The democratic and effective torus shape is becoming more and more popular in modern architecture: following the massive projects of Gensler for the UK Government Communications Center and Foster + Partners for the new Apple headquarters, David Marks and Julia Barfield chose it for their much more modest preparatory school at Cambridge University. … The implementation of their project should be the first step in an initiative to create a whole progressive region on the northwestern outskirts of Cambridge, demonstrating the latest developments of university scientists. The new school will not only teach children, but will also serve as a base for teacher training and research for the Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge.
Studies have shown that children can achieve much greater success by learning in an open space devoid of any hierarchy and in close interaction with each other. In this case, architecture should also convey the principles of a democratic approach, freedom of choice, trust in students, and at the same time convey a sense of complete security. The torus shape turned out to be optimal for solving all the problems.
All public and working areas, as well as the dining room, the architects moved into a two-storey rectangular volume facing the main road. It protects and forms the main entrance at the same time. And study spaces for more than 700 children were divided into 4 independent blocks: three proper school blocks, for children from 6 to 11 years old, and a separate nursery for very little ones. This "fractional" approach is considered the most effective and is called "schools within a school" (schools within a school).
Each block consists of six classrooms, devoid of doors - complete openness and freedom of choice - facing the so-called "street of knowledge." The latter unites all parts, providing the necessary level of communication between students. Students thus receive a sufficient level of attention and the opportunity to express their individuality, while remaining part of a large and diverse community.
The second important element of interaction was the courtyard. Absolutely all divisions go there. A covered gallery along its perimeter forms the second circle of circulation. Its transparent visor has become both a work of art and a visual scientific aid. London-based artist Ruth Proctol collected photographs of pieces of the sky taken in different parts of the world in all time zones at the same time and applied them to the glass panels of the canopy so that they point in the appropriate direction. Moreover, the glass above the main entrance was left transparent, showing the sky of native Cambridge. The art project is called “Under one sky”.
The very same courtyard, in which literally the entire school can be gathered, was considered by the architects as a kind of continuation of university traditions. Paying tribute to history, it is partially paved with brick, but the architects preferred the option open to the surrounding landscape to the classical closed composition: forest areas, an orchard and even a vegetable garden (food is sent directly to the kitchen) have become an integral part of the school's life.
And, of course, the building is fully consistent with the principles of sustainable architecture and even received the BREEAM Excellent certificate. For example, solar panels are installed on the south-facing roof sections and on the public building, which provide up to 20% of the required electricity, "gray water" is purified and reused, and water from the roof is collected in a small stream, which has become a favorite entertainment for children.
