Flora Gardens Primary School
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Hammersmith & Fulham Council
Welcome
Introduction As part of Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s Community Schools Programme we’re asking parents, pupils, local residents, the wider community and key stakeholders to help re-design and develop two schools to make them fit for the future. We’re aiming to find new, imaginative and sustainable solutions to create better school sites across the borough.
These first drop-in exhibitions are an opportunity to see our initial analysis of the sites, meet the architects and share your ideas about a new school, community facilities and housing. Flora Gardens Primary School will be one of the first to benefit from the programme. The Council and the school are working in partnership to maximise this unique opportunity to regenerate and improve the current school facilities for the benefit of the borough’s children.
Community Schools Programme As well as fixing their current building problems, the programme aims to: > Improve the flexibility of classroom space to meet new curriculum requirements. > Make better use of play space to keep children healthier. > Help schools recruit the best teachers. > Improve inclusion, by designing sufficient space and facilities for learners requiring extra support. > Make better use of schools to benefit the wider community, outside the school day and during holidays.
New Homes > To fund the delivery of new schools, high-quality new homes are required to be built on each site alongside the school.
Flora Gardens Primary School
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Hammersmith & Fulham Council
What’s happened so far? The Vision > To improve educational outcomes > Support thriving neighbourhoods > Help to meet the funding challenges facing our school community These images provide an example of how this vision could be achieved.
Landscape: Communal sitting area
Responds to the context: Residential facing a public park
Flexibility: Multi purpose learning spaces
Make the most for each site: Internal countryard for play and learning
Mixed use: Community centre / Residential
Responds to the context: School design fits amongst existing residential neighbours
The Brief To ensure the views of the entire school community were recorded from the beginning of the process, the Council appointed an independent design advisor, who has worked with the school leadership team, the governors, staff, parents and pupils over the last 6 months to prepare a comprehensive design brief for the new school.
Existing classroom
This design brief has captured the school’s aspirations for its new facilities and has the support of the governing body and senior school leadership team. In relation to the residential element, a key part of the Council’s brief is for at least 50% of the new homes to be affordable to help address the borough’s housing need.
School hall
Pupil feedback on the design brief
Flora Gardens Primary School
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Hammersmith & Fulham Council
Meet the team The Council have now appointed a design team to make the proposals contained within the design brief a reality. The challenge is to ensure that both the educational and housing elements are of the highest quality and for that reason the team consists of both a school specialist and a residential specialist.
School Architect
Walters & Cohen are education specialists, with over 50 completed education projects ranging from nurseries and primary schools to university buildings, we are passionate about building outstanding schools. Having received awards for how our schools look and work, we are considered experts in education design. Our approach is collaborative, friendly, strategic and professional.
Regent High School, Camden (Walters & Cohen)
Elm Park Primary School, Havering (Walters & Cohen)
Residential Architect
Reynard Mills, Hounslow (BPTW)
For over 30 years, BPTW has worked with local authorities to successfully design innovative and exemplary housing developments. We measure the success of our projects through the positive impact our buildings have on the local community. Our core values guide the way we work and are an intrinsic part our culture, namely:
Aperture Works, Harrow (BPTW)
Collaborative
Nurturing
Respectful
Passionate
Creative
Sociable.
Landscape Architect
As well as being experienced residential landscape designers, LUC have worked extensively in the education sector and have informed the landscape design for a number of recent school projects. Our design approach is to produce rich, thoughtful and locally distinctive landscape solutions which are of exceptional quality.
Acton Gardens, Ealing (LUC)
Camden Active Spaces, St Dominic’s School, Camden (LUC)
Flora Gardens Primary School
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Hammersmith & Fulham Council
Design Principles
+ School
+ Housing
= Community
Vibrant Mixed use scheme where new homes fund our new school. The housing is necessary to deliver a new school.
There are a number of elements to consider to ensure the co-location of a school and housing is successful.
> Noise mitigation: the buildings will be designed with input from a specialist acoustician so noise generated separately from both the school and the residential will not impact one another.
> Security and access: the security of the school and safeguarding of pupils is paramount. The school will have clear and controlled dedicated entrance points.
> Privacy control: overlooking of the school will be an important consideration when designing the direction and placement of windows.
> Equal emphasis on schools and homes: the residential and school elements will be designed with the same care and attention as one another to ensure the mix of uses work in harmony.
Educational Continuity Your child’s education is important and we will look to minimise disruption as the new school is being built. The intention is to keep the school operating on site but if this is not possible the school will be moved to suitable alternative premises nearby.
Flora Gardens Primary School
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Hammersmith & Fulham Council
The Site
Ravenscourt Park
Ravensc our
t Road
Road Dalling
There has been a school on the site since the late 19th Century. The school offers pupil places in each year group from Reception to Year 6. In addition, there is a nursery and a separate Children’s Centre. In the centre of the site is the detached, two-storey White House, which is where the school’s Breakfast Club operates from.
Flora Gardens Estate
The site is not located within a Conservation Area but is adjacent to the Bradmore Conservation Area and Ravenscourt and Starch Green Conservation Area.
Key Primary Vehicular Route
Ravenscourt Park Station
Main School Entrance Alternative School Entrance Ravenscourt Park Ravenscourt Park Station Flora Gardens Estate
Site context
01
01 - Flora Gardens Estate
02
02 - Rear of private houses facing the school
03 05
04
06
03 - Terraced houses along Ravenscourt Rd
04 - Dalling Rd
05 - School entrance
06 - View of the school from the station platform
Flora Gardens Primary School
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Hammersmith & Fulham Council
The Opportunity Strategic Opportunities
Potential Site Zoning
ENABLE shared community space while maintaining individual identity for school and residential
PRESERVE as many of the existing trees as possible
CREATE new links and routes through the site
RESPOND to the scale of the surrounding area
Flora Gardens Primary School
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Hammersmith & Fulham Council
What happens next? Local Benefits
New homes in the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham
Delivery of high-quality new buildings which will repair the site’s relationship with the surrounding area
Improvements to the public realm and landscaping enhancements
Financial contributions towards local and strategic infrastructure
50% affordable housing target
A landmark development adjacent to Ravenscourt Park tube station
Residential accommodation within 5 mins walking distance from main bus and tube lines
The residential element finances a new school
Target Programme
Jan 2020
Apr 2020 Stage 1 Site Analysis
Aug-Sep 2020 Stage 3 Final Design Review
Stage 2 Developing the Design
> Strategic Design Approach > First Public Consultation
Summer 2021
> Pre-application meeting with the Local Planning Authority > Second Public Consultation
> Pre-application meeting with the Local Planning Authority > Preparation of all documents required for a planning application
Planning Application Submitted
Stage 2 Refining the Design
Stage 1 Complete
Construction anticipated to start
Development completed
> Residents can comment on the application
> Pre-application meeting with the Local Planning Authority > Third Public Consultation
Feb-Mar 2020
May-Jul 2020
Autumn 2020
Have your say We need your help to design this much needed new school and new homes so please complete our feedback form. This is the first exhibition and there will be further opportunities to view and comment on the emerging design in exhibitions over the coming months. A copy of the exhibition boards is available on the Council’s website by searching Flora Gardens Primary.
Summer 2023