ECE Architecture have worked alongside the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and Willmott Dixon to develop the Richmond Education and Enterprise Campus.
Following outline planning approval, ECE submitted a reserved matters application for the project which incorporated the existing Clarendon SEN school, and proposals for a new 11-15 five form entry secondary school on the existing Richmond College site.
The school building has been developed from the Education Funding Agency superblock design to create a new ‘stepped’ superblock footprint. This three storey design wraps general and specialist teaching accommodation around centre spaces – the school halls and shared dining atrium. This triple height atrium forms the heart of the school and provides a focal point and dramatic entrance for visitors.
A brick façade has been selected for robustness and to differentiate the school from the neighbouring aluminium clad college building. Careful attention to detail and the proportion of elevation elements has been critical to achieving a high-quality environment. A blend of dark grey/dark blue/black bricks are selected to create a calm confident counterpoint to the proposed adjacent college building.
The redeveloped college campus and new secondary school are committed to inclusion, collaboration and improved transition. The design has positioned the new secondary school and SEN school in the same building with shared facilities. The wider development includes a new college, a new tech hub building for local employer Haymarket, a college STEM building and new sports hall, which were all designed to be accessed by the whole campus.
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