Education – East Ayrshire Council
East Ayrshire - Schools Initiative
ESTABLISHED and experienced locally-based fitting teams and a good working relationship with the client is helping Anglian Building Products meet the diverse demands of installing windows into a wide range of East Ayrshire Council’s schools and community centre buildings.
Anglian’s four-year partnership contract with the council began during 2005 with a housing project to replace single glazed windows with double glazed units. It has since moved onto a schools and communal buildings project carried out on an annual budget basis.
Anglian’s fitting teams, already established in the area, have so far successfully completed projects in school buildings dating back to the 1950s and 60s, some of which have a high level of glass in their construction. Future projects will range from rural Victorian schools, some with only a few windows, to a diverse range of buildings covering both primary and secondary education as well as communal usage.
An ability to be flexible has been important both in product specification and in the installation process in order to ensure the clients’ needs are met and to fit around the occupants’ use of the buildings, particularly in schools.
Design requirements range from large ‘picture’ windows for 1950s and 60s modular buildings, to ‘sash-style’ windows for a Victorian sandstone building and Georgian windows for a listed building in a conservation area which required sympathetic treatment.
Some schools projects can only be carried out during school holidays, particularly where the Anglian teams are fitting windows in kitchen areas or classrooms which are in constant use, and fitting teams have to be extra vigilant to ensure work areas are fenced off and supply to power tools is cut when they are not in use.
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“No two buildings are the same – they are all of differing styles, built in
different periods and with different uses, but Anglian has been able to meet all the client’s needs by carrying out careful consultation prior to the start of each project. We have had on-site meetings each time where we meet with the architect and contracts manager for East Ayrshire Council to go through the proposals and establish what can be done.”
Alan Brown, Surveyor, Anglian Building Products.
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“The window installations are part of a major refurbishment by East Ayrshire Council in its schools and community buildings sector. We are pleased and delighted with the product. Our meetings for each individual project help to ensure everything is well-defined and Anglian Building Products staff have been very helpful with changes in product specification. In some cases the timescale is very tight, especially where schools are re-arranging classrooms. Drongan Primary School was particularly delighted with how things went and the headteacher couldn’t give enough praise. Your fitters were first-class.”
Robin Telfer, Contracts Officer, East Ayrshire Council.
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Cumnock Academy
Anglian had to liaise closely with another onsite contractor who was taking out an asbestos ceiling at the secondary school which is of 1960s construction. Careful scheduling of the work was essential as the ceiling contractors had to finish before Anglian’s fitting team could go in. Anglian then installed new windows before the ceiling contractors returned to put in new ceilings – all within a five-week school holiday period. The windows installation is part of a three-phase project by Anglian at the school.
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Drongan Primary School & Community Centre
Anglian replaced large ground level windows in the classrooms. A good relationship with the headteacher enabled the fitting team to work during term-time with special attention paid to health and safety standards. To safeguard the children, work areas were cordoned off and power supply to tools was cut when they were not in use. Anglian also fitted new windows into Drongan Community Centre in the grounds of the primary school. Formerly an annexe to the school, it is now used by the community.
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Mauchline Community Centre
Anglian installed high level windows in the community centre, fitting special opening mechanisms which can be operated from ground level. Scaffolding was erected as the Anglian team was required to work at high level. |
Witchill School
Anglian Building Products supplied all windows for this project at the Witchill Special Needs School, while East Ayrshire carried out the installation themselves. The 1960s building required casement windows of a high specification with laminated high security safety glass and restricted openings with special catches to provide added safety for the children. |
Contract details
| Market Sector: |
Refurbishment |
| Client: |
East Ayrshire Council |
| Main Contractor: |
Anglian Building Products |
| Contract: |
4 year term partnership ongoing value of £550,000 |
| Product: |
White Knight 60mm Casement |