Last edited 21 Oct 2020

Modular classrooms: The Friars Primary School extension

1 Introduction
2 Project requirements
3 Finding solutions
4 Summary
5 Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki

[edit] Introduction

The Friars Primary School modular classroom extension was a project undertaken in 2016. Friars Primary School is in Salford, Manchester. The school leadership identified the need for a new, bespoke modular educational facility.

[edit] Project requirements

The school was experiencing rapid growth in student population. There was a boom in primary school numbers that put pressure on many educational establishments.

The contract was awarded in April. The onsite work began in May, and the modular building was delivered in July. With the fit-out completed over the summer, the new facility was available at the start of the next school year.

The size of the project and the timeline were ambitious. The six-bay modular building was constructed on the playing fields at the front of the current site. The facilities needed to be available for the new school year, with limited disruption to the ongoing learning taking place on-site.

[edit] Finding solutions

Designers communicated with education leaders and presented a single-storey facility. The modular building offered the required classrooms and other facilities.

Each classroom was installed with roof lights, which provided the teacher with smart control. These controlled roof lights were also linked to carbon dioxide and rain sensors.

Natural light is essential to wellbeing and to improved learning outcomes. Artificial light can make learning challenging. Therefore, the fan lights that were fitted above the doors enhanced the natural light in the classroom.

The goal was to live up to the eco-friendly ambitions of the school by making the environment as natural as possible. LED lighting was used throughout with PIR detection. Air leakage was also kept low so the building will retain heat. Lower heating costs also mean more school budget for essential resources for learning.

Equally important is the aesthetic of the building. This is an extension to an existing school. Therefore, the school needed the opportunity to select the colours and finishes for the new classroom building and match these to the existing structure. The new extension was at the front of the school and was going to be prominent on the site.

[edit] Summary

There was little chance that a traditional bricks and mortar construction project could have been complete in time to meet the deadline. The project was completed and presented to the client in 10 weeks. Such was the efficiency of the project; the school was able to work well as the extension was being delivered.