Building Design Partnership - Offices Development - Northampton, Wootton Fields

Date: 02 Dec 2002

Northamptonshire County Council has announced that Kajima Europe is the preferred bidder for the new £25m Centre for Learning adjacent to Wootton Fields, Northampton.

Kajima, with Building Design Partnership as architects and engineers, has been appointed by the council to build the new schools – to be called the Wooldale Centre for Learning – and to carry out the building construction and maintenance of the accommodation and services over the 25-years of the PFI contract.

The project will be the country’s first purpose designed ‘through school’ with a single principal and board of governors and will include:

• A new secondary school for 1,200 pupils
• A sixth form centre for 260 pupils
• A new primary school for 210 pupils
• A nursery and childcare centre with 50 places
• Indoor and outdoor sports facilities including an all weather pitch
• A learning resource centre, public library and cyber café for use by members of the public as well as staff and pupils.

Council cabinet member for schools Olwen Loud said:
“I am delighted we have found such an excellent and internationally renowned company in Kajima to carry out this truly exciting project. The quality of buildings designed by the Kajima team is just what is needed for this pioneering project”.

BDP Architect Director Ken Moth said:
“We set out to deliver a truly innovative design that works well and creates a strong identity and sense of place".

Northamptonshire County Council’s brief set out to create a high-achieving, dynamic institution that will meet the needs of children, young people and adults from the community it serves. The design objectives include provision of a stimulating, attractive and inclusive environment through high quality architecture and rich landscaping. Key requirements were good, clear organisation, generous circulation, flexibility in use and good adjacencies.

BDP’s design response built directly on the brief and site analysis to produce a highly articulated building form. This comprises six separate elements, linked by a covered external street and taking advantage of the fall across the site. The six elements are the learning resource centre, primary school, three learning houses (containing the main teaching accommodation) and a dining / assembly / sports building. The layout is gently curved to follow site contours, with the building form defining external spaces. Adjacencies and circulation permit different patterns of use in response to user group requirements.

Work is to start on the site next Spring and it is planned that pupils will first start at the centre in September 2004. The building area is 14,759 m2, site area totals 10 ha, construction cost is £16m

This pioneering project will be paid for through the Private Finance Initiative investment awarded by the Department for Education and Skills. Responsibility for delivering the national curriculum and all educational needs will remain with the Governors and County Council while Kajima will provide all the buildings and the management services to run them.

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