Project Case Study Saint Ambrose College

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1 KEY FACTS Project name: Location: Hale Barnes, Altrincham, Cheshire Classification: New build including demolition Type: School Public Sector Size: (GFA, NLA, project footprint): 11,648m2 Total Capital Cost: 22.4 million Customer: Trafford Borough Council Project team details: Balfour Beatty (Main Contractor) Sheppard Robson (Architect); AECOM (Civil, Structural, Electrical, Mechanical and Acoustic Engineers); Plant-ie (Landscape Architect); NGBaileys (Specialist M&E Contractor) Third party certification achieved: Considerate Constructors Award January 2012 Performance Beyond Compliance 1

2 PROJECT SUMMARY is a One School Pathfinder project, procured through the Building Schools for the Future programme. The college was selected for a rebuild due to the poor conditions of the existing building. Sited in an affluent area of the Borough of Trafford, the design needed to complement its surroundings. The project team s overall aim was to deliver high-class sustainable facilities, which embraced the Catholic education ethos, and provided a world-class environment for the high achieving grammar school. In doing so there were specific requirements to be met: Achieve a BREEAM rating of Very Good Employ local people and subcontractors Provide opportunities for apprenticeships The overarching aim is captured by the design of the building which is in the shape of a Celtic cross. Internally, the design is agile, incorporating a chapel at the heart of the college. Externally, there are facilities suited to wide range of sports. The new building is due for handover in Autumn 2012 with the sports pitches being completed in Spring ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS Building orientation/site issues: Careful consideration was given to the positioning of. The building needed to complement its surroundings, reduce energy demands and consider local biodiversity. The alignment of the building provides a strong axial relationship with the local church and its own chapel, whilst reducing the number of south facing windows to assist in managing solar gain. An existing mature tree lined avenue has been retained together with existing playing fields to ensure uninterrupted availability. 2

3 Transport: By providing additional cycling facilities we have capitalised on the opportunity to reduce the impact of traffic in the local area and promote healthier lifestyles. The existing school had limited cycling facilities so our engineers worked with the local Planning Authority and the school to ensure that facilities are provided for more than 10% of pupils and staff; an excellent platform for increasing the numbers cycling to school or work. Energy Efficiency: St Ambrose College has been designed to use energy more efficiently. This has resulted in a design Target Carbon Emission of 27.39kgCO 2 /m 2 /annum, a reduction of more than 21% from target giving a 60% improvement on Building Regulation 2006 Regulations. This has been achieved through a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) power plant which provides the equipment to allow for permanent paralleling with utility mains and the swimming pool provides the base heat load resulting in an efficient solution for the scheme. Materials: There is a real drive within the scheme to source materials responsibly and sustainability wherever possible. 100% of all timber products are responsibly sourced with the vast majority coming from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified sources. Working alongside our specialist contractor, Cara Construction, we were able to source all concrete from a BES6001 (responsibly sourcing for construction) certified plant situated just four miles from the site, which further assisted our carbon footprint impact and helped our local spend commitment. Indoor environmental quality: The generous use of glass in both the internal and external envelope meets both the customers desire for teachers passive supervision and provides natural daylight on the central atrium and teaching spaces. This leads to an environment that promotes learning and reduces energy demand. Operations and maintenance: Understanding how the building operates and being able to control it effectively is essential if it is going to be managed sustainability. will be fitted with an Intelligent Building Management System (IBMS) provided by Schneider Electric. This will include control of the security and fire systems and all other mechanical and electrical controls. This will allow for, amongst other things, energy usage to be measured and critically analysed and lighting to be turned off remotely when not in use. The IBMS is more advanced when compared to the existing building. As such, the team has already begun utilising our Soft Landings initiative and engaging with the customer on how to operate the system. This will mean that will operate as sustainably as it is built. 3

4 Waste reduction: During the design stages the team worked towards utilising more efficient construction methods with a subsequent reduction in waste, including: Moving from a reinforced concrete pool to a steel lined prefabricated solution. Not only has this led to less waste but also uses less material in the final solution Moving from brickwork facing to a system designed cladding solution. This has been quick to install and eliminated the waste associated with brickwork Using felled timber destined for biomass to make external shelters and furniture. Together with the onsite logistic contractor waste segregated prior to removal and has resulted in 93% of construction waste being diverted from landfill. Timber in original grounds Felled timber in storage Designed Seed Shelter Biodiversity: The design works in harmony with the landscape and includes a natural habitat area including bat and bird boxes. A wetland area on the option side of the site provides wetland and wildflower planting, and an opportunity for monitoring and studying biodiversity. OVERARCHING SUSTAINABILITY ACHIEVEMENTS The condition of the existing building was such that there was no other option but to build a new school. However, the scheme has managed to balance the design to respond to both the physical environment and the requirements of the school. The successful retention of the mature trees on the public facing side of the site is supplemented by the reuse of felled timber and the final design solution shows the sympathetic way in which the scheme has been developed. Working with local schools, we were able to support the development of future leaders. Influencing the local community did not stop with school children as the apprentices learning new skills during the fit-out stage represented 5% of the total workforce. 40% of the workforce was also from the local area. 4

5 EXTRACT FROM SALE MESSANGER, 21 ST JULY 2011 WHAT LESSONS WERE LEARNED AND WHAT CONCLUSIONS CAN BE DRAWN FROM THIS PROJECT? The programme for design and construction was amended to allow for the early completion of the final hard landscaping works. This has the benefit of ensuring a clear platform for working, leading to a safer and cleaner site Changing the envelope design from standard brick and masonry to a system designed cladding system led to an initial increase in cost however provided a solution which allowed earlier commencement of internal work and removed a weather-dependant trade from the critical path as well as reducing the amount of waste produced Using a single multi- disciplinary consultant improved the use of BIM (Building Information Model) allowing for a better understanding of the build and how best to construct it Engaging early on with subcontractors on innovative work solutions has also brought many benefits including directional boring for the main drainage connection which reduces the impact on the local residents and meant that trees did not have to be felled Engagement with the customer team at an earlier stage so that they can appreciate and understand the complexities of running high-class building with Intelligent Building Management Systems. AWARDS WON FOR THE PROJECT: Considerate Constructors Award January 2012 Performance Beyond Compliance PROJECT COMMENTS/PRESS/QUOTES: Dorothy Houghton, then Deputy Director of Education Services at Trafford MBC, said: St. Ambrose qualified because it definitely had the worst buildings of any secondary school in Trafford and we felt we were failing the hard work of all the boys and the staff. 5

6 Hale, Altrincham & Sale Independent December 2011, Michael Thompson said: St. Ambrose has a world class team to thank for this world class building. So many people put so much work into making our dreams take shape and now we want to make sure that future generations will benefit. Hale, Altrincham & Sale Independent December 2011 Professor Stephen Heppell : St. Ambrose has been brave in its vision for the future, but appropriately so.the innovative and agile design will allow this wonderfully successful school to embrace the best of what to adopt now and into the future 6