Sectors
Construction News
Upcoming event
24/03/09
Breaking New Ground: The iHub Exemplar
Tuesday 24th March 2009: Staverton Park, Daventry Road, Staverton, Daventry, Northamptonshire, NN11 6JT
Sustainable Construction iNet all systems are go: learn about tailored innovation support to help you grow and access to dedicated grants for your business Find out about and tour the site of the Sustainable Construction iHub: a multimillion-pound building that will feature offices for up to 60 businesses, exhibition space and community facilities
Hear from keynote speaker, Michael Pawlyn, one of the leading architects behind the Eden Project and a passionate advocate of sustainable architecture
Sustainable Construction iNet advisors will be on hand to provide assistance in developing and implementing new products, processes and services
Dedicated grants are on offer to help your business to become more innovative
This is a valuable opportunity to network and build new links with key contacts in construction technologies, regional supply chains and the support and funding bodies.
To register or for more detailed information about this event please visit www.bre.co.uk/ifestival or email Gemma Davis at events@construction-inet.org.uk for further queries.
Booking confirmation, venue details and timings will be sent upon registration.
*The Sustainable Construction iNet is a business-led innovation network
Invest DVD
Find out more about what Northamptonshire has to offer potential business investors with our Investor DVD
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE COMPANY GETS INNOVATION SUPPORT GRANT
Pivotal Construction is the one of the first Northamptonshire businesses to receive funding through the Sustainable Construction Innovation Network (iNet).
Nick Barnett and Neil Cumming – the directors of Pivotal Construction – formed the company in 2009 after they recognised the problem of the on-going need for housing, but a diminishing supply of suitable development land.
Nick said: “The Environmental Agency rejected 6,200 planning applications in 2007/08 on the grounds of risk to the properties through flooding. This, coupled with the costs of prime development land, suggested to us that there was an opportunity to make use of marginal land, if we could design a home which is unaffected by floodwater.
“The most striking feature of our homes is the highly functional ‘pedestal’ design, which incorporates an innovative steel construction and will support the home approximately two metres above ground level. This makes our homes excellent at keeping themselves and their occupants out of harm’s way.
This pedestal structure will give the homes an incredibly strong and enduring platform. The factory-built side panels and roof elements allow an extremely quick and cost-effective build on site, which also keeps on-site environmental disruption to a minimum. The interiors will be finished to a very high level and the homeowner can choose the furnishings and fittings.
Nick said: “The £8,100 Innovation Support Grant will go towards the costs of developing our innovative preliminary design, through the services of BRIK Contracting Ltd. The design incorporates many high environmental rating technologies, which aren’t yet commonplace in the house-building sector. We’re aiming for Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) code level 6 ultimately. This should provide residents with an income from surplus power generation sold back to the National Grid.
