For those of you wondering just who CIMC have a look at this !!

Please follow this link for more photos of our modules and factory tour in China

https://goo.gl/photos/49Fes7Q3iVUy4YeR9

Well after a total of 15,594 miles the PVSV design team arrived back in time to enjoy the weekend weather – at least we did but our bags didn’t !!

Due to typhoon conditions in Hong Kong, our flight back was delayed by two hours leaving a mere 1/2 hour to catch the connecting flight !  Needless to say the bags couldn’t keep up !

Keep looking at the blog for more updates and news

CIMC’s factory is based on an island just outside of Jiameng.  Up until about two years ago, the only way on or off the island was by a ferry.  The island itself is home to a large community, with many of those who work in the factory living there.  Most of the workers are transient, coming from all different regions of China.

At the moment, the factory is working on 214 modules that will be bound for PVSV, after those are finished, the remaining modules will be complete and ready for shipping in August.

The modules are all at different stages from just being started on to complete, packaged and ready to go !

Hopefully, the pictures show what an operation it is !!

Harmful elements in the air, symbols crashing everywhere sang Siouxsie and her Banshees and she wasn’t far wrong as the PVSV team landed in Hong Kong during the typhoon season !!

Luckily, the worst of the weather was behind us but Hong Kong was hot and humid.  Why Hong Kong ? Well the factory where all the modules are manufactured lies North West of Hong Kong on an island up and along the Xijang River.

Undaunted by the elements, we set off up river by ferry towards the factory ……catch up with you later

I wonder how many of you are wondering ‘just why are you going to China….again ?!!’; well this visit is really about two in the main.  Firstly, with the second batch of modular units coming off the production line, it’s important to check that the final finish is as good as those that have already been delivered and are now in place.  Secondly, there are a series of meetings about what is known as ‘Soft Landings’ – that’s not what I’m hoping for as the plane lands but is in fact the process of introducing the building users to the finished building and will cover all operating procedures to ensure a smooth transition.

For my sins, I’m the Soft Landings champion for Park View and with colleagues from ESS will be co-ordinating the handover from drawing board to using the systems within the new accommodation.

Luke Gardner, Senior Project Manager is an enthusiastic supporter, : “soft landings is essential to every building project and enables the client to gain a real understanding and feel for the completed project”  whilst Paul Milburn, Project Director at Galliford Try believes that soft landings “allow the client to gain a fantastic insight into how the building will work, something crucial to a project of this size and complexity”

Responsible for the overall contractual management, Peter Carruthers Director at Summers-Inman believes that “soft landings is a further example of processes adopted to create exemplar projects for the University and student body”

See you in Dubai for an update….

One of the less glamorous parts of travel is getting yourself checked over hence a trip to the dentist yesterday to get a dodgy filling replaced ! I never know why, but all dentists seem to want to chat to you when your mouth is full of drills, cotton wool or their fingers don’t they !!

Anyway to cut a long and probably boring story short, my dentist studied at Newcastle and lived in Richardson Road (no outstanding damages charges I did check on that haha!!) as did her mam and dad who married whilst at Uni and lived in one of the couple flats there !!

Although the flats may have gone, everyone’s memories and stories will not be forgotten and hopefully, the new accommodation will be the start of many new adventures and careers !!

Park View Student Village is well underway and seems to grow by the minute.  I think by now, most people know that the building is unique in that it uses pre-formed modular units that, simply put, are joined together to make a whole flat !

Seeing is believing and if the rain ever stops it’s well worth a walk by to see the modular units being lifted into place.  The units themselves have been manufactured and fitted out by a Chinese company CIMC and next week, along with staff from Estates, Galliford Try and Summers-Inman I’ll be visiting their factory and offices in Jiangmen.

During our visit not only will we be inspecting the next batch of units due to arrive shortly but also to have a series of meetings with various staff to evaluate how things have gone and what lessons can be learned.

I’ll be blogging throughout the trip so watch this space for news, photos and updates