Thomas’s School, Battersea

Client: Thomas’s School
Project: Demolish existing buildings to extend and create a new music and performance block
Location: Battersea, London
Value: £633k
Project period: 22 weeks
Completed: December 2015
Architect: Studio Webb Architects Ltd

This build proved to be a challenge for the team, involving excavation of a basement and the erection of a steel frame and huge solid stone features - all squeezed into a small space created by demolishing a previous extension. The works were carried out during term-time at this busy school, testing not only our technical and structural knowledge, but also our ability to manage the logistics of a busy site within a restricted environment.

The new block occupies a small space on the road side between the older school building and the neighbouring property, getting bigger as it goes back into the rear of the school and ‘growing’ into the existing building. Externally the street-facing elevation has huge shaped stone features surrounding floor to ceiling windows. At the back, the same stone is a feature around the doors with a grey brick above from which Cedar-clad window ‘boxes’ protrude. The roof is flat, finished with a membrane covered in pebbles and edged with a parapet of coping stones.

Internally the spaces were kept simple and clean with the brightness of daylight from roof lanterns above the stairwell ensuring an airy feel. Parquet flooring in the music rooms was carried up on to the soundproofed walls, and ceiling baffles were installed to manage the spread of sound so that rooms can be used for independent music classes without disturbing others.

We are pleased to have worked with Studio Webb Architects on this project: http://studio-webb.co.uk/


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