2. HKR : EDUCATION
Mixed Use
The student should be at the heart of educational building
Offices
design. We create an environment which nurtures the social
Residential
and intellectual needs of a new generation.
Retail
Masterplanning
Hotels & Resorts
Education
Health
Interior Architecture
HKR Architects is an international
architecture and design practice with
offices in Dublin, London, Manchester,
Belfast, Prague and Bucharest.
HKR’s portfolio of projects spans several
sectors – mixed use, offices, residential,
retail, hotels & resorts, education and
health. The practice has dedicated
capabilities in masterplanning & urban Education
design and in Public Private Partnership
projects. It also specialises in the
design and fitout of interiors for all
types of buildings.
HKR has been designing buildings and
environments since 1992 and has gained
award-winning status internationally,
providing design-led solutions that are
functional and commercial, and highly
specific to clients’ needs.
3. HKR : EDUCATION HKR : EDUCATION
Our Education Team
The HKR education team is a fast-expanding group working hard for
excellence in the design of education projects of all types, from early years
centres to buildings for further and higher education.
We are experts in the design and The team began by transferring its skills in
implementation of projects of all sizes and the commercial design sectors to issues in
our wide network of consultants allows us the design of places for learning. We found
to offer extended services, particularly in that design in the workplace was making
the early stages of project planning. parallel investigations into such subjects
as the welcoming place for learning, the
We have won international design virtual institution and the low-carbon
competitions; our designs are used as building.
national best-practice guidance and have
been presented at conferences in several We continue to study and listen, visiting
countries. schools and colleges in Europe and
the USA to compare progress in these
Our team is always interested in new countries with that of the UK.
challenges and will welcome early
enquiries and informal discussions.
4. HKR : EDUCATION HKR : EDUCATION
Our Approach to Projects
Working with People Understanding the Project
We like to talk to people about how they We make an effort to listen to the project
work and learn, and how new buildings can objectives in order to set about solving the
change things for the better. The excellent right problems. It is very important also
design of schools requires the input of a that designers work as part of a team and
wide range of experts. At HKR we believe that the design is informed by all available 01
these experts include Year 7 pupils as knowledge. We communicate clearly and
well as construction managers. We know frequently, and welcome the chance to test
how to make discussions enjoyable and proposals against project criteria.
informative and use the results to make
excellent designs. We have helped Lewisham
to set out their provision for 02 03
We are in charge of
Special Educational Needs
consultation for the Eveline
(SEN) schools across the
Lowe Primary School project,
Borough. The study will now
our competition-winning entry
be implemented as part of the
for Southwark.
Building Schools for the Future
(BSF) project.
01 Addey and Stanhope School
02 The Eveline Lowe Primary School project team
03 Pupils at Eveline Lowe School
5. HKR : EDUCATION HKR : EDUCATION
Designs for Learning
Collective Expertise The School Day
We find there is a lot to learn on every new Our team has developed different models
project and our attitude is to be very open of the campus secondary school design.
to other people’s expertise. One such model has many benefits for
children’s health, the management of the
In HKR’s experience there is no substitute school as a whole and building efficiency.
for listening to the experts for each We have tested this model by viewing
relevant issue. We are prepared to learn through a child’s day, measuring the
about management of young people distance travelled between lessons and
from teachers and about how buildings comparing it with other site layouts.
could be constructed from contractors.
Schools clearly have great potential The technique has been used by
for demonstrating good practice in
sustainability. Partnerships for Schools as an
example of best practice.
What we bring to the
discussion is an expertise and 02
enthusiasm for design.
01
01 Illustration of a 6th former’s school day,
Lewisham BSF
02 Pupils at Eveline Lowe School
7. HKR : EDUCATION HKR : EDUCATION
02
01 Eveline Lowe
HKR Architects and John Pardey “The scheme shows good sensitivity
Architects won the international to the listed building, through subtle
design competition run by the RIBA and interventions…There were other lovely
Southwark for the Eveline Lowe Primary ideas, such as the nursery/tree houses…
School. The new school will accommodate The idea of the new building floating
420 students. above the wall was potentially very
exciting. Treatment of the entrance was
What made this competition different was excellent - enlivening the streetscape
the nature and Grade II listing of the 1960’s would be a good approach in terms of
school. The building itself is modest and dealing with security.”
unassuming, with understated architectural RIBA Jury Report
rhetoric, but its education intention is
innovative and influential. Understanding
the 1960’s educational philosophy made
the study both interesting and challenging.
01 Eveline Lowe Primary School
02 Entrance to new school
8. HKR : EDUCATION HKR : EDUCATION
01
Our design can be summarised in the › Subtle changes to the listed building to
following five proposals. make it more suitable for 21st century
learning without losing its best qualities
› A new boundary to the lower site that
as a listed building
consists of a beautiful, secure garden
wall and four two-storey classroom › A sustainable concept of ‘working
buildings roofs’ which generate useful heat,
reduce rainfall run-off and support
› Increased outdoor playspace on the
greater bio-diversity
lower site with new ‘playcrofts’ under
the two-storey pods The project will start on site in the summer
› A new visual identity to the school that of 2008 and will be complete in 2010.
comes from this new edge and the
‘hard outside-facing soft inward-facing’
character of the new buildings
02
01 Ground floor plan. The existing buildings are
shown in white, the new ones in blue
02 Section through new classroom pod and
boundary wall
9. HKR : EDUCATION HKR : EDUCATION
02
01 Oxford Academy
The Academy will be a centre for
excellence for learning in an area of
Oxford where school attendance has
dropped significantly. It is the largest
recent capital investment of public money
in the city and will be procured by the
new Academies Framework route. HKR’s
design reflects the strong educational
vision for organisation by faculty and
supports it with innovative buildings.
The design uses a two-courtyard
arrangement to promote a highly attractive
sense of place and excellence in behaviour.
The first courtyard presents the more
public face: the community sports facilities,
auditorium and County Council library are
accessible from here. The second courtyard
houses the academic faculties.
The landscape for both is a mixture of
simple structures and planting that make
maximum use of technologies for passive
heating, cooling and ventilation.
The project is due to start on site in the 01 Main courtyard
autumn of 2008, for completion in 2010. 02 Looking through to main courtyard from entrance.
The new library is to the right
10. HKR : EDUCATION HKR : EDUCATION
01
The plans use landscape to provide a new
identity for the school. The open and green
site will, through the Academy project, be
home to an exceptional sports facility that
will be open to the community.
› The faculty buildings enclose attractive
courtyard spaces with a varied
landscape
› The first courtyard provides an
impressive and attractive welcome to
visitors and pupils of the school
› The faculty buildings arrange simple
classroom wings either side of an open,
adaptable and highly daylit atrium
› The efficient design releases additional
space beyond the normal space
standards General Learning
Science
Technology
ICT & VOC
Sixth Form
SEN
Mable Prichard
Arts & Performance
Sports
LRC
Dining & Kitchen
Adult Education
Admin & Management
Toilets
01 View of main courtyard and faculty building
02 Floor plans showing large football dome to north 02
11. HKR : EDUCATION HKR : EDUCATION
02
01 Southwark’s Primary Estate
This commission was for a 15-year
renewal plan for the whole estate of
72 primary school sites in the London
Borough of Southwark. The plan is about
improving education and building stock
together, and providing the largest
investment in primary schools in this part
of London since the Second World War.
The plan compiled a large amount of data,
including the following:
› Expected demand for primary school
places over the next 15 years
› Desirable educational models for
primary education
› Existing available space, suitability and
condition of the estate
› Opportunities for expansion and
rationalisation
01 Modernising Victorian schools
02 Mixed-use redevelopment of primary school site
near Elephant and Castle
03 Walworth planning area showing Elephant and
Castle, Aylesbury Estate regeneration areas
04 Walking distances of children from Victory School
05 Site capacity of primary school sites near Elephant
and Castle 03 04 05
12. HKR : EDUCATION HKR : EDUCATION
From this information a series of
costed options were produced for the
improvement of the estate. The options
weighed up a scale of ambition against
important issues of deliverability, for
example the role played by faith schools.
The plans also looked at opportunities for:
› Commercial development in support of
educational aims
› Land-swaps between different Borough
departments, for example education
and leisure
› Renewal of existing building stock
A selected part of the work has been
presented at national conferences on 02
primary school design.
01 Conversion of school hall into library
02 Using small intervention to increase the
01 capacity of schools
13. HKR : EDUCATION HKR : EDUCATION
02
01 The National Dance Centre
The dance school in this development has
had an effect beyond its size. This building
is an example of the beneficial effect of
high quality mixed use regeneration in a
neglected part of Dublin. 02
The development was a Public Private
Partnership and includes:
› Dance Space, the home for
The Association of Professional
Dancers of Ireland
› The Lab, arts offices for Dublin
City Council
› 65 apartments
› retail and commercial units
The building occupies a complete city
block and overlooks a valuable urban park.
Dance Space operates a varied programme
that includes outreach work with local
schools as well as courses in classical and
popular dance.
01 View over urban park
02 Dance Studio
14. HKR : EDUCATION HKR : EDUCATION
01
The joint venture between Dublin City › Design buildings that are simple to
Council and McCabe Builders brought build and simple to run
many design challenges that HKR was well › Extract the maximum value from
suited to face. We offered proven expertise urban sites
in all of the development types that formed
› Provide a passion for design that can
the brief:
promote the purposes of our buildings
02
01 Dancers warm up in the dance studio
02 Park elevation
15. HKR : EDUCATION HKR : EDUCATION
02
01 Ivydale Children’s Centre
This exciting project is the first of a new The position of the building adjacent to
series of Children’s Centres for the London the site boundary allows independent
Borough of Southwark. The project aims operation of the Centre. During the school
to provide an attractive and noticeable day the main reception in the school is the
small building that is a modern addition reception for the Children’s Centre. Outside
to an outbuilding of the Grade II listed of school hours the Centre can open its
primary school. own front door while the rest of the school
remains locked.
The design is for a simple box with a tilted
roof. It has a flexible interior layout that The building is shared by the school. It
increases the storage and sanitary facilities improves the sanitary and storage facilities
for the existing playgroup. for the existing playgroup and can be an
additional classroom for the school when it
As a supplement to the well-known Sure is not timetabled for Children’s Centre uses.
Start Centres, these buildings provide
Early Years health and education outreach
programmes for local families. Visitors will
use the building for:
› Early Years playgroups
› Healthcare programmes, for example
vaccinations
› Social services
› Parenting education
01 North-east elevation showing tilted roof
02 View of entrance to the Children’s Centre with
own entrance for outside of school hours
16. HKR : EDUCATION HKR : EDUCATION
02
01
Lewisham BSF
Lewisham Building Schools for the Future The feasibility studies have been
(BSF) is the largest ever investment in used by Partnerships for Schools, the
Lewisham’s school estate. Over the next UK Government agency for the BSF
ten years there will be nine schools either programme, as examples of best practice.
rebuilt or substantially refurbished. All local authorities in the UK in future
phases will now be given HKR drawings as
HKR has advised the Borough with templates for their own programmes.
feasibility studies for six of the sites
with the largest site, Sedgehill, taken As a result of this work HKR has been
to RIBA Stage C. We have also advised commissioned for further feasibility studies
the Borough on the selection of the for Lewisham’s Special Educational Needs
consortium to implement the schemes (SEN) schools.
and the detail design of the first two.
The work extends to an ongoing research
project - Lewisham’s Future Classrooms -
in which design is used to enhance the
classroom environment.
01 Sketch axonometric of sample scheme, Catford School
02 Sketch axonometric of Addey and Stanhope School
17. HKR : EDUCATION HKR : EDUCATION
01 02
Keyworth
This project was a design for the The work demonstrates how small
expansion and improvement of a popular changes can bring the Victorian London
primary school in the west of the Borough. Board Schools closer to compliance with
The design is an example of the Primary 21st century standards. Classrooms are
Estate Strategy developed by HKR with increased to 614 sq ft, a lift makes all
project managers Hewitt Freeborn and rooms accessible to people with mobility
Mace. This overview of the next 15 years impairment and hall spaces are made
renewal of Southwark’s estate, produced more usable.
in response to the Government’s ‘Every
Child Matters’ agenda, seeks to provide
rationalisation and improvement to every
one of Southwark’s 72 primary schools.
The design for Keyworth provides the
following:
› Improved hall space, accessible to the
community
› New dining facilities connected to the
main school
› Improved play space, better connected
to the main building
› Development of private apartments,
without losing play space
01 New school library
02 New entrance showing new community
spaces and school halls
18. HKR : EDUCATION HKR : EDUCATION
02
01
Pilgrim’s Way
This project was a demonstration to The following issues are tackled in
the councillors of Southwark of what the study:
investment into their primary school › Secure operation of an extended school
stock could achieve. The study showed
how Pilgrim’s Way, a 1960’s system-built › Successful external space in a
school, could link its own investment fragmented urban landscape
strategy with the renewal of the › Flexible use of hall spaces
community hall and adjacent nursery. › Sanitary provision for the early years
The result is a project for combined › Improving the appearance of 1960’s
facilities in which hall, school and nursery system-built schools
benefit from each other rather than The success of the study has led to
operating as separate concerns. HKR being commissioned to design two
Children’s Centres for Southwark.
01 Flexible use of school hall with movable furniture
02 Combining school and community uses
19. HKR : EDUCATION HKR : EDUCATION
02
01 Wigan Joint Services Centre
The Joint Services Centre is a unique With these services visitors can combine
and ambitious project combining new a visit to the One-Stop Shop with a family
public services with urban design and swim or a GP check-up. The project is
commercial development. expected to cost £67 million and work is
due to start towards the end of 2008.
The complex is based on a view of future
Council service provision that is public- HKR contributed design work for the
facing and easy to use and one in which consortium bid led by Kajima and Alfred
the different Council departments are McAlpine. The consortium bid was
co-ordinated. shortlisted out of an initial field of 100
competing teams.
The brief included:
› Healthy Living Centre (swimming pool, HKR’s work included the urban design
primary care health services and a proposals, sketch building layouts and a
fitness suite) comprehensive strategy for sustainable
development.
› Wigan Council Offices with One-
Stop Shop for visitors. The offices will 03
include the Department for Children
and Young People
01 Shared surface arrival space
02 Internal view of information & learning zones
03 View through entrance atria 02
