Building a better future: how school architecture can adapt to new demands

Modular building holds the key to future-proofing schools

WHILE schools have now reopened in the wake of the national lockdown, the way the buildings now operate has under gone dramatic change. The effects of the pandemic, from the necessity of social distancing to the increased popularity of remote learning, have forced schools to adapt. Future-proofing schools will require more than a financial impetus.

In August, the government fast-tracked a promising £560m investment to improve facilities at hundreds of schools, but this money must be spent wisely in order to yield a return on the investment. Several opportunities for schools can be explored. Schools have had to adapt quickly to accommodate students’ return for the new academic year, and the prospect of having to live with Covid-19 in the long term could mean that further rapid response is required.

This can be delivered by innovative means. Modular construction, for example, enables schools to expand capacity with efficiency. Modular construction allows project activities to be streamlined, with any supply chain issues more easily resolved from the factory floor. The result is a potential 50% reduction in programme length, and a saving of more than 75% in building time. More over, the minimal time spent onsite, where the prefabricated structures can be assembled relatively quickly, minimises disruption to existing facilities – with fewer distractions for students and teacher by construction noise.

Read the full article here: Building a better future: howschool architecture can adaptto new demands - Education Design & Build (educationdab.co.uk)

Images by Will Pryce.