General Introduction to Project
Carlibar Primary School Community Campus has been designed as a new build facility to accommodate pupils from an existing school (Carlibar Primary) and to provide a new Family Centre, a Pre-School Assessment and Development Unit (PSADU), a Language and Communication Unit (CCC) and community and adult learning services.
The old school building, as well as being in poor condition, was not suitable to meet the curricular needs of the specialist communication units within the school. Due to its location, redevelopment on the original site, although considered, was not viable and so a new site within existing mature parkland, which already housed a community facility and was within council ownership, was selected.
This case study is included as an example of the benefits that can be derived from using exemplar designs within a PPP contract and is similar in this and many other ways to Williamwood High School (also featured as a case study). The approach used here has been applied throughout East Renfrewshire and involved specialist architects, fire and acoustic engineers in the development of designs that pre-addressed key issues; from the desired 'building statement' to design quality, materials and notably furniture, through the building programme, to delivery of specific functions within the schools and addressing of safety issues.
Given the number of functions and specialist units in this primary/community school, it was felt that the process employed here provided the team with greater time and opportunity to develop the design, which contributed to a positive effect on the final outcome. In addition, it gave the council the opportunity to set goals and targets and to pre-empt the kind of dilemmas that it might face at a later stage. Furthermore, the level of consultation with the school and liaison with the headteacher was considerable at all stages, and the success of the building is due to the fully integrated approach adopted here.
Taken together, these elements of the process could inform other similar or less complex projects.