ABSTRACT
Since the James Review of Education Capital 2011, government has also advocated standardisation in the design and construction of schools, with the explicit aim of delivering both cost and time efficiencies. All schools exist within a specific geographical and social context. In the case of primary or urban schools the area served may be very small and homogeneous. While schools buildings might in theory be identical, all school sites are different; large or small; urban or rural; flat or sloping; developed or greenfield. The primary difference between urban and rural school design tends to relate to the available site area. One of the most significant constraints when redeveloping schools is the extent and location of existing buildings. Another traditional model based on collegiate precedents, themselves derived from the monastic tradition. Recognising variety and responding to project specifics is critical in developing designs that accurately reflect a school’s individuality and its particular circumstances, character and vision.
