yew Suite 1, Orion House, Nova Lodge, Kegworth Technology Park, Glasgow Contact: jnewton@ciob.

Cost: £90+ vat org.uk Contact: lmckay@ciob.

org.uk LONDON NOVUS Berkeley Vista Site HIGHLANDS & ISLANDS CENTRE Visit CIOB Quiz Night 20 January, 3pm, 346 Queenstown Road, London, 29 January, 7pm, Fairways Golf Club SW8 4NQ Contact: angus577@ Contact: bgrange@ciob. btinternet.com, org.uk Novus BIM and Facilities SOUTH EAST Management Workshop 28 January, 6pm, University Government Soft Landings 19 January, 7pm meal, 8pm of Greenwich presentation Contact: bgrange@ciob.

Holiday Inn, London Road, org.uk Wrotham Heath TN15 Cost: Cost: £10 for members, IRELAND £20 non-members, free Annual Lecture to student members, £5 27 January, Belfast student non-members Contact: mcoleman@ciob.

Contact: blawrence@ciob. org.uk Eastern Centre Committee org.uk meeting SOUTH WEST 12 January, Dublin Law update Contact: mcoleman@ciob.

14 January, 6pm, The org.uk Devon Hotel, Exeter Contact: sholborn@ciob.

NORTH EAST org.uk Professional Review HSE Update Workshop 27 January, 6.30pm, 19 January, 8am, Durham Taunton College, Taunton County Cricket Club, Contact: jward@ciob.org.uk Chester-le-Street Contact: nsilcock@ciob.

WALES org.uk LABC Acoustics 27 January, Glyndwr NORTH WEST University, Wrexham Brownfield Site Issues Contact: kpercival@ciob.

19 January, The Cottons, org.uk Knutsford Contact: kpercival@ciob. org.uk

WEST MIDLANDS

West Midlands NOVUS Meeting 7 January, 6pm, Utopia Bar, Birmingham Contact: gfloyd@ciob.org. uk Creating a Successful Team 9 February, 6pm, Coventry University Contact: gfloyd@ciob.org. uk

YORKSHIRE

Building Regs Update – joint with CIAT 19 January, 7pm, Holiday Inn, Wakefield Contact: sgiles@ciob.org.uk Sheffield Centre Committee meeting 20 January, 6pm, Sheffield Hallam University, City Campus, Howard Street, Sheffield S1 1WB Contact: sgiles@ciob.org.uk Humber, York & North Yorkshire Centre Committee meeting 28 January, 6pm, Hull College, Freetown Way, Hull HU2 8AE Contact: sgiles@ciob.org.uk Leeds & West Yorkshire Centre Committee meeting 2 February, 6pm, venue tbc Contact: sgiles@ciob.org.uk Novus Yorkshire BIM Event January/February, 6pm, Bradford College, Leeds Contact: sgiles@ciob.org.uk

find out more about events in your area go to www.ciob.org.uk/regions or > To look out for your electronic news and event updates from your CIOB branch or CIOB centre. To receive information from the CIOB visit www.ciob.org.uk and log on to the members’ area to input/update your details and preferences.

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Contacts General Main CIOB telephone number +44 (0)1344 630700 Chief Executive Chris Blythe 01344 630701 Member Services Head of Member & Business Development 01344 630852 Change of Address 01344 630789/630731 Direct Debit Enquiries 01344 630831 Membership Certificates 01344 630720 Membership Enquiries/ Progression 01344 630706 Subs Enquiries (Members) 01344 630831 Training Partnerships 01344 630726 Certificate Ceremonies 01344 630785 SMTS Enquiries 01344 630742 Experienced Practitioner Assessed Programme (EPA) 01344 630887 Experienced Practitioner Assessed Report Route (EPAR) 01344 630887 Benevolent Fund 01344 630780 Professional Development 01344 630716 Library Enquiries 01344 630873/737 Head of Education 01344 630822 Adjudication and Dispute Resolution 01344 630732 Scholarship and Research 01344 630776 Chartered Building Company/ Consultancy Scheme Chartered Building Scheme Manager 01344 630746 Administrator 01344 630743

Publications Magazine subscriptions (non-members) 01344 630811 Construction Research and Innovation (CRI) 01344 630735 Construction Manager 020 7490 5636 Contact 07704 336835 Policy and External Relations Deputy Chief Executive 01344 630702 Press Office 01344 630766 Web Site Enquiries 01344 630738 CIOB International General Enquiries +44 (0) 1344 630791 CIOB Africa + 27 11 234 7877 CIOB Australasia +61 (2) 9816 4700 CIOB China East +86 21 2211 1556 CIOB China North +86 10 6528 1070 CIOB China West/South +86 23 3670 6360 CIOB Hong Kong +852 2543 6369 CIOB Malaysia +852 (603) 2284 5754 CIOB Middle East +971 (0) 4457 9107 CIOB Singapore +65 6334 4116 The views expressed in Contact are not necessarily those of the editor or the CIOB. The editor reserves the right to edit any article submitted for publishing.

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CIOB Diary Dates

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DATESFORYOURDIARY

JANUARY TO FEBRUARY 2016

The Chartered Institute of Building

The Chartered Institute of Building is at the heart of a management career in construction.

Our focus is on those entering and already in a management career in construction. By delivering qualifications and certifications that meet the needs of a changing industry. We work with members, employers, academia and governments across the globe to drive forward the science, practice and importance of management in construction.

OUR VISION: Built environment professionals making a difference OUR MISSION: To contribute to a modern, progressive and responsible construction industry, meeting the economic, environmental and social challenges of a global society OUR VALUES: • Creating extraordinary people through professional learning and continuing professional development.

• Promoting the built environment as central to quality of life for everyone, everywhere.

• Achieving a sustainable future worldwide.

• Being socially responsible and advocating exemplary ethical practice, behaviour, integrity and transparency.

• Pursuing excellence in worldwide management practice and technological innovation rooted in evidence based research.

• To be the inclusive valued Institute of choice for built environment professionals.

We have over 47,000 members around the world and are considered to be the international voice of the building professional, representing an unequalled body of knowledge concerning the management of the total building process.

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Recruitment TO ADVERTISE YOUR POSITIONS ON THESE PAGES, CONTACT TOM PEARDON ON T: +44 (0)20 7490 5595 E: tom@atompublishing.co.uk

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Specifiers’ pages TO SHOWCASE YOUR PRODUCTS ON THESE PAGES, CONTACT TOM PEARDON ON

T: +44 (0)20 7490 5595 E: tom@atompublishing.co.uk SENIOR CHECKS INTO TO THE NATIONAL BIM LIBRARY

NEW MODULAR SITE CABIN FACILITIES

With the Government’s 2016 BIM deadline fast approaching, Senior Architectural Systems is enabling specifiers and installers to stay ahead of the game by making products from its comprehensive range of windows, doors and curtain walling systems available on the NBS National Building Information Modeling (BIM) Library.

The presence of Senior’s products on the National BIM Library means that specifiers can effortlessly add their chosen products directly to their BIM models as BIM objects. By revolutionising the current linear workflow, the BIM process allows numerous people to share the information incorporated in the 3D graphical representation of the model in a way that enables changes to be seen almost immediately by everyone throughout the supply chain. www.nationalbimlibrary.com/senior-architectural-systems www.seniorarchitectural.co.uk

LEVOLUX FILLS UP IN BRISTOL Filwood Green Business Park in Bristol capitalises on the latest innovations in sustainable building technology, such as a Timber Fin solar shading solution from Levolux.

The solution comprises vertical and horizontal Timber Fins formed from PEFC Certified Thermowood. The Timber Fins provide shade for glazed openings and create an interesting architectural feature.

T 020 8863 9111 E info@levolux.com W www.levolux.com

The Premier Group, one of the UK’s leading modular building specialists, has launched an innovative range of pre-fabricated site cabins and facilities that will lower costs and improve conditions for site–based workers.

The system, which is called Poly-Modular, is the ideal solution for providing cost-effective toilets, showers, changing rooms, offices and accommodation facilities. Their weather-proof construction with integral polyurethane insulation enables all-year-round use in the harshest of weather conditions.

With a robust and adaptable design, quality construction and delivered to site ready to plug-and-play in a variety of configurations, Poly-Modular offers affordable solutions to the needs of site workers.

Lewis Gopsill, Poly-Modular director, commented: “We can tailor the internal configuration for each and every cabin to meet the specific needs of our clients.”

“Being modular, they can be supplied individually or fitted together in all types of combinations so, for example, there could be a site office with adjoining toilets and showers, or perhaps an accommodation block with wash facilities and leisure space.

“The cabins are supplied with integral lifting hooks, making them exceptionally easy to transport and move around site. They just need a level base and any service connections such as power, water and drainage – or they can be run from tank systems that are also available.”

The easy-to-clean finish surfaces can be supplied in any RAL colour or even with surface textures and vinyl wraps where required. All interior fittings – such as the porcelain sanitary ware, lighting and power meet relevant UK standards and units can also be supplied to fully comply with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act. “We have had some clients that had restricted access to their site, so we can also supply them in flat-pack form for assembly on site.” concluded Mr. Gopsill. www.poly-modular.com

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Project of the month Diamond Building, University of Sheffield

BALFOUR BEATTY has completed the £81m

Diamond Building for the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Sheffield.

Wrapped in 2,780 distinctive anodised aluminium diamonds, which give the building its name, the block will become home for the university’s engineering undergraduates.

Designed by Twelve Architects, a practice spun out of RMJM at the height of its financial troubles, the 19,500 sq m facility is the university’s largest capital investment in teaching and learning.

Built to provide facilities for the department’s growing number of students the building controversially replaces the grade II-listed Edwardian wing of the Jessop Hospital, which was demolished to make way for the project.

The ground floor of the five-storey building contains a public route that contains a café and library. Seven lecture theatres, the largest of which can seat 400 people, have been placed in the basement.

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Editor Elaine Knutt Deputy editor Tom Ravenscroft Online production editor Lucien Howlett

Advertising manager Dave Smith Key account manager Tom Peardon Credit control Eva Rugeley Managing director Stephen Quirke

Art editor Heather Rugeley

Top: The atrium is criss-crossed with bridges and features a spiral staircase Top right: The diamond-shaped cladding references a “cellular automaton” Above right: Above the ground floor are computer rooms and study spaces

Above these public spaces there are 21 specialist engineering laboratories, including a chemical engineering pilot plant room, clean room, aerospace simulation lab and a virtual reality suite.

These lab spaces, as well as computer rooms and study spaces, are arranged to the north and south of a central atrium.

Glazed at both ends and lit from above the naturally ventilated central space

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Subscription team Tel: 01344 630831 subenquiry@ciob.org.uk Or write to them at: CIOB 2nd Floor 1 Arlington Square Downshire Way Bracknell RG12 1WA

provides light into the teaching spaces.

The atrium is criss-crossed with bridges, contains a spiral staircase and several enclosed learning pods on orange stilts.

According to the architect, the diamondshaped cladding references a “cellular automaton”, a discrete model studied in engineering and used by the university to describe how the microstructure of steel changes during processing. CM

Construction Manager Published for the Chartered Institute of Building by Atom Publishing Clerkenwell House 45/47 Clerkenwell Green London EC1R 0EB Tel: +44 (0)20 7490 5595 Fax: +44 (0)20 7490 4957 firstname@atompublishing.co.uk

Construction Manager is published monthly

by Atom Publishing. The contents of this magazine are copyright. Reproduction in part or in full is forbidden without permission of the editor. The opinions expressed by writers of signed articles (even with pseudonyms) and letters appearing in the magazine are those of their respective authors, and neither the CIOB, Atom Publishing nor Construction Manager is responsible for these opinions or statements.

The editor will give careful consideration to material submitted – articles, photographs, drawings and so on – but does not undertake responsibility for damage or their safe return.

Printed by Headley Brothers Ltd. All rights in the magazine, including copyright, content and design, are owned by CIOB and/or Atom Publishing. ISSN 1360 3566

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