by Sarah Topping | Aug 9, 2022 | Awards, News
We have recently been awarded our second RoSPA Gold Award as a combined region in North & Scotland for our health & safety performance in 2021. Accidents at work and work-related ill health not only cause major disruptions to business processes but the effect on the quality of life of the individual cannot be understated. That’s why good safety performance deserves to be recognised and rewarded. It is one of the most prestigious and recognised schemes in the world, with almost 2000 entries every year and a reach of over 7 million employees. Established in 1956, The RoSPA Health & Safety Awards offer organisations a prime opportunity to benchmark safety performance year on year and ensure consistent performance between sites. They also provide an effective route to demonstrate an ongoing commitment to raising health and safety...
by Sarah Topping | Jul 27, 2022 | Awards, News
At the recent York Design Awards, the York St John University Creative Centre was successful in winning the Community / Education Award. The awards are launched every February with entries submitted for judging in May. Chair of the judging panel Andy Davey, senior partner at Simpson & Brown Architects; said: “All the judges were greatly impressed by the quality and professionalism exhibited by this year’s entries. It proves yet again that the city of York continues to inspire and foster good, uplifting architecture and sensitive design. The winners of the various categories, and indeed all the entries, have contributed enormously to the burgeoning built heritage of the city – from the “small but perfectly formed” new house at Cloister Garth, tucked discreetly behind a screen wall in Marygate to the much grander flagship projects at York Guildhall, Clifford’s Tower and The Creative Centre at York St John University. Read more about the project...
by Sarah Topping | Jul 22, 2022 | Awards, News
We were delighted to pick up three awards and a highly commended at last night’s North West Regional Construction Awards where we won the following: People Development for Kier Construction “Almost a manual on ‘how to do it!’ The submission demonstrates an outstanding array of development and inclusion measures across the whole business that has been externally accredited. This is an exemplar of how a leading UK contractor can demonstrate excellence in the way it attracts, develops and maintains critical resources and develops people. The roadmap and targets for success are clearly defined for the next five years.” Client of the Year for Knowsley Council “In order to deliver a unique project, the client had to develop an exceptional collaborative vision and significant background research undertaken to “get it right” the first time. What resulted is an excellent example of the end-to-end importance of project management, the creation of strong governance and a focus on best in class from design, through construction to social value and local economic impact. Without this leading example of client leadership and behaviour the delivery of Shakespeare North – a replica of the Cockpit-in-Court, designed for Charles I by architect Inigo Jones in 1629 – would not have been possible.” Sub-Regional Project of the Year (Liverpool) “A brilliant submission, demonstrating performance across a wide range of constructing excellence principles. Collaboration was the key with the challenges of the project being met directly through co-location. To successfully deliver this unique project the client had to conduct significant background research to “get it right” first time. What resulted is an excellent example of the end-to-end importance...
by Sarah Topping | Jul 19, 2022 | Awards, News, Project Information
We are delighted to confirm that The Bemrose School project has been shortlisted at this year’s Education Estate Awards in the Refurbishment of the Year category. Placing learning at the centre of our solution, this regeneration scheme brought an outdated estate up to modern standards, delivered within a live environment. Comprising extensive refurbishment of this locally listed 93-year-old school over 3 phases, we blended traditional, modern, and innovative refurbishment construction methodologies to provide high-quality education facilities whilst retaining The Bemrose’s heritage character. The project was delivered in consultation with Derbyshire County Council’s Heritage Officer to ensure full compliance with listed building regulations. A new build extension and landscaping completes 5 overall phases. To provide an enhanced learning environment and improved sustainability (e.g. energy efficiency), works included internal reconfiguration/refurbishment, full slate roof strip and re-installation, full window replacement, structural steelwork repairs, brick 2 of 3 rebuilding, exposed external concrete repairs, and complete M&E replacement. The new M&E systems ensure reduced running costs, diverting money to educational needs. With the inherently complex works within an expansive listed building, our team had to constantly adapt and reassess the programme and methodologies as our site investigations uncovered previously unknown issues, e.g., steel reinforcement to degraded concrete. Thank you to all involved for all of the work that has gone into this and the impact this will have on pupils’ and staffs’ lives and ultimately education. I can most definitely say that every pound has been well spent for the pupils of today and also into the future.I have been at the school for 20 years…I’ve never received so many positive comments about the...
by Sarah Topping | Jul 19, 2022 | Awards, News, Project Information
We’re proud to have picked up two awards and one highly commended at last week’s Constructing Excellence Yorkshire & Humber Awards: Diversity and Inclusion – Kier Group (Winner)Client of the year – Leeds City Council at Newmarket House (Winner)Building project of the year – Newmarket House (Highly Commended) Diversity and Inclusion is recognised as a business imperative, and following the first company-wide audit in 2021, a D&I roadmap was created to outline our plans for the next five years. Since then, amongst other things, we’ve enhanced our family friendly policies, become an accredited Real Living Wage employer, launched four new employee networks and introduced the Expect Respect campaign, designed to educate employees on the importance of inclusive language and communicating our zero-tolerance approach to bullying and harassment. We’re delighted that our work to create a new home for Leeds City Council’s environmental services has also been recognised. Newmarket House features a range of measures focusing on sustainability and achieving Net Zero Carbon including 50 electric vehicle charging points, LED lighting and roof-mounted PV arrays. Our approach to building this fantastic new facility included carbon-offset design, use of recycled materials and energy efficient components throughout design development. Congratulations to everyone...
by Sarah Topping | Jun 23, 2022 | Awards, News, Project Information
Our project team is celebrating after being awarded highly commended in the “Project of the Year 2022” category at the Constructing Excellence Wales Awards recently. The accolade was awarded to the Queensferry Learning Campus. L-R: Sean Fenner – Kier, Martin Walsh – Kier, Simon Mara – Mara Electricals, Tim Ford – Plas Derwen, Jennie Williams – Flintshire County Council, Dan Hampson – Kier, Richard Robinson – Kier, Claire Homard – Flintshire County Council The project involved a remodelled and refurbished 3-11 primary school on the campus with a new entrance and associated grounds work including a new administrative block, hall and kitchen facilities. Outside extensive landscaping was carried out to provide open and green spaces. The scheme also included a new education building for Plas Derwen for their most vulnerable learners from 4-16 who experience difficulty accessing mainstream education and require specialist intervention for their behavioural, social and emotional challenges. The new build has a number learning and specialist learning rooms, hall and servery facilities, small group rooms, meeting and administrative facilities and external hard play areas and playing field. A new single storey community facility, Ty Calon, has also been built on the campus providing a range of community facilities including community café, studio, commercial kitchen and bar, community sports changing facilities and teaching spaces for adult and young people community learning run by Deeside Community Trust. Flintshire’s Leader and Cabinet Member for Education, Welsh Language, Culture, Councillor Ian Roberts, said: “It is a credit to all involved in this project that it has been recognised at these prestigious awards. The school modernisation was much needed and the...
