Boclair Academy in Bearsden is to benefit from purpose-built new accommodation following the submission of plans for a new school to East Dunbartonshire Council by Ryder Architecture.

 

Catering for 1,050 pupils with improved outdoor sports facilities integrated within its suburban setting has been conceived under a cross-curricular that groups related departments that support interdisciplinary and thematic learning beyond individual subjects.

 

Undulating in step with the landscape the two-storey brick build seeks to reference its surroundings in both form and materials. In a statement, the architects wrote: "By referencing the quality, textures and colours of the nearby historic villas – along with the listed Kilmardinny House – a carefully curated material palette of neutral tone brickwork seamlessly ties the school to its context. Deep reveals to window and door openings establish a sense of weight and permanence within the brick base, whilst a uniform parapet line ties all elements of the brick base together.
 
"A lightweight ‘light box’ to the northeast of the school, which houses the school’s art department, sits atop the brick base. Deliberately articulated to provide a sense of verticality in direct contrast to the solidity of the brick below, the light box allows for views toward the Campsie Fells and River Kelvin Valley."

 

The spatial design of the school permits pupils to see those in other years as they learn together, with teachers able to requisition connecting spaces as alternative and informal learning environments.