Gutting three shop units allowed BCP Council to fit out 780m2 of space in the shopping centre for adult education purposes. The area now provides spaces for IT, art, languages, hair dressing, massage and nail care training courses to be delivered in the heart of Poole town.
Limited head room and plantroom space made servicing the units challenging but extensions and adaptations to the existing sprinkler system to BS EN 12845 Ordinary Hazard Group lll was accommodated in ceiling voids along with mechanical supply and extract ventilation with heat recovery, domestic water services, VRV heating and cooling, containment for power, lighting, CCTV, access control, intruder alarm, comms and fire alarm services. A huge amount of time was spent co-ordinating the services at design stage to make them fit into the available space. Additional time was needed and close liaison with the contractors once ceiling were removed and the presence of structural downstand beams added to the complications of the site.
Collaborative working and good humour ultimately paid off and a successful project was delivered ready for the academic year.
