Gillespie Primary School

Programme

The works were all carried out within our 16 week contract mainly during term time in close collaboration with the schools management team.

History

Gillespie Primary School has been little altered since opening in 1878 built to designs by E R Robson architect to the school board of London and is now one of the boroughs oldest remaining schools.

Works

TRC Contracts were employed by London Borough of Islington as principal contractor to carry out the complete external refurbishment of the school.

Scaffolding

All scaffolding was erected out of hours so as to minimise disruption to the school.

Brickwork

Over 7000 bricks were repaired or replaced by TRC Contracts in-house brick and stonework specialists. Bricks were hand carved onsite to match existing brick corbels and red brick swags.

Stonework

Upon inspection, the existing stone balcony balustrade and bottles were found to be dangerously loose. These were dismantled and rebuilt using stainless steel clamps and pins for extra strength. The main entrance was repaired and re-decorated to bring it back to how it was originally intended.

Roofing

The existing roof was completely stripped and retiled using clay tiles and mechanically fixed dry ridge system.

Bell tower

The existing bell towers timbers were repaired using repair care resin and traditional splicing methods. Lead work was repaired and new drip detail added for extra protection. The existing lightning protection system was also replaced.

Casement and Sash Window Refurbishment

Gillespie school still retains the original casement and pivot windows. These were painstakingly restored to their former glory using Repaircare products and repair methods, this allows TRC Contracts to issue a 10 year insurance backed guarantee against further decay. They were also fitted with DRAFTFIX rebated draught exclusion system to improve thermal performance.

The original cast opening mechanisms were fully refurbished and now once again work as they were originally intended.

Windows were decorated internally and externally with the DULUX weather shield system.

Photovoltaic Panels

The solar panels to the rear of the school were removed to allow for the re-tiling of the roof, and then reinstalled and overhauled upon completion. This increased the efficiency of the system by around 20%.