Ryedene School Demountable Replacement

Ryedene School Demountable Replacement

Key Facts:

Client Name: Ryedene Primary School and Nursery
Location: Basildon, Essex
Type of client: Primary Academy
Services provided by M+C: Building Surveying | Architectural Design | Planning Services | Procurement | Project Management
Value: £247,000
Contractor: KGB Managed Services Ltd
M+C Lead: Phil Ruffle

Background and Issues

Ryedene Primary School and Nursery is a popular school located near Basildon, Essex. The buildings are typical of 1960’s construction, and are therefore beginning to show signs of aging and disrepair.

In order to house an increasing school population, a temporary stand-alone demountable building provided facilities for the year 6 cohort. However, over the years the building had aged significantly. As well as poor thermal performance, the building no longer met current standards in terms of classroom size and available facilities. In addition, the fabric of the demountable itself required significant maintenance investment to keep it in a usable condition. Lastly, the planning agreement allowing the erection of the demountable was due to expire, which would require it’s demolition in any case.

Solution

The school determined that demolition of the temporary building, and creation of a new permanent classbase would eradicate these problems. They approached Munday + Cramer to produce an architectural design which met the school’s needs. Additionally, and perhaps most critically, the school requested M+C’s support with their CIF funding application and to provide project management services.

Lead architect, Phil Ruffle designed a scheme to meet the school’s requirements. The proposed new building offered the following improvements:

  • Significant thermal efficiency increase; thus reducing ongoing energy costs.
  • Mitigation of Health and Safety risks to students and staff.
  • Removal of ongoing annual maintenance costs.
  • Improvements in the teaching and learning environment, in line with DFE BB103 and the building regulations current standards.
  • Increase in building life expectancy; from the demountable which was already failing, to a building expected to function for 100+ years

M+C completed condition surveys and helped to collate evidence to justify the proposed solution. As well as preparing a full options appraisal, lead consultant Phil Ruffle completed a full tender exercise to support the application. This enabled the school to demonstrate cost certainty within their proposal.

Delivery

With the required funds secured, the school instructed KGB Managed Services Ltd, who returned the most competitive tender, to commence work. Due to the constraints imposed by the working school day, the bulk of the works took place over the summer break. M+C managed the project from start to finish, and handed over the completed building just in time for the start of the new school year.