Project overview

Cokethorpe School is an independent day school for pupils aged 4 to 18. Set in rural West Oxfordshire and surrounded by over 150 acres of parkland, the school offers a wide range of sporting activities and facilities.

Project value
£20,000,000
Project value
Rating
Passivhaus design
Rating
eco-friendly and modern en-suite bedrooms
72
eco-friendly and modern en-suite bedrooms
RIBA Stage
2
RIBA Stage
Heritage Consultants
Bidwells
Heritage Consultants
5 national construction awards
5 Awards
5 national construction awards

The existing changing rooms were located away from the school’s sporting facilities, meaning there was limited access for pupils and staff.

To overcome this, Cokethorpe School opted to relocate these facilities to a new, purpose built, single storey changing pavilion.

Designed by ADP Architects, the Changing Pavilion is of timber frame construction, clad in timber panels and finished with a green roof – chosen to minimise the impact on the surrounding parkland.

Open walkways stretch the full depth of the building allowing natural light to pass through, as well as providing external access to the 10 individual changing rooms that are arranged for teams of 22.

Each changing room is finished with vinyl flooring, plasterboard ceilings and whiterock walls, with individual shower cubicles within each room. Singular WC facilities are located at either end of the pavilion. In addition to the changing facilities, the building provides a department office and medical room, sheltered bag storage areas, and boot removal facilities for pupils.

The project was successfully delivered with minimal disruption to pupils and staff.

The SDC site team were in regular communication with the school, ensuring that key stakeholders were informed at every stage of the construction process. Additionally, the works continued through the coronavirus pandemic, with careful consideration taken to ensure social distancing and enhanced cleaning measures throughout.

Project team

Adam Knaggs

Adam Knaggs

Managing Director

Adam joined SDC in 1995 as a Site Engineer. His position as Managing Director involves contributing to the day-to-day running of the business, setting the strategy for projects, and supporting all departments. Adam’s active approach to problem solving has been a defining trait of his career, as recognised by the Institution of Civil Engineers who honoured him with their Site Engineer of the Year Award 1999, in which he was praised for designing his own shuttering system.

Andrew Shiner

Andrew Shiner

Director

Andy joined SDC as a Site Agent and rose through the ranks to Project Director, before taking on his current role as Board Director in 2020. The experience he gained in all three professions will undoubtedly assist him in leading this scheme. On a previous project for NIAB in Cambridge, Andy’s team were responsible for SDC’s highest Considerate Constructors’ score to date (90 out of 100) and a Runner’s Up Prize at the CCS National Awards in 2019.

Andrew Mitchell

Andrew Mitchell

Director

Andrew is a senior member of staff who holds the role of Director/Company Secretary. He joined SDC in 1994, and had therefore been with the company for almost thirty years. He plays a key role in ensuring that board procedures are both followed and regularly reviewed. The Chairman and Board Directors will look to the Company Secretary for guidance as to what their responsibilities are under the rules and regulations to which they are subject, and on how these responsibilities should be discharged.

Francis Shiner

Francis Shiner

Chairman

Since joining the company in 1983, Francis has assumed various roles, from Chief Surveyor to managing Director, ultimately assuming the position of Chairman in 2021.

Dan Changer

Dan Changer

Director

Dan studied Architecture at the University of Cambridge and worked as a chartered Architect before joining SDC in 2010. Joining as a Design Coordinator, Dan then opted to work as a Contracts Manager, receiving a promotion to Project Manager before his appointment to the Board of Directors in 2020. His duties and responsibilities include setting the overall strategy for the project, as well as leading the project team and ensuring the scheme is delivered within the client’s time, quality and budget constraints. Dan’s client-focused attitude and collaborative problem-solving approach will be crucial to the scheme’s successful delivery.