Victorian School Building Darroch
Designers:
Space Strategies
Pollokshields
Govanhill
Govan
These buildings can be reinvigorated allowing their value in a whole place context to be enhanced. These victorian schools are important landmarks in our urban landscape which evoke memories, pride and belonging. The counter is to consider the effect and negative impact on our communities when they are left derelict.
Darroch is not unique: the challenges of this building are repeated in other victorian schools. The opportunities to intensify space use through the similar interventions and use of mezzanines could could easily apply to these similar buildings.
This study is intended to explore potential to invest in such buildings and create a new lease of life to the existing building stock in our communities.
SPACE Strategies have been considering this victorian building in the context of interventions, exploring how these could transform and revitalise such a building to be fit for the needs of new and flexible learning methodologies being explored in the new schools programmes projects across Scotland.
Darroch: Re-imagining the possibilities of a victorian urban school
Darroch
The school in the Community The community in the school
Whole place campus approach:
demand and context analysis
creating a learning environment with a whole place community focus to respond to demand criteria of C21 education
reinvention
links and re-imagining other derelict parts of the urban landscape
the school in the community: The community in the school
memories, emotions, understanding of place, familiarity, pride
in the heart of the community
listed and civic presence
rationalising the mezzanines: Ease of way finding and understanding
mezzanines: reducing environmental impact, less carbon cost per person occupation
mezzanines: increasing capacity and scale of community potential
height: Creating a valuable entrance experience
height: Mezzanines creating 3D connectivity and transparency between activities
light and air, great communal opportunity
large volumes
building extension and reconfiguration
exploiting mezzanine potential
intensifying space use
interventions
Listed and civic presence
cellular / closed nature
Intimidating approach experience
Navigation and Understanding
supply analysis
Connectivity and transparency across the footprint
Large volumes (environmental impact, mood and feel)
Emergency egress compliance
Limitations on scale of community
Small footprint
creating a learning environment with a whole place community focus to respond to demand criteria of C21 education
reinvention
links and re-imagining other derelict parts of the urban landscape
the school in the community: The community in the school
memories, emotions, understanding of place, familiarity, pride
in the heart of the community
listed and civic presence
rationalising the mezzanines: Ease of way finding and understanding
mezzanines: reducing environmental impact, less carbon cost per person occupation
mezzanines: increasing capacity and scale of community potential
height: Creating a valuable entrance experience
height: Mezzanines creating 3D connectivity and transparency between activities
light and air, great communal opportunity
large volumes
building extension and reconfiguration
exploiting mezzanine potential
intensifying space use
interventions
Listed and civic presence
cellular / closed nature
Intimidating approach experience
Navigation and Understanding
supply analysis
Connectivity and transparency across the footprint
Large volumes (environmental impact, mood and feel)
Emergency egress compliance
Limitations on scale of community
Small footprint
matching supply and demand
functional pavilion to service cafe spaces
entry improvements with transparent pavilion celebrating learning activity, the community in the school, a garden courtyard approach
the central void creating a heart at the entrance point
void giving transparency and connections between activities vertically
glazed link ensures lobby approach whilst maintaining optimal use of mezzanines for learning activity
clear toilet cores
use of existing double volumes to enhance transparency
additional area to the mezzanine footprint
an open approach to the footprint, the building stripped back to structure, spaces suited to cohorts in more flexible settings: a more flexible approach to the footprint
a new lift shaft
exploiting the volume
a new escape stair: connectivity in a multi storey approach
roof reconfiguration: Staff accommodation
interventions
first floor mezzanine
second floor
ground floor mezzanine
first floor
ground floor
space planning: testing opportunities
roof space
courtyard garden approach a student social space external and sheltered, space planned for meaningful activity, lockers exploiting the volume, views to activity above shafts providing connectivity between levels and transparency into activity, flexible learning opportunities community LRC and information cafe
3 4
5 6
7
2
1
5
1
6
4
space planning: testing opportunities
3
an inviting approach, learning and community visible everywhere
2
7
visual connections horizontally and vertically, a heart to the campus
1
key space planning principles tested against learning settings
approach
LRC and cafe in context
voids
entrance experience
matching supply and demand
visual connections
mezzanines & egress