Celebrating Construction - More Success for EOS

Following their success at the Offsite Awards, the prominent steel framing systems innovator EOS, picked up yet another trophy at the 2019 Celebrating Construction Awards for the East Midlands. The hugely successful Sarah Swift building was crowned 'Offsite Project of the Year' at the prestigious awards ceremony held at the Nottingham Belfry on 10th May. 

Steve Thompson Managing Director at EOS said of the win: "What a great night of celebrations for the EOS team – we are truly honoured!  Through forming close partnerships with the architects and engineers, we were able to design and offsite manufacture the highest quality steel framing solution to deliver an environmentally sustainable project, that met the challenging brief. Not only is the Sarah Swift building outstanding but the pioneering work that is taking place within makes this accolade even more rewarding. The EOS team were up for the challenge and it is truly rewarding that our efforts have received such recognition."

The new academic building – named after Lincolnshire's Dame Sarah Swift – is home to the University of Lincoln's School of Health and Social Care and Psychology. Comprising a broad spectrum of research and learning spaces that spans from offices and laboratories to teaching areas and nurse training facilities, the five-storey building is designed to enhance student learning. 

As the new 5,500m2 building houses laboratories which include vibration-sensitive equipment – the main contractor had to meet challenging design specifications. A key element of the brief for this specialist building was to create spaces that have the right environmental conditions, vibration levels and acoustic separation for their different functions, while ensuring the building remains simple to commission, build and operate. 

In order to achieve the most effective design possible, the engineering team developed 3D models of all rooms at an early stage to ensure the users' requirements were clearly captured. This resulted in a flat slab structural design allowing for a straightforward installation of services and offering greater adaptability to meet future uses.

EOS designed and manufactured a robust steel framing infill panel solution for the Sarah Swift building to meet the project brief. Bespoke zed bars were developed for overhang and intumescent paint clearance. The restrictive site presented access challenges and storage limitations – offsite technology provided the optimum solution. All deliveries were colour coded by floor and craned directly into the correct location. Through careful design detailing and value engineering, EOS was able to design and offsite manufacture the highest quality steel framing solution to deliver this environmentally sustainable project on time and to budget.

EOS Award Winning Success 

The Celebrating Construction Award for Offsite Project of the Year follows the tremendously successful Offsite Construction Awards, where EOS picked up no less than three trophies culminating in the multi award-winning Sarah Swift Building being crowned Healthcare Project of the Year at this highly competitive event.

Steve Thompson added: "2019 has been a great award-winning year for the EOS team. These accolades are the result of continual investment in our advanced manufacturing facility and commitment to research and development. As part of Etex Building Performance which brings together the products and solutions of three dry construction materials companies – Siniat, Promat and EOS - our combined expertise in drywall, passive fire protection and steel framing systems has created a range of unique solutions from the building envelope to internal linings, partitions and penetrations."

Light gauge steel framing systems offer unparalleled freedom to construct faster and more accurately. The combination of strength, durability and precision engineering ensures steel framing systems offer broad parameters to explore innovative solutions and optimise value engineering. This offsite construction project was delivered in half the time that could be achieved using traditional methods. Steel is renowned for its longevity and ability to be multicycled – providing no onsite waste thus enabling a more sustainable future. Factory controlled manufacturing conditions eradicate the risk of onsite variability, delivering safer construction and improved health and safety onsite – reducing the risk of unexpected delays and costs during the build.