JG Projects were excited to be awarded a schoolrefurbishment project by Kings Academy Lord Wilson in Southampton. The project consisted of over 18 rooms which needed complete refurbishment in a very short 6-week time frame, to coincide with the summer holiday. Below we’ll discuss the project in more detail, as well as reveal a mid-project obstacle…

King’s Academy Lord Wilson is a 55 pupil capacity school located in Southampton. As a special needs school, tough compliance and health and safety requirements were at the forefront of the project, as well as practical considerations that would help provide a better environment for pupils with additional needs.

The first day on site, we installed our own office and facilities, including project management and health and safety team. This helped ensure that everything stayed on schedule and safe and meant that challenges could be anticipated and prevented quickly.

Involving a complete strip out and refurbishment of 18 rooms, which included general classrooms, sports hall, toilets, food tech rooms, art classrooms, science laboratories, staff kitchen and canteen, this project was the largest school refurbishment JG Projects have done. We were entrusted with looking after the site for the 6 weeks during the entire period and had the necessary resources and insurance in place to keep the site secure throughout.

To help us successfully complete the refurbishment, we employed a large team of our favourite sub-contractors, comprising every single trade. Such a large project meant that project management and co-operation was key, ensuring that all trades could access specific areas when they needed towith minimal disruption to each other. Sticking to the schedule was critical to make sure that the project was completed within the six-week time frame.

We had workers on site 7 days a week, and everyone was committed to a successful timely completion so that the pupils had a new school to come back to in September.

Some key highlights of the project

New hardwearing Supacord Heavy Fibre Bonded carpet was installed throughout, as well as new Am-Clad Hygienic PVC wall cladding to keep areas clean and sterile. Vinyl flooring where hygienic floors were required look fresh while being easy to clean.

We installed a suspended metal framed ceiling system, which is designed for heavy duty applications. This ceiling solution can withstand high impact but also provide a good acoustic effect in large areas like sports halls and dining rooms. A galvanised steel framework attaches directly to the structural soffit, with British Gypsum plasterboard attached to the frame. All materials were supplied by Belgrade Insulation and Drylining.

Carpenters replaced the doors with pre-finished oak veneersolid core doors, which are attractive but also highly durable, as well as Howdens Greenwich gloss white carcasses for endurance and hygiene. All joinery was bespoke, and furniture made to measure, including benches for the science and art laboratories.

The electric work included the installation of new LED lighting and ventilation systems, as well as reinstallation of the fire alarms. Upgraded audio and visual included CCTV across the site, extensive data cabling and the addition of Bluetooth speakers in nine rooms so teachers and students can make use of audio during lessons.

A mid-project challenge…

The original design included installation of all electrical and plumbing works underneath the flooring. However, we discovered that the existing underfloor heating was installed too close to the floor for this to be possible.

Therefore, we had to change the design mid-project to run all electrical and plumbing works above the ceilings.

This involved adding extra support for the metal encasement boxings, which were made at short notice, and as small as possible (40 mm x 40 mm) so as not to block the students’view in the classrooms.

This clever solution was quickly implemented and did not result in any extra costs to the client.

A completed project and an (almost) brand new school

The dedication of the team paid off, and the project was completed on time and on budget. This included snagging, which we completed internally before handover.

The pupils and staff now benefit from not only a more aesthetically pleasing school, but a safer and more practical environment.

With cameras in every classroom, and all teaching materials on the teaching wall, there is less distraction and risk to the children. The acoustic ceiling in the dining hall and sports halls minimise sound and reduces overstimulation. The school is also more hygienic and easier to clean.

We hope the kids enjoy their new school!

If you’d like to find out more about how JG Projects can help with a similar project, get in touch.