the
Quatercentenarian
News from R. Durtnell and Sons Limited
Spring 2015
It’s No Accident
Some two or so years ago R Durtnell & Sons Ltd had submitted a tender for a new ambulance station in Brighton,
known as a Make Ready Centre. The job did not go ahead but we had sufficiently impressed the Employer and his
team to be invited to tender for three new MRC’s.
Earlier this year South East Coast Ambulance, part of the NHS, awarded R Durtnell & Sons Ltd a Design & Build
contract to build a new MRC worth £4.7m, starting this Spring at Polegate, a few miles North of Eastbourne, East
Sussex.
The clay bound site slope has a water course running through and will require some 5,000 cubic metres of soil
removal before construction can get underway. The programme for this project is 42 weeks.
This is one of four new MRC’s and the first to get underway. Three further MRC’s are being planned in Brighton,
Crawley and Chichester.
Quantity Surveyor: Sawyer & Fisher
M&E Employer’s Consultant: Mecserv
Employer’s Concept Designer: LA Architects Employer’s Agent: Chawton Hill
Contractor’s Designer: Ubique Architects
Structural Engineers: Millwood House Consultants
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
Colfe’s School
page 2
Larkfield House
page 3
Two Stage Tenders
page 3
Durtnell Joinery & Finishings page 8
In The Frame!
page 9
Cheam Leisure Centre
page 10
Kent County Council Contracts page 11
Hidden Histories
page 12
Chantry Quarry - pages 4/5
www.durtnell.co.uk
Rye Cinema - pages 6/7
the Quatercentenarian / Page 1
Colfe’s School
In 1652 the Reverend Abraham Colfe re-founded a school that was established in
1574 by John Glyn. Nowadays Colfe’s School, in Horn Park, South London, is a
co-educational private school for pupils from 3 to 18 years old.
In the summer of 2014, R Durtnell & Sons Ltd commenced work at the school after
successfully tendering for the construction of a new teaching and sixth form block.
Located at the heart of the school, this new facility will provide additional teaching
accommodation and an area for the sixth form to socialise.
The design for the new block was carried out by BHM Architects and the PQS is
Gardiner & Theobald. To deal with tight access around the site, a decision was
taken to erect a tower crane, which has been invaluable in distributing materials
and in particular for the steelwork and brickwork construction.
The £5m project is due for completion in the summer having been on site for 63
weeks.
“Durtnell have made what is the school’s biggest and probably most difficult new building project to date an
enjoyable and painless experience. Building in such a confined space in the centre of the existing school buildings
means that Durtnell have to tailor their working practices to minimise disruption to the school - this has worked well,
and the Headmaster commented that he has had no complaints from school staff. Likewise there have been times
when school routine needs to be adapted to accommodate certain elements of work. Durtnell’s Site Manager on this
project is excellent, experienced and gives the school 100% confidence. I would definitely recommend Durtnell on
any future project.”
J Martin Scobie, Operations Director, Colfe’s School
the Quatercentenarian / page 2
www.durtnell.co.uk
Larkfield House
After a period of final negotiations, R Durtnell & Sons Ltd
commenced construction in July 2014 of a new five bedroom private house in Penshurst, Kent.
The new residential dwelling is c. 3500 sq/ft and replaces
the mid 1930’s house that stood on the site.
Following demolition, an in-situ concrete basement was
excavated and cast. The main superstructure is
constructed using hand made bricks with stone quoins and
lintels being installed on all the elevations.
The main feature of the property, which is due for
completion during the Summer of 2015, is a sweeping oak
staircase to the front hall, along with the terraced gardens
and stunning views across the Weald.
The £1.2m scheme is being managed by Jonathan Dunn
Architects and the PQS is Trevor Patrick Partnership.
The programme for this project is 52 weeks.
R Durtnell & Sons Ltd are delighted to be involved with the
creation of this new family home and one that is just a mile
away from Poundsbridge Manor - the first house built by
the company in 1591.
Two Stage Tenders
R Durtnell & Sons Ltd are currently working on two 2
stage tenders. The first is for a new residential scheme in
Seasalter. The scheme has been designed by Architect
Edward Szewczuk and is situated on the Kent coast, with
some challenging site conditions and access issues. We,
together with the Structural Engineer, have been heavily
involved in the design of the substructure and site
perimeter retaining walls. This project is due on site
Summer 2015.
The second tender is with the University of
Creative Arts (UCA), having recently completed
a £2.0m scheme in Wimbledon.
R Durtnell & Sons Ltd have now been appointed by the UCA, Rochester for the £2.3m
remodelling and entrance building. Architects
DRDH are seeking to create “a more open and
welcoming face to the campus for staff,
students and the wider community”.
The scheme is due on site Summer 2015.
www.durtnell.co.uk
the Quatercentenarian / page 3
Chantry Quarry
This successful project has received a number of awards :
Best Architecture Multiple Residence UK, Best Architecture
Multiple Residence South East (5 star), Best Residential
Development Surrey (5 star) and Highly Commended
Interior Design Show Home South East - all at the 2014
UK Property Awards.
Completion beckons at The Quarry, near Guildford - a
project involving the construction of 15 contemporary
townhouses.
Chantry Quarry is hidden away at the foot of a
prestigious residential area that rises up and away from
central Guildford to meet the green open spaces of the
North Downs.
Works to this £13m project commenced on 25th June
2012. All of the units are sold and 11 are already
occupied. Internal finishes to the last two houses and
the final soft and hard landscaping works are drawing to
a conclusion.
The project for Latchmere Properties was designed by
Brookes Architects, with engineering by Thomasons and
the PQS was Deacon & Jones.
The houses, which are all open plan, are formed by five
floors and a roof garden, all accessed by a lift.
The location of the properties within half a mile of
Guildford and centred within an old chalk quarry, made
for quite unique selling points.
“At the risk of sounding like an Oscar winning
performance - its fair to say all the site team are
priceless and go over and above ones expectations of
working with builders/contractors. We just wanted to say
a huge ‘Thank You’ to everyone. Generally, we appreciate
everyone’s hard work in making our house more and more
a home.”
Private Resident - The Quarry
the Quatercentenarian / page 4www.durtnell.co.uk
www.durtnell.co.uk the Quatercentenarian / Page 5
Rye Cinema
In the late Autumn of 2013, R Durtnell & Sons Ltd successfully tendered for a project to bring a new privately owned
cinema to Rye, East Sussex.
The Kino, located behind the George Hotel, is the brainchild of the Fletcher Group and the Kino, with the Kino already
operating a cinema in Hawkhurst, Kent.
Working with Jonathan Dunn Architects, the project consisted of two phases. The first phase was for the demolition,
new build and refurbishment of the planned cinema superstructure and the second phase was for the fit out for the
Kino Group. The project commenced mid December 2013 and completed on time in the middle of January 2015.
The overall contract sum was circa £1.2m and the finished building houses two cinema screens (100 seater and 40
seater), along with an ‘Art Room’ used for occasional private viewings, a kitchen, a box office and cafe with
mezzanine.
The work involved dealing with very tight access constraints via the Medieval Arch and Rye’s notorious one way
system. The building has a listed status, which meant that a great deal of sympathy had to be given to the approach
and planning of the works.
The raking site meant that the new 100 seat cinema had to be piled with a blockwork and steel shell then constructed.
The new roof areas were covered with single ply membrane and also sedum roof covering. The old tiled roof areas
were also refurbished incorporating the traditional ‘hatched’ lines as seen on adjacent buildings.
Following the successful completion of the works, the project has been short-listed for five awards:•
•
•
•
Best Change of Use of an Existing Building or Conversion - LABC Building Excellence Awards
Best Small Commercial Building - LABC Building Excellence Awards
Sussex Heritage Trust Award
Rother Conservation Award
the Quatercentenarian / page 6www.durtnell.co.uk
Awards Received
The cinema has already received the following awards:•
•
•
RIBA South East Award 2015
Rye Conservation Society Townscape Award 2015
Design and Conservation Award 2015
“I enjoyed working with Durtnell’s team on this project. It was very challenging with a difficult site and complex
conversion. However everyone worked well together in resolving any issues thrown up. The Site Manager was very
committed to the project and had many challenges to deal with which was a big influence on the success of the final
building. The design is quite unusual but all on site were focused on the attention to detail which has now fully paid
off. I look forward to working with all involved again soon.”
Rob Pollard, Architect, Jonathan Dunn Architects
www.durtnell.co.uk
the Quatercentenarian / page 7
Durtnell Joinery
& Finishing
The last year has seen Durtnell Joinery & Finishings settle down
in their new home at Aylesford, near Maidstone, Kent.
The mill, which is staffed by 8 joiners, 3 machinists, 2 sprayers
and 2 managers is having good success in securing work from
other main contractors, joinery companies, Architects and Interior
Designers.
The mill is set up to undertake all aspects of joinery from
hardwood sash windows and fitted furniture, to veneered MDF
wardrobes and doors.
Recent works completed include a hardwood bell tower for
Brasted Place (the same village as our head office), a circular
reception desk for a private London school, bespoke hardwood
wardrobes for private apartments in Chelsea and a hardwood
conservatory for a private house in Kent.
In addition to producing high quality joinery, the mill has a spray
shop which carries out all level of spraying and prep work. This
section of the business extends to on site spraying and finishing
and since the beginning of the year, we have undertaken making
good and polishing works on finished joinery in private
residences in St James, Chelsea and Knightsbridge.
If you have any joinery or finishing work or require any advice on
the aforementioned then please do contact the Joinery Manager,
Paul Henley, on 01622 790601 or [email protected].
the Quatercentenarian / page 8
www.durtnell.co.uk
In the Frame - Update!
Our partnering agreement continues with London Borough of Merton and
London Borough of Sutton.
Projects recently completed include:•
Devonshire Primary School - construction of a two-storey timber
framed classroom block and construction of a single storey on top of
the existing sports/assembly hall; completed for London Borough of
Sutton. Architect was The HOCA Practice with whom R Durtnell &
Sons Ltd have a long working relationship. Project value: £2.3m.
•
Beddington Park Primary School - again for the London Borough of
Sutton, we carried out a three phase project to include new entrance
building, 3 classroom infill and refurbishment and reconfiguration to
existing areas of the school. Architect was NPS South East Ltd.
Project value: £1.5m.
•
Cheam Leisure Centre - project details follow.
Projects currently on site:•
Sherwood Hill SEN School - construction of a new £4.5m SEN school
with associated soft and hard landscaping areas. Client is London
Borough of Sutton. Project team is:
Architect: Architype Ltd
QS: Synergy LLP
•
Perseid Lower School - project value £1.0m. Perseid Lower School
is located over two campuses, the Higher School for High School
Students and the Lower School for primary students. R Durtnell &
Sons have been employed by London Borough of Merton to create
extensions to the Lower school and re-modelling works which will
house the primary students aged 3-5 years old.
Projects awarded and due to start:•
Cheam Common Junior School
Construction of new single storey
building and external infill area. Works
also include re-modelling the existing
school and entrances.
•
St Mary’s Junior School
Construction of two extensions to form
new classrooms and ancillary areas.
Whilst the project is underway the school is open, therefore the
school is occupied so the health and safety of both staff and pupils is
of importance to the site team and our subcontractors.
New Staff
R Durtnell & Sons Ltd have made two senior appointments within the
last six months.
David Neiles has joined the company in the position of Construction
Manager, with his day-to-day duties being concerned with the running
of all the ‘live’ projects. This includes sub-contract procurement, health
and safety, programming, logistics, client liaison etc. David comes with
a long career behind him in the construction industry and in the past has
worked for Denne and William Verry and has been an integral part of the
BSF for Kent County Council.
Philip Ithier has taken up the position of Pre-Construction Director. Phil
will be overseeing all aspects of pre-construction, including marketing,
tendering, pre-qualification, PR, interviews etc. Phil started out as an
Engineer and progressed into management both in the UK and overseas for companies Balfour Beatty, Interserve and Volker Fitzpatrick.
We wish them all the best for their future at R Durtnell & Sons Ltd.
www.durtnell.co.uk
the Quatercentenarian / Page 9
Cheam Leisure Centre
Recently completed is the £3.0m refurbishment project we undertook at Cheam Leisure Centre for London Borough of
Sutton.
R Durtnell & Sons were employed to carry out the refurbishment of the existing leisure centre. The works which
Durtnell carried out were split into two elements, pre-contract works and main works.
Element 1 - Pre-Contract Works
The pre-contract works consisted of temporary footpaths around the site compound, containment within the leisure
centre to accommodate gym equipment and the construction of a temporary reception area for the gymnasium.
Element 2 - Main works
The main works included re-roofing of the main sports hall, re-lining the main pool, renewal of mechanical and electrical plant, installation of new windows, small extension to form disabled toilet, insulation and decoration.
The centre was officially re-opened on Saturday 11th April 2015.
Commonwealth gold medal winning swimmer Adam Whitehead, water polo captain Fran Leighton and synchronised
swimmer Adele Carlsen were alongside more than 1,000 visitors to Cheam Leisure Centre for the opening and taking
part in inflatable fun activities in the pool, group exercise classes and taster sessions.
More than 100 children took part in an Oceans of Fun event with the GB athletes and learned a variety of skills.
the Quatercentenarian / page 10
www.durtnell.co.uk
KCC Contracts
Oakwood Park Grammar School
In July of 2014 R Durtnell & Sons
Ltd were awarded Stage 1 of a 2
Stage Design and Build contract at
Oakwood Park Grammar School.
On 31 March 2015 RDS
commenced work on site. In the
intervening months since the award
of the First Stage we worked with
the Client and Designers to value
engineer the proposed new
teaching block to ensure the
scheme cost falling within the
Client’s available budget.
The final building being constructed is a two-storey Maths and Modern Languages facility.
The building incorporates a steel frame structure with pre-cast beam and block ground floor and a composite profiled
metal sheet and concrete upper floor and roof. The roof covering is a reinforced bitumen based membrane. The
building is clad with a combination of face brickwork, cellulose fibre reinforced resin cladding panels and curtain
walling.
Internally the rooms are divided with proprietary metal stud partitions and plasterboard to provide the required sound
resistance, in combination with acoustically rated fire doorsets. Ceilings are generally the structural soffits left
exposed, with acoustic absorbent panels hung from the structure to assist with the required acoustic design.
The building is heated with a water based underfloor heating system and is naturally ventilated via louvres in the
external façade and vent shafts at roof level. The building programme is for a total of 46 weeks, with a proposed
handover to the Client in February 2016.
Leybourne Chase Primary School
Also in July of 2014 R Durtnell & Sons Ltd were awarded the Design & Build contract at Leybourne Chase Primary
School. Work commenced on site on 27th October 2014, having spent time worrking with the Kent County Council,
Faithful & Gould, Lee Evans Partnership and Gary Gabriel Associates to value engineer the proposed new teaching
block.
The final £4.2m project is for a two-storey general teaching facility which includes a hall that can double up as a
sports/dining hall. External works include a new car park, MUGA and sports pitch.
The building programme is for 44 weeks with a proposed handover to the Client on 29th August 2015. The Architect
for this project is Lee Evans Partnership and the QS is Betteridge & Milsom.
www.durtnell.co.uk
the Quatercentenarian / page 11
Hidden Histories
R Durtnell & Sons Ltd were the subject of an hour long documentary, which was aired on BBC4 last year and again
shown in January 2015.
The programme ‘Hidden Histories’ was a journey through the 400 plus years of R Durtnell & Sons Ltd past and how
the business adapted as historical events took place, such as the Fire of London and World War II.
Our Chairman, Alexander Durtnell, was shown evidence not seen before, which backed up the claim that the family
had been involved with Construction since 1591. Interestingly the evidence seen actually suggested that the date
could have been far earlier than 1591!!
During the filming of the programme Alexander visited Lambeth Palace and saw first hand an original handwritten Will
from 1607 for William Durtnell, which stated that at that time he was a carpenter in the Parish of Penshurst, Kent.
Other visits included the site of Detling Aerodrome in Kent, which played a
key role in the Battle of Britain in WWII.
R Durtnell & Sons Ltd were employed in a pivotal post in keeping the
airfield fully functional which, after one serious attack by the Luftwaffe
(which left many dead), meant the runway had to be re-built along with
hanger repairs, all in a matter of days.
The programme was one of three in a series, the other two programmes
followed the story of R Balsom & Sons (Butchers) and Toye Kenning &
Spencer (Ribbon and Medal makers). The programme was produced by
Chris Durlacher who also produced the successful series called ‘The
History of our Streets’.
Of his involvement in the programme, Chairman Alexander Durtnell, said
“I always thought that I was aware of all the important aspects of the family history, but having been involved with the
programme and meeting the professional historians that they employ, I have to admit that I have without doubt learnt
and seen some new things related to our family and businesses. It was also a real eye opener into how much effort
and research goes into just an hours programme. Overall it was an enjoyable and memorial experience”.
Addio e buona fortuna
Evan Valente has recently retired from the position of Director and General Manager
after 28 years of loyal service. R Durtnell & Sons Ltd wish Evan a long and happy
retirement.
the Quatercentenarian is published by R Durtnell and Sons Limited
If you wish to unsubscribe, please contact Marketing at Head Office : Rectory Lane, Brasted, Kent, TN16 1JR
(t) 01959 564105 (f) 01959 564756 (e) [email protected]
the Quatercentenarian / page 12www.durtnell.co.uk