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History
CLASP was founded in 1957 at the instigation of the then Ministry of Education for
the purpose of improving the construction and delivery of schools. The Consortium
addressed issues of skill and material shortage together with a high demand. It
turned to a systematic form of construction. One which relied on a high proportion
of prefabricated elements and had the ability to be built on sites with poor ground
conditions including mining subsidence.
Collaboration has been the driving ethos of the Consortium. A collaboration between
client organisations, designers and the supply chain. In the order of 3500 buildings
have been erected in the UK using the CLASP system of construction technology.
More buildings have been constructed around Europe, North Africa and South America.
The system has been designed for education projects, which included primary,
secondary and Universities. Cambridge, York and Bath Universities all have significant
CLASP
buildings as part of their estate.
CLASP moved on to cover most building types found in the public sector. Hospitals,
primary health care and buildings for all the emergency services have been constructed
using the CLASP system.
The CLASP technology has also developed to meet the changing needs of its members.
As standards of regulation have risen so the system has been developed to respond.
Early CLASP buildings were flatroofed and often concrete clad. In 1984 CLASP moved
to have its main expression as pitched roof and brick clad. In the 1990’s curved
sheeted roofs were introduced together with composite wall claddings.
In 2004 CLASP reviewed its technology again with the objective of making sustainability
its key driver. As a result the technology has moved on and changed so significantly
that it was renamed Scape.