Harper Adams Vet School

McPhillips was principal contractor designing and building a new BIM Level 2 Veterinary School providing 2400m2 of internal floor area over two storeys. On-site work commenced July 2019 with eight weeks for the construction of a 155m site access road, infilling an existing below-ground 50,000 litre slurry tank and construction of a new 111 space car park. This work was successfully delivered ahead of programme providing the University with additional parking for their 2019-20 academic year.

The new 2400m2 Vet School building was then started which uses strip and pad foundations with a ground beam above the old slurry tank location. The superstructure consists of a hot-rolled steel frame with SFS infill, masonry to DPC and a 175mm thick steel reinforced ground bearing floor slab. Facades included facing brickwork to 90% of the elevations with curtain walling and timber shiplap & louvred cladding. Roofs are a barn-style curved Calzip standing seam and Sinusoidal roof panels. First floor is a hollow rib deck with concrete staircases. Doors and windows are aluminium. Internally rooms include entrance atrium, two tiered lecture theatres of 133 seats and 63 seats, student circulation areas, four classrooms, x-ray, imaging, pharmacy, admin and six consulting rooms. Recovery kennels, overhead operating lights and medical gasses have been fitted. The building is fitted with air-con with heat recovery and air handling units on the roof controlled by the BMS. A connection to the existing district main provides domestic hot water and heating.

The contract period was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic which caused suspension of on-site activities until safe-working practices could be introduced.