Headington School, The Hive

The split-level building is designed to facilitate studies with an emphasis on sustainability, technology and enterprise. Its upper floor contains three fine art studio and two textile rooms. Each of the four areas features a double height ceiling and windows large enough to fill rooms with natural daylight. This was key to imbuing each studio with a sense of space in which students’ creative thoughts were free to fly.

The Hive’s ground floor is equally as inspiring for the artistically minded. It includes a 3D engineering workshop, a kiln room, a traditional dark room, a lens studio and a 150-seat lecture theatre. This level also features gallery space for students to exhibit the results of their creative learning. For a key aspect of the building’s construction, IG Masonry Support was chosen by contractor Beard Construction to supply its industry-leading brick-on-soffit solution to facilitate a corbelled design at the Hive’s window heads.

IG Masonry Support was selected for the Headington School project following its successful collaboration with Beard Construction on a previous building programme involving corbelled design window heads. Initially, the architect had recommended precast concrete walls for The Hive’s corbelled effect windows. However, due to the complex nature of the design, IG Masonry Support was brought on board to provide a more efficient and cost-effective system.

The Hive project presented a number of challenges for IG Masonry Support and its delivery of a suitable brick-on-soffit solution. Firstly, units had to be individually designed and manufactured due to the size and complexity of the window heads’ corbelled aesthetic. In total, more than 240 units needed to be supplied with stainless steel hangers that fixed to the building’s structure.

Design issues aside, IG Masonry Support was required to supply its multiple brick-on-soffit units in June 2020. The deadline was put in doubt due to complications caused by the Covid-19 lockdown. However, aware of its responsibility from contractor to contractor, IG Masonry Support went the extra mile to ensure the systems arrived on site ready to install in March 2020 – a full three months ahead of schedule.

Quick, easy to install, and able to fulfill the architect’s aesthetic design, IG Masonry Support’s stainless steel prefabricated ‘B.O.S.S’ units proved ideal for The Hive project. Indeed, the systems’ prefabricated, bespoke manufacture proved particularly beneficial in budgetary terms. A readymade solution for a wide range of complex brick detail applications, it’s estimated that specifying IG Masonry Support’s ‘B.O.S.S’ units, rather than opting for a traditional bricklaying process, reduced installation time on The Hive programme by up to 90%.

The B.O.S.S units’ amenability was additionally beneficial in fulfilling the striking corbelled design at the building’s corners. Again, their installation couldn’t have been easier. IG Masonry Support’s prefabricated manufacture of each unit meant upon their arrival on site they simply required hanging and pointing to ensure a seamless blend within the brickwork.

IG Masonry’s supply of the highest quality, complex brick-on-soffit systems on the market ensured The Hive’s intricate façade was formalised as per the architect’s enterprising vision. The company’s excellent working relationship with the contractor contributed to the project’s time and cost-effective completion. An example of this was IG Masonry Support’s provision of brick-on-soffit samples for the client which showcased how the system would be designed and manufactured.