MODULAR METHODS
VOLUMETRIC SCHOOLS MEETING SCHOOL PLACE DEMAND
Estimates suggest we need to build approximately two new schools per day to meet the current pupil demographic demand. Such is the scale of this task, the wider use of offsite techniques could prove to be a perfect solution. Mark Hargreaves, Associate Director at DLA Design explains more.
1 Whilst offsite building methods are not anything new in the education sector current innovative approaches are seeing volumetric and offsite schools challenge more site-led traditional methods. Investment in R&D and innovation along with changing commissioning trends moving toward pre-manufactured approaches suggest procurement in schools is responding to the much debated recommendations of the 2016 Farmer report ‘Modernise or Die’. This is in recognition that the UK government will offer a presumption in favour of offsite construction by 2109 across suitable capital programmes. DLA Design have been involved in range of offsite building solutions across most sectors, but most significantly in 2017 they teamed up with modular specialists Elliott Group to successfully bid for the Education & Skills Funding Agency’s (ESFA) £90m Component Primary School Framework (Mod A). Prompted by
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the Farmer report and the need for greater standardisation, the framework promotes a common approach to the design and delivery for batched volumetric offsite schools. The key objective to maximise offsite production and minimise onsite disruption. The new schools to be delivered on this framework (see list) cover a range of different forms of entry from 1FE through to 3FE. The schools are either extended or demolished and replaced with new modern modular learning facilities, allowing each to remain open to their communities whilst works are carried out. Given their experience in the schools sector DLA were appointed to design nine schools in sequence within a one-month design programme. Eight have since secured planning permission with the help of planning consultants DPP and work has already started onsite for the first schools in the batch to be completed by Spring 2019.
WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | JULY/AUGUST 2018
NEW SCHOOLS PLANNED UNDER THE ESFA COMPONENT PRIMARY SCHOOL FRAMEWORK (MOD A) • Hilderthorpe Primary School – Bridlington • Croftlands Junior School – Ulverston • Rivers Academy – Walsall • Cavendish Close Junior School – Derby • Seascale Primary School – Seascale • Jericho Primary School – Whitehaven • Arundel Court Primary – Portsmouth • Beacon View Primary – Portsmouth • Kenton Bar Primary – Newcastle