,

University of Bristol Dental School relies on Saniflo

 

Saniflo UK – part of the SFA Group, a leading designer and manufacturer of macerators, pumps and lifting stations – is providing two 610 Sanifos lifting stations and a Sanivite grey water pump to a new, state-of-the-art dental school in Bristol with numerous clinics and 119 dental chairs that will open in September 2023 enabling students to put theory into practice using the most modern equipment available in a renovated building in the heart of the city. 

 

 

The first of the Sanifos 610 lifting stations takes the water from a 20,000-litre booster tank in an adjacent plant room during routine maintenance and cleaning. It also provides an overflow for excess water. This is pumped up to street-level drainage directly above the unit.

The second Sanifos 610 is situated directly beneath the clinical rooms and takes waste from compressed air and suction drainage tools used by trainee dentists. The condensate waste from several air handling units installed in the same basement section, but on a higher elevation, is also discharged into this Sanifos, which again pumps the waste up to the mains drains.

A third unit, a compact Sanivite+ grey water lifting station, was specified to take wastewater samples once per week from side stream filters that monitor the heating and chilling systems throughout the whole building. Water is frequently tested, and the resulting wastewater is pumped out through the Sanivite+ to mains drains. This automatic operation is designed to ensure there is no rust contamination in the pipework to maintain the optimum efficiency of the temperature controls.

 

 

 

 

Nathan Thomas, Senior Mechanical Engineer at Briggs and Forrester Engineering Services – the company appointed by Kier Construction to complete the fit-out of the building – oversaw the units’ installation. He says:

“Saniflo products are robust and durable and we know we can rely on them to do a good job. The support from the Saniflo team is always exceptional, whether it’s a site visit or a technical phone call, and the units are easy to install and maintain. They solved our drainage challenges at the dental school with ease.”

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE SANFILO WEBSITE

 

 

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AUSTRALIA: School Building Design

Natural finish Barestone prefinished cladding complements school surrounds

Located in Sydney’s west, Denham Court Public School is one of three new public schools in NSW that have been built rapidly using innovative modular construction methods as part of NSW’s major schools building program.

Sam Rigoli, partner at Pedavoli Architects led the project and his inspired design was driven by the idea of creating a school with modern learning spaces that fostered a flexible and collaborative environment. As Sam describes, “our goal is ultimately for the end-users, the students, to enjoy their school and create inviting spaces where they can share their ideas and learning experiences.”

Built using Volumetric Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA), also known as Modern Methods of Construction (MMoC) building techniques, this approach enabled rapid construction, ensuring the school was delivered within condensed timeframes. Searching for materials that suited this methodology was critical to the project’s success, and Sam went straight to Cemintel®, knowing it could help him deliver within the required timeframe. “With Cemintel’s Barestone, you get prefinished cladding, which means no surprises and your design plan is not compromised by material shortages or labour issues.” Sam also added that the durability and high-quality finish of Barestone made it perfectly suited to the demanding environment of a school.

Natural connection

Central to this was a unique design that would reflect and complement its surrounds. To achieve this, Cemintel’s Barestone prefinished cladding provided a natural finish in a range of grey hues across the buildings to weave a sense of cohesion throughout the design. As Sam describes, “the range of shades available for Barestone naturally complement each other, so it makes it easier when you are selecting the cladding to mix the palette without it being too jarring.”

Playful detail

With the Barestone base in place, Sam’s attention turned to how he was going to add a layer of fun and creativity to the exteriors. He found the solution with Cemintel’s sophisticated Surround colour range, which helped create a playful aesthetic that provided the school with its own identity that the children engaged in.

The Surround Collection includes five neutral colours in five finishes and features 16 colours in a range of trending palettes; Sam describes how he selected shades of blue, green and red to reflect the beautiful artwork that was so popular among the students. “There’s a beautiful large format illustration by Erica Halse with vibrant colours that everyone loves. It depicts an imaginary landscape with local references that relate back to the connection to country and I wanted to carry this joyous connection through each building exterior. That’s one of the best features of the Surround Collection, it gives you the creative license to enhance your design with colour accents.”

Durable design

Sam’s architectural philosophy includes a special focus on connection to land and incorporating natural elements in his design. This is no more evident than in the innovative built form of the school, which creates a boundary along the east, south, and west sides, shaping a ‘U’ formation that encloses a private courtyard shielded from the street.

This layout enables ample penetration of winter sunlight into the classrooms while the shifting shadows on the facades establish a visual link for students, providing a sense of the passing time. The durability of the Barestone panels adds to the longevity of this design, due to their superior weather resistance and strength compared to other fibre cement panels of similar thickness.

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RAAC – RIBA Calls for Investigation

The Royal Institute of British Architects has called for an investigation into the condition of public buildings in light of the ongoing RAAC crisis that is impacting schools across England.

The institute said that public buildings must urgently be assessed for the presence of ageing RAAC – reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete – due to safety concerns around the material.

It follows the closure of parts of 147 schools in England this week after they were found to have structures made with ageing RAAC, putting them at risk of collapse.

Known for its bubbly texture, RAAC was once commonly used as a lightweight and cheaper alternative to traditional concrete. It was used to construct thousands of public buildings such as schools and hospitals between the 1950s and 1990s in England.

However, the material is understood to have a lifespan of about 30 years and is susceptible to collapsing with little to no notice.

“RAAC failure goes beyond schools”

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has called for an industry-led task force to be established to deal with RAAC in schools, while simultaneously examining other public architecture in England to uncover the extent of buildings made with the material.

“Alongside funding the mitigation of immediate safety risks through an industry-led task force, the government must publish the Condition of Schools Survey without delay, to expose the full scale of this problem,” said RIBA chair of board Jack Pringle.

“It’s also clear however that RAAC failure goes beyond schools, and that’s why the government must undertake an urgent audit of public buildings to identify how widespread it really is.”

It comes as a team of experts from Loughborough University also warned the government that thousands of government and privately-owned buildings must be checked for RAAC.

RAAC is typically found in buildings’ roofs, but occasionally in walls and floors too.

The use of the material in schools came into the spotlight in 2018 following the roof collapse at a primary school in Kent just 24 hours after it began showing signs of structural stress.

However, it is only in the last week that it has dominated the headlines, due to the sudden closure of schools just as the new school year was about to begin.

“RIBA has long voiced serious concerns”

Many of the schools that have faced closure had been set for renewal under a Labour scheme named Building Schools for the Future (BSF), but this was later scrapped by the Conservative-led coalition government in 2010.

Currently, the number of schools requiring repair works outstrips the available government funds.

RIBA said it has issued “repeated warnings about the dangerous condition of England’s school estate”, including in a study it launched in 2016 that explored “how good design can help ensure that capital funding for schools stretches as far as possible”.

“RIBA has long voiced serious concerns about the condition of school buildings,” said Pringle.

“Our 2016 study – Better Spaces for Learning – highlighted that pupils and teachers are struggling to learn and teach in conditions damaging to their health and education.”

Former RIBA president Simon Allford also shared his concerns in a statement.

Allford described the closures as “shocking” and said that the “government has failed” in its duty to ensure the safety of schools.

“All young people and staff deserve to learn and work without fearing for their safety,” Allford said.

“We have repeatedly raised concerns about the dangerous state of some school buildings – and the government has failed to fund desperately needed repairs,” he continued.

“The government must now make it an immediate priority to identify the extent of remediations necessary and fund them without delay.”

In recent years, the UK government has also come under fire from the RIBA in light of its response to the removal of flammable cladding on housing following the deadly Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017.

RIBA said the British government was “naive” to only fund the removal of Grenfell-style cladding on housing over a certain height.

“Whilst additional funding to speed-up cladding remediation on residential buildings above 18 metres must be welcomed, I am frankly shocked by the Government’s continued underestimation of the scale of our building safety crisis,” said Jane Duncan.

Source: Dezeen

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The Pathways to a Career in Construction

We’re working with industry leaders and other government departments to help more people access high-quality training and careers in construction.

From T Levels to apprenticeships to Skills Bootcamps, there are many routes into a job in construction for people of all ages. Whether you’re looking for post-16 training options, or thinking of getting back into work later in life through a ‘returnership’, there is a pathway for you.

Here’s what we’re doing to support the construction industry with our gold-standard programmes.

How can T Levels help with a career in construction?

T Levels are available for 16 to 19-year-olds when they leave school. T Levels are the gold standard vocational course, and a high-quality alternative to A levels.

One T Level is worth the same UCAS points as three A Levels. They are two-year programmes with 80% of time spent in the classroom and 20% on a minimum nine-week industry placement with an employer.

 

T Levels students can opt for one of three specialised T Level courses in construction:

Kinnari Khodiara took a T Level course in Design, Surveying and Planning.

After an industry placement with Sandicliffe, a mechanic in Leicester, she has been offered a an apprenticeship: “T levels are a great way to learn and get hands on with a job.

“I would definitely recommend T levels as you gain an understanding of what needs to be done in the industry you’re about to work in and how a real business works day to day.”

How can an apprenticeship help with a career in construction?

People of all ages can do an apprenticeship. An apprenticeship is a paid job where you benefit from structured training whilst gaining valuable workplace experience.

Alongside your on-the-job training, as an apprentice, you will spend a minimum of six hours a week on average in off-the-job training with a provider, such as a college or university.

We’ve also introduced Flexi-Job Apprenticeships, which make it easier for employers in industries like construction where work is short-term and project-based, to hire apprenticeships.

From Level 2 apprenticeships in painting and decorating, to degree apprenticeships in quantity surveying, there are over 90 types of apprenticeship available within the construction industry. Browse options in your area here.

 

Archie Curtis did an apprenticeship in site management after completing a T Level in construction: “It feels good to be doing an apprenticeship.

“I am able to learn through a part-time college course and get my Higher National Certificate qualification, as well as gaining first-hand experience out on site, getting a deeper insight into my future job role, and developing other communication skills, whilst earning.”

How can Skills Bootcamps help with a career in construction?

Skills Bootcamps are for adults aged 19 or over who are full-time or part-time employed, self-employed or unemployed, as well as adults returning to work after a break.

There are Skills Bootcamps around the country that offer courses in different areas of construction like retrofit installation, insulation, and scaffolding. For most Skills Bootcamps, no previous knowledge in the subject is needed, just the willingness to learn new skills.

Skills Bootcamps are free and designed in partnership with local employers to help fill job vacancies in your area. These flexible courses last up to 16 weeks and allow you to gain the in-demand skills employers are looking for, with the offer of a job interview on completion.

Find a Skills Bootcamp in your local area here.

 

Source: The Education Hub

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The juggling act in education building services

Ian Rogers, Gilberts’ Sales Director, offers some timely advice to help estate managers be star performers

For many building managers in the education sector, there is a feeling of having changed vocation without realising. Now, they are jugglers, struggling to keep all the balls (budgets, carbon reduction, rising energy bills, Regulatory compliance, pupil health & wellbeing- Covid, flu, Strep A- and air quality) in the air.

Revisiting one strategy could tip the balance in your favour- HVAC. It helps that the Government has announced a further £500m funding for energy efficiency upgrades, in addition to the £1.8b for improving the condition of school buildings and the £1.4b for the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme(1).

Department of Education (BB 101) preference is for ventilation strategies that are sustainable. Natural ventilation has for years been the strategy of choice, and the recommendation of the DfE. It also ticks the sustainability box, being natural (as the name implies) and requiring little (if any) energy to function, making a significant contribution towards a school’s carbon footprint.

That has evolved in more recent times towards hybrid ventilation- indeed, this is now the option of choice for the Education Funding Agency. This leads with natural ventilation (which uses no energy and therefore low running costs) providing air changes only as and when required via a low energy fan.

The latest evolution is hybrid ventilation with heat recovery (MFS-HR). One unit provides up to 75% heat recovery whilst still delivering an airflow rate of up to 470l/s to meet requirements.

 

 

How it works

Installed through the external façade or window, hybrid ventilation rejects ‘used’ internal and removes the heat to be re-used when supplying pre-tempered fresh external air to ventilate the internal space, providing free cooling or heat recovery with no risk of cross contamination- and therefore completely Covid safe.

A mixing damper within modulates airflow to allow by-pass of air whilst collecting the energy whn required. The integrated low energy fan ensures an even distribution of airflow, controlling CO2 levels and maintaining good indoor air quality (IAQ). The smart Mistrale Control Unit gives individual, automatic room control, requiring no occupier input to maintain the comfort levels within. It does though have a simple override function to allow local adjustment by the teacher/ occupier for any required local control.

 

Cutting costs

More importantly in the current climate, more importantly for managers trying to balance budgets, MFS-HR does more than deliver Covid-compliant indoor air quality (IAQ). As a stand-alone system there is no ductwork in each zone/classroom, so hybrid ventilation with heat recovery is fast and cost-efficient to install- be it new build or as a refit/refurbishment/upgrade scheme. This also helps future-proof the system as the school estate grows, the system can correspondingly expand with ease.

Having the benefit of heat recovery means there is a reduced requirement for additional, stand-alone heating. When combined with a heat source pump system in place of conventional boilers, the market leading 75% heat recovery reduces the building energy requirements and subsequently the size and cost of any renewable installation.

With an optional water to air heat exchanger integrated into the MFS-HR, typically up to 4kW of heating or 2kW of cooling (depending on flow and return ai temperature) can be obtained, thereby eliminating the capital, material and installation and carbon costs (embodied and emissive) inherent with separate central heating, with all its associated pipework, radiators etc.

Each unit is installed at high level, optimising- and liberating- precious floor space. This also minimises the need for more expensive low surface temperature (LST) emitters.

With schools facing a 100%+ increase on energy bills(2), it is worth noting that MFS-HR can cost as little as £10/annum/zone to operate (depending on fuel tariff). Costs are even less when, as already suggested, installed with PV, wind turbines or other renewables.

In hot weather, the system provides free night cooling, providing internal air ready for the new school day. In winter a morning warm-up can be. Utilised if installed with an I nternal coil option, bringing the classroom temperature up to the preset before automatically switching off prior to occupancy.

 

Sustainability

MFS-HR can achieve up to 75% heat recovery- almost twice that of any other similar systems on the market.

It can be integrated with heat source pumps with low energy and high efficiency. The whole MFS range makes optimal use of recyclable materials making it low on embodied carbon. It attains air leakage better than legislative requirements – 3m3/HR/m2, and a U value of less than 1W/m2/°C, all combining to further enhance the green credentials with minimal leakage and thermal loss.

Computer modelling of hybrid systems has shown in a typical primary school, all the ventilation performance criteria are met, and an improvement in the Target Emission Rate (TER).

Hybrid ventilation with heat recovery can achieve BREEAM credits, under energy and health & wellbeing, whether in new build, or refurbishment.

With energy bills reportedly quadrupling in the past year, and the Government’s objective of reducing emissions in the public sector by 75% by 2037, MFS-HR must surely be the strategy for low energy, low carbon, healthy educational buildings?

 

REFERENCES

www.gov.uk/government/news/investment-to-shield-schools-from-high-energy-bills-and-boost-to-budgetstes.com

tes.com/magazine/news/general/ps63k-month-bills-soaring-energy-prices-hit-schools

 

WEBSITE

 

 

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TG Escapes design Biophilic School concept using MMC

Young people in the UK today are facing a perfect storm. The 21st century has seen technology impact natural human interaction whilst the pandemic has compounded the problems associated with reduced socialisation and global warming is a growing source of anxiety. It is no wonder that the mental well-being of children and young people is falling under this huge strain which is representing a key challenge for schools, teachers and parents. As many as 10% of children aged five to 16 have a clinically diagnosable mental health problem1 . Currently, one third of people aged eight to 24 report an increase in mental health and wellbeing issues2.

Exposure to Nature

Whilst it is clear that there is not a single, magic solution to the problem, it is well known that reconnection with nature can play a major role in enhancing a child’s development, mental resilience and capacity to thrive and learn. A study between Aarhus University in Denmark and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in the US, children who grow up in greener surroundings have up to 55% less risk of developing various mental disorders. Biophilia, or a love of the natural world, is programmed into our DNA and appropriate architectural design can serve to nurture our deep-rooted need to connect to nature.

Biophilic Design

Biophilic design in classrooms has been shown to boost children’s wellbeing both physically and mentally. Noisy, open plan classrooms can cause stress and fatigue which can be alleviated by exposure to nature resulting in improved cognitive ability and emotional wellbeing. Furthermore, adding sensory elements from the living natural environment can inspire curiosity, imagination and discovery whilst offering a significant boost to learning by way of increased attendance, improved behaviour and increased focus.

Improved Educational Outcomes

These benefits have been proven by a variety of scientific experiments. One study by A Sigman shows that children exposed to nature scored higher on concentration and self-discipline than control group students and performed better in core curricular subjects. Another study by Human Spaces found that by optimising exposure to daylight, attendance can increase by more than three and a half days a year, whilst test scores can improve by between 5 and 14% with speed of learning boosted by as much as 26%. A further study has shown that a timber classroom can reduce the heart rate of occupants by 8600 beats per day versus a traditional classroom, indicating stress relief.

A Biophilic School

Having practised the implementation of biophilic design principles for many years, TG Escapes wanted to design an entirely biophilic primary school that is sensitive to the environment, cost effective and practical to build using modern methods of construction.

They have designed a new single-entry nursery and primary concept school. Constructed almost entirely from timber, the school will have a low embodied carbon value; be highly sustainable and net-zero in its lifetime. Furthermore, it will be more affordable to build, maintain and run than traditionally constructed buildings. In addition, renewable energy generation will be built into the design at every opportunity.

The design comprises separate pavilions for various school functions, connected by covered walkways and canopies and arranged to envelop a central landscaped, terraced area with an outdoor class at its centre. This promotes an interaction and connection with nature. It encourages sociability and play, whilst maximising the opportunity for outdoor learning, exercise and fresh air in all weathers.

Cost and Carbon

The building will be cost effective to build and to operate and extremely eco-friendly. As TG Escapes are utilising an existing, panelised modular system, they are able to make a whole life carbon calculation. The total cost of the build, (excluding landscaping and services which will be site specific) will be £4m. Comparing this design to the EBDOG benchmark survey for primary, the scheme provides 7.31m2 per pupil (including circulation) versus the benchmark 5.69m2. The benchmark shows that an average cost of a net-zero school is around £2500 pm2. Their biophilic buildings come in at only £1,823 pm2 leaving plenty of headroom for external works.

The whole life carbon calculation exceeds the RIBA 2030 target for schools.

Biophilic Schools. Better for the Environment. Better for our Children

TG Escapes believe that our relationship with nature is a cornerstone foundation for robust mental health and a young mind’s capacity for learning. They are working with MTM Consulting to identify a suitable site to build a biophilic school that can help to provide a better future for our children and the world in which they live. They are also happy to work with education groups should they have a project to suit this biophilic approach.

 

For more information call 0800 9127 7726

or CLICK HERE to email TG Escapes

[1] As many as 10% of children aged five to 16 have a clinically diagnosable mental health problem LINK

[2] Barnardo’s Big Conversation 2020 LINK

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PROCUREMENT THROUGH FRAMEWORK

 

School procurement: John Welch, Deputy Director for Construction at Crown Commercial Service explains how to use frameworks for your building or maintenance project

 

 

 

With the new academic year in full swing, now is a good time to review your procurement strategy and pin down the areas you need to focus on throughout the year – such as essential building maintenance work or construction projects.

At Crown Commercial Service (CCS) we understand that the education sector is under more pressure than ever to make every penny count. We’re here to help you save time and money on procurement, allowing you to get on with what matters most – running your school. We can help you procure works on everything from the construction of a new secondary school, to the painting and decorating of your classrooms.

Why procure through a framework?

 

If you don’t want to put your project out to tender yourself, procurement tools such as CCS framework agreements can help you identify a list of suitable, pre-checked suppliers. Frameworks also have the advantage of including pre-agreed terms and conditions, saving you time on negotiations with builders and contractors at the pre-construction phase of a project, as well as having built-in, robust legal protections.

 

CCS frameworks have already been advertised on Find a Tender and suppliers have been assessed using one of the procurement procedures. This means all you need to do is follow the award process in the contract or in the customer guidance that CCS provides for all its frameworks, knowing that all suppliers who are able to bid have been assessed for their ability to deliver to the agreed standard on the goods and services you need.

Once you’ve decided that using a framework is the best way for your organisation to buy what you need, you can then ask all the suppliers listed on it to bid. This process is called a further or mini-competition and can be run under most frameworks. Check the customer guidance for the framework you decide to use.

 

Why run a further competition?

 

Frameworks provide specific goods or services, but individual customer needs may vary, which makes it difficult for suppliers to provide a ‘one size fits all’ approach to pricing and requirements.

Further competitions enable you to outline your own specific requirements and identify the best solution for your school. Suppliers can then consider your requirements and submit a bid that outlines how exactly they can meet your needs. You could even go further and invite suppliers to get involved early in your project to help influence based on their experience to deliver against your needs.

When should you run a further competition?

 

Further competitions work best for more complex goods and services; for example, installing fire protection sprinklers and alarms throughout your educational establishment or a major refurbishment or construction project.

 

They’re not best suited  for low-value, ad-hoc purchases, where the time and cost of running a further competition is disproportionate to the goods and services supplied; such as purchases of one-off, so-called ‘tail spend’ items such as calculators or sports equipment. They are also not ideal when you have urgent requirements, because of the time it can take to complete the process although CCS experts can help you with accelerating mini competitions if this is required

 

In some instances, you can choose to place a direct award without further competition. This is an allowed option in our Construction frameworks. For some agreements, such as a Dynamic Purchasing System, there is no direct award option and you can only award a contract following a further competition.

 

How to get it right

 

Running a further competition can be daunting if you’ve never done it before, and it’s not part of your normal day to day job. Visit our website for more information on further competition and how to get it right.

 

Find out more

As the largest public procurement organisation in the UK, we’ve got a range of tailored solutions specifically aimed at customers within the education sector.

We offer the biggest construction commercial agreements in the country, driving industry change in support of the government’s construction strategy. For example, our Construction Professional Services (CPS) framework and dynamic purchasing system (DPS) helps deliver and support a wide range of construction projects through all stages of the project lifecycle.

To find out more about how CCS can help you add power to your procurement,

 CLICK HERE and download our digital brochure.

 

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£10m Hit on Failed Free Schools

The Department for Education has taken a £10 million hit after selling the buildings of failed free schools to mostly private property developers.

An investigation by Schools Week found it also spent an additional £10.9 million on upkeep, such as security, maintenance and utility bills, on the empty sites.

The government revealed after a parliamentary question last year that it had sold 20 buildings due to house free schools since 2017.

A later Freedom of Information request from Schools Week showed the it had spent £131 million snapping up 16 of the sites for which it held full data.

But these were sold on years later for just £120 million.

Experts suggest prices may have been high initially as developers pushed prices up if they knew the government and its property company LocatED were interested. The need for school-suitable sites may also have limited choice.

Hayley Dunn, a business leadership specialist at the school leaders’ union ASCL, said the findings were “alarming”, adding the amount of money lost “raises serious questions around due diligence”.

“The DfE needs to urgently review its processes to stop this from happening. At a time when schools and colleges have to fight for every penny they receive from the government, these staggering losses make for particularly grim reading.”

The department lost money on 11 sites.

£5m loss on Hampstead Police Station

Hampstead Police Station in north London was bought for £14.1 million in 2015, but sold for just £8.9 million in 2021 after planning permission for a free school failed.

The department also paid £1.4 million in upkeep costs on the vacant site, including £700,000 on security.

The Camden New Journal reported the building was vandalised during a Hallowe’en party in 2020. It was bought by Redington Development to be turned into homes and offices.

Another £4.3 million was lost when Penn School in Buckinghamshire was sold to software billionaire Peter Kelly for £7.2 million in 2021. There are no details on why a planned free school was scrapped.

The DfE spent £1.3 million on upkeep and made £300,000 from location charges for filming, but it was reportedly in a poor state of repair. The Victorian building also became grade II listed, which may have impacted the price. It could now become a boutique hotel and restaurant.

Christine Bayliss, a former civil servant in DfE’s free school unit, said in the “early days” of the free school programme she would advise “proposer groups not to make it public that they were searching for land as it was a well-known thing that developers would push their price up”.

Jeremy Pilgrim, the managing director of School Property Matters, said because schools needed unique buildings, it could “make it harder to get a good deal – the market is much tighter”.

The department made a profit on four buildings, including £4 million on the Met Building in east London which sold to Metcom Ltd last year for £57 million. But it spent £2.4 million on the building’s upkeep during attempts to open an all-through school.

Sale profits wiped out by upkeep fees

When demand for primary school places declined in Croydon, Ark scrapped plans for a school and the site was sold for £4.2 million to Mayday Road LLP. Although this was £100,000 more than the buying price, profits were wiped out by £800,000 upkeep fees.

In total, £2.4 million was made from 16 sites, including £800,000 from commercial leases, filming and parking charges at the Met Building.

Dunn said property was usually “one of the best assets for wealth growth and these sales have been carried out at a time when the market was booming”.

According to the Office for National Statistics, the average UK house price has risen by 31 per cent between November 2017 and 2022.

Meg Hillier, the Labour chair of the public accounts committee, said if the money was put into existing capital for building repairs “it might be better” for children in crumbling schools.

The DfE said it did not pay in excess of what a site was worth, or purchase expensive sites, if there were better value-for-money choices in the area. It would also aim to recover assets and identify an alternative educational use for a site.

A spokesperson said: “The free schools programme has allocated more than £8.5 billion since 2010, delivering over 650 new schools and providing more than 390,000 good school places across the country.

“We take a strategic approach to the overall management of that investment, taking account of the overall value-for-money position when making decisions to acquire or dispose of a site.”

 

Source: Schools Week

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Transformative building kits for schools

We’ve all grown understandably weary of the term “shortage” these days, but the lack of suitable school buildings for a surging numbers of school-age children should top the list of parents’ most pressing concerns.

Growing populations of primary and secondary pupils means that many UK and European schools simply don’t have space to house their growing student body comfortably. This has led to a slew of difficult decisions, including “temporary” structures that sometimes end up in use for years, or cramped classrooms where students are packed together like sardines.

At the same time, skyrocketing fuel prices are forcing some school officials to reconsider their antiquated buildings’ use of heat, water, and electricity — as well as their larger carbon footprint. These considerations are likely to continue to be a factor in school boards’ short- and long-term plans, as the dual crises of climate change and rising energy costs converge.

Stora Enso, a leader of solutions within wood construction, packaging, and biomaterials, has a proposed solution with potential to address both these problems at once: an easy-to-build kit called Sylva (Latin for “woodland” or “forest”). The kit, made of wood and consisting of pre-manufactured, custom-made components including walls, floors, roofs, stairs, beams, columns, and rib panels, promises not only to help schools keep up with rising demand for new classrooms, but also to cut down on the carbon emissions associated with construction of such structures.

 

“The benefits of building with timber are extensive, not least when it comes to schools because they are built for future generations,” said Lars Völkel, executive vice president of Stora Enso Wood Products.

A sustainable solution to dual problems

As reported by the World Economic Forum, the “built environment” — closely tied to the construction industry — is responsible for a whopping 39 percent of all global greenhouse gas emissions. As corporations and governments look for new opportunities to meet ambitious climate and energy goals, many are paying close attention to the construction sector.

When it comes to school construction, many of today’s current buildings are made of concrete and steel. These materials are associated with a massive carbon footprint. In fact, concrete has been called “the most destructive material on earth.” Meanwhile, studies have found that every cubic meter of wood is capable of storing around 1 tonne of CO2. (Even once a tree is cut down, the carbon stored in the wood remains locked in the raw material.)

Sylva, which consists of massive wood, reportedly provides up to 70 percent less carbon dioxide emissions than concrete buildings. What’s more, Stora Enso explains that even a small, 1,200 m² school concept building can store up to 50 tonnes of carbon throughout its lifecycle.

These are all important considerations, given that growth of education construction projects is projected to spike 14 percent in the next year.

 

“We are making it as easy as possible to plan, design, and build a mass timber school,” said Sebastian Hernadez, R&D manager of building concepts with Stora Enso. “It shouldn’t be hard to build sustainably.”

 

Stora Enso has a long history of sustainably managed timber; today, it’s one of the largest forest owners in the world. “Mass timber” more generally has become a hot topic in recent years as architecture firms and construction entities consider ways to both cut costs and curb their carbon impact. Companies like Stora Enso, whose wood products are third-party certified by traceability and various chain-of-custody systems, are an increasingly attractive solution. All Sylva products made in Europe are produced with renewable-only electricity and fossil-free energy.

Benefits beyond sustainability

Sylva building kits have a number of benefits for budget- and time-pressed school boards that go beyond the basic carbon and cost savings, including faster installation time — around 30 percent less time spent on construction sites — and less environmental impact than traditional construction methods. There are ancillary benefits of pre-fabrication as well, including a potentially reduced need for construction labour, which is critical amidst the current labour shortage (there’s that word again).

Finally, because wood weighs about five times less than concrete, it requires a fewer number of deliveries, which means lower transportation costs and emissions.

In addition to being used for schools, Sylva could be a game-changer for offices, commercial spaces, and even multi-story residential buildings. On top of being a more sustainable option than steel or concrete structures, wood buildings are also associated with a host of health and wellness benefits. “Biophilic design,” or design that mimics nature, has been shown to improve mental health and cognitive capacity. It’s also associated with improvements in indoor air quality. And finally, when it’s time to adapt, renovate, or tear down one of these buildings in the future, parts can be reused or recycled with minimal environmental impact since they’re made from wood.

 

“We see an increasing demand from building developers for healthy interior spaces, driven by multiple research reports showing health impacts of biophilic design. This is a trend that we are likely to see more and more of,” said Johanna Pirinen, the SVP of sustainability and wood products at Stora Enso.

 

Stora Enso website

 

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UNIQUE BUILDING – Yoko Ono Lennon Centre

The Buildings’ materials relate to the robust architecture of some of Liverpool’s historic civic buildings and dockside architecture

Yoko Ono Lennon Centre is a unique teaching and performance building at the University of Liverpool. It has been designed by Liverpool School of Architecture graduates based at UK architecture practice Ellis Williams.The new facility includes The Tung Auditorium – a world class music performance space – together with two large lecture theatres, seminar rooms, café space, a public facing linear park and a new outdoor space for the University.

With a floor area totalling around 6500m2 the building was planned around a careful understanding of the site and an innovative response to a challenging brief (and budget).

The lecture theatres were arranged vertically, which allowed for a much smaller building footprint – freeing up the site to deliver a linear public park alongside the main arterial route adjacent to the south elevation (Grove St). This also allowed for large volume and height of Tung Auditorium to be placed adjacent to the teaching spaces, separated by the main atrium circulation space.

Externally, the building’s form and materials relate to the robust architecture of some of Liverpool’s historic civic buildings and dockside architecture. It also responds to the immediate context of the Sydney Jones Library – in particular the use of a concrete plinth (which in itself is a reference to dock walls as practical and simple way to manage a busy edge).

The University of Liverpool was the original “red brick University” so the use of that material may seem obvious. The facing brick selected was Forterra’s Butterley Farmstead Antique.The bricks here are more than decorative however, they are a key part of the acoustic strategy and were selected for their density as well the colour and tone.

The large inward looking spaces of the theatres by definition are without external windows and openings, which can lead to a lack of activation and interest – which are equally important on a gateway site such as this. The curved forms to the corners are used to both soften the impact of the mass (accentuated by the use of double stacked protruding bricks to catch the sun), and as a nod to the curves used in prominent corner buildings that can be seen across Liverpool.

THE SUMMER ISSUE OF MMC (Modern Methods of Construction Magazine) IS NOW AVAILABLE TO READ ONLINE

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