Retail Refurbishment

Island Gardens is a public park located at the southern end of the Isle of Dogs in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets on the north bank of the River Thames. The waterside park is notable for its cross-river view of the classical buildings of the former Greenwich Hospital, the Cutty Sark and the National Maritime Museum, with Greenwich Park forming a backdrop. The northern entrance of the Greenwich foot
tunnel which links Greenwich to the south of the river, with the Isle of Dogs in the north, is also within the park.

Ark Build was awarded a contract to construct a single storey new café facility with an internal floor area of 77m2. The contract was let under a JCT 2016 Intermediate form with CDP for the M&E services, piling and the Glulam frame. The architectural concept comprised a modern energy efficient structure with external finishes designed to blend in with the parkscape, having minimal visual impact on ancient trees and mature vegetation within the park.

Construction challenges comprised:

a) The diversion of an existing underground foul water sewer which had not been identified at design stage.
b) Hand digging in tree root protection zones.
c) The protection of the public during the delivery of materials and removal of spoil and waste.
d) A high water table.

The building was constructed with piled foundations, slim deck raft, a lightweight glulam Siberian larch timber frame and a lightweight well insulated envelope incorporating double-glazed curved and clerestory windows.

The property successfully achieved an EPC A rating with minimal carbon emissions achieved by a densely insulated building envelope fitted with an air source heat pump and LED lighting with smart controls.

The outcome was extremely successful, with the café providing a much needed commercially run facility in the park, supported by significant levels of public footfall.

Client: London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Contract Administrator: DCUK
Contract Value: £963k
Contract Start Date: May 2022
Contract End Date: February 2023

This challenging project called for all of our expertise across design and build, to ensure co-ordination procurement and sequential working was maintained throughout to achieve best quality and compliance with the project timetable. Design development from RIBA Stage 3 required collaborative working with the incumbent design team and sign off by Imperial College London (ICL) through the ERM and TAG gateway process.

Fully co-ordinated construction and services design drawings were prepared and access routes protected prior to construction activities commencing. Air locks were created to minimise nose and dust migration from the site areas.

Permit to Work activities were observed regarding potential noisy work and fire detection in accordance with ICL’s codes of practice. Particularly noisy work was undertaken very early in the morning or in the evenings so that planned lectures and experiments were undisturbed.

Core activities included the refurbishment of Physics and Laser laboratories including full M&E installations, new partitions, flooring, and fixed benching together with redecoration.

A perfect illustration of being respectful of environmental constraints and working practices and liaison with the College staff, stakeholders and design team to achieve a positive outcome.

Client: Imperial College London
Employer’s Agent: Stace LLP
Contract Value: £1.22M
Contract Start Date: June 2022
Contract End Date: November 2022

Remodelling and extension

Ark Build was awarded this contract following the demise of the incumbent contractor who had undertaken investigative work and planning but had not started the main contract works on site.

Initially, our time was spent reviewing all design information, then undertaking ‘out of hours’ physical investigations of the existing school building including verification of the structure, surveys of above and below ground drainage and validation surveys of services installations.

Engendering trust with the school management team was pivotal to successful mobilisation and thereafter working collaboratively with them to plan and execute work in a live school environment where the safeguarding of children and staff was paramount. This required resilient segregation between school and contractor areas, stringent discipline to mitigate noise and dust migration, and defined times for delivery and collection of materials and waste.

The work comprised:

• A new build ground floor extension to create a new reception year class base including roof terrace and
  associated external works
• External boundary wall works.
• Ground floor refurbishment to provide new reception year class base and associated wcs/group room including all associated services and drainage installations.
• Structural works and installation of new doors to the dining hall
• Floor sanding and sealing to the existing halls and circulation areas.
• Lift installation to all floors including forming a new opening in the first-floor slab and associated trimming
  beams.

We adopted a flexible approach to execution of the work and issued weekly work after discussions with the school management team, to ensure safety and mitigate disruption to educational activities.

The outcome was extremely successful with the provision of smart new reception year internal and external facilities, upgrade of the services infrastructure and improved horizontal and vertical accessibility within the existing building.

Client: Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Employer’s Agent: Currie and Brown
Contract Value: £2.2M
Contract Start Date: September 2019
Contract End Date: March 2021

The project was awarded under a JCT IFC form of contract with CDP elements for the design and installation of a new access ramp, comfort cooling, and ventilation to lecture rooms and toilets.

The project comprised the reconfiguration of various ground floor rooms to create an engineering/manufacturing area, two offices, a larger Art room, and additional toilet facilities.

The physical work included the removal of load bearing partitions, creation of new window and door openings in external walls, and the formation of an external ramp and entrance steps.

Design development included architectural, structural, and M&E services installations to RIBA Stage 5 for construction. Designs through each RIBA Stage were issued to CTK and Barker Associates for comment.

Permit to work protocols were in place to minimise disturbance to staff and pupils. This applied particularly to life safety systems, all services installations, and noise and dust emanating from the areas. Work Plans were produced and issued along with RAMS for all activities.

Completing the work within the contract period, defined by the commencement of the Autumn term, was challenging. By agreement, some activities were deferred to be undertaken and completed during the October half term.

Client: Christ The King (CTK) Sixth Form
Employer’s Agent: Barker Associates
Contract Value: £990,000
Contract Start Date: June 2023
Contract End Date: August 2023

We pride ourselves on the diversity of projects we deliver and sites don’t come with more historic interest than the complex contract we are currently undertaking for University College Hospitals Charity (UCLHC) at the Middlesex Hospital Annexe, formerly the Strand Union Workhouse.

This is a historic site in Fitzrovia which comprises eight buildings, all varying dates of construction with the earliest, dating back to between 1775 and 1778, being used as a workhouse for the parish of St Paul, Covent Garden. The site was subsequently modified and became the Strand Union Workhouse in c.1836. After further construction it became the Central London Sick Asylum in 1873. In 1913 further expansion took place at the site and it was used as the Cleveland Street Infirmary. The site was then acquired in 1924 by the Middlesex Hospital and used as the Out Patients department from 1926 until 2006 when the hospital closed. The site has since remained mainly vacant since then. The main building on the site The Workhouse, was listed as Grade II in 2011. Research revealed that Charles Dickens, who lived nearby, used the workhouse as the inspiration for his 1837 novel ‘Oliver Twist’. In addition, following a severe outbreak of cholera in the summer of 1854, Florence Nightingale was transferred from a hospital in Harley Street to work at the Middlesex Hospital.

The project is being delivered across 3 phases.

• Phase 1 involved the complex demolition of existing buildings where safety, the control of pollution and traffic and the protection of retained listed structures was paramount. Thereafter, the Museum of London Archaeological (MOLA) undertook an archaeological investigation.
• Phase 2 involved making the retained listed and other structures wind and watertight through re-roofing, roofing repairs, brickwork repairs and repointing, window repairs, and damp proofing.
• Phase 3 is currently in progress and due for completion in July 2023. The work comprises the conversation of the buildings into residential apartments.

Working again with Cluttons, the designers and contract administrators for The Walcot Foundation on three properties in and around Walcot Square.

The properties were stripped back to brickwork internally and structural alterations undertaken to provide modern single dwelling family homes.

Works also included full mechanical and electrical installations. Modern finishes included glazed extensions to the rear to provide light to the new kitchen dining rooms. The external works included sympathetic repairs to the listed facades and landscaping to the gardens.

The overall contract period was 32 weeks on a phased handover with the properties being let to tenants within a week of completion in each case.

Client: The Walcot Foundation
Contract Administrator: Cluttons LLP
Contract Value: £1M
Contract Start Date: January 2023
Contract End Date: August 2023

Internal and External Refurbishments to 22 Blenheim Road

22 Blenheim Road is a detached three storey Victorian Villabuilt in the 1850’s located on a residential street in affluent St Johns Wood. The property had been left vacant and unmodernised and our project was to undertake the full internal and external refurbishment generally comprising stripping out, internal and external alterations, general repairs, new full height side extension, new kitchen and bathrooms, decorations and finishes, full electrical rewire, new plumbing, heating and hot water installations, drainage works, external repairs and painting and front and rear landscaping.

The result was a complete success delivering a high quality prime residential property with increased floor areas, renewed services, top quality decorative and joinery finishes, modern bathrooms and kitchen together with a completely renovated structural envelope.

Client
The Trustees of the Eyre Estate

Consultants
Principal Designer and Contract Administrator: Cluttons LLP
Structural Engineer: The Furness Group

Location
22 Blenheim Road, London, NW8 0LX

Internal and external restoration of a splendid Grade II listed Victorian building, Chelsea Old Town Hall.

Fit-Out at 250 Euston Road

This fast track project involved the Cat B fit out of 1300m2 of existing office space at 4th and 6th floor levels.

Pioneering project for a new Neuromuscular Critical Care Centre

Neuromuscular Critical Care Centre (NMCCC) on the ground floor of the existing National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery situated in the Queen Square conservation area. Work entailed the sub-division and refurbishment of The Basil Samuel Outpatient Department and Chandler Wing entrance corridor to create a new reception, waiting room and consultation rooms along with space for the new ward.

Our main objective was to minimise disturbance to patients and hospital staff and to maintain clinical services and public facilities at all times. This project proved to be a prime example of Ark Build’s commitment to stakeholder engagement. The affected medical surgery teams had direct access to our Project Manager who was able to stop works immediately (for any required timescale) upon their instructions.

This pioneering project has been a huge success, with the NMCCC being the first dedicated facility of its kind in the country for patients suffering from Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy. Furthermore, it was a finalist for “Building Project of the Year (up to £10m)” in the 2014 British Construction Industry Architecture Awards.

Client
UCLH Charity

Consultants
Llewelyn Davies – Architect
Arup – Services Engineer
Bradbrook Consulting – Quantity Surveyor

Contract value
£1.75m

Contract period
24 weeks

Location
Queen Square, London WC1N