NEW EXWICK HEIGHTS PRIMARY SCHOOL
EXWICK LANE, EXWICK, EXETER, DEVON, EX4 2AP

PROJECT VALUE

£7.5 Million

PROJECT DURATION

Start Date - May 2006
Completion Date - Dec 2007

CONSTRUCTION TYPE

Pile Foundations
Steel Frame Structure
Pre-cast Concrete Floor Slabs
Block Cavity Walls & Glass Certain Walling
Green Roof System & Roof Light Glassing

PROJECT AIM

The project aims to merge and replace two existing schools on separate and remote sites to provide one new primary school on a green-field site in the same locality. It will provide high standard facilities both internally and externally; ensuring the whole curriculum can be delivered in an innovative and comprehensive way. The school will ensure integrated learning facilities are available to all pupils as well as providing much needed community rooms and function requirements of the site, and together with the building will provide a range of quality learning environments.

Community facilities are important, as there is an active body of parents and residents who use the school out of hours and for various activities, which is actively encouraged by the school management. The mixed use has been carefully considered in terms of security and boundaries, allowing permeability as well as pupil safety and giving consideration to the risks of unwanted access as well as Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliance.

At first glance the site appears generous in plan area for a school of this size; however the gradients that exist over the whole site limit its usability and enforce major earth-working solutions in order to make development viable and flat space useful. Level site areas are at a premium, therefore, and a considered solution makes the most of these without over-providing unnecessarily.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF BUILDING

A two story 'upside down' building form responds to the site-entry level as well as the views afforded from the site, the south facing aspect, and the most level part of the site. It tusks the building down as low as possible whilst restricting development to within a reasonable distance of the entrance. Teaching accommodation faces south while support spaces and community rooms are north facing. This clear logic splits the building into two wings by a central corridor space, which is top-lit.

All classroom open directly onto the outside in order to benefit from the landscape design. Large glass doors allows the Foundations Stage Unit (FSU) to encompass the outdoor environment as much as possible; all other rooms can also be opened up directly to the outside, to make wide use of the stimulating and exciting alternative environments. The landscaping provides a grass football pitch, a hard Multi Use Play Area (MUGA), dedicated informal playground areas and a wide mix of varied habitat spaces, to support the indoor learning environment and give alternative teaching and social spaces. Of benefit on this site is the established woodland and hedgerows which will be retained as much as possible to provide a wide range of outdoor environments.

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABLILITY

The building relies on natural lighting and ventilation, and in this and as many other aspects as possible, aims to be a sustainable solution for the site. Including provision of a sustainable drainage solution to surface water disposal (this in itself will provide invaluable resource for learning with water on site). Grass roofs will provide additional storage for dealing with rainwater on site, to help mitigate surface water storage and disposal costs, as well as increasing acoustic and thermal insulation and reducing the building's impact in planning terms. Large overhangs and brise-soleil will help prevent adverse solar gains in the summer, and the heating and ventilation will benefit from incidental gains inherent in this high-occupancy, high-activity building. The atrium-like central space will help cross ventilate classrooms and passively remove unwanted heat build-up. Alternative technologies and materials have been considered in a bid to meet sound sustainable principles and therefore score highly in a BREEAM assessment of the scheme. Materials and construction methods have been chosen for their embodied energy values, green credentials and speed of construction, as well as their ability to perform acoustically and robustly.