January 20 2022

Plans for a £14m additional support needs (ASN) school in Livingston have been given the thumbs up by West Lothian Council.

The planning green light clears the way for construction to begin on the 2,437sq/m Norr designed Beatlie Campus adjacent to the Craigswood Sports Centre off Grange Road.

Combining an ASN school and child development centre in one building the school replaces the current Beatlie Campus with a purpose-built school arranged around a central reception area and gym/assembly hall. A collection of learning pods connects with practical teaching spaces to the west including a soft play area, sensory room and offices.

In a design statement, Norr wrote: "The central pods have been designed with curved corners to aid movement around the central spaces and to make the central zone feel more open and less institutional. The central zone also benefits from a larger volume than the classroom wings which allows the introduction of clerestory glazing to get natural light into the centre of the building plan."

Finished in brick and metal cladding the school turns to focus on an entrance canopy that wraps around the public-facing eastern boundary of the building to form a colonnade.

6 Comments

#1 Posted by Look Ma, no hands! on 20 Jan 2022 at 17:35 PM

The design itself is pretty inoffensive, but these images are really grim. Render quality circa mid 90s SNES graphics.

And what's with the wee guy with no hands in the gym hall on the interior view?!

If an architect can even do an image right, would you really trust them to design a building for you?!

#2 Posted by modernish on 20 Jan 2022 at 17:54 PM

The text for the sign on the first image is really strange. The way some letters are picked all I can see when I look at it is " Be a lie"!!!

#3 Posted by Coco the clown on 20 Jan 2022 at 22:06 PM

Those urban myths about white vans and school gates were true it would appear!

#4 Posted by Beardy Weirdy on 21 Jan 2022 at 09:28 AM

All these type of ASN Schools have a running theme to them. Very top heavy and bulky. More like a shopping centre than a school.

#5 Posted by TheFakeArchitect on 21 Jan 2022 at 10:53 AM

#2 I thought it was maybe a pub, as all I could see was the word ALE depicted in yellow!
Warning, this might say more about me than the image.

#6 Posted by Stephen Ferano on 27 Jan 2022 at 07:07 AM

Truly horrific renders. NORR can do better.
However, based on their extensive educational track record, and the glimpses of design here, hope it turns out to be a cracking learning environment..

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