Bohunt School Extension

RCDC undertook the MEP design of a new 6th form extension for Bohunt School, working closely with Wokingham Borough Council and Bohunt Educational Trust to expand school capacity, delivering new teaching spaces for over 400 students.

Facilities provided include new science classrooms, general purpose classrooms, a learning and resource centre, a café/social study area, and a multipurpose hall. RCDC developed design for RIBA stages 2-3 and acted as client's side technical advisors during stages 4 and 5 of design and build.

We extended school’s existing services, providing new PV panel arrays for onsite energy generation. The extension’s heating circuit was futureproofed by making it compatible with low-carbon heat sources, such as air source heat pumps.

A detailed study confirming resilience of the existing school heating system was also carried out. For that, we installed heat meters to gather data during the cold months and analysed it to demonstrate sufficient evidence for the spare capacity needed to extend the existing system into the new building.

To minimise operational energy demand, we provided a design that primarily relied on natural and hybrid ventilation, reducing the need for mechanical cooling. To avoid risk of overheating, we worked closely with the architects and landscape designers, optimising external shading and orientation to reduce the negative impact of solar gain.