Sixth form library project underway at St Mary’s School Ascot as new mezzanine floor goes in

St Mary’s School Ascot, one of the country’s leading Catholic girl schools, will soon have brand new senior library facilities following a project to convert the school’s former concert hall.

Beard’s Guildford team is carrying out the complex project, which involves very careful excavations and underpinning within the building and the creation of a new mezzanine floor.  At the same time, the team is also remodelling the existing library space to form an improved, more accessible junior library area and first floor common rooms.

A crucial moment is the creation of a new floor.  The team uses a concrete pump to place the concrete onto the first floor steel deck which  was constructed earlier in October on top of the steel frame inserted into the shell of the existing concert hall. Working inside the building in this way has needed skill and a cool head from the site team, so as not to disturb the existing building  fabric.

Giles Brand, Bursar at St Mary’s says: “This is an important investment for the School and we are delighted with the progress. Beard has been able to complete the majority of the complex structural work over the summer holiday and we are all looking forward to moving into the new facilities which will make a real difference to both the staff and pupils”.

With the new term underway, Beard is now working on the remaining alteration and refurbishment work to complete the project, with the team focused on minimising disruption to the school.  The £970,000 scheme has been designed by architects Edgington Spink and Hyne and is expected to be finished by Easter 2013.