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Case study 10: Little Rays Nursery, Moira, County Armagh, McAvoy

Client: Little Rays Nursery Group

The projectLittle Rays Nursery Group is a multi-site day care operation, with progressive and ambitious owners keen to constantly innovate and expand their extremely successful company. Their strategy has seen the company grow from a single site nursery providing places for a few dozen children, to a multiple location organisation with over 250 child places and over 100 staff. The latest part of their investment strategy required the provision of a new building at their Moira site to accommodate additional places and demand for “after school” services.

The proprietors commissioned local architects Knox & Clayton to design a modern, contemporary building. The architects produced a design of high quality which would normally be constructed using traditional building methods.

Main drivers and constraints�� the most pressing project challenge was that the

Nursery is situated in a very busy location in terms of traffic movements

BenefitsTime: reduction in overall build time from an estimated nine months to just three months. An additional six months of income generationSustainability: 90 per cent reduction in material waste on siteHealth and safety: reduced number of deliveries to site

�� the need to have the facility operational in a very short time period in order to accommodate prospective pupils

�� to maximise the revenue potential. There was only a short window for construction and the building had to be fully operational in time for the busy summer period

�� the building had to be to a high standard of design to “fit” with the existing Grade II listed building and to comply with the strict guidelines set down by the Northern Ireland Environment & Heritage Service.

The solutionThe client’s key requirements were a commencement to completion programme of 14 weeks, zero disruption to the daily operation of the main nursery, a high quality finish both internally and externally, enhanced site safety, and a highly efficient and sustainable building with low running costs.

McAvoy proposed a two-storey steel framed structure with a “Tegral” Rainscreen cladding system on the first floor and stained hardwood timber on the ground floor,

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complemented by a PPC Aluminium framed glazing system and a “Kingspan” insulated roof system.

McAvoy was responsible for the turnkey package including mechanical, electrical and civil works, as well as compliance with statutory guidelines from Social Services.

Key facts�� the scheme was completed in just 12 weeks, reducing

the overall build programme by around six months�� 13 steel-framed modules – up to 14m long by 3.3m

wide and up to 12 tonnes in weight�� module craneage in one phase totalling one day.

Additional benefits of an off-site solution�� off-site construction helped to address the issues of

limited space for material and equipment storage on the site

�� the approach provided safer working conditions on the site

�� a reduction in material waste of around 90 per cent�� quality of design and construction�� fewer deliveries to site.

ContactOrla CorrThe McAvoy Group, 76 Ballynakilly Road, Dungannon, Northern Ireland BT71 6HDEmail: orlacorr@mcavoygroup.comTel (M): 07808 366955