Senedd Building History - 2005

April 2005 Update

• External works including kerbing, electrical works, hand railing and paving continues as planned around the large areas surrounding the building. C B Watson, the masons from Barry, have completed the ramps and terraces slate to the south side and have now started working on the steps to the north and walls to the central terrace area.
• Internally, the glazing to the rear stairs and lifts (Stair B), internal screens and debating chamber gallery are in progress; Timber soffit works and the funnel lining are continuing; Optimum are well progressed with the partition second boarding (i.e closing in the walls after all the services have been installed) and have been started skimming the plaster boarded walls.
• Slate flooring to the all the ground floor and corridors and toilet to the first floor is complete. The remaining areas will follow the internal scaffold strip.
• MJN Colston have been working in most areas. In particular they have been progressing the first fix to the partition walls, including incorporation of the ICT requirements. The plantroom has progressed well, with the last air-handling unit in place, electrical and BMS works well advanced and boiler room completed for the boiler installation to occur smoothly. The permanent power is also on to the building, completing the incoming services.
• Elsewhere the installation of the lifts continues, glazing to the North canyon is underway and raised floors are being installed.
• North canopy steel has been erected.
• The offsite works of the furniture contractor continues to take place, including prototypes. The timber is now at the works and both seating and desks are in manufacture. Stretch Fabric Systems, who are producing the Acoustic panels that line the walls, have received all the coloured fabric and the natural colour for the artist's use.
• This last month has also been busy with BREEAM assessor visiting site twice to run through the information required to attain the BREEAM excellence rating for the building. The Considerate Constructors' Scheme Monitor also visited site and both left impressed by the site and the ongoing works.

May 2005 Update

• MJN Colston has been working closely with the dry liner to complete the first stage of the internal walls and further electrical installation work has continued to the high level roof in conjunction with the timber soffit works. The installation of the timber soffit has advanced well over the last month and all areas of the underside of the roof are now in progress.
• The biomass boiler, to be used for environmentally friendly heating has been installed and the boiler room fit out is now nearing completion.
• External kerbing and paving is continuing as planned. The external landscaping works on Pierhead Street/Harbour Drive are proceeding as planned and the works near the Waterfront are nearing completion. Work on the slate covering for the front terraces is progressing well and work on the edges to the committee room roof has commenced.
• Haran, the glazing contractor, continues to carry out finishing off works to the main façades of the building. They have also commenced the lantern glazing.
• The glazing for the security screens in the Committee Room galleries has been installed. Works are in progress on the glazing for the link bridges. The installation of lifts 1 & 2 at the front corner of the building is nearing completion. The materials are on site for lifts 4 & 5 in the rear courtyard and installation will commence in the near future.

June 2005

• External kerbing and paving is complete to the main areas with the works around Crickhowell House and tie-ins still on going. Progress is continuing on the front terrace and flat roof areas.
• Plant-room installations have been substantially completed in the month with the earth heat exchanger plant being installed. Commissioning of electrical and wet systems has progressed well.
• Haran, the external glazing contractor, continues to carry out finishing off works to the glass façade. The brackets have been installed on the lantern ready for the installation of the glass.
• The ancillary glazing has seen some good progress. The month has seen Stair B cladding substantially complete, good progress on the internal walling systems, the viewing galleries complete and the glass floors installed to the bridges. The installation of the glazing for the bridge links commenced on 9 May 2005.
• Timber soffit works are nearing completion. The make up around the top of the funnel and minor snagging are the only items remaining.
• Installation of the lifts at the rear of the building is progressing well. Schindler are due to commence their final completion and commissioning works to all lifts in the next week.
• The upper floor public areas are now progressing at pace following the striking of the scaffolds. These works include the under floor services screeding and the laying of the top slate covering.

July 2005

• External kerbing and paving is complete to the main areas with the works around Crickhowell House and tie-ins nearing completion. The road blockers for Pierhead Street have been installed. Finishing work around them has progressed very well and commencement of surfacing is imminent.
• Progress of the front terrace and flat roof areas is continuing.
• The glazing to the lantern is now complete.
• Timber soffit works are complete.
• Funnel lining is now nearing completion with the final fix tubes going in. The Debating Chamber lights are all installed and operational.
• Installation of the lifts is substantially complete. There are some final fixtures and commissioning to be completed.
• The underfloor heating and screeding is complete in the upper public area and the slate covering for the area is currently being laid. The laying of the slate flooring in the reception area has been completed.

August 2005

• The external works team are on final finishes, inspections, etc. They are working progressively around the site with finished areas being inspected, desnagged and fenced off. A significant milestone has been achieved this month and sees the external areas at the front of the building being opened up allowing public access across the front of the site from Mermaid Quay passed the Pierhead Building and out to Britannia Quay. The steps down through the dock mouth to the Boardwalk have also been opened.
• All glass has been installed to the lantern. Work remains to complete the permanent seals, but this is weather dependent. The glass canopy over the reception desk has also been installed.
• Good progress has been made on completing the glass to the rooflights and progressing the internal screens, including blinds. Works are now proceeding with the installation of the debating chamber conical security glass.
• All of the aluminium tubes that line the inside of the funnel have been installed.. Some minor adjustment to tubes needs to be made to close out these works.
• Installation of the lifts is substantially complete.
• First fix for the debating chamber panelling is completed. Final timber panelling, installation of the chamber desks and flooring will start shortly
• Internal slating is nearing completion with all main areas completed.

September 2005

• The external works continue to be inspected and handed over. Substantial areas of the Harbour Drive and the east end of Pierhead Street have been opened to the public. Turfing to the south elevation has been completed.
• Internally the first and second floors are virtually complete.
• The installation of the desks and wall panelling in the Debating Chamber is near completion. Also in the Chamber works have commenced on the oak flooring.
• The ancillary glazing is nearing completion internally, with final bits of replacement glass due in the coming weeks. The main works now relate to the external ancillary glazing, particularly to the rear courtyard, stairs and links. Works on these will progress rapidly over the next month.
• The security entrance equipment has been installed and finishes are progressing in this area.
• The Catering equipment has been installed and the fabric panels have been installed throughout the main areas.

November 2005

• The glazing to the bridges and the links are all in except the soffit.
• The security entrance sliding doors are fitted and only minor works remain in this area, most relating to commissioning.
• The courtyard will be completed in conjunction with the stairs and links.
• The fire stopping has been completed following the installation of the cables for the boundary microphones.
• Additional sockets for Chamber camera rails have been installed and tested and are operational
• The installation of the furniture has commenced throughout the building and good progress is being made.
• October 2005
• The glazing to the link bridges is nearing completion.
• The Members tea room is now complete following the installation of the remaining art panels.
• Work in the security entrance has progressed well.
• Completion of the rear external courtyard will proceed in conjunction with stairs and links.
• Miscellaneous ancillary glazing missing items have been largely completed over the last month. The main items remaining are the rooflight trims.
• Completion and sign-off of the undercroft has continued but not entirely closed out. Main activity is the M&E snagging. The final clean in the undercroft has been done.