Crosfields School wins Building Project of the Year under £10m in the Constructing Excellence SECBE Awards 2022 & Education Project of the Year Offsite Award 2022
A private co-educational school in the heart of Reading, Crosfields uses a two-storey curved structure, which protects trees on the site, creates solar shading, and utilises cross-laminated timber to substantially reduce embodied carbon.
CBG Consultants were engaged to design an energy-efficient Senior School Building, that includes a Café, Performance Space, Teaching classrooms, Library, Welfare Hub, and Academic resources.
In collaboration with David Miller Architects, CBG provided the M&E, Lighting, Building physics, BIM aspects and RIBA Stage 4C Design Information. Sustainable solutions included a brise soleil façade to help reduce overheating during the summer months and 47m² of photovoltaic panes on the roof to generate electricity.
Whilst a massive increase from the 10.5% recorded in 2010, there is still room for improvement. As an IIP company, we are keen to diversify our workforce, and ensure more women are represented in engineering roles.
Studies have shown that men tend to over-estimate their abilities, while women tend to be more risk-averse, often under-estimating their abilities. This is a key factor to consider when looking at the career profiles of males versus females in typically male-dominated fields. It suggests that a good mix of the two approaches – confidence and caution – are critical to ensuring that projects are carried out safely and effectively.
One of our Electrical Engineers went from a Graduate to a Senior in just over five years. In a predominately male industry, this is particularly impressive for a female engineer.
This particular engineer has always found the logical side of the industry appealing, following in the footsteps of her father. However, the creative side of things also appealed, which led to her narrowing down her focus to Lighting as she progressed.
“More men than women seem to be interested in engineering,” she says, “and I think women in general are more focused on the creative side of things. Perhaps they miss the fact that there is creativity involved in engineering too.”
When asked what kind of advice she would give to a woman wishing to enter the field but feeling apprehensive to do so, our engineer said “just try not to feel different. It will take time, but just quietly prove yourself, over weeks and months. It will happen.”
In the mean time, any women seeking to join CBG Consultants in any Engineering role can expect personalized mentorship from Senior Engineers and a range of company activities and rewards. We actively encourage more women to apply by offering various benefits, and maintaining our IIP Silver status.
The Quad North building is one of the original campus buildings, built in the 1970s and the proposed home of the university’s dedicated medical school. Laboratories, research facilities, and engineering workshops grace its halls. But the building needed modernisation to accommodate several new departments.
As other parts of the building needed to remain in use, we implemented a bespoke phased approach. We undertook stock surveys of the site, examined the re-wiring and re-modelling, and assisted with the creation of new laboratories, teaching spaces and anatomy suite. We added solar panels for energy efficiency, and eradicated an existing asbestos risk.
We have been involved with the Brunel University Quad North project since 2019, and now that it is finally nearing completion, we are proud to have played a hand in the education of the UK’s future medical professionals.
