Six appointed on MoD alliance contract to build army accommodation

Laing O’Rourke and Bowmer & Kirkland are among six firms appointed on an alliance contract to build housing for the Ministry of Defense.

The six-year deal will see the group build 16,000 bedspaces for the armed forces as part of work aiming to improve the lived experience for service personnel.

The other firms include Reds10, ExtraSpace Solutions and two Kier joint ventures, Kier McAvoy and Kier Metek.

They were awarded the contracts through an existing Crown Commercial Services framework and assessed by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation’s (DIO) technical support provider Arcadis.

The single rooms will accommodate various types of army occupiers, from recruits undergoing initial training to personnel on exercise and permanent military bases.

A library of designs has been created to provide a common ‘base design’ with variations to adapt to the needs of the site and its personnel, with most room types intended for offsite construction.

The DIO said the alliance is part of its new programmatic approach for accommodation, aiming to find efficiencies in construction and improve value for money.

DIO director of major programmes and projects Charlie Hoskins said: “I am convinced this new alliance using a programmatic approach will be crucial to improve our broader delivery of Single Living Accommodation. 

“These blocks are one of the Armed Forces facilities we build the most and this approach will ensure we can safely build blocks faster, to a common design ensuring consistency of standards, and drive better value for money. 

“Ultimately, this is about improving the living conditions for our Armed Forces personnel and every one of our suppliers is motivated by this aim.”

The programme is part of a wider Ministry of Defense plan to refurbish 40,000 single living accommodation bedspaces over the next ten years.

Laing O’Rourke and Kier are also on a Ministry of Justice alliance deal with ISG and Wates to build four new prisons.