Wymondham High Academy

A single-storey building, designed by architects NPS South East and constructed using a highly sustainable recycled modular building from Portakabin, was craned into position in just one day during the school holidays to minimise disruption to staff and students. It was completed ahead of schedule, reducing the programme from receipt of order to less than three months.

A collaborative approach was taken to the design of the new building, which accommodates five seminar rooms for students studying social sciences, and sixth form facilities, including a break-out area, toilets and administration office. The exterior aesthetics were discussed at workshops with sixth form design students, who were keen to use sustainably-sourced timber and to introduce colour into the project. A cladding solution was developed using natural larch with vertical ‘windows' cut out to reveal the modular steel structure finished in three colours – jade, heritage green and Wedgewood blue.

Portakabin (Refurbished) modular buildings are fitted with new windows, wall linings, partitions, mechanical and electrical services, doors, flooring, and cladding, to create high quality accommodation for a wide variety of education applications. Off-site working is maximised for safer, quieter, cleaner sites and reduced disruption to teaching. The buildings can easily be expanded, reconfigured or removed if teaching requirements change.