W:
www.universitybusiness.co.uk | T: @UB_UK
CAMPUS SERVICES | SPECIAL REPORT: SUSTAINABILIT Y | 31 E S SE X UNIV E R S I T Y
THE OFFSITE RULE: HOW IT CAN HELP UNIVERSITIES EXPAND AND STAY GREEN
By Alex Goodfellow, group managing director of Stewart Milne Timber Systems P LYMOUT H UNI V E R S I T Y
methods. First, it speeds up the build process. Our experience of working on projects with Bradford, Plymouth and Essex Universities has taught us how important this is. With fixed term times, there can be no extension to deadlines. By manufacturing in factory conditions, building progress is not hampered by vulnerability to poor weather. Similarly, multiple trades can work simultaneously throughout the project which can significantly cut down on project times. We worked on a student accommodation project with
Universities face the conflicting challenges of finding ways to cut costs and be more efficient, while expanding their capacity for new students and improving their offer to existing ones. That can be a difficult circle to square. To grow, they need to enlarge their estates, whether
that’s by building additional student accommodation or new faculty buildings. That can represent a significant investment and result in increased energy use and carbon emissions. A survey from Universities UK in 2012, the latest available, suggested that just under £8bn will be spent by higher education institutions across the country on their facilities. These challenges can be managed if the right techniques
are used during construction, and can provide lasting benefits from the buildings themselves. With Part L of the Building Regulations coming into force just two months ago, requiring an eight per cent improvement on energy performance, that has seldom been more relevant. The build method of any new project is crucial to
limiting costs, cuting waste and improving energy use. Modern methods of construction, namely offsite manufacture, are a good way of hardwiring sustainability and cost effectiveness into new projects. Offsite construction is essentially where the vast majority
of a building’s components are factory manufactured, where precision and value can be engineered into the process. The pieces are then transported to the building site and put together by a team of contractors. This has a number of benefits over traditional build
the University of Essex and Bouygues UK, which delivered 19 four-storey apartment blocks in only 11 weeks. In the project at Plymouth University, all seven blocks were completed in only 16 weeks, representing a significant improvement on what could be achieved through other construction methods. Energy efficiency and carbon reduction are also major
considerations. Building offsite in factory conditions allows precision engineering of your materials. That means higher quality products and reduced defects. That has the benefit of reducing air leakage, resulting
in improved thermal performance and energy efficiency in the building. This will help to reduce future energy bills and allow universities to achieve recognition for their commitment to cuting down on energy use. Bradford University’s The Green campus was one of only 15 developments in the world to achieve BREEAM Outstanding rating when it was built, while Essex and Plymouth both achieved BREEAM Excellent standards. This can all be achieved without impacting on the
botom line. Project costs are removed through reduced requirement for labour and lower expenditure on construction site preparation, and less waste is produced on site. The waste that is produced in a factory can be more easily managed and potentially be recycled. As universities look to take on more students, modernise
their facilities or build new campuses entirely, they need to consider how to reduce costs, minimise their impact on the environment and turn the projects around quickly. Ensuring contractors use offsite construction methods is a good way to tick all three boxes. UB
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102