Coleridge Primary School

Looking to expand this highly successful primary school from two – to four-forms of entry, the local authority purchased the former Hornsey School of Art building across the road and sought to convert and extend it as an infants’ school.

We developed a design and education strategy with the school so that the two sites – infant and junior – could work together, supported by effective ICT provision. The design removed later additions to the original school of art and created two new teaching wings, each containing top-lit clusters of four classrooms forming a year base. Each classroom has access to outside space either directly or with balconies.

The retained building contains the main hall and shared teaching facilities as well as a nursery adjacent to the new reception wing. The proposal was developed to accommodate the slope of the site yet create a completely accessible environment for the children both internally and externally.

All who work at Coleridge are aware of the quality of the new building, both as a construction that enhances the aesthetic value of Crouch End, and as a structure that aids our staff in providing a valuable and stimulating learning environment for our children and performs a wider role for the community.
Shirley Boffey, Headteacher

Prominent site

Sitting within a Conservation Area on a very prominent site in Crouch End, the re-modelling and extension of the quirkily classical former Hornsey School of Art building required detailed engagement with the authority’s Conservation officer and other stakeholders.

The careful massing of the classroom blocks, the roof configurations and the choice of materials all contribute to a successful synthesis of existing and new.

Our Team

  • Paul Baxter
  • Malcolm Birks
  • Monica Cherry
  • Phil Hall-Patch
  • Terry Hayward
  • Andrew Mulroy
  • Gerard Ryan
  • Janet Stapleton
  • Sarah Williams

Project Team

  • Client: London Borough of Haringey
  • Project Management: Arcadis AYH/Haringey
  • Cost Planning: Dearle and Henderson
  • Structural Engineer: Price and Myers
  • Services Engineer: Hoare Lea
  • Landscape Architect: Pearson Landscape Design
  • Acoustician: Tim Lewers Acoustics
  • Fire Engineer: Hoare Lea
  • Contractor: Jerram Falkus
  • Photography: Alan Williams

Awards

  • Winner: Civic Trust Awards
  • Winner: BCSE Awards – Best School Extension

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