Countryside Properties (Bicester) Limited has commenced work on new facilities for St Edburg’s CE Primary School on the Kingsmere development in Bicester. The company is working in partnership with the Oxfordshire County Council and the Oxford Diocesan Board of Education to complete the project by September 2024. The new facilities
Plans have been approved for a new bioscience facility in Nottingham. The facility will create more than 245,000 sq ft of laboratory, office and meeting space designed by CPMG Architects. Forming the latest phase of work to the northern edge of The Island Quarter in the heart of Nottingham city
Beard Construction’s Guildford office has delivered a key £6.3m refurbishment and rebuild project at St Andrew’s Catholic secondary school in Leatherhead. Started in March 2022 and handed over April, the work saw the comprehensive conversion of existing classrooms into science labs, ICT rooms, a drama studio and design and tech
Leading construction and fit-out company Gilbert-Ash has been appointed main contractor for a £26million redevelopment at Barnfield College in Luton, part of the West Herts College Group. The works, which are due to begin in late May, will mark the second phase of a major project to transform the existing
Construction firm Kier has commenced work on delivering new, purpose-built teaching facilities accommodation to Katharine Lady Berkeley’s School in Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire. The school’s existing campus-style site will be enhanced by removing a number of older buildings and replacing these with a single three-storey teaching block and a separate activity studio.
A special ground-breaking event was held to mark the start of construction work by R G Carter on the new sixth form building at King Ecgbert School in Dore, south-west of Sheffield. Head Teacher Paul Haigh and staff from the school joined representatives from the school’s governance and the R
Wates has completed work on the first Net Zero school as part of the Department for Education (DfE) School Rebuilding Programme, the £10 million Littleborough Community Primary School in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. The 2,243sq m two-storey project, has been constructed on land within the existing Littleborough campus. It will provide
Construction firm Kier has been selected by Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council to develop a new £25 million net zero carbon teaching block in south Wales. The Hawthorn All-Through School project will deliver new and exciting facilities for staff and pupils from Heol y Celyn English Medium Primary, Hawthorn
South Nottinghamshire Academy in Cropwell Road, Radcliffe on Trent, celebrated the official opening of its new teaching block named The Maple Building this month. Midlands-based main contractor G F Tomlinson lead on the construction and design the £2.6 million two-storey teaching block facility, which comprises new classrooms, a seminar room,
The world’s first science and innovation park dedicated to space-related companies has won two prestigious building awards. Space Park Leicester was officially opened by UK astronaut Tim Peake earlier this year and has built an impressive reputation for itself working on ground-breaking projects such as NASA’s internationally acclaimed James Webb
Countryside Properties (Bicester) Limited has commenced work on new facilities for St Edburg’s CE Primary School on the Kingsmere development in Bicester. The company is working in partnership with the Oxfordshire County Council and the Oxford Diocesan Board of Education to complete the project by September 2024. The new facilities will allow St Edburg’s CE Primary School in Bicester to expand from a two-form entry to a three-form entry school operating across two sites within the Kingsmere development. Commenting on the work Councillor Liz Brighouse, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Youth Services, said: “This extra capacity will have huge educational benefits for pupils at St Edburg’s CE Primary School. It is yet another exciting project from the county council, working with communities and partners on our commitment to provide first class education for Oxfordshire’s children and young people.” Martin Leach, Director, Countryside Properties (Bicester) Limited, said: “We are delighted to have reached another key milestone at Kingsmere. The provision of new facilities for St Edburg’s CE Primary School will provide an enhanced educational offering for residents and the local community right on their doorstep.” Speaking about the features of the project Tony Wilson, Director of Education at the Oxford Diocesan Board of Education (ODBE), said: “The new facilities will be served by air source heat pumps utilising the very latest in green energy technology. With our commitment to confronting the climate emergency, ODBE is delighted that this expansion is designed and built with sustainability as a key consideration. ODBE believes that the pupils of St Edburg’s CE Primary School will thrive and flourish in their new learning environment.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Plans have been approved for a new bioscience facility in Nottingham. The facility will create more than 245,000 sq ft of laboratory, office and meeting space designed by CPMG Architects. Forming the latest phase of work to the northern edge of The Island Quarter in the heart of Nottingham city centre – led by developer The Conygar Investment Company PLC – the two buildings of the new development will be connected at the upper levels by a glazed link. To create a sleek and modern appearance, a materials palette of grey brickwork and off-white terracotta façade modules will be highlighted with gold metal plant screens and entrance surrounds. Meanwhile, clear glazing will be used for circulation spaces and ceramic-backed spandrels for fixed desks and laboratory benching. CPMG Architects served as the delivery architect for Phase 1A of work for The Island Quarter, including the now-iconic building housing hospitality venues Binks Yard and Cleaver & Wake, which completed in September 2022. Nick Gregory, director at CPMG Architects, said: “We have optimised the use of glazing influenced by the anticipated internal arrangements of the new bioscience’s facility, and to reflect the usage of the buildings. We have incorporated a DNA sequencing pattern into the brick detailing and on specific elevations, these sections of brickwork will also be up-lit by lighting positioned within the landscaping. “The designs also serve to break down any divide and give a natural transition between indoor and outdoor spaces through the inclusion of bi-fold doors that enable large sections of the ground floor to open into the wider landscaped plaza. “With the designs now approved by the city council, it takes Nottingham’s exciting overall story forward, helping to position the city as a leader in biosciences and large-scale development. It also, of course, marks another significant step in The Island Quarter’s progress and we look forward to continuing our relationship with The Conygar Investment Company PLC and the wider project delivery team to make the vision a reality.” External landscaping has been designed by Studio Egret West to echo the vision for the overall site, incorporating rainwater gardens and medicinal planting along with an ecology-focused street linking this latest phase of work with the rest of The Island Quarter. The planning permission for the Nottingham bioscience facility was announced during a joint presentation by The Conygar Investment Company PLC and Nottingham City Council at UKREiiF, in a session that also revealed updates to the overall masterplan for the 36-acre site. The scheme was submitted by Axis PED on behalf of The Conygar Investment Company PLC, with support from WES, Quartz Project Services, Studio Egret West, Tier Consult and Chord Consult. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Beard Construction’s Guildford office has delivered a key £6.3m refurbishment and rebuild project at St Andrew’s Catholic secondary school in Leatherhead. Started in March 2022 and handed over April, the work saw the comprehensive conversion of existing classrooms into science labs, ICT rooms, a drama studio and design and tech classrooms, the construction of a two-storey extension to create new classrooms and offices and the construction of a new two-storey building to house food technology, ICT, business studies work rooms and a new drama studio. Phases one and two of the work at the 1500 pupil school were carried out to a tight deadline during the summer holidays and saw existing 1950s classrooms stripped back and converted to a suite of state-of-the-art and pupil-ready science laboratories, ICT classrooms, music and drama studio. The finished labs included gas infrastructure and mobile fume-cupboards, while the new drama studio incorporated a new system of lighting rigs and speakers. Phase three saw a standalone classroom block converted to provide new construction, design and technology teaching spaces. For phase four, a new-build extension added two 400m2 floors consisting of nine new English and History classrooms, two offices and two new sets of toilets to the school’s existing Earl Building. Finished in black and gold brickwork, the classrooms are flooded with light by new five-metre windows. Finally, phase five of the project saw the demolition of the school’s Woodlands Building and the construction of a new two-storey block, faced with Bath stone blocks and zinc cladding – which continues upwards to form a zinc roof. The ground floor of this new 1000m2 building houses two huge food technology teaching and preparations areas, alongside a massive drama studio with a 6m-high ceiling including lighting and speaker rigs. Upstairs, the building provides four fully fitted ICT/business studies teaching rooms. The building also includes office spaces and two sets of toilets. All the new and refurbished classrooms include interactive whiteboards. Apart from the initial refurbishment, all of the work has been carried out while pupils used the rest of the school. Beard traffic marshalls and banksmen ensured the safe delivery of materials across a specially constructed track-matting road on the school playing field. Beard Guildford director Pat Hughes said: “Beard has special expertise in the education sector and we are more than aware of the importance of creating spaces which both inspire pupils to learn as well as being great places for teachers to work. This project has transformed the learning experience for the pupils and staff at St Andrew’s School.” St Andrew’s headteacher Alan Mitchell said: “The ambition at St Andrew’s is simple – to be the best school in the country. We set the highest goals and expectations for every pupil and these new classrooms and teaching facilities provide the infrastructure to help us deliver on that ethos. “Not only has the Beard team delivered a quality product on time, but it has done so with no disruption to the school’s day-to-day operation. ” Beard worked in close collaboration throughout the project with architect Hamson Barron Smith. This is the third school project in as many years where the two companies have collaborated – having previously worked together at Chart Wood School, now called Unified Academy, in Dorking and St Paul’s Catholic college in Sunbury-on-Thames. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading construction and fit-out company Gilbert-Ash has been appointed main contractor for a £26million redevelopment at Barnfield College in Luton, part of the West Herts College Group. The works, which are due to begin in late May, will mark the second phase of a major project to transform the existing Barnfield College into one campus, with scope for future growth. Gilbert-Ash’s contract includes the design and build of a four-storey concrete frame specialist teaching block, providing teaching spaces, staff spaces and break-out areas. In addition, the project will include landscaping, car parking and external walkways. The new building will provide state-of-the-art facilities for the College’s construction and engineering students. It is also set to create employment opportunities with student numbers expected to rise significantly as a result of the new campus. Gilbert-Ash Managing Director, Ray Hutchinson said the company was delighted to be working on a project which will deliver a stand-out teaching resource for Barnfield College for generations to come. He said: “Gilbert-Ash has a reputation for delivering world class teaching facilities with a growing portfolio of excellent projects in the education sector. “We view projects like this as not only delivering new buildings but instead creating opportunities for young people to receive the best training so they can build rewarding careers through securing high value jobs. “It is also particularly pleasing that the new Barnfield College campus will cater for the next generation joining the construction and engineering industries. At Gilbert-Ash we are committed to attracting people into our industry and one way we can do this is by constructing buildings which help inspire them.” Gilbert-Ash has a unique approach to construction, fit-out and refurbishment based on the belief that great buildings come about through hard work, inspired innovation and genuine collaboration. Sustainability is a key focus for Gilbert-Ash with a number of initiatives underway to help the company to drive down its carbon footprint. To find out more about Gilbert-Ash visit www.gilbert-ash.com.
Construction firm Kier has commenced work on delivering new, purpose-built teaching facilities accommodation to Katharine Lady Berkeley’s School in Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire. The school’s existing campus-style site will be enhanced by removing a number of older buildings and replacing these with a single three-storey teaching block and a separate activity studio. The new three-storey block will include various teaching facilities and is designed to support the school’s goal of being net zero carbon in operation. PV panels on the roof, enhanced insulation levels, ground-source and air-source heat pumps will help the school achieve its sustainability goals and reduce operating costs. In addition to the three-storey block and activity studio, an existing single storey block on the site will be refurbished, with extensions added to enhance the school’s sixth form facilities and to provide a bespoke area for the special educational needs department. Externally, a new central courtyard will be built, providing additional seating and a performance stage. The parking facilities are being remodelled and an existing Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) is being moved and replaced. To deliver the works, Kier will use its new design platform kSchool, which creates unique designs for a school, with considerations for how the curriculum will be delivered and how best to make use of the site. kSchool is the evolution of Kier’s design guidelines, which are based both on our experience in delivering over 200 projects for the Department for Education since 2007, and through listening to our clients. “This school was founded over 639 years ago and the buildings we’re upgrading were built post-war, so for us providing 21st Century accommodation is a real honour and something that we, as a Gloucestershire-based business, are incredibly proud of. Not only does this project further evidence our expertise in delivering state-of-the-art sustainable schools but also demonstrates our innovative kSchool design platform,” said Andy Bolas, regional director at Kier Construction Western & Wales. The project was procured through the Department for Education (DfE) CF17 Framework, and work is expected to finish in Spring 2025. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A special ground-breaking event was held to mark the start of construction work by R G Carter on the new sixth form building at King Ecgbert School in Dore, south-west of Sheffield. Head Teacher Paul Haigh and staff from the school joined representatives from the school’s governance and the R G Carter team to celebrate this exciting milestone in the project. A time capsule was also created to commemorate the commencement of the works which will be buried on the site later in project. By utilising the main school building for students aged 11-16, this one-storey, 1294 m2, building will provide a stunning, new, dedicated modern space for sixth form lessons and studying and is expected to be completed during the academic intake year of 2023. The new building will house 15 new state of the art classrooms and features a giant wall-to-floor glass study room where students will have access to university standard facilities and technology to support their learning. Designed around the feeling of university study spaces students will have the pleasure of learning in a relaxed, adult environment with stunning views out over the countryside. King Ecgbert School is a large 11-18 secondary school of around 1,450 students. The sixth form currently accommodates around 380 students; the new building will help increase its total capacity, allowing the school to absorb all current and future catchment needs and allow the school and sixth form to grow. Classed as a ‘System Leading School’, the school is rated as ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted, was awarded World Class School status in 2018 and was voted World Class School of the Year in 2019. King Ecgbert School has a reputation for helping to prepare a high number of students to progress to further education destinations, include Russell Group universities as well as having an inclusive ethos hosting Sheffield’s largest Integrated Resource for children on the autistic spectrum. The increase in capacity will only strengthen these offers. Headteacher Paul Haigh said: “We are delighted to mark the beginning of the construction of our new sixth form building. It has been a huge privilege for me to break the ground today in what will soon be a first-class learning setting and an exciting, inspirational, and creative centre for future lawyers, medics, nurses, sports stars, artists, and teachers.” Tim Owen, Senior Project Manager for R G Carter Lincoln Ltd, said: “We’re extremely proud to be working in partnership with King Ecgbert School, its Multi Academy Trust Leadership team, and Sheffield City Council on this outstanding new sixth form building. Everything about the new building has been designed with the students in mind and to provide an educational space that will not only benefit current pupils but also future generations for many years to come.” Chris French, CEO for the Mercia Learning Trust, said: “It’s extremely exciting to finally get the ball rolling on the school’s new sixth form building. It will provide pupils with state-of-the-art facilities, modern classrooms and an environment and help provide the space to accommodate all catchment students as they progress through school.” Councillor Mick Rooney and Councillor Dawn Dale, Co-Chairs of the Education, Children and Families Committee, said: “It’s fantastic news to see this work starting at King Ecgbert School which will result in an easing of pressures on school places from September 2023, especially in South-West Sheffield. It’s an excellent example of how King Ecgbert School and Mercia Learning Trust and the council are working in partnership after securing funds from the Department for Education for this project. We have recognised the demand in the school and this new building will mean that pupils can progress through to sixth form and that we can provide high quality integrated resource places for pupils with special educational needs. It’s very reassuring to see such progress.” As part of the pre-construction design process students worked closely with HLM Architects and the interior designers to ensure the building reflected their needs and tastes. The student body chose soft colour pallets for the classrooms and thought about every detail, from the wooden flooring, to the quite spaces needed by some of its students with learning difficulties. This ethos will be continued throughout the construction process with Core Architects and the R G Carter site team. R G Carter Lincoln Ltd secured this project under the YORBuild3 Medium Works Framework. The project is funded by Sheffield City Council. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Wates has completed work on the first Net Zero school as part of the Department for Education (DfE) School Rebuilding Programme, the £10 million Littleborough Community Primary School in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. The 2,243sq m two-storey project, has been constructed on land within the existing Littleborough campus. It will provide 14 new classrooms, a library, a new sports/assembly hall, Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) and a 420-place primary school providing 60 places for each year group along with a 26-place nursery. Procured through the DfE’s Modern Methods of Construction framework, the scheme used our Adapt 3.0 component-based design to maximise sustainability and ensure the building is Net Zero Carbon in Operation (NZCiO). This included an optimised thermal envelope with increased insulation and large, triple glazed windows to maximise daylight together with rooflights and lightwells, enhanced ventilation and Photovoltaic solar panels. “Littleborough represents a step change in how schools are built, designed to not only provide brilliant, state-of-the-art learning facilities for pupils, but for the long-term benefit of the wider environment. We’ve been a partner to the DfE for years and it was an honour to be chosen to deliver this pioneering project. It’s benefited from the latest evolution of our Adapt system, while our experience using MMC to find sustainability solutions – for both public and private builds – has helped us deliver the DfE’s NZCiO goal. I congratulate all our teams on making this happen and look forward to our next completion,” said Sarah Cooke, regional director for the Northwest at Wates. As part of Our Social Value commitments, £3.6m worth of initiatives were delivered to the local community, including nearly £80,000 invested in local charities and causes. All targets were exceeded, with 1,500 training weeks provided as well as a T-Level placement, 39 apprentices employed, and site visits and career advice given to 92 local students. The project is the first to be completed as part of the DfE’s School Rebuilding Programme a 10-year scheme of works which is seeing the rebuilding or refurbishment of 500 schools and sixth form colleges across the country, transforming learning environments for pupils and teachers. Construction started in September 2021 with all works carried out while the existing school was still in operation. The project has been delivered on time, and completion was celebrated with an event attended by delegates from across the delivery partnership, Rochdale Borough Council and the DfE. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Construction firm Kier has been selected by Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council to develop a new £25 million net zero carbon teaching block in south Wales. The Hawthorn All-Through School project will deliver new and exciting facilities for staff and pupils from Heol y Celyn English Medium Primary, Hawthorn Primary and Hawthorn High. It has been designed to achieve net zero carbon in operation though the installation of on site renewable energy sources such as air source heat pumps and photovoltaic panels alongside purchase of renewable electricity from an energy supplier. Three of the school’s existing buildings will be demolished to make way for a new teaching block. One of these buildings is the old caretaker’s house, with the stone from the Victorian building used in the building of the new structure. “This project presents a unique opportunity to provide not one but three schools with state-of-the-art facilities which will be a significant asset to the community of Pontypridd for generations to come. With the recently completed Ffynnon Taf Primary School just 10 minutes down the road using a nearby hot spring to heat its classrooms, this project further demonstrates our commitment to providing sustainable buildings in south Wales,” said Jason Taylor, Regional Director at Kier. The new school will include 27 classrooms, a staff room, offices, reception area, therapy room, library, ICT suite, meeting rooms, DT and music areas and two new multi-use games areas, which are in addition to the existing one and current all-weather pitch. A new car park and pick up-drop off spaces will also be built as part of the project, as well as a designated bus drop off zone. Procured through the SEWSCAP framework, work is expected to be completed in 2025. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
South Nottinghamshire Academy in Cropwell Road, Radcliffe on Trent, celebrated the official opening of its new teaching block named The Maple Building this month. Midlands-based main contractor G F Tomlinson lead on the construction and design the £2.6 million two-storey teaching block facility, which comprises new classrooms, a seminar room, independent study space, IT facilities, staff offices and welfare facilities. The building has been designed to provide enhanced learning areas for an additional 150 pupils. The opening ceremony was attended by Dan Philpotts, executive headteacher at South Nottinghamshire Academy, Andrew Burns, chief executive of Redhill Academy Trust. School staff, governors, G F Tomlinson colleagues, local dignitaries and other partner and community organisations were also in attendance. The scheme has been completed on behalf of South Nottinghamshire Academy, which was rated ‘Good’ in its most recent Ofsted report, and currently offers 600 places for children aged 11-16 plus sixth form students, with plans to accommodate the increasing need for school places in the area. Since 2016, following relocation into a brand-new school building, the academy has been an integral part of Redhill Academy Trust which has a proven track record of enhancing school improvement. South Nottinghamshire Academy has continued to invest in its facilities, to meet the educational needs of current and future students, including a 3G floodlit pitch. As part of efforts to boost the environmental credentials on the project, heat recovery units were installed which enabled 100% of all warm air in the building to be reused, increasing energy efficiency. Our site management team also created a “Zen Zone” which involved fencing off a dedicated area for growing vegetables with a small green house, raised bed and benches made from recycled site materials to support their mental health and wellbeing. During construction, G F Tomlinson partnered with the academy generating social value through the provision of site tours, a careers fair and a mock interview day to enhance students’ understanding and awareness of the careers in construction. Chris Flint, Managing Director of G F Tomlinson, said: “We’re pleased to see work has completed at South Nottinghamshire Academy. The expansion of the school means further school places can be provided for children within the area, which are currently in demand across the region. “The new teaching block will help to enhance student’s learning and educational experience, and we look forward to seeing them make use of their new space.” Dan Philpotts, Executive Headteacher at South Nottinghamshire Academy, said: “The new Maple building accommodation will provide our school community with a long-lasting, modern-day facility that will undoubtedly enhance students’ educational experience. We are so proud of our first-class facilities, and we look forward to a very exciting future.” Andrew Burns, Chief Executive of Redhill Academy Trust, said: “We are all pleased to see the continued popularity and demand for places at the South Nottinghamshire Academy. These great new facilities will help our students achieve their very best.” To find out more about the school and further information about student places, visit: www.southnottinghamshireacademy.org.uk. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The world’s first science and innovation park dedicated to space-related companies has won two prestigious building awards. Space Park Leicester was officially opened by UK astronaut Tim Peake earlier this year and has built an impressive reputation for itself working on ground-breaking projects such as NASA’s internationally acclaimed James Webb Space Telescope. The £46.4 million facility designed by Shepheard Epstein Hunter architects and constructed by Bowmer + Kirkland, is home to a community of leading organisations, academics from the University of Leicester and students who are undertaking world-leading research and driving growth in the space and space-enabled sectors. Now it has added two more accolades to its growing list of achievements having won both the Large Non-Residential Scheme of the Year Award and the Regeneration Project of the Year Award at the ProCon Leicestershire Awards which celebrate the best of the county’s built environment. Neil Loxton, Head of Project Delivery at the University of Leicester said: “The creation of Space Park Leicester took a long disused, contaminated brownfield site in a flood risk zone and transformed it into a major generator of social, economic and environmental improvement. “The facility is set to contribute £750 million a year to the UK space sector over the next decade and to support more than 2,500 direct and indirect jobs in the East Midlands. “The scheme was delivered within budget and on time, despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is an incredible success story for Leicester and the East Midlands and we’re thrilled that this world-leading development has been recognised by the judges at the ProCon Leicestershire Awards.” Space Park Leicester is a project led by the University of Leicester in partnership with Leicester City Council and the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP). The 9,700 m2 facility provides state-of-the-art facilities for research, development and manufacturing, with offices, shared laboratories, teaching facilities and co-working spaces, focussing primarily on research, development and applications of space. Firms have the opportunity to locate their business on a short- or long-term basis at Space Park Leicester. Dr Patricia Martin del Guayo, who led Shepheard Epstein Hunter’s team of architects for the project since 2017, said: “This is great recognition for a huge team effort providing something unique in the world which enables industry and university to work closely together on key issues like climate change. “It has brought a contaminated overgrown site in a flood risk area safely back into use, it welcomes schoolchildren as much as leading researchers and is designed as a low-energy, sustainable project which will last 100 years or more and can change and adapt to support the pioneering research in the building.” Space Park Leicester’s latest success comes on the back of it winning the Sustainable Project of the Year Award at the East Midlands Property Awards in September. To find out more information about Space Park Leicester, visit: https://www.space-park.co.uk/. To learn more ProCon Leicestershire, visit https://www.procon-leicestershire.co.uk/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
