Following a last-minute change of location, SVM Associates (SVMA) were presented with a seemingly Mechanical & Electrical ‘Mission Impossible’.
Except, luckily, ‘Impossible’ is not a word in our vocabulary!
SVMA were asked to adapt their M&E specification and drawings originally drafted for St Johns Ambulances (SJA) original site in Loughborough to an alternative site in Castle Donington.
THE INITIAL PLAN
The contract managers for SJA, Savills, appointed SVMA early in 2022 as M&E consultants for the project. Plans were drawn up to convert the disused NatWest bank building on the outskirts of the town into a custom facility, which when completed would act as a central hub for SJA operations in the East Midlands.
CHANGING THE GOALS POSTS
Mid way through July 2022, and after multiple contractors walk-arounds, SVMA were informed that works at the Loughborough site had been cancelled. It had been decided by SJA that the Loughborough site simply wasn’t big enough in its current format. The award of a new contract to SJA to house an NHS call centre facility, along with some structural concerns with the building meant that works needed to move to an alternative location in Castle Donington.
The new facility needed to be completed by the end of 2022 as SJA were now committed to fulfilling an NHS project in-house. All planning and design works carried out over the previous six months for the Loughborough building now needed to be adapted for the new site.
MISSION MADE POSSIBLE
By amending the original building specification and tender documentation, the fit-out contractors (Think Contracts) were able to retender and start works with minimal delay. Following a hectic few months, the site became partially operational late November with the project reaching completion on the final days running up to Xmas 2022. Job done – or so we thought!
GREEN MEANS GO
Early January 2023, Savills informed SVMA that SJA had given the “green light” on a second phase of works. A new training facility was to be housed at the recently completed Castle Donington facility.
One of the reasons for moving the site from Loughborough to Castle Donington was to allow for future expansion of the facility. However, nobody was aware that funding had been made available by SJA, earlier than originally thought and it had been decided that the new provision was to be housed at Castle Donington. The plan was to build a training area, complete with a “simulation suite” and ambulance mock up training area to support SJA nationally within the open plan area.
A ROYAL DEADLINE
This meant there was also a new deadline to meet; the planned opening of the completed facility by the HRH Princess Anne, Commandment Chief of the Ambulance and Nursing Cadets was to take place on 12th October 2023.
The design and building works for “phase 2” was not going to be the challenge with this project as Think Contracts were retained for the construction element along with their M&E contractors. The challenge for these works was for SVMA to secure an upgraded electrical provision from National Grid (NG) to serve the new area.
TAKING ‘CHARGE’
The Castle Donington building, although one large open-plan area, had previously been sub-divided into smaller units, each having their own electrical service. As the first phase of works had involved creating a separate office space internally within the main area, one electrical service had been appointed to the offices with the second serving the main area. Gas fired heating systems previously used had been removed as part of the Net Carbon Zero plan with VRV replacing gas.
The new training area placed an electrical demand exceeding the existing combined provision. Added to this, an increase in authorised supply capacity was not possible for either of the existing supplies due to service cable sizes. Finally, NG would not under current service regulations allow more than one electrical service into the building. After initial enquiries ware made it was identified that NG were struggling to meet the timescale for the works intime for the official opening.
SVMA TO THE RESCUE (AGAIN!)
To meet the deadline for the official opening, SVMA drafted in a local Independent Connection Provider (Pascon) to handle the contestable element of the electrical service. After many hours of “toing and froing” between SVMA, Pascon and NG, the new uprated electrical service was energised one week before the official opening and disaster averted!
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
Huge well done to all involved and of course to all the St John Ambulance team who are essential to safety in our community. It was a pleasure to be able to help them relocate and facilitate a much needed new training area.
