Refurbishment and extension of a primary school in South London
At Robert Browning School in Southwark, AMA’s involvement was all-encompassing. Our aim was to make the most of the existing spaces on a compact, urban site and create new, flexible opportunities for learning. We started with a brief development process which concluded with the wholesale reconfiguration of the existing Victorian school building, construction of a new entrance, new nursery building and outdoor play areas.
Through a series of major structural interventions, we sensitively altered the physical restrictions of the existing Victorian building, and provided a prominent new entrance that welcomes visitors, improves security and bolsters the school's identity in its community. The alterations transformed circulation areas into useful learning spaces while clustering the ground floor classrooms and toilet facilities to improve the building’s organisation and legibility.
The nursery building used prefabricated timber elements to reduce construction time, potential disruption to the school and environmental impact, and to provide large open plan spaces. We incorporated ‘stack effect’ ventilation to create a comfortable interior environment. The use of large sliding glazed doors promote natural daylight and offer direct access between the nursery, the covered play area and the revitalised grounds. The play space has been transformed to include a diversity of spaces for play and learning. A green roof, nature garden and mature planting contribute to an exciting and sustainable school design.
Our client said, 'Working with AMA was a positive experience from start to finish; they listened well and were able to translate our educational vision for our school building into a dynamic working environment for children and staff.'
Images © 2012 AMA Alexi Marmot Associates
© 2010 AMA Alexi Marmot Associates
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