Building completion work

Tender description

Bertrand Russell Tower is located within the South Courts student accommodation area of the University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex CO4 3SQ. Bertrand Russell Tower is 1 of 6 iconic towers at the University, which provides student accommodation to over 200 students, per tower, per year. Bertrand Russell is the first of the 6 towers to be refurbished. It is the University’s intention that the other 5 towers are subject to a similar scope of works over a managed timeframe. Bertrand Russell Tower is 1 of 6 iconic towers at the University, which provides student accommodation to over 200 students, per tower, per year. Bertrand Russell is the first of the 6 towers to be refurbished. It is the University’s intention that the other 5 towers are subject to a similar scope of works over a managed timeframe. Bertrand Russell Tower has 16 levels, and is served by 2 lifts and a single staircase. The University of Essex (the Authority) invites expressions of interest for participation in a tender process for the refurbishment of the first of 6 towers, Bertrand Russell. Over the coming 6 years, the University of Essex is investing in 6 accommodation towers on our estate. This project will deliver new, more thermally efficient buildings, with all new services and considerably enhance the student accommodation for many years to come. We will refurbish 1 tower over each year and therefore will initially go to tender for 1 tower and the remaining 5 towers over the next 5 consecutive years. The project involves the complete removal of almost all elements to the building, only the wall and floor structures will remain intact. The existing services will be fully stripped out including all of the plant serving the building. Both of the existing lifts will be entirely removed and remedial works undertaken to the shafts. All of the windows and curtain walling will be removed which will only be possible by providing a full scaffold to the entire building. The current water ingress issues and condition of the building electrics are a major concern and within recent years urgent remedial works have been undertaken to preserve the building however these repairs are limited in life expectancy of only a few years. This project will deliver a new, more thermally efficient building, with all new services and considerably enhance the student accommodation for many years to come. All new services are to be installed with a considerable amount of design consideration having been undertaken to date. This means that the way in which students live and operate within the building has been at the forefront of the design. A good example of this would be the introduction of mechanical ventilation to all communal areas and student bedrooms, where currently there is none which leads to condensation and mould growth. The building will have a significantly improved fire detection system, combined with an all new misting sprinkler system throughout. Fire compartmentation will be given great attention both horizontally and vertically through the building. The project will also deliver new compliant fire-fighting lifts which currently it does not have. Within the design brief the ethos has been to implement where feasible high levels of protection to life of the occupants and to vastly improve the fire strategy for the building. These are the core elements of the design and the main focus of the project scope. This project involves the complete refurbishment of Bertrand Russell Tower, including but not limited to: — construction of a new entrance, external canopy and replacement external doors generally. Remodelling works to the ground floor of the tower, including the conversion of an existing plant room into a new student bedroom, — the complete removal of all existing services within the tower, preparing for new installations, — the refurbishment of all existing communal student kitchens, generally one per floor, — the refurbishment of all student bedrooms, generally 16 per floor, — the refurbishment of all communal WC and shower units, generally 4 x WC, and 2 x showers per floor, — new services installations complete with a new sprinkler/misting system, — replacement of all existing glazed window units, including the provision of new curtain walling to the front elevation of the building, — replacement roof covering works, — construction of a new plant room, suitably designed to accommodate services for both Bertrand Russell Tower and the neighbouring Eddington Tower, — replacement lifts. Installation of new student bedroom furniture (approximately 237 nr bedrooms), — minor structural repairs and alterations as required to suit the above, — minor associated external works and drainage.