Interior view of the refurbished Police and Community HubMidas

Deane House

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Deane House

Taunton, Somerset


Project Details



Client
Somerset West & Taunton Council
Avon & Somerset Police

Project Manager
Somerset West & Taunton Council

Architect
HLM Architects

Contractor
Midas Construction Ltd

Value
£6.7m

Contract Period
55 weeks

Procurement Type
Competitive tender – 2 stage

Form of Contract
JCT Design & Build 2016

Size
5,600m²

Apprentices
17

Project Brief

This scheme saw the transformation of this flagship town centre office building to the north of Taunton town centre, headquarters of Taunton Deane Borough Council, to bring together a range of council services under one roof. Midas completed works to this live, three-storey building in phases to allow it to remain open and in use throughout.

Midas undertook this major project on behalf of joint clients Somerset West & Taunton Council and Avon & Somerset Police, to deliver an improved customer experience in a refreshed building that provided a modern and comfortable workspace for its staff. Bringing Taunton Police and the Council together in one building enables the community to access more public services from one convenient location.

The complete refurbishment of Deane House has produced a more energy efficient building that offers flexible, open plan working and communal spaces in Grade A office accommodation with high spec finishes throughout. The building can be adapted for future needs and has potential to accommodate additional public or private sector partners in the future.

The project received a score of 92% in the customer satisfaction survey at practical completion.



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“We’re delighted to be celebrating the completion of this high-profile project with our customer, Taunton Deane Borough Council. The result looks fantastic and has really given the building a new lease of life. The success of the project has been driven by the work of the site team liaising closely with the Council, its partners, local residents and businesses to ensure what was a complex project ran smoothly, with the minimum of disruption to council services and people living and working locally.”

“I am delighted with these significant improvements to Deane House which reflect our new way of working, modernising what we do to focus even more on tackling customer needs, improving services and saving costs for our communities. The building is far more energy efficient, with a flexible working environment for our staff, and a new customer hub which provides a much better experience for our customers making processes more modern and efficient. Deane House is a superb local facility within the heart of the community where together with the Police we can now offer local people greater convenience by having public services under one roof.”

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Community Engagement

Career Development

  • 17 Apprentices provided with training through the project

Key Challenges

  • To safely manage works in this occupied building whilst maintaining public access, Midas completely enclosed the site with hoarding and fencing. The team segregated public routes, employed a traffic marshal to control site access, and installed an overhead fan at the rear staff entrance to protect users. Routes to and from the building were controlled and described within the site plans, with each area locked off and controlled by site staff. The team completed works to the new reception prior to removing the old reception, to maintain public access, and kept access and fire routes clear for Taunton Deane Borough Council (TDBC) staff. Internally, Midas segregated the building using floor to ceiling temporary partitioning, erected in early stages of each phase. The team formed the partitions with metal stud plasterboard, decorated and with skirting fitting on public facing sides to appear like a permanent wall for the aesthetic principal, whilst also providing acoustic protection. The team attached translucent film to some windows in occupied parts of the building to provide additional privacy for TDBC staff.
  • Midas completed an extensive best value review with the client in order to achieve a cost plan figure in line with their budget. Through early subcontractor involvement in design development at preconstruction, Midas delivered a total of £709k of savings to the client with a combination of best practice and added value reviews. The design team, led by the Midas Design and Build Manager, collaborated with subcontractors and specialist contractors to provide alternative best value product solutions and reviewed sequencing to resolve programme issues and mitigate delays, at a saving of £607k. The team saved an additional £39k through effective risk management and review.
  • Midas met with key Taunton Deane Borough Council (TDBC) staff prior to commencing each phase of works to amend site logistics whilst preserving safe and secure access for building users. Midas established segregated public access routes using pedestrian barriers externally and temporary partitioning internally, with all gates and doors secured. The team maintained communication with TDBC staff to discuss and agree access provision and ensure the preservation of emergency escape routes, and provided advance notice of noisy, vibratory or dusty work activities, scheduling these in line with TDBC requirements. Simon King (Project Manager) and representatives from TDBC met weekly and before each new phase of work, with the agenda including upcoming risks, any issues, phasing, the current programme and an update on sections handed over to the client to resolve any outstanding issues. These open forum meetings helped to ensure on-time completion.

Project Takeaways

Our Success

  • Midas conducted snagging checks on subcontractor works packages at the end of each phase, prior to completing client snagging, to ensure the team addressed any issues at each phase of the works. This resulted in minimal outstanding issues at practical completion and all snags closed off within a week. The team managed the phased snagging process through the Midas Quality Plan, agreeing the standard of the works with the client as the project progressed to meet their requirements at the end of each phase.
  • The logistics of the site changed regularly as Midas handed over phases of the works and commenced new phases. Midas implemented a bespoke traffic management plan including timed deliveries to avoid peak traffic times, and banked plant movement supervised by a full time, fully trained traffic marshal. Midas provided suppliers with route directions to the site, programmed and coordinated deliveries and provided holding areas to limit disruption to local traffic. The team controlled pedestrian access with designated crossing points and rerouted the public across a dedicated timber bridge over the grass. The bridge had an anti-slip surface with ramp access. If deliveries crossed the pedestrian right of way, the team used temporary pedestrian barriers. The full time gate controller managed contractor and visitor parking, escorting and directing visitors.
  • The site team completed some works outside of the Council’s operational hours, to minimise disruption, including significant weekend working. Midas maintained utilities connections to live areas of the building, completing a full shutdown and service swaps outside of the building’s operational hours.

Our Learnings

  • The building contained live services. This was a high risk removal due to the complexity of services above the grid. Midas isolated and checked prior to commencing demolition and soft strip works, completing ten weeks of diversion works prior to commencing, closing off and disconnecting services and water to sections of the building in phases in preparation for demolition. Midas maintained utilities connections to live areas of the building, completing a full shutdown and service swaps outside of the building’s operational hours. The team took down the old entrance lobby later in the programme, once the new reception was complete and in use. The site zoned off areas for demolition and segregated waste, removing waste through the segregated dedicated site entrance away from the live reception.

Value Added

  • This project worked to the Employment Skills Plan (ESP), including: supporting three 16+ work placements and one 14-16 work placement; supporting five curriculum activities including hosting a school site visit, an Employability Day for Clyst Vale Community College and a site visit for students from Bridgwater & Taunton College; supporting eight apprentice starts, three existing apprentices and six apprentice completions; supporting eight NVQ starts and six NVQ completions for subcontractors; advertising nine jobs through local employment vehicles; delivering nine training plans, four supervisor qualifications gained and four leadership and management qualifications gained for subcontractors; 59 qualifications gained for Advanced Health & Safety for subcontractors. The site also employed a Taunton resident, who had previously been in the armed forces, as a Trainee Site Manager.
  • The site employed local labour with 75% of the workforce living within a 30-mile radius of the site. The project supported the local economy with 100% of the total firms on site being small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), of which 50% were based within the local authority boundary.

KPI’s & Statistics

ContractGateway 2 Planning Gateway 3 Contract Agreement Variation
Cost£6,782,797£6,752,576-£30,221
-(0.4%)
Time63 weeks63 weeks0 weeks
(0%)
  • Apprentices: 17
  • Average AIR: 2.43
  • Average CCS score: 39.5
  • Waste diverted from landfill: 60.2%
  • Cost/m2: £1,178m²
  • Cost/m2 excl abnormals: £1,008m²
Exterior of Construction Skills CentreMidas Group Ltd

Construction Training Centre

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Construction Training Centre

Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset


Project Details



Client
Weston College

Project Manager
Weston College

Architect
View Architects Ltd

Contractor
Midas Construction Ltd

Value
£2.9m

Contract Period
33 weeks

Procurement Type
Competitive tender – 2 stage

Form of Contract
JCT Design & Build 2016

Size
1,809m²

Apprentices
7

Project Brief

Created to address the increasing demand for a skilled construction workforce in the region, the Construction Training Centre provides state-of-the-art specialised teaching space, offering training specific to the construction industry and designed with employers’ needs in mind. Midas delivered this single-storey building in a semi-rural location to the west of Weston-super-Mare.

Made possible by match funding from Weston College and the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) through the Local Growth Fund, administered by the West of England Combined Authority, the Centre is taking a lead role in answering the construction skills shortage. The main teaching centre is a block of modular buildings, constructed off site, connected with a central corridor covered by a canopy. Adjacent to the modular block are three connected steel frame cladded sheds. The project includes several areas of storage and work yard together with a dig training area.

Enabling works included demolition and removal of old farm buildings, part piled foundations and excavations for ground beams, slabs and drainage, infill and diversion of two sections of a watercourse and formation of attenuation ponds with a new water route.

The client scored the project 91% in the customer satisfaction survey at practical completion.



  • Exterior of Construction Skills Centre
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 “The Construction Training Centre really is meeting the need of the industry. Construction workers were having to go as far as Birmingham to complete their training – which includes compulsory qualifications. This centre has brought all of the training under one roof, and is conveniently located just minutes from junction 21 of the M5. Our courses are industry-recognised and nationally accredited, which is a real plus for a new facility. This has helped to ensure that we have a busy start to life at the Construction Training Centre, and we look forward to this continuing over the coming months.” 

Community Engagement

Career Development

  • 7 Apprentices provided with training through the project

Key Challenges

  • Due to the time limit of the lease, the Construction Skills Centre needs to be relocated at the end of the College’s contract on the land. Midas addressed this through design and construction of a combination of refurbished modular buildings and new build warehouse, to deliver a structure that can easily be dismantled and relocated at the end of the lease. The modular building is formed of 23 units that can be picked up and moved in blocks of 13, and use of off-site modular construction resulted in a shorter on-site programme time and less waste. As agreed with the client, Midas left bolts exposed in the warehouse unit to enable it to be easily dismantled and relocated. Midas amended the foundation design to pad and raft foundations, which will be easier for the client to clear at the end of their lease period. To manage the high water table with pad and raft foundations Midas completed an extensive drainage scheme under licence from the North Somerset Levels Internal Drainage Board (NSLIDB), bridging over the rhynes in several places and installing filtration systems to prevent run off.
  • The project surpassed the client’s target and achieved BREEAM Very Good through numerous environmental measures. The team protected local wildlife, plants and waterways throughout the works; installed sensitive lights to prevent disturbance of bat feeding routes; used of off-site modular construction to reduce waste; installed permanent, secure bicycle storage for 20 bikes; diverted of 99.5% of waste from landfill; and used a community recycling scheme for wood waste and unwanted timber pallets. The project achieved an air tightness result of 4.23 & 3.68m³/hr.m² @ 50 Pa, against a maximum of 10.0m³/hr.m² @ 50 Pa. Early in the project, Midas commissioned an ecological survey that confirmed the rhynes (drainage ditches used as local flood management systems) did not contain any protected species and prior to works the site team completed a visual survey to check no significant wildlife was present.
  • Midas liaised with the NSLIDB to manage the risk of works in proximity to rhynes. The team secured a licence from the NSLIDB to work within nine metres of rhynes, ensuring they remained clear throughout the works. Midas identified drain routes and risk potential as part of site inductions, and managed surface water through an efficient drainage design. The site used silt busters to filter all water sent off site. At the start of the project Midas implemented a Construction Environmental Management Plan to manage the high pollution risk to adjacent properties and the rhynes; protected existing ditches and rhynes from site run off; and identified watercourses, drains and their outputs. The site controlled water run-off with straw bales placed along the rhynes and formed a clay earth bund to prevent polluting nearby watercourses, with spill kits stored on site and a pollution incident response action plan in place. Prior to undertaking diversion works to the rhyne within the site and for drainage works to the pond, the Assistant Site Manager contacted the inland drainage board and received verbal approval to pump extracted water into the grassland around the site.
  • Midas came onto this project at RIBA Stage 1, appointing our own design team with Smith Consult Limited novated to the M&E subcontractor. Both projects were initially over the client’s budget, and Midas completed an extensive and effective early value engineering exercise with them at RIBA Stage 3, providing design and material amendments to make the projects financially viable. Midas conducted stakeholder engagement exercises, working with the college and modular manufacturers to conduct a best value review of external finishes, delivering a cost-effective solution without compromising the quality of the finish. Midas also completed a total redesign of both the Health and Active Living Centre and the Construction Training Centre to ensure the architectural plans met the correct site requirements. The team designed out any challenges in the planning stages, tailoring the foundation designs to suit the site conditions following site investigation and completion of archaeological reports.

Project Takeaways

Our Success

  • Enabling works included demolition and removal of timber cattle sheds that had evidence of fragile asbestos cement roofing, asbestos containing materials and possible ground contamination. Midas appointed an asbestos surveyor and remover and produced an Asbestos Management Plan with a Cat B plus a Point of Work Risk Assessment for these works. The site had an asbestos-sealed waste skip, which the team had taken off site as soon as possible following completion of the removal works. Midas included asbestos awareness as part of site inductions.
  • To reduce inconvenience to local residents, Midas encouraged deliveries to use major routes into the town and approach the site via the more suitable A370. Deliveries entered the site via the shared access road off Churchland Way, which residents used to walk their children to school. Midas liaised with the neighbours to discuss access issues and the Assistant Site Manager provided them with hi-vis tabards to high light their presence during school walks along the lane. To reduce risk, the site scheduled deliveries; enforced a 20mph speed restriction on the lane; and established a suitable sized entry gate and hard standing area, which housed up to two simultaneous deliveries, to get deliveries in off the road as quickly as possible to avoid unnecessary congestion. The site unloaded deliveries using a telehandler and contained a turning circle to eliminate the need to reverse onto the highway. Site traffic exited under supervision by a vehicle controller to reduce risk to avoid risk of collision on the public highway and to reduce risk to pedestrians passing the site.
  • To manage the site’s high water table and proximity to rhynes, Midas implemented an extensive attenuation scheme, effectively selecting the most appropriate groundworks subcontractors to ensure success.

Our Learnings

  • Due to its proximity to a Norman fort, there was a risk of archaeological importance on the site. Prior to commencement, another company completed a site investigation (SI) to establish ground conditions. Midas accessed the SI information from a separate planning application on the site, which confirmed poor ground conditions and a known flood risk. Midas interrogated SI reports, including historic data provided at tender stage, and appointed Wessex Archaeology Limited to investigate the site and complete trench digs across the area prior to Midas commencing works.

Value Added

  • Midas delivered £511,960 (19.5%) of added value and best practice savings at Gateway 4. Savings included a reduction in the foundation design, following close review with the supply chain, for a saving of £205k; revision and reduction of the planned site entrance to one combined entrance, saving £9,460k; reducing the covered area and altering external finishes to save £90k; and retaining excavated soil onsite for a saving of £60k.
  • The site employed 83.3% small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with 67.7% of the SMEs based within 30 miles of the site.
  • The project team collaborated with the team at the Construction Skills Centre site to deliver a combined Employment and Skills Plan. The sites supported eight work experience placements; created 13 jobs with the National Skills Academy for Construction, including six apprentices; supported 11 Construction Careers Information, Advice & Guidance events; delivered 218.9 training weeks on site; delivered four training plans for subcontractors; and supported the achievement of 85 NVQs and industry certifications. Representatives from the project attended the North Somerset Careers Convention and the Weston-super-Mare Careers Convention.

KPI’s & Statistics

ContractGateway 2 Planning Gateway 3 Contract Agreement Variation
Cost£2,918,791£2,631,357-£287,434
(-9.8%)
Time26.1 weeks25.9 weeks-0.29 weeks
(-1.1%)
  • Apprentices: 7
  • Average AIR: 0
  • Average CCS score: 40
  • Waste diverted from landfill: 99.5%
  • Cost/m2: £1,455m²
  • Cost/m2 excl abnormals: £506m²
Exterior of the Oxford Advanced Skills CentreMidas Group Ltd

Oxford Advanced Skills Centre

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Oxford Advanced Skills Centre

Abingdon, Oxfordshire


Project Details



Client
UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA)

Project Manager
Ridge & Partners LLP

Architect
Ridge & Partners LLP

Contractor
Midas Construction Ltd

Value
£8.8m

Contract Period
54 weeks

Procurement Type
Competitive tender – 2 stage

Form of Contract
NEC3 Option A

Size
4,074m²

Apprentices
7

Project Summary

Delivered at the secure Culham Science Centre, a dedicated innovation and enterprise park in Oxfordshire, the Advanced Skills Centre is a flagship training facility. Owned and managed by the UK Atomic Energy Authority, Culham Science Centre is a world-class research site that hosts 40 businesses employing approximately 2,000 people in fields including aerospace, technology, autonomous vehicles and biotechnology.

Constructed in proximity to live business and educational facilities, the project included design and build of the Centre, together with sports and social facilities and associated external works. Works included site preparation and groundworks, followed by construction of two steel frame buildings – the Centre and a sports pavilion – with a cladding and render envelope and a single ply roof to the Centre. Midas completed full Cat A and Cat B fit out, including M&E, plumbing and service connections. Externally, the team completed car parking and hard and soft landscaping.

The purpose-built Centre has the capacity to train up to 350 apprentices per year, offering specialised training for apprentice engineers and technicians. Designed with these industries in mind and following consultation with local businesses, the three-storey centre provides labs and workshops to support training in specialised research areas including mechanical and electrical, robotics, cryogenics, fluids and vacuums.



  • Exterior of the Oxford Advanced Skills Centre

“Starting the construction phase is hugely exciting for the project team as it marks the culmination of the efforts of many people.”

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Key Challenges

  • Midas successfully achieved BREEAM Very Good with measures including PV panels installed on the roof; diversion of 94.55% of waste from landfill; bicycle storage and changing facilities; and by undertaking tree protection measures. Midas commissioned a prestart inspection by a suitably qualified ecologist – from Windrush Ecology – and, in line with their recommendations, delivered toolbox talks to site operatives on topics including protecting site ecology and compliance with ecological legislation. Midas delivered training for building users, including Building User Guides, and completed seasonal commissioning activities for the 12-month period after occupation. The team placed bird feeders at the site boundary, providing winter feed for birds, and rescued a mole from an existing building.
  • Midas used a combination of best practice and added value solutions to offer the client £767k (8.7% of contract value) of savings at the Gateway 3 construction stage. Midas approached supply chain members including the roofing and cladding contractor and the piling contractor early in the programme and invited them to participate in design team meetings to aid with detailing. Solutions included retention of excavated materials for reuse in landscaping and site fill, for a saving of £117k; identifying £140k of best value savings at Cost Plan; and completing a post-tender best value review with our subcontractors, to offer £327k of savings to bring the works in line with the budget. Our supply chain partners re-appraised the ground investigation report to develop a vibro-compacted stone column solution in lieu of continuous flight auger piling piles. This saved £45k on the budget and mitigated any programme delays. The team proposed using face fix cladding panels with colour match fixings, to negate the need for helping hand brackets (saving £55k); and the project reused excavated topsoil in lieu of imported materials, saving £117k and achieving a BREEAM credit.
  • Culham Science Park is a secure site with a security gate staff with security guards. UKAEA Security required advance notice of all visitors attending the site, with attendance tracked by their team. Midas erected Heras fencing and solid hoarding around our site to segregate works, with Heras fencing to the contractor car park and crowd control barriers forming separate client routes. The team shared construction access with a project to the north of the site, with UKAEA Security managing traffic access. Midas liaised with UKAEA site security and other construction project teams to coordinate and programme deliveries, and checked vehicles for the use of the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme road safety provisions. To mitigate dust and noise disturbance to the science park, operatives used vacuum cleaners with filters; dust extraction on saws, sanders and floor grinders; and water suppression attached to the petrol disc cutter. The team used a dedicated cutting area, combined with acoustic panels to reduce exposure to others on site.

Project Takeaways

Our Successes
  • Midas worked simultaneously on two projects for the same client at the same site, and introduced savings and improvements to the programme and supply chain by sharing resources across the two projects. The two projects had separate access routes and security checkpoints, to avoid causing queues at the main gate.
  • Culham Science Centre has plans to substantially increase commercial activity and construct new buildings at the site. Midas completed additional infrastructure works, added to our project by the client during the programme, in order to prepare the site for potential future developments. The Midas team worked closely with the client to plan and review these additional works to future-proof the site.
  • Each subcontractor attended a prestart meeting to review safety and quality requirements, at least two weeks prior to their start on site. The project used Field View in tandem with 4Projects to track and manage snagging and defects. The client bought into this software and accessed Field View to complete their quality inspections. All subcontractors completed their inspection, test plan, risk assessments and method statements together as part of the pre-start process. The Midas site team used tablets with Field View to complete weekly quality and safety inspections of subcontractors and our supply chain.
Our Learnings
  • The site included an incoming underground high voltage electricity supply and fibre optic cables crossing the site, with live services within an adjacent block. The team pegged out the route of live services and identified them with signage. UKAEA diverted the fibre optics prior to Midas commencing ground excavations; Midas received written confirmation of disconnection from the client prior to commencement of works. The team battered back excavations, controlling the reduced and formation level excavations under permits to dig and protecting open excavations with Heras fencing.
Added Value
  • As part of this project Midas worked to an Employment & Skills Plan (ESP), including: five work experience placements; seven apprentices employed; 12 jobs created; 167.4 waged training weeks delivered on site; 32 workforce qualifications supported; and four training plans for subcontractors delivered. The site hosted a visit from six local college students.
  • The project supported the local economy with 93.3% of companies employed via the project being small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and 55.9% of those based within 30 miles of the site.
  • The site held a topping out ceremony with a Christmas wreath on 11 December 2018, attended by over 30 people including representatives from MTC Training, the Science and Technology Facilities Council, Culham Fusion and UKAEA.

KPI’s & Statistics

ContractGateway 2 Planning Gateway 3 Contract Agreement Variation
Cost£8,881,816£8,810,919-£70,896
(-0.8%)
Time48.1 weeks47 weeks-1.14 weeks
(-2.4%)

KPI Graphs

Apprentices 7
Average AIR 2.1
Average CCS score 37.5
Waste diverted from landfill 94.5%
Cost/m2 £2,170m²
Cost/m2 excl abnormals £1,542m²

Exterior view of the Weston College Health and Active Living CentreMidas Group Ltd

Health and Active Living (HAL) Centre

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Health and Active Living Centre

Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset


Project Details



Client
Weston College

Project Manager
Weston College

Architect
View Architects Ltd

Contractor
Midas Construction Ltd

Value
£6.7m

Contract Period
48 weeks

Procurement Type
Competitive tender – 2 stage

Form of Contract
JCT Design & Build 2016

Size
2,841m²

Apprentices
7

Project Summary

Delivered for our valued clients Weston College, the Health and Active Living Skills (HAL) Centre is the region’s first state-of-the-art learning environment for sport, health and social care. The Centre provides modern facilities for students and the public, aiming to increase the community’s health and well-being.

Constructed at the college’s Loxton campus, to the south of Weston-super-Mare, this three-storey building houses a sports hall and associated changing facilities, classrooms and sport science labs. Outside are an all-weather 3G sports pitch and a natural football pitch.

The HAL Centre features a range of facilities to benefit the college and community. The multi-use sports hall includes provision for badminton, basketball, netball and five-a-side football, plus retractable basketball hoops; and the Centre includes community use space, a reception and public café.

The Centre provides an innovative learning environment with science labs, a health therapy suite with separate clinic and therapy room, and a six-bed simulation ward including high-tech patient mannequins.

The project received a customer satisfaction score of 92% in the survey at practical completion.



  • Exterior view of the Weston College Health and Active Living Centre

“This is an important investment in the future of healthcare in the region. We looked at a number of options when it came to building this new centre, but the one that was most viable was to build it at our Loxton Campus, which is a stone’s throw away from Weston General Hospital. The development will bring together the College’s health and social care, sports therapy and active living curricula into one bespoke facility, which will benefit our students as well as the wider community.”

“This is a fantastic opportunity for partnership working between Weston College and Weston General Hospital. This demonstrates the investment we are both making to support the learning and development of students. We hope it will also help the recruitment and retention of staff as well as supporting the increased demand on healthcare locally”.

“This is an ambitious project that will deliver important investment in skills for health and social care professionals working in our region. We need to train more people for future careers in our hospitals and community services – this will improve the quality of care and improve people’s lives. With more highly qualified professionals, and with people trained in a wider range of disciplines, people will be better cared for.”

 “We are very pleased to be taking forward our excellent relationship with Weston College on this exciting project which will bring significant positive benefits to the College, its students and staff and the local community. As we have done on our previous projects with the college, most recently at the Winter Gardens, we will be working closely with local people and our local supply chain to ensure that we maximise the economic benefits of the construction project in the Weston and North Somerset areas.”

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Key Challenges

  • The client set an ambitious BREEAM requirement of Excellent. Midas successfully attained this level by commissioning significant ecological surveys at the start of the project; enhanced the local ecology through planting of native trees and shrubs; used an efficient drainage design to manage surface water, and protected local waterways from runoff or contamination; provided permanent, secure bicycle storage; and diverted 100% of waste from landfill. The ecological surveys identified the site as a bat corridor, which the team protected through retention of trees and by directing site and permanent lighting away from the route. The centre has four bat boxes, and the landscaping forms a corridor for wildlife. The building design maximises natural ventilation, including wind catchers, and features a 20.8kW SunGift Solar PV array.
  • To manage works within the live college campus, Midas used a combination of timber hoarding and Heras fencing to secure the site boundary and implemented parking restrictions on Loxton Road, with a bespoke traffic management plan and a vehicle controller to supervise deliveries and access. At the start of the project, Midas issued a letter to the local neighbours advising them of the planned works, expected duration and providing contact details for feedback. The team issued regular updates with 24-hour contact information and notice in advance of potentially disruptive works. To reduce disturbance to the college and neighbours, Midas established a dedicated and screened cutting zone, kept construction noise below background noise levels at the nearest noise sensitivities and appointed a suitably qualified acoustician to carry out a noise impact testing.
  • Midas came onto this project at RIBA Stage 1, appointing our own design team with Smith Consult Limited novated to the M&E subcontractor. The Health and Active Living Centre and the Construction Training Centre projects were initially over the client’s budget. At RIBA Stage 3, Midas completed an extensive and effective best value review with the clients, providing design and material amendments to make the projects financially viable. Midas conducted stakeholder engagement exercises, working with the college and modular manufacturers to conduct a best value review of external finishes, delivering a cost-effective solution without compromising the quality of the finish. Midas also completed a total redesign of both the Health and Active Living Centre and the Construction Training Centre to ensure the architectural plans met the site requirements. The team designed out any challenges in the planning stages, including a piled foundation solution with piles at a maximum depth of between 5m and 11m to manage the granite layer below the topsoil.

Project Takeaways

Our Successes
  • Working with the client’s design team and Sport England, Midas ensured the new centre facilitated the best possible ‘Community Use’ of its amenities – as defined by Sport England – when not in use by the college. By changing the building’s internal layout and configuration, Midas delivered the project to a Sport England Community Use Agreement and increased the extent of community use areas of the Centre. Midas designed the facility in compliance with Sport England Design, Specification and Construction Guidance.
  • The building is in proximity to an environmentally sensitive area to the north and adjacent to a high-risk watercourse area. Midas liaised with the North Somerset Levels Internal Drainage Board (NSLIDB) to manage the risk of works in proximity to rhynes (drainage ditches used as local flood management systems). The team secured a licence from the NSLIDB to work within nine metres of rhynes, ensuring they remained clear throughout the works. Midas identified drain routes and risk potential as part of site inductions, and managed surface water through an efficient drainage design. The site used silt busters to filter all water sent off site.
  • The Midas team installed an observation board at the site welfare area with a progress board highlighting defect-free areas and providing example posters confirming quality requirements and correct finishes. The client scored the project 9/10 for quality for workmanship in the satisfaction survey at practical completion, with an overall score of 92%.
  • To achieve BREEAM Excellent and provide an improved whole life value for the centre, Midas installed enhanced cladding, insulation and insulated render. The composite cladding panel insulation on the external walls has an approved environmental profile with a BRE Ecopoints score of 0.497; the acoustic stud insulation achieve summary ratings of A+; and the cavity wall insulation achieves a Green Guide Rating of A+. The completed building has an air tightness (m³/(h.m²) at 50Pa) rating of 5.00, against the maximum of 15.00, with an Air Leakage Rate less than 5m³/hr/m².
Our Learnings
  • Restrictions on the client’s funding meant the team had to complete project works and spend allocated monies by the end of their financial year (01 April 2019). Weston College could not set a contract end date beyond this point, putting pressure on the programme; however, during contract negotiations with Midas, the client agreed a three-week extension of time to allow completion of the works. Midas led collective subcontractor coordination meetings, worked to short-term programmes to hit deadlines, maintained regular communication with suppliers, subcontractors and the client, and effectively selected subcontractors to ensure a suitable team that delivered on time. Adaptations included the use of a mechanically fixed single ply membrane waterproofing system on the roof. This incorporates a PVC pad fixing system that secures the membrane and insulation with the same fixing, reducing the site installation programme and providing water tightness at an early stage in the construction programme. The team also completed works such as coating the floors with latex over weekends, to minimise disruption to other trades. This enabled Midas to finish three weeks ahead of the anticipated completion date
Added Value
  • Midas delivered £230,500 (3.4%) of added value and best practice savings at Gateway 4. Savings included: £116k of design review and rationalisation savings; using specialist contractor advice to make an acoustic design change to the hall, saving £25k; and increasing the Structural Steel Framing System (SFS), including changing the precast concrete staircase to steel, limiting the required amount of brick- and blockwork to save £55k.
  • The site employed 60% local labour; with 93.1% of total firms on site being small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Midas used local resources wherever possible with 71.4% of the SMEs based within 30 miles of the site.
  • The project team collaborated with the team at the Construction Skills Centre site to deliver a combined Employment and Skills Plan. The sites supported eight work experience placements; created 13 jobs with the National Skills Academy for Construction, including six apprentices; supported 11 Construction Careers Information, Advice & Guidance events; delivered 218.9 training weeks on site; delivered four training plans for subcontractors; and supported the achievement of 85 NVQs and industry certifications. Representatives from the project attended the North Somerset Careers Convention and the Weston-super-Mare Careers Convention. The project had five site visits from students of Weston College, with almost 100 students visiting in total, plus a site visit from students with the Positive Steps project. The site directly employed a management apprentice.
  • Midas liaised with a local church, collected food on site to donate to their food bank. The team also contacted a local financial institution, who agreed to offer free financial aid to the community, with Midas welfare offices available for this use. The team donated unwanted wooden pallets to neighbours for their wood burning stoves.

KPI’s & Statistics

ContractGateway 2 Planning Gateway 3 Contract Agreement Variation
Cost£6,918,904£6,780,718-£138,186
(-2%)
Time46.4 weeks46.4 weeks0 weeks
(0%)

KPI Graphs

Apprentices 7
Average AIR 0
Average CCS score 40
Waste diverted from landfill 100%
Cost/m2 £2,352m²
Cost/m2 excl abnormals £1,799m²