The Re:Design Option - Large Secondary

Large Secondary Galashiels

Designers:

Stallan Brand7N ArchitectsGraven Images

Stallan Brand

Contents

Brief Comment

More Engaging, Accessible & Attractive

More Fun, Welcoming & Heart

More Interesting, Varied & Less Corridors

Major Surgery

Transformational New Landscape

Whole New Approach

Learning Streets

Pavilions in the Park

Lofty Ambitions

Informal Learning

Galashiels Academy A+DS Design review Stallan-Brand

The ‘Memorial Courtyard’ Space Transformed to Create New Open Learning Hub & Cafe Social Area

Further to the Architecture and Design Scotland Workshop that explored the potential for Galashiels Academy to benefit from new thinking with regards its existing learning environment.

The school building and its immediate grounds is clearly tired and uninspiring and presently contributes very little to the pupil and staff experience.

The A+DS team asked a mixed group of architects, teachers and representatives from the local authority to ‘think out the box’ and consider ‘remodelling’ ideas for the school that might not necessarily involve major capital expenditure but would serve to transform how the school functioned.

After touring the school and better understanding the challenges the teachers faced we brainstormed and sketched alternate concepts and presented them within the group for comment.

The collective identified a number of key areas where improvement would be welcome. Some of the areas identified were as follows;

Paul Stallan

• Traffic management and parking provision on site is a significant problem that fundamentally compromises the staff and students relationship with the external environment.

• The Academy is surrounded by high fences, service roads, restricted pupil access areas, refuse areas and areas for only timetable sports to the extent that the the School experience is akin to an inner city urban school despite being situated within a spectacular landscape.

• The school building is a labyrinth of corridors with no break out or social areas for the pupil. The combination of minimal external space mentioned above together with no internal social areas for pupils is unsatisfactory.

• The Academy buildings also serve to silo departments which discourages more contemporary and creative forms of learning from occurring. The buildings physical form isolates staff and does nothing to help engender a sense of community within the school.

• It was tabled that through a space planning initiative specific activities and existing areas within the building could be either relocated or improved to radically re-imagine the experience. The ‘memorial courtyard’, the dining and assembly halls and the library space were three key areas that would greatly benefit from a re-think.

• The Academy has an ‘old fashioned and institutional image’ that does not reflect the dynamic school culture.

The ideas, concepts and sketches following are not definitive but try to capture some of the free thinking that the workshop encouraged.


Brief Comment

Galashiels Academy

More Engaging, Accessible & Attractive


More Engaging, Accesible & Attractive

Engageing

The potential for Galashiels Academy to better

engage with its immediate context is

extraordinary. The school building sits within a

spectacular natural environment yet fails to

interact with it. In short the Academy is like an

island marooned in a green sea. Minimal

investment and Some creative thinking could

transform the site into a 21st century learning

landscape.

Accesible

The Academy building appears like a traffic island

surrounded by service roads and tarmac.

Improved traffic management would release more

space for pupils rather than cars. The buildings

entrances are difficult to prioritise and badly

signposted, again something that could be easily

fixed with some new wayfinding.

Attractive

The architecture of Galashiels Academy is old

fashioned and institutional. This ‘image’ can be

countered by new thinking on how spaces are

used both internal and external to the building. It

might look institutional but a persons experience

can be different.

Post-It Ideas ...


Conceptual Collage that Considers Improved Links with the Wider Environment

At every level the Academy could explore how to

forge improved links; i.e. links with the community,

with the surrounding landscape, right through to

how internal departments could better link and

collaborate to improve the learning experience for

the pupil.

Leaving the architecture of the School untouched

the potential to improve the very immediate

environment of the school is in itself exciting.

New Transformational Galashiels Academy Landscape


Fundamentally the Academy not only appears

institutional but also is experienced as institutional

especially with regards to the external space

‘controls’. Investing in new street furniture,

shelters, wayfinding and landscaping would be an

improvement together with a redefining of what

external areas are off limits to pupils.

There is a huge opportunity for instance to better

utilise the space at the very centre of the school;

i.e. the memorial courtyard space. presently this is

a sad space both visually and philosophically. The

memorial could be sensitively relocated to a more

appropriate location to allow the school to have a

dynamic new volume at its heart.



Post-It Ideas ...


The New Hub being a Shared Resource Uniting the Whole C–––ampus

A new open learning hub at the very centre of the

school that incorporates an internet cafe, library

and social area for pupils would magically liberate

the pupils to explore informal learning as the

might experience in a modern college, university

or Starbucks! The space would be a major asset to

the school in lots of ways serving as a shared

resource to unite the whole campus and break

down departmental silos.

The memorial courtyard roofed over to become an

internal multi- functional space at the heart of the

Academy.

The ‘Memorial Courtyard’ Space Transformed to Create New Open Learning Hub & Cafe Social Area


Relocating the library from within the ‘teaching

block’ to a more social environment, providing

‘trendy and tasty’ cafe style dining for pupils

stopping them from going to Tesco and opening

up corridors with more study and social breakout

space are three areas that could be tackled to

improve the school experience.



Post-It Ideas ...


Academy Buildings are Presntly Hostile and Unforgiving

Another area that might be improved is the around

the buildings perimeter elevation. The threshold

between the inside of the building and the outside

of the buildings is severe. using pergola type

structures the Academy could offer a less hostile

elevation and provide spaces for students to be

outside but under cover. Presently when it rains

the pupils force themselves into the restricted

corridor areas of the building which is not ideal.


Pupil Penthouses

A radical idea is to provide a new vertical

circulation tower that would relive the tight

overcrowded fire escape stairs. The new tower

would open the side of the building up to create

study balconies and break out spaces. The main

teaching ‘slab’ would be changed from being a

‘corridor’ to providing pupil penthouses.

New vertical circulation tower opening up the side

of the school building providing much needed

relief to ‘slabs’ introvert departmental interior.

Galashiels Academy A+DS Design review

Art & music department relocated onto the roof of

the school accommodated in a series of funky

sculptural art lofts to transform the schools stuffy

image. In short a new hairstyle.

Art and Music Department on the Roof


ASSUMING new sport halls are provided the

existing gym halls could be re appropriated as a

wonderful new staff base. The existing staff

rooms are horrible! In this space you would have

big sofas, good coffee, sanded floors, yucca

plants, informal break-out, meeting spaces and

touch down laptop spaces!

New Staff Base Separate from the Rest of the School a Space were Teachers can be Inspired!

Major Surgery


Developing a dynamic landscape around the

existing building would massively enhance the

Academy’s offer. Without altering the existing

architecture an investment in a creative landscape

would benefit the pupils enormously.

Transformational New Landscape


Fundamentally re-engineering the buildings

orientation so that its main entrance faces North

onto a wonderful new public pupil space would

change the schools disorganised image. Sacrifice

here would be the relocation of the sports courts

which presently give little to the school

environment.

Whole New Approach


Keeping the existing academic teaching block but

expanding West to re-provide accommodation for

those activities presently housed in low grade

structures. This plan considers three parallel

blocks with learning streets and lanes between to

create a ‘little city in the microcosm’ school. The

buildings following the landscape to frame

courtyard spaces.

Learning Streets


Again keeping the existing academic teaching

block but expanding West (i.e. to re-provide

accommodation for those activities presently

housed in low grade structures); this plan

considers pavilions buildings that breakdown into

the landscape to capture interesting external and

internal spaces branching from a central social

space.

Pavillions in the Park


Clasåsic Courtyard Plan Form

Simple Legible Architecture

Clear Sense of Orientation

Understanding Front & Back

Internal Community Space

Dynamic Circulation

Like a gigantic living room this design option

keeps the existing academic block mirroRing its

size and scale opposite to form a major new

internal volume. Within this exciting new volume

lots of great learning things happen!

Lofty Ambitions


In a more informal basis this option like the last

creates a major volume at its centre, however this

space is more elongated and casual like a wiggly

Ramblas! Like the other options this design would

be major surgery but would address many of

Galashiels Academy’s challenges.

Informal Learning

7N Architects

Galashiels Academy Re-connecting it to the Town

Disconnection• The Academy is a significant civic amenity for the

Town.• It lies in a beautiful setting in the former Estate

landscape.• But it currently feels disconnected from the Town,

hidden away and hard to find.• The adjacent park is a key part of this setting and is

an underused local asset.

Re-connection Proposals• Re-establish a direct route between the Academy

and the Town Centre across the Park, through the original Estate gates and along St John Street.

• St John Street could be a shared surface with pedestrian priority to make it a safer place for pedestrians and cyclists.

• Re-emphasise the Park frontage as the primary Academy entrance.

• This initiative could be also be a catalyst for re-invigorating the Park as an important community asset.

Campus connectivity to surronding urban fabric.Campus disconnect from surrounding urban fabric.

PARK

TOWN CENTRE

ENTRANCE

Galashiels AcademyCivic Campus

Existing internal space.

School atrium precedent.

Existing external space.

Natural light in circulation space. Concept sketch of Academy refurbishment proposals.

Academy Building• The present arrangement of the school building is

arranged around a circuit of institutional corridors with no social or gathering places.

• Replacing the central courtyard with a new, internal, hall would create a new heart to the building, a vibrant, flexible, social “forum” for the school.

• New teaching accommodation could be built around this new space, to the east and west, which could also open up to adjacent garden and play spaces.

• The central “forum” space would be accessed directly from the new entrance and reception area, addressing the Park and the new path to the Town.

• The “forum” could have cafe facilities to complement the undersized and underused dining hall.

• The dining hall itself would benefit from improvement and could be extended out towards the playing fields, doubling as a dry, warm, space for spectators.

• These improvements could transform the Academy whilst retaining its identity within the social landscape of Galashiels.

USE EXISTING GATES

Academy landscape connectivity.

PARK

GARDEN BUFFERENTRANCE

Graven Images

02© Graven Images December 2012 – Architecture and Design Scotland – Galashiels Academy Esquisse Workshop –

CONTENTSMASTERPLAN

existing

proposal

BUILDING DESIGN

building diagram

negative spaces

axis sequence

schematic plans

DESIGN VIGNETTES

dens and sketches

entrance

circulation

classrooms

dining area

thresholds

social space

03

07

11

03 – Architecture and Design Scotland – Galashiels Academy Esquisse Workshop –© Graven Images November 2012

01

Masterplan

A strategy based around spatial legibility and the

creation of internal and external social space.


– MASTERPLAN: OVERALL STRATEGY –

CDT CLASSROOMS

STUDENT ENTRANCE

MUSICGYM + GAMES HALL

MEMORIAL GARDEN

TEACHERS’ ENTRANCE

ART SPECIAL EDUCATION

DINING AREA +KITCHENS

ASSEMBLY HALL

PP

Galashiels Academy: existing


– MASTERPLAN: OVERALL STRATEGY –

2

26

6

8

8

3

3

4

47

7

1

1

5

5

SPORTS AND GAMES CONSOLIDATED INTO NEW PHYSICAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, LINKING WITH EXISTING SWIMMING POOL

ART AND CTD RELOCATED TO HEART OF CAMPUS, FORMING A NEW CREATIVE WING

CREATION OF EXTERIOR COURTYARD

COVER MEMORIAL GARDEN TO BECOMEINTERNAL COURTYARD, INTEGRATED INTOSCHOOL.

OPEN COURTYARD RECLAIMS SPACE FROM CAR PARK. GARDENS LINK SPACE T0 ADJACENT KITCHENS.

RELOCATION OF EXISTING GAMES HALL IMPROVES VIEWS OF SURROUNDING GROUNDS.

STRENGTHENING OF SINGLE, MAIN ENTRANCE AND AXIS THROUGH SCHOOL.

DESTINATIONS AND DENS PUNCTUATE SCHOOL GROUNDS, ALLOWING VENUES FOR LEISURE TIMEAND SPECTATORSHIP.

CO

HER

ENT

ZON

ING

LEG

IBIL

ITY

INTE

RN

AL

+ E

XTER

NA

L SO

CIA

L SP

AC

E

Galashiels Academy: Proposal


02

Building Design

A proposal based around the concept of three courtyards whose characters

and functions derive from their orientation and degree of enclosure. This

creates a series of social spaces varying from internal to external that are

further supplemented by the development of the surrounding grounds

advanced by the masterplan.


– BUILDING DIAGRAM –

S P O R T S H A L L

1

2

3

4

5

6

COURTYARD the car park overspill is reclaimed to create a welcoming courtyard, whilst a vegetable garden linkswith the adjacent kitchen and provides opportunity for student involvement.

DEFINITIONthe sports fields become contained and definedbetween the composition of the new buildings.

SOCIAL SPACE a new roof over the existing memorial garden to create a concentrated and versatile social space that is useable year-round and that associates itself spatially and visually with the surrounding classrooms, dining area and assembly hall, allowing activities to spill over and expand in a flexible way.

DESTINATIONa sheltered

open courtyard that can be used by students

during breaks or provide external classroom

space.

AXISthe main entrance is

emphasised, working in tandem with the new

covered social space to create a legible axis through the school.

ENCLOSUREa new Art + Music block and Sports Hall give direction to the school’s open space, placing emphasis on the spectacle of students’ sporting achievements and creative work.


– NEGATIVE SPACES IN SCHEME –

open

cour

tyard

kitch

ens o

pen t

o gre

enho

use

cove

red s

ocial

spac

e

centr

al cir

culat

ion, e

xpan

sion s

pace

for

class

room

s, stu

dent

actiti

vites

and d

ining

open

cour

tyard

shelt

ered

socia

l spa

ce/

exter

nal c

lassro

om sp

ace

conta

ined s

pace

of pla

ying f

ields

spec

tator

seati

ng

and e

vents


– AXIS SEQUENCE –


– AXIS SEQUENCE –

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Principal entrance reinforced through relocation of reception, signage and visual connection along axis of building.

2 threshold space displaying school news, reception desk and loose furniture welcome visitors and users of the school.

3 Porous perimeter of social space allows overspill of adjacent classrooms.

4 Expansion of assembly hall functions and performances enabled by folding screens dividing space from social courtyard.

5 Area of Dining Hall is increased and barriers between itself and social space removed, creating a less rigid and formal organisa-tion that can spill out as required.

6 Providing an alternative entrance, the student led veg and herb garden links the activities of the dining area and kitchen.

1

2

3

4

5

6







1

2

3

4

5

6






6 Providing an alternative entrance, the student led veg and herb garden links the activities of the dining area and kitchen. 1

2

3

4

5

6








03

Design Vignettes

an approach that prioritises the creation of idiosyncratic and enjoyable

spaces for learning and social activity, avoiding the anonymity and rigidity

of default school furniture and organisation.


– DENS AND STRUCTURES –


– DENS AND STRUCTURES –treehouse structures


– DENS AND STRUCTURES –spectator seating/shelter


Imagecaption withunderline

– DENS AND STRUCTURES –subterraneanlairs


–ENTRANCE –

A SINGLE ENTRANCEThe doors on the North-East facade of the school are given increased significance as the principal entrance to the

campus.

Once through the doors, students and visitors are welcomed by a reception desk, seating area and glimpse the rest of the school though the social courtyard beyond.


breakout spaces + informal study colonisation of circulation challenges and communication student interventions and props

– INTERIOR SPACES: CIRCULATION–


– INTERIOR SPACES:CLASSROOMS –


A NEUTRAL BACKDROP FOR LEARNING : choice + texture through furniture

THE DEFAULT APPROACH: clutter and basic compliant furniture

– INTERIOR SPACES:CLASSROOMS –


– INTERIOR SPACES:STAFF ROOM–


– INTERIOR SPACES:STAFF ROOM–

A PLACE FOR reading, working, eating, sitting, relaxing, being sociable, being alone


– INTERIOR SPACES:DINING AREA –


– INTERIOR SPACES:THRESHOLDS+CIRCULATION –

The reconfiguration and erosion of the boundaries of the dining area and assembly hall creates a continuity between these spaces

and the imternal social courtyard. This allows functional fluidity and a spatial coherence which is further improved by the placement

of a student-tended greenhouse in the current location of the secondary entrance.

With this ‘back door’ played down, the route through the school is clarified and strengthened, and circulation rendered more coherent and less fractured through addressing the newly emphasised axis

through the building.


– INTERIOR SPACES:SOCIAL SPACE –

At the heart of the school is a missed opportunity.

The pivotal location of the memorial garden has the potential to be meaningfully integrated into school life through association

with the two key social activities of eating and assembly.

By covering the space, a courtyard is created that serves as an extension and focal point to either of these on a daily basis, as well as providing an area that can be appropriated by classes

and students for performances and events.

Documents

The Re:Design Option - Large Secondary