Prestigious Award for Welsh School

A pioneering primary school, built by Powys County Council, has picked up a top award at Wales’ prestigious construction awards ceremony.

Welshpool Church in Wales Primary School, which opened its doors in January 2021, won the Value Award at the Constructing Excellence in Wales Awards 2023.

The awards ceremony, which are recognised across the Welsh built environment as the biggest and brightest celebration of best practice in Wales, took place last Friday (16 June) at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport.

The school building, which was built as part of the council’s Transforming Education Programme, had also been shortlisted in the Sustainability Award category.

The building, designed by Architype (Architects) and WSP (Engineering all Disciplines) and constructed by Pave Aways Ltd, is the first Passivhaus primary school built by the council and meets the rigorous energy efficient standards required for Passivhaus certification.

Constructed around a timber frame that was sustainably sourced in Wales, the school has a superior level of insulation and was built to be airtight. It also has a heat recovery and ventilation system and solar panels on the roof to minimise running costs.

The project was jointly funded by the Welsh Government, through its Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme (formerly the 21st Century Schools Programme), and the council.

Cllr Pete Roberts, Cabinet Member for a Learning Powys, said:

“I’m delighted that Welshpool Church in Wales Primary School has won this prestigious award at the Constructing Excellence in Wales Awards.

“This is a brilliant achievement and I would like to congratulate and thank everyone involved in the construction of this pioneering building, including the school itself and the Diocese of St Asaph, for this success.

“Not only is this a fantastic facility that allows learners and teaching staff to reach their potential but it has been built to the highest energy efficient standards which helps the county reduce its carbon footprint.”