Jaqueline Wilson Lecture Theatre, Kingston University

Lavingtons were appointed as Project Managers, Contract Administrator, and Quantity Surveyor for the refurbishment of the Jaqueline Wilson Lecture theatre at Kingston University.

There was widespread dissatisfaction amongst students and staff in relation to the originally fixed teared lecture theatre as it had a poor seating layout with a large proportion of the seating having poor sightlines. The seating was difficult to pull out and needed frequent maintenance. The mechanical systems for ventilation, heating and cooling were inadequate and not functioning properly and the lighting was inefficient and acoustics poor.

The scope was to create a lecture theatre that would fulfil the various user requirements and satisfy the current safety and building regulations.

This project was successfully completed on time and to budget.

A particularly interesting feature of this refurbishment was the decision to install a bespoke swivel seating system to enable collaborative working.