Photo: Timothy Soar
Architect AHMM and contractor Lendlease are celebrating winning this year’s prestigious Stirling Prize for Burntwood School, a girl’s comprehensive in south London that was one the last to be commissioned under the Building Schools for the Future Programme.
A complex of six different pavilions alongside two original 1950s buildings by renowned architect Sir Leslie Martin, the school is defined by its large windows and faceted concrete exteriors, colourful geometric tile detailing and spacious classrooms filled with natural light.
The project – four four-storey teaching pavilions, a new sports hall and a new performing arts building – also features internal murals by AHMM’s long-term collaborator Morag Myerscough, combining signposting with modern art.
The 20,500 sq m project had a budget of £40.9m, giving an approximate cost per sq m of £1,995. That puts the project spend considerably higher than the all-in cost of £1,538 per sq m for secondary schools currently set as the benchmark by the Education Funding Agency.
The classrooms feature high ceilings and are bright and airy, while the “lush campus setting” enhances the sense of place (Photos: Tomothy Soar)
However, Burntwood, which opened in September 2014, was delivered for less than many of the most expensive BSF schools, which tipped the scales at up to £2,400 per sq m.
The RIBA prize recognises an outstanding contribution to the evolution of architecture over the past year. AHMM was previously shortlisted for the Stirling Prize in 2008 for Westminster Academy.
According to the citation from the judges: “Burntwood is technically sophisticated in its use of prefabrication, its low-energy strategy and the minimal disruption to teachers and pupils during construction.
"It even has its own high street with a covered walkway formed from off-the-peg bus shelters. Furthermore, the sculptural quality of the finely modelled concrete facades and the lush campus setting enhance the sense of the place.
A covered walkway is formed from bus shelters (Photo: Timothy Soar)
“Burntwood sets a standard in school design that every child in Britain deserves. It is a culmination of many years of creative toil by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris in designing schools up and down the country. This is their masterpiece.”
According to Lendlease, the project marks the culmination of a 10- year involvement with AHMM, which also saw the two firms collaborate on Chobham Academy at the London Olympic Park.
Burntwood School beat off stiff competition for the 2015 prize, with Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners’ NEO Bankside, MUMA’s The Whitworth University of Manchester, and Neil McLaughlin’s Peabody apartment building Darbishire Place also shortlisted.
Dan Labbad, chief executive officer for international operations at Lendlease, said: “We are delighted that RIBA has recognised Burntwood School’s progressive design, which ultimately achieves its key purpose of providing a wonderful learning environment for students. It has been a pleasure working with AHMM to deliver this cutting-edge project.”
Paul Monaghan, director of AHMM, said: “Schools can and should be more than just practical, functional buildings – they need to elevate the aspirations of children, teachers and the wider community. Good school design makes a difference to the way students value themselves and their education, and we hope that Burntwood winning the Stirling Prize shows that this is worth investing in.”
Previous winners of the Stirling Prize include Foster & Partners for 30 St Mary Axe (the Gherkin) in 2004 and David Chipperfield Architects for the Musuem of Modern Literature in Germany in 2007.
Photo: Timothy Soar
