A new initiative devised by Balfour Beatty is helping to set a new standard for sustainable school construction at a major new academy in the London Borough of Enfield. Incorporating offsite modular M&E produced and installed by Balfour Beatty Engineering Services (BBES), the approach will see a massive time saving of 30% in terms of overall project delivery.’
Balfour Beatty’s BBi600 is a fast, efficient, safe and sustainable construction solution which takes the architect’s design and engineers around a 600mm grid to make the overall scheme more efficient to build. The use of 3D modelling allows a range of the building’s components to be pre-determined to maximise offsite construction and improve quality, time and cost. BBi600 incorporates controlled continuous improvement and development to avoid a ‘modular’ aesthetic often associated with some fast track build solutions.
In the first major project involving BBi600, Oasis Hadley Academy is being built for Enfield Borough Council on a remediated former gas works site in Enfield. The building is made of four wings which are all linked by a central core which acts as the heart of the structure. For the Enfield Borough Council, BBi600 offers both a high quality build and a low initial cost. It also has great flexibility and will allow schools to respond easily to the changing needs and requirements of education provision in the future.
As part of the project, M&E services are being delivered through pre-engineered components that are manufactured off-site at BBES’ Modular Systems + facility. As well as health and safety benefits, BBES’ off-site fabrication can provide a more sustainable form of construction with pre-engineered components reducing time on site, minimising waste and resulting in significantly lower transportation costs.
As part of the M&E package, BBES will be installing a number of sustainable components including photovoltaic panels, air source heat pumps and electric car charging points, all helping Oasis Hadley Academy achieve a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating.
At Oasis Hadley Academy, the BBi600 approach has meant the construction team will save 13 weeks on the construction programme of 52 weeks which equates to a saving of 30% over a traditional build.
BBES’ offsite approach to modular M&E is a perfect fit with BBi600 and allows buildings like Oasis Hadley Academy to be built on a grid system, with ceiling rafts and raised floors to carry services and cabling. It also allows freedom to use any cladding, glazing or infill materials, maintaining architectural intent. With all internal walls free from services, the result is total flexibility to change the layout in the future. The pre-engineered approach also means that architects can spend more creative time and effort on the details that really matter to a school such as educational requirements.
‘BBi600 is a clean skeleton which can be reshaped, reconfigured and then built up layer by layer to create an exceptional, flexible and educational space’ Leigh Doman, Project Manager, BBBES. ‘It’s a natural fit with BBES’ Modular System + approach to M&E and combines to provide customers with an innovative approach to delivering schemes more efficiently, safer and sustainably.’
Set to open in December 2012, the state-of-the-art Oasis Hadley Academy is a blueprint for an intelligent and more affordable approach to construction. In utilising the BBi600 design approach, Balfour Beatty Construction is paving the way towards sustainable and inspirational teaching spaces in an economic climate that demands exceptional affordability.
Balfour Beatty’s BBi600 is a fast, efficient, safe and sustainable construction solution which takes the architect’s design and engineers around a 600mm grid to make the overall scheme more efficient to build. The use of 3D modelling allows a range of the building’s components to be pre-determined to maximise offsite construction and improve quality, time and cost. BBi600 incorporates controlled continuous improvement and development to avoid a ‘modular’ aesthetic often associated with some fast track build solutions.
In the first major project involving BBi600, Oasis Hadley Academy is being built for Enfield Borough Council on a remediated former gas works site in Enfield. The building is made of four wings which are all linked by a central core which acts as the heart of the structure. For the Enfield Borough Council, BBi600 offers both a high quality build and a low initial cost. It also has great flexibility and will allow schools to respond easily to the changing needs and requirements of education provision in the future.
As part of the project, M&E services are being delivered through pre-engineered components that are manufactured off-site at BBES’ Modular Systems + facility. As well as health and safety benefits, BBES’ off-site fabrication can provide a more sustainable form of construction with pre-engineered components reducing time on site, minimising waste and resulting in significantly lower transportation costs.
As part of the M&E package, BBES will be installing a number of sustainable components including photovoltaic panels, air source heat pumps and electric car charging points, all helping Oasis Hadley Academy achieve a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating.
At Oasis Hadley Academy, the BBi600 approach has meant the construction team will save 13 weeks on the construction programme of 52 weeks which equates to a saving of 30% over a traditional build.
BBES’ offsite approach to modular M&E is a perfect fit with BBi600 and allows buildings like Oasis Hadley Academy to be built on a grid system, with ceiling rafts and raised floors to carry services and cabling. It also allows freedom to use any cladding, glazing or infill materials, maintaining architectural intent. With all internal walls free from services, the result is total flexibility to change the layout in the future. The pre-engineered approach also means that architects can spend more creative time and effort on the details that really matter to a school such as educational requirements.
‘BBi600 is a clean skeleton which can be reshaped, reconfigured and then built up layer by layer to create an exceptional, flexible and educational space’ Leigh Doman, Project Manager, BBBES. ‘It’s a natural fit with BBES’ Modular System + approach to M&E and combines to provide customers with an innovative approach to delivering schemes more efficiently, safer and sustainably.’
Set to open in December 2012, the state-of-the-art Oasis Hadley Academy is a blueprint for an intelligent and more affordable approach to construction. In utilising the BBi600 design approach, Balfour Beatty Construction is paving the way towards sustainable and inspirational teaching spaces in an economic climate that demands exceptional affordability.
