BUILDINGS, MAINTENANCE & REFURBISHMENT
New sports hall? Our advice - work from the inside out
Comment by JASON LYNOCK, Smart-Space Sales Director
We talk a lot about what schools need from their sports facilities. We know that every school wants and needs a premium space where many different sports can be played to a high standard, in comfort, and with pride. Then, the school or college needs options that are affordable. And next
on the agenda is accessibility. Build the best school you can, within budget, and invite the community in to share it (and recoup some of your investment at the same time). For this article, we’re focusing on the first of those three criteria - how you get the best building possible for your budget. It’s our honest belief that having a state-of-the-art sports facility comes
from the inside – which might sound surprising when we’re the ones who supply the outside building! It’s a bit controversial but at Smart-Space we prioritise the Head of Sport
and dispense with the architect and interior designers. We provide a hard- working, fit for purpose big steel box to safely house the most important part of the facility - the flooring, equipment, changing rooms, refectory –
whatever it is that you need inside the building. For sports, we have found that a modular approach works well so
additional areas can be added later if required. We have returned to established sports halls to complete further work for new fitness class areas, additional changing rooms, shower blocks and even a kitchen. By putting the Head of Sport at the heart of the build we find that the
passion for sport permeates every facet of the build process and filters through to the pupils. The people who use the building daily know what they want. They can tell you where storage should be located. They understand which sports take priority and what range of facilities will be most beneficial. They know what their ideal sports hall looks like - so we talk it through and do it together. The latest generation of lightweight steel buildings meet all local
authority regulations and compare extremely well with a traditional build, faring particularly well in a cost and build-time comparison. Typically, you can look forward to a saving of at least 30% compared to that of a traditional building. And in terms of timings, it’s likely to be far faster too. This is where the inside wins out – why spend a build budget on the
outside when it can be better invested in the interior? Our experience and approach means there is no QS, structural engineer or designer because we do all of that. We also project manage the interior with a well- established supplier of sports hall equipment and flooring. The insulated steel roof regulates the building’s temperature and there
are some excellent, effective air-source heating systems that work well. An industrial building can be finished in any colour or clad to suit the environment. Ultimately what is really important is that a school enjoys a solution that
focuses on the playing - the teams and the experience – that’s what a school sports hall is all about to us. We say focus on the inside and work your way out.
Langley educates pupils on greening the built environment and joining construction
A
s part of its commitment to educational estates, Langley Waterproofing Systems Ltd has partnered with Writtle Junior School
on its innovative Learning Pod classroom, a new facility that has been designed and built in collaboration with the school’s pupils. Recognising a need for a new learning space, Writtle Junior School
embarked on a project to create a new classroom on its site near Chelmsford in Essex. Nick Taylor, the headteacher of the school, also felt strongly that there was the opportunity to educate and inspire the children by involving them throughout the construction of the Learning Pod. In November 2016, Nick challenged the children to design their ideal
learning space and make suggestions on the features they would include. Architects from a local practice then helped the children to turn their ideas into a detailed building proposal that was submitted for planning approval. Once approved, the children were then involved with liaising with stakeholders on the project from architects, health and safety consultants and planning experts to quantity surveyors and trade professionals. Nick Taylor explained: “Showing our pupils what goes into creating
the world around us is extremely valuable. We hope that for some of them this will instil a lifelong passion for architecture and design and even inspire them to follow our experts to pursue careers in the construction industry.” With limited funding available through the school budget, the
construction of the Learning Pod has been financed through other sources. A mixture of fundraising by the school PTA, contributions from local businesses and the donations of time, services and materials from a number of companies has made it possible. Nick Taylor added: “The green roof was an excellent suggestion from
36
www.education-today.co.uk
the children but making it happen was proving to be a challenge with the resources we could access. We had looked at the possibility of growing our own green roof, but this proved not to be feasible. Therefore, we are very grateful to Langley for orchestrating not only the waterproofing element but also the green roof solution for our Learning Pod – something we can be proud of for years to come.” For more information on the services Langley provides for educational
estates view their ‘Proactive Flat Roof Asset Management Guide’, register and download it here:
www.langley.co.uk/technical-downloads.
uTo see highlights from the bespoke presentation delivered to the pupils at Writtle Junior School visit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP4ywBvz4f8
March 2021
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
