HALIMA HAQ TS2
58
SITE DIARY QUESTIONS 12-13 Wells Mews
An Introduction Into Construction Sites and The Site Team
University of Westminster BA Architecture
CONTENTS
PART 1.0.
1.0. MAKING SENSE OF SITE
MAKING SENSE OF SITE
2.0. THE DESIGN TEAM 3.0. STATUTORY APPROVALS 4.0. BUILDING THE BUILDING
1.01. SITE LOCATION
5.0. TIME LAPSE CONSTRUCTION SEQUENCE DRAWING
1.02. PROJECT ORIGINATION
6.0. CONCLUSIONS AND THE FUTURE
1.03. PROJECT FUNDING 1.04. CONTRACT VALUE + TIME SCALE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
1.05. KEY PROFESSIONALS INVOLVED 1.06. CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIP DIAGRAM
I would like to thank Hondo Enterprise + Corley Woolley for allowing me
1.07. ARCHITECTS ROLE
onto their site despite the difficult period of time and a huge thank you
1.08. ARCHITECTS ROLE ON SITE
to contractor, Mark Raybould, for assisting me with everything in this
1.09. THE DRAWINGS
Site Diary Project regardless of his busy schedule. I am grateful of Maria Sanchez (BAA) for sharing her architectural knowledge with me and Kevin Mcenteggart (C+W) for taking time to
1.10. THE PROFESSIONALS IN MEETINGS 1.11. SITE MEETING
share drawings, photographs and respond to any questions I’ve had.
1.12. WORKING TOGETHER - SUCCESSFULLY
Additionally, I would like to thank Mr. Scott Batty for always sharing
1.13. WORKING TOGETHER - UNSUCCESSFULLY
valuable information and resources to support and help his students progress forward in this course. LAYOUT INSPIRATION: 101 Rules of Thumb for Low Energy Architecture Book by Huw Heywood
ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS: BAA - Ben Adams Architects
ICONS: https://www.flaticon.com/
1.01. Where is the site, what is the purpose of the building? ADDRESS: 2-13 Wells Mews, London, W1T 3HE The site is situated in the heart of Fitzrovia, south-west part of St Pancras, in the London Borough of Camden. It can be found within a few minutes’ walk of London’s transport network - Oxford Circus. PURPOSE: The existing site was an Art-Deco industrial warehouse - used as a public car park. It will be converted into a new office block.
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02
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12-13 Wells Mews
Westminster City Council Fitzrovia, London
1.02. How did the project originate? Who is the client? CLIENT: The client are Hondo Enterprise, a property investment, development, and asset management company specialising in opportunistic and value-add transactions in Central London. PROJECT: Hondo Enterprise acquired the 4 level public car park which is located between Berners Street and Wells Mews in December 2016. New build on 41-44 Berners Street led to a closure of the main car park access, with the entrance being relocated on Wells Mews. The car park only had 96 spaces available and as Well Mews was a tight narrow street, the car park began to have traffic issues. The client decided it was suitable to convert the building into office spaces.
EXISTING CAR PARK PHOTOS 12-13 Wells Mews (BAA Drawing)
SITE ANALYSIS
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03
02
04
01: New car park entrance. 02: Old car park entrance. 03: Interior car park. 04: Level 3 car park.
1. Limited access into Wells Mews from Wells Street via two narrow entryways 2. At present there is limited traffic in Wells Mews, with poor visibility along the street and narrow pavements for pedestrians 3. Doors into Wells Mews from the existing car park currently operates as a secondary access point and exit for cars 4. The majority of traffic enters and exits the car park via a tunnel that connects to Berners Street 5. The internal courtyard between Wells Mews and Berners Street is inaccessible and provides a poor outlook 6. Berners Street serves as a major pedestrian thoroughfair connecting Oxford Street and Goodge Street 7. 12 Wells Mews is lower than the neighbouring properties, so there is an opportunity for a roof extension in line with the predominant building height in the Mews 8. Berners Street and the surrounding area are a destination shopping and restaurant area in central London attracting many visitors through the day and night
KEY 12 Wells Mews, existing car park Internal courtyard Shopping, Food and Beverage Height comparison Vehicle traffic
1.03. What makes the project financially viable? How is it
funded and why?
Although it was a well-used busy car park in Oxford Circus. The initial intent has been to rent the building, as office spaces, to a developer. This is because, relative to how much the client received from the small car park, more rent can be charged for office spaces per square metre. A commercial judgment on the use of space is the foundation of the project.
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1.04. What is the contract value of the project? What is the time scale?
PROJECT TIME SCALE ‘19-’21
6 MILLION
30 April-July 2019 CONTRACT VALUE: (Contract sum) - is the price agreed with the contractor and entered into the contract. However, the contract sum does not constitute ‘fixed price’ even if the contract is described as a fixed price contract, a lump sum contract or a guaranteed maximum price contract. The value of this project is £6 million.
Client seeks planning permission.
01 Jun-July 2019
contract period? If not why?
Mid August 2020
August-December 2019
Revised design programme.
The client postponed the project, as they wanted to ensure that the contractors, Corley and Woolley, and all the suppliers were able to resume work in better conditions. The contract eventually began at the end of July, but while waiting, the team was able to carry out building work under PCCA (pre-construction cost analysis). There may be a few changes to the project completion date depending on whether the client wishes to make any changes.
May 2020
REVISED DATES: July 2020 - May 2021
Demolitions.
09 August 2019
Originally, the project was meant to start in February 2020 and end in December 2020. However, the project did not meet the planned contract period as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures.
February 2020 - December 2020
July-October 2020 August 2020
January-March 2020
ORIGINAL DATES:
PCA work. Errect Scaffolding.
Contractors being selected. Contractors demonstrate credibility: how they will build & if they understand the project. They get info from client and complete tender, this narrows it down to two contractors. Planning permission granted.
4.09. Is the project on course to be completed within the
July 2020
All work put on hold ahead of COVID-19 UK lockdown announcement.
Interior is stripped out by another contractor before final contractors chosen.
June 2020
Main contractors carry out a survey to check if the structure is stable and to finish incomplete work by previous contractors.
Mid June 2020
Party walls protected and closed off. Site is set up: welfare spaces, offices, putting in sustainability plans etc. [2 week process].
July-August 2020
Big services trench opened on the ground floor to get all the ducts in and bring the utilities to the building.
Sway braces + gas propping system + crash deck and supporting system to support slabs around demolished light well where new lifts and staircase will go. Steel beams installed to accommodate the new structure L4 and the strengthening beams on L3.
December‘20- January‘21
Install rebars for concrete lift shaft.
December 2020
Install new windows.
December 2020
Installing easy joist system to support the floors of the extension floors.
December‘20-May 2021
Fix plumbing and electrics
January-May 2021 CAT-A fit out
April 2021
Commissioning takes place
April-May 2021
Building control demonstrations through to completion
1.05. Who are the key professionals and companies involved in the project?
1.06. Draw a diagram of the basic contractual relationships
of the project.
This project is a design and build. Design and build is a term describing the procurement route in which the main contractor is appointed to find an architect and construct the works, as opposed to a traditional contract, where the client appoints consultants to design the development and then a contractor is appointed to construct the works.
CLIENT Hondo Enterprise
CONSULTANTS
NOVATED
(advisory & project supervision)
CONTRACTOR Corley + Woolley
CONTRACTORS: Corley + Woolley
ARCHITECTS:
Ben Adams Architects
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS: Heyne Tillett Steel
ENGINEERS:
SUB CONTRACTORS
Energy Lab
BUILDING CONTROL: MLM Group
FIRE CONSULTANTS: Bureau Veritas
KEY = Contractual relationship = Functional relationship
ARCHITECT Ben Adams Architects
1.07. What is the architect’s appointment and role on the whole project?
Although architects have a key role in the construction industry, for designing buildings and the spaces in and around them; they also help restore and conserve old buildings, and develop new ways of using existing buildings. Maria Sanchez from BAA has to incorporate everything on the whole project. This project is a re-development of an existing building, so she must design according to what has already been given. An example of what she does is, figuring out ceiling heights, taking account of steel beams or wiring that will go across floors or ceilings. She also has to design new entrances, relocating access routes like stairs and fire exists, and designing new spaces according to the new building use. Architects and Mark (Project Manager) coordinate drawings. Mark and the team need to see if everything works the way it should within the time slot they have. Things the client wants to remove is marked out in red. It does not necessarily have to go from day 1. Architects drawings always change. They communicate back and forth what they should and should not keep. The information also gets more detailed e.g. floor/wall finishing gets added onto the drawings as the project progresses.
1.08. What is the architect’s role whilst the project is on site? Is it effective?
Maria visits the site once a week, site visits are very important during construction because she can notice any discrepancies with the design at an early stage and discuss it with the contractor, Mark, and find solutions to any issues together. When on site, Maria normally walks around the entire building, take photos of all areas and particularly of any items that she may wish to discuss with the Mark. They then proceed to have a general design meeting where they discuss progress and any outstanding elements. In a normal situation there would also be workshop meetings where specific elements or packages of the project would be discussed, although currently such workshops are being held online.
Architect Maria Sanchez On site with Mark
Ben Adams Architects (BAA) Studio
1.09. What documents and drawings are being referred to
on-site and in meetings?
During the site meetings, the specialists and the professional figures are referring both to Ben Adam’s (BAA) and the trade contractor’s drawings. BAA’s floor plans and details are used to discuss design solutions and to indicate the position of each aspect in the plan. Every new detail is revisited and adjusted to correspond to the new construction solutions. Although they refer to BAA’s drawings, Maria Sanchez may quickly draw things she wishes to discuss with Mark in the design meetings. They may also communicate through email.
There are 4 racks of 20 drawings (for this project in particular). Architects drawings always change. They communicate back and forth what they should and should not keep. The information also gets more detailed e.g. floor/wall finishing gets added onto the drawings.
1.10. Who are all the various professionals on-site and in meetings? SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER: Mark Raybould is in charge of the client-facing side of it and oversees contractors, business teams, service managers. He creates a 40-page program that outlines all the developments made, what they intend to do, and by what date, providing an outline, changes, and health and safety.
1.11. Detail examples where the construction team has worked
efficiently together.
All through the project the construction team worked well. They spent a lot of time surveying the building, they dealt into things deeper, broke into slabs to see what steel work conditions were and checked the basement ground to see what issues there may be.
PROJECT MANAGER: Kevin Mcenteggart’s role is to meet with the contractors, log the project progress on a daily basis, taking hundreds of photos a day to show development on site. He stresses the importance of the first stages, through demolition works, meeting contractors, talking about the program with them and going through health and safety and risk assessments. From there, he will then meet the subcontractors, like the electricians. They use ‘Safe Start’ to ensure everyone is aware of where the other trades are working to coordinate. DOCUMENT CONTROLLER: Lisa keeps up to date with the relevant drawings, documentation, project reviews, etc. She also assists the team with admin, this includes making sure CAD files are correct, all the health and safety documents are saved in the right place. She’s one of the first people who sees any submittals, as well as Mark. She stresses the importance of design time-scales, which is 10 days, to approve a document once it has been set off. This helps to follow the program they have. ARCHITECT: Maria Sanchez is the clients’ novated architect. She works with Ben Adams Architects so her role on site and meetings is crucial. She walks around the entire site, take photos of all areas and particularly of any items that I may want to discuss with the Contractor. Then we normally have a general design meeting where we discuss progress and any outstanding elements.
Mark Raybould
Kevin Maria Sanchez
The key driver of the project has been the lifts, this is a very complex process creating the foundation for the lifts and the lift shafts itself. The contractors have so far done a great job.
I admired how hard the construction team were working on the lifts, and the great communication between them. The matter of on-site safety was taken very seriously. Everyone was wearing PPE and always aware of their surroundings. They also cleaned the place as work progressed.
PART 2.0. THE DESIGN TEAM 2.01. THE NATURE OF THE AGREEMENT 2.02. THE ARCHITECT’S FEES 2.03. THE DESIGN TEAM 2.04. WHO IS ADMINISTRATING THE CONTRACT 2.05. DESIGN TEAM EFFICIENCY 2.06. WHAT IS DRIVING THE PROJECT 2.07. THE PENALTIES TO THE CONTRACTOR 2.08. THE PROCEDURE FOR INFORMATION 2.09. MODERN METHODS OF CONSTRUCTION 2.10. HOW THEY SHARE AND CO-ORDINATE INFORMATION 2.11. DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY INFLUENCE ON SITE 2.12. OPPORTUNITIES FOR D.T. INFLUENCE
2.01. What is the nature of the agreement between the
Architect and the client?
2.02. How has the Architect’s fee been calculated?
Why is the architect doing the project?
BAA have worked with the Client and the Funding Partner before, so they knew they have experience working on existing office buildings and retrofit to modern standards. The client novated Architect, Maria Sanchez, to the main contractors, Corley + Woollyey. See BAA office projects below:
2.03. Who are the Design Team? Draw a diagram showing
the consultants. Mechanical Engineer
Main Contractor Sub Contractor
Project Manager
Architect Client Quantity Surveyor
Structural Engineer
CDM Coordinator
See 1.05 for more information on each individual.
2.04. Who is administering the contract? Architect / Project Manager / another?
The client’s project manager. The Quantity Surveyor. The architects fee calculation was confidential but it may have been calculated based on the percentage of the build value. The build value is £6 million. The architects may be doing this project to extend their portfolio as they have already designed such fantastic office buildings.
2.05. In your opinion has the Design Team worked efficiently together?
I believe that the Design Team has worked efficiently on this project. This has been evident to me after viewing several Project-Report documents, the Gantt Chart within in it demonstrated work was being complete on time. Although it is a somewhat smaller-scale project there have been complexities throughout that have been dealt with correctly and effectively. Furthermore, communication amongst everyone was always great.
2.06. What is driving the project? Budget: Programme:
Quality – discuss in detail.
BACKGROUND: Mark is a very experienced contractor. Although he is new to Corley + Woolley, he ensures his values are carried out the same way by the new construction team. He knows when a project will be driven by quality, budget or programme. If he’s handed a page with rough drawings/doodles with brief notes, it won’t be quality. QUALITY: Quality always starts with the paperwork. Before contractors begin anything, they take a photograph, present it on a quality form, and show the architect for comments and changes. Light fitting, cable trays, ducts, anything that is installed is benchmarked. They keep that in a form, this can also be displayed on the wall so anyone that comes in to check can see quality. This usually becomes predominant when they begin interior work. Corley + Woolley have a day where they ‘pause for quality’, around March for this project, when they install interior fittings they look around at other contractors works e.g. electricians look at the other contractors works and make comments on what’s done based on quality. This is useful because they can get different opinions and specialist comments from people that may know how to resolve quality issues. Those that have more knowledge or a critical eye can inspect any issues closely and resolve issues together. PROCESS: 1. Paperwork 2. Benchmarking 3. Pause for quality 4. Close out the quality for the end of the project.
QUALITY 60%
BUDGET
15% PROGRAMME
25% BUDGET & TIME: Budget and programme for this project are almost equal but since money is not an issue for the contractors, their next priority is to meet their deadlines and complete work on time. Quality is also about protection, for example the new windows could be damaged from now till march so they must be protected. It’s the contractors the responsibility to protect all the finishes on the project.
2.07. What are the penalties to the contractor if the project
2.10. How does the Design Team share and Co-ordinate in-
over runs?
formation and drawings? Is this efficient?
The contractors are aware that penalties can arise if projects overrun which is why they make use of the RFI (request for information) to log anything that may delay their work progress.
The design team uses a website called ‘Procore’ it is an electronic data base, which can be accessed by architects, engineer and structural engineers. The drawings are coordinated in design meetings. For example, if they want to put a socket in the wall, they do a drawing with all the necessities needed for that socket to go in and upload it onto the system. These coordination’s happens in workshops.
2.08. What is the process and procedure for information and instructions going to the contractor? Is it efficient? When the client wants to change something the contractors send them an EAI which is the employers architects instruction, when they get that, they put that on procore, they then issue a Corley + Woolley site instruction. They make a reference to EAI number, so any drawings can be looked up using that.
2.08 + 2.10. Architect + Contractor` ARCHITECT Requests for Information RFI’s
MAIN CONTRACTOR
2.11-12. Identify how, if any, digital technology is influencing
the progress of the site? What opportunities are there for digital technology to influence site operations?
2.09. Are any Modern Methods of Construction, such as prefabrication, being utilised? If not, do you think they could?
MMC involves the manufacture of the major building components off site in a specially designed factory; this is why it is often referred to as offsite manufacturing. The aim is to achieve maximum efficiency and minimum waste. For this project, the lifts are being constructed off-site, the main parts include the elevator car, the lift doors, machine drive and car guide rail. Another off-site production is off the stairs.
Architects Instructions (AI’s)
Daylight, Sunlight, Overshadowing and Solar Glare are analysis approaches using a 3D computer model of the site and surrounding structures, both in the current scenario, referred to as the reference, and in the planned construction situation.
PART 3.0. STATUTORY APPROVALS 3.01. PLANNING PERMISSIONS 3.02. DRAWINGS ON THE PLANNING PORTAL 3.03. DISCHARGING CONDITIONS 3.04. BUILDING REGULATIONS 3.05. THE STRATEGY OF INCLUSIVE DESIGN 3.06. THE DRAWINGS DISPLAYING INCLUSIVE DESIGN 3.07. PARTY WALL ISSUES 3.08. PARTY WALL AGREEMENT 3.09. THE APPROACH TO CDM 3.10. DESIGN DETAILS TO COMPLY WITH CDM 3.11. KEY RISKS
3.01. How did the project achieve Planning permission? Was it
3.02. Look up the project on the Planning Portal and view the
The client is experienced in the field of construction, since they are a property investment, development and asset management company, thus they were able to organise the correct information with the aid of the right professionals.
Majority of the drawings are being adhered to such as the extension floors and windows, however, I noticed that the arrangement of the inner space has been changed around. This may be a result of saving more space to rent or for accessibility and inclusive design.
complicated?
APRIL - MAY 2019
Planning Drawings – are they being strictly adhered to?
APRIL 2019
1. Background Papers
2. Other
In the first drawings the ground floor arrangement has been alterations. These changes have been made for better access to the cycle storage.
3. Drawings
JUNE - JULY 2019
6. Revised Drawings
5. Consultee Comments
4. Background Papers
NOVEMBER 2019
7. Background Papers
8. Consultee Comments
9. Report
AUGUST 2019 They had a few issues such as incorrect noise reports, daylight and sunlight objections, however, they managed to resolve them pretty quickly. In total it took 5 months. They received permission on the 9th August 2019.
OFFICE SPACE
11. Decision Notice
10. Background Papers
The arrangement of toilets on every floor has been re-arranged to sit behind the lifts and stairs. This may be a result of inclusive design so that disabled toilets are at the same place as the rest.
3.03. Are there any outstanding Planning Conditions still to be discharged?
Yes. On the rear, there are white glazed bricks waiting to be replaced. The contractors will send photographs and samples of the bricks they will be using once it has been confirmed with the client.
OFFICE SPACES
3.04. How are the Building Regulations being dealt with, i.e. Approved Inspector, Local Authority, why was the particular route chosen? It is mostly down to commissioning. When the client puts his team together on the CDM, the client gets the architect first. The architect will then arrange the competent bodies, in this instance MLM (building control), engineer consultants and structural engineers. The building control inspects the works. This may include checking the U-Values, insulation, right heat and light. Contractors get approval from the building control.
3.05. What is the strategy for Inclusive Design and Access for
All? Do you agree with this and how could this be improved?
All-inclusive design is an architectural strategy used to create buildings that accommodate people of all types. Every design decision made must not exclude or alienate end users. In this project, the lifts are a key aspect for inclusive design. Another design aspect has been disabled toilets, wide corridors and double doors at main entrances.
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
3.06. Draw a diagram/ mark up the plans/ details showing the Strategy for Inclusive Design [3.05.] The building features an open space floor plan, there aren’t many enclosed spaces, which makes it suitable for almost all users. As well as this, the new design offers two lifts that can be used by wheelchair users. There are wide corridors and double doors that allow more space for wheel chairs users to move around in. I found it quite odd that the bike storage is right at the end of the building, with no access to it other than the main front door at the reception. This made me think about how dirty the main corridor would get if the building users bring their bikes into the building on rainy muddy days. They would have no choice but to take their bikes through reception area and main corridor.
KEY = Main Circulation Route = Main Entrances = 2 Passenger Lifts = Accessible Wc’s = Wide Staircase = Wide doors = Wheelchair accessible route
3.07. Are there any Party Wall issues? 3.08. If so, how long did it take to reach Party Wall agreement? There are no party wall disagreements. Any major issue gets sorted before the works begin. This is because the client needs assurance that there will be no objections once he hands over the project to the contractors. The contractors are considerate of their neighbours and ensure that they aren’t constantly bothering the with noise pollution. They resolve this by working on the east side of the building for two hours, then pausing to continue works on the west end of the building for another two hours. This equals out noise disturbance for both neighbours.
3.10.Were there any specific design details that were revised
in order to comply with CDM before construction work started?
Everything is designed to CDM. Changes can be because of client or because the contractors have found a faster/cheaper way to do something.
3.11.In your view what are the key risks during the construc-
tion process and the eventual use of the building? Have all these risks been identified by the CDM team? Have you spotted any others?
This site has just gone through the process of demolition, making it very susceptible to health and safety risk. These include floors collapsing (if not braced properly), risk of injury from moving objects, slips, trips and falls, as well as a risk of electrocution. However, these risks have been outlined from the start by the CDM team and prevented.
3.09. What is the project approach to CDM? Who is the Princi-
pal Designer and Principle Contractor? Are those persons that ‘create’ risk responsible for ‘managing’ that risk to the health and safety of others during construction, use and maintenance of the building? All design process are thought out with CDM in mind. MLM, building control and CDM. Under CDM its up to them to come and inspect the site to see if the work is being done under CDM regulations. They will come once a month to check. Contractors carry risk under public liability insurance, the risk will always be with the builder. Everything needs to be installed under the contract. E.g. windows that are double glazed MUST be double glazed to achieve U-Values. They cannot use single glaze. It is difficult to put price on an existing building, old steel fire rated needs to be checked beforehand by the contractors. Anything that needs to be protected, will be their risk and their cost. They are generally priced for all works. Costs that are excluded can be below ground. E.g. there used to be an old lift shaft (no lid), they put on a price to take that down. When they took that down, they found old diesel tanks because it used to be a car park and before that it was a service garage. They found that before they went in the contract so they weren’t charged for it. That is the clients cost. They are only charged once they enter the contract and begin work.
TIDY SITE
PART 4.0. BUILDING THE BUILDING 4.01. WHO IS THE MAIN CONTRACTOR 4.02. HOW THEY WERE SELECTED 4.03. THE SPECIALISTS SUB-CONTRACTORS 4.04. SUB-CONTRACTORS DURING DESIGN PHASE 4.05. SUPPLIERS OF SPECIALIST PRODUCTS 4.06. THE WORK OF THE CONTRACTOR 4.07. THE ARCHITECTURAL VISION 4.08. OPINION ON THE DESIGN 4.09. WHEN THE PROJECT WILL BE COMPLETED [SEE PART 1] 4.10. PROGRESS OF SITE VISITS 4.11. PROJECT SUSTAINABILITY 4.12. SUSTAINABILITY APPRAISAL
4.01. Who is the Main contractor? How is the company set up?
What are your personal thoughts on the performance of the main contractor? The contractors are Corley + Woolley, they specialise interior fit-out and refurbishment. I think their performance has been fantastic, they having the skillset to operate within the constraints of an existing building’s requirements. They are very professional and produce quality work with great care.
4.02. ARCHITECT APPOINTED
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
TENDER
4.02. How was the main contractor selected for the project? The contractors go through a pre-qualification process first, they then meet the clients team and have an interview where they are assessed on their contractual abilities and discussion about their expertise. In the next stage, they will receive the documentation that they need to survey and visit the site. They do cloud surveys. They then go out to various different contractors and put together a price and create a tender. There’s a second stage tender when amendments come out. What starts with 6 contractors, gets narrowed down to 2. The final tender interview is when the client makes a selection from the 2 contractors.
TENDER BUILDER 1 BUILDER 2 BUILDER 3
How much? How long? How?
SIGN CONTRACT WORKS ON SITE
COMPLETION
4.03-5. Who are the specialist sub-contractors? Who are their suppliers?
Tier 1 contractors aren’t used. Corley + Woolley have around 16 contractors. These include, window specialists, flooring specialists, brickwork specialists, almost every element has contractors. The sub-contractors that they have chosen aren’t big, well-known. In fact they decided to choose local sub-contractors so that they can reduce their carbon footprint and support local companies.
4.06. In the students’ opinion, has the work of the contractor
and specialist sub contractor’s been satisfactorily interfaced, and if not what could have been improved?
Yes. The contractors have done a lot of work looking into details of the project and constraints of the site. For example, in the existing car park there used to be an uneven floor to drain water. They had to get structural engineers to spend 18 months to calculate a height that will be useful for the present and the future of the building. According to this and other improvements on site, they began working on the building.
4.09. See part 1. 4.10. Use the contractor’s build programme to plot progress
for each of your site visits- do you think the project operations are where they should be in relation to the programme?
1st Site Visit 05 November 2020
4.07. In your opinion, is the architectural vision as represented in the architect’s drawings being made manifest through the work of the builders on site?
Yes, although the building is still in the construction phase, so far the building is progressing towards the achievement of the design intent.
4.08. What do you think about the Design of the building? Would you make any changes?
I am quite pleased with the design of the building. There aren’t many changes I could make since the project is a re-development of an existing building. I think the extensions on the 4th and 5th floor will look great once completed.
Sway braces added
2nd Site Visit 25 November 2020
Car lift closed off
3rd Site Visit 16 December 2020
Rebars installed for new lifts
New Windows Easy joist
Lifts progressing Steel work progress
Gable wall knocked down and extended
Protecting Steel beams
Level 5 steel work
Level 4 work Old basement entrance closed off
Fire protected steel
4.11. What is the approach of the project to Sustainability-
through Design and Construction?
During the demolition stage most of the waste material is segregated for recycling. There is a company that will recycle 90% of the stuff such as the steel and metal work is all recycled. When sourcing materials they pick products that can be recycled. The plasterboard is recyclable. Any aggregates, glass etc. is all recycled. If they do not need hard hats for the company anymore, they are recycled by a company to make benches in school playgrounds. Corley Woolley have designed for efficiency. Air is recycled hence the AC units and condensers. All light energy has been based on efficiency levels. They have to achieve certain U-Values. Windows have to achieve a U-Value of 0.8 with insulation. Any insulation where possible helps to reduce any heating. Out of about 30 sections to prove 4 sections, all the other things that go in, contractors need to make sure they give the consultants information and prove all the wood they bought in was sourced from sustainable sources. One of the conditions they need to prove is that they’re reducing their carbon footprint down so they will source materials from locals and they will get workers to walk, cycle or use public transport to get to work.
4.12. The Site Diary must include an appraisal of the site diary
project in terms of Sustainability- through design and through the process of construction. OPERATIONAL ENERGY: The building will become an office, this means that a lot of energy will be used to light office spaces and to run the technology in the building such as desktop computers. EMBODIED CARBON: Most of the construction works were happening on site, however the embodied carbon increase is a result from transportation of materials into site and exporting demolition material off the site.
WATER CYCLE: This project partly incorporates this principle. There has been an addition of showers and new toilets to the building which may increase the mains water used in the operation of the building. CONNECTIVITY AND TRANSPORT: At first I did not think creating new office spaces was suitable, however when I saw the design included a whole bike storage, it suggested that the building itself encourages its users towards sustainable travel and use. LAND USE AND ECOLOGY: This project was a re-development of an existing site. No flora fauna was damaged in the construction of the building. HEALTH AND WELL-BEING: Internal occupant health and well-being, including indoor air quality, daylight, overheating, acoustic comfort, responsive controls, and physical contact to outside has been thought about in the design process. This includes the window facade and terraces on top floors. COMMUNITIES AND SOCIAL VALUE: The site is within walking distance of Oxford Street retail facilities, making it an ideal place to work. It is also hidden away behind the main road, so this gives a tranquil atmosphere needed for work. LIFE CYCLE VALUE: The project was designed to be rented as office spaces. It features an open space floor plan making it open for other building uses in the future. Furthermore, more rent can now be charged for office spaces making it economically sustainable.
PART 5.0. TIME LAPSE CONSTRUCTION SEQUENCE DRAWING 5.01. TIME LAPSE STUDY OF OVERALL PROJECT 5.02. SITE OPERATION DATES 5.03. CREATIVE APPROACH
MAY-AUGUST 2020
JULY 2020
Works Begins
PCA Work. Erect Scaffolding.
Roof lights Light well
Car lift
Gable wall
• Interior is stripped out by another contractor before the selected contractors are chosen. • Main contractors carry out a survey to see if the previous contractors did an okay job and to see if the structure is stable. • Contractors set site up, welfare, offices, putting in sustainability plans etc.
• • • •
Party walls closed off/protected wherever necessary. Roof lights stripped off on fourth floor. Car lift removed and closed off. Erect Scaffolding.
AUGUST 2020
Installing Steel Beams For New Structures On 4th+5th Floor
• Demolitions begin inside the building. • Majority of what is stripped out is structural, sway braces needed on relevant floors and gas propping system to support the slabs when light well is taken down and with the stair case crash deck and supporting system is put in • Steel work begins
AUGUST 2020
Installing Steel Beams
• Install steel beams to accommodate the new structure and the strengthening beams on the level 3. Steal beams added for new extension on fourth floor. Existing structure had to be supported first.
DECEMBER 2020
Install New Windows + Steel Beams Continued
• New windows installed • Work on steel structure continues.
DECEMBER 2020
Installing Easy Joist System
• Begin installing easy joist system to support the floors of the extension floors. • Temporary weathering of existing roof needed to prepare existing slabs (dry and decorated, fans around it would draw out moisture) for mechanical and electrical.
JANUARY-MARCH 2021 Completion of 4th Floor
• All work complete on 4th floor • Same steel work process begins on 5th floor • Plumbing and electrics get fixed
MAY 2021
Building Complete
• • • •
CAT-A fitout Interior works complete Building control demonstrations through to completion Building complete
PART 6.0. CONCLUSIONS AND THE FUTURE 6.01. WHAT I HAVE LEARNED FROM THE SITE DIARY 6.02. FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT EXPERIENCE REVIEW 6.03. MATERIALS & BUILDING PROCESSES 6.04. HOW MY FUTURE CAREER HAS BEEN INFORMED 6.05. THE PROJECT ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE 6.06. APPRECIATION EMAIL
6.01. In Conclusion, what have you learnt by following the
6.02. How does your experience compare with your Forma-
The site diary has been a huge learning curve for me within this course. When I was first assigned this project, I was overwhelmed by how complex it may be to follow a construction site. The huge scaffolding, materials, site equipment and vehicles suggested it is a complicated process. However, after going on my site visits and speaking to different members of the design team I gained a greater understanding of architecture in terms of practicality.
I believe I had underestimated how much I would actually learn about this site while writing the Proforma. I did not have enough knowledge on all the processes that were happening and what kinds of structural work was taking place. I look back at it now and know that I have learned the key changing elements of the project. I have certainly improved my axonometric drawing skills compared to when I produced very poor drawings for my proforma. I ensured that when making my site diary, my focus would be on the timelapse construction sequence drawing which really shaped my entire understanding of this site.
site diary project on site?
Without realising, I have picked up on a lot of matters discussed in the lectures. Learning architectural theory is not always enough, and this project has proved this. I was lucky to work with a great contractor who often tested my knowledge of design and construction. For example, every site visit he would leave us with a task of figuring out what was missing from some old architectural drawings e.g. dimensions, the legend or any other details that the contractors needed but had to request. He would also ask me what purpose each technical structure has around the site. This made me reflect on everything I have been taught in my technical studies during first and second year which was really helpful.
tive Assessment Plan (include this/ sections from this)?
During our meetings with the contractor, I observed the different people that were involved in the project, such as the sub-contractors that would come in with drawings or questions asking Mark for feedback or solutions. Communication was a significant aspect in achieving smooth work completion and it is something I value even more now. As Mark constantly referred to this, I learnt how important the Gantt chart project schedule is, this is critical as you cannot be behind with your work. It has helped the contractors meet the clients demands and mostly throughout the project they were doing well. There were times when the architect, Maria, had to be contacted to change and make amendments to drawings or to resolve unexpected issues. I learnt that as an Architect you will have many ongoing responsibilities throughout the design and completion of a project. In addition, I was able to see the development phase of a building when visiting a site during its construction, coming across various techniques used to create structures. I have truly enjoyed this project and the opportunity to meet and spend time with an architect, contractor and being able to document a construction site has been rewarding.
Seriously, what was I thinking when I drew the lifts? The basement wasn’t even a good aspect of the project to draw.
I also wish I had done structural drawings of any key elements around the site when I went on my site visits. These would have helped me learn more about drawing technical elements.
6.03. What materials, building processes and /or technolo-
gies have you observed that you may wish to incorporate in your own projects in the future? I had the ability to view the project from start to mid completion of construction. Specific design concepts have therefore begun to turn themselves into reality. One key aspect that was significant was the issue of fire protecting the building which I believe was a great potential within this site. The client wanted exposed steel beams for an industrial feel to the office spaces. I am interested in how a fire-proof paint that has become part of the finishing design protects beams from fire.
6.04. How has the Site Diary experience informed your pos-
sible career direction in architecture?
I still think I have a lot to learn about what field will fit me best in terms of my future in architecture. My time with Mark Raybould and Maria Sanchez has taught me how the construction industry works. Unfortunately, I was not able to visit an architectural firm so I would like to experience this during an internship in the future. In addition, I am interested in learning more about the different procurement routes and stages of designing and planning.
6.05. In terms of sustainability and addressing Climate
Change does the project/ construction process go far enough? What additional recommendations would you make? As a re-development to an existing building, I think the project does go far in terms of sustainability.
6.06. Thank you!