One of the most impressive refurbishments of an existing school that we’ve seen in recent years was the job that Haverstock did on the Ifield School in Gravesend, Kent. It was deservedly a joint-winner of the 2009 BCSE Awards, providing an example of how to really implement a new extension, remodel and refurbishment to an existing primary and secondary SEN school.
The building provides accommodation for 138 students with profound, severe and complex needs. Given that a student may spend their entire educational life at the school, they should have the sense of ‘progressing’ around the school. As the age of the student increases, the spaces they inhabit are designed to become more mature.
The new exterior facades were designed to provide a secure, but welcoming shell. The new canopies and rendered walls suggest entering a protected building and give shelter for minibuses dropping off wheelchair users. Once inside the building and on the pedestrian side of the fences, the building becomes softer, more transparent and sympathetic, culminating in the central soft courtyard heart of the building.
Poorly used external areas around the old building have been transformed into the new sensory courtyard. This is made of softer materials and is protective of the more vulnerable students, yet has a sense of openness. The primary students are all now given direct access from classrooms to a secure external space, essential for students of this age and nature.
The original main school block was fully and extensively refurbished. All elements were tired and/or past their useful life. The internal layout of the building was poor, including circulation through rooms, and internal level changes were unsuitable for wheelchair users. The new design eliminated all of the major design issues within the school. The hall size was doubled, a new hydrotherapy pool built and all classroom sizes were extended and circulation widths increased.
At the time, the Awards judges felt this was a fantastic example of how a special school could be updated and refreshed through thoughtful and inclusive design. The job was done allowing the school to remain open during the construction phase and the result is a building which works for all its users.
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