Manipulates its plan and cross section
Penoyre and Prasad for Islington Borough Council
Contract value: £7.9m. GIA: 4445m2
Sustainability Award, supported by Sika, commended
The Zero-Carbon in-use BREEAM Outstanding school and nursery carefully manipulates its plan and cross-section to draw light inside and reveal woodland views. Burying the nursery under a grass bank and designing the school over four floors ensured the building would not exceed the footprint of the derelict community centre and nursery they replaced on this Metropolitan Open Land.
At the lower level of the school, a double-height multi-purpose room opens onto the playground and is flooded with natural light. Higher up, three wings of classrooms radiate out from the circulation spine, which contains a top-lit open-stepped auditorium. External stairs allow children to reach their classrooms at busy times without overcrowding the central circulation spine.
See other winners in the RIBA Regional Awards 2015 – London