St Cecelia’s Church of England School

The brief

The brief was to remove two temporary classrooms from an open courtyard, then design and build a two-storey, 24-bay modular classroom block.

The challenges

The project needed to be delivered with minimal disruption to the school, which was in operation throughout.

The project also needed to meet local planning regulations.

The solution

Volumetric Modular was chosen to minimise on-site risks whilst achieving an advanced delivery programme. Our precision manufacturing method allowed the building to be manufactured in a controlled way off-site, greatly reducing site dust and contamination levels, and minimising disruption to staff and pupils.

Internally the building consists of three dedicated ICT suites, a fully fitted science laboratory, and seven classrooms, with separate entrances over various levels and fire exits, providing total flexibility. Due to planning conditions and the rural setting, the exterior walls were finished in a brick slip and render finish. Thurston used aluminium doors and windows to ensure all building regulations were met.

The new teaching block houses photovoltaic cells on its roof to generate electricity. Each classroom includes a heat recovery ventilation unit to avoid wasting heat in winter. The ventilation units extract hot air from the new classrooms, and uses it to preheat the fresh air as it is brought in. This ensures an optimum classroom environment for learning.

We also installed an air source heat pump (which extracts heat from the air and transfers it into our heating and hot water system to reduce gas bills), and upgraded corridor and classroom lighting to new energy efficient LED systems.

Customer testimonial

“The new build extension has been designed to complement St Cecilia’s Church of England School’s existing buildings, to maintain connectivity with the main school and ensure cohesion across the campus. It was important to encourage unity between both the buildings and students in each facility.”