Using modular construction methods to deliver a brand-new primary school to support a growing community

Hackwood Primary Academy

Hackwood Primary Academy needed to be built to serve a wider development of 700 homes in Mickleover, Derby. The 215-place school required a design which was in keeping with the site’s farmland history and rural setting.

I’m delighted that the building has been completed so efficiently and would like to thank all those involved in the funding, development and construction. These 210 places are desperately needed by the city and I look forward to seeing the school grow and to working closely with The Harmony Trust over the coming years.

Evonne Williams

Cabinet member for children and young people at Derby City Council

Pick Everard managed the successful delivery of this fast-track project, which was designed procured, and built in 12 months using a collaborative approach, making substantial use of modular components built off-site to achieve the accelerated programme.

As with many school projects, a key requirement was an efficient delivery time. By utilising modular construction principles and an expert delivery team being appointed efficiently via our extensive supply chain network, the school was constructed to an accelerated programme.

We also faced challenges in co-ordinating such a complex network of key stakeholders, including the housing developers, the school, the council, and the contractor. The complexity of the project was increased by the logistics of constructing the school within an ongoing residential development, which required further collaboration and careful planning.

This scheme was very much leading the way in the delivery of an education facility using this modern method of construction, so the project team had to closely work together to ensure a successful delivery.

The risk of programme delay was mitigated by identifying several weeks of float time, allowing the team to achieve completion within the overall programme. We expedited delivery by using the Scape Venture framework to quickly bring on board an established contractor to work with us and the housing developers funding the school.

To handle the complex co-ordination and logistics we took a collaborative approach which brought benefits from the outset; for example, in selecting to build the school on the northwest of the site, we provided the best access while limiting impact on neighbouring properties. The project finished defect-free thanks to collaboration in resolving issues effectively during construction.