Construction of Buckden's living stones rooms, Cambridgeshire, UK

Faced with a set of daunting technical, conservation and budget challenges, in building a small extension onto a medieval church to serve the local community of Buckden, Cambridgeshire, UK, a group of retired civil engineers combined their experience to achieve a successful project outcome. Visitor and user facilities were squeezed into an extremely confined site, producing a development of exceptional quality. Using an innovative procurement route, the client formed its own limited company, directly employing the professional consultants on a design and build basis and taking on the project risks itself. Substantial savings were achieved by eliminating contractors' overhead costs and making extensive use of volunteer labour and expertise. The fact that the end user and contractor were the same people, having a deep understanding of client needs, helped in resolving a number of issues. These included the presence of ancient monuments, a diversity of interested parties and other complications. Work also included risk management, traditional external materials of stonework, lead and glazing for longevity, foundations of reinforced concrete ground slab and steel shell piles, temporary works, recycling and reuse of materials.