04.11.2024
Keegans are proud that our Thornhill Primary School project won the Award for Excellence in Architectural Technology at the CIAT's AT awards!
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We are excited to announce that our Thornhill Primary School project for Central Bedfordshire Council has won the Award for Excellence in Architectural Technology at the CIAT AT Awards! The awards, hosted by the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) recognise excellence in architectural technology, and ‘the exceptional contribution that Architectural Technology practices and professionals make to the built environment.’ Each entry was assessed upon its buildability, functionality, innovation, sustainability, performance and robustness.
Keegans led the Multi-Disciplinary Consultancy services for the expansion of Thornhill Primary School from a 1-form entry to a 3-form entry school, alongside our sister company ECD Architects Ltd. As the Quantity Surveyor and Project Manager, Keegans are proud to have collaborated with such a talented team to deliver this expansion, featuring a new building designed and certified to the Passivhaus Standard.
The 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 judges praised our Thornhill project for its successful implementation of Passivhaus standards, highlighting exceptional technical detailing, proactive collaboration with specialist subcontractors, and high construction quality on-site.
Thank you to the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) for this recognition and to our dedicated team for their hard work!
What is a Quantity Surveyor?
A Quantity Surveyor (QS) is a professional in the construction industry who specializes in construction costs and contracts. They are responsible for managing all aspects of the contractual and financial side of construction projects, including conducting financial feasibility studies, cost estimation, cost planning and management, analyzing terms and conditions in the contract, predicting potential risks in the project, forecasting the costs of different materials needed for the project, preparing tender documents, contracts, budgets and other documentation, taking note of changes made and adjusting the budget accordingly, tender management including preparation of bills of quantities, contract conditions and assembly of tender documents, contract management and contractual advice, valuation of construction work, claims and dispute management, lifecycle costing analysis, and reinstatement cost assessment for insurance purposes. A key part of the role will be to liaise with a range of other teams working on the project, helping it to stay on track.
What is the role of a Principal Designer?
The Principal Designer's role involves close cooperation with the client and the principal contractor, and coordinating the work of others in the project team to ensure that significant and foreseeable risks are managed throughout the design process. Principal designers must: plan, manage, monitor and coordinate health and safety in the pre-construction phase. In doing so they must take into account relevant information (such as an existing health and safety file) that might affect design work carried out both before and after the construction phase has started.
What is Keegans sustainability policy?
Keegans work collaboratively with our sister company ECD Architects Ltd to deliver sustainable projects for our clients and communities. We are driven by our core business principle to integrate sustainable measures in all projects as well as look at our business operations to reduce our carbon footprint.
Keegans are involved in leading sustainability projects and work closely with our public sector clients to identify retrofit opportunities on existing buildings along with building projects that can be developed as Passivhaus projects.
We are at the forefront of Retrofit projects to reduce carbon emissions from existing leaky homes and reducing fuel poverty. We invest heavily in the training and development of our Retrofit Co-ordinators and Assessors, carrying out workshops and conferences to educate our clients on sustainable design and we take pride in working with suppliers who take a responsible attitude toward the environment. In the office, we are focused on reducing our impact on the environment through our operational activities.
Globally, we all need to do our part and make sustainable choices, Keegans are committed to delivering sustainable projects and continuing to educate ourselves and find new ways towards a greener future. Join us on our mission!
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