Yorkon News Archives

18/10/2004 – Yorkon Introduces Pioneering Design for New School Buildings

Off-site construction specialist and Portakabin Group subsidiary, Yorkon, in partnership with award-winning architects Cartwright Pickard, has launched a pioneering design for new school buildings in response to the Government's Building Schools for the Future initiative.

The exemplar design for both complete schools and extensions has been developed to push forward the boundaries of modern construction methods and introduce fresh, imaginative ideas to improve educational standards by providing excellent facilities for staff, pupils and the wider community.

The plans are in line with DfES guidelines and are intended to encourage innovation, helping schools and education authorities to develop their vision and requirements for the creation of stimulating learning environments that fit specific local needs.

Commenting on the launch of the exemplar design, Keith Blanshard, Director and General Manager of Yorkon, said, "We have applied our experience of delivering pioneering buildings in sectors such as housing, healthcare and supermarkets, to achieve what we believe is a really exemplar design for new schools built using offsite techniques."

"We are offering a very practical and flexible approach that LEAs and their design and construction teams can easily apply to any site and to both complete schools and extensions, whilst making best use of the advantages of off-site manufacturing."

James Pickard, Project Director at Cartwright Pickard Architects, said, "This concept combines innovative and inspirational architectural design with all the benefits of modern construction methods – improved lead times, reduced disruption, safer sites and much better quality."

He added, "Our aim is to illustrate just what can be achieved with off-site construction in the education sector, as we have done in other areas, and to challenge the perception of modular buildings for schools."

Features of the design include:

The use of clusters of teaching accommodation radiating from a central core which houses larger spaces such as the library resource centre, hall and dining area.
A wide variety of shapes and configurations can be achieved to suit the design requirements of individual schools and LEAs.

A central atrium in each cluster, which can be used as a shared learning resource and a social space to encourage interaction between pupils.
Individual clusters can be isolated to allow areas for community use out of hours.

The interior is designed for comfort and environmental efficiency - the option of passive ventilation, windows positioned to maximise natural light and fresh air, good acoustic control between teaching spaces, and sun shading systems to reduce glare.

The external treatment can be varied according to specific project requirements. Options include timber, metal or terracotta cladding, rendering and brickwork.

As part of Yorkon's commitment to innovation, a new whole life costing tool has also been developed. An industry first, this allows specification decisions to be assessed over the life cycle of the building, helping designers and LEAs evaluate the options available.