We’ve enjoyed working with Godolphin & Latymer once again, more than a decade after our initial masterplan.
At the centre of the site was a two-storey building with charming cloisters on the ground floor, but piecemeal development had resulted in spaces and elevations of differing qualities and poor connections with the buildings around it. We proposed a three-storey refurbishment and extension that solved several problems in one fell swoop:
- dining, which was too small, extends the length of the ground floor, with folding doors opening onto a landscaped courtyard
- the library is on the first floor, with a mezzanine of book nooks on the second floor, lit from a generous rooflight above
- circulation between the buildings on either side is greatly improved, as is accessibility
- using the same footprint saved precious outdoor space, and improved junctions with the listed building
- because the building improves circulation and accessibility, awkward internal staircases in other buildings could be removed
The cloisters were retained as a defining feature. A lightweight façade on the upper levels allows the building to be read as a foil to its brick neighbours rather than competing with them. The patterned metal façade hides ventilation panels, plays with the rhythm of the cloisters and brings light and shadow to the library spaces. A rooflight draws light into the deepest part of the plan. We also refurbished the sixth form centre adjacent and extended it to enclose an unused small terrace space. The combination of the new library, dining and sixth form centre have uplifted this part of the school’s campus and improved the variety and quality of academic and social spaces.
