Building Briefs – July 5th

SNIPEF installs new President and Office-bearers

The Scottish & Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers Federation (SNIPEF) is pleased to announce that the incoming President for 2018/19 is Mr Gordon Matheson of Falkirk.

At the Annual General Meeting held on 1 June 2018 the following office bearers were elected:

Mr Matheson is the 96th President of SNIPEF and is from the SNIPEF Edinburgh and District Association.

His firm Matheson Plumbing Company Ltd is based in Falkirk.

Gordon said: “I am looking forward to my year as President of SNIPEF. Over the past two years as an office bearer I have seen many changes taking place in SNIPEF, This will continue so that the organisation can be at the forefront providing the service and representation that our members require in today’s environment.”

CALA trio celebrate industry recognition

Three managers from CALA Homes across Scotland have scooped a prestigious commendation in recognition of their commitment to the highest health and safety standards in housebuilding.

The homebuilder performed particularly well with three colleagues from Scotland being recognised in the NHBC Health and Safety Awards 2018. Just 57 sites have been recognised with this accolade across the UK.

Winners for CALA Homes in Scotland were site manager Billy McCallum for his work at Kinnaird Oaks, Larbert, project manager Stuart Dallas for Riverside at Bothwell and project manager Colin Thain for his work at Gullane Fire College. They each welcomed a number of rigorous inspection visits from the NHBC health and safety advisors over a four month period.

The site managers will now progress through to the national award ceremony at the ICC in Birmingham on 6 July to find out if they will become highly commended or even a national winner or runner up within their category.

The CALA team are no strangers to this award with Stuart Dallas and his team receiving this recognition for the third year running. Stuart also scooped a Highly Commended national award in 2016 and was a National Runner Up (large builder) in 2017.

Summer of investment continues with completion of second new Aberdeen school

The £13 million Stoneywood School has been handed over to Aberdeen City Council by contractors as final preparations begin for the arrival of the first pupils.

The milestone comes just weeks after construction at the £47m Lochside Academy concluded and follows last year’s opening of the £18m Orchard Brae School.

Built on the site of the former Bankhead Academy, the new Stoneywood complex replaces the neighbouring primary school and retains the existing name.

Council co-leaders Cllr Jenny Laing and Cllr Douglas Lumsden were among the first visitors to the school following the completion of construction.

Fit out to ready the building for the new school year is now well underway, with an increased capacity of up to 434 pupils. The programme will continue over the summer to hit the deadline for opening on August 22.

Stoneywood School and Lochside Academy will open a day later than other city schools to allow teachers an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the new facilities.

The single-storey building is based on sustainable design principles and features a range of facilities, including a large nursery, library and sensory room. Outdoor learning has been a key focus, with a sensory garden and orchard sitting alongside the new 4G sports pitch.

Construction of Lochside Academy was completed in June. It will replace Kincorth Academy and Torry Academy, which will both close for a final time this week. With a capacity of up to 1,350 pupils, the three-storey building incorporates community facilities including a six-lane swimming pool, fitness suite, dance and drama studios, 4G sports pitches, games halls and library.

Scotia Homes submits plans for 113 new village homes in Aberdeenshire

A housebuilder has submitted plans to build more than 100 new homes in an Aberdeenshire village.

Scotia Homes wants to create113 new homes would be built in Tarves.

If approved by Aberdeenshire Council, the homes will be located at the south of the village near Duthie Road.

A design statement for the site said: “Scotia’s vision for Willowburn in Tarves is to create a high-quality residential development based upon best practice urban design principles.

“A network of streets and lanes ensures a walkable neighbourhood, with views out to the landscape making it easy to navigate.

“These streets will be characterised by small hedged front gardens, rural scaled buildings and an intimate village form that brings frontages closer together.”

Members of the public have until July 19 to submit a view on the application to the local authority via the planning section of its website.

BDP appoints three principals

BDP has appointed three new principals who will join the company’s board of directors from 1 July 2018.

Architect Sue Emms is responsible for delivering some of BDP’s most innovative and award winning educational projects and leads the sector in the north of England. She is an active champion of good design and a holistic, sustainable approach to building, epitomised in the acclaimed St John Bosco Arts College and Enterprise South Liverpool Academy. She is a Visiting Practice Professor at the University of Sheffield and in 2015 she won the Architect of the Year category at the Women in Construction Awards.

Architect Nick Fairham leads the design studio in Bristol, and is widely experienced in delivering major projects which create new sustainable communities with integrated uses. He is passionate about improving the built environment in the south west and improving lives through good design.

Simon Riley leads BDP’s project management team in the south region providing planning, management and monitoring of both our internal design processes and the implementation phases of a wide variety of projects for our clients in support of our design efforts. His team is also involved in fee bidding and determining the optimum commercial strategy for significant and long term, interdisciplinary commissions around the world.

BDP has also made seven more appointments at director level: architects Frank Loehner, Lindsey Mitchell, Kate Sanders and Mihalis Walsh, sustainability consultant Philip Gray, interior designer Sheela Shukla and building services engineer Simon Thurstan.

Helping hand for Strathcarron Hospice from new ‘neighbour’

Strathcarron Hospice in Denny has received a welcome boost with the arrival of a new ‘neighbour’ – Mactaggart & Mickel Homes.

The family-owned housebuilder has donated £1,000 to support the Hospice in its work.

The company is building 55 new homes and apartments less than half a mile from the Hospice on the southern banks of the River Carron.

The cheque was presented to Claire Macdonald, business development fundraiser at Strathcarron Hospice, by Mactaggart & Mickel director, Joanne Casey. Joanne explained that she was keen to establish a relationship with the Hospice team as part of the company’s ongoing support for the wider community, as its Carrongrove development – off Tarduff Place - progresses.