The refurbishment of the Christ Church Boat House – Completed 2019

Christ Church’s Boat House is located at the apex of the Cherwell and Thames. It is home the college’s famous Boat Club, first established in 1817.

This project by Montgomery Architects  and delivered by CBG Consultants and ourselves saw the complete renovation of the gym, modernisation of services within the boat store and workshops, and a new punt store extension created. The terrace and gym enjoy stunning views across the rivers, a nice respite from the tough training regimes for the rowing teams.

Electrical services were replaced, with new heating, ventilation , lighting, power, fire alarm and access control systems all installed. The project was completed over two phases, to reduce disruption to the rowers.

New Whitecroft, Pro and ASD LED lighting was selected and installed providing a brighter and more efficient lighting solution. New power outlets were provided for the users and the training equipment. Low energy heaters were also installed keeping users comfortable.

The fire alarm system was upgraded providing greater protection to life and the building, linked to the main site.

Links

Christ Church Boathouse

The refurbishment of the St Edmund Hall Old Dining Hall and fit out of rear servery – Completed 2020

This project involved the refurbishment of the colleges dining hall and servery. Working with Original Field of Architecture  and Richard Ward Oxford we delivered a new lighting solution replacing the old failing electrical wiring, including the general power and fire alarm system. The servery adjacent to the dining hall had a new fit out too.

The new lighting was fitted as specified and designed by Francesco Miniati Lighting Design. iGuzzini fittings were selected and installed at high level to illuminate art work within the dining hall,  The Sattler ‘Ring’ fitting provides a beautiful architectural and functional  aspect to the space.

The existing servery had a electrical panel board within it, supplying numerous parts of the college. As part of our works we were able to co-ordinate and programme a series of shutdowns to move the electrical supplies to a new panel board located just outside of the room. This allowed the room to be fitted out to its maximum potential.

Links –

https://www.seh.ox.ac.uk/news/old-dining-hall-refurbishment

Upgrades to the LV distribution and cabling  – Completed 2020

Project description: The supply, installation, testing and commissioning of the
upgrade and replacement mains low Voltage (LV) distribution system

Large parts of the existing LV Distribution system has been installed for nearly 40years and is due for
upgrading. Some elements have been upgraded in recent years and this project is proposed to continue
this.

There is existing loose switchgear which contains asbestos which is due to be replaced in order for the
college to safely maintain the system. The majority of the college is currently fed from this switchgear.
In 2015 SSE contracting installed a new switchboard with the intention for this to replace the existing
switchgear.

The purposed of this project is to upgrade existing submains and connect these to the new switchboard
whilst also diverting some existing supplies to the new switchboard. The ultimate aim is the strip out and
safely dispose of the existing redundant switchgear.

Works: New cable tray containment systems were installed to various locations, externally, internally and within an underground service area, enabling the installation of new XLPE/SWA  submain cables. The cables, including 2no 185mm2 4core’s were installed on agreed dates and times with the college. Programming and achieving these works on the agreed date/time was essential to allow the college to continue to operate smoothly.  Some of the cable runs were well over 100 metres long! We carried out all necessary cable and protection device calculations.

Some builders works were required, core-hole drilling, access panels and fire stopping was all provided by our sub-contractor, Richard Ward Oxford Ltd

Our next task was to install new isolators and a switch panel-board, replacing the existing equipment. All new LV switchgear and protective devices have been manufactured by Schneider to provide compatibility with the existing installation.

Having consulted, planned and agreed electrical shutdown dates with St Edmund Hall, we formulated a programme and set to work swapping the supplies from existing to new. Firstly, the asbestos containing material(ACM’s)  were removed, we were then able to disconnect and remove the electrical equipment and connect the new. Some new cabling was connected to the existing switch-gear. This switch-gear is to be replaced as part of future projects.

Existing final circuits(sockets, lighting etc) were incorporated into the upgrade to. We installed new distribution boards, consolidating the existing final circuits, ensuring ongoing maintenance works can be carried out by the college as efficiently as possible.

New emergency lighting was installed throughout the plantroom, labelled and the college logbook updated to reflect the changes. Certification was provided too, as standard. Thorn ‘Aquaforce’ self contained 3hour fittings were selected.

Metering was installed and commissioned as part of the new installation. Readings can be viewed on the display screen but they also have Modbus protocol compatibility, enabling connection to a remote monitoring system.

Updated drawings, technical information and Electrical Installation Certification was provided.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Acting as the main contractor on this phase of works, we have started on site having issued our Construction Phase Plan.

Site setup consisting of  protection to Cathedral artifacts, welfare facilities including hand sanitising stations and access equipment(scaffolding) has been carried out and works are underway.

We’re currently installing both FP200 and MICC (fire resistant) cable along the clerestory cable containment system, between the new LED light fittings final location’s in the Latin Chapel, North Aisle, Lady Chapel, South Transept, Central Tower and the power and control devices that are to be installed in a serviceable location.

Final designs of the Mike Stoane luminaires have been submitted  for approval to put into manufacture.

Principal Designer – Purcell

CDM Consultant – Andrew Alder Associates Ltd

Lighting Design – Sutton Vane Associates

Electrical Consultant – CBG

For one night only, some of Oxford’s most beautiful buildings were lit up like never before.

In association with the Society of Light and Lighting, the Night of Heritage Light 2017 celebrated the art and science of light – with fun, creative designs lighting up some of the city’s most iconic sites:

• Ashmolean Museum
• Museum of Natural History
• Museum of the History of Science
• Bodleian Library quad
• Radcliffe Camera
• Radcliffe Observatory
• Radcliffe Humanities.

Experts in the field of lighting put their designs on display to demonstrate the power of light. Combining their love of light and art, design teams used their skills to enhance the stunning architecture and light up the night-time environment.

Monard assisted each team with the building knowledge, temporary supplies and installation of the luminaires. All luminaires were required to be installed so as not to damage the building and be safe for the public to be in close proximity.

Refurbishment of the east wing – Completed 2013

Green Templeton College officially formed in October 2008 via a merger between Green and Templeton colleges. The resulting institution majors on medical and life sciences and management studies. Monard Electrical has carried out several projects for the college recently, including rewires of college properties, maintenance and test inspections.

Praise for Monard’s work

“Green Templeton College embarked on sympathetically restoring the east wing of the grade 1 listed 18th Century Radcliffe Observatory. Whilst restoring the fabric and furnishings we took the opportunity to modernise the M&E services. A new BMS plant room, mains panel and lighting were included in the upgrade. As acting Project Manager I was very pleased with the skills, dedication and attention to detail provided by the appointed contractors. A special mention has to be awarded to Monard Electrical, who were very effective and professional in their role as Principal Contractor and remained within budget and met a tight deadline. On completion we invited all involved parties to a ‘thank you’ tea at which conservation stamped their seal of approval and the college Vice Principal extended her gratitude to Monard Electrical”

Steve Williams, Maintenance Manager, Green Templeton College

Randolph Sculpture Gallery lighting upgrade for Beard Construction – Completed 2012

Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum is the world’s first university museum, built from 1678–1683 to house the cabinet of curiosities given to the museum by Elias Ashmole in 1677. The museum reopened in 2009 after a major redevelopment and, in late 2011, new galleries focusing on treasures from Egypt and Nubia were unveiled.

The lighting upgrade was carried out in close collaboration with the museum. We installed new track lighting and architectural lighting, a Hoare Lea scheme involving clever track-mounted LED spotlights, including the Type X from Mike Stoane Lighting and the DR2 by Remote Controlled Lighting. The track we used coordinated sympathetically with the decorative ceiling cornice straps, and we developed special brackets for remote control lighting to ensure close coordination with the cornice straps and the track system. The resulting installation was both minimal and neat.

Praise for Monard’s work

“The Randolph Sculpture Gallery is one of the most iconic spaces in the Museum and is regularly used for a variety of different events and is particularly popular for weddings. We therefore needed a flexible scheme that provided both world-class lighting for the Arundel marbles during the day but was also appropriate for evening events. A great challenge which has been met by this remarkably flexible lighting scheme which enhances the architecture, highlights the collections and enables us to have wonderful evening events.”

Harry Phythian-Adams, Executive Officer

“The Ashmolean is delighted with the lighting scheme, the space shows the Ashmolean’s world renowned Arundel Marbles, which are now displayed in a gallery which is beautifully integrated into the Ashmolean’s new Ancient World floor.”

Professor Christopher Brown CBE, Director Ashmolean

“We were tasked with a general refurbishment of the Randolph Gallery with a completion deadline set in stone to accommodate an important function. The lighting and electrical works formed the major part of these works and were crucial to the success of the project. We worked in partnership with Monard, the Museum and consultants to develop and deliver the scheme ahead of time and to a high standard which the customer was delighted with. Monards were key to the success of this project and the approach of both
office and site staff was excellent. They were flexible & considerate on site in the difficult environment of working in a live museum and their technical input and advice to overcome design issues was a invaluable in achieving the overall success of the scheme.”

Nick Bradley, Beards Construction

You can find out more about the project here.

• Hoare Lighting
• Mondoarc

Monard has installed 250 metres of LED tape as part of a new, greener and more efficient lighting scheme for one of the UK’s most iconic university library buildings, The Radcliffe Camera in Oxford.

A striking circular Neoclassical circular landmark, the Grade I listed library was designed by James Gibbs, constructed between 1737 and 1748 to house the Radcliffe Science Library and funded from the estate of local doctor and wealthy man John Radcliffe, who died childless in 1714.

We were asked to work on the installation of a new lighting scheme for the library’s ground floor, replacing the old fluorescents. The design came from Rob Gregg with assistance from CBG Consultants. Together we assessed a series of potential products before deciding on Osram tape with warm-white LEDs and a colour temperature of 3000K, plus Concords Beacon Muse LED luminaires, and Zumtobel’s super system and emergency solution.

Now the ground floor library features a series of eight pedimented projections alternated with niches with the central floor, divided into bays by coupled Corinthian columns. There are pedimented windows around the mezzanine level ,and the roof is a lanterned dome set on an octagonal drum with a balustrade parapet.

The LED tape is positioned around the stone cornicing and the tops of the columns as well as along the edges of the ground floor balconies, also illuminating the domed ceilings in the process. As a result the light bounces back down into the reading spaces. We’ve also retro-fitted the tape into the listed desk reading lights, with 30 desks in each of the eight seating areas, each light approximately 400mm wide and good and bright for comfortable close-up reading. The end result is as attractive as it is energy-efficient. In fact the new lighting scheme has resulted in a dramatic 5-fold increase in the library’s Lux levels, and the running costs have plummeted.

The Ashmolean museum, at the University of Oxford, is the world’s oldest public museum and one of Europe’s most popular cultural tourist destinations. This is where you’ll find Oxford University’s legendary art and archaeology collection, visited by more than 850,000 people every year.

As you can imagine, the historic building needs constant care and attention to ensure it delivers the welcoming atmosphere the Ashmolean prides itself on, and meets the expectations of visitors. And this continuous refresh involves making sure essential lighting systems are man enough for the job.

The team at the museum has recently upgraded the lighting system in its gallery spaces and installed more than 1500 Concord Beacon Muse spotlights. When it came to redesigning the lighting scheme, the aesthetics and performance were equally important, as Harry Phythian-Adams, Executive Officer, Director’s Office at the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, explains.

“We required a solution that provided the same lit effect as halogen but also delivered a better uniformity of light whilst bringing the vibrant colours in the galleries to life. Concord was able to adapt the Beacon Muse to meet our needs perfectly: it changed the colour temperature of the spotlight to 2700K warm white with colour rendering index of typical 97 and also provided us with a customised white bezel to better suit our interior décor.”

The project was instigated by Robert Gregg from Oxford University. The Ashmolean team worked with Concord to design the fittings, which were installed by Monard Electrical and commissioned by Ben Acton at Hoare Lea Lighting.

We installed Concord Beacon Muse spotlights at a high level within the space, positioning them in a way that reveals the forms and details of the diverse collection to perfection. The spotlights feature warm, high colour rendering LED bulbs, with the beam angle adjusted according to the effect required for each exhibit. As Harry Phythian-Adams says, “The lit effect of the Concord Beacon Muse is great but we are also impressed with the energy savings we have seen. Due to the unique design of the product, in addition to the LED energy savings compared to the previous Halogen lights, less heat is emitted and we have been able to reduce our air conditioning usage and save on our energy costs.”

115 Banbury Road, Oxford – Completed summer 2018

When University College bought the building at 115 Banbury Road, part of the works we carried out for them involved installing essential safety systems. We handled the emergency lighting and fire alarms as well as upgrading the lighting throughout the premises.

After initially testing and proving the circuitry, we worked closely alongside Pyrotec to install the fire alarm system and make it visible from the main site lodge via a smartwatch system. We upgraded and altered all the lighting to take energy-efficient LED luminaires and, where required, fitted emergency lights. We also installed the wiring for CCTV and access control as part of the project.