Greatfields School, Barking, Essex

Project Name: 

• Greatfields School 

Service/s Provided: 

• Building Surveying & Fire Engineering 

Client: 

• Auburn Group 

Project Location: 

• Barking, Essex 

Project Sector 

• Education 

Project Construction Value: 

• 11.5 million 

Project Duration: 

• Start Date: Feb 2023 

• End Date: August 2024 

Project Overview: 

The development comprises of a ground plus one upper floor education building. The building provides Classrooms, Kitchen, Main Hall, Storeroom, Hygiene Room and Library.  

CDC provided Fire Engineering support from RIBA Stage 5 to completion. Compartmentation surveys, technical reviews and site visits were required to verify the design and construction works undertaken. The CDC team produced technical reports to support the works and summary reports on our findings after each site visit.

Key Stats 

• CDC Fire Engineering and Building Surveying teams working collaboratively to benefit of the Client and success of the project  

• Working in accordance with Building Bulletin 100 guidance

Challenges and Solutions: 

Timeframes – with an educational project timeframes can be quite tight and need to align with the school calendar. The CDC team worked with the Client to ensure that work was undertaken efficiently and on programme. 

Our Expertise and Value Added: 

Dry risers had been constructed to future-proof the building for further development. These will not be required initially and were proposed for storage whilst dormant. The CDC team helped develop these proposals and provided the Client with the information to safely use these spaces as short term storage areas. 

Client Feedback: 

CDC were engaged to take over the fire consultancy at the Greatfields Primary project after contract terms could not be agreed with the previous fire consultant employed at Stage 3. They undertook a full review of the existing fire strategy and supported the wider consultancy team with advice during development of the RIBA Stage 4 and 5 design information to successfully deliver the scheme. CDC undertook a number of site inspections and issued reports confirming the quality and detailing of fire protection measures to provide comfort to the independent certifier, clerk of works, local authority, building control and Client to successfully deliver the scheme.

Following the work CDC have undertaken for Auburn Group at Greatfields Primary we have now engaged with them on a number of our other schemes.

Charlton Humphreys, Contracts Manager, Auburn Group

Project Outcome: 

CDC successfully completed the advisory and compartmentation services for the construction of the school which opened in 2024.