Westminster Academy

The successful result of a true collaboration by a large and disparate team.

We consulted closely with community groups and helped to provide a new academy resulting from a closure of an existing poorly performing school.

The engineers incorporated long spans and large cantilevers allowing the classrooms and teaching spaces to be column free. Concrete plays an important role with a reinforced concrete frame and exposed concrete finishes.

The interior designers developed the FF&E design where furniture layouts facilitated new ways of learning and influenced the architectural spaces.

High levels of daylight and dynamic sunlight were introduced and were complemented by fluorescent luminaires for a visually stunning lighting scheme.

 

Brief

  • design a new school  with sports facilities for 1175 pupils in a disadvantaged area on a constrained site in central London
  • allow community access for  sport and learning after school hours

Results

  • “The kids love the building”
  • the management of the procurement process and budget enabled funds  to be delivered back to the projects.
  • 2008 RIBA Sorrell Foundation Schools Award, Inspiring Design – Secondary School BCSE award

Facts

Location London  UK
Client: Westminster Academy & Westminster City Council
Construction cost: £33m
Completed: 2007
Awards: 2

Integrated services

lead consultant, environmental engineering, structural engineering, lighting, landscape architecture, FF&E consultant (architects – AHMM)

Links to images