Clive Booth Student Accommodation

Phase 1 of the Clive Booth Student Accommodation project has transformed the living and learning experience for students studying at the Oxford Brookes University. Constructed adjacent to Oxford Brookes University's Headington Campus, the student accommodation offers a modernised residential solution for students, whilst providing a dual benefit for the client; the new accommodation provides students an alternative to private rental accommodations, therefore, managing local housing demands.

Ensuring the new accommodation was readily available for the September term start was a crucial requirement for our client (Oxford Brookes University). During the pre construction period, contract particulars were agreed early with the client to facilitate swift instruction of the main works. As a result of this exercise, the team were able to instruct and complete over £15m worth of work under a Pre Contract Services Agreement (PCSA), saving a possible 6 months. The team also explored

Completing ‘on time’ and ‘on budget’, the project was procured through the Southern Construction framework (SCF), an efficient route to market matching the client’s programme aspirations.

Smooth Handover and Aftercare process

Once the project entered the final 16 weeks of the programme, the site team had weekly meetings with the client as part of our soft landings/ handover process. This included completing a handover tracker which detailed all the relevant certificates, testing and inspections that MS carried out. There is also an 8-month aftercare period for each fully handed over building.

Delivering the project safely in a difficult live environment

The new accommodation is close to the University’s main campus, which is 20-minutes away from the city centre. Part of the difficulties faced on the project was the location, particularly, working within a busy student environment. Firstly, communication with all parties was crucial, with regular newsletters and updates issued throughout the project.

A robust traffic management plan was developed during the pre-construction stage to safely manage deliveries, the movement of vehicles on site and pedestrians. Our team employed a fulltime Banksmen, who managed the lorries and vehicles entering and exiting the site off John Garne Way. To mitigate pedestrian and pupil interface, road barriers and designated walkways were made clear for use.

Lastly, we proposed the inclusion of cranes on the site, as this posed far less safety risks in comparison to the use of forklifts.

Along with following the traditional MS and construction safety procedures on the project, the project team completed the project 100% safely (as part of our Perfect Delivery strategy) and achieved both a 45/45 on the CCS visit and a CCS Silver Award accreditation.

A community project, delivering over £55m in Social Value

The project team partnered with numerous sub-contractors throughout the project to raise over £22k worth of charitable donations. This included raising £10.2k for the Leys Community Development Initiative (CDI’s) Summer Fun event, in collaboration with Craft Interior, TClarke, Ross Bros, Elite Aluminium Systems Ltd, McCoy Construction, P AJT Group, and Peabody housing. Leys CDI are a local charity in Oxford who aim to support both the next generation and elder generation with beneficial life skills (more info about Leys CDI and our partnership – here).

Our site team hosted a number of site tours for students throughout the project; this included students from Orion Academy, a project we completed in 2022. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, our project team were unable provide a site tour for the students during the Orion Academy project. We therefore invited them to visit the Clive Booth project, and witness construction first hand. They were also tasked with completing a construction exercise by building a bridge.

We engaged with over 5001 students throughout the project, ranging from career fairs to school visits. The project team attended a special event over at Greyfriars Catholic School in Oxford, which aimed to inspire the year 8’s and broaden their understanding of the diverse and exciting careers within the construction industry. The experience was designed to broaden the students’ knowledge and experience about the industry and where their careers in future can take them.

Grumbles and complaints at the Councillors and residents meeting? There were none. Not a dicky bird. During demolition phase too and we didn't hide it we talked about it. Hats off to the lot of you. It's a miracle!

Mark Tugwell, Deputy Director of Estates, Oxford Brookes University