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Project name: Borras Park CP Extension & Refurbishment
Scope of Works: New build block, extension and refurbishments
Location: Wrexham
Contract: JCT D&B 2016
Value: £7,000,000
Duration: 112 weeks
Client: Wrexham County Borough Council
Summary:
Joint funded by the Welsh Government and Wrexham County Borough Council, this award winning scheme saw the extensions and alterations to provide a 21st Century learning environment.
The client brief for this D&B project was to deliver a modern, flexible teaching space that is simple in form, with best whole life value a core expectation. Read appointed TACP as the lead designer and worked collaboratively with the design, client and end user teams to ensure effective communication and minimal disruption.
The scheme included four separate workfaces within the school campus and a new entrance road, car park and associated external works. This project demonstrates our capability to effectively manage large refurbishment and extension projects in live, sensitive environments.
The new build teaching block comprised structural steel frame on pad foundations with external rainscreen cladding.
The scheme was a finalist in the LABC Building Excellence Awards, and received a High Commendation for the Best Public Building category.
Social value interactions included regular updates, donation of PPE and site equipment for the school children to create their own ‘site office’ within their classroom, an opportunity for the children to get up close to the plant on site and site tours. By engaging the pupils throughout the process, we not only inspire the future generation of construction workers – but also ensure their transition into their new facility is less daunting and seamless.
Very useful session with the access to vehicles, the kids were very excited and it really helped to give their topic an enthusiastic kick start. One particular 5 year old lad is a reluctant learner and has never really given much in relation to work or sharing ideas etc, the class teacher said she’s never seen so much motivation and willingness to work and write in relation to this new topic on construction. Little things like this (as small as they may seem) can have such a profound and long-lasting impact on a child’s development. He’ll remember this experience and the rest of the topic for ever and could well see him being the next Site Manager for Read Construction.
We feel very lucky to have such an amazing learning opportunity where the children can benefit from hands on and ‘experiential’ learning with the building work taking place on our school site.
The children enjoyed the Ivor Goodsite presentation and have been busy making their safety posters ready to be displayed around the site.
We would like to thank you for being so accommodating, allowing us to visit the site with groups of children to do their research and watch the building work progress – which seems to be moving on daily! You guys are awesome! It has made the children burst with enthusiasm and they really feel a part of the site development and their ‘new’ school.
After our awesome tour of your site office, the children have developed a new ‘Borras Big Build’ site office role play area which has sparked their interest in taking on the different roles and responsibilities.
Your generous donation of PPE and site equipment has brought their experiences to life to engage our learners to the max. They are loving dressing up, using the plans and writing lists of materials after seeing your deliveries arriving. We appreciate the chance to work with you closely and play a part in the project and you really have gone over and above to support our school from the start. They’re really enjoying the topic and the ‘real life’ PPE and equipment has got them fully engaged. We feel very lucky!
I can’t imagine how busy you must be… but nothing seems too much trouble and you and your staff have been very accommodating, friendly and patient. Thank you!
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Read have fully engaged with all stakeholder groups on the Borras Park Primary School project from the outset. As a major development the scheme was subject to the Welsh Government Pre-Application Consultation process. Despite challenges during Covid-19 Read have confidently engaged with all stakeholders including local residents, statutory service providers, school staff, parents and public, as well as WCBC as the client. They have managed the expectations of all, rapidly assessing feedback and developing best value solutions to issues that were identified during the consultation process this has worked to enhance the scheme and ensuring delivery within the prescribed cost envelope.