King Edward VI School in Southampton invited us to develop designs for an innovative and highly sustainable new science centre. Our designs for a net-zero carbon building were driven by considerations of natural light, internal flow, and constructional efficiency. The design is sensitive to the site context, using warm timber tones to complement the existing red brick campus and retaining much of the existing structure at ground floor level.

Sustainability features included south-facing PVs, northlight glazing, and ‘windcatcher’ stacks for natural ventilation, with a CLT timber structure significantly reducing embodied carbon. Internally, a dramatic central atrium and a new entrance improve connectivity, while a new upper storey hosts flexible, cutting-edge laboratories and a hidden rooftop science garden, creating an expressive and modern learning environment.

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Sector
Education

Services
Architecture

Size
2,200 m2

Date
2025