NORR Education Buildings

EDUCAT ON

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Look who’s coming to campus. are you ready?!

NORR has set the standard for innovative and timeless designs around the world. We have offices in 17 locations, backed by more than 750 professionals. Founded in 1938, we offer the stability of a rich history, the power of integrated global teams and the versatility of a proven, multi-sector portfolio. We’re architects, engineers, designers, planners and big picture thinkers that apply our collaborative mindset to drive exceptional projects for our clients.

EDUCATION Intelligent Architecture

NORR enjoy working in many sectors.

The education sector is however one of our most important, and certainly our most diverse. We enjoy, and deeply value, our work in further and higher education. We love nurseries too. Above all however, we have designed and built a wide variety of schools around the UK; 45 at the last count, with a combined value of over £600m, and that’s just in Scotland alone. Some of these are shown in the pages that follow.

We have created new builds, revitalised old ones and helped to change peoples’ lives. That is very rewarding. We have worked in many different contexts, at every scale, for every budget and under a myriad of differing procurement routes, but we are always driven by one thing - the pursuit of quality.

Schools are not ordinary places. They are places to inspire and environments to complement the skills, and stimulate the minds, of all those who use them. And they are places which contribute to wider civic society too.

But 21st learning environments are changing, and so are our buildings. Education, at all levels, is becoming increasingly interconnected, from nursery to university and on to meaningful and rewarding employment. Teachers are clearly important. Students are important too, but giving both an inspiring environment in which to learn is surely even better.

Intelligent Architecture

EDUCATION

That’s what we at NORR aspire to provide.

Evolution not revolution...

1997

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2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

TIMELINE

2009

Architects like context, so let’s start at the beginning, with nursery and primary education.

How do any projects begin? How do they evolve? They begin with ideas based on need, driven by vision. The vision is informed by the brief – the single most important aspect of any project, and from which all subsequent design decisions are derived.

All of the clients we are fortunate enough to work with recognise that high quality learning environments can greatly enhance the delivery of education, especially for very young children.

In well designed spaces, pupils perform better, people feel better and communities are enriched.

Characterful design is a fundamental driver in the creation of our schools. So is value. And context, and ethos, all of which should be expressed in a satisfying whole. That is why all of our buildings are unique. They may often embrace common components, be influenced by common considerations, or explore similar themes, but they are always unique solutions for unique clients on unique sites.

Nursery and primary environments can be especially rewarding and convivial places to design. They vary greatly in size and context. They can be rural or urban in nature, be individual or be part of a wider campus. In every case however the successful consideration of scale, of ventilation, security and above all natural light are fundamental to successfully delivering the client’s brief, and in creating a joyful place where people of all ages want to be.

Intelligent Architecture

PRIMARY

Some of our diverse portfolio is shown here.

The existing ring of classrooms was retained and upgraded, whilst the old courtyards were replaced with a new steel structure incorporating a top-lit, bright, airy and highly flexible space, adding an element of surprise to an old familiar friend, and also creating a new and vibrant educational heart to a rejuvenated school.

Old

Enter

Client: East Ayrshire Council

Contractor: McLaughlIn & Harvey

2008

New

Extensive community consultation also demonstrated a tangible love for the existing school despite its very poor condition. Consequently, the architectural strategy we adopted was to retain and partly reorganise the building, providing the project with a simple, coherent and legible concept.

MAUCHLINE PRIMARY SCHOOL

New

This building, one of 4 new schools for East Ayrshire Council, involved the refurbishment, revitalisation and extension of an existing Victorian building.

Occupying a prominent site in the centre of an historic Ayrshire village, the architecture of this special place provided a vernacular context which called for a sensitive response.

Shortlisted for a BCSE Award 2008

With its sister (yet similarly unique) design for Aileymill Primary, the building was organised into a series of simple educational clusters, the arrangement of which provided functional legibility, a compact and efficient overall form, and the provision of natural light deep into the heart of the plan. The linear form of the school’s class bases contrasts with its double volume public spaces, and the top-lit sculptural qualities of its integral nursery.

ASN provision is also incorporated into a cohesive and inclusive learning environment.

All of the building’s primary spaces enjoy excellent visual connectivity between inside and out. Views are embraced and light is warmly welcomed in to a genuinely convivial school.

Client: Inverclyde Council

Contractor: Miller Construction (now Morrison Construction)

2010 ALL SAINTS PRIMARY SCHOOL

Occupying a split level site with commanding views over the Firth of Clyde, this is one of two new primaries which NORR has completed for Inverclyde Council.

First BREEAM “Outstanding” rated primary school in the UK

Internally the school is split into upper and lower levels and adopts a pinwheel plan to provide distinct yet related wings for lower, middle and upper school pupils. A further wing houses the nursery, with play spaces created between all of these wings, reducing scale both internally and externally, and maximizing the penetration of natural light from both sides of the section.

The upper floor hub contains the main entrance and related public spaces whilst the lower level area contains the ASN facilities and main classroom wings. In this way all major learning spaces in the building enjoy excellent connections between inside and out.

Client: Fife Council

Contractor: Morgan Sindall Construction

2011 CARNEGIE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Located on the east side of Dunfermline, Carnegie Primary School was the first primary school in the UK to be recognized with an ‘Outstanding’ BREEAM certification. It is considered to be one of the most environmentally sustainable projects in Scotland. It is also a lovely place to learn.

Where two or more projects have the same diverse mix of requirements all wrapped up within a similar ethos then logic dictates there may be similarities or even common components in the resultant designs. This brings underlying consistency and genuinely improved value. We adopted this approach when we deasigned a family of schools for Borders Council.

West Linton Primary adopts a series of wings which help to break down the scale of the project into something more suited to young children and its rural village context. The building’s gently curving frontage also provides a new civic space, and a welcoming place for parents to linger and the community to engage.

Client: Borders Council

Contractor: Graham Construction

2013 WEST LINTON PRIMARY SCHOOL

Individual learning places each have their own individual ethos, design challenges and interests, but they also need to reflect the unique characteristics of a particular place. It does however also make sense to learn from our experience rather than reinventing everything from first principles.

AWARDS Excellence in Design for Teaching & Learning (Primary), BCSE Best of British School Awards 2011 Building of the Year at the Edinburgh Architectural Association Awards 2011 Best Educational Project, Scottish Design Awards 2011

Our multi-award-winning Kingsland Primary School also contains a nursery and impressive community facilities. The project’s split section means that the majority of its class bases have direct access to the outside environment, emphasising both the visual and physical connectivity of the school to its semi-rural setting.

2010

The front elevation of the building is clad in dry stone walling, whilst the complimentary use of timber and white render lends a tactile and convivial quality to the school as a whole.

KINGSLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL

A new gateway to an old town…

The steeply sloping site generated a design strategy which successfully manipulates scale, exploiting the existing slope and hiding the bulk of the school’s larger spaces by embedding these into the hill beyond. Internally, the use of simple yet robust materials like plywood panelling provides the school with a cost-effective yet visually pleasing aesthetic which is flooded with natural light.

Client: Borders Council

Contractor: Graham Construction

These include sibling primaries where different forms enjoy common components, and others where radically different site responses can both deliver the same educational ethos.

Linear forms, graceful roofs, efficient plans and interesting sections, civic drums and even wagon train concepts all collectively help to deliver recognisably unique learning places with an educational ethos specific to the particular client and place.

CURRENT PROJECTS - FUTURE SCHOOLS

We are currently working on a number of school projects for clients old and new.

NORR first started designing schools in 1997.

Our first job was a secondary school and since then we have been fortunate to build many more. We have worked with many interesting clients and jointly created many interesting projects. We hope we have learned from our clients and that they have learned from us.

Learning has evolved, briefing has evolved and the commercial environment in which we work has become increasingly more challenging. Costs must be met and matrices delivered. But that doesn’t mean design can’t still be good. On the contrary, in our experience embracing new ways of learning can often lead to both enhanced educational environments and tangibly improved value.

That has always been our aim but increasingly so with our most recent work where collaborative development of the secondary school brief has led to the constant evolution of the learning places we create, to tremendous varieties of space, size and character, and to the increased use of flexible spaces, the on-going deconstruction of the dreaded corridor and, ultimately, to genuinely improved yet creative efficiency.

Every client is different though and consequently so are the designs of our buildings. Different clients want different things and are driven by differing educational beliefs. Different beliefs often demand fundamentally different concepts. That’s fine. We like that. It’s ultimately what makes our work so enjoyable to do.

Intelligent Architecture

SECONDARY

And it’s why we are still doing it after twenty years.

Incorporating a specialist music school, the building’s graceful entry gable reveals its gently curving barrelled roof, an architectural form which successfully manipulates scale for children and sensitive neighbours alike, allowing what is a very large project to contain its mass within its split level section and overall respectful form.

Client: East Dunbartonshire Council

Contractor: Morgan Sindall

2009

A beautiful site too, punctuated with majestic Cedar of Lebanon trees, within which the new school carefully nestles at its north-western end. This strategy allowed the retention of the old building during construction and the creation of a suitable setting for the new.

DOUGLAS ACADEMY

A semi-rural site on the very edge of the city.

“When I look around this new school, I can see that its design shows that young people are valued by the society which created it�.

Grant McGovern, Headteacher

54% uptake in school meals since opening

Through its rich variety of spaces the building offers an environment capable not just of stimulating the educational attainment of its pupils, but also their on-going social development by creating a non-institutional and rewarding environment in which to grow.

From an external perspective, the new school undoubtedly provides the town of Greenock with a dignified and striking new civic presence, creating a powerful and appropriate visual expression for what is one of the most important buildings in the community.

Published in the Architect’s Journal in February 2011 as an exemplar of secondary school design.

Client: Inverclyde Council

Contractor: Miller Construction (now Morrison Construction)

2010

The building has a clear and legible diagram with a plan of four separate parts, each of which responds to the various functional requirements of the brief, and to the contextual constraints of the site.

NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL

An urban site in a town with a strong ship-building heritage.

2010

A prominent suburban site, enjoying wonderful view across the Firth of Clyde below.

“All of our new schools combine genuine educational functionality with innovative design, creating a visual feast which touches and stimulates the senses. I believe that we, working together, have produced the finest examples of contemporary schools architecture anywhere in Scotland.

Schools that will be capable of inspiring young people for generations to come” Councillor Terry Loughran, Inverclyde Council’s Education Committee Chair

Client: Inverclyde Council

Contractor: Miller Construction (now Morrison Construction)

CLYDEVIEW ACADEMY

A sister project to Notre Dame yet completely different in its design. A street and finger concept which embraces the view, deflects the wind and maximises the exploitation of natural light throughout. Solar control blades provide added colour and character to the school’s western entry frontage.

Awards Finalist for Development of the Year (Public Buildings), Scottish Property Awards 2018

The building’s rational, quasi-classical exterior contrasts deeply with its playful and spatially rich interior, imbued throughout with natural light.

This contrast delivers surprise and delight for all those who use the new school, providing a creative blend of perceptible value and architectural quality expressed in a contemporary manner.

Client: North Lanarkshire Council through South West Hub Co

Contractor: Morrison Construction

2017

A 3 storey colonnade provides environmental protection and enhanced civic presence to the school’s south-facing façade, all contained within a folded plane of rain-screen stone.

GREENFAULDS HIGH SCHOOL

A highly efficient rectangular form arranged on an east-west axis.

Form Inspired by Context

“Our new purpose built facility will fully embrace and promote the use of technology in the general learning environment which has not altered in over a century. This vision was developed in partnership with NORR Architects to deliver a modern, efficient and exciting educational resource for the future needs of West Lothian pupils.”

The deep plan, split level form of the school is also based on an innovative brief from which its exciting learning spaces are directly derived. The excellent internal educational connectivity which the design creates is contained by an efficient footprint with an outstanding external wall to floor area ratio, an approach which is not just intrinsically sustainable, but also allows the project to deliver additional accommodation whilst still remaining well below the relevant government area guidance.

The subject of a creative collaboration with the Council’s team, our architectural ambition reflects our client’s aspirations for a high quality educational environment that will be genuinely stimulating for all those who will use it.

Client: West Lothian Council through South East Hub Co

Contractor: Morrison Construction

WEST CALDER HIGH SCHOOL

All of our buildings are designed from first principles and West Calder is no different; it is a unique response to a unique site. It couldn’t be anywhere else. Its form is inspired by the heritage of the area, its roof-scape echoing the angular forms of the nearby 5 Sisters Shale Bing, containing below it a wide variety of interesting spaces of varying scale and character bathed in natural light.

2018

Dr Elaine Cook, Depute Chief Executive, West Lothian Council.

“A school of endless possibilities…”

Julie Calder Headteacher

“The new school is already enhancing performance and enriching the experience of our young people” Carrie Beesley PE Teacher

“The learning plazas and breakout areas are fantastic environments for learning and teaching�

Farideh Roberts Science Teacher

AWARD Inspiring Learning Spaces, Education Buildings Scotland 2017

“The school feels more like a University than a secondary school” Max, 3rd Year Pupil

Compact, Classical + Efficient

Form

Second Floor & Spatial Massing

The diverse variety of internal spaces includes a large performance space, interesting social areas and flexible learning plazas, all animated with natural light. These spaces are simply contained within 4 walls and 1 sloping roof. Two highly glazed elevations provide visual connectivity between inside and out, whilst two largely brick elevations provide added visual substance to what is a very simple yet elegant building.

First Floor

It is an extremely efficient yet high quality solution, both from a briefing and an architectural point of view.

Ground Floor

Client: Perth & Kinross Council through East Central Hub

The school also enjoys a compact, sustainable and highly efficient form. It will become the focal point to a new masterplan which significantly extends the residential capacity of Perth.

Contractor: Morrison Construction

PERTH SECONDARY SCHOOL

A sister project to West Calder, but on a different site, in a different context.

2018

Envelope

We have been involved in several campus projects and have seen their design evolve over many years, for differing clients with strongly differing educational philosophies. They are an increasingly popular model in school design, where nursery, primary, secondary and specialist teaching accommodation can all be brought together within one large, inclusive environment.

Such an approach can often bring an economy of scale and, if handled correctly, can also have a hugely positive and significant impact on everyone involved. Barriers are broken down internally and externally, between the differing stages of education and between the campus and its wider community.

Intelligent Architecture

CAMPUSES

Architectural scale however always needs careful handling in these projects where the building needs to feel comfortable for all ages and stages of pupil. Fortunately such considerations often leads to interesting solutions, some of which are shown here.

“NORR’s first statement to us was – we’ve come with a blank sheet of paper, what do you want?

The team then proceeded to analyse our written brief and listen very carefully to what all stakeholders had to say – including the teaching staff and pupils. The quality of internal spaces, external environment, sense of scale, and simple functionality of the resulting landmark architecture has been a delight to all who both use it or who note it in passing.

This whole process was marked by a relaxed but professional relationship which made it easy for us as clients to express and clarify both dislikes and preferences as the design developed”.

John Cochrane, East Ayrshire Council

The school’s educational ethos was important and found appropriate expression in its architecture and in the quality of its various characterful, well lit spaces.

Client: East Ayrshire Council

Contractor: McLaughlin & Harvey

2008

A variation on a street and finger concept, the building’s secondary education clusters, a public frontage element and a curving primary school with accompanying nursery and oratory are all grouped around the campus’s shared sports facilities. In this way the large scale spaces were contained and disguised by the lower scale areas on the building’s perimeter, creating a satisfying, picturesque whole which greatly enriches its context.

ST JOSEPH’S CAMPUS

Together with a sister project, Grange Academy, this campus project was the first which the practice completed.

The requirement to house a denominational secondary, a nondenominational secondary, a very large ASN School, an Enterprise Centre and a variety of shared community sports facilities on an exposed hilltop site all led to a rich and diverse building form which enjoys beautiful daylight penetration, successful manipulation of scale and highly effective natural ventilation throughout.

In so doing, the project has become much more than a building – it has become a gateway to its town, a genuine focus for its community and a catalyst for the further regeneration of this peripheral area of Port Glasgow.

Scottish Design Award Commendation 2014 Civic Trust Award Commendation 2015 Client: Inverclyde Council

Contractor: Graham Construction

PORT GLASGOW COMMUNITY CAMPUS 2013

The largest and most complex educational building completed by the practice to date.

“We are loving our new school and we can see huge opportunities in it. Our school building creates flexible and adaptable learning spaces. These are filled with natural light ensuring learning areas feel spacious and part of the outside environment.“ Jill Woodward, Head Teacher

Here the building employs an appropriately rich long section, its form bending to accommodate the restrictions of its site, manipulating scale and providing added grandeur to its social space at the fulcrum of the plan.

2016

A simple form with a surprisingly rich and diverse interior.

This approach provides numerous opportunities for views across, through and between spaces of varying scale and character, greatly enriching the experiences of all those who use the school and reinforcing an underlying sense of a collective school community.

Client: North Lanarkshire Council through SW Hub Co

Contractor: Morrison Construction

CLYDE VALLEY CAMPUS

The use of colonnades, cantilevers and carefully considered modelling all contribute to the restrained yet elegant external aesthetic, whilst internally the exploitation of natural light and the extensive use of internal glazed screens contribute significantly to a tangible sense of transparency.

Collegiate, Urbane & Dignified

The external aesthetic is restrained and elegant, combining a strong sense of permanence with a controlled, open transparency revealing an interesting spatial interior punctuated by colour and light. Deep reveals provide environmental control and sinuous curves identify entrances, whilst external courtyards and carefully positioned rooflights ensure that all parts of the building enjoy the benefits of natural light.

The secondary school to the north is taller, and the primary and nursery areas to the south lower, with effective planning controlling scale and encouraging a myriad of educational connections.

A mature setting provided by the close proximity of beautifully mature trees creates a visually attractive back drop to this carefully considered project.

Client: East Ayrshire Council through South West Hub Co

Contractor: KIER Construction

THE WILLIAM MCILVANNEY CAMPUS 2018

A simple, dignified series of 3 interconnected buildings combine to create a new civic campus in Kilmarnock.

Russell Baxter

Lewis Beattie

Kevin Cooper Lorna Denholm

Andy Blain

Scott Bryce Crawford

Greg Duncan

Mark Fresson

Kristina McKinnon

Brian O’Donnell Neil Rankin

Hugh Ransom

Murray Slade

Derek Reid

Calum Hunter

Anna Michalska

Edward O’Donnell

Ross Park

Murray Restrup

Philip Murray Nick Peaker

Kiran Sharma-Boon

Jennifer Shaw

Kevin Stephen

Lesley Taylor Ralph Tilston Thanks also to our old friend Bryan Munford (1969 - 2010)

Jennifer Freeman

Keith Matheson Anthony McCall

Jonathan Kennedy

Stuart Steel

Bruce Danraj

Nicola Edward

Gordon Henderson

Paul McLaren

Christopher Collins

Steven Cromb

Karen Duncan

Carole Hall

Jonathan Ives Paul Jamieson Martin McCall

James Bowie

Graeme Whitelaw

Bruce Wright

Our people are our most important asset.

Without them we wouldn’t be able to deliver the desires and aspirations of our clients.

Some of our key people have been with us for a very long time. They are intelligent, experienced and knowledgeable. And, our clients tell us, good fun to work with too. That’s important. After all if you are going to spend time working with people, why shouldn’t you enjoy it?

Director

Associate

Associate

Associate

Kevin Cooper

Mark Fresson

Lorna Denholm

Brian O’Donnell

Kevin Stephen

07730 952615

07720 814284

07944 787582

07764 895670

07807 152584

kevin.cooper@norr.com

mark.fresson@norr.com

lorna.denholm@norr.com

brian.odonnell@norr.com

kevin.stephen@norr.com

PEOPLE

Director

“I think the campus and especially Craigmarloch are spectacular! You have created the most outstanding learning spaces I have ever seen. All of our pupils are now being educated in spaces which shout...dignity, respect and value! You should be very, very proud of your work�.

Angela Edwards, Head of Educational Planning and Culture

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