NEW CONSORTIUM LAUNCHED TO PIONEER GREATER USE OF OFFSITE CONSTRUCTION FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS

A new consortium has been launched to transform the way primary schools are designed and built. This is managed by construction consultants Blacc and is funded by Innovate UK, the public body established to drive productivity and economic growth through innovation.

The other partners in the Seismic consortium are technology-led design practice Bryden Wood, the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), and two of the UK’s leading offsite specialists, Elliott and The McAvoy Group.

Around 100 new and replacement primary schools are needed every year in the UK at a cost of […]

We’ve recently finished an intense few weeks in Glasgow, running the Coordination Centre for the transport system as the city hosted the prestigious European Championships. This major sporting event is a new fixture in the global sports calendar and was a successful joint venture in Berlin, running from August 2nd to the 12th. The Championships attracted a TV audience of over 1 billion and of course thousands of athletes, officials and spectators to Glasgow itself, on top of all the usual residents, commuters and business travellers.

The goal is simple to state, not so simple to achieve, namely for everyone to […]

blacc as a business is already causing a stir, and not just for starting sentences without a capital letter.  Who are they?  What do they do?  Why now?  What makes them tick?  Will they put me out of business?  Will they offer me a job?

I have the privilege of chairing this young company, so here’s why I got involved and what I think blacc has to offer both the market and our public realm.  It’s early days, and we wish to be judged on our collective actions rather my words, but let’s get this conversation started.

One of my favourite quotes […]