Shorter days are a seasonal cue for school estates managers to start winter-proofing their sites before the weather turns colder and icier.
Making sure buildings are weatherproofed will be a key priority over the coming months. While some schools prioritise annual maintenance tasks, modular construction can proactively prepare schools for winter pressures and minimise the amount of prep work that needs completing each year. With unparalleled flexibility and adaptability, modular construction will ensure classroom doors remain open with minimal disruption. Read on to find out exactly how modular buildings can support schools in their efforts to prepare for winter.
1. Modular construction is agile, keeping learning disruption at bay
Preparing school infrastructure for winter whilst keeping disruption out of the classroom may feel like an impossible task. Modular buildings, however, keep the majority of construction work offsite – where manufacturing happens in a factory environment – bringing finished modules to site to be assembled in a matter of weeks, or even days. With this, classrooms can be delivered quickly to address school needs, whilst ensuring noise disruption does not impose on learning.
It’s essential for the quality of learning to remain a priority for school leadership teams through any type of construction programme. With modular solutions, classrooms can be tailored to withstand the structural challenges of winter weather whilst ensuring a smooth transition to new learning environments for students.
2. Modular construction doesn’t compromise on quality
It’s easy to assume that, with their timely construction methods, modular classrooms are likely to sacrifice on quality. Through our precision manufacturing, however, modular construction creates airtight buildings for maximum thermal efficiency, and are designed specifically with severe weather conditions in mind. Controlled ventilation, effective wall, floor and ceiling insulation, along with energy efficient heating and cooling systems, all allow classrooms to reach and maintain an ideal internal temperature – ensuring students feel comfortable and focused on their learning throughout winter.
This energy efficiency can be further developed through solar PV panels fitted onto roofs or rainwater harvesting systems.
Picture taken from: https://netzerobuildings.co.uk/case_studies/hart-school-accommodating-rising-pupil-numbers-and-supporting-net-zero-aspirations/
3. Modular construction isn’t just a short-term solution
While efficient construction methods make modular classrooms a speedy solution, this doesn’t mean they’re simply a quick fix. Although able to be used on a temporary basis, modular buildings can be designed to address your original needs, whilst remaining adaptable over the long-term.
Once a modular classroom has been built, it can be utilised regularly through long-term rental options, supporting a circular economy which sees it being adapted to new purposes where required. If, for example, student numbers create the need for classrooms in a different area of the school estate, modules can be redeployed, easing demand pressures quickly when compared with timescales needed for traditional bricks and mortar construction projects.
Classrooms built to withstand extreme weather aren’t only beneficial for the winter seasons – construction features that regulate the internal temperature of classrooms can prove hugely valuable for optimising students’ learning experiences all year round.
Picture taken from: https://netzerobuildings.co.uk/case_studies/treetops-free-school/
Pressures from winter weather are inevitable for many school estates – but they don’t have to stay that way. Thanks to the widespread industry-leading capabilities of modular construction, there’s no reason why schools cannot get on the front foot and leverage the benefits of MMC that are not only seen throughout the seasons, but become key in supporting school estates as they evolve.
And for schools that do this, the value will be two-fold. Through our approach to sustainability and modular construction, we not only offer school estates more resilient solutions to extreme weather, but aim to reduce the negative impact of climate change in the long-term. By driving sustainable progress in the education sector, we help to create adaptable learning spaces that are built to last.
Ready to future-proof your school to withstand any season? Get in touch with one of our experts today.
