Classrooms of the Future:

Design & Construction Innovation
Environmental Technologies
Intelligent Technologies
Community Involvement
Project Team

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Classrooms of the Future, Telford & Wrekin

Two flexible prefabricated prototype classrooms have been built for Borough of Telford & Wrekin Coucnil at Wrockwardine Junior School and Lord Silkin Secondary School. The classrooms for part of the £10 million DfES funded Classrooms of the Future initiative.

Each classroom acts as a shared resource for the school rather than a permanent class base. The schools will use the classrooms as a test-bed to find out what really works and feed this into classroom practice throughout the school and beyond.

 

Design and Construction Innovation
 
• The use of modular building allowed construction time to be reduced by around 50% minimising disruption to the schools during construction
 
• Much of the work was carried out in a controlled factory environment guaranteeing costs and quality
 
• The classrooms are totally self-contained and are designed to operate independently for evening and weekend use
 
• At 169m² the classrooms are substantially larger than traditional classrooms
 
• Underfloor heating frees wall space for displays and teaching aids
 

ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES
 
• High levels of thermal insulation
 
• Low energy light fittings with presence detectors combined with high levels of natural lighting including the installation of light pipes
 
• High levels of natural ventilation, including wind catchers to ventilate the classrooms
 
• Dual flush toilets and spray taps to reduce water consumption
 
• A 'living' sedum roof to ensure better air quality, colour, protection, added insulation and slower rainwater run-off
 
• Solar panels provide hot water
 
• Photovoltaic cells installed on the roofs

Intelligent Technologies

• Both classrooms will be continually monitored, and data will be collected on energy use, water consumption and temperature, allowing the children to use the classrooms as a learning resource

• Suspended gondolas carry lighting and other services instead of suspended ceilings

• ICT installations include interactive white boards, plasma screens, video conferencing and on-line broadband access

Community Involvement

Enabling Concepts, as part of the INTEGER Project team, ran an extensive programme of communication and education throughout the development and construction of the classrooms. Teachers, pupils and the community became involved through whole school assemblies, classroom and curriculum projects, a visit to the Integer Millennium demonstration house at the Building Research Establishment and crucially, a visit to the Yorkon factory to see the classroom modules in production.

The schools were invited to become involved in the process for two reasons: firstly as the primary users of the classrooms and secondly, because of the educational potential that the project presented. The pupils came up with many innovative suggestions, in particular around the design of classroom furniture.

The classrooms of the future in Telford put learning and teaching at the heart of the design process. Creating innovative learning partnerships between construction and education was born out of the fact that the built environment affords extensive teaching and learning opportunities.

The experience for the children and young people was not just about learning but also citizenship in action.

The two schools won the 2003 Building Sights Award, a joint initiative between the Arts Council of England and the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment which aims to engage the public in the construction process.

Turlogh O'Brien, chairman of the Construction Industry Council and chair of the Building Sights judging panel said:

"We were particularly impressed by the quality of the feedback that the children had produced which clearly demonstrated that they had understood and been fascinated by the processes involved in the construction of their new classrooms. Children were encouraged to champion the schemes in their local communities and the whole project was carefully integrated into the curriculum. They were also able to influence aspects of their final design."

Project Team

Client: The Borough of Telford & Wrekin Council

Architect: Cole Thompson Anders

Intelligent Systems: i&i limited

Services Engineer: BWP Plc

Education Consultant: Enabling Concepts

Design & Build Contractor: Yorkon