Harrow School, War Memorial Building

We were delighted and proud to be given the opportunity to tender and subsequently, be awarded the contract to refurbish the Grade II listed historic building forming part of our national heritage at Harrow school.

The War Memorial Building was built just after the first world war, its basement was called into service during the second world war as a shelter for students. The basement was reinforced with vertical steel columns and joists to act as a shelter and protect them from air raids which occurred almost nightly. After the war the basement was used for Shakespeare drama costume storage.

The recent refurbishment objective was to rationalise the costume storage, refurbish the catering kitchen and provide space for the schools reprographic service. This entailed the removal of all but three of the war time steels, these being retained behind a false ceiling as a record of the buildings rich history.

The strip out mainly consisted of the removal of the steel columns and timber joists that had formed the shelter, these had to be carefully removed and then manoeuvred through the basement and out of the building as well as the timber joists. All other fixtures and fittings were removed, along with the complete mechanical and electrical strip out to facilitate the refurbishment works.

New mechanical services were installed including new boiler, flue, ventilation and wet system heating. Electrically new LV supply panel boards, distribution and sub mains were installed along with small power lighting and fire alarms.

Due to the volume of students, the footfall passing through the adjacent building and indeed the floors above, health and safety was paramount; considerable thought went into creating a safe environment for all concerned.