This two phase project (Phase 1 2004) is a remodelling of Kingsdale School in London, commissioned by the Local Authority. The school is recognised by central government as a unique model of rehabilitation with national relevance. Like de Rijke and dRMM’s Clapham Manor Primary School, 2010 (2011 WINNER London Planning Awards for Best Built Project – Community Category; 2010 SHORTLISTED RIBA Stirling Prize; 2010 WINNER Civic Trust Award), Kingsdale School is the result of design responses to environmental and materials research. It is a ground-breaking project with a number of firsts, most notably the world’s largest variable-skin ETFE roof, used to cover a large and originally outdoor space and reprogramme it as a multi-purpose space. The building also represents the first use of CLT (cross-laminated timber) for wide span structural members in the UK, and the first use of CLT in a school in the UK. Before this, the material had been used exclusively in the residential sector. This low carbon material, used widely in construction on northern Europe, required research in a range of subject areas: cost as compared with steel or concrete, structural, fire and acoustic performance, and embodied energy. The transformation of the physical environment has transformed the school environment. It is now a desirable place to be, and the school has noted that the demand for student places has increased since the remodelling.
Awards: 2009 HIGHLY COMMENDED British Council for School Environments Industry Awards ‘Inspiring Design’.
In: Zuschnitt 31 Dec 2008; C3 August 2008; Basics Architecture 01 2008; Representational Techniques; Birkhauser ETFE 2008; PUU Wood Holzbois Jan 2009; AI Nov 2010.