BAM Appointed to Chorlton High School

BAM Construction and Pozzoni have been appointed to work together to create new teaching facilities in Manchester.

Chorlton High School South in Manchester have appointed the two building organisations after a competitive tender process which was led by the Department for Education, under its capital framework for schools in England.

In the last three years, BAM have played a key role in Manchester’s education story, and they have delivered three new schools at Cheadle Hulme, Didsbury and Laurus Ryecroft, which is currently under construction.

They have now been appointed to develop the current plot at Mauldeath Road West, which is partially occupied by Greater Manchester Police dog unit and horse paddocks. Design is being over seen by Pozzoni Architects who also have a long track record within the education sector.

Ewan Bell, BAM’s Project Manager said: “Our first task is creating a new set of facilities for the police to migrate their units to, and then to begin the school programme in earnest. We’re greatly assisted in this by being able to conduct our own groundworks, drainage and foundations – which are critical to this phase. We’ve also imported all the experience from creating these other schools within our team, so it is perfectly placed to deliver outstanding facilities for the area.”

The new facilities will accommodate 1,200 students in their three-storey ‘superblock’ school which will also include a two-storey Sport England specified sports hall. BAM will also deliver its own M&E (mechanical and electrical) works, with the plan for its facilities to be handed over in time for the school opening in the 2021 new academic year.

BAM’s early works have been external, which have made social distancing measures, due to the current COVID-19 outbreak, much easier than they will be a later stage in the build. Handover plans currently remain the same.

The site has also had to adapt to the new and changing situation, with some employees working from home, whilst those who are remaining on site are taking on additional responsibility. A series of changes to the sequence have also helped BAM to stay on track, and their team also remains in close contact with the DfE.

Elsewhere in Manchester, BAM is behind ASK Development’s 100 Embankment office building, where they installed a Ghandi Statue, along with the RHS’s new Wellcome building with its landscaped lake and facilities.

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