Aurora Vincent House School, West Sussex

Restoring a neglected building for inclusive learning

Background

Originally constructed in the 1930s, the building had been extended to incorporate a warehouse in the late 20th century, with external walkways and a separate garage workshop building in a state of disrepair. Our task was to rationalise this into a consolidated and coherent learning environment for young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

Client:
The Aurora Group
Team
Colours Building, Archway Building Consultancy, Savills, TTP Consulting Ltd, SLR Consulting Ltd, Ian Sharland Ltd, Frith:Blake Structural and Civil Engineers and Unova
Status
Completed
Budget
£3m
Approach

Our design approach focused on pupil movement and introducing a logic to the layout of the myriad buildings and spaces. This meant removing external stairs, introducing an elegant new link structure and remodelling the garage to provide a legible flow for internal circulation.

The constraints of the existing building meant that we had to overcome numerous significant technical challenges to ensure we could deliver a high standard of internal experience. Waterproofing, ventilation, floor levels, thermal insulation, fire separation and the amount of physical space available to work in made for a difficult build, but a fantastic outcome for the pupils.

Elsewhere, structures were thermally upgraded, with solar panels introduced to south-facing roof pitches, and new external play areas.

Outcome

Aurora Vincent House School continues our successful collaboration with The Aurora Group and Archway Building Consultancy to improve the lives of hundreds of people across the country by creating SEND learning environments in otherwise under-loved spaces.

By reusing the existing building envelope and materials as far as possible, we significantly reduced embodied carbon and extended the lifespan of a neglected building to sustain an inclusive learning environment.

 

The delivery of service has been excellent. e-gg have displayed great professionalism and conduct throughout, and all have proven a high level of expertise in their field

The Aurora Group