School premises regulations, wider guidance and baseline designs

Chris Bissell Design Advisor EFA

Recent Changes

2012: School Premises Regulations simplified •Clearer and fewer •Less prescriptive, leaving detail in guidance 2011: funding reduced •gross area funded reduced by average 6% of BB99, 15% of BB98 •Cost per m2 reduced to £1450 total (£1113 building)

School Premises Regulations

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Capital Review recommended

: That the Department revises its school premises regulations and guidance to remove unnecessary burdens and ensure that a single, clear set of regulations apply to all schools. The Department should also seek to further reduce the bureaucracy and prescription surrounding BREEAM assessments

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Consultation ran from 3 November to 26 January 2012 Revised regulations signed off in July and will come into force 31 October 2012 and January 2013

Rationale

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Three (well four) sets of DfE premises regulations, plus a substantial amount of other legislation that applies to all buildings including schools Some school specific regulations required to ensure the needs of pupils are met, particularly on issues that could impact on welfare or education Makes sense to have the same regulations for maintained and independent schools, including Academies and free schools Clarify requirements and avoid duplication of other legislation

The ISSs refer to the SPRs in part and to the NMS, which in Turn refer to the SPRs for detail…..and then there’s the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Regulations being removed

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Duplication

– requirements that are covered in other pieces of legislation. For example: • Weather protection • • Drainage Fire Safety •

Unnecessary

– requirements that do not need to be regulated and are best left to the School. For example: • • Security (covered by H&S + Safeguarding) Standard of decoration • Furniture and fittings

Regulations which are being removed

Classroom Size Staff Accommodation Ancillary Circulation Food Preparation & Service Security – Storage & - generally - shared premises Access to Buildings Load Bearing Structures Weather Protection Independents/Academies Classroom size should be appropriate to allow effective teaching and no area of school should compromise health or safety. Maintained Covers provision of a head teacher’s room and separate accommodation for staff to use for work and social purposes Maintained All Schools Provision of storage space for pupils’ belongings and to permit safe passage within buildings. Under ISRs, where food is served, there must be adequate facilities for hygienic preparation, serving and consumption. Under SPRs, schools must provide adequate facilities for the preparation and serving of food and drinks. Independents/Academies Security arrangements are adequate for the grounds and buildings. Where premises are shared for non-school purposes, the health, safety and welfare of pupils are safeguarded and their education is not interrupted by other users. Independents/Academies Allowing safe entry and exit for all pupils, including those with disabilities and special educational needs. All Schools Load bearing structures should be capable of safely sustaining the loads and forces they are subjected to. All Schools Requirement that schools should be able to resist penetration from rain, wind and snow and moisture arising from the ground.

Fire Safety Heating Ventilation Drainage Cleanliness Decoration Furniture & Fittings Flooring All Schools All Schools All Schools Fire resistance of building elements and provision of adequate means of escape in case of fire. Minimum temperatures are set for different types of areas in schools that heating systems should be capable of maintaining. Ventilation in each room shall be controllable, and rates are set for the amount of fresh air for different types of room. All Schools Drainage System shall be adequate for hygiene purposes and the disposal of waste water. Independents/Academies Classrooms and other parts of the school shall be maintained in a clean, tidy and hygienic state. Independents/Academies Satisfactory standard and adequate maintenance of decoration. Independents/Academies Furniture and fittings are appropriately designed for the age and needs of the pupils. Independents/Academies There is appropriate flooring in good condition.

The rationale for their removal is that they either duplicate what is covered in other legislation or they are unnecessary

Regulations being retained

• • Seven areas that will apply to all schools • Toilet and washing facilities • Medical accommodation • Health, safety and welfare • Acoustics • Lighting • Water supplies.

• Outdoor space Six additional areas for boarding schools

What’s different?

• • • • •

Regulations have been written much more straightforwardly.

Focus on provision being suitable to meet the needs of pupils, having regard to their age, number and sex and any special requirements they may have Removal of prescription – e.g. floor area in m 2 for boarding schools, precise numbers of toilets and ratio of urinal/washbasin provision, lux levels Guidance significantly reduced, but does include some advice where regulation has been removed.

See Standards for School Premises

Wider Guidance

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We also consulted on our approach to guidance.

Over 5000 pages, much of which is out of date, has been superseded, or just very, very lengthy.

Proposals to streamline guidance cover • • • • • • • Area guidelines for mainstream and special schools Acoustics, fire, ventilation, (BBs 93/100/101) Compendium for special schools and special units Compendium for mainstream schools Outdoor spaces (now to be integrated in compendia) Procurement mini-guides for schools Technical mini-guides for schools – e.g. fire safety

Current Design Guides - including guidance on compliance with the Building Regulations BB 101, Ventilation of school buildings

, downloadable only, 2006 ( 62 pages )

BB 100, Design for Fire Safety in Schools

, NBS/RIBA 2007 ( 158 pages )

BB 93, Acoustic Design of Schools

, TSO 2003 ( 207 pages )

Current Design Guides - design and technical guidance BB 102, Designing for disabled children and children with special educational needs

, TSO 2008 ( 199 pages )

BB 99, Briefing Framework for Primary School Projects

, TSO 2006 ( 64 pages )

BB 98, Briefing Framework for Secondary School Projects

, TSO 2004 ( 64 pages )

BB 96, Meeting the educational needs of children and young people in hospital

(DES/DOH) TSO 2003 ( 85 pages )

BB 95, Schools for the Future

, TSO 2002 ( 77 pages )

BB 92, Modern Foreign Languages Accommodation

, TSO 2000 ( 50 pages )

BB 89, Art Accommodation in Secondary Schools

, TSO 1998 ( 60 pages)

BB 88, Fume Cupboards in Schools

, TSO 1998 ( 56 pages )

BB 81, Design and Technology Accommodation in Schools

, TSO revised 2004 ( 185 pages )

BB 80, Science Accommodation in Secondary Schools

, revised 2004 ( 53 pages )

BB 79, Passive Solar Schools: A Design Guide

, TSO 1995 ( 99 pages )

Any questions so far?

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School premises regulations Design guidance

Baseline designs

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Capital Review recommended

: That a suite of standardised drawings and specifications is prepared which could easily be applied across a wide range of educational facilities .

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Baseline designs:

Do use standardised dimensions and have suites of spaces, but are not templates that everyone must use.

Can be taken and developed into detailed schemes, or Contractors can propose alternative designs.

Will evolve further in response to feedback and further versions will be added.

Baseline designs

   Aim to demonstrate what can be achieved within area and cost constraints and, initially, PSBP PFI FOS.

Will demonstrate how a wide range of school-specific requirements can be accommodated Will match typical SoAs for a range of school sizes (so far for a 420 primary and 1200 secondary)

How we got to where we are

Collate best practice in recent designs and guidance Identify best practice principles Lessons Learnt from recent schools through POE Identify new OS requirements to resolve common problems Test affordable solutions in base line designs Test and agree reduced area standards Agree criteria for different suites with expert panels

Utilisation of space in primary

Primary net capacity

based on:  30 ‘basic’ workplaces in 49m2 classroom  At least 70% of ‘basic’ workplaces must be used for classrooms

Primary Schedule of Accommodation

allows:  55m2 minimum size of classroom  62m2 in reception and nursery  Optional specialist space  Hall or studio for each FE

Primary: 420 5-11 + nursery

Flexibility

  Larger classrooms or Specialist space

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Lessons learned: early years

Nursery and reception in early years suite Coats and toilets off classroom and playground for infants 62m2 classrooms

Lessons learned: entrance and admin

    Public access only to lobby and interview room Open reception desk Facilities available to community without access to main school Sick bay and MI/ therapy room

Utilisation of space in secondary

Secondary net capacity

based on:  67% to 75% of ‘basic’ workplaces utilised at any one time in 11-16 (less in sixth form)

Secondary Schedule of Accommodation

:  As BB98: same number of rooms  Teaching spaces at bottom end of acceptable range  Circulation and dining within acceptable range  Full-service kitchen sufficient for 1/3 pupils to eat hot meals and 2/3 to have cold or other options

Secondary 1200 11-16

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Lessoned learned: performing arts

Movable bleacher seating rather than sliding/folding screen Central access from dining/foyer space Flexible performing area with control room at back Drama space accessible from performance area as ‘back stage’ facility

Lessons learned: D&T

• Prep/storage at end of workshops • Identity to a suite • Links to other subjects

Flexibility

Secondary ‘superblock’

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Lessons learned: science

Suite of spaces Central prep room Chemical store 83m2 general labs or 90m2 specialist labs and 69m2 science studio Lift for easy deliveries

“Baseline designs represent a challenge for architects and contractors to improve upon”

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Baseline designs – internal environment

Design uses natural ventilation and daylight as much as possible Comfortable to work in – tackles overheating  Simple to operate – users can easily adjust the temperature and the ventilation

Daylighting

Daylight

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Principles

Light from two sides Tall spaces with windows right up to the soffit Improved quantity and quality of light

Climate Based Daylight Modelling

 Daylight Factor replaced by two criteria:  Daylight Autonomy- 50% of each space to be able to be lit by sunlight and daylight during the occupied hours of the day  Useful Daylight Index- requires 80% of the space between 100-2000 lux

Floor to ceiling height is 3.3m where no external obstructions exist.

Daylight

North Façade Glazing is 30% of the internal wall where no external obstructions exist.

The acoustic baffles are located away from the window openings. Internal Glazing is 25% of the internal wall façade. This provides secondary light into the space.

The ground floor opening is 1.2m wide to provide daylight to the ground floor spaces.

Roof lights are placed over the corridor openings to maximise the internal daylight.

Internal reflections must be 70/50/20 as a minimum.

South façade glazing requires a light shelf or light redirecting component.

Open / translucent balustrade design is required to allow light to distribute to the lower floors.

The first floor opening is 1.8m wide to allow daylight to the lower floors..

Acoustics

Sound absorption to circulation space Concrete roof provides rain noise control Suspended Class A absorbers Class A absorbent wall panels Attenuated high level ventilators either side of glazed panel Acoustic performance standards for the Priority Schools Building Programme’ replaces BB93

Fire

BS 9999:2008

Code of practice for fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings

, Floor to ceiling height is 3m and depth 7.8m.

Exposed concrete soffits with night purge.

The acoustic baffles and lighting raft obscure 40% of soffit Acoustically treated air path to circulation space Actuated insulated louvres in roof upstand. Glazing is 30% of the internal wall , light shelf for shading and solar control glass Ventilation slots link the circulation spaces through the building..

Thermal Comfort

Ventilation

Principles

 More demanding comfort criteria  Cross ventilation  Exposed concrete soffits  Minimum openable areas  Controllability  Performance in use

Adaptive Thermal Comfort

CIBSE Overheating Task Force  Operative Temperature = Air temp + Radiant temp  Design Summer Year not Test Reference Year Two of 3 Criteria:  Overheating – duration above max outside < 40hrs  Degree of overheating  Upper limit

Thermal Comfort Criteria

BB101 revisions

BB101

Criterion 1 - 120 hours < 28°C Criterion 2 - Mean ΔT < 5°C Criterion 3 - Max 32°C Temperature

BB101 Compliance CIBSE Adaptive

Criterion 1 - 40 hours < Θmax Criterion 2 - 0 days < (We<10) Criterion 3 - 0 hours < Θmax

Adaptive Compliance 5% Floor Area as Equivalent Area on Façade Single Sided No Night Purge Single Sided Night Purge Cross Vent + Night Purge 7.5% Floor Area as Equivalent Area on Façade Single Sided No Night Purge Single Sided Night Purge Cross Vent + Night Purge PASS FAIL FAIL FAIL FAIL FAIL PASS FAIL PASS PASS PASS PASS FAIL FAIL PASS FAIL PASS PASS PASS PASS FAIL FAIL PASS FAIL PASS PASS FAIL PASS FAIL FAIL PASS FAIL PASS PASS PASS PASS FAIL FAIL PASS FAIL PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS FAIL PASS PASS

Single sided is not allowed.

Natural Ventilation Secondary

Ventilation via open circulation

Floor to ceiling height is 3.3m and depth 7.8m.

Exposed concrete soffits with night purge.

The acoustic baffles and lighting raft obscure 40% of soffit Acoustically treated air path to circulation space Demonstrated in secondary Actuated insulated louvres in roof upstand. Glazing is 30% of the internal wall , light shelf for shading and solar control glass Ventilation slots link the circulation spaces through the building..

Natural Ventilation Secondary

Ventilation via chimneys

Exposed concrete soffits with night purge.

Floor to ceiling height is 3.3m and depth 7.8m.

Demonstrated in primary Ventilation Stacks

Winter Ventilation- heat recovery

Delivering energy efficiency