Willmott Dixon chosen for latest Passivhaus school project

Willmott Dixon has been chosen as preferred contractor for its latest Passivhaus project, a £14.5m new two-form entry primary school for 420 pupils aged between four and 11 years old in Basingstoke, Hampshire.

The new school for Hampshire County Council, called Hounsome Fields Primary School, will be designed and constructed to achieve Passivhaus Classic standard.

It will serve the new housing developments at Hounsome Fields and Old Basingstoke Golf Course and is planned to be a Climate Change Primary School pilot project in line with the county council’s climate change commitments.

Willmott Dixon was procured through the Southern Construction Framework. Subject to planning consent, construction work at Hounsome Fields Primary School is set to start in early 2024, with the new school ready for the 2025 academic year - one of three new primary schools designed by Hampshire County Council set to be operational for September 2025.

Sustainable features include a ground-source heat pump heating system beneath the playing fields, plus solar control triple glazing.

This further extends Willmott Dixon’s track-record for the fast-growing Passivhaus standard; recently it has completed two Passivhaus schools in Sutton – Hackbridge and Harris Academy. Hackbridge was the UK’s first Passivhaus Plus school and last month was named winner in the non-domestic category at the UK Passivhaus Awards 2023, owing to how it generates more energy than it consumes each year.

Richard Poulter, managing director of Willmott Dixon in the South, said: “We are delighted to be working with Hampshire County Council once again. Our team will bring their extensive education and Passivhaus experience, working with Hampshire County Council and the project’s consultants to deliver a truly outstanding new school for the local community.”

James Wright, senior framework manager at SCF added: “SCF is pleased to continue supporting the delivery Hampshire’s of new schools with a clear focus on carbon reduction through Passivhaus design. Procuring via SCF will allow Willmott Dixon’s specialist teams to engage in the design process, supporting buildability and sharing experience and knowledge to successfully deliver these projects.”

The growing demand for property meeting the Passivhaus standard for ultra-high energy efficiency has seen Willmott Dixon involved in several notable projects recently. This includes a new generation of homes for Caerphilly County Borough Council, along with Spelthorne Leisure Centre, a multi-Faith centre for the University of Exeter and student accommodation for St Peter’s College at the University of Oxford.