Stakeholder input

• Further resources

A modular approach - getting input from all stakeholders in school redesign

Websites

www.dartington.devon.sch.uk

www.white-design.co.uk/WhiteDesign/

Key challenges:

• How can we put the educational vision into the design of learning spaces, resources and environments?
• What is the impact of thinking about the long-term future on the learning space?
• Who needs to be able to access the resources, and where and when do they need access?

Overview:

Dartington is a large primary school with almost four hundred students. The existing school is situated in a vibrant landscape and the stakeholders wanted to keep their classrooms looking out onto this environment. Despite the poor condition of the old buildings the standard of learning is outstanding - and so the challenge was to transpose this quality into a new school on a nearby field.

Approach:

The aim was to find out what people wanted - in this case the request was for classrooms to look out onto the landscape, just as they'd had before the rebuild. Interestingly, they didn't want a totally flexible space, moveable walls etc. How often will people want to change the space, even if it could be totally reconfigurable? And if you design for this would it compromise things like acoustics? Instead they wanted sufficient space and storage and were willing to compromise on things like a double door in the nursery even though it would not meet government requirements.

To find out what stakeholders wanted the architects held the following sessions:

• Initial display at the village fete - encouraging lots of feedback
• Local meetings, and displays in the school
• Final meeting which was well attended

Teacher sessions

Teachers identified the importance of space, natural light, and storage.

Student sessions

Students were given A4 sheets of the school design and were asked what they liked, disliked and wanted. The students were warned that suggestions such as rollercoasters on the roof may be going too far! Yet many did express a preference for staying connected with the outdoors.

Realising a shared vision

The design of the new school fully reflects the aspirations of pupils, staff, governors, parents and the council.

The architects believe its most innovative feature is that it is modular, each module containing two large classrooms, toilets and a storage area. The administration areas, dining room and library are in another building. So, to change rooms you have to go outside each module.

The building fabric is entirely made from timber - with photovoltaic arrays (solar panels) on the roof - representing a major 'carbon bank' when calculating the embodied carbon and embodied energy of the project.

Combining innovative mechanical and electrical systems, the running costs will be reduced by utilising energy conserving systems. Alongside the benefits to the environment and the energy savings from innovative construction techniques, the buildings themselves become a learning tool by providing features for children to engage with - such as exposed structural timber with 'peek-a-boo' construction windows, energy generation and consumption display meters in the classrooms and clear rainwater storage 'fat pipes' behind the toilets.

Key points and recommendations:

• Have a good relationship with the local authority to enable a creative solution.
• Publicise events for the community to ensure attendance.
• Use the Vision exploration exercise to decide priorities.
• Make use of the external environment and sustainable materials.

Architects impression Dartington module drawing