WINNER :
Best Public Service Building : East Midlands LABC Awards 2017
Contract value : £1.6m
Duration : 46 weeks (May 2015 – April 2016)
We are delighted and proud to celebrate our receipt of this award for our dedication and commitment to this prestigious project, which means so much to the local community.
This project was also a:
finalist in the Best Large Commercial Project;
finalist in the Project of the Year Category at the East Midlands Celebrating Construction Awards 2017.
A striking modern, yet distinctive design brief, was given to us by Allan Joyce Architects. It also incorporated some of the distinctive characteristics of the original building. Over time, the buildings had become less fit for purpose; thus the need for a new place of worship and community centre had grown.
We rose to the exciting construction challenge which comprised the demolition of the existing church (there has been a church here since 1818) and associated buildings, construction of a new church, and two retail units with office space above.
Community Involvement
As a company, we understand the importance of introducing ourselves to all involved with the contract, particularly the members of the community, whose day-to-day lives are affected by building works in their town. Andy Pulfrey, our site manager, visited all the surrounding shops and businesses, leaving his and the company’s contact details with them. We are always happy to answer any questions or problems that can occur. We are an approachable, professional company who places value on honouring our responsibility to local residents, as well as the end client.
We needed to construct a new church and community building, therefore, communication and interaction with the community was essential. Our thanks go to Peter Brockhuizen, on behalf of the Project team of BMC, who kindly wrote to us and said :
‘…the success of the new build was down to A&S in its understanding of the requirement, site management,’ and ‘the friendliness of the staff…The dedication of all the trades…is tremendous. We here at Bingham salute you.’
May 2015
So, the build itself commenced…
This was a particularly tight site area in the centre of Bingham, a busy market town – a challenge in itself.
The challenge was to design a build that incorporated a number of contrasting functions whilst remaining visually cohesive.
In May 2015, we commenced works on the New Methodist Church. Memorial bricks and stones were carefully removed from the original church and reinstated within a memorial wall. One of the memorial stones, being an ancestor of our site manager, Andy Pulfrey, brought an element of surprise and personal interest to the project.
Highly skilled craftsman worked conscientiously on the interior and exterior of the building, encountering some complex and challenging moments, but their enthusiasm and desire to achieve excellence shone through.
November 2015
Halfway there…
As time progressed, our relationship with the local residents became stronger.
Due to the location of the project being within the heart of the village, and a strong part of the community, many of our workforce built a strong rapport with the local neighbourhood.
They trusted us to build a church and community centre to be proud of, and we weren’t letting them down…
We took great care to lower the levels of environmental impact during the build. Utilising the existing site for the new church was key to keeping the environmental impact to a minimum. We re-used existing materials and used local materials as much as possible. Even some of the workforce were from the local area. Noise and dust pollution was kept to a minimum. Where possible we recycled all waste materials.
We must have been good, because a local celebrity, Wes Waddle, a rather cute duck, decided it was good enough for him to stay, even with all the noise and disruption.
Wes, a member of the church for several years, was left behind by a local preacher. He became the self-appointed newsperson for the church for ‘waddle happen next’ on social media. Wes was photographed at various stages of the build, helping to strengthen the relationship between the workforce and the community.
April 2016
A Positive Result
Our hard work, dedication and commitment to the residents of Bingham paid off. We have had nothing but positive comments from the client and the users of the New Church and Community Centre.
This project wasn’t just a building.
It was much more – the church encompasses many years of hard work from the congregation and the community in their vision for this magnificent new building, to the dedication of many who made it all possible. It involved the whole town and community from concept to the end.
Allan Joyce Architects sent us a glowing testimonial:
‘The requirements of the project as a multi-use community building were complex…’ and ‘required careful planning…The construction of the building is of high quality…the commitment of the team to deliver such quality, from brickwork detailing to internal joinery, should be commended and is a testament to their skill and craftsmanship.’
CHAS accredited – we pride ourselves on our Health & Safety records and procedures. This project was no exception; Health & Safety was of utmost importance, as always.
The project was completed on time, to budget and to the specified quality.