Going up –
Innovative Science Building extension commences at  Churcher’s College in Petersfield

A challenging seven month construction project is underway at the popular Churcher’s College in Petersfield, Hampshire, to add a second floor to the science building, which will provide additional laboratories, prep rooms and work room space for students and staff. The new floor will completely span the existing building and utilises girder trusses sitting on supporting columns, effectively floating over the existing science block which was not initially designed to take the weight of a second storey.

Beard’s innovative approach to extend upwards will engage the team’s wide experience of working at the heart of busy school environments and be another example of the technically demanding projects Beard regularly undertakes.

Piling work around the perimeter of the existing science block to take eight external columns, four on each side of the building, is now complete and the team are preparing to lift the main girder trusses into place, each measuring over 25m in length, to form the shell of the new extension.

David Robbins, Bursar for Churcher’s College said: ”We chose Beard for this complex job because they were able to demonstrate a flexible approach to the challenges of the project together with sound experience of educational working environments and the challenges that they present.”

John Youle, Construction Director of Beard said: “Extending upwards in this way resolves the problem faced by many schools where space is limited, but we have to be very careful not to disturb the existing structure. Piling work needed to be carried out with extreme care and precision work is needed with millimetre accuracy for the steel trusses. Coordinating work with the school day is essential, to minimize disturbance and to ensure safety, as was working side by side with the school’s designers to give technical input.”

Due for completion in November 2011, the new extension will transform the current building.