Westcliff Primary School and After School

Mark Dudek

Description

The architects have been involved in a sequence of buildings for the same school over a period of 15 years. This is the latest and was developed in conjunction with two government agencies exploring innovation in the construction industry. The team set out to test the sustainability of that most obvious of throw away products, cardboard. The aim was to use 90% recycled and recyclable materials, but the challenge was to create both a stimulating play/study space and an inspiring structure that utilised the inherent properties of this novel construction material whilst complying with all the requisite construction regulations.

The completed project uses a high proportion of cardboard. The walls and roof are constructed from load bearing and insulating timber edged (composite) cardboard panels. Cardboard tubes are used as structural columns and palisade walls. Much of the rest of the building uses recycled building products. The open layout of the building is inherently flexible, allowing a wide range of uses within its main space. In the event of the building failing above ground, the foundations are suitable for a new ‘conventional’ building to be put in its place. In this event the cardboard panels could be recycled.

The enclosure has good thermal and acoustic performance and is proving to be a comfortable and pleasant environment for the whole community. The nature of the cardboard panels, with many closed air cells, means that they have an inherently high level of thermal insulation. Calculations suggest that the wall and ceiling U values are around 0.3 W/m²K. By carrying out the panel manufacture off-site, the amount of waste was reduced and much of the material in the factory production was recycled. The client noted how tidy and clean the site was during construction.

Initially the structural possibilities of cardboard were explored through origami techniques, (the Japanese art of paper folding), exploiting the intrinsic strength of this material during the design development process. The entire form of the building embodies this idea, with the appearance of a crisp white structure, created by folding a white sheet of paper into a strong elegant form. Its very simplicity, combined with structural integrity, makes it immensely appealing to young children. This engagement is further enhanced by the screen printed outline of a design, a sequence of elegant instructions on how to make an origami heron, on the front façade. The school community has been involved in the project from the outset, collecting cardboard for recycling and helping to design and develop the building. This has fostered a sense of ownership and pride in their environment.