Ash recently welcomed 4 groups of pupils to site at Beckenham Place Park. The students from Sedgehill School are studying Design, Engineering and Construction. Once kitted up in PPE the students took a controlled tour of the Grade II listed Homestead building being renovated into a café and educational space for park visitors.
The building was of particular significance to the group of students currently studying restoration works in construction to replicate work completed in different eras. Site Manager Dan Roberts talked the pupils though modern techniques that are being used in parallel with traditional building methods as an ode to the era the building was originally constructed in. Such as fire rated ceilings and Wi-Fi cabling being covered using traditional plastering techniques.
Matthew Cox our Commercial Director was able to lend a hand to those in another group who shortly had exams coming up. Helping them to understand and analyze various impacts that affect projects, from BIM clash detection to weather restrictions. We talked to the group through the real issues a live site may face. Demonstrating every phase of construction from initial drawings to completion.
The visit also aimed to showcase the many career avenues available in the construction industry and what next steps the students can take to peruse these. Also addressing the skills shortage currently happening in the industry.
Here at Ash, we believe visits such as this provide a vital opportunity to inspire the next generation of workers into the construction industry. Additionally, these opportunities allow us to engage with the local community and hear first-hand feedback on the project from those who will be using the facilities created.
