Varley Park Halls of Residence

Project
Varley Park Halls of Residence

Client
University of Brighton

Value
£55,000

Duration
8 weeks


The Brief

  • The University of Brighton is a respected higher education institution with campuses in Brighton and Eastbourne.
  • Our client was Brighton University Estates and Facilities Management, the department which manages the University campus buildings, including new builds.
  • We worked on the Varley Park Halls of Residence, which is the largest student accommodation area for the university.
  • Hawes Construction Group’s brief was to remove the existing cedar cladding on a number of buildings, which was a fire risk, and replace it with a cementitious board with new insulation, to give a fire-resistant façade.

Our Solution

  • First, we removed all of the existing cedar panelling and redundant timber battens.
  • We then installed temporary membranes to weatherproof the buildings.
  • New timbers were installed to create the correct void, and new specialist insulation was installed between the timbers.
  • We then fixed a fire-retardant breathable membrane and an insect mesh over the insulation.
  • The cementitious panels were then screw fixed to the battens. These panels were cut using specialised saw blades.
  • We successfully liaised with other contractors for the removal and replacement of Fire Alarms, access door controls, and external lighting.
  • We fabricated specialist trims to suit a range of different surfaces on the buildings.
  • To combat long lead times, we installed temporary weatherproofing in order to advance the works in line with the programme.
  • The sites were spread over a large area, so we needed to carefully manage the logistics.
  • The different sites were not uniform, so we brought in supervisors to ensure that the works at every site were tailored to each location and achieved the correct finish.

The Result

  • Hawes Construction Group finished the project on budget and on time, before the date when the students were set to return.
  • We successfully installed the new panels to a high standard which met the required fire rating.
  • We worked closely with the client to ensure the smooth running of the project.
  • The end result was exactly what the client was after, and they were very happy with our work.
  • The students now had newly clad halls of residence, which were fire-safe for them to live and study in.

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