Lagan College and Tor Bank School

In March 2011 the Bilfinger Berger Project Investments (BBPI)-led consortium reached financial close for the Lagan College and Tor Bank School project in Northern Ireland. Construction started immediately after contracts were signed.

Every year, Lagan College is over-subscribed with applicants for submission, and the school currently has more than 40 temporary classrooms, many of which have become delapidated.

The existing accommodation at Tor Bank School is deficient in terms of size, layout and overall area of the site.  More than 40% of the teaching accommodation is comprised of temporary classrooms.  The classrooms are too small for the number of pupils taught in them and the school is lacking in specialist teaching areas such as science, music and art, which creates obvious difficulties for the delivery of the curriculum.

The €60 million contract will rectify all of these issues and more.  For example, it will include the replacement of all temporary accommodation with permanent facilities for Lagan College which will also be extended to accommodate 1,200 students in the 11-18 age range.  The integration of existing and new spaces will offer a relaxed and friendly atmosphere as well as increased benefits for teaching such as integrated ICT, smaller teaching and discussion groups, counselling and break-out areas.

Tor Bank School will be a brand new development accommodating 164 pupils with severe learning difficulties in the 3-19  age range.  The design for this building reflects the development stages of the pupils as they progress from childhood to adulthood.  Teaching accommodation is arranged into key stage wings, each with an identifiable colour, and external areas are separated into three types of space: classrooms, communal play areas and sensory gardens.