Nature of project:
The project saw the conversion of the former Post Office building in Bury St Edmunds. Located in the Town Centre Conservation Area, the completed scheme delivered two ground floor commercial units, 12 apartments and widened pedestrian access from Cornhill to the Arc shopping centre. The building’s historic Victorian façade was preserved, with the remainder of the existing building demolished and redeveloped.

Methods of Construction:

• CFA piled foundations
• Steel frame
• Facing brickwork
• Ornate stonework for sills, cornices, arches and fascias.

Value Management:
We introduced our temporary works design to the permanent works solution early, ensuring that the façade retention works, including props and shoring were designed to ensure that internal structural works could progress without the need for adaptation.

Logistics challenges were worked through during the second stage including co-ordination of deliveries around a major bus route for the town, and limited space for site welfare and cabins. We installed the tower crane inside of the building using the lift shaft, designing the floor layout with simple infill sections once the crane was removed saving on cost, programme and disruption caused by other methods.

Challenges:
The project has presented several significant challenges which have required creative and collaborative management. These have included;

• The requirement to preserve the building’s historic Victorian frontage whilst demolishing and replacing the rest of the structure. We worked with our supply chain to develop a system to support the façade, clamping steel beams to its front and rear, which were then fixed onto triangular trusses and supported at ground floor level. Concrete blocks at the base of this temporary structure held the façade in place whilst the building’s new steel frame was constructed behind.
• The scheme was located in a conservation area. We employed a conservation architect as a consultant regarding the Victorian front façade, ultimately changing the design of the new windows to match the original.

The scheme was undertaken in close proximity to neighbouring buildings;

• Numerous party wall agreements were drawn up, the most challenging of which was due to scaffold erection and construction of building elevations overhanging a neighbouring retail property. We proposed the methodology for the works, which were issued to building neighbours for agreement.
• Fire escape routes from the properties on the opposite side of the Thoroughfare came into the works area. In order to protect the health and safety of the occupants of neighbouring buildings, we protected the fire evacuation area with heras fencing and had a robust management plan in place should an emergency situation arise.

Communication:

• Newsletters were developed and issued to local businesses, containing information regarding key deliveries and construction milestones, as well as contact details of the wider project team.
• Our site team liaised with all neighbouring properties on a daily basis regarding key events, with short term programmes remaining flexible to accommodate their operational requirements as needed.
• We issued weekly progress reports to the client, as well as hosting site meetings for the client and wider project team.

Quality Management:

• The quality requirements of the scheme were made clear to all sub-contractors at tender stage, with pre-start meetings held with key subcontractors to further reinforce quality expectations prior to their works commencing.
• ISO 9001 procedures were used to monitor quality outputs throughout the construction process. These included key stage checklists and daily ‘golden hour’ inspections by the Site Manager.
• We produced samples of key elements, such as stonework, in order to benchmark quality throughout the construction process.

Environmental and Waste Management:
The scheme featured a solar PV array, air source heat pumps and solar thermal hot water.

Social value:

• Four apprentices were on site for six months, delivering a social value of £61,974.72.
• A Barnes Construction Management Trainee was based on site for six months, delivering a social value of £6,384.