Category: News

Leading East Midlands mechanical and electrical consultancy Built Environment Consulting (BEC) was invited to speak at ProCon Leicestershire Emerging Talent Masterclass on 4^th April 2019. Mark McConnell, director of BEC, shared an insight into his career in Mechanical and Electrical (M&E) design engineering which aimed to encourage the younger professionals to join the engineering industry.

Mark was part of a wider panel which included Louise Seymour, head of development projects at Leicester City Council, Nick Gregory, director at CPMG Architects and Chris May, partner at Howes Percival.

Mark said: “Whilst completing an engineering degree at De Montfort University (DMU) in Leicester, during my final year I was lucky enough to research the Queens Building based on DMU campus. This was one of the first buildings in the country which unusually had M&E services drive the design. I spent my time focusing on a performance review of the building during its final commissioning and first year of operation. This was a unique opportunity to work with DMU estates and the consulting engineers on the project. I think it was this opportunity that always stuck in my mind and inspired me to do what I do today.”

Fast forward a few years and Mark is now a proud owner of BEC with a team of 15 employees based in Nottingham City Centre. BEC delivers projects across a range of sectors including sport and leisure, hotel and education, and provides leading sustainable solutions for the built environment.

Mark added: “Over the past 25 years the profession has developed in a much more forward thinking and collaborative way where we are an essential part of the early stage concept design. Aspects such as natural ventilation, renewables, controlling solar gain, thermal modelling and looking at how buildings will perform to be comfortable and efficient are some of the key responsibilities in a building services consultancy. A big part of our design process now includes 3D modelling and drafting which has greatly helped with coordination and working with clients to show how the services can be installed.

BEC are pleased to say that a number of projects they have worked on have been nominated for ProCon Leicestershire Awards; including Princess Road student accommodation, Stonesby House, Wheatsheaf accommodation, Steris factory and London Road accommodation.

If you are interested in a career in engineering and would like to find out more, please get in touch.

Leading East Midlands mechanical and electrical consultancy Built Environment Consulting (BEC) has promoted their Mechanical Engineer, Richard Wilson, to Senior Mechanical Engineer.

Richard is based in the Nottingham office with 15 employees.

BEC delivers projects across a range of sectors including sport and leisure, hotel and education, and provides leading sustainable solutions for the built environment.

Richard, who has been with the company since 2017, is responsible for the production and co-ordination of the mechanical design of BEC’s projects.

He said: “I’m very fortunate to work for a forward thinking company that promotes when they see talent. I have worked very hard for the last 18 months and pleased to see my efforts have been noticed with this promotion. My ambition now is to lead my own team which BEC is happy to encourage.”

Richard Wilson is a specialist in the healthcare, commercial and education sectors.

Matthew Faulkner, director at BEC and lead of the Nottingham office, said: “Richard has worked very hard for the last 18 months and we are pleased to offer him this opportunity. We hope he continues to grow with the company and further develop his skills”

Congratulations are in order, as our very own Sam Mousley is now a full member of CIBSE (MCIBSE).

Sam, is based in the Nottingham office and has 12 years of experience in the building services industry.

He said: “I’m very pleased to work for a company that has mentored and supported me through my application process. Obtaining MCIBSE has been my ambition since I started with BEC and I am proud to say I have now achieved this”

BEC is a leading East Midlands mechanical and electrical engineering consultancy which delivers projects across a range of sectors including sport and leisure, hotel and education, and provides leading sustainable solutions for the built environment.

Matthew Faulkner, director at BEC said: “We are very pleased to support our staff through their qualification and chartership process. Well done Sam and congratulations for obtaining this excellent achievement!”

This year our, Mark McConnell was privileged to be a member of the judging team, which gave us a fantastic opportunity to visit local projects of outstanding value and achievement. We would very much like to congratulate ProCon on their good work, and long may it continue.

Furthermore another cracking ProCon awards night at Leicester King Power Stadium this year !!!

Built Environment Consulting (BEC) is celebrating after bowling over the competition to win a £3.2m construction value contract for the mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) work for Derbyshire County Cricket Club’s new Media Centre.

BEC has been chosen by the Club to provide the building services design to RIBA Stage 3.

The firm has been retained Client side to undertake Client side duties such as checking on contractor’s proposals, site inspection and witness testing on the brand new four-story Media Centre.

This is the second phase of development at the cricket ground following the redevelopment of the 3aaa Pavilion and Elite Performance Centre, a project that BEC successfully won through a tender process two years ago and completed in 2015.

Carl Ackers, Director at Built Environment Consulting, said: “We are delighted to be involved in such a landmark development, not only for the club but also for the city, as it has helped the club achieve their ambition to be a host city for the 2017 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.“

The overall development will include the Media Centre, an extended Conference, Events and Business Centre and upgraded facilities for Members, spectators and players, in a project that the club hopes will develop a venue capable of hosting international cricket, concerts and community events.

Carl added: “Both phases of the development have been successful and we are looking forward to finishing the Media Centre in July.

“As an 1870 Business Club partner at Derbyshire County Cricket Club, we are delighted that the new facilities should help take the club to the next level.“

Built Environment Consulting (BEC) is celebrating a decade in business, attributing its personal relationships and long-term recruitment philosophy as key to growth in the service sector.

The building services consultancy, which is also celebrating its three-year anniversary at its Castle Donington office, can call upon a staff of 20, including engineers, specialised CAD operators using both 2D and 3D CAD (Revit) packages, which has placed the firm in an ideal position to provide design services for a large portfolio of varied clients and projects.

BEC has undertaken a number of BIM projects to Level II and the firm has recognised that BIM will play an ever-increasing role in the procurement of state funded projects from 2016.
The firm has a long history of working with contractors, which it still considers as a significant market place, and one it will continue to value and operate in.

Carl Ackers, director at Built Environment Consulting said: “BEC is focused on sustainable and organic growth. Our aim is to employ high calibre staff to help ensure that our service is the best we are able to provide. We will always try and avoid being a ‘bums on seats’ type of employer and will always strive to offer the best service to both our existing and future clients.

“After ten years in the industry we have managed to successfully adopt and implement this philosophy in to our recruitment strategy. We try to ensure that staff responsible for a given project remain on that project from inception to completion as this ensures that there is continuity throughout the project.“

BEC has invested heavily in ensuring that it has the expertise and working tools in terms of software packages and associated training, to enable the firm to offer full design services to BIM Level II, either working for the client or architect, main contractor or building services contractor.

Through focussing on customers’ needs and requirements, careful recruitment, strategic management and investment in software and hardware, the firm is positioned to offer a range of services to the market place including mechanical and electrical engineering, BIM services to level II, thermal modelling providing SBEM’s, EPC and SAP calculations, BREEAM support and specialist lighting design.

During the first few years in business, BEC operated as a successful small consultancy practice serving the local East Midlands market. Following an initial period of steady growth, the consultancy reached a position where to realise its full potential, an investment of engineers and management was required.

The current directors of BEC, Mark McConnell and Carl Ackers, worked together initially at Pick Everard in Leicester, with a major part of their responsibility being to establish Pick Everard’s Republic of Ireland office in Galway.

After six years in business, Mark met Carl at the East Midlands CIBSE annual dinner function. Mark and Carl promised each other, while working at Pick Everard, that they would one day start their own business, and so during the meal, the first discussions started and plans were hatched for Carl to join BEC.

At BEC, Mark is now responsible for the financial aspects of the business while Carl manages the business systems such as ISO9001, BIM and other operational aspects.

Carl added: “We’ve had a fantastic ten years in business, and through careful recruitment and training we feel that we are in a strong position to target bigger projects and establish new clients.

“While it is a still a very volatile, and sometimes difficult, market place, we are delighted that we have managed to grow the business as we have through, what were, difficult times. The future looks very bright for BEC and we will be making many more announcements in the coming months.”