The Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST) appointed Pellings to provide Building Surveying, Contract Administration and Principal Designer services to the roof replacement and swimming pool refurbishment at Northwood College. After undertaking a feasibility study relating to the existing swimming pool, we found the swimming pool area to be in poor condition, internally and externally, with defective tiling and staining to the external brickwork.

The existing roof covered the swimming pool, changing rooms and some ancillary spaces. We recommended that this be replaced by a new Kalzip standing seam roof with a perforated structural deck. We suggested this because new roof would not only improve the acoustics in the pool, but it would ensure all users can make use of the leisure facilities in a secure and well-insulated manner. We also suggested that all pool plant equipment should be upgraded to facilitate the sanitation and filtration of the water, making the pool more efficiently regulated. Alongside this, our study concluded that a total refurbishment of the pool and surrounding areas was necessary to provide the school children with safe and well-equipped swimming facilities. The existing windows, doors, steel frame and exposed brickwork were decorated in stain and chemical resistant paint to increase their life expectancy. Furthermore, the swimming pool was drained to replace the tiles and repair the concrete tank, allowing the mechanics and external structures of the pool to be restored. The external sliding doors were also replaced with new aluminium framed units which are low maintenance as they are corrosive resistant and highly durable.

We are proud to have made a small but meaningful difference to the education of the younger generation and hope they are pleased with the new facilities.