Case Study
Vanguard Building
Location:
Meole Brace School, Shrewsbury
Project type:
New-build School
Project value:
£4 million
Client:
Read Construction
Completion:
2021
Project overview
JPS supported Read Construction in the delivery of a new £4 million teaching hub at Meole Brace School in Shrewsbury, providing full civil and structural engineering design services alongside temporary works input.
Developed as part of Shropshire Council’s ambition to create a more sustainable education estate, the project serves as a state-of-the-art language teaching hub and was among the council’s first developments designed to support its 2030 carbon reduction targets.
The two-storey facility includes five classrooms, a small group meeting room, staff facilities, toilets, storage areas, and an external recreation space. Designed as a Zero Carbon in Operation building, the scheme incorporates sustainable drainage systems and renewable energy technologies, achieving both BREEAM Excellent and Passivhaus accreditation.
The engineering challenge
The scheme presented several challenges, including:
- Delivering a Zero Carbon in Operation educational facility aligned with Shropshire Council’s long-term sustainability objectives.
- Integrating sustainable engineering solutions and renewable technologies within a modern teaching environment.
- Designing a flexible building capable of supporting future educational provision and campus expansion.
- Developing an effective drainage strategy that incorporated Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) while meeting site requirements.
- Coordinating permanent and temporary works solutions to ensure safe and efficient project delivery.
The engineering solution
JPS was responsible for:
- Providing full civil and structural engineering design services for the new teaching hub.
- Delivering temporary works engineering input to support the construction process.
- Designing the structural solutions for the two-storey educational facility.
- Developing the site’s drainage strategy, incorporating SuDS features to support sustainable water management.
- Supporting the integration of renewable energy measures, including photovoltaic (PV) panels.
- Working collaboratively with Read Construction and the wider project team to deliver a highly sustainable educational building.
The outcome
- A modern, state-of-the-art teaching hub providing high-quality learning facilities for Meole Brace School.
- Five new classrooms alongside staff, meeting, storage, and welfare facilities within a purpose-built environment.
- A Zero Carbon in Operation building supporting Shropshire Council’s sustainability and carbon reduction ambitions.
- Successful implementation of SuDS drainage features and renewable energy technologies.
- Achievement of both BREEAM Excellent certification and Passivhaus Accreditation upon completion.
- A future-focused educational facility that sets a benchmark for sustainable school developments across the region.
