Nairn Academy replacement shows its metal
December 18 2023
The Highland Council has filed plans for a Passivhaus-certified Nairn Academy replacement inspired by a classical villa.
Working alongside contractor Balfour Beatty and architects Reiach & Hall the authority proposes a 760-place building within the grounds of the existing school at Duncan Drive, with only the sports pitches and orchard being retained and reused.The planned secondary emphasises community access through the provision of shared sports facilities, a library and health services to cement its position in the town, despite its suburban fringe location.
Built around an open courtyard the new school centres on a double-height atrium lit by a long rooflight that combines dining, learning and breakout spaces. Two wings of classrooms extend south from this space while sports halls, laboratories and staff areas are pushed to the north.
In a massing and facade study, Reiach & Hall wrote: "The classrooms form the basic ‘DNA’ of the building with the optimum depth for daylighting resulting in a 7.2m wide grid along the principal façades. These classroom ‘bays’ are divided by three large windows spaced at 2.4m centres to give a regularised arrangement - 1600mm wide windows separated by 800mm cladding bays, resulting in a classically proportioned facade that maximises the use of natural daylight."
The north and south facades diverge with solar fins attached to provide shading in areas of direct sunlight with facades employing a mixture of inerlocking aluminium cladding. Differing treatments depending on orientation extend to the colour palette, with pale yellows reserved for north-facing elements and darker reds, greens and blues to the south.
Once demolished the original 1970s Academy building will be demolished to provide a nursery and additional playing fields.
A large dining hall serves as the social heart of the school
An open plan atrium invites vertical movement
Clear coated aluminium cladding, windows and fins will give the school a distinctive aesthetic
The new school is intended to be read as a classical villa set within landscaped grounds
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3 Comments
That last image looks like those dodgy ABC flats down the Gorbals.
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What kind of worldview are we making for schoolkids here?