EDINBURGH-BASED Asset Venture has just completed the most challenging project in its five-year history.
Appointed last year as main contractor to undertake a schedule of common repair works at Royal London’s office premises at 1 Thistle St, Edinburgh, the major focus revolved around having to replace 152 large existing windows with Velfac V200 system double glazed window units – whilst the building was fully occupied.
The individual windows, which varied in size and weight up to 4½m2 and 165kg, coupled with a lack of on-site storage space added to the difficulty.
The project had to work around Edinburgh Council’s noise restrictions that prevented night time working and more significantly, Asset Venture had to ensure the day-to-day operation of the client’s core business, including a working call centre operating within the building, wasn’t compromised by the works.
The scope of works included working through the summer evenings and weekends to scaffold the entire building; external repair works to rake out and repoint the entire stone clad building; roof repairs; the overhaul and refurbishment of 94 sash & case windows; internal joinery works and internal and external decorations.
Director Peter MacIntyre said, “We literally had our schedule planned to the minute as come the evening when the building was less busy we had our installation team standing by ready to remove the existing windows and immediately install the new windows, having assembled and transported them from the storage area up and around the scaffold into position during the day.”
Leigh Fyfe, Facilities Manager at Royal London said, “Great credit should go to (directors) Peter and Iain, for their organisation, constant communication and high level of planning that they brought to this project. I am very impressed such significant works were achieved with minimal impact on (our) day to day business operations and on time.”
