PROJECT PROFILE
MILL STRAND INTEGRATED SCHOOL & NURSERY, PORTRUSH
PRIDING ITSELF ON COLLABORATION WITH STAKEHOLDERS, LOWRY BUILDING & CIVIL ENGINEERING WORKED ALONGSIDE THE PROJECT TEAM TO INTRODUCE ENERGY-EFFICIENT MEASURES, ENHANCE NATURAL LIGHT THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL AND INCORPORATE A BESPOKE MURAL… BUILDING STRONG FOUNDATIONS FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN PORTRUSH
Lowry Building & Civil Engineering Ltd (LBCE) has transformed a challenging brownfield site in Portrush into a new energy-efficient primary school and nursery. Significantly enhancing the North Coast’s educational offer, the £12.5m design-and- build project was funded through the UK Government’s Fresh Start Programme supporting shared and integrated education. LBCE was appointed as main contractor by the Trustees of Mill Strand Integrated Primary School (IPS), with construction beginning in February 2023 and completing in July 2024. It was tasked with redeveloping the 4.5-acre site of an old catering college
on the Ballywillan Road, to provide a 14-classroom primary school and double nursery unit. As well as achieving a BREEAM Excellent rating, the project specified compliance with the latest building regulations and the Education Authority Handbook. Among challenges encountered during the project were ground conditions at the brownfield site, with the old catering college built during a time of asbestos use. Extensive site investigations were necessary to rule out any risk to staff and pupils of the new school. Adam Lowry, Quantity Surveyor at LBCE, said, “Being only a stone’s throw to the sea in Portrush also created a challenge, with a mixture of poor ground conditions
containing peat and running sand. Our integrated supply team seamlessly resolved all ground conditions issues by designing and installing piled foundations to all buildings throughout the site.” Charged with enhancing the presence of natural daylight throughout the buildings, LBCE worked alongside its design partners, Isherwood + Ellis, Integrated Services Design and OCSC, taking on board McAdam Stage 3 design and working with the client and stakeholders to provide an ultra-low pitch roof with major rooflights and sloping internal lightwells. Additionally, an internal courtyard with extensive curtain walling ensures that every classroom, resource area and
“The quality of the end product speaks for itself.”
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