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In the film ‘Field of Dreams’, Kevin Costner’s character Ray Kinsella is told in his corn field that “if you build it, he will come”. This was referring to the construction of a baseball field that will re-unite him with his late, estranged father. Following this premonition, Ray has to undergo a series of challenges in order to pull off this beyond-the-grave feat. In the face of financial ruin and the doubt of his peers, Ray ultimately succeeds to bring about Hollywood’s most epic father-and-son…

The Place, is the latest commercial project of developer Sellar’s London Bridge Quarter scheme. It sits in the shadow of its bigger sibling The Shard, but resolving the complex challenges in creating this building has yielded an extraordinary project, quite worthy of sharing the same space as its lauded neighbour. A JCT Major Project Construction Contract underpinned the solution.Several pioneering techniques were adopted by the project team in building The Shard. On The Place, with the same team, including contractor Mace and architect Renzo Piano,…

JCT Design and Build contract is used for the next chapter of the Tudor warship’s conservation story. It’s been over thirty years since the Mary Rose was excavated from the Solent near Portsmouth and placed in its current location at the centre of Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard. The Tudor warship, which sank on 19 July 1545, along with 19,000 artefacts, gives a unique view into nautical history. More than simply a display piece however, the Mary Rose is a mixture of museum and complex conservation project….

Part building, part installation, part event – The Shed A temporary theatre space situated on London’s South Bank, is the result of a collaborative process that merged the opportunity to explore new ways of making theatre with the chance to experiment with architectural design. A JCT Intermediate Building Contract took centre stage. The Shed is a one-year temporary theatre built to provide the National Theatre with a third space whilst the Cottesloe Theatre (the smallest of the NT’s three auditoriums) is closed for redevelopment. It…

A sensitive and sustainable restoration of a Cornish tin mine Heartlands beats at the centre of the community and Mining World Heritage Site alike. A JCT Standard Building Contract provided the contract solution. The Heartlands project is the gateway centre to the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site. It is a mixed-use area, comprising new-build development, conversion and the restoration of an original Cornish tin mine and engine. Located in Pool, West Cornwall, Heartlands is central to the wider Camborne Pool Redruth…

Deemed too costly and complex to renovate, the fire damaged and derelict Astley Castle. That was before its triumphant rebirth in 2012. Formerly owned by three English queens, Astley Castle gained a new crown in 2013 by winning the RIBA Stirling prize. A JCT Intermediate Building Contract with contractor’s design was the contract solution at the centre of this ancient showcase. Located in North Warwickshire, Astley Castle started its life in the 12th Century as a fortified manor house. In 1420, Sir William Astley died,…

Liverpool’s Everyman Theatre is a 400-seat auditorium and arts space. Completed in October 2013 after a ten-year planning and two-year construction process, community, inclusiveness and diversity, seamlessly merged with form, function and exemplar sustainable credentials are at the centre of this unique building project. A JCT Standard Building Contract provided the contract solution. The Everyman Theatre, if nothing else (and there’s a lot else), does reinforce JCT’s previous form in providing contract solutions for ‘dramatic’ spaces. Back in February, JCT News highlighted the use of…