Challenges and Constraints
Live Operational Site
The works have been undertaken within Bauder’s existing operational premises. Careful coordination and communication have therefore been required to allow the business to continue operating safely alongside the construction activities.
Site logistics, deliveries, access arrangements and particularly disruptive works have been planned in consultation with Bauder to minimise their effect on staff and day-to-day operations.
Restricted Access and Logistics
Working within an existing occupied site created limitations regarding access, deliveries, storage and the movement of plant and materials. These activities required careful planning to maintain safe separation between the construction works, Bauder employees and visitors.
Existing Building and Unforeseen Conditions
As with many refurbishment projects, the existing building presented conditions that could not be fully established before the works began.
The original asbestos information identified approximately 40m² of affected material. Once the works commenced and further investigations were undertaken, the extent increased significantly to approximately 210m². This required specialist removal and careful resequencing of the works to manage the issue safely and minimise its effect on the overall programme.
Health and Safety
The combination of refurbishment, structural alterations, roofing operations and work alongside an occupied business required detailed planning and close coordination between Gipping Construction, Bauder, the design team and specialist subcontractors.
Construction Processes and Methods
The project incorporates a combination of refurbishment and new-build construction methods.
The principal elements include:
- Refurbishment and alteration of the existing office accommodation.
- Construction of a new office extension.
- Structural alterations and associated steelwork.
- Cold-rolled steelwork designed as a Contractor’s Designed Portion.
- New roof construction and Bauder roofing systems.
- New external envelope, windows and associated finishing works.
- Internal partitions, ceilings, joinery and finishes.
- New mechanical and electrical installations.
- Associated drainage, groundworks and external works.
- Testing, commissioning and demonstration of the completed building services.
The works required close coordination between the existing structure, new construction and the various architectural and building-services packages.
Programme
The programme combined asbestos removal, refurbishment, structural alterations, new-build works, roofing, external-envelope installation and internal fit-out activities.
The discovery of a substantially greater quantity of asbestos than originally anticipated affected the early stages of the programme. The project team worked collaboratively to resequence activities wherever possible and progress unaffected areas while the specialist removal works were undertaken.
The roofing and external-envelope works were important programme activities, as completing these allowed the internal trades to progress within a weather-tight building.
Environmental and Sustainability Measures
The scheme improves the performance and usability of an existing building rather than replacing it entirely. Retaining and refurbishing the existing accommodation reduces the quantity of demolition, waste and new construction materials that would otherwise have been required.
Additional measures include:
- Segregation of construction waste to maximise recycling and minimise waste sent to landfill.
- Use of specialist, responsibly sourced roofing and building-envelope products.
- Improvements to the thermal performance of the building.
- Modern, energy-efficient mechanical and electrical services.
- An improved working environment and facilities for Bauder employees.
- Reuse and improvement of the existing commercial premises, extending the building’s useful life.
Social Value and Collaboration
The project has supported employment through Gipping Construction’s directly employed management team and a wide-ranging specialist supply chain.
Where practicable, local subcontractors and suppliers from Suffolk and the surrounding region have been used, helping to retain project expenditure within the local economy.
The project has required close collaboration between Bauder, Gipping Construction, Ingleton Wood and the specialist subcontractors. Regular communication has helped maintain Bauder’s ongoing operations while allowing the construction works to progress safely and efficiently.
Bauder Ltd 
