The Goldsmiths Centre

Client: Balfour Beatty

Value: £1.5 million

This £17.5 million project represents the Goldsmiths’ Company's largest ever direct investment in the craft and industry and will become a centre with a particular focus on the trade, education and industry development.

The Goldsmiths’ Centre development has involved the restoration of an existing Grade II Listed Victorian London Board School and the creation of a new, purpose-built four-storey building on the same site. It will accommodate workshop space for established firms of silversmiths and jewellers and subsidised workspace for young craftsmen starting out in business.

A J Morrisroe constructed the substructures and superstructures for this workshop and training facility, comprising:    

New Build: Construction of a watertight RC basement including bulk excavation, sub slab drainage and 5 levels of suspended slabs above. The suspended slabs were part RC slabs and part Bonded Post tensioned slabs. A high quality finish is required to the slab soffits.

Existing Structure: Construction of ground bearing slabs over insulation and all associated drainage works internal and external.

The project has been constructed on a very tight footprint. All the work was carried out in and around a listed building with no areas to store materials. The materials had to be constantly shifted to allow the work to progress. Despite the complicated logistics issues and the bad weather experienced towards the end of 2010 the project was completed on time and without any quality issues.