Oakham School, Rutland

2007 George Phillips Award and the Leicestershire Joint Consultative Committee 2007 Merit Award for Craftsmanship.

The Round House extension won the Leicestershire & Rutland Society of Architects 2008 President’s  Award. 

When Oakham School needed new development in a conservation area of Oakham town, Pick Everard’s brief was to design improved accommodation that wouldn’t increase the footprint of existing stone buildings, affect trees or open spaces, and be more energy efficient. Little’s Boarding House’, created over four storeys comprises compact but vastly improved accommodation and is highly insulated to comply with the latest sustainability targets. Improvements to the Junior School were completed at the same time and a second phase of development rebuilt the link between the Round House and Memorial Library providing extra accommodation and improved disability access. High quality, traditional and natural materials were used for external facings. The local sourcing of both labour and natural materials reduced transport requirements and carbon emissions. All stone buildings were carefully dismantled so that ironstone salvaged from the demolition could be reused in new facades and features. Hydraulic lime was used in mortars for render and stone walls, as lime mortars use significantly less energy than cement in manufacture and re-absorb CO2 as part of the curing process. School boilers were also upgraded, improving heating efficiency and energy consumption and reducing carbon dioxide emissions.