A visualisation of what a _space scola could look likeWork has been progressing apace on the expansion of the Spacehus empire and as we at Spacehus News like keeping people up to date with our progress, we thought we'd share some of our news.
As you know, we've been working on the Spacehus concept of timber frame houses since our initial research and development exercise in 2008. This research has helped us to develop the Spacehus range, so that we can now offer several different types of homes, including a 650sq ft two bedroom home and a 925sq ft three bedroom home, the latter costing just £80,000, an achievement we're very proud of, and something we hope will be able to provide many people with the perfect affordable home.
However, we've always known that the format we've applied to timber frame houses can be applied across other sectors. Our current focus is on the education range, which we've decided to call _space scola. Our team are working on concept designs now (see our drawing on this blog!), and we believe that this "kit of parts" approach to education is the perfect antidote to the problems of the education system and the legacy it has been left by BSF. Since the coalition government took power, much has been made of the problems surrounding the system, the cost to the taxpayer and its inefficiency as a process. While we (and many other architects) believe that the procurement process under BSF was too lengthy, we as a nation still have a need for education buildings, and that's because the premise behind BSF was to ensure that we could provide the next generation with a school estate fit for their personal development. The fact that there's less money available to do this hasn't changed the need, but the nation's architects need to learn how to deliver this estate better. This is where the "timber frame houses" approach comes in.
Just as we use manufacturing processes to create Spacehus, we can do the same for _space scola. The same benefits of a quicker build time, reduction of risk, energy efficiency and creation of a bespoke solution still apply here, and by designing different modules - the classroom, the sports hall, performance area, etc - to be added to the school as the LA and Head require, we have created the instant ability for any schools to grow organically, at as fast or slow a pace as finances allow. And while this is something that is currently in concept design stage, meaning that total costs have yet to be fixed, we are confident that the marked savings Spacehus is able to offer potential homeowners, can be reflected in _space scola.
Our vision for the _space scola is to ensure that it is delivered using sustainable materials, sourcing timber responsibly and is a concept that makes the most of PassivHaus principles so that the air tightness of the building envelope is at its optimum and the school can help its team make savings.
We're looking forward to bringing you more news on this exciting development, so, excuse the pun, but please just remember to watch this _space!
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