CAR were part of the winning team for the 2013 Cambridge Design and Construction Awards in the category of best new building over £1M construction costs. CAR director Tyrone Bowen provided civil and structural engineering services for the winning scheme, Radegund Hall, Coleridge Community College, designed by Cambridge-based architects Haysom Ward Miller. 

The new school hall picks up the straightforward character of the original 1930s complex and provides a space for informal meetings, assemblies, exhibitions and break-out teaching. It also forms a hub for the routes around the buildings. 

The main structure consists of large-span tapered steel beams with cross-laminated timber roof panels supporting photovoltaic panels. Exposed slender ‘spun’ concrete columns are used in the main hall to add to the palette of materials used on the project.

High levels of insulation, thermal mass and a passive ventilation strategy enabled this building to achieve a BREEAM ‘very good’ sustainability rating. SuDS (Sustainable Drainage Systems) was also an integral part of the design.
The Awards scheme is run by Cambridge City Council in partnership with the Cambridge Forum for the Construction Industry and Cambridge News.