We have started finalising plans for external paving and took samples to site to test out the colour schemes! The architects are working hard to finalise and tweak all designs and details and are busy providing us with yet more samples so that we can get everything ordered in time. Follow this link to see more about Anne Thorne Architects http://www.annethornearchitects.blogspot.com/.

The whole team of contractors, engineers and consultants are working really well together and everyone is on board to try and make sure we come in on time and on budget. A top effort by all involved so far!

The builders have even started taking advantage of our garden, having put together a make-shift table and chairs arrangement they have started taking lunch outside! Considering there is no heating in the building it is probably warmer outside when the sun is shining

Upstairs the new first floor lobby is being formed to make way for the lift. A new glazed door to the second green roof terrace has been installed and new glass doors and panels in the stairwell area will open this space up and flood it with some much-needed light.

Our tenants from DDP who occupy the 2nd floor offices also visited site today to look at phone and data points. We have two more site visits planned next week where trustees and staff will have the opportunity to see the developments first hand. We will also be setting up some site visits for family carers and some of the adults and volunteers that attend our weekly social and leisure groups.

Work has also started outside in preparation for the changes we need to make to Keighley Close. A lamp-post has been moved, this will allow us to change the curve of the road to make way for new pavement beside our building to create a fully accessible route into our building.

We are really moving on now and hopefully next week will also see the installation of the lift started.

Some photos…

The lift shaft is now complete and ready for the next stage – the lift is being delivered next week and from there all the steel structure will need to be installed. I can’t wait to see this work in progress it will be fascinating to see how everything is fitted in place.

Still more work is going on around the first fix electrical, plumbing and mechanical fittings. Discussions are still ongoing around how this needs to be installed to avoid unnecessary boxing-in around the reception area. Working around old structural fittings in the original Victorian building alongside the 70′s extension alongside a new build extension is a complicated process and tricky to get right in places.

However, plaster work is moving on and the walls to create the reception office are in construction and looking good. This will provide a much improved contact centre at the heart of the activity spaces.

Floor insulation is going down and we can now get a real idea of how high the rooms will be and how the space will feel as a whole. Rooms A and B are starting to feel so much more cosy than ever before.

We are also looking at the extent to which we need to repair the existing plaster work on the ground floor in and around the old reception and entrance hall. This area was really in a poor state of repair before we moved, seeing it now against some shiny new plaster work it really stands out!

Some pictures…

Luckily the weather hasn’t interrupted any work and the snow over the weekend didn’t cause any damage. We have however discovered a slight leak in the garden room ceiling, the roofers are going to come back out and have a look so all should be well. Better to find out now that when we move back in!

The next stage of the lift has seen a breakthrough into the housing office! You can now stand in the old reception and look through into the builders canteen through the lift openings at both levels. The lift is currently scheduled to be installed on the week commencing 20th February.

The new doors to Room B are also going in to match the doors in Room A, this will also help to bring more light into what used to be a dark damp corner of the basement.

Plastering work has started in the basement rooms and we even had men on stilts plastering the ceiling which amused me greatly!

The lift shaft has now gone up to the first floor level but the opening to the Housing Office is yet to be completed as the contractors are currently using this as their staff room!

The new kitchen window has been installed and the hatch to the main hall is under construction. This new window has had a surprising effect on what was the old coffee bar, it floods the room with more light and creates a much better relationship with the small front patio outside the main hall. We are so very excited about having a new accessible kitchen that will have more storage and a much improved layout with some benches at an accessible height so that children and wheelchair users can comfortably reach surfaces when preparing food and snacks.

More wiring and electrical fixing work is in progress also to allow for new recessed light fittings in the garden room.

This week the site visit lasted nearly 4 hours as we walked around the whole building, things are really getting into the detailed stages now and decisions about final positions and finishes is starting to become more and more important. Now the structure has been set out we can really get into how everything will work together, looking at positioning of electrical and data points, radiators, door frames and sizes, and overcoming practical operational issues as they arise.

However progress is pushing on and everything is still moving in the right direction. We now have windows installed in the new reception office and doors to the garden in Room A. The reception lobby and basement rooms are being prepared for plastering and the new layout is really coming together.

The lift shaft is also progressing, this is a relatively slow process where only a few levels of block work can be constructed at a time. It has now moved up to the ground floor office (previously our reception office) and is looking good. This is a really significant part of the refurbishment and will greatly improve our accessibility.

The electricians have been investigating the old wiring in the Victorian property and have revealed that the existing wiring was in need of upgrading so we are now re-wiring the whole building. They have started feeding new wiring through the basement areas and are preparing for new lighting arrangements to be installed in the Garden Room and other activity areas. We also have some brand new data cabling going in which is very exciting, the old system had been added onto over the years and created a nightmare for our IT support and staff who very patiently dealt with slow access and intermittent connections. A new data hub will sit beside the lift at ground level and will allow us to track cables and manage data and phone connections much more efficiently.

We hope to plan a site visit for a small group of stakeholders in the next month or so to give them a sneak preview of progress so far. Everyone involved with Centre 404 has been so supportive of the project and patient with us during the relocation period so far so thank you for that, I hope you are enjoying seeing the project develop.

The lift shaft is now going up from basement to ground floor…

Centre 404 garden volunteers Savaas and Murat put on their hard hats to meet Paul Fagan and the Rydon team on site!

Rydon Maintenance work with the London Borough of Islington to do repairs to local housing schemes and they also work closely with local communities to find ways that they can get involved and help out.

A family carer of one of our club members recommended Centre 404 to a friend Paul Fagan who she knows at Rydon Maintenance, they got in touch straight away to see if they could help us. Lee Furbank the site supervisor said

“We are pleased that we can offer our support to such a worthy cause, it is clear to see that the centre is well-loved, well used and important to the many people who use it. This work provides opportunities for our workers to give back to the communities we work in, a great sense of achievement for everyone involved.”

So far Rydon have used over 200 hours of contractor time which amounts to a gift in kind of around £8,500. Centre 404 hopes to develop this relationship with Rydon Maintenance and would be happy to talk to any other local companies who would be interested in teaming up with us to find ways that they can give back to their local community.

Following the Christmas break our contractors were back on site on 3rd January and work has continued in the basement to progress the damp proofing work which is now well underway. A waterproof membrane has been put in to protect the basement rooms, keep them dry and prevent mould growing. Before we moved out some of the storage rooms were badly affected by damp due to the high external ground levels and leaking asphalt on the steps. This work will greatly improve the activity rooms making them much more welcoming and comfortable for our groups.

The construction of the lift shaft is also underway and the shape of the new reception lobby is really coming together now. The former layout at this level of the building is now almost unrecognisable, it is so exciting to stand in what will be the new accessible reception area and to imagine the hustle and bustle of daily activities returning to our centre.

The openings for the new windows to the reception office have now been constructed. This office is on the sunny side of the building and these windows will provide some wonderful light into a room that used to be quite dark and cold. It will also allow people coming to the centre to feel more connected to the staff when they arrive as they will be able to see into the centre before they come through the new entrance door. Again this will help to create a more welcoming environment for visitors.

The pergola area outside the new Garden Room is also taking shape and will become a welcome extension providing a break out activity space that will be well utilised in the warmer months.

Our green roofs are also now in the process of being installed, insulation layers have gone in and the waterproof layer was being finished today. The sedum planting will not go in until the spring to allow the plants a good opportunity to flourish once all the frost and cold weather has passed.

All together there is a lot going on and it is fantastic to see the new layout taking shape. This is a vital time for the project and all the consultants and contractors are working hard with me to try to make sure we stay on schedule and on budget. At present there is a potential that there may be a slight delay on the schedule but this is only a matter of a few weeks at the moment, and if all goes well we may be able to make some of this time up. However, we are almost half way into the project now and so far so good, fingers crossed this is how the project will continue!

As usual here are some pictures…

The wall to the pergola area outside the garden room has been constructed also and when inside the extension it is easy to see how the room will really work to create a much better relationship with the garden.

The new sash window for the new kitchen has also arrived and is looking very good, this was made to order in keeping with other windows at the front of the building.

After 3 months of reporting on the project I am pleased to say we are pretty much on target with a 2 week delay being reported at present, there is a chance some of this may be made up as we go through but all is well so far!

The contractors and consultants have done a fantastic job to keep everything on schedule and to plan so thanks to everyone that has been involved so far.

Here are a few pics, I will be back in touch in January so in the meantime have a great festive season everyone!

The new roof for the extension has been part built and will be water tight and insulated ready for the green sedum roof to be installed. A sedum roof is an environmentally friendly surface and should help to reduce heat ommissions, improve insulation and the need for heating/air conditioning, retain rainfall and also privide micro climates for wildlife.

Inside the building the damp proof work was underway and also more walls have come down in the basement to reveal what will soon be the new accessible entrance foyer and reception office.

The windows and doors have arrived and hopefully the garden room will be water tight before the festive break.

Here are a few pics…Click to view slideshow.