As one of the North of England's largest privatelyowned contractors, Esh Construction is committed to driving forward sustainability, community impact and innovation in construction, working in partnership with its clients and supply chain.
Care home residents immerse themselves in Tyne Bridge virtual reality tour
Residents of two care homes in Newcastle and Gateshead have been the first to try out a brand-new and exciting virtual reality (VR) experience based on the Tyne Bridge.
Watched through a VR headset, this oneof-a-kind tour immerses viewers into the history of the iconic North East landmark through 360-degree footage and archive content from over the years. It features a local TV presenter who narrates the tour and discusses some of the bridge’s important historical moments, right up to present day.
A collaboration between Esh Construction, Radius and VR Care has enabled the VR tour to be produced as part of the major restoration of the Tyne Bridge which got underway earlier this year.
Around 12 residents from Alexandra House Care Home in Gateshead and Orchard Mews Care Home in Benwell – the two closest residential homes to the bridge – took part in an enriching session which saw them reminisce and share their memories of the Tyne Bridge, River Tyne and surrounding areas.
One resident commented: “Wow, it feels like I’m flying, I’m currently over St. James’ Park and I can see a kittiwake flying right in-front of me, it’s flying down to the Tyne Bridge.”
Net zero approach driving energy efficient homes in Tees Valley
Esh is helping raise the bar for sustainable living in Teesside as it develops 10 net-zero carbon homes for Thirteen Group.
Part of an £18 million development known as Kedward Avenue – one of three sites Esh is delivering for Thirteen in Middlesbrough – the new timber-framed homes will feature a raft of state-of-the-art technologies as the housing provider explores net-zero carbon opportunities in the region.
Four bungalows and six semi-detached two storey homes will benefit from enhanced insulation, triple-glazed windows, air source heat pumps and a mechanical ventilation heat recovery (MVHR) system. Photovoltaic solar panels, battery storage and electric vehicle charging points will also be installed externally.
To proclaim a property as net-zero carbon, homes must undergo rigorous energy performance standards testing, to meet a Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) score of two or lower – a much higher requirement than the standard home requirement of 5 or under.
Mark Binns, Operations Director for Esh’s affordable housing division, said: “It is a landmark moment for Esh Construction and Thirteen Group to be providing the net zero offer. The project marks a significant step forward in sustainable construction and underlines a shared commitment to delivering future-proofed and energy efficient homes.”
Esh recognised at CECA North East Awards
Esh Construction enjoyed double award success at the Civil Engineering Contractors Association North East Awards in Gosforth – picking up the Environmental Company of the Year and the Going the Extra Mile Award.
The Environmental award recognises Esh’s commitment to becoming a more sustainable contractor through its ‘Even Greener’ strategy. As part of its carbon reduction plan, Esh’s team of Carbon Champions are committed to identifying low carbon products, processes, ideas and innovations to become part of its ‘trials and adoptions’ initiative.
The Going the Extra Mile Award was presented for Esh’s bespoke Building My Skills employability programme, which was delivered to 4,500 students across the North East and Tees Valley during the 2023-24 academic year.
The programme, which culminated in a Mock Interview Day in Newcastle, was fully coordinated by Apprentice Social Value Coordinator, Lucy Youlton, and planning for the 2025 edition is already well underway.
Esh’s Woodside Avenue Remediation Scheme was also ‘Highly Commended’ in the Project of the Year (Over £5m) category.
To find out more about Esh Construction, visit www.eshgroup.co.uk
