Nottinghamshire-based J Tomlinson Ltd is currently working to refurbish one of Nottingham’s most iconic, Grade II* listed buildings, located in the heart of the city centre.
Formerly a lace showroom and warehouse, the 1800s-built Adam’s Building was once the centrepoint of the UK’s renowned lace manufacturing industry, and is the largest building in Nottingham’s historic Lace Market.
The seven-storey building now forms part of the city campus of Nottingham College, and is home to a wide range of departments, including Fashion, Digital Design and Media, Business, Accounting, and a Higher Education Centre.
J Tomlinson was selected to manage the project after being appointed to the Crown Commercial Service Building Works & Minor Associated Civil Engineering Works framework, which was developed to facilitate hassle-free, efficient building and civil engineering projects for central government and the wider public sector.
The Adams Building marks the first project won on lot 1.1.1., which focuses on the delivery of nationwide projects up to £3m in value. The framework is open to any Central Government Departments (and Arms Length Bodies) and all other UK Public Sector Bodies, including Local Authorities, Health, Police, Fire and Rescue, Education, Housing, Charities, Nuclear, and Devolved Administrations, and is the government’s recommended mechanism for the procurement of best value construction schemes via a streamlined process.
The project, which commenced early August, will see J Tomlinson manage a comprehensive refurbishment project across all seven floors of the Adams Building, comprising internal alterations, repairs, maintenance, and the relocation of facilities, to help create new spaces for existing and future Nottingham College students.
Works have been phased to ensure Nottingham College students were able to occupy the building from the beginning of the new academic year in September, with the first phase comprising creation of new kitchenettes, door-sets, flooring, a bar servery, sub-division of existing rooms with partitions, replacement of small power and lighting, plus relocation of the existing kitchen equipment to create a new facility in the building’s brasserie kitchen.
The second phase of the project, due to commence in October, will see J Tomlinson manage the removal of the College’s hair and beauty salon facilities from its Beeston and Clarendon campuses, followed by reinstatement within the Adams Building. As this phase will take place across a live and occupied college campus, J Tomlinson’s core focus will centre around the safety and wellbeing of students, staff and visitors, with visual and auditory measures implemented to minimise disruption to the learning environment.
The project is due to complete in December, with site staff working to a detailed, stringent programme, in which Covid-19 risk mitigation is a critical consideration in light of the global pandemic.
Founded in Beeston, Nottinghamshire, in the 1950s, J Tomlinson’s local knowledge and experience has seen the company successfully deliver a range of city centre-based building projects, including the refurbishment of Broadway Cinema and the landmark redevelopment of the National Justice Museum (formerly the Galleries of Justice), and the William Booth Birthplace Museum.
In addition, the company has managed the refurbishment and redevelopment of multiple iconic listed buildings, including Coventry Transport Museum and its Old Grammar School (Grade I listed) and the 18th century Dagfa House building in Beeston (Grade II listed), which the company converted into student accommodation last year.
A spokesperson for J Tomlinson’s refurbishment and engineering division, commented: “J Tomlinson has extensive experience delivering refurbishment and engineering works across the education sector, and we are pleased to be working with Nottingham College to refurbish one of the most iconic buildings in our business’s home city of Nottingham.
“Careful consideration has been taken in the design progress to ensure that the completed works match the existing fabric of the building, whilst we enhance the existing learning facilities for students and staff.
“As the only Nottinghamshire-based company appointed to lot 1.1.1. of the Crown Commercial Service Building Works & Minor Associated Civil Engineering Works framework, J Tomlinson benefits from extensive local knowledge and experience, which has been instrumental in helping ensure the smooth management of this complex city centre-based project.
“We continue to work closely with the College and the wider project team to deliver a first-class refurbishment scheme that will be the latest in a range of legacy redevelopment projects delivered by the J Tomlinson team.”
Gary McGinty, director of estates and facilities at Nottingham College, said: “We’re committed to enhancing and improving facilities for our students, to help prepare them for their future careers. So we were pleased to partner with J Tomlinson for this project at the Adams Building, which is part of a wider improvement programme.
“They have been extremely well organised and flexible, completing the first phase ahead of time. This helped us give our new and returning students a positive experience at the start of the new academic year.
“We’re delighted with the high quality work, the efficient and professional approach, and particularly the helpful, positive and cooperative nature of all of the J Tomlinson team. Well done!”
J Tomlinson provides a range of building solutions including refurbishment, engineering services, construction, facilities management and repairs and maintenance. The Nottingham-based company, which works primarily across the East Midlands, West Midlands and Yorkshire, works with a range of key sectors, including education, healthcare, extra care, social housing, local government and bluelight.
For more information about J Tomlinson, visit www.jtomlinson.co.uk.
