Education Thu, Oct 20, 2016 12:40 PM
At the Structural Timber Awards 2016, the Best Education Project category sponsored by PEFC saw Mellor Primary School, near Stockport, designed by Sarah Wigglesworth Architects announced as the overall winner from 12 shortlisted projects.
The Best Education Project category showcases schemes that have used timber technology to create exceptional buildings and vibrant learning spaces for both students and staff. The stunning school was also chosen as the Judges Choice overall winning scheme.
The extension for Mellor Primary School provides a series of ‘exciting and stimulating new spaces’ based on the school’s Forest School ethos. The extension is in effect a ‘tree house’ – a cluster of pitched roof shapes set on a deck extending out into the landscape. Tree-like glulam frames support not only the deck but also the roofs internally and canopies externally.
Timber was specified as a robust and sustainable material, offering clear benefits in terms of sustainability, structural performance, durability and long-term maintenance. The judges praised Mellor Primary School for being: “An excellent scheme with an honest simple structure but importantly uses the structure as a learning resource.”
Presenting the Award, PEFC CEO and Secretary General Ben Gunneberg said: “It is always fantastic to see the ways in which timber is used throughout the construction industry to produce such magnificent, sustainable and environmentally sound buildings.
"The role of PEFC-certified forests and the timber that leaves them is vitally important and this is being reflected across Europe with the levels of engineered wood used in particular on some landmark schemes.”
The Structural Timber Awards reward outstanding projects and innovative products that are promoting excellence in structural timber across the UK. Across all the 15 Awards categories, there were many examples of PEFC-certified timber being specified with cross laminated timber (CLT) and glulam increasingly being adopted as a sustainable alternative to steel and concrete.
The judges also singled out two Highly Commended schemes for praise. These were Burry Port Community Primary School designed and built by Cygnum Timber Frame and Architype, that celebrated Welsh timber and is the first Passivhaus School building in Wales.
Also gaining plaudits was The SchoolHouse project from Roderick James Architects: a vocational project that enabled pupils to build their own sustainable timber house at the Burlington Danes Academy in London, that included a hand-crafted structural Douglas fir (English plantation grown) frame.
Featured News
Intake Primary Academy is one of 14 schools, across three Doncaster constituencies,...
Passivent has supplied a combination of Hybrid Plus2 Aircool ventilators and Hybrid...
BUILDING PRODUCT LIBRARY - LATEST BROCHURES
HPS200 Ultra Case St...
By Tata Steel
Confidex Datasheet
By Tata Steel
Prisma UK 2024
By Tata Steel
HPS200 Ultra UK
By Tata Steel
Amtico Bio Support D...
By Amtico
BUILDING PRODUCT DIRECTORY - LATEST PRODUCTS
Offers the most comprehensive guarantee for pre-finished steel products in Europe and provides peace...
Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra®Super durable guaranteed performance.Designed to withstand even the most...
Colorcoat Prisma®Aesthetics that last, guaranteed.Colorcoat Prisma® demonstrates a step change by...
CONSTRUCTION VIDEOS - LATEST VIDEOS
Mira Showers is delighted to introduce the new Mira Vista HeatloopTM – an innovative and stylish...
https://www.aandslandscape.co.uk/ Find out why A&S Landscape Canopies last longer than alternatives....
A&S Landscape designed and installed a large enclosed, curved roof canopy for Hampton Gardens School...