Reinstatement of St. Margaret’s Hall following flood damage

Approach

21CBS worked closely with Bradford on Avon Town Council, Synergy Construction & Property Consultants, insurers and loss adjusters to develop a phased recovery and reinstatement strategy that maintained programme certainty while managing the complexities of a services-led refurbishment.

Early works focused on reinstating the building fabric, progressing mechanical and electrical first-fix installations and preparing the structure for fit-out activities. As the programme advanced, multiple trades operated in parallel, allowing partitions, ceilings, flooring, fire protection works and specialist finishes to be delivered simultaneously.

Early procurement of long-lead items, continuous programme monitoring and close coordination across the supply chain helped maintain momentum throughout the project. The delivery strategy also incorporated a "build back better" approach, introducing resilience measures designed to reduce the impact of future flood events and improve the building's long-term performance.

The project involved the complete reinstatement and upgrade of the flood-damaged community facility, including extensive building fabric repairs, full replacement of building services and the refurbishment of welfare, kitchen and public areas.

The works included:

Comprehensive reinstatement of the flood-damaged building fabric, including restoration plaster systems, new timber and metal stud partitions with acoustic insulation and fire-rated construction, replacement skirtings and architraves, and full internal redecoration throughout the facility.

External repairs and upgrades, including repointing of stonework to 2m height, repairs to roof elements and coping stones, and the replacement and upgrade of windows, doors and external joinery.

Extensive fire safety and compliance upgrades throughout the building, including FD30 and FD60 fire door installations, fire stopping works, compartmentation improvements and associated fire-rated construction to support modern compliance requirements.

Complete replacement of internal finishes, including new carpet and vinyl flooring, specialist floor finishes, suspended acoustic ceilings, MF plasterboard ceiling systems and Altro Whiterock hygienic wall cladding within kitchen and welfare areas.

Full refurbishment of male, female and accessible WC facilities, incorporating new sanitaryware, cubicle systems, IPS panels, wash troughs, accessories and Doc M-compliant provisions to improve accessibility and user experience.

Reinstatement of the kitchen facilities, including hygienic wall systems, preparation works and coordination for the installation of specialist client-supplied equipment.

Major mechanical and electrical upgrades throughout the ground floor, including a new gas boiler installation, replacement LPHW heating distribution system, hot and cold-water services, drainage infrastructure, full electrical rewire, new lighting and emergency lighting, power and data infrastructure, AV and stage lighting installations, and a new L2-compliant fire alarm system. As part of the project's flood resilience strategy, all new services were installed above 1000mm AFFL to reduce exposure to future flood events.