West Oaks Headingley Learning Centre, Leeds
Delivering a £600k+ specialist joinery package within a Grade II listed SEND learning centre
Project overview
Headingley Learning Centre was created through the £9m refurbishment of Ford House, a Grade II-listed 1850s manor house on Buckingham Road in Headingley, Leeds.
The project transformed the 2,800m² property into West Oaks School's third specialist SEND campus. The completed centre accommodates around 120 pupils and includes specialist classrooms, therapeutic and training spaces, interactive activity areas, outdoor learning facilities and a multi-use games area.
The refurbishment had to balance the requirements of a modern specialist education environment with the preservation of the building's historic fabric. Existing lime-plastered walls, woodwork, sash windows, staircases, cornicing and other heritage features had to be carefully reviewed, repaired or replaced using appropriate materials and construction methods.
CJ Joinery delivered one of its most challenging and varied commercial packages to date.
Key figures
- £600k+
- CJ Joinery package
- £9m
- Wider refurbishment project
- 140 approx.
- Doorsets and screens
- 4
- Kitchens installed
- 800m
- Bespoke three-piece heritage skirting
- 1,200m
- Additional timber skirting
- 3
- Padded calm rooms
- 120 approx.
- Pupils accommodated
- Grade II
- Listed Ford House refurbishment
Scope of works
- Installation of approximately 140 internal doorsets and screens
- Fire doors and associated ironmongery
- IPS systems, WC cubicles and vanity units
- Installation of 4 kitchens
- Approximately 800 linear metres of bespoke three-piece heritage timber skirting
- Approximately 1,200 linear metres of additional timber skirting boards
- Bespoke timber architraves manufactured to match existing historic profiles
- Pipe boxing and acoustic wall panels
- Bespoke staircase works
- Supply and installation of 3 padded calm rooms
- Structural repairs to timber floor joists
- Heritage timber repairs, replacement elements and additional variations
The challenge
The main challenge was working within the Grade II-listed fabric of Ford House.
Many replacement elements could not simply be selected from standard manufacturers' ranges. New timberwork had to respect and match the existing heritage details while still meeting the requirements of the modern learning environment.
This was particularly demanding for the replacement skirtings and architraves. CJ Joinery had to reproduce bespoke timber profiles that visually matched the original historic joinery and satisfied the conservation-led refurbishment.
The scale and variety of the package added another layer of complexity, with doorsets, washroom joinery, kitchens, specialist rooms, heritage timberwork, acoustic products and structural repairs all being delivered within the same contract.
Our approach
CJ Joinery worked closely with Henry Boot Construction and the wider project team to identify existing details, agree suitable replacement profiles and coordinate installation around retained listed fabric.
Where original skirting and architrave profiles needed replacement, bespoke timber sections were manufactured to replicate the historic detailing as closely as possible.
The site team combined traditional joinery skills with the coordination and programme control required for a large commercial education project.
Outcome
CJ Joinery successfully delivered a highly varied £600k+ joinery package as part of the transformation of Ford House into Headingley Learning Centre.
Conservation-detail matching was a particular success. Replacement skirtings, architraves and other timber elements were manufactured and installed to sit naturally alongside retained historic joinery rather than appearing as obvious modern replacements.
The project demonstrated CJ Joinery Contracts' ability to manage a large and technically varied commercial package covering traditional heritage joinery, modern doorsets, specialist SEND environments, washrooms, kitchens, acoustic products and structural timber repairs.
Frequently asked questions
On-site imagery
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