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Housing crisis solutions shared at day two of UKCW

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Appropriately enough for Housing Day 2018, calls for more Government investment to end the housing crisis, to boost opportunities for SME housebuilders and developers and to build genuinely affordable quality homes, were some of the strong messages coming from day two of UK Construction Week (UKCW).

In a series of debates with key industry speakers, discussion around the UK’s current housing crisis drew in the crowds.

Hosted by BBC reporter and presenter Steph McGovern, a panel of experts delved further into issues such as the availability of land, the powers to enable local authorities’ own building programmes and opportunities for smaller building firms.

Ruth Davison, executive director of public impact at National Housing Federation, said:

“To solve the housing crisis, 50% of land must be allocated to building affordable homes. Research shows that the UK needs 340,000 homes a year and that 90,000 of these homes need to be genuinely affordable.”

Alex Ely, principal at Mae Architects, pointed out that the last time housing supply met demand was in the 1960s, when half of all housing was social.

At this time, land was more readily available. But Bjorn Conway, chief executive officer at Ilke Homes felt this isn’t the main issue today:

“There are lots of small plots available but they’re not being built on because it’s not economic for large developers. I can see really good volume and development opportunities for SME housebuilders and developers.”

Leading the discussion on to how new housing can be delivered, Steph McGovern talked about construction companies needing to evolve into technology companies: “Start with the business processes that will drive productivity and focus on technology that will improve them.”

Bjorn Conway supported this statement, adding:

“Using technology and modern methods of construction will ensure we can build quicker without compromising on quality and design. It will add capacity to the construction industry while building high-quality homes.”

Quality was also the focus of a packed-out seminar on construction standards post-Grenfell. As one of the speakers, building regulations expert Geoff Wilkinson commented:

“We need to build to the standards we say we will. We need everyone to stand up for quality, to say we’re not going to be part of a culture where everyone designs down to a minimum or looks on regulatory compliance as an optional extra. We should ensure that you can’t start work on housing or any other project until it’s had independent approval, you can’t vary the design or specification until it’s been checked, and you can’t occupy a building until it’s been proved you have built what you said you would.”

Other highlights from the show included:

  • Barbara Res’ keynote talk on the challenges she faced as a woman working in a male-dominated environment, building Trump Tower, and her experience of working with Donald Trump;
  • The announcement of the UKCW Role Model of the Year, engineering project manager Arleta Anderasik-Paton;
  • The Voltimum Smart Solutions Awards; and
  • The FIS’s Builders Brew event in support of World Mental Health Day.

Grand Designs Live also opened its doors today, and over the course of the weekend will provide thousands of visitors with expert advice on self-build, home renovations and improvements, new product launches and specialist exhibitors in six project zones. UKCW visitors get free access to this show tomorrow, but new tickets are required from Friday 12 October.

Nathan Garnett, UKCW event director, said:

“Day two of UK Construction Week has been incredibly busy and has dealt with some of the biggest issues of the day, from the housing crisis and quality in construction, to diversity, skills, economic forecasts and the new business models that will transform the industry in the future.

“Our theme is the future of construction and we have seen this reflected yet again, in the people, policies, processes, products and projects which have been on display today.

“Tomorrow is the final day of this year’s show, so don’t miss out. It’s the one opportunity in the year to see everything new and everyone important all under one roof.”

Tomorrow’s top sessions at UKCW are expected to be:

  • A look at the impact and consequences of Brexit on procurement in the UK, chaired by architect and TV presenter George Clarke;
  • The completed build of Carwyn Lloyd Jones’ ‘Tiny House of the Future’, created entirely from natural materials such as timber, cob and hempcrete; and
  • The first BMF Young Merchants’ Conference with keynote speaker Steve Backley OBE, British track and field athlete;
  • A preview of an extraordinary construction mission to Antarctica to build a new wharf for the RRS Sir David Attenborough, aka ‘Boaty McBoatface’.

More than 650 exhibitors and 10,000 products and services are featured across nine shows: Build Show, Energy 2018, Timber Expo, Building Tech Live, Surface & Materials Show, HVAC 2018, Civils Expo, Plant and Machinery Live, and Grand Designs Live.

www.ukconstructionweek.com

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Billboard advertising: the power and influence

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Many firms in the construction industry find advertising tough due to competition and so many marketing avenues and product. Arguably, one of the most effective methods of making someone pay attention is with a large billboard placed strategically in a public place.

Discover why your construction business needs to reassess its advertising campaigns to feature billboards, and what strategy you need to follow to make them work!

Billboarding influence

Today, billboards are a critical part of promoting — they’ve even had a film made about them (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri). However, the earliest record of a leased billboard was documented in 1867. Output from the construction industry in 2017 hit nearly £164 million — more than double that of the year 2000. Compeition is fierce, and you need to fight for consumers.

According to Route, the average Brit is classed as ‘out and about’ for three hours and ten minutes every day, spending around 16 minutes in the view of advertisements. So, you want to attract these potential customers by placing a billboard somewhere that sits amid a place of high footfall and traffic.

Do you need more workers and need to advertise from a recruitment perspective? No construction company wants to pass on a project just because they don’t have the resources or manpower. In the construction sector today, 87% of employers are facing an issue due to a shortage of skilled workers, according to City & Guilds. A billboard could be the tool you need to advertise the employment opportunities you have to offer — and it shouldn’t take you too much time to put together. A billboard is a single page of design that is simple to design and print, which saves you time and means you can promote vacancies quicker.

Perhaps you’re trying to promote and sell your services or products, instead. Heard of the ‘Marketing Rule of 7′? Basically, this rule means someone has to hear or see an ad seven times before acting on it. If you put a billboard design on a site that people might pass more than once a day — like on the way to work or school — your potential customers will achieve this magic number of viewings in just a few days.

Now, you need to get your head around designing the right billboard for your brand and objectives.

Designing your billboard

Make sure your billboard gets to the point — make it bold and informative. Think strategically about what you want on your billboard — someone driving past at 40mph+ is only going to be able to take in so much. Do you want to sell a specific product? Are you spreading brand awareness or promoting an event? Only include the essential marketing message information — like contact details, name of product, date and location of event, and call to action.

Images can be very powerful on a billboard. According to research, people generally only recall 10% of information they hear three days later. However, using a relevant image alongside this information increases retention by 55%. When designing your billboard, try and think of an unconventional image that will grab a passer-by’s attention — even something as simple as having a large, black-and-white photo of a construction site with only the workers’ construction helmets in yellow would stand out.

Digestible and clear info on a billboard is essential — what’s the point if people can’t read what you’re saying? Utilise bright and bold colours to catch the eye — contrasting colours are reportedly stay in people’s memories for longer, too — and opt for a simple background and large, readable text — Sans Serif is a good shout.

The above point is especially important if your billboard is on a main road. Remember, a motorist only has between five and ten seconds take in an advertisement. So, the more relevant and informative your image is, the less you should need to convey with text — stick to a brief, punchy message of seven words and you should get your marketing message across, no problem.

Trying to entice the skills of new tradespeople? Are you advertising your construction products to other businesses? Whoever you’re targeting, bear this in mind when choosing your billboard location. For example, if you need young, entry-level employees, find a site near a college. Or if you’re trying to secure deals to work on commercial buildings, go for somewhere near a retail park or area where there’s a lot of trading. Otherwise, you could reduce your ROI due to not being in sight of the people who are most likely to act on your ad.

By making a reference to the local area, you can help boost the power of your billboard. Include an image of a local landmark to create a sense of familiarity or reference the local traffic in a funny way. Humour generally works in advertising. According to a review of 6,500 ads, the funniest were usually cited as being the most appealing and memorable. What’s more, adopting this creates a more welcoming brand persona, which should encourage custom.

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Gilbert-Ash Builds Team Success with Six New Senior Appointments

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Leading UK construction, refurbishment and fit-out company, Gilbert-Ash, has strengthened its senior team with six internal promotions. The company has promoted four Project Directors and

John Davis, Gilbert-Ash Project Director, is leading the team at the new £17m Royal College of Pathologists headquarters in London

two Senior Surveyors, building on the wealth of expertise already across the team.

Gilbert-Ash recently announced its financial results for the year ended 31 December 2017. The results confirm a 50% increase in pre-tax profits to reach over £2m, up from £1.4m in 2016. With results driven by the dedicated 180-strong team, the contractor reported an overall turnover of £165.5m, an increase from £148m in the previous year.

It aims to build on this success with the recent Project Director and Senior Surveyor promotions, tapping into the strong potential that has been developed within the company.

Whilst carrying out multiple complex projects across the UK and beyond, Gilbert-Ash has been striving to improve its workforce culture and inspiring working environment, through continual investment in its people and innovation.

Sean Doran, John Davis, Ciaran Begley and Rodney Coalter have each been appointed as Project Directors, with Paul Carroll and Lyndon Park both promoted to Senior Surveyors. This allows their knowledge to be utilised at a strategic level and for each of them to help guide the company as it moves into a successful future.

Ray Hutchinson, Managing Director, Gilbert-Ash commented: “This is an exciting time for Gilbert-Ash as we match our industry success with several in-house promotions to new senior positions. This demonstrates the talent, skills and expertise that Gilbert-Ash possesses, not only at the top level but running throughout the entire team from the ground up.”

Current projects include John Davis leading the team at the new £17m Royal College of Pathologists headquarters in London, whilst Ciaran Begley is sharing his expertise at the redevelopment of the Royal College of Music in South Kensington. Additionally, Lyndon Park is readying the £19.5m Cambridge Mosque for completion in December this year.

Rodney Coalter is currently working with the team to finalise the refurbishment of Bristol Old Vic, rediscovering its theatrical heritage. The company also continues to work with hotel group Whitbread on numerous concurrent projects, led by Sean Doran and Paul Carroll. As Whitbread Supplier of the Year 2017, Gilbert-Ash’s work takes place across the UK and includes its next generation, technology-enabled Premier Inn hub hotels.

Each of the Project Directors and Senior Surveyors joined Gilbert-Ash in the early stages of their career, with Sean Doran and Lyndon Park both joining during their placement year. This demonstrates Gilbert-Ash’s cohesive work culture that has led to an employee retention rate of 87%.

Ray Hutchinson added: “Our team of Project Directors and Senior Surveyors will help shape the future of construction at Gilbert-Ash through their determined work ethic and skilled attention to detail. I congratulate each of them on their success and look forward to seeing what the future holds under their steer. The company’s strong growth is driven by our continued focus and investment in both our chosen markets and our people.”

Gilbert-Ash recently received the renowned accolade of Contractor of the Year at the Construction News Awards 2018. It has also been shortlisted for Contractor of the Year (up to £300m) at the Building Awards 2018. Over the past 12 months, it has performed strongly on a national level with several high-profile projects, including the £21.5m AC by Marriott Hotel in Belfast City Quays and the £19.5m Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts project in London.

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Intelligent Building Automation Technologies Market Status, Trends, Share, Growth, Opportunities, Type, Application and Forecast 2025

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the report provides a brief introduction of the market and deals with detailed research methodology for calculating market size and forecasts, secondary data sources used and the primary inputs which were taken for data validation. This section also outlines various segmentations which have been covered as part of the report. Posted via Industry Today. Follow us on Twitter @IndustryToday Continue Reading