Introduction
The MRC tendered the Ares project and appointed Robert Somerville Associates (RSA) as the Concept Design Engineer and Lead Consultant. The MRC have been using RSA for Mechanical and Electrical design consultancy since 1986 and this has built an excellent understanding of the client needs as well as a good working relationship.
At the time of tendering, RSA had recently finished the Mary Lyon Centre project for the MRC and appointed the same project team to continue and develop the excellent working relationship.
This team included an Architect, Considere & Partners for the civil & structural engineering and Bridgegate Communications for ICT advice. The MRC separately appointed Keegans Limited as their independent Quantity Surveyor and Planning Supervisor/CDM Co-ordinator and a separate Project Manager.
Concept Design
The MRC appointed an Animal Facility Manager for the building who acted as the user representative for the project. RSA were provided with a users outline brief for the project, from which the initial layout options and room associations were prepared.
Design team meetings were held regularly with the MRC user representative to discuss the various options and challenge the user representative to ensure all their requirements were understood and incorporated. Several options were evaluated then costed by Keegans. Consideration was given to life cycle costs, and cost benefits of the various options established to enable the MRC to decide how to proceed with the project.
Option G P1 was finally agreed as the optimum layout. This scheme was the users and design team’s preferred option and allows future flexibility in the design requirements for a future possible phase 2.
This option and some earlier options, were presented to the Home Office and HSE to ensure minimum risk to the project.
Option G P1 was then used as the brief/client requirements for the detailed design. A concept design report and scheme drawings were prepared to enable the brief to be developed into an acceptable option layout, in turn allowing Keegans to establish a robust cost estimate for the project.
Detailed Design
Following the completion of the Concept Design, the MRC directly appointed the whole design team in the same roles. This gave the project momentum and continuity enabling the design team to complete the design to a stage where it could be tendered to contractors. The detailed design stage was lead by RSA and required further structured meetings with the end user representative to establish a greater understanding of the clients’ process requirements, and meetings with scientists to ensure their needs were incorporated.
The process of developing the detailed design involved producing room data sheets for each room; use of a thermal model to calculate the heat gains and losses from the building, to size the plant and in turn distribution systems; full mechanical / electrical / plumbing design; full co-ordination; architectural detailing and design; structural calculation and design and ICT design. Throughout this process RSA managed the design team and co-ordination of the project, whilst meeting the production deadline for the tender documents and keeping the user representatives informed. When various elements of the design were complete, the MRC’s quantity surveyor (Keegans Limited) produced an updated cost plan for the project.
Specialist Equipment Integration
RSA were also appointed to produce specifications for Specialist Equipment working with the MRC’s procurement department and Keegans in the tendering and the tender analysis. This included:
• Down Draft Tables
• Air Showers
• Autoclaves
• Semi Automated Bottle Washers
• Semi Automated Cage Washers
• Decontamination Locks
• Irradiator
• Rack Washers
• Transfer Hatches
RSA’s experience and knowledge of Specialist Equipment specification and their assistance with the tender analysis enabled the MRC to clearly understand and consider the impact that different manufacturers equipment would have on the building and design, as well as overall cost implications for each item. RSA maintained an active role in the integration of specialist equipment into the project, eliminating potential problems before they developed and coordinating the installations, thereby providing the client with confidence in their selection of equipment. Keegans incorporated the selected specialist suppliers within the tender documents, ensured collateral warranties were provided and also assisted in monitoring the complete client equipment budget.
Construction
Shepherd Construction Limited (SCL) were appointed as the Contractor for the project and had the design team novated to them with RSA acting as SCL’s lead consultant. The MRC project manager administered the project with Keegans acting as the Quantity Surveyor and Planning Supervisor. This enabled the incumbent design team to be involved with design issues raised during the installation and provided the project with continuity through to completion ensuring the finished product was compliant with the users’ brief.
RSA regularly attended and contributed to meetings throughout the construction phase of the project with the design team, user representatives, the Home Office, the Main Contractor, specialist sub contractors and equipment suppliers. This gave SCL confidence that the project would be successful and meet users and Home Office requirements. RSA and the design team inspected the installation regularly to ensure the design and users’ requirements were met. RSA also witnessed the commissioning and testing of the systems, making sure they all operated to specification.
Following the completion of the commissioning, the building was subject to Home Office validation trials which were successful on the first attempt, bringing the project to its completion.
Start Date: October 2003 Completion Date: April 2008
Contract Value:
Robert Somerville Associates
RSA is proud to sponsor Mark and Trish as they raise money for the
Arts for All
charity based in London
RSA is proud to sponsor Paul Adams a Principal Architect for Shepherd Construction Ltd is running 10 Marathons in 10 days.
RSA has sponsored a successful competitor in the latest London Marathon.
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