St John Bosco College

Early stage optioneering delivers programme and sustainability savings

St John Bosco College is a seven-form entry secondary school built on a constrained site in Battersea, London. The school is part of a wider masterplan that includes a Salesian monastery and residential development.

At the early pre-planning stage Walsh developed a number of structural solutions for the school including traditional reinforced concrete, post-tensioned concrete, steel and metal deck and the final solution steel and precast.

The steel and precast solution allowed for long spans and column-free classrooms. The precast slab reduced the weight of the structure, reducing foundation costs and concrete wagon deliveries on the confined site.

A combined structural and services strategy was developed to minimise the building height. Slimflor beams were used within corridors to facilitate service distribution with smaller services penetrating downstand beams in teaching spaces.

Long spans over the large assembly halls were achieved using storey-high trusses hidden within upper floor walls and a naturally ventilated first floor sports hall was constructed using cellular beams.

The amount of off-site fabrication provided significant programme savings and resulted in a more sustainable solution than a traditional reinforced concrete design.