Trent to clad new Harris Academy at South Norwood

Trent has secured the £434k cladding contract for the new Harris Academy at South Norwood in South East London.

The contract covers 1083 square metres of white acid-etched reconstructed stone cladding in 242 storey high panels. The precast cladding is used extensively across the two main elevations of the 3-storey academy - with units varying from 2950mm to 3475mm in height and 730mm to 1480mm in length.

Trent Concrete developed the detailed design closely with architects John McAslan & Partners, and advised on how to achieve the original design intent using precast concrete. Precast concrete lent itself to the design concept, cladding two 'hard' fingers on the building to complement 5 'soft' timber-clad blocks (see photograph of model above). Trent was then specified when the development was put out to tender.

Precast concrete is gaining increasing recognition on public sector projects, where speed of construction and programme certainty are key. Precast also scores highly on the sustainability and lifecycle costing front. Trent starts on site on 24th July for a 10 week programme, and the academy will open in September 2007.

Client: Harris Ventures
Architect: John McAslan & Partners
Contractor: Wates Construction

Notes

Trent Concrete is a specialist precast concrete contractor, producing high quality bespoke architectural cladding and structures.

Providing a complete solution from detailed design development through skills-based manufacture to on-site erection, Trent Concrete partners with leading developers and specifiers to ensure that their projects gain maximum benefit from prefabrication.

Trent Concrete's precast solutions make a major contribution to improved quality, certainty, sustainability, safety and efficiency in the UK construction industry today.

The company has worked on some of the most prestigious projects of recent years, including The Scottish Office and the Toyota GB Plc and Thames Water headquarters buildings, and the quality of its work is consistently recognised in the form of industry awards. Trent Concrete was founded in 1917 and employs more than 160 people.

Editorial contact: David Walker
Tel: 0115 987 9747
Email: lmason@trentconcrete.co.uk

Trent Concrete Limited  -  e-mail:   quality@trentconcrete.co.uk