Beechwood Primary School
Contemporary Design
Due to local need it was necessary to expand Beechwood Primary School in the town of Woodley, nr Reading. The school site was very constrained, and the only developable areas were in the current courtyard areas of the school grounds. It was important to ensure that no further development impeded the existing school playing fields.
The extensions to the school were designed to not form a pastiche of the current 1950’s design but to serve more as a statement of contemporary design with mono-pitch roofs and cladding specifically coloured to the school colours by request of the then Head Teacher. Ventilation to classrooms was provided through natural ventilation domes that became a feature of the design. With additional internal modelling of the school as part of the brief, ERMC was able to provide a dramatic change to the internal space and circulation of the school.
Additional accommodation
Initially a BB103 analysis was undertaken on the school to ascertain existing areas and any shortfall within the school accommodation. This analysis allowed highlighted the exact number of classrooms that were required in order to support the additional pupil numbers and also to allow the school to manage the change from 1.5 FE to 2 FE.
The report concluded there was a necessity to provide the following additional accommodation;
• 4 additional classroom spaces
• Staff Room
• Staff working area
• Resource area
• Storage
• Group Rooms
Sympathetic design solution
We developed a sympathetic design solution, addressing both local and national planning policies and guidance.
The design was considered to be appropriate to the surrounding context, and provided the extra space the existing school desperately needs. The chosen location for the extensions and material palette on the extensions was carefully considered to create an attractive, coherent environment for this sensitive setting.
The scheme makes efficient use of previously developed land, by increasing the schools capacity and allowing the growing need of the school spaces to be provided within the community.
