BRIXTON ROAD ARCHES

Our teams that work on arches have recently completed the Phase 1 strip out works on a large arch on the Brixton Road, London for our long term client, The Arch Company. This project was completed to schedule including extra works that were instructed during the strip out stage by the client. Now these Phase 1 works have been completed further investigation on the structural integrity of the arches which sit under a main line railway into the heart of London can be undertaken.

Our scope of works was quite extensive, and due to the location of this arch threw up several  logistical challenges which our team on site worked tirelessly to manage in particular the ingress and egress for removal of waste to waiting skips as this all had to be man handled down a small 40m alley to the rear of Brixton Road.

A quick summary of the works to Brixton Road Arches:

M & E:

• Isolate all existing electrical installations prior to clearance works starting.
• Remove all M&E fixtures and fittings and associated equipment, including but not necessarily limited to, the following: fire alarm, extract ventilation system, air conditioning system (including roof mounted plant), small power and lighting (internally and externally), speakers, and plus all associated conduits, trunking, and cable trays and the like.

Plumbing:

• Isolate, disconnect, and remove existing water supplies back to source and cap off at point of entry to the unit.

Internals:

• Strip out all fixtures and fittings, tenant installations and all linings and finishes back to the original base build shell and core structure.
• Remove the WC accommodation entirely, including but not necessarily limited to the following: all sanitaryware, suspended ceiling and floor finishes, partition and panelled walls, units, doors, and generally all other associated fixtures and fittings, as indicated by the drawings.
• Strip out and dispose of all other former tenants’ fixtures and fittings from the unit, and any associated equipment, including but not necessarily limited to the following: fitted base and wall units, countertops, all floor finishes, all decorative wall finishes, architraves, skirtings, handrails, all ceilings and plasterboard soffits, and electrical intake cupboard.
• Allow to remove and dispose the timber ramps to take back to structural floor finish.
• Remove and dispose of all timber deck board to the raised former seating area spanning the rear arch, steps, ramp and the WC wall, Storeroom/kitchen wall, and stairwell wall on like for like basis.
• From the existing rear storeroom/kitchen area, allow to remove all plasterboard wall finishes.
• From the existing rear storeroom/kitchen area, allow to strip out and dispose of the suspended ceiling system in its entirety.
• Remove and dispose of all plasterboard finishes and studwork encasements formed at the corners of the viaduct piers and at the perimeter of the premises in their entirety and including the studwork encased section and perforated steel doorway leading through front arch pier to the retail display window.
• At the shop front display window area, strip out the secondary doorway and all timber boarded wall and floor finishes entirely.
• Remove and dispose of all other loose materials, rubbish, and debris from site both internally and externally.
• Carefully remove and uproot any debris and vegetation growth from all demised areas, including but not necessarily limited to the following: from rear fire escape route, and from the top of the stone façade and from the top of the flat roofs. Allow to treat the same with herbicide injection/spray as necessary to discourage regrowth.

Once the works had been completed:

Clean:

• All glazing including roof lights to leave clean and tidy.
• Builder’s clean and removal of all waste arising from the works.

The history of the London arches is extensive, and over the past 150 years have seen a wide variety of uses and witnessed an incredible amount of history. During the course of the works undertaken we discovered a metal partition wall (between what would have been a jewellers and Superdrug before they took up tenancy) they were clearly signs of fire damage and upon further investigation, and with speaking with a local neighbour,  it became apparent that this location on the Brixton Road was part of the Brixton uprising in the early 1980’s which saw extensive rioting and damage to over 150 buildings, 30 of which were burnt out.

Once the survey works have been undertaken, we look forward to returning to Brixton Road Arches and being part of the refurbishment team for this arch and the new life that will be injected into it.