Educa tion

Maidenhill School

Education Newton Mearns

This project forms part of the new Maidenhill development at Newton Mearns, southwest of Glasgow. A completely new neighbourhood, comprising more than 800 homes, is being created with the new two stream primary school and early years facility sitting at the heart of the masterplan.

The new primary school was constructed alongside the neighbouring houses which presented an opportunity to create not only a new learning centre, but also create a focus for the developing community. The school is organised around a central atrium space which forms the heart of school and contains various types of learning spaces. Children learn through experience, with the environment being their 3rd teacher, consequently our design focuses on providing spaces which encourage their curiosity and create a learning landscape enriched with ‘play’ elements and natural forms.

The classrooms are wrapped around the atrium and each classroom has a dedicated adjacent space for flexible learning and group work. The teaching space extends outside the classrooms and is designed to allow free movement between formal and informal teaching in a dynamic learning environment. A dedicated STEM room plays a key role in encouraging children to interact with their environment through STEM related subjects. The building services within the room are exposed to allow the children to understand the operation of key utilities and learn about the energy footprint of the building. The use of biophylic colours in the interior of the school provide a calming background for learners.

The flexible learning zones accommodate a range of spaces from cosy wall pockets and a bird house for peer to peer learning to an internal climbing wall which promotes and encourages activity when moving between floors of the school. The tiered seating placed centrally in the atrium can accommodate multiple class groups oriented towards the drama box and provides a lively focus to the heart of the building. The circular form of the nursery promotes free play, it is filled with natural light and contains a centrally placed treetop snug for quiet time. The open plan play rooms engage directly with the external play area which offers the youngest learners a rich varied external play environment. The external learning environment encourages children to engage with the four essential life elements, earth, air, fire and water, all represented by the variety of plants, surfaces and play equipment available.

ARCHITECT BDP I CLIENT EAST RENFREWSHIRE COUNCIL I PHOTOGRAPHER DAVID BARBOUR

MAIN CONTRACTOR BAM CONSTRUCTION I

ARCHITECT BMJ I CLIENT UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS I

PHOTOGRAPHER TOM MANLEY

Scottish Oceans Institute

Education St Andrews

The Scottish Oceans is an interdisciplinary research institute studying the marine environment. The Institute was awarded funding to redevelop their aquaria facilities to support research activities by bringing together University of St Andrews researchers who share an interest in oceanic systems science in its broadest sense.

The Proposed Gatty Aquaria Facility required a building in which world-class, collaborative marine science research and teaching could take place and provide a new image for the Institute. This involved designing a bespoke aquarium with individual room temperature-controlled environments, along with cellular and open plan office requirements, public engagement space whilst integrating the existing buildings and allowing for future expansion and flexibility.

In addition, the design proposal had to reflect the importance of the historical / prominent site location to ensure key views were maintained, and the facility fitted into the urban context with materials that would not weather or deteriorate in the exposed conditions of the site on the beach front.

The overarching design concept and strategy for the building was to provide a roof form that resembles a wave from that all components of the diverse client brief are located under.

This then developed incorporating a sail.

This design reduced the visual impact of the existing Gatty Laboratory whilst providing a contemporary solution that is ambitious and of high-quality materials that are discreet and appropriate within their context.

The inclusion of a Collaboration Zone stitched together all the components of the brief and provided new opportunities to collaborate together in an informal and flexible area.

The solar shading ‘waves’ surrounding the building were formed out of Corten steel. Corten has a natural patina of rust that protects itself ironically from further corrosion It is a unique material that strongly connects to ideas of time, memory and nature, weathering nicely and becoming increasingly beautiful with continued exposure to the elements.

The Aquaria was encapsulated in a cast concrete walls formed to incorporate the texture of wooden boards creating a grainy texture and simplicity identifying the contract to the glazed offices connecting the building users to the sea.

Engineering Innovation Centre

Education Preston

The University of Central Lancashire - Engineering Innovation Centre (EIC) is a 7000m² state-of-the-art facility, located at the heart of UCLan’s Preston Campus. Its aim is to exploit the location of the University at the centre of one of the most intense engineering and manufacturing areas in the UK, and to establish UCLan as a leader in engineering innovation. The EIC will create an integrated space for teaching, research and knowledge exchange, resulting in higher education provision in Lancashire which more closely reflects the economic priorities of the business community.

The EIC has been conceived diagrammatically as two blocks, each running north–south. Facing east towards New Square, the atrium provides the principal circulation route through the building along with breakout, social learning space and ‘lightweight’ teaching space [e.g. computing rooms]. Facing west, the workshop and teaching block is defined by a linear arrangement of workshops and teaching spaces. These have been designed to be column free, with floorplates spanning from the southwest facade to the atrium edge, providing flexibility for current activities and for future changes in the teaching programme. The new EIC proposes a largely glazed façade facing New Square. Applied finishes are mostly prefabricated eg. Exposed concrete ceilings with acoustic rafts, acoustic laminate wall finishes. Given the building use (an engineering faculty) the decision was made to expose all structure/ M&E. This required a highly developed BIM model to enable reliable procurement of prefinished items. The steel frame/concrete floor accommodate the diverse brief, which called for flexibility in use over the lifetime of the building, with loading/vibration characteristics for engineering laboratories and workshops.

ARCHITECT REIACH & HALL I CLIENT UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL LANCASHIRE

ARCHITECT RYDER I CLIENT ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL I

PHOTOGRAPHER KEITH HUNTER

Oban High School

Education Argyll and Bute

Oban High School is a 1,300 pupil secondary school with community facilities. The building is at the south east edge of Oban, built adjacent to the former school and nestled within the backdrop of two large rock outcrops, one of which houses the scheduled monument of An Dunan.

One of the key drivers of the school design approach is the ability to have a series of multifunctional social spaces, removing the need for dedicated assembly and dining spaces which are only used for limited periods of the day. These spaces are for hosting large events including the national Mod and to reinforce links to the school of dance, rugby and traditional music.

Metal cladding provides relief from the solidity of the solid base element, resulting in the apparent scale of the building being reduced. The top floor level presents itself as an assembly of different sized volumes that form a series of outdoor spaces that relate to the surrounding landforms, clad in a lighter more opaque panel system.

From the south and west, the building can be read as a three storey structure placed on a landscaped plinth.

The GRID

Education Riccarton

The GRID (Global Research Innovation and Discovery) teaching and learning facility was designed specifically to promote collaboration between departments, with an emphasis on ‘learning through making’ in subjects such as engineering and computer science. The building provides facilities to transform learning into a more collaborative, interdisciplinary activity which has industry and enterprise as a key theme throughout the learning experience, making students distinctive and employable.

The building is the first in the campus to engage directly with its lochside setting and offers level access for all to the water’s edge via new ramped terraces. As well as a BREEAM excellent award and a large rooftop solar array the building was developed with a passive approach to sustainability and energy conservation. The enclosed, well insulated north block uses smaller windows for natural light to the teaching spaces. To the south, the building is more open and glazed to allow passive heat gains as well as natural light in and views out to the landscape with the external canopy offering shading.

The internal environment is controllable by students via openable windows and internal blinds. Student well-being was designed into the project from the outset, influencing colours, materials and pastoral care arrangements. The building is open for students 24/7 and they are encouraged to take ownership of the building with spaces that are adaptable to their needs.

ARCHITECT SHEPPARD ROBSON I CLIENT HERIOT-WATT I

PHOTOGRAPHER KEITH HUNTER

ARCHITECT SMITH SCOTT MULLAN ASSOCIATES I CLIENT CITY OF EDINBURGH COUNCIL I STRUCTURAL ENGINEER WILL RUDD DAVIDSON I SERVICES ENGINEER EDP CONSULTING ENGINEERS I QUANTITY SURVEYOR THOMAS & ADAMSON I LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT HARRISONSTEVENS LTD I MAIN CONTRACTOR HADDEN CONSTRUCTION

Kirkliston Primary School Extension

Education Kirliston

The Primary School was extended in 3 phases, leaving most of the existing school untouched and keeping the school functioning during any construction at term times. The unusual design of the original school was the starting point for the brief for the extensions. In the existing school the classrooms are split into 2 wings and gathered around a central communal area which the classrooms spill out into for specific tasks. This creates a deep plan which is illuminated with a glazed lantern at roof level or clear storey glazing to the high end of the gull-wing mono-pitch roofs.

As a consequence, the existing school has a lively, sculptural roofline suited to the educational environment within. To fulfil our brief for the extensions we equally challenged the roof to provide a constant north light, deep into the plan which would also evoke the individual spirit of the original building without copying it. The classrooms extend in 2 phases to the north, folding around to create a sheltered courtyard. On the south facing section we provided an angled covered canopy to allow the children to play under cover in the rain. The columns are set at a jaunty angle which add a sense of fun to this play area.

The buildings are constructed from a robust red brick and there are flashes of glazed ceramic brick on the north elevation that can be glimpsed at by passers-by on the main road. The halls to the south containing the sports and dining facilities are located near the external sports areas and the impact of their mass is concealed from the main road, in keeping with the character and massing of the local context.

Green Apple Nursery

Education Carluke

Our clients procured an old bank building in the town centre of Carluke. The building had been modified several times over the years as a bank, including the erection of 2 flat-roof extensions to the rear and side.

Our brief was to create safe, bright, happy, interesting spaces for children of different ages in a site bounded on 3 sides by busy roads. Our solution was to retain as much of the existing fabric as possible, while stripping out the interior to create large, open play rooms. To achieve this, the new accommodation is built over and between the 2 single storey, flat roof extensions in a contrasting style, linking the building at the upper level.

Building over the existing extensions also allows the original spaces to be given over to playrooms, as the service areas are all contained in the extended sections. This also allows the creation of an enclosed, upper floor garden deck where the children can play safely and securely. A series of openings in the garden deck are also sized to suit children and present views to the world outside.

The large picture window to the front elevation also acts as an advertisement for the re-purposed building.

ARCHITECT INGRAM ARCHITECTURE I PHOTOGRAPHER ALEXANDER FRASER CLIENT AMARJIT SINGH I

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER ATK PARTNERSHIP I

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