Pave Aways design and build £2.1m extension

Students at a Chester high school are set to benefit from a £2.1m extension which has been designed and built by building contractor Pave Aways. The additional teaching block has been completed early ready for the start of the autumn term. It scores an A+ energy efficiency rating with a building emission rate of 0.08 kg CO2/m2 per year.The new two-storey building, funded by Cheshire West and Chester Council and Blacon High School, has achieved net zero carbon status as the building generates more energy than it consumes.The facility will allow the school to increase its capacity by 150 students to 750 and includes provision to support students with special education needs. A dining area and two dedicated rooms to support the creative curriculum on the ground floor are also included. There are also six new classrooms located on the first floor and additional bicycle storage has been installed on site to encourage more pupils to cycle to and from school.The building, which is one of the first projects to be supported by the council’s climate emergency capital funding, is powered from on-site and off-site renewable energy sources. This includes solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roof, with the remaining carbon balance offset to achieve net zero carbon status.Building materials have been selected to ensure the extension is well insulated to help reduce heat loss and, in turn, the amount of energy needed to run the building.