Atkins - St Luke's Primary School
Project Details
Project - St Luke's Primary School
Sector - Education
Technology - Hybrid
Company - Atkins
Project Overview
Due to a demographic increase, Salford City Council required a 2 Form Entry school (with Nursery and SEN facilities) to be designed and delivered in just 11 months, critical to meet the term start date of September 2016. In addition to the challenging time-scale there was a strong desire for future expansion and community use. Atkins responded to the challenge by using a hybrid construction technique to combine speed with impressive architectural features such as a 5m seemingly floating entrance canopy
The 'learning wings' branch off the central hub and careful planning along with utilising off-site methods ensures minimal disruption during expansion and the ability to retain the zoning concept and open up localised areas for out of hours community use. Additional steel members were added to the volumetric modules in the factory to facilitate the future expansion that would include hall space (located in the 'community zone' and a further wing of classrooms.
Situated directly opposite the Grade II listed Buile Hill Park - the team used a sensitive, simple palette of materials, but in in various ways to create design, or functional features. Strategically placed picture frame windows break the elevational rhythm to capture key views of the surrounding landscape, with the massing and orientation facilitates views of the St Luke's church steeple. Inside way-finding is prevalent to aid SEN requirements, with changes in materials or colour representing entrances or key routes.
St Luke's embraced a 'natural' approach to the design, incorporating natural ventilation and natural lighting solutions to enhance the learning experience. In addition this 'natural' approach is not only less energy intensive but also user friendly and offers a low maintenance solution which has resulted in a BREEAM very good rating.
