Laurence Calvert Academy

To meet the growing needs of pupil school places, Laurence Calvert Academy is a new build 3 storey 7 form entry secondary school, providing 1050 places for pupils aged 11-16 years with a specialism in performing Arts. The striking and inclusive design establishes a new standard for educational buildings by utilising Algeco’s modular offsite construction methods and innovative platform design.

The team worked in collaboration with the Trust and Department for Education, evolving the Academy’s vision and ethos through a series of engagement sessions to create a remarkable design that has become a centre of excellence for learning at the heart of the community.

The Trust and local planning authority set out clear educational design drivers and aspirations for the school to reflect the local environment with its views, surrounding geography and historical buildings.

The team used their extensive schools experience to select construction techniques and materials for their appearance, robustness, and ease of maintenance. The bold use of colour was inspired by the Victoria Cross which was awarded to Laurence Calvert whom the school is aptly named in honour of.

Laurence Calvert is the first project to use the revolutionary modular design platform for seismic construction. This approach meant 192 modular build elements of the school were completed 50% faster, achieved an impressive 25% reduction in Co2 (or 251t/co2 saving) compared to a conventional modular system. That’s equivalent of 125 flights from London to Sydney. Assembly time of the modules was also reduced by 50%.

The school was designed using the standardised kit of parts which have been developed by the team at DLA and Algeco, ensuring variation to suit the School Trust and site, whilst maintaining design compliance with required technical, spatial and environmental performance standards. It now stands as a testament to the power of innovative thinking and collaborative efforts in creating exceptional educational spaces.

The school was manufactured off-site, minimising disruption caused during the construction phase and improving build quality and efficiencies thanks to the factory-controlled environment.

Our joint venture with Algeco demonstrates our commitment to pushing boundaries and redefining what is possible in the field of offsite construction. By embracing cutting-edge design and leveraging the advantages of modular construction, we have created a school that not only meets the highest standards of functionality but will serve as a source of inspiration for future generations of students to learn and succeed.