Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys

New secondary school
at
Waterfield Close
Thamesmead
London SW28
for
London Borough of Greenwich

Bryant Harvey Partnership was selected in limited competition, by London Borough of Greenwich, to design and manage the new and remodelling works at the Waterfield School site in South London, to enable the relocation of the Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys. The project was completed on programme ensuring that the School were able to occupy their new buildings in time for the start of the academic year.

The Woolwich Polytechnic Schools existing buildings and sites were unsuitable for expansion and the Governors agreed to relocate the whole school to the more spacious Waterfield School site in Thamesmead, designed and built by the ILEA in the 1970`s as an open plan secondary school and was closed in 1996 due to falling rolls and failing standards.

The existing building is a steel frame structure with an internal area of 9200sqm. The majority of the teaching spaces are on one level with the sports halls and administration set either side of a double height top glazed entrance mall. This mall provides the main entrance and focus to the school, as well as the principle circulation route linking the various teaching spaces. The new works included stripping out the existing internal walls, ceilings, and services and reconfiguring the space to a more traditional cellular class based teaching environment.

The deep plan single storey element is built on a nine metre grid with courtyards that provide natural light and ventilation to the interior. Two new top glazed streets running at right angles to the circulation mall allow natural light and ventilation into the centre of the school. Internally the building has been fitted out to a good standard with hard wearing, durable finishes, giving long life and low maintenance.

Back