Stormont House School is a school for pupils aged 11-16 who have a complex range of special educational needs and/or disabilities, including emotional, learning and communication needs. The brief was to replace the existing 1960s school with a 4,133m2 new building accommodating 120 pupils and creating a world-class learning environment.
The challenge of doubling the school area on this already tight urban site, whilst maintaining sufficient external space (essential to the school ethos) led to a unique design. The 3-storey solution is not typical in an SEND school, however it was developed in close consultation with the school’s senior leadership team and was determined to be the optimum solution to meet the requirements of their brief.
Creating a nurturing environment for the 120 pupils with complex needs has meant a close collaboration between architectural form, programmatic response and relationship between internal and external spaces. From the light touch of the internal facades and stepped massing, to the strong frontage, this building is formed by its context for its users.
