Integra Buildings has been named Contractor of the Year at the Oscars of the UK’s offsite construction industry.
The annual Offsite Awards celebrate exceptional examples of innovation and expertise from businesses at the forefront of a sector that is transforming the contemporary built environment.
Integra, one of the country’s leading modular building specialists, has been recognised for the outstanding success of the company’s biggest project to date – a state-of-the-art training academy for Severn Trent Water.
Officially opened by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in May this year, the Severn Trent Academy provides a purpose-built centre of excellence for technical training as part of a £10m programme delivering skills to Severn Trent’s 7,000 staff, as well as thousands of members of the community. Severn Trent, which serves eight million people across the Midlands, has described the building as “an amazing space in which to learn”.
The Contractor of the Year award recognises offsite manufacturers with the scope and vision to successfully deliver sustainable, cost-effective contemporary buildings, from conception to completion, while ensuring client satisfaction throughout.
The accolade was presented to Integra during an awards ceremony at the Coventry Building Society Arena, in Coventry, attended by hundreds of industry leaders from around the country.
Judges praised Integra’s seamless relationship with the supply chain and highlighted the effective use of cutting-edge digital technology, which enabled the Severn Trent Academy to be delivered efficiently and on time.
Gary Parker, Integra’s Managing Director, paid tribute to his “outstanding” team and suppliers. He said: “We’re honoured to be presented with such a prestigious award in front of leaders from around the industry.
“Our team and our suppliers demonstrated exceptional skill and dedication to deliver the Severn Trent Academy at the height of the Covid crisis, so we’re thrilled that their outstanding efforts have been recognised.
“We’re particularly pleased that the judges recognised the strength of our relationship with our wonderful client, Severn Trent, whose support, encouragement and expertise contributed hugely to the success of the project.
“We pride ourselves on building strong relationships with our clients, which helps us to understand their needs and meet and exceed their expectations, so it’s really pleasing to see this approach paying dividends.
“This year, the Offsite Awards were better than ever, with exceptional shortlists in all categories, which goes to show how strong the modular and offsite sector has become. Congratulations to all the winners and runners-up!”
East Yorkshire-based Integra, which was also shortlisted for Education Project of the Year, is delivering a series of outstanding projects to schools and training providers as the offsite building revolution gathers pace in the education sector.
The Severn Trent Academy, in Coventry, is a prime example of how modern modular techniques are transforming the construction sector by delivering projects faster and more efficiently than traditional methods, without compromising on quality. The versatile, energy-efficient facilities provide a variety of traditional and experimental training environments, as well as an extensive suite of stylish rooms and breakout areas for hosting conferences and educational events.
Integra deployed industry-leading offsite technology and demonstrated exceptional relationships with Severn Trent and the offsite supply chain in order to ensure that the project was delivered on time and within cost expectations, despite construction coinciding with the outbreak of the Covid crisis. Severn Trent, which was also shortlisted for Client of the Year, said their design aspirations had been “met in full”.
Meanwhile, the success of another of Integra’s major projects, the Springhead Park Primary School, in Northfleet, Kent, was recognised at the ceremony. Bond Bryan, the architects who designed the striking and distinctive building, won the award for Best Use of Volumetric Technology. Integra led the modular construction of the school for principal contractor Kier Construction. Headteacher Wayne Clayton described the results as “quite astounding”.
The accolades come at an exciting time for Integra as it embarks on a major expansion of its base in Paull, near Hull, which is key to the management’s ambitions to double revenues to £60m within three years.
Integra has developed a nationwide reputation for excellence in the design, construction and fit-out of modular buildings for a wide range of uses, including education, sport, leisure, healthcare and commercial operations. Earlier this year, it was named in the annual Ward Hadaway list of Yorkshire’s “Fastest 50” growing companies.
The Offsite Awards are organised by the publishers of the Offsite Magazine and Offsite Hub website, and are staged during the annual Offsite Expo, which brings together businesses and professionals from throughout the sector. The Offsite Awards website includes a full list of winners and finalists.
