St Cross College

Through collaboration between Morgan Sindall and consultants, the project team completed remediation to St Cross College’s new West Wing. The project required removal of the deteriorating Glass Reinforced Concrete window panelling, which had begun failing due to veining and large cracks appearing in the concrete.

Key Stats

Removal of the deteriorating Glass Reinforced Concrete window surrounds
Working around a Grade II listed wall
452 Apprentice weeks on site
Perfect Delivery achieved
Client Satisfaction 10/10

At a Glance

Client

St Cross College

Budget

£6.1m

Completion

March 2024

Location

Oxford

Framework

N/A

Sector

Education, Higher

Social value

£11.2m

All about the project - St Cross College

St Cross College’s new West Wing accommodation forms part of the new history for the iconic college in Oxford. The L-shaped building provides increased facilities and occupancy space for students, all whilst linking seamlessly with the existing college, which was built in 1965.

The new wing was built in 2016 by another contractor; however, it began failing with large veining and cracks appearing in the GRC panelling. The solution required specialist support, which included project managers Bidwells, Currie & Brown, architects ADP and engineers Arup, who restored the building to its best.

Anodised aluminium system solution

Fundamentally, the project was about ensuring that a long-term solution for the cracked GRC window surrounds could be achieved. The project team worked closely with the client and consultants to find a sustainable long-term solution, whist preserving the architectural personality of the building. Specialist support was also required with GRC Synergies (an independent GRC assessor) providing their expert advice on the condition of the GRC window surrounds. Along with condition assessments and surveys carried out by Arup, the review highlighted that the main reason for the cracks resulted from the quality control and workmanship on the GRC.

As the GRC window surrounds played a critical role regarding the architectural language of the building, removing them was not the easiest option. However, inaction would worsen the condition of the building and repair was not an effective long term solution.

Devised by Purcell Heritage Consultants, the recommendation was Anodised Aluminium which had several benefits including:

Its ability to reduce the number of visible joints and achieve the sharp geometries as identified within the design intent.
It matches the existing features on the building, such as window frames, door frames, cladding panels, and flashing's.
They are robust technically and have a better chance of surviving weather impacts.
There is a strong subcontractor market capable of achieving high-quality detailing with installed systems.

Based on the recommendations, the team progressed with the Anodised Aluminium system. Along with implementing the system, the team repaired the remaining cracked concrete.

A logistically challenging site

The project was located within the existing St Cross College site which bordered Pusey Street (a busy public highway next to the site). Equally, there were several facilities which would remain operational, such as the library and the on-site student accommodation.

To add further challenges to the project, access to site was via a wooden door which sat within a Grade II listed wall. This wall, which couldn’t be destroyed due to its historic relevance - was problematic regarding site access for plants and materials. In order to mitigate against this, the team safely removed the wooden door leading onto site which enabled smaller plants and material to access site via the open space in the wall. Alternatively, some plants and materials were lifted above the wall onto site.

Along with a robust traffic management plan, the team also ensured access and egress to the site would not be compromised for the students, whilst hoarding and fenced off areas preserved their safety throughout the build. The project team also maintained regular communication with the college and its students.

Going beyond the build

The St Cross project generated over £11m in community benefits; almost double the project value. This was achieved via the support of a dedicated team, ensuring they had not only met, but exceeded the initial targets. Through apprenticeships, educational initiatives, and community engagement activities, the team had positively impacted lives and empowered individuals to pursue careers in construction and related fields.

Our project team supported Oxford University's cycle safety/awareness week, which aims to promote road safety for cyclists and scooter riders in the city. The project team provided a HGV trading places demonstration where participants could experience the driver's view and learn about blind spots around the HGV cab. Thames Valley Police also provided free advice on security and safety whilst Oxford estates also participated in the event by providing free high-visibility clothing and general support to other stands. Through a collaborative effort from the team which included the Abingdon Jobcentre Plus, we promoted road safety for cyclists and scooter riders, contributing to a safer environment for all road users.

We supported numerous educational events aimed at inspiring young minds and fostering interest in construction careers. This included attending the Future Fest event at Icknield Community College and Greyfriars School whereby a combined 300 STEM students were in attendance interested in the world of construction. Throughout the life of the project, we engaged with over 560 STEM pupils along with all apprentices on the project working a combined 452 weeks on site.

“Morgan Sindall Construction were always open and honest, shared any problems with us. The team were a delight to work with”

Kenny Cox, Estates and Health & Safety Manager - St Cross College

“Morgan Sindall Construction couldn't do anymore for me to recommend them with others, haven't got a bad word to say about them. Delivered what you said you would - a fantastic project”

Kenny Cox, Estates and Health & Safety Manager - St Cross College