COMMUNITY PROJECT | WALTHAMSTOW | GRADE II LISTED BUILDING
Supporting
The Together Space
in Walthamstow
AWJ Construction donates eight person days of labour, materials and professional support to help prepare a Grade II listed former theatre for its new life as an inclusive community space
Over the last week, the AWJ Construction team has been working at the new permanent home of The Together Space in Walthamstow.
The Together Space supports children, young people and families with and without disabilities, creating inclusive environments where people can meet, play, learn and spend time together.
Their new home is a Grade II listed former theatre in the heart of Walthamstow. It is a building full of history and character, but like many older properties, it also came with a considerable amount of work that needed to be completed before it could start welcoming families.
When the organisation contacted us, they were working against a very tight programme. Specialist restoration of the original timber floors was already booked, electrical works needed to continue, and their first events were approaching quickly.
Their original decorating support had unfortunately been delayed, leaving them with a significant amount of preparation and refurbishment work to complete in a very short space of time.
AWJ initially offered to help for a few days.
Once we visited the building and understood what The Together Space was trying to achieve, that offer quickly became a wider contribution.
Eight person days donated by the AWJ team
Peter spent three full days on site, donating his own time to the project.
Fred worked three days and Callum worked two days, with AWJ Construction covering their wages while they were moved away from our normal insurance reinstatement and refurbishment programme.
That resulted in a total contribution of eight person days of labour.
We also supplied materials and consumables from AWJ stock and purchased additional products specifically for the project.
Our contribution included protection materials, primer, filler, decorating consumables and other items required to keep the work moving.
We would also like to thank our existing clients who gave us the flexibility to move members of the team around for a few days.
Our normal workload includes insurance reinstatement following escape of water, fire and other property damage, alongside refurbishment and restoration projects across London. Being able to temporarily reorganise that work gave us the opportunity to put our experience into a project that will have a lasting benefit for the local community.
Transforming the entrance
One of the biggest priorities was the main entrance and lobby.
This will be the first area families see when they enter the building, so it made sense to concentrate a significant amount of our time there.
The existing decoration was tired, heavily marked and had undergone years of previous repairs and alterations.
Our team carried out preparation and repairs to the existing surfaces, filled and made good damaged areas, primed where required and redecorated the walls, ceilings, doors and frames.
The aim was not simply to put another coat of paint over the building.
Good refurbishment work starts with understanding the existing surfaces, dealing with defects properly and creating a sound base before the finished decoration is applied.
That is the same approach we take on our insurance reinstatement projects.
Whether the cause is an escape of water, a fire, historic deterioration or simply years of use, the visible finish is only the final part of the process.
Preparation is what determines whether the finished work lasts.
Solving problems as they appeared
As work progressed, our involvement extended beyond decorating.
Within the main theatre space there were numerous damaged perforated acoustic wall panels.
Some were heavily marked, broken or missing altogether.
Rather than simply painting over the damage, AWJ helped identify and source suitable replacement perforated panels that could be cut to size, installed and blended back into the existing wall finish.
This type of problem solving is familiar territory for our team.
Insurance reinstatement and refurbishment work rarely follows a perfect predetermined scope. Once damaged finishes are removed or areas are opened up, additional defects often become visible.
The important part is recognising what can be repaired, what needs replacing and what should be investigated further before work continues.
Recognising historic water damage
During our inspection of the building we also identified evidence of historic water damage affecting one of the bathroom ceiling areas.
Rather than simply decorating over it, we helped bring the issue to the attention of the council so that the underlying cause and previous damage could be properly considered.
For us, this was an important part of the contribution.
A freshly painted ceiling might look good temporarily, but if there is an unresolved moisture issue above it, the problem will simply return.
That approach is central to the work AWJ normally undertakes for policyholders, loss adjusters and property owners following water damage.
Successful reinstatement means understanding what caused the damage, checking that the issue has been resolved and only then moving on to the finished decoration.
Support from Brewers Decorating Centre Walthamstow
A project like this only works when people are willing to contribute what they can.
Brewers Decorating Centre in Walthamstow supported The Together Space by donating paint and offering discounts on additional materials required for the refurbishment.
That support helped keep costs down for the organisation and meant more of their limited funds could remain available for the many other works required across the building.
We are grateful to Brewers for supporting the project alongside us.
A Grade II listed building with a new purpose
For AWJ, the project also had a strong connection to the work we already do.
We regularly work in older London properties where retaining original features and working around existing building fabric requires a more considered approach than straightforward new build decoration.
The Together Space is a Grade II listed former theatre and has a huge amount of character.
The original timber flooring, unusual wall finishes, timber doors and existing architectural details all contribute to the identity of the building.
Our role was not to strip that identity away.
It was to help repair, prepare and refresh the areas we were responsible for so the building could move into its next chapter.
Handed over to the next trades
After completing our part of the works, the building was handed over to the electricians and specialist flooring team to continue the programme.
The flooring specialists will restore the original timber floors, while the electrical works and remaining improvements continue around them.
That sequencing was one of the reasons the programme was so important.
Our work needed to be completed before the floor restoration began so that preparation, filling, sanding and decorating did not risk damaging the restored timber finishes afterwards.
With our part of the project complete, it was genuinely satisfying to step away knowing the building was another stage closer to opening.
What The Together Space said
Alex from The Together Space kindly sent us the following after the works were completed:
BUILDING BETTER COMMUNITIES
Spaces matter. People more so.
Proud to support The Together Space and the communities we build for.
“Peter and the AWJ team have been absolutely incredible. They volunteered their time and expertise to help us transform our new permanent home for The Together Space, getting through an extraordinary amount of work. For a small community organisation like ours, that kind of generosity makes an enormous difference, quite simply, we couldn’t have achieved what we have without people like Peter stepping up to help. They were professional, hardworking, kind and an absolute pleasure to have on site. We are so incredibly grateful.”
Alex, The Together Space
That message probably sums up why we wanted to get involved better than anything we could write ourselves.
The Together Space is a small organisation taking on a very ambitious project.
They are turning an historic building into a permanent place for children, young people and families to come together.
A commercial refurbishment of a building of this size represents a substantial investment, and not every community organisation has the resources to complete everything at once.
Sometimes the most useful thing a contractor can offer is not just labour.
It is the ability to look at a building, understand what needs doing, prioritise the important work, source the right materials and help solve problems when they appear.
That is what we tried to bring to this project.
Looking forward to seeing it open
Our part of the work is now complete, but the project itself is still moving forward.
The next time we hope to see the building will be at the launch, once the floors are restored, the remaining trades have finished and the rooms are full of the children, young people and families the space has been created for.
We are incredibly pleased to have played a small part in helping The Together Space reach that point.
And our offer remains open.
If the team need professional advice or practical help with future works at the building, AWJ will always be happy to assist where we can.
About The Together Space
The Together Space is creating an inclusive community venue in the heart of Walthamstow, bringing people together through creativity, connection and opportunity. We're proud to support their vision and the positive impact they bring to the local area.
Our expertise