Farnborough Hill School, Farnborough

About This Project

Client: Farnborough Hill Trust

Location: Farnborough Hill, Farnborough

Sector: Education

Instruction: Employer’s Agent from inception to completion

Contact: James Collett

Brief: The existing courtyard area had previously been enclosed with a Victorian glazed skylight and was used as a corridor and locker room area. Due to its age and access issues, the Victorian skylight was in poor condition with numerous leaks, resulting in a cold, damp and underused area in the heart of the school building.

The School was looking to make better use of this space and, at the same time, bring the Sixth Form into centre of the school to promote and integrate all the pupils in all year groups.

Due to the Grade I Listed status of the building, a number of design decisions were made to reduce the impact of the new Sixth Form Centre on the existing building while looking to retain as many of the original features as possible. The final design integrated a new mezzanine floor and a modern skylight while retaining and exposing the original brickwork and stonework that would have formed the courtyard when the building was originally constructed over 150 years ago.

The project involved the construction of an independent steel frame along with the inclusion of new rooflights and additional skylights which flooded the mezzanine, as well as the enclosed ground floor, with natural light. The completed project has been praised by the administration and students who now use the facility and provides a valuable resource not only for the Sixth Form but for evening events at the school.