08 January 2013
Recycled Modular Solution Allows Sixth Form College to Benefit from More Classrooms
Foremans Relocatable Building Systems, the UK's largest supplier of refurbished Portakabin buildings, has handed over a new teaching block at St John Rigby College near Wigan. The use of recycled building modules allowed the sixth form college to benefit from a larger building and more classrooms for the available budget.
The two-storey scheme, which provides 11 classrooms for social sciences and two IT suites, was craned into position in just three days during school holidays, minimising any disruption to the college. The modular solution reduced the programme time to just 30 weeks, enabling the tight deadline for its funding requirements to be met.
The building features brise soleil sun shading, a canopy over the main entrance, timber cladding, and a contrasting white finish for a crisp and contemporary appearance.
Commenting on the project, Allan Keating, Director of Finance, Funding and Estates at St John Rigby College, said, "We received funding to improve our facilities but both site-based construction and new modular building couldn't provide the additional capacity we needed for the available budget. The Foremans approach proved to be more cost effective for a bigger building but with no compromise on the quality of the accommodation."
"At the outset, we visited another sixth form centre built by Foremans and were pleasantly surprised by just what is possible with recycled modules. You would never know this is a refurbished building. Staff and students are very happy and it has provided a much needed and much improved learning environment. Foremans worked closely with us to develop the design to our specific requirements and were able to meet our tight deadline for the project. The opening of the new building coincided with our best ever examination results and we believe the quality of the new teaching accommodation will contribute to further improvements in the future."
St John Rigby College is a Catholic sixth form college in the Orrell district of Wigan. Its facilities include high specification science laboratories and art studios, and one of the largest synthetic playing surfaces in the country.
Foremans has extensive experience in providing high quality accommodation to primary and secondary schools, further education and sixth form colleges, and universities. It offers a wide range of modular building solutions, from interim classrooms for short-term use to fully refurbished teaching blocks and extensions to existing schemes.
The Foremans approach will reduce build programmes by up to 70 per cent compared to site-based construction, allowing schools and colleges to meet urgent place planning issues and deadlines for funding. In order to meet individual project requirements and budgets, the buildings can be supplied decorated or fully refurbished with new windows, wall linings, partitions, mechanical and electrical services, doors, flooring, and cladding.
For further information about refurbished Portakabin buildings for schools, academies and colleges, visit www.foremansbuildings.info, email info@foremansbuildings.co.uk, or call 01964 544344.
Editor's Notes
1. Other advantages of refurbished Portakabin buildings include:
- Strong sustainability credentials - because the steel structure is recycled, it is highly sustainable and will improve a building's carbon footprint
- A highly cost-effective alternative to new build and new manufacture
- Ease of expansion, reconfiguring or removal for complete flexibility should local requirements change
- Off-site working is maximised for safer, quieter and cleaner sites and reduced disruption to teaching during construction
- Robust steel-framed modular buildings that are built to last and ideal for demanding education environments
- Fewer ground works are required than for site-based construction - further reducing cost, disruption and programme times.
2. Foremans offers the UK's largest selection of refurbished Portakabin buildings available from stock. It provides a nationwide service from its production and operational centres in East Yorkshire and Hemel Hempstead.
