Education Experience

About Novus

If you’re looking to improve and enhance your education facility, let Novus take the strain.

Whether it’s creating outstanding learning facilities or investing in the development of our team, we understand the importance of a good education.

With vast experience in delivering refurbishment and maintenance services, our dedicated Interiors team can bring your scheme to life, leaving you to focus on what you do best.

Novus in the education sector

From minor alterations to highly complex full-scale building renovation, we excel in delivering high quality education spaces.

Our substantial experience in this sector encompasses all levels of education, from primary schools to further and higher education facilities. We have delivered projects throughout Great Britain, providing the renewal, remodelling or re-configuration of buildings.

We understand the considerations that must be taken when working in an education setting to safeguard pupils and staff alike. We involve our clients at all stages of each project to provide a smooth and safe delivery process, ensuring we avoid becoming an unwelcome disruption to day-to-day activities.

We are proud to have created and transformed numerous education facilities, making them more inspirational settings to enlighten tomorrow’s leaders

Interiors

Case Study

Client: The University of Manchester

Value: £2.5m per annum

Duration: Ongoing Measured Term Contract

We have successfully held a measured term contract with The University of Manchester for nearly 30 years and have built a strong relationship through working collaboratively and transparently with their Estates Team.

We deliver both reactive and minor works across the university’s 229 sites throughout Manchester, which incorporate listed buildings, high-tech science blocks and student accommodation.

We receive over 10,000 reactive repair requests and 600 ‘out of hours’ emergency repair requests per year. The works include making safe, repairing, restoring, and upgrading academic and residential buildings. In addition, we undertake all aspects of maintenance and minor building works.

Individual projects completed include:

• Nine-week refurbishment of 46 kitchens across four student accommodation blocks.

• The replacement of four elevations of windows and a full refurbishment of the corridor space to create breakout areas for students following an emergency repair call out.

• Refurbishment of office space including the removal of the existing suspended ceiling.

Helping to deliver the works we have a permanent presence on site, including office, welfare and storage. We are co-located with Project Managers from the University’s Estates Team which aids our genuine partnership approach and collaborative working. We can solve problems quickly, hold live discussions and provide a proactive approach to any issues raised.

Case Study

Project: Student Accommodation Refurbishment

Client: Keele University

Value: £1.1m per annum

Duration: 12-week annual programme

Interiors

We’ve been working in partnership with Keele University for over 15 years and since 2017 we have secured and delivered nearly £6m worth of refurbishment work. One of our longest running workstreams with the university is the student accommodation refurbishment programme.

Scope of works:

• Replacement of kitchen areas and shower rooms.

• Mechanical and electrical services.

• Replacement of flooring in student rooms.

• Redecoration of corridors and staircases.

Case Study

Client: Staffordshire University

Value: £750k

Duration: Four-year Measured Term Contract

In 2020 we were appointed to Staffordshire University’s Measured Term Contract for Reactive, General and Programmed Building Maintenance. We deliver a combination of planned and reactive maintenance across their Stoke-on-Trent, Stafford, and Lichfield campuses.

Within the planned workstream we deliver alteration and refurbishment works to internal / external spaces including offices, teaching, and student accommodation.

We have completed a wide range of refurbishment and reactive jobs for the University since the beginning of the contract in 2020.

Some examples of projects undertaken are:

• Collaboratory Space at the Mellor Building £53k – a six-week project to create an ample open space requiring new electrical power and lighting controls.

• School of Architecture & Alterations in Arts Studio £61k – The remodelling works included demolition of partition walls, redecoration, new flooring, and new partition walls.

• Sports Therapy Refurbishment £51k - Including the installation of new partition walls to a section of the rehabilitation area.

• Classroom Conversion £52k – The conversion of an unused classroom into an office space and the remodelling of a nearby coffee shop.

We have established a core team, including trade level operatives on-site at the Stoke-on-Trent campus. Having a site presence at the campus has enabled us to attend to any reactive maintenance requests quickly and develop excellent working relationships with all members of the Estates Team and staff around the University.

Case Study

Project: George Fox Student Accommodation Refurbishment

Client: Lancaster University

Value: £540k

Duration: 11 weeks

Having worked with Lancaster University on a range of projects over the last 10 years, we were appointed to deliver the complete refurbishment of two floors within the George Fox student accommodation block.

Scope of works:

We delivered refurbishments to a total of 118 bedrooms, communal kitchens and two common rooms including:

• Decoration of the common rooms.

• Full furniture fit-out of the common rooms.

• Full decoration to corridor and stairwell areas.

• Installation of new power sources.

• Upgrade of data to CAT 6.

• New containment for data upgrade.

• LED lighting to corridors, kitchens and stairwells.

• Installation of new data provisions.

• Full refit of bedroom furniture.

• Redecoration of bedrooms.

• Replacement of shared student kitchens.

• Installation of new extractor systems.

The project was successfully completed within the tight 11-week timescale to be ready for the new academic year. During the project, an additional £36k programme was added to complete refurbishment works to offices on the floor below. This was accommodated by our team within the original timescales set by the University through careful programming and weekend working for noisy operations.

Interiors