Tilbury Douglas successfully completes the DfE’s newest Passivhaus school
Tilbury Douglas, a leading UK building, infrastructure, engineering and fit-out business, has successfully completed the construction of Wednesfield Technology Primary School on behalf of the Department for Education (DfE).
As part of Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust, the new primary school, located near Wolverhampton, has been designed and delivered to the Passivhaus certified standard, whilst the ‘Technology’ status of the school brings a fresh approach to education.
Located on the site of the former Edward the Elder School, which had been abandoned for several years, the scheme saw the demolition of the previous building and then the construction of the new facility, as well as ongoing external refurbishment works to the caretaker’s lodge, which has been retained to preserve the Grade II listed status of the Vine Pub across the road. The new school, once at capacity, will be home to nearly 450 primary school pupils.
The new Passivhaus school was built to meet the City of Wolverhampton Council’s objectives and DfE requirements; to improve air-quality in schools and reduce energy usage. The Passivhaus Classic design guarantees building performance, while specifying a range of sustainable and low embodied carbon materials.
The standard also promotes a whole-building approach with measured targets, focused on high-quality construction, certified through an exacting quality assurance process and has been the catalyst for a variety of alternative approaches on site. The Tilbury Douglas team received specialised training to introduce them to Passivhaus risks and how best to support its trades in delivering the strict standards. The team achieved outstanding final airtightness results of 0.48 Air Changes per Hour (ACH) at 50 pascals; the requirement was 0.6 ACH.
As is always important on all Tilbury Douglas projects, the delivery of Wednesfield Technology provides an excellent training ground for budding young colleagues. Apprentices Caitlin Walsh and Dan Floyd and Graduate Engineer, Jack Bennett, have gained valuable learning experiences from helping the core team to deliver this project. The team also accommodated T-level student Shay Doyle from Dudley College for his nine-week placement.
“Our team has successfully delivered this amazing school, our first Passivhaus project in quite some time in the region. The process required extensive photographic and quality inspections of all building elements, and we’re delighted with the results, which exceeded the very strict Passivhaus standard target! We are proud to have handed over this fantastic energy efficient building.”
Sir Mark Grundy, CEO of Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust, commented: “We are thrilled to see the completion of Wednesfield Technology Primary School, a beacon of sustainable and innovative education within the Black Country. This Passivhaus-certified facility represents a significant step forward in our commitment to providing state-of-the-art learning environments. The advanced energy efficiency and superior air quality achieved in this building align perfectly with our goal to foster a healthy and stimulating atmosphere for our students.
“Our collaboration with Tilbury Douglas and the Department for Education has resulted in a pioneering project that not only meets the highest environmental standards but also paves the way for future educational advancements. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this school will have on our community and the exceptional learning experiences it will provide to pupils.”
Shifeek Hussain, Project Director – Education and Estates Directorate at the Department for Education, added: “I feel incredibly proud to be part of the team responsible for delivering this Passivhaus school. It has been a pleasure working with such a committed team who have made this happen.
“I know there have been hundreds of people involved in making this happen and it wouldn’t have been possible without them all. The trust and community will have a great school to educate and support many children and families.”
James Edwards, from Corstorphine & Wright, said: “It has been an incredible project to be a part of to develop a new state-of-the-art Passivhaus school providing quality facilities to the children of the area. Through continual collaboration amongst the design and construction teams we were able to develop a robust range of details exceeding the stringent requirements of Passivhaus resulting in a highly energy efficient school and model for future schemes.”
