Roding Primary School – Mezzanine Extension

Key Facts:

Client Name: Roding Primary School
Location: Dagenham, Essex
Type of client: Primary School
Services provided by M+C: Architectural Design | Building Surveying | Structural Engineering | Procurement | Project Management
Value: £252,572.00
Contractor: Forum Contracts Ltd.
M+C Lead: Barry Lawrence

Roding Primary School is one of the UK’s largest primary schools. With a 6-form entry and over 1280 pupils, teaching is split across two sites in Dagenham. The site at Cannington Road is currently a 4-form entry. Having undergone significant expansion in recent years, the challenge of growth continues. As with all urban sites, provision of new teaching space is difficult. Solutions were considered as part of feasibility studies, however they were unsatisfactory, requiring further loss of outdoor space.

To create additional teaching space, an innovate design was proposed, featuring a mezzanine structure over the existing kitchen and part of the hall area. The design of the mezzanine was limited by the existing hall layout; with the staircase and steel posts being located to minimise the impact on the function of the hall whilst allowing maximum class size.

The resultant design proposal provided the school with two classrooms; each of 60 square metres. A dedicated staircase provides access to the classrooms, located to avoid impacting on the function of the hall and kitchen. Large picture windows within the rooms overlook the hall, enabling the classrooms to act as a gallery for additional viewing space.. Dual aspect windows, and the light available from the adjacent hall provide swathes of natural light in to the classrooms giving an airy, comfortable feel.

Forum Contracts were appointed as the main contractor for the scheme; completing the build within a 12-week programme. Works were carefully planned to minimise the disruption to the kitchen/dining facilities and main school hall. The completed scheme was completed for a fraction over £250,000; providing fantastic value for money when compared with the provision of a new teaching block.