The facts
Location: Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Client: Wates Construction Ltd
Project construction value: £10.5m
Services provided: Acoustics, Building Services
Engineering, Ecology, Landscape and Urban Design, Structural
Engineering
Start/Completion Date: Ongoing
The project
Capita Symonds was appointed
by Wates Construction Ltd to provide multidisciplinary services on
the new £10.5m Campsmount Technology College in Doncaster – a 900
place college specialising in technology.
This project is the first in a series of new
academies and schools under the new education agenda and this
project has been seen as a template for future projects in terms of
speed of procurement, budget, cost, design and quality. As part of
the competitive bid process, Capita Symonds provided landscape
architecture, ecological services, BREEAM services, structural
engineering, mechanical & electrical engineering and acoustics.
This was the first school development to be designed with a
streamline process where a fast track engagement process was
successfully introduced.
Capita Symonds’ Landscape Architecture Team was tasked with
providing the lead services on the external works of the college.
The team commenced their involvement on the project in November
2010, with the bid, engagement, process and the planning
application submitted by mid December 2010. The construction of the
college is due for completion in September 2012.
The Scheme
On time delivery for each milestone date was
absolutely key to the process. To achieve this the team undertook a
number of tasks:
• Within the ITT stage, the team led the engagement process which
involved:
o Engagement meetings
o Establishing client
requirements
o Presenting ideas
o Producing designs
• Use of management tools – communication in taking a brief and
passing it on to a team
• Outline designs in the bid – in supporting this the provision of
level plans, tree survey and removal drawings, fencing plans and
circulation plans
• Production of information for a planning submission
The team established a very good relationship with the client
following the initial engagement meetings. This enabled a very
quick progression from the inception of the bid through to actual
construction of work on site – programmed to be a tight 14 week
period.
Challenges
There were extremely tight time constraints
involved in the bid delivery and planning submission of this
project. Established convention would involve a bid process lasting
three months however, with this college the same amount of work had
to be accomplished within 6 to 8 weeks, leaving no room for delay
or slippage.
The Ecology Team had to constantly change their work plan, again
having very tight time constraints as certain surveys could only be
carried out in certain ‘windows of time’.
Innovation
As a specialist technology college, it was
important that the design allowed for the energy centre to be a
prominent part of the landscape. Therefore, the team designed the
external space so that this was visible on entrance to the site of
the college.
Whilst the team provided the master plan for the outside space, the
school can continue to develop that master plan by taking on
elements of it for project work, such as becoming involved in a
woodland management scheme and creating a series of paths through
the woodlands for particular curriculum studies.
The Capita Symonds Landscape Architecture team included an external
yard in their designs meaning the students could utilise this
outdoor learning environment for technology works and projects. The
college had influence in the design of the landscape meaning they
could utilise aspects of the external space in ‘feeding’ their own
curriculum. There is strong integration between the external and
internal environments of the school.
Outcome
The outdoor area requires low maintenance therefore it is
sustainable in terms of cost and management to the Council moving
forward. The careful planning carried out by the Landscape
Architecture team assisted in the process being completed extremely
quickly. The surrounding landscape will essentially become an
outdoor learning environment. Effective communication by all
involved meant a design solution was achieved which not only serves
its purpose as an external space but which also becomes an integral
part of school and community life.