admin

Well that is the first quarter complete and I am delighted to say, “we are back”. We have also firmly delivered on our aims and objectives during the period and put some very strong foundations in place for the future.

A massive thank you has to go to all who have gone out of their way to greet us as a new-old business; in particular our staff, clients and fellow design team members who have welcomed back Wallace Whittle with open arms, while supporting us fully.

Quarter one was all about consolidation and setting up the business. Quarter two and three will be more focused on putting key longer term business objectives in place such as our staff benefits portal, staff online shop and our Junior Academy, with more details on these to follow.

However, a key company objective remains to become the number one MEP and Sustainability consultant of choice, with quality of product and quality of service being a primary objective for all at Wallace Whittle.

The last year and a half of Covid-19 has been a very challenging time for all. Our staff have been fantastic in adapting and responding to new ways of working and, again, I thank them all for that. As we emerge into the post-Covid world, we are optimistic for the future.

If you wish to discuss how we can support you please contact me at any time, and I will be only too happy to chat.

Allan McGill
Managing Director

+44 (0)330 460 5200
Allan.McGill@WallaceWhittle.com

Our staff are our life blood, and our future and we employ the best people in accordance with our commitment to diversity and inclusion. We are lucky to have a high proportion of long serving staff, examples being Angela Jackson, who recently celebrated 20 years with Wallace Whittle and Jim Bowie who will celebrate 20 years service later this month. Congratulations Angela and Jim, and here’s to many more years!

As we grow the business in response to many new commissions, we have welcomed no fewer than fourteen new starts into the Wallace Whittle family so far this year, and we are currently developing our very own Junior Academy that will develop many new junior/apprentice/graduate staff in the coming years, ready for launch later this year.

Kiyomi Honjigawa was our first new start of 2021, and she has recently secured her Chartered Engineer status, becoming a full corporate member of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) as well as being promoted to Senior Engineer. Kiyomi is currently working on a range of projects including The Student Hotel and the Cadworks office developments, as well as a new office commission in Edinburgh, and our newly secured Ardrossan Community Campus. We asked another recent recruit, our Media Administrator Sumi Honjigawa, to ask her sister Kiyomi a few questions so we could get an insight into what makes Kiyomi tick.

What initially drew you to pursue a career in building services engineering?
I miserably failed at being an Architect, so quit and pursued a career in Building Services Engineering instead!

What is your favourite part about your job?
I enjoy the design aspect and coming up with solutions to design problems, including using innovative approaches to meet the challenges of Net Zero Carbon and the wellness agenda.

How long have you worked in this industry?
I graduated in June 2016… so 5 years! I have worked closely with Stephen Osborne and Jacob Bredski since graduation, and it’s exciting seeing our newly established Edinburgh office growing, and being a key part of that.

What are your hobbies/interests outside of work?
I play rugby, both 15s and 7s, so currently gearing up so a Summer full of 7s and our first season since before Covid.

What skills have you found vital to your job?
Definitely communication. We always need to talk to each other, whether it’s about work or not. Communication is vital for success and for your own sanity

What advice would you offer to anyone considering a career in Environmental Building Services Consultancy?
Ask lots of questions, don’t be afraid to get stuck in, and get as much varied experience as you can.

Our expert application of Revit and Digital Engineering in the form of Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a powerful design management and coordination tool. This advanced coordination in design minimises abortive work, site fabrication and wasted materials. Populating the modelled information in the later stages of design, fabrication and installation provides our clients with invaluable facilities management data for operation and maintenance.

It’s a common misconception that BIM is purely about the production of a 3D virtual construction model, but this is only part of BIM Level 2. Certification ensures:

• We have the necessary BIM capability, IT capability and available resource to deliver projects.
• That we evaluate our supply chain for the same capability.
• Necessary and regular training is in place.
• Project roles and responsibilities are clearly defined.
• Processes are in place for the production and monitoring of workload.
• A robust QA process is in place to ensure that all information issued has been validated and has passed through the appropriate QA checks.

In only 8 weeks following our re-launch as Wallace Whittle, we have achieved BIM Level 2 verifi cation from the British Standards Institute, as a ”Tier 2 Appointed Party including MEP Building Services and Sustainable Design Consultancy complying with BIM Level 2 in accordance in accordance with ISO 19650-2:2018 incorporating the UK National Annex”.

This is testament to the expert skills and dedication of our BIM team, led by Paul Hargreaves. Great job Paul!

Our team of Sustainability Consultants is growing under David Spiteri’s leadership, with Scott O’Hara, Andrew Hogg, Ewan McCluckie and Chris Stevens all joining the team since our last newsletter. This significantly enhances our already strong credentials in energy, sustainability, wellness, BREEAM, modelling, analysis, and certification.

David and his team are leading the way in driving Net Zero Carbon solutions for our clients, cutting through the mystery and separating out the facts to realise and deliver practical and cost-effective solutions. We are also responding and contributing to the emerging trends in the market, as we look forward to COP26 in Glasgow, and we enhance social value and placemaking on our projects.

There is no one-size-fi ts-all solution when designing a Net Zero Carbon building. Wallace Whittle have worked with clients develop net zero carbon strategies and roadmaps across all sectors: from large masterplan schemes to re-purposing of existing buildings.

WW understand there are fundamental NZC design questions which need answering at early design stage, such as:

• What is the cost-optimal passive design solution for a development?
• What building services systems are considered viable and practical?
• What renewables technologies can I use?
• Which design options are affordable and maintainable for the end-users, whilst allowing for future flexibility?
• How can a Net Zero Carbo design strategy promote a healthy environment for its occupants?

David Spiteri will be delighted to discuss your thoughts and requirements, so please get in touch to benefit from the value we can add.

At the beginning of May Wallace Whittle staff were encouraged to take part in the Neurosciences 5kMay fundraiser. We had a lot of fun, and some of the photos are shared here.

After analysis of the total raised, we know that Wallace Whittle raised a substantial proportion of the £2,621 raised by the charity, with Mark Chaston plus friends and family alone raising a whopping £335! As a result, Wallace Whittle agreed to fund match the whole of the funds raised for Neurosciences, so WW has donated a further £2,621 to the charity. This will make a big difference to the valuable work that the Neurosciences Foundation do, and they are very grateful for your efforts in supporting them.

Henry Gildie, Trustee and Treasurer, said: “Many thanks to the Wallace Whittle Team for supporting the Neurosciences Foundation. We are a small charity and to receive match funding of £2,621 in relation to the Foundations campaign will make a massive difference to the research we will be able to fund.”

Dr Sara Deans, Chair of the Board of Trustees, added: “I am absolutely overwhelmed by your most generous support to the NSF through and on behalf of Wallace Whittle. As Henry has said, we are a small charity and your donations will make an incredible difference to the number of projects and PhD studentships we can continue to fund. Please pass on our gratitude to all at Wallace Whittle, and thank you so much for your fundraising. This support will ultimately help people with conditions such as stroke, brain tumour and dementia, and I look forward to updating you on our ongoing and relevant research and educational activities.”

We are conscious of the part we play and the impact we have in our communities, and we will continue to impact positively where we can, through our Corporate and Social Responsibility Policy.

We were very excited to see the Edinburgh St James Quarter galleria open for the first time to visitors on 24th June and the front cover photo on this newsletter was taken on opening day. Originally due to open in 2020, work was forced to temporarily come to a halt on the £1 billion development amid the coronavirus lockdown, and construction has been underway for five years to bring the new site to life, after the former St James Centre closed its doors for the last time in 2016.

Edinburgh St James Quarter introduces a new retail led, lifestyle district that fully integrates into and enhances Edinburgh’s City Centre providing an inspiring, attractive, and vibrant destination for locals and visitors to live, shop, eat, sleep and play. St James Quarter accommodates an enviable line up of restaurants, cafés, bars, shops, public spaces, leisure venues, residential and hotel accommodation.

The development, which spans across 1.7 million square feet, accommodates 85 shops and more than 30 food outlets, as well as Scotland’s first W Hotel, which includes a bar, outdoor terrace, restaurant, and spa. Still to come in the later phases of the development, over the next 18 months, will be more shops, restaurants and bars, a boutique Everyman Cinema, a Roomzzz Aparthotel, and 152 New Eidyn residential apartments.

Everyone at Wallace Whittle is very proud of the part we played in bringing this fantastic development to fruition, providing MEP engineering design and Sustainability consultancy with an MEP construction value of £70m. We were engaged from concept to completion, and this has been a journey of more than 10 years to date. We have worked with many talented and dedicated people and companies along the way, and we are very much looking forward to seeing Edinburgh St James Quarter fully complete.