Multi-disciplinary construction consultancy, Edmond Shipway, have reached a key milestone with the delivery of the final timber frame wall panel to the site of the new Center Parcs resort, Woburn Forest, which is currently under construction. As quantity surveyors for the scheme the company has overseen the construction of 625 lodges at Woburn Forest in Bedfordshire, due to open spring 2014. The scale of the project has been equated to the building of a large village.The construction of the lodges, coupled with a new hotel, is a big part of the new Center Parcs Village. As overall Project Managers of what will be the fifth Center Parcs in the UK, the construction company have also overseen the building of 40,000m2 of central facilities including a state of the art Subtropical Swimming Paradise. The ongoing development of Woburn Forest illustrates the successful partnership formed between the construction company and Center Parcs with the multi-disciplinary firm recently completing the successful construction of the Tropical Cyclone and Venture Cove attraction at the Elveden Forest Village.
The £61 million lodge development sees the construction of three types of accommodation, Woodland Lodges, Executive Lodges and the Exclusive Lodges. The project is being created with guests at the heart of the design and will see the accommodation in the Executive (split level) Lodges designed in an inverted style, with the living room on the first floor to allow for a panoramic view of the forest.
A large part of Edmond Shipway’s role in the project involves them commercially managing the manufacture and construction of the lodge timber frames, one of the major sub-contractor packages on the 365 acre site. As part of this process the final timber frame wall panel was delivered in August 2013, whilst the final roof truss was constructed in September 2013, midway through the 59 week development. Tuesday September 17th saw a topping out ceremony take place on site for reaching the milestone. Edmond Shipway joined timber frame suppliers Kingspan Timber Solutions and main contractors ISG PLC for the celebrations.
