Castleward Spencer Academy

With 1,000 new homes being built, identifying an appropriate site to build the new school was crucial. Located just outside a busy city centre and a brief walk from Derby train station, the project location inevitably meant the space to build the school was going to be minimal. A brownfield site, previously used as a car park, provided an effective solution. The site is a small, 5,200m² development area - almost half the size than that usually required for a school, which significantly influenced the logistics strategy and required an innovative design approach to meet the educational requirements.

As part of the extensive groundworks process, there was a pre-commencement planning condition which required an archaeological investigation to take place. The investigation was planned to be completed over a period of 8 days during the enabling works on site. However, during the initial works, there were some items of interest that had been uncovered and as a result Trent and Peak (in co-ordination with Derby City Council) requested that additional investigation works be completed to various areas of the site. A team of four archaeologists were on site for just over 4 weeks completing further investigation works. Despite the additional time required, the investigation was completed just before the piling works were due to commence.

Close collaboration in the pre-construction phase was required to ensure a successful build of the project. By holding various collaborative planning workshops with key stakeholders, we were able to minimise disruption to the local area using Morgan Sindall's 1K Strategy, a plan that extensively identifies, mitigates then improves the impact of the project within a 1km ring of the site.

The restrictive nature of the site significantly influenced the design of the school. Using this as a catalyst for creativity, Lungfish Architects incorporated a combination of one and two-storey blocks, and clever rooftop play areas that have two-metre-high parapets to keep children safe. This approach to the design allows for the school to achieve more outdoor recreational space than the site would have traditionally allowed; whilst also squeezing in a multi-purpose games facility for active play.

Whilst the safety of children upon the roof was paramount, the city-centre location of the school meant extra precautions were necessary to safety-proof the whole site. The design and position of the building has been devised to optimise use of the land for the school and provide a clear, visible main entrance and secure line of sight to the building. Existing fencing and established hedgerows have been retained and enhanced to ensure a secure perimeter, with pedestrian access separated from vehicular access, minimising risk at drop-off and pick-up times.

Castleward Spencer Academy is a contemporary building that, through sympathetic design, complements the heritage of the local area. Delivered ahead of schedule, defect free, and to budget, the project generated over £3m of social value, whilst scoring 10/10 for customer satisfaction. The new primary school meets the needs of the growing community, has allowed Derby City Council to increase its school places and will create an attractive new community hub for everyone to use, cementing itself as an integral cog for the future.

The city centre location meant that it was key for the project to encourage a refreshing learning environment for the children. The new school features 12 classrooms that are spacious and ventilated to ensure optimal learning. The building has a very open and spacious feel, most notably in the hall which is designed as a lightwell that rises to the full height of the building; helping gather more sunlight into the building and flooding the heart of the school with natural light. The wealth of natural light plays a pivotal role in helping the children feel more connected to the outdoor environment, and it is aided by the use of colours that emulate the feeling of nature and further stimulate cognitive benefits.

Utilising the rooftops as an extension to the external hard play area, not only addresses the compact nature of the site, but it also creates a sense of progression through a child’s school life. It is intended that infants will have use and access to the first-floor play deck, with junior pupils use of the second-floor play space. This allows the school to achieve the necessary outside space required and reduces the impact of having smaller sports facilities. Additionally, in order to maximise the efficiency of the school’s recreational space, the landscaping features a multi-use games area which will facilitate the playing of team games.

What Castleward proves is that school construction should challenge the status quo – even when faced with a brownfield, tight city-centre site. Creative designs can still overcome any challenge and deliver a spacious, light, and inspiring environment for students to learn.