Elm Park Primary School

Client
South Gloucestershire Council
Contractor
Value
£9.4m
Completion Date
29 April 2024

The Challenge

The existing school required replacement while the site continued to serve the local community. The project therefore needed to be phased so that new accommodation could be provided before the existing buildings were demolished. The scheme also had to deliver a high-performance Passivhaus building within a constrained existing school site, while managing construction traffic, pedestrian movements and the interface with pupils, staff, parents and neighbours. A particularly important challenge was managing people/plant segregation safely within the active construction environment.

The Solution

BAM delivered the new school in phases, enabling the new accommodation to become operational before demolition and completion of the wider site. The building was constructed to Passivhaus standards, incorporating high-performance insulation, efficient windows and ventilation, air-source heat pumps and solar PV. BAM also worked collaboratively with FHOSS to develop and implement an illuminated pedestrian/plant crossing system specifically for the project. The solution removed reliance on a dedicated banksman at the crossing point and created a visible, fail-safe system for controlling interaction between pedestrians and construction plant.

The Results

The project delivered a new 210-place Passivhaus primary school with community facilities and improved outdoor spaces. South Gloucestershire Council subsequently recorded the completion of Elm Park Primary School as a key achievement in its 2023/24 capital programme.

The innovative FHOSS safety system won a Constructing Excellence South West 2023 Health, Safety & Wellbeing award, providing independent recognition of BAM’s collaborative approach to improving construction-site safety.

9

Apprentices

£8436107.83

Added Value

9/10

Client Satisfaction

Client Testimonials

Contractor Performance | Commitments

Sustainability

Passivhaus construction, high-performance insulation, efficient ventilation, air-source heat pumps and solar PV.

Decarbonisation: EPC A, DEC B rating

Aftercare

Kurt Williams, Handover to South Gloucestershire Council; Passivhaus performance/commissioning; operational guidance and building performance

Legacy

BAM delivered on SV goals – CCS 45 Silver Award. Women in Construction focus, STEM programme delivered with female pupils.

Fair

Payment periods not exceeding 30 days

Safe

Innovative FHOSS illuminated pedestrian/plant crossing; Constructing Excellence South West Health, Safety & Wellbeing award.