M&E design and build completed at University of Leeds

The mechanical and electrical design and build of the University of Leeds’ Grade II listed art building has been completed.

G&H Building Services carried out a £1.2 million upgrade of the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies facility.

Originally constructed in 1930 as The University of Leeds’ Old Mining Building, G&H Building Services’ work was part of Sewell Construction’s £7.6 million refurbishment scheme.

The new facility offers students the opportunity to study in a modern environment that includes high-end studio spaces, fully equipped workshops, a multi-purpose gallery space for development of curatorial practice and visiting exhibitions, plus a large student common room.

Senior Contracts Manager at G&H Building Services, Paul Cuss, said: “This was an intricate scheme that saw us retrofit modern day services into an old building with the aim of retaining as many existing features as possible.

“For example, with the roof unable to bear the weight of centralised air handling systems. We had to install several localised heat recovery units internally with some of the ductwork being fed through windows to minimise disruption to the fabric of the building.

“Integration with existing services was also of paramount importance in our designs. We utilised the steam generated in the university’s central plant via new packaged plant heat exchangers as the primary source of heat.

“Working closely with Sewell Construction, we have created a building conducive to inspiring students who require space to display works in an aesthetically pleasing form so many services have been concealed making for cleaner lines.”

The building was fully operational for the start of term as students returned.

Read more about the scheme in our case study.