LONDON – Construction has now commenced on London’s first Jewish Community Centre, located on Finchley Road in Hamsptead, North London. The brainchild of Dame Vivien Duffield, the 35,000 sq-ft facility is the first development of this type in the UK undertaken by independent developer JCC Ventures. Davis Langdon, an AECOM company, is the project manager throughout construction of the £25m facility, which was designed by Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands and is due for completion in 2013.

Davis Langdon’s project management team has worked closely with JCC Ventures for the past four and a half years to ensure that the project is realised. Davis Langdon has provided a full range of PM services, including management of the consultant appointments, planning and programming of the project and management of the process for selecting and appointing the main contractor. An earlier demolition and enabling works package was also procured. It concluded in May 2011.

Nick Viner, chief executive of JCC Ventures, said, “It is a reflection of the many passionate and dedicated individuals that we are finally seeing this project realised. I am confident that the Jewish Community Centre will become the hub of Jewish life in the capital and a catalyst for renaissance in our community.” 

Simon Lewis, an associate in Davis Langdon’s project management team, commented, “With construction now under way, the local community can look forward to a new state-of-the-art facility which will also be a landmark building in London.”

The mixed-use, three-storey Community Centre will play host to a variety of events and activities and will include 14 two-bedroom residential flats and a nursery with the capacity for 75 full-time places for babies up to five year olds. It has been designed with a number of sustainable aspects incorporated, including natural ventilation, a brown roof for encouraging bio-diversity, rainwater harvesting and solar panels.

Attached image:  London Mayor Boris Johnson with Dame Vivien Duffield at the ground breaking ceremony – 6 October 2011 (Photo Credit: Jeremy Coleman)

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Editors Note:

Davis Langdon, an AECOM company, is a leading global construction consultancy, providing managed solutions for clients investing in infrastructure, property and construction. The company has worked on some of the most complex and challenging projects around the world, including the Tate Modern and the Eden Project in the United Kingdom; Estadio do Dragao in Portugal; Abu Dhabi International Airport; Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt; the Gateway Bridge in Brisbane, Australia; the Transbay Terminal in San Francisco, U.S.A.; the Gautrain Rapid Rail Link in Johannesburg, and the Green Point Stadium – built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup – in Cape Town, South Africa. As well as being the recipient of a number of regional accolades for excellence, Davis Langdon has been named World Architecture’s ‘Top International Construction Consultant’ for 18 successive years. The company employs approximately 3000 people in more than 75 offices globally, spanning Europe, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand, Africa and the U.S.A.

In October 2010 Davis Langdon joined AECOM Technology Corporation, a leading provider of professional technical and management support services for government and commercial clients around the world. 

About AECOM
AECOM is a global provider of professional technical and management support services to a broad range of markets, including transportation, facilities, environmental, energy, water and government.  With approximately 45,000 employees around the world, AECOM is a leader in all of the key markets that it serves.  AECOM provides a blend of global reach, local knowledge, innovation and technical excellence in delivering solutions that create, enhance and sustain the world's built, natural, and social environments.  A Fortune 500 company, AECOM serves clients in approximately 125 countries and had revenue of $7.7 billion during the 12 months ended June 30, 2011.  More information on AECOM and its services can be found at www.aecom.com.

For further information, please contact Jason Dempsey on +44 (0)20 7061 7117 or email jason.dempsey@davislangdon.com