Rebuilding Bullingdon Community Centre
Client: Oxford City Council
Project: Rebuilding the Bullingdon Community Centre
Department: Construction
Date of completion: December 2022
Budget: £1.5m
Summary
The Bullingdon Community Centre, located near the Lye Valley nature reserve in Oxford, originally opened in the 1950s and served as a vital space for local clubs, groups, and community events. However, due to structural fatigue, the centre closed in 2016. In 2019, plans for a new, energy-efficient building were revealed, and Oxford City Council awarded the construction contract to ODS. Despite significant challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, ODS successfully completed the project on time and within budget. The new Centre is now ready to serve the community with flexible spaces and state-of-the-art energy-saving technologies.
Requirements
The primary goal was to create a modern, sustainable facility capable of supporting a variety of activities. The design required the incorporation of energy-efficient features, including solar panels, a heat pump, low-energy lighting, and high-grade insulation, to reduce both the Centre’s carbon footprint and its operational costs.
Challenges
The Covid-19 pandemic caused initial delays in starting, and when construction began, workers had to adhere to stringent health and safety guidelines, including maintaining social distancing.
Global supply chains slowed significantly, and demand for building materials increased as homeowners took advantage of lockdowns. This resulted in long lead times and skyrocketing material costs.
Maintaining strong communication with stakeholders, became critical to ensure the project progressed.
Solution
To address pandemic challenges, ODS used a modular pre-fabricated construction method, allowing off-site assembly to save time and meet deadlines. They also secured materials and sub-contracts early to mitigate delays, while maintaining clear communication with stakeholders to keep everyone informed and aligned, which was crucial for managing expectations and coordinating resources effectively.
Results
The Bullingdon Community Centre rebuild was completed on time and within budget, despite pandemic challenges. The new Centre is highly energy-efficient, featuring solar panels, a heat pump, low-energy lighting, and high insulation. Its pre-fabricated construction minimised material waste and construction time, supporting sustainability goals. Now offering flexible spaces for activities and events, the Centre continues to play a vital role in fostering a vibrant, connected community.
ODS Contracts Manager:
"Covid impacted everything. Not only were we facing the initial project delays due to lockdown, but in the beginning, the team were still socially distancing. Despite these challenges, demolition of the original building went ahead and the old site was cleared.
Whilst the demolition was being carried out, we worked on securing materials and sub-contracts for the build. The key to being successful was excellent communication and planning. We knew that we had to adjust our plans to allow for much longer lead times from suppliers. We stayed in constant contact with both OCC and the trustees at BCA to keep them up-to-date with the latest developments.”
