Britplas Fortress 80 Fencing at Sowenna CAMHS Unit

/in , ,

Britplas Fortress 80 Fencing has been fitted to the outdoor area at the new Sowenna CAMHS Inpatient Unit in Bodmin.

 

Britplas were contacted in the middle of 2020 by Karyn Roberts, Business Support Officer at Sowenna. The unit, which opened in 2019, had been fitted with a wooden slatted external boundary fence which was already proving problematic, with patients able to climb the fence quite easily.

From internet research, Karyn had identified Britplas’ Fortress 80 Fencing as a possible suitable replacement product. Its anti-climb and anti-ligature properties were obviously a necessity but Karyn was also drawn to the option to print artwork onto the fence’s cloaking which she felt would significantly improve the outdoor recreation area as well as providing an opportunity to involve young people and give them a say on what the new fence would look like.

Anti-ligature Fortress 80 Fencing is widely used for securing mental health unit buildings, recreational and outdoor areas, providing total security and safety for patients and staff.

Supported on substantial posts and fixed with anti-tamper fixings, Fortress Fencing is ultra-strong, exceptionally secure and can be built up to heights of 5.2 metres.

Having settled on the Fortress 80 product, Karyn provided current inpatients with a choice of four different scenes for the new fence. The winning design featured a stretch of rocky coastline, a fitting reminder of the nearby Cornish coast. Karyn chose a bright RAF blue for the fence posts, in a nod to her RAF background, which further brightens the finished effect and reduces its impact.

The fence was installed in Q4 2020, with Britplas adopting Covid-secure working practices to carry out the project during the UK’s second period of lockdown.

“We are absolutely delighted with the finished Fortress 80 Fencing” explains Karyn. “Not only has it solved the fundamental problems with the old fence but it’s actually helped to create a much more pleasant environment for our service users.

“Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with visitors and patients regularly telling us how much better it looks, but we are also seeing a direct behavioural impact with markedly increased usage of the recreation area.

“We are all aware of the therapeutic impact of the natural environment and this fencing is a great way to bring the beauty of the outdoors into our facility whilst also, crucially, successfully solving a potential absconsion problem and minimising the ligature risk.

“Patients enjoyed being able to have a say on the choice of artwork and even something as simple as being able to specify a bright colour for the fence posts helps to transform the overall impact from something drab and negative and reminiscent of confinement to something positive and cheerful.

“From our first enquiry, Britplas have been great to deal with. The installation was smooth and well-managed and installers were well versed in the protocols and procedures necessary for working in live environments.”

Graham Garside, Sowenna Unit Manager, commented “the improved security of the recreation area means that we no longer need to closely observe the patients when they are outside and they can express themselves safely.

“I am overjoyed with the look of the fence, it is better than I had imagined it would be and during the installation, Britplas worked closely with us to ensure that the impact of the area being closed caused minimal disruption to our patients.”

New façade contract at Wirral Waters

/in ,

Britplas is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a contract to complete the façade package to No. 1 Tower Road South, a new commercial development at Wirral Waters, Liverpool, which will create 25,000 sq ft of office space over 4 storeys.

Working for main contractor GMI Construction, Britplas are due to start on site in May, with completion due in autumn 2021. The building was designed by Glenn Howells Architects and features a striking facade comprising curtain wall with feature cladding panels. 

Ben Woodward appointed sales and estimating director

/in ,

Britplas has announced the appointment of Ben Woodward to the new position of sales and estimating director.

Ben, who has been with the business since 2015 and previously led the pre-construction and estimating department, will be responsible for the overall sales strategy for the Britplas Group, heading up the sales and estimating teams and leading new business development.

Having doubled its turnover over the last five years to some £27m, Britplas carries out the design, manufacture and installation of glazed façades to large commercial developments throughout the UK and also supplies a specialist patented window to the mental health sector.

Current commercial projects include the £250m Kampus mixed use development in Manchester City Centre and the new Edinburgh St James Quarter for main contractor Laing O’Rourke.

The new role will oversee the sales functions of both the commercial and healthcare divisions of the business for the first time.

“Ben has been an integral part of the senior team at Britplas for some years now” commented Britplas managing director John Blackwell. “He has an in-depth understanding of our markets and shares our vision for future business growth. I congratulate him on this well-deserved promotion.”

Ben commented “I am delighted to be stepping up to the position of sales and estimating director. Despite what has been a challenging year for most businesses, we have a firm strategy in place supported by an excellent team and I am looking forward to the next stage of our development.”

Building Awards Specialist Contractor of the Year

/in

Britplas has won the Specialist Contractor of the Year award in the 2020 Building Awards.

These prestigious annual awards, run by Building Magazine, celebrate the very best of UK construction.

Winners were announced in an online film published on 3rd November. The full list of award winners can be viewed here.

 

Safevent windows selected for Springfield University Hospital

/in ,

Britplas is delighted to announce that it has been awarded a £1m+ contract to supply Safevent windows to the new state of the art mental health centre being built at Springfield University Hospital in Tooting.

Commissioned by South West London & St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust (SWLSTG) and with build now underway by main contractor Sir Robert McAlpine, the £150m development will include eight new inpatient wards and is set to open in 2022.

SWLSTG has selected aluminium Safevent windows featuring Multask handles for the new buildings, which have been carefully designed with input from clinicians and service users to provide the most supportive environment and innovative facilities for the delivery of mental health care.

Image: C.F. Møller Architects  

Britplas shortlisted in 2020 Building Awards

/in

We are delighted to announce that we have been shortlisted in the 2020 Building Awards in the category of Specialist Contractor of the Year.

The full shortlist can be viewed here.

Winners will be announced online on Tuesday, 3rd November with a live screening of Building Awards 2020: The Movie.

Britplas appointed to new IDRM build at Oxford University

/in ,

Britplas is pleased to announce that they have been awarded a contract to complete the design, manufacture and installation of the building envelope to the new Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine (IDRM) at Oxford University Old Road Campus.

Working with main contractor McLaughlin & Harvey, the project is expected to start on site in October this year with a completion date next spring.

Designed by SRA Architects, the 6,000 sq m, 3-storey building will include laboratory and write-up spaces for each of three research themes, cardiology, neurology and immunology, with shared meeting / seminar rooms and specialist / ancillary labs for the purpose of life sciences research.

The building envelope is to comprise rock wool-based composite panels finished in naturally weathered Corten Steel, glass rainscreen and Schueco curtain walling, triple glazed to attain a required U value of 0.9. The building will also feature glass brise soleil. All components are being designed to meet Passivhaus standard with an air tightness of 1.0.

Britplas pre-construction manager Ben Woodward commented: “We are delighted to be working with new client McLaughlin & Harvey on such a prestigious scheme and returning to Oxford where we have a great track record of similar projects over the past few years.”

Image: SRA Architects

New group finance director joins the Britplas team

/in ,

Britplas is delighted to announce the appointment of Richard Lincoln to the new position of group finance director.

Richard has extensive senior management experience, having been a finance director for various businesses over the last 18 years. He has worked mainly in the manufacturing and distribution sectors and also had a spell in support services working for Toyota Tsusho.

In his most recent role he was finance director for Tedd Todd, one the UK’s leading hardwood flooring specialists, which is based just around the corner from Britplas at Chesford Grange.

Richard said: “I am extremely pleased to be joining an organisation that has a clear vision and an excellent reputation in its sector.

“I look forward to working to ensure the Group is optimally structured and maintains its financial strength to deliver its ambitions.”

Richard is married with three children and lives in Southport where he moved to 18 years ago from Shropshire.

Britplas to construct building envelope at new Moxy Manchester hotel

/in ,

hotel facade contractor

Britplas has been appointed to deliver the external facade package to a new hotel in Manchester city centre by main contractor Gilbert-Ash.

The project will see a former hat factory (Invicta House) in Manchester’s Spinningfields district, transformed into a stylish new 145 bedroom hotel under the Moxy brand, part of the Marriott International portfolio.

Britplas will be installing the full building envelope including Kawneer curtain walling, SFS and weathered-effect aluminium rainscreen, some of which is perforated to resemble the punch cards of a Jacquard loom as an echo to the site’s textile history. The scheme will retain and preserve the building’s listed Victorian facade.

The project is due to start in Q4 this year, with completion in May 2021 and the hotel has a planned opening date of late next year.

Britplas appoints new group commercial manager

/in ,

Britplas is delighted to announce the appointment of Chris Kennedy to the new position of group commercial manager.

Chris joins Britplas from Laing O’Rourke where he started his career in 2007 as a trainee Quantity Surveyor, obtaining his degree on a day release basis and achieving MRICS status shortly afterwards.

Over a 13 year career, Chris worked his way to a commercial manager position working across various sectors for both public and private clients including the NHS, Transport for Greater Manchester and Manchester City Council. Chris has gained extensive experience in both pre and post construction activities leading numerous tenders and framework submissions as well as delivering complex and prestigious projects such as the redevelopment of Wythenshawe Hospital, Altrincham Interchange and Nr 2 St Peters Square in the centre of Manchester.

Chris will be responsible for leading the Britplas commercial department and working closely with our estimating, pre-construction, procurement and operational teams to develop and implement the group commercial strategy.

John Blackwell, managing director of Britplas Group, said: “Chris brings considerable commercial leadership experience to our business and I am delighted to welcome him to the team. I look forward to working with him as we continue to drive our key strategic objectives and deliver continued growth across the group.”