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New warehouse space at Reynaers Birmingham HQ boosts capacity

Leading aluminium systems company Reynaers has benefited from a brand new warehouse facility at its new premises in Birmingham.

More than £6 million has been invested by Reynaers into the new HQ in Hollymoor Way, Northfield, thanks to ongoing success in the UK market.

Hugh Moss, Head of Marketing at Reynaers, said “The new warehouse has meant that our stock holding capacity has increased by almost 150%. This has allowed us to stock a more comprehensive range of systems and colours, reducing lead times to customers and increased our offerings in terms of stock.”

A dedicated showroom featuring Reynaers’ commercial, trade and high-end domestic products is now being built, as well as a brand new Training Centre and new installation rig designed for development, training and testing.

Further reinforcing its presence in the trade sector, Reynaers also exhibited its products for the first time at last month’s FiT Show.

Visit Reynaers’ website to see the stand’s highlights and an interview with Reynaers’ Managing Director Justin Hunter. Contact 0121 421 1999, email: reynaersltd@reynaers.com, or see the website: www.reynaers.co.uk to visit the new HQ.
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Birmingham’s New Street Station crowned UK’s Project of the Year after £1bn revamp

Following a major £1bn redevelopment, Birmingham’s New Street Station has been crowned UK Project of the Year at the 2016 RICS Awards Grand Final.

The national RICS Project of the Year accolade is presented to the scheme which demonstrates outstanding best practice and significant benefit to their local area and wider economy. The redevelopment of Birmingham’s New Street station and Grand Central triumphed over 90 of the UK’s most impressive property schemes to gain the top award.

The Birmingham Gateway & Grand Central project – delivered by a team including Mace, Network Rail, Birmingham City Council and Turner & Townsend – was described by our judging panel as the most significant investment in regenerating Birmingham in a generation.

The new Birmingham’s New Street station and its former Pallasades shopping centre opened as Birmingham Grand Central in September last year. The £1bn scheme has transformed it into a popular retail and leisure destination and world-class station – five times the size of the original station – with a striking soccer pitch-sized atrium. Meanwhile, the new shopping centre – above the station – is now home to the biggest John Lewis outside of London and a mix of premium high street brands and eateries.

As one of Britain’s largest and most important cities, Birmingham deserves a station and shopping and leisure destination of this remarkable calibre. This investment in the city has created around 10,000 jobs and is expected to deliver around £2bn in economic benefits.

David Tuffin FRICS of Tuffin Ferraby Taylor LLP said “It is the catalyst for further regeneration in other parts of the city centre, which will create even more jobs. The team behind Birmingham Gateway and Grand Central should be extremely proud. 180,000 passengers continued to use the station during the works, yet they still managed to create a visually striking, yet practical international gateway into Birmingham, on time, from which the city, its residents and visitors will prosper from enormously.

“Each of these schemes is of an exceptional calibre. I’d like to extend a huge well done to the teams behind them as these projects are all positively contributing to their local communities and our country’s economy.”

Category winners from each of the 12 regional RICS Award ceremonies – held earlier this year – competed to win the national accolade in their respective category, with host, Gethin Jones, Broadcaster and TV personality announcing the winners.

The Grand Final winners:

  • Building Conservation: Mount Stewart, Newtownard (Northern Ireland)
  • Commercial: Landrover BAR America’s Cup HQ, Portsmouth (South East)
  • Community Benefit: Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool (North West)
  • Design through Innovation: Black Rock Quarry, Portishead (South West)
  • Infrastructure: Emergency Care Centre, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Gateshead (North East)
  • Regeneration: Birmingham Gateway & Grand Central, Birmingham (West Midlands)
  • Residental: Romilly Quarter, Barry (Wales)
  • Tourism & Leisure: NT Future, South Bank (London)
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Birmingham dental hospital

The long awaited new Dental Hospital designed by healthcare experts One Creative Environments Ltd brings together state of the art teaching and medical facilities. Designed using BIM, this process enabled One Creative to provide a virtual building for all parties involved in the project to visualize and contribute to. This is the largest and first integrated, stand-alone dental hospital and school of dentistry built in the UK for almost 40 years.

As part of the University of Birmingham, The School of Dentistry has been specifically designed to support Undergraduate and Postgraduate dental students in world class facilities. Costing £34 million, the new hospital provides a varied range of dental services for the West Midlands and surrounding areas. Considered to be a landmark development it contributes further to promoting Birmingham as a centre of excellence for medical learning and life sciences. Totalling 15,465 sqm, the new dental hospital houses a range of services for the public including walk-in emergency dental care, restorative dentistry, oral surgery, oral medicine, orthodontics and paediatric dentistry. Opening in the second half of 2016, over 115,000 people annually are expected to be treated at the new Hospital.

This latest Hospital is only one of 10 dental hospitals in the country, and the second to have nora® rubber floor coverings installed.

The facility follows the strict hygienic requirements of an all-encompassing hospital. Clean and smooth finishes with appropriate trims are necessary to ensure a hygienic floor with easy cleaning. Due to the dense vulcanised surface nora® rubber floor coverings are perfectly suited to this type of installation. All nora® floorcoverings are hygienic, fungi-static and bacteriostatic. The dense surface means no coatings necessary throughout the long life of the floor and also results in a floor with very low abrasion. This is why nora® are able to offer unrivalled long life warranties. Finally the floors have already benefited from the efficient and effective cleaning which is achieved when using nora’s specially designed cleaning pads, which can be attached to most standard cleaning machines.

nora® floorcoverings were initially chosen for their durability and easy maintenance; however, the environmental properties for nora® are unsurpassed with the A+ individually assessed accreditation and the Blue Angel award. This award for low VOC’s provides the client with the assurance that the building will contribute to the healing environment with clean, comfortable air.

Nora floor coverings offer excellent sound reduction which is vital in such an environment where we have learning and healing/recovery environments linked together. The floors can offer up to 20dB. The rubber floor coverings provide a surface that offers high walking and standing comfort which is great for clients, patients and employees alike.
With nora® rubber floor coverings you can be sure your floor will continue to look good for decades.

For more information please visit www.nora.com/uk/products-systems/floor-coverings/noraplan-sheet/showproduct/noraplan-sentica/
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The Queen reopens redeveloped Birmingham New Street station

The Queen has officially reopened the transformed Birmingham New Street station.

Accompanied by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, Her Majesty unveiled a plaque marking her visit – the first to New Street in her 62-year reign and her first visit to the city since her Diamond Jubilee tour in 2012.

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh were greeted by a host of dignitaries – including Sir Peter Hendy, chairman of Network Rail and Mark Carne, chief executive of Network Rail – after arriving at the station on the Royal Train.

They were shown an exhibition of the station through the ages since it was first built in the 1880s and were introduced to many of those involved in building the latest incarnation. They also met staff who help meet the needs of the 170,000 passengers who use Birmingham New Street every day.

The new station, including the new Grand Central shopping complex, was unveiled in September this year after a five-year, £750m Network Rail project.

Today’s opening ceremony, which took place on the station’s stunning concourse under its vast atrium, included speeches from the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Ray Hassall, and Sir Peter Hendy before her Majesty unveiled the special plaque which will take pride of place within the station.

The Queen also attended a short service of dedication, led by the Bishop of Birmingham, The Right Reverend David Urquhart, for the PALS War Memorial outside the new station. The PALS were volunteer soldiers from the city who were involved in World War I after signing up to the army in September 1914.

Sir Peter Hendy, chairman of Network Rail, said: “It was an honour to welcome The Queen to Birmingham New Street and be part of a very special day for Birmingham. For such an impressive and transformed station, it was fitting that it was officially reopened by Her Majesty.

“Birmingham New Street is helping to boost the regeneration of the city centre as well as provide the millions of passengers who use it with a modern, 21st century station. With the Grand Central development above it, it is a unique station which is vital to the continued development of Birmingham and the wider region.

“Our Railway Upgrade Plan is providing a better railway for passengers and this station is the latest example of how these improvements are benefiting millions of people and helping boost our economy at a local and national level.”

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin, who attended the reopening, said: “Birmingham New Street is a truly remarkable development that is not only providing better journeys for passengers, but also driving economic growth and regeneration across the West Midlands and beyond.

“This is just one example of the record investment we are making in the rail network across the UK as part of our long-term economic plan.”

Chris Montgomery, Network Rail’s project director who oversaw the redevelopment of Birmingham New Street, said: “The Queen officially reopening Birmingham New Street station is the culmination of many years of hard work by thousands of people involved in the project. This is a proud day for the project team, for Network Rail and for Birmingham.”

Sir Albert Bore, leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “Birmingham New Street station has undergone a magnificent transformation and, together with the Grand Central development, has transformed the gateway to our city.

“I am confident this project will pave the way for continued regeneration, creating many more jobs and opportunities for the people of Birmingham.”

The Queen and Duke’s visit was broadcast on the station’s largest ‘media eye’ at the front of the station for the public to watch while many also gathered inside.

The redeveloped Birmingham New Street station opened its doors to passengers on 20 September 2015 after a five-year, £750m transformation.

Boasting an iconic new atrium over a huge passenger concourse – five times the size of London Euston’s – the station has been rebuilt while trains continued to run as normal for the 170,000 passengers a day who use it.

With brighter, de-cluttered platforms, improved entrances, a range of new facilities and an abundance of natural light over the new concourse, Birmingham New Street, one of Britain’s busiest inter-change stations, is also a retail destination in its own right.

The new station will eventually feature 43 shops at concourse level. Above it sits the new Grand Central shopping complex, including one of the UK’s largest John Lewis department stores.

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