Design & Build
The ten-year rebuilding programme for schools Good design must be made a priority in deciding how the government’s new investment into school buildings is spent, writes RIBA’s Client Advisers which we have demonstrated over the last two decades. The profession’s progressive and continuous development on sustainability and environmental design also puts us in good stead to take a holistic, whole-life approach to this new phase of school projects.
The value of good design We know that schools play a vital role in influencing our children’s outlook and life chances – from academic learning to social skills – they help shape us into the adults we grow into and the communities we are a part of. The Royal Institute of British Architects’ Better Spaces for Learning report, published in 2016, demonstrates that good design must be made a priority in deciding how this new investment fund is spent. Our research highlights the important role that good design plays in the efficacy of The best prepared projects have a school for both the pupils, their families the best chances of success and staff. This research indicates that good Sustainable design is a collaborative design, which includes good quality natural endeavour. Bringing together design light, good acoustics, flexible spaces and professionals, clients, contractors and simple, natural ventilation systems, has most importantly the building’s guardians, been proven to positively impact pupil its teachers and children behaviour, engagement, wellbeing and is key to success. attainment. It also indicates that good Architects are ready design improves school staff’s to take the lead. productivity, with the most To We have a wealth comfortable and well-designed continu u s of professional schools demonstrating a 15 l y i mprove expertise in per cent increase in this area. our schools school design In addition to improving ,w
educational outcomes, good design makes good business sense – well-designed schools are cheaper to run. According to our research in 2016, an excess of £150 million is being spent annually on services and maintenance. Such additional expenditure could be avoided in the future by having a more holistic and coordinated approach that includes robust briefing in the design process of new schools. Crucially though, good design of school buildings must encompass sustainability and work to address the climate emergency. It should aim to reduce the environmental impact of the building through both the energy consumed during construction and once in use.
Written by RIBA Client Advisers
In June 2020, the government announced £1billion of investment for schools. This ten-year investment programme is the first significant wave of funding launched since 2014. As a result, it needs to both play catch-up and forecast future needs. We know that new school buildings help deliver better educational outcomes, tackle wider societal issues such as the climate emergency and act as community hubs. This isn’t an accident; working with the right team can help to dramatically raise the chances of success. A RIBA Client Adviser can work with schools to guarantee that the right questions are asked and the appropriate guidance is given at every stage of the building programme, helping to ensure that the needs of the students and teachers are at the centre of the project and that sustainability is considered throughout.
The role of architects in helping to tackle the climate emergency Understanding and ensuring good, sustainable design in schools is where the role of an RIBA Chartered Architect and particularly, an RIBA Client Adviser can be extremely beneficial. E
use the e must lesso learned from sc ns h already built anools d in use
Mercia School by Bond Bryan Architects, received a RIBA Yorkshire Award in 2019. Photo by Phil Grayston
Issue 25.5 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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