The project involves replacing Cantonian High School buildings with new build accommodation on the same site and building facilities for two neighbouring schools to relocate to the new campus.
In 2018 Cardiff Council approved plans for a £284m capital investment in city secondary schools, jointly funded by the Welsh government The Fairwater campus project was one of five projects identified and the largest project among the five.
Cantonian High School will expand from six forms of entry (6FE) to eight forms of entry (8FE) and sixth form provision for up to 250 pupils; Woodlands High School and Riverbank School will move across from Trelai Park, with capacities increased to 240 and 112 places respectively.
It is Cardiff’s biggest school building project and its first designed to be net zero carbon in operation, with the buildings powered from renewable energy sources. ISG was given the design & build contract via the South East & Mid Wales Collaborative Construction framework (Sewscap).
ISG regional director Richard Skone said: “The scale and ambition of this pioneering project is transformative both from an educational co-location perspective and its operationally net zero carbon commitment and targets for reducing embodied carbon. When we also factor in our collective focus on driving social value legacy from this considerable community investment, Fairwater campus is undoubtedly one of the most eagerly anticipated exemplar projects for smart and ethical development in Wales today.”
Subject to planning and procurement, work on the new campus is expected to begin in 2023.
The council refused to reveal the contract price, describing it as “commercially sensitive” and has yet to even reveal how much public money it has allocated to the project.
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