The Marlborough Primary School project overseen by main contractor Mace saw the redevelopment by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to provide a new two form entry primary school in the heart of Chelsea. It has seen the old unsuitable Victorian school building on the site demolished and the construction of a new Marlborough Primary School.
The new school is larger than old one and provides 5,668sq m of space including new halls, studio space, classrooms and a biodiversity roof. External play spaces are also larger than the old school and include a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) on the top level.
The design was developed to ensure the proposed massing and robust masonry detailing with characteristic stone banding would serve to compliment both the original school and the wider environment with the green glazed brick and circular windows. Several of the historic keystones and plaques from the original school were rebuilt into the new facade to preserve the legacy of Marlborough School.
Watch the video below to see the completion of this extensive project.
Lesterose were appointed by main contractor Mace to carry out the Brickwork and Blockwork package on Marlborough School and Commercial Building which included the supply and installation of the following:
External Facing Brickwork
External Glazed Brickwork
Glazed Brickwork Bullseye Window Surrounds
Internal Blockwork
Cast Stone Copings and Bands
Secondary Steelwork
Insulation
Challenges/Solutions:
Logistics - Due to the limited space on site, access to each building was restricted in many locations whilst storage of materials on site had to be kept to a minimum, meaning the project was particularly labour intensive and became even more so the further into our programme when other trade contractors started on site. Distributing materials to the required workface each day was a challenge that was everchanging as the project progressed.
Brick Supply - The original specified facing brick on the Commercial Building was made unavailable by the brick manufacturer a few weeks before we were due to commence the facade. This meant an alternative brick had to be sourced which met all the design criteria of the original and could be made available within a short space of time. After multiple sample panels being built for inspection, we were successful in finding an alternative brick that met all the criteria required and delivered a high-quality brickwork facade that can be seen today.
Design - Due to the complexity of the School building, the design of the secondary steelwork i.e. masonry support angles and windposts in several locations was a task made even more challenging by the various loadings imposed on our brickwork and supports, that had to be considered when completing the design of each area.
Awards
The project has been nominated for the 2018 Brick Awards and recently won a RIBA London Award.
