Muntham House School Modular Double Classroom Building

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Project Brief

Muntham House School required a new permanent modular classroom building to provide additional specialist education accommodation at its site in Barns Green, West Sussex.

The brief called for two spacious classrooms alongside dedicated breakout, staff, welfare and storage facilities, creating a practical learning environment tailored to the needs of pupils and staff.

Elite Systems GB was appointed to design, manufacture, deliver and install the building, together with the associated groundworks, building services and external works. An eight-bay modular solution allowed the majority of construction to take place off site before installation and completion at the school.

Client

Muntham House School

Sector

Education

Location

Barns Green, Horsham, West Sussex

Our Approach

Elite Systems GB delivered a complete turnkey solution, bringing together building design, off-site manufacture, site preparation, delivery, installation and fit-out.

The programme coordinated drainage diversion, foundations and service infrastructure with the arrival of the eight modular bays. Following installation, internal finishing, mechanical and electrical services, timber cladding and external works progressed through a carefully sequenced programme.

Managing these activities as one coordinated package helped align the building and surrounding infrastructure with the school’s requirements.

Our Building Solution

The permanent modular building measures 24.2m × 10.2m and combines two dedicated teaching spaces with centrally positioned support accommodation.

Each classroom provides 65m² of teaching space, supported by a shared 37m² breakout area and a 33m² staff room with fitted kitchen facilities. Dedicated storage, pupil toilets, an accessible WC and a plant room complete the accommodation.

The building combines practical internal finishes with vertical timber cladding, anthracite detailing and a full-length entrance canopy, creating a distinctive addition to the school site.

Key Features

Two 65m² classrooms
Dedicated teaching walls, pinboards and shelving
Central 37m² breakout space
33m² staff room with fitted kitchen
Two dedicated 4m² stores
Three pupil toilet cubicles and vanity units
Separate accessible WC
Dedicated plant room
Air source heat pumps
Anti-slip flooring and hygienic wall finishes in wet areas
Vertical thermally modified timber cladding
Anthracite grey windows, doors and trims
Full-length, 3m-deep entrance canopy
Associated foundations, drainage diversion, service connections, external groundworks and fencing

The Main Features

Outside

Vertical thermally modified timber cladding gives the building a warm, contemporary appearance, complemented by anthracite grey windows, doors, aluminium trims and canopy columns.

A 3m-deep canopy extends along the front elevation, providing sheltered access and a clearly defined entrance. Part M compliant external doors support accessibility, while coordinated groundworks, drainage, service infrastructure and fencing complete the external scheme.

Inside

Two generous classrooms provide dedicated teaching environments.

The central breakout area offers flexible space away from the main classrooms, while the staff room and fitted kitchen provide separate accommodation for the school team. Nearby stores keep resources accessible, and dedicated pupil toilets and an accessible WC support the building’s day-to-day use.

Durable finishes, anti-slip flooring, hygienic wall linings in wet areas and finger guards to doors provide practical details suited to an education setting.

Challenges & how we overcame them

An existing drainage run within the development area required diversion before the main foundation works could begin. This activity was scheduled early in the site programme, allowing excavation and foundations to follow in the required sequence.

The eight modular bays needed to be transported to the school and installed as one coordinated operation. Off-site manufacture enabled the main building installation to take place within a single programmed day, reducing the time required to establish the structure on site.

Foundations, external levels, drainage, service connections and fencing all needed to align with the modular building. Careful sequencing coordinated these activities around delivery and installation, ensuring the building and its supporting infrastructure formed one complete scheme.

Internal fit-out, flooring, timber cladding, building services and external works needed to progress within a closely coordinated programme. Activities ran concurrently where practical, with attention to the interfaces between trades and the order in which areas could be completed.

The facility incorporates electrical, data, access control, fire alarm, intruder alarm, plumbing and mechanical systems. Coordination between these disciplines and the internal finishing teams helped integrate the services throughout the teaching and support accommodation.

The layout needed to bring teaching, breakout, staff and welfare functions together while maintaining distinct spaces for different activities. Positioning the classrooms at opposite ends of the building created separation between the teaching areas, with convenient access to shared facilities in the centre.

The Design

The design centres on a straightforward layout, with a 65m² classroom at either end of the building and shared accommodation positioned between them.

A substantial central breakout area provides additional space beyond the classrooms, supported by the staff room/kitchen, storage and welfare facilities. This arrangement brings the main functions together while retaining clearly defined teaching and support areas.

Externally, natural timber cladding contrasts with anthracite grey detailing. The full-length canopy adds shelter and defines the entrance, giving the building a cohesive architectural appearance.

muntham-house-school-modular-classroom-3d-floor-plan.png

The Results

The completed building provides Muntham House School with additional permanent accommodation designed around its specialist education requirements.

Off-site modular construction enabled the eight-bay structure to be installed in a single programmed day, followed by coordinated fit-out, services and external works. The finished facility combines robust internal finishes with contemporary timber cladding and sheltered access, creating a practical, modern addition to the school campus.

Planning a similar project?

Download the Muntham House School case study to explore the building specification, project cost and delivery programme.

Download Case Study

muntham-house-school-modular-building-exterior-06

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Muntham House School Modular Double Classroom Building