The Longshop Museum, Leiston, Suffolk

Value engineering
At the tender stage, the Employer was still finalising funding (with some grant funds to be concluded), so we identified several changes to save cost. The most significant of these was an alternative approach to temporarily weatherproofing the Long Shop and Richard Garrett buildings’ roof during re-roofing. We identified the risks and prepared a methodology to demonstrate the system. The cost reduction was approximately £40,000.

Another significant unknown at the tender stage was the extent of ground contamination. There was limited soil analysis available to determine quantities of contaminated ground, so we provided details of rates for different scenarios so the Employer could plan for any eventuality.

Phasing
The project was planned to be completed in two phases. Phase 1 was the renovation of the Longshop and Richard Garrett buildings; Phase 2 was the community building and reconstruction of the external yard. As funding was substantially via grants and a final agreement of this was not in place, there was a risk that the project could be delayed, added to which, inflation rates were running very high at the time, and future construction costs were difficult to predict. We therefore agreed to swap the phases around as there were sufficient funds available for the smaller phase, which allowed commencement to begin, the overall completion date to be maintained and provided the Employer flexibility to finalise their arrangements.

Challenges and Constraints
As the buildings were listed, we had to work closely with the architect to ensure that all repair works carried out were sympathetic to the existing building. Sourcing compatible bricks, roof tiles and roof timbers was challenging. We visited various reclamation yards throughout the area to ensure that the best match was found for the bricks and roof tiles, and multiple samples of timber were provided to the architect for their approval.

The site remained partially open to staff and the public throughout the project meaning carefully planned access, segregation and logistics were vital.

Contamination (hydro carbon and asbestos) were found to be present in the ground. Approved remediation measures were required to deal with this.

The museum artefacts remained in place during the works, so needed protection. Additionally, as re-roofing works were required, a system of temporary roof covering was also needed.

Environmental
As responsible contractors who are ISO14001 accredited, we completed environmental risk assessments, minimised waste and any waste was disposed of using licensed companies. Waste was sorted at the collection depot. Typically, 90% of waste is recycled.

Social Value
We liaised regularly with residents affected by works.
Supply chain all local.