Under the 21st Century Schools (Band A) and Modernising Education Programmes, Denbighshire County Council decided to relocate Ysgol Pen Barras and Rhos Street School to new purpose-built facilities, in an area of Ruthin town, known as ‘Glasdir’. A key driver for this review was the current condition and suitability of the existing primary school buildings.
The £10m investment comprised the design and build of a new single-storey school campus. The schools were designed for capacity of 180 pupil at Rhos Street School and 270 pupils at Ysgol Pen Barras, each with their own state-of-the-art facilities and a shared kitchen provision. An extensive external works scheme was constructed as part of the development to deliver an exciting external learning environment. The new buildings were designed and constructed using a full BIM Level 2 process and Asset Information Model Output.
The site chosen posed a significant challenge in terms of potential flood risk. All remedial works to alleviate potential flooding along with the construction of the new facilities were to be completed within the challenging timeframe of 15 months.
Working with Lovelock Mitchell and offsite technology specialists, Innovare Systems, we adopted an innovative approach to the design, utilising the i-SIP structural insulated panels off-site technology. We embedded the supply chain designers into the project team from the outset, ensuring full co-ordination was completed prior to construction. This early involvement saved four months of detailing at commencement of the construction stage, ensuring the main superstructure was on-site much earlier in the programme.
Glasdir Schools Project
