Bison precast order heralds second coming for St Gabriel’s College

Bison Manufacturing, the UK’s leading precast concrete manufacturer, has received an order to provide its units for the ongoing development of a 750-student Church of England Secondary School in Lambeth.

The project, led by Main Contractors Kier, will see the creation of a new three-storey secondary school building, replacing a number of older outdated structures. During construction the school will operate in temporary premises a short walk away from the site.

The new block will house improved Drama, Dance and Creative Arts studios, as well as a three-court sports hall and sixth form facilities.

To make the designs a reality, Kier has called upon Bison to deliver more than 5,300m2 of its Hollowcore floor units and 30m3 of precast staircases.

From the project’s early stages, Bison provided design assistance, while its high quality units will allow soffits to be left exposed, reducing the requirement for additional follow-on trades on site.

Speaking on the project, Simon Law, senior project manager at Kier said: “St Gabriel’s College plays a huge role in developing young people in the area, especially where the arts are concerned. By creating this new block we want to give them an inspiring space without any outside distractions.

“Having worked with Bison before, they were our preferred choice to provide the floors and stairs for the project. Their focus on both product and service quality ensures the project goes smoothly and the sound insulation qualities of their units will help to keep noise transfer to a minimum.”

Mike Nelson, Sales & Commercial Director at Bison Manufacturing added: “We’re always happy to see our units being used to create new learning spaces. As the students are staying off site until the work is completed, time is of the essence.

“Fortunately, precast concrete can be installed quickly, while the exposed soffits remove the need for further finishing. This will help to keep the project on track, allowing the students to use the building as soon as possible.”

Bison will start delivering its units in October 2017, with the project scheduled for completion in January.