Treetops Free School
Delivering high-performance & carbon reduction as standard in SEN education.
Project at a glance
Location
Thurrock, UK
Project Size
3,293m2
Architect
Bond Bryan
Product
fermacell® Fibre Gypsum Boards
Year
2022
Leading Net Zero
Treetops Free School is a landmark project as the first school completed under the DfE’s Net Zero Carbon Pathfinder Programme. Located in Thurrock, this innovative SEN school was designed to provide an exceptional learning environment while exceeding performance duty whilst significantly reducing carbon emissions.
As part of a DfE initiative to set the standard for future low-carbon schools, fermacell® fibre gypsum boards played a key role in the project’s durability, fire safety, and carbon reduction strategy.
Implementation
fermacell® fibre gypsum boards were integrated into the school’s closed panel timber structure, providing a seamless fire-rated and load-bearing solution.
Optimised Offsite Construction: fermacell® fibre gypsum boards was integrated into offsite-manufactured closed panels, halving superstructure build time and reducing costs, waste, and emissions.
Sustainable Design Choices: The combination of fermacell® fibre gypsum boards and timber-based MMC panels ensured a high-performance, low-carbon structure.
Incorporating fermacell® fibre gypsum boards in the MMC timber system cut embodied carbon by 43.2% compared to a steel frame with SFS infill.
60-minute fire rating and non-combustible A2 materials.
Internal partitions exceed ‘severe duty’ standards, with enhanced wall build-ups and Lateral Crowd Loading data to withstand impact from equipment and mobility aids.
Bio-CO2 storage and material reuse strategies will further reduce whole-life carbon.
A milestone in DfE’s Net Zero Pathfinder Programme
By integrating fermacell® fibre gypsum boards into a low-carbon, fire-safe, and highly durable MMC system, the project has set the standard for future sustainable education buildings. The school exceeded ‘Severe Duty’ requirements, achieving a ‘Beyond Severe Duty Rating’ through enhanced wall build-ups and rigorous lateral crowd loading testing, ensuring superior robustness and long-term performance.
For Treetops Free School, a DfE Net Zero Pathfinder project, we selected fermacell® for its superior fire performance and sustainability within a timber hybrid structure. This project set a new benchmark for robustness and ultra-low energy schools, and our ongoing work with the OSKOP alliance continues to drive down carbon, waste, and costs whilst increasing performance in MMC construction.
Zubin Masters
Bond Bryan
Trust it. Build with it.
Discover fermacell® fibre gypsum boards for your next project.