BROOMLANDS PRIMARY SCHOOL, KELSO

Reaching out to embrace the surrounding green space and woodland

A new two-storey fourteen-class Broomlands Primary School with an integrated nursery and early years accommodation. The new facility also includes communal areas, including games and dining halls.

Internally, the classrooms are arranged to break out into a central atrium, where collective play and interactive learning are encouraged. Ensuring that plenty of natural light percolates the central classroom was essential for creating a comfortable atmosphere, with double-height spaces, high ceilings, and views to the outside.

Classrooms are also oriented to face east or west to avoid glare and overheating, and help encourage cross ventilation with community sports areas opening up towards the south.

The school’s design was driven by local influence and vernacular architecture. Brick is not a traditional material in the Scottish Borders, so we clad the building with cobalt stone mined from a local quarry.

Additionally, the roof’s form was inspired by the traditional pitched roofs that define the character of high streets across the Scottish Borders. The roof, which creates a distinctive form for the building, also provides sheltered canopies for outdoor learning spaces onto which each classroom spills out. Seeking to take advantage of its landscape setting, the design reaches out to embrace the surrounding green space and woodland.

We handed over the project in phases as the existing school remained in use while the new school was under construction.

Once phase one was complete, we demolished the existing primary school as part of phase two. Finally, we landscaped the remaining area as part of phase three.

The protection of pupils and staff was of utmost importance to us. We ensured complete segregation of the construction works from the operational school.

Teaching continuity was also critical. We implemented disruption management measures to ensure that teaching continuity was not disrupted. These included ongoing communication and consultation with the School Principal to ensure their specific requirements, including exam times, were incorporated into our programme.

Awards

• The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland 2019 Award
• Education Award and Supreme Award Winner at Glasgow Institute of Architects 2018 Awards
• Best New Build Commercial Project at the Borders Building Design Awards 2018