St Mary's Infant School | Jessop and Cook Architects

St Mary’s CE Infant School occupies 17-19 Church Green, Witney a Grade II listed Victorian property in a Gothic Revival style. First listed on the 6th February 1970, the property sits in the Church Green conservation area. Built in 1856 the main school building is constructed from coursed lime stone rubble with ashlar quoins and dressings, gabled stone slate roofs, and concrete tiles to the left range. Over the course of its history the school has undergone various alterations. A stand alone stone classroom was built in 1897 to match the existing and during the 1940’s a canteen was erected to the rear of the school constructed of concrete blocks with a pressed metal tiled roof (the Canteen is not part of the Grade II listing). The new Foundation Stage classroom and facilities. The objective of the proposals was to provide St Mary’s with a much needed replacement foundation stage classroom and additional amenities. The new scheme intended to provide the foundation stage class with an exciting and engaging learning environment to enhance the children’s school experience at such a vital early stage in their school life. The three main elements of the project are spread linearly through the building and staggered to create three distinctive sections to the built form and thus creating multiple roof pitches that reflect the form of the main school. The staggering of the main elements create opportunities for extra light to be drawn in the building through the use of both high and low level windows, reducing the need for artificial lighting whilst creating additional window seating. The staggering of the scheme not only acts to break up the linear mass of the scheme but offers a much improved use of land and maximises the potential for the surrounding playground and gardens. Buff brickwork wasused as the primary external surface material for the main build remaining sympathetic to the conservation area whilst creating a contemporary stand alone project. In addition to the brickwork the North elevation facing on to the hidden garden was rendered white to add to the tactile intentions for space as well as helping reflect light and brighten the north facing area. The covered external play area element of the project created through the use of a portal frame system is clad in cedar shingles giving a warm feel which will weather over time to a soft silver. The building envelope is broken up with windows of various sizes from narrow floor to ceiling windows on the south elevation to large extruded bay windows with internal seating. The combination of the materials hopefully create an aesthetically pleasing modern building that responds to its surroundings and reflecting the forms of the area, enhancing the school and providing the much needed new foundation stage classroom.