Vision West Nottinghamshire College - External Refurbishment & Recladding of Multiple Campus Buildings

Vision West Nottinghamshire College is a further and higher education college offering education and training to over 20,000 students and businesses every year.

Since their construction in the 1970s, several of the original Vision West Nottinghamshire College campus buildings had developed a number of issues, including generating high utility bills, as well as suffering extremes of solar gain and heat loss through existing single glaze windows.

The college was keen to address all of these issues quickly. Other key considerations for client in the refurbishment of the buildings included improving the aesthetics and reducing the planned maintenance costs of the building. Vision West Nottinghamshire College also wanted to achieve value for money and low maintenance solutions with the refurbishment and revised external redesign.

Following a competitive tender process J Tomlinson was appointed as main contractor to work on the final phase of improvement works throughout the college campus including the six storey tower, the bridge to the six storey tower, the Enviro Block, the three storey tower, the Trades Building, the Learning Resource Centre, the Sherwood Building and the ‘Number 19’ building.

J Tomlinson worked closely with the client and their design team to ensure the planned project was completed both on time and on budget. The firm utilised bespoke products from specialist suppliers to ensure any construction generated was low maintenance. External cladding was used on the scheme to improve the building aesthetics, and also to provide energy efficiency through insulation.

J Tomlinson utilised over 2000 specialist lightweight cladding panels with a coloured ceramic finish for the task, and these were built onto an insulated secondary framework system, complete with an integral curtain walling glazing system.

We also installed roof lights to increase the capture of natural daylight and mechanical and electrical engineering services were upgraded by J Tomlinson’s in-house M&E team to help minimise utility bills for the College and also improve overall aesthetics. The building was also externally redecorated.

Phase 2 of the works covered the demolition (in part), alteration and full refurbishment of the existing Trades Building to convert it into a new Visual Arts Centre. Works included the provision of a new feature entrance, an enlarged mezzanine and the installation of platform lift.

The project was completed on time and within budget, gaining excellent feedback from the client.

Works were successfully completed on time and on budget, through a number of phases.

Exceptional attention to Health and Safety issues to ensure works did not impede the college operation in any way.

Successful use of specialist products to minimise maintenance and increase energy efficiency.

Greatly improved aesthetics and overall visual unity of college buildings.

We placed a great emphasis on frequent communication with the client due to the sensitive nature of the works (live college environment).

Client commendation: “The overall visual appearance of the campus is stunning; with original buildings constructed between the 1950s and 1970s completely renovated externally and fully-modernised. The new cladding provides additional thermal insulation and energy savings to the college. Tomlinson’s have worked effectively and efficiently throughout the project to deliver the scheme on time, with minimum disruption to teaching and learning.” Tom Stevens (executive director of capital projects and estates – Vision West Nottinghamshire College)