Devise Engineers were appointed to undertake the early concept stages of this new—build school on brownfield land in Essex.

​

To ensure the best use of the Client’s funds for this ex industrial site, Devise developed a strategy with the environmental specialist to minimise costly removal and replacement of contaminated ground; whilst proposing a sustainable drainage strategy to the environment agency to minimise impact on the local drainage system.

​

A number of opportunities were presented including the use of biophilic design by implementing natural materials and utilising views of the surrounding nature; which is shown to have a positive impact on increasing wellbeing, reducing stress levels and improving the performance of the students.

​

Being part of the design team from Stage 0 means we can bring with us our extensive technical knowledge and experience from working across other sites and sectors.

 

Using this holistic approach allows us to guide the project in the right direction from the start, ensuring we maximise the site's value in a cost-effective, sustainable way. This approach helps us avoid 'problem solving' our way out of well-meaning but potentially ill-informed decisions made prior to our input.