Project Description
FROM THE ARCHITECTS:
In January 2012 Scottish
Futures Trust (SFT) issued an invitation to tender for a reference primary
school design as part of Scotland’s £1.8 billion Schools for the Future
programme, which aims to rebuild or refurbish some of the country’s poorest
schools.
After an intensive period of
research, consultation and design, the award-winning Walters & Cohen Architects
was chosen for the new Lairdsland Primary School, the first of five new
schools to be completed for East
Dunbartonshire Council’s Primary School Improvement
Programme.
Mindful of Scotland’s innovative
Curriculum for Excellence, and following close consultation with client groups,
the school and local parents, the design has been hailed as one which will
change the thinking on how schools are laid out in the future.
Scheduled
monument consent was required to build adjacent to the Forth and Clyde Canal
and ensure the historic character of the canalside setting was not affected. The resulting two-storey building creates a strong
presence towards the towpath opposite and the adjacent marina, improving the
sense of community in this industrial area.
The design is contemporary
to suit a range of teaching and learning styles. The acoustic design was carefully
considered to ensure that numerous teaching activities could take place in the
heart space and the adjacent formal learning areas.
The school has double-height
glazed
screens that offer views from one side of the school to the other; fun and
bright learning spaces; covered outdoor learning areas; and an open plan heart
space showcasing an amphitheatre staircase. Furniture was also carefully
selected to provide flexible teaching opportunities.
The
design achieved a BREEAM rating of Excellent. Renewable energy is provided by a
biomass boiler and photovoltaics on the roof.
The local authority
has already used the principles of the design in a number of new schools.