Riyadh Science Academy

The challenge

The academic calendar is not negotiable. The building had to be structurally complete before the final summer, because the entire laboratory fit-out, commissioning and furniture installation had to happen in the eleven weeks between terms.

Our approach

We front-loaded everything that did not depend on the labs. The structure, façade and general MEP were finished four months early so the summer window held nothing but specialist work.

All thirty-one laboratory benches were prefabricated with services already run into them and delivered as complete units. On site they were positioned and connected, not built — which is what turned a sixteen-week trade into a six-week one.

The outcome

Handed over nine days before term started. All thirty-one laboratories were commissioned and certified before handover rather than after, so the school opened with no restricted areas.