In 2023 we were commissioned by Magdalen College School to design their new Science, Library and Partnerships building.
You’d be forgiven for asking what partnerships means, so let’s start there: the school is committed to outreach within a local community of schools, and wanted the new building to include a dedicated large lab where MCS science teachers can teach pupils from their partner schools.
Alongside 18 labs for physics, chemistry and biology, a robotics lab and computer science classrooms allow MCS to expand its curriculum in exciting new ways, and the new Waynflete lab is dedicated to sixth form pupils undertaking long-running experiments. Named after the school’s founder, William Waynflete, it supports his vision of pursuing knowledge for its own sake and is designed to help bridge the gap between school and university.
The library is the academic heart of the school and is a traditional, quiet study space.
Many of the staff and pupils arrive at the school on the busy Iffley Road, so we have created a generous covered route to the school site beyond, which is a modern interpretation of college entrances seen across the city.
During the early design stages it became clear that pupils and staff wanted the building to embody their commitment to achieving Net Zero. We worked hard as a design team to design it to Passivhaus standards while at the same time ensuring the building presented a welcoming and impressive public face along Iffley Road. We have crafted a brick facade that is carefully detailed to break up the massing and complement the rhythm of the townhouses opposite. We were delighted when the building received planning in December 2025.
