32 Lincolns Inn Fields

Rund was commissioned as Building Surveyor and Cost Consultancy to help remediate a water ingress issue at the London School of Economics (LSE). The work was carried out as part of our appointment to the LSE Estates’ Consultancy Framework.

Project Background

The affected building was 32 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, a Grade II listed establishment which is a major academic and teaching facility on the LSE campus, located within the Strand Conservation Area. The building was constructed in the Edwardian period and comprises approximately 11,500m² of internal space over eight storeys.

Following an extensive refurbishment of the whole building, the basement areas had suffered considerable water ingress into teaching areas and computer rooms, despite a newly installed waterproof system being in place. Our expert Building Surveying services were required to investigate the issue, specify a solution, and manage the works to successful completion.

The Solution

The resolution was complex to resolve in its early stages, due to poor record information, and a delay in being able to view previous waterproofing installation until works started. We undertook a thorough review of the information available and assessed the location of the water ingress to produce a specification. This involved removing of all previous works down to the concrete deck and installing a completely new waterproofing system.

The system, created by one of our trusted suppliers, WestWood, included a fully bonded monolithic membrane – a durable and reliable material which successfully waterproofed the concrete structure. We closely managed and monitored all works, ensuring WestWood, the contractor and Mars Construct worked in harmony with sufficient labour and material requirements available.

We also created and managed a detailed programme, ensuring all works adhered to strict timeframes over the summer break, minimising disruption to students and operations.

The project benefitted from our complete professional service and extensive experience following years of refurbishment project work across sectors including arts and leisure, commercial, education and residential.