PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE
A £2.8M Performing Arts Building that provided a much-needed on-site facility for the school. The building contains a number of dance and drama studios, two of which convert into a theatre which can seat an audience of over 350. Other facilities include a new dining area for the school, changing areas, and offices.
The external appearance of the building was designed to blend in with the adjacent main school buildings, and to meet the Local Planning Authority’s strict rules for the site.
The building was divided into two phases, and the Music School wing was completed during the following year.
BOARDING HOUSES
HPA designed, and gained Planning Permission for three linked boarding houses, which had a capacity for 75 pupils. Work began on these buildings, and is currently on-hold.
DANCE STUDIOS
This project saw the construction of 4 new purpose built Dance Studios at The Hammond School. The 4 studios are in a prominent position on the site, adjacent to Hoole Bank House, which is the main visitor’s entrance to the school. A key feature of the design are the large full height windows looking out to the courtyard. These allow visitors to gain views into the Studios, so they can see rehearsals and gain an immediate understanding on the school’s specialism in the subjects of Drama and Dance.
The studios were designed with a modern mono-pitch roof, due to the fact that there were constraints on the maximum building height by the Local Planning Authority. The building was designed to a budget and was completed in a tight timescale.
Internally, the Dance Studios are finished to a high specification, with full height glazing, sprung floor and ballet barres. Ventilation for the Studios is provided by a Passive Ventilation System, which is both sustainable and cost-efficient to operate (as opposed to Air-conditioning).
CLASSROOMS AND SPORTS HALL
The practice also gained planning permission for a series of new classrooms and a sports hall.
ALL-WEATHER SPORTS PITCHES
An all-weather sports pitch was constructed at the start of the redevelopment of the site.
HPA have been involved in a number of educational architecture projects at The Hammond School, one of the North West’s leading dance and drama schools, which is situated near Chester.
