North London Collegiate School (NLCS) is an independent day school for girls aged 4 to 18, known for its high academic achievement. In 2016 we won an invited competition to masterplan the school in line with NLCS’s ambitions to be zero carbon by 2050.
Phase 1 of the masterplan is a main entrance and Ideas Hub. Standing for Innovation, Design, Engineering, Art and Science, the Ideas Hub allows NLCS to deliver an exciting curriculum. Through many enjoyable meetings with the school community, we came up with a brief together that met their desire to inspire the girls and encourage them to experiment with technology and design in ways that encourage them to build confidence and not fear making mistakes. We explored the idea of creating collaborative spaces like those at university. At the building’s opening, headteacher Vicky Bingham said they knew they were getting lovely design studios but it was these in-between spaces that they hadn’t expected to work so well, bringing students together to explore new ways of working. The whole building aims to inspire and educate, providing new ways to look at and solve problems, as well as see and celebrate each other’s creativity.
The new building relocates the main reception from the other side of the site. Already the main entry point for 75% of pupils as well as people using the adjacent sports centre (which is open to the public), it is a sensible move that provides a secure and celebratory welcome, as well as a logical starting point for navigating the campus. Consolidating admin offices creates a more efficient work environment at the heart of the school.
The building fits neatly into the site, wrapping around the much-loved Art Building and offers glimpses towards the central pond. The volume corresponds carefully to its surrounding buildings, while materiality reflects the dominance of brick on the school estate and the pale Portland stone of the school’s Grade II listed Mansion House.
