Turn the Clocks Back: AT’s Test of Time Awards

Often, awards are given to buildings when they are shiny and new, but the inaugural Architecture Today Awards celebrate buildings that stand the test of time. We are delighted that Bedales, completed in 2005, is a finalist.

All shortlisted teams will present their project on Monday 07 November. In preparation, Ailsa spoke to the bursar, Richard Lushington, about his experience of the building.

It remains, in his opinion, practical, useful and in keeping with the ethos of the school. ‘It has wonderful visibility and all of the classrooms enable collaborative working and effective teaching and learning. Anyone can move around the building with ease including those with accessibility needs. And, with glazing internally, the design of the building supports the safeguarding of children and it therefore does what it was designed to do, extremely well. It’s a fantastic environment for all who spend time in it, and it’s a great place to have an office!’

Not much has changed since the building was conceived in 2002; locks have been upgraded, and new cabling in the underfloor ducts was needed to keep up with the exponential increase in IT use. But generally, the building has weathered well in performance and beauty, and we are enormously proud of it.