GDL Interiors are experienced in space planning and refurbishment work for a host of private and public organisations including the provision of glass partitioning and office partitioning.
In addition to being specialists in office partitioning and glass partitioning, we also carry out extensive updates and improvements to educational facilities, including schools, universities and colleges of higher education. One of our recent projects was to update the kitchens and bathrooms at Homerton College’s Halls of Residence.
Homerton College has its roots in the 18th century and was at first affiliated to London University, before the college was re-founded and moved to Cambridge in 1894. It was originally a women only college but began to take in men in the 1970’s. In 2010, it was awarded a Royal Charter to receive the status of a self-governing college of the University of Cambridge.
It was around this time that GDL Interiors was approached by the facilities manager at Homerton College to carry out further improvement work at the Halls of Residence.
Graham Dixon, of GDL Interiors, said: “As student halls of residences in general are subject to routine wear and tear, it was vital that all the work done on the premises was practical, hardy, and long lasting – and looked good as well. We achieved all this, and within budget, and were delighted with the results.”
For more information about GDL Interiors, just click on the link below. Meanwhile, read on to find out more about our work at Homerton College.
In addition to the two projects listed below, GDL is also due to start work on 240 bedrooms in the West House hall of residence in August this year with a contract value of in excess of £400,000.
Glass Partitioning – click here for more information on the service we offer, or contact us now to discuss your requirements.
Improvements to the Bathroom Facilities at Homerton College
Although bathroom improvements do not come under the umbrella of glass partitioning in the sense of the word used for office partitioning, GDL interiors were approached to update as many as 240 shower doors at the Halls of Residence in Cambridge - and the work was to be completed over three years.
The £70,800 project was set to be completed in three stages to fit in with the college’s yearly budget. The old shower doors were removed and cleared from the site and replaced by new Formica faced shower doors. Formica is a highly durable plastic-type material which is resistant to heat and chemicals and has various uses around the home, including shower doors and kitchen worktops.
The main challenge for the project was fitting it around the college timetable, so the work was not disruptive to the students and would mean they could still use their shower facilities. To address this, GDL Interiors completed the entire project during the holiday period. However, this meant liaising closely with the college so works did not interfere with the times when the halls were hired out.
As with all projects undertaken by GDL Interiors, it is essential that all work is completed to strict building, and health and safety standards, and only the best contractors are appointed for the job; this ensures we maintain our consistently high standards.
Updating the Kitchens at Homerton College
In addition to the bathroom refits, GDL was also commissioned to update 34 kitchens at the site. Again, just as with the bathroom areas, it was important that the kitchens were hardy and practical as they are in frequent, daily use and are subject to considerable wear and tear.
Mr Dixon said: "The kitchens were each about 12 ft by 8 ft and were ripped out and replaced with completely new ones. We were delighted with the work we achieved on the site. "
He joked: “We were also pleased that when we returned for phase three of the project that the kitchens were still there, and were still intact!”
Work started in summer 2010 and each phase of the project involved replacing and installing a dozen kitchens, with the last set of kitchens replaced in the summer of 2012 at the cost of £96,100 per phase. Again, work had to be carried out outside term time, and at times when the Halls of Residence were not hired out.
Extensive work was carried out including ripping out the old kitchens and clearing the site. The project also involved a complete redecoration including new floors and tiling, the installation of all the kitchen units, worktops, ovens and white goods and connecting all the facilities to the necessary mains supplies.
In addition to this, all the cupboards were issued with locks as standard; this was so that all the students have their own allocated cupboard and to prevent any of their food stocks going astray.
In order to comply with health and safety and building regulations, fire doors were also installed on the site.
About GDL Interiors
GDL Interiors provides a wide range of work for public and private organisations, including educational establishments. In addition to the installation of kitchens and bathrooms, we are also experienced in office refits, including the provision of glass partitioning and office partitioning.
Office Partitioning – click here for more information on the service we offer, or contact us now to discuss your requirements.
