Building Briefs – March 21st

• GRAHAM builds rapport with Waid Academy students at St Andrews site

Six S2 pupils attended the renovation of the PSR Building, which involves the restoration and refurbishment of university facilities.

The pupils have been sponsored by the project’s principle contractor GRAHAM to take part in Go4SET (Science, Engineering, Technology), a 10-week engineering challenge to develop professional skills and raise awareness of the study and career options in STEM.

As part of their project, the team of students have designed a futuristic building which will withstand various aspects of climate change, such as extremes in temperature and rising sea levels.

During their visit to the St Andrews University site at Guardbridge, the students were given a presentation of the development by GRAHAM’s community benefit advisor, Suzanne Stevenson, who, along with sustainability manager Katie McGregor, has been advising students on ideas for their project ahead of an assessment and celebration day later this month.

When complete, the refurbished building will boast state-of-the-art office space, conference facilities, storage for library stock, staff gymnasium, a café for staff for University staff and public, and associated parking.

It is the University’s aim that up to 75% of the Eden Campus site will host a mix of science and technology-based industry and commerce activity underpinned by skills training services and mentoring programmes, access to high speed network for research and reliable upgraded power and renewable heating supplies.

• 80-bed residential care home planned for Perth

Plans for an 80-bed residential care home at a former office block in Perth have been unveiled.

Simply UK is seeking permission to transform the former Atrium building on Glover Street, which has lain empty for more than two years.

It was previously occupied by Living Wage Scotland and Perth & Kinross Council.

• Public given chance to view final Hawick Flood Scheme design

A drop-in session takes place next week to give the public a chance to see how the Hawick Flood Protection Scheme will look.

Members of the public are invited to come along to see the final design on Wednesday 27 March between 1pm and 8pm at Hawick Town Hall.

Information will be available on how the design has been finalised through the Community Vision Working Group’s involvement. This will include final wall heights and finishes, proposed new footbridges and combined footpath/cycle path, replacement community greenspace areas and the public art project.

Residents will also have the opportunity to speak to flood scheme team members and officers from Scottish Borders Council (SBC) on topics including the community timber project and environmental health.

Members of Sustrans Scotland will be available to discuss the major investment in a sustainable travel network which it is delivering in partnership with the flood scheme, which includes pedestrian and cycle pathways, new bridges and associated infrastructure.

The Hawick Flood Protection Scheme will deliver protection from a 1 in 75 flood event to over 900 residential and commercial properties at risk along the River Teviot and Slitrig Water.

• Scottish Water continues £20m water network development in Edinburgh

Scottish Water has welcomed the progress being made on a £20 million project in Edinburgh to make the drinking water network more resilient, which is more than a third complete.

The utility company has installed just over 4 km – out of total 12 km – of brand new mains in the southern part of the city which supplies much of Edinburgh and parts of West Lothian.

The investment will allow customers to be supplied from two different locations – Glencorse and Marchbank Water Treatment Works - making it less likely that they are left without water.

The extended network will also have the capacity to link to other existing and future water supplies across parts of the south of Scotland. It will ensure Scottish Water can provide its customers in Scotland’s capital city, including a growing number of households and businesses, supplied with fresh water around the clock.

The network expansion across part of the Pentland Hills – some of it visible from the city bypass and the A702 near Hillend – and has included working in areas where World War One training trenches were constructed. Work is also being carried out in part of the Swanston Conservation Area where any work taking place in April and July must requires extra care and consideration due to lambing season and ground nesting birds.

There are a number of burns and streams which run nearby the planned route and all the work being carried out in these areas will take account of salmon spawning season, which Scottish Water continues to liaise with SEPA about.

Within the Pentland Hills Regional Park, Dreghorn Woods has been designated by Woodland Trust Scotland as a First World War Centenary Wood. The park must be kept open to the public at all times during construction and measures have been taken to allow the public continued access to the park.

The work includes single and twin pipes – all of which are bright blue and visible on areas of land across the area - being laid to connect Marchbank Water Treatment Works near Balerno and Glencorse Water Treatment Works, south of the city.

It is hoped the pipework will be completed by the end of summer after which the area will be reinstated with the work due to be completed by the end of the year.

• University of Aberdeen offers funded graduate apprenticeships in civil engineering

The University of Aberdeen is offering 20 funded places on its new Graduate Apprenticeship BEng Civil Engineering programme.

The University’s Civil Engineering programme is considered among the best in the UK, and is accredited by the Institution of Structural Engineers, Institution of Civil Engineers, Institute of Highways Engineers and the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation.

Starting in September this year, the Graduate Apprenticeship consists of two two-week blocks of campus-based learning each year, each followed by a period of work-based-learning (WBL).