Evelyn Street Primary School

Buttress were appointed by the Local Education Partnership to undertake an initial masterplan study to determine how Evelyn Street Primary School could undergo a significant expansion to meet increasing demands for additional pupil spaces.

A key challenge on the project was the need for demands to be met within a relatively short time frame. A phased solution was developed that would accommodate a further 150 pupils, making the school a one and a half form entry, with the potential to increase to two forms.

It was clear that a new school hall was required in order to create extra space for pupils and to create a space that could be used at once by the whole school, replacing the existing two halls that had been located on separate floors of the building.

The solution was the creation of a U-shaped extension that created a new courtyard space between existing and new buildings, with two wings of accommodation eventually connecting into the existing school’s primary circulation.

The single-storey extension houses teaching accommodation for the reception classes, a new main hall, and space for a nursery.

Given the timescales of the project, Cross Laminated Timber was chosen for the new building structure and envelope, which allowed for a fast site erection. This choice also meant that the envelope was watertight early on in the construction plan, saving both time and money.

An area has also been safeguarded for future development, which will also allow for two form entry progression through the school. The second phase has been designed to ‘plug’ into the first phase, without either impacting the first phase of the existing school.