Serennu Children’s Centre
Bear were appointed to provide civil and structural design consultancy services for the rebound room extension at Serennu Children’s Centre in Newport.
The scheme itself saw a rebound room added which included a sunken trampoline and a small climbing wall. External drainage and landscaping were also included in the works.
The purpose of the extension was to broaden facilities on offer at the centre, which provides care, treatment and activities for children and young people with disabilities and developmental difficulties. No similar facilities are within an hour’s drive of the site.
The substructure consisted of reinforced concrete foundations, a reinforced concrete trampoline pit and suspended ground floor slab incorporating weatherproofing and gas protection measures.
The superstructure includes a structural steel frame which had to incorporate supports for sliding partition doors and tracked hoist systems. The walls are masonry panels clad with timber to match the existing building and the roof was constructed using timber rafters clad with composite cladding panels.
Challenges on this project included the interface between the existing building above and below ground along with diverting and connecting to the existing drainage.
