Representatives from Esh Border Construction and Heriot-Watt University met this week to celebrate the beginning of an extensive refurbishment project at the prestigious higher education establishment.
Livingston-based Esh has been awarded the contract to completely transform the university’s Cameron Smail Library into a modern and welcoming learning environment for students, lecturers and support staff.
The £4m project will see Esh strip back the existing building, before constructing a new layout with replacement fixtures, fittings and decoration.
Beginning on the ground floor, the project will be completed over five phases across each level of the live site, which is still being utilised by students and staff as a 24/7 learning resource and place of study.
Works will also see the replacement of internal doors, the refurbishment of toilet facilities, and the addition of new windows, as well as new mechanical and electrical installations.
Esh Border Construction’s Regional Director for Scotland, Gerard McMahon said:
“The Cameron Smail library was a pioneering academic building when it was constructed over 40 years ago. It has since been used as a model for universities across the world and we are very proud to play such a pivotal role in securing its future as a modern state-of-the-art learning facility.
“Careful planning and preparation has been put in by our teams in full consultation with the team at Heriot-Watt and we are confident disruption will be kept to a minimum as we look to deliver a cost-effective, energy-efficient, modern facility.”
Professor John Sawkins, Deputy Principal of Learning and Teaching, Heriot-Watt University said:
“We’re delighted to be working in partnership with Esh Border Construction on this refurbishment to turn our library into a modern, flexible and comfortable environment fit for a forward-looking ambitious university.
“Throughout the planning works we’ve been working closely with students, academic colleagues, library staff and consultants to get the best use of the space to provide access to a wide range of print and electronic resources and comfortable study space to support our students’ academic success.
“With improved space and technology, this construction project clearly demonstrates the University’s commitment to delivering the very best learning and teaching environment for all our students.”
Esh is delighted to work with architects Lewis and Hickey, quantity surveyors Turner Townsend, structural engineers Peter Brett Associates, mechanical and electrical engineers RSP and project managers WSP Parsons Brinkerhoff.
Matthew Fair, project architect with Lewis and Hickey said:
“Lewis and Hickey are pleased to be working with Esh Construction to fully refurbish the Cameron Smail Library at Heriot-Watt University. The scheme looks to update the existing facilities and considerably enhance the student experience of a key building within the campus.”
The Heriot-Watt projects follow a strong pipeline of work in the education sector for Esh Border Construction.
Esh Border Construction’s expansion plans have been further boosted by the announcement of two new senior appointments to its Scottish operation.
Paul Devine has been named Construction Director while Paul Curran has been appointed Commercial Manager as the Livingston-based business continues to target fresh growth.
A Civil Engineering graduate of the University of Strathclyde, Mr Devine brings 20 years of construction industry experience from two decade-long managerial roles in the Central Belt.
The Gartcosh resident is expected to play a major role as Esh Border Construction looks to extend and enhance its vibrant and sustained pipeline of Scottish Successes.
Mr Devine will take the lead on the delivery of high quality developments and will help to drive the ambitious business forward.
New Commercial Manager Paul Curran meanwhile brings a wealth of knowledge following a succession of similar roles with UK companies across the past 30 years.
The Edinburgh resident will focus on bids for new work and contract negotiation, ensuring financial management to the highest standard.
They join a burgeoning senior team that was recently boosted by the internal appointment of Regional Director for Scotland, Gerard McMahon.
In tandem with Mr McMahon, the two fresh appointments are aimed at steering the company’s growth strategy, with both expected to play a leading role in shaping its long-term fortunes.
In recent times, Esh Border Construction has secured high-profile projects in the region of £2m-£10m such as Stirling’s Engine Shed and Edinburgh’s Calton Hill observatory – and both Mr Devine and Mr Curran hope to be instrumental in replicating and extending that success further down the M8 corridor.
Mr Devine said: “I believe there is huge potential here and that was one of the key aspects that attracted me to the Construction Director role.
“I’m in no doubt that Esh Border Construction can grow into a leading name in the Central Belt, becoming even more successful than it already is, and I hope that my own skillset can serve to enhance that.
“I aim to bring my two decades of experience, wide client base and supply chain know-how to the fore across a range of projects, including the refurbishment of Heriot Watt Library in Edinburgh – the first project for Esh Border in which I will be involved from commencement to completion.
“With the help of the fantastic team that is already in place at Esh Border Construction, I hope that there will be much more to follow as we embark on an exciting new chapter for the business.”
Mr Curran added: “I was immediately struck by the huge opportunity at Esh Border Construction – the people, the job, the culture, and the exciting variety of work.
“From the refurbishment of listed buildings at Calton Hill, to fast track steel frame projects, there is a real diversity of work on offer here.
“There’s also a huge Scottish market for social housing, the delivery of which I find to be genuinely rewarding.
“I’m really looking forward to delivering more in that vein and am thrilled to have been appointed to this senior role within such a forward-thinking business.”
Esh Border Construction has an extensive track record of successfully delivering projects across a variety of sectors for a wide range of clients, including education, retail, industrial, commercial, leisure, public, healthcare, and historic buildings.
It has significant experience of all forms of procurement and project delivery including joint ventures, framework agreements, and traditional tendering.
The company operates within a framework of fully ISO accredited Safety, Quality and Environmental Management Systems, supported by comprehensive internal operating procedures, and it has extensive experience in delivering ‘Very Good’ and ‘Excellent’ BREEAM Rated Projects.
A Building Research Establishment research scientist who progressed through the organisation to become group chief executive yesterday (Wednesday 28 June) received an honorary degree from Edinburgh Napier University.
The award comes as it emerged that Dr Peter Bonfield has also been appointed to a Government fire safety advisory panel set up to implement lessons from the Grenfell Tower blaze.
Dr Bonfield is passionate about the role science and engineering play in finding solutions to the challenges facing the built environment, with sustainability his main focus.
Originally a materials scientist with a PhD in wind energy and the design of turbine blades, he has helped build university centres of excellence which have raised more than £60m in research funding and created a strong BRE research base.
In May 2012 Dr Bonfield received the prestigious Peter Stone Award from the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE) in recognition of his outstanding contribution to building engineering and the built environment.
A passionate cyclist and former national champion, he was also awarded an OBE for services to research and innovation in the construction industry in 2012.
Today he joined hundreds of Edinburgh Napier students at a ceremony in the Usher Hall to receive an Honorary Doctorate of Engineering.
Dr Bonfield said: “I am so pleased and honoured to receive this award from a university that I have long admired for its pioneering, ambitious and impactful research and teaching that is so distinctive.
“It is a great pleasure to have this new association.”
The other Edinburgh Napier University honorary degree recipients at this week’s graduation celebrations are:
• Professor Julie Fitzpatrick, Scientific Director of the Moredun Research Institute, receives an Honorary Doctorate of Science on Thursday June 29.
• Josh Littlejohn, social entrepreneur and co-founder of Social Bite, receives an Honorary Doctorate of Enterprise on Friday June 30
Professor Andrea Nolan, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University, said: “It is wonderful to see people who have made such a significant impact in the worlds of business, science and industry joining our celebrations.
“Their drive, talent and enthusiasm will inspire our students as they set out to make their own mark on the world.”
Esh Border Construction welcomed a group of school-children to Edinburgh’s Calton Hill development after the youngsters created a series of unique artworks for the historic City Observatory site.
Pupils from Abbeyhill and Leith Walk Primary School worked with artist Tessa Lynch to produce the panorama charcoal drawings which will be displayed on hoardings around the project.
They were delivered to Esh Border Construction Contract Manger Steven Kelly earlier this week.
Steven said: “We are very proud to be involved with the re-birth of the historic City Observatory site at Calton Hill and were delighted to welcome the Abbeyhill and Leith Walk school-children to the site.
“Their drawings are fantastic and are indicative of the type of creative work which will be born out of this fantastic project.”
The drawings were inspired by artist Robert Barker’s iconic Panorama of Edinburgh from Calton Hill, 1792. Before completing them primary four to seven pupils visited Calton Hill and made observational drawings from the Hill, then worked together in a follow-up workshop in classroom to produce the panoramas.
Livingston-based Esh Border Construction is working with Edinburgh City Council and Collective, a non-profit visual art organisation which will manage the site when it opens in 2018, on the £3 million project’
As well as taking delivery of the drawings Steven also handed over a cheque to Collective from Esh Border Construction’s bursary scheme – Esh Communities.
Kate Gray, Director of Collective said: “We’ve been working with the schools in our local area, Abbeyhill and Leith Walk primary, since 2015. We are developing long term relationships with the schools in our neighbourhood, with an aim that over time the pupils feel like Collective is very much a place for them, and our new home on Calton Hill is a place where they can keep returning to learn in ways which are both informative and fun.
“We’re also delighted to receive this support from Esh Border Construction for our schools learning programme.”
The site – which is credited as being the 19th century ‘birthplace of astronomy and timekeeping in Edinburgh’ – will be opened-up for public use, with a new restaurant and gallery space.
