There is always lots going on at Cobdown. Here are some of the highlights from this month as we move forward with our ‘big build’.
New Member of the Team
We welcomed a new key staff member, John Summers, who joined the Team as Facilities & Maintenance Lead taking responsibility for managing the renovation on a day-to-day basis while liaising with onsite contractors.
John has previously been the main contractor on the build and has been involved from the start. Apart from wider Estate upkeep duties, John will take the lead on a series of additional planned projects on the Cobdown site.
EV Chargers come online
Advo’s IT Director, Kevin Crew, was the first to use Advo’s EV Chargers. Open to staff and visitors the current four chargers will be expanded over time with the different parking locations around Cobdown House.
Orangery Build
The last part of the major building construction commences in earnest with the addition of a large Orangery on the 1950s extension flat roof. This is an essential part of the project allowing for two Events areas, each hosting over 40 people. The addition of the temporary ramp allowing the steel framework to be lifted into place. Additional parts of the house had had to be reinforced with new steel framework to create the Board Room balconies.
Scaffolding up, now the steel base frames and supports are in linking with new steels in the underside roof… Work commences….
IT Infrastructure
More of the hidden infrastructure is a bespoke an additional 10 gigabyte internet line that has been installed allowing considerable flexibility for a large number of separate IT infrastructures for tenants, networking and multiple events.
This is Colin Middleton, one of Advo’s [owners of Cobdown] IT experts, who recently presented to the Board Directors on the Cobdown IT infrastructure outlining how the system is built to allow maximum flexibility and still be future proof.
Inside Cobdown
Many of the rooms are nearing completion. scaffolding down in the stairways and parts of the original coving repaired ready for decorating.
Designing and installing this ultra-modern system in an old Victorian house that previously only had a one hot water pipe for everything linked to two enormous basement boilers has been one of the largest, complex and costly parts of the renovation. Each room has its own HVAC (Heating Ventilation & Air Conditioning) unit ensuring constant all-year round temperature control. Much of the system is hidden in ceilings, the units already installed and will be disguised to match surroundings.
The build fun bits…
As rooms near completion the more interesting parts of the renovation start to take more importance, such as choosing the final fittings.
The next phase in the main house is internal glazing taking place early May, this will transform the inside areas with floor to ceiling glazing replacing walls that needed to be retained for fire regulations.
More on this exciting project shortly.