12 minute read
External Works & Landscaping
• Reuse of the existing landscape has increased school’s capacity from 600 to 950 students while preserving original heritage and identity • Redevelopment delivered around fully operational school and with minimal delays following onset of COVID-19 pandemic
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Award-winning architectural practice astudio is pleased to announce the completion of the stateof-the-art redevelopment of Royal Greenwich Trust School. The project has increased the capacity of the school and its ability to deliver a broader curriculum, while retaining the specialist construction and engineering infrastructure of the former Greenwich University Technical College.
astudio was able to deliver the redevelopment in partnership with Willmott Dixon around the fully operational school over the four-year project period from feasibility study to opening the doors. Furthermore, and in close collaboration with the contractors, Willmott Dixon, the project team were able to ensure the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic precipitated a delay of only two months by reworking the whole site to accommodate social distancing, ‘working bubbles’, and a one-way system. In addition, all meetings were held via videoconferencing platforms to limit the number of people onsite, while temperature checks were administered on entry to the site for those who could not work remotely.
The redevelopment, which delivered 3485m² of new purpose-built accommodation, has expanded the capacity of the school from 600 students (aged 14-19yrs) to a Secondary School for 950 pupils. This expansion includes 200 sixth form spaces, helping to alleviate pressure on a borough in need of greater places for pupils. The £15.6m expansion of the Royal Greenwich Trust School was funded by the Royal Borough of Greenwich, which has overseen the works throughout the project.
The Greenwich project prioritised an ethos of good design informing education, empowering students to thrive in their learning environment and allowing the school to develop its partnership with the local community. In delivering this ambitious project, astudio drew on its work with St. Paul’s Way Trust School, which was recognised by Ofsted in helping the school move from special measures to Ofsted outstanding grading within two years of completion in 2010.
At Greenwich, astudio was able to draw on its expertise in creating educational spaces that reflect the history and ethos of an institution, while also accommodating new teaching methods and modern demands. To maximise space available on a relatively restrictive site, the new sports hall and lecture theatre were constructed on stilts, creating valuable external space underneath them.
These two new halls, as well as new classrooms, are connected to the existing buildings by the quadrupleheight rectangular atrium, providing an environment flooded with natural light at the heart of the school.
astudio sought to alter the school’s existing buildings as little as possible, incorporating an exposed brick wall of the impressive old UTC warehouse into the new atrium. Additionally, the school colours of pink and grey are incorporated throughout the redevelopment, ensuring the school’s heritage and identity are woven into the fabric of its buildings. The design of Greenwich Trust School’s new atrium epitomises astudio’s aim of bridging the gap between the old and the new.
Since being founded 2007, astudio has completed multiple projects for educational institutions including St Paul’s Trust School, Twickenham Academy, Kingston Academy, and the University of Chicago Booth’s London campus.
Richard Hyams, Co-founder and CEO of astudio, commented: “We are delighted to have delivered this redevelopment of Royal Greenwich Trust School, which elevates its future teaching and learning to their maximum potential while also remaining true to the site’s history. We are particularly proud that these principles have remained a priority throughout the project, despite the very unique circumstances in which it was completed. The result is an inspirational environment in which students, teachers, and the community can reap the benefits of a space specifically designed to meet a broad range of educational needs.” Caroline Longhurst, Headteacher at Royal Greenwich Trust School, commented: “The long-awaited new wing at RGTS marks an exciting and significant point in the school’s history. The new facilities will transform the educational experiences of our students and provide a much-improved working environment for our staff.
As a growing institution, we look to identify ourselves as the educational hub on the Greenwich peninsula, and the opportunities presented through our extended building will enable us to engage more directly with the local community through the formation of purposeful and lasting relationships. With the continued support of the Governors, Trust Exec Team, Trust Board members, and our community partners, the school is certain to go from strength to strength and we look forward to our bright future ahead.”
Cllr Matt Morrow, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People said: “I’m proud that the Council has been able to fund this expansion which will enable even more young people to learn in a state-of-the-art environment with the best possible facilities. Times are tough for council budgets but we will always invest as much as we can in new and improved schools. I can’t wait to visit the school and meet the pupils and teachers when it officially opens next year.”
Changing the face of facades: Millboard launches ground-breaking cladding collection
A major new range from the award-winning company
This week, Millboard has launched a suite of cutting-edge cladding materials that will cement the company’s reputation as one of Britain’s leading home and garden material manufacturers.
In its thirteen-year history, Millboard has continually broken new ground, notably for its flagship UV, split, rot and slip-resistant decking product that has been used in builds as prestigious as the Burj Al Arab, Kew Gardens and Wimbledon.
The new range of cladding takes its cue from the first-rate attributes of the decking range. Available in two styles (‘V Groove’ and ‘Board and Batten’) and a wide range of colours, it provides the same assurance of UV resistance and eliminates the risk of warping, twisting or rotting. And just like the decking range, the cladding has been hand-moulded from carefully selected natural timbers, to provide an unmistakably organic look.
From the smooth finish of the V Groove to the pleasing grain variance of the Board and Batten style, there’s a Millboard cladding style for every property type. A year in development, this product is perfectly designed to stand the test of time and to require minimal maintenance. In fact, the distinctive chamfered cut of the profiles enables the rain to wash the boards, dramatically reducing the need for manual cleaning.
The boards are made from a polyurethane-mineral composite that boasts greater eco credentials than rainforest-depleting timber. The unique properties of this enduring material mean that you’ll never suffer from streak marks around window seals, be disappointed by dramatic colour changes, or have to maintain it with expensive and time-consuming treatments.
The extra-wide sizing of the boards means that the cladding can be mounted quickly, providing a lightning-fast renovation of the exterior of a property, and the boards can also be used internally, for feature walls and dividers. Additionally, the cladding can be mounted vertically or horizontally to suit the tastes of the architect or homeowner.
As well as providing an instant refresh to a property, the boards can also help homeowners to achieve a better energy rating. As it is made from polyurethane foam, Millboard cladding has good insulation properties and protects against extreme heat or extreme cold. With a growing domestic focus on thermal efficiency, cladding can help to sell your property, or to achieve the energy rating you need to rent it out. Some homeowners have struggled with building regulations for putting bigger windows in, but with the insulation provided by cladding, it can often be possible to design bigger apertures into the building.
The team at Millboard are excited about their latest development, and the launch of the new cladding range represents a significant milestone for the company. The new cladding collection marks Millboard’s expansion into a broader range of high-calibre home and garden products.
Millboard Cladding was officially launched November 2020.
For more information about the product range, visit Millboard’s website or contact the team today on 02476439943 or enquiries@millboard.co.uk
A development with landscape and community at its core, InsideOut designed Fairbrook Grove in such a way that all properties open up into a communal central woodland - a place for children to play and a community to thrive.
Speaking about the award, Gold Property Developments Managing Director, Philip Todd said “Winning Gold for THE BEST SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT category in the What House Award’s is an enormous achievement that we are extremely proud of. “Especially as the future of sustainable housing is something that we are all very passionate about!
It has been a privilege to be involved with Inside Out Architects and their incredible design for the 14 Passivhaus’ at Faversham. The homes are built with natural materials, are incredibly energy efficient, south facing and are perfect for those families yearning to be in touch with nature. Southmill Ltd who have used highquality craftsmanship to transform this landscape led, sustainably designed development into a reality. – A peaceful and safe environment for family life.
After the enormous amount of hard work put in by both Gold Property Developments and the wider project team we are honoured to have received such a prestigious accolade and would like to thank What House for their recognition of our scheme.”
Putting the correct HSE measures in place to protect workers from harmful silica dust and airborne viruses
By James Miller, Director at Dustcontrol UK
Inspectors have also been checking businesses are doing all they can to protect workers from the risk of Coronavirus by making workplaces Covid-19 secure.
According to the HSE, there are approximately 500 silica dust-related deaths every year1, with construction workers having a two to three times greater chance of contracting chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases such as bronchitis and emphysema.
It is not just strenuous on-site activities such as chipping, cutting, drilling or grinding that can cause fine dusts to become airborne either, as simple tasks involving sweeping or the pouring of powders can send Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) particles into the air and subsequently into the airways and lungs of workers. With the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) having launched a month-long inspection on construction throughout October 2020, contractors up and down the country have been urged to have the correct measures in place to protect workers from harmful silica dust and asbestos.
An example of this is CIS693, which outlines how to limit and capture dusts via on-tool dust extraction. This is effectively a ‘local exhaust ventilation system’, or ‘LEV’, that is fitted directly on to the tool, comprising a captor hood (also known as a shroud or suction casing), fitted hose and a vacuum extraction unit.
Source extraction is the most efficient method of dust prevention. The 3 main classes of industrial extraction units are L, M and H but the HSE recommends using M (Medium) as the minimum class or H (High) Class when working with construction dusts, particularly to tackle silica and wood dusts.
H Class extraction filters dust to a higher degree with a filter leakage of less than 0.005%, which makes it more effective at targeting respirable dusts with carcinogenic properties. What’s more, H Class machines that are specifically developed for the construction market help prevent tools from clogging up and therefore provide power tools with greater longevity and work efficiency. Due to the high specification of containment on such machines, accidental dust leakage from internal filter bags is also significantly reduced.
As well as using on-tool extraction, background air cleaners can be used as a complimentary method to combat ambient dust issues. Standalone units with HEPA-13 filters, for instance, can circulate clean air back into a room used for dustcreating activities, providing even greater extraction efficiency.
Air cleaners can also be used to combat airborne viruses such as Covid-19, which can be transmitted through droplets when a person coughs, sneezes or even talks, thanks to breathing in air that contains coronavirus particles. Scientists have also found that particles can live in the atmosphere for up to three hours, being easily inhaled into the lungs by those in proximity to someone infected.
It is important, therefore, that the air on construction sites is clean and free of any airborne particles
to help limit the spread of infection. Our powerful HEPA-13 filtered air cleaners have been tested to capture at least 99.95% between 0.15 to 0.3 micrometres. The industrial-strength DC AirCube range comprises of mobile, quiet-running, single-phase, continuous rated motors that have been specifically built to reduce the risk of respiratory problems by filtering air of harmful particles. Furthermore, to relieve the HEPA-13 filter, the AirCubes are also equipped with a simpler pre-filter (class G3) to capture larger particles.
By creating a negative pressure environment onsite, where in a well-sealed, segregated room used for dust creating activities, for example, air is HEPA-13 filtered, then exhausted outside by using a portable HEPA-13 filtered air cleaner. This process significantly limits the spread of particles back into other areas of the building.
At Dustcontrol UK Ltd we strive for best practice and higher than minimum standards but it is important that hire companies do not feel that dust prevention and virus limitation are minefields. We offer free advice on how to manage dust in construction environments on our website4, as well as providing access to information on how to create Covid-19 secure environments5, such as the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control’s Technical Report March 2020.
Whether or not companies engage with us for guidance, the important thing is that for the sake of workers’ long-term health, steps are taken to create safe and healthy working environments. The severity of the potential consequences of not doing so, cannot be understated. James Miller is the Director of Dustcontrol UK Ltd. He has a wealth of experience in helping businesses control and prevent the spread of dust in the manufacturing, engineering, food processing, construction and demolition industries, through providing dust extraction solutions and centralised vacuum systems to fit client requirements.
