WHAT: A Marks Barfield Architects-designed library and IT facility at a primary school in Lant Street, off Borough High Street, central London. The facility has been christened the Curiosity Shop, but the stylish and colourful room's Dickensian associations seems to end there, no doubt much to the pupils' relief.

COST: £107,555 (finished £300 under budget)

SPECIAL FEATURES: The Tree of Knowledge, a fabric canopy featuring cloud-shapes made of MDF and lights, and covered with stretched fabric. Plus a raised access floor throughout the room, which conceals IT cabling.

HISTORY: Charles Dickens lived on Lant Street as a boy when his father was in prison.

WHEN: Work lasted almost two months, between May and July 2005.

DETAILS: The job involved stripping out and dry-lining a 75 m2 former staff room, installing new joinery and the fabric suspended ceiling, installing new lighting and flooring, plus full decorating. The new facility will be used by 300 children.

CONTRACT: JCT Minor Works 1998 edition without quantities, with design supplement for electrical and joinery works.

PROJECT TEAM: The architect was Antonia Infanger of Marks Barfield Architects, which also handled QSing, and the contractor was ITC Concepts.

CONTRACTOR'S VIEW: "The space available proved problematic… it was important to remember the size of the children at the school, with some being as young as four or five. The shelving in the library and furniture had to be designed to accommodate these pupils" - Eamonn Daly, marketing director, ITC Concepts.

CLIENT'S VIEW: "The ITC Concepts team were very hot on health and safety and kept noise and disruption to a minimum. I am very pleased with the way the project has been managed." - Liz Owens, head teacher.

Source

QS News