New Etive Director and Job Promotions

Alastair Manson APPOINTED TO Director

We are delighted to announce that Alastair Manson will be promoted to Director from 1st April 2024. Ali who is running our growing Inverness office, continues to win new work across the country and is a hugely supportive colleague for us all.

Project Scotland News Report

JOB promotions:

April sees the promotion of others in the team:

Lee Mutch has been promoted to Senior Technician.

Ken Hamilton has been promoted to Senior Structural Engineer

Jason Coetzee has been promoted to Structural Engineer.

Congratulations to all in their very well-deserved promotions, reflective of the excellent contribution they are all making to the business.

Where did January go?

My goodness, where did January go?

It’s been a “heads down” start to the year for Etive with a lot going on. But now it’s February we need to come up for some air!

Workload continues to broaden for us with some new education, energy sector, whisky distilleries and PBSA opportunities all being worked on since the New Year.

Pleasingly we have several projects which were a real design focus in the last quarter of 2023, now lodged for Planning. Not least amongst those being 140 Causewayside in Edinburgh where Balfour Beatty Investments’ proposal involves the removal of the existing office building, making way for a 174-bed student accommodation block. It’s a great scheme and an ideal use for the site. The new building has been expertly crafted by JM Architects and will be a worthy addition to the streetscape. Really looking forward to the next stages, working with an excellent team.

Balfour Beatty plc
JM Architects
Arcadis
Montagu Evans
Carbon Futures
OFR Consultants
Butler Consulting Engineers
re-form landscape architecture limited
Hydrock
Sweco

Imagery Credit: Cadpeople

Jenners - Rejuvenating Edinburgh's Built Heritage

The BBC had an excellent feature today on the Jenners redevelopment, in Edinburgh, and for which we are undertaking the structural engineering design. It really is the most fascinating building and it is a real pleasure to be playing a part in rejuvenation of such an important part of Edinburgh's built heritage.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-68153251

Etive 10 Year Celebrations

Etive celebrated 10 years of business on the 30th of November 2023 with a party at ‘Rabble’ in Edinburgh.

Over 180 guests joined us as for an evening of food, drink, friendship and music as we looked back on our beginnings in 2013 through to our 10-year anniversary.

We were also joined by CHAS representatives as we handed over a donation of £12,500 after exceeding our goal to raise 10k for our 10-year anniversary for the charity.

Thanks to all Etive staff and supporters for participating in the various challenges, and to all who donated.

A great time was had by all and we look forward to the next 10 years (and another bash to remember in 2033!).

Photographs: - Campbell Donaldson

Farewell 2022; Hello 2023!

Etive Consulting - Rutland Street, Edinburgh

Etive Consulting - Ardross Terrace, Inverness

Reflecting on the year just ended, and despite uncertainty as the world emerged from the “covid years” and war in Ukraine started, overall, 2022 wasn’t a bad year for the construction industry. Certainly, from Etive’s perspective, we had a productive year - moving to larger premises and adding both new projects and new members to our existing team.

Regardless of the economic background, the year seemed to get progressively busier; no doubt in part due to pent up demand following the covid-related restrictions of the preceding two years. Etive benefited from committed spending in public sector projects already “over the line” and, in our traditional markets such as PBSA, where demand remained robust with undersupply continuing to help asset values for investors. Etive stayed strong and took the opportunity to build upon our well-established team, continuing to recruit throughout the year, adding further strength in depth in all areas of the business. The projects we are engaged in grow ever-larger and more complex in their nature but the team we have assembled is a fitting match for that, and more so.

We did have some large BTR projects halted in 2022, temporarily, we expect. The fundamentals of these schemes remain sound – excellent locations, well designed buildings, strong demand and overall, positive additions to their respective cities. These are projects we are certain will come back in due course, as and when economically practicable.

Even with one or two projects stuttering, we ended 2022 as we mean to go on in 2023; busy, optimistic, cheerful and seeking new opportunities, and there are many out there.

There is much to look forward to, as we have a significant milestone to celebrate. Etive has now entered its tenth year. It seems only a short time since starting with two phones, two computers and two fresh(ish) faced engineers looking at each other wondering what happens next! What was to happen next was the development of a highly capable resource base of around thirty and an enviable list of complete/ongoing projects. None of that would have happened without the trust, advice and help of our many clients, industry contacts and the brilliant people who have joined Etive through this, our first decade. Thank you all!

Rested and ready to go here are ten notable markers for Etive’s activities in this, our tenth year ahead:

• Granton Waterfront - site investigations for huge regeneration project get going in Q1

• City Wharf - planning application for PBSA and BTR tower (25 storeys) in Glasgow submitted in Q1

• Maybury Primary School - start on site in Q2

• Jenners redevelopment - start on site in Q2

• Ayrshire NHS Elective Care Centre - start on site in Q2

• Meadowbank regeneration – design ongoing with progress to construction in Q3

• Lisbon Street – 24-storey PBSA tower in Leeds tops out in Q3

• Liberton Community Campus - start on site in Q3

• Nairn Academy - start on site in Q3

• Etive 10 year celebrations – 30th November 2023
  

Distilling the above list down to ten things was a challenge in itself. Clearly, it’s going to be another busy year!

There is no doubt that 2023 is going to present some challenges for us all. But our industry is smart, nimble and full of capable people who will meet those challenges head on.

From Etive’s perspective, our intention is to continue to deliver work of a high standard and to support and respect our clients and friends in the industry. What matters most is looking after each other and that is what we intend to do in 2023, both within and out with the business.

Happy New Year everyone!

Etive Consulting Engineers Ltd

A fond farewell to 2021 AND here’s to 2022!

Jenners Department Store, Edinburgh

2021 began with great uncertainty but the vaccine roll out brought us all some confidence. As the year unfolded, that confidence came back strongly. We saw a level of economic activity in the construction industry that was most welcome, with projects old and new coming to life. Perhaps the most pleasing aspect of the recovery was, for us, the huge variation of project types that we secured during the year.

New Projects

In May, Etive was appointed as civil and structural engineers for the redevelopment of the iconic Jenners building in Edinburgh. The city’s most historic and internationally famous department store is to be reinstated to its former glory. Additionally, above the department store, the building will be converted to a new, high-quality hotel. A structurally complex but rewarding project; it is truly a privilege to be engaged in the restoration and preservation of one of the Edinburgh’s great assets.

Public Sector Projects

The year saw us significantly expand our portfolio of public sector projects, primarily in education. New appointments for Liberton Community Campus and Trinity Academy, both for the City of Edinburgh Council, were followed by the new Beeslack High School in Midlothian and Nairn Academy for Highland Council. Nairn Academy is the first major project to be delivered from our new Inverness office, also opened this year, and being led by Alastair Manson.

Etive - Ardross Terrace, Inverness

Traditional Projects

Our traditional markets also came back with a bang in 2021 with several new projects coming on stream across the UK. Of particular note are a 24 storey PBSA scheme at Lisbon Road in Leeds and a 790 unit BTR development (Loft Lines) at Titanic Quarter in Belfast. Closer to home, we also commenced designs for Fountainbridge where our client, Queensberry Properties, are engaged by the City of Edinburgh Council as development partners for this significant urban regeneration project.

Loft Lines (southside view), Belfast

Loft Lines (riverside view), Belfast

New Staff

Such strong new project wins allowed us to strengthen our team this year. In October, Mike Sime and then in November, Caroline Rutherford joined as Associate Directors. Both appointments are hugely exciting for us; both are individuals we have known and admired for some time and whom we are thrilled to have alongside us, influencing the next chapters of the Etive story.

Mike Sime

Caroline Rutherford

Experienced Structural Engineers Ian Vernon and Michael Dempster also joined Etive this year, along with Hasan Saeed, fresh from University. The scale and type of projects we are engaged in demand the best, most talented engineers in the market place and that is exactly how we’d describe our carefully assembled team.

Ending 2021

As the year ends, it rather feels the world has taken a slight backwards step in respect of Covid. A degree of uncertainty has returned under the guise of the Omicron variant and the hospitality industry has been dealt a real blow at the worst possible time.

Welcoming 2022

We are however optimistic that the age of mass lockdowns is over. There seems a growing realisation that we have to learn to adapt and live with Covid. The construction and property industry has led by example in this respect. Our industry is crammed full of resourceful, adaptable and positive people; our summary of 2021 is testament to that. We could not have achieved so much in 2021 were it not for the strength and resilience of our clients and industry friends. When you strive and succeed, we succeed, and we thank you most sincerely for that.

Despite Omicron’s malign presence, we envisage another very busy year ahead. Doubtless there will be challenges we cannot yet see, but we set forth with great confidence and relish for the opportunities we will work through together.

We wish all our clients, industry colleagues and staff a healthy, happy and prosperous 2022.

Maybury Primary School

Image © Architype

The City of Edinburgh Council

April saw the formal lodging of the Planning Application for the new Maybury Primary School in Edinburgh. A real milestone for Etive, this being the first of three new Primary Schools we are delivering for the City of Edinburgh Council along with partners Faithful+Gould, Architype and Rybka.

The school is being designed to Passivhaus standards following the client’s brief for superior energy efficiency and a fully certified, quality assured build process. The flagship school aims to develop teaching environments that have been trialled elsewhere in the city, with a real focus on open plan teaching spaces and ensuring direct access from these teaching spaces to the surrounding external spaces. This open plan nature and the ideology behind Passivhaus led us, as a Design Team, to a hybrid frame construction which draws upon the strengths of four key structural frame materials: standard timber frame panelling, glulam sections, cross laminated timber and steel. The superstructure is supported by a raft foundation allowing simple and practical thermal arrangements for air tightness and cold bridge detailing. The raft was also the most efficient means to found the building given relatively poor ground conditions.

RIBA Stage 4 design is now well underway and we look forward to seeing our work come to fruition on the ground.

TAYSIDE ELECTIVE CARE CENTRE (TECC)

One of a series of public sector wins in 2020, Etive are particularly excited to be appointed as civil and structural engineer for this project. The new facility, proposed at Perth Royal Infirmary, will be constructed on the site of several dated ward blocks, demolished in advance. The Tayside Elective Care Centre is one in a series of six planned across Scotland. Elective Care Centres have been proposed to meet the demands of our aging population and the growing number of surgical interventions possible in modern healthcare. The facility will include a series of operating theatres, pre and post-op spaces and general administrative requirements.

In competition with a number of our larger competitors, Etive’s enthusiasm, approach and proposed team experience was key in our selection. The project is a very welcome opportunity for Etive to strengthen an already good working relationship with Balfour Beatty, whilst making new ones with NHS Tayside and RDA Architects. We are already enjoying the experience!

LITTLE PATRICK STREET COMPLETION!

Image © Donal McCann Photography Ltd

On Little Patrick Street’s completion, Etive’s student accommodation experience in numbers.

6 years > 30 projects > 9376 student bedspaces.

As we celebrated the completion and handover of Little Patrick Street in Belfast, we had a thought: “how many PBSA projects and student bedrooms have we been engaged in?” The answer was a surprise even to us. In the past 6 years, we have designed (or are designing) a total of 30 projects which include a total of 9,376 bedspaces!

At 430 bedspaces, Little Patrick Street, in Belfast, is our latest completion in the sector.

The PBSA sector has been a great joy to us with some tremendous clients and fellow professionals with whom we’ve had a lot of fun along the way. Workload in the sector continues with several schemes in the design phase at present. The effects of Covid-19 and associated lockdowns have had an impact on the sector; of that there is no question. But, typical of the property and construction sector, the excellent people therein have been dusting themselves down and we are moving forward. Whether there are another 3, 30 or 300 projects to come, we will look forward to adding our experience to those and to helping our clients deliver great value results.

WAVEGARDEN PROJECT

Read the full article here

PASSIVHAUS TRUST

We are very pleased to announce Etive’s membership of the Passivhaus Trust.

The construction and property industries are engaging in sustainability in a much deeper and proactive way than ever before. This is something we have been delighted to see and we welcome the development of better constructed, more efficient, serviceable and easier to maintain building stock across the UK. Sustainability has always been a key part of our designs and our membership of the Passivhaus Trust restates this commitment. Already engaged in the delivery of Passivehaus Primary Schools for the City of Edinburgh Council, we hope to expand our commitment and experience in sustainable design to many more clients and their buildings in the times to come.

MIDHOPE DISTILLERY

Planning has been submitted for Midhope Castle Distillery at the Hopetoun Estate.

Truly unique projects are a joy to work on and Midhope Distillery certainly fits that category. We were delighted to see the project reach an important milestone this week with the Planning Application being submitted. An incredible setting, alongside Midhope Castle, or “Lallybroch” as fans of Outlander might better know it, the drams distilled here will have an interesting and enduring story to tell!