_space to be EXCEPTIONAL in Durham!

Newcastle-based architects _space group have been awarded the highest environmental assessment accolade possible on a scheme that will change the face of Durham City.

The education architects have secured a BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) ‘Excellent’ rating for the £32m Durham University Gateway project, which is currently on site on the city’s Stockton Road.

The project, which sits within a World Heritage Site, comprises the design for a new flagship building to accommodate the internationally renowned Durham Law School, and the Palatine Centre housing student services, professional support services and a catering outlet. The project also includes a major extension to the Main Library.

A visualisation of the new flagship Durham Gateway building, due to be completed next year

Trevor Armour, deputy director (projects), estates and buildings, Durham University, said: “We’ve been working closely with _space group since 2008 to ensure that we create a building that makes the most of current sustainability practices and is a fitting piece of architecture for the estate and the city landscape.

“For the Palatine building to achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating at this stage is a great indicator that we are on track to accomplish our goals. The Palatine building represents a significant investment in both the University estate and the City of Durham and we are very satisfied with the work _space group has done so far. We are keen that the finished Palatine building will be an iconic part of the university, embracing 21^st century design standards.”

_space group is also responsible for the landscape design strategy for the Science Site campus that surrounds the Gateway project. Plans include the pedestrianisation of the Science Site, creation of new site gateways and public ‘heartspace’ in front of the Main Library. A new and vibrant pedestrian and cycle friendly public realm will be created, rich in public art, specimen tree planting and generous landscaping.

Andrew Grounsell, associate director, _space group, said: “Our company philosophy is to create sustainable communities in the regions in which we are based. While we have offices across the North, we have a long history in the North East and to be able to make a positive change in the city of Durham is very rewarding.

“Our work is underpinned by green thinking at every turn, and the Gateway project is no exception. Working with the concept architects, ph partnership, we have incorporated a number of features such as natural ventilation, solar shading, solar collectors, photovoltaics and sedum roofs, and we have selected eco-friendly materials at every turn.

“Our goal is not only to deliver a building that is iconic and sensitive to the historic setting, but also meets very stringent green standards. I believe that this BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating is a hugely important step to fulfilling the criteria both we and the university have set ourselves.”

The Durham Gateway scheme is scheduled for completion in the autumn of 2012.

_SPACE GROUP IS ONLY ARCHITECTS IN TOP 25 BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR

The _space team "wear it pink" on Breast Cancer Awareness day last year

National architectural firm, _space group, has become the only architectural firm in the UK to rank in the top 25 of the ‘Sunday Times Best Small Companies To Work For’ list.

The company, which employs 130 people across offices in Manchester, Newcastle and Leeds, placed 24^th, a 23 place jump from 2010.

_space group is also the only architectural firm to be awarded three star accreditation status by the Sunday Times ‘Best Companies’ projects team, and one of only 84 organisations in the UK to receive this accolade.

_space group chief executive, Rob Charlton, said: “It is absolutely incredible to think that we are highest ranking architectural firm in the UK in the ‘Sunday Times Best Small Companies To Work For’ list.

“We aren’t the sort of organisation that looks to be validated by how many awards are on our mantelpiece, but we do judge ourselves on the happiness of our people, as we know this has a marked effect on how well we perform as a business, and the high level of service we’re able to provide our clients.

“That our team thinks _space group is worthy of being a ‘Best Company’, and that this opinion is shared externally, is incredibly heartwarming. I am very proud of each and every person who works for _space group and hope that we are able to continue performing to this high a standard.”

Best Companies accreditation is based on eight different categories – my manager, leadership, my company, personal growth, my team, giving something back, fair deal, wellbeing.

_space group achieved its highest ranking in the ‘giving something back’ category, with the most common response being “my organisation makes a positive difference to the world we live in.”

The company, which has the vision of making life better for the communities in which it works, contributes time, resources and money to charity organisations in the North East, Yorkshire and Humberside and the North West, and has fostered a special relationship with organisations such as Children:North East, and Young Enterprise, working with the latter to coach teenagers on business and enterprise skills.

Janet Woodhouse, development officer, Young Enterprise North East, said: “We’ve been working with _space group since 2008 and they have consistently helped to make a positive difference to our students and their projects, encouraging them to think differently and creatively. Their high ranking comes as no surprise and we are very pleased for them.”

Creating space to halt in Haltwhistle

Our environmental arm, _space environment, has been called in to help put the official geographical centre of Britain - Haltwhistle - firmly on the map as a destination site and gateway to attractions such as Hadrian’s Wall and the Northumberland National Park.

Experts at the firm have worked with Haltwhistle Town Council and the Haltwhistle Community Partnership to produce a brief to encourage innovative developers to put forward proposals for a 7.5 hectare site south east of the town, close to the A69. The site is owned by Northumberland County Council, which has commissioned _space environment to act as its adviser.

The Council’s vision is to create what will be known as the Haltwhistle Gateway, to encourage people who would otherwise bypass the town to stop and explore what is on offer, both in the town centre, and the surrounding area.

Phase one is likely to see construction of a visitor information point, hotel, restaurant and petrol station, which will be surrounded by footpaths, cycle track and public open spaces.

The Council is inviting developers to submit expressions of interest before the end of January, after which the shortlisted developers will be given the _space group brief to help them create detailed proposals.

The _space group team will then assess the proposals and advise the Council on which submissions they feel best show exemplary design and build quality.

This is the latest in a series of Tyne Valley community projects carried out by _space environment, which provides urban design, master planning, historical and natural environment and landscape services. Earlier this year the team completed a £2.2m extension to Haltwhistle Library, giving local residents more library space plus community activity spaces and offices.

Tony Wyatt, associate director of _space environment, said: “This is a very exciting development opportunity that could really boost the fortunes of Haltwhistle and the surrounding area.

“It’s a beautiful example of a Northumberland market town and the perfect spot for people to use as a base for exploring the area. With the World Heritage Site Hadrian’s Wall right on the doorstep, and thousands of hectares of stunning scenery in the Northumberland National Park, there are a host of things to see and do.

“Around 10,000 vehicles pass Haltwhistle every day and therein lies the problem – they currently pass by.

“What the town needs now is a developer with the imagination and skill to create the right mixed use development that will establish Haltwhistle as a special destination. This will help to encourage people to eat, shop and visit its local attractions, all of which will bring in much needed tourism revenue and create employment for local people.”

Hooray for new starters!

Our new team members: (back to front row, l-r) Lisa Rogan, Judith Forster, talent manager Diane Charlton, Imran Zulfqar, Ed Cutler, David Owen and Andrew Wilson

_space group has doubled its graduate recruitment intake this year as it looks to supply the country with the next generation of architects.

The budding architects, who fought off stiff national competition for their placements, will work with us, across our offices in the North East, North West and Yorkshire.

Ed Cutler from Great Ayton, near Middlesbrough, has joined _space group after recently qualifying from the Manchester School of Architecture (MSA). He will now fulfil his part one qualification at _space group’s North West office.

He said: “I graduated from the MSA with a BA in July 2009, but was unable to find work, prompting a decision to take a Masters degree a couple of years earlier than planned. I am delighted to have been accepted onto _space group’s graduate recruitment programme, giving me the opportunity to further both my personal and professional development.

“Being part of a team working on exciting educational projects will really help me develop a range of skills that will hold me in good stead for the rest of my career. Not only am I looking forward to developing my experience in a working environment, but _space group has a great reputation for training its team members.”

The training will see the graduates work on live projects with senior architects, gaining a practical insight into architecture, alongside tailored seminars with _space group directors that expose the new starters to a wide variety of theoretical topics such as practice management and legislation.

The news comes as graduates are facing intense competition for jobs as the class of 2009 was rocked by the recession. According to gradplus.com, recruitment growth in the UK continued to slow in September this year.*

_space group talent manager Diane Charlton said: “Every year we look forward to welcoming the latest fresh young talent the UK has to offer and we have some excellent recruits this year.

“Training is something at the core of _space group’s principles – we are a company who want to provide as much opportunity to young talented individuals as possible, and our training programme is a great platform for them to shine. Our graduate programme also creates fantastic career opportunities. Some of our past training programme recruits have come back to work with us as qualified architects, and have become respected in the industry.”

A previous recruit onto _space group’s training programme was Carinna Gebhard. Carinna has now worked at the design, build and operate firm for a number of years, seeing her career expand into the education sector with a portfolio of high profile projects to her name.

The new recruits will complete the same in-house training as _space group chief executive Rob Charlton undertook 19 years ago when the organisation was known as Waring and Netts.

It almost goes without saying (but we're going to say it anyway) that we're thrilled to have been able to do this, and offer opportunities to the next decade's brilliant architectural minds! Watch this _space to see how they get on...

Christmas in Space...

The beginnings of our fantastic Christmas tree, at Space Works in Newcastle...

More pictures to follow!

Live Theatre - Space for Preservation

At the heart of the cultural renaissance of Newcastles Quayside, national architectural firm Space Group recently redeveloped the design for the Grade II* listed Live Theatre.

The scheme provided Live Theatre with an additional 11,000 sq ft, resulting in a more spacious foyer, new box office, larger bar and restaurant and much-improved auditorium with more comfortable seating, air conditioning and better views of the stage.

MAKE _SPACE FOR SCOTTISH PROJECT COMPLETION

Space to Learn: The four completed schools across Dumfries and Galloway designed by Space Group.

A NORTH East architectural firm is continuing its development in Scotland after the successful completion of almost £40m worth of education projects.

Space Group – which has offices in Newcastle, Yorkshire and the North West – has joined forces with a consortium of building contractors to develop four new schools in Dumfries and Galloway.

Space Group has worked alongside contractors Farrans Construction, H and J Martins and Patton Group. It has designed new-build facilities to house Castle Douglas Primary School, Kirkcudbright Primary School, Wallace Hall Primary School and Academy and Stranraer Academy.

The first school to be completed is Castle Douglas Primary School with students due to move in this month (September 2009). The three other schools are set to receive their keys within the next six months.

Space Group director Steve Brooks said: “It has been very exciting for us to work on such a large scale brief and one in which we were able to showcase our capabilities and strengths.

“We have a very strong reputation in the education arena, having worked on projects that have received national recognition.”

Space Group has worked on each of the four sites over the past four years, further strengthening its reach and reputation in Scotland and is now considering a more permanent base in the region following the success of these projects.

The 200-strong practice, which was established in 1957, is gaining an increasingly strong reputation for its joined-up approach to sustainable communities.

Mr Brooks continued: “Space Group was appointed for its reputation in creating sustainable communities, in which a creative learning environment is at the heart.

“Every school has been designed with flexibility in mind - where every child can learn at their own pace and walk into a building that makes coming to school exciting and challenging.

“Our social responsibility is central to the business ethos, and we want our success to enable sustainable communities wherever we operate.”

Farrans’ contracts manager Warren Wright said: “As with every major construction project, this one brought its own distinct set of challenges. From day one, it became clear that the scale of the project involved building new educational facilities that would be a big deal for the region, and that would receive a very high public profile. There were also expectations of a high quality product, ready on time.

“Space maintained the pace and balanced contractors’ demands, providing timely information and expertise to bring value in a very competitive market. The team maintained good practice and at the same time gave precedence to maintenance and life cycle costs for the end user.”

The £40million construction projects included the new build of three schools and an extension to Stranraer Academy.

The key design aspiration of the Stranraer Academy extension was to create a ‘bold beacon’ - a landmark building that stands out and encourages lifelong learning for the secondary school students and wider community.

The existing building was retained and refurbished while the new building, which is hoped will become an important symbol of the community and the ‘face of Stranraer’, was designed as a simple, adjoining geometric cube.

The other projects included the amalgamation of two existing primary schools on the Kirkcudbright Primary School site to house pre-five and primary age students under one roof. The school was designed to be a landmark, featuring a multi-use games area which will be utilised by the local community.

The school has been separated into two zones, with the academic accommodation and a brand new sports hall flanking the entrance. The classrooms have been laid out as a natural evolution, with the pre-fives at the front of the school, graduating to Year 5 and Year 6 near the rear, towards the existing Academy, thus expressing progression throughout the pupils’ school lives.

Castle Douglas Primary School includes pre-five, primary and Additional Support for Learning Scotland (ASFL) students, who are due to move in this September.

The overall design provides specialised accommodation for each age group and the aim is to create a harmonious community under one roof.

The school is zoned to promote an open and welcoming learning area for students and the larger community, whilst also allowing for individualised learning spaces.

The building has been designed to embrace the surrounding landscape. The upper ground piggybacks the lower ground, forming a green roofed learning terrace that overlooks the scenery. This was designed to create a physical metaphor for ‘finding their own way’ as the students progress throughout their school years.

Wallace Hall Primary School and Academy are co-located on one site, incorporating a pre-five, primary and secondary school. Whilst the schools are separate, the accommodation has shared areas such as the sports, dining and administrative rooms.

This design is aimed to give the site a feeling of ‘one school under one roof’ and providing a thematic, consistent teaching approach throughout the students’ educational life. Inspiration for the location and design of this school was drawn from the surrounding landscape and the desire to create something bold and stimulating.

STUDENTS HELP TO CREATE SPACE FOR NEW ECO SCHOOL

Image of the proposed Eco Centre.

STUDENTS in the North East have been working with an architectural firm on provisional plans for a new Eco centre at their school.

Students at Haydon Bridge High School in Northumberland have worked closely with Newcastle architectural practice Space Group and the initial design for the new zero carbon eco-centre has now been unveiled.

A planning application will be presented to Northumberland County Council in September, with work scheduled to start in January.

If planning approval is given Space Group will work with constructor GB Building Solutions as part of the Northumberland Council Framework.

A group of sixth form students who attended agricultural courses in old buildings, decided to undertake a feasibility study on creating new classrooms within a new Zero Carbon Eco centre.

With the help of the council, they lodged a £1m bid with the Government’s Department of Children, Schools and Families, which was successful.

It is planned that half of the money will fund the new Eco centre and the other half on improving the energy performance and carbon footprint of the existing school, which is a typical 1960’s flat roofed building.

The renewable energy measures will apply to the Eco centre and the existing school, and will encompass, Photovoltaic panels, solar water heating, a small scale wind turbine, a biomass boiler, that will serve the existing school, and an air sourced heat pump for the new Eco Centre.

The school has the largest catchment area of any school in England, with a total of around 700 pupils, 60 of whom are boarders. Plans for the eco centre, which would deliver agricultural, sustainability and environmental education, include a flexible science lab, greenhouses and land for horticultural needs.

Space Group project lead Keith Handy said: “For us, this has been a really great project to work on.

“We initially met with year 12 student focus groups and drew up plans that encompassed some of the original ideas which the students spent so much time researching. We used our own valuable experience to develop a design that was pleasing to all, and which delivered in terms of both functionality and sustainability.

“This is an exemplar project that has to deliver on number of sustainability issues, it is also intended that this project will help to influence future schools for both refurbishment projects and new school buildings.

“The use of renewable technologies incorporated into both the new and existing buildings will be monitored in great detail to appreciate the benefits in both energy usage and carbon reductions which can be achieved. The design also has to be sustainable in functional content, allowing it to meet a wide range of end user requirements and flexibility is a key feature of the design, allowing the spaces to be used for a wide range of activities from science labs to lecture space.

“It’s not often you get to work on a something that’s going to have such a real life impact and the students have put a lot of work into the research, their enthusiasm has been infectious.

“Our design philosophy for the Eco Centre incorporates the key elements of Passivhaus principles, this is a sustainable design philosophy, which focuses on both minimising heat loss through the building fabric and maximising heat gains by both the environment and internal usage. This reduces the reliance on over complicated, building services and exploits basic good practice design principles, for example, orientation, fenestration, building envelope and air tightness. This is fundamental to the wider design of quality management procedures, we as a practice are adopting.”

If planning approval is given, the centre will be built by the school’s existing greenhouses, so the ‘statement’ structure can be highly visible, without being a hindrance to any potential future redevelopment of the rest of the school.

It will be centred around two rooms – a science lab and a general classroom – and will also feature a ‘break-out’ centre space and external sections for outdoor learning.

Benches in the lab will be movable to create space for events if required, with the centre already being billed as an educational hub not only for Haydon Bridge, but for its partnership schools and the community.

It will also form a new centre for students undertaking the diploma in environmental and land-based studies.

Aluminium, wood panelling and glass will feature heavily in the design, with sophisticated double glazing meaning heat loss is minimised and overheating prevented.

A sedum roof over the larger classroom will reduce the surface water run-off into the existing sewers prevent the need for drainage systems, while water flowing from the other large roof will be utilised on the allotment gardens through a simple irrigation system. This is an essential requirement of all new developments.

Wind turbines and other renewable technologies will form the main power sources, in order to minimise the reliance upon energy sources from elsewhere.

Rob Charlton on _space life

In May 2009, national architectural firm Space Group launched its online and social media portal, _space life.

CEO Rob Charlton discusses how the idea came to life and the online developments made since the launch.

FACE OF SPACE SEES DESIGNER TAKE STARRING ROLE

Star of the show: Space Group’s 3D visualiser Hugh O’Neill with the Space Group marketing picture which he stars in.

AN architectural firm committed to encouraging a creative working culture has turned one if its people into a star of its annual marketing campaign.

Space Group’s 3D visualiser Hugh O’Neill is the talk of the office after securing a starring role in a contemporary set of new company images, which will be used extensively to market the business.

Just as hardware store B&Q announced that it has used more than 500 staff in its TV advertisements since 2006*, Space Group has also utilised its people to be the face of ­its new website and the company’s online social media portal ‘Space Life’ which houses its Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube and blog posts.

Hugh, 32, adopted a pilates pose in the company’s last campaign and has this year swapped his jeans for a pinstripe suit, Blackberry and briefcase.

The image, taken on the roof of Gateshead’s Baltic Place, was taken to portray the ‘work’ element of the firm’s six divisions - work, play, care, learn move and live.

For the second year running Space Group has commissioned local creative photographer Sasa Savic to shoot the images, to reflect the company’s community work.

Sasa’s work went on display at _spaceworks’ own gallery in Gosforth, Newcastle, in June, where the company holds a monthly Think and a Drink event to support local talent.

Space Group chief executive Rob Charlton said: “Instead of turning to a pricey modelling agency we decided to utilise our own people in our marketing efforts.

“Each year, Space Group commissions a photographer to reflect our work in the community.

“Following the success of last year’s images, which included my own little daughter Daisy, we have re-commissioned Sasa, an emerging professional photographer, to really bring our brand to life.

“Space Group is passionate about nurturing up and coming talent and we have been very delighted to support Sasa’s work once again.

“These images will be used extensively to market the business and are featured on our website and have been displayed in space gallery throughout June.”

Hugh said: “I have been involved in the Space promotional pictures for the past two years now so people have been calling me the ‘face of space’ which is fun.

“In my day job, I take the architectural elevations and transform them into 3D visualisations or artists’ impressions so to actually be involved in front of the camera is really interesting and I’m pleased to have been given the experience.”

The images will be exhibited at ‘Space Gallery’ during its Think and a Drink event on Thursday 25th May until the end of July or can be seen on www.spacegroup.co.uk



*Campaign Magazine.

_SPACE CADETS ZIP OVER THE TYNE

_space cadets zip slide off Newcastle's Tyne Bridge...

NEW ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR AT SPACE GROUP

Tony Wyatt, Associate Director of _space architecture

THE man who led the award winning urban design and conservation input into Newcastle’s historic Grainger Town and East Quayside regeneration has joined architectural firm Space Group.

Tony Wyatt, former Urban Design and Conservation Group Manager at Newcastle City Council, has been appointed as Associate Director of _space architecture. The 54-year-old from Gosforth, Newcastle, will be responsible for the firm’s integrated regeneration urban design and environment service.

He brings with him more than 30 years’ public and private sector experience and is also an independent National Specialist Advisor.

Tony said: “This was a terrific opportunity for me to take on a new challenge and join a really progressive company.

“My job is to develop the Group’s urban design, master planning, historical and natural environment and landscape services.

“I look forward to using my national and public sector contacts to build up this area of Space’s business.”

Tony is currently an urban design advisor on the CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) national Design Review Panel. He was selected in 2006 and his term has recently been extended until 2011.

His extensive experience also saw him being invited to join the Home Office design review panel in 2008, with a position on both the North-East and North-West regional design panels following this year.

Tony has been an Executive Member of the national Historic Towns Forum since 2006, serving as Vice Chairman in 2007.

Space Group CEO Rob Charlton said: “To attract someone of Tony’s calibre is a real coup for us.

“He is extremely well regarded in his field and we look forward to further building our urban design reputation with his help.”

MECHANICAL ENGINEER MAKES HIS MARK AT SPACE

Space Group’s new recruit Mark Richards with space Facilities managing director Duncan Johnson.

_space Facilities – part of the Space Group – has appointed a mechanical and electrical engineer to enhance its offering to clients.

Mark Richards, from Spennymoor, County Durham, has joined the _space Facilities team, which provides a range of services for clients in both the public and private sectors.

Mark, who comes to Space Group with over 15 years’ experience in building services will complement the existing range of services on offer which include building surveying, DDA access consultancy, fire risk assessment and strategic integration FM advice.

Mark’s new role will see him assisting _space Facilities’ surveyors - one of the biggest building surveying teams in Newcastle - in all aspects of designing mechanical and electrical services.

Speaking of his new role Mark said: “The skills and knowledge that I bring to the facilities team means that we can now offer clients a mechanical and electrical design service in-house that we would have previously had to outsource. This shortens the communication chain and cuts costs for clients whilst offering them a higher level of service.

“With resources so precious there will be no building owner or occupier not currently giving cost consideration.”

Mark will work on projects from the initial brief, through to the design and development stage, project management and final completion. He will design and implement cost-effective equipment modifications to help improve safety, reliability resulting in a positive cost benefit.

Mark will also manage projects from a mechanical perspective, plan and design new production processes and use research, analytical, conceptual and planning skills, particularly mathematical modeling and computer-aided design.

_space Facilities managing director Duncan Johnson said: “Mark has joined _space Facilities to broaden and enhance the group’s offering to both existing and prospective client. His appointment will enable _space Facilities to swiftly meet clients’ needs on a one-to-one basis.

“By completing mechanical and engineering projects in-house _space is now able to offer clients a significantly streamlined and efficient service. This in turn provides cost savings, which we are sure will be very welcome in these difficult economical times and which once again demonstrate _space Facilities’ ethos of setting the pace in everything we do.

“_space Facilities is continually developing and looking for a range of different services that will benefit a wide client base; we ensure that the client is at the centre of what we do.”

FACILITIES FIRM GIVES FREE MAKEOVER TO YOUTH CENTRE

Children North East chief executive Jeremy Cripps with _space facilities associate director Andrew Moore outside of the WEYES building on Graingerville North looking at the plans.

A facilities firm has pledged to redesign a Newcastle youth drop-in centre free of charge in a bid to keep the vital service on its feet.

The West End Youth Enquiry Service (WEYES) project, run by charity Children North East, has been operating out of a rundown Victorian building in Graingerville North, West Newcastle, for the last decade.

Now Tyneside-based _space facilities, part of Space Group, has pledged to give the charity free design and surveying services to completely renovate the building.

The building is currently in such a bad condition that the charity has been forced to move into temporary accommodation on Grainger Park Road in the city until the renovation is complete.

_space facilities has already begun drafting the designs for a suite of new treatment rooms, a new waiting area, kitchen and toilet facilities, an office and ‘open zone’ rehabilitation area.

The WEYES project, which has also gained support from Geordie actor Tim Healy, is an advice and health centre for some of the most difficult to reach young people who live, work or go to school in the West End.

Over the past 10 years, 7,500 young people have passed through its doors looking for advice on a range of issues. Counsellors and nurses are on-hand to give advice on general, sexual and mental health, as well as education, housing and employment issues.

_space facilities associate director Andrew Moore, who is heading up the scheme, said: “We are well underway with the new designs to bring the building up-to-date and make it a brighter and more welcoming place to help support young people living in Newcastle, who may otherwise have limited chances.

“Creating and maintaining sustainable communities and helping charities, such as this, bring the community together and are things we are very passionate about as a business.

“As Children North East is one of our chosen charities, we will do everything we can to help them keep this service going and that is why we have donated our services in kind.

“We are urging more sponsors and supporters to come forward to help donate building materials, interiors features and so on.”

Children North East chief executive Jeremy Cripps said: “We previously rented the building so we were unable to do anything to it. It has become a really horrible site - inside and out - and needs a lot of work done to make it a bright and welcoming place for young people to want to come.

“Children North East has since bought the building so now we are really able to do things to it to make it look fabulous – which is where _space facilities comes in.

“We are really grateful for Space Group’s help in making this building a centre for the future for the young people of today.”

Work will start once planning permission has been granted, with completion due by the end of this year.

Children North East needs to raise £250,000 to help make the project come to life and fund building materials.

To help support the refurbishment of the WEYES project, donate online at www.justgiving/weyes or call Children North East on: (0191) 256-2444.

A SCHOOL WITHOUT BARRIERS

CRAMLINGTON High School in coastal Northumberland was famed for its innovative approach to new learning techniques, long before it gained its shiny new building.

When North East architects _space were asked to translate the ethos of head teacher Derek Wise into a learning environment which matched up to his vision, they set about designing a building where every child could learn at their own pace, and where coming to school would excite and challenge them in their teenage years.

Two thousand students have recently moved in to the Cramlington Junior Learning Village complex which, thanks to pioneering Faraday funding, is also home to a mini Eden Project-style biome.

A specialist science college, Cramlington JLV is a flexible, IT rich environment. It has been designed for children to learn individually or in cluster groups, but without the formal structure of dividing walls and children sitting in rows.

Peer-to-peer learning is encouraged through spaces that flow together, allowing classes to interact in breakout zones and up to 120 children to gather in the science learning plaza. The informality of the environment gives children the chance to go at their own pace, experiment, coach and mentor each other.

The looser, open plan classroom environment also allows for team teaching areas for large groups - all new concepts for the teaching profession.

However, head teacher Derek Wise has long been known as a pioneer and knows only too well the importance the physical environment plays in helping the teachers engage and inspire young people in secondary education.

Classrooms have “docking stations” rather than desks. Children sit in groups of up to four sharing two PCs. They are free to face in whatever direction is best for group or individual learning, as the tables can be unlocked and moved inwards for group sessions, or turned back to the wall for work in smaller groups or alone.

Andrew Grounsell, lead architect on the project and associate director at _space, says: “The success of our building can only be seen when the teachers and pupils begin reacting to their new environment. We are now watching with interest how they interact with the space, how new teaching practices emerge and flourish.

“Every part of the building has been designed with multiple use and flexibility for children and teachers to colonise as they wish. The heart of the building is a colossal street that can hold the whole school, or even be used as a cafe-style eating area.

“We have created a real sense of collaboration and openness, not least by ensuring that every staff room is set between classrooms and has completely glass walls so pupils can see them, and they can always be present for students.

“There is no ‘us and them’ attitude to the school, which helps children embrace learning and be more interactive with their teachers.”

Cramlington JLV is one of the first seven exemplar schools, and only one of 13 that successfully received Faraday funding.

These additional funds were spent on an outstanding biome complex, which will not only teach botany, biology, energy and the environment, but will provide a challenging backdrop for other subjects such as art and design or drama. This will be supported by an extensive landscaping phase next year, creating an external outdoor learning garden.

Head teacher Derek Wise says: “We are thrilled with our genuine 21st Century school. It's everything we wanted and it will allow us to realise our vision.

“The range of learning environments encourages different approaches to learning and teaching. We are yet to really exploit its potential but there is no doubt that it's an exciting place to be.”