Read Construction delivered this £2.7m design and build scheme comprises the construction of a two-storey teaching block and associated external works at the Crewe school. The masonry superstructure of the Holmes Chapel scheme in Cheshire, tanking works to the retaining wall are nearing completion formed the new bund, linking the new first floor entrance with the existing school yard. The M&E containment was carried out by Athertons, alongside all security and BMS work.

Overview

The mechanical services work took place between June 2023 & February 2024 under the control of Read Construction. The building services consisted of mechanical ventilation, air conditioning and domestic water services to the new build extension of the school which comprised of 10 classrooms and a staff area. The value of the project was around £575,000.

The electrical services consisted of lighting and emergency lighting, containment distribution, small power and data, fire alarm installation, and CCTV door access and security across the ground and first floor.

Technical Delivery

Mechanically, The Athertons team installed a new AC system to all Classrooms, Comms room and communal areas in accordance with the design, this included 4 external condensers, floor mounted within the external plant area.

The Mechanical Ventilation system comprised of both Hybrid Ventilation Units and a Heat Recovery unit on the first floor.

We designed the cold water main to enter the building through the plantroom area in the ground floor. This fed the new electric water heater and then was distributed around the building throughout the plantroom.

Electrically, our site operatives installed sockets, luminaires, lighting, security equipment by security group and CCTV systems.

The lighting system had been installed utilising 6242B T+E copper cables installed on galvanised tray work or were fixed direct to the building fabric and protected by PVC conduit. All emergency luminaires were self-contained and auto test luminaires. Additionally, the fire alarm equipment contained addressable smoke detectors and break glass call points, and combined visual sounders.

Challenges & Solutions

One of the challenges we experienced in the mechanical department was integrating the systems BMS, AC, and, ventilation to work all together. We ensured that all parties had several teams meetings and on site meetings between each individual discipline, specifically, to tackle the problem with integration alone.

Athertons worked closely with all parties involved and created detailed schedules and planned on site meetings with the clients design team to make sure all their needs were met.

Another challenge faced electrically, was that the outside lighting was not fit for purpose and didn’t follow the original design, so, we had to redesign the lighting services in house. Originally, the outdoor lighting was on the canopy, but since it did not meet the output requirements, we solved the issue by repositioning the lighting onto the wall on the escape stairwell. Athertons worked diligently on this for three weeks until targets were achieved.

Moreover, an issue we encountered was that the remote overdoor lighting for the disabled toilet alarm was over 200 meters away. This meant that if anyone got locked in the disabled toilet, it would not be possible for anyone in the reception area to detect the warning and aid the situation. We resolved this by calculating and designing the volt drop of the cable to assure the lighting would work in the reception area in case of an emergency.

Summary

Finally, we were able to provide all mechanical and electrical services for Holmes Chapel School using our communicational, organisational, project management, problem solving and critical thinking skills. Despite all the challenges, we ensured all the work was completed to a high quality and on time within our clients budget. Working on Holmes Chapel School, highlighted our knowledge and ability to produce in house design for several mechanical and electrical disciplines.

Feedback

The client was extremely happy with the delivery of the project and the overall results. This project led to multiple projects being awarded to Athertons.