This year, we’ve handed over high-profile projects, started work on others, welcomed new members of staff, and started our journey to both Net Zero and B Corp certification. It’s been a busy year for the practice, and 2024 promises to be just as exciting, with plenty of major projects and new developments on the horizon.
Read on for just some of our highlights of 2023…
Perhaps our biggest news from 2023 is the opening of our new London office! We expanded into London as part of our expansion plan, increasing our presence in the UK's capital city and the South East. This has been a huge success already and we look forward to seeing the team grow. We have already developed many significant projects across Greater London, including residential, sport & Leisure, education and healthcare schemes. Work is currently under way on a state of the art leisure centre at Canada Water, as well as other large-scale projects in the region.
This year we've embarked on the journey to become a Certified B Corp. Our company values resonate with B Corp's mission, emphasising both social and environmental responsibility. As we navigate the certification process, we're excited to provide insights into the positive steps we are taking to align our business practices with the values of B Corp. Stay tuned for updated as we eagerly anticipate achieving B Corp status.
Sandwell Aquatics Centre opened its doors to the public in June this year. The venue was used for a major international sporting competition in August 2022, hosting athletes, spectators, and media. Phase 2 of construction at the Aquatics Centre was completed this year, and the centre has been handed over to Sandwell Council. All temporary features have been removed, and all the permanent features added. The state of the art leisure centre replaces older venues in the area. A park, football pitch, sports halls, dance studios, and a gym have all been created, completing the leisure centre which is a legacy of Birmingham's summer of sport.
This year we engaged with LOOP, the social value experts and are in the process of better quantifying our social value commitment by utilising the LOOP social value measuring software. We are committed to adding social value both within the local community and to the broader areas of the UK where we work. This year we delivered over £400,000 in total social value through our working practices.
This year we relocated out Newport office to No.1 Gold Tops. As our Newport office expands, the new office will facilitate our continuing growth within Wales and England. Our in house interior design ream played a pivotal role in enhancing the features of our new office space. Our primary goal was to establish a workspace that embraces flexibility. We have applied out learnings from designing and renovating other workspaces to create a collaborative, inspiring workspace that allows for hybrid working and a sense of community.
This year we delivered more state of the art facilities as part of the College's overall masterplan. This includes the new T-Levels facility and the refurbished Art block and Kitchen refectory. The new T-Levels building completed in February provides cutting edge, flexible learning spaces. It also includes teaching spaces for a range of subjects, such as as engineering, health, and construction. Providing opportunities for students who wish to pursue technical careers.
The Art block refurbishment is the latest step of our wider work with the college. The old classrooms in the art block were stripped, removing the internal walls to create a large open space that fosters creativity within the classroom.
This year we held and took part in a large amount of events, some for charity and some for team morale. Through our collective efforts we are proud to share that we've raised over £8,600 for charity through events such as the Dragonboat Regatta at Gloucester Quays, the charity bike ride for Sue Ryder, and many more!
In 2022 we were appointed to replace the existing extension at Spirax-Sarco Engineering plc's Group headquarters. The project commenced on site this year and is due to complete in early 2024. The design of the modern, four story office is fully in line with the Group's One Planet: Engineering with Purpose Sustainability Strategy objectives. We have strived to make the design as sustainable as possible, and the building has been accredited with BREEAM Outstanding at design stage.
This year we partnered with Go Climate Positive to calculate, reduce and offset our business Carbon Footprint. Using our carbon reduction plan we are targeting our action accordingly. We want to be ambitious in our carbon reduction initiatives and we have committed to reducing our carbon footprint by 33.6% over the next 5 years. We are excited to set out a roadmap for our journey towards net zero and we look forward to providing insights about our carbon reduction initiatives.
The Cotswolds Designer Outlet started on site this year. The first phase of the scheme with create 136,000 sq ft of retail and dining space and will open to the public in Spring 2025. The scheme's design has been influenced by the architectural surroundings of the Cotswolds. Using local materials, it create a high quality contemporary Cotswolds style, balancing modern with traditional for a unique guest experience. Robert Hitchins has appointed Bouygues UK to commence with construction of the first phase which has been designed by our Roberts Limbrick retail team.
At Roberts Limbrick people are at the heart of everything we do. We want to take this opportunity to celebrate and introduce the new Roberts Limbrick team members. Our team continues to grow, this year we hired 14 new starters across our three offices. We're excited to see how our new starters will grow and improve Roberts Limbrick in 2024 and beyond.
2024 will see many more projects completed and taken to site, and we look forward to sharing these stories with you. We’re also excited to share an exciting announcement in the new year. For all our latest news, make sure you follow our LinkedIn account!
Until then, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all the team at Roberts Limbrick!
