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Cranleigh School site visit: Out of Culture comes strength

In November 2012, Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) announced a partnership agreement with Cranleigh School, a UK-based independent school that has been in operation since 1865. Intended to be part of the vast Saadiyat Island development, Cranleigh Abu Dhabi will become the largest school campus in Abu Dhabi, with more than seven […]

In November 2012, Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) announced a partnership agreement with Cranleigh School, a UK-based independent school that has been in operation since 1865.

Intended to be part of the vast Saadiyat Island development, Cranleigh Abu Dhabi will become the largest school campus in Abu Dhabi, with more than seven hectares of land. It is scheduled to be completed in the third quarter of 2014, and will house more than 1,600 students from the age of 3 to 18 years.

The school is part of a wider education focused development, which will see a wide range of educational facilities developed on Saadiyat Island, from a pre-school nursery that will open in 2013, to the New York University Abu Dhabi campus. The Cranleigh Abu Dhabi School will house specialist facilities for music, science, art, design and technology, drama, dance and sport.

“The development of Cranleigh School Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat marks an important milestone in the island’s development into a premier destination, while demonstrating TDIC’s commitment to the development of high-level education,” says Brendan Law, director of Education at TDIC.

“With the Louvre Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, as well as the world-class hospitality, leisure and sporting facilities all within a two-kilometre radius of the school, Cranleigh is uniquely positioned to take advantage of these cultural and leisure high spots of Abu Dhabi,” he adds.

Recently TDIC announced that groundwork on the project had commenced, with the first piles being laid. Awarded to NSCC International Limited – Abu Dhabi, work on the school’s piling and early construction began in July.

A specialised contractor in foundation engineering and marine works, NSCC will lay 800 piles as part of the first development phase. Once the site building of Cranleigh Abu Dhabi is completed, it will contain 1,818 piles, in addition to a total of 2,129 tonnes of steel reinforcement.

The fourth quarter of this year will see the construction of the school’s superstructure, supported by a 320 tonne structural steelwork frame.

The school was designed by Godwin Austen Johnson Architects, a UK-based award-winning architectural firm. Furthermore, it will also offer flexible boarding opportunities in future phases – a first for Abu Dhabi.

Mohammed AL Junaibi, development officer at TDIC, tells Big Project ME that as many as 280 construction workers will be working on the piling works alone. This figure may increase as construction work continues on the project, which will have a total built up area of 41,508sqm.

He adds that TDIC have mandated that the project be constructed in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner, in line with the Abu Dhabi government’s new regulations for green building.

“TDIC is committed to applying sustainable elements in all areas of design on Saadiyat to continually improve the environmental, economic and social performance of the development,” Al Junaibi says.

“The Cranleigh School design will achieve a TWO Pearl Design rating under the Estidama Pearl Building Rating System (PBRS). The sustainable design elements encompass water and energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, outdoor comfort, ecological enhancement and protection, and use of materials and waste management,” he explains.

In addition, the project’s concept design has been developed carefully to provide a safe and healthy environment for pupils, TDIC says.

Al Junaibi explains that the development adopts the Integrated Development Process as a way of attaining greater synergy between project systems, design and operational requirements, resulting in high performance buildings, as well as to ensure that the design and construction of interior space fit out will contribute to the overall project’s sustainability objectives and targets.

As such, it is easy to see why the project, which is fully owned and funded by TDIC, is set to be a benchmark for primary and secondary educational facilities in Abu Dhabi.

“There are numerous reasons why Cranleigh will be regarded as the premier school campus in Abu Dhabi. Children will love the ambiance of openness, with ‘village green’ central fields extensive playgrounds and leisure spaces. In addition, the campus layout allows for specialist areas – sport, music, art, drama, dance and technology are all housed in carefully designed buildings, fit for their specific purpose,” Law says.

“Academic specialist subjects, such as Science have world class facilities – the three separate sciences (Biology, Physics and Chemistry) are each treated to a separate floor of the Science Building, with tiered seating teaching areas separated from the practical spaces in each laboratory. Furthermore, a 650-seat theatre and a separate lecture theatre will (also be constructed),” he says.

In addition, three libraries will also be built for the school. An apartment block will be constructed alongside the school, which will house the staff members.

It appears that the school is set to deliver on its motto, ‘Ex Cultu Robur’ or ‘Out of Culture Comes Strength’. In the cultured surroundings of Saadiyat Island, Cranleigh looks to provide new generations with an education that will not only allow them to develop academically, but also succeed as individuals in their own right.

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