Green light for Alsop school design

SMC Alsop has won planning permission for its design for the Michael Faraday Community School, the first primary school to be transformed under the Southwark council's Schools for the Future programme.

The circular building will replace existing 1970s buildings located at the centre of the Aylesbury estate and will provide nursery, primary school, adult education and community facilities in 3021m² (gross internal floor area) over two floors.

Will Alsop said of the project: “The school will be an amalgam of spaces that will be both flexible and yet particular enough to give a sense of identity.

“The external appearance of the building is recognised as being important for all the pre-school children living in the area and will represent a place of intrigue, curiosity and delight which represents a place that they will spend a lot of time in the future.”

The school will be an amalgam of spaces that will be both flexible and yet particular enough to give a sense of identity.

Will Alsop

The school has open-plan learning spaces, flexible and adaptable classrooms and covered external spaces for outdoor learning.

SMC Alsop was appointed to design school following an open design competition in 2007. A consultation process was carried out with the head teacher, staff and pupils at the existing school and the Aylesbury New Deal for Communities, which is partly funding the project.

The project is due to start on site in 2009 and is due for completion in 2010.