Thinking outside the box

From small challenges to big issues, refurbishment projects are rarely without problems. Halifax’s Northgate House, Trinity Sixth Form College project saw the refurbishment of an existing concrete 1970s building, which earlier housed a library and council office space for the client, Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council. This article refers to the works completed at the former library section of the building to create a brand-new sixth form center, which was jointly developed by Calderdale Council, Trinity Multi-Academy Trust and Rastrick High School. The project was delivered as a construction management contract, with the various works being divided up by the professional team into packages that were tendered and awarded. One of the reoccurring issues that Cardinal’s project team encountered was the interface between the different packages. One example was the supply and installation of automated louvres to various elevations over multiple floors of the building. These louvres, working in tandem with the building maintenance software (BMS) system, allow the building to breathe through a meticulous commissioning process that ensured all the ventilation and heating systems communicate with one another. This was a crucial part of the building’s overall redevelopment to ensure that the correct temperatures were being achieved, that the correct number of air changes were happening and that the laboratories could be used safely.