Swanlea School, London

Important characteristics: theme didactics, innovative architecture, and passive solar use

 

Designer: Percy Thomas Partnership

 

• Grade level: 7 - 11 years
• Year of construction: 1991/93
• Students: 1050
• Building surface area (SLP): 10,500 M2
• Area per student: 10 M2
• Construction cost: 29.5 billion lira
• Cost per student: 28 million lira
• Actual cost per student: 31 million lira
• Cost per M2: 2.8 million lira

The Swanlea School is a comprehensive multi-educational school located in a building with a completely new design. The designers constructed on semi-abandoned land with carefully planned architecture with notable impact not withstanding the limited budget. The design was developed around a covered central street facing the brick facade.

The central street's spectacular glass cover has a sequence of curve and columns that start from Brady Street and lead to the heart of the building. During winter, the internal road functions like a heat source for the entire complex, thanks to passive recovery of solar heat. The glass cover is made of "Okasolar Glass" panels, with prismatic strips that reflect sunlight in the summer and let light pass in the winter. A natural ventilation system in the street made an air conditioning system unnecessary. The classrooms face the street with large windows where you can see the students hard at work; the windows take advantage of the natural light, heat and ventilation.

The scholastic program is appropriate and stimulating and offers the possibility to participate in numerous extracurricular activities.

The school's multi-ethnicity enriches it and stimulates mutual respect, tolerance and cooperation between the students.

Designed for 1050 students, the school has a meeting room that can be used after school hours.

Opened in September 1992, the school has an excellent environment for learning, able to encourage high standards of work and behavior on behalf of the students.