CD Hood Commercial builders in Cambridge were interested to see that the new £212 million research building is due to open its doors this spring to one of the most successful centres in the world, the Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB). 

Around 600 scientists and support staff are preparing to make the move into this building, which has been designed by architects in the shape of a Chromosome ‘X’. The LMB have won nine Nobel prizes, and various other scientific prizes over the past few years. 

New research led by Leo James and Will McEwan from the LMB’s PNAC Division, has uncovered a previously unrecognised mechanism of intracellular pathogen detection which may provide a deeper understanding of how antibodies help fight disease and lead to the design of better vaccines and gene therapies.

The LMB scientists have set out to tackle long-term research problems, and they feel that the new building will enable them to develop new things that they have not already considered. The conception and building has taken over 10 years. The building boasts some interesting design concepts, including external sculptured towers which can carry vibrations and noise away from the laboratories, which contain very sensitive equipment. The building has also been designed so that maintenance can be carried out without disturbing the labs, and the design will allow for changes to be made easily to the layout of the laboratories. 

One of the wings of the new building has been dedicated to Cambridge University researchers. It is hoped that the new building will offer first-class facilities to some of the World’s leading scientists, to help make discoveries in nerve degeneration, immunity and synthetic biology, which could be vital to Worldwide Health.  

Our scientists tackle difficult, long-term research problems. At the same time they are encouraged to exploit their discoveries – through patents, licensing and business start-ups – helping to advance medical research and improve the UK’s economic competitiveness. If you would like to find out more about their research projects, then please follow this link http://www2.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/

CD Hood Ltd offer commercial maintenance plans to all types of businesses including research centres and major hospitals, so if you are looking at taking out a maintenance contract then please give one of our specialised team a call today on 01353 658403.

CD Hood work closely with local authorities improving and refurbishing school buildings. We realise that there are always financial constraints within any refurbishment project, and we work with schools to enable them to realise their vision, constructively working together to squeeze out the best possible result from the funds available. 

First of all we work out with a school its core objectives – these are essential things which might need to be done, such as a leaky roof light or an old boiler which needs replacing. Then there are the ‘nice to haves’ – these are desirable changes which the school can function without. Then the ‘bonus’ areas, these are parts of the build which could be funded separately in the future, these are very important to think about in the initial stages, so these can be easily added later on, when funding is available. 

By working out all of this enables your building contractor and your school to be able to monitor and report on all of the costs of the project, and how and why the cost estimations have been prepared. 

The school will then be ale to understand better the impact on making decisions, and suggest ways in which their objectives can be realised within less cost. 

Areas where costs can sometimes spiral out of control, if they are not allowed for at the beginning of a project are structural changes, for example load bearing walls, changing the location of large items such as boilers which have a huge impact on the infrastructure of a project. These can also impact on the protection of the school from a health and safety aspect. 

Considering all of the options available will enable a school to understand the effect of the decisions and make informed choices. If you would like to meet CD Hood commercial builders in Cambridge for a pre-school building consultation we will be able to draft out all of these aspects with you.

CD Hood builders have experience in creating fantastic refurbishments in schools across East Anglia, Herts and Essex. From our wealth of experience we know that every project must involve a degree of compromise, and prioritising what needs to be done first is essential. 

Prioritising will take a degree of experience, and a design team will need to complete an analysis of the whole building. If you are only going to be able to refurbish some parts of the school, there will need to be consideration about what will needs to be done to achieve the best results. As by renovating some parts of the building will show up areas which previously looked acceptable, as they will probably look more tired and dated than they did before, unless they have some architectural importance. 

If you are only considering changing some areas of the site, it might be worth considering ‘grading’ the appearance of the renovation, in this way the transition between old and new will be more gradual. 

It is necessary right at the start of a project to take into account when and if funding will be available in the future, as this will define how you plan our refurbishment school project. If you are planning a school project CD Hood commercial builders in Cambridge have a vast experience in dealing with planning, concepts to finish build.

CD Hood commercial builders in Cambridge know that unless a school refurbishment is quite small and in the interior of the building that you will probably have to ask for building consent. If your school building is in a conservation area, you may also need separate conservation consent. 

The best thing to do would be approach your local planning authority, and they will be able to advise you on this, they will also have a list of historical or special architectural buildings in the vicinity of the school. If you are planning a building project in the Cambridge area, this is the planning page link for Cambridge City Council planning department.

Unless your project doesn’t need any consent then the refurbishment or construction of the school building mustn’t start. Putting in an application can take some time, and expense so it is best to contact an architectural company, specialist planning consultant or a building company such as CD Hood who will be able to speed up the process, by using skilled management of the application. 

A well managed school planning proposal and project will normally stand a much better chance of gaining planning consent if it is well prepared. 

If you are thinking of extending, refurbishing or creating a new area in your school, then give our team at CD Hood a call, we work closely with a team of architects to ensure that your project runs smoothly from concept to build, keeping to both budget and timescales.

CD Hood Ltd, commercial builders in Cambridge, realise that this can take some careful consideration, and is down to both the school’s individual requirements and needs. If for example there is a leaking roof, then this will need to be repaired or replaced, as well as if a boiler that is nearly 20 years old, then provisions will be need to be put in place for its replacement. 

A building will also need to be checked by a surveyor, who will in most cases provide an appraisal of the buildings condition, to make sure there is no asbestos present, or if the electrical wiring needs replacing or if the structure dates back to 1950’s whether there is any high alumina cement concrete on the site. 

A possible survey of your school might include:

• Geotechnical – making sure the foundations of the building can be determined, taking into consideration historical drawings, any possibility of contamination, the level of the water table underneath and if there are any obstructions.

• Structural – this will explore the type and scope for any structural survey needed, and will be determined by a structural engineer of the design team, these will include electrical and mechanical. • Service below ground – these are harder to complete, and trial holes might need to be necessary to find out where they have been laid.

• Asbestos – there are three main types of asbestos, these include:

Chrysotile, this is a white curly fiber. Chrysotile accounts for 90% of asbestos products. Amosite, this is brown or grey, with straight fibers. Crocidolite, this is blue and has straight fibers, and is a member of the amphibole group
 
• Disability Discrimination Act – the shortcomings in buildings might be quite obvious, such as poor access for wheel chair users, but it will probably be worth obtaining a comprehensive assessment from a specialist. The outcome of this surveyor will enable your school to make choices about what needs to be kept, what can be repaired and what needs to be got rid of.

If you are planning your school refurbishment, then give CD Hood Commercial builders a call, we work throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex and Herts, we have a vast amount of experience in the school sector, which can be the difference between a project going slowly and not, the photograph is part of the development we completed for St Christopher's School - Why not check out some of the other school projects we have work on  @ http://www.cdhood.co.uk/projects