RIDBA Awards 2019 - 'Highly Commended'

This brand-new Primary School and Nursery in Attleborough was part of a programme by Norfolk County Council to create better education facilities across Norfolk by focusing on the region's growing communities.

Youngsters in the market town moved out of what was formerly Attleborough Infant School and opened a new chapter in the purpose-built Rosecroft Primary on London Road. 

The old Infant School was built in the 1870s and despite multiple additions to the school in the 1950’s and 80’s, was well past its prime.

The new purpose-built primary school provides classrooms; group rooms; a central library; a multi-purpose hall and dining hall for 630 pupils. The 52-place nursery located alongside the primary school will also provide two nursery rooms with WC facilities, along with a shared kitchen and administration areas.

A. C. Bacon Engineering Ltd fabricated and erected in excess of 160 tonnes of hot-rolled steelwork over a 7-week period. The primary school was erected in 3 phases, with A. C. Bacon Engineering Ltd spending 2 weeks on each zone of the Primary School and 1 week on the beam & column structured Nursery.

The unique modern design of the buildings was created using traditional brickwork combined with Kingspan roof and wall cladding systems comprising of Benchmark insulated liner panels, overclad with Plus coated quartz Zinc standing seam façade cladding. 

Sustainability was at the forefront of the design. Both the primary school and nursery benefit from a solar panel array and external areas utilise sustainable swales drainage. Pupils and staff also benefit from a 'food growing garden' on the site.