Procured through the North West Construction Hub Framework, this project for Manchester City Council involved therefurbishment to the existing glass houses at Wythenshawe Horticultural Centrewithin Wythenshawe Park. Works included the replacement of glass and some of the existing steel structures due to damage through wear and tear.

Wythenshawe Horticultural Centre was originally built to provide plants for use by Manchester City Council throughout the city. When production stopped at the facility the numerous glass houses were converted into display houses, and several themed gardens and habitats were created to provide environmental education and fun for the people of Manchester.

The numerous permanent displays include the Safari Walk which features tropical plants such as banana, pineapple, tea, coffee and rice, interspersed with ornamental subjects, water features, an aviary, alpine garden and display of cacti.

The works included replacement of the glass polycarbonate panels within an existing aluminium frame, of which a small amount needed replacing themselves. Electrical works included the installation of new sockets for existing heating tables, which are used throughout the winter months for planting. A new circuit board was installed to one of the glass houses, allowing a full upgrade to the new power switches in each glass house.

We held several site tours with the client to ensure works were completed to their satisfaction, whilst also maintaining communication to ensure our working areas were clear of plants to be segregated in line with our programme.

The Horticultural Centre remained operational throughout the works and within the operational and busy Wythenshawe Park.

Significant collaboration and communication was critical in coordinating activities, whilst maintaining operations and ensuring the safety of park users and visitors. We ensured that health and safety was a priority.

Through implementation of our robust procedures and thorough risk assessment and method statements we were able to achieve an accident free project.

I KEY FACTS:
Client: Manchester City Council
Contract Sum: £100K
Contract Period: 6 weeks
Form of Contract: Design & Build