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REMadE LEaRning PLacEs Why

RefuRbish?

School renewal by refurbishment a good practice guide

Foreword

alasdair allan MsP Minister for Learning, science and scotland’s Languages

The Why Refurbish Guide here underlines the scottish Government commitment to improving learning in scotland through raising the condition of our schools estate. it opens our eyes to the learning potential and opportunities offered by refurbishment by making reference to real examples. Refurbishment can offer a positive alternative without compromise.

As an approach, refurbishment can offer multiple benefits in terms of adding to the possible options for school renewal, improving learning outcomes, responding to sense of place, and supporting collaboration and innovation. It can support delivery of Curriculum for Excellence through the creation of inspiring and adaptable environments for learners, teachers, for support staff and all who give their best for our children and young people.

Refurbishment also allows us to embrace life cycle cost, sustainability, and increases in procurement flexibility. It can help with community cohesion through keeping existing well established buildings in use.

Choosing refurbishment as an option will also help add to the rate of school renewal, alongside replacement by new build.

With an ever sharper focus on maximising both value-for-money and sustainability, there has never been a better time for a renewed focus on school refurbishment as part of a toolbox of ways to continue the successful renewal of Scotland’s schools. This guide explains when refurbishment could be appropriate, the opportunities it can open up, and how to implement a successful project.

The Scottish Government places a huge emphasis on high quality learning and is committed to delivering high quality, well designed, sustainable learning environments. Whether you are a teacher, a Councillor, a local authority officer, a student, a local resident, or a design professional, I commend this guide to you.

Remade LeaRning PLaces 02

Contents

1.0 introduction 05

1.1 Why refurbish: a summary of the four Rs 06

2.0 What is refurbishment? 07

2.1 Types of refurbishment 09

2.2 Assessment and targeting need 10

2.3 Design for impact 15

2.4 Best value and phasing 15

3.0 Achieving successful refurbishment 16

3.1 Sense of place 17

3.2 Participation and collaboration 21

3.3 Continued and safe service delivery 25

3.4 Re-imagine spaces for learning by design 29

Acknowledgements 38

Appendices 39

03Why REfuRBISh?

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04REmADE LEARnInG PLACES

the scope of this guide

Successful refurbishment is about the right approach at the right time, in the right place and the right value to maximise education and community benefit. Central to success are mobilising user insights, accurate survey data and targeting investment. Design is a useful vehicle to make sense of these inputs and the challenge of imagining new possibilities for old places. This guide seeks to illustrate how this can be achieved with examples of refurbishment from Scotland.

This guide is structured into two sections:

• Section 2 sets out the options for refurbishment and the approaches to make them work

• Section 3 provides examples of school refurbishment, at different scales, illustrating why local authorities chose refurbishment and how they delivered

1.0 IntroduCtIon

The context for refurbishment: between 2007 and 2014, over 20% (526)1 of scotland’s entire local authority school stock underwent major refurbishment or replacement. innovation and pragmatism can drive more value from the refurbishment option. The purpose of this guide is to explain why and illustrate the potential with examples from across scotland.

02 1 www.gov.scot/Resource/0047/00471917.pdf

05Why REfuRBISh?

1.1 Why refurbish: a summary of the four Rs

1. right educational benefit Refurbishment is a learning opportunity, a project to demonstrate principles of sustainability in re-making spaces we already have: the school, the grounds and the wider neighbourhood. This requires a clear learning brief and a disciplined approach to phasing and implementation to ensure that the potential of long term benefits are realized at the same time as managing near term disruption to the continuity of education services. not every school will be suitable for refurbishment. however, where they are feasible, re-imagined old schools can deliver new education benefits, bridging the best of the old school building and modern settings for learning, socialisation and wider community engagement.

2. right time At the right stage in the building lifecycle, small scale investment and minor refurbishment works can prevent buildings moving down condition ratings. Through this work, we can build a sample of future learning settings to test ambitions and possibilities for the school. Within the building fabric, different elements of the building will be performing better or worse, depending on use, environmental exposure and age. mapping the building in these terms, using accurate, clinical survey and assessment data helps build a clear picture of what needs action, where, and why. This helps inform a targeted approach to investment in condition and suitability factors. It also helps inform the feasibility of a phased investment approach to the school across time, ensuring funding flexibility and best value.

3. right place Schools form a part of communities and contribute to sense of place. There are often strong relationships with schools through generations of families attending one. Where that relationship is positive, refurbishment offers the opportunity to consolidate the school’s contribution to the pride and identity of the community. Where there are less positive images of the school, a good refurbishment project can transform perceptions. The place and locality also have a major influence on how pupils and community members use and travel to school, thereby impacting on the sustainability of running the school and its community facilities. The positive ‘regeneration impact’ of investing in a local community rather than moving facilities elsewhere can also be significant.

4. right value Refurbishment may not be the cheapest option in all situations. however, it can deliver best value and be cost managed through: (i) targeting investment to areas of greatest need and impact (ii) phasing interventions across time, incremental change (iii) maximising small scale – high impact and low cost interventions, making more of planned maintenance and other budgets. Where appropriate, the refurbishment can support local collaboration on public and community services to unlock more value for more users from the existing building, and maximise local socio-economic benefits. While there are many similarities between new build and refurbishment, experience of, and confidence in working with the complexity of refurbishment is essential. It is about the right team, with the right skills, and strong client leadership.


Refurbishment is a process of extending the life of a building for new and changing use demands. it is about adapting a building and its grounds above and beyond maintenance to change their capacity, function or performance. Refurbishment activities may include spatial changes, fabric improvements, demolition, extension and new building.

2.0 what Is reFurbIshment?

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07Why REfuRBISh?

Clarity on possibilities

This is about design, re-imagining the potential of spaces we already have, using creative spatial strategies, radical interior design, and new cultures of space using. Participation with users is key to understanding specific needs and insights about use and space.

Visualisation is important. Prototyping small changes to show what is possible, in a room, on a wall, in the grounds, and through example, is important to help learners, teachers and the community experience what change might look like, and how it might work. In exploring possibilities it is important to demonstrate where benefits might be achieved. high specification fixtures, furniture and fittings with an imaginative colourful and graphic interiors scheme in a room which retains its original size and shape might achieve transformational impact, yet save cost on structural change. Opening up spaces and creative ICT strategies may create new spatial possibilities for the school. Refurbishment is about pragmatic innovation by design.

the re:design option

The Re:Design Option is an online resource which provides ideas from designers who have explored the challenges of different educational building types in Scotland, revealing the hidden potential of our existing school estate. It provides illustrations, plans and a kit of parts approach to secondary, rural, Victorian school buildings and interiors. www.theredesignoption.org

successful refurbishment should accurately target resources to create the most impact in the right places. effective targeting of resources is about:

Clarity on the learning brief and the education benefits

This is based on the needs and ambitions of the learners and the school within the community. It should establish a vision for the school, and be consistent with the ambitions of national policy and the Curriculum for Excellence. It should also set out opportunities for learning enabled by the process of refurbishment itself, including consideration of Learning for Sustainability. www.gov.scot/Topics/Education/Schools/curriculum/ACE/OnePlanetSchools/LearningforSustainabilitReport

Clarity on core facts

This should take the form of a detailed assessment of core facts supplemented by building specific survey from the School Estate management Plan. The aim is to identify where the most impacts can be achieved from targeted investment.

Each refurbishment brings specific issues, and requires site specific survey work to establish priorities and evidenced risk. Part of this process is about open engagement with stakeholders. Early engagement can reveal more possibilities than constraints and clear understandings of how different agencies see the process of change. In terms of older and historic buildings this may include modernising spaces and radical change provided they are consistent with the character of the building and its continued sustainable use.

At an early stage the core fact assessment should drive an initial spatial design strategy about which spaces will change, which will be adapted and where new spaces may locate. Education benefit should drive this strategy. for information on School Estate managment Planning www.gov.scot/Publications/2003/08/18009/25296


MINOR MAJOR

Internal and external decoratingNew furniture

New curtains and blindsReplace planting

DemolitionNew buildings

Extensions to buildingsNew roads

New sports pitchesReplace heating, insulation

and external windowsNew stairs or lifts

Internal building adaptationsWindow repairs

Replace electrical servicesReplace kitchens

New internal doorsNew paths

Replace gates/fences

In practice refurbishment will involve a whole range of activities from minor to major.

minor refurbishment is about prolonging the term life of assets through targeting change to discrete spaces in the building or grounds. It is an opportunity to make more of planned maintenance investment, re-thinking the balance between condition and suitability investment based on engagement with learners and teachers. for example, instead of optimising environmental performance across the whole building (eg investing in new windows, insulating the whole building etc), the same investment could be targeted to the areas of greatest structural need and the balance invested in transforming the appearance, function and quality of the learning settings within the building using graphics, interior design, furniture and lighting.

major refurbishment is about extending the mid to long term economic life of the building asset. Spatially this may include significant structural changes, an upgrade to all areas and systems to achieve efficiencies and new cultures in the use of space. major refurbishment requires innovation on the management of phasing and to manage disruption to the school as a whole, particularly at key periods like exams.

When the right approach is successfully matched to the right school this means that not all schools may require a full renewal or replacement. Instead, where possible, strategies of fabric repair, reuse, reassigning and rethinking use and space, can be effective and achieve best value. The strategic project stages should be used to establish which approach and which scale of refurbishment is viable.

2.1 Types of refurbishment

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description

• Location and context• Permanent• Site conditions• Perceived environmental and heritage value• Safety, status and facilities• Accessibility and parking• Policy contexts

• Size• Shell and core• Age• Condition• height/Depth• Space efficiency• flexibility for different uses

• Building envelope/facade

• Building services• Energy performance• Circulation

• Interior layout • Acoustic separation• Suitability for use/need

• fixtures, furniture and equipment

• user demand and engagement• Community use and engagement• utilisation rates

typical lifespan

Permanent

30–300 years

2+ years

7–20 years

3–10 years

3–5 years

Daily

Layer of change

Site

Structure

Skin

Services

Space plan

‘Stuff’

‘Souls’

2.2 Assessment and targeting needAssessing refurbishment feasibility can be informed by breaking down the components of the building into a series of layers (shearing layers), and targeting investment to the areas of greatest need and potential. On a refurbishment project, it is essential that each layer is evidenced by accurate survey information and also focus stakeholder insights to inform a detailed assessment of the actual performance, problems and resource focus. Early design thinking can help test possibilities.

The environmental strategy for the whole school should take the performance of the existing building into account, including factors like embodied energy. A targeted improvements approach should be adopted, based on the survey work and the education ambitions, resulting in specific and differentiated environmental targets for different parts of the building. This should be reflected in the funding priorities. Early consideration should be given to capturing the environmental improvements as a user manual to support people who may operate the building and to provide some ‘touchpoints’ of the improvements in terms of data sheets, monitoring points so learners can use the improvements as resources in their future learning. www.ads.org.uk/healthierplaces/features/sustainability-in-re-use.


a shearing layers approach to value for money: the moray Council

A successful funding bid to Scottish Government in 2014 by The moray Council focused on refurbishment of four C and D rated primary schools. The proposals will benefit over 1,200 pupils and staff and significantly reduce backlog maintenance costs. Three key delivery challenges centre on: • timeframe – two years to refurbish four buildings • working with ‘live’ buildings and maintaining continuity of service, safely • value for money priority (Vfm)

A key aim is to improve overall building environmental performance, reducing carbon footprints. The project prioritises the ‘fabric first approach’ and use of low maintenance materials.

A framework tender was used to reduce procurement time but maintain Vfm. This allowed the Council to prioritise works based on condition with options for internal improvements by obtaining tender prices for packages of work. This analysis was informed by a traffic light system showing budget priorities and those items which are aspirational but may be considered dependant on budget. moray Council’s housing and Property section created the Red, Amber, Green process with input from education officers following the initial specification and design brief prepared by the education department. This breaks down each school into component parts, which are surveyed, rated, and assessed in a cost plan. As the project progresses and there is greater cost clarity (or additional budget) it is anticipated that the green zone will expand to the right and include more elements.

Example of traffic light system to shearing layers analysis in the Moray Council

GIA m2

Roofs

Floors & stairs

Ceilings

External walls, windows & doors

Internal walls & doors

Sanitary services

Mechanical

Electrical

Decoration

Fixed internal facilities, furniture & fitting

External areas

Outdoor sports facilities & permanent fixed furniture

Overall score

Condition catergory

3301

C

D

B

C

C

C

C

B

D

C

D

B

48.75

C

%

2790

C

C

B

C

B

B

C

D

C

C

B

B

50.50

C

2225.2

D

D

C

C

C

C

C

B

C

C

C

B

48.75

C

3060

D

C

B

C

C

C

C

D

C

C

C

B

43.50

C

SchoolA

SchoolB

SchoolC

SchoolD

15

5

2

20

2

3

19

14

9

2

8

1

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Illustration of budgeting based on the moray Council shearing layers traffic light system

BudgetSchool ASchool BSchool CSchool D0

£4,000

£8,000

£10,000

£12,000

£14,000

£18,000

Aordability indicator

Cumulative£3,2

18,5

48£3

,218

,548

£6,0

05,0

65£2

,786,

517

£1,6

99,5

68£7

,704,

633

£10,

477,9

84£2

,773,

352

£12,1

14,5

13£1

,636

,529

£15,

193,

219

£3,0

78,70

5

£15,

776,

669

£583

,450

£16,

228,

224

£451

,556

£16,

575,

040

£346

,816

£16,

647,3

51£7

2,31

1

£16,

907,4

59£2

60,10

8

£17,1

35,0

53£2

27,5

94 Net per category

Aordability indicatorCumulative£3,218,548

£3,218,548

£6,005,065

£2,786,517

£7,704,633

£1,699,568

£10,477,984

£2,773,352

£12,114,513

£1,636,529

£15,193,219

£3,078,705

£15,776,669

£583,450

£16,228,224

£451,556

£16,575,040

£346,816

£16,647,351

£72,311

£16,907,459

£260,108

£17,135,053

£227,594 Net per category

£2,000

£6,000

£16,000

Roof

Preli

ms

Mec

hani

cal

Elec

trica

l

Exte

rnal

walls

,wi

ndow

s & d

oors

Suita

bility

inc.

mod

ular

Toile

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Dec

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& flo

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Inte

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Susp

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ilings

Fixe

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Exte

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s

Budg

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Roof

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inc.

mod

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Inte

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work

s


Mauchline Primary School and Early Childhood Centre is based on working with the shearings layers of the building, targeting architectural insertions into the historic shell to transform the quality of the learning environment.

13Why REfuRBISh?

building layers and risk management: west Lothian

A key challenge in refurbishment are the unforeseen risks to the project goals of time, cost and quality which emerge within the project because of unknown issues in the building fabric. To manage these risks, West Lothian Council promote three levels of assessment to building layers, to direct survey and risk management approaches:

Known

unknown

unexpected

building components and new learning environments: east ayrshire

mauchline Primary School and Early Childhood Centre was refurbished as part of a Public/Private Partnership in 2007. Designed by Archial nORR to meet modern learning requirements, the refurbishment comprises re-modelling of the existing school, with new architectural insertions in key parts to maximise learning spaces, enhance learning settings and environmental quality. The re-modelled and extended school comprises 14 classrooms, a number of smaller teaching rooms (regularly used by visiting specialist teachers, support assistants, tutors or therapists), office and preparation areas, and a gymnasium and dining hall which can be joined to make a large performance space. A large central open area houses a library, a wet activity/art area and the I.C.T. suite.

• Age of building• Superficial condition• Original construction materials

• Structural condition• Extent of asbestos• Services condition

• unsurveyed mineworkings (particularly relevant to West Lothian)

• unchartered drainage and basements

• Ecology• Archaeology


2.3 Design for impactRefurbishment may not always be the cheapest option but best value can be achieved when the project is based on a targeted and innovative approach.

Critical to drawing together the potential of refurbishment is good design, underpinned by a clear vision for learning.

There are three areas of potential in the design process:

1. understanding possibilitiesDesign exploration early at the business case and pre-project stage can highlight possibilities in the structure and spaces and inform targeting of survey, assessment and funding work.

2. targeting of resources based on the learning briefThe strategy to assign resources within the budget to unlock potential for learning can be enabled by creative and rigorous design thinking.

3. Confirming the budgetIn a number of the examples in this guide local authorities invested in comparator schemes (comparing refurbishment and new build) and reference designs supported by mini competitions to confirm budgets and establish clear guidance to direct how the priorities of the brief are communicated to all parties in the refurbishment process.

The examples in this guide all highlight the importance of leadership through the design and implementation phases. This is all about clear briefing, continuous reference and accountability back to the brief and selection of the right team for all project phases.

2.4 best value and phasingA significant opportunity of refurbishment is the potential to phase the project across time.

This allows for:

• testing of change through minor refurbishment to inform more significant capital investment and transformational change

• phasing of capital budgets across time allowing for a managed approach to different priorities and possible joining of budgets where the school may transform into a civic campus with multiple services for the local community

• integration of learning from other schools investment initiatives such as lessons from the Schools for the future programme

Although the phased approach offers benefits it can present challenges. multiple phases in short timescales can present issues around disruption to learning, decant challenges and construction issues. Innovation along with a rational, pragmatic approach to phasing is required. Where possible early engagement with the school linked to learning from other projects should be used to support the development of efficient phasing.

15Why REfuRBISh?

Local authorities across scotland are delivering change in the schools estate through refurbishment. Across these projects there are two broad drivers for the decision to choose refurbishment:

3.0 aChIevIng suCCessFuL reFurbIshment

PreventionRefurbishment is an important strategy to ensure that buildings with suitable spaces for modern learning do not end up in lower condition and suitability classifications.

Place much local authority refurbishment is in response to place specific issues. This includes heritage and community sensitivity, local policy drivers and service collaborations. Re-imagining existing buildings is a useful anchor to make local collaboration on services and assets plausible and practical.

This section sets out examples of school refurbishment projects in Scotland, drawing out learning about why local authorities chose refurbishment, what they did and how the refurbished building works.

Successful refurbishment ensures a range of local education benefits, from retention of facilities and accessibility to enhanced settings for collaboration, new approaches to the curriculum in re-imagined spaces, and enhanced active use by the community.


3.1 sense of placeOlder schools are often well located. This is particularly the case for smaller catchments associated with primary schools. Refurbishment can help centrally located schools remain part of their local community. The refurbishment option, in the right place, can help support three place based aspects of education benefit; accessibility, facilities and community links.

accessKeeping a school on the same site can minimise longer or more difficult journeys for pupils and reduces the risk of the major costs and upheavals that result from altering catchments. It can also bring benefits on health and well-being through allowing shorter travel distances that permit walking and cycling to school. Location is a driver where the accessibility (for a variety of transport modes) supports ease of movement during the construction period. It is also important for communities too; the Scottish Government’s increasing emphasis on school buildings and facilities being accessible for community uses like sport, extra curricular learning and community activities means that schools should be well placed in the local community.

Local facilities and assetsThe use of the school as a community facility can vary. Where the decision to refurbish a school has been agreed, there may be opportunities to re-purpose spaces within the school to facilitate greater community use. This may include space for sports and leisure facilities which are operated as a service for the school and wider communities; integration of local services to re-purpose the site from ‘school’ to ‘civic campus’, or shared facilities to enable different learning connections between school and local college curricula. In short, refurbishment investment may be an opportunity to trigger place based discussions about collaboration.

Refurbishment often requires creative thinking about how to use local amenities during the decant and construction period. for instance, refurbishment projects can use nearby located local parks, spaces and libraries to support the continuity of education service. These experiences could be used to prototype and test some of the proposed settings for learning and collaborative services in the refurbishment project.

Above: Meldrum Primary School. The requirement for temporary classrooms was successfully managed through the temporary relocation of lower years into a nearby Primary, and upper years into a nearby High School that were temporarily under capacity. Careful capacity assessment by authorities at project outset could help identify opportunities for a similar strategy elsewhere.

Top: Notre Dame Primary School: A redundant 19th Century primary school in Glasgow has been fully refurbished and remodelled, and brought back into use as a learning asset. Former additions were demolished, operational conditions improved through internal modifications and the addition of new build whole school spaces have all created a popular urban primary school and nursery. The school contains extensive community use space and greatly improved access and play spaces.

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CommunitiesWhere the value of a school is reflected in community feeling or is of historical interest, innovative and pragmatic approaches to adapting the building have been fostered. This can allow the community connection to remain and the local asset to be redeveloped. Refurbishment should make the most of these local connections and the sense of place, to build on the potential for participation of the school and wider community in the project.

“There was a wish to keep some of our heritage here. Coatbridge has long suffered from demolition of its historic buildings.”Local authority officer, North Lanarkshire

“if you speak to the children, they’ll tell you that they love this building.” Teacher, Drumpark and Greenhill Primary Schools, Coatbridge

Top: View looking up towards the location of the former Coatbridge High School (assumed early 20th Century).

Middle: Coatbridge High School. Prior to refurbishment and reuse as Drumpark & Greenhill Primary Schools this building had been out of use for a number of years. It has now been regenerated and gives new life and pride to this part of the town.

Bottom: Coatbridge High School. Redundant out of character additions to the school were removed to create the required levels of play space and to visibly mend the sense of place within the town centre.

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sense of place example: Castlepark Primary school, north ayrshire

This late 20th Century school was refurbished and remodelled to absorb pupils from another school closure and to improve nursery accommodation.

Refurbishment has helped create a greatly improved sense of place for the learners and the community. Retaining the school and nursery within the heart of the community allows the facility to be walkable from its catchment area.

Parents, pupils and staff were consulted throughout the project process in order that their views were respected in relation to the overall design. The inclusion of participation in this way was intended to help build an ethos of positive behaviour, a sense of identity, achievement and pride within the community of learners and beyond.

“The school really is in the middle of the community. All pupils are within walking distance. some get dropped off, but no one needs to come by bus.” Teacher, Castlepark Primary School, Irvine

Castlepark Primary School. The advantage of retaining a school in its original setting in action. Here the primary school and nursery sit directly within the catchment area housing which is a walkable distance away.

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sense of place example: bent Primary school, south Lanarkshire

At Bent Primary School the refurbished building retains a direct relationship with its rural setting and landscape. The school has been fully renewed through refurbishment and by adding new build classrooms. Existing 19th Century vernacular school buildings were reconfigured to house a new GP teaching room and the admin facilities. Through the refurbishment and remodelling works to Bent Primary the school was kept open and serving its community. materials for the new build elements have been chosen to express agricultural vernacular buildings which further reinforces the context and setting of the school.

“The community was really keen to keep the building. That was the main driver. We did look at doing a new build but the strength of community feeling won the day.” Local authority officer, South Lanarkshire

Bent Primary School. Refurbishment and new classroom added to a small rural primary school.

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3.2 Participation and collaborationIncluding users in the decision making journey of design, can foster a sense of ownership, highlight needs and reveal insights to drive possibilities in design. This can have major benefits in the development of a refurbishment project, particularly in fostering constructive communication across the project phases.

A challenge with existing buildings is familiarity with the way things have been and the struggle to imagine alternatives. Can old buildings deliver modern learning opportunities? By working with the creativity and insights of users and linking these to design, new possibilities can be opened up. These possibilities can be demonstrated through visualisation or prototyping of spaces, like the example of Try Before you Buy in Campbeltown. This can help achieve the best fit between spatial and investment options and the specific needs of the learner and the school. www.ads.org.uk/smarterplaces/features/try-before-you-buy-campbeltown-grammar

The participation process needs to be designed and properly resourced. It may require specialist support. The aim is to ensure all participants get the most out of the process. Generally, early engagement works best. This requires commitment to consider the outcomes of participation and clear feedback on the decisions to take insights forward or not.

In parallel to the process of involving people in the design process, it is important to develop a parallel communications strategy. The purpose of this strategy is to inform people of progress and to provide early communication about disruption and change in construction. many of the schools described in this guide developed a project liaison team, with teachers, members of the Local Authority team and contractors all participating to ensure consistent and clear communication throughout the project. Part of the effectiveness of this approach is to adopt as many effective channels of communication as possible to get the same message to a range of people who may be affected by the refurbishment work.

A&DS has worked with a number of local authorities in Scotland to engage learners in the process of designing change to school buildings and grounds. These two short guides set out some of the processes used and lessons learned. www.ads.org.uk/smarterplaces/features/a-guide-to-participation-what-we-ve-learned-so-far

Architecture and Design Scotland A Guide to Participation: What we’ve learnt so far

Architecture and Design Scotland Outdoor Learning: The Extended Classroom

21Why REfuRBISh?

“initially teachers and pupils were wary that we could achieve what we promised with this building. They were very suspicious and questioned everything. They took a lot of convincing. but now it’s seen as a success.” Local authority officer, North Lanarkshire

Images: Coltness High School. Demolition of redundant parts, full remodelling and new build extensions to a 1960’s High School in North Lanarkshire to create a completely renewed school for 800 pupils, with community use spaces, renewed grounds and an all weather sports pitch.

Participation example: Coltness high school, north Lanarkshire

This refurbishment used high levels of learner participation to good effect to develop colour and graphics for the circulation and social spaces within the school. The results are transformational both visibly and socially. Behaviour and attachment to the school has all increased significantly, renewing the ethos and spirit of the school in a positive way.

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Images: Drumpark and Greenhill Primary School. A cost comparison between new build and renewal by refurbishment and remodelling favoured refurbishment. Longer term value was assured through providing space to allow expansion.

Collaboration example: drumpark and greenhill Primary school, north Lanarkshire

This refurbishment used high levels of collaboration in establishing a co-located educational and council service on the site of the former high School in Coatbridge. The community, teachers, education, asset officers and historic Scotland worked together to establish viability through adopting an effective strategy of allocating space within the site. The adopted strategy houses Additional Support needs (ASn) and non-ASn learners within the majority of the parts of the refurbished school. In areas where learning functions were not viable or excess area was left, space was allocated for future planned use by north Lanarkshire Council as office space.

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Collaboration between agencies and services

Collaboration can also be a key part of establishing success in refurbishment. The principle of the re-use of an existing building or setting for a new purpose can be an effective tool for stakeholder collaboration at local level. It provides a tangible anchor for discussion about possible sharing of services, assets and resources. The outcome may be to use a different building solution, but delivered collaboratively. In the review of refurbishment examples for this guide, two forms of collaboration were identified. The first is collaboration between schools and education uses, resulting in co-location, all-through campuses and also learning spaces which move beyond co-location, where all learners are integrated into the culture of the school, particularly with ASn partners.

The second collaboration is between local services, where the opportunity of investment in the school triggers discussion about local services delivered collaboratively. ‘Learning Towns’2 is one expression of this approach, and place based reviews of opportunities to share services, assets and resources between a range of partners at local level are happening across the country, often anchored by a change in the school estate.

“The design of the space brings great benefits in how we work and learn cooperatively and collaboratively within and outwith age groups” Teacher Drumpark and Greenhill Primary School, Coatbridge

2 www.learningtowns.org


Ensuring continuing education, the health and safety of learners, teaching staff, construction personnel and the local community through refurbishment is vital. This requires consideration at the design stage and clear communication between the school and the contractor to effectively manage health and safety; allow for safe construction phasing; and ensure all works are scheduled around the school timetable. Scottish local authorities have managed and innovated around complex phasing and decant challenges in refurbishment projects across the country.

broadly, there are three key learning points from this experience:

1. eliminate decantThe key objective in a refurbishment is to minimise or eliminate the need for decant into expensive temporary buildings, also to minimise the impact of the refurbishment on the operation of the school. The opportunities to achieve this require intelligent phasing approaches that could include:

• reconfiguration of the school to maximise space in the build sequence for temporary decant without the need for temporary units (Tus)

• using off-site pre-fabrication and working as this can reduce the working area needed at the school and duration of construction operations. Pre-fabricated classrooms could also be procured early and used in a temporary location before being phased in for use in the final design

• phasing construction works to avoid particular sensitive periods like exams will help to avoid disrupting learning

• thinking creatively about phasing to reduce cost and disturbance by using new build elements as on-site decant space. Adopt a strategy of using temporary accommodation as a last resort and ideally ensure that pupils and staff only move once during the works

• consider if the costs of temporary accommodation could be more effectively assigned to create additional space for internal decant and greater future service potential

2. Learning opportunitiesThis is crucial to limit the project length and total costs. The aim is to reduce the number of phases to a minimum, paying particular consideration to key points in the schools calendar such as prelim and final exams and where possible undertaking most work during holidays.

Phasing, decant and construction processes will bring challenges to learners and staff. It is important to identify those that need the support. Practically the process is made easier if departments plan their move well in advance. Where phasing is proposed the learning opportunities should be explored. This may include opportunities for rationalising resources and teaching materials, testing new forms of spatial arrangement, and engaging the learners in the actual construction process.

3.3 Continued and safe service delivery

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3. Intelligent phasing example: Coltness high school, north Lanarkshire

Phasing was kept to a minimum with works split into two parts that captured the demolition and the new build and refurbishment works. Good practice suggests that avoiding multiple phased construction will help shorten the programme of works and the requirement for extended use of temporary classrooms. The use of a school liaison officer to work closely with both the design team and the contractor team, helped ensure better implementation of phasing.

At Coltness high School the phasing of the works were sequenced to allow decant back into completed parts of the building and this further minimised the requirement for temporary classrooms. Works were also sequenced to allow the heavily serviced practical spaces to be relocated and grouped to create a rational construction sequence and grouping of structure and services.

In this school renewal north Lanarkshire Council carefully analysed phasing options to keep the largest part of the school in use for the longest time in Phase 1 of the works. Careful capital planning was used to assign funding for additional Gross Internal floor Area (GIfA) in the new build block which was used for decant during Phase 2. Temporary classroom requirement was significantly reduced through adopting this strategy. The extra floor area built was at a relatively low elemental cost and will be used for anticipated future learning demand.

Phase 1 Demolition of existing buildingPhase 1 New buildPhase 2 Demolition of existing buildingPhase 2 Existing building remodelled and refurbishedPhase 2 New build


Above: The retained parts of the school were also refurbished in Phase 2. Learning uses were reassigned as part of the refurbishment leaving this part of the school serving general teaching functions.

Right: Phase 2 demolitions were replaced with a new and greatly improved entrance that has created a mixing space for the whole school to meet, learn and socialise.

Phase 1 demolitions were replaced with a new build southerly block which uses the existing foundations of the demolished part of the school helping save costs for the works. Improved access pathways and lighting helps with improving security.

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strategic asset sharing Some authorities have set up decant facilities that are available for multiple uses across a renewal tranche. The School Estate management Plan (SEmP3) is also helping officers understand where strategic asset sharing and the creation of decant facilities may be viable.

for example, City of Edinburgh Council are using a mothballed former primary school successfully during the renewal of a high school. Dundee City Council has used a former high school as a decant facility for four major school renewals over 16 years. Decant village buildings have been used in South Lanarkshire for multiple projects.

At the level of strategic asset management these decant facilities are being used to manage changes to a range of services. Post refurbishment, there are opportunities to re-use these buildings for new forms of collaborative service or local regeneration purposes.

3 www.gov.scot/Publications/2003/08/18009/25296

Middle: Rockwell decant facility Dundee. This former High School – currently in use for the decant of the Harris Academy renewal – will be put back into use possibly as a primary school or adult learning facility after its tenure as a decant facility has ended. The use of Rockwell illustrates a sustainable long term view of asset management by Dundee City Council and has helped save substantial amounts of funds that would otherwise have been expended on paying for temporary accommodation.

Bottom: Darroch decant facility Edinburgh. This asset is in use for the decant of James Gillespies High School that is currently being redeveloped. Using existing assets in this way ensures the asset is maintained in good condition and does not deteriorate. Asset husbandry in this way creates the opportunity for continuing reuse.

Bent Primary School. South Lanarkshire Council have successfully used a permanent decant village building for multiple school redevelopments and the facility was used during the refurbishment of Bent Primary School (pictured here).

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A key driver in the transformation of the schools estate in Scotland is to embrace new ways of learning4 working and space utilisation by changing the spatial configuration of the school. This can enable opportunities like paired teaching, group teaching, interdisciplinary working, breakout groupings and flipped classrooms. Outdoor settings for learning are also a key objective.

spatial strategyThe refurbishment spatial strategy must balance improvements to the condition and suitability of all spaces, so the whole school benefits, with specific areas for major change driven by the education need. There will be trade-offs. This will be informed by a mapping of spaces that are fixed, spaces and circulation areas that can be adapted or re-modelled, but also opportunities to co-locate specialist curriculum areas to benefit from shared infrastructure and services. Where possible, the spatial strategy should allow for overlapping uses and efficiencies in the space budget to free up resources to invest in learning settings, and at the same time maximise the benefit of the existing building. This may include re-thinking stairs and circulation areas as flexible learning spaces (see notre Dame example and the ‘buddy booths’ in Coltness example), creating double height shared spaces with lots of light (see halyrude example), exploiting opportunities for mezzanines and other remodelling (see Darroch example in the Re:Design Option) or creating a new central learning hub (see the Castlepark example). The learning potential in all existing spaces should be exploited to the maximum.

Part of the spatial strategy will include consideration of storage, services and IT equipment within the classroom. Stripping back suspended ceilings, use of underfloor and other heating systems, and centralising locations for teaching resources may free up space for learning, which may link with creative thinking about the relationship between the classroom and the corridor as linked learning spaces. A whole school approach to IT, Wi-fi and the asset management of devices, laptops and peripherals can enable flexible uses of all spaces in the school for learning enabling different levels of independence and collaborative working for learners.

Re-imagining potential requires creative investment at an early stage in the refurbishment project. for example, the Re:Design Option is based on a series of short low cost design exercises to test possibilities and open discussion on investment priorities for change.

4 issuu.com/schools.ads/docs/theredesignoption_victorianbuilding/5?e=3185068/5245103

INDEPENDENT

COLLABORATIVE

EXPERIENTIAL

DISCURSIVE

DIDACTIC

SOCIAL

3.4 Re-imagine spaces for learning by design

Above: Examples of learning styles as the influencer on space typology and assignment. Each learning style will require an approach to shaping space, setting and equipping that the assessment of the existing school and the refurbishment brief should capture.

www.ads.org.uk/smarterplaces/features/better-briefing-for-education-benefit-web-series-1

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settings for learningThe look, feel and function of learning spaces in a refurbishment project can be transformed with creative thinking on interior design, fixtures and furnishing. This is about the details, the choice of paint, colours, graphics and higher quality equipment in spaces which have not changed significantly in their spatial arrangement. Creative work spaces like South Block, and The Whisky Bond in Glasgow or the Impact hub network in London demonstrate the potential impact of colour, graphics and creativity in space management in re-imagining old spaces for new uses working to tight budgets and performance criteria. Briefing for the settings for learning should involve learners, to capture their insights about possibilities and ambitions. When this is combined with creative design thinking, practical and innovative solutions are possible. The Campbeltown ‘Try Before you Buy’ project worked on this principle, which drove decisions about colour on the walls, the type of furnishings, the design of the flooring and the way technology works in the learning spaces. In Blackfriars, a flexible kit-of-parts approach to creating ‘learning landscapes’ in shared spaces in the school emerged through discussion with students. On the basis of these principles, a colourful new flexible learning space was built in the entrance of the school which has become a new focus for the school curriculum.

There will be a balance between the need for clear facility management, and future proofing of fixtures, furniture and fittings. however, creativity, imagination, with pragmatism and budget constraints can transform the learning experiences, and the impact of the refurbishment as whole.

Above: Exploring possibilities for adapting a central courtyard to create an enclosed flexible whole school area. Visualising change is important in understanding where and how existing schools can support adaptation to create future learning spaces.5 In this example, looking at Galashiels Academy demonstrates that reimagining existing school spaces is a real possibility. This design approach supports social and flexible learning and provides opportunities for whole school interaction, individual, and group learning.

5 www.ads.org.uk/smarterplaces/news/the-re-design-option-exhibition


Above: The space at Campbeltown set up for a more formal or less formal delivery of learning and can be used by learners for social learning or in an instructor led setting where group discussion or didactic teaching can be delivered. Working with the parameters of the existing building and the knowledge of operating and managing the school informed the development and inclusion of this flexible space.

rethinking space for educational benefit Prototyping and testing example: Campbeltown grammar, argyll and bute

Argyll and Bute Council is replacing Campbeltown Grammar as part of Scotland’s Schools for the future programme. Prior to the construction of the new building a space has been identified within the current school in which innovative learning spaces briefed through participation with students and staff will be tried and tested. The output was a living and evolving teaching space developed by the prototyping and testing of space use and interior design settings to meet the requirements of the Curriculum for Excellence.

Two key benefits of this approach are to achieve buy-in to proposed innovations early, and establish the parameters for the management and change of these spaces in the refurbishment project. This is of particular importance as school management and cultures will change across the life of the school, with different and potentially conflicting views as to how space should be used to achieve benefit. It is important to re-state that these innovations, when successful, tend to be practical and innovation driven where the key idea emerges through participation with the school community.6

Recent examples in Scotland found that transformation of space through refurbishment on any scale can bring benefits. Small focused interventions and changes such as those found at Campbeltown can have a big impact on how well a building meets the needs of its current users and how well the building goes on to perform in the longer term. When rethinking space its important not just to focus on the current problems and issues but to look forward to embracing emerging ideas on learning and the purpose of a school.

6 www.ads.org.uk/smarterplaces/news/try-before-you-buy-time-to-move-in

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“education today is changing with current reform signalling a shift from the notion of schooling to one of learning. international and european policy calls for a move from the teacher-centred ‘delivery of content’ mode of education, to a student-centred mode, with a focus on the development of skills and competencies through the curriculum” 7

Above: A multi purpose space was developed through careful assessment of the curriculum requirements, an openness to innovate and embrace shifts in learning needs. Briefing, shaping and equipping the space have been supported through consultation and continuous dialogue with learners and teachers.

Participation and co-operation has activated a part of the school that had formally been underused and has also helped improve learner engagement. Learning can occur in either an informal or formal setting.

7 OECD (2008) Innovating to Learn, Learning to Innovate. Paris: OECD + European Commission. (2007) Key Competencies for Lifelong Learning; European Reference Framework. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities + Ananiadou, K. and Claor, M. (2009) 21st Century Skills and Competences for New Millennium Learners in OECD Countries. In: OECD Working Papers. No. 41. Paris: OECD Publishing.

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head teacher commends the re-vitalised “uplifting, bright and airy” space for inspiring the pupils and helping them to be creative and further develop skills in the newly created, multi-functional space at the heart of the school. 9

small scale interventions to create educational benefit example: blackfriars school, glasgow

A strong example of the positive impact that a relatively small scale refurbishment intervention can bring is the new multi-functional space at the entrance area of Blackfriars School in Glasgow. This approach was developed with a kit-of-parts used to create the new additions from standardised components and colours. Blackfriars is another project established on the back of considered briefing and participation between learners, teachers and the designers. The new space has transformed the sense of arrival into the school, the learning opportunities for the whole school, and intergenerational contact within the community on a modest budget, using innovation in form, colour and function.8

Small scale interventions can use colour, graphics, signage, new furniture and fittings to create a real sense of rebranding, updating the feel and image of an existing school and by creating spaces to inspire.

The school have stated that the new space has motivated pupils to read more, improving literacy skills and enjoyment of reading. The community were also involved in the design of the space and benefit by using the new ICT facilities. Overall the space has changed the ethos of the school and the approach illustrates the important insight of pupils in re-imagining the places they live and learn, exploring ideas and concepts for different educational building types.

8 www.ads.org.uk/smarterplaces/features/better-briefing-for-education-benefit-transforming-spaces-to-inspire.

9 www.ads.org.uk/smarterplaces/news/the-re-design-option-exhibition

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10 www.ads.org.uk/resources/7622-halyrude-rc-primary-small-school-case-study

“An example of how a sensitive refurbishment of a small rural school can be achieved with limited funds” 10

medium scale intervention with limited funds to create educational benefit example: halyrude school, Peebles

This building became available when its former school moved into a new purpose built school. halyrude School was then carefully and economically re-modelled for the arrival of a new community of learners, which included a local support centre and a pre-school learners playgroup. Through minimal remodelling the school now provides a more open and dynamic environment centred on a double height top lit space. The building caters for a wide diversity of needs with three learning organisations co-located and sharing use of the building. Although organisationally separate, all communities share common spaces such as gym space, dining hall and playgrounds.

This project was designed and managed in-house by the local authority with a close relationship with the school team. Great advantage was made of the reduction in the school roll which allowed reassignment of space for shared social and learning functions.

In the approach to refurbishment the authority formulated a strategy of reuse for the existing asset. Refurbishment has unlocked new possibilities in an economic way.

Careful assessment and briefing has created a school where social and flexible learning space has been incorporated, shared use of an asset has been achieved, and value created through sensitive reassignment of space, imaginative use of light, and well planned investment in the design stages.


“Overall refurbishment has created a dynamic learning environment offering flexibility of purpose and shared use”Antonia Cairns, Interior Designer

Below: A large top lit central space has been created by opening up the original section of the building. The space allows for learning and social encounters in an area of the school that had been previously unloved and under used for learning settings.

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Large scale refurbishment and extension to create educational benefit example: notre dame Primary school, glasgow

A refurbished and extended out of use Category C listed period board school building located in the West End of Glasgow featuring high levels of renewable energy, improved access and new whole school spaces.

Sensitive refurbishment of existing spaces resulted in significantly increased useability and energy efficiency. Carefully designed and scaled new whole school spaces offer high levels of community use. The design approach uses contextual materials that reflect and blend in with the surrounding context. The refurbishment of the existing atrium creates a breathing space for the whole school and offers opportunity for social encounters and learning activities. The new whole school spaces are housed in a single form created by means of an efficient vertical stacking of the nursery, hall and sports facilities. A reinvigorated educational asset has been created, ensuring that the connection between school and the community that remains intact.

Significant improvements in energy use and environmental performance have also been incorporated in the refurbishment using renewable forms of energy, high levels of insulation and replacement windows offering double glazing. Large scale refurbishment offers the possibility of a major re-thinking and remodelling of a school to improve learning conditions, use and operation.

Defining spaces not by the function they were originally designed for but by the different activities that might take place over time. Stairs planned for movement, with adjustment, can be successful as social learning spaces, a quiet place for work, a setting for exhibitions and seating for assembly in the atrium below.

Below: New build spaces shown in blue were added in an area where redundant spaces were previously located. Whole school, sports and social spaces stack along with a new nursery, freeing up room to allow rethinking of use in the existing retained parts of the school. A new entrance gantry has also been added creating an accessible community building.


“When we started out on this project, the community had concerns we could create a satisfactory outcome. The building in use has shown them, we achieved and surpassed community expectations and greatly improved learning conditions” Local Authority Officer, City of Glasgow Council

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a&ds wishes to thank the following people and organisations for participation, assistance and contribution in preparing this guide:

• The Scottish Government• Scottish futures Trust• Association of Directors of Education in Scotland• Convention of Scottish Local Authorities• Education Scotland• Grounds for Learning• Design by Graven

officers and teaching staff from• Dundee City Council• City of Edinburgh Council• fife Council• Glasgow City Council• highland Council• moray Council• north Ayrshire Council• north Lanarkshire Council• Scottish Borders Council• South Lanarkshire Council• West Lothian Council

expert consultants• Alastair Blyth• John Worthington• nick Wright • Lorraine Tulloch

advocacy contributors• Alan Russell: Senior Teacher & Education Officer (Retired)• Alastair Blyth:

Learning Environments Assessor and Advisor• Dugald forbes: Educationalist (Retired)• historic Scotland• John Worthington: Expert Advisor • Scottish Borders Council: Asset management Officer• Scott Brownrigg: Architectural Design Consultant

Contributors of featured examples • Aedas Architects• Glasgow City Council (Project management & Design) • Jm Architects• CRGP Architects & Surveyors• Realm ISD• Scottish Borders Council Architect’s Section

(Design Services)• Space Strategies• Stallan Brand• Archial nORR

Image credits1/2 notre Dame Primary School:

Grzegorz Piechowicz3 Bent Primary School: Daniel hopkinson4 notre Dame Primary School:

Grzegorz Piechowicz5 Pupils from meldrum Primary School:

meldrum Primary School6 Coatbridge town centre:

www.scottishmining.co.uk 7 former Coatbridge high School:

photo by CRGP Architects 8 Drumpark & Greenhill ASn & non-ASn Primary

School: martin mcAleer9 Castlepark Primary School & nursery:

Cadzow Pelosi10-12 Bent Primary School: Daniel hopkinson13-15 Coltness high School: martin mcAleer16/17 Drumpark & Greenhill ASn & non-ASn Primary

School: martin mcAleer18-20 Coltness high School: martin mcAleer21 Bent Primary School: Daniel hopkinson22 Rockwell decant facility: Wikipedia Commons:

Joe Dorward23 Darroch high School: historic Scotland 24/25 Campbeltown Grammar: A&DS26 Blackfriars Primary school: A&DS27 halyrude Primary School: A&DS28/29 notre Dame Primary School: Grzegorz Piechowicz

aCKnowLedgements


School Estate management Plans Building Our future: Scotland’s School Estate www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2003/08/18009/25296

Building Excellence – Exploring the implications of Curriculum for Excellence for school buildings www.gov.scot/Topics/Education/Schools/Buildings/Excellence

Senses of Place: Building Excellence www.ads.org.uk/smarterplaces

Better Briefing for Education Benefit www.ads.org.uk/smarterplaces/features/better-briefing-for-education-benefit-transforming-spaces-to-inspire

The Re-design Option www.ads.org.uk/smarterplaces/news/the-re-design-option-exhibition

Sustainability in Reuse www.ads.org.uk/designforum/qualityofplace/highlight-sustainability-in-re-use?typology_id=6&quality_id=4

managing the Brief for Better Design www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415460316/

how Buildings Learn: What happens After They’re Built Brand, S, Penguin Books, 1995 OECD

Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI) – Schooling for Tomorrow www.oecd.org/edu/ceri/centreforeducationalresearchandinnovationceri-schoolingfortomorrow.htm

modernising School Buildings in Portugal www.oecd.org/education/innovation-education/centreforeffectivelearningenvironmentscele/49567409.pdf

SfT Lessons Learnt www.scottishfuturestrust.org.uk/publications/lessons-learnt/

SfT Schools Development handbook www.scottishfuturestrust.org.uk/our-work/sft-build/schools-for-the-future/schools-development-handbook/

The following documents are a useful resource supporting the ideas, themes and arguments contained within this guide:

aPPendICes


www.ads.org.uk/smarterplacesSchool renewal by refurbishment a good practice guide

remade - architecture and design scotland...offered by refurbishment by making reference to real...

Documents