London Enterprise Academy (LEA)

Client:

Year:

Value:

Contract:

Scope:

Duration:

LEA & ESFA (DfE)

2015

£7.1M

JCT D&B

Upper floor addition

32 weeks

London Enterprise Academy is a state funded secondary school that opened in September 2014 in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The school is based in Aneurin Bevan House, a modern refurbished 7 storey office block on Commercial Road. CityAxis were appointed as Principal Contractor for the design and construction of a two storey external platform to provide outdoor recreational space for the school. The structure comprised of bright yellow hyperboloid columns, designed to appear as tree trunks with multiple branches supporting a lightweight sky-blue aluminium decking platform above. The platforms were enclosed with perimeter balustrading consisting of a perforated mesh balustrade on the inside and Accoya timber cladding on the outside with a planter in between. Access was provided to the existing building on two levels via new openings in the existing curtain walling and there was an interlinking staircase between each platform.

Works included:

Protecting the occupants of the school and maintaining access/egress routes whilst carrying out the works in a live school environment
Design of the complex steel frame structure comprised of architectural cluster columns and connecting beams. This project ran during the Covid epidemic and suffered monumental price increases and prolongation of delivery periods.
Steelwork specialist paint application in situ during the inclement winter months.
Party wall matters and consent for overhanging works.

CityAxis Response:

The protection plan involved a robust Construction Phase Plan and a rigid fire evacuation stragegy to allow egress through and under the structure in case of emergency.
A point cloud survey was carried out and 3D modelling was utilized to remove risk of design clashes.
CityAxis worked very closely with the steelwork suplier and the client to mitigate cost and programme issues.
CityAxis utilized protective cloaking and close collaboration to apply the required intumescent covering.
CityAxis worked closely with the adjoining owners to ensure temporary oversailing works could be accommodated during erection.