04/04/04
"Europe's biggest", is based in Oxford
More than two and a half million class b engineering bricks and 205,000 face bricks are being used in the traditional-method building of a new Islamic centre in Oxford. The value of the project’s brickwork package is in excess of £5million, including materials.
Rosedale Brickwork managing director Lee Mackin claims the project, which is also using 400,000 100mm concrete blocks, is “the biggest of its kind in Europe.”
He explains: “The client insists that the centre is traditionally built and as far as I am aware it is the only gravity built building in Europe. No concrete has been used, not even in the arches, and the structure is totally held up by the brickwork.”
Lee Mackin’s company began work on site at the end of March 2003 and expect the job to be complete by November this year. At the height of the project he had 50 bricklayers on site.
“I asked our fork-lift driver to count how many bins of mortar he moved during the day, but he lost count when he got to about 103. We have six 35 tonne Remix silos on site and it would have been impossible to batch that volume on site.
“In any event we gave up batching on site a long while ago because we go for high-quality commercial work. Our quality control systems are stringent and you cannot guarantee the quality if you try to batch on site.
“Between them the silos contain class one mortar, class three mortar and class three yellow coloured mortar and Remix make sure they are kept topped up.”
Rosedale Brickwork is also working on the major extension to Reading’s Royal Berkshire Hospital and has been involved in much of the development at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, including re-building Court number one.
The Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, currently in George Street, was established in 1985 as an associated institution of Oxford University to encourage, “by means of academic excellence in teaching, research and publication,” a more informed understanding of Muslim societies.
Under the patronage of H.R.H The Prince of Wales, it is governed by a Board of Trustees of representatives of Oxford University and scholars and persons of distinction from across the world.
The multi-million pound new building will accommodate those academic, social and residential facilities essential for the collegiate life of a community of scholars. These will include a library, exhibition gallery, mosque, dining hall, auditorium, teaching rooms, residential accommodation and landscaped gardens.
Further information or access to any photographs contact Brian James at Brian.James@mineralproducts.org or call 020 7963 8000.
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