North Leigh Primary School – the advantages of standardised design

North Leigh Primary School needed a block extension to provide two new classrooms. We worked with the Oxford Diocesan Board of Education to develop a nice and simple timber frame building that would function well as a classroom block.

The nature of the design and its simplicity meant we were able to use the same design at another of the ODBoE’s primary schools in Stanton Harcourt. This not only saved the client’s budget in the short term but by using a standard design all the schools using this design would be able to easily access information on how the block had been designed, built, and maintained. This design was all about function, as it should be when designing for schools, as the design must be practical. Stanton Harcourt’s Primary School was built following a design competition, so while it was aesthetically pleasing it didn’t function as a school  – with no large open space for assemblies and pillars and posts obscuring spaces.

This standardised design is far from a classic and isn’t anything special to look at, but it does function exceptionally well as a classroom. Standardisation also makes the building easier to adapt and change in the future. We have designed the building with a jobbing local builder in mind for future changes, repairs, and maintenance rather than a big contractor, hopefully ensuring the schools can save budget in the future.

Project Team

Client: North Leigh Primary School

Contractor: Oxford Diocesan Board of Education