School needs are changing. As pupil intake increases and budgets decrease, the schools for now and the future must be sustainable and flexible. RPS provides specialist consultancy services for architecture, engineering design, town planning and acoustic consultancy for the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.
Designs for new schools must recognise and implement the importance of investing in a child’s developmental welfare as well as their educational needs. The Disability Discrimination Act 2001 ensures a fully accessible physical environment for schools but an integrated and supportive approach is also required to cater for varying emotional needs to create a truly ‘Access for All’ educational environment.
Town planning advice is essential from the outset to ensure that the new schools successfully relate to their location in terms of access, appearance, layout and transportation as well as meeting vital teaching requirements. BSF often involves significant operational development as well as refurbishment of existing buildings where practical, and as a result, planning permission1 must be secured before development can commence and government funding is released.
With the implementation of Government initiatives for Personalised Learning and Educational Transformation there is an increasing need for schools to be more flexible and versatile; offering both short-term and long-term options for learning space, ranging from small group tutorials to large open social space. The demand for more efficient use of buildings also means that schools are providing community space both inside and outside of school hours.
Effective acoustics are essential to help ensure all pupils can be effectively taught within a core group that comprises a wide range of personal requirements without discrimination. Designing this for a flexible space is a tough challenge to address. As part of a Review Panel for the DfES2 (now DCSF3) RPS acoustics specialists were involved in the initial production of, and are now helping to update, the Building Bulletin 93 (BB93) design guidance document to support building regulations for schools4.
BB93 recognises that reverberation and internal noise transfer are the biggest causes of acoustics problems in schools. As a part of this review process, RPS arranged and co-hosted a discussion forum on behalf of the Institute of Acoustics (IOA). The forum was instrumental in informing the IOA’s response to the review, and further committees and discussions are expected to further inform BB93s guidance on open-plan teaching environments.
All new schools must meet the minimum design standard developed by CABE, the DCSF and Partnerships for Schools to progress. This involves the end-users from the start of the process, and ensures that standards are strictly adhered to at all stages. RPS provided the structural engineering design for Springwell School5 as part of the Derbyshire BSF £750m framework6. RPS’ design incorporated Structural Insulated Panels, which reduce heat loss in cooler weather, and provide effective sound insulation. The design uses a steel frame for maximum durability and flexibility. The £11.8m school has achieved a ‘Very Good’ BREEAM rating using ground source heat pumps, a wind turbine and significant amounts of natural light and ventilation - reducing the building’s carbon emissions by 60%.
RPS has recently been appointed to carry out mechanical and electrical, and acoustics services for the £2.4bn Birmingham BSF programme which is the largest educational construction programme in Europe, in addition to continuing services for BSF projects including Tameside, Leicester (mechanical and electrical and acoustics services), Derbyshire (engineering and architecture), and for Kent, and the London Boroughs of Camden and Westminster (planning).
Contact:
BB93 and Leicester BSF:
Andrew Parkin
T: +44 (0) 121 213 5500
E: Andrew.Parkin@rpsgroup.com
Derbyshire BSF:
Stephen Oakden
T: +44 (0) 1636 605 700
E: Stephen.oakden@rpsgroup.com
Birmingham BSF:
Belinda Morgan
T: +44 (0)121 213 5500
E: Belinda.Morgan@rpsgroup.com
Tameside BSF:
Ian Thomason
T: +44 (0)161 786 8550
E: Ian.Thomason@rpsgroup.com
Kent and London Boroughs BSF:
Holly Hanbury
T: +44 (0) 20 7939 8000
E: hanburyH@rpsgroup.com
1 And associated Listed Building and Conservation Area Consents where relevant.
2 Department for Education and Skills.
3 Department for Children, Schools and Families.
4 Part E of the building regulations is the section that covers acoustics. It did not apply to schools until 2003, as BB87 covered educational acoustics, but was not mandatory.
5 Due to complete construction in August 2010.
6 The framework is set to procure fifty-five secondary schools over a ten-year period.