An innovative and eco-friendly boys’ boarding house has been delivered to Seaford College in Sussex – on the back of 36 trucks.
The boarding house, which will accommodate 90 pupils and eight members of staff, has been manufactured by the German company STREIF GmbH, in their factory close to Cologne. Imported by Chichester-based building contractors W Stirland Ltd, this high-quality building will use significantly less energy than its traditional counterparts and is now being assembled on site.
The two-winged two-storey boarding house, costing £2.85m, will be ready for occupation in April 2011, following the completion of internal and external finishing works by Stirlands. The 100-metre long building is currently taking shape in a former Elizabethan walled garden at Seaford College on the outskirts of Petworth. Originally a private residence, the Mansion House at Lavington Park is in an area of outstanding natural beauty and has been home to the College since 1946.
Headmaster Toby Mullins said: 'Although we have invested heavily in new buildings in recent years, this is by far the most exciting project to date and something which is quite innovative in the UK. The College has been under pressure to provide a new boys’ boarding house as student numbers have increased and we are sure this new-style development will be a huge hit with the occupants!'
The finished product will not look dissimilar to traditionally built boarding houses, the difference with this one is that it arrived in Britain in eight-metre lengths – a bit like a large Lego house – and will take considerably less time to complete. It is expected to take workmen around 20 days to put all the pieces together, after which the roof coverings will be ready to go on.
The STREIF system is of a much higher quality than traditionally-constructed buildings and significantly more sustainable in terms of the materials used. Because of the buildings’ thermal efficiency, an impressive 22% less energy will be required for heating than a comparable, traditionally constructed building, resulting in significant long term energy savings for the College.