There is an inherent sensitivity in the design and delivery of educational facilities; whether because buildings are no longer fit for purpose, an urgency for school places, a need to expand an existing school, or introducing a new school to a community that has previously had no experience of such (and the considered pros and cons that this brings). There is also increasing pressure to find the most suitable land for education that must compete with more commercially driven development.
For over a decade, we have supported investment in education through our partnership with BAM Construction. Since 2012, this collaboration has delivered a diverse portfolio of schools across the East and West Midlands, including specialist University Technical Colleges (UTCs), secondary and sixth-form schools, primary schools, and dedicated SEND facilities.
Specialist UTCs include WMG Academy for Young Engineers in Solihull. More than a school, it represented an important opportunity to support urban regeneration through educational investment as part of the North Solihull Regeneration Area. Located within an existing community, unlocking the site required a careful balance between physical and environmental constraints; existing green space and public rights of way, nearby dwellings and watercourses, and the neighbouring Chelmsley Wood Local Nature Reserve. Designed by Maber Architects, it provides a unique place for learning, offering specialist subjects allied to local employers in the automotive, aerospace and high value engineering sectors.
Other projects have focused on revitalising brownfield sites, such as the successful development of new secondary schools in Leicester (Castle Mead Academy) and Derby (Derby Cathedral School), and a new secondary school on the former Rugeley Power Station site, achieving early delivery for the local community.
Image courtesy of BAM
Image courtesy of BAM
Image courtesy of BAM
Courtesy of BAM Design
Our focus
Some of our most sensitive work has involved the refurbishment and expansion of historically significant schools. The Grade II Listed Royal School Wolverhampton, originally built as an orphanage in the 1850s, is a prominent landmark that had been altered numerous times to accommodate evolving educational needs. Our development included a new primary school opposite the historic building, carefully integrated within a Conservation Area, alongside the reprovision of key sports facilities on a previously derelict site.
Across every project, our focus is the same: creating educational spaces that meet modern needs, respect their surroundings, and enrich the communities they serve.
Project Team
Kirstie Clifton
Sam Perkins
Let’s define your next project
Curious about how we could work together? Our team of planners, designers and landscape architects are ready to help bring your vision to life.
