Expansion and refurbishment of SEN school to support increase in student numbers

Lindon Bennett School

Expansion and refurbishment of this SEND primary school was needed to provide an array of new classes, therapy and physical activity spaces geared towards quality learning in a safe, flexible environment. Value for money and sustainability within the design and construction of the school were essential to our client.

Providing a complete management and design service to the London Borough of Hounslow, we led the delivery of modern, high-quality teaching and learning spaces to meet the requirements of children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD).

Our team needed to develop a design which met pupils’ challenging needs and provided sufficient levels of access and flow around the school, as well as maximising space for outdoor play and teaching.

Available space for development was limited and required the inclusion of external teaching balconies that were both anti-climb and non-institutional in appearance. This needed to be balanced against a fixed budget.

We engaged with the client and school staff heavily during the design stages, helping us to achieve a modern design high quality teaching spaces suited to children with ASD. Due to the spatial limitations of the site, this was accommodated within a two-storey extension.

The extensive refurbishment works to the existing school building created a simplified layout, improving flow throughout the school and creating a secure, functional and inspiring school environment. By ensuring the school was consulted at every opportunity and using a carefully phased approach, the school was able to remain operational during construction.