School on Stilts Raises Standards in Sustainable Construction

8/8/2019 School on Stilts Raises Standards in Sustainable Construction

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School on stilts

raises standards insustainable

constructi

onMorgan Ashurst and

Robinson Architects have

handed over an innovativeeco -friendly school

thought to be the first in the country built on stilts.

The 9 million Irk Valley Community School on Waterloo

Road, Lower Crumpsall, stands on a system of stilts ranging

from 60cm at the front to 1.5m at the back. It also features

an evacuation platform, like an elevated walkway, which

allows pupils to easily exit the school and reach safer

ground at the nearby Harpurhey Viaduct. Flood gates are


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integrated within the perimeter fencing and an ancillary

grasscrete car park doubles as a soak away.

Morgan Ashurst and Robinson Architects delivered the

specialist system of stilts to eliminate a one in 100-year risk

of flooding from the River Irk, which lies close to the site.

The original concept design was created by Walker

Simpson.

The measures to tackle potential flooding are not the only

sustainable feature of the new, two-form entry school which

includes 12 classrooms, a dedicated music and IT suite, an

impressive main school hall which serves as a flexible

performance space and community facilities.

The new school, delivered for Manchester City Council

under its construction partnering arrangement, Framework

One, has achieved a BREEAM Very Good rating. Clad in

100 per cent recyclable materials, the school also

showcases a rainwater harvesting system, comfort cooling

systems in each classroom and an attenuation pond with a

DDA-compliant walkway which borders the River Irk. This

pond will form an ecological habitat area and is used as a

teaching aid by the school.


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The original concept design for the stilts was by Walker

Simpson. We worked with Robinson Architects to test

several different systems and materials before finding the

winning combination for the stilts system. It was a

challenging construction project and we had to sequence

the work carefully to prevent the team being boxed in by

the evacuation system.

But Jim says there are many benefits of using the innovativesystem of stilts: Most importantly, the school is a learning

resource in itself. Children can monitor how much energy is

being used and study the wildlife forming habitats in the

pond. These pupils are living and breathing sustainability

from a very young age. This ties in directly with the National

Curriculum.

The school also gives the community a safe haven where

the community can go in the event of any flooding.

Damien Pearson, project architect from Robinsons

commented: "The design and construction team have

achieved a school to be proud of. It was received with great

excitement from the pupils, and fortified with great

expectations from the staff and Council, for the future of the


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local community within Lower Crumpsall."

Gary Schofield, headteacher of Irk Valley Community

School said work is ongoing with the Wildlife Trust for

Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside and the Irk

Valley Project to develop an environmental resource centre

at the school and maximise the benefit of its location close

to the river.

In the words of some of my children to governors and

visitors at the official opening, our new school is quite simply

awesome. Moving into the new school has opened up a

whole new raft of opportunities for pupils and for staff. No

more leaky roofs and drafty corridors. Instead we have

fantastic education and learning facilities and amazinglandscaped grounds; all very child-friendly, safe and secure,

so that children can learn and play freely in and around the

school. Our expectations of pupils were high in the old

school but with our new state-of-the-art 21st century building

we are confident that our school will keep going from

strength to strength.

Robinson Architects worked closely with Morgan Ashurst to

support the local community through the enhancement of


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the schools surrounding area; neighbourhood planting and

restoration works to the ginnel adjacent to the school, were

provided as part of the overall construction works.

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School on Stilts Raises Standards in Sustainable Construction

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