School of Science and Sports, Brighton

About

The School of Science and Sports at Brighton College, one of Britain’s leading schools, combines two well-differentiated areas: a historic sector, composed of heritage-listed buildings, designed by Sir Gilbert Scott and Sir Thomas Jackson in the 19th century, and a department of Sports bordered by buildings from the 1970s and 1980s, where the new construction is located. The proposal defies the conventional character of educational buildings – one of endless empty hallways and imposed silence. Observing that processes of learning take place outside as much as inside of the classroom, the design articulates a new idea of educational space bolstering interaction and exchange. So two apparently incompatible areas – the department of Science and the department of Sports – are merged into one linear volume, situated at the edge of the playing field. This conceptual scheme creates a vibrant building with lively spaces where activities are not necessarily dictated by a school timetable. Primary sporting spaces are on level with the field, and the sports hall opens directly onto it. The Science department, which includes classrooms, laboratories, and a greenhouse, spans over the sporting spaces like a skeletal bridge. The facades are inspired in part by the regular rhythm of the terraced housing opposite the new building. The rooftop provides a sweeping view of the North Sea. Stimulating social communications between the students was central in the concept: generous and open breakout space outside of the classrooms create room for informal interaction and private studying... [+]

Sources

• Arquitectura Viva