Architype

Architype was pleased to receive the news from Carmarthenshire County Council last week that planning approval has been met for the extension of Burry Port Community School.

Uniting the town’s infant and junior schools on the existing Elkington Road site, Burry Port Community School will be the first of its kind in Wales, being built to the most rigorous energy standard in Europe, Passivhaus.

The project, which began with the council’s passion for sustainable design has been guided by Architype’s Passivhaus expertise from the early stages. Accommodating a total of 210 pupils and a 30-space nursery on the existing site, the new key-stage 2 classroom block and separate multi-use elliptical-pod building will be built to Passivhaus standards, with the pod aiming to be constructed using domestically sourced and manufactured Brettstapel. Another first for Welsh schools, this project hopes to be a leading exemplar in the possibilities for educational architecture, as well as a positive influence on the community of Burry Port.

The school is part of Carmarthenshire County Council’s Modernising Education Programme, which is a multi million pound investment in school buildings. Education executive board member Cllr Keith Davies said a further £127million would be spent on schools over the next few years. “We are really proud of our MEP which has already benefited thousands of children in the county. He added, “I am also proud that it will be the first Passivhaus school in Wales, providing a top quality sustainable building for the children of Burry Port.”