Aimed at design quality in new housing. The criteria embody Building for Life's vision of what housing should be: functional, attractive, and sustainable. Visit www.buildingforlife.org for more details.

Aimed at encouraging high quality design in the built environment, feature two categories this time round – a new favourite building category and a best recent development catergory

Constructive Dialogue

Feb 2008

In line with our commitment to continuously improve our communication with our customers, we have decided to publish a third issue of our 'Constructive Dialogue' newsletter.

This not only covers any major news related to Sibmar, but also covers subjects that are currently influencing the UK construction industry from a contractors point of view.

Our first two issues were sent out to our partners and supporters during 2007 and we received a very encouraging response.

If you have not received the 'Constructive Dialogue' newsletter, please click on the relevant Issue to download a copy

Constructive Dialogue - Issue 3 [2008]

Constructive Dialogue - Issue 2 [2007]

Constructive Dialogue - Issue 1 [2006]

Sibmar Features On The Paul O' Grady Show

Dec 2007

The show, which was aired just before Christmas, showed a member of the audience working on a building site for the day. The willing volunteer helped mix plaster, fit guttering and install light switches. Indeed the only time she seemed remotely phased was when handed a broom and told that the site was swept every night as a matter of routine! View the film above.

Expanding Our Workforce

Nov 2007

With an enormous growth in our business, expanding our workforce further was essential. Our offices have just under gone another extension, providing further fully-equipped office space to support all our workers’ needs. Providing a professional environment to work in, encouraging effective employee collaboration, and supporting services at the lowest feasible cost.

Keeping our employees at the forefront enables us to service our customers' needs far better and provide a platform for us to further expand our operations.

Sibmar Eliminate The Paper Culture

Oct 2007

As part of an ongoing commitment to reduce paperwork by automating systems, we have equipped all site managers with High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), a high-speed broadband protocol that enables them to access, download and share large e-mail attachments via their mobile ‘phones. The move was necessary due to a rapid increase both in staff numbers and our geographical spread. Much of the form filling associated with ISO and health and safety requirements is now be completed using electronic templates, which are then forwarded to head office. Similar templates covering stock control, vehicle management, job specification and time-sheets have helped free up time to solve problems and reduce response times to customer queries.

2 Sibmar Projects Nominated For the L&Q Design For Living Award

Sept 2007

With only two entries up for the category of 'Best Small Project'. We were extremely honoured to find out that the two nominations put forward were 'Epsom Road (london, E10), and 'Sakura Drive' (London, N22), both contracted by Sibmar.

Together with our partner JCMT Architects we won the award for 'Best Small Project' 2007 with 'Sakura Drive' (London N22) for a highly skillful architectural solution providing eight shared ownership homes.

A Great Achievement!

Brendan Rides From Paris To London For Charity Fundraising

July 2007

Brendan Sibmar contracts manager Brendan Rooney has raised more than £3,000 for the Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital in a four day cycle ride between Paris and London.

Brendan completed the 330 mile

journey in August despite being a complete novice to long-distance cycling and having only owned a bicycle since June 2006.

Sibmar Group are proud to have been sponsors and would like to congratulate Brendan on his fantastic effort

Evening Standard 'Affordable New Homes Award' For Sakura Drive

June 2007

Awards Logo A Sibmar designed and built housing development in Haringay, North London has been highly commended in the Affordable Housing category of the 2007 Evening Standard New Homes Awards.The client was Tower Homes a subsidiary of the L&Q Group.

The Sakura Drive development comprised eight two-bedroom houses offered for sale on a shared ownership (part buy, part rent) scheme. It was completed and fully occupied by November 2006, all eight properties having been sold off-plan.

To minimise visual impact and intrusion on the flats to the rear the buildings were designed as single-storey at the rear rising to two-storey single aspect to the front. Heavy masonry walls and concrete floors to the ground floor level were complemented by a heavily insulated timber construction on the external areas. Structural timbers and Western Red Cedar cladding were sourced from sustainable managed sources.

The Evening Standard judges commented that, “Sakura Drive… is a development that makes very good use of an awkward site. Each home is filled with light, and the external environment is attractive, thanks to a good choice of materials.”

Martin Speaks At Kingston University Business Event

April 2007

MartinLecture Sibmar Construction Group managing director Martin Sibthorp shared his experience of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) at a recent seminar hosted by Kingston University.

Speaking to an invited audience of several business leaders and academics Martin detailed how the Group had benefited directly from its involvement with the government backed scheme which is designed to help industry apply the research and skills developed in higher places of learning to help solve practical business challenges.

As part of the program recently qualified graduates – referred to as ‘associates’ – spend around 90 per cent of their time at a company working on one or more clearly defined projects.

Martin’s started on a light-hearted note by describing how the company he founded in 1980 had grown from humble beginnings to employing over 85 staff today, before providing examples of surveys, the new corporate identity and marketing materials that Sibmar has developed with its new-found expertise.

40 Trees Planted To Celebrate Sibmar's New Website Success

April 2007

As you may be aware, our website was redesigned in line with our new branding and corporate image and launched before Christmas last year. We had announced in the winter issue of our newsletter ‘Constructive Dialogue’ that we would plant a tree for every 100 hits on the website during the launch and we are proud to tell you that we have planted 40 trees in response to the same.

Please click here to see the certificate gifted to us by our environmental partners ‘Trees for Life’.

We have been flooded with emails ranging from client enquiries, prospective employees, sub-contractors and others and we are currently under a bit of pressure to reply to each one of them. However, we promise we will reply to all your mails, so keep writing. Also, we would love to hear any comments you may want to make about our website or the way we do business. There is nothing better than getting some honest feedback from our clients, the people we do business with.

Ambler School Shortlisted For 'Partners In Excellence Award' And Also Featured In RIBA

March 2007

The completion of the 1.2 million refurbishment and new development project at Ambler School was very well received by the School, The CEA Islington and the supervising consultants.

Apart from being short listed for the Partners in Excellence award, it is also featured in the 2007 issue of the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) London Directory.

As well as excellent project delivery and innovative design, this project boasts of many high-tech features including a highly insulated new cedar clad timber frame building with heated floors covered with natural, eco-friendly marmoleum and additional cushioning. According to Brendan Rooney, our contract manager on this project, “…the project was a major challenge to complete, not only for its modern structure but for the conditions it was accomplished under during full school term time and with young students close to an active construction site.”

Click here to see a copy of the full length feature in RIBA’s annual publication.

Sakura Drive In Line Up For Evening Standard 'New Homes Award'

Feb 2007

Our client, Tower Homes (part of the London & Quadrant Group), were extremely pleased with the design and build contract carried out by Sibmar on this new development of eight two bedroom houses in London N22. So pleased in fact that they decided to enter this development in the 2007 Evening Standard New Homes Awards in the category of ‘Best New Development’ in the affordable homes sector.

This extremely modern, eco friendly development incorporates many examples of what are now termed as modern methods of construction. Major construction features include a hybrid steel, masonry and timber structure with cedar cladding, Rheinzinc metal roof covering.

A testament to the success of this ‘shared ownership’ project was the fact that all of the houses were sold or reserved prior to the completion.

CHAS

Jan 2007

We are pleased to inform you that Sibmar Construction Group is now a CHAS (Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme) accredited contractor. Although we have always maintained an impeccable health and safety record thanks to our systematic approach towards the subject, we decided to apply for CHAS as it was becoming the required standard used by some of our regular clients such as Essex County Council.

This stringent vetting process provides prospective public and private sector clients with clear up-to-date information on accredited companies making the tender selection process clearer and easier.