Yorkon News Archives

17/08/2002 – New City learning centre in London

Yorkon's steel-framed modular building system has been used to provide students at Highbury Grove School in London with one of the new City Learning Centres, giving them the opportunity to use the latest information technology.

Designed and built by Yorkon, a subsidiary of Portakabin, the two-storey centre accommodates two large open plan IT suites, each with 32 work stations arranged in clusters. The advanced technology includes a video conferencing facility, media editing suite and smart boards which allow teachers to project data onto screens.

As the school is situated on the edge of a conservation area, special design considerations were introduced, such as brickwork cladding and a low profiled steel roof, to minimise the impact of the new building on the surrounding urban landscape.

Other design features reflect the high tech nature of the building and include full height glazing in bronze tinted glass, bright blue and contrasting cream rainscreen cladding, and yellow entrance doors to the external façades. The centre also accommodates offices and a reception.

"The children using the new centre like it very much", said Headteacher Truda White. "The building, which is adjacent to the main school, was completed in a tight timescale and was erected very quickly over half term, which was a big advantage in helping us minimise any disruption to the running of the school."

The wider community will also benefit from using the new centre, including primary schools in the area, parents, local residents and businesses.

With a design life in excess of 60 years, Yorkon's award winning modular building system is an efficient and permanent alternative to traditional site-based construction, which saves time, guarantees quality and minimises disruption to teaching staff and students.

Off-site construction involves the manufacture of steel-framed modules in a factory environment, using technology similar to car production, whilst the foundations are completed on site. The modules are delivered by road where they are craned into position in just a few days.