Haverstock

The design resulted in three main curriculum groups, translated into three major zones or ‘schools’ within the building (World, Performance and Trade). Additionally, the Autism Department is housed in the Horizon School, and forms the fourth equal part of the overall school. All four schools are visually and physically linked through a central atrium known as the learning street, which acts as the heart space of the school and the ‘glue’ that encourages a strong and unified identity for the whole school.

The ground floor studios facing into the learning street have been designed to allow for the strong brief requirement of learning at a human scale. The studios allow for team teaching classes for Years 7 and 8, easing the transition from primary school to secondary school. All spaces are broken down into visually smaller spaces so as not to overwhelm the students and enhance a sense of community. In this way, the school’s layout achieves one of the primary aims that each individual is known and valued.  Another of the design’s key drivers was environmental sustainability. Mixed mode ventilation using heat recovery seeked to minimize energy consumption before providing for 20% of the energy demand with on site renewable generation. The building achieved BREEAM Very Good.

Photographs by: Dennis Gilbert/View