Dry Drayton Primary School

Client: Cambridge County Council
Location:
Dry Drayton
Involvement: RIBA Stage 1-7
Type: New Build and Internal alterations
Value: £1.2m
Contract Type: NEC 3
Contractor: Coulson Building Group

Cambridgeshire County Council is continuing to improve its education facilities with a number of high profile developments. Dry Drayton Primary School will see the demolition of existing mobile classrooms to be replaced with a new three-classroom permanent building, complete with link corridor, main entrance, associated welfare facilities, hygiene room and ancillary spaces. Internal works will improve the existing facilities too, providing a larger kitchen, new special educational needs group room for individual and group-based learning, and relocation of staff room facilities. The need to maintain natural light into the existing classrooms was also a challenge which has been overcome by manipulating the form of the building ensure existing classrooms are provided with a comfortable environment. The remaining building form adopts the architectural language of the existing school which is transposed through site conditions, surroundings, and brief requirements. A playful twist has been added with an injection of colour to frame the gables to engage children with the new building.The structure of the building was designed to reduce fuel consumption and heat loss while adopting the principles of passive ventilation. As a result, the building will use less fuel and the least amount of artificial light as possible. Templeman Designs knowledge of education needs has been integral to the development of this single-storey build. The Practice has provided the client with a multi-disciplinary solution and acted as lead architectural designer, planning consultant, mechanical designer, electrical designer and structural engineer for the development, providing clients with a complete design solution.