Yeovil Innovation Centre
Yeovil, Somerset
Project Details
Client
South Somerset District Council
Project Manager
NPS South West Limited
Architect
NPS South West Limited
Contractor
Midas Construction Ltd
Value
£1.5m
Contract Period
40 weeks
Procurement Type
Competitive tender – 2 stage
Form of Contract
NEC3 Option A
Size
1,044m²
Project summary
The Yeovil Innovation Centre is an evolving business community designed for small businesses and entrepreneurs that require high quality, low-cost and flexible work spaces with room for growth. Supported by funding from the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership, Midas constructed this two-storey extension for client South Somerset District Council to expand the capacity and update resources at this multi-office facility.Located on Lufton Trading Estate to the east of Yeovil’s town centre, the Innovation Centre provides reception and meeting areas for tenants and entrepreneurs looking for the flexibility of short term leases. This extension offers over 1,000m² office accommodation across two floors. The structure is strip footing foundations supporting a portal steel frame, with a block and beam ground floor and precast first floor and roof, and raised access flooring installed to both floors. It benefits from brise soleil solar shading, with internal plasterboard finish that allows for future reconfiguration of the ground floor to meet the changing needs of tenants. Midas’ works included a lift, shell and core finish to the first floor, a single ply roof and landscaping. The project received a score of 96% in the customer satisfaction survey at practical completion.
“The perfect location to nurture and grow your business.”
Community Engagement
Career Development
- 8 Apprentices through the project
Key Challenges
Meeting the client’s design expectations within their budget
Budget: Early in the programme Midas’ market intelligence and cost benchmarking works identified a challenge, with the client’s design requirements exceeding their budget allowance. Midas’ commercial team worked closely with the client’s designers and our supply chain partners to deliver £550,000 of value engineering – including changing the structural frame, amending the window and natural ventilation configuration, amending hollow clay pot and lintel solution, and rationalising roof and gutter design – to make the project viable whilst achieving the client’s vision.
The Innovation Centre remained open and occupied throughout the works
Occupied building: Prior to commencement, Midas established a secure construction site perimeter to segregate live works from the Centre, and erected full perimeter Heras fencing with solid hoarding to the front elevation and post and rail fencing to pedestrian routes. Midas liaised with the client in advance of works and completed noisy works at agreed times. The team implemented acoustic protection measures including forming two baffle bunds from soils excavated on site. The team restricted and segregated noisy works, managed the movement of plant, and situated cement mixers on the opposite side of the site from neighbours. The team held regular consultation meetings to update neighbours on the project; allowing one to one discussions and providing advance notice of noisy works to Centre staff. The team monitored noise, dust and vibration levels through the works and across the site. Contractors completed cutting works in designated areas and made sparing use of damping down to manage dust whilst restricting the site’s water use.
The project involved connection of the extension to an operational building with live services
Live services: The project included demolition works to form a link opening to the existing structure, and service and utilities connections between the original building and the extension. Midas engaged early with the Centre’s management team and planned works in consultation with them. Thanks to the good relations with the client, the site team developed a mutually agreed programme. This ensured Midas could complete demolition, connection and security works during daylight hours, allowing time to address any potential issues. Midas installed a lockable partition early in the programme to segregate works and mitigate disturbance from noise or dust. The team then installed temporary works prior to commencing demolition to support the structural integrity of the façade whilst forming the structural opening. Midas brought new services to the edge of the extension and existing services to the connection point in the original building, before completing service connections overnight. This simplified the connection process, ensured services were not in use during works and prevented disturbance of the Centre staff.
