Practical considerations for the design and implementation of refurbishment projects of historic school buildings

Practical considerations for the design and implementation of refurbishment projects of historic school buildings

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Foreword This paper has been prepared by Mott MacDonald Ltd (with input from English Heritage) and draws on experience gained in a number of refurbishment projects involving historic school buildings. It aims to assist all stakeholders involved in the development of similar projects with practical guidance on issues that should be considered when planning, designing and implementing their successful refurbishment, remodelling and reuse. The English Heritage document “Refurbishing Historic School Buildings” contains further useful guidance. Thanks are also due to Roger Hawkins of Hawkins\ Brown and Matt Tabram of HKS Architects for their contributions and advice in preparing this document.

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Introduction

Almost every Local Education Authority in England will have school buildings that can be described as historic; these could be listed, situated within a conservation area or simply well regarded by their local community. When considering the options for renewal of assets, it is generally not feasible to move a school to new facilities built on an alternative site and sell off the existing building for alternative development due to the constraints of Authority land ownership. Where historic school buildings are concerned, this is also a generally undesirable approach due to their architectural or historic significance and the sense of place such establishments hold in the community; this perspective is reflected in existing planning policy which holds that the best use for a historic building is that which it was originally designed for (PPS5). Given current funding constraints, the successful refurbishment and remodelling of historic school buildings will clearly continue to play a central role in the delivery of any future school improvement and maintenance programmes. This document aims to provide useful advice on how to take advantage of the opportunities afforded by investment in historic school buildings to create modern, well-equipped and inspirational learning environments. English Heritage describes this approach as Constructive Conservation – for further details see http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/professional/advice/conservation-principles/ constructive-conservation/ From the outset, there are many competing issues that must be considered in the successful refurbishment of historic and heritage buildings. It is essential however, that the special character and significance of such buildings are utilised to enhance the final scheme and that any adverse impacts on the historic fabric of the building are minimised as much as possible. This paper considers the following key elements: • • • • •

Stakeholder Engagement; Affordability; Design and implementation; Compliance with statutory requirements; and, Sustainability.

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Stakeholder Engagement A Framework

In addition to the usual stakeholders involved in school projects, such as school staff, governors, pupils and educationalists (which is covered in the next section), engagement with the following stakeholders should be sought from the project outset: •

The limitations on capital funding for school buildings, the need to maximise investment in improving the delivery of education and the involvement of a large number of stakeholders on historic buildings projects presents a significant risk of competing and conflicting objectives: budget holders, conservation officers and the school leadership team may all desire very different project outcomes. Early and sufficiently extensive stakeholder engagement pays dividends in helping to prevent abortive works or design changes during the development of the project. Timely stakeholder management and robust communication are essential in ensuring that all parties fully appreciate the aspirations of other parties together with the constraints, challenges, risks and opportunities presented by the scheme. It is essential that a suitable balance between conflicting requirements is agreed at the early stages of the project to prevent issues arising later on and thus maintain full support for the project. Where projects are taking place within two tier local government areas (i.e. where education policy may be managed at a County level but Conservation and Planning is managed at District level), it will be important to seek the advice of conservation staff within the District or Borough Council to avoid heritage issues being overlooked during the development of proposals.

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Local Authority Conservation Officer/ Historic building specialist Local Authority Planning Officer Local Community Members Local Councillors Access Officer English Heritage

Whilst English Heritage or the Local Authority’s conservation specialists may not wish, or be able, to be involved in the detail of every scheme, it is essential to engage them during the early stages of a project to gain a full understanding of their requirements and concerns and whether any future consultation should be sought. Such consultations may include reviews at the feasibility, design, preparation of planning application and construction stages. The appointment of a conservation architect into the design team from day 1 has been found to be invaluable in helping to strike the balance between the requirements of the many stakeholders involved, not just those concerned with the heritage elements of buildings.

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The development of a Stakeholder Engagement Plan at the start of the project will facilitate the management of stakeholder interfaces. A successful plan will identify: • • • • • • •

Aims and objectives of the project Project programme Who the key stakeholders are When they need to be involved in the process What meetings should be attended What their key requirements are Who is responsible for managing each stakeholder

The Conservation Architect can provide a ‘bridge’ between the objectives in educational terms of the project and the character and significance of the existing building. Early dialogue between all stakeholders is always useful, but that between architects, sustainability consultants, educationalists and the school learning management team to establish the scope of historic building viability is essential. The plan should be managed and updated as the project progresses and issued to all stakeholders such that they fully understand the process. On previous projects, it has been of proven benefit to issue a meetings schedule identifying the purpose of the meetings to be held at each stage of the process. The plan should be managed and updated as the project progresses and issued to all stakeholders such that they fully understand the process. On previous projects, it has been of proven benefit to issue a meetings schedule identifying the purpose of the meetings to be held at each stage of the process.

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Stakeholder Engagement Staff, students and community

One of the key opportunities in the refurbishment and development of existing schools is the ability to involve pupils, staff members, parents and other individuals who already have knowledge and opinions about the buildings. Careful analysis of existing buildings is not solely a technical audit of structure and fabric. The design team needs to absorb as much information as possible from people who know the site. Often the caretaker or maintenance manager is a wealth of useful information. The design team needs to get to know the building and the people who occupy it daily. In education the pupil needs to be viewed as the consumer with a responsibility and a stake in shaping the service provided. Embedding the ideas of pupils sometimes requires a cultural shift in attitude and practice. Some teachers may be uncomfortable with any change in relationships that may arise as this could be perceived as a threat to their authority and that of the school.

Many architects and design team members recognise it can be an extremely rewarding and empowering exercise to foster a support the development. Promoting the involvement of users and pupils in the consultation and design process may also lead to a greater culture of innovation and adaptability within the school itself as greater numbers will be engaged in exploring new ways of working. Supporters of this approach include the Sorrell Foundation which aims to inspire creativity in young people and improve the quality of life through good design and Futurlab with their ‘learner voice’ programme. The project itself should contribute to the learning experience of students and staff. This has previously been achieved through: • Talking to students at careers day; • Providing work experience in design offices for students interested in the design profession; • Running a small design competition for students within the larger building project; • Establishing a webcam on site to allow students/ staff to follow the construction process; and, • Running design workshops with school children • Opportunities and constraints are not always obvious and asking people how they use the existing building and observing how facilities functions at different times of day can be equally as valuable and a structural survey.

IN A SCHOOL THE PUPIL IS THE MAIN STAKEHOLDER. CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT FOR CHILDREN TO LEARN WITHIN IS VITAL, TEACHERS MUST BE ABLE TO COMPROMISE TO ACCOMODATE PULPIL’S IDEAS.

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The local community has a key role and public consultation is critical as part of the planning process. Each project needs are distinct so differences in approach will arise but the fundamental issues remain: • • • •

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Find out who the key stakeholders are, their prime representative and their relationship to the client and project; Ensure discussion meetings are small enough to gain useful feedback and direction at each stage; Always bear in mind the client representative who is responsible for final approval; Change control procedures can be useful, even from early stages, to track comments and requests from a wide range of stakeholders and users and assess their implication on design and costs; and, Keep the Local Authority and public community regularly updated and give structured opportunities for comment.

ESTABLISHING A DESIGN VISION To deliver a project that meets the client’s aspirations and balances the commercial, educational and community needs of the project it is important to develop a clear vision for the project at the outset. This will be achieved through a structured process of consultation with the various stakeholders. This could include: •

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Group workshops with staff and students guided and facilitated by the design team. These workshops should focus on specific topics and could be recorded through collages, visualisations, models, photographs etc; The school’s website could hold information about the project as it develops and is a tool for recording feedback from staff/ students and the wider community; Formal presentations, exhibition boards etc. displayed in school at key stages with the facility for people to ask questions and give feedback. Physical models and computer generated visualisations are used to help people understand emerging proposals; and, Establishing a Design Champion to promote design through all stages of a project.

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Affordability

Example of School Corridor prior to refurbishment

Experience suggests that as a consequence of limitations in school funding over past years and poor short term investment decisions, many historic school buildings are now in poor condition, are blighted by inappropriate or even detrimental repair works and have inadequate, outdated and inefficient building services. Significant environmental improvement can be gained through simply making the buildings “warm, safe and dry” but even such basic works may come at a premium when dealing with historic buildings. Given that the scope and range of works necessary to refurbish each individual school can vary so significantly, it is not possible to accurately compare the cost of works to an historic school building against either refurbished non-historic or new school buildings. However, it is sensible to allow for variations and potential increases in costs and this must be considered from the outset when the initial scheme budgets are established, particularly where maintenance expenditure has been under pressure in preceding years.

In determining an appropriate budget for the scheme, time within the programme should be allowed for sufficiently detailed survey and planning work to be undertaken in conjunction with assessing the scope of the scheme in order to understand the nature of the works that are likely to be required. Heritage requirements may limit how much work can be undertaken to reconfigure the internal arrangement of existing structures and may result in the school being over area when compared to government guidelines. This could result in greater capital and lifecycle costs than normally afforded based on the number of pupils accommodated by the school and should be factored in to budget planning. Detailed work in the early stages of the scheme is likely to result in the Client expending significantly greater funds on up-front survey and testing costs than normal but such an approach has been found to be justified in enabling more robust project budgets to be established and the key risks to be identified, costed and managed throughout the course of the scheme. As surveys cannot identify all issues, sufficient contingency should be included for based on a risk assessment of further condition issues and defects being present. Allowance also needs to be made for possible further work required to comply with warranties.

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During the stages between initial scoping and the commencement of construction, which may be as long as three years on a phased scheme, schools may cease to invest in the maintenance and repair of their facilities. Sufficient contingency allowance should therefore be made to cover the further deterioration of building elements during that period. A sensible way of managing affordability and contingency is to limit the initial scope of the scheme to generate a contingency fund. This can be done by placing any elements that can be easily included at a later stage such as non-essential external works and the provision of additional furniture on an opportunities list that is managed during the course of the scheme to introduce the “opportunities” if and when the funds become available rather than including them in the scheme from the outset. If, having taken the above into consideration, the scale of the works required is greater than that which can be reasonably afforded, a pragmatic approach is to create a school masterplan which identifies the final long term requirements for the site. This will enable the immediate issues to be addressed through the current works and ensure that any later investment can be targeted in a structured manner to maximise the impact of both the current and future investments made.

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Design and Implementation

A successful scheme is established at the embryonic stages of the design process. Being clear about what the redevelopment of the buildings is aiming to achieve will help drive the design process for that scheme and is typically a delicate balance between the key drivers for the school, the funding (and hence the area available) for the development and the site constraints. Establishing what is possible with the existing buildings can further help the development of proposals. The result is that the usual programme drivers of planning information, procurement packages and early works construction information are preceded by the need to consider at a much earlier stage the integration of engineering disciplines into the scheme.

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Step One Developing the Educational Environment and Respecting Heritage

The intention in these spaces is not to create museum spaces preserved for posterity but to retain core features which, through adapting and enhancing the curriculum, can give an insight into the historical approach to learning and add value to education. In many cases, ‘heart’ spaces, within buildings such as entrance foyers and assembly halls are ideal candidates for such treatment and, treated sensitively, can reflect the grandeur of a schools history. Science Laboratory that will be refurbished as an Examplar Space with existing furniture, fixings and fittings retained

The overall objective of capital investment for school buildings is clearly to renew and modernise the educational environment, addressing existing issues and allowing sufficient flexibility to accommodate future learning and teaching styles. The aspiration in dealing with historic school buildings is to integrate what is significant about the building within the works in such a way as to deliver buildings that are well equipped and fit for purpose without compromising key historical value. This requires an understanding of which elements of the building are of significant importance historically and educationally.

The main difficulty in spaces of this nature will be the unobtrusive integration of modern building services. For example, cost effective solutions such as dado trunking may not be appropriate and replacing outdated heating and electrical systems requires a significant degree of intervention with the consequent impacts on fitted furniture, dado and picture rails and decorative plasterwork. Early development of room loaded drawings is essential for any scheme; obtaining Client agreement and sign off drives this and many other aspects of the design process.

The preparation of a conservation plan is the basis of identifying the historical value of a historic building but this cannot be read alone as it needs to be integrated with the spatial and service requirements of a 21st century school. One successful approach that has been adopted on the recent Building Schools for the Future programme in Sheffield has been to introduce ‘exemplar spaces’ where retention of historical items is given higher priority. Example of timber packing to trunking to prevent damage to original dado rail

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Step Two Understanding

For these reasons, the client must appreciate the importance of obtaining and assessing sufficient survey information, and balance this requirement against the constraints. The following initial desk study elements should be considered as a minimum: • • • Any refurbishment project can be adversely affected by hidden problems which may compromise the best programmes and most robust cost plans. A detailed programme of assessment, consultation and survey work is an effective way to reduce the risks associated with the unknown. The following consultations and assessments should be considered when defining the project brief: • • • • • •

Condition issues Suitability requirements Assessments of area constraints in existing building Assessment of planning considerations User consultation to understand current issues faced Assessment of phasing requirements to establish any temporary accommodation costs

The appropriate level of survey work will vary from project to project. There are a number of constraints which influence the amount of survey work undertaken at an early stage in the project; access limitations, ongoing use of the buildings and unrecoverable cost prior to project commitment being the typical drivers.

Land and title assessment Previous site use (e.g, mining, quarrying, air raid shelters etc) Compiling existing building information e.g. asbuilt drawings, asbestos registers etc

The outcome of this initial investigation can then be used to define a programme of staged surveying and intrusive investigation including: • • • • • • • •

Building fabric condition (including identification of any previous non-compliant repairs) Building dimensional survey Building heritage survey Ground investigation Structural condition Building services condition Asbestos surveys Ecological and environmental surveys

Following completion of the surveys, the data must be reviewed holistically and in detail to assess the current condition of the building and its suitability for development. Typical assessments could include: • • • • •

Structural form and load bearing elements Backlog maintenance Building life expectancy “Abnormals” costs associated with development Further survey requirements

The impact of the intrusive nature of investigations must be carefully considered and the scope target accordingly. A risk matrix based approach can help quantify the benefit to be gained from each survey.

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Step Three Key principles for design

In the experience of the Authors, there are some key principles that can assist the design process.

In essence, if there is no conflict between performance of the space and teaching style, why fix it if it isn’t broken? Initial planning should therefore include exercises to map the accommodation requirements into the existing spaces as efficiently as possible and, where adequate accommodation for specialist subjects cannot be created, consideration should be given to providing this within limited remodelled or new building areas if funds permit. This can allow traditional cellular spaces to remain and be utilised as a general learning resource – for example ‘breakout’ space. Given the nature of historic school buildings, there can often be a compromise between what is desired and what can be achieved; however innovative use of space and materials can overcome the majority of these challenges and realise new opportunities.

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Example of adapted building services affecting listed building features

SCHOOL VISION AND ADJACENCY REQUIREMENTS

New build school projects offer ultimate flexibility both with regards to adjacencies and classroom sizes and the building can be designed around these. With refurbishment the opposite is true – the building is defined and space planning has to be developed around it. The extent to which modifications can be made to a historic building depends upon the knowledge of the building and the level of protection the listing affords – the planning system requires that changes to heritage assets must be carefully thought through and justified. Any proposed alterations should be developed while bearing in mind the structural significance of traditional cellular, inflexible, forms of construction such as load bearing masonry. Whilst the removal of walls to create open plan spaces is rarely impossible, there is usually a large cost which needs to be appreciated at an early stage. It is often more acceptable from a heritage perspective and also more cost effective to utilise as many of the existing spaces in their current form as possible.

LOCATION OF HIGHLY SERVICED AREAS

Locating highly serviced faculties such as science or food technology within existing buildings is much more difficult than planning new accommodation around them. Not only is any change of use likely to trigger a material alteration under the Building Regulations, the complexities associated with feeding new principal service runs through existing buildings should not be underestimated. Distributing local services within rooms, dealing with drainage, upgrading fabric and structure to increase fire ratings and improving acoustic performance are all difficult to undertake sensitively and having to accommodate more than one of these may prove to be impossible. As far as possible, major changes of use such as these should be avoided and highly serviced accommodation located in new build areas. Where the existing buildings are listed or located within conservation areas, sensitive design of the new buildings will be required. If the addition of new buildings is not possible, highly serviced areas should be located in parts of the building that are more suitable to the requirements and where detrimental impact can be minimised.

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INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) PROVISION

ICT systems form a core part of modern school infrastructure and current state of the art ICT installations in schools require a number of server rooms, hub rooms and backbone cable routes in order to function. The location of these facilities is not fully flexible as they are generally dictated by ventilation requirements and maximum data cable lengths. ICT rich spaces are better located to north facing facades and in locations where it is possible to readily introduce additional ventilation. Consideration needs to be given to minimising the heat gains associated with the provision of additional ICT equipment and this can be done by limiting workstation numbers and promoting laptop or “thin client” usage. Whilst wireless networking is becoming more popular and is a good way of reducing cabling and improving flexibility, current technology means that wireless provision is not always feasible or cost effective in historic school buildings due to the heavy nature of the wall and ceiling construction. The integration of ICT specialists or providers into the building design team can significantly help to address the above issues and minimise the risk of unsuitable installations being provided.

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UNDERSTANDING EXISTING VENTILATION

The existing ventilation of the building should be understood and accommodated where possible rather than forcing an inappropriate scheme to work through the provision of mechanical ventilation. It will not possible to control solar gain by altering the orientation of the building, and provision of brise soleil and solar control glass may not be looked upon favourably by conservation officers. Historically, passive design such as natural ventilation was the solution and reinstating “old” technology such as original opening lights and window shutters can be an effective solution provided the building is managed and operated effectively. A clear management plan for use by building users must be developed and is critical to successful operation.

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BUILDING SERVICES REPLACEMENT

For many buildings, poor maintenance over an extended period of time means that services installations are reaching or are beyond the end of their useful life. In some instances, original cast iron radiators may appear in working order and the initial thought may be to refurbish them. However, once flushed and cleaned, internal corrosion may lead to them failing pressure tests and needing to be replaced. Wholesale replacement is often the only option however this invariably leads to substitution with modern equivalents which may be considered ‘cheap’ or ‘inferior’. Modern equivalents are often more suited to the modern safety conscious environment – in an educational environment, low surface temperature radiators can be specified to reduce the risk of scalding but this is not possible with original radiators. Careful thought needs to be applied in this area to ensure that the best possible balance between energy efficiency and minimal impact on the historic fabric is achieved. Detailed coordination and planning is also required to ensure services can be routed as required. Although general principles can be developed for new builds, each refurbishment needs to be treated individually. The commonly adopted approach of tackling installation drawings and strategies on site is likely to lead to an unacceptable solution and significant cost in redesign but with careful planning and understanding, this can be virtually eliminated. This is no more apparent than in balancing the demands of fixtures, fittings and equipment, flexible teaching, radiator provision, lighting etc. in an existing room. Phasing the works also creates problems with building services refurbishment. Combining new and old systems is undesirable for fear of contamination of the new system from the old and due to the inherent difficulties interfacing systems. In many cases, this means that space, often at a premium, needs to be built into the scheme to allow two sets of plant to run concurrently and to accommodate two sets of distribution pipework at least in the temporary case. System design also needs to allow for incremental commissioning as phases are handed over.

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FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT

The provision of furniture and equipment is frequently left until the end of a scheme once the building layout has been fixed. Consideration of how furniture can be used to transform spaces can however pay dividends in terms of getting the best out of existing spaces and ensuring that even rooms with fixed walls can remain flexible and adaptable. An early understanding of this can also help to limit the scope of works as existing spaces can often be used much more creatively than anticipated. This can only be achieved by having an integrated design team and educationalist working in close cooperation with an ICT and furniture provider.

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ACOUSTICS

BB93 imposes considerable design requirements on new build and refurbished schools. The approach adopted is that, although Building Regulations do not apply to aIl alterations and refurbishment work, it is desirable that such work should incorporate upgrading of the acoustic performance of the building fabric where appropriate. Although it would be uneconomic to upgrade all existing school buildings to the same standards as new school buildings, where there is a need for upgrading the acoustic performance of an existing building or when refurbishment is happening for other acoustic reasons, then the designer should aim to meet the acoustic performance given in Section 1 of BB93.

Example of new Acoustic Ceiling

A reasonable approach may be to install all new elements within existing buildings to the standards in BB93 whilst appreciating that the existing structure and fabric may limit the performance of the space. This is not always adequate, in many cases performance issues with existing buildings are expected to be addressed by refurbishment works. One recurring issue is that of reverberation times. Often existing buildings incorporate hard surfaces such as parquet flooring and hard plaster ceilings which would give rise to poor performance acoustically, although this lack of performance can be masked by clutter in rooms. Refurbishment and associated

tidying can highlight an existing problem resulting in the need to find acceptable sympathetic solutions. Traditional grid suspended ceilings are an effective source of absorption but may not be acceptable to conservationists. Early identification of acoustic problems can allow acoustic solutions to be integrated with other disciplines using raft type ceilings for building services, or by specifying appropriate floor finishes, acoustic panelling or acoustic plasterboard ceilings.

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Step Four Construction Phasing and Statutory Requirements

It is vital that once a phasing decision has been agreed that this is adhered to as changes later on can cause delay, design changes and additional cost. It is fundamental that the phasing of the works is planned with a detailed understanding of how the school teachers operate and how the existing and proposed ICT and Building Services systems operate. It may be necessary to operate both existing and new installations until the final phase is completed and this should be carefully planned to ensure there is no disruption to the delivery of education. Temporary Accommodation “Village” at High Storrs School for phased decant of pupils during works

Major construction work on any school site is generally disruptive and can result in a short term reduction in educational results if not planned and managed carefully. Major refurbishment projects simply cannot be completed outside of term time and as such it is inevitable that pupils will need to be decanted out of existing buildings into alterative facilities to enable the refurbishment works to be undertaken. Schools projects are unique as the programme is often driven by the need to decant into and out of buildings during school holiday periods. It may be possible to fully decant the entire school to enable the works to be completed in as short a duration as possible but this is not always feasible, desirable or affordable. As such, detailed consideration of the construction programme is essential in planning the works to ensure that phases are worked around holiday periods to minimise disruption to the school and minimise any down time in the programme as a result of waiting to decant. Successful planning is dependent on having key school stakeholders involved in discussions from the outset to agree a method of phasing that will help to define the scope of works and impose restrictions on what can be done.

If temporary accommodation is required, it is generally desirable to minimise the need to provide science labs, DT, kitchen spaces due to the cost and the design proposals and the phasing programme should therefore reflect this.

STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS Works of refurbishment which do not materially affect the exterior of a building do not normally require planning permission. Subject to certain limitations the erection of new buildings on a school site falls within Part 32 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 and as such does not normally require planning permission. However, these ‘permitted development rights’ (as they are now) can be removed by a condition on a previous planning permission or an ‘Article 4 Direction’ and the views of the local planning authority should be sought at an early stage on whether planning permission is required. If a building is listed, Listed Building Consent will normally be required for both internal and external works. The application needs to be submitted with sufficient detail for all to understand the impact of the proposals on the significance of the heritage value of the building.

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As this finished level of detail is often not available at the time of submission due to programme development requirements, phased approvals should be considered. For example, it is possible to develop areas such as the heating and ventilation strategies to a point where, with some margin for design development, details of the functioning of the systems can be presented with the application to help avoid further negotiations and delays later in the process. Such an approach will necessitate the early involvement of a Mechanical & Electrical (M&E) consultant and any conditions to be attached should be worded to ensure that phasing avoids any conditions being attached that may prevent work until discharged. As the local planning authority will need to understand the full programme of works, even if it is proposed to deal with some detailed aspects of the post-determination or through separate applications, it is advisable to have early discussions prior to the first submission of the application (or sequence of applications) to discuss how the process can be managed. This could take the form of an informal ‘heritage partnership agreement’. If the school is unlisted but within a conservation area, substantial or total demolition of a building is likely to require Conservation Area Consent. In the case of existing buildings, the Building Regulations apply only to ‘material alterations’ as defined in Regulations 3 and 4. Maintaining an open and continuing dialogue with Building Control is helpful in navigating the myriad of options available for compliance. Material alterations can be triggered by something as simple as the removal of a load bearing wall; potentially resulting in the need to comply with the full requirements of the regulations. The reality is that the principle of ‘not worsened’ can often be agreed. DDA compliance can present challenges when applying the principles to listed buildings without affecting the significance of their heritage value. Changes to the external accesses/levels etc may be required and providing DDA compliant access to all floors of a building can be difficult if the original building is at a variety of levels. Lift provision can be a major intervention and achieving this in a sympathetic way can carry a cost premium over a new build lift installation. Existing structures can also impact proposed extensions. To give adequate level access, it is desirable for floor levels of existing and new buildings to tie in.

In many cases, sites are so constrained that ‘link’ structures which can allow changes in level may not be practical options, dictating that floor to floor heights are driven by existing buildings. Minimising structural depth often becomes a key consideration, especially if the desire is to incorporate heavily serviced accommodation in new buildings as outlined above. This can have implications of cost and programme – shallow floor constructions in structural steelwork are heavier than their more efficient deeper alternatives and reinforced concrete flat slabs need careful programming to deliver within a similar timeframe. As with many issues, early consultation with building control and other stakeholders such as local authority access officers to understand their requirements is essential in gaining their agreement to a realistic DDA strategy.

FIRE PREVENTION AND SPRINKLERS Current government policy is that all new statefunded schools should be fitted with sprinklers unless it can be demonstrated that the building has either a low fire risk or that the provision of sprinklers would not offer value for money. This is done using the assessment tools that have been developed by the DCSF. Although this requirement does not specifically apply to refurbished buildings, given the risk that fire presents to a school and Authority in terms of educational disruption and cost, many Authorities are installing sprinklers in schools as part of major capital refurbishment works. In the case of a historic building, it may also be desirable to install sprinklers simply to help protect the building fabric itself in the event of a fire. However, whilst it may be desirable to install sprinklers into a historic building, because of the likely nature of the building fabric and the possible need to preserve features, any such installation work can prove costly and careful planning is required to be able to justify these measures on both cost and the degree of intervention grounds. To help minimise the likelihood of a fire occurring in the school, consideration can be given to relocating the higher risk areas such as Science laboratories and Kitchens into any new build areas. This enables these riskier areas to be isolated from the existing buildings helping to limit the spread of any fire. It is also more simple and cost effective to provide new building areas with sprinkler installations to provide enhanced protection.

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The majority of serious fires at schools are caused through arson. Much can be done to minimise the likelihood of fires being started in the first instance not only through design but also through school management and enhanced security. For example, locating litter bins and rubbish stores away from the main building prevents fires being started next to the building. Ensuring that bins are emptied at the end of every day and that all waste material and rubbish is removed to a locked store can also help to reduce the risk of fires being started. The fitting of window locks and installing CCTV and monitored intruder alarms can also help to reduce the risk of arson in the first instance.

SUSTAINABILITY Sustainability has become an increasingly important consideration for schools and capital investment programmes can be used to create both school buildings and communities that reduce their impact on and increase their capacity for adaptation to the effects of climate change through sustainable management and learning processes. Whilst it can be argued that the retention of existing buildings is in itself sustainable, many historic buildings also benefit from high thermal mass, good natural ventilation and plentiful natural daylight. Additionally, refurbishment and reuse of existing and historic school buildings can help in the use of finite natural resources. Demolition and replacement of existing buildings involves a high carbon impact, landfill implications as well as the use of resources in the transport of materials and construction of the new building. Building component reuse avoids the embodied carbon within a new building; energy, waste and pollution embodied in the construction and procurement of the materials used typically accounts for about ten years’ environmental impact of a school in operation . There are now many drivers to introduce renewable energy technologies onto school sites including achieving a reduction in embedded carbon emissions, but given the funding and planning constraints this may not always be possible. Much can still be done however to help the school to reduce its impact on the environment through improving the overall efficiency of the building through incorporating building fabric improvements as wwell as low energy appliances. Low energy lighting, PIR detectors, improved heating controls and Building Energy Management Systems have a large impact on reducing energy use with affordable capital investment.

Similarly, being aware of levels of energy use through measures such as meters can stimulate understanding and provide incentives to reduce use. In some schools this has been broken down into departmental use and become a learning resource. The sustainability of the building can be further enhanced through an acknowledgement that the future needs in the delivery of education are likely to differ from the current needs and ensuring where possible that the works undertaken do not hamper the ability of the building to remain adaptable and flexible without the need for further significant works in the future. In addition to the building itself, significant wider reaching and long term benefits can be realised through improvements in school management and education. The Ofsted report “Sustainable Development: Improving Schools – Improving Lives” showcases examples of effective sustainability teaching and learning and the positive impact it is having on pupils’ increasingly responsible attitude to sustainable development and shows that a focus on sustainable development is not only having a direct impact on the actions of pupils and their families but on the wider community. It also shows that schools themselves are reaping benefits from improved provision through cost savings and better behaviour. On Sheffield BSF, the LEP and Authority have worked together to develop a programme of engagement with schools to help them to become more sustainable in their teaching and management. In addition to motivating the school to further reduce its carbon footprint by considering transport, waste, food etc, the engagement is also used to inform the design of the school buildings. By developing the building as an educational tool and supporting the school organisational process through engagement the visibility and important role of sustainable development can be raised within the school enabling pupils to develop valuable lifelong skills that they can then share with their peers, parents and in future, their own children.

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Conclusion

The heritage value of many school buildings, the role they play in local character and townscape and the way they are valued by their local community all mean there is a strong case for their refurbishment and continued use as schools. Additionally, the current funding environment is likely to mean that capital investment in the country’s school estate will be significantly reduced over the next few years – to the extent that in most cases the starting point for local authorities is likely to be to work with their stock of existing buildings. Refurbishment and reuse can retain the sense of purpose and ethos of a school and careful planning and provision can achieve a successful balance between creating a modern, flexible and inspirational learning environment and the heritage and history of the buildings themselves. This document has shown how the following key principals should be followed in order to develop a successful scheme: • • • • • •

Understand the buildings from the very start of the process – both to appreciate their heritage value and to establish what is possible in teaching terms within the existing space before the development of any proposals; Follow the Constructive Conservation approach through using what is special and significant about the buildings to guide their future use and their ability to accommodate modern models of teaching and learning Develop a detailed development strategy early on in the process with the full involvement of the widest range of stakeholders; Continuity is key – both in terms of the retention of the design and project teams but also in terms of sticking to decisions and strategies once they have been decided upon; Understand the risks associated with the development and allow sufficient contingency funds; and, Ensure sufficient time is allowed for in the programme to undertake the necessary survey, assessment, design and planning works.

A successful scheme will have struck the right balance between the requirements of all stakeholders and will be delivered within budget and to the programme established in the development phase. This will only be realised through fully understanding the existing building, ongoing liaison with stakeholders and robust project and risk management throughout the lifetime of the project.

Authors: Daniel Ladbury MEng CEng MICE MAPM, Associate Director, Mott MacDonald Ian Besford MEng CEng MIStructE, Senior Structural Engineer. Mott MacDonald

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