Yorkshire Water Tophill Birdhide

Overview

Tophill Low Nature reserve is a 300 acre site in Driffield. The site is dominated by two reservoirs, around the perimeter you will find a network of marshes, ponds, woodlands and grasslands which are home to over 160 bird species.

Yorkshire Water wanted to improve the visitor experience and appeal to a wider audience by providing a new reception bird hide, the new bird hide is to be the centrepiece to the reserve, offering spectacular views over the reservoir and promote opportunities for education.

Tasks / challenges

Mason Clark Associates (MCA) were appointed to provide Civil & Structural Engineering, Project Management, CDM Principal Designer, Contract Administration, Quantity Surveying & Building Surveying services to create the two-storey building to be used as a plush bird watching hide and education facility.

One of the main challenges was the programme constraints, this was due to the ecology on the site and meant that the project had to be undertaken to a tight timescale to prevent undue disturbance to nesting birds and protected species on the nature reserve. It was essential to be sensitive to the presence of nesting birds and newts and could only carry out works during certain periods, which had to be in accordance with the habitat, feeding and migration cycles of the local wildlife.

Activity

MCA project managed this scheme with a high involvement on design changes, quality control, monitoring cost control and general supervision, our team of engineers oversaw the site investigations as well as undertaking a comprehensive engineering review for the proposed build.

MCA also provided structural engineering services for this project with the remit covering from the point of entry at the access ramp, the building itself, associated footpaths and also the pond and drainage, we worked closely with the Client Site Manager throughout, who was responsible for managing the ecology issues on site, and also with the principal contractor, George Houlton & Sons to monitor compliance with CDM regulations & general good safety practices.

Our team of engineers expedited the construction process by changing the original design from reinforced concrete walls to a design which included a steel frame instead, thereby speeding up the process.

Results

The new bird hide is now complete and sits within the wooded area, blending almost seamlessly into the surrounding landscape. The MCA team managed to keep to the project schedule throughout, absorbing time elsewhere, caused by any delays to ensure the work was delivered on time for the client. Tophill Low Nature Reserve is now recognised as one of the best bird watching spots in Britain as a result of this significant addition to the site.