Work continues to be concentrated on the Sanctuary - the Bimah and the Ark are being cleaned and refurbished and work on the lantern is underway. Wires and plumbing are being covered up and the final stretch is starting.
WEEK 40
There is hard landscaping outside, and the scaffolding is completely gone. Inside, the school section is completed and they are busy moving in. The toilets are finished, and the kitchen has been reinstalled. It’s now all focus on the Sanctuary with the windows having been put into the lantern and work continuing in there.
WEEK 35
The site is slowly being uncovered, with both light lanterns unveiled and allowing a huge amount of light into the building. The sanctuary is slowly being cleared, and the cabling is all in place.
WEEK 33
A huge change throughout the site this week. There’s an enormous hole outside the building where drainage is being laid. Inside - it is so light and bright, with the windows in the lantern and above the entrance. There is tiling in the toilet blocks and painting of the whole site.
WEEK 29
Lots of tiling to be seen this week, and it’s starting to feel a bit less like a building site - although there’s lots still to do. The ceiling was being painted, and it was very busy in the sanctuary, with brickwork and carpentry underway
WEEK 28
It’s starting to look really bright inside the building. The stud walls to create the toilet stalls are up, the floor is being laid and various windows are being installed including the small ones to the right and left of the bimah.
WEEK 27
The roof is in. The toilets and corridoors have been built. We can see the sunshine and the tops of trees peeking through the windows in the sanctuary. The library and community room is being built. There is spiritual uplift in our sanctuary now; light floods the room.
WEEK 26
It’s looking really light in the building this week. The downstairs is fully boarded and plastered, and is being painted. Several rooms on the ground floor have also been fully boarded and plastered, and the toilet stalls are being put together.
WEEK 25
Lots of builders in today - plastering, plumbing, installing radiators and windows as well as repairing brickwork in the courtyard area. The sanctuary has become a temporary carpentry area and there is the smell of sawdust and fresh plaster around the building.
WEEK 24
WEEK 23
Some work on the outside of the building today with brickwork being fixed. Lots of trades on site today with plumbing and electrical work and radiators being installed.
WEEK 22
The walls on the lower ground floor has now been completely plastered and are drying out. More cables and piping are being installed on the ground floor.
WEEK 21
There are windows being installed and the scaffolding is down on the whole right hand side of the building. The carpenters are in and the Sanctuary is clear of rubble.
WEEK 20
A busy day on site. Windows are being installed - several skylights are fitted bringing in lots of light! Radiators are being fitted too, and there’s a lot of plumbing work taking place.
WEEK 19
The Sanctuary is rubble free and the central lantern is fully roofed with timber - awaiting window installation. The windows and radiators are on site, room frames are built and the new toilets are being installed.
WEEK 18
A very exciting visit - the scaffolding is coming down, the latern in the sanctuary is ready for the windows to be installed and work is now moving completely inside.
WEEK 17
The sun’s been shining all week which has made sealing the roof much easier and faster! The structure of the lantern above the sanctuary is nearly finished, the roof is sealed above the school section and wall partitions are being put up. The electrics and plumbing first fix have been completed in the back half of the building.
WEEK 16
Some sections of the roof are now finished, with duct work for ventilation and copper pipes for radiators being installed.
There has been a lot of wiring this week and everywhere you go there are cables hanging down from the ceilings.
WEEK 15
The asbestos from library and gan room has been removed and the ceilings in both rooms are finished.
WEEK 14
Some sections of the roof are now finis The steel structure for the central lantern has arrived and is in place. Insulation of the roof has begun along with new cables for sockets, switches and light fittings being put in the walls.
WEEK 13
This week saw the team building the parapets for the roof. They have cast new concrete beams that will receive the steel structure for the central lantern. New cables for sockets, switches and light fittings are being put in and chased into the walls.
WEEK 12 (Break over the holiday period)
A very cold site visit - and work is progressing on the sanctuary. The ceiling is off and work is continuing on the roof. The other rooms are all safe from the elements. There was a lovely smell of wood being sawed too - makes a change from the whine of cutting metal!
WEEK 8
The roof is now off in the sanctuary. The rooms at the back of the building are now watertight and the rest of the rooms will soon be subject to the weather conditions.
WEEK 7
The building made it through the strong winds and rain safely and roof works continue. Scaffolding is now up in the main sanctuary space which is quite exciting!
WEEK 6
A beautiful and cold morning on site. It was especially cold as the roof is now off in parts, and the stripping out of the right hand side of the building is pretty much done.
WEEK 5
Today the sun was shining and everyone was up on the roof working. Most rooms have been completely gutted with the toilets and kitchen completely stripped out.
WEEK 4
The scaffolding is now up over the entire building and work has begun on the roof. The kitchen is completely stripped out and the asbestos removal is underway. Not the most photogenic week but exciting progress nonetheless.
WEEK 3
The small hall and sanctuary screens have been removed and the WCs have been completely stripped out. There are preparations to remove the lower roof of the sanctuary.
WEEK 2
Work is progressing with more stripping out of doors, tiles, flooring and radiators. A frame is being built to protect the Ark when the messy work begins in the Sanctuary.
WEEK 1
This is where the stripping out begins. The water has now been turned off and various sections of the electrical system have been disabled.
