Project and Cost Management Services - Newspaper Storage Project

Tender description

The British Library requires as part of the ongoing rationalisation of its London business requirements to develop and construct a new fully automated newspaper storage building (NSB) at its Boston Spa campus in West Yorkshire to follow on from the Additional Storage Project (ASP) currently nearing completion. The client’s construction budget for the building and automation works is in the order of £15m. The Library is currently reviewing its Newspaper Collection storage strategy and the options for high density automated storage and handling. The storage repository will be a high bay (24 metres high) environmentally conditioned, sustainable and air tight facility to demanding standards and designed within the concepts of BS5454:2000. Whilst the mechanical handling system will be similar to the ASP, the newspaper project has significant differences with both the size of items to be stored and the frequency of retrievals. It should be noted that the spatial design of the building will be largely driven by, and to some extent critical upon, the design of the automation system within it. In essence therefore the storage facility will be designed from the inside out but constructed from the outside in. The Library is now seeking expressions of interest from appropriately qualified project and cost management consultants to provide full combined services (including contract administration) on the basis of a single appointment involving separate construction contracts for the automation and building works and the management of the interface between them. The procurement of an architect led composite building design team is currently in progress as is that for a CDM Co-ordinator and Integrator (automation contractor). The Library has already appointed a town planning consultant to lead and advise the design team during the detailed planning process. In addition the Library is using a separate automation consultant to provide initial design and employe