Building work commences

WORK BEGINS ON £20M REBUILD OF OASIS ACADEMY COULSDON

Award-winning contractors Wilmott Dixon have started work on the £20m redevelopment of buildings and facilities at Oasis Academy Coulsdon.

 

Plans for the redevelopment of the school, where works commenced earlier this month and are expected to finish at the start of Autumn 2011, will deliver:

 

•      State of the art new teaching and learning facilities to meet the evolving needs of twenty-first century students, as well as extensive refurbishment of buildings and amenities not earmarked for replacement

•      Environmentally sustainable development, designed to achieve an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating

•      At least 10% of the Academy’s energy needs supplied by on-site renewable sources (e.g. solar panels) and with state-of-the-art building design and insulation to minimise energy loss

•      A roof made of EFTE polymer - the same lightweight, recyclable and resilient material used for the Eden Project biomes in Cornwall and the National Space Centre in Leicester

•      A new communal atrium at the heart of the Academy - protected by the EFTE roof overhead – to be used for assemblies, presentations and exhibitions and which would be overlooked by balconies on all four sides of the Academy

The redevelopment is a key part of the Transforming Croydon Schools programme, which will transform the standards of education across the borough.

 

Oasis Academy Coulsdon replaced Coulsdon High School in September 2008. In the 19 months since the Academy opened, it has already made exceptional progress.

Cllr Tim Pollard, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Learners, said, ““This is a landmark moment for Oasis Academy Coulsdon. Students have already shown exceptional improvement since the Academy opened, with the number of students achieving the top A* and A grades increasing by 50 per cent in a single year. This £20m redevelopment will provide state of the art new teaching and learning facilities, and an educational environment that everyone connected with the Academy can take pride in for years to come.

“Redevelopment at the site will ensure that standards at the Academy will continue to improve and that current and future students have the opportunity to fulfil their academic potential”.

Aredi Pitsiaeli, Director of Strategic Development for Oasis Community Learning, said, “Oasis Academy Coulsdon has seen some huge improvements in their 19 months of operation. Attendance has increased, results have improved and it is fitting that the building works are commencing on the back of that success.”

Principal of Oasis Academy Coulsdon, David Millar, said, “We are really pleased that the building work has started on schedule. It’s going to be very exciting to watch as our facilities are transformed into a world-class learning and community centre.”

 ENDS

 

Notes to Editors

Building Schools for the Future (BSF) is the biggest-ever school buildings investment programme. The aim is to rebuild or renew almost every secondary school in England.

The joint programme is part of an innovative partnership designed to enable Croydon and Kingston to combine their expertise in providing world class learning facilities to learners across both boroughs. Working side by side will also significantly reduce the cost of procuring the building projects in the two boroughs. 

In June 2008, Croydon Council set out its vision for the transformation of secondary school education through The Secondary Review. The plans include the creation of:

• Three new academies located at Oasis Academy School, Selsdon High School and Harris Academy Purley
• Increased sixth-form provision across the borough
• Special education provision for children with learning difficulties

 Oasis Community Learning was set up in 2004 as the governing body for the Oasis Academy programme. It aims to create and sustain a network of excellent learning communities where everyone can realise their full potential. Oasis Community Learning opened its first three Academies in September 2007 in Enfield, Immingham and Grimsby. Six more Academies opened in September 2008: Oasis Academy Bristol and Oasis Academy Brightstowe (both in Bristol), and Oasis Academy MediaCityUK (Salford) and Oasis Academy Coulsdon (Croydon), as well as Oasis Academy Mayfield and Oasis Academy Lord’s Hill in Southampton East and West respectively. As of September 2009 Oasis Community Learning now has a total of eleven Academies with the opening of Oasis Academy Hadley (Enfield) and Oasis Academy Shirley Park (Croydon). By September 2010 it will have twelve with the opening of Oasis Academy Oldham. Oasis Community Learning is part of the family of Oasis Charities. For more information about Oasis Community Learning go to www.oasiscommunitylearning.org.

 

 

Oasis Academy Coulsdon – Redevelopment Case Study

 

Basic Description of the Project

 

The project aim is the redevelopment of Oasis Academy Coulsdon under the PfS Academies Framework. Following the competitive dialogue period, the team headed by Willmott Dixon Construction Ltd became selected bidder, along with architects Sheppard Robson, structural engineers Hyder Consulting, building services engineers Van Zyl & de Villiers and landscape architects Fabrik.

 

The design is part new build and part refurbishment of the original 1960s buildings. The original 3-storey Main Building, Year 11 Hub and Sports hall are retained for refurbishment, albeit for different purposes, whilst a new 3-storey building is added along the Coulsdon Common perimeter, and a new Sports Hall. The new building encloses a courtyard which, when covered with a translucent roof, will become the academy’s new Agora.

 

Externally a new pedestrian piazza is formed between the new buildings, leading to a new main entrance adjacent to the existing one. New car parking with more than 106 spaces is created in the location of the existing car park and games court. A new all-weather MUGA is provided to the rear of the buildings, whilst the second court to the East of the site is refurbished. New landscaping including outside dining and teaching spaces surround the buildings.

 

The programme sees initial preparatory work taking place from May/June 2010, completing in September/October 2011.

 

BREEAM Rating and Score

 

The BREEAM assessment score is 72.36%, which equates to an Excellent rating.

 

Key innovative and low-impact design features of the building

 

·         10% on-site energy production. This is achieved primarily using photovoltaic cells, but with small contributions from an evacuated-tube water heater and a wind turbine.

·         High thermal mass. The buildings are built of concrete, which gives it a high thermal mass. Occupant thermal comfort is achieved without extensive reliance on air conditioning.

·         Automated natural ventilation system

·         Sustainable urban drainage system.

 

 

Basic Building Cost - £1057.19/m2

Services Cost - £407.21/m2

External Works cost - £95.05/m2

Gross Floor Area – 11,096m2

Total Area of Site – 7.9Ha

Function Areas and their size:

·         Sports Hall – 594m2

·         Activity Studio – 173m2

·         Agora 428m2

·         Multipurpose Hall – 431m2

Area of Circulation – 2057m2

Area of Storage – 315m2

% Area of grounds to be used by community – 85%

% Area of buildings to be used by community – 23%

Predicted electricity consumption – 18.0kWh/m2

Predicted fossil fuel energy generation – 69.2kWh/m2

Predicted renewable energy generation – 4.0kWh/m2

Predicted water use – 5.5m3/person/year

% predicted water use to be provided by rainwater or greywater – 0%

Steps taken during the construction process to reduce environmental impacts:

·         Operation of environmental management system compliant with ISO:14001

·         Extensive waste segregation on site

·         Diversion of waste from landfill circa 90%

·         Water, electricity and fossil fuel usage monitoring and active reduction

·         Environmental Action Plan

·         Environmental & Ecological briefing for all site operatives

·         Extensive tree and root protection measures

·         Ecological surveying and protection measures

·         Regular noise, dust and traffic assessments, and remedial/preventative action taken

·         Waste auditing and waste carrier checks

·         Travel assessments for operatives

 

List of any social or economically sustainable measures achieved/piloted:

·         Commitment to creating and carrying out a Community Action Plan.

·         Commitment to creating and carrying out a Community Project.