• Comparelli Architect - New Hall Wardour School

New Hall
Wardour School

New Hall, Wardour Catholic Primary School

The school was initially constructed in the mid 19th century with symmetrical and neo classically fronted, boys and girls classrooms either side of a central entry. Subsequent and rather expedient additions were constructed in the mid 20th century. Up to the recent completion of the hall the school has had to use one of its classroom for gym, lunch and school assemblies.

I was asked by the governors of the school to design a new school, multi use hall. Government guidance suggested the hall be a minimum140m2. This new volume was tested around the existing school and was finally placed to the front, adjacent the 2 historic classrooms.

Architecturally the scheme attempts to balance the prominent neo classical gables with a larger, stone gable set a comfortable distance away. This also managed to obscure the earlier flat roof additions and provide a public entrance for possible community use.

To maximises solar gain the interior of the hall is predominantly glazed to south west and south east facing with clerestories. To capture that gain and flatten the diurnal fluxuations for heating and cooling the timber-framed building is lined on two internal elevations with 100mm decorated block work. The northwest flank elevation has been built to accommodate outshots for a new kitchen and dedicated storage.

Heating is via an air source heat pump to UFH.  It is supplemented with a heat recovery ventilation system.

Lighting is by 2 banks of high level, highly efficient T5 strip lighting. These are automatically dimmed according to the amount of available daylight.