Case Study: Permanent Modular Project at St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School

By Shannon Meyerkort

Industry Reporter

Growth in enrolments was the driver behind the urgent need for more classrooms at Queensland-based St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School. The solution needed to be implemented within a tight time frame and needed to meet specific design and budget requirements.

St Margaret’s is an independent day and boarding school for girls from Pre-Prep to Year 12 in the northern suburbs of Brisbane. In February 2021, growth in enrolments saw the need for two new learning spaces in the secondary school to be built within the calendar year. “The modular solution was chosen due to needing the two classrooms within a ten-month time frame… by the start of 2022,” said Toni Williams, Director of Business and Operations for the Society of the Sacred Advent Schools who own St Margaret’s. A prime consideration when reviewing tenders was the desire for the new structure to blend in with the school landscape and campus. “We have heritage and modern buildings on campus… [and] we needed the building to integrate into the existing gardens and treescape,’ added Toni. The winning bid came from ATCO Structures, who worked with the school’s architect Blight Raynor to ensure that the building was complementary to the surroundings. Clint Cunial, Business Development Manager at ATCO, said the project brief was that the new structure did not look like a typical ‘modular’ building while affording all the advantages of a speedy modular build. “The school wanted to use the benefits of a modular build, that being short lead times and less disruption to the school,” said Clint: “The site was right in front of the main part of the school and the lead time on a more typical style of construction was not favourable to the school.

“ATCO was awarded the project in May 2021 and the handover was completed in November. The detailed design, manufacture and installation was completed in 24 weeks,” added Clint.

“We were really happy with ATCO as they worked with the school the whole way to achieve our vision and meet the tight timeframe,” added Toni. “Clint is extremely knowledgeable about all things modular and the expectations of independent schools, so he was great to work with.” Despite some COVID-related delays affecting contractors and causing supply chain issues, the building was installed by November 2021, landscaping completed by January 2022 and the classrooms ready for the first day of school. Part of the successful build was properly preparing the site before ATCO arrived. “We needed to demolish an existing building and do some civil works, including retaining walls, so the building would nestle within the landscape,” said Toni. “This work took some additional time and cost but was undertaken by the school before ATCO arrived on site, although they were part of the consultation process. “When you see the finished product, it was definitely the right decision and vision of our architect to sit the building lower than the original land height.” Clint agreed: “The school absolutely loves the new facility. It fits within the surroundings like it has always been there. You can’t tell it’s a modular building.” In addition to the shorter build time and reduced disruption to the campus, other advantages of a modular build include the options of both permanent or relocatable buildings and high-quality finishes which are comparable to, or even exceed, those of traditional builds. “The benefit of building indoors in a quality-controlled environment means the workmanship and finishes are of the highest quality,” said Clint. The 23x10m double classroom is a balanced mix of materials including wood, glass and metal with an entire wall of windows, including louvred glass. A deep veranda on one side protects the building from the sun and elements, while decorative metal panelling on another provides both access and privacy. And the response from the staff and students? “The whole school community loves the building,” said Toni. “It’s light and airy and very comfortable to work and learn in. The girls all want to have their classes in the modular building.”

St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School. Images courtesy of ATCO