HLM-Designed School Wins Award

Edinburgh Primary School in Walthamstow, designed by HLM, has won Best Community Education Scheme in the Waltham Forest Design Awards 2011.

Edinburgh Primary, on Queens Road, was expanded from one form entry to three form entry in a Building Schools for the Future project that completed in May 2011. The primary school occupies the first two levels of the new building, with an adult education element on the third floor with its own dedicated entrance.

The school has been transformed into a local hub for learning, with community use an important new feature. It is now a fully inclusive, functionally operational, secure and protected learning environment.

Three of four existing buildings were demolished to make way for the new facilities, with the retained building refurbished and used for reception classes. The primary school now provides 5,200 sq m of joined-up space instead of the 2,400 sq m spread across the three buildings.

The building has achieved a BREEAM ‘very good' rating. A biomass boiler provides 21.9% of the building's energy needs and rainwater harvesting reduces water use by up to 24% compared to a conventional system.

Caroline Buckingham, director and head of education at HLM, said: "This award shows how warmly welcomed the project has been by the local people, whose lives it is intended to enhance."

The awards are run each year by Waltham Forest Council in partnership with local paper, the Guardian. They recognise new buildings, refurbishments or extensions which have changed the area for the better.

The school's Headteacher Jane Harris told the Guardian that the award was "a testament to the work that's been done." She added: "It's a legacy for the children of Waltham Forest and will enhance their life chances."

Categories: Awards
Tags: Architecture | Landscape | Interiors