REHAU is the Cure for Epsom Hospital

Location	Epsom
Fabricator	JM Aluminium
Year	2023
Product	Total70 Range
	NFA24 Winner – Winner Best Use of Video 26th October 2024

When Epsom Hospital was in need of energy efficiency upgrades, the NHS Trust looked to specify REHAU’s curtain walling and TOTAL70C windows. However, with the install set to take place in an active emergency department environment during the peak of a global pandemic, seamless collaboration across the NHS, REHAU, Hanevo, JM Aluminium, and LH&E Cost Consultancy would be necessary to ensure there was no disruption to the emergency department and operating theatres.

Epsom Hospital is a healthcare facility like any other, providing services spanning accident and emergency, diagnoses and more to the people of its namesake borough in Surrey. As a critical piece of infrastructure, its continued operation is vital to the health and wellbeing of the local community, with this being proven truer than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, like any long-serving site, upgrades to the building’s fabric would eventually be necessary in order for it to remain operational.

“Getting projects across the line in a live hospital environment is a challenge at the best of times, let alone during a global pandemic”, begins Dan Kocev, Project Manager at Epsom and St. Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust. “However, vital energy efficiency upgrades were necessary to bring the site into the 21^st century and ensure that it is able to continue providing the best possible environment for care.”

Natanael Florut, Project Commissioning Manager at Epsom and St. Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, added: “We had some old timber screens and windows that simply weren’t up to scratch in terms of energy efficiency. I’d previously worked with REHAU products from my time in Romania and know their quality, as REHAU has an outstanding reputation at European level. While choosing something like REHAU's curtain walling was quite straightforward, I knew that the matter of the installation would be something else entirely, especially as our database did not have too many technical records from when the hospital was initially built. Here, Kevin O'Neill's expertise during the design process proved to be absolutely crucial.”

With this, REHAU was soon approached by the NHS Trust and designated as the appointed supplier for the job. Owing to the complex nature of the project, critical infrastructure specialist Hanevo was brought on board to facilitate the design and build. JM Aluminium Ltd was then awarded the contract for the installation based on a list of recommended commercial installers and fabricators provided by REHAU, while LH&E Cost Consultancy provided cost consultancy and contract administration services.

Noel Hanley, Executive Chairman at Hanevo, said: “Working in critical infrastructure means that we’re no stranger to complex projects, but we knew that this installation would be difficult even by our own standards. However, through close collaboration with REHAU and the other project partners we were able to come up with a design that we were confident would work.

“Jennifer Marshall at LH&E was amazing in helping the entire project team, by financially reviewing the different design options to ensure the design selected met the client’s budgetary expectations. Annie Thomas then successfully managed the project post-contract as contract administrator and kept on top of all commercial aspects in her role as quantity surveyor.

“Kevin O’Neill at REHAU helped out with the drawings and window specification, and ensured that the whole project was compliant with building regulations. The section we were replacing backed onto critical operating theatres and quiet rooms that would remain in use during the installation, so the plan was to complete the removal screen-by-screen. This would also help keep the site protected from the elements as we worked through the winter.”

With the stage set for the installation, it fell upon JM Aluminium to put the plan into action. “This was one of the most ambitious projects we’ve ever taken on, but the comprehensive planning and collaboration across the team gave us the confidence that we could get the job done”, added David Morant, Director at JM Aluminium Ltd. “The new curtain walling was to be installed over a live ambulance bay and main pedestrian thoroughfare, meaning some pretty comprehensive health and safety assessments were necessary. From here, it was clear that we’d need a specialist system to get the profiles up safely.

“We were able to work closely with London Network Scaffolding to design a bespoke hydraulic and mechanical system, adapting the top of the scaffolding and fitting an electric hoist to raise the panels up through the middle. This proved to be an ingenious solution, allowing everything to go to plan and exactly according to timescale.”

Alongside the complex curtain walling installation, the project also saw the installation of 20 TOTAL70 windows in a foil wood grain finish. All in all, the project would take sixteen weeks, beginning in spring 2022 and concluding in the winter.

Kevin O’Neill, Commercial Manager at REHAU concluded: “Collaboration can often be a buzzword across the industry, but I don’t think I’ve worked on a project that epitomises it more than this. The outcome simply wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work and adaptability of all of our stakeholders, from design through to installation. Minimising disruption was our main priority over the course of the project, and the NHS has told us that it was enamoured with the lack of complaints they received, so we hope to lend our expertise to similar projects in future.”

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