Sevenoaks building company Riveroak Limited recently put the finishing touches to building refurbishments for the Pre-school at Shoreham Village School in Kent. The work comprised internal and external structural modifications including improvements to the main entrance, addition of extra wide french doors and construction of a raised decking area and an enclosed gazebo to provide a weatherproof play area in the garden.

The Pre-school is housed in an old timber framed workshop adjacent to the main school. Riveroak Director, Tony Shepherd says ‘It’s an ‘unconventional’ building. The main challenge was the cold and in particular the drafts coming up through the floor in winter. Being an old building there were also alignment issues. We installed new flooring, skirting and insulation throughout, to provide a much cosier environment’.

The school applied for and got a council grant to cover the cost of the work, and the project was put out to tender so Riveroak found themselves pitching against several other firms. According to Nicola Powell, Chair of the Governing Committee, ‘Riveroak’s bid was not the cheapest we received, but it was the most thorough. They provided exceptional detail and it was clear they had taken the time to think the job through properly. Tony’s obvious enthusiasm for the project and his design input helped to really bring it alive. This really set the scene for how they conducted the whole job. From the outset they managed everything with great care and attention: the guys they worked with; the timetable; the quality of work. I could not find fault with anything’.

Riveroak were tasked with managing the project from initial planning and estimating, through supervision of works to final snagging. The job was completed to a fixed budget and a tight schedule over five weeks during the Summer holidays, in time for the beginning of the new school year in September.

Nicola Powell said ‘The refurbishment is a fantastic improvement to the school, and the children, staff and parents are all delighted with the result. I would say that Riveroak are professional, reliable and thorough. Above all they’re nice guys to work with and they genuinely care. I would definitely recommend Riveroak’.