5th July 2022

Perega obtains an A+ in SECBE Awards

Perega has been integral to the successful construction of a new two-storey classroom block at Crosfields School near Reading, Berkshire, which was declared the winner in the Building Project of the Year under £10m category at the recent Constructing Excellence SECBE Awards.

Completed in October 2021, the facility is a visually exciting S-shaped structure and includes 9 classrooms and a solar-shaded courtyard for pupils to relax between lessons. It also actively preserves the surrounding ecology, as the curved nature of the design works around the sites existing trees and flora.

With sustainability at the core of the project, the school had stipulated a strict low-carbon brief to align the new building with its strong eco-friendly ethos. This meant the client specifically sought assurances from contracted partners that the block would use modern methods of construction (MMC), keeping waste and emissions to a bare minimum.

Collaborating closely with David Miller Architects, Perega’s exceptional structural engineering team developed the design framework concept for the new classroom block, which included an innovative cross-laminated timber structure (CLT).

Traditionally, CLT hasn’t been the go-to approach for new build projects of this type. However, with Net Zero 2050 at the front of every specifier’s mind, this structural solution has become more popular in recent years and is now more commonly adopted to meet sustainability targets.

Making the architect’s vision a reality, the decision to use CLT made the curved building possible. The design was subsequently agreed with the client and work was scheduled to begin in June 2020.

However, due to the ongoing pandemic, the construction phase was delayed until September of that year, presenting a significant barrier as the date fell at the beginning of the Winter Term. This resulted in a number of associated challenged, including designing for access to install the CLT. It meant that all parties involved would need to work collaboratively with maximum agility.

These hurdles were surmounted thanks to the mutually-agreed use of offsite, modular solutions, the construction phase was accelerated, making up for the three months lost on site and the project was delivered to the original completion date set.

The team conducted extensive ground investigations, which revealed no significant overall foundational, drainage, or other conditional issues. These assessments were pivotal to completing the project on time as, without a thorough ground investigation, the likelihood of delay during construction increases significantly.

Director, Paul Jarvis, who was involved in the project, reveals: “To see the prestigious SECBE Awards list this project as a finalist was a special feeling, but for Crosfields to actually win this award is a huge achievement. Crosfields School was a really enjoyable project for us to be involved with.

“From a professional perspective, this project was exciting and innovative as using a sustainable CLT solution is somewhat unusual for this type of project. Deviating from concrete and steel to CLT was an interesting shift, but the ability to manufacture and assemble many of the components offsite made it possible to reduce the time it took to assemble the new building. Meeting the client’s MMC requirements, the new classroom block is modular through-and-through, designed in a specific way to facilitate future expansion seamlessly and sustainably.”

The new structure is currently in the first of two phases and has been specifically designed to allow for future expansion as the school grows.

To find out more about Perega’s extensive experience in the education sector, visit our “Education” page.