Islandmagee Primary

Aerial view of a school campus with blue metal roofs, playgrounds, nearby homes, rolling countryside, and a setting sun.

Islandmagee Primary School

Martin & Hamilton have delivered the new 1500sqm Islandmagee Primary School near Larne. The new school sees the amalgamation of smaller local schools within the new build fully DDA accessible & Department of Education Handbook compliant facility.

The new 5 class facility includes Main Hall with recessed stage, classrooms, staff rooms, school meals kitchen, changing, offices and stores. External works included civil engineering & construction of drainage & attenuation, access road, gated entrance, traffic management system, carparking and paths. External finishes include metal technology curtain walling, feature facing brick & stone cladding and copper patina green warm deck roof covering. Internally the building is designed to maximise natural light with extensive use of roof and wall glazing.

Being located so near the coast, the site water table was a construction challenge addressed through careful use of Temporary Works and dewatering measures.

This was an NEC3 Project delivered in a spirit of partnership with the client, consultant and supply chain team. Working in close collaboration ensured issues were flagged early and resolved to provide best outcomes for the school community. One example of our site team's care and attention is the installation of the acoustic plasterboard to Resource Areas. The client expressed concern that on other projects with other contractors poor attention to installation meant misaligned joints resulting in poor finish. Our Site Manager worked to ensure board edge details lined up with curtain walling, velux windows, existing services and roof lights in order that the finished interior was of the highest quality and aesthetically pleasing.

Delivery of the works involved Considerate Constructors Scheme registration where the site team achieved the Outstanding score of 45 out of 45 on the external audit. Social Value requirements were delivered through employment and local community engagement (Social Value points delivered were 458 - far in excess of the 350 points target set by the Client.) Some of the initiatives included talks on construction at the school, a colouring & bug hotel competition, hosting a community coffee morning to raise funds for the local Playgroup, tree planting & diversion of 100% of waste from landfill through recycling initiatives.

Exterior of a modern primary school with green metal roofs, brick walls, glass entrance, and marked parking lot.

Modern indoor sports hall with polished wooden courts, gym equipment, large windows, skylights, and overhead lighting

Bright elementary school classroom with grouped tables and chairs, literacy and numeracy bulletin boards, bookshelves, student artwork, and a colorful educational rug

Bright modern school hallway with a children’s reading area, colorful bookshelves, green walls, bulletin boards, and a sink

Aerial view of Islandmagee Primary School, its parking lot and roads, surrounded by houses, farmland, and autumn trees.

Bright modern office break room with green chairs, upholstered bench seating, tables, and large windows

School hallway featuring a colorful “The Gobbins Islandmagee Primary School” mural, open classroom doors, and emergency exit signs.

Bright elementary school hallway with colorful classroom doors, children's artwork, tables, chairs, toys, and a smiling caterpillar play structure

Bright elementary school classroom with colorful learning displays, child-sized tables and chairs, bookshelves, a play rug, and LEGO building materials

Modern office kitchenette with cream cabinets, stainless steel range hood, oven, microwave, refrigerator, sink, appliances, round table, and green chairs