Berkhamsted School – Various Projects

The Brief

Berkhamsted School is a leading independent school originally founded in 1541 by John Incent, Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral. The school was re-established in 1841, and today’s campus is arranged over 6 sites in Berkhamsted and Amersham and includes the original school hall, built in 1544. It now provides high quality education and care for boys and girls aged 5 months to 18 years, including boarding options for older children.

We have been appointed to work on a number of projects in the school’s masterplan for redevelopment. Delivered schemes to date including the upgrade of catering and dining facilities in the Prep school, the renovation of the early 20th century Deans Hall building into an up to date lecture and event space and the construction of a new Estates Hub Building. We are now working on the £13m new build sixth form centre, which is on site.

Client

Berkhamsted School

Location

Berkhamsted

Architect

Design Engine
Concept World

Sector

  • Education

Services

  • Cost Consultancy

The Challenge

Our current focus is the delivery of the new Sixth Form Centre which will provide a new centralised hub for 425 pupils on the school’s historic Castle Campus. The location is significant in the context of both the school’s listed buildings and the public realm at the heart of the town centre, with the new building enhancing the surrounding area with its high quality contemporary design.

Over three levels the building houses a cafe style social facility opening onto a new landscaped quad at Ground Floor level along with teaching spaces. On the upper levels facilities include a multi-use hall which can seat 250 in a lecture theatre configuration. The teaching spaces are designed to be flexible with adjustable walls and informal study and meeting spaces.

The Outcome

All of the refurbishment and upgrade works on the initial school building projects were successfully planned around the school year to limit disruption as far as possible. The Deans Hall refurbishment created a multi-use events and assembly space, including a 250 seat lecture theatre with state of the art audio-visual equipment.

Upon completion the new build Sixth Form Centre will incorporate the latest sustainability measures to ensure a high quality, energy and resource efficient building that meets both local and national ambitions for sustainable development.

Other Projects We’ve Completed Include

West Downs Teaching & Learning Centre

ArtsEd Schools

Francis Holland School – Centre for Creative Learning