King’s School

We were appointed to deliver designs to integrate the school’s previously split sites within a single site offering the range of high-quality facilities required to attract new pupils, allowing the school to grow sustainably. Simplicity of finishes meant space for teaching could be maximised, allowing total capacity for 1,350 pupils.

The new sports centre houses a 25m, six-lane swimming pool, a six-court sports hall, an indoor cricket centre, a dance and martial arts studio, a fitness suite and a café. Outside, students will have use of five new rugby football pitches, a rounders field and two floodlit AstroTurf hockey pitches, and netball courts.

The budget available for construction was fixed and there were a large number of stakeholders who needed to be consulted throughout, ranging from the headmaster and the school's heads of departments through to people living near to the development site.

Being constructed in a rural setting, we needed to conserve as much of the existing vegetation as possible. Designs needed to supplement and enhance the natural environment of the proposed development, ensuring its integration into the wider setting of the landscape/townscape, whilst keeping to a minimum the need for an intensive maintenance regime.

Our landscape architects worked within a wider Pick Everard team to develop vibrant, welcoming, multi-functional and sustainable outdoor spaces to be enjoyed by pupils, staff and visitors alike, and to maximise opportunities to enhance the existing site.

The shape of the building was designed to emphasise the landscape. The two-storey main school building was located at a low point of the site topography to minimise its impact. Elevations were punctuated with landscaped courtyards. By identifying the existing landscape assets and understanding the wider landscape context, we were able to propose a solution to enhance the development and enable it to be harmoniously integrated into the wider landscape setting.

Our design saw significant existing trees and woodlands retained, providing a mature landscape setting for the new campus. In addition, over 800 new trees were added. The new landscape provides an educational resource as well as further enhancement to the site’s biodiversity.

We showed the school what they could achieve if they prioritised space over specification. By keeping a very simple palette of materials, simple construction and a low, but robust quality specification, we demonstrated that their budget could be achieved. Designs achieved BREEAM Very Good and incorporated eco-features including sustainable drainage systems, photovoltaic panels and outdoor classrooms to connect pupils to their natural surroundings.