Seismic strengthening and full refurbishment of an important community space with strong stakeholder involvement

This project involved a full refurbishment and seismic strengthening of the existing hall, including upgrading the main hall, supper room, bathrooms, kitchen and storage spaces. The hall upgrade included the introduction of subfloor insulation, as well as the installation of double glazing and LED lighting. These improvements will reduce the need for additional heating and enhance both the building’s environmental footprint and comfort for users.

The refurbishment of the existing fabric of a building can be challenging, especially when working with older, original buildings where the extent of the work is not clear until the structural framework is exposed and surveyed. During this upgrade, it was identified that the walls between the portals were substandard and required replacing. As a result, a lot more carpentry work was required, but our team still successfully managed and delivered this project to a high standard within the approved budget.

Community projects require strong stakeholder management to ensure all parties feel included, informed and consulted. On this project, we worked closely with the Radio Club, whose power feed came from the hall building. Careful coordination of power change-overs and maintaining building access were important.