SCALA Civic Building of the Year Competition, 2005

Runner up

Cheshire County Council
Kingsmead Primary School

Kingsmead Primary School is a flagship project for sustainable design and construction innovation, and is Cheshire’s exemplar contribution to the DfES’s ‘Schools for the Future’ initiative.

The building’s dynamic form reflects its main structural element, glulam portal frames, erected back to back to create an attractive crescent shape. The external fabric is of non-load bearing timber construction, super-insulated and clad in low maintenance cedar boarding. Natural timber, purchased from sustainable sources, is prominent throughout the building, providing a palette of beautiful materials with low embodied energy.

The cross section of the building facilitates natural ventilation and, with the aid of a sophisticated building management system, provides a spacious, light, airy and comfortable teaching and learning environment.

Energy saving initiatives include rainwater harvesting, a biomass boiler fuelled from wood pellets made from waste timber, an array of solar panels to pre-heat the hot water and photovoltaic panels which generate up to 15% of the school’s needs.

Financial support to the project was given by the DfES as part of the ‘Teaching Environments for the Future Programme’ and also by the North West Development Agency as a model for sustainable construction delivered through a fully partnered contract.

Project Manager:Cheshire County Council Property Management Service
Architect:White Design
Structural Engineer:Mander Structural Design
Mechanical & Electrical Engineer:Arup
Contractor:Willmott Dixon erty and Works, Ceredigion County Council
Main contractor:Braybrooke Construction Ltd