Kier awarded contract at Alconbury Weald
- 09.04.2013
Kier Construction has been awarded a £2.5m contract to build the ‘Incubator’, the first building to be constructed on the Enterprise Campus at the low carbon development of Alconbury Weald.
Client and owner of the site, property group Urban&Civic, intends Alconbury Weald to transform a 1,420-acre largely brownfield site into a unique and inspiring place for working, living, learning and leisure.
In the Enterprise Campus, the flagship Incubator facility will provide flexible space at the heart of the development for small and start-up businesses – with a particular emphasis on high-tech manufacturing and research & development.
The Incubator will incorporate a number of environmentally friendly initiatives, including using 20% recycled aggregate in the concrete structure and recycled rain water for flushing toilets. The building will also be thermally efficient, using the mass of the structure for temperature control and a mixed mode ventilation system.
Wider plans for Alconbury Weald include provision of 5,000 homes, 700 acres of green open space and investment in a range of transport, energy and community facilities to support both the new residents and the surrounding town and villages.
Urban&Civic project director, Tim Leathes, said:
“We are pleased to have appointed Kier to carry out the construction of the first iconic building which will form part of the Enterprise Campus. As a locally based construction firm, Kier can help us to achieve our ambition to ensure that sustainability is at the heart of the development of Alconbury Weald. As part of the contract Kier has committed to employing an apprentice and providing work placements for local students which is just the start of our aspiration to provide jobs and opportunities for young people.”
Kier Construction director, Dennis Cotton, added:
“We are delighted to have been awarded this contract to build the exciting flagship Incubator building in the Alconbury Weald Enterprise Campus. Wherever possible we look to employ subcontractors from within 30 miles of the site, and this project will provide training and development opportunities, as well as workload, for our local supply chain. We can’t wait to get started.”
The Kier team - who are based in Wisbech in Cambridgeshire - will begin construction work shortly and are expected to complete the project by the end of this year.