USE OLYMPICS TO EXPORT BRITAIN’S ENVIED GOLD MEDAL-PERFORMING CONSTRUCTION EXPERTISE.

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE

January 27, 2012.

USE OLYMPICS TO EXPORT BRITAIN’S ENVIED GOLD MEDAL-PERFORMING CONSTRUCTION EXPERTISE.

Stop criticising and talking down our Olympic achievement – some of the strongest economies in the world are watching Britain and considering what we could bring to future games.

That’s the message from international property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper which says it winces every time there’s any domestically-generated criticism of London 2012 – because from a design, construction and delivery perspective it has been a gold medal-winning performance by Britain.

McBains, which works on public and private sector projects in the UK, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East, is urging UK government international trade development teams to wave the flag abroad for UK construction and property businesses who have moved heaven, earth and big pieces of east London to deliver one of the most organised games construction plans ever.

“McBains Cooper already has an alliance in Brazil – the venue for the 2016 games - and we’re working in virtually every country or region, bar Japan, which are candidates for the 2020 games. But whether it’s Rio 2016, or candidates in Spain, Italy, Azerbaijan, Turkey or Qatar for 2020, there’s a common murmuring we hear every time the subject comes up,” said Michael Thirkettle, Chief Executive of McBains Cooper.

“And that is that everybody involved in construction, whether in Brazil or the 2020 candidate venues, has commented on the success of the planning and construction of everything London games-related – and more often than not it’s accompanied by some positive reference to the UK construction industry, and its professional advisers and consultancies being the best in the world.

“The fact is that in comparison to any other recent major sporting event – and some recent Olympics - London 2012 construction has run far faster and more efficiently. That has been noted by other countries, and, frankly, because of our reputation, British construction and professional consultancy businesses are amongst the very few who can travel the world to help drive and deliver major projects for other venue cities – the Olympics is a fantastic global shop window for British management expertise, design and construction skills, and that expertise can be exported to make other games equally impressive.

“The Office of Budget Responsibility reckons that a good deal of UK economic growth in 2012 will be down to the Olympics – but we shouldn’t be believing the opportunity ends when the last competitor or spectator leaves through Heathrow’s temporary games terminal: it could be the start.

“Anybody with any ability to export British construction expertise should be hot on the heels of those departing, and selling that expertise to the next successful or candidate Olympic venues.”

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800 im@pressrelations.co.uk

www.mcbainscooper.com

Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than �100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Glasgow, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Athens, Lima (Peru), Miami and Mexico, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

UK EXPERTISE AND US PACE – BUILD BRITAIN OUT OF DOWNTURN, SAYS "RE-IMPORTED" MCBAINS COOPER DIRECTOR

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE

October 11, 2011.

UK EXPERTISE AND US PACE – BUILD BRITAIN OUT OF DOWNTURN, SAYS NEW MCBAINS COOPER DIRECTOR.

What happens in the USA today has to happen in the UK tomorrow – and nowhere is it more critical than in the property and construction sector.

That’s the considered but urgent view of Richard Fewings, newly-appointed director of London-based international property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper, who joins the firm after nine years’ gathered scar tissue working in the fastest, toughest property market in the world – Manhattan, New York.

“My brief at McBains Cooper is cost management and quantity surveying on current and forthcoming major projects in the UK and internationally, and while I was ‘exported’ to the USA because they have immense respect for the expertise and experience of the British construction industry, I’ve ‘re-imported’ myself into the UK and realised just how devastatingly dominant we could be as an international design and construction power if we combined UK expertise with US-style pace and urgency,” said Richard.

“In fact, having been exposed to big projects on both sides of the Atlantic, I believe UK construction and property expertise combined with a bit of Manhattan-level pace could establish Britain as the absolutely dominant source of professional consultancy, worldwide, for generations.

“That may sound a little aloof or ambitious, but UK construction professionals are the best in the world. When you combine that with the aggressive accelerated delivery New York is noted for, it’s a very strong package.”

Richard, who has worked on blue chip office, residential, hotel, retail in the USA – sectors he’ll be focussing on in the UK and internationally - believes that one of the areas where pace and cost management can be improved is by being as demanding on behalf of UK project clients and investors as the most demanding investors in Manhattan - where he was involved in billions of dollars worth of construction projects.

“We have to take every opportunity to squeeze the procurement and delivery process, such as far more frequent progress and co-ordination meetings than is the UK norm, fully exploiting pre-ordering opportunities, and maximising use of overseas suppliers to drive competition,” he said.

“The upside: faster turnover and delivery of projects will further enhance the reputation of UK professionals abroad.”

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800 im@pressrelations.co.uk

www.mcbainscooper.com

Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Athens, Lima (Peru), Miami and Mexico, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

“SHOE-BOX HOMES”: RIBA’S GERALD RATNER MOMENT.

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE

September 20, 2011.

“SHOE-BOX HOMES”: RIBA’S GERALD RATNER MOMENT.

Property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper says RIBA’s Gerald Ratner moment – its “Case for Space” report slating the country’s housebuilders and their “shameful shoebox homes” – could have a devastating impact upon housing development.

“Somebody’s been reading their management books and come up with the light bulb moment that if you want to make something happen, then make somebody uncomfortable – but they’ve lost sight of the fact that the housing construction sector is facing unprecedented challenges right now, and just about everybody involved is doing everything in their power to meet those challenges,” said Mark Leeson, a director of McBains Cooper.

“The question is why are we criticising our own? The report could have taken a much more supportive approach, providing solutions and answers rather than problems and impossible-to-answer questions about future market trends.

“If we’re spending 20% of our time debating the issue, then we’re being 20% less efficient – and we all know that given time is money, we have nothing like the luxury of a 20% margin to play with.

“This could go down as RIBA’s ‘Gerald Ratner moment’ - he called the products in his own jewellery chain ‘crap’. The reality is that house size is the wrong area of focus. If a house is deemed to be too small then we all have a choice not to buy it and to look for a bigger one – it’s called ‘the market’.

“RIBA’s energy, and members’ fee payments, could be better spent re-establishing architects’ reputation in the industry rather than alienating powerful industry people.

“They should be spending their time working with the housebuilders to establish a position for architects to add value, and influence the process with the housebuilders rather than confronting them. The fact is the desperate need for new housing stock in this country can only be delivered by a collaborative approach and by housebuilders.

“The real issue is that homes are not sold on a square footage basis, they are sold according to numbers of bedrooms. A larger three-bed house will sell for no more than a smaller one, so there is no real incentive for developers to build bigger. The bigger one may sell faster, but value and revenue are based on sale price, not necessarily speed of sale.

“The right way to add value and improve our stock in the industry is not to moan about the housebuilders, but to point to and look at ways in which good design can make the best use of space, rather than focus on how much space is created.

“For instance, look at yacht design as an example – we and others are developing incredibly space-efficient home designs based on yacht interior design.

“Well-designed homes have carefully considered integrated storage, efficient plans minimising circulation or corridor space - and maximising useable space for furniture and various room layouts, with well-positioned and proportioned windows orientated well to maximise natural light and views.

“That’s what’s known as a constructive solution, and it’s what we should all be focussing upon.”

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800 im@pressrelations.co.uk

www.mcbainscooper.com

Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Athens, Lima (Peru), Miami and Mexico, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

PLANNING LAWS “ALREADY IN FORCE” – PROPERTY CONSULTANCY MCBAINS COOPER COMMENTS.

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

QUOTES

September 13, 2011.

PLANNING LAWS “ALREADY IN FORCE” – PROPERTY CONSULTANCY MCBAINS COOPER COMMENTS.

Commenting on speculation that future planning laws and guidance are already in force, Mark Leeson, a director of property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper said:

“We should welcome any initiative that speeds up the planning process and encourages sustainable development designed to a high standard. The real problem here, and the one that is causing most concern, is the difference in the timing between the finalisation of the ‘local plans’ and the likely push by developers to secure consent before these are adopted.

“While the idea of creating a local plan in a wholly democratic and consultative way is noble aspiration, it is a complex, time-consuming and expensive process. There is no real guidance to local authorities on how to undertake this process.

“The question is who instigates the local plans? Is it the private sector, the local authority – which may no longer have the resources and money to do so - or individuals and groups themselves? In the case of individuals it is difficult to see what would trigger their involvement. Individuals and sometimes groups have historically reacted to proposals and plans rather than created them themselves. If they are to create them themselves, what professional help is available to them to do so, and how would they procure it?

“Of particular concern in relation to achieving sustainable growth is the removal of targets relating to the re-use of brown field sites, and the lack of comment relating to intensification of land usage. The most sustainable developments build on existing infrastructure, reduce the need to travel and encourage internal investment back into existing communities, rather than creating new ones. The lack of focus on this will inevitably mean that some development will be allowed where it should not be, and opportunities to regenerate may be missed.

“In the meantime, the good news for developers is that the ‘presumption’ should mean that providing the criteria are met, and careful consultation at a local level takes place, consent should be easier to secure. In reality, the new policy will inevitably need to be tested through appeal before LAs really start to adopt it, and greater investment will be needed in the LAs planning teams to make this happen.

“I believe an element of ‘privatisation’ of the planning service - as with approved inspectors - should be introduced to allow the private sector to manage the consultation process and prepare and ‘self-validate’ applications to speed up this process, leaving officers to concentrate on the development, in partnership with the private sector, of strategic plans and to carry out the various needs surveys that have been suggested by the draft framework.”

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800 im@pressrelations.co.uk

www.mcbainscooper.com

Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Athens, Lima (Peru), Miami and Mexico, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

MCBAINS COOPER APPOINTS NEW CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.

MCBAINS COOPER 

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE

September 7, 2011.

MCBAINS COOPER APPOINTS NEW CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.

Property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper has appointed Jonathan Mintz as Chief Financial Officer based at the firm’s City of London offices.

Jonathan, 42, a Manchester University graduate, joins from property finance and development specialists Lend Lease Corporation where he was also Chief Financial Officer, working with the business’ Continental Europe, Middle East and Latin America operations.

“What grabbed me was McBains Cooper’s ambitions to drive development in Latin America, the Mediterranean and Middle East – and then when I started to grow my understand of the business I realised that far from being a vision, they were actually delivering against those ambitions,” said Jonathan.

“It is extremely inspiring to come across a business in the property and construction sector which is moving heaven and earth to establish itself in sectors and markets – and then delivering presence, business – and contracts.”

Jonathan has been involved in the finance function of several construction-related businesses since the mid-1990s.

Michael Thirkettle, Chief Executive of McBains Cooper, said: “Anybody coming into the property and construction sector at a senior level, and who has not previously been involved in the sector can sometimes find the environment a little too challenging.

“But Jonathan has the experience and scar tissue to appreciate just how tough the sector is. He obviously has wider management and sector experience – crucially, in international markets – which bring an extra something to the team.”

Away from the office, Jonathan until recently held a licence to freefall parachute anywhere in the world, although is currently keeping his feet well and truly in and on the earth, cycling, gardening and wine tasting.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800 im@pressrelations.co.uk

www.mcbainscooper.com

Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Athens, Lima (Peru), Miami and Mexico, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

CONSTRUCTION MUST LOOK TO CARMAKERS FOR INSPIRATION AS CABINET OFFICE CRITICISES INEFFICIENCIES.

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE

July, 6, 2011.

CONSTRUCTION MUST LOOK TO CARMAKERS FOR INSPIRATION AS CABINET OFFICE CRITICISES INEFFICIENCIES.

The UK construction sector should be looking to the revitalised domestic car manufacturing industry for inspiration to drive efficiencies and cost savings without compromising quality.

Mark Leeson, a director of property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper, says that criticism in the Cabinet Office’s Government Construction Strategy document of the efficiency, value, fragmentation, poor procurement processes and chaotic supply chain relationships hint at stretched patience with the UK construction industry.

“We saw it before with UK car manufacturing – but look where we stand now: more and more foreign manufacturers are investing in car and parts production in the UK, and, what’s more, if you take the car manufacturing sector globally, then there is no longer any such thing as a ‘bad’ car,” said Mark Leeson.

“Design, procurement, production and delivery of perfectly constructed and massively reliable cars is a seamless process. Construction is in many ways as logistically and technically demanding, so perhaps we as an industry should be looking to the UK-based car manufacturing plants for inspiration.

“We need to act, though. There are big hints of growing government intolerance that the construction sector is underperforming and grossly inefficient, with duplication, poor supplier/resource planning, bad communication, high levels of waste and lost opportunity because of chaotic processes and relationships. The Public Sector is not a cash cow or a golden goose, and the government wants better and better standards of delivery at keener and keener prices.

“Quality of process is plain to see in some projects, but many are disjointed from end-to-end. The government is going to drive costs down come hell or high water, and the construction sector has to realign itself accordingly.

“Every organisation in construction needs to take a deeper and more committed stake in the process from end-to-end – suppliers need to understand the implications of a bad or disorganised start to a project, clients need to appreciate the impact of inefficient design, planning, construction and over-budget finished product. Standardisation is a crucial developmental requirement.

“But, in contradiction, there is a strong case for building up to a standard rather than down to a price; it needs a fundamental change in approach - both driving cost-efficient standardisation, and improving quality - perhaps we need look no further than the car industry to see that mainstream manufacturers are designing and producing cars to a standard in 2011 that even the premium brands could only dream about just ten years ago.

“Perhaps a fact-finding mission into the car manufacturing industry to see how they’ve dealt with the efficiency, standardisation and improved quality issue is long overdue. Perhaps the construction sector should swallow its pride and invite the car industry in to look at inefficiencies we don’t even notice.

“The answer is in technology: a root and branch revision - paid for by tax breaks or grants for innovation - of the technologies used in design and construction, maybe even developing a standardisation in software across the entire industry to ensure collaborative design and planning, plus procurement and duplication avoidance, are of a common standard.

“But, crucially, what the report is saying is that there’s a need for what we would describe as a seamless interdisciplinary approach across the industry.

“But there is also a polarisation occurring where consolidation at the top is creating behemoths that are unfriendly to all but the largest of departments or  clients and are organised on discipline or sector-based structures, and at the bottom, greater and greater numbers of SME’s - 300,000 businesses with 2,000,000 employees, an average of 6 people per business - who lack the critical mass to deliver significant projects but might have the ‘common’ touch crucial to creating the icing on a construction project cake, or a very specialist strand in an important development.”

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800 im@pressrelations.co.uk

www.mcbainscooper.com

Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Athens, Lima (Peru), Miami and Mexico, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

MCBAINS COOPER FLORIDA FORAY BEARS FRUIT.

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY AND CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE

April 15, 2011.

MCBAINS COOPER FLORIDA FORAY BEARS FRUIT.

UK-based property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper is seeing early fruit from its launch into the USA.

The interdisciplinary consultancy’s Miami team has been appointed as development monitoring surveyors and technical advisors on behalf of Friends First, a subsidiary of the Eureko Group.

The project is the refurbishment of Mizner Court, an existing period apartment building on Sunset Avenue, Palm Beach, Florida.

“We established our office in Miami as both a hub for our growing Latin American contract portfolio, and as a base for opportunities we see developing in the South East USA,” said Santiago Klein, Managing Director of McBains Cooper International.

“UK-sourced professional property and construction experience and expertise is highly rated and highly valued in Latin America where we are providing support for both private and public sector contracts, but our presence and growth in Miami is demonstrating that demand extends to the USA.”

Mizner Court is an apartment building with ground floor retail space located one block away from the beach.

Designed by its namesake, Addison Mizner, a renowned American architect, Mizner Court is distinguishable by his trademark Mediterranean Revival style.

The property is located in Palm Beach, Florida, one of the most affluent

communities in the United States. Located on a 16-mile long barrier island on the

eastern-most point of Florida, Palm Beach serves as the second home location of

choice for the social elite of the major cities in the North east of America.

“Given the building’s enviable location just one block away from the beach and

the limited supply of rental units within the area, the client is in the process of implementing an above-standard unit improvement programme to improve the building’s profile and command superior rents,” said Julian Symons, McBains Cooper director in charge of the project.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800

im@pressrelations.co.uk

www.mcbainscooper.com

Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Lima (Peru), Mexico and Miami, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

LONDON’S PRIME PROPERTY ASSETS ARE FOREIGN CURRENCY PLAYERS’ TROPHIES.

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE

March 22, 2011.

LONDON’S PRIME PROPERTY ASSETS ARE FOREIGN CURRENCY PLAYERS’ TROPHIES.

A gilt-framed window of investment opportunity - through which deal-hungry foreign pension funds and investors are piling - is driving a third speed to the property economy in the UK beyond the traditional north-south divide.

McBains Cooper, the international property and construction consultancy, says that while there’s that continuing north-south split in the becalmed UK property market, there’s a distinct ring of bright water in the heart of the central London property pool that sets it massively apart from everywhere else.

“Based on our experience of pre-acquisition work, we’ve noticed a consistent trend in big-ticket residential asset movement and commercial property deals in central London arising from a perfect but very localised combination of cultural, business and economic circumstances – and deep-seated trust in UK business,” said Gareth Hird, a director of McBains Cooper.

“Currency values against sterling mean foreign investors, and wealth and pension funds, are buying up trophy assets, prime London stock, high-end residential properties and commercial sites. This is in the knowledge that not only are they getting a relative currency-value-impacted bargain on restricted-supply property assets, but their currency play means that as soon as UK interest rates start to rise, so too does the value of sterling. It’s a double property investment whammy.

“In troubled times we see a rush to the blue chip shares, and while property investment as a whole across the UK is relatively flat, the ‘old world’ is a stable investment environment and offers the prospect of strong, focussed and localised returns for investors hunting down the trophy assets.

“This is largely driven by London’s unassailable status as a global city – a few square miles of an economy within an economy – and the advantages its cultural diversity bring. Middle Eastern, Far Eastern and Russian investors feel comfortable in London, both in terms of a place to live and a place to do business.

“The key is that there is no dramatic escalation in deals; the environment is of consistency - and has been for many months – with London being perhaps one of a handful of global gilt investment property cities, but which is also impacted and influenced by currency, but, crucially, has a foundation of business integrity that outdates most of the rest of the world’s major localised economies.

“However, rumblings about UK interest rate rises are beginning to instil some cautious urgency.”

McBains Cooper has been involved in due-diligence and pre-acquisition work on a number of deals, but has also been involved in project management of development projects including super-high-end residential properties aimed at the buyers being targeted by the acquiring and investing pension and wealth funds.

“We’ve come to understand the culture and demands of many of the target audiences, and have consequently been involved in some incredibly high-quality developments, some of which are not even obviously marketed because there is such a specific and contained target audience,” said Gareth Hird.

“But what we have noticed is that in many of these high-end properties, especially those which include a number of self-contained residences - there can be a wide array of styles and designs based on very specific demands. While one cultural group will want ultimate ‘traditional palatial’, others will want almost unimaginably cutting-edge technology.

“The common factor is that their background is rarely British or European.”

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800 im@pressrelations.co.uk

www.mcbainscooper.com

Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Lima (Peru), Miami and Mexico, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

MCBAINS COOPER “BLUE LIGHT” TEAM, WORKING WITH NORTH YORKSHIRE POLICE, SECURES PLANNING CONSENT FOR NEW POLICE STATION

MCBAINS COOPER


PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE



December 9, 2010.



MCBAINS COOPER “BLUE LIGHT” TEAM, WORKING WITH NORTH YORKSHIRE POLICE, SECURES PLANNING CONSENT FOR NEW POLICE STATION



McBains Cooper, the international interdisciplinary property and construction consultancy, has designed a landmark Police Station in Yorkshire that will operate to the highest possible environmentally-sensitive standards.



Planning permission has been granted for the multi-million pound North Yorkshire Police Station on the outskirts of Harrogate. The new project will replace the existing 1930s building which would have taken half the cost of the new build to repair and maintain over the next ten years.



“The latest available technology and environmental features will be applied in the new Police Station. It will meet all Home Office guidelines, and is set to achieve BREEAM ‘Excellent’ in terms of assessing the building’s environmental performance,” said Mark Baseby of McBains Cooper.



“We have also managed to turn a tight, sloping site, surrounded by protected mature trees, into a well-organised master plan. Locating the custody element of the building partly below ground and within the landscape has given the Police Authority a naturally secure environment in which to operate.”



North Yorkshire’s Chief Constable, Grahame Maxwell said: “This is not just an exciting project because it is something new and highly significant for the force, but because it is also clearly one of the most advanced Police Stations of its type which will benefit our communities for many years to come.”



Mark Baseby said: “The distinct architectural design treatments of the three entrances to the building – custodial, staff and public - form a significant part of the design approach and arrangement. Each entrance has a different look and feel and is located separately. A key element of the design brief was ‘civic dignity’, and this is achieved in what is a landmark building which sits on a very tight and complicated site.”



The 16-cell custody suite will be located in the stone “podium” base of the building, while office accommodation for 200 officers and staff will be in a predominantly glazed, two storey element above, making it an extremely pleasant working environment whilst at the same time, striking the right balance between openness and the required security considerations.



There will also be a two-storey car park, with the lower storey providing operational vehicle parking, vehicle maintenance and storage.



Michael Thirkettle, Chief Executive of McBains Cooper, said: “We have now been involved with the design and construction of several Police Headquarters and Operational Accommodation in the UK and have become internationally recognised for our expertise in this area. We have contracts for similar work as far away as Latin America where we have been engaged on a number of government-funded custodial and security-related construction projects.”





Ends



Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800

im@pressrelations.co.uk

www.mcbainscooper.com



Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Lima (Peru) and Mexico City, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

1960S BLOCKS AND YACHT DESIGN - THE LIFELINE FOR IMMINENT BENEFIT-CUT HOMELESS.

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE

November 11, 2010.

1960S BLOCKS AND YACHT DESIGN - THE LIFELINE FOR IMMINENT BENEFIT-CUT HOMELESS.

Video, click here.

Property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper says the building industry and private sector developers could play a crucial role in throwing a lifeline to people falling off the bottom of the housing ladder, or forced out of work, as CSR measures start to bite.

Mark Leeson, a director of McBains Cooper, says that a combination of yacht interior design technology and 60s and 70s tower blocks could play an unexpected part in keeping a roof over the head of those most likely to be affected by spending and benefit cuts.

He says that pre-assembled pods in the form of complete but compact apartments, similar in concept to bathroom and kitchen pods slotted into hotels and flats, could provide a low cost solution that could be integrated into outdated or unused tower blocks.

The pods cost a fraction of the price of a traditional ‘new build’ apartment, and the specification can be tailored at pre-assembly stage for a vast range of demographics. Shorter development completion times mean additional cost-saving, and decisions on precisely the format of the pods can be delayed by developers until last minute according to the market.

“It’s time now to look at a new model for housing, moving away from traditional one and two bedroomed apartments, and perhaps look at something akin to student accommodation where there are much smaller units in clusters, maybe pre-assembled, modularly constructed, such as the pods we’ve been developing with a number of our partners,” said Mark Leeson.

“They can slide into 60s and 70s buildings, maybe even 80s buildings, bringing them back into use, but providing accommodation tailored for those people who are now going to fall off the bottom of the housing ladder.”

He describes pre-assembled pods which are slid into existing buildings’ frames, good quality and perfectly tuned for the imminent market. As people lose income or benefits, these smaller units mean lower rental costs – but they can also help initiate and drive a sense of community.

He says that as people claw their way back up the ladder, they can rent bigger clusters of pods, or bigger pod units.

“These would be affordable for those on housing benefit as a result of their reduced size; they would benefit from a 'community' shared laundry facilities and the like, and when they start work, the rooms could be purchased on a shared ownership basis or purchased outright as a leasehold progressively allowing people to move up the property ladder,” said Mark Leeson.

“A flexible design would also allow rooms to be joined together allowing people to grow within the building, progressively owning not only a larger percentage of the space, but also a larger space overall.

“I think this is perfectly aligned with the coalition’s aim to get people into work and off benefits, but also solves the affordability issue that many will face when benefits are reduced or cut altogether.

“The challenge for the property industry is to convince the currently very conservative funding sources - institutional investors or funds – that this model will deliver a level of return that makes it worthwhile considering. This will only happen when the industry embraces modern methods of construction, and uses them in new and innovative ways.”

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800

im@pressrelations.co.uk

www.mcbainscooper.com

Notes.

McBains Cooper.

McBains Cooper is an international inter-disciplinary property and construction consultancy, one of the most successful in its sector.

Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America.

McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development, and its integrated approach means it can deliver effective, award-winning solutions to its clients.

The business is involved in professional consultancy in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering.

The group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Athens (Greece,) Lima (Peru), and Monterrey (Mexico), Mexico City and Miami, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com