Bewdley High School

A two-storey building was manufactured by Portakabin using its off-site Portakabin Design and Build solution. This reduced the programme time for such a challenging project to just 22 weeks. The new facility was the first modular education building to be heated using biomass fuel and the first to accommodate a complex passive, low-energy ventilation system – making it one of the UK’s most sustainable modular school buildings.

Dermot Galvin, Project Architect at Worcestershire County Council, says: “The primary driver for the decision to use off-site construction for this project was time, which was critical to ensure the new facility would be ready in time to take the additional intake of pupils.

“Portakabin offers a superior quality building system and has a keen interest in design, attention to detail and quality of finish, bringing skills to the project that are not always associated with modular construction.”The building is constructed from 60 steel-framed modules with clear internal spans of up to 12m, which provide complete flexibility for internal space planning. The modules were manufactured off site and craned into position complete with windows and partitions pre-installed in the factory.

The building incorporates 12 general classrooms for the school’s English, Modern Languages and Humanities faculties, two science laboratories, a creative area and administrative centre. It is linked to a traditionally-constructed drama and dance studio, demonstrating how conventional building methods can be integrated with off-site construction.