A Kent building design and construction company that stepped in to save a sports hall project from being axed has been celebrating the new facility’s official opening.
Staff from Ashford-based Directline Structures joined teachers, students and other guests at Seaford Head Community College in East Sussex to watch Gladiators TV presenter Jenny Pacey and Ian Broadbridge, from the Department for Education, cut a ribbon to mark the opening.
The hall, which includes badminton courts, cricket nets, archery nets and an analysis / teaching room, is proving a real boon for the specialist sports college – but just last year it was a very different story.
Faced with spiralling costs after struggling to find a contractor that could meet its needs within budget, the college was on the brink of cancelling the project until Directline Structures stepped in.
The company’s managing director, Duncan Murray, said: “We’ve had years of experience with this kind of project so we knew we could save the hall by redesigning it and making it more efficient. We usually provide the whole package to clients, including design and planning, but in this case we were happy to take over at a critical stage.
“We fully appreciate the budget constraints that schools face, so we work hard to make optimum use of available space, keep costs down as much as we can, and we don’t compromise on quality and efficiency.”
Directline Structures’ lean and sustainable design and construction methods enabled them to exceed the client’s original specifications and ultimately saved the college £300,000 of unnecessary costs, as well as an estimated 30 tonnes of CO². “A remarkable achievement,” said Duncan.
Carbon savings were spread throughout the building, from earthworks, piling and foundations right through to the steel structure and fit-out. Around 300 tonnes of concrete were harvested from beneath the existing playground, crushed and used as sub-base material. The team used every scrap of spoil that was excavated at the site, so no surplus earth went to landfill.
Seaford Head’s business manager, David Greaves, said Directline Structures’ support and advice had been excellent: “They helped us every step of the way and have given us a high-end sports facility for a low-end price.
“We now have an exceptional, cost-effective and environmentally-friendly building that will benefit students and the wider community for years to come.”
Award-winning Directline Structures, which specialises in one-stop design and build projects in the education sector, has now built 16 sports halls, multi-purpose halls, sixth-form blocks and teaching spaces for schools and colleges across Kent and the South East of England.
For further information, visit www.directlinestructures.co.uk, email info@directlinestructures.co.uk or call 01233 504770.
