Objective
Amery Hill School in Alton, Hampshire, was in need of additional dining hall space for its increasing pupil population. The government administered Healthy Pupils Capital Fund was able to offer the school a significant proportion of the funding for a new facility, to further support their philosophy of 'developing the whole child'. Mountjoy was consequently awarded the contract for the demolition of the existing canteen and drama studio and the design and build of the new dining hall and kitchen.
Solution
The new dining hall was built in a way that will allow the school to add a further storey at a later date. To accommodate this, the following had to be considered during the design phase and implemented during construction:
- The kitchen's ventilation and extraction systems needed to pass through the external wall and not the roof
- A sacrificial roof build-up above the structure, a sacrificial external wall insulation and rain screen cladding need to be added
A significant portion of the works took place during school term-time, meaning logistics had to be carefully managed to minimise disruption to the school's daily operations. This was particularly challenging as the new building was centrally located within the school's estate, with deliveries having to cross the playground to reach the site. Our logistics plan and delivery schedule were shared with the school office and cascaded to pupils at morning assemblies to ensure their safety during our working hours.
We erected our hoarding in a way that allowed for staff and pupils to view the development in action from a clear covered walkway running through the playground.
In late November 2019, the new building was officially opened by Councillor Graham Titterington, the Mayor of Alton.