home > press releases > 29 february 2008
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Press release source: Yorkon Press release image
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Off-site construction specialist and Portakabin subsidiary, Yorkon, has been awarded the £1.3m contract to build new science facilities at Christ College in the Brecon Beacons National Park in South Wales – one of Britain’s oldest schools.
Designed by P+HS Architects, the scheme now has planning approval and is scheduled for completion this autumn. 16 steel-framed modules will be manufactured off site in York and will arrive at the school in the spring, ready for the completion of fitting out.
Christ College is a co-educational independent boarding and day school, which was founded by Royal Charter in 1541 by King Henry VIII. Some of its buildings, including the chapel and dining hall, date back to the 13th Century.
The new two-storey building will expand science facilities at Christ College and will bring all the laboratories together under one roof, replacing an outdated 1950s block, which is currently used for physics.
The use of off-site construction will reduce disruption to teaching, is a more sustainable method of building and will guarantee completion on time and on budget.
The design of the new building responds to its sensitive location in the National Park, using local materials such as Welsh stone and timber cladding. It will provide two physics labs, two biology labs, a sixth form project room, laboratory technician’s rooms, and a double height central atrium space that will function as a teaching area and exhibition space.
Commenting on the project, Kieran Dempsey, Bursar at Christ College, said, "We chose the off-site building method for ease of construction and to reduce the uncertainty about completion on time. A sustainable design and approach was also important, particularly as the end use of the building is science."
He added, “Yorkon’s solution best met our requirements for the project and will help us deliver some superb new facilities for the school.”
Phil Bentley, Project Architect at P+HS Architects, said, “We were delighted to secure planning permission for the new science building at Christ College. The project is particularly challenging due to its location in a National Park. The team worked closely to develop an off-site solution, and with guidance from the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, we have designed a building that will provide an excellent teaching facility for the school.”
The scheme features a number of sustainable measures, including solar water heating to reduce energy consumption, and is designed to be flexible and adaptable to change. The modular building system will also reduce vehicle movements to site, and will reduce material waste and carbon emissions.
www.yorkon.info
www.phsarchitects.co.uk
ENDS
For further press information, please contact:
Ref Y/08/147a
Joanne Bridges, PRO – Yorkon
Tel: 01423 520111 Fax: 01423 520152
Email: jbridges@bridgescommunications.co.uk
1. Yorkon has an extensive track record in the education sector, having completed a wide variety of projects ranging from self-contained teaching blocks and classroom extensions for both primary and secondary schools, to a purpose-designed adult education centre, and the UK’s first complete school to be built off site
2. Yorkon, as part of the Portakabin Group, is also the first modular manufacturer to commit to meeting the challenges set out in the Sustainability Charter introduced by the Major Contractors Group.
3. Specialising in the design of facilities for health, residential, education and commercial clients in the private and public sectors, P+HS Architects has over 24 years’ experience in designing buildings that include advanced sustainable principles and pioneering solutions to complex design issues. P+HS is a national design practice with offices in North Yorkshire and Leeds.
4. If you wish to publish a telephone number for further information, the number for Yorkon is 01904 610990. Please do not print the agency’s number.
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