A newly built, energy-efficient primary school seamlessly integrates timber and masonry to support modern education and community wellbeing.
A newly built, energy-efficient primary school seamlessly integrates timber and masonry to support modern education and community wellbeing.
Client: Sandford St Martin’s Primary School
Value: £3.5m
Location: Sandford, Dorset
Architect: Michael Lyons Architecture
Sandford St Martin’s Primary School in rural Dorset was delivered as a £3.5 million new-build replacing the former facilities. Designed by Michael Lyons Architecture, the school accommodates up to 420 pupils aged 5–11 within a modern, purpose-built environment. Its educational ethos emphasises outdoor learning, with classrooms opening directly onto landscaped grounds that support activities such as forest-school sessions and nature-based teaching.
Engaged from concept design through to construction completion, AWA provided full structural engineering services throughout the project. The primary structure combines timber and masonry to create a contemporary, robust and efficient building. Collaboration with the architect, an established partner on education projects, was key to ensuring the structural strategy supported the architectural vision while maintaining buildability, cost-effectiveness and performance.
A central engineering challenge involved designing the sweeping glulam timber frames to meet the architect’s aesthetic goals for form, proportion and connection detailing, while providing resistance to vertical and lateral forces. This required detailed analysis of how the curved timber geometry interacted with the wider structural system. Developing components that were expressive yet functional was highly rewarding, allowing the structural design to shape the character of the finished school.
AWA Consulting Engineers is a structural, civil, and marine engineering consultancy established in 1987, with a hard-won but deserved reputation for delivering excellence in our profession.
Our philosophy is simple: we put people first. This has resulted in a high number of repeat clients and an impressive track record of successful award-winning projects. We are proud to be professional, and approachable; we believe this makes us the ideal partner for your project.
AWA has technical teams in our offices located in Romsey, Hampshire and Bath, Somerset. We deliver services to clients typically across the South, South East and South West.
Our team includes both chartered structural engineers and chartered civil engineers committed to continuous professional development ensuring you benefit from up to date industry expertise, whatever your project entails.
To find out more about how AWA Consulting Engineers can help with your project, get in touch today. Email mail@awaengineers.com and one of the team will be in touch. Alternatively, call 01794 524447 to speak to a member of our team.
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