The Portland Building isa Grade II listed building spanning over 10 floors and housing learning spaces for multiple students. Our works were confined to Portland 2 – School of Humanities and Social Sciences. The vision and brief called for the creation of a new, open plan social space, alongside various meeting rooms, study rooms and a new tea point/breakout area.
The refurbishment of Portland 2 comprised the internal fit out and remodelling of the existing space. Walls were demolished and rebuilt to allow for a more open plan, agile working space, and we introduced large, glazed screens to complement previously refurbished floorplates within the Portland Building.
An existing mechanical vent was stripped out and replaced, along with new lighting, small power, access control and fire alarm adaptations.
There were several challenges relating to the careful dismantling and re-use of existing materials, each ensuring the project was delivered to a strict budget as well as contributing towards sustainability targets.
We removed items such as suspended ceilings, timber door sets, carpet tiles, and attenuators, storing them within our site demise during the construction period, until we could later reinstate them.
We encountered another key challenge: the security and segregation of our site, due to it previously being a popular thoroughfare. To achieve this, we ensured multiple site entrances were secured and monitored. Secondary to this, working within a live building during term time presents the requirement to ensure material transportation through the building is carried out safely, in a timely manner and with the correct supervision in place. Our site manager ensured regular liaison with the University’s security team and supply chain to ensure Leeds Beckett University’s procedures were met.
The project was delivered on time, to a high standard and with very few snags at handover. The University’s tenants did not experience any disruptions throughout the construction period either.