Project overview

Project Hadar involved the refurbishment and re-configuration of the four-storey Gleeson building, plus the ground floor and link section of the Department of Pharmacology building. The works included major building structural alterations to the link section and M&E services in both buildings.

Project value
£20,650,000
Project value
BIM Level
BIM Level 2
BIM Level
CSS
Certificate of Excellence
CSS

The finished scheme provides new wet and dry laboratory spaces, support spaces, an imaging suite, write up spaces and shared meetings rooms, cafeteria and admin spaces. A new lift tower was also constructed on the north end of the Gleeson building.

The laboratories were fitted out with Romero modular metal and Trespa benching, and the seminar and meeting rooms were finished with wall panelling, enhanced wall graphics and acoustic rafts.

 

SDC was required to build a suite of rooms to house a Cryo Electron Microscope (Cryo-EM), including a Preparation Room, Instrument Room and Plant Room. The room temperature must maintain 20% humidity and a temperature of 21°C, which must not fluctuate more than 0.5°C in any 24-hour period. A mixture of recirculated air and fresh air was used to maintain the required environment using a Core Control Air Conditioning Unit which worked in conjunction with a dehumidification unit.

The scheme required sectional completion handovers for the Link building, with each area needing to be commissioned independently. It was agreed that additional distribution boards and data patch rooms would be introduced to aid the separate commissioning of the areas. The early consideration of the phased handover and MEP design and commissioning meant that the completion of the works progressed without incident under a controlled and managed process.

Following the success of the main build, the Client opted to negotiate the fit out of the basement directly with SDC. This project involved the refurbishment of a Home Office facility in the basement. The existing facility was embedded in a live operational complex of University Buildings. The works involved the full replacement of MEP plant and equipment, including new N+1 steam boilers. New autoclaves were installed to provide certainty over performance given the age of the historic equipment. Services were installed following the execution of a detailed BIM level 2 modelling process to coordinate service risers with the rest of the building. SDC developed the project from RIBA stage 1 with a tight timescale to get the facility operational.
Testimonial
“It has been an absolute pleasure to be a part of SDC Builders Ltd Project HADAR as Crane Supervisor. Fantastic team and management to work alongside!”

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.