Completed Cressex Community School receives strong environment ratings
St Albans, 16 August 2010 - The newly completed Cressex Community School has achieved a 'very good' rating from the Building Research Establishment (BRE), and a B rated Energy performance certificate (EPC) and its contractors today confirmed.
BAM Construction, which has delivered the £27 million, twenty thousand square metre High School in Holmers Farm Way, High Wycombe, said it was pleased with the environmental assessments, which relate to its impact on the environment and a building's fuel bills.
Construction director Bob Sanders said: 'The team has built Cressex Community School on time and to budget and we are delighted to have handed it over in time for occupation for the new academic term. There are some innovative construction features in Cressex - the landscaping has created a learning environment, and the roof design is striking and impressive, covering the atrium and providing a naturally lit courtyard within the school's centre for use by all the community. To now receive strong environmental assessments as well makes us very proud to be the ones who have built it. The School and the Bucks County Council have been good partners to work with, which helps BAM to work efficiently and deliver quality buildings and at the same time be considerate partners within the community.'
Over 1,000 pupils will eventually occupy the school as their new home and BAM is now conducting demolition of the former school premises, and constructing car parks, roads and gardens.
The firm has a strong track record in the Beds, Bucks and Herts areas - it is currently completing West Herts College in Watford, and is known for its work on Bucks New University and Aylesbury College for example. In the past few years BAM has been the UK's leading contractor under the industry's Considerate Contractors Scheme and the Construction Manager of the Year Awards and this year received the most gold awards for safety from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).
Note:
Energy performance certificates range from A at the highest performing end of the scale to G at the lowest. Very few projects achieve an A rating. Similarly, very few receive a BREEAM rating above 'Very Good', (which is also the highest rating a greenfield site can achieve).