Oxted Gasholder - Courtyard Gardens Build - December 2019

Welcome to my December blog here at Courtyard Gardens in Oxted the former site of the gasholder which was demolished earlier this year.

This is blog number 12 and forms part of a series of monthly visits until completion of all 111 luxury one, two and three bedroom apartments and penthouses in Summer 2021.

As mentioned in previous blogs I have been given kind permission by St William part of the Berkeley Group to photographically document the progress. I had my business premises on Station Road East for 23 years until I relocated in August this year, 2019, to work remotely. I was at number 83 Station Road East which backs onto the site, on the far left of the picture below. When I opened my business in early 1997 there was talk about the gasholder being demolished which was on and off for years, that was until it became a reality. It was because of this that I have made it my mission to take onboard the photographing on a monthly basis for posterity. Little did I know when I started this process that I would learn so much first hand about the building process and look forward to learning more whilst photographing onsite.

The photographs from my visit this month were taken on Tuesday 10 December, whilst I was accompanied by Assistant Site Manager Ness Kingham, my thanks go to her and all the other friendly people onsite who make me feel most welcome each time I visit.

Looking down the site over the sheet piling where Block A will be built.

All of the photographs have captions on which tell you what was happening at the time of my visit. On this particular occasion they were completing the piling process and preparing the base for the delivery of a second crane. The two cranes will be used to move deliveries from different parts of the site with minimum disruption and ease.

The entrance in Station Road East to the site.

A view looking down towards Johnsdale. The underground car park foundations are in place. The road in the foreground will be one of the two entrances to Courtyards Gardens. Water is being swept away as deliveries arrive.

The delivery of diesel is a regular occurence to keep the machinery in constant working order.

This area is used to make the steel cages using rebars.

This area has been prepared for the insertion of the steel cage, in preparation for the delivery of the second crane.

Temporary safety steps are used at strategic points around the site for ease of access.

One of the two piling rigs with the first crane visible behind it.

This rig is ready to be inserted and anchored within the steel cage made for the second crane to be bolted to. This is all below ground and when covered with concrete will not be visible other than the anchor points.

All the work that has taken place this year was firstly to demolish the gasholder which stood in place for 50 years and to prepare the foundations which have taken up until now. In the new year the above ground building works will commence on Block A. As mentioned in previous blogs there will be three Blocks, A, B and C.

To read the previous 11 blogs please follow this link to the Blogs part of the website.

This cage made onsite is used specifically to go in the pit as part of the anchor station for the arrival of a second crane.

This is where the steel cages are made onsite using rebars. Rebar is added to concrete to provide tensile strength.

The cages are made to order depending on their use onsite.

CCTV is used around the site for security.

A look through the safety barriers at the piling rig and crane. The two piling rigs are responsible for the insertion of the 401 piles drilled into the ground.

The site from the top corner of the former Johnsdale car park.

This is where the steel ‘cages’ are made for the piling.

Safety wear as shown here is compulsory. If it is raining and frosty, safety glasses can be removed when necessary so the rain and condensation on the glasses are not hazardous.

To view a model of the finished development head on over to Robert Leech Estate Agents in Station Road East, Oxted. It really is fascinating to see how this once forgotten area will be transformed to enhance the town.

This area will become one of the underground carparks. The blue tubes visible through the fence in the centre foreground is where surplus water is collected from the water table and drained away via the processing plant.

The two piling rigs and the crane. The crane will be used to move deliveries efficiently from one part of the site to the other.

Information about the crane.

To get to the work platform this workman has to climb 30 metres. The ladders are divided into sections with a safety platform separating each one.

With careful guidance, the cage is lifted in preparation for insertion in the concrete laid pit.

Lots of faces at the window of the onsite office to watch the insertion of the steel cage in the pit which sits at the front of the cabins.

It takes precision and guidance to position the cage in the pit over the steel rods.

Gently does it over the four corners.

It has to be precise, the steel rods need to be in the correct place during insertion of the cage.

The people in the orange hats are slingers who are responsible for directing any lifting.

The next stage is to insert the crane anchor bolts, followed by more carefully-built rebar cages, before filling the base with concrete.

Each person working on the development has a specific role which is intrinsic to the progress, I think this really is team work at its very best, with strict time frames and coordination in place. It never ceases to amaze me how much is actually involved, My next visit will be taking place at the end of January.

Once the cage is securely in place the chains that attach it to the machinery are unclipped.

Job done with careful precision.

A row of piles, covered with protective caps, ready for the next stage.

Well that’s a wrap for this year at Courtyard Gardens, I’ll be back at the end of January with more progress photographs. In 2020 so much more will be taking place above ground with Block A completed in the autumn, can’t wait to watch it go up!

In the meantime have a fabulous Christmas.

Bye for now…

Stella

To read other previous blogs these can be found on the ‘Featured’ blogs below by using the arrows on the right to scroll through the past 30 blogs.

Oxted Gasholder - Courtyard Gardens Build - November 2019

Dave and Kieran groundworks foremen are standing on a pile cap, part of the foundation of what will be one of the pillars in the underground car park, this is part of what supports the entire building!

Welcome to my November blog here at Courtyard Gardens, Oxted, the former site of the gasholder.

This is where construction is taking place to build 111 luxury apartments. Each month, since January 2019 I have been visiting to photograph the progress for posterity, with the kind permission of St William, part of the Berkeley Group.

Each and every time I arrive I learn something new. I am always fascinated by all the processes that are taking place. If like me, you know very little about the construction process, or you are one of the many buyers of the one, two, or three-bedroom apartments and penthouses; or you are just curious to know more, then these blogs are written with you in mind and others too.

These photographs were taken on Friday 15 November, they each have a description on to tell you more about what’s taking place.

Read on to discover more…

A mixing station to keep the concrete, that arrives ready mixed, live. The yellow part is the pump and the big white one is the agitator.

Either side of the safety barriers you can see hoses that take the mixed concrete to the piling rig for pumping into the freshly drilled hole.

One of the two piling rigs completing the piling process. There will be a total of 401 piles once they are all in!

The other piling rig completing the process of the auger drilling the holes for the concrete to be pumped into the hole, then the steel ‘cages’ are pushed in.

In the foreground you can see two or three steel ‘cages’ ready for insertion.

Looking down the site to where the former Johnsdale car park once sat. The three geometric shapes are the foundations for pillars in the car park.

An overview of the progress as the underground car park begins to take shape and the different levels are formed.

The trench sheets, a smaller version of the sheet piling, left of centre, which are used for retaining.

The pilings process is coming to an end and we will soon start to see progress above ground once building works start to take place in the new year.

Workmen and engineers start work from 8am until 6pm every weekday with additional time most Saturdays. Flood lighting is used from 4pm at this time of year so as not to lose any valuable working hours.

On the top corner of the portacabin office is a camera that takes a photograph every 20 minutes to record the progress.

Safety barriers around the various blue storage and green water treatment containers.

A trench sheet is positioned for further retainment of the earth behind what will become the walls of the underground car park this is done swiftly with precision as it is guided in place.

Two piling rigs taking on the task to complete the piling. The auger, the drill part of the rig bores a hole into the earth, then concrete is pumped into the hole in preparation for a steel ‘cage’ to be inserted.

The larger steel cages are supplied ready-made as the components are too heavy to man-handle for a steel fixer to make up on-site, there are only about 10 of these, the rest are made on site.

This is a relatively small site for the Berekely Group who are use to working on huge developments all over the country, with many different challenges, such as working near the River Thames and other urban areas that are in close proximity to cities and skyscrapers

The top of one of the cages once insertion has taken place.

The brush on the piling rig does a good job of cleaning the auger of the earth collected during insertion, ready for the next insertion.

In the foreground, the smaller steel cages are made individually by experts using the various components. The large ones are too big to handle and arrive ready-made.

Water continues to collect at the bottom of the site due to the heavy rainfall. This is pumped out and processed in the onsite water treatment plant.

The numerous deliveries that arrive everyday are carefully planned so as not to cause too much disruption to the high street, or the work onsite as well.

One of the pile caps which is part of the foundation of the entire building that will form a concrete pillar in the underground car park. This part of what supports the whole building.

Another view of the precision it takes to insert the trench sheet, guided into place, for further retainment of the earth behind what will become the walls of the underground car park.

Another of the pile caps that forms the foundation for one of the concrete pillars in the underground car park.

Machinery and accessories that are used onsite.

As mentioned on previous blogs the foundations are for three Blocks - A, B and C all with outside space and underground parking.

If you would like to take a look at a model of the completed development, this can be found at Robert Leech Estate Agents on Station Road East, Oxted who will be more than happy to show you the finished look.

This is a Dust Scanner to monitor the dust particles in the air. Air quality and vibration monitoring are in place around the site and will continue to take place throughout the build process, which completes in summer 2021.

That’s about it for my November visit, I’ll be back in December with a new update.

To read my previous ten blogs this link takes you to the Blog page on this website.

This link to Robert Leech Estate Agents website shows you more about the finished development.

Bye for now.

Stella

To read other previous blogs these can be found on the ‘Featured’ blogs below by using the arrows on the right to scroll through the past 30 blogs.

Oxted Gasholder - Courtyard Gardens Build - August 2019

Safety barriers above the sheet piling at the Courtyard Gardens Site, Oxted.

Welcome to my August blog about the progress of the St William, Courtyard Gardens development here in Oxted for 111 luxury apartments.

This should have been published over a week ago but due to my business premises relocation this has taken a back seat and now that the holiday period is over I thought it best to publish it now when you have more time to read it as well.

The photographs below tell you more about the story with the captions on each image.

Ground clearance for the underground car park. The green tanks on the right are part of the water purification process.

The tanks are part of the water purification process in the corner of the site behind the shops in Station Road East.

Sheet piling inserted and ready for the next stage.

Looking down the site towards the former Johnsdale car park.

Looking over the top of the sheet piling on the perimeter of the site. This gives you an idea of the height of the sheet piling as it protrudes above ground level. Sheets are supplied in different lengths.

Every time I return to the site I can see the progress that has been made and this month was no exception. It was clear to see all the sheet piling had been inserted and the ground had been excavated for the underground car park to take shape. There was also still evidence of the rim of the demolished gasholder, which was interesting to see.

Looking towards what will be the underground car park.

Sheet piling ready for the next process to take place, update to follow on the next blog.

This shows you how high some of the sheet piling is as engineers tower over and discuss the progress.

Safety walkways for site managers, engineers and others to access the site within carefully contained boundaries.

Water that collects at the lowest point of the site is pumped into three tanks that take care of the water purification process, this is then pumped up to the top of the site to a holding tank for disposing of.

Walk ways over looking the excavation of the underground car park.

This blog is the eighth one in the series, the first one was published in January when the demolition of the gasholder started to take place. To follow the story of the progress and to read the previous blogs please follow this link to the Blog pages on the website and select the ones you would like to read.

Walkways around the site give access to capture the progess.

A corner of the underground car park.

Any hardcore remaining on site from the demolition of the gasholder is crushed and reused where possible.

The underground car park area is prepared for the next stage of the building process, it looks vast from this angle.

Machinery used to bring in hardcore and remove any that isn’t suitable is taken away for recycling.

A carefully designed plan is in place to ensure the arrival and departure of site machinery and vehicles is kept to a minimum to reduce any potential high street disruption.

Monitors to measure vibration to ensure any noise does not go over a certain level.

Three separate blocks are being built with an underground car park - Blocks A, B, and C. To see a model of the finished development call into the offices of Robert Leech Estate Agents in Oxted and opposite my former studio in Station Road East, it’s well worth a visit, it’s an interactive model, not quite one you can walk into but it does tell you a lot about each of the flats available to purchase.

Water is intermittently sprayed with the smell of freshly ironed cotton sheets to dissipate any odours.

Several of these water pipes are positioned on the fence behind the houses in Johnsdale to emit sprays of scented water, it really does smell of freshly ironed cotton sheets.

A view from the former Johnsdale car park looking up the site towards the porta cabin offices.

The remains of the former gasholder base.

Behind the houses in Johnsdale.

I always have a sense of wonderment when I photograph on site, it’s the sheer scale of the development, although Ness Kingham the Site Manager who accompanies me during the visits, assures me this is one of the smaller developments compared to the vast ones they work on in London.

Fascinating to watch all the elements slowly come together. My visit this month took place on Tuesday 20 August 2019 as a point of reference.

The site viewed from the flats behind the shops in Station Road East, gives a different view point.

A view of the outline of the site from the same spot each month.

Check out the July blog to see the progress from last month and previous months too.

If you would like to keep in touch with my monthly blog about the progress of Courtyard Gardens feel free to click on the ‘subscribe to our newsletter’ button below for our monthly round- up newsletters.

I’ll be back later this month with the September update progress of the site.

Thanks for reading.

Stella

To read other previous blogs these can be found on the ‘Featured’ blogs below by using the arrows on the right to scroll through the past 30 blogs.

Oxted Gasholder - Courtyard Gardens Build - June 2019

On site at the Courtyard Gardens housing development for 111 luxury apartments.

Welcome to this months June blog about the St William Courtyard Gardens development here in Oxted, this blog is number 6, previous ones can be found here.

For my regular readers and locals, you will be aware that the gas holder that once stood on this site for over 50 years is no more, its removal has made way for the construction of 111 luxury apartments due for completion summer 2021, my regular monthly blogs will keep you updated about the progress.

The buildings works are beginning to take shape, the previous two bases where the gas holders once sat are less visible now. This photograph taken on 11 June 2019.

Moving on…

I look forward to my monthly site visits because each time I photograph I can see a vast difference that never ceases to amaze me, and this time was no exception. I know very little (maybe nothing) about the building process and find it fascinating to see the different processes involved, from the excavation, to the soil examination, to the air purifiers, that intermittently blast a mist of a fragrance that is reminiscent of freshly ironed cotton sheets, into the atmosphere to dissipate any potential soil odours. A series of vibration and noise mechanisms are in place to monitor in real time the vibration and noise emitted from activities on site, and dust suppression is in place to settle any excess from spreading.

The remaining rim of the base of the gas holder is over one metre wide and over 5 metres deep/high. During the removal process we have heard a tapping sound during working hours (my studio backs onto the site), which has been the result of the gradual destruction of the concrete to make way for the building works to take place. All of the hardcore on site is recycled for use during the building process.

The photographs below show the preparation of the ground works before the sheet piling takes place next week during a six week period. There is no longer gas on the site as all essential gas equipment has been relocated, but occasionally people may notice some smells as the next phase of groundworks begins, but hopefully the air fragrance will be sufficient to destroy this. There will also be increased noise and vibration during this period. I will be on site in July to photograph this next stage.

The photographs below give you a sense of what it is like.

Machinery attachments for the different excavation processes.

The rim of the gas holder is clearly visible during the excavation process to remove this.

This angle shows the width of the remaining base of the gas holder.

Monitors record sound and vibration in real time to keep this to a minimum.

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A series of vibration and noise mechanisms are in place to monitor in real time the vibration and noise emitted from activities on site, and dust suppression is in place to settle any excess from spreading.

A view through the many safety barriers.

Excavation in preparation for the sheet piling.

When this is fully operational it sprays a fine mist of fragranced water to dissipate any unpleasant gas odours that may remain in the soil.

Ground preparation for the next stage.

The temporary electricity generator for the porta cabins.

The remaining base of the gas holder is over one metre thick over 5 metres high/deep, is gradually broken down in preparation for the sheet piling.

A view from the former Johnsdale car park, the water is the result of a heavy few days/weeks of rainfall.

An excess of water due to the rainfall, a pump is brought in to drain it away.

Each time I am on site I meet a different team of contractors as the development grows, but the two people from St William, who have remained constant are Joe Pallister the Project Manager and Ness Kingham, the lovely Site Manager, who accompanies me on my visits and tells me more about the build process each time, very educational. On this particular occasion the heavy rain over the past few weeks was one of the topics of conversation as it had made the site very muddy and slippery, a pump was needed to drain the excess water that had collected at the lowest point, it looks like we have experienced the wettest June on record!

The photographs show different machinery that is required on site to excavate the soil, move rubble and prepare the surface for the next stage. What once looked like a familiar space to me no longer feels or looks how l once remembered it.

Deliveries guided to the site by the traffic marshals for minimum traffic disruption.

The entrance to the site.

The site from behind the flats in Station Road East.

Contractors on site.

The entrance to the site from the porta cabins.

Rubble recycled and used as hardcore.

Machinery at work, on the left the porta cabins that houses a team of professionals.

The water from the recent rain downfall shows the tubing to drain this from the site.

It was very slippery and muddy on site this month due to the rainfall.

The driveway behind the gates to the site.

Rain water at the lowest point had to be drained away.

If you would like to keep up to date and sign-up to my monthly round-up newsletter please scroll down to the ‘Subscribe to Our Newsletter’ button below to enter your contact email address.

I’ll be back next month with further updates, watch this space for further developments.

Thanks for reading, bye for now.

Stella

To read other previous blogs these can be found on the ‘Featured’ blogs below by using the arrows on the right to scroll through the past 30 blogs.

Oxted Gasholder - Courtyard Gardens Build - May 2019

Welcome to my fifth blog about the construction process of Courtyard Gardens on the former gasholder site here in Oxted.

For those of you who live nearby and are regular readers of my blogs you will know that the gasholder no longer exists and during the past few weeks the building works have started to take shape.

The demolition of the gasholder and clearing of the site is complete ready for the building process to commence, this photograph is how the site looked on 15 April 2019.

St William, who specialise in redeveloping redundant gas holder sites across London and the South East has now taken over as principal contractor. The project team have now moved to the site and into the new cabins during the building process.

Friday 17th May was my first time back on site since the demolition came to an end last month and it felt like I was somewhere familiar but unfamiliar at the same time. I could see and feel the layout changing, the ground felt different, there were new faces on site, new machinery and the access areas were different and the two-storey cabins were a hive of activity.

I could really get a strong feel for the size of the land and the vastness of the build and the works that have to be done to accommodate the three blocks that will combine to make the final housing development, delivering 111 one, two and three bedroom apartments nestled in private communal landscaped gardens.

Read on to see and find out more…

St William arrive on site to start the building process.

New gates have been installed at the entrance to Nursery Way.

The entrance layout is changing.

Security measures are put in place.

The addition of access gateways during the construction.

The gas holder concrete walls will be removed and re-used on site for the formation of the piling platforms.

The levels of the ground are beginning to change.

Groundworks have begun, starting with the removal of the tarmac from what was Johnsdale car park.

This area was once the Johnsdale car park, the gates at the end will be a new entance.

Different size attachments are used on the machinery depending on the job in hand.

The first thing you notice is the construction site entrance gates at Nursery Way have been installed and timber hoarding has progressed around the perimeter.

Groundworks have begun, starting with the removal of the tarmac from what was Johnsdale car park and the contractor is continuing to break out the concrete gasholder walls and base. Once all the concrete has been removed from the gasholder it will be processed ready for re-use on site for formation of the piling platforms.

Temporary electrical power during building works.

A sign from the former Johnsdale car park is the only reminder of what this area once was.

Monitors for air quality and noise vibration give real time updates.

Monitors for air quality and noise vibration give real time updates.

Monitors for air quality and noise vibration give real time updates.

Different access areas around the pit of the gas holder.

The two-storey cabins in place for the project team to work from.

A view of the perimeter of where the gasholder once sat.

The concrete from the base of the gasholder will be removed and re-used.

Concrete from the gasholder base that will be re-used on site for formation of the piling platforms.

Air quality, noise and vibration monitoring have been set up around the site by external environmental consultants which provides real-time information on the activities being undertaken.

This machine is used when it is needed to control the dust by applying a veil or thin mist of water to settle it before it can spread.

The site is prepared for the next stages to take place to remove any traces of contamination.

Different objects in place for the building works.

The two-storey cabins, the team have their offices on the upper levels, the lower level houses a drying room for rainy day uniforms to dry out, as well as kitchen facility and an eating area.

The tarmac has been removed from the former Johnsdale car park.

A view of the site from the top of the steps by the flats.

The gateway to Courtyard Gardens during the building works showing an image of what to expect.

I am finding it fascinating to photograph the building process and enjoy learning so much about it. So pleased I have captured the process from the beginning because I am already finding it hard to remember what it looked like this time last year, if it’s the same for you, you can refer back to my previous 4 blogs that started in January to refresh your memory.

During the course of the next 24 months I intend delivering one blog a month with progress photographs from my site visits - with thanks to Ness from St William for escorting and accommodating me, my cameras and my curiosity on site.

If you would like to keep up to date and sign-up to my monthly round-up newsletter please scroll down to the ‘Subscribe to Our Newsletter’ button below to enter your contact email address.

I’ll be back next month with further updates, watch this space.

Enjoy the bank holiday weekend!

Bye for now.

Stella

To read other previous blogs these can be found on the ‘Featured’ blogs below by using the arrows on the right to scroll through the past 30 blogs.

Photography Masterclasses with Stella Scordellis

Photography Masterclasses with Stella Scordellis

you know it makes sense…

Do you keep putting off when to find the time to learn how to use your camera or who to go to?

Now is your opportunity to enjoy a one to one or small group masterclass with me so I can share with you my expert knowledge and teach you how to use your camera so you don’t have to feel daunted by all the technical jargon and countless options on your camera.

My mantra is ‘keep it simple’ - so you can capture the moment and reflect on the images you have made.

So often nowadays the camera of choice is the camera we all have on our smart phones, it’s simple, point and shoot and you’re ready for a spot of post production at the touch of a few preset actions and you’re done! What could be easier, which is so true, but if you are looking for a few steps above this then I’m the man (or rather woman) for the job!

Whether it’s for you, a friend, a family member, a loved one, or a child over the age of 14 years I can make a difference.

I tailor each class to the specific needs of the individual - you could be a business owner who wants to be able to take great images for your social media or your products or have a holiday booked and want to learn how to get great holiday images - whoever you are and whatever you want to learn please do ask.

I have taught teenagers whose parents have felt they are under achieving at school and don’t get the praise or recognition they crave and have found through their love of photography they can excel at something, one or two of them have pursued a career in the craft and are doing very well, it’s very rewarding for me to see this happen.

Although my schedule is a busy one, I do enjoy passing on my knowledge and teaching others to enjoy something I can call my career and passion - so go on, you know it makes sense - to book a time and day call me at the studio on 01883 722282, by email as below or at the studio if you’re passing by.

Thanks

Stella

Time to say goodbye to feeling confused about your camera!

To read other previous blogs these can be found on the ‘Featured’ blogs below by using the arrows on the right to scroll through the past 30 blogs.