Q3 2021 Leading Real Estate In this issue: Sorensen Architects Inc Home is Where the Harth Is. Harth Builders For several years, BoB Immobilienkonzepte GmbH has been successfully developing and building beautiful and unique real estate with a regional focus in Berlin, Munich and Leipzig. It offers services in interior design, object and site selection, contract support, construction, and project development. Recognised by BUILD magazine as Leaders in Real Estate, Berlin – 2021, we take a closer look at the firm. Civils & Lintels One to Watch for the Construction Industry Arco Developments Supplying the UK’s trade professionals Selco Builders Warehouse Better Excavation for the Future of Construction RSP UK Building on the Foundations of Success Colak & Gow Exemplary Timber, Beautiful Builds Beach Bros Also in this issue: The Architecture of Synergy OOKI Architects & Associates
BUILD Q3 2021 2 Welcome to the Q3 issue of BUILD Magazine. As always, we endeavour to be your source for all the latest news and features from across the global construction and property industries. For many within the industry, the last quarter has seen a great shift in trends as people have looked upon their homes and spaces with a new sense of purpose. No longer just a place to rest our heads at the end of the day, these spaces have become our workplaces, our gyms, our spaces to socialise, relax, learn and so much more besides. In addition, we now look for these spaces to be more efficient and sustainable as the importance of environmental responsibility becomes increasingly present. Fortunately, the industry is rife with talent all eager to keep up and evolve alongside these shifting trends. In this issue of BUILD Magazine, we meet some of the leading companies and experts striving to answer the new demands the industry has encountered over the last year. From the featured multidisciplinary real estate developer of Germany, BoB Immobilienkonzepte GmbH, to the many architectural practices, contractors, interior designers, engineers and more that feature alongside it, this issue is complete with award-winning pioneers of the construction and property industries. We invite you to enjoy the success stories of construction, design and property companies worldwide and wish you all the best until we meet again in the Q4 issue of BUILD Magazine. Alex Abraham, Editor Website: www.build-review.com AI Global Media, Ltd. (AI) takes reasonable measures to ensure the quality of the information on this web site. However, AI will not assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, correctness or completeness of any information that is available through this web site. If errors are brought to our attention, we will try to correct them. The information available through the website and our partner publications is for your general information and use and is not intended to address any particular finance or investment requirements. In particular, the information does not constitute any form of advice or recommendation by us or any of our partner publications and is not intended to be relied upon by users in making or refraining from making any investment or financial decisions. Appropriate independent advice should be obtained before making any such decision. Any arrangement made between you and any third party named in the site is at your sole risk and responsibility.
Q3 2021 BUILD 3 4. News 6. Leading Real Estate 8. The Architecture of Synergy 10. Sorensen Architects Inc.: Best High-End Custom Home Design Firm – Southern California 11. LEDCONN: Best Back & Edge-Lit Architectural LED Manufacturer 2021 12. Wakefields: Best Home Cinema Installation Practice – UK 13. Schwichtenberg Architektin: Best Women-Led Residential Architecture Practice - Germany 14. Civils & Lintels 16. Modern Gem Design: Best Multi-Family Interior Design Firm - Texas 17. TEW Design Studio: Best Full-Service Interior Design Firm - Southeast USA & BUILD Award for Excellence in Residential Interior Design - Southeast USA 18. Indigo Architecture: Best Independent Architecture & Project Management Practice – East Midlands 19. Revolutionising the Construction Industry 20. Business. Property. Wealth. 21. Best Full-Service Architecture Firm - North Carolina 22. One to Watch for the Construction Industry 24. A New Lease of Life for UK Interiors 25. Wood Architects: Most Innovative Sustainable Architecture Practice - Belgium 26. Designs for Commercial Success 27. Springhouse Architects: Most Innovative Custom Home Design Studio – Ohio 28. Home is Where the Harth Is. 30. Mechanical, Nuclear & Industrial Engineering 31. Strengthening the Foundations of the Construction Industry 32. Saving Money for Clients, and Legacies from Landfill 33. Outstanding Team, Outstanding Projects 34. Better Excavation for the Future of Construction 36. The Company Building a Road to the Future for Welsh Construction 37. Mining to Manufacturing Marvels 38. Wonderful Windows! 39. Flawless Landscapes: Best Landscaping Business - Hertfordshire 40. Building on the Foundations of Success 42. Home, Sweet Home! 43. Invest in Success! 44. An Eye for International Excellence 45. M. Designs Architects: Best Sustainable Luxury Residential Architecture Firm – USA 46. Supplying the UK’s Construction Industry 48. Creating Space for Personality 49. Atrium Visuals: Best Bespoke Architectural Visualisations Company - UK 50. Top Equipment Hire 51. New Thinking, New Outcomes 52. Exemplary Timber, Beautiful Builds 54. North Edge Properties: Best Residential Property Rental Business – GTA 55. As if by Magic! 56. Stokas Design and Construction: Residential Construction Project of the Year (Greece): Three-Storey Residence in Kifisia 57. Hats Off to This Hands-On Approach 58. Hnl Engineering: Best Structural Engineering Consulting Specialist - the Philippines 59. Winners’ Listings Contents
BUILD Q3 2021 News ornish sustainable property developer Verto has submitted a reserved matter planning application for a ‘world first’ Zero Carbon Student Village at Penvose, Falmouth. The student village was approved by Cornwall Council’s planning committee in September 2018 and has since been upgraded to a zero-carbon proposal which is now before the local planning committees to finalise the detail. Penvose Zero Carbon Student Village, which will be the first of its kind, will house up to 1,858 students and provide a host of retail and leisure facilities for students and the local community. This is set to include food outlets, business start-up units, convenience shops, GP surgery, day nursery, gym/yoga studios, and hotel. In addition, there will be new sports facilities including tennis and squash courts, plus an all-weather pitch. These facilities, along with the high-quality living conditions will also look to address and improve the rising issue of poor mental health among students. Andy West, Head of Land and Planning at Verto, comments on the benefits he believes the new development could bring to its residents, “During the pandemic we have seen reports of an increasing number of students feeling isolated, away from home and friends, often living in below par accommodation. We believe that by creating a village environment with first class accommodation and facilities, we can help foster a new student community and alleviate some of these issues.” Additionally, according to the developer, the site will not only offer high-quality zero carbon student accommodation but will also alleviate strains placed on the local community, including freeing-up of much valued car parking space, as well as housing stock in the towns of Falmouth and Penryn. West believes the development will help the local area in a number of ways, he comments, “Student numbers in Falmouth are set to soar over the coming years and this puts huge pressure on housing in Falmouth and Penryn. “The development will host a dedicated student hub for living, studying and socialising, that is both on the edge of the town and near the campus. It will provide purpose-built accommodation to meet the needs of the growing student population, many currently living in HMOs across the town. We believe it will also free up much needed housing for local residents “Not only that, but we estimate, based on the size and scope of the property, that the completed zero carbon development would also create circa 400 jobs in the local area.” The team at Verto has been building Zero Carbon Smart HomesTM for the residential market for over a decade and is currently delivering the clubhouse facilities at Falmouth Golf Club. Verto has received national and international acclaim for its Zero Carbon homes through a number of business and industry awards. The developer is now bringing this experience to the Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) market. West continues, “The buildings at this development will be entirely zero carbon in their operation. At the heart of the Plans submitted for ‘World First’ Zero Carbon student village in Falmouth C scheme is the principle that energy is created sustainably and consumed efficiently. As part of achieving this, the buildings will have a multitude of sustainable materials and features, including super-insulation, PV (solar) panels, air-source or groundsource heat pumps, heat recovery ventilation, and a number of buildings will have green living roofs. “Any carbon emitted during the construction phase will be reduced as far as possible and the balance offset through a series of measures. For example, we will be planting over 2,000 trees across the site – more than one tree per student bedspace, that will serve to absorb 44.5 tonnes of CO2 per year. We will also be carrying out exciting environmental and rewilding projects across Cornwall. And we will be using cutting edge smart technology to control a number of the building systems such as heating, electricity usage and mechanical ventilation, supporting our zero carbon promise.” New and improved pedestrian/cycle links to the nearby Falmouth University campus, and to the wider highway network beyond are also part of the plans. The scheme will not only be zero carbon in its design and construction, but will benefit from sustainable transport links, with proposals for electric cars and bikes to be available to hire from the ‘Park and Change’ area on site. It is hoped that these sustainable transport developments coupled with increased parking provision, will alleviate pressure from Falmouth during the summer months when tourist numbers place pressure on the area. West concludes, “From the outset, our aim for this scheme was for a PBSA development, and we purchased the site with existing outline planning permission to do so. From an early stage we have been working with stakeholders including Cornwall Council to ensure we are meeting the needs of the community. We are incredibly excited about this project and moving into this market.” “As a business, we have always built a high-quality product, and we are confident of delivering this at Penvose. We want to change the public perception that student accommodation is somehow second rate. This will become a site that serves the community, creates jobs, alleviates existing burdens on surrounding towns, all while being zero carbon. We have full confidence in delivering a truly cutting edge and world leading development at Penvose.” John Henry Looney, MD at Sustainable Direction Ltd and Visiting Fellow at the University of Bristol on sustainable systems notes: “It is truly inspiring to see a developer adopt and embed not only sustainable values, but actually incorporating sustainable design and technology solutions, within a significant development, such as the Penvose student village. “The UK built environment sector already has the knowledge and the technologies to build properties that have no direct carbon emissions from their operation, and Verto are maximising the utilisation of these across their portfolio. The creation of a net zero student village should also inspire students and others to adopt sustainable practices beyond their time at the University.”
The UK is preparing for a bumper summer, with 33 million people expected to enjoy staycations over the next couple of months. That should provide a welcome £30 billion boom for the domestic holiday sector, according to Sykes Holiday Cottages’ 2021 Staycation Index. In 2019, half of Britons planned to spend their main summer holiday in the UK. In 2021, that proportion has risen to 62%, with the Peak District, Bournemouth, East Anglia and Lyme Regis among the most popular destinations. For Quay Holidays, based in Poole, near Bournemouth, this certainly rings true, with Lettings Assistant Hannah Challis reporting that, “Most of our properties are solidly booked for the rest of the season”. Quay Holidays is one of a rising number of UK holiday providers using 360 tours as a marketing tool. Quay is using a solution provided by 360 tour technology company Made Snappy, which is on a mission to make virtual tours more affordable and more accessible across the property sector. “We were introduced to Made Snappy last year through our residential lettings business. Colleagues had started using virtual tours for lettings and sales and we thought they offered a really exciting opportunity for our holiday letting portfolio, too!” Hannah Challis, Lettings Assistant, Quay Holidays Hannah’s estate agency colleagues had initially tried an American virtual tour solution but abandoned it as the system was overly complicated to use and slow to compile. Made Snappy’s solution addresses both of these issues. “A Made Snappy virtual tour is so simple to put together. Popping the camera on the tripod and connecting it to the mobile phone takes seconds. Once they are paired, you can move round a property recording each room in a matter of moments. When I get back to the office, I just upload the photos and use the programme to create the virtual tour – an average-sized property takes me no more than 15 minutes.” Hannah Challis, Lettings Assistant, Quay Holidays Quay Holidays is certainly not alone in grasping the potential of 360 tours as a holiday property marketing tool. As the staycation market has boomed, so has demand from this sector, according to Made Snappy’s Mark McCorrie. “360 tours allow viewers to experience a property in a vastly different way than regular photographs do. We already work with many lettings agents and estate agents who appreciate the value.” Mark McCorrie, CEO and Founder, Made Snappy For lettings agents and estate agents, the value of 360 tours lies in reducing wasted viewings and better matching potential A Holiday property owners turn to 360 tours as staycation market booms renters and buyers with suitable properties. For holiday rental firms, the use case is slightly different, though no less beneficial, as Quay Holiday’s Hannah Challis points out: “Photographs are great, but holidaymakers know they can be manipulated to show the best angles. A virtual tour puts the prospective guest in control – they can wander through the whole property online, look out of the windows, stand in the garden and view it from every angle. This gives them greater confidence to make the booking. Ironically, it also makes our job easier too, as the more the guest can see beforehand, the less they can reasonably complain about when they arrive!” The ups and downs created by the pandemic have been felt intensely in the holiday lettings sector. Quay Holidays managed to maintain 50% occupancy across its portfolio during lockdown by focusing on business travellers. For those properties that were unoccupied, the company took advantage of the lockdown to start building up its stock of virtual tours, photographing as many of its 90+ holiday properties. “We are still working through the portfolio, but we aim to have all our properties on Made Snappy as soon as we can. We have had really positive feedback from prospective guests. Many had not considered a domestic holiday for years and they were very pleasantly surprised at the quality and variety of properties when they viewed our virtual tours. We love to showcase our portfolio and this is the perfect medium. “Having tried them, we are convinced that virtual tours are the future!” Hannah Challis, Lettings Assistant, Quay Holidays
BUILD Q3 2021 6 Apr21267 oB Immobilienkonzepte GmbH and SPG & Co. Berlin Projektentwicklungs GmbH are a group of companies that jointly implement projects. SPG & Co. Berlin Projektentwicklungs GmbH is an investment company that acts as a joint subsidiary of a major Munich corporation and BoB Immobilienkonzepte GmbH. Also as a subsidiary of BoB Immobilienkonzepte GmbH, BoB Planung und Management GmbH complements the group of companies and provides architectural, project planning and management services. Planning for tendering, contract negotiations, awarding of contracts, as well as project management and construction management remain in one hand, and a separate control system ensures that costs and budget compliance are always guaranteed. The firm’s inhouse team of architects ensures the implementation of the individual buyer’s wishes from construction to acceptance. A challenging task in the design of properties falls to the project managers. They are the ones who optimise the communication between planners and contractors, who ensure that individual wishes are seen to – who are therefore the client’s point of contact for all services. BoB Immobilienkonzepte GmbH also provides contract support where it helps the client to understand the obligations they are entering long-term and what affect this will have on their life and finances, ensuring they know exactly what they’re getting for their investment and what they’re not getting. It sees it as its responsibility to close comprehensible contracts that leave no questions left unaddressed. Its legal support department knows its way around purchase agreements, partition deeds, builder regulations, etc. and can explain them in an understandable way. Another service offered by the firm includes assistance in choosing the best location to create a building. Where is the best place to live? Which districts and locations does the client prefer? How do they want to live in the future? These are the core questions which help decide the selection of properties and objects to include in the firm’s portfolio. Its specialisation in residential real estate makes it possible to take long-term residential trends into account, meaning it can recognise possible factors in the environment that can affect later living quality at an early stage. Leading Real Estate For several years, BoB Immobilienkonzepte GmbH has been successfully developing and building beautiful and unique real estate with a regional focus in Berlin, Munich and Leipzig. It offers services in interior design, object and site selection, contract support, construction, and project development. Recognised by BUILD magazine as Leaders in Real Estate, Berlin – 2021, we take a closer look at the firm. B Interior design is another service provided by BoB Immobilienkonzepte GmbH where it helps clients design and decorate their properties. While they choose from different tiles and floor coverings, different fittings and door handles, clients can take advantage of the firm’s selection of materials, shapes and colours. For every object, its specialists select different, stylistically matching variations which the client can mix and match freely. Of course, it also offers additional consulting to explore the possibility of adjusting blueprints, moving walls and making changes in the electrical planning. Individuals can ask for a unique offer of these services and the firm will assign them a contact person for lighting and installation concepts on their request. In terms of BoB Immobilienkonzepte GmbH’s projects, one of its most recent includes the Pearl 1 Safer Than Home Aeronaut hotel which is located in the Berlin district of Neukölln and was opened in July 2020. The district is characterised by its diversity, liveliness, freedom and coexistence of many cultures – a hotspot for those who want to get to know “trendy Berlin”. There is not only a rich selection of restaurants and shopping facilities, but also excellent transport connections. The hotel is designed to reduce the risk of contamination by viruses and bacteria, consisting of 62 serviced apartments of different sizes and built entirely according to new safety and hygiene requirements. This includes high-tech equipment consisting of hygienic airlock at the entrance and exit of the building, ionising air cleaning central ventilation, mobile air cleaning and disinfection in individual apartments, air quality measurement with display on all floors, retraining of staff on
7 Q3 2021 BUILD hygienic behaviour and protective measures, thermal screening at the entrance and exit, use of virus-resistant materials e.g. hygienic floor mats, optional 24-hour contactless check-in/ check-out, contactless lift, disinfected laundry, and collaborations with delivery services or local restaurants for contactless food delivery. The hotel also provides luxurious comfort and exclusive services for its guests, including reception open between 7am and 8pm, lobby with lounge and vending machine, bicycle stands, Dropbox station, charging station for e-bikes, 34 underground parking spaces, community launderette with dryer, and a pool on the terrace on the seventh floor. Apartments are fully equipped with kitchenette, armchair/couch with side table, bathrobe and slippers, high speed Wi-Fi, a safe in each suite, comfortable and anti-allergenic mattress, TV with international programmes, audio system with Bluetooth, Thermomix, Nespresso coffee machine, and modern bathroom with shower. Ultimately, BoB Immobilienkonzepte GmbH is clearly a leader in what it does, striving to create beautiful spaces that go beyond its clients’ expectations. It’s about creating a property that brings joy and functionality to others, as well as one that looks great within its surroundings. Contact: Till-Oliver Kalahne Email: [email protected] Website: bob-immo-konzept.de Q3 2021 BUILD 7
8 BUILD Q3 2021 Apr21673 The Architecture of Synergy OOKI Architects & Associates is a firm operating out of Japan with an internationally growing prestige and a reputation for excellence. Handling a diversity of different projects of all types, for clients of all trades, its work both in methodology and in style fits itself perfectly to any brief, with an expansive portfolio that has impressed awards committees since its founding. iromoto Oki is the founder of OOKI Architects & Associates, a company taking a research-based approach to a myriad of different building and construction projects, ranging from massive hotels to hospitals and casinos. It has also cut its teeth on the creation and building of hot spring facilities and private funerary facilities. Fundamentally, OOKI Architects & Associates has been inspired by the surroundings in the local area in which it works, taking an in-depth and analytical approach to environmental problems and ethnic issues in order to integrate buildings into the surroundings in which they sit. This allows them to naturalistically grow up from the landscapes as though they were meant to be there. Moreover, OOKI Architects & Associates seek to respect and beneficially add to the local ecosystem and social structures in which they work, believing in a philosophy of treading lightly and forging a sense of belonging for his clients. He has taken this attitude to a multitude of builds at this point – over 400, in fact – all of which he has transformed into examples of buildings that give back. Furthermore, the brilliance of these buildings has allowed OOKI Architects & Associates to become a household name internationally, resulting in recognition from awards councils; this includes the 2021’s Leading Architecture Firm Japan 2021, Design & Build Awards, the 2020’s Outstanding Property Award for London for which it walked away with a platinum win, and 2020’s A’ Design Award and Competition for which it won the bronze. These awards have allowed its reputation for prestige and exemplary client-focused work to precede it. As a consequence, OOKI Architects & Associates’ work is recognizable across the board, contracting it for a project guarantees the quality of the end product, and its reliability as a firm is well-known. One of the buildings that it has applied its workings to in order to create something outstanding is the Museum in Wakayama, Japan. Fundamentally, this quayside establishment has been created to evoke a sense of whimsy and wonderment in those who visit it, creating different visual effects depending on how the guest approaches it – from a vantage point within a boat it seems to float atop the water, and if visiting in a car it gives the impression of swaying gently with the tide. Crucially, this aesthetically links it to the marine environment, creating a synergy that the client loves. It was created by using a combination of the right materials in a kind of juxtaposition, the glass wall on the outside and the inner solid wall holding different properties and therefore, when seen one atop the H other, causing an illusion of slow and steady undulating movement, not unlike the gentle roll of waves. The effect is magnificent; and thus, the facility has been able to achieve its visual and functional goals as a space of culture in Tanabe and an area of recreation, relaxation, and meditation. Another example of a build that OOKI Architects & Associates handled for its clients has recently been a private studio that also functions as a care centre. Found in Saga, Japan, Atelier K PLAN was an idea drummed up for a family, designed to reflect the client’s origins in everything from the design and form of the building to the way it was positioned. Dutifully, it was designed to allow visitors to face the sea – specifically, to face a country beyond the sea – angled thusly to allow them to feel this connection with the nation, even when it is many miles away.
9 Q3 2021 BUILD There are no sharp edges included in the building, allowing the qi of the construction to flow unimpeded from the mountain on the east side to the sea in the west, and up to the top where the round object that forms the centre of prayer to their ancestors sits. The congregational area has been placed so that the building can be a functional centre for familial activity. During the ideation, build, and developmental processes, OOKI Architects & Associates was lauded by its clients for its consistent empathic and sensitive way of working, always taking the time to understand the client and the end-users it is creating the building for. Therefore, the result is a build that takes pride of place in the OOKI Architect’s portfolio, complete with a place of reverence, relaxation, and family that is a respectful homage to the dead and a restful place of remembrance for the living. By assembling the building around nature how it did, OOKI Architects & Associates allowed the prayers to flow in a seaward direction. On the other hand, whilst it excels at concepts of seriousness and reverence, it can also apply its exemplary design methodologies to create spaces of fun and whimsy; its Marunouchi Helios is an amusement centre in Ehime, Japan, and again plays with the idea that the building looks different from different perspectives. There are two patterns that have been drawn on the side of the building, layered in such a way that the viewer sees different things depending on their vantage point. This brings the liveliness and joy of the interior to the forefront of the façade, preparing visitors for what they can expect within, whilst nearby the several sightseeing spots provide additional points of excitement and intrigue to a muchneeded place of entertainment and leisure. Moreover, it was the hope of both the client and OOKI Architects & Associates that the pop design will provide an energy and playfulness to an area that previously had no locales for entertainment and leisure – offering a place of both social gathering and rejuvenation through human connection. It built on this idea further with its EVO 3 building. Created for a plot of land in Fukuoka, Japan, the layout and design of EVO 3 is one of growing vegetation and plant life that shows OOKI Architects & Associates range even when working with similar concepts. Much like Marunouchi Helios, it’s a place for relaxation and leisure. However, unlike the pop design stylings of that build, EVO 3 focused more on a connection to nature. Consequentially, its design is one that draws in the greenery around it and gives the impression of having sprung up from the surrounding foliage, with the plant life following the visitor into the building proper and guiding them around the halls and rooms, giving the whole place a light, life, and energy. The vitality that visitors can enjoy when in the building itself is second to none. EVO 3 is one of OOKI Architects & Associates prized builds, one that makes use of natural terracotta colours in order to allow the greenery to take centre stage and guide the eye, with added warmth from the occasional terracotta tone. The hall, therefore, uplifts and calms, and OOKI Architects & Associates has achieved a source of inspiration and pleasure for the local people as a result. Although each of these were vastly different builds, a couple of results remain consistent with OOKI Architects & Associates’ work; the satisfaction of the client, and the effectiveness of how its work positively impacts end users. Due to this, it’s easy to see how OOKI Architects & Associates has made itself one to watch. Company: OOKI Architects & Associates Website: ookikenchiku.co.jp
10 BUILD Q3 2021 Jul21374 Best High-End Custom Home Design Firm – Southern California Sorensen Architects is an award winning architectural and general contracting design firm located in Southern California, led by Principal Architect Christopher Sorensen and Adria Sorensen. From La Jolla to the City of Malibu, the California coastline and hillside are embellished with custom architectural beach homes. Sorensen’s designs bring modernism and minimalism while preserving warm accents. Every element is present, combining the latest technologies in engineering with classic principles to create distinctive, sustainable homes. e apply sustainable design concepts and utilize organic building materials to educate clients about alternatives to the wasteful conventions that define typical construction projects. Virtually, every project that we design uses active photovoltaic power and solar hot water systems to energize the home. Our designs inherently incorporate passive solar and natural ventilation techniques, creating buildings that require less energy,” says Christopher Sorensen, Principal Architect of the Southern California based firm, Sorenson Architects. Through countless projects spanning several decades, Sorenson Architects has developed its own signature style. Whether it is a property, addition or commercial building, each project is in harmony with its natural surroundings. The majority of them are located primarily in the Hills of Malibu as well as in city of Los Angeles, in San Francisco and the state of New York. Their designs are futuristic and are inspired by the natural elements. The firm has collaborated with elite clientele including Brad Pitt, Anson Williams, Pamela Anderson, James Keach and Jane Seymour. Sorenson Architects worked with Brad Pitt following his purchase of a Malibu beach bungalow in 2005, helping him to remodel the property by adding a pool, tennis court, stainless steel kitchen, and bamboo flooring. In addition, glass walls were added to create panoramic ocean views as well as stairs leading to the sandy beach cove. Christopher Sorensen was instrumental in obtaining Brad Pitt’s planning and coastal approval for the second story. “Brad Pitt can hire anyone,” says Christopher. “He worked with Frank Gehry, and he took a leap of faith with me. I really respect Brad’s passion for architecture, so I was honored to be hired.” Sorensen Architects has also been a part of the redesign of Charlie Chaplin’s former home, which was later owned by Sam Francis. Located in the Santa Monica Canyon, it is an 8,000sqft home with a 4,500sqft guest house. Sorensen added 500-year-old reclaimed Balinese teak for the walls, ceilings and cabinetry, and the main house’s master bedroom was given a two-sided stone column fireplace with suspended fossils. “W Sorensen featured a saltwater pebble stone pool with a swimup bar and with stools. In addition, in the spa, glass walkways over stream beds were incorporated into the final design with koi ponds and waterfalls. The property resembles a Japanese garden with a serene atmosphere and exquisite sculptures. The property was listed for sale at $18.8 million in 2012. “Innovation is an odd word because we’re also bringing it back to the old school,” concludes Christopher. “L.A. is such a magical place that’s supportive of innovation. We’ve built a body of work and now we’re blossoming.” As such, Christopher Sorensen has a spectacular portfolio of work behind him. He is an artist, an environmentalist, and a true believer in all things green. Whatever the project, he approaches it with thoughtfulness and passion, while looking to architectural icons for guidance. Company: Sorensen Architects Inc. Contact: Adria Sorensen Email: [email protected] Website: www.sorensenarchitects.com
11 Q3 2021 BUILD May21093 Best Back & Edge-Lit Architectural LED Manufacturer 2021 In the fast growing LED lighting industry, LEDCONN is one of the few companies who can provide lighting in material art form. Its focus is to form connections among people and lighting to enhance the human experience. Its philosophy is founded on its core values: passion, respect, integrity, innovation, and family. By applying LED edge-lit and backlit solutions, LEDCONN can ultimately satisfy any custom accent or signage lighting needs for retail displays & environments, commercial spaces, exhibits and architectural applications. EDCONN strives to become the global guru of creative illumination solutions. What drives its team every day to innovate newer and more streamlined lighting solutions is the simple desire to bring light to others peoples’ lives, whether that be to benefit its customers or the everyday person admiring its illuminated spaces and solutions in the commercial space. LEDCONN engineers some of the industry’s best LED lighting solutions with the sole purpose of fostering human connections and experiences through lighting in material art form. It streamlines the process of vertical integration to assure that its creative partners’ visions are executed as precisely as originally designed. It prides itself on being an industry leader providing some of the most knowledgeable, helpful, and engineering-savvy service in the lighting industry today. Armed with quality ULcertified products, it would love to help you bring your creative vision to life in the most efficient and beautiful way possible. The company tries to get as involved as early on in the specification phase of projects as possible. As a custom LED lighting solutions provider, it really works hand in hand as the engineering brain behind the creative vision of the design firms it works with. Its design partners carry the vision and LEDCONN helps make their vision a physical reality. It also understands that the specification to the installation process can become very convoluted and confusing with so many different parties involved over a period of time; LEDCONN’s forte is being able to help streamline the entire process for everyone involved so that the project moves as smoothly as possible – it prides itself in being able to manage communications up and down stream across all moving parts very efficiently. Once a design has been created, it will usually recommend a mock-up design to ensure the quality and success of the final project. With over 13 years of experience customising LED lighting for many types of commercial projects, LEDCONN is very experienced in knowing what is and isn’t achievable with its products, and every single time a mock-up is requested, it finds it always helps build confidence in the final outcome of the project. When installation day approaches, depending on the nature of the project and product selected, LEDCONN is unique in that it works with the contractors to help them understand how to manage the installation. It makes the process as easy as possible for them by providing electrical and wiring diagrams that clearly explain how to organise the product and wire them L to one another. It may even send out an engineering team to help onsite depending on the complexity of the chosen product or project. At the end of the day, it wants its customers and partners to feel well taken care of. It understands lighting can be very confusing, and so it sees itself as expert gurus who exist to serve and facilitate the smoothest spec-to-install process for its customers. The company even provides aftercare support with the purchase of its products because it knows it is important to be available to its customers even after the job is finished. Like many companies, COVID-19 has been the biggest challenge for LEDCONN, its partners, and the lighting industry as a whole. Remaining flexible and adaptable during this difficult time has been very important to navigating the challenges, including moving from in-person to remote work. In particular, COVID-19 significantly impacted its domestic and international supply chain. As a global operation, LEDCONN maintains a robust supply chain network in both China and in the US. When China was hit by COVID, it leveraged its US facility to serve its customers, and when the US was impacted by COVID, its Chinese facilities were able to stand in the gap so that its customers were taken care of throughout the pandemic. Unfortunately, not all of its competitors had this luxury or option, making its unique capabilities even more valuable and convenient to customers who were exclusively reliant on their Chinese partners. However, the future is looking bright for LEDCONN as it plans to keep improving its process and product while upholding its high service level and high product quality. Even though COVID-19 has been challenging for the company and its customers, it still prioritises innovation and has several new product launches planned this year to support its customers’ needs. Contact: Charlene Song Email: [email protected] Website: www.ledconn.com
12 BUILD Q3 2021 Jun21259 Best Home Cinema Installation Practice – UK Wakefields are the leading provider of home cinema and smart home design and implementation in the North East. They deliver exceptional personal cinema spaces that fully conform to industry standards, whilst looking as impressive as they sound. They also offer a full home automation service that gives the client the ability to craft a genuinely useful smart home that is tailored to their exact needs and is a joy to live with. akefields work with their clients from the very first initial contact, through site visits and face-to-face design meetings, to installation, calibration and commissioning/handover. As a company, their values are quality, consistency and commitment to customer experience. These core values have remained the same since their inception and underpin everything that they do, playing a large part in their success. Wakefields always operate in a state of constant improvement, finding small ways to do what they do, but better. Working with a large range of clients each with their own unique requirements, the common thread is that they all want to do something amazing with their home. Wakefields receives a lot of business through personal recommendations and word of mouth, but they also see quite significant amounts of business generated through their use of social media, especially Instagram. They take pride in their methodical and systemic approach to design, and ensure that every cinema they hand over meets the technical standards of the film industry so that the client knows they are getting the full experience that the filmmaker intended. Sadly, this is not the case for every company that operates within the sector, and Wakefields believes it is this attention to technical excellence, in combination with their accessible clientcentred approach that sets them apart from their competitors. The greatest asset to Wakefields and the single most important factor to their success is their staff. The key qualities they look for when recruiting new talent are a personal commitment to excellence, willingness to learn and adapt, and recognising the value of teamwork. They believe in personal responsibility and empowerment, so they expect their staff to manage their own diaries and workload; they don’t spoon-feed anyone. Their staff know what is expected of them, and they know they can rely on the rest of the wider team if they need. It is in everyone’s interests to ensure the success of the company. The main challenge within the home entertainment and technology industry at the moment is stock availability, as consumer electronics have been badly affected recently by numerous setbacks in the form of COVID-19, a worldwide shortage of silicon microchips, the global scarcity of shipping containers and the Suez Canal crisis. This situation has caused many challenges for Wakefields, as it has for a lot of companies over the last 18 months or so, but they have also provided the company with clear and obvious opportunities. The home entertainment market is booming currently, with customer demand massively increased from previous years. W As international travel and socialising have been so heavily restricted, a lot of people have a higher amount of disposable income available, and because of the amount of time everyone has spent in their homes recently, there is a huge desire to spend on and improve their homes. The challenge for Wakefields now is to scale sufficiently to service all this increased demand, without diluting their core values of exceptional quality, consistent delivery and a joyous customer experience. Wakefields plan for 2021 and beyond is to continue striving to deliver the very best sounding and looking cinemas in the world, providing perfect immersive experiences at the leading edge of technology, and building them into the heart of their clients’ homes. Contact: Anis Finn – Cinema Specialist Email: [email protected] Website: www.wakefields.tech
13 Q3 2021 BUILD Best Women-Led Residential Architecture Practice - Germany This year’s winner of Best Women-Led Residential Architecture Practice - Germany is Karen Schwichtenberg, Architektin. Her previous Build Magazine Architecture Awards include Most Innovative High-End Residential Architecture Studio - Germany in 2020 and Best High-End Residential Architecture Studio in 2019. From her Hamburg-based studio, Karen shares her creative approach and what’s next for her design firm. aised by a single mother who worked as a primary teacher and school principal, Karen had a strong female role model from an early age. Driven by her natural creativity and artistic flair, she explored new interests by carving her own path in life. Curiosity and a desire for adventure led her to the United States for a year of high school when she was just 16. She continued to pursue opportunities abroad with a summer internship with architect Jean Lai Kan in Port Louis, Mauritius in 1995. After completing her architecture studies, she received a scholarship to live and work in Japan for two years. She then went on to live and work in London for three years. When she returned to Germany, she invested in her first property at the age of 27. Karen’s unique point-of-view and creative approach are shaped from her collection of travels and experiences. Working in the office of famed Japanese architect Kazuyo Sejima, Karen found design inspiration and a mentor in Sejima. She also experienced working with a woman at the helm of award-winning architecture projects. This influence established Karen’s ability to maintain her creative energy and artistic vision while ensuring quality workmanship and the on-site authority needed to persevere in the generally male-dominated building industry. Her design studio, based in Hamburg, Germany, employs a small and diverse team. A flat hierarchy inspires her leadership style, empowering those around her to share ideas and contribute design concepts. The firm offers a full scope of architectural services from concept through completion, serving private and corporate clients. Karen explains, “We specialize in design-led architecture. Living in Japan taught me the importance of simple details. We always focus on the quality of light in a space and incorporate open floor plans into our architectural vision, emphasizing how the finished space will feel.“ R When asked about her signature aesthetic, Karen says, „We combine natural elements like stone, wood, and a reduced color palette to achieve a timeless style. Japan, and its architecture, has changed how I think about the use and the quality of space. Our contemporary aesthetic is driven by an intentional focus on what is necessary, beautiful, and inspiring. We also integrate sustainable materials into our designs as much as possible. Ultimately, we strive to understand our clients’ aspirations and turn them into reality. We want to improve the way people live by creating homes and spaces that act as calm and enjoyable retreats from our hectic days.“ The global pandemic posed new challenges for all businesses, and Karen’s firm was no exception. Accustomed to in-person meetings and frequent site visits, Karen and her team had to get comfortable collaborating through Zoom calls and other technology not regularly used in their design work. After months of adapting to this way of connection, the firm has embraced digital platforms as a viable communication method. Karen says, „We had to take a hard look at how heavily we relied on conventional communication and get creative with how to effectively implement our design work when we’re unable to be in the room together. We learned so much and now we’re even exploring how digital communication tools can complement our existing systems and enhance our client relationships.“ Confident in her close-knit team’s ability to conquer any future challenges, Karen looks ahead to what is next, “Our clients appreciate our attentive, personal approach to design - so we’ll continue to work closely with private and corporate clients to implement their ideas. Wherever our projects take us, we always seek out work that is in alignment with our creative aspirations.” Website: www.schwichtenberg-architektin.de Jun21215
14 BUILD Q3 2021 May21831 Civils & Lintels Civils & Lintels (C&L) formed in 2006 by the amalgamation of Cooper Clarke, A R Hendricks, Willis Builders Merchants, and Dunpark & Warrington Slate, and it is a national supplier of building materials to housebuilders, groundworks, civil engineers and commercial contractors. It is the largest supplier of lintels in the UK and has four dedicated Lintels hubs in four strategically located depots. Recognised by BUILD as The UK’s Leading Distributor of Drainage and Civil Materials 2021, we take a closer look at the company. art of the Grafton Group, which also includes Buildbase, Electricbase, Hirebase, Lintels.co.uk, PDM, The Timber Group, and Grafton Supply Chain Solutions, C&L is demonstrating its ambitious growth plans by recently rebranding with the aim of moving away from being seen as part of Buildbase and to ensure it is viewed as a stand-alone business in its own right. As a leading specialist builders merchant, C&L offers a range of products such as civils and drainage materials, heavyside and hard landscaping, sustainable drainage solutions, geotechnical and ground engineering, lintels and brickwork accessories to service the national housebuilders, groundworks and many infrastructure projects. It also offers a supply and install service in partnership with two key suppliers which allows it to differentiate and help its customers further. C&L’s core values are “We Value our People”, “Trustworthy and Responsible”, “Ambitious”, “Being the Best for our Customers”, and “Entrepreneurial and Empowering”. Firstly, its people are its greatest asset, and across the business, nurtures its staff by investing in training and development programmes covering sales, management, supplier, mental health awareness, and the list goes on! C&L is a business where people are recognised, remembered and respected. People are proud to work at the company, valued for what they do, and have equal opportunities to grow. In terms of its “Trustworthy and Responsible” value, C&L is committed to conducting its business in a socially responsible and ethical way. Its leadership team sets the right example with a transparent, ethical approach, and its colleagues back the company up all the way – they earn the trust of the customers, colleagues, suppliers and communities alike, by doing the right thing. Striving to do things better tomorrow than today and to be the first choice of customers, suppliers and for people who want a great place to work represents its “Ambitious” value. Ultimately, it wants to be leaders in what it does, so it continually works to be a winning team. “Being the Best for our Customers” is what makes C&L what it is. It builds a loyal base by building strong relationships, P listening to their needs, getting them what they want, and exceeding their expectations. It’s as simple as that. C&L is “Entrepreneurial and Empowering” in that everyone has a part to play in improving performance, seizing opportunities and adding value. The best ideas in the business come from those who see customers every day – and it’s new ideas that help the company to innovate and stay ahead of competition. C&L trusts employees to take ownership and it encourages everyone to express themselves. C&L looks to attract passionate customer-focused experts in their field. It is a busy and successful team and it needs team players. Its internal culture is hardworking, supportive, helpful, committed and proud. There have been some great developments with the company culture over the last four years since its Managing Director, Allan Wright joined the business. It has a dedicated internal comms and employee engagement platform where it celebrates successes and shares best practice, industry news, supplier updates, training, employee benefits, sustainability news, runs competitions, and more, which allows colleagues to connect with those they wouldn’t ordinarily be able to get to know during their day-today business. It has been a god send whilst many have been working remotely.
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