Bristol Brunel Academy opens
Multi-disciplinary consulting engineer Buro Happold and Wilkinson Eyre Architects are celebrating the completion of Bristol Brunel Academy, as part of the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) initiative.
The scheme by Skanska involved the design and construction of a new state-of-the-art academy to cater for 1,200 pupils aged 11 to 18. It replaces the adjoining Speedwell Technology College which will be demolished.
Buro Happold associate and project leader, Ian Tavener, said: “We are really pleased that the academy was completed in time for the new school year. This is a very promising beginning to the Building Schools for the Future initiative. The successful completion is testament to the continued successful relationship between everyone involved in the project.”
The academy comprises a three-storey ‘split’ block of accommodation, subdivided into two teaching areas, arranged around a central atrium. A series of internal footbridges and perimeter walkways connect each area within the building.
Sustainability, a major consideration for the project, has influenced the design of the building. Biomass boilers will provide most of heating and hot water load. A rainwater harvesting system has also been fitted, which has a capacity of 100,000 litres. A full tank will provide enough water for seven days usage of the toilet facilities at the academy.
Thermal mass is gained via a concrete frame, which will allow the school to operate as a predominantly naturally ventilated building. Daylight levels in excess of four per cent have been achieved in the teaching areas, reducing the dependency on artificial lighting.
Work began on site in May 2006 and the college was handed over by Skanska to Bristol City Council on 14 August. The three other schools involved in the Bristol BSF initiative are Whitefield and Fishponds Community School, Brislington Enterprise College and Hartcliffe Education Campus, which are all due to open in 2008/9.
Launched in 2004, the government’s BSF initiative is an investment programme to rebuild or renew every secondary school in England. ICT forms a fundamental part of this investment, recognising the necessity of technology as a tool to transform education.
Ends
Project team: Client: Skanska, a member of the first-ever local education partnership (LEP) with Bristol City Council and Partnerships for Schools
Architect: Wilkinson Eyre Architects
Services provided by Buro Happold: Building services and CoSA
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Buro Happold has over 20 years’ experience in the design of educational buildings, from primary and secondary schools to colleges and universities.
Buro Happold is a multi-disciplinary international practice of consulting engineers established in 1976 offering civil and structural engineering, mechanical and electrical engineering, quantity surveying, building services and environmental engineering, health and safety management, infrastructure and traffic engineering, ground engineering, façade engineering, fire engineering, computational fluid dynamics analysis, inclusive design consultancy, project management, urban design and a range of specialist CAD services.
Building Schools for the Future (BSF)
The BSF programme will rebuild or renew every secondary school in England over the next 15 years, with an aim to raise educational attainment. It will promote better school design and re-organise secondary schooling to have the greatest positive effect on pupil achievement. BSF will also link with other funding to create greater community use of schools, providing increased opportunities for life-long learning.
