School Building Award
SPONSORED BY GREENDAWN POWER
Presented to the establishment that has provided what is judged to be the most technically advanced building constructed for the purpose of teaching present and future pupils.
2023 Winner: Tring School, Hertfordshire
After two years of development and a £30 million investment, the Dobberson building opened in September last year and features an environmentally-friendly design which aims to bring the outside in. The new building features state-of-the-art laboratories, fingerprint scanning and climate control.
Commended
Bingham Primary School, Nottingham
Merstham Primary School, Surrey
Elizabeth Jones Literacy Hub at St.Damian's RC Science College, Lancashire
Tarleton Academy, Lancashire
The High School Leckhampton, Gloucestershire
2022 Winner
Addington Valley Academy, London
Commended
Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys, Kent
The Skinners' School, Kent
Kidbrooke Park Primary School, London
The Howard School, Kent
2021 Winner
The Broxbourne School, Hertfordshire
Completed five months ahead of schedule, the state-of-the-art Broxbourne School comprises multiple buildings which feature a range of exciting new facilities including a new indoor sports hall, 3G football pitch, a multi-use games area including netball and tennis and The Broxbourne Music Centre, which will be available for use by the whole community. Pupils are returning in phases and when full, the eight-form entry school will cater for 1,500 in total, aged 11 to 18 including Sixth Form.
Commended
The King's School in Macclesfield
Welshpool Church in Wales Primary School
Harris Academy Clapham
The Sir Bobby Robson School, Ipswich
2020 Winner
Harris Academy Sutton
A new £40 million building makes Harris Academy Sutton the first secondary school in the country to meet the Passivhaus energy performance standard for the design and construction of energy efficient buildings. This uses around 80% less energy than equivalent buildings of traditional design. Concrete construction is used for the ground slab and first floor, with a timber structure above, and timber cladding throughout. The main halls are differentiated by copper cladding, which is entirely recyclable. Generously sized assembly and sports halls can be used out of hours by the local community.
Commended
Wroughton Academy, Norfolk
Great Western Academy, Swindon
High Weald Academy, Kent
2019 Winner
Bishop Chavasse Church of England Primary School, Kent
Headteacher Donna Weeks was heavily involved in the planning of Bishop Chavasse’s new building. Officially opening in April this year, the calm and spacious environment provides great opportunities for learning both inside and outside. The new library forms an integral part of the school, which features inspiring book areas in every classroom and breakout reading spaces. Comments from pupils and parent have been extremely positive.
Commended
Ysgol Glan Morfa, Cardiff
Built as part of Cardiff’s Band A, 21st Century Schools programme, the new £7.8m Ysgol Gymraeg Glan Morfa in Splott can accommodate up to 420 pupils across two classes per year, from reception class to year six, and provide 80 part-time nursery places. The two-storey design with approximately 2,500 square metres of floor space incorporates facilities for use by the wider local community including a multi-use games area and a room available for hire.
The Craylands School, Kent
Craylands new £1.9m building features eight classrooms and two group rooms with toilets and storage space. Outside the block is a new Multi-Use Games Area as well as additional car parking spaces. The new block is clad in buff bricks, similar to the existing school. External doors to the classrooms enable the spaces to open out onto the playground area. Louvered panels sit above a number of windows and doors to assist in the ventilation of the classrooms.
Woodmansterne School, London
In the design of Woodmansterne’s new secondary school, which provides 900 places, proximity to neighbouring properties and the relationship to the primary school informed the shape of the building whilst the opportunity for the community to access facilities outside school hours was an important consideration. Sustainability, ventilation and natural light in the development ensure that running costs are minimised.
St Edmund’s School Canterbury
St Edmund’s School’s new ‘academic hub’ is a 2.5 storey building providing seven classrooms, a mathematics studio, toilets and storage facilities. The new building replaces modular classrooms, forming a new public face for the school. The materials are different in format but similar in tone and elemental massing, reinforcing the relationship between the modern and the original 1858 Grade II listed Victorian school buildings.
2018 Winner
Hever Church of England Aided Primary School
Hever’s ‘Intelligent electric building’ is fully powered by electricity and therefore not dependent on fossil fuels. This removes the need for a gas supply in most instances. The annual electricity consumption for heating and lighting is around 30kWh per m2 per annum as opposed to 120kWh for a traditionally built alternative. This approach eliminates energy bills and carbon emissions associated with producing the energy that less intelligent buildings need to operate.
Commended
Eastbourne College, East Sussex
Reigate Parish Church Primary School, Surrey
Barr Beacon School, Walsall
Hawley Primary School, London
2017 Winner
Robert Gordon's College
Building the Wood Foundation Centre for Science and Technology involved refitting a historic building to house 34 laboratories and classrooms to make the largest UK teaching facility for science and technology education. Specialist facilities include an Optics Laboratory, Design Workshop and a Technology Showcase Suite.
Commended
Rendcomb College
Merchant Taylors' School
Donhead Preparatory School
Roseacres Primary School
Holme Grange School
2016 Winner
Chalgrove Primary School, London
Chalgrove Primary School responded to an increase in pupil capacity by using Schoolhaus’ ultra-efficient design to make the most of the need for new space. Zero running costs and a fully-integrated solar PV roof make the school one of the UK’s most efficient school buildings. This building is not only sustainable - it generates clean energy and revenue for the school. The build is impressive both on the inside and out.
Commended
Mellor Primary School, Cheshire
Epsom College, Surrey
Plymouth School of Creative Arts
Prestwood Infants School, Buckinghamshire
2015 Winner
Maidenhill School, Gloucestershire
Originally estimated at £14 million, the refurbishment work at Maindenhill, including a brand new building, actually cost £3.7 million. This was achieved through methodical planning and economical processes, including solar-reflective glazing and running the new heating system from the existing boiler.
Commended
Baxter College, Worcestershire
Ravenor Primary School, Greenford
James Gillespie's High School, Edinburgh
John Roan School, London
Burntwood School, London