St George’s Primary School

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 quality and sustainability throughout construction.

St George’s Primary School

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Work

St George’s Primary School
Weston-super-Mare, Somerset

Client

The Diocese of Bath and Wells
North Somerset Council

The new St Georges VA Church Primary School forms a community focus for a new residential development on the outskirts of Western Super-Mare.

The School comprises two wings: The Hall wing addresses the street; it is a public gesture yet accommodates privacy for occupants. The classroom wing is a more private suburban gesture; a reminder of the rural memory of the site. Both wings hinge around the public point of entry to the School.

The Hall Wing, curving around Jubilee way, folds into a recess at the community entrance, emphasised by a protruding canopy. Playful windows give filtered glimpses of the interior. The Hall features high-level windows for natural light and ventilation. The classroom wing is rigorous, simple and modulated. A continuous skylight runs the length of the classroom wing corridor, flooding the building with natural light.

Natural materials and building structure are highly visible throughout. They have been carefully selected and sourced locally, where possible for environmental responsibility. SFC certified timber used for structure, internal and external finishes, and internal finishes, have a high recycled content. The school benefits from a ground source heat pump for its eating and hot water.