The modular building industry is helping educational buildings to meet their requirements, whilst delivering buildings with the highest levels of sustainability.

Specifiers in education are increasingly looking to integrate renewable technology within their buildings, driven in part by the need for schools to meet BREEAM ‘very good' standards. In the past, this was usually achieved by adopting a traditional build method, however, innovation in offsite construction means renewable systems can just as easily be integrated into the fabric of buildings that are produced off site.

It's all down to flexibility and providing a bespoke service. Often the reason why modular buildings are chosen as the most viable option for schools is due to the constraints that they operate within. Schools lie at the heart of the community, which often means they are located in built-up residential areas, where long term construction work could cause a nuisance to local residents and access could be difficult and restricted.

In addition, tight deadlines are imposed due to the need for construction works to be carried out mainly during the school holidays, in order to minimise disruption and prevent health and safety issues on site. Being able to create a weathertight seal, often in days, means that even during a two-week half term, the building can be in place with work progressing on the internals – with minimal disruption to the day-to-day activities of the school.

Despite these constraints, offsite construction can still be scheduled to meet with a school's strict build schedule and incorporate a wide range of renewable technologies.



Take, for example, the Hybred® concept. This can be used for either a single storey or up to a five storey building within a school and allows for the creation of a sustainable build
by enabling the integration of several different renewable technologies.
These systems can be specified with environmental elements, such as ground source heat pumps, rainwater harvesting, solar PV panels (integrated into the roof) and mechanical heat recovery (MVHR) systems. Such off site systems can also have their carbon footprint reduced by specifying low embedded carbon building products which contain a high percentage of recycled materials and are manufactured with low carbon or carbon-offset energy. Green roofs are increasingly popular with schools, as they provide a very visible demonstration of a building's sustainability, enhancing their local environment. Off site buildings with a Sedum roof provide the opportunity for grass and plants to flourish and again reduce the building's carbon footprint.

Incorporating these popular green features also means that these buildings have even greater visual appeal and their appearance makes it often impossible to distinguish them from a traditionally constructed building. To enhance this even further, the external façade to the new building can be selected in cladding to match the finish of the existing structure. This means the old and new conjoined structures will feature the same cladding, therefore making the new building indistinguishable from the traditionally-built main structure.

The actual width of the access road is often the starting point for determining the type of off site construction for an educational building. Where access is severely restricted, flat pack systems like Unitrex are becoming popular, as they combine the benefits of off site construction, but can meet the often tight site access restrictions. With these so called "flat-pack" systems, the ground floor units and panels are produced in our factory, helping to provide all the benefits of offsite construction. The units are then delivered to site and the panels are fixed onto the framework, which creates a weathertight seal within a fraction of the time of carrying out construction in the traditional way.



Another important benefit of off site construction is the quality controlled environment within the factory, which ensures that all performance requirements, such as energy efficiency and air tightness are met.

Many schools are looking to offset their carbon footprint and to present themselves as pioneers of sustainable construction through the use of renewable technology. With schools facing the challenges of providing buildings that deliver an excellent environment for learning whilst working within budget constraints, it is up to the off site industry to rise to the challenge. Whilst our industry has always been renowned for being able to meet the needs of schools in terms of short timeframes and restricted access, now technology and innovation has enabled us to open up the possibility for the integration of the very latest renewable technology. This means that through systems like Hybred®, the modular building industry can meet the requirements of educational buildings both now and into the future