Hobson & Porter, Innovation based on tradition

The £1.85m building replaces decades-old prefabricated huts at Beverley High School for Girls in Norwood. East Riding Council decided to provide the centre to replace the huts as they were outdated and expensive to run. Staff and pupils at the school, which has technology college status, are thrilled with the state-of-the-art facilities. Headteacher Ruth Vincent said: 'staff and students are delighted to be in the new building. The subjects were previously taught in decades-old temporary accommodation dating back to the 1970s and 1980s. The old huts had great teaching rooms, but they were ugly and had limited storage space.

The new centre has technology units on the ground floor, including facilities for product design and graphics work. Art rooms are accommodated on the first floor of the building, which also includes display space

The 2 storey stand alone building, is constructed from strip concrete foundations with a steel structure frame. The superstructure is of class B engineering bricks up to DPC with the main building of painted rendered blockwork with curtain walling. The roof is a built up timber decking system with sarnafil coverings. The ground floor construction is of a solid insulated concrete slab with a concrete metal deck first floor. Externally there are new concrete access paths and boundary walls with landscaping. The project was completed on time and budget in August 2008