It is located in the center of Aylesbury, Europe's largest social housing estate, which is currently undergoing renovation. An unexpected, albeit welcome step for the municipal authorities and local residents on the part of the leadership of this modest primary school, combined with a kindergarten, was the announcement in 2007 of an architectural competition for the design of a new building, in which Alsop won.
As a result, a circular 2-storey structure was erected, where the premises are organized around a central "common space", also used for teaching. It is bordered by the "Studio", a soundproof auditorium for "noisy" training events. There is a balcony along the outer perimeter of the second tier of the building, which plays the role of an outdoor classroom, and also serves as a ceiling for such spaces at ground level. This balcony is fenced in by a series of black and white fins contrasting with the brightly colored façade panels. The interior also uses rich colors; most of the premises in the school have a free plan, and all partitions can be easily interchanged.
On a total area of 3,000 m2, apart from the classrooms, there are administration offices and classrooms for adult education, grouped next to the entrance. The school is adjacent to the so-called. "Ballroom" - a dining room and an assembly hall. Landscape design has been created around, including playgrounds and play areas. Among the green elements of the project is a heat pump installed under the school stadium.
It should be noted that after Will Alsop's unexpected move from Archial, who bought his workshop a few years ago, RMJM retained this project for his former employers. Now, however, the situation has become even more confusing: Archial went bankrupt in September 2010 and was bought by the Canadian firm Ingenium, which unites architectural and engineering firms, interior design studios, etc., and employs a total of 800 people.
