AT Awards Finalists - Thornhill Primary School

Central Bedfordshire Council appointed Keegans, along with our sister company ECD Architects, to provide Multi-Disciplinary Consultancy services for the expansion of Thornhill Primary School from a 1-form entry to a 3-form entry school. 

 

As the Quantity Surveyor and Project Manager for this project, Keegans is proud to have collaborated with a talented team to deliver the expansion of Thornhill Primary School, featuring a new building designed and certified to the Passivhaus Standard.

 

The Thornhill Primary School expansion includes a new Passivhaus-certified building and the transformation of existing facilities to create a cohesive and modern learning environment. Designed with sustainability in mind, the project features internal and external teaching spaces that support diverse learning methods and provide a platform for community events throughout the year.

 

The new building is centred around a playground, with circulation areas and a first-floor external walkway offering views across the space. This two-storey structure, crafted from Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT), not only achieves Passivhaus certification but is designed for a 60-year lifespan. The project's buildability and assembly were planned to exceed typical standards, ensuring long-term efficiency and durability.

 

Early thermal bridging analysis informed the construction details, ensuring a highly efficient building envelope. The exposed CLT soffit provides shading while maintaining a continuous material plane. Aligning with circular economy principles, the design prioritised specifying reusable, repurposable and recyclable materials where possible. The airtightness achieved by the CLT superstructure was a crucial factor in obtaining Passivhaus certification, showcasing its inherent efficiency.

 

The AT Awards recognise excellence in Architectural Technology worldwide, evaluating each entry on buildability, functionality, innovation, sustainability, performance and robustness. We are honoured to be among the finalists.

 

We are proud to have developed a project that meets high sustainability and performance standards and we look forward to the next steps in the competition! Thank you to the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) for this recognition.

 

Click Here to view the project case study

 

Key Project Staff:

• Ian Sarchett

• Ronald Spence