Here at RDM Electrical Services, we were delighted to work on a very special project in a very special location in Wales. Many schoolchildren growing up in Wales will have magical and nostalgic memories of school trips to Urdd Gobaith Cymru in Llangrannog. It is estimated that more than one million ‘campers’ have used the centre since its establishment in 1932.

It was, therefore, a pleasure to work on this project that involved a complete build and fit out of the commercial kitchen facilities, a dining block able to seat more than 200, and nine en-suite dormitories, which will sleep 58 in total.

This project also had a specific focus on sustainable technology. As part of the wider project, we also designed and installed under floor heating, air source heat pumps and solar panels.

The process for this development started in November 2016 when the Urdd launched an open competition inviting consultant teams to submit proposals to improve their facilities at the Urdd Llangrannog Campus in a project called ‘Calon y Gwersyll/The Heart of the Centre’.

Following an assessment of submissions and a presentation interview, Purcell was appointed to develop the project.

The scheme was developed to include two new build elements, one refurbishment and new build extension, demolition and landscape works. The centre remained open throughout the construction period.

The investment will allow the centre to respond to demand while providing a high-quality educational offer to schools and groups. Additionally, it will increase the numbers that will be able to visit the centre daily and weekly.

Today, 56 per cent of all Welsh schools attend Urdd centres on residential courses, and of those who visited over the past three years, 26 per cent came from the 20 per cent most deprived communities in Wales.

We were proud to work alongside Create Construction for developer Bricks Capital Developments on this ambitious new student build in Swansea for end client True Student.

This £50 million project comprises four buildings, 484 individual suites, 192 en-suite rooms with shared lounges & kitchens, as well as 30 additional ‘accessible’ rooms. The ground floor amenity space contains a cinema, library, gym and large recreation area with a fun spiral chute, which is accessed from the second floor.

We worked with main contractor at tender stage to explore value engineering options to bring project within the budget constraints, whilst maintaining quality and not compromising on end product. We also continued work throughout the Covid-19 pandemic – amending working practices to ensure the safety of all involved.

End client True Student has a unique approach to creating living spaces for students with a focus on building communities and allowing individuals to forge life-long friendships. They look to enhance the quality of students’ lives by also facilitating many activities and access to support services.

It was a pleasure to work on such a remarkable an innovative project with such a forward-thinking end client.

We were proud to work alongside Morgan Sindall for end client Aberystwyth University on this ambitious new student build.

This was an ambitious project which has brought the iconic Grade II listed Pantycelyn hall of residence at Aberystwyth University back into operation, reinstating it as a focal point of its Penglais Campus.

Pantycelyn Hall was one of the first buildings to be constructed on the Aberystwyth University site, acquired in 1929. The original design was by architect Sir Percy Thomas and named after the eighteenth-century Welsh poet, hymnist and revivalist, William Williams Pantycelyn.

The building became the University’s Welsh-medium hall of residence in 1974, and hosted Prince Charles when he was a student in 1969, prior to his investiture in Caernarfon.

The new £16.5m project provides modern, high quality en-suite accommodation for up to 200 students, who will now benefit from state-of-the-art research and learning facilities.

We were contracted to provide RIBA stages 4b and 5 of the design, and the installation of all mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems.

This involved the installation of all new systems throughout the building, including 198 en-suite bedrooms, refectory & commercial kitchen space, laundry, meeting and conference spaces, staff facilities (including welfare and rest areas), study areas and communal social spaces.

We also installed all specialist systems within the newly renovated structure. These included fire alarms, alerting systems for the hearing impaired, security systems (CCTV & Access Control), Building Management System (BMS), smoke evacuation systems, sprinkler system, AV systems and Induction loops.

The scheme includes a number of state-of-the-art, eco-friendly innovations designed, installed and commissioned by us along with our sister-firm EFT Consult to minimise the building’s energy usage.

The lighting systems include wireless connectivity, meaning fittings can communicate with each other on a mesh network and sense and control light levels, depending on occupancy. All emergency fittings report back to a hub, which in turn communicates via the network and reports to the University’s maintenance team with functionality including fault monitoring and emergency lighting testing.

The project, which commenced in June 2019, was understandably impacted by Covid-19. However, strict measures were introduced in order for work to continue, such as enhanced PPE and COVID-safe working conditions.

There were also many limitations placed on us due to the site’s Grade II listed status. We were required to ensure the design and installation was sympathetic to the existing environment. As a result, many of the ground floor amenity spaces were retained as heritage areas, including many of the original features.

Despite these challenges, the project was completed on time, ready for student occupation, in September 2020.