Alfreton Park Community Special School, Derbyshire

2024 RIBA East Midlands Award
2024 RIBA East Midlands Building of the Year sponsored by EH Smith
2024 RIBA East Midlands Client of the Year Derbyshire County Council

Alfreton Park Community Special School, Derbyshire
Curl la Tourelle Head Architecture for Derbyshire County Council
Contract value: £13.2m
GIA: 3,000m²
Cost per m²: £4,400

On first arrival at this school on the outskirts of Alfreton in Derbyshire, it is evident that it has been carefully crafted, both internally and externally, to address the children’s and teachers’ needs. The architect has responded to the brief with playfulness and architectural quality while meeting the stringent technical requirements of the client and the building’s users. Comprising four loosely arranged buildings nestled against the brow of the hill, the informal plan belies an exceptionally well thought-through hierarchy of spaces.

Two teaching wings have classrooms facing the open countryside and ancillary breakout and specialist rooms on the northern side. The main communal hall sits on the more public side of the school, opening onto a semi-enclosed courtyard, and its overhanging roof provides shelter for children arriving to start their day. Completing the arrangement is a discreet reception and staff building.

The school serves pupils between two and 19 years of age with a range of complex special needs and disabilities, 80% of whom are wheelchair users. Its design is the result of an open competition run by Derbyshire County Council in 2018.

Jurors were impressed by the drive and determination of both the client and the architect to achieve their shared vision for an exemplary education setting which goes significantly above and beyond the standard school offering. In recognition of his outstanding contribution, project architect Wayne Head has been awarded RIBA East Midlands Project Architect of the Year.

The teaching and staff buildings are clad in jade green zinc and matching terracotta tiles. The main hall – a dining area and events space – is covered in a joyful contrasting bright red zinc cladding, with window frames and detailing to match, highlighting the social heart of the school. A subtle but fun cladding detail runs around the buildings like a string of bunting. Zinc roofs in matching colours provide deep overhangs, defining spaces that pupils can continue using in all weathers, as well as providing solar shading in summer months.

The internal circulation space has been designed to work hard, and does so effortlessly. Classrooms line one side, while private breakout and specialist rooms are on the other, including physiotherapy and sensory spaces and a trampoline room. Separating the classrooms from the corridor is a colourful painted ribbon of furniture, rising to provide recesses for storing specialist mobility equipment below, and dipping low to form window seats. Windows looking from the corridor into the classroom lend the space a wonderful permeability, and connection to the playgrounds and countryside and beyond.

The building has more than succeeded in providing a safe and inspiring place for pupils and staff to achieve their best. The school reports tangible improvements in student behaviour and wellbeing and parent satisfaction since moving from its previous 1960s building. This is an example of what can be accomplished when an ambitious client, an engaged end user, and a skilful architect work harmoniously together.

See the rest of the RIBA East Midlands winners here. And all the RIBA Regional Awards here

To see the whole RIBA Awards process visit architecture.com

RIBA Regional Awards 2024 sponsored by EH Smith and Autodesk