On-Site

Rugby C Station / Houlton Secondary School

20th January 2021

C Station Facades

Within the old spaces of C Station the insulated linings are installed as the external alterations are completed, and most of the remaining windows are installed.

At the southern end of the Power Hall, which will face the Civic Square at the future district centre of Houlton, the former access gates are bricked up, with a pattern in the brickwork that reflects the original gates shown in the archived drawings, but in our type 2 brickwork spec – which is sympathetic to, but not the same as, the historic brickwork. It is clearly an element of our conversion. This allows the last element of internal lining within the schools Assembly Hall to be finished off, and the second fix services installation to commence.

539_16-rugby on site
539_16-rugby on site
539_16-rugby on site
539_16-rugby on site

The Power Hall rooflight glazing and frames arrive and are erected instead of the temporary covers, reinstating the form of the original rooflights and the Power Hall’s external character, especially in distant views. However, they also transform the character of the Power Hall interiors, flooding the Dining hall and Assembly Hall spaces with clear light (despite the very significant levels of solar control on the glazing).

539_17-rugby on site

Elsewhere within C station the intricacies of the internal linings are formed, with special mention of the rooms in the admin wing and stair tower, where secondary glazing to the historic windows is incorporated, the existing stair treads need to be negotiated, and the historic mouldings; skirtings, cornicing and string courses, need to be matched

At the top of the Transmission Hall brickwork heavy coping stones are cast to finish off the top of the historic brickwork, and the upper brickwork is inspected, allow the upper lift of scaffold to be struck in preparation for the reinstatement of the buildings cornice (already delivered from BCM GRC’s factory, and waiting). Lost in a fire in 1944, contemporary photographs show the cornice was made of timber, although colour-coded as masonry on the design drawings. After considering various alternatives with the heritage consultees, we proposed the use of GRC, to minimise long term maintenance (it is c.18m above ground level) and to match the appearance of the Portland stone cornice on the original stair tower.

539_16-rugby on site
539_16-rugby on site

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