Charcon, the commercial hard landscaping division of Aggregate Industries, has successfully completed a significant delivery to the new £20 million Sybil Andrews Academy at the Moreton Hall development in Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk.
Appointed by local contractor, Barnes Construction, Charcon consulted with architects Concertus to recommend the best hard landscaping products to support ease of movement around the school, and complement the school’s green credentials, as well as its striking modern design.
To help enhance the sustainability rating of the school, more than 3,500m2 of Infilta 80mm permeable block paving in Grey and Charcoal, alongside nearly 3,000m² of Infilta specifier block paving in both Light and Silver Grey, was specified for the car park. This highly durable yet visually appealing sustainable urban drainage system (SuDS), thanks to its hidden 5mm spacer nibs, allows the ingress of surface water to pass through to a sub-base water storage system below.
Available in over 20 different colour and texture variations, Infilta is made from high quality recycled aggregates and forms part of Charcon’s Life portfolio which is available to make sustainable specification simpler and easier.
In addition, just over 1,700m2 of premium Andover Textured block paving was specified in a range of unique grey hues which provided optimum design flexibility and strong visual appeal for the walkways and play area.
Finally, just over 30m2 of Europa 80mm concrete block paving in Charcoal and Grey, recommended due to its anti-slip properties, was supplied to provide an aesthetic border to the car park.
Completed in November 2016, phase one of Sybil Andrews Academy is now home to around 200 students who are enjoying state-of-the-art education amenities, including indoor and outdoor sporting facilities. In accordance with Bury St Edmund’s growth plan for the area, Vision 2031, it also has an incremental capacity, expecting to eventually accommodate 1,400 students from forthcoming new family housing developments.
Mark Bailey, Divisional Director at Barnes commented: “Sybil Academy has been a vast project that had to be delivered within an extremely tight timeframe. We worked closely with Charcon and benefitted from their technical abilities and product knowledge to supply the Academy with products that are not only cost-effective, but stylish and durable too. We couldn’t be happier with the outcome.”
Mike Davies, Category Manager at Charcon, said: “We are delighted to have been able to provide our knowledge and product expertise for such a great example of innovative design within the education sector. Charcon is pleased to be supporting the town’s Vision 2031; we trust the beautiful, contemporary landscaping will provide pupils with a learning environment they enjoy and can thrive in, and we hope to get involved with future projects in the local area.”
