Stowmarket High School, Suffolk
Stowmarket High School is a new ESFA-funded, 6.5 FE school for Suffolk County Council.
The project posed several significant challenges, most notably the requirement to keep the existing school fully operational throughout the construction of the new building. A key technical hurdle was minimising the number of new incoming services needed to support the new school during its commissioning phase.
The existing sixth form block, a retained element of the original school, added further complexity. Ensuring minimal disruption during the demolition of the surrounding structures and the installation of new water and energy supplies was critical to recommissioning the sixth form as a standalone facility.
Full BIM Level 2 was a requirement of the project and we developed our design using REVIT MEP to provide a fully coordinated 3D model.
To meet the ESFA Facilities Output Specification, we also carried out extensive dynamic thermal modelling. This enabled us to reduce the need for mechanical cooling and maximise the use of natural ventilation, supporting both energy efficiency and occupant comfort.
The addition of a PV array ensures we meet the local authority planning requirement for a 10% renewable energy contribution and will reduce energy bills for the school.
As well as providing M&E design services the Sustainability team undertook a BREEAM Pre-Assessment with an aspiration to achieve an Excellent rating.