BCL are proud to be part of the refurbishment of Cressex Community School in High Wycombe, designed by Hampshire County Council Architects and delivered by BAM Construction. The redevelopment, completed in 2011 and costing around £27 million of government funding, covers a total site area of just over 20,000 m2, with BCL acoustic timber panels featuring heavily, lining the external skin of the towering lift shaft within its main atrium space.
The environmental focus and aspirations of this project drove the choice of species for their BCL timber wall panels towards Bamboo – the fastest growing and arguably most sustainable building material on the planet – helping Cressex School achieve a ‘BREEAM Very Good’ rating and a B rated Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) overall. In total, through the use of renewable energy sources, environmentally conscious building & design, the school will achieve a carbon reduction saving of 13kg of CO2 per year.
BCL’s high performance acoustic wood panels were also pivotal in helping to control ambient sound reflection and achieve the overall acoustic strategy – delivering Class acoustic performance (in accordance BS EN ISO 11654:1997), essential to the project as the school is also home to over 1000 pupils and within 500m of the M40, therefore requiring careful consideration to sound separation, attenuation and absorption within the internal spaces.
Fitted over black acoustic fleece, the 50 x 19 mm bamboo, wooden slatted walls were coated in a satin finish intumescent FR lacquer, creating both a beautiful aesthetic and also elevating fire performance to Class 0 SSF (BS 476 Parts 6 & 7) in line with the projects fire strategy and compliance requirements.
BCL are delighted to have been involved in such an environmentally conscious project that provides students with a fresh unique place of learning - and to deliver & install our timber slat walls, helping to achieve both their design and performance goals.
