Campaign Project Updates

The team at Vaughan Constructions is working tirelessly as they approach their handover, with many rooms finished and sealed ready for their final clean. The floors have been sanded and polished, currently covered by protective measures until all other works are complete. The external finishings are moving steadily, with landscaping beginning at the rear of the building.

As we are approaching the completion and lock up stages of the build, the Vaughans team removed the impressive crane from the structure. The infill will now occur making the Centre further watertight as they continue progress on the fit out.

The facade is advancing well with the Leaning Lane and new entranceway having been installed over the past couple of months. Behind the external glass the internal fit out is powering along with most services well progressed. The Vaughans team is also working on the tennis court surfacing and looks forward to some clear weather to advance this aspect of the project.

Our new Centre for Science, Creativity and Entrepreneurship reached an important milestone! The teams involved in the project and invested stakeholders, gathered onsite to celebrate the project’s official ‘topping out’ marking the completion of the Centre’s top level.

The team at Vaughan Constructions has been working tirelessly to finish the structure by the end of the year.
They have started stripping out the structural propping and scaffolding this week. This means the concrete has now reached its appropriate strength.

The sheer size of the structure is clearly visible from the street and will begin to take further shape as the team moves onto the interior in 2024.

The Vaughan Constructions team are progressing with their structural works upwards. The basement and ground floor concrete structures are complete with works to level one currently underway.

On level one, formwork, reinforcement and post tensioning works are continuing.

Connecting the existing BGS library to the new building is a link bridge which has been constructed and is now prepared for concrete to be poured.

The northern ground floor feature columns are now complete with works continuing around to the west side.

The bulk works on the basement structure have been completed. This includes inground service works, concrete foundations, concrete columns and the pouring of the basement floor slab. Vaughan Constructions is now working on the ground floor suspended slab and making good headway. While this is completed there will be many concrete trucks using the established loading bay and the tower crane will be in heavy use.

Vaughan Constructions is on time with their project schedule and over the past couple of weeks there has begun to be very noticeable action from St Andrews St. A solid gantry has been established and a section of the road now set up for the incoming trucks, including many concrete loads.

The basement concrete is now being poured and the ground floor foundations constructed.

Vaughan Constructions and BGS celebrated a milestone this week with the installation of the tower crane.

These photos show the crane being delivered to site and installed piece by piece.

We can’t wait to see the crane in action!

Bulk excavation is mostly complete and reinforcing established. There will be some detailed digging before Vaughan Constructions move into the next phase of development.

The next major activity to occur onsite will be the erection of the tower crane and the construction of the gantry along St Andrews Street. The project should enter the winter months in good pace.

Piling works have been completed and capping beams formed. Vaughan Constructions are well into the excavation and construction of the basement system. Over the next few weeks there will be continuous vehicle movement in and out of site disposing of the excavated soil.

What you can expect to see over next 1-2 months:

• Tower crane delivery and installation
• Trucks will be entering and exiting the site removing excessive material and excavated soil
• Earthworks and Retention system continuing including concrete trucks and the pouring of concrete
• Commencement of concrete foundations and tower crane bases
• Commencement of the inground services
• Erection of Gantry to St Andrews Street

Over the past month piling works have progressed steadily. The heavy duty piling rig could be seen from the street as it drilled permanent, deep foundations in preparation for further soil excavation and bulk earthworks. The purpose of piling is to transfer loads from the building structure to the ground, helping to support it. You can currently see the bored piles as the tops of the steel reinforcement sits above ground.

Construction is progressing really well, with soil excavation the main focus for the team at Vaughan Constructions, the builders for our Centre for Science, Creativity and Entrepreneurship. The Headmaster, Ross Featherston visited the site today to gain an insight into the progression of the project. A large amount of soil has been removed and the sheer size of the land is discernible as St Andrew’s Church spire stands tall in the distant background. Brighton Grammar School is looking forward to the strengthened connection that this Centre will enable with St Andrew’s. The next step in the construction phase will be piling.

The external hoarding on St Andrews St has been updated over the last week. The update includes graphics of the key stakeholders involved in the construction of our Centre for Science, Creativity and Entrepreneurship and architectural renders showcasing the building.

This addition comes as we move forward with the construction in coming weeks, with soil excavation and piling to commence now that the site clearing is complete.

Works have been steadfast this month and viewable from St Andrews St.

The Science wing has been completely demolished with works underway on the remaining structure.

A partial gantry has been established and further hoarding installed across the old tennis courts. Pedestrian pathway access along this section has been diverted while these works are completed.

There will continue to be action over the coming month with machinery, earthworks and clearing continuing.

Internal strip out of the old science building is well underway with works progressing steadily in anticipation for completion by the end of 2022 and ready for demolition of the old library to commence. Over the next 1-2 months you will begin to see the following:

-Delivery of machinery and materials.

-Demolition of existing school buildings, tennis court facilities and fencing.

-Installation of footpath protection gantry and set up of loading bay zones.

-Earthworks and Retention system commencement including concrete trucks and the pouring of concrete.

In readiness for demolition works, the hoarding has been installed on the south side of the Senior School Quad and exposed boundaries of the construction site.
Low impact, preparative internal demolition works have begun and external demolition will become visible over the coming weeks.

Exciting news for the Centre for Science, Creativity and Entrepreneurship with the signing of contracts between Brighton Grammar, St Andrew’s Brighton and the appointed builder for the project, Vaughan Constructions. This significant juncture in the project will allow for works to begin very soon, including the installment of hoarding around the site for demolition.

Thank you to Brighton Grammar’s COO, Michael Arceri and St Andrew’s Brighton Vicar, Ian Morrison for their diligent work and cooperation in this important progression for the project.