Modular Connections

New website launched for recycled site accomodation for the construction industry

2009-02-16T10:34:00.001+00:00

Foremans Relocatable Building Systems, the UK’s largest supplier of pre-owned modular buildings, has launched a new website for ConstructionSpace – its innovative site accommodation service for the construction industry.

The ConstructionSpace approach uses recycled modular buildings to provide site accommodation at a fraction of the cost of new manufacture and up to 80 per cent faster. As a result, sales enquiries and the demand for ConstructionSpace buildings have continued to increase as contractors’ budgets come under increasing pressure in response to the challenging economic climate.

The site-to-site service eliminates double handling charges and reduces the cost of site accommodation for buildings from 100sqm to 3,000sqm and in both single and multi-storey configurations.

The new website, www.constructionspace.co.uk, provides detailed information about this fast and efficient service for contractors, and features a selection of case studies of projects completed for leading contractors such as Skanska, Taylor Woodrow, Ballymore and GrantRail.

The website lists current building stocks and provides photographs, specifications and layouts, reducing the time required for sourcing site accommodation. Visitors to the site can also request to receive details of new building stock by email or phone as soon as they become available.

The uses for pre-owned buildings offered by ConstructionSpace include complete project offices – both as open plan and cellular accommodation – single site cabins, canteens, toilet and shower blocks, locker rooms, training and induction rooms and security offices.

Many of the buildings are supplied pre-fitted out as offices, meeting rooms, toilets, kitchens and reception areas, further reducing procurement time and cost.

ConstructionSpace offers a range of services, from project management to delivery and installation in compliance with all health and safety requirements. Site installation teams are trained and accredited with the CSCS scheme for further reassurance.

All ConstructionSpace buildings have the benefit of a three-month warranty, and are available for sale. There is a buy-back option for buildings purchased – making this a highly cost-effective alternative to hire, and ConstructionSpace will buy quality modular site accommodation that is surplus to contractors’ requirements.

For further information about ConstructionSpace services, visit www.constructionspace.co.uk or email contact@constructionspace.co.uk.

For further PRESS information, please contact:

Joanne Bridges
PRO – ConstructionSpace
Bridges Communications
Tel: 01489 570898 Fax: 01489 570888
Email: jbridges@bridgescommunications.co.uk

Editor’s Notes
1. Foremans Relocatable Building Systems is the UK’s largest supplier of pre-owned modular buildings. The recycling and refurbishment of modular buildings is one of the most sustainable methods of construction.

2. Foremans is based at a 15-acre site at Brandesburton in East Yorkshire, and at Dunstable in Bedfordshire.

Foremans completes phase two of primary school extension - and its 9th contract for Leeds City Council

2009-01-12T11:46:00.000+00:00

Foremans Relocatable Building Systems, the UK’s largest supplier of pre-owned modular buildings, has completed construction of a new extension at Harehills Primary School – its ninth building project for Leeds City Council.

The scheme for Education Leeds was delivered in two phases to meet the school’s accommodation requirements. It provides an additional 210 places at the school, bringing the total capacity to 630 pupils to meet the growing population in the area.

The two-storey modular building was fully refurbished and fitted out to accommodate nine general classrooms and one IT suite, toilets and a lift. It has been partially clad in timber to help integrate it with the surrounding residential area and both phases were craned into position during school holidays to minimise any disruption to teaching.

Commenting on the project, Derek Vest, Education Officer at Education Leeds, said, “Foremans only supplies quality pre-owned modular buildings, such as Portakabin and Yorkon products, which are tried and tested. And because the modules are fully refurbished, it is very difficult to tell the finished building from new.”

“The approach gives us the quality of accommodation we need for schools in the area and to a tight budget. Other benefits include reduced construction time, less disruption to teaching, and because the buildings we use are recycled, it is very sustainable. This type of construction also lends itself to constrained sites such as Harehills, where there is little space for heavy plant, equipment and storage of building materials.”

“The Foremans team is well organised, professional and have a well established supply chain to offer a full package of construction services.”

Head teacher of Harehills Primary School, Lesley Dolben, said, “This is a fantastic new building. Foremans have worked well with us, were sensitive to our needs, and their project management team was excellent. The construction has not impeded the running of the school in any way, and we are very pleased with the classrooms which are great in terms of size and usability. They are light and airy and very pleasant to work in. The building feels substantial and not at all relocatable, and is significantly better than the accommodation we had previously.”

Since the completion of the project at Harehills, Foremans was awarded another contract for Education Leeds to provide a four-classroom extension at Crossley Street Primary School. This permanent single-storey building is finished in brick cladding and adjoins the existing school.

In addition to its environmental benefits, the Foremans approach to recycling and refurbishing pre-owned modular buildings can help reduce programme times by up to 70 per cent compared to new build, improves site safety and is more cost-effective. All refurbished Portakabin buildings supplied by Foremans comply with Building Regulations, and have the reassurance of a groundbreaking warranty package – a modular industry first.

Foremans modular buildings are suitable for a wide range of applications in the education sector, including school extensions, classroom blocks, offices, dining facilities, lecture theatres, pre-school nurseries and laboratories.

www.foremansbuildings.info

For further PRESS information, please contact:

Joanne Bridges, Bridges Communications
Tel: 01489 570898
Fax: 01489 570888
Email: jbridges@bridgescommunications.co.uk

Editor’s Notes

1. Foremans provides a nationwide service from its 24,000 sqm production centre in East Yorkshire, and its southern regional office in Dunstable. It offers a full range of construction services, including planning, finance, design and space planning, project management, groundworks, fitting out, delivery and site installation, testing and commissioning. Tel: 01964 544344. Email: info@foremans-rbs.co.uk.

2. Foremans offers the UK’s largest selection of refurbished Portakabin buildings available from stock.

Yorkon completes new science building for one of britain’s oldest schools

2009-01-05T11:40:00.000+00:00

Award-winning off-site construction specialist and Portakabin subsidiary, Yorkon, has completed a striking new school building for one of Britain’s oldest schools –Christ College in the Brecon Beacons National Park.

The off-site approach ensured completion of the scheme in just five months on a constrained school site, minimised any disruption to staff and pupils, and is a more sustainable method of construction.

Designed by P+HS Architects, the two-storey building expands the science facilities at this co-educational independent boarding and day school, bringing all the laboratories together under one roof and replacing an outdated 1950s block.

Christ College was founded by Royal Charter in 1541 by King Henry VIII and has buildings on its campus, including the chapel and dining hall, which date back to the 13th Century. Because of this and the building’s sensitive location in a national park, the design incorporated local materials such as Welsh sandstone from Llangorse Quarry, together with render and timber cladding to complement the surrounding architecture.

16 steel-framed building modules were manufactured off site in York and craned into position during school holidays to further minimise any disruption.

Commenting on the new building, Phil Bentley, Project Architect at P+HS Architects, said, “The building is innovative given its off-site construction and through careful choice of local materials, it is rich and warm in appearance. There is an exceptional quality of light and space inside with the generous double height atrium which has given the school an additional gallery space to enjoy.”

“It has created a very pleasant educational facility with the quality of the internal environment. This is a great building that has more than exceeded our expectations.”

Emma Taylor, Head Teacher at Christ College, said, “Yorkon have been wonderfully innovative partners in the design and construction process. The sustainability of the building was important, not only environmentally but educationally, as pupils can now see features such solar heating at first hand.”

“It was critical for us to have the new building up and running as soon as possible because it is built on the site of our original physics labs. The off-site approach allowed us to achieve this, and it has worked very well without any interruption to teaching. The project has certainly raised the bar in terms of quality and efficiency for any future construction work at the school.”

Two physics and two biology laboratories, a sixth form project room, and laboratory technician’s rooms are grouped around a double height central atrium that functions as an additional teaching area and exhibition space. This central ‘street’ also allows pupils to move through the space at peak times and gather informally before and after lessons.

The scheme features a number of sustainable measures, such as solar water heating to reduce energy consumption, energy-efficient lighting, natural ventilation and daylight and high levels of insulation to conserve energy.

The building has also been designed to be flexible and adaptable to change. The internal walls are non load-bearing and there are clear internal spans of up to 12m, so the teaching spaces and laboratories can easily be reconfigured to meet the school’s changing requirements over time.

www.yorkon.info

Editor’s Notes

1.Yorkon has an extensive track record in the education sector, having completed a wide variety of projects ranging from self-contained teaching buildings and classroom extensions for both primary and secondary schools, to a purpose-designed adult education centre, and the UK’s first complete school to be built off site.

2.The Yorkon steel-framed modular building system is a highly sustainable alternative to traditional site-based construction. It offers:

•Improved thermal efficiency. Yorkon steel-framed modular buildings are more thermally efficient than traditional site-based construction and consistently perform up to 70 per cent better than Building Regulations requirements (Part L2A) in full-scale independent tests for air permeability.
•Reduced energy consumption. Up to 67 per cent less energy is required to produce a modular building compared to an equivalent traditionally-built project (source: Arup)
•Reducing congestion and carbon emissions. The Yorkon off-site approach generates up to 90 per cent fewer vehicle movements to site (source: Mtech)
•Environmental policy. Yorkon is one of the first modular manufacturers to achieve ISO 14001 accreditation – the internationally recognised standard for reducing impact on the environment.
•New greener design options. Yorkon has introduced a series of new design options for ‘greener’ modular buildings, to encourage the use of renewable sources of energy, reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, and promote recyclability.
•Waste reduction. Off-site construction reduces on-site waste by up to 90 per cent (source: WRAP). Over the past three years, Yorkon has achieved a 50 per cent reduction in the volume of waste sent to landfill over the last three years.
•Recycling. Yorkon now recycles 78 per cent of all waste and targets are in place to further improve recycling and waste management.

3.If you wish to publish a telephone number for further information, the number for Yorkon is 01904 610990. Please do not print the agency’s number.

For further PRESS information, please contact:

Joanne Bridges, PRO – Yorkon
Bridges Communications
Tel: 01489 570898
Fax: 01489 570888
Email: jbridges@bridgescommunications.co.uk

Yorkon to present latest developments in off-site construction for schools at BSEC 09

2008-11-27T15:22:00.001+00:00

Award-winning school building specialist and Portakabin subsidiary, Yorkon, will be demonstrating its cutting edge approach to off-site construction and a series of new developments in steel-framed modular building at BSEC 09.

Yorkon will be presenting an important innovation in modular technology – the new high performance floor option – believed to be the highest performing floor for any modular building.

This robust and proven pre-installed concrete floor is specifically designed for high traffic areas, such as school buildings, and will achieve a point load of 7kN and a UDL (uniformly distributed load) of 9kN/m2. It also offers enhanced acoustic performance, and all the speed and quality advantages of building off site.

In addition to the new floor option, Yorkon will be introducing its recently updated design tool, which helps architects and specifiers work with modular buildings for school applications.

Available in interactive pdf format via the Yorkon website – www.yorkon.com, this is a comprehensive guide to steel-framed modular construction, including module sizes and options for staircases and lifts. For CAD users, there are easy-to-use files to help architects develop a building design for a specific school project and produce fast and accurate project drawings.

Other new developments recently launched by Yorkon include a new suite of ‘greener’ design options for the use of renewable sources of energy, reduced energy consumption and waste, lower carbon emissions, and greater recyclability.

The optional features include ground and air source heat pumps, solar thermal heating, solar photovoltaics, passive ventilation, combined heat and power systems, green roofs, biomass boilers, and rainwater harvesting.

The Yorkon approach to off-site construction is highly sustainable. It will deliver higher quality education buildings on time and on budget and with less disruption to staff and pupils. It can reduce programme times by up to 50 per cent, is safer, more predictable and offers enhanced thermal efficiency for lower running costs.

Yorkon has an extensive track record in the education sector, having completed a wide variety of projects ranging from self-contained teaching blocks and classroom extensions for both primary and secondary schools and in the state and independent sectors, to complete schools, nursery buildings, and further education facilities.

Yorkon will be exhibiting at BSEC on stand 526 or visit www.yorkon.info.

For further PRESS information, please contact:

Joanne Bridges, PRO – Yorkon
Tel: 01489 570898
Fax: 01489 570888
Email: jbridges@bridgescommunications.co.uk

Editor’s Notes

1.Off-site construction involves the manufacture of steel-framed modules in a controlled factory environment, using production line technology, whilst the foundation works are completed on site. The modules are delivered to site by road where they are craned into position in just a few days ready for fitting out.

2.If you wish to publish a telephone number for further information, the number for Yorkon is 01904 610990. Please do not print the agency’s number.

Yorkon completes its largest scheme in the retail sector

2008-11-27T11:02:00.001+00:00

Off-site construction specialists and Portakabin subsidiary, Yorkon, has completed its largest contract in the retail sector in the company’s 30-year history.

The £1.4m modular scheme at a Sainsbury’s superstore in Brentwood was completed with main contractors RG Group and reduced the programme time by four weeks.

Demand for the off-site approach in the retail sector continues to rise. Over the past year Yorkon’s turnover in the sector has increased significantly and projects now include extensions to superstores and back of house facilities as well as modular convenience stores for a number of leading food retailers.

The project for Sainsbury’s at Brentwood provided a new first floor extension for the store, accommodating a customer café, a lobby area to a new elevated car park, customer toilets and baby change, staff facilities and a bulk storage area for general merchandise.

Commenting on the Brentwood project, Richard Rust, Head of Construction and Delivery at Sainsbury’s said, “The off-site approach helped to reduce customer disruption and programme time on this project, and allowed the first floor extension to be completed a month earlier than with traditional construction.”

“By completing as much work as possible ‘off site’, we succeeded in keeping customer car parking to a maximum in this busy trading store. The relationship with RG Group and Yorkon worked well, and the module installation at the store was organised and efficient.”

42 steel-framed modules were manufactured by Yorkon off site in York and pre-fitted with internal partitions, sanitary ware, flooring, kitchen equipment, glazing, plumbing, electrics and brick cladding, prior to delivery to site. The modules were installed in just six days.

This scheme is the third project for Sainsbury’s completed by Yorkon and RG Group and follows superstore extensions at Chelmsford and Rayleigh Weir in Essex.

www.yorkon.info

For further PRESS information, please contact:

Joanne Bridges, Bridges Communications
PRO – Yorkon
Tel: 01489 570898, Fax: 01489 570888
Email: jbridges@bridgescommunications.co.uk

Editor’s Notes

1. The Yorkon approach to off-site construction offers a number of clear advantages over site-based building methods:

- enhanced thermal efficiency and greater sustainability
- greater design flexibility
- waste reductions of up to 90 per cent
- programme times reduced by up to 50 per cent
- greater cost control
- less disruption to existing operations and local residents
- safety improved by up to 46 per cent
- earlier occupation and a faster return on investment for the retailer
- guaranteed quality
- less risk for the client – more than 96 per cent of Yorkon projects have been completed on time and 94 per cent on budget over the past five years – well exceeding construction industry averages

2. Off-site construction involves the manufacture of steel-framed modules in a controlled factory environment, using production line technology, whilst the foundation works are completed on site. The modules are delivered to site by road where they are craned into position in just a few days ready for the final stages of fitting out. /

Yorkon achieves environmental accreditation

2008-11-07T17:07:00.001+00:00

Award-winning off-site construction specialist, Yorkon, has announced that as part of the Portakabin Group, it has achieved ISO 14001 accreditation – the internationally recognised standard for reducing impact on the environment.

Certification was achieved by the Portakabin Group, which includes Yorkon, following a rigorous independent assessment of the company’s environmental policy, compliance with legislation, control systems and procedures, and targets for further improving environmental performance.

David Johnson, Director and General Manager of Yorkon, said, “Environmental impact is an increasingly important global issue and it is essential that all organisations, particularly in the construction industry, are committed to minimising the effect of their activities on the environment.”

“This accreditation is a powerful tool that allows organisations to focus their environmental efforts on internationally-accepted criteria and promote best practice. It is a proactive solution to improving both environmental performance and enhancing business efficiency.”

“As a business, we are working on many levels to continually improve sustainability. Initiatives include reducing waste in the construction process through off-site manufacturing; increasing the recyclability of waste by employing intelligent design and production methods; the manufacture of buildings which are highly thermally efficient, and the use of new technologies and innovations for ‘greener’ modular buildings.”

Yorkon has also recently launched a series of new design options for ‘greener’ modular buildings, which offer significant environmental benefits, including the use of renewable sources of energy, reduced energy consumption and carbon emissions, and recyclability.

The optional features include solar thermal heating, solar photovoltaics, passive ventilation, combined heat and power systems, ground and air source heat pumps, wind power, green roofs, biomass boilers, and rainwater harvesting. Some of these options have already been used in buildings provided by Yorkon, such as a recent project at Bewdley High School in Worcestershire – believed to be the UK’s most sustainable modular school building.

As part of the Portakabin Group, Yorkon was the first off-site specialist to commit to working towards the Sustainability Charter introduced by the Major Contractors Group and, the Group has worked with the Carbon Trust to reduce the amount of energy used in the manufacturing process.

http://www.yorkon.info/

For further PRESS information, please contact:

Joanne Bridges, Bridges Communications
PRO – Yorkon
Tel: 01489 570898
Fax: 01489 570888
Email: jbridges@bridgescommunications.co.uk

Editor’s Notes

1.If you would be interested in an article about the sustainability benefits of off-site construction, please let us know. We would be happy to discuss your editorial requirements.

2.Modular construction offers a wide range of sustainability advantages, including:
-Less waste - off-site construction generates up to 90 per cent less waste compared to site-based building methods (source: WRAP)
-Reduced energy consumption - up to 67 per cent less energy is required to produce a modular building compared to an equivalent traditionally built project (source: Arup)
-Reduced congestion and carbon emissions - up to 90 per cent fewer vehicle movements to site (source: Mtech)
-Greater thermal efficiency and lower running costs - Yorkon buildings are highly thermally efficient and consistently perform up to 70 per cent better than Building Regulations requirements in full-scale tests for air permeability in line with Part L2A.

3.If you wish to publish a telephone number for further information, the number for Yorkon is 01904 610990. Please do not print the agency’s number.

Foremans completes construction of highly sustainable school building in London

2008-10-20T17:04:00.000+01:00

Foremans Relocatable Building Systems, the UK’s largest supplier of recycled modular buildings, has completed construction of a highly sustainable new school building in the London Borough of Brent, after only seven weeks on site.

Designed by architects, Sampson Associates, the new £1m sixth form centre at Alperton Community School was constructed by Foremans from recycled and refurbished building modules. This approach reduced the build programme by around 70 per cent and the construction budget by half compared to traditional site-based building methods. It has also dramatically reduced the building’s carbon footprint.

Other environmental features of the scheme include pre-installed timber cladding from sustainable sources, natural ventilation, energy efficient lighting, brise soleil sunshading and water conservation devices.

Built by Foremans to a challenging timescale in just five months from receipt of order, ready for the start of the new academic year, the two-storey building comprises 46 pre-owned steel modules. The units were fully refurbished and pre-fitted out off site, significantly reducing the programme time, and were craned into position during the school holidays to minimise any disruption to teaching.

The purpose-designed facilities include seven general classrooms, a fully equipped IT suite, study and social areas, and faculty offices, replacing a dilapidated and sub-standard ‘temporary’ teaching block which had been in use for the past 35 years.

Commenting on the new building, Maggie Rafee, Head Teacher at Alperton Community School, said, “Feedback about the new building from students, staff and governors has been consistently excellent, and it has had a very positive effect on morale. It is fantastic to have one dedicated building for the sixth form, rather than having to share facilities as previously.”

She added, “We felt Foremans demonstrated the best experience and resources to undertake this project, and the sustainability benefits of pre-owned modular buildings were a key factor in our choice of the approach. We aim to educate all our students about the importance of recycling, and this is an excellent way of demonstrating how the school is helping to meet the green agenda with its own actions.”

“Foremans managed the project very well, with no disruption to the school, despite working on a very constrained site and to a challenging programme, and completed the scheme and the high level of fitting out to time and on budget.”

Colin Sampson, Principal Architect at Sampson Associates, said, “We are very pleased with this building. Initially we were sceptical about whether the pre-owned approach could deliver the quality we aspired to. In reality, you cannot tell the difference between this and new build.”

“The project also demonstrates how the addition of architectural elements such as timber cladding, brise soleil and an entrance canopy can enhance a building, successfully satisfying planning requirements as well as the needs of the school and the community.”

“The new sixth form centre has been delivered at half the cost of traditional new build and with a miniscule carbon footprint. We would definitely use the Foremans approach again.”

The use of pre-owned modular buildings is one of the most environmentally friendly methods of construction, and a highly sustainable alternative to new build and to the demolition and disposal of buildings in landfill sites. It generates less than 10 per cent of the carbon emissions and uses less than 3 per cent of the energy during construction, compared to a newly manufactured building of equivalent size (source: Modular and Portable Building Association/Arup).

For further information about Foremans and the recycling, refurbishment and re-use of modular buildings, call 01964 544344, email info@foremans-rbs.co.uk or visit http://www.foremansbuildings.co.uk/.

For further PRESS information, please contact:

Joanne Bridges, Bridges Communications
Tel: 01489 570898
Fax: 01489 570888
Email: jbridges@bridgescommunications.co.uk

Editor’s Notes

1.Foremans specialises in the supply of quality recycled and refurbished modular buildings, designed to individual project requirements. In addition to its sustainability benefits, the approach offers a range of other advantages:

-A cost-effective alternative to new build
-Programme times for high quality temporary or permanent accommodation reduced by up to 70 per cent.
-Off-site working is maximised for safer, quieter and cleaner sites and reduced disruption
-The buildings can be easily expanded, reconfigured or removed if space requirements change
-High quality steel-framed modular buildings are built to last and require fewer groundworks than traditional site-based construction – further reducing cost, disruption and programme times.

2.Foremans modular buildings are suitable for a wide range of applications in the education sector, including school extensions, classroom blocks, offices, dining facilities, lecture theatres, pre-school nurseries and laboratories.

3.Foremans provides a nationwide service from its 24,000 sqm production centre in East Yorkshire, and its southern regional office in Dunstable. It offers a full range of construction services, including planning, finance, design and space planning, project management, groundworks, fitting out, delivery and site installation, testing and commissioning.

Yorkon launches the highest performing floor option for a modular building

2008-10-17T10:52:00.000+01:00

The latest innovation for the Yorkon off-site building system is a new high performance floor option for high traffic areas and heavy, variable loads, launched at Interbuild 08.

With a point loading of 7kN and a uniformly distributed load of 9kN/m2, the factory-installed concrete floor is believed to be the highest performing floor for a modular building.

It has been launched by Portakabin subsidiary, Yorkon, following a two-year development and testing programme and offers a range of benefits for steel-framed modular buildings with areas of high footfall or heavy point loading – from retail superstores and convenience stores to education and airport buildings, chemical and pharmaceutical applications such as laboratories and process areas, and buildings where specialist flooring is a requirement.

Features of the new floor option include:

•Point loading of 7kN
•Uniformly distributed load of 9kN/m2
•Acoustic performance which meets the most stringent Building Regulations* requirements for airborne sound and footfall (*Building Regulations 2000 Part E)
•Shorter programme times
•All the advantages of off-site construction – superior quality, less material waste and less disruption
•Six storey building capability
•Improved site safety and site cleanliness as the concrete is pre-installed in the factory
•A highly durable terrazzo flooring option, which is factory installed.

The new high performance floor has already been used by Sainsbury’s for two superstore extensions.
Commenting on the launch, David Johnson, Director and General Manager of Yorkon, said, “This new option will allow all the benefits of off-site construction to be applied to an even wider range of building uses – for example, areas where pallet trucks may be used or applications requiring the placement of heavy equipment.”
“This is a robust and proven solution, which has already been used to extend the retail sales areas of two superstores, resulting in significantly reduced programme times to the benefit of Sainsbury’s and their customers.”

“As part of our commitment to design and innovation, we are continually looking at new product developments and manufacturing initiatives to further improve the sustainability, performance and design flexibility of our award-winning off-site building system.”

A dedicated concrete floor casting bay has now been installed at the Yorkon production centre in York, integrating the pre-installed concrete floor option into the steel-framed module manufacturing process. The development of the new floor option also involved the construction of two prototype modules for extensive testing, and detailed design calculations, and module lifting and transport trials.

The pre-installation of concrete into modules in a factory environment is easier and safer than on a building site. Concrete can be poured into individual modules which are accessible from most sides, reducing, and in some cases eliminating, the need for extended chutes and pumps. It also allows the grinding and polishing of terrazzo flooring to be carried out under factory-controlled conditions, for cleaner, safer and quieter work on site.

For further information about the new high performance floor option, visit http://www.yorkon.co.uk/ or call 01904 610990.

Editor’s Notes

1.Other new Yorkon initiatives include:

•A new range of ‘greener’ design options to promote the use of renewable sources of energy, reduce carbon emissions and improve recyclability.
•An interactive design tool to help architects and contractors work with off-site construction and produce fast and accurate project drawings.
•Accreditation to ISO 14001 – the internationally recognised standard for reducing impact on the environment.

2.The Yorkon approach to off-site construction offers a number of clear advantages over site-based building methods:

-enhanced thermal efficiency and greater sustainability
-programme times reduced by up to 50 per cent for earlier occupation
-greater cost control and reduced risk for the client or contractor
-less disruption
-improved site safety
-superior quality
-greater design flexibility
-construction waste reduced by up to 90 per cent
-completion on time and on budget.

3.If you wish to publish a telephone number for further information, the number for Yorkon is 01904 610990. Please do not print the agency’s number.

For further PRESS information, please contact:

Joanne Bridges, Bridges Communications
PRO – Yorkon
Tel: 01489 570898
Fax: 01489 570888
Email: jbridges@bridgescommunications.co.uk

Yorkon shortlisted for two major building awards

2008-09-26T09:51:00.001+01:00

Portakabin subsidiary, Yorkon, and Interserve Project Services, have been shortlisted for two Building Better Healthcare Awards following the completion of a ProCure21 project at the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton.

The construction team for the new Emergency Assessment Unit has been shortlisted in the Best Healthcare Construction Product category and for the Best Ecological Product Award.

The annual Building Better Healthcare Awards reward excellence, innovation and professionalism in the healthcare built environment and look specifically at building design, the patient environment, people, products and estates and facilities management.

The award winners will be announced following selected site visits and a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style Product Pitching Day, at an awards ceremony in London in November.

David Johnson, Director and General Manager of Yorkon said, “Completing a building of this complexity and to the required quality standards, in the timescale, was the major challenge. This was also a very busy hospital site and minimising disruption to patient care for the duration of the contract was a critical issue.”

“We are delighted that the achievements of the Trust, Interserve and Yorkon – and the success of the off-site approach – have been recognised with these award nominations. And it is excellent that our efforts in developing a sustainable building system have been acknowledged with our inclusion in the award shortlist for the Best Ecological Product.”
Steven Taylor, Trust Project Manager for the EAU scheme, said, “The Trust’s brief to the project team was to provide a modern, welcoming healthcare environment with a strong emphasis on designs that promote the highest standards of cleanliness and control of infection. A key factor was also that the building would be robust enough to cope with the demands of a very busy Emergency Assessment Unit.”

“I am happy to say that the project team has met the Trust’s expectations. This building has certainly raised the bar in terms of quality of finish and compliance with NHS standards.”

Yorkon was awarded the £2.8m contract by Interserve Project Services for the off-site construction and fitting out of a new state-of-the-art 42-bed Emergency Assessment Unit required by North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust.

The 1,710sqm single-storey extension building was completed just over six months after start on site and has successfully expanded the number of assessment beds on the Stockton site as part of the Government’s drive to reduce waiting times for emergency cases. Since its completion, the Trust has achieved the highest level of activity in the EAU of any ward accommodation in the hospital.

The scheme comprises 42 steel-framed modules, which were manufactured in York and installed on site in just a few days – minimising disruption to patient care and reducing the programme time for the new unit.

Designed around the needs of patients, healthcare professionals and support staff, following extensive consultation, the building provides a range of facilities for acute emergency surgical care, including:

• four-bed wards
• single en-suite bedrooms
• an isolation ward
• high dependency beds
• consulting rooms
• ward manager’s office
• waiting areas and quiet room
• staff changing facilities and rest room
• an interview room.

The unit has been equipped with the latest technology. Wireless workstations are available for use at patients’ bedsides and this is one of the first units in the country to have an electronic information board. It is treating around 30,000 patients each year.

www.yorkon.info

For further PRESS information, please contact:

Joanne Bridges, PRO – Yorkon
Tel: 01489 570898
Fax: 01489 570888
jbridges@bridgescommunications.co.uk

Editor’s Notes

1. The advantages of off-site construction for healthcare projects include:

- programme times reduced by up to 50 per cent, allowing earlier completion with a positive impact on patient care
- reduced disruption to patients, staff and the local community during construction
- fewer vehicle movements to site
- safer, quieter and cleaner
- improved quality and reduced future maintenance
- a high level of design flexibility internally and externally
- buildings can be expanded without decanting
- improved thermal efficiency for lower running costs and reduced carbon emissions
- helping to address the shortage of skilled labour affecting the construction industry
- cost control and reduced material wastage
- guaranteed delivery on time and on budget.

2. Off-site construction involves the manufacture of steel-framed modules in a controlled factory environment, using production line technology, whilst the foundation works are completed on site. The modules are delivered to site by road where they are craned into position in just a few days ready for fitting out.

3. If you wish to publish a telephone number for further information, the number for Yorkon is 01904 610990. Please do not print the agency’s number.

Modular Industry first for Sainsbury's

2008-09-19T13:53:00.002+01:00

Leading food retailer, Sainsbury’s, has further advanced the use and specification of modular construction to extend the retail sales area of one of its supermarkets, utilising pre-installed terrazzo flooring for the first time.

Main contractors, Longcross, and award-winning off-site specialists, Yorkon, completed the scheme to expand the retail accommodation at a Sainsbury’s store in Attleborough, Norfolk. This is the first application of the new high performance floor option from Yorkon, which allows highly durable terrazzo flooring to be fully installed off site in a factory.

The new innovation was developed by Yorkon with Longcross, giving Sainsbury’s the opportunity to use steel-framed modular construction to provide additional retail space, with all the benefits of building off site.

The build time for the store in Attleborough was reduced by six weeks to just three months, minimising disruption to Sainsbury’s customers’ shopping experience during the supermarket extension and refurbishment.

The single-storey brick-clad modular extension runs the full length of the store and has created a complete new frontage and main entrance for the supermarket. It accommodates 16 checkouts, customer toilets, baby change facilities, customer services desk and ATM pods. Full height curtain walling was pre-installed off site together with a large proportion of the fitting out, such as plumbing, flooring, tiling, electrics and internal partitions.

Two fully finished prototype modules were manufactured at the Yorkon production centre in York as part of the development of the new high performance floor option. The Yorkon building system was also engineered to allow removal of some intermediate columns to achieve maximum clear spans preferred in supermarket construction.

Commenting on the use of modular construction, Richard Rust, Head of Construction and Delivery at Sainsbury’s said, “Modular construction is not new to us, however as part of our Develop For Less (DFL) programme and our close collaboration with our supply chain, we have been able to further develop the use of modular construction with the introduction of pre-installed terrazzo flooring.”

“Minimising disruption to our customers when extending or refurbishing our stores is a key issue for Sainsbury’s and there is a clear synergy between constructing buildings off site and the food retail sector.”

“Yorkon has a proven ability to deliver and our close collaboration is working well. We were pleased with the outcome of the Attleborough project and have received good feedback from our customers and colleagues.”

“Modular construction allowed us to build the extension later in the programme to retain as much car parking for customers as possible during the extension and refurbishment, an important benefit on such a constrained site. The modules were installed quickly and with little impact on our customers. Based on the success of Attleborough, we will continue to look at all opportunities for an off-site approach in our development programme.”

Steve Willis, Project Manager at main contractors, Longcross, said, “At Attleborough we had very little space on site so traditional methods of construction would have taken up customer parking for the storage of materials, plant and equipment. The modular approach meant the store was closed for only one day, which reduced overall disruption to customers and the programme time for construction of the new extension. The terrazzo finish in the extension blends in well with the existing store and the end result is very good.”Yorkon has now completed a number of schemes for Sainsbury’s with Longcross – a café extension at Ellesmere Port, a toilet block at Arnold near Nottingham and a larger project to provide a retail extension, new entrance and home delivery facility at a superstore in Worksop.

The new concrete floor option has been developed by Yorkon for high traffic applications, such as supermarkets, and where higher point loadings are required. It allows ceramic tiles and terrazzo floors to be factory-installed, reducing time and improving quality, and will achieve point loads of 7kN and uniformly distributed loads of up to 9kN/m2.

http://www.yorkon.info/

For further PRESS information, please contact:

Joanne Bridges, Bridges Communications
PRO – Yorkon
Tel: 01489 570898, Fax: 01489 570888
Email: jbridges@bridgescommunications.co.uk

Editor’s Notes

1.The Yorkon approach to off-site construction offers a number of clear advantages over site-based building methods:

- enhanced thermal efficiency and greater sustainability
- waste reductions of up to 90 per cent
- programme times reduced by up to 50 per cent
- greater cost control
- less disruption
- safety improved by up to 46 per cent
- earlier occupation and a faster return on investment
- guaranteed quality
- greater design flexibility
- less risk for the client – more than 96 per cent of Yorkon projects have been completed on time and 94 per cent on budget over the past five years – well exceeding construction industry averages

2.Off-site construction involves the manufacture of steel-framed modules in a controlled factory environment, using production line technology, whilst the foundation works are completed on site. The modules are delivered to site by road where they are craned into position in just a few days ready for

Foremans publishes new literature for pre-owned modular buildings - A more suitable approach to construction

2008-09-02T16:17:00.000+01:00

Foremans Relocatable Building Systems, the UK’s largest supplier of pre-owned modular buildings, has launched a new brochure outlining the design options and technical advancements now available for this highly sustainable, fast and cost-effective approach to construction.

The new literature for construction clients, main contractors and end users of buildings in both public and private sectors, is an informative guide to buying, selling and hiring pre-owned modular buildings for offices, schools, hospitals, airports and temporary site accommodation.

It is illustrated with completed projects across a diverse range of sectors and features comments from clients and building occupiers. It also includes information about specifications, procurement options, health and safety, and the sustainability benefits of recycling and refurbishing modular buildings.

The Foremans approach offers all the advantages of off-site construction – speed, quality and less disruption – with the additional benefits of exceptional value for money and a higher degree of sustainability because the modules supplied are pre-owned and fully refurbished.

The use of recycled modular buildings is an environmentally sound alternative to demolishing and disposing of traditionally-built buildings in landfill sites.

Refurbished steel-framed modular buildings, which are compliant with Building Regulations, generate less than 10 per cent of the carbon emissions and use less than 3 per cent of the energy during construction compared to a newly manufactured building of equivalent size.

The modules are fully upgraded and reconfigured off site by Foremans to clients’ specific project requirements, for either permanent or temporary accommodation. This minimises waste and energy consumption, allows other organisations to benefit from the advantages of off-site construction, and reduces programme times by up to 70 per cent compared to site-based building methods.

Buildings can be clad in a range of finishes to complement existing facilities, and can be supplied in single or multi-storey configurations for a wide range of uses, including classrooms, nurseries, wards, offices, site accommodation, and airport facilities.

Organisations can hire, purchase or lease their accommodation for unrivalled choice and flexibility and to help meet their changing needs.

To request a copy of the new brochure, visit http://www.foremansbuildings.co.uk/or call 01964 544344.

For further PRESS information, please contact:

Joanne Bridges, PRO - Foremans
Bridges Communications
Tel: 01489 570898
Fax: 01489 570888
Email: jbridges@bridgescommunications.co.uk

Editor’s Notes

1. Foremans has the UK’s largest selection of refurbished Portakabin buildings and provides a nationwide service from its 24,000 sqm production centre in East Yorkshire, and its southern regional office in Dunstable.

2. Foremans offers a full range of construction services, including planning, finance, design and space planning, project management, groundworks, fitting out, delivery and site installation, testing and commissioning.

Yorkon brings modular retail building to interbuild

2008-08-01T14:34:00.002+01:00

Award-winning off-site specialist and Portakabin subsidiary, Yorkon, is to bring a retail building to Interbuild in October this year, demonstrating cutting edge off-site technology and the latest developments in steel-framed modular building.

The building will comprise two 14m long modules and will be fitted out off site as a convenience store, complete with curtain walling, checkout, gondolas and pre-installed terrazzo flooring. It will be transported to the NEC in Birmingham by road and installed at ‘The Village’ – a new show feature which will explore different approaches to off-site construction for commercial and public sector applications.

The modular store at Interbuild will also be the official launch of the new high performance concrete floor option from Yorkon. This new innovation in modular building has been developed to provide a robust floor construction for high traffic areas and heavy, variable loads. It will achieve a point load of 7kN and a UDL (uniformly distributed load) of up to 7.5kN/m2 – believed to be the highest floor performance currently available for a modular building.

This latest option for the Yorkon modular system allows terrazzo tiling to be pre-installed, with all the speed and quality benefits of off-site construction. It also offers enhanced acoustic performance and further improved energy efficiency because of the greater thermal mass of concrete. The option has already been used for two superstore extensions for Sainsbury’s in Norfolk and Nottinghamshire – the first time the retailer has used pre-installed terrazzo flooring.

Other new developments for the Yorkon modular system include:

• a wider range of glazing, cladding and roofing options
•a new suite of ‘greener’ design options for the use of renewable sources of energy, reduced energy consumption and waste, lower carbon emissions, and greater recyclability
•a new design tool to help architects and contractors work with off-site construction.

The developments are part of Yorkon’s commitment to pushing forward the boundaries of modular building, and combine innovative design and construction technology with all the advantages of off site fabrication.

http://www.yorkon.co.uk/

For further PRESS information, please contact:

Joanne Bridges, PRO – Yorkon
Bridges Communications
Tel: 01489 570898 Fax: 01489 570888
Email: jbridges@bridgescommunications.co.uk

Editor’s Notes

1. The Yorkon approach to off-site construction offers a number of clear advantages over site-based building methods:

- enhanced thermal efficiency and greater sustainability
- waste reductions of up to 90 per cent
- programme times reduced by up to 50 per cent
- greater cost control
- less risk for the client – more than 96 per cent of Yorkon projects have been completed on time and 94 per cent on budget over the past five years – well exceeding construction industry averages
- less disruption
- safety improved by up to 46 per cent
- earlier occupation
- guaranteed quality
- greater design flexibility

2. Off-site construction involves the manufacture of steel-framed modules in a controlled factory environment, using production line technology, whilst the foundation works are completed on site. The modules are delivered to site by road where they are craned into position in just a few days ready for the final stages of fitting out.

3. If you wish to publish a telephone number for further information, the number for Yorkon is 01904 610990. Please do not print the agency’s number.

Yorkon completes new £5M Ward Building at Walsall Manor Hospital

2008-07-21T10:05:00.000+01:00

Off-site construction specialist and Portakabin subsidiary, Yorkon, has completed a £5.5m contract for Skanska to manufacture and fit out a new 136-bed ward building at Walsall Manor Hospital – a week ahead of programme.

The project was part of the advance works package for the £140m redevelopment of the hospital to be completed by Skanska Innisfree under the Private Finance Initiative, replacing outdated buildings with state-of-the-art facilities to enhance patient care.

The four-storey ward building comprises 104 steel-framed modules, which were manufactured off site in York by Yorkon and craned into position in three phases to minimise disruption to the hospital.

It provides modern and spacious accommodation to facilitate improved quality of care and to help with the control of cross infection. Facilities include a combination of six-bed wards and single ensuite bedrooms, nurse base stations on each floor, treatment suites, ward kitchen, offices, day room and relatives room.

Commenting on completion of the new ward building, Sue James, Chief Executive of Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust, said, “We are extremely proud of this new facility which will vastly improve the experience of some of our more vulnerable patients, by providing facilities that are fit for the 21st Century.”

Mike Thompson, Technical Director at Skanska, said, “This project went very smoothly, with excellent relations and co-operation between the Trust, Skanska and Yorkon teams. The modular approach brought programme benefits to the project as we were working to a tight deadline for completion. The building was also manufactured in a controlled environment which has quality benefits.”

Building off site offers many advantages for the construction of new healthcare facilities. Programme times are reduced by up to 50 per cent, allowing earlier completion and occupation to the benefit of patient care, and disruption to staff, patients and the local community is significantly reduced because the building is manufactured off site. The Yorkon modular system allows a high degree of design flexibility internally and externally, and buildings can be expanded without decanting.

www.yorkon.info

For further PRESS information, please contact:

Joanne Bridges, PRO – Yorkon
Tel: 01489 570898
Fax: 01489 570888
jbridges@bridgescommunications.co.uk

Editor’s Notes

1. Further benefits of off-site construction for healthcare projects include:

- few vehicle movements to site
- construction work is safer, quieter and cleaner
- quality is improved and future maintenance is reduced
- delivery on time and on budget is guaranteed
- thermal efficiency is improved, for lower running costs and reduced carbon emissions
- the approach helps to address the shortage of skilled labour affecting the construction industry
- costs are controlled and material wastage is reduced.

2. Off-site construction involves the manufacture of steel-framed modules in a controlled factory environment, using production line technology, whilst the foundation works are completed on site. The modules are delivered to site by road where they are craned into position in just a few days ready for fitting out.

Unprecedented demand for new design tool for off-site construction

2008-07-04T09:34:00.002+01:00

Since the launch of its new design tool to help architects and contractors work with off-site construction, award-winning modular building specialist and Portakabin subsidiary, Yorkon, has received over 1,200 requests for the guide.

This unprecedented interest is further evidence of the growing demand for off-site construction as a high quality, efficient and sustainable alternative to traditional site-based building methods. Demand is particularly strong from architects and contractors, as well as end users.

In response to the high level of interest in the new tool and following the success of its series of design workshops for architects, contractors and consultants, Yorkon has added three new workshops to its event programme which will take place on 2nd October 2008 at the RIBA in London.

Each session will demonstrate how to design buildings using a steel-framed modular system with practical advice on how to optimise the benefits of off-site construction.

To register for one of the design workshops, email contact@yorkon.com or call 0845 2000 123.

The recently updated design tool is available in interactive pdf format via the Yorkon website – www.yorkon.com. It is a comprehensive guide to steel-framed modular construction, including module sizes and options for staircases and lifts. For CAD users, there are easy-to-use files to help architects develop a building design for a specific project and produce fast and accurate project drawings.

In order to maximise the benefits of off-site construction, it is essential that specifiers develop a good understanding of the modular system and the process, and design for modular rather than site-based construction from the outset. The design guide tool and the series of workshops are Yorkon initiatives to help address this requirement.

Other new developments recently launched by Yorkon include a series of new design options for ‘greener’ modular buildings, which offer significant environmental benefits, such as the use of renewable sources of energy, reduced energy consumption and waste, lower carbon emissions, and greater recyclability.

The optional features include solar thermal heating, solar photovoltaics, passive ventilation, combined heat and power systems, ground source heat pumps, green roofs, biomass boilers, and rainwater harvesting.

For further PRESS information, please contact:

Joanne Bridges, Bridges Communications
PRO – Yorkon
Tel: 01489 570898, Fax: 01489 570888
Email: jbridges@bridgescommunications.co.uk

Editor’s Notes

1. The Yorkon approach to off-site construction offers a number of clear advantages over site-based building methods:

- enhanced thermal efficiency and greater sustainability
- waste reductions of up to 90 per cent
- programme times reduced by up to 50 per cent
- greater cost control
- less disruption
- safety improved by up to 46 per cent
- earlier occupation
- guaranteed quality
- greater design flexibility
- less risk for the client – more than 96 per cent of Yorkon projects have been completed on time and 94 per cent on
budget over the past five years – well exceeding construction industry averages

2. Off-site construction involves the manufacture of steel-framed modules in a controlled factory environment, using production line technology, whilst the foundation works are completed on site. The modules are delivered to site by road where they are craned into position in just a few days ready for the final stages of fitting out.

Yorkon completes new emergency assessment unit at North Tees Hospital

2008-05-21T13:08:00.001+01:00

Off-site construction specialist and Portakabin subsidiary, Yorkon, has completed the construction of a new ProCure21 project for Interserve Project Services at the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton.

The £2.8m contract involved the off-site construction and fitting out of a new state-of-the-art 42-bed Emergency Assessment Unit required by North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust. The 1,710sqm single-storey extension to the existing department has expanded the number of assessment beds on the Stockton site and is part of the Government’s drive to reduce waiting times for emergency cases.

The scheme comprises 42 steel-framed modules, which were manufactured in York and installed on site in just a few days – minimising disruption to patient care and reducing the programme time for the new unit.

The building was delivered in just over six months from start on site and provides a range of facilities for acute emergency surgical care. These include four-bed wards and single ensuite bedrooms, an isolation ward, high dependency beds, consulting rooms, ward manager’s office, waiting areas, quiet room, staff changing facilities and rest room, and an interview room.

The unit has been equipped with the latest technology. Wireless workstations are available for use at patients’ bedsides and this is one of the first units in the country to have an electronic information board. It will treat around 30,000 patients each year.

Consultant Dr Nick Roper said, “After much planning, it is brilliant to see the new unit up and running. We have designed in features such as isolation rooms, ensuite bathrooms, no-touch taps and bespoke window blinds. The final result is a spacious and calm working environment, which is properly equipped to look after patients with emergency medical needs.”

Kevin Oxley, Director of Operations at the Trust, said, “This is a fantastic building. We are impressed with the benefits of the off-site approach and the speed of construction, which allowed us to introduce a new model of care at an earlier stage and so benefit from operational efficiencies. The unit has the feel, quality and appearance of the best traditionally-built building and is allowing the Trust to achieve the highest levels of clinical care. The installation process went very well and the building is defect-free.”

Shaun Paramor, Project Manager at Interserve Project Services, said, “Yorkon were selected for their reputation and experience in the healthcare sector – and I am pleased to report they performed very well. They delivered a quality building, constructed to Interserve’s high standards. The modular approach shortens the programme time which has cost benefits and gives the client beneficial use of the building at an earlier stage. It is also a clean and efficient way of constructing a building, despite working through the winter months.”

The Emergency Assessment Unit adopts the latest thinking in emergency surgical care and is staffed by specialist medical teams, giving quicker access to treatment, more efficient streaming of patients and greater operational efficiencies for the Trust. It was built following a review of acute services in the region, which centralised emergency surgical care at the University Hospital of North Tees.

www.yorkon.info

Editor’s Notes

1. The advantages of off-site construction for healthcare projects include:

- programme times reduced by up to 50 percent, allowing earlier completion with a positive impact on patient care
- reduced disruption to patients, staff and the local community during construction
- fewer vehicle movements to site
- safer, quieter and cleaner
- improved quality and reduced future maintenance
- a high level of design flexibility internally and externally
- buildings can be expanded without decanting
- improved thermal efficiency for lower running costs and reduced carbon emissions
- helping to address the shortage of skilled labour affecting the construction industry
- cost control and reduced material wastage
- guaranteed delivery on time and on budget.

2. Off-site construction involves the manufacture of steel-framed modules in a controlled factory environment, using production line technology, whilst the foundation works are completed on site. The modules are delivered to site by road where they are craned into position in just a few days ready for fitting out.

For further PRESS information, please contact:

Joanne Bridges, PRO – Yorkon
Tel: 01489 570898
Fax: 01489 570888
jbridges@bridgescommunications.co.uk

UK’s largest acute admissions unit arrives on site in Watford

2008-05-02T10:28:00.000+01:00

The largest acute admissions unit (AAU) in the UK has arrived on site at Watford General Hospital. The scheme for West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust is also believed to be the UK’s largest modular building project in the healthcare sector.

The project is part of a £25m ProCure21 contract awarded to Medicinq Osborne. Modules for the new AAU have been constructed off site by Yorkon in a £12m contract. 142 steel-framed modules have now been delivered to site and craned into position. The modules are substantially complete with partitions, electrics, plumbing, sanitary ware and finishes already in place – reducing the programme time by up to 50 per cent and minimising disruption to patient care.

Scheduled for completion this summer, the new facility, which will be linked to the existing A&E department, will radically change the way patients in West Hertfordshire receive emergency care. It will offer rapid assessment and consultant-led diagnosis for emergency cases to improve the patient experience and dramatically reduce the long-term effects of serious conditions such as strokes and heart attacks.

Designed by Murphy Philipps Architects, the AAU will provide 120 beds for emergency admissions, two cardiac catheterisation laboratories, diagnostics including x-ray, ultrasound and CT scanning, new hospital pharmacy with robotic dispensing, a library and roof-top plant room.

Graham Ramsay, Medical Director at West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust said, “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Medicinq Osborne and Yorkon on this exciting project. 2008 will see a major improvement in hospital care in West Hertfordshire and the development of the Acute Admissions Unit will play a crucial part in securing the very best hospital services for the 21st Century.”

He added, “We are particularly pleased that we chose the off-site approach for providing the new facilities as it is significantly reducing disruption to our patients, staff and the local community during its construction.”

Stephen Liddle, Chairman of Medicinq comments, “This project represents the level of innovation that exists within Medicinq Osborne. We were delighted to be awarded this contract and to have the opportunity to implement cutting edge construction techniques in order to deliver a world class healthcare facility.”

David Johnson, Director and General Manager of Yorkon said, “Off-site construction offers many advantages to contractors as well as to building end users. We were able to start manufacture and fitting out of the new AAU before demolition work had been carried out on site. This parallel working is saving around six months on the programme time, which allowed the hospital site to remain in use for longer and the new building will be open and treating patients much earlier, and with no compromise on quality.”

www.medicinq.co.uk
www.osborne.co.uk
www.yorkon.info

For further PRESS information, please contact:

Clare Webber (PR Medicinq Osborne)
The Holistic Group.
Tel: 07515 053376
Email: clare.webber@holisticgroup.co.uk

Joanne Bridges, PRO – Yorkon
Tel: 01489 570898 Fax: 01489 570888
jbridges@bridgescommunications.co.uk

Editor’s Notes

1.Medicinq is a consortium formed by Osborne, Midas Projects and Simons Construction that can provide long-term sustainable benefits from innovative solutions to project requirements. These long-established and successful privately owned businesses have extensive experience of partnering in both the public and private sectors, which they seek to share and develop with the NHS through ProCure21. The organisations have a combined annual turnover in excess of £750m.

2.The advantages of off-site construction for healthcare projects include:

-programme times reduced by up to 50 per cent, allowing earlier completion with a positive impact on patient care
-reduced disruption to patients, staff and the local community during construction
-fewer vehicle movements to site
-safer, quieter and cleaner
-improved quality and reduced future maintenance
-a high level of design flexibility internally and externally
-buildings can be expanded without decanting
-improved thermal efficiency for lower running costs and reduced carbon emissions
-helping to address the shortage of skilled labour affecting the construction industry
-cost control and reduced material wastage
-guaranteed delivery on time and on budget.

3.Off-site construction involves the manufacture of steel-framed modules in a controlled factory environment, using production line technology, whilst the foundation works are completed on site. The modules are delivered to site by road where they are craned into position in just a few days ready for fitting out.

Portakabin provides rok development solid solution with exceptional finish

2008-04-30T13:59:00.001+01:00

Rok Development, the nationwide commercial and business park developer is enjoying premium quality marketing facilities, thanks to leading modular building supplier, Portakabin.

Looking for a high specification marketing suite for visiting customers at its new Wilmslow Office Park lying within two miles of Manchester Airport, Paul Smith, Rok’s Project Manager, visited the Portakabin headquarters in York and was instantly impressed by the contemporary, visual impact of the glazed Titan building.

Paul Smith said, ‘The marketing suite is the first opportunity to impress visitors to the site, making it extremely important that it makes a positive impact. The building Portakabin supplied reflects the quality and style of our own development in progress.

‘The Portakabin team surpassed their own professional reputation by providing exceptional customer service, a fantastic building and all within our designated timescale.’Delivered just 10 weeks after the initial order, the Portakabin team worked closely with the Rok Development architect to provide a building, which would meet their exact requirements, including high specification internal fittings.

The stylish glazed Titan building features a fully glazed wall, which provides a prestigious, light and spacious open plan environment, which can be easily relocated time and time again. It can be reconfigured whenever necessary to meet the requirements of individual developments, making it a completely flexible building solution.

The Rok Development glazed Titan building was tailored to include a solid oak floor throughout, and features a contemporary kitchen which includes a stainless steel sink with a modern glass splash back, solid granite worktops, fitted freezer and dishwasher.

Mr Smith continues, ‘The customer service we have received from Portakabin has been excellent throughout the duration of the project. They offered such flexibility in working with our own team of architects to provide our bespoke specification.

‘Portakabin were extremely proficient throughout and provided honest timelines in keeping with our own internal deadlines. Due to the relocatability of the building we have the option to re-use it at different sites as and when new projects begin. We are absolutely delighted with the end result and would have no hesitation in recommending Portakabin to other companies.’

The Portakabin building was also delivered to Rok Developments with a five-year product warranty and 20 year structural warranty¹ as well as the pioneering Portakabin Customer Charter. This states that if Portakabin fails to deliver a project on time and to the agreed contract sum, the customer will be entitled to an additional six months product warranty².

To find out how Portakabin can benefit your business call 0845 355 5359 log on at www.portanews.co.uk or email news@portakabin.co.uk

Porta, Portakabin and Titan are all trade marks.

For further media information please contact James Hickman, Louise Wylie or Carly Pattison at Ptarmigan Consultants on 0113 242 1155, or email jamesh@ptarmiganpr.co.uk / louise@ptarmiganpr.co.uk / carly@ptarmiganpr.co.uk

¹All Portakabin buildings that are purchased come with a five-year product warranty, which covers the external fabric of the building and a 20-year structural warranty, which covers the load bearing elements of the building.
² Terms and Conditions apply. A copy is available on request.

Yorkon launches design options for "greener" modular buildings

2008-04-24T15:17:00.001+01:00

Award-winning off-site construction specialist and Portakabin subsidiary, Yorkon, has launched a series of design options for ‘greener’ modular buildings, as part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability.

The options have been selected by Yorkon to offer significant environmental benefits, including the use of renewable sources of energy, reduced energy consumption and carbon emissions, and recyclability.

The optional features include:
•Solar thermal heating – these systems harness energy from the sun to generate heating and to provide hot water, and can reduce hot water bills by up to 50 per cent.
•Solar photovoltaics – photovoltaic systems use solar cells to convert sunlight into electricity. An installation with a peak output of 1Kw can displace around 0.3 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year that would otherwise need to be generated by fossil fuels.
•Passive ventilation – this offers a host of environmental as well as economic benefits by lowering energy use and preventing the overheating of buildings to provide comfortable, controlled conditions for the building user.
•Combined heat and power systems – these systems involve the simultaneous generation of electricity and heat in the form of hot water or steam, and will reduce carbon emissions.
•Ground source heat pumps – this technology uses the earth’s relatively constant temperature to provide heating, cooling and hot water, and can result in carbon emission reductions of up to 70 per cent.
•Wind power – turbines can be used to generate electricity in parallel with mains supplies or for stand-alone applications, significantly reducing carbon emissions.
•Green roofs – a turf or sedum roof has a number of sustainable benefits, such as providing high levels of thermal insulation and improving air quality.
•Biomass boilers – using biomass energy can reduce CO2 emissions released in the combustion process by 90 per cent compared to energy generated from fossil fuels.
•Rainwater harvesting – this can be incorporated into the design of building services to allow the collection and recycling of rainwater for toilet flushing.

Several of these options have already been used for buildings provided by Yorkon.
The modular approach is a highly sustainable method of building. Research carried out by Arup has demonstrated that up to 67 per cent less energy is required to produce a modular building compared to an equivalent traditionally built project. And in full-scale tests for air permeability, Yorkon buildings perform up to 70 per cent better than the minimum requirements of the Building Regulations, leading to superior thermal efficiency and lower running costs and an overall reduction in carbon emissions.

Yorkon is also the first off-site specialist to commit to working towards the Sustainability Charter introduced by the Major Contractors Group and, as part of the Portakabin Group, is working with the Carbon Trust to reduce the amount of compressed air and energy used in the manufacturing process.

www.yorkon.info

For further PRESS information, please contact:

Joanne Bridges, PRO – Yorkon
Tel: 01489 570898 Fax: 01489 570888
Email: jbridges@bridgescommunications.co.uk

Editor’s Notes

1.Other properties of the design options introduced by Yorkon for its off-site building system include:

•Solar-powered heating. Solar thermal technology is particularly suited to buildings, which have high hot water demand.
•Solar photovoltaics (PV). These systems are generally used in parallel with the electricity grid. The PV modules can be roof mounted or integrated into the roof or walls of the modular building.
•Passive ventilation. This method uses natural ventilation as an alternative to air conditioning, significantly reducing carbon emissions and avoiding the use of ozone-depleting substances such as refrigerants.
•Combined heat and power. The electricity is produced using an engine or turbine and the heat generated is recovered, significantly reducing energy consumption.
•Ground source heat pumps. The ground acts as a huge solar collector and thermal store. These systems are suitable for heating buildings with high levels of occupancy.
•Wind power. This is recognised as one of the most cost-effective of the renewable energy technologies. Systems for smaller buildings typically have peak outputs of up to 6Kw, reducing carbon emissions by more than four tonnes per annum.
•Green roofs. These roofs have additional environmental benefits, including encouraging a habitat for wildlife, and helping a building blend into sensitive rural areas.
•Biomass boilers. These carbon neutral heating systems are an economically viable solution for a variety of applications, such as schools and offices. Typical fuel is wood chips – a by-product from the timber industry, or straw.

2.Off-site construction involves the manufacture of steel-framed modules in a controlled factory environment, using production line technology, whilst the foundation works are completed on site. The modules are delivered to site by road where they are craned into position in just a few days ready for fitting out.

Yorkon completes one of the UK's most sutainable school buildings to be constructed off site

2008-04-07T14:45:00.001+01:00

Award-winning off-site construction specialist and Portakabin subsidiary, Yorkon, has completed construction of one of the UK’s most sustainable modular school buildings.

The scheme for Worcestershire County Council is believed to be the first modular education building to be heated using biomass fuel and the first to incorporate such a complex passive, low energy ventilation system.

The project at the Bewdley High School and Sixth Form Centre is part of a major reorganisation of education provision in Worcestershire, which has resulted in an additional 360 pupils joining the school.

The two-storey building was manufactured off site in York, which reduced the programme time for such a challenging project to just 22 weeks. 60 steel-framed modules have created clear internal spans of up to 12m for space planning flexibility and were craned into position complete with windows and partitions pre-installed in the factory to improve quality.

The modular scheme provides 12 general classrooms for the school’s English, Modern Languages and Humanities Faculties, two science laboratories, a creative area and administrative centre. It is linked to a traditionally-constructed drama and dance studio – illustrating how conventional building methods can be integrated with off-site construction.

Other design features include:

-central heating powered by an environmentally friendly ‘biomass’ boiler to minimise carbon emissions
-passive ventilation to monitor carbon dioxide and temperature levels in each classroom, and to create a constant change of air within the building without draughts. The selection of the system was in line with the Council’s policy to naturally ventilate all its school buildings, whilst ensuring the comfort of teaching staff and pupils and to help improve concentration levels.
-timber cladding from sustainable sources
-a highly glazed activity studio with high levels of natural light
-a striking bespoke roof structure.

Commenting on the project, Dermot Galvin, Project Architect at Worcestershire County Council, said, “The primary driver for the decision to use off-site construction for this project was time, which was critical to ensure the new facility would be ready in time to take the additional intake of pupils.”

“Yorkon offers a superior quality building system and has a keen interest in design, attention to detail and quality of finish, bringing skills to the project that are not always associated with modular construction and despite the challenging timescale. Their team has added value to the scheme and had the flexibility to meet our specific requirements, which included a number of bespoke elements. The result is a good quality, low energy building, which has met our expectations.”

Julie Reilly, Head Teacher at the Bewdley High School and Sixth Form Centre, said, “The new building has provided us with spacious accommodation and room sizes that are appropriate for our learning and teaching needs. It is visually pleasing from the outside and fits in well with the locality. Our students have been impressed with the design of the building and it has helped develop a strong sense of pride in our school and working environment.”

“The modular approach is a very good method of construction for schools as it limits the disruption to learning because of the speed of assembly. The building will be easy to expand and the design is sufficiently flexible to meet the changing needs of our students and curriculum development.”

Off-site construction is a highly sustainable method of construction, which improves air permeability to enhance energy efficiency. It also reduces vehicle movements to site, waste, running costs and carbon emissions.

www.yorkon.info

For further PRESS information, please contact:

Joanne Bridges, Bridges Communications
PRO – Yorkon
Tel: 01423 520111
Fax: 01423 520152
Email: jbridges@bridgescommunications.co.uk

Portakabin provides ideal solution for quick, quality classroom accommodation

2008-04-03T10:40:00.000+01:00

With the end of the summer term fast approaching, headteachers and bursars across the country are finalising plans for any additional classroom accommodation that is needed for the new academic year. For those that require extra buildings in time for the start of the new term in early September, it’s not too late to get quality buildings in place.

Portakabin, the UK’s leading modular building provider, has developed a purpose-built double classroom building to provide schools with the ideal solution.

Available for hire or to purchase, the 64m² Portakabin Classroom buildings exceed DfES size guidelines, and, due to the nature of modular construction, can be delivered to a school within days of an order being placed. Offering a stimulating and attractive working environment, they can be up-and-running within hours of arriving on-site, therefore minimising disruption to the school.

The buildings can also help schools increase their spending efficiency in line with the recent Gershon Report.

As the 2007-08 target for annual savings of over £6.45billion¹ in public sector spending approaches, headteachers and bursars are increasingly looking for more economic methods of procuring buildings while ensuring quality standards are maintained.

As well as offering speedy delivery and high quality environments, Portakabin Classrooms are delivered to site fully fitted with all electrics and plumbing, therefore reducing the need for additional tradesmen on-site.

The buildings have been specifically designed to provide specialist teaching resources with high levels of natural light - a key factor in productivity and motivation - good ventilation and excellent energy efficiency.

Mike Williams, General Manager of Portakabin Hire Division, said, ‘Research shows that 76% of teachers and 54% of students think classroom design is vital in influencing students’ ability to learn. The quality of the teaching space available along with lighting, ventilation, noise and temperature levels also all play a crucial role² and can result in improvements in learning of up to 26%³.

‘Portakabin Classrooms have been designed with all of this in mind, while also offering headteachers and bursars a more practical, faster, convenient and cost-effective method of procurement. This allows savings to be made without compromising on service, value or delivery.’

A one-stop-shop solution

As well as supplying excellent quality classroom space, Portakabin can provide all the other services required to complete a building project through its one-stop-shop solutions for hire offering. Providing an ideal way to improve procurement efficiency and value for money, the service includes everything from obtaining planning permission and completing groundworks, through to installing climate control and security systems.

It also includes the brand new classroom furniture range from Portakabin Interiors, which has been specifically designed to meet the demands of a classroom environment. Strong and robust with riveted tamper proof fixings, the range of desks and chairs has been thoroughly tested by the Furniture Industry Research Association to meet stringent classroom safety guidelines.

Portakabin scores top marks

As a result of the high quality, value-for-money environments Portakabin buildings provide and the range of services offered, the company has achieved accredited supplier status with OGCbuying.solutions, the executive agency of the Office of Government Commerce.

Following a stringent selection process, which included pre-qualification questionnaires, a competitive tender and interviews, Portakabin was included in a four-year modular building framework agreement with OGCbuying.solutions. This enables public sector organisations looking for accommodation solutions to avoid the costly, compulsory competitive tender process and turn to Portakabin to fulfil all their requirements.

A spokesperson for OGCbuying.solutions said, ‘Portakabin proved to us that the company offers the high standards of service, product quality and value we demand from our accredited suppliers.

‘We were also very impressed by the full turn-key package that Portakabin offers. From processing planning permissions to installing climate control systems, access ramps and furniture, the company is able to handle everything, offering complete peace of mind for customers.’

Service with a smile

In addition to offering quality products, Portakabin also aims to provide excellent levels of service to customers at all times. All Portakabin buildings come with the company’s pioneering Customer Charter4, which promises to deliver all projects on time and on budget.

If Portakabin ever fails to meet a contract start date, the customer will be entitled to a week’s free hire for every day the building is late or an additional six months’ product warranty5 on buildings that are purchased.

Mike Williams concluded, ‘At Portakabin we aim to provide all our customers with complete peace of mind that their building projects will be completed to the highest standards, on time and on budget.

‘We are also committed to helping schools meet the targets set out in the Gershon report. Our expert team allows us to provide a full range of products and services that can take care of all aspects of a building project, therefore increasing efficiency and enabling schools to make much needed savings in terms of speed of delivery and resources invested in managing the projects.’

For more details on how Portakabin buildings and services can benefit your school call 0845 359 0059, email news@portakabin.co.uk or log on to www.portanews.co.uk.

Notes to Editors

¹ As outlined in the Gershon Report.
² Source: ‘Best Practice in Classroom Design’. Ministry of Education, New Zealand, 2004.
³ Based on research conducted by the Heshong Mahone Group (1999), Fair Oaks, California.
4 Terms and conditions apply. A copy is available on request.
5 All Portakabin buildings that are purchased come with a 5-year product warranty, which covers the external fabric of the building and a 20-year structural warranty, which covers the load bearing elements of the building.

Porta, Portakabin, Portakabin Classrooms and Portakabin Interiors are trade marks.

For further media information contact Viccy Hodson, Louise Wylie or Carly Pattison at Ptarmigan Consultants on 0113 242 1155 or email jamesh@ptarmiganpr.co.uk / louise@ptarmiganpr.co.uk / carly@ptarmiganpr.co.uk.

New Portakabin Arkive product leads the way in safe and secure file storage

2008-04-03T10:08:00.000+01:00

Portakabin has reinforced its position as market leader and innovator in the modular construction sector once again, with the launch of the unique Portakabin Arkive storage unit.

Offering high quality, secure facilities for file storage, the new product provides a range of unrivalled security and fire protection features. This gives customers an ideal solution for accommodating important paperwork in a safe environment.

Mike Williams, General Manager of Portakabin Hire Division, explained, ‘The Portakabin Arkive unit has been carefully designed to meet rigorous security demands and offers maximum protection against theft, vandalism and fire. It has been developed in response to customer requirements for storage facilities that offer high levels of safety for the contents, but which can easily be accommodated on their own sites.’

The product features all-steel construction and high security fire-rated entrance doors, ensuring excellent levels of break-in protection, as well as guarding against fire for half an hour - an attribute that is unique in the market. This fire resistance has been independently tested and certified by Warrington Fire Research Centre, guaranteeing that important files can be stored safely for as long as needed.

Other features of the Portakabin Arkive storage unit include:
• Unrivalled levels of air tightness, far in excess of Building Research Establishment (BRE) air leakage indices, which ensures that changing humidity levels and pollutants cannot damage files
• A unique low-level lifting system that fulfils all HSE guidelines to avoid working at height during installation, therefore maximising the safety of people on site
• Six durable bulkhead lamps, fitted with polycarbonate opal diffusers, absorb harmful UV radiation that can fade paperwork
• Wall fixed trickle vents aid air flow in the building

Mike continued, ‘We’re very pleased to be introducing this product to the market, providing organisations with excellent quality, highly secure storage backed by first-class customer service. We always strive to provide our customers with complete peace of mind and the Portakabin Arkive product certainly offers that for anyone looking for safe facilities to accommodate important files on site.’

All Portakabin Arkive units also come with the unique Portakabin
Customer Charter, which promises that all projects will be completed on time and on budget. If Portakabin fails to meet the agreed contract start date, the customer will be entitled to one week’s free building hire for every day it is late*. This provides customers with additional peace of mind that their building will be delivered on time and on budget.

To find out how the Portakabin Arkive storage unit can meet all your confidential file storage needs call 0845 359 0059, email news@portakabin.co.uk or visit www.portanews.co.uk.

Notes to Editors
*Terms and conditions apply. A copy is available on request.

Porta, Portakabin and Portakabin Arkive are trade marks.

For further media information please contact James Hickman, Louise Wylie or Carly Pattison at Ptarmigan Consultants on 0113 242 1155, or email jamesh@ptarmiganpr.co.uk / louise@ptarmiganpr.co.uk / carly@ptarmiganpr.co.uk.

Yorkon awarded £1.3m building contract for one of Britain’s oldest schools

2008-03-04T13:20:00.001+00:00

Yorkon awarded £1.3m building contract for one of Britain’s oldest schools. Designed by P+HS Architects, the scheme now has planning approval and is scheduled for completion this autumn. 16 steel-framed modules will be manufactured off site in York and will arrive at the school in the spring, ready for the completion of fitting out.

More information on:

www.yorkon.info
www.phsarchitects.co.uk

Building contract awarded for UK's largest acute admission unit

2008-01-25T13:33:00.000+00:00

A £25m ProCure21 contract at Watford General Hospital has been awarded to Medicinq Osborne. The project includes a new Acute Admissions Unit (AAU), which will be constructed off site by Yorkon in a £12m contract – believed to be the UK’s largest modular building contract in the healthcare sector.

Medicinq Osborne will also undertake the refurbishment of wards and other accommodation, and the reconfiguration of access roads and car parking at the hospital.

Scheduled for completion this summer, the scheme for West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust is believed to be the largest AAU in the country. It forms part of a £34m reorganisation and modernisation of acute services in the area. A new model of care will be employed to improve the patient experience with rapid, consultant-led diagnosis for emergency cases and treatment closer to home.

Find more information on :
www.medicinq.co.uk
www.osborne.co.uk
www.yorkon.info

Yorkon completes terminal building for north wales' first commercial airport

2007-11-30T14:11:00.000+00:00

Award-winning off-site building specialist and Portakabin subsidiary, Yorkon, has completed construction of a new purpose-designed air terminal for the first civilian airport on Anglesey – Maes Awyr Môn – only four months after start on site.
For further information about the advantages of off-site construction, visit www.yorkon.info.

PORTAKABIN SAVES THE DAY WITH RAPID RESPONSE

2007-11-19T10:23:00.000+00:00

When the Yorkshire Ambulance NHS Trust needed to find suitable, high quality accommodation for its crew outstations, it turned to Portakabin to provide a responsive remedy for its workers requirements.

The Trust researched a large number of potential building suppliers, looking for a company that could provide the finish of buildings it needed, as well as the service levels and capability to get accommodation in place, on time, to meet demanding deadlines.

Mark Squires, Assistant Director for Estates and Procurement at Yorkshire Ambulance NHS Trust, said: “Government guidelines state that ambulance crews throughout the UK should respond to all emergency calls within eight minutes. Yorkshire Ambulance NHS Trust is leading the way by setting up crew outstations around its region, enabling ambulance crews to be located away from central hospitals, helping them to respond rapidly to incidents.

“Because of this we needed additional accommodation. We were impressed by the quality of buildings available from Portakabin, and the fact they were backed up by high service standards and a promise to deliver on time. A crucial factor in our decision to choose them, however, was the Company’s accreditation by OGCbuying.solutions, which enabled us to simplify the whole procurement process, thereby saving time and money.”

Portakabin achieved accredited supplier status with OGCbuying.solutions – a leading provider in public-sector procurement – following a rigorous assessment of its products, services and full turn-key packages. Accreditation assures public-sector customers that the Company offers excellent quality and value for money, and enables them to place orders with Portakabin without the need for time-consuming and costly compulsory competitive tendering exercises.

To find out how Portakabin can benefit your business call 0845 355 5359, email news@portakabin.co.uk, or visit www.portanews.co.uk.

Notes to Editors
¹ Terms and conditions apply. A copy is available on request.
Porta, Portakabin and Portakabin Pacemaker are all trade marks.
² Terms and Conditions apply. A copy is available on request.

For further media information please contact Viccy Hodson, Louise Wylie or Carly Pattison at Ptarmigan Consultants on 0113 242 1155, or email viccy@ptarmiganpr.co.uk / louise@ptarmiganpr.co.uk / carly@ptarmiganpr.co.uk