Virtual Construction: The BIM Revolution – NWP
NWP are one of the leading mechanical & electrical contractors in the UK, based in the county of Conwy, North Wales, with full time employees based in Cardiff, Edinburgh & London. As an M&E contractor they offer full BIM design, onsite installation, testing, commissioning & aftercare package, primarily tendering on projects with an M&E value of £500,000 to £10,000,000, right across the country.
Since forming in 1995, NWP have grown steadily. In 2005, the company split into two equal parts to concentrate on their individual aspects of the industry. This allowed NWP Electrical, Mechanical & Utility Services to increase their operations – beginning in the North West of England and North Wales – before expanding to set up their satellite offices, thereby expanding their reach to cover as much of the UK as possible. We believe this offers a greater working relationship with the clients based within the surrounding areas of the satellite offices.
This personal touch also manifests itself through NWP’s commitment to assisting local communities and non-profit organisations by way of financial support, which can extend up to £1,000. These recipients include Mold Visionaries, a social group for blind or partially-sighted people off all ages, St. Kentigern’s Hospice in St. Asap, and Rhyl Men’s Shed, which offer a safe environment for men
aged 18 and over to learn new skills and socialise with like-minded individuals.
Speaking of NWP’s efforts to create a community bond, Sam discusses the business’ approach to clients. ‘We have longstanding relationships with the majority of the main contractors with whom we currently work. Repeat business is at the core of everything NWP does, and the best way to guarantee we get that is to ensure that we deliver every aspect of a development to the highest possible standard.
‘When working with any new main contractor, we always use the same approach that has provided longevity to our working relationships with other clients.’
NWP fully integrated building information modelling (BIM) into their design procedures in 2013 & have since completed numerous developments across the country.
‘BIM has offered a number of exciting opportunities for NWP. In early 2013, we began attending research seminars in order to gain a greater knowledge of the new procedure and not long after committed to offering the all our designs in BIM. We were one of the first contractors in Wales to offer the service.’
‘Since the beginning of 2015 BIM has become a core service offered by NWP, we now have 3 live BIM models under development for projects in the south totalling £8.2m’.
NWP have a number of projects in their back-catalogue that Sam attests to this method of establishing strong client relationships: in the past, they have successfully completed a contract at the Hotel Football, situated at Old Trafford. which gave the company a great deal of public exposure, especially across the Pond, where the hotel was included in the New York Times’ list of ’52 Places to Visit’ for 2015.
NWP have also lent their valuable expertise to improving the infrastructure of some of the UK’s most prolific centres of advanced education. They have assisted in improving the facilities in student accommodation complexes, with nearly 5,000 beds handed over across 11 developments; the most recent of these is an ongoing installation on the new 450-bed accommodation scheme at heriot Watt University, in Edinburgh.
In addition, 2015 also saw NWP complete the National Graphene Institute (NGI) for the University of Manchester. The new Institute was built with the purpose in mind of allowing the University’s professors and students to continue their research into the world’s newest super-element, and Sam expresses a great amount of pride in having played such an important role in facilitating this.
Sam additionally remarks that he, and the rest of his company, are very much still learning as they complete each successive project. Recognising the subtle shifts that the industry is constantly fluctuating through, he states the direction of NWP thusly: ‘we try to learn from each development technically, and with regards to project management, we have demonstrated excellent management on every project with assisted in winning the joint student accommodation contract in Portsmouth and Southampton. The dual contract has an M&E value of £7.3m and will deliver 1,356 new student bedrooms.’
The market in which NWP currently operate is forever developing. The technologies currently implemented with regards to construction are developing constantly, and as such NWP have had to – and are continuing to – develop alongside the construction sector. ‘Buildings are becoming more ‘air tight’ and a significant development in insulation has reduced heat loss considerably. This is something that all mechanical engineers & and installers have to consider when designing installation services. Ventilation is also becoming an increasingly important factor to be aware of in all-new build developments. Finally, the introduction of LED lighting technology has becoming fundamental in achieving BREEAM level excellent along with renewable technology.’
Speaking of the future ambitions for his company, Sam reveals that NWP have a number of exciting projects currently at design stage. ‘We have recently began developing the building services design for the new Hamilton by Hilton Hotel at Old Trafford Cricket Ground, the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club.
‘Beyond that, we aim to move our operations into the Midlands and from there to the south coast, after having completed projects in the two locations recently.’
Company: NWP Electrical, Mechanical & Utility Services
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 01745 351351
Web Address: http://www.nwp-ltd.com/
Address: Engineer House, Tir Llwyd Industrial Park, Kinmel Bay Conwy, LL18 5JA
