Handover has taken place on the £25m South Wolverhampton and Bilston Academy.
One of the last projects in Wolverhampton’s Building Schools for the Future programme, the 1200 place new-build academy in an economically deprived area to the south of Wolverhampton reflects the extremely ambitious and innovative curriculum with an imaginative and bold design approach.
Capita Symonds is providing architecture, structural engineering, civil engineering, m&e engineering, acoustics, ecology, landscape, executive design advice, security services, FFE and interior design services on the academy which is being constructed by Carillion and is co-sponsored by Wolverhampton University, Wolverhampton College and Wovlerhampton City Council.
The learning approach places a great emphasis on skills and the brief required the development of four learning zones: Newton’s Apple, Global Gateway, The Boardroom, and The Lifepod, with a mix of cellular and specialist accommodation wrapping around large open-planned skill zone areas.
The design provides a floor level to each of the four learning zones; on each level class-bases wrap around a more open central area, with a series of voids opening up double height and triple height top-lit spaces interspersed with centralised accommodation: lecture theatre, hall and café spaces. The main entrance is at first floor level, working with the slope of the site, providing views from the entrance foyer down into the dramatic double height engineering hall. Platforms at different levels provide exciting views between differing floor levels, whilst wide internal staircases linking between floors provide both additional informal lecture areas and intuitive wayfinding.
Each skill zone is being developed to have a distinctive flavour, so that students will enjoy a wide range of learning experiences and environments. In the Global Gateway for instance, they will be able to use a ‘Skype-Pod’ cinema space for immersive experiences of differing environments across the world.
The concept of interlinked accessible platforms has been extended externally to provide an excellent range of external sports, learning and recreation spaces for the students.
An ambitious public art programme has been included within the project proposals, to engage both students and renowned artists in a series of interventions to celebrate the historical significance of the industrial heritage of the site and local area.
