Manor Lodge School
Manor Lodge School is an independent primary school for children aged 4 – 11 years old, located in Shenley, Hertfordshire, with outstanding academic success and a strong reputation for music, drama and sport.
With a beautiful site situated in open countryside, nestling within fields, woodland and wildlife, it is a perfect setting to create lifelong memories of a secure childhood surrounded by space and freedom.
The Coach House Development
Manor Lodge focus on creating a culture where academic excellence, creativity and individuality are celebrated, providing an innovative curriculum driven by curiosity and critical thinking. It is vital in this day and age that equal importance is placed between creativity and the more traditional core subjects which when combined, are crucial to learning at the school.
And this is what their Coach House Development was all about – to create the beating heart of the school. The Coach House is an area devoted to the celebration of STEAM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics); an area that fits their vision of a classroom without walls, that helps to equip children for a rapidly changing world, preparing them not only for the next stage of their lives but also for their future careers, teaching them to not limit themselves with boundaries and to feel they are able to achieve anything.
Kallisto Stairs
Working in partnership with LIFE Build Solutions and IID Architects, Kallisto Stairs were commissioned to manufacture the centrepiece feature staircase within the new development. As part of Milbank Concrete Products, Kallisto boast over 75 years of precast expertise and innovation – one of the only UK manufacturers to produce curved, helical, and spiral staircases in an off-site environment.
Manufactured utilising leading European palletised mould technology, the stair was designed by their in-house design team and adapted to meet all requirements as specified by the architect as economically as possible. With every staircase manufactured being completely bespoke, the rise, going, and width were customised to suit the projects specific design drawings ensuring a perfect fit and finish without fail.
In addition to the adaptability of Kallisto’s moulds, the ability to manufacture off-site makes for a highly cost-effective solution, with benefits to both quality and efficiency. The versatility of precast concrete meant that not only will this stair remain resilient, solid, and durable for the lifetime of the building, but that it was also able to be attractively finished in a wide range of materials, along with a bespoke timber balustrade.
Creating the beating heart of the school
The school initially approached IID Architects with a brief to deliver an inspirational ‘Heart’ for the school, bringing together and celebrating the specialist teaching subjects and to create a new Learning Resource Centre (LRC). The development creates a welcoming, safe, and accessible main entrance in the context of the school’s Grade II listed buildings. Working with contractors, LIFE Build Solutions, the project was completed making use of the existing steel frame to support the new glazed roof, reducing the developments environmental impact.
LIFE Build Solutions are experts in new build, fit out and refurbishment projects, aiming to provide value, reliability and high-quality workmanship. Transforming an environment vastly uplifts quality of life but embarking on such a project can seem daunting. Their mission is centred around creating client relationships for life, by using local resources and proven supply chain partners in the best team structures to manage projects, from £1m to £10m, with the level of care and service excellence clients deserve.