BUILDING SCHOOLS FOR THE FUTURE BUILDING SCHOOLS FOR THE F
The latest annual report from Price Waterhouse states that the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) initiative continues to make good progress. There is increasing belief in all stakeholders that it will deliver strong benefits in both teaching and learning.
he Price Waterhouse technical report supports this with its’ extensive survey data taken from both pupils and head teachers across the country. The detailed survey separates out BSF waves 1-3 and current wave 4-6.
T
BSF remains the largest and most ambitious project in the world with an estimated 3.3 million students aged 11 to 19 years to benefit. The recent spending review settlement states that a total of £9.3 billion pounds has been allocated to the project between 2008 and 2011. There can be no doubting the strong evidence of satisfaction in both renovated and new build facilities from staff and pupils alike. BSF however, aims to change the educational experience and increase the opportunity for lifelong learning within the wider community. If it is to do this it is critical that buildings are built sustainably and are well
maintained going
forward. It will be heartbreaking to see new facilities deteriorate to the low state that some of our educational facilities are in today.
One facility determined to maintain the newness and cleanliness of the site is Motherwell College in Lanarkshire. A new £70M facility completed this summer. The college is at the heart of a 20 year redevelopment of the 1100 acre site that formerly housed the Ravenscraig steel works which closed in 1992. The total development, worth £1.2bn will create a new town with up to 3500 homes and 60,000 sq metres of retail space. The new town is expected to create 12,000 jobs and will also be home to a £29M regional sports facility.
Construction commenced in October 2007 and at the peak of work on site over 300 construction staff were employed each week.
The sporting venue will include full size indoor and outdoor football pitches, a sports hall, athletics track and a dance studio. The facility is expected to be in the running for selection as a pre- games training camp for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympics Games. As
well as
benefiting elite
sports
competitors, the facility is also aimed at serving local community needs and encouraging sporting development from the grassroots.
The brand new Motherwell College of further education caters for over 20,000 students from more than 40 different countries. Certainly a diverse range of backgrounds, disciplines and cultures. The college offers Sports, Social science, Engineering and Beauty Therapy courses. Distance and community learning programs are also available. The new build includes a 7 storey residential block housing up to 50 students. The block has been designed with a cylindrical design to reflect the former Ravenscraig steelworks structure. All bedrooms have a PC with internet access and en suite facilities. A resident’s lounge houses a plasma TV and staff are available 24/7. A central plaza provides a place for the students to meet and a pedestrian link joins the buildings. The facility covers 27,000 square metres over 5 buildings. A 2 tier workshop provides state of the art facilities for both engineering and automotive studies. A horticultural section houses 2 class rooms, a green house and polytunnel for students on supported learning programs. The main teaching block covers five floors including a purpose built hair and beauty salon that is also open to the public. 4 professional training kitchens and a bakery with a multi functional demonstration room complete the impressive facility.
A 300 place nursery on one level provides the very latest in play and learning techniques. A purpose built theatre seats 55 and is available for private hire. Perhaps most impressive of all is the
Library and Learning resource centre. 70 study places with 50 PC’s, all with a mix of wireless and networked broadband access. A further internet cafe offers 37 places with the addition of a ‘click free’ quiet study room. Ian Watson, Chairman of Motherwell College stated: “The new college has the most modern of facilities and will provide the best quality of education in Lanarkshire. It is the heart of the community; we are part of the regeneration of that community.” Managing such a vast facility is a major task. So many elements had to be considered, not just in the move to the new campus but the many critical processes necessary to efficiently maintain
50| SUSTAINABLE FM | JUNE 2010
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