St Christina's Primary School, North London

We were appointed through an invited tender to prepare designs for the reconfiguration and extension of this independent Catholic school, to create a co-educational, two form entry school, on a tight urban site just north of Regent’s Park.

The complex retrofit and expansion of an occupied school to create a flexible and inspiring new environment for learning. The adaptable design not only supports the curriculum but builds on our own experience as architects to improve the health and well-being for students and staff alike.

A series of sensitively designed interventions has breathed new life into the 1960’s school and many of the features incorporated contribute to lifting the character and quality of school environments, such as high levels of daylight, natural ventilation thermal mass, bright and generous circulation spaces and a variety of internal and external learning landscapes.

The integration of the old and new components is seamless and, considering the new project abutted the existing buildings that were still in full use, the process was pretty unintrusive. We are delighted with the finished project. Our Early Years setting is particularly lovely with the free-flow between the indoor and outdoor elements exactly meeting our hope that design could facilitate the world we live in. The new classrooms and elevated outdoor spaces have provided a really wonderful setting for the older children to learn in too. We have light and texture all generated through the careful use of wood, steel and glass. We are very pleased.”

Alastair Gloag Headteacher, Saint Christina’s School