Dartington Primary school

Dartington Primary School in Devon

Facts and figures

  • Location: Near Totnes, Devon
  • Client: Devon County Council
  • Value: £6m
  • Duration: Oct 2008 - Jan 2010

Imagine a primary school set in rolling green pasture with spacious, chapel-like classrooms which open out onto their own landscaped gardens. It sounds too good to be true but at Dartington in Devon, this vision of a high-quality educational environment has been brought to life.

Comprising 14 single-storey classrooms, a school hall, music room and staff facilities, the solid timber panels form walls and roofs; each room is oriented slightly differently to allow them to be day lit by a large north-facing roof light.

The south elevation of each roof accommodates a photovoltaic array. The buildings will also provide visible outputs for children to engage with, including clear rainwater storage 'fat pipes' behind the WCs. Externally, the building is covered in untreated sweet chestnut rain screen cladding with wood fiberboard insulation used in the walls roof and floor.

Innovative features

  • A habitat trail, a pond with dipping platform and a kitchen garden, where pupils can grow herbs, fruit and vegetables, all contribute to the idea of an outdoor classroom and learning through play. There is even a reptile hibernacula – or 'hotel' for lizards - in the grounds
  • Almost entirely made from pre-fabricated timber panels
  • Foundation piling and slab all pre-fabricated off site
  • Innovative mechanical and electrical systems
  • Energy-conserving systems resulting in reduced running costs
  • Early involvement of specialist subcontractors for frame, M&E and sprinkler system
  • Valuable design input at pre-construction meetings with the project team.

The project achieved a BREEAM Excellent rating, and has won prestigious awards:

  • Devon Building Control Partnership Awards 2010 - Winner, Sustainability category
  • Forum for the Built Environment, Building of the Year Award 2010 - Winner
  • LABC SW Region Awards, 2010 - Finalist, Best Sustainable Development
  • LABC SW Region Awards, 2010 - Winner, Best Education Development

Close collaborative working led to £500k reduction in submitted tender, with another £120k saved through extensive value engineering exercises during the project.