With the introduction of the Priority School Building Programme (PSBP), the Government has been taking steps in recent years to address the needs of schools in the UK which are in need of urgent repairs. 260 schools were included in the programme and earmarked to be rebuilt or improved.
Schools need to be well designed and in good condition in order to provide conducive, productive and happy learning environments, and it is hoped that this programme will provide that for children across the country. However, there are restrictions in terms of budget and specifications which can hamper the design process and lead to schools which are not sustainable in the long term and will have to be altered and adapted in the future. We believe that sustainability should always be one of the foremost priorities in the creation of architecture, regardless of the size of the budget.
The design of schools, colleges and other educational establishments is something that we are passionate about, and we strive for flexibility and sustainability whenever we take on a project of this nature. This can be seen in our Book Box project, in which we created an extension for a Kentish Town primary school.
We incorporated elements such as a double height ceiling for ventilation and acoustics, and a wall which completely opens up to remove the boundary between the indoors and outdoors and provide the children with a performance space. The building was clad in zinc, which is highly resistant to corrosion, long-lasting, sustainable and completely recyclable.
Our budget was small, but by making optimum use of the available space and materials, we were able to create a versatile multi-use space which is ideally suited for reading, playing musical instruments, thinking and learning. Schools are amongst our most important institutions, and through the use of beautiful and sustainable design, architects can help to encourage the growth and learning potential of the pupils. This is just one of many areas of public and commercial architecture we cover with our extensive range of services, so please get in touch if you’d like to work with us on a project.