BUILDINGS, MAINTENANCE & REFURBISHMENT Why prefabrication could be the A* answer for cash-strapped schools
CRAIG BENNETT, CEO of Sigma, looks at the place prefabricated buildings have in the school estate mix. Access to a safe, warm and secure environment is the very least parents should be able to expect when sending a child to school. However, in today’s cash-strapped times where one in five schools have reported urgent infrastructure repairs that need sorting, economic uncertainty may be partly to blame for starving the schools of the resource they need to bring their facilities up to date. The new Government has pledged to invest an additional $14bn into primary and secondary schools in the coming years. With
almost 33,000 schools in the UK supporting over 10 million pupils, that eye-watering amount of money suddenly doesn’t feel like it’s going to make much of a difference, especially when the physical built environment is such an extensive, and expensive, problem. However, as with all problems, there are solutions to be had if you look creatively enough. Prefabricated buildings have come a
long way and could be an industry-saving solution for this struggling sector. As the demand on school places continues to increase faster than the rate of budget growth, modular classrooms could play a leading role in modern learning environments. Designed to be a more permanent addition to the main school building, these units are bright and airy, flexible in their
configuration and well insulated from not just the elements but also sound and noise. They are also significantly more sustainable than a new-build or renovation project, thanks mostly to the fact they are constructed off site. For traditional expansion projects within a school environment, noise and dust can be a real issue for the immediate environment, disrupting the overall
learning experience for students and teachers alike. The need for onsite construction deliveries and storage of building materials all adds to the health and safety considerations. Modular construction virtually eliminates these concerns by confining up to 95% of the construction process to a factory environment, meaning the time on site is typically weeks rather than months. This timing factor is critical as the educational calendar means there are only limited windows in which it’s appropriate to carry out major building works,
such as demolition and site preparation as well as new construction. With a modular installation, the timing can be incredibly precise, again minimising disruption to the local environment. As would be expected with any new-build environment, whether bricks and mortar or prefabricated, there are building regulations to adhere to and
issues such as thermal and acoustic performance to be taken into consideration. So far, advances in the technology and materials available for modular building mean all of the relevant regulations are catered for with the added bonus of constant innovation. For example, where sustainability is a key driver, locally sourced and recycled material can be integrated into the build process. From a design perspective, modular builds are increasingly sympathetic to the local climate, reducing a reliance on additional heating and cooling systems to achieve a comfortable temperature conducive to learning, which has the bonus of also being more cost effective. With the multitude of challenges faced by the education sector, from providing fit-for-purpose buildings to training enough teacher to teach every-
increasing student numbers, modular building seems such an obvious answer to the issue of infrastructure; even if it is part of a multiple-choice question!
uwww.sigmagrp.co.uk
ALTRO’S adhesive-free floors collection has grown A
ltro has added innovative new ranges to its award-winning, adhesive-free, sustainable floors to offer adhesive-free options for a host of applications in the building. Benefits include enhanced comfort
underfoot and greater sound impact reduction, as well as greater creative freedom as more colour and wood design options give complete flexibility for differing application areas. Altro’s adhesive-free floors also feature the most advanced Altro Easyclean technology, while retaining the benefits of reduced installation time and 100% recyclability. New Altro Wood™ adhesive-free floor is a safety wood-look product with easy cleanability; perfect for
decorative, homely or biophilic areas. The range has been created with design freedom in mind - Altro Wood adhesive-free shares some designs with Altro Wood Comfort and Altro Wood, allowing you to coordinate floors with different performance criteria across different areas of the building The popular Altro Cantata™ tonal and modernist adhesive-free floor also now has a refreshed palette
of colours and designs and improved cleanability. The new Altro Wood adhesive-free and Altro Cantata ranges are the first floors to use Altro’s
innovative underside emboss structure, which provides 14dB impact sound reduction and comfort underfoot. Coupled with exciting, aesthetic options, these ranges are ideal for more public-facing areas, where they will continue to make a great first impression and support the wellbeing of users for the lifetime of the product. Where safety and toughness are the key drivers for hard-working service areas, Altro XpressLay™ adhesive-free safety floor continues to deliver robust, good looks.
uwww.altro.co.uk
36
www.education-today.co.uk
February 2020
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
