FEATURE: MODULAR BUILDINGS Farnborough Academy exterior Farnborough Academy interior
Framework, to act as Lead Designer and Principal Contractor for new schools, academies, and other educational facilities.
Full offsite academy Farnborough Academy in Nottinghamshire is a great example of an educational establishment that has fully embraced the benefits of offsite construction. We recently completed the design and build of the 7,005m² academy, effectively a whole new school with full campus facilities, and which now houses more than 1,000 pupils. The project was on a very demanding timescale and as a consequence off-site construction was identified as the most effective method of meeting the requirements. Up to 80% of the building was manufactured
in our facility, before being delivered to site for rapid assembly, meeting the demands of a tight 42-week programme. Overall, the offsite solution specified achieved a time saving of six months compared to a traditional build, and included the manufacture of 141 modules, on site construction and internal fit-outs. We were also contracted to deliver the project
alongside an active secondary school. Therefore, delivery of the building modules and the main structural installations had to take place during normal school operations. Throughout deployment and assembly, our site management team utilised an advanced scheduling programme that was developed in-house. This allowed us to schedule construction activities on site so that it avoided any disruption to the timetable of the neighbouring school, whilst it remained a live learning environment.
Outside of the classroom Alongside LEA funded schools, offsite construction is also being adopted by independent and private establishments. For example, ACS Cobham International School, an independent based in Cobham, Surrey, appointed us to complete a £13m extension of their boarding facilities. Under a turnkey contract, we were responsible for the manufacture and construction of the modular components of a new facility, which provided an additional 113 bed spaces, all in premium single and double rooms. It also incorporated supervisor accommodation, study areas and common rooms to complete an eye-catching four storey building. Another great example of an educational establishment that has fully embraced the
June 2018
benefits of offsite construction outside of the classroom, is Ashville College in Harrogate. We developed a striking new £2.5m sports complex, featuring a projecting entrance pod, and a large, open area gymnasium space, with full height windows to maximise natural light. This was a challenging project because the new sports complex was positioned between two existing buildings, and within the school campus, thus requiring a very precise footprint. As a result, the accuracy of design and installation were key factors taken into account before the college chose an off-site solution. There was also a very strict timescale amongst other contractual obligations, all of which were achieved on time, within budget and before the new school term began in September.
Embracing the future of construction Offsite construction will continue to be embraced by local authorities and education bodies for the foreseeable future. The government has already stated in its November budget statement that it will favour offsite manufacturing on all publicly funded construction projects from next year, and that augurs well for tackling the ongoing problem of school places. It said: ‘The government is taking a series of steps to improve the cost effectiveness, productivity and timeliness of infrastructure delivery. It will use its purchasing power to drive adoption of modern methods of construction, such as offsite manufacturing. Building on progress made to date, the Department for Transport, the Department of Health, the Department for Education, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Defence
Ashville College
will adopt a presumption in favour of offsite construction by 2019 across suitable capital programmes, where it represents best value for money.’ Our recent portfolio of projects within the
education sector are testament to the fact that offsite construction is already proving a popular choice for schools and campuses at all levels including primary, secondary and higher education, well ahead of the government’s push. With many establishments throughout the UK also choosing modular solutions for communal, sports and leisure facilities, we expect that offsite construction will not only continue to gain popularity within the public and private education sectors, but it will also become the preferred method for many others, including housing, leisure and retail.
Caledonian is the UK’s leading offsite
permanent building solution provider, with a unique approach to offsite manufacture and construction, built on collaboration and exceptional people; and underpinned by strong corporate values and commitment to outstanding customer service. With the company’s architectural partner HLM
Architects, Caledonian delivers innovative design led solutions that promote the intelligent use of Building Information Modelling (BIM), Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) and the use of Lean Manufacturing techniques to eliminate waste. This enables entire school buildings to be manufactured off-site with only minimal works required onsite to install, connect and commission the buildings.
www.education-today.co.uk 29
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