T963 Towers Refurbishment Phase Three – Rayleigh

The University of Essex (the Authority) invites expressions of interest for participation in a tender process for the refurbishment of the third of six Towers, Rayleigh, at our Colchester campus.

The University of Essex has already completed refurbishment works of the first two Towers on the south side of campus and over the coming five years, will refurbish the remaining four towers, on the north side of campus. The refurbishment works will provide more thermally efficient buildings, with all new services, considerably enhancing the student accommodation for many years to come.

The project involves the complete removal of almost all elements to the building, only the wall and floor structures will remain intact. The existing services will be fully stripped out including all of the plant serving the building. Both of the existing lifts will be entirely removed, and remedial works undertaken to the lift shafts. All the windows and curtain walling will be removed which will require a full scaffold to the entire building.

The roof will need to be replaced with the addition of thermal insulation. Added to this, internal services are failing, and a major refurbishment is required in order to ensure the towers can be certified as ‘safe to occupy’ under the Building Safety Act and to maintain the life of the asset and preserve it for future years. The towers blocks are classed as ‘higher risk’ buildings under the Building Safety Act which was granted Royal Assent on the 28 April 2022. Work needs to begin as part of this project on preparing safety cases for all accommodation coming into the remit of the pending legislation.

All new services are to be installed with a considerable amount of design consideration to reflect the way in which students live and operate within the building. For example, the introduction of mechanical ventilation to all communal areas and student bedrooms. The building will have a new fire detection system, combined with an all new misting sprinkler system throughout. Fire compartmentation will be given great attention both horizontally and vertically through the building. The project will also deliver new fire-fighting lifts. Within the design brief the ethos has been to implement high levels of protection to life of the occupants and to enhance the fire strategy for the building.