Empathise and engage

If there’s one thing we’ve learned makes better buildings, it’s empathy. Architecture never happens in isolation—and simply by being interested and engaged, we’ve found it’s possible to open up the conversations that connect a scheme to its clients and community.

Weconstraints

We believe that the more constraints there are, the better the architecture. If there aren’t any constraints, we create them. Challenging sites, existing buildings and complex briefs almost always present incredible opportunities for great design.

Passive future

To limit our environmental impact, we start with what is already there. By manipulating the form and fabric of a building—whether new or existing—we can work with the existing conditions of topography, light and orientation, and harness the natural energy sources offered by air, ground and water.

Social detail

If a site’s constraints guide the bigger design decisions, then it’s empathy that informs the smaller, social details. These details frame the human narratives that aren’t included in the brief, anticipating specific moments in the users’ lives.

Mud on our boots

Good architecture is as much about what happens on the building site as it is about what’s on the drawing board. By working alongside contractors as well as clients we can ring-fence the ideas and details that matter, championing the quality of the building throughout its construction.

St Mary Magdalen’s Junior School
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Curl la Tourelle Head
Work
  • St Mary Magdalen's Catholic Junior School

  • Brent, London

Client
  • Diocese of Westminster

  • The Governors of St Mary Magdalen’s

  • London Borough of Brent





The new three form entry school deftly replaced an existing smaller school on a congested urban site. The site borders onto two residential roads, both dominated by Edwardian terraces.

Facing the main road, the colourful double-height hall is a playful insertion into the street. A welcoming canted canopy emphasises the main entrance. Along the opposite boundary, a two storey classroom building fills a gap in a parallel street, its large bay windows and brickwork relating it to existing terrace houses.

The new hall and double storey studio, shared with the local community, are located at the centre of the site to minimise the impact onto the adjacent houses, while emphasising their significance to school life. The external spaces provide a variety of play areas and areas for reflection, inlcuding an amphitheatre, a SEN garden, a landscaped courtyard and a mutli-games area.

Rain water harvesting, natural ventilation, high levels of daylight in combination with PIR controlled lighting, high levels of insulation and the application of materials with low environmental impact contribute to a significant eduction in the building’s carbon emissions and its impact on the environment. Sedum roofs on the single storey buildings create a natural habitat for insects, improve the microclimate and reduce rain water run off, while providing an attractive outlook for neighbouring residents.





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