Mayflower Primary School

The new works at Mayflower Primary School are comprised of a two storey extension and internal alterations. The new two storey extension is comprised of:          

• A new hall                                                                                                                                      
• Breakout space
• Playground toilets and internal toilets
• Undercover play area
• Resource rooms
• Roof terrace

The internal alterations will:

• Allow the extension to link into the new building
• Modernise toilet areas
• Rationalise and provide better storage to nursery playground. 

Mayflower Primary School (a one and a half form entry school) is located within the Landsbury Conservation Area, along the eastern side of Upper North Street. While the building has no formal conservation listing, due to its location within the conservation area, the materiality and aesthetics of the extension are designed to complement the existing and surrounding buildings.

The new facilities form key elements of the borough’s Primary Strategy for Change Programme. The extension provides a multi-purpose hall for the pupils and a new resource room retaining the existing parents’ room for parents and general community groups to use.

The extension also includes a breakout space with a new hall cantilevered over an outdoor area to provide a sheltered outdoor play space. A roof terrace above the hall adds valuable outdoor play areas. The works will provide a secure, safe environment with improved supervision from the building over the playground. Direct level access will be provided from the school to the playground.

The design aims to complement the character and original features of the school. Unsightly lean-to shelters and toilet blocks will be removed and replaced with a unified facade. The new extension will predominantly be clad in brick. Timber panelling surrounds large staggered window ‘boxes’ along the hall to create a more contemporary facade. A glazed façade to the break out space below allows transparency to the outdoors while maximising natural light. Slender, circular columns which support the hall above also add to the transparency and lightness of the design to enhance ground floor spaces.

Both the form and materiality of the design are selected to complement the architectural language of the existing building. The new brick facade visually links the extension to the existing brick building while incorporating materials such as glass and timber panelling to create a more open and lighter appearance to the elevation.

The windows of the hall have been angled to give a direct outlook over the playground and to afford privacy to the new residential development on an adjacent site.

The site offers little planting or vegetation, which is an ecological deficiency currently being reviewed under the BREEAM consultation criteria. The planned rooftop garden will provide additional outdoor space with decking to allow use during all seasons. There will be several planted zones allowing different types of plants to grow which students and staff can enjoy and incorporate in their lessons.

A BREEAM consultation process was undertaken, with the objective of achieving a rating of ‘Very Good’. The process included work shops with staff, pupils, parent groups and an open day presentation to the community. The children can use this area in lessons to look at animals and plants as part of the science and art curriculum.

New measures of sustainability have been incorporated in the design. These include a new Biomass boiler to heat the school using wood chip pellets from a sustainable source. The building has also been designed aiming to achieve higher thermal efficiencies closer to the new Part L building regulations 2010 which should come into force later this year.