Thomasons’ Liverpool project shortlisted for North West Regional Construction Awards

A refurbishment project at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts – for which Thomasons provided civil and structural engineering design services – has been shortlisted for the North West Regional Construction Awards in the Project of the Year (Building) category, as an outstanding example of best practice, commitment and of collaborative and sustainable delivery.

Thomasons’ experts worked on the project between 2013 and 2016, refurbishing the former art school where John Lennon had been a student. Work involved demolition to create a glazed atrium that connected all three wings and level changes of the building, as well as alterations to create large dance spaces and an additional performance studio to stage shows. Alterations to the original lattice arch roof trusses to increase their span and provide support for aerial dance and silk training required sympathetic solutions, to maintain the building’s character and original appearance.

The team faced a number of restraints when the project began. The building was occupied for the first year of work, which limited surveying, and there was little information available about the history of the Grade II Listed building. During the early work, a number of beams were discovered in the basement which are believed to be part of the entrance to a former quarry and the site of Liverpool Cathedral.

The Construction Awards competition, now in its 11th year, is being hosted by the School of the Built Environment at the University of Salford, Constructing Excellence North West and the Centre for Construction Innovation. The awards ceremony and dinner will take place on Friday 23rd June 2017 in Manchester. Winners will be taken forward to the National Constructing Excellence Awards in November.