why refurbish case study 3

School renewal by refurbishment a good practice guide

REMADE LEARNING PLACES EXAMPLE 3 MID 20TH CENTURY SUBURBAN HIGH SCHOOL COLTNESS HIGH SCHOOL

INTRODUCTION

These examples of refurbishment support the ‘Why Refurbish?’ guide published by A&DS. The purpose is to show how local authorities approached different scales and types of school refurbishment projects across Scotland. A summary of learning points are set out in each example which reference the 9 principles of ‘Building Better Schools; Investing in Scotland’s Future’.

Examples: 1 Notre Dame Primary School Listed urban primary school 2 Castlepark Primary School & Nursery Suburban primary school 3 Coltness High School Mid 20th century suburban high school 4 Halyrude Primary School Rural primary school 5 Bent Primary School Rural primary school 6 Greenhill Primary School & Drumpark ASN Primary School Co-located suburban primary schools into listed building REMADE LEARNING PLACES

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CONTENTS

01 Overview

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02 Client

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03 Background

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04 Approach

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05 Reorganising and creating space

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06 Learning points

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EXAMPLE 3 MID 20TH CENTURY SUBURBAN HIGH SCHOOL

oltness High School C Wishaw, North Lanarkshire Type Refurbishment, remodelling and extension Size 800 pupils with additional expansion and decant GIFA Client North Lanarkshire Council Design and management CRGP Architects

North Lanarkshire Council Contractor Graham Construction Programme March 2009 – Enabling works June 2011 – Phase 1 completion August 2012 – Phase 2 completion

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01.

OVERVIEW

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A complete makeover in North Lanarkshire has created a fully updated high school and external spaces. The project combines refurbishment and new build to provide a remodelled school of 11,987m² for 800 pupils and 85 staff.

A striking change in the appearance of the school has been created and both the learning facilities and the impression of the school have been transformed.

The works are set out to follow a master plan split into two phases and create new outdoor spaces with improved access.

03 Top and above: Coltness School before and after refurbishment. The school and its grounds have been transformed with high levels of pupil participation.

The brief asked that the remodelled school delivers a safe, stimulating and challenging environment for all building users, and further; that the school provides educational facilities to support the community and enhance the surrounding environment.

Coltness School is located approximately 2km to the north east of Wishaw town centre and occupies a site of approximately 5.5 hectares. The school grounds are surrounded by housing to the south and west, and to the east and north by areas of mature woodland.

The original school was built in the mid 1970’s and comprised three distinct sections consisting of a three–four storey central teaching block flanked to the southwest by a single storey dining/ kitchen block, and to the northwest by a one-two storey assembly/ music/ gym/ administration block. A new sports complex was built to the rear of the school (northeast) in the late 1990’s, around which time four hutted accommodation units were also erected on site.

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02.

CLIENT

Briefing and procurement management were led by officers from the local authority team and consisted of educationalists, asset managers and experienced school renewal officers. North Lanarkshire officers possess a high level of school renewal and education design skill.

The authority uses a well-defined design vision and approach for all school renewal projects. The school staff and community were consulted during the development process and this helped build support for the refurbishment approach.

For this tranche of renewal work the authority ran a mini competition to select contractors based on the use of an exemplar design. Design consultancy was procured using a framework of consultants.

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The refurbished hall has coloured louvres and a wide and open entrance. Along with the study/discussion booths in the main social space, they help create a completely updated school.

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03.

BACKGROUND

Under the terms of the North Lanarkshire Council Schools and Centres 21 Programme Coltness school was identified as requiring renewal.

The requirement for renewal was driven by the following considerations: Condition: School condition was poor with inadequate building fabric and poor suitability of the existing school buildings.

Space: Significant over capacity existed in certain areas.

Use: It was vital to maximise the use of school buildings for lifelong learning and social and economic regeneration, and to suit the authority’s preference to increase the level of vocational learning across key schools in North Lanarkshire, so additional vocational learning spaces were to be included.

Briefing North Lanarkshire strategic analysis suggested a drop in pupil numbers during the period from 2008–2014.

Although this did not occur, the authority’s view was that a higher level of vocational learning space was required across all its schools in order to increase access to practical training and skills. These spaces were to be fully renewed or newly created where required.

ASN spaces were also to be added.

New build vs refurbishment The selection of refurbishment as the preferred approach for Coltness School was driven by a lack of available site in a suitable location within Wishaw.

An alternative location which appeared to be suitable for building a new school was eventually deemed unsuitable due to an existing former mine.

Further to this, a new build design would require a full decant and dispersal of the cohort to an off site location during demolition of the existing building.

To do so would have been prohibitively expensive.

Option appraisal suggested that a phased demolition and remodelling, decanting learners into temporary units on site and into floor area added into the new build elements could be accommodated. On this basis the authority worked up an exemplar design for refurbishment and remodelling following this phased approach. This exemplar was fully costed and a budget for the works was set. The costed exemplar was then used as a base design that underwent further development and tendering as part of the framework agreement.

Next page: The school has a new entrance and social space and shows how new build and refurbished elements can sit side by side. Peer to peer exchange and learning out of the classroom is possible for the first time at Coltness in a well briefed and fitted out space.

A further requirement in the brief called for high levels of renewable energy and for replacement of life expired parts of the building fabric.

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04.

APPROACH

In order to establish and finalise the design approach, the exemplar design was tested against the detailed requirements of the brief and the future operations of the school. The suitability of the site and existing buildings was also assessed, along with the phasing proposals.

Existing building – remodelled and refurbished New build Demolition outline of existing nursery building Decant accommodation site

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08 A rigorous review and analysis of the existing school fabric identified that retention of the northerly parts of the school would be uneconomical. As a result a proposal for the school emerged that combined demolition, new build and refurbishment. The demolition and construction works were split into two phases with major works timetabled to occur during holiday periods.

The new build teaching block contains the highly serviced departments (Home Economics, Sciences, Vocational Training etc.) and was constructed as part of the initial phase. General classrooms requiring a lower servicing load were accommodated in the existing teaching block and in the temporary accommodation.

Phasing in this way allowed for the existing teaching block to be stripped back to the structural frame and to be fully refurbished with as-new envelope services and fit-out implemented during the second phase of construction.

Demolition works opened up southern aspects and views. Benefits of solar gains to the main building were also created. The clearing of the northerly teaching spaces allowed plant, technical stores, home economics and the kitchen to be relocated. This in turn allowed for a single service road for deliveries to be set out.

As a result, vehicle and pedestrian movements were segregated improving safety on the site. Analysis of the retained blocks floor plates suggested the grid suited standard sized general classrooms with natural ventilation meeting current standards. As a result, space in the retained floor plate accommodates these classrooms. This strategy allowed the designers to locate larger spaces within the new build footprint.

A new administration block was created with southwest aspects to enhance overlooking of the new entrance.

This helped provide good passive observation. Sport pitches were modified to minimise the cut and fill to achieve practical pitch levels and mitigate high plateaus to the adjacent neighbouring housing. The new westwing follows site falls and this creates sectional height within which usable floor area is accommodated.

Biomass boilers and ground source heat pumps were used for heating, complemented by natural ventilation throughout the school. The external envelope in all retained parts of the school was fully replaced to meet current building standards.

In order to construct the renewed school whilst keeping the learning activities on site, temporary classroom and administrative accommodation was required. Careful phasing helped manage the requirement for decant and associated porterage. The temporary units were carefully located in safe and quiet areas on the site and well away from any mine working exclusion zones.

Above: Southerly new build elements follow the footprint of the existing building and re-use the foundations to save time and cost. These parts of the school renewal have additional floor area for future use and this additional space was also used for decant during Phase 2 of the works. Multi-coloured louvres to the re-clad and refurbished school hall offer solar control and add personality to the design. Carefully controlled use of colour has added a transformational effect to the design in a simple and cost effective way. New paving and habitat helps create a campus feel to Coltness School.

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Key briefing drivers

Above: A new build southerly block uses the existing foundations of the demolished part of the school, helping save costs for the works. Improved access pathways and lighting help with improving security. A new and greatly improved entrance has high levels of overlooking from the school administration block. Landscaping has been carefully reinvigorated to create a campus feel and car parking serves community use facilities as well as staff needs.

• To improve the physical and learning conditions to create fully updated learning spaces both inside and outside. Renewing external appearance, entrance and visual approach to the school • Create efficiency in use through school re-ordering and site rationalisation, improving operational performance and sustainability. In particular improvements to stairs, WC and corridors were all highlighted as required to enhance behaviour management and improve learner satisfaction levels • The addition of vocational learning spaces, specialist ASN spaces, and the creation of pupil social areas to encourage peer to peer learning • To improve the existing playground areas, landscape treatment, ground moulding and security to the school • Meet community requirements with physical education facilities for community use to operate as a self-contained, efficiently operated unit during out of school hours • Improve vehicular and pedestrian circulation routes and their separation on site with new coach and car parking facilities • Ensure that temporary decanting was available during the construction period to lessen disturbance to the operation and running of the school

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Meeting the needs • Careful re-assessment of the existing school facilities during design development stages supported key improvements to the master plan such as creating a new whole school social space at ground floor as part of the entrance sequence

• As the refurbished school was totally re-clad and roofed, it allowed a fully renewed appearance that creates a unified building. This was intended to inspire renewed pride amongst the pupils, staff and community. Behaviour, attention and attendance levels have all improved since renewal of the school

• Additional floor area was added into the new build teaching block, and this space was used to minimise the amount of pupil decant into temporary classroom space

• Maximise the grounds through the rationalisation of the vehicle/ pedestrian access and the car parking creates a facility that is safe, interesting and welcoming, ultimately giving the school a deserved setting

• A contractor with high level of experience in refurbishment was used to deliver the project.

The contractor brought value through risk assignment, costing and specialist work planning

• A strong design exemplar lays the foundations for the elements of architecture, structure, mechanical services and landscaping to fully integrate

• North Lanarkshire Council embedded ambitious environmental criteria within their project brief.

Passive and active sustainable features include a high performance envelope with stringent air-tightness levels, biomass boilers, ground source heat pumps, rainwater harvesting and a passive stack natural ventilation strategy. Minimising energy use is reliant on occupants taking ownership of their building performance, with real time Building Energy Management System (BEMS) readings visible to students

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Above left: New social space provides ample room to accommodate the cohort at peak times.

Above right: The existing school hall has been refurbished and the coloured louvres add to the new image of the school.

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05.

REORGANISING AND CREATING SPACE

Phase 1

Phase 2

The construction of a three storey new-build extension to house the practical subjects, allowed the required M&E services to be fully integrated within that block.

This allowed other servicing loads to be contained in one small building located in close proximity to the main plant room. This strategy allowed for straight forward permanent decant from the existing teaching block and technical areas.

The refurbishment of the existing teaching block to house general teaching rooms, removed the requirement to install complex services through an existing structure.

Existing building layouts were reconfigured to allow for better adjacencies. General teaching areas predominate, however the introduction of smaller tutorial rooms and larger rooms with sub-dividing partitions allow variety and increase the scope for flexibility.

Demolition of the technical and dining block opened the building out to southern aspects and views, and created the possibility of a natural and clearly defined entrance space.

The large volumetric spaces such as PE and dining area were rebuilt to the north of the site and to a single ground floor level. This helped rationalise inaccessible floor levels to create improved access for out of hours use.

Below: Master plan and site layout indicating the phasing of new build and refurbished elements. Note the outlines of demolished parts of the buildings. The new build elements follow the same lines to allow re-use of the existing foundations. An existing sports barn to the north of the site was not part of the works, as this facility was fully utilisable. Decant facility use was minimised through adding floor area into the southerly new build block. This space will be used for either future adult learning or community use.

Existing building – remodelled and refurbished New build Site boundary Demolition outline of existing building Decant accommodation site

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12 The creation of an internal and secure social space with controlled main entrance provided the school with a secure, clearly defined multi-purpose hub.

Services and new renewable energy sources were placed into an unobtrusive location chosen for ease of access and segregation from pedestrians and cyclists.

The service and access strategy for the remodelled school has been designed to allow zoning of areas that maximise the building as a community resource, both during and out of school hours and also to ensure security and energy conservation are not compromised.

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Hard and soft external landscaping was used to define and integrate the building and its spaces, creating a sense of approach from the site boundary to the school entrance, and clearly defined pupil socialising spaces.

Further to this, a considered design approach was implemented for vehicle movement and parking with dedicated, safe pedestrian walkways and cycleway.

Top: Refurbished classrooms are light, well serviced and naturally ventilated to meet current building standards. Overall real and noticeable improvements in behaviour, attendance and pupil attention levels have been observed.

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Middle: Colours for the refurbishment were chosen to reflect the school branding and pupils were directly involved in the design of ‘buddy booths’ that offer the chance for personalised space in the main flexible and social space.

Bottom: Stairs have been renewed to create safer and wider circulation spaces with natural light.

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LEARNING POINTS

Example

Coltness High School, Wishaw

Scale

Major refurbishment and extension

Type

Mid 20th century local authority designed

Context

Suburban town

Priorities

• Lack of viable redevelopment opportunity on an alternative site • Need for significant improvements to building fabric and services • The presence of high levels of unsuitable and un-adaptable space • High levels of pupil and parent dissatisfaction with learning conditions at the school • Need for reconfigured and renewed spaces in support of Curriculum for Excellence and modern pedagogies

Key lessons and alignment with Scottish Government 9 Principles for School Renewal

Principle 4: Schools must be in a condition to support and enhance their functions • At Coltness care was taken to retain parts of the existing building that offered the chance for improvement and value. Attention placed on widening corridors, improving stair design and WC layouts have all created operational benefits in support of positive cultural change • Assessment and analysis of the existing structure and structural grids helped identify suitability of use for the retained block. This impacted directly on the decision to locate general teaching and group spaces within this part of the building. The design displays a strong sense of space and use assignment • Measured survey information was held on file but not detailed information relating to services and structure. Re-assessment of condition during the construction phases at Coltness generated the requirement for redesign, in particular of structure and services. This should be minimised or avoided if possible

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cont.

Key lessons

Principle 3: A more integrated, holistic and longer term approach to change was

and alignment with

fostered in the project brief

Scottish Government 9 Principles for School Renewal

• Costing and budgeting challenges were resolved at an early stage through the implementation of an exemplar design from which the business case and budget were successfully established • The master plan for creating the renewed school was tested throughout the design process. An integrated approach to design helped identify the correct strategy for site development. In particular, logical grouping of departments requiring heavy servicing ensured a cost effective servicing strategy • Benefits in behaviour and pupil attainment have been gained through carefully remodelled internal environments and in particular where the circulation space is improved. The brief for refurbishment at Coltness captured the potential to create this kind of change. Change was recognised as a key part to improving learning outcomes at Coltness Principle 5: Schools must be more suitable and inclusive, better future proofed for flexibility and adaptability • Additional floor area was allocated funding and was built at Coltness. This space helped support decant and allows a level of future adaptability for the school at a relatively low cost

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A&DS wishes to thank the following people and organisations for participation, assistance and contribution in preparing this guide: • • • • • • •

Contributors of featured examples • Aedas Architects • Archial NORR • Glasgow City Council (Project Management & Design) • JM Architects • CRGP Architects & Surveyors • Realm ISD • Scottish Borders Council Architects Section (Design Services) • Space Strategies • Stallan Brand

The Scottish Government Scottish Futures Trust Association of Directors of Education in Scotland Convention of Scottish Local Authorities Education Scotland Grounds For Learning Design by Graven

Officers and teaching staff from • Dundee City Council • City of Edinburgh Council • Fife Council • Glasgow City Council • Highland Council • Moray Council • North Ayrshire Council • North Lanarkshire Council • Scottish Borders Council • South Lanarkshire Council • West Lothian Council

Image credits 01–02, 04 Coltness High School: Martin McAleer 03 Former Coatbridge High School:

photo by CRGP Architects 05–12 Coltness High School: Martin McAleer 13–14 Architecture & Design Scotland 15–16 Former Coltness High School:

photo by CRGP Architects 17 Architecture & Design Scotland 18 Coltness High School: Martin McAleer

Expert consultants • Alastair Blyth • John Worthington • Nick Wright • Lorraine Tulloch Advocacy contributors • Alan Russell: Senior Teacher & Education Officer (retired) • Alastair Blyth: Learning Environments Assessor and Advisor • Dugald Forbes: Educationalist (retired) • Historic Scotland • John Worthington: Expert Advisor • Scottish Borders Council: Asset Management Officer • Scott Brownrigg: Architectural Design Consultant

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APPENDICES

The following documents are a useful resource supporting the ideas, themes and arguments contained within this guide: School Estate Management Plans Building Our Future: Scotland’s School Estate www.scotland.gov.uk/ Publications/2003/08/18009/25296

Managing the Brief For Better Design www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415460316/ How Buildings Learn: What Happens After They’re Built Brand, S, Penguin Books, 1995 OECD

Building Excellence – Exploring the implications of Curriculum for Excellence for school buildings www.gov.scot/Topics/Education/Schools/Buildings/ Excellence

Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI) – Schooling for Tomorrow www.oecd.org/edu/ceri/centreforeducationalresearchan dinnovationceri-schoolingfortomorrow.htm

Senses of Place: Building Excellence www.ads.org.uk/smarterplaces

Modernising School Buildings in Portugal www.oecd.org/education/innovation-education/ centreforeffectivelearningenvironmentscele/49567409. pdf

Better Briefing For Education Benefit www.ads.org.uk/smarterplaces/features/betterbriefing-for-education-benefit-transforming-spacesto-inspire

SFT Lessons Learnt www.scottishfuturestrust.org.uk/publications/lessonslearnt/

The Re-design Option www.ads.org.uk/smarterplaces/news/the-re-designoption-exhibition

SFT Schools Development Handbook www.scottishfuturestrust.org.uk/our-work/sft-build/ schools-for-the-future/schools-development-handbook/

Sustainability in Reuse www.ads.org.uk/designforum/qualityofplace/highlightsustainability-in-re-use?typology_id=6&quality_id=4

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School renewal by refurbishment a good practice guide

www.ads.org.uk/smarterplaces