We partnered with Southampton Solent University during the Summer recess to provide Hamwic Student Residence with a refresh.
Settling into uni life can be a daunting process and as such, we partnered with Southampton Solent University to refresh the accommodation rooms at Hamwic Student Residence and welcome students back for the new academic year.
Duration
9 weeks
Contract Value
£342k
Location
Southampton
Number of Rooms
228 in total
The Project
More than just a roof over student’s heads, Hamwic Student Residence has been a haven for settling into university life for many years and was now due a refreshed decoration. We partnered with Solent University during the Summer recess and armed ourselves with paintbrushes and a sense of design flair.
Our task was to complete the refurbishment of 228 rooms within the residence including redecoration, flooring replacement and electrical works. Whilst carrying out the project, we were also asked to convert the originally enclosed wardrobe spaces into open shelving and dress railing. We instructed 15 of our directly employed operatives and engaged local, approved subcontractors to provide the flooring and electrical aspects of the work throughout. For the additional work, we allocated extra labour from neighbouring rolling contracts.
Our Solution
It was absolutely vital that we met the specified timescale for this project as students would soon be returning to live for the academic year. During the preliminary meeting, the client informed us an external contractor would need access to the rooms to fit bespoke furniture. To accommodate for this and ensure delays were eliminated, we completed the work on a floor by-floor basis. This allowed us to hand over completed rooms to the furniture contractor and university’s facilities team for the finishing touches.
During the early weeks, we accelerated the programme by carrying out weekend and evening works. This gave us and the client an element of ‘breathing space’ towards the end of the project to ensure we completed within the fixed timescale.
Added Value
Communication is key to any project and especially one that is so time-critical. Therefore, we met with the client weekly to discuss the progress of the project and provide any updates. Much of the original furniture that was removed was still in good condition so we worked with the university to ensure this was recycled. Before work began, the client expressed how they would like us to source lamps for the student’s desks. We aligned our search with the environmental aims of the University and suggested an LED lamp which was more eco-friendly than the original.
The Result
The rooms now have a light and airy look and since completion, we have been awarded a place on the university’s approved list of contractors. Since this, we have completed various ad-hoc projects, varying from £1k to £25k in value with the university.
The Campus Operations Manager also provided us with the following feedback: “Excellent work and support from the CLC team. The results look fantastic and we look forward to hopefully working with CLC in future projects.”
