The University of Huddersfield sought to refurbish three sets of male and female toilets in its Schwann Building, bringing them to modern standards and providing wudu facilities to cater for a large proportion of their student base.
Following a competitive tender exercise, the Lodestone team was appointed to deliver the works. This project comprised the complete strip out of three sets of toilets, and the installation of new partitions, ceilings, IPS and vanity units. Finishes, new ventilation and electrical works also completed the project.
One of the key challenges related to logistics, with the Schwann being a multi-storey, high-rise building. The scope of works required new IPS/cubicle and vanity units, which needed to be transported (they wouldn’t fit in the lifts) from ground level to each toilet block.
Elsewhere, all demolition waste was to be removed and transited through the building. We achieved this by working with the University to agree delivery schedules for all key items, and then arranged for these to be loaded out of hours to the working areas. The demolition works were carried out by MAP, who were proposed for this project. The firm managed the disposal by processing the waste into stillages (designed specifically for the lift) that were then transported via the lifts into the external skips.
The close coordination and detailing of the IPS/vanity units and service design was another major challenge to manage.
Lodestone Projects’ Josh Donnelly led on the design management, organising coordination workshops with relevant members of the design team and supply chain, as well as arranging hold point inspections on site to ensure quality was right first time.
The project was delivered on time, with zero snags at handover. There were no health and safety incidents throughout the project. The University did not experience any disruption throughout the works, nor were any complaints received.