Arts Building, West Buckland School
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Timber clad extension to existing Victorian schoolhouse, incorporating art, design and theatre facilities
West Buckland School’s timber clad extension occupies a site immediately adjacent to its existing Victorian schoolhouse, and replaces a series of poor quality predecessors.
The two-block extension comprises a southern block accommodating Art, Design and Technology and a northern block accommodating a theatre and drama studio for an audience of 120. These blocks define a courtyard which mediates between the existing building and its extension, with a covered area of stepped seating acting as a social gathering space at the centre of the school.
A prefabricated structural frame, consisting of cross-laminated spruce panels and solid glulam beams, was used as an ecologically sound and cost-effective method of construction. Externally, Siberian Larch cladding was specified on the basis of its weathering, to a silver-grey colour, echoing the stonework of the existing schoolhouse.
The structural timber beams and soffits are left exposed, with bespoke plywood fitted furniture continuing the timber theme internally. The monolithic nature of these structural elements reduced the number of necessary construction joints, simplifying the delivery of an airtight building. These measures, along with a wood pellet boiler and photovoltaic panels provide significant annual energy savings.
Data
- Begun: Feb 2009
- Completed: Feb 2010
- Floor area: 1,400m2
- Sector: Education
- Total cost: £3.3M
- Funding: Donation
- Procurement: SBC05
- CO2 Emissions: 8kg/m2/year
- Address: West Buckland School, Barnstaple, Devon, EX32 0SX, United Kingdom
Professional Team
- Architect: Rundell Associates
- Client: West Buckland School
- Landscape architect: MHP Design
- Structural engineer: Atelier One
- Main contractor: Pearce Construction
- M&E consultant: E3 Consulting Engineers
- Cost consultant: Gardiner & Theobold
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