The Numbers Don’t Lie – Faster and Cheaper Education Builds Are Fully Deliverable
Across many sectors of the economy, every innovation is heralded with the promise of making everything better, faster and cheaper. Does reality always match up?
When it comes to education building programmes the project to expand capacity at Greenford High School in Southall put the claimed benefits of innovation to the test. And there’s no arguing with the numbers – we can definitely confirm that innovative construction delivers projects both faster and cheaper.
The expansion created a new landmark building on the busy operational secondary school site, providing two new form-entry and 20 extra resource spaces. The project was a two-stage design and build. By working with offsite specialists Innovaré Osborne saved £90k against the original budget and delivered the project 10 weeks sooner.
The Component-Led Approach
Rather than a lengthy and disruptive traditional build, the project team opted to maximise the use of offsite componentry including SIPs. Using SIPs rather than volumetric units offered more design options and ensured that the new building had a permanent and substantial feel. The enhanced choice of cladding and design finishes ensured that the new facilities blended in perfectly.
The component-led approach was scheduled so that sections of the structure were manufactured and delivered in batches four weeks apart. This allowed an early programme start for the follow-on trades and better project continuity.
Design of the roofing and external cladding was optimised for speed of installation, without compromising the aesthetics of the building. Internal fit out was simplified by using SIPS for the internal walls, which eliminated stud partitioning from the fit-out sequence.
Enhanced Building Performance
Speed and cost reductions are not everything. New school buildings also have to perform to high standards. Specifying SIPs for the construction offered greater control and certainty over thermal performance. This is partly down to the reduced thermal mass and partly because of in-built insulation and excellent airtightness.
The reduction in carbon and waste made possible by the choice of construction method contributed towards BREEAM Very Good certification and supported the council’s aim for a 35% reduction in CO2 emissions prescribed in the London Plan.
Greenford High School is one of many projects that Osborne has delivered using innovative modern construction methods. For more information about how Osborne applies MMC to education building programmes take look at our resource centre or contact Mike Peskin ([email protected]).
