One of our major projects of 2023 involved installing new corner shower pod units for NHS key worker accommodation managed by Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing Association, which administers an estate of homes in and around Oxford, as well as an extensive estate in Greater London. Shower pods were provided as part of a general refit and renovation project that involved us working alongside a variety of other contractors and suppliers.
The Challenge
Throughout 2023, our client Metropolitan Thames Valley were engaged in extensive refurbishments of the key worker accommodation units used by NHS staff under their responsibility in London and Oxford. Having previously worked with the client and their lead contractor, Novus Property Solutions, to refit the showering facilities at Heatherwood Hospital in Ascot, we were asked to undertake a similar project in Oxford for key worker accommodation used by workers at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre.
The project involved installing 110 new 800 W corner shower pods between April and November 2023, supplying and fitting about six shower pods per week. During the project our teams worked at Jolliffe House, Sturges House, and Mary Powell House, all located in Headington, a suburb close to Oxford city centre. We were also commissioned to provide the shower doors and accessories for each of the new units.
How We Helped
The housing units were continually occupied throughout the project, so to avoid disruption to key workers, we installed the shower pods through block release, working on a small batch of apartments each week through to completion.
For occupied buildings, block release is a practical refurbishment strategy that avoids having to shut down an entire building and relocate residents to alternative accommodation. Instead of the entire building being closed, only the affected tenants are reallocated during the refurbishment, before being moved back into a fully refitted and functional home.
Outcomes And Feedback
We were delighted to be able to apply the same successful working methodology to the key worker accommodation in Nuffield as we had deployed in London, and the client Metropolitan Thames Valley have been very pleased with the results. The key workers at Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre now have access to durable and efficient showering facilities that should operate without issue for many years, saving the client time and money on maintenance, cleaning, and upgrades across their estate.
Find Out More
We have very much enjoyed the strong working partnership with Novus and Metropolitan during this project and the previous refurbishment project in London and look forward to future shared ventures. Thanks go out to all the people we worked and collaborated with throughout the project.
If you’d like to find out more about this project or discuss a similar refurbishment project of your own, feel free to call us directly on 01483 532020 today, and we look forward to helping you.
