In December 2012 Walters & Cohen won an invited competition to design a new teaching building at St Paul’s School in Barnes, southwest London.
The new building will replace the current teaching accommodation provided by 1960s CLASP buildings, which are near the end of their lifespan. Consultation with people from all areas of the school community has helped develop the brief and determine what goes into the new building to ensure it is entirely fit for purpose.
A model of the new building
At more than 9,000m2 the building will comprise classrooms, ICT facilities, a library, dining hall, kitchen, administrative offices, a chapel, hall and social spaces, including a generous student space in the Atrium.
Watch the time lapse video here.
The building is arranged in an L-shape, which allows it to connect to the buildings on either side on all levels, and encloses the central green courtyard known as Founder’s Court. Vertical piers set out an irregular rhythm and form an integral part of the sustainable design approach, providing natural ventilation, solar shading and noise attenuation. The relationship with the Thames has been an important element of the design too: the building will provide an attractive impression of the school where it is glimpsed from the Thames path, and the dining hall and library will benefit from views towards the river.
