Burntwood School wins yet another national prize

It has been announced as a winner in this year’s Architecture Today Awards for buildings that stand the test of time.

It means the school has now won four prestigious architectural awards – including a world-famous RIBA Stirling Prize.

Its latest award came in a competition that represents “a cultural shift away from celebrating newness and towards a focus on longevity. In stark contrast to most awards programmes, the Architecture Today Awards has only considered projects that have been in use for at least three years and which can demonstrate a strong track record for delivering on their environmental, functional, community and cultural ambitions.”

Burntwood was announced as the national winner in its education category. According to the judges: “What made Burntwood School the winner, after much deliberation, was the way it built boldly and skilfully on a campus that represented Modernism at its best, with an ambition that has become a rarity in school buildings. Eight years after completion, the client’s and architect’s faith in continuing this legacy and reinterpreting it for the 21st century has very much stood the test of time.”

Completed in 2014, the school was extensively remodelled and rebuilt, to boast four new teaching blocks, a new performing arts centre and sports hall. An IT learning centre and state-of-the-art science laboratories, reinforcing its reputation as a centre of excellence for science. Its assembly hall and swimming pool/gymnasium building were also extensively refurbished and modernised while the campus also benefited from major landscaping work.

The changes also enabled the school to cater for an additional 200 pupils, including an expanded sixth form of up to 400 students.

As well as the coveted Stirling Prize, dubbed “The Oscars” of the design and architecture industry, the rebuild also won a Civic Trust Award which was followed up with a top prize in the 2015 New London Architecture (NLA) Awards.

The works were carried out by Lend Lease with the design work led by architects Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM), whose website showcases the project.

Burntwood’s head teacher Helen Shorrock said: “We are hugely proud to achieve another award, our buildings and teaching facilities allow us to teach in high quality specialist spaces, they raise aspiration for our young people, encourage them to interact and learn both outside and inside the buildings and are key to us delivering " the best education today for the women of tomorrow.”

And Kate Stock, Wandsworth’s Cabinet Member for Schools added: “The awards just keep on coming for this excellent school, which offers its pupils really superb facilities in a modern and high-tech learning environment.

“It has marvellous sports facilities, outstanding science laboratories, excellent dance, drama & music provision and a large, well-resourced library. All this set in beautifully landscaped grounds. It’s great that these superbly designed buildings have been recognised once more in a prestigious national competition.”