Castle Rushen High School feasibility study and cost estimates

Summary

A request was made for the feasibility study and cost estimates for Castle Rushen High School, resulting in the disclosure of a partial report detailing design methodology, site analysis, and accommodation schedules, while some information was withheld.

Key Facts

• The existing Castle Rushen High School opened in 1963 with an original capacity of 480 students.
• The school has undergone multiple extensions over a 37-year period, leading to constrained corridor widths.
• The feasibility study was developed by professional consultants Sheppard Robson in conjunction with the Department of Education, Sport & Culture.
• The site faces South-West, benefiting from solar gains but exposed to strong prevailing winds.
• The project includes a 25m indoor pool and various outdoor sports facilities including an 11-a-side artificial grass pitch.

Data Disclosed

• 1963
• 480
• 37 years
• 2019
• 07.09.21
• 20.09.21
• 19.10.21
• 10.11.21
• 25m
• 11-a-side
• 108 pages
• 3 documents

Original Request

The detailed feasibility study, and current cost estimates in respect of Castle Rushen High School.

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

sufficiently can the accommodation, including core facilities, and potential future growth; ii) how necessary expansion of core facilities (e.g. WCs, kitchen and such like) could be accommodated; iii) capacity of the design to accommodate sufficient sporting activity considering the exposed site; iv) comparative analysis of out-turn area measure against English and Scottish typical area-per pupil standards, and implications thereof. This Feasibility document has been developed in conjunction with the Department of Education, Sport & Culture and takes full cognisance of the business case and current educational requirements and is delivered by professional consultants who have expertise on educational delivery. The team presenting this report have significant experience in delivering schools from brief development to full occupation. 1.2 Methodology Consideration of the site constraints, scale, form and massing, adjacencies of departments and environmental conditions have all informed design decisions. In addition to testing the proposal at differing scales, both the classroom and site scale. General arrangements have been designed with pragmatism to ensure efficiency of construction so as to deliver an exemplary teaching environment. The following workshops 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 The Aim During the development of the Strategic brief issued in 2019 the team discussed the educational and spatial requirements for the proposed Castle Rushen High School. High level strategies for department organisation and wider school arrangement were developed and a brief for the school formulated. Since the publishing of the Strategic brief funding for the new school has been reviewed. Sheppard Robson have assisted in the review and reduction of the schedule of accommodation. This report will therefore develop upon the Strategic Brief, in conjunction with the updated schedule of accommodation. As a result of this and in-depth workshops the design has been reached which caters for 21st century teaching methods. This report will cover concept design reporting and analysis, and will specifically cover: i) how 4 Fig 1. Excerpt from Schedule of Accommodation Reduction Summary took place in the creation of this report - 07.09.21 - Worksop 01 20.09.21 - Workshop 02 19.10.21 - Workshop 03 10.11.21 - Presentation to the DESC

1.3 Outcomes

5 2 SOA 2.1 Project Summary The existing Castle Rushen High School opened in 1963 with a capacity of 480. Over the years the accommodation has been extended,

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6 Fig 2. Excerpt from Schedule of Accommodation Reduction Summary 7 8 9 3 EXISTING BUILDING & SITE The central core of the existing school formed the basis of the new school when it opened in 1963. Since then multiple extensions have been added to the school over a period of 37 years. The core of the school is two storey and the extensions generally single storey. As additions have been added over the years, the central functions have been unable to expand to meet the spatial and functional needs of the school. In addition corridor widths have been remained constrained as capacity has increased. Elements of the school which are to be retained have been identified and are illustrated in this section. The site has been zoned the site with regard to departments and considering future expansion.
For more site analysis refer to pages 12 - 23 of the Strategic brief document.
10 Fig 3. Site Visit to Castle Rushen High School - Main Entrance Main Entrance of Existing School Existing Grounds Buildings View of school from playing fields View of temporary buildings from fields 11 3.1 Site - Environmental Analysis The main elevation of the existing school faces South-West, allowing most of the school to benefit from solar gains and face out towards fantastic panoramic views from the coast at Scarlett to the hills. The prevailing wind, which can be strong on the site given its exposed location, also comes from the South-West where the majority of sports provision is located. The site is somewhat sheltered at its edges by grass- sod hedges. The main entrance is located on the North Eastern edge, making it feel cold. This is exacerbated by the winds tendency to eddy and corral in the school’s internal corners and courtyards. 3.2 Site - Constraints Diagram There are numerous existing sports facilities on the site which serve the students and public alike. A 25m indoor pool at the Northern most part of the site is used by local residents and the school, and adjacent to this are tarmacked courts for basketball, tennis and netball. To the rear of the school is a full size 11-a-side sand dressed artificial grass pitch which can be subdivided for other uses and is accessed by footpath. Much of the site to the South is covered by grass pitches although the gifted land to the left of the site is not currently utilised for sports. The edge of the site bounding the road is limited by the Southern swimming pool and the “Witches Mill” housing. To the South-East the site abuts residential development and the site of an ancient monument. The remainder of the site is constrained by field boundaries. 13 4 BUILDING ANALYSIS The new school aims to provide an uplifting, inspirational environment for pupils, staff and the community through good design and quality architecture. This building should be well sited within its environment to recognise and address the challenges and opportunities the site presents in terms of wind, daylighting and massing. Internally spaces should be light and airy, maximizing natural ventilation and lighting to create an enjoyable environment to work and study in and create a link between internal and external spaces to the wider Southern landscape.

4.1 Key Facilities and adjacencies

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19 Fig 10. SOA Massing Diagram 20 Fig 13. 23 24 Fig 17. 4.4 Department arrangement over floors

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5 DEPARTMENT ANALYSIS 26 Fig 18. 27

FEASIBILITY DESIGN 6.1 Architectural design approach

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6.3 Key Concept:

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6.4 Key Concept:

32 Fig 26. 33 Fig 28. . 35 37 40 41 42 Fig 34. GA - External Works 44 Fig 35. GA - External works access 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 7 DRAWINGS 7.1 Proposed Design Plans

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52 54 55 56 57 58

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8 AREA ANALYSIS 7.3 Area Measure Following the development of the feasibility proposal the developed plans have been area measured to provide an elementary Schedule of Accommodation (shown overleaf),

7.4 Area Comparison

68 FEASIBILITY REPORT 2021 - CASTLE RUSHEN HIGH SCHOOL Fig 47. Bar chart showing 69 70 FEASIBILITY REPORT 2021 - CASTLE RUSHEN HIGH SCHOOL 71 72 FEASIBILITY REPORT 2021 - CASTLE RUSHEN HIGH SCHOOL 73 74 FEASIBILITY REPORT 2021 - CASTLE RUSHEN HIGH SCHOOL 75 76 FEASIBILITY REPORT 2021 - CASTLE RUSHEN HIGH SCHOOL 77 to minimising our impact on the climate. The Isle of Man Government is committed to addressing the crisis. As previously outlined in “section 2.4 - Sustainability Context”, the framework outlined by The UK Green Building Council provides the most robust framework in creating a low-zero carbon building. In brief: Industry wide it is accepted that currently we can only address net zero construction and in operation. The means to achieving this in brief is: Achieving net zero carbon construction: Retrofit first - is demolition necessary Low embodied carbon - Maximise use of timber/ low carbon natural materials for sequestration where appropriate and recycled materials (e.g.. aggregate) On-site energy - Maximise production of on-site energy (e.g.. PV / solar thermal /wind) Offsetting - Any remaining carbon should be offset using a recognised scheme. Achieving net zero carbon in operation: 8.1 Setting the Aspiration for the School

8.2 Considerations of Energy and Sustainability It is widely acknowledged that we are in a climate emergency, and urgently need to reduce carbon emissions. In the UK, circa 49% of annual carbon emissions are attributable to buildings and we need to change the approach to building design, construction and operation to contribute 9 SUSTAINABILITY 78 FEASIBILITY REPORT 2021 - CASTLE RUSHEN HIGH SCHOOL

Fig 48. Net zero embodied energy and energy consumption 79 Fig 49. Example framework for a school for achieving net zero during construction Fig 50. Example framework for a school for achieving net zero operationally 80 FEASIBILITY REPORT 2021 - CASTLE RUSHEN HIGH SCHOOL 9.1

9.2

82 FEASIBILITY REPORT 2021 - CASTLE RUSHEN HIGH SCHOOL

9.3

83 10 CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALITY 10.1
Materials The materials selected in the project should reflect the aspirations of the school and community. In addition, they should provide a framework for a controlled and comfortable internal environment.

10.2
General Considerations: Project aspirations -

Local context -

Regulations/standards -

“Proposals for development must ensure that the individual character of our towns and villages is protected or enhanced by having regard in the design of new development to the use of local materials and character” - IOM Strategic Plan 84 FEASIBILITY REPORT 2021 - CASTLE RUSHEN HIGH SCHOOL Fig 52. Selected materials should consider the Manx/Peel context Whole life carbon -

Form –

Weather –

Future flexibility -

Local materials –

Local skills –

Prefabrication –

85 Another key consideration on the island to any structural solution is the skills and scale of the local workforce. Complex, manufacturer specific processes may limit opportunities for the Manx work force to engage with aspects of the construction. However, this should not preclude the exploration of innovative construction methods that also present the opportunity for develop these skills and processes on island given the scale of the project. In addition the opportunities of pre-fabricated elements, off-site construction and modular construction should all be considered and explored at the outset where they are deemed appropriate to the project as they may provide opportunities in terms of cost and programme. The Isle of Man’s relatively isolated location, particularly with regards to the transportation of materials, should be considered in tandem with any benefits. 10.3
Structural Systems Early in the design process the structural requirements and aspirations of the building should be defined to enable the structure and the architecture to be developed in tandem from the outset.
Considerations: •
Site conditions •
Loadings and spans of the design •
Embodied carbon •
Material properties •
Assembly (on and off-site) •
Safety factors On the Isle of Man the predominant form of structure in large buildings is steel frame. Concrete frame is uncommon. In recent years interest in engineered timber structure has increased. The Isle of Man Government DEFRA HQ building Thie Slieau Whallian is a good local example of a large glu-lam structure. Demand for this type of construction is likely to increase due to the IoM Government’s commitment to tackling the climate crisis and reduced embodied carbon in buildings. 86 FEASIBILITY REPORT 2021 - CASTLE RUSHEN HIGH SCHOOL 10.4
Internal Finishes Consideration to the internal finishes is essential from the outset of the project in order to provide not just for the internal aesthetic and user experience of the building, but also in terms of how it can contribute positively to the acoustic and day-lighting performance of the building and the well-being of its occupants. For example a rubber as opposed to vinyl floor has lower embodied carbon and reduced VOCs which can contribute to sick-building syndrome.

Considerations: •
Internal aesthetic •
Well-being (ie. low VOCs) •
Embodied carbon •
Acoustic performance •
Lighting performance •
Fire safety requirements •
Durability •
Maintenance 87 11
: ENVIRONMENTAL COMFORT 11.1 Daylight Benefits of Daylighting A building requires lighting to function. This lighting can be entirely artificial, but there are various benefits of using windows to introduce natural daylight to a building. These benefits are psychological, technical, and financial. Daylight can affect human health and happiness; a lack of daylight can lead to stress and agitation in humans. Daylight makes us feel good and without access to daylight we can become depressed and it can cause disruption to our body clocks. Access to daylight can also increase productivity. Daylight is important for colour perception as it provides a light under which we can determine an objects real colour. Daylight contains the entire visible spectrum of light and thus does not under-determine the nature of an object’s reflectance. The addition of daylight to a space can also have an energy benefit by reducing the requirements for artificial light and this in turn can lead to a financial benefit. In addition to allowing daylight to enter a space, windows also provide a view out of the space and this can offer occupants relaxation and a change of focus. Uniformity The uniformity of daylight is unsatisfactory if: •
Less than 80% of the working plane lies behind the no-sky line and does not receive direct light from the sky; or •
In a room lit by windows in one wall only, the depth of the room is too large in comparison with the height and width of the windows (i.e the room depth inequality is not satisfied) The no-sky line is an outline on a given surface of the area beyond which no sky can be seen.

88 FEASIBILITY REPORT 2021 - CASTLE RUSHEN HIGH SCHOOL

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