Moorpark Primary School | Sustainable Timber Frame Engineering

Value - £10m | Clients - Clark Contracts & Robertson Timber Engineering

A design-forward, modern education building that embraces sustainable design using timber frame construction.

Image credit: Clark Contracts

Part of North Ayrshire Council’s Capital Investment Programme and delivered through the Hub South West Scotland framework, the project involved the design and construction of a new, purpose-built building to replace the town’s previous primary school.

Constructed by Clark Contracts, the building improves the quality of educational provision for the local community – with sustainability and the environment at its heart.

Clark Contracts appointed Clancy Consulting to provide structural engineering services on the project.

We then worked with our client, Robertson Timber Engineering, to finalise the timber frame kit design and bring this ambitious school building to life.

As a key strategic priority for North Ayrshire Council, the environmental performance of the building was a significant factor in the decision to use timber as the primary building material.

Initial designs specified cross-laminated timber (CLT) for the structural system, a more expensive option. Our team worked with Clark Contracts and Robertson Timber Engineering to value-engineer the design. Switching from CLT to traditional timber reduced the construction schedule from 22 weeks to 16 weeks, while also reducing costs for the client.

The decision to build Moorpark Primary School using timber illustrates the shift towards low- carbon construction methods. Moorpark Primary School showcases what can be achieved by timber frame construction, when this highly sustainable material is engineered effectively.