Wood features in the award winning Alfriston School’s new swimming pool and helps to create a calm environment for both the school’s pupils and the local community.
The Project
The award winning Alfriston School in Buckinghamshire offers full time education and board to girls 11-18 years old with a diverse range of special needs and disabilities.
In 2008 Duggan Morris Architects was commissioned to create a new pool for the school which could also be made available to the local community in order to generate extra revenue. The design brief had the children who attend Alfriston at its core with a focus on creating a peaceful environment for pupils.
The pool, shortlisted for the 2014 Wood Awards, was built with a concrete foundation and prefabricated timber pitched and tapered roof, intended to be a contemporary expression of the local architecture. Sustainably sourced Scandinavian wood contributed to the main beams, pillars and supports while the exterior was constructed using CLT ply skin and the interior was finished with a white breathable wash.
Benefits school and local community . Image credit: Mark Hadden/Wood for Good/Duggan Morris Architects. Reprinted courtesy www.woodforgood.com
By involving the tapered design, Duggan Morris formed an acoustic baffle to reduce echo, consequently allowing a calm and serene atmosphere for the pupils. In addition, a low level glass window strip around the pool allows for an unobstructed view of the surrounding fields and landscapes, creating a wonderful finish and providing pupils and the public with a peaceful environment.
