Project Description

Location: Riverside Primary School, Rainham
Client: Medway Council
Employers Agent: Harbledown Construction Consultants Ltd
Principal Designer: Enviro Building Solutions Ltd
Contract Type: JCT Design & Build Contract 2011

Project Summary

  • Two storey school block incorporating classrooms, offices and washrooms
  • Floor area 860m2
  • 28 modular bays
  • All groundworks, foundations and drainage works
  • Electrical and mechanical works
  • Completed June 2018
  • Project value £969,000
Riverside Primary School front with yard and canopy
Riverside Primary School covered stairway
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The Challenge: Major school expansion project

Riverside Primary School is an Academy Converter school with a nursery intake, accommodating children between the ages of 3 and 11. The school focuses on delivering a fun, rich and varied curriculum, encouraging children to engage in their learning and prepare for the next stage in their lives.

Expansion at this popular school required the construction of a significant extension alongside the existing building, consisting of a two storey block housing classrooms, offices and washroom facilities.

Modular building construction methods provided the perfect solution for this application, with Enviro Building Solutions completing all groundworks and foundations during the Easter vacation then finishing the complex build during the spring bank holiday break, minimising disruption and eliminating the necessity for construction works on site whilst the school was operational.

“Excellent scheme delivered ahead of programme that provided great value for money and a lot of space to add.”

Rob Banks, Capital Programme Manager, Medway Council

Safety in action

This was a significant expansion to the existing footprint for Riverside Primary School. In total, the new school building consists of 28 modular bays, constructed offsite then delivered to site to create a high quality, purpose-built learning environment.

Construction sites can be busy and dangerous places. Working together, the Enviro Building Solutions specialists and the Riverside team made the decision to limit the school construction to holiday periods to limit any site safety risks. All foundation and groundworks requiring plant such as excavators and dumper trucks were completed during the Easter holidays when the school premises were closed to pupils and staff, optimising health and safety procedures.

An EPC ‘A’ rated building

Enviro Building Solutions were back on site when the school closed for the spring bank break to complete the complex task of bringing together 28 modular bays across two storeys, including all interior finishing work. The scope of the project also including laying areas of tarmac for access, landscaping, fencing, the creation of soft play areas and attractive canopies to front and rear of the building.

Enviro Building Solutions has an extensive portfolio of educational build projects. The company is often requested to act as school construction consultants on projects as diverse as classroom blocks, extensions, SEND classrooms and sports/changing facilities, providing expert advice and adding value at every stage.

Demonstrating the energy-efficient properties of modular building solutions and the quality of build achieved by Enviro Building Solutions, the new Riverside Primary School building has achieved an excellent EPC ‘A’ rating, underlining the quality and sustainability of the build.