TG Escapes Blog

How Modular Buildings Speed up School Construction

by Chris Leese | Jul 11, 2024 | Blog, Education

Summer holidays are upon us, the perfect time to complete vital work around your school without disrupting education. We've put together this look through the many ways that opting for a modular solution can save time, with a greatly reduced on-site installation time. Our team are available year-round to build everything from standalone SEND classrooms to large classroom blocks.

In educational settings, traditional brick-and-mortar construction often presents significant hurdles that can disrupt the learning environment and strain budgets. Numerous time-consuming steps, from site preparation to foundation work and weather-dependent processes, often lead to projects extending over many months or years, disrupting entire schools. Our expert team can attest first-hand how modular buildings can offer a fantastic permanent building on a reliably smaller timescale.

English computer classroom teacher and students

Addressing the lack of space in UK schools

One of the most pressing issues facing UK schools today is the lack of space. Councils are grappling with a significant challenge in responding to the recent surge in demand for school places. The Department for Education (DfE) estimated that 30,000 primary places are needed across England to meet demand in the academic year 2027/28, while special schools have found themselves overwhelmed by the 90,000 increase in pupils with EHCPs since 2015.

As student populations grow, schools are increasingly finding themselves needing to expand their facilities. However, this is no simple task. The need for additional space extends beyond just classrooms. A growing student body also demands more administrative offices, locker rooms, dining areas, and toilet facilities, often resulting in entirely new buildings. This need for comprehensive expansion quickly adds up, leaving schools with a challenging decision: should they repurpose valuable land typically used for sports and recreational activities, or should they find innovative ways to maximise their existing space?

In response to these challenges, many schools are becoming more creative in how they use their budgets and space. A school in Northumberland turned a double-decker bus into an additional classroom when faced with budget constraints and the need to expand. These innovative solutions highlight the necessity for schools to think outside the box. However, while such unique approaches can be effective, they are not always practical or scalable for every school facing space issues. This is where Modern Methods of Construction come in.

The timing challenge of traditional construction in schools

When it comes to expanding or upgrading school facilities, traditional brick-and-mortar construction poses several significant challenges. One of the most pressing issues with traditional construction is the extended timeline. 

Traditional construction projects are inherently time-consuming due to the sequential nature of the processes involved. Site preparation, foundation work, and on-site construction all require substantial time. Traditional school construction projects can further extend these timelines due to weather conditions, funding, labour cuts and other unforeseen challenges, leading to extended project durations. For example, construction output for educational buildings saw a significant drop post-2017 due to state funding cuts and COVID-19 restrictions, further extending project timelines. As a result, what might start as a relatively straightforward extension can easily turn into a multi-year project.

Prolonged timelines and extended construction periods can also significantly disrupt daily school operations. Noise, dust, and restricted access to certain areas of the school can interfere with teaching and learning activities. This disruption is not just inconvenient, it can also negatively affect student performance and staff morale.

The solution to timing constraints

Modular construction methods offer a simple and effective solution, helping to create attractive, durable, and multi-use buildings for schools. The advancements in modular construction are being recognised within the education industry, with the Department for Education (DfE)’s Offsite Framework, launched last year, supporting offsite school building construction. The DfE plans to invest £3 billion in modular renovations across numerous UK schools, highlighting the increasing popularity of this Modern Method of Construction (MMC).

Modular classrooms are permanent structures built in separate components offsite, which are then transported and quickly assembled onsite. This parallel process allows site preparation and building manufacture to occur simultaneously, significantly reducing the overall construction time and mitigating delays caused by adverse weather or other site-specific issues.

According to the National Audit Office, modular construction can halve the on-site building time compared to traditional methods. This efficiency enables schools to have new facilities ready within a short period, such as the summer holidays, thereby reducing the logistical challenges and safety concerns associated with having an active construction site on school grounds during term time. The predictability of modular construction timelines also provides a definitive completion date, which is crucial for budgeting and planning.

Understanding the benefits of modular construction

Modular construction occurs primarily offsite in controlled environments, minimising on-site work and reducing noise and disruption. This method offers a quieter and safer alternative for school environments, while also benefitting the surrounding community by reducing traffic and lowering CO2 emissions from construction machinery and vehicles. Using sustainable materials and efficient design practices in modular buildings further reduces their carbon footprint compared to traditional brick-and-mortar structures.

Modular buildings are constructed to precise specifications, ensuring high quality and minimal waste. These durable structures can last for decades, providing a permanent solution to the temporary classroom setups often seen in traditional school expansions. Beyond initial construction, modular buildings present significant cost savings due to their adaptability and expandability. Schools can increase their capacity by adding new sections without incurring the costs of traditional expansions. This flexibility allows for efficient space management, accommodating fluctuating student numbers as needed.

Modular construction methods also emphasise using sustainable materials and energy-efficient designs, which help meet building standards and contribute to long-term energy savings and environmental sustainability. Modular buildings offer a practical, efficient, and sustainable solution as the demand for school space increases. Their rapid construction timelines, reduced disruption, and flexibility make them ideal for modern educational infrastructure. As space becomes a premium resource for schools, the adoption of innovative building solutions like modular construction continues to grow.

A biophilic building for St Joseph's school

Choosing modular solutions over traditional construction

At TG Escapes, we collaborate with schools to deliver comprehensive turnkey solutions through our innovative modular building approach. Modular construction significantly reduces the time required for new building projects, minimising disruption to the school's routine and ensuring that the new facilities are ready for use as soon as our work is complete.

Our process begins with a complimentary design service, where we work closely with school teams to develop a bespoke plan tailored to their specific needs, whether it involves SEND classrooms, specialist facilities, or entire school buildings. Modular buildings offer a high degree of customisation in design, and our team ensures these structures are both aesthetically pleasing and durable, with a lifespan exceeding 50 years.

The efficiency of our approach lies in our offsite manufacturing process. Components are constructed in a controlled environment, which mitigates delays due to weather and other on-site issues. This approach can cut the construction timeline in half compared to traditional brick-and-mortar methods, allowing the bulk of the work to be completed offsite and assembled quickly on-site during school breaks.

Our modular buildings are designed with sustainability in mind. They incorporate the latest in renewable energy technologies to achieve net zero in operation as standard. Our commitment to biophilic design means we create spaces that include natural light, outdoor learning areas, and clean air, all of which have been shown to improve the mental health and academic performance of students.

With decades of experience and hundreds of educational projects completed, TG Escapes has earned excellent client feedback and several industry awards, reflecting our dedication to quality and sustainability. Explore our successful projects and discover how modular construction can provide efficient and timely solutions for your school's building needs. For more information or to discuss any of our services, contact a member of our team today.

Tags: MMC

About the author

Chris Leese
Technical Director coordinating projects with Architects. Having one foot in the academic world and the other in a building site, an interest in low carbon buildings such as Passivhaus led to timber construction methods. Single story eco-schools and five-storey apartments, made an appearance while his academic research includes sustainable retrofit, structurally insulated panels and cross-laminated timber construction methods. Projects include a -six-storey steel timber hybrid structure in London, A Glulam Framed Ecology Centre for the Barking Riverside, and Chris undertook feasibly on the new Google headquarters in London .

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