Canterbury school’s pupils see the light

Clague has worked as architect for contractors, Cardy Construction Limited, under a Design & Build contract to obtain full planning permission and listed building consent at St Edmund’s School Canterbury, Kent, to allow a former lightwell and ground floor library between historic buildings to be transformed into a new two-storey recreational space for pupils.

The project was a triumph of logistical organisation for Cardy and its Design & Build team involving the installation of two new storeys on top of the existing library. It required the construction of new foundations in the library during the summer half term holiday, in preparation for the steel frame to be installed during the long summer holiday.

Filling in the lightwell brought its own design challenge for Clague’s project architect Andrew Wittich – how to ensure that enough daylight would reach the lower of the two new floors: “The upper level has skylights however we designed an internal atrium space reaching down through the two floors to provide the natural daylight for the intermediate level that would otherwise be lost.”

However, all hurdles were successfully cleared and the completed building was handed over to the school on time and with virtually no disruption to school life. Jeremy Gladwin, the headmaster at St Edmund’s School Canterbury, said: “Seeing a design come to life from the initial drawings is extremely rewarding. We are absolutely delighted with the finished work which undoubtedly enhances the school and the experience of our pupils.”