Schools - Make or Mend? : The Conclusion

In the third and final of this autumn's sustainability panel discussions at Nicholas Hare Architects, the focus was on why school projects that begin as refurbishments so often end up as new-build. Speakers included Nicholas Hare, Jeremy Wagge from Skanska, Richard Monksmith of Hoare Lea and Rick Wheal of Arup.

The evening began with Nicholas Hare's thesis that, supported by an analysis of Victorian schools, responsible environmental design inherently leads to durable buildings. Jeremy reviewed the practical problems of refurbishments including access, programme costs, and the issues associated with temporary decant accommodation.

Richard addressed the question of energy use, challenging the perception that new-builds consume less energy, demonstrating that once unregulated energy and embodied energy are included, the difference with refurbishments is minimal. Finally, Rick advocated proper life cycle analysis on all projects, viewing school buildings as commercial assets where a 100-year life span would not be unreasonable.

During the lively discussion that followed one of the key messages was that current procurement routes do not allow thoughtful consideration of all the options.Without a degree of redundancy, longevity is compromised as buildings will cease to be fit for purpose and can't be adapted, as is happening now with many post-war schools.

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