Luxury retirement communityStepnell appointed to build the final phase of an award-winning luxury Oxfordshire retirement community

Home GrownNew offices for Brethertons Solicitors is now complete

New care development in Salisbury£8.8m scheme for The Orders of St John Care Trust

Issue #4

Stepnell has been appointed by leading retirement living specialist Richmond Villages, who are part of Bupa, to build the final phase of an award-winning luxury Oxfordshire retirement community.

Work is under way by Stepnell on Mill Stream Mews, a £1.2 million

development of six high-specification one- and two-bedroom apartments at

Richmond Letcombe Regis, near Wantage.

Stepnell chosen for final phase of development at luxury Oxfordshire retirement community

State-of-the-art spa complex with gymnasium

Designed by PRC Architecture, the luxury homes are being built within the

village’s 36-acre grounds at a secluded location which is also close to the

village centre with its wide range of facilities, including a state-of-the-art

spa complex with gymnasium and pool and the village’s beautiful lakeside

restaurant.

All six new apartments – which are being built to the highest standards of

quality and comfort incorporating ergonomically designed kitchens and walk-in

showers – have already been reserved.

“We are delighted to be working with local company,

Stepnell. Their experience of developing high quality

housing plus their helpful and professional attitude gives

us great confidence that this will be a highly successful

project.”

Albert Josephs, Development Manager. Richmond Villages

“Our team brings extensive experience in delivering

superb retirement housing and we are thrilled to be

working with Richmond Villages to help complete

the final phase of homes at this truly exceptional

development,”

Tom Wakeford, Director. Stepnell

Stepnell expands in East Midlands with new Nottingham office

Stepnell has opened a new office in Nottingham following the continuing expansion of its business across the East Midlands.

The office – at the Eldon Business Park, Chilwell – provides a new base for the

company’s growing construction operations across Leicestershire, Derbyshire,

Nottinghamshire and Northamptonshire.

The East Midlands business specialises in projects for the education,

commercial, residential, student accommodation, retail and leisure sectors.

Current schemes include a £1.8 million major refurbishment programme for

Stratford upon Avon College which began in June 2014 and a £1.5 million new-

build housing development at Scraptoft, Leicester, where work is now getting

under way.

The new office is expected to create a number of new job and training

opportunities in the region over the next 18 months, including trainee positions

and construction apprenticeships.

And the winner is...

Our Grantham team have recently been awarded an LJCC Construction Craftsmanship Award for a £1.1m extension and refurbishment scheme at Loughborough Grammar School.

The Leicester Local Joint Consultative Committee

(LJCC) Awards recognise good craftsmanship while

the LJCC itself aims to promote best practice in the

construction industry.

The project comprised the full refurbishment of a

two story teaching block (Pullinger) which included

recladding the building along with a two storey

extension and part refurbishment of a boarding

house (Denton).

“We’re delighted to have opened an office in Nottingham

which will support our expanding construction operations

in the region and enhance the local delivery of projects.”

Tom Sewell, Operations and Commercial Manager, Stepnell

“The judges considered that the high standard of workmanship and

careful detailing of the new building had blended well with the much

older building whilst creating pleasant and practical living spaces.

We were particularly impressed at the positive comments by staff

at the School about working with Stepnell during the construction

phase and the enthusiasm for the finished buildings."

John Cawrey - LJCC Craftsmanship Award Judge

Stepnell awarded £5.9m Oxford college library scheme

The Stepnell Wantage team has been awarded the £5.9m contract to refurbish and extend the New Library at Magdalen College, Oxford. Construction of the new scheme designed by Wright and Wright Architects, started in June this year and to complete in early 2016.

Stepnell will extend, refurbish and reroof the 1850s-built Grade II* listed

Victorian building which was originally designed by John Buckler and built as

a single hall school. In 1932, it was converted into a library for the Magdalen

community supporting 200 students and 35 Fellows. Student numbers have

since tripled, and the library no longer has the space or capability of supporting

modern-day user requirements.

The basement of the existing Victorian building will be extended by Stepnell

creating three storeys along with a new connecting one-storey extension.

Stepnell will also create new library areas and study rooms, flexible working

spaces, a passenger lift, staircases and washing facilities. The new energy-

efficient building, which will be partially built below ground level and set in a

sunken garden, will have a range of sustainable features including a green roof,

environmentally-friendly heating, ventilation and lighting systems as well as

landscaped areas and a paved courtyard. Disabled access will also be created

for the first time throughout the library.

“We are delighted to be working with Magdalen College

and respected architects Wright and Wright on this

stunning project which will provide much-needed new

library facilities for the academic community. Stepnell

has significant expertise in delivering specialist schemes

like this for the university sector and we’re committed to

ensuring that this project creates local jobs and brings

other economic benefits to the community.”

Pete McDonald, Contracts Manager. Stepnell

Stepnell hands over state-of-the-art office building heralding new era for law firm Brethertons

Stepnell has finished work on the new Rugby home for leading regional law firm

Brethertons LLP.

A handover of the keys by Stepnell Group development director Peter Wakeford

to Brethertons partner Trevor Dyer marked the completion of the new Montague

House office in Clifton Road and the start of a fresh era for Brethertons, which

was originally founded in Rugby over 200 years ago.

The new three-storey building has enabled the firm, one of Warwickshire

and Oxfordshire’s largest firms of solicitors, to bring together its entire Rugby

team – over 100 people which were based in three offices - under one roof.

Brethertons staff have just moved in.

Home Grown

Low-energy design

Designed by Rugby-based HB Architects, the 1,616 sq m building is

sympathetic to the local Rugby School Conservation Area. It features an open-

plan flexible design with break-out rooms and individual client meeting rooms.

The building is formed around a reinforced concrete frame, with concrete floors

and a concrete roof, including pitched roof sections and concrete walls along

with masonry walls, which incorporate elements of structural glazing with low

emissive glass.

As part of the low-energy design, the building’s exposed concrete elements

absorb heat during the day with temperature-controlled motorised louvres

dissipating the warm air at night. Brise soleil sunscreens are installed to

ground- and first-floor south-facing windows. The roof is fitted with photovoltaic

panels. A high ‘B’ EPC Rating has been

achieved, which meets the shared objective

for the energy standard of the new building.

The existing vehicle access in Clifton Road

has been closed and a new vehicle access

created in Moultrie Road to facilitate on-site

parking for 25 cars.

Significant investment

Brethertons senior partner Richard

Pell says: “The new offices allow us

to accommodate more staff, including

specialist Commercial and Private Client

departments, but still keep us at the heart of

the Rugby community.”

“It has been highly rewarding

to help create this state-of-

the-art low-energy office

building which will enable this

progressive law firm to operate

in a much improved working

environment for clients

and staff. The site includes

provision for further expansion

when needed.”

Peter Wakeford, Director. Stepnell

See photos of the finished project

Our Wantage team has recently completed a major £2.7m refurbishment and new-build scheme for Grade II* listed Mansfield College at the University of Oxford.

The project, designed by Rick Mather Architects comprised extensive

alterations and refurbishment of the east wing of the College’s main building

and construction of a two-storey concrete frame extension as well as a

workshop building and sunken terrace.

The extension houses the new kitchens and features an atrium with a

frameless glass roof light, feature stairway and lift which link the extension to

the rest of the College. The structure itself utilises a stone and glass façade.

The refurbished ground-floor of the existing building has been remodelled to

create a new student refectory and café/bar. Two stone-framed windows have

been converted to glass doors which open out on to the new sunken terrace

facing the quad. The overall scheme has doubled the catering capacity of the

College as well as enhancing its conference, fine dining and corporate event

facilities.

To create the sunken terrace, the building required extensive temporary

propping to facilitate excavation and demolition works and then allow for new

foundations and steelwork to be constructed. Following the excavation masonry

repairs to the Grade II* Listed building were carried out.

Wider refurbishments included tutor rooms, hallways and stairwells.

£2.7m refurbishment and new-build scheme for Oxford college is now complete

See photos of the finished project

£8.8m care home in Salisbury gets underway

Working with Brackley Investments for long term client The Orders of St John Care Trust, the Poole team have recently begun construction of a 120 bed, three-storey

care home in Old Sarum, Salisbury.

This is the largest single care home that Stepnell have built to date and will

be OSJCT’s flagship facility. The 120 beds include provision for 48 beds for

specialist dementia care and 72 beds for nursing care.

The building itself is of traditional masonry construction with a combination

of finishes including brick, render and flint stone panelling. The facility also

features a large glazed entrance foyer which is unlike anything we have

incorporated into previous care homes.

Internally, rooms and layout is based on OSJCT’s standardised household

concept with some minor improvements from the design team. One of the

stand-out features of the facility is the first floor mall, a large communal space

with dining and socialising areas - the biggest of any care home Stepnell have

built.

“Although the design is quite different, we have been

able to implement lessons learned from previous care

home projects.”

Matt Sargent – Head of Design Management

Due to the relative close proximity of noisy industrial facilities, the building will

utilise a ‘white noise generator’ –a clever device that helps diminish unwanted

distracting noises by emitting white noise that will go unnoticed by the care

home residents.

The project is due for completion early 2016.

“We are currently in the process of pouring the

concrete slab for the dementia wing along with the

strip foundations for the nursing wing. Drainage is

also in progress as is the blockwork for the beam and

block floor.”

Derek Middleton, Director. Stepnell

Our Rugby office is currently working on a £1 million

remodelling and refurbishment scheme at Woolaston School

in Wellingborough as well as a £448k alteration and extension

project to create a modern new funeral home in Nuneaton for Co-

operative Society. They have recently completed an extension

scheme for Jelmac Properties. The £300k project consisted of the

creation of two new wings to a commercial building in Leamington

Spa.

Earlier in the year our Nottingham team completed a £1.1 million

scheme to re-clad and refurbish the Hampton building at The

Sixth Form College, Solihull. They are also just finishing off a

£1 million six storey office block refurbishment in Leicester. Also

in Leicester the team have reached the half-way point of a £1.5

million sheltered accommodation scheme.

Recently our Grantham team have been working on two

education schemes – a £1.4 million extension to Oakham

School’s Merton Building and a £1.4 million extension and

refurbishment project to create a new performing arts centre and

performance hall at Stamford Endowed School.

Currently under construction for our Wantage office is a range

of projects at Oxford University colleges including a £3.8 million

scheme to create a new third floor with associated refurbishments

at Oriel College.

Additional educational schemes for our Wantage office include

a £5.5 million redevelopment for Bayards Hill Primary School in

Oxford, a £500k refurbishment project for Swindon’s Commonweal

School (which is complete) and a £217k remodelling contract for

Down House School, Thatcham.

Also in progress for our Wantage team are two care homes – a

£5.9 million Abingdon care home for BPHA and £5.5 million

facility in Devizes. They have also just handed over a £1.2 million

extension to a medical centre in Aylesbury and a building a

pharmacy for a medical centre in Toddington.

In addition to the £8.8 million care home mentioned earlier in

the newsletter, our Poole office has been working on a range of

refurbishment schemes spanning education, health and community

News in brief

Head Office

Stepnell House

Lawford Road

Rugby

Warwickshire

CV21 2UU

01788 574511

Grantham Office

65 South Parade

Grantham

Lincoln

NG31 6HT

01476 564726

Nottingham Office

27 Eldon Business

Park

Nottingham

Nottinghamshire

NG9 6DZ

01159 575520

Wantage Office

Cane Lane

Grove

Wantage

Oxfordshire

OX12 OAB

01235 772772

www.stepnell.co.uk

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Poole Office

Unit 10 Stepnell Reach

541 Blandford Road

Hamworthy

Poole, Dorset

BH16 5BW

01202 632324

Kidderminster Office

(George Law)

35 Mill Street

Kidderminster

DY11 6XB

01562 820421