Work
Alfreton Park Community Special School
Alfreton, Derbyshire
Client
Derbyshire County Council
Alfreton Park Community Special School
Awards
RIBA National Award 2024
RIBA East Midlands Awards 2024, Regional Award
RIBA East Midlands Awards 2024, Building of the Year Award
RIBA East Midlands Awards 2024, Project Architect of the Year Award, Wayne Head
RIBA East Midlands Awards 2024, Client of the Year, Derbyshire County Council
Civic Trust Awards 2024, Winner
Civic Trust Awards 2024, Special Award for Education, Winner
Selwyn Goldsmith Award for Universal Design 2024, Regional Finalist
ArchDaily Building of the Year Awards 2024, Nominee
Education Estates Awards 2024, Inclusive Design Project of the Year
The Bricks Awards 2024, Sustainable Development, Winner
MacEwan Award 2025, Architecture for the Common Good, Longlisted
Architect’s Journal Architecture Awards 2023, School Category, Winner
Booklet
Alfreton Park is a special educational needs and disabilities all-through school, in which all pupils and staff strive to create a secure, welcoming and inclusive learning environment. The site is located close to a cluster of buildings and institutions that provide care to people of Derbyshire with Special Needs, forming a campus-like family of nurturing buildings within a park setting.
From its raised position on the natural ridge of land running down the centre of the tree-lined site, the low-lying, contextual building blends into the landscape through following the natural contours of the site and using subtly coloured treated zinc cladding.
A simple and efficient single storey pitched roof section is used throughout, a generator for elegance in its setting, creating open and light internal spaces for activities ranging from trampolining to physiotherapy. Each classroom has sheltered play space, and carefully placed internal classroom screens allow consistent views to the tree-lined parkland surrounds. These design decisions endeavour to provide an enriching learning environment connecting the pupils to nature.