INNOVATION IS KEY FOR
ENGINEERING AND
CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTOR
For over 50 years, Fordingbridge plc, an independent firm in West
Sussex, has been providing solutions to enhance outside space.
From humble beginnings manufacturing polytunnels for commercial
horticulture, the company has evolved to design and build an
industry leading portfolio of bespoke canopies, covered walkways
and pre-fabricated statement buildings.
Working in multiple sectors including education, commercial,
healthcare and leisure, Fordingbridge have a team of industry experts
in each field, providing information and design notations from
an early phase throughout to programme delivery. “The ethos we
work to is very much a collaborative approach with our installation
process,” explains Fraser Dixon, Business Development Manager at
the firm. “We ensure the clients requirements are fully understood,
from both a design purpose and also to the works schedule. Our
team achieve this through clear communication, engaging with the
programme team as a whole and working with both the architects
and end client. With a large volume of our work coming from
education and healthcare, we understand the importance of a tight
works programme, so always pre-fabricate our structures offsite to
allow for a smoother installation with minimal disruption to the site.
Our work in healthcare especially, which has included a number of
ambulance bay canopies, requires careful planning. Working closely
with other contractors, the paramedic unit and of course the NHS
Trust themselves, means that we can stage a build to ensure the
department can continue to function and crews and patients can
access emergency departments.”
The team also take the longevity of the end product into account,
meaning that the claims of ‘industry leading guarantees’ are
valid. “Our complete process is in-house, from design through to
manufacture and installation,” Fraser continues. “This means that we
can take ownership of the brief, and monitor quality of our output
closely. We understand that the value of a product isn’t just about
price, it’s about how well it delivers over time. Our clients understand
that while something may cost a little more, they will see the return
on that investment through the overall lifespan of the product. If we
take a school canopy as an example, where ours may cost a few per
cent more initially, our steel structure would be guaranteed for an
additional 15 years when compared to a competitor; 25 years in
total. Add to that the point that we always ensure our education
canopies are subject to full site-specific structural calculations, the
overall value of our offering is very attractive.”
Fordingbridges’ experience in the leisure industry also adds to
the diversity of the firm. With projects including roof-top skybars,
Zoo Visitor Centres and animal enclosures, the businesses design
team have chance to flex their drawing metal when working with
architects and planners. Building with steel and glulaminated
timber as primary construction materials, Fordingbridge specialise
in the creation of statement buildings which are as efficient as they
are aesthetic. “We understand the buildability aspects of design, so
it is always beneficial when we are engaged early,” Fraser explains.
“As we have the design capabilities in-house to complement the
construction and engineering aspect, we can help alleviate some
of the pressure architects face on more complex installations.
Similarly, we can assist in initial planning. A good example of this is
some forthcoming work we have at a popular zoo. We have worked
closely with the businesses architect and owners to come up with
a design which will be functional, environmentally conscious,
deliverable and stunning! Sometimes the buildability aspect
may be overlooked which can lead to extra costs for the client,
but working with us from the outset means these aspects can be
incorporated into the design. We want to bring architects works
to fruition, and we want to do it as safely and cost effectively as
possible.”
www.fordingbridge.co.uk