News

On Friday 15^th September, the team at HOP took the afternoon (and first thing in the morning) off for our annual team building day.

Find out more about what we got up to! 

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HOP Director Adam Humphrey has been added to the IStructE group of members with Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) experience. Being added to this register means that HOP can assess and advise on structures that have issues relating to RAAC.

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HOP are delighted to announce that we have won the Peter Mason Award for Engineering Excellence in Piers for our work on Cromer Pier!

HOP have worked on the Grade II listed Structure at Cromer Pier for well over two decades. HOP were first instructed by North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) to undertake a diving survey of the Pier Head. Following on from this, HOP were engaged to assist with the design for the revised lifeboat station in 1994.

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HOP are delighted, after a great deal of hard work from the whole Design Team, Phase 1 of the restoration of the grade II* listed Madeira Terraces has recently achieved planning approval.

This exciting project hopes to rejuvenate this area of Brighton Seafront by restoring this unique historic structure to its former glory whilst also improving accessibility and biodiversity.

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On Thursday 13^th October, the team at HOP took the afternoon off for our annual team building day.  We’ve missed out not holding this since 2019, so we were all super excited to get together.

Click read more to find out what the team got up to!

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As part of our ongoing CPD programme, HOP founder, Jon Orrell, took some of our ‘Engineers-in-training’ on a walking tour around Hove to look at some of our past, current and future projects. Walkers received an explanation of engineering principals, were shown innovative solutions to problems, and had a few tales thrown in as well.

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HOP are strengthening their leadership Team with the promotion of two of our rising stars. Tristan Banks has been invited to join the Board of Directors, looking to further develop our expanding marine capabilities and strengthen our training and professional development needs which form a strong part of the Company’s focus. Carlo Sabia becomes an Associate, recognising his growth and management skills on some of our larger structural projects.

We look forward to both their contributions as experienced technical professionals and HOP people managers.

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We are delighted to announce that HOP have been awarded Design Partner of the Year at the “Willmott Dixon London & South East Powered by the Best” Conference and Award Ceremony.

This December, the HOP Team have chosen to support our local foodbank, who are under increasing pressure to deliver their service at this time. A fantastic amount of Christmas treats and household essentials have been donated. #giveback

We are delighted to receive the news that our Hannington Lane project has been recognised at the Sussex Heritage Awards; WINNING in the Commercial category.

This was a challenging, land locked and ‘tight’ city centre site. A number of existing construction types had to be assessed for re-use and adaptation. Throughout the design, HOP looked to stabilise existing buildings by recommending integrated new steel framed structures. Where possible we suggested using the new permanent works structure to assist or negate the requirement for difficult temporary works.

Representing HOP Consulting, Meredith & Cenk will be taking part in The Hague 2020 Charity Cycle Ride as part of the The Brighton & Hove Property Consortium (B&HPC).

The Hague 2020 sponsored by Woodhart Group will take place from 7th-11th May to raise money for the Mayor’s Charities of Brighton & Hove and Team Army. The ride will cover 200 miles of cycling from England to The Netherlands.

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This National Apprenticeship Week 2020, we are celebrating the efforts of those in our team who have completed or are currently undertaking an apprenticeship with HOP.

This year’s team building day was Hollywood inspired! With the help of the Team Building Company, we set teams with the task of creating a short film or HOP advert. Some fantastic videos were produced during the course of the afternoon events!

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A number of cyclists from this year’s Seven Port Challenge Charity Cycle Ride got back in the saddle last month to visit and present a cheque to each of the ex-Mayor Cllr. Dee Simson’s benefitting charities, namely: Martlets Hospice, Rockinghorse Children’s Charity, Grace Eyre Foundation and Off The Fence Trust.

The event, organised by the Brighton and Hove Property Consortium, sponsored by Woodhart Group, raised in excess of £30,000 for local charities throughout the four-day event.

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We are pleased to announce that Chartered Marine Engineer, Tristan Banks, has been appointed HOP Associate. We welcome his technical and people management experience to our Senior Leadership Team.

People

HOP are pleased to have been involved in another award winning project!

The Golden Spiral, located near the British Airways’ i360 in Brighton, was recently awarded the LGN 2019 Winner for Public Lighting.

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On Friday 12th July, we hosted our annual HOP Sports Day.

After a couple of years of successful staff-organised sports evenings, we decided to add this event as another annual HOP Social.

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HOP have been working hard with the University of Brighton over the last few years so that they can offer a Civil Engineering Degree Apprenticeship.

On successful completion of the programme, students earn a degree in Civil Engineering and can register with a professional engineering institution.

To celebrate Bring Your Dog To Work Day on Friday 21st June 2019, we organised a Bring your Dog to Work Week! Today we welcomed our new recruits, Georgie in IT, Millie in Accounts and Marley, Engineer Apprentice.

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This International Women in Engineering Day, we would like to celebrate our own colleagues, especially for their ongoing assistance and attendance at career events locally to help inspire the next generation of Women in STEM positions.

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Last week, on a glorious May afternoon, we held our annual HOP Run/Walk/Cycle social event.

Every year we like to take advantage of the good weather in May and arrange for teams to get together and enjoy one of the many fantastic walking routes on our doorstep.

We had some wonderful sunshine, spectacular views and a fantastic final location for a well-deserved meal.

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HOP are currently working on a £1m project at Cromer Pier to refurbish the sub-structure under the pavilion theatre and construct new pile encasements later in the year. This is to help protect the long-term future of this iconic landmark.

We are carrying out structural engineering work, contract management and the Principal Designer role for North Norfolk District Council.

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Hanningtons Lane has opened to the public and visitors are able to walk down Brighton’s newest Lane for the very first time.

HOP have been working with Morgan Carn, Redevco and Westridge Construction on the creation of the city’s new retail and cultural quarter for two years and retailers are now starting to move in.

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HOP announces that as of January 2019, Finance Director John Spearman is to be appointed Managing Director.

John Spearman assumes this role from Jon Orrell who has served as Managing Director/Senior Partner since the businesses inception in 1985.

John has been working closely alongside Mr Orrell for the last 18 months to allow for a smooth transition of the business and continuity of leadership.

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On Tuesday 18th December, we dropped off gifts, donated by our staff, for the children at the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital in Brighton. We also donated some supplies for the Trevor Mann Baby Unit, a unit close to the heart of many of our staff. We send our wishes to all the children receiving treatment over the Christmas period, and our gratitude to all the staff at the hospital and the unit who do such an amazing job. 

Rockinghorse Children’s Charity

Every September, HOP organise an annual Staff Team Building Day. This year’s event was marine themed and staff enjoyed an exciting day taking part in the activities on offer at Chichester Watersports Centre.

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HOP hosted a retirement party for Accounts Manager, Linda, who has worked at HOP for 30 years! Being a lifelong Brighton & Hove Albion FC fan, we arranged a special guest appearance by Bruno to congratulate her on her retirement and to say thank you for all her commitment to HOP.

The Brighton2Brussels Charity Bike Ride was completed this year by Will on behalf of HOP and as part of the Brighton and Hove Property Consortium (B&HPC).

The B&HPC organises a charity cycle ride every year in aid of the Brighton Mayor’s Charities, which this year were Albion in the Community, the Martlets Hospice, RISE, the Clock Tower Sanctuary and the Sussex Heart Charity.

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The completed Hove Plinth was revealed on Saturday 21st April. Hove Plinth will showcase a new local sculpture every 12-18 months on Hove seafront. HOP provided advice to overcome the design challenge for the plinth to accommodate a wide range of future sculptures.  As a result, we were awarded ‘Hove Plinth Heroes’ for our contribution.

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On the 26th February, the ‘Hove Plinth’ Project Team were featured on BBC’s South East News to celebrate the start of construction! This plinth will showcase a new local sculpture every 12-18 months on Brighton Seafront. Work will take place on the site over the next eight weeks with support from HOP and a number of local firms who are contributing work free of charge, including Matsim, Millimetre and RLF.

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HOP are thrilled to announce that we are finalists in two categories at the London & SE Constructing Excellence (SECBS) Awards.  We have been nominated for: the People Development Award; and the Apprenticeship Initiative Award, both showing HOP’s commitment to the development of our people and encouraging others into Civil and Structural Engineering.

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This year’s charity bike ride will start at The British Airways i360 on May 3, with the 40 riders cycling a mile around the inside of the pod as it glides up to 450ft and back again. The participants will then continue their ride on to Brussels.

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The Brighton2Brussels Charity Cycle Ride 2018 is raising funds for the Mayor’s Charities of Brighton and Hove. This year’s charities include: Albion in the Community, The Clock Tower Sanctuary, The Martlets Hospice, RISE and the Sussex Heart Charity.

Please help us raise HOP’s target of £750 to help reach the team’s fundraising goal!

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HOP are honoured to have been invited to provide technical assistance on yet another DIY SOS Build. A great opportunity for our Trainee Engineers to showcase their expertise with the guidance of senior members of staff. Providing the family with a wheelchair friendly space with new lift and a fully renewed space planning of the whole internal floor space and SIPS constructed extension, all within 9 days! We are thrilled to have been able to assist in helping a family in need achieve their dream home, and we are proud to be a part of the fantastic community response from local tradesmen and women.

On the 23rd November, Paddle Round the Pier 2018 was launched at the British Airways i360. Jon Orrell, as Chair of the Trustees, presented cheques to this year’s chosen charities: RNLI, The Wave Project and Brighton Surf Life Savers. £10,000 was donated to each charity due to the success of this years event!

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September is the month that we arrange our annual staff team-building event. This year focused on building chariots out of cardboard. The brief was left open to inspire creative interpretation, and it was great to see so many different structures. This was an exciting opportunity to utilise our skill set as engineers, as well encouraging the whole team to work together.

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HOP are delighted to have picked up 2 awards at the Willmott Dixon: Powered By The Best Awards. We are proud to have been presented with the Legacy Award, which recognised our ongoing investment in staff training and supporting the local community. We were also presented with the Growth Award, which recognised our collaboration with Willmott Dixon and the design team on the Hounslow Waste Transfer project.

We were delighted to be awarded Business of the Year and the Professional Services Award at the Brighton and Hove Business Awards 2017. The BAHBA ceremony is held to celebrate those companies, organisations and individuals that help build the Brighton brand. Receiving the Business of the Year Award, the most sought after accolade of the night, was an unexpected surprise and we couldn’t be more proud of all our staff.

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Last week, our HOP i360 team attended ICE’s Engineering Excellence Awards and won the Innovation Award, presented to the British Airways i360 project team! Congratulations must be given to all those involved in the development of this iconic landmark on Brighton’s seafront. Read More.

HOP are very proud to have been part of the design and construction team for the British Airways i360. We are delighted that it has received the following prestigious awards:

RIBA South East England Award 2017

Constructing Excellence Awards 2017 – Award for Innovation

RICS Awards, South East – Project of the Year 2017

ICE SE England – Engineering Excellence Awards 2017 – Award for Innovation

Last month, we held our annual Run/Walk/Cycle social event for our staff.

We believe it is important for individuals across teams, to come together and engage in informal team exercises. This event in particular, encourages others to join the team of existing HOP athletes. It was a fantastic day in the sun. A special well done must go to the HOP runners who defeated the hilly route across the Downs in the scorching 25 degree heat.

Click here to see some of the great images captured on route!

On Monday 22nd May, HOP technical and support staff had the opportunity to spend the afternoon on site and experience construction up close. We consider it important for all HOP members to get a chance to see first-hand the work that HOP plays a pivotal part in, and this served as yet another fantastic CPD exercise. The visit also served as a great opportunity for our work experience student to see yet another side of Engineering, outside of the office environment.

“As usual, it was enjoyable to spend time with members of the HOP team who I may not regularly see around the office.
The site visit was very informative and was an excellent way to help visualise various aspects of our projects. A big thank you for arranging this trip!” – HOP Graduate Engineer

HOP are once again proud to announce our involvement with BBC’s latest DIY SOS project; a show that recruits local trades men and women to transform the homes of families across Britain.

Our initial involvement in the iconic TV show began with the renovation of the home of an injured former royal engineer and paratrooper in 2012.

We look forward to providing the assistance needed to transform yet another deserving family home. More information to come soon!

Each year, HOP’s talented athletes get involved in various sporting events. This year is no exception. We were proud to kick off 2017 with 2 of our HOP runners entering and completing the Brighton Marathon. Many congratulations to all involved in raising money for such important causes.

HOP are proud to announce that 2 of our keen cyclists are riding in the Brighton2Paris bike ride in May. A great month of fund raising activities ahead.

Please do sponsor the cause via the JustGiving Crowdfunding page. All donations are directed to the main fundraising account to be shared equally between the 27 Mayors Charities and the ABF Soldiers Charity.

HOP are proud to have supported BHAFC since their first match at Withdean stadium and every season since then. We continued our support through their move to the AMEX Stadium in 2011. It was a real honour to have assisted the club in parts of the initial Planning Application as lead Civil & Structural Engineers on this great project, to realise the AMEX as it stands today.

March 10^th was HOP’s 16th consecutive season as match sponsors. With the Seagulls flying high in the championship, the 3-0 victory over Derby County was a fantastic result, and one HOP was proud to be a part of. It was with great honour to present man of the match to Jiri Skalak for his hard work, flair and industry on his return to the team’s starting line-up.

On Wed. 17th Aug. the Marine Team departed on a tour of the 150 year old, Victorian built, Brighton Sewers. Millions of bricks were used to form the miles of sewers required to manage the waste from Brighton, which was previous stored in Cesspools at the back of properties. Originally the sewers were designed to allow the sea to flow into them and ‘flush’ them out at high tide, however these days, the waste is sent to a cleansing plant at Peacehaven.

The sewers were engineered for a 500 year design life, and it’s a good job, as the Population has increased from 90,000 in 1871 to 270,000 in 2011.

The tour served as a reminder that the projects HOP Design and Engineer, could have both practical and historical significance for future generations.

Signatory Architect, Alan Phillips selected HOP for a particularly unique site in Croyde on the North Devon coastline.

Set high above the sea and right on the edge of the cliffs, both the permanent and temporary design were a real challenge.   This caught the attention of Kevin McCloud and the Grand Designs Team, who have been following the project throughout.

The Grand Design Team first visited our offices in Hove, to see how HOP work. They then invited Jon O to site to meet Kevin, and discuss some of the challenges that were faced, including constructing curved buildings on the edge of a receding coastline, with especially difficult access.

HOP are Project Managers under the NEC contract for the fabulous i360 rising on Brighton seafront. We also have undertaken all the works to the existing Arches, Highway Works, structural design and detailing. HOP designed the temporary landing stage construction on the beach from gabions and shingle to bring in the ‘cans’ and other heavy equipment.

Following on from this, HOP are appointed as designers on the new West Street Shelter, the largest seafront building to be built by Brighton & Hove City Council for many years. This involves a new sea wall, beach level roadway, alterations to the main A259 and a new multi-purpose building on the seafront.

HOP are working with renowned EPS and moulding specialist, Cordek, on development of a new fast flooring system which minimises the use of structural concrete. It automatically provides insulation and other benefits and reduces the number of operations and its time on site. First pilot project was in June 2015.

As an extension to CIRIA work on Sustainable Victorian Housing Redevelopment and leading on from our work in the Brighton area, particularly when called in by Building Control for dangerous structures, HOP are developing a guide “Principles of Building Structures of Victorian House Refurbishment”. Following the success of Fiona Cobb’s handbook “Civil Engineer”, the next issue from HOP Publishing will be ‘The Civil Engineers Companion’.