New build 299-bed student accommodation delivered as part of continued investment into the university’s main campus which is central to AUB’s future aspirations to grow its reputation as a leading arts university. This project was unusual for a student accommodation project given the major focus on sustainability and design throughout to reflect the university’s core ethos. The accommodation is formed of 3 buildings spread across 11 blocks set around a landscaped courtyard.
The Challenge
Intumescent paint
To successfully apply the full system of intumescent paint, we required three days of good continuous weather at a good regular temperature. During construction, wet weather conditions meant we could not apply the paint as required, which resulted in programme delay.
Meeting client’s budget and design intent
One of the client’s key drivers was the visual impact of the new building. However, the original design intent did not meet the client’s budget.
Covid-19 pandemic
When the lockdown occurred in mid-March 2020, the project was ramping up at just under 200 operatives working on the scheme. It was peaking at our planned full production flow, both internally, on the fit-out, and on the external envelope in parallel.
Within a week, it became very apparent, as the Government made essential announcements, that the site set-up and logistics needed to change drastically to meet social distance and Covid-19 SOPs requirements. This was alongside daily concerns of whether there would be enough materials and PPE continuity, all having to be constantly micro-managed from one day to the next by the site team, supply chain and MS procurement structure.
Initially, there was no choice but to force a scaling down of the workforce to about a third, then look to progressively increase back to similar numbers with more managed productivity, as well as:
- Re-assessing everything from turning our logistics plans on their heads
- Implementing daily changes to site flow and plant segregation to prioritise pedestrian social distancing, in and around the building, to all active workfaces
- Major changes at all workfaces themselves to ensure works could proceed in a safe, socially distanced manner, whatever the trade.
