Goodrich Primary School Canopy

Goodrich Community Primary School, near Dulwich in South London, occupies a group of Victorian buildings that have evolved over time to meet the needs of the school, but which currently fail to reach contemporary standards for school buildings.

Gort Scott was originally appointed to do a master plan for the school: a long-term strategy for improvements to the physical fabric of the building to allow projects to happen incrementally.

We have since carried out a project for the first phase of building works within the master plan to a provide free-flow external learning space that also fulfils a need for improved fire escape from the building.

The project includes a play deck with a canopy forming a careful junction with the existing brick building and creating new openings to access the deck.

The canopy is constructed of a very slender steel frame, with a smooth reflective fascia in back-painted glass. The glass and steel exactly match in a pale blue tone chosen to match the English sky. A slatted cedar soffit softens the underside of the canopy.