The expansion of Amersham School was carried out within a live school campus, over three phases of works, and comprised: a new 27-space car park and landscaping works; the construction of a double-storey extension featuring a new dining hall, reception area, and eight classrooms forming a new maths block (Block N); extension of an existing science block to provide additional teaching space (Block E).
Although not an employer requirement for the scheme, our design team developed the design in BIM to provide a high degree of design co-ordination throughout the Stage 4 design development.
The Challenge
Overcoming of a number of challenges was crucial to the successful outcome of the scheme. This included undertaking the works within a live school, restricted space to manoeuvre when completing areas of detail, working towards completing facilities to achieve critical phased handover dates whilst, additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic had swept its way through sites across the country.
Another was the discovery of unexpected urgent remedial works required to areas of masonry support on the existing building, which hindered and delayed progression of works. As it was unsafe to work underneath the concrete beams that supported the concrete blocks, the remediation works consumed many weeks of programming.
