Modular solutions firm harness latest in precision offsite manufacture techniques.
Leading offsite manufacturer, McAvoy, has completed the handover of three major contracts worth £40m as well as a number of other projects across the UK and Ireland.
The projects in both the education and health sectors have utilised the very latest in precision manufacturing techniques and further reinforced McAvoy's credentials for high quality, fast delivery, and sustainability.
The 6,850m2 Merstham Park School which McAvoy delivered for the Department for Education within just 66 weeks is apurpose-designed 2-3 storey school providing 900 pupils aged 11-16 years with high-quality classrooms, playspace, a dance studio, and an all-weather sports pitch.
The pioneering 'Low Carbon Pathfinder' project minimises energy usage by implementing the 'Be Lean, Be Clean, Be Green' energy hierarchy which focuses on reducing the demand for energy at source through passive measures before considering efficient systems and renewable technology.
The school – located within a green-belt zone – boasts impressive sustainability credentials, is run predominantly by electricity, and incorporates efficient heating and cooling systems as well as roof-mounted solar panels.
The use of digital technology and Modern Methods of Construction enabled the reduction of the school's water demand by more than 30%, operational energy consumption by more than 73% and carbon emissions by almost 60% of the predicted regulated energy use. Low or Zero Carbon Technologies (LZCTs) also provide up to 44% of peak energy demand at the school.
A biophilic approach to the design was also key to enhancing the students' sensory connection with the natural environment, improving psychological health & wellbeing, increasing levels of relaxation, concentration and cognitive performance, as well as social activation and motivation to learn.
Meanwhile, Stanton Cross Primary School in Wellingborough – a two storey School accommodating 420 pupils between the ages of four and eleven – is an integral element in a £1billion residential-led development that is set to transform the East of Wellingborough and will eventually incorporate 3,650 new homes, alongside new leisure and retail amenities and commercial space. McAvoy delivered the school which includes classrooms, a main hall and kitchen, along with playground, soft play area and a dedicated children's centre for younger pupils for North Northamptonshire Council within 11 months of signing the contract. To support a commitment to sustainable development at Stanton Cross, new native tree species and hedgerows will be planted on the southern and western boundary of the school and within the proposed car parking. This will help to enhance the site's ecology and aesthetics, while naturally blending into the surrounding landscape.
The third major project – this time within the health sector – is a ten-year rental arrangement for the provision of 2no. 48 bed wards at Good Hope Hospital and Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham for University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust.
Due to rising patient numbers and the lasting impact of Covid-19, the Trust had a requirement for two 48 beds wards at the existing hospital sites. McAvoy worked collaboratively with the Trust to design and configure its SmartCare modular solution to make the best use of the available space on both sites, as well as accommodating link corridors to the existing buildings. It took just 14 weeks to deliver the wards at Good Hope Hospital with the Heartlands project due to be completed within 18 weeks.
As well as these 3 major projects, McAvoy has also recently handed over two SEND classroom blocks for Southampton City Council, a GP Out of Hours surgery for Southern Health and Social Care Trust in NI and a four classroom SmartClass block at Castlepollard Community College in ROI.
Martin Harvey, Head of Design at McAvoy said the three projects each demonstrated how innovative design could be used in conjunction with impressive programme times and high quality.
"These are significant projects, each of which had its own challenges, that we were able to overcome by collaborating closely with our customers and using our digital technology experience to great effect, thereby anticipating any issues with buildability prior to the commencement of the manufacturing process. It is noteworthy that alongside our long-standing work in providing permanent accommodation, we are now seeing a strong appetite for semi-permanent space options, like those at Good Hope and Heartlands, in these instances using our new SmartCare modular solutions. All of these projects have been delivered on time and within budget, with a high level of customer satisfaction."
