The Mountbatten School, a secondary school with Academy status, successfully bid for SIF Government funding for the refurbishment of the Brabourne building. Constructed in 1983 of brick /block construction with a tiled roof but was in a poor state of repair.
The refurbishment works aimed to reconfigure the internal layout to create 15 classrooms, a large ICT suite, improve circulation and exit points, replace all external doors and windows, renew staff and pupil toilets and complete external improvements.
The works were split into seven phases so that only four classrooms were out of use at any one time, thus allowing the building to remain in operation throughout the works.
Site compound and access protected by Heras fencing and internally hoarding erected to segregate the works. This also reduced noise transfer and contained dust. Contractor access was externally into the work areas so no cross over with the building users.
Advantage was taken of the summer holiday to complete the majority of the demolitions, creation of new openings into the courtyard and blocking up entrances into the corridors. During term time any particularly noisy works, deliveries and waste removals were scheduled out of hours, at weekends or by agreement with staff to minimise the impact of the works on the teaching staff and pupils and avoid congestion.
Scope of works included:
- Replacement of all external doors and windows
- Construction of new partition walls
- Replacement carpet and vinyl floor coverings
- Full decoration
- New plant and switch cupboard installed. Upgraded lighting and heating
- Toilet refurbishment and installation of new accessible toilet
- New entrance foyer and front doors
- Resin surfacing to internal courtyard and installation of canopy in quadrangle
- New external seating area with sail canopy
Design and logistics meetings throughout construction to ensure that the school safely functioned with minimal disruption and to co-ordinate the movement between stages as the phased handovers of completed classrooms was delivered.
The whole project was completed on programme with an extension of time added to cover extra works instructed. The final account of the project was within the tendered figure and with some contingency still available.
