York-based Shepherd Construction have completed a 20-week programme to erect 300 tonnes of natural stone wall cladding at the £56million project the company are constructing for the Health, Safety, Ethical & Environmental Laboratory (HSL) in Buxton, Derbyshire.

The HSL project has been procured under the Government\'s Private Finance Initiative (PFI) by the consortium Investors in the Community (Buxton) Ltd, who are providing funding for the project. Members of ICB include Interserve Investments Plc and Shepherd Securities.

The cladding has been built using traditional dry stone walling techniques by specialist subcontractors PLF Ltd and J W Smith Ltd using Mandale Derbyshire fossil limestone quarried nearby in Sheldon near Bakewell.

In fact, though, the wall is not being laid dry. Shepherd have anchored back the buttressed stone wall to an internal concrete filled air tight blockwork support structure using stainless steel ties and the stone has been partially bedded on semi dry mortar, giving the appearance of traditional dry stone walling.

Around 250m2 of the same stone has also been used in a honed Ashlar finish to the north and east elevations of the building.

The stone cladding was designed by architects DLA to allow the completed building to blend into the surrounding Peak District landscape.

The project is scheduled for occupation in the Autumn and will house laboratory and associated ancillary and office accommodation, enabling the HSL to maintain its position at the forefront of research into workplace accidents and work related diseases.