56-58 The Old High Street

Project: Mixed Use Development

Location: 56-58 The Old High St, Folkestone

Client: The Creative Foundation

Contract: Intermediate Form

Value: £500,000

This project represents the second scheme undertaken for the Creative Foundation in The Old High Street. Following successfully completing No. 61 The Old High Street in 2005, we commenced this scheme in April 2008 which initially involved the demolition of the existing building and subsequently installing shores to retain the neighbouring properties either side.

Working alongside architect Godden & Allen, structural engineer Roy Tandy and QS Cyril Orchard we then began the four storey new build element, which comprised masonry and steelwork to the lower floors and timber frame to the top floor. Externally the contemporary design included painted cement and sand render, cedar cladding, powder coated aluminium windows and doors and stainless steel and glass balustrading.

With our site accommodation located in a vacant unit on the opposite side of the road we installed a temporary scaffold gantry over the road to access the site. This meant careful consideration was required with respect to the storage and delivery of materials.

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Crawley Enterprise Centre

Project: Enterprise Centre

Location: Metcalf Way, Crawley

Client: Basepoint plc

Contract: Design & Build

Value: £3.8m

Following the successful completion of the Shearway Enterprise Centre at Folkestone we were commissioned by the same client to complete a second Enterprise Centre at Crawley, West Sussex. The scheme comprised 6 workshop units with the remaining space taken up by 74 office units. Sharing similar characteristics to the previous scheme the centre was constructed in three blocks of 2 and 3 storeys. The structure comprised steel frames with widespan beam floors. Externally the elevations consisted of facing brickwork and Kingspan micro-rib cladding and aluminium powder coated windows and doors.

The offices and workshop units were finished to a high quality specification with air-conditioning to areas which had large amounts of solar gain. In addition the extensive small power and data installations were incorporated to suit modern office requirements. Heating was served via two centralised boilers one of which served block A and the other blocks B &C. External works comprised of car parking with associated street lighting together with surrounding hard and soft landscaped areas.

Project Highlights

• Enabling works comprised extensive access road off the main highway
• Ecology works prior to commencement of construction
• Balancing ponds incorporated within design for surface water drainage
• Second successfully completed scheme undertaken for client
• Work completed to a high quality office specification
• First large scheme completed outside of Kent and East Sussex region

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Light Industrial Units

Project: 2 No. Light Industrial Units

Location: Sites B7 & B8 Shearway Business Park, Folkestone

Client: Cranmer Investments (Folkestone) Ltd

Contract: Design & Build

Value: £1.24m

These two units were purpose built for builder’s merchant Travis Perkins and consisted of one 1000m2 unit and one 500m2 unit on a previously remediated brownfield site at Shearway Business Park, Folkestone. Due to the nature of the site and the existing ground conditions we undertook a significant cut and fill exercise to utilise the properties of the Gault Clay which existed on site. This engineered clay was compacted using specialist plant which gave the ground the required compressive strength.

Below the units themselves vibro-piling was introduced to suit the ground conditions. Once this was completed the steel frame to be erected followed by the installation of the external cladding. Externally the scheme comprised approximately 4800m2 of concrete service yard and car parking. Security fencing was erected to the perimeter of the site.

Project Highlights

• Project completed early to allow end users fit-out contractors access
• Coordination of end users requirements throughout the project
• Re-use of Gault clay to provide economic engineered solution
• Curved roofs with cladding in end users corporate colours
• Fire wall to rear elevation of unit 1 due to proximity to boundary
• Working with end users preferred specialist contractor for elements such as roller shutters and automated entrance doors

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Micro Medical Headquarters

Project: Micro Medical Headquarters

Location: Chatham Dockyard

Client: Micro Medical

Contract: JCT 1998 with Quantities

Value: £2.8m

This headquarters facility for Micro Medical is located immediately adjacent to the dockyard at Chatham. The three storey office building with a fourth storey to the central core was designed by architects PLC and includes light industrial use to the ground floor, offices to the first and second floors and common areas for staff to the third floor with views over the River Medway.

Due to the location of the site the piled foundations were 25m deep on top of which we constructed a heavily reinforced concrete slab. The superstructure consisted of a steel frame and holorib concrete floors with the external fabric comprising of masonry and aluminium powder coated curtain walling. The roof was curved with a bullnose eaves detail and comprised a built up metal profiled clad system with the top sheets being curved on site. Internally the offices were constructed to a high quality specification including hardwood throughout, stainless steel balustrades and limestone flooring to the reception area.

Project Highlights

• Close liaison throughout with landowner Seeda
• High quality office specification
• Complex substructure works due to location of site
• Feature steel columns to facades
• Curved roofs features to second and third floors
• Open park area style landscape scheme externally

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Denne Hill Farm

Project: Barn Conversion

Location: Denne Hill Farm

Client: Denne Hill Farm Estates

Contract: Intermediate Form

Value: £290,000

Working alongside Lee Evan Architects of Canterbury, this scheme involved the conversion of a one and two storey dilapidated barn at Womanswold, near Canterbury into office accommodation.

The building now possesses a new slate roof, replacement ground floor slabs to both the single and two storey sections and and a new timber first floor to the two storey section. The main features of the external facade are the two storey timber screens to the entrance and the rear elevation, which were manufactured by Park Farm Joinery.

Internally the offices are fully fitted out to a high standard and this together with the rural location gives an extremely pleasant environment for those occupying the building.

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Milbourn Equine Centre

Project: Milbourn Equine Centre

Location: Church Rd, Sevington, Ashford

Client: Milbourn Equine

Contract: Intermediate Form

Value: £295,000

Milbourn Equine’s desire to relocate from their existing facility to this more rural location outside of Ashford led to the conversion of this existing precast concrete frame agricultural building into a veterinary surgery, which includes x-ray rooms and operating facilities. Also included within the scheme are staff and reception areas.

Once the original asbestos sheeting had been safely removed from the building, the structure was reclad with metal profiled cladding. The lower level masonry walls were retained and adapted where necessary and new stable doors, manufactured by Park Farm Joinery were installed to the front elevation of the building. Internally secondary steelwork was installed to allow a client appointed contractor to install the hoist. Elsewhere specialist padded walling and flooring was provided to the “knock down room”.

Externally there is car parking for the centre and a separate stable block that was refurbished as part of the scheme.

Working alongside a design team of HPN Ltd Architects, MKA Projects as Contract Administrator and QS and BSF as structural engineer we were able to successfully complete this project which required close liaison with the neighbouring freeholder throughout and has allowed us to gain a unique insight into the specific working of a veterinary practice.

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