Nicholas Hare scoops top prize at schools awards

Nicholas Hare Architects was crowned best school architect of the year last night in a showcase of outstanding education projects in the UK and abroad at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.

The awards, organised by the British Council for School Environments, also saw Nicholas Hare pick up an inspiring design award for its Golden Lane Campus in Islington and two highly commended places.

Other winners included Morgan Ashurst as best school contractor, and Arup’s Druk White Lotus school in India and HOK’s Haileybury Almaty School in Kazakhstan as joint winners in the international inspiring design category.

Nicholas Hare beat off competition in the best school architect category from practices including Feilden Clegg Bradley, GM & AD architects, Haverstock Associates and Penoyre & Prasad.

Ty Goddard, BCSE chief executive, said: “Nicholas Hare Architects is a worthy winner of the best school architect category. The company’s commitment to placing teachers and learners at the centre of the design process, coupled with the ability to meet the client brief, is an example all architectural firms can aspire to.”

The full list of winners are:

Inspiring design - winners

Christ the King Centre for Learning, Knowsley – Knowsley MBC (Secondary)
Golden Lane Campus, Islington – Nicholas Hare Architects (Co-located Mainstream and Special School)
Hazelwood School, Glasgow – GM+AD Architects (Special School)
Merchants’ Academy, Bristol – Penoyre & Prasad Architects (Secondary)
St Mary Magdalene Academy, Islington – Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (All Age)
Water Hall Primary School, Milton Keynes – Milton Keynes Council (Primary)

Inspiring design – highly commended

Agar Children’s Centre, Camden – Haverstock Associates LLP (Early Years)
Dalry Primary School, North Ayrshire – North Ayrshire Council (Primary)
Joseph Chamberlain Sixth Form College, Birmingham – Nicholas Hare Architects (Secondary)
Kingsdale School, Southwark – dRMM (Secondary)
New North Community School, Islington – Sprunt (Primary)
Pudsey Grangefield School, Leeds – Mentor & Leeds BSF (Secondary)
St Matthew Academy, Lewisham – architecture plb (All Age)
The Avenue School, Reading – Hunters (Special School)
Thomas Fairchild Children’s Centre, Hackney – Haverstock Associates LLP (Early Years)
Wood View Learning Centre, Plymouth – HLM Architects (All Age)

Best extension, refurbishment or remodel of a school

Ifield School, Kent – Haverstock Associates LLP (Joint Winner)
The Cloisters, St Benedict’s School, Ealing – Buschow Henley (Joint Winner)
Ann Taylor Children’s Centre, Hackney – cazenove (Highly Commended)
Falmouth School, Cornwall – Urban Salon Ltd (Highly Commended)
The Rotunda, Slough – Surface to Air Architects (Highly Commended)

Best school architect

Nicholas Hare Architects (Winner)
Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (Highly Commended)
GM+AD Architects (Highly Commended)
Haverstock Associates LLP (Highly Commended)
Penoyre & Prasad Architects (Highly Commended)

Best school contractor

Morgan Ashurst (Winner)

Best external learning environment

Moorside Community Primary School, Newcastle upon Tyne – colour : urban design ltd (Winner)
Golden Lane Campus, Islington – Nicholas Hare Architects (Highly Commended)
Merchants’ Academy, Bristol – Penoyre & Prasad Architects (Highly Commended)
Percy Shurmer Primary School, Birmingham – Sjolander da Cruz Architects (Highly Commended)

Inspiring design – international

Druk White Lotus School, India – Arup Associates (Joint Winner)
Haileybury Almaty School, Kazakhstan – HOK (Joint Winner)
Ringstabekk Secondary School, Norway – div.A Arkitekter AS (Highly Commended)
The Observatory at Saltsjöbaden, Sweden – Kunskapsskolan (Highly Commended)