Six major contractors, including Kier and Laing O’Rourke, have been named as part of an alliance to create 16,000 bed spaces for the Armed Forces.
Kier scooped two places in the alliance, in separate joint ventures with modular firm McAvoy Group and steel construction specialist Metek. Laing O’Rourke, Bowmer and Kirkland, temporary-building firm ExtraSpace Solutions and modular specialist Reds10 were also named in the alliance.
Over six years, the firms will receive work via the Defence Infrastructure Organisation’s (DIO) Crown Commercial Service Framework to provide the bed spaces for the Armed Forces in single-living accommodation.
It is the first time the DIO has used an alliance format for this work.
A library of designs will be created to ensure a “common base design”. The DIO said the library would also have “variations and flexibility to adapt according to the needs of the site and its personnel, such as the number of rooms required”.
“The design can be used for accommodation intended for short-term occupancy, such as recruits undergoing initial training or for personnel on exercise on the defence training estate, as well as permanent accommodation in military bases,” it added.
The DIO also said the use of modern methods of construction “should improve the speed of manufacture and reduce the time spent on site, minimising disruption”.
DIO director of major programmes and projects Charlie Hoskins said the new alliance system would be “crucial to improve our broader delivery of single-living accommodation”.
“These blocks are one of the Armed Forces facilities we build the most and this approach will ensure we can safely build blocks faster, to a common design, ensuring consistency of standards and driv[ing] better value for money,” he added.
“Ultimately, this is about improving the living conditions for our Armed Forces personnel, and every one of our suppliers is motivated by this aim.”
