k3238 further education case studies v3

Further & Higher EducationCase Studies

Further & Higher Education Case Studies | 3

Contents Introduction to Thomas Vale

Introduction to Thomas Vale ..................................... 3

About Thomas Vale Construction ............................ 4

Rolex Learning Centre .................................................. 6

University of Plymouth ................................................ 8

University of Hertfordshire ......................................... 10

St Peters Academy ......................................................... 12

University of Essex ......................................................... 14

Bournemouth University ............................................. 16

Etone College ................................................................... 18

Together with our partners and clients, Thomas Vale delivers award-winning construction, development and regeneration projects to the most exacting standards across public and commercial private sectors. From mixed-used commercial developments and schools to luxury apartments and signature public buildings, we develop and build innovative and sustainable projects, backed by intelligent management throughout the entire life-cycle of each project.

Thomas Vale are a Midlands-based contractor, steeped in history with offi ces across Worcestershire, Birmingham and Stoke-on-Trent. Our parent company, Bouygues UK has offi ces and sites across the UK and draws on the heritage and support of the Bouygues Group, which operates in over 80 countries spanning construction, civil works, energy, services, telecommunications and media.

Through a strategy of steady organic growth combined with targeted acquisitions, we have built the optimum team to deliver the construction and infrastructure assets of the UK. It is this local expertise and focus on intelligent, competitive delivery, twinned with the resources, reach and backing of our parent company that gives Thomas Vale the edge, delivering work with passion, fl air and innovation.

Building the future of the UK is our greatest adventure.

Craig TattonManaging Director, Thomas Vale ConstructionTelephone : 01299 827770

Construction

We provide environmentally responsible, commercially competitive solutions that enhance and transform communities for the better. We combine inspiring design, excellence in construction and strong fi nancial and operational experience. Our construction division off ers a fully integrated programme, from funding to facilities management, across a wide range of sectors (PPPs). In the private sector, we work with a variety of investors, developers and end-user clients. In the public sector, we develop exceptional solutions across the healthcare and education sectors. We balance sustainable design and ethical practices with a keen economic sensibility.

A Strong Business in the UK.

Housing

We have extensive experience in delivering all forms of housing, including aff ordable and mixed tenure developments, care and extra care facilities and student accommodation. Our range of expertise spans large and complex mixed use city centre developments to small rural housing schemes, all delivered to high levels of quality and sustainable standards. We are proud to support the local communities in which we work and believe passionately in providing local, sustainable training and employment opportunities.

Development

As an experienced property developer, operating in all marketsectors in the UK, we focus on mixed-use developments, urban regeneration schemes, residential and student accommodation. Our extremely strong fi nancial covenant allows us to consider any size of development and provides certainty of delivery. With a structured approach to sustainable development, we balance economic viability with the social, community and environmental aspects of each scheme we deliver. Working closely with the private sector and public authorities, we deliver innovative and vibrant schemes.

Thomas Vale

Established in 1869, Thomas Vale is one the UK’s most awarded principal contractors delivering construction solutions through a network of regional offi ces. We work for public and private sector clients delivering new build and refurbishment to facilities management for the education, housing, healthcare, leisure, retail and commercial sectors. We are passionate about ensuring that we are at the forefront of change within the industry, delivering solutions in partnership with clients and stakeholders while embracing innovation and continuous improvement.

Local Focus.Global Strength.


This building is a learning and research centre for The École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). Designed as one continuous structure spread over a site of 88,000m2, the building is rectangular in plan, but appears to be more organic in shape because of the way that its roof and floor undulate gently, always in parallel.

Project challenges The main characteristics of the project are a 6,160m2 library, a 1150m2 teaching area, 1,875m2 of social amenities (including a self-service restaurant and a topend restaurant, a reception hall, a store, etc.), 1,690m2 of cultural venues, and 3,500m2 of service areas (plantrooms, carparks, etc.).

The ‘waveform’ architectural concept made up of two arched open-work shells, one large and one small (the longest span is 80m), was a real technological challenge. The most advanced visual and

physical techniques were used to accomplish a building where there are few visible supports. The building touches the ground lightly, leaving an expanse of open space beneath which draws people from all sides towards a central entrance. The Rolex Learning Centre is, as described by Kazuyo Sejima, an intimate public space. It is certified under the Minergie energy efficiency label. How the project was a successThe Rolex Learning Center embodies the aims and philosophy of the EPFL, setting the scene for different kinds of

collaborative, cross-disciplinary research, regarded as essential to advances in science and technology. It offers flexibility to use the building in many different ways, now and in the future, to absorb new technology and working methods. The building emphasises sociability, getting together for coffee, for lunch, for study, for seminars, to stimulate informal encounters between people of all the key disciplines. It is designed to be a landmark, a place people will want to visit, allowing EPFL to reach out to the surrounding community and internationally.

Further & Higher Education Case Studies | 74 | Thomas Vale Construction

Location Switzerland

Duration 104 weeks

Construction value £77.5 million

Type of work Design and build

Rolex Learning Centre


This Marine building is the country’s most advanced wave tank testing equipment and dedicated innovation centre for marine renewable technology and engineering businesses.

Project constructionThis building is constructed from an estimated 500 tonnes of steel, 4.8 kilometres of cable and 300 cubic metres of recycled aggregate. The heating and ventilation system is designed to make use of re-circulated air to minimise energy consumption.

The design of the building includes special features that make use of solar gain, natural ventilation, and rain water harvesting. Below ground level one of Europe’s most advanced wave tanks will simulate coastal and ocean environments, generating currents and creating waves over 1 metre high.

How the project was a successThe building is home to a world class team of researchers and scientists who cover almost every major searelated discipline including ceanography, hydrography, marine biology and coastal ecology, as well as engineering, shipping, and professional development for the navigation industry.

Constructed on live campus environment, the project achieved BREEAM Excellent and achieved the LABC Winner of Best Technical Innovation Award.

Location Plymouth

Duration 74 weeks

Construction value £8 million


Our new Marine Building is a landmark development for the University, the city and the region, and provides a suite of research and teaching facilities to support our world-class academic community and enrich the student experience

Prof Wendy PurcellVice-Chancellor

University of Plymouth

6 | Thomas Vale Construction


Location Hertfordshire

Duration 174 weeks



University of Hertfordshire

This phased development is a joint venture between Bouygues, Derwent Housing Association, the University of Hertfordshire and others, as a 50 year design, build, fi nance, operate and maintain concession deal.

The scheme involves the demolition of 1,100 existing residence and the design and phased construction of 2,511 new student bedrooms comprising of cluster fl ats and a series of twelve-bed town houses with shared facilities, an independent two-story main hub building, a dedicated energy centre and hard and soft landscaping.

Project challengesOne of the University’s main drivers for the project is to deliver a signifi cant improvement in the student experience whilst at the same time minimising the impact that the development works will have on the day to day activities of the campus. All three phases of the development are being constructed to a tight construction programme that will allow mobilisation ready for occupation by students at the start of the relevant academic year. This involved the implementation of a carefully considered logistics plan suitable for major works carried out within a live campus environment where other projects are in construction at the same time.

What is outstanding about this project?The University requires a BREEAM Outstanding target for the residences rated against 2011 Multi-residential criteria plus a BREEAM Excellent target for the main hub building. In addition, the development is required to deliver True Zero Carbon in operation. This means that the bespoke energy centre will provide all the heating as well as meeting the regulated and unregulated electrical needs of the residential estate. Surplus electricity will be exported to the grid, making the development a pioneer in sustainable student accommodation.

This is achieved via an innovative CHP solution based on Biomass Gasifi cation (Syngas).

This project is a signifi cant strategic development for the University. It is not only about investing in the learning and living environments of our staff and students but the fi nancial benefi ts from this asset will also allow us to further develop core academic servicesin the future

Andrew MayDirector of EstatesUniversity of Hertfordshire


St Peters Academy

This project, sponsored by the Woodard Foundation and Lichfi eld Diocesan Board of Education, was constructed under the Stoke of Trent, Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. The Stoke BSF comprised of Thomas Vale leading a Joint Venture know was TVW, having been appointed as 1 of 2 contractors, for the rebuilding and renewal of 13 publicity funded independent local schools, with an overall value of circa £200 million.

Project descriptionThe scheme is refl ective of the values, ethos and requirements of the stakeholders with the aim to provide practical and functional, yet inspirational and innovative teaching and learning environments. The design is underpinned by the aspiration to provide a suitable environment for the promotion of strong and distinctive vision and ethos based on Christian beliefs and values, as well as providing a building shaped by the councils vision for educational transformation.

The academy is organised into 5 chapters (mini schools) arranged vertically and self-contained. Each comprises of fl exible learning space tailored to diff erent modes of learning, with paired ‘Da Vinci’ studios supporting the alchemy of arts and science. Heavily specialised facilities which are shared by all pupils, are located around an open forum space which forms the social heart of the academy, nodes for in depth research, technology enquiry and science discovery are celebrated through the volume of the forum and embrace the latest thinking in fl exible learning environments. A six court multi-use hall houses sport, exams and whole school assemblies and performance production with retractable seating for 1,400.

How the project was a successOn the £240million Stoke Building Schools for the Fu¬ture programme, BIM was utilised extensively, in partic¬ular on St Peter’s Academy. 3D modelling was used by the site team and the supply chain partners to conclude the build sequencing and the arrangement of site logis-tics; reducing both cost, variations and time.

Our approach of the design and construction of St Peters Academy has taken into account the eight doorways for sustainable development in the National Framework for Sustainable Schools.

Location Stoke on Trent

Duration 81 weeks




Ruth Rosenau, Stoke-on-Trent City Council Cabinet Member

This is an outstanding school which is already transforming the lives of all the young people who attend it. The educational landscape of Stoke-on-Trent has undergone a massive improvement under the Building Schools for the Future programme. Young people in our city now have schools they can be rightly proud of, and this will help to raise their aspirations and achievements now and in the future


Location Essex

Duration 65 weeks


Type of work New build

Demand for good quality campus residences remains high and The Meadows will add to student choice, with the town houses ideal for groups who wish to share accommodation. The social pavilion will enhance the sense of community for residents of this new development and University Quays

The schemes comprised of the construction of 648 new student units – and the transfer of 766 existing units, for which Uliving will provide the University a capital receipt. Uliving will manage the entire 1,414 dwellings over a period of 50 years.

The new build part of the scheme – known as The Meadows – comprises of 12-bed town hoses accommodating 228 students and a further 420 en-suite study bedrooms in clusters, along with ‘The Hub’ an eye-catching pavilion that will house a student common room, a laundrette and a ‘grab-and-go’ retail facility.

Project challenges Key challenges for both the design team and contractor related to the very tight timeframe, combined with a choice of three diff erent construction techniques for the various buildings across the site. The cluster buildings are in-situ concrete with minimal internal treatment prior to painting, requiring a level of up-front design team and sub-contractor so-ordination not normally adopted.

Townhouses were an off -site manufactured timber frame solution. Again, major level of architectural structural and M&E dialogue and co-ordination with timber frame specialists was undertaken in the

months and week prior to the build reaching site. The Pavilion is a steel frame structure with curtain wall glazing and rainscreen cladding.

How the project was a successProgrammes dictated that the main frame would be erected early, and a keen eye for detail was required to ensure the various cladding sub-contractor’s fabrications tied in to provide fl ush transitions and consistent detailing around the facade element. This method of construction off ered numerous savings including: Omission of suspended ceilings with exposed soffi t taking advantage of thermal mass energy savings, acoustic performance between bedrooms achieving 5db above standards, outstanding air tightness.

Peter Church Director of University of Essex Campus Services

University of Essex

On behalf of UNITE, I would like to congratulate the team on another outstanding project completed on time. This is now the third partnering project carried out by this delivery team and each time UNITE have improved quality of the fi nished building whilst simultaneously the confi dence in you delivering the project has also increased

Ian Banister, Regional Project Manager UNITE Integrated Solutions


Bournemouth University This substantial town centre development, undertaken through a partnering framework with UNITE, comprises of three separate buildings of 7, 10, 11 storeys for Bournemouth University. They provide a total of 519 study/bedrooms with en-suite shower rooms in two residential blocks and an offi ce facility of 2,660m2, all of which were fully fi tted out ready for occupation.

This is a signifi cant development in Bournemouth; it provides a modern and attractive building which gives a striking skyline to the town, at the same time as providing much needed student accommodation for the growing Bournemouth University campus.

Project constructionDue to the footprint of the buildings being very close to the boundary on all sides and directly on the public highway to the front, special measures were implemented to ensure the safety of the passing general public and the local business community.

These included the delivery and placing of major building components outside of normal working hours, with the agreement of local highways offi cers, and arranging an ordered series of footpath and road closures.

How the project was a successThis project confi rmed the company’s position as a major construction industry player within the Bournemouth and Poole area, having previously completed the Borough Council’s Kinson Hub project and the construction of the University’s stunning Kimmeridge Lecture Theatre on the universities main campus.

Location Bournemouth

Duration 86 weeks




Further & Higher Education Case Studies | 1916 | Thomas Vale Construction

A new Post 16 Centre at Etone College, Nuneaton, Warwickshire. The three storey development was designed to high sustainable environmental standards to achieve BREEAM Very Good, and has the capacity to accommodate 250 students with the possibility of future expansion.

Project challenges The school’s brief included wanting “a brand new, state of the art facility, which will respond to the educational, social and economic challenges of the 21st Century”. The centre embraces new technology, is fl exible in its capacity and has been built to refl ect the strong family and community ethos of the college.

How the project was a successThe scheme has been built on the college grounds where the topography provided the basis of the ‘L’ shape

footprint design which is built into the slope to provide a semi basement Lower Ground Floor with direct access. A micro-generation combined heat and power unit (CHP), was been installed to provide both heating and electricity to the building; this unit provides a combined energy input to the building of 18.7 kW. This energy input to the building reduces the building load on both gas for heating and grid electricity for power.

Location Nuneaton

Duration 52 weeks



The Etone College Sixth Form building is an architectural triumph. The dream of having a Sixth Form has been surpassed by the statement the new building makes. It is an inspiring venue for learning and teaching, standing in stark contrast to its surroundings. My thanks to Richard Bailey and his team for doing such a great job for the staff and students of Etone College; it will be a beacon of educational quality for years to come

Colin Turner Headteacher, Etone College

Etone College

Thomas Vale ConstructionHead Offi ce: Lombard House, Worcester RoadStourport on Severn, Worcestershire. DY13 9BZwww.thomasvale.com

k3238 further education case studies v3

Documents

thomas valeintroduction

construction division

bouygues uk

commercial developments

education sectors

sustainable standards

sustainable projects

sustainable design