Remade Learning Places Example 3 Mid 20Th Century Suburban High School Coltness High School Introduction
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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 02 CONTENTS 01 Overview 6 02 Client 7 03 Background 8 04 Approach 10 05 Reorganising and creating space 14 06 Learning points 16 EXAMPLE 3 / MID 20TH CENTURY 03 SUBURBAN HIGH SCHOOL 01 REMADE LEARNING PLACES 04 EXAMPLE 3 MID 20TH CENTURY SUBURBAN HIGH SCHOOL Coltness High School 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 EXAMPLE 3 / MID 20TH CENTURY 05 SUBURBAN HIGH SCHOOL 01. OVERVIEW 02 A complete makeover in North Lanarkshire has created a fully updated high school and external spaces. The project combines refurbishment and 03 new build to provide a remodelled school of 11,987m² Top and above: Coltness School before and after refurbishment. The school and its grounds have been for 800 pupils and 85 staff. transformed with high levels of pupil participation. A striking change in the appearance of the school The brief asked that the remodelled school delivers a has been created and both the learning facilities and safe, stimulating and challenging environment for all the impression of the school have been transformed. building users, and further; that the school provides The works are set out to follow a master plan split educational facilities to support the community and into two phases and create new outdoor spaces with enhance the surrounding environment. improved access. 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. REMADE LEARNING PLACES 06 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 04 competition to select contractors based on the use of an exemplar design. Design consultancy was procured using a framework of consultants. 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. 05 EXAMPLE 3 / MID 20TH CENTURY 07 SUBURBAN HIGH SCHOOL 03. BACKGROUND New build vs refurbishment Under the terms of the North The selection of refurbishment as the preferred Lanarkshire Council Schools approach for Coltness School was driven by a lack of available site in a suitable location within Wishaw. and Centres 21 Programme An alternative location which appeared to be suitable for building a new school was eventually deemed unsuitable Coltness school was identified due to an existing former mine. as requiring renewal. Further to this, a new build design would require a full decant and dispersal of the cohort to an off site The requirement for renewal was driven by the location during demolition of the existing building. following considerations: To do so would have been prohibitively expensive. Option appraisal suggested that a phased demolition Condition: School condition was poor with inadequate and remodelling, decanting learners into temporary building fabric and poor suitability of the existing units on site and into floor area added into the new school buildings. build elements could be accommodated. On this basis the authority worked up an exemplar design for Space: Significant over capacity existed in certain areas. refurbishment and remodelling following this phased approach. This exemplar was fully costed and a budget Use: It was vital to maximise the use of school buildings for the works was set. The costed exemplar was for lifelong learning and social and economic then used as a base design that underwent further regeneration, and to suit the authority’s preference to development and tendering as part of the increase the level of vocational learning across key framework agreement. schools in North Lanarkshire, so additional vocational learning spaces were to be included. Next page: The school has a new entrance and social space and shows how new build and refurbished elements Briefing can sit side by side. Peer to peer exchange and learning out of the classroom is possible for the first time at Coltness in North Lanarkshire strategic analysis suggested a drop a well briefed and fitted out space. 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. A further requirement in the brief called for high levels of renewable energy and for replacement of life expired parts of the building fabric. REMADE LEARNING PLACES 08 06 07 EXAMPLE 3 / MID 20TH CENTURY 09 SUBURBAN HIGH SCHOOL 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 REMADE LEARNING PLACES 10 08 A rigorous review and analysis of the existing school The new build teaching block contains the highly fabric identified that retention of the northerly parts serviced departments (Home Economics, Sciences, of the school would be uneconomical. As a result Vocational Training etc.) and was constructed as part a proposal for the school emerged that combined of the initial phase. General classrooms requiring a demolition, new build and refurbishment. The demolition lower servicing load were accommodated in the existing and construction works were split into two phases with teaching block and in the temporary accommodation. major works timetabled to occur during holiday periods. Phasing in this way allowed for the existing teaching block to be stripped back to the structural frame and Demolition works opened up southern aspects and to be fully refurbished with as-new envelope services views. Benefits of solar gains to the main building were and fit-out implemented during the second phase also created. The clearing of the northerly teaching of construction. spaces allowed plant, technical stores, home economics and the kitchen to be relocated. This in turn allowed A new administration block was created with southwest for a single service road for deliveries to be set out. aspects to enhance overlooking of the new entrance. As a result, vehicle and pedestrian movements were This helped provide good passive observation. Sport segregated improving safety on the site. Analysis of the pitches were modified to minimise the cut and fill to retained blocks floor plates suggested the grid suited achieve practical pitch levels and mitigate high plateaus standard sized general classrooms with natural to the adjacent neighbouring housing. The new west- ventilation meeting current standards. As a result, wing follows site falls and this creates sectional height space in the retained floor plate accommodates these within which usable floor area is accommodated. classrooms. This strategy allowed the designers to locate larger spaces within the new build footprint. Biomass boilers and ground source heat pumps were used for heating, complemented by natural ventilation In order to construct the renewed school whilst keeping throughout the school. The external envelope in all the learning activities on site, temporary classroom and retained parts of the school was fully replaced to meet administrative accommodation was required. Careful current building standards. 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.