A key highlight within the built environment calendar, the Constructing Excellence Awards 2022, saw outstanding projects, organisations and individuals rewarded and recognised.
Costain, with design partner Jacobs on behalf of National Highways, scooped two awards including Project of the Year Civils for the A19 Testo’s Junction Improvement Scheme and the award for Health, Safety and Wellbeing.
The £125m improvements commenced in March 2019 and followed a two-year programme with completion being achieved one month early and within budget. The scheme is one of the largest highways projects undertaken in the North-East.
Connecting the A19 with the A184 in South Tyneside, the project consisted of a 141-metre span flyover, new local road connections and public rights of way.
Building Project of the Year was awarded to the state-of-the art £8.6 million project, The Regent Cinema.
Hailed as a rebirth of an iconic landmark in Redcar, the new cinema was led by BAM Construction North East, Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, GT3 Architects, Fairhurst, Desco and Identity Consult.
The project, funded by Tees Valley Combined Authority, saw the demolition of the old picture house which was replaced with a three-storey art deco-style cinema building. It boasts sea views, a licenced bar and event space for public use.
Headline sponsor at the awards evening was CDM Recruitment. Category sponsors were Gleeds, GSSArchitecture, McGovern & Co, Kier Construction North East, CIOB North East, Northumbrian Water Group, Faithful+Gould, Muckle LLP and drinks reception sponsor, Turner & Townsend.
On the night, £8,500 was raised for The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, the designated charity of CDM Recruitment following the passing of director and co-founder, Mark Bulmer in October last year.
Other award categories included
People Development: Seymour Skills Academy
Conservation & Regeneration: 17Nineteen – Mosedale Gillatt Architects, Churches Conservation Trust, HPR Ltd, Hall & Partners Ltd, Blackett Ord Conservation Engineers and TGA Consulting.
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion: Tilbury Douglas Construction
Innovation: MGL Group
Sustainability: MGL Group
Health, Safety & Wellbeing: Real Employee Engagement & Wellbeing – Costain, National Highways and Jacobs
SME of the Year: Black & White Engineering
Value: Elephant Rock – Hartlepool Borough Council, Seymour Civil Engineering and Classic Masonry
Integration & Collaborative Working: Sunderland Strategic Transport Corridor Phase 3 – Esh Civils, Sunderland City Council and Capita
Modern Methods of Construction: CoreHaus Ltd
Client of the Year: Sunderland City Council, nominated by Turner & Townsend and Esh Civils. Highly commended was awarded to National Highways, nominated by Tilbury Douglas Construction.
Residential Project of the Year: Godwit House – True North Construction Ltd, Mawson Kerr, PYC, North East Electrical, CA Heat Pumps, EcoHaus, Made2Measure and Gillian Maude.
Project of the Year Civils: A19 Testo’s Junction Improvement Scheme – Costain, National Highways and Jacobs.
Highly commended. A69 Hexham Bridge End Junction – Tilbury Douglas, National Highways, Pell Frischmann, Carnell, H W Martin, North East Earthworks, Bemac Construction Ltd and Tarmac
Building Project of the Year: The Regent, Redcar – BAM Construction North East, Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, GT3 Architects, Fairhurst, Desco and Identity Consult.
Highly commended was awarded to City Hall, Sunderland – Bowmer+Kirkland, Sunderland City Council, Gleeds, Desco, Cundall, FaulknerBrowns Architects and Castle Building Services.
Outstanding contribution to the industry went to Keith Mouther, Believe Housing and John Nielsen, who has recently stepped down as chair of the Construction Industry Council North East
Winners will go forward to the national final at the London Marriott, Grosvenor Square hotel in November.
Catriona Lingwood, chief executive of Constructing Excellence in the North East: “Congratulations to everyone who was shortlisted, awarded highly commended and to all of the winners. We must also say a big thank you to all of our sponsors and everyone who donated so generously to the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.”
Tony Fitzgerald, construction director at BAM, said: “BAM is extremely proud to have The Regent Cinema in Redcar selected as Constructing Excellence North East’s Building Project of the Year.
“This project has been much more than just building a new cinema for the town. Built on the beach, the new The Regent Cinema presented unique and significant challenges in terms of in-shore tidal planning, construction techniques, extreme environmental conditions and ensuring protection of the environment.”
Chris Wall, managing director at CDM Recruitment, said: “I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the funds raised for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation in Mark Bulmer’s name, whether it was through the donation envelopes or bidding for one of the auction prizes. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Constructing Excellence as the headline sponsor of the awards, as it recognises the fantastic work being carried out by the North East construction industry.”
