Alfreton Park Community Special School, Derbyshire
Client:
Derbyshire County Council
Architect:
CLTH
Value:
£7.5m
Our Role:
M&E, Sustainability and Building Physics
Awards:
AJ Architecture Awards 2023 – UK School of the Year, Civic Trust Award 2024 – Special Award for Education, RIBA National Award 2024
Set within 10 acres of wooded parkland, Alfreton Park Community Special School is a brand-new Special Educational Needs School which connects flexible educational learning spaces for children with complex mobility and educational needs with the natural environment of the surrounding parkland.
Many of the children spend significant amounts of time in healthcare institutions and so a key delivery for this project was to provide accommodation that is inclusive, adaptable, non-institutional and allows the children to develop natural behavioral and social skills for enjoyable and effective learning, as well as develop connections with the natural world beyond the classroom.
Method Consulting provided M&E, sustainability and building physics consultation and design services from inception to completion. The school benefits from excellent, indirect natural daylighting throughout, a bespoke approach to sustainability with a strong focus on energy and water conservation measures, controllable and flexible learning spaces.
This project was awarded a Civic Trust Award in 2024.
“A high-quality educational building which provides a distinctive and supportive learning environment, in an attractive parkland setting. The combination of well-considered spaces is impressive and inspiring.”