Best Design for a New School
Park Hall School, Solihull, won the 'Best Design for a New School' award at the Excellence in Building Schools for the Future (BSF) awards on 12 November 2009. Park Hall was also a finalist in the 'Innovation in Sustainability' category.
The annual awards, held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, celebrate the most innovative projects and people involved in the BSF programme.
Park Hall (now renamed Park Hall Academy) is a 1400-pupil secondary school. It was opened in 2008 as part of the Solihull schools BSF programme.
Hoare Lea worked on the project with Nicholas Hare Architects and BAM Construction. Central to the design was the creation of an adaptable and sustainable environment, with the flexibility to accommodate developments in teaching methods and technology.
Hoare Lea was responsible for the mechanical, electrical, public health, fire engineering and sustainability design strategies at Park Hall. This included: Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) Building Bulletin compliance modelling to test ventilation effectiveness, summertime over heating analysis and daylight penetration to enhance the learning environment.
Tim Byles, Chief Executive of Partnership for Schools, and Chair of the Excellence in BSF Awards judging panel, said: "Each of our award winning projects is a shining beacon of how BSF is having a positive impact on so many areas of life: from getting pupils involved in making decisions about their new schools; providing buildings and facilities which can be used by the entire community for education and leisure; developing robust public-private partnerships that deliver value for money for the public purse; and giving leadership teams the chance to implement new strategies to help students reach their full potential."
