Primary School STEM Lab
London, 2019
Architect: AY Architects
Area: 75m2
Awards: RIBA National Award 2019, RIBA London Award 2019
New Build, Education
The simple environmental strategy puts the emphasis on controlled natural light and ventilation.
The new building is a flexible classroom space for 31 children aged 3-11 years to support the school's science and technology curriculum. The legible timber frame construction and variety of interpretive play devices for sound and water promises to engage children to analyse the building intuitively.
Integrated within the roof are two triangular volumes that extend 1.5m higher than the main roof to give generous daylight and natural ventilation. Discrete ventilation hatches in the plywood-lined interior use the stack-effect to naturally drive the ventilation of the room.
When awarding the project with 2019 RIBA Regional and National Awards, the judges cited the building "An excellent example of simple, thoughtful passive environmental design and a notable achievement for everyone involved."