Built Offsite – Development of an optimum air quality and low energy standardised classroom build solution

The James Review (2011) recommendations including the closing of Building Schools for the Future & the establishment of Priority School Building Programme has created a market that is rapidly evolving with needs addressable by constructors with a factory based approach to delivery.
Specifically the Review recommended the minimisation of building costs for schools, with “new buildings based on a clear set of standardised designs & specifications including the latest thinking on educational needs.”
A clear challenge needs to be addressed: establish a construction system which provides low cost educational space. Research demonstrates the importance of these environments in delivering academic excellence: the influence of room temperature, CO2 levels, lighting & ventilation. Effective control of these factors is a key influencer of head teachers & LEA’s; the cost of energy for schools doubled in the 4 years to 2008/9.
Currently available off site solutions are not capable of satisfying these future market
requirements; i.e. a low cost, energy efficient, standardised design solution enabling an
optimised educational space.
Built Offsite has patent pending on a concept system design detailing a construction system which allows a variable number of standardised, factory manufactured units to be linked into a single structure.
This project will develop & field trial a pre-production prototype of this factory-based
building system which is scalable & conforms to efficiency standards equivalent to the
anticipated future demands of Building Regulations (Passivhaus equivalent) through warm frame, zero cold bridge (zcb) construction techniques, incorporating an intelligent climate management system to maximise efficiency, eliminate poor operational practices, & maintain ideal conditions.
Market potential is considerable. No competitor currently offers a system capable of zero cold bridging or a climate management system of the performance levels proposed in this project.