Category: Construction
Complete construction partner Stepnell has reaffirmed itself as a leading higher education contractor with the completion of a multimillion pound lab refurbishment at the University of Oxford.
The project saw Stepnell modernise the specialist molecular physiology and particle imaging laboratories in the Henry Wellcome Building. To avoid contamination with sensitive scientific apparatus including electron microscopes, Stepnell progressed the refurbishment through sectional completion, carefully decanting lab equipment and maintaining access to a series of link rooms with specialist equipment including cryogenics.
With delivery taking place across a live and fully operational environment, the project has involved close collaboration with stakeholders, including the Nuffield Department of Medicine, who is the principal client for the project, and the University of Oxford, along with project managers TMD Building Consultancy and MEP consultants etch Associates.
Mark Knowlden, senior project manager at Stepnell, said:
“As a Wantage based firm, this has been an incredibly significant project for us in supporting refurbishments at one of the world’s most prominent academic and research institutions.
“With a proven track record in delivering higher education upgrades, our technical expertise, consideration of operating in live site environments and collaborative approach has enabled us to deliver a complex refurbishment that will support Nuffield Department of Medicine and the university’s continuous pursuit of delivering scientific excellence.”
70% of Stepnell’s costs on the Henry Wellcome project have been directed to local supply chain businesses within 30 miles, as well as five local employees being hired or retained by Stepnell on the project. Stepnell’s commitment to community engagement also extended to Longworth Primary School, where the team repurposed former laboratory equipment and donated £1,100 of supply chain materials to create a mud kitchen for pupils – in total delivering a 30% social value return on investment.
Duncan Rollo, project manager at Nuffield Department of Medicine said:
“Over the duration of the project, a positive working relationship was developed between Stepnell, the department, TMD and lab users. This collaborative approach helped deliver to successfully deliver the project including an early handover, which was greatly appreciated by all stakeholders.”
Elsewhere at the University of Oxford, Stepnell is also progressing works on a further ÂŁ1.7 million refurbishment of the physics laboratory in the Townsend Building at the Clarendon Laboratory, due for completion next year.
