Description of Works
FM Conway was appointed as Principal Contractor to deliver this £1.1m award-winning public realm construction project at Bridget Joyce Square, Australia Road, directly outside the Randolph Beresford Early Years Centre Primary School.
This community scheme was designed to convert Australia Road into an environmentally conscious pedestrian space, as well as improving safety for school children. The project was based around an innovative SUDS drainage scheme with permeable paving to divert water into four bespoke rain gardens and planted areas.
The scope of works was completed during a 30-week construction period and included:
The new construction consisted of SUDS drainage under 2000m2 of new Tegula Paving with the water run off diverted into four No Rain gardens and several planting areas. Plus, a 250lm wiggly wall feature was retained in the paving and in the walking wall across the rain gardens. These curved shaped wall features, traditional for this area, were retained by introducing curved kerbs.
The wiggly wall and rain garden walls were stone clad reinforced concrete, with coloured concrete for the visible areas. In addition, there were three timber bridges running across the rain gardens to allow free movement in the area.
Specialist features also included innovative Flashrust steel structures to carry water from the school guttering and divert it down spiralling stainless-steel chains and into the rain gardens. The rain gardens were then topsoiled and planted with trees and plants to the correct specifications.
To round the project off, new fencing and gates, including new access to the adjacent park, were also installed to the area, but the team ensured they matched the design and style of others already in the area.
As a result, the old roadway is now a safe green space area which allows access only into the school car park and for deliveries with bollards deterring any through traffic use.
Larry Kyan - Senior Contracts Manager at FM ConwayThe new drainage system will help to minimise the risk of flooding in the area, while the regenerated square now provides an attractive outdoor space for the local community.
Working in close proximity to Randolph Beresford Early Years Centre Primary School, play areas and in the populated residential area posed a significant risk to health and safety from construction logistics, traffic interfaces and site security during construction.
Our team minimised this risk through clear signage and segregation, maintaining barriers, vehicle and pedestrian management in addition to defined delivery and collection routes with key activities taking place outside of peak school and travel hours.
Early engagement with key stakeholders enabled us to develop a stakeholder engagement plan, which helped us to improve our programme and meet the needs of the local community.
Larry Kyan, Senior Contracts Manager at FM Conway, commented on the project’s success:
“The new drainage system will help to minimise the risk of flooding in the area, while the regenerated square now provides an attractive outdoor space for the local community.”
The new space, known as Bridget Joyce Square, was opened in November 2015 and was recognised as the Engineering Project with ‘best Community Impact’ at the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) London Civil Engineering Awards 2016.
Following the success of this pilot project, it has led to further SUDS schemes being implemented by FM Conway on Melina Road and Mendora Road.