Portakabin, the UK’s leading modular building specialist, has delivered an interim sixth form centre in just six weeks at a school in Cheshire after structural defects to an existing building meant alternative accommodation was urgently required.
Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School needed high quality facilities to be fitted out over the school holidays and ready to use for 220 students by the start of the new term. The sixth form centre had to be completed in less than two months and this meant that the speed of the Portakabin hire solution was critical to ensure there was no disruption to teaching.
Portakabin configured 15 steel-framed modules to meet the school’s exact requirements, which were installed to form three single-storey buildings. A spacious, open-plan sixth form study centre was constructed featuring a full-height glazed wall across the front elevation creating a bright and inspirational education environment.
Two large double classroom buildings were sited adjacent to the study centre and the facilities include two multi-purpose classrooms and toilets, an art room, and café. A climate control system was also installed in each building to ensure a comfortable working environment for the staff and students.
Portakabin provided a dedicated project manager for the scheme, and undertook all planning permissions, services and fitting out for the school. Site constraints meant that careful preparation was required in order to protect a shallow soak-away drain when the buildings were delivered. Despite the challenges, the project was delivered on time, on budget and to a tight timescale, providing the school with teaching and study facilities of the highest standard for use until the permanent building is repaired.
Commenting on the project, Tony Halsall, Director of Business Services at the school, said, “At first it seemed an impossible task because we needed extensive high quality teaching and study facilities in a matter of weeks. Nevertheless, we approached several modular building suppliers to see what they could do. “From the very beginning, Portakabin gave us complete confidence that they could deliver exactly what we needed within our short timeframe. They seemed undaunted by the challenges of our project, and we knew their buildings offered the high standards we were looking for.
“This project was a genuine collaborative effort. Portakabin pulled out all the stops to get the buildings delivered and installed on schedule – they handled all planning and building control applications, ensuring everything was approved quickly. The teachers and students absolutely love the accommodation and would be happy to keep the buildings permanently!”
Interim education facilities provided by Portakabin are designed and constructed to permanent standards and in line with the latest Department for Education guidelines for teaching and learning. The buildings incorporate design best practice, current thinking on anti-bullying strategies and generously-sized, light, modern classrooms. They can be configured as learning clusters, standalone teaching blocks and even single classroom buildings to meet a school’s precise requirements.
Portakabin buildings for hire can be fitted out as classrooms, offices, toilets and changing rooms and for more specialist applications such as dance studios, dining rooms, domestic science and general science laboratories. Its in-house services also include full project management, ground works, planning, health and safety, landscaping and commissioning, ensuring the project is completely hassle-free. There is also now the option for buildings to be clad to create a more permanent appearance and to help integrate the facilities on an existing school site.
Interim teaching facilities give schools, colleges and local authorities the flexibility to increase school places to maintain the highest standards of teaching during major construction or refurbishment work or to meet a short-term surge in pupil numbers.
Portakabin has also recently launched a new Planning and Building Control Service to manage the Building Regulations and planning process for the supply of interim modular buildings. This service offers a complete time-saving solution to help schools obtain planning permission and building control approval for its accommodation solutions.
For further information about modular school buildings for interim use, visit www.portanews.co.uk, email [email protected] or call 0845 401 0010.
