Hawthorne Primary and Nursery School
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The Challenge:
The new primary school was needed to upgrade the facilities for the pupils and make the school site more compact and sustainable.
The facilities that were lacking in the previous building included a large enough hall to host the school for assemblies as well as being utilised for a performance space; adequate playing fields and courts; modern technology and teaching equipment.
The new school was delivered to a tight deadline in time for the new school year, providing an upgrade in the school facilities and creating a more compact and sustainable school site.
The Solution:
The new school includes a large hall, fitted with lighting bars and a sound system to create a performance space. Unlike the previous location, the building was compact rather than being scattered around. There is an external canopy adjacent to the building for more outdoor learning and sheltered play area for nursery and reception children. The school has been designed specifically for future expansion.
The classroom accommodation contains exposed ceiling soffits to maximise thermal mass gains. Kier collaborated with the architect, structural and mechanical consultants to ensure all aesthetic elements were fully considered, leading to effective coordination of acoustic rafts, lighting rigs, sprinklers, electrical containment and mechanical ductwork. The classrooms are controlled by wall mounted NVHR units.
The Impact:
There has been an increase of 105 pupils with the potential for further expansion in future, enabling a further increase in school places for the local community.
The school community was involved as much as possible throughout the construction process. A turf-cutting ceremony was held to mark the beginning of construction involving representatives from the school, Council and local community as well pupils from the school.
Once the steel frame was up, the school visited the site again to sign their names on the steel. There were several other tours with both teachers and pupils, meaning that almost all of the students and staff were able to see the new school at some point during the building process.
Community liaison meetings were hosted early on to ensure that all local residents understood the scope of the works and how it would affect them, as well as who to contact if they needed to.
At the end of the project, the electricals in the site cabins, like fridges, microwaves and kettles, were donated to the charity Help the Homeless Leicester.
" A fully committed whole hearted commitment to the job, led by an exceptional site manager. "Kevin Taylor Pre-Construction Manager Arc Partnership
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