Kingswood School
Kingswood School, Bath, commissioned Stonewood Design to lead the design and construction of new accommodation for the Preparatory School and classrooms for the pre-prep and nursery.
Kingswood School is located in the northern neighbourhood of Lansdown, Bath, where it occupies a large estate. It is centred around a large 18th century school building at the centre of the estate, though also comprises a range of buildings, including a range of more modern, contemporary constructions which provide teaching, study, boarding, pastoral, administrative and sports space and facilities.
The School proposes two new buildings on a site to the north of the existing Preparatory School: Firstly a New Prep School Building re-accommodates facilities in a fit-for-purpose new building. This includes classrooms for Years 5 and 6, Music, Art, “STEAM” facilities and a new School Hall.
The Pre-Prep and Nursery Building is conceived as a collection of timber pavilions within a woodland setting. The site is markedly different to much of the rest of the Kingswood Campus, and neighbouring area which is more formal and open in its nature. The characteristics of the site are defined by a hidden woodland feel, which almost comes as a surprise as one arrives at the site.
The site for the New Prep School Building and Nursery is remarkably different to much of the rest of the Kingswood Campus, and neighbouring area which is more formal and open in its nature. The characteristics of the site are defined by a hidden woodland feel, which almost comes as a surprise as one arrives at the site..
Key Design Concepts include:
• Classrooms and nursery spaces to have direct access to the outside. • Inside-Outside Spaces.
• Kinaesthetic Learning.
• Forest School.
• A scale appropriate to children.
• Ecology. A Magical Woodland Setting.
• A scheme which embraces topography, views
• and landscape.
• Awareness of the changing day and seasons.
• Creative solutions to storage.
• Quality of materials.
• A creative curriculum.
The scale of the proposals work sensitively within the site, and do not dominate the landscape, and maintain a scale and proportion which ensures an appropriate response.
