Due to be completed in Spring 2020, the Taff Vale redevelopment scheme is the start of a major new regeneration project for Pontypridd. A JCT Design and Build Contract provides the solution for two new office blocks and a statement community building. In recent years the decline of development in Pontypridd, South Wales has in part been the result of a neighbouring city’s own success; the regeneration projects in nearby Cardiff have resulted in business and employment opportunities moving away from the local area. Rhondda…

70 St Mary Axe, otherwise known as “The Can of Ham” due to its recognisable curved design, is the latest high-rise to join an increasingly visually competitive City skyline. Prizing open the lid reveals some unique features and a design that demanded absolute precision in its construction to ensure its success. A JCT Design and Build Contract provided the contract solution. The Can of Ham, designed by Foggo Associates, is a collaboration between contractor Mace and client/developer TH Real Estate. The 21-storey, 28,000m² tower, provides…

Solidspace’s Tetris-style mansion apartment building at 81–87 Weston Street in Bermondsey, London, is the result of a 10-year collaboration between the developer and architect firm, Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM). Defined as ‘slow architecture’, the time taken to develop the design and the approach, using finely crafted and bespoke materials, brings an elegance that redefines brutalism for the 21st century. A JCT Major Project Construction Contract provided the contract solution. 81–87 Weston Street epitomises Solidspace’s development speciality—finding gap sites and pocket sites, which are challenging…

The UK’s first University Technical College to use offsite construction methods Completed in 2016, the Global Academy in Hayes, West London, is a state-of-the-art school for 14-19-year-olds, aimed at students pursuing careers in the media and broadcast industries. It is one of the UK’s most efficient modular buildings, and the first education establishment of its kind to use offsite construction. Mixing traditional construction methods with a state-of-the-art modular approach enabled the entire 8,700m² , £16m project to be completed within a year. A JCT Design…

When completed later this year, the new terraces of flats and houses at Goldsmith Street, Norwich will be the UK’s largest Passivhaus development. If that wasn’t ambitious enough, it is also commissioned by Norwich Council as a 100% social housing scheme. A JCT Standard Building Contract provided the contract solution. Goldsmith Street is the pinnacle of a recent series of developments which is seeing Norfolk become a hub in the UK for Passivhaus projects. Designed by Mikhail Riches Architects and built by RG Carter, it…

A devastating fire in 2010 destroyed 90% of the super-structure of Hastings Pier, leaving only the western pavilion building salvageable. With funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the local community, the opportunity was taken to redefine the role of a pier for the 21st Century. The fabulous result – which won the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2017 – was built on a JCT Minor Works Building Contract. Hastings Pier’s history goes back to 1872 as a classic, Victorian style, pier designed by Eugenius Birch…

Derwent London’s latest commercial development, White Collar Factory, combines years of research,lessons learned from well-built historic industrial spaces, and best practice in sustainable modern office design, to deliver a low-cost, low impact, and flexible working environment. A JCT Design and Build Contract provided the contract solution. Located overlooking Old Street roundabout, White Collar Factory is surrounded by the trendy and artistic enclaves of Shoreditch, Hoxton and Clerkenwell in the northern part of the City of London. Home to Tech City, Old Street is a diverse…

Since its founding in 1860, Battersea Dogs & Cats Home (BDCH) has cared for more than 3.1 million dogs and cats. Starting in 2014, a major redevelopment of the BDCH site, which sits adjacent to Battersea Power Station, adds not only a new assessment centre and intake kennels, but an eye-catching eight-storey veterinary hospital, training and administration building – creating a landmark facility for the organisation. For a building that needed to house a number of specialist services, and overcome a number of structural and…

Le Petit Fort is a private family residence located on the shoreline of St Ouen’s Bay in Jersey. The house has been developed and constructed within the walls of a 20th century fort which has had, along with the surrounding landscape, existing materials, and history, a significant influence on the new building’s design. A winner of the RIBA South East Regional Award 2016 and shortlisted for the 2016 Building Awards, a JCT Intermediate Building Contract was the contract solution. Despite Le Petit Fort’s prominent location…

Legend has it that the kingdom will fall should the ravens ever leave the Tower of London. It was extra important therefore to provide a safe and comfortable new habitat for the iconic birds – one that was sensitive to its historic environment and enhanced their role as a visitor attraction. With a careful and collaborative approach required, the JCT – Constructing Excellence Contract provided the contract solution. The ravens of the Tower of London are an important part of British cultural folklore and history,…