London and Rotterdam-based architects and urbanists, Maccreanor Lavington, were appointed to design a new refectory for Ibstock Place School, an independent co-educational day school for pupils aged 4-18, after winning a competition in 2016. The architect’s design committed to creating a calm, quiet and, critically, enjoyable space, allowing hundreds of pupils to dine simultaneously whilst being able to have a conversation with those immediately next to them.
According to the architects, the significant new building has been carefully crafted to embrace and enhance its beautiful, landscaped setting. A brick cloister offers a calm, collegiate quality to the building’s approach. Inside, an intricate lattice timber structure rises to three glazed lanterns lending a befitting grandeur to the refectory – the communal heart of the school.
Uplifting interiors
The winning refectory design was founded on a fastidious attention to the interior spaces. The architects recognized the importance of lunchtimes in supporting the emotional and social development of pupils and wanted to create a building that was uplifting and celebratory. With its criss-cross glulam structure crowned with glazed lanterns, this grand refectory has become the heart of the campus.
The building makes abundant use of timber. The striking glue-laminated lattice structure of the vaulted ceilings frame inset panels of American white oak, designed to incorporate acoustic absorption to soften the background clatter of dining. The restrained palette of timber is accented by flourishes of bronze – handrails, door handles and light fittings – which lend a permanence and tactile richness to the building.
A tempered environment
The form of the building is designed to moderate the internal environment of the halls without air conditioning. The cloister to the west elevation acts as a practical rain cover for pupils queuing for lunch and additionally shades the interiors from afternoon sun, preventing summertime overheating. The roof lanterns form a chimney to draw hot, stale air out of the building through high level louvre windows and allow natural light to flood the spaces below.
Garden setting The refectory houses a necessarily significant volume of space for the functions it serves, but the architects were keen that it did not unduly impose on the adjacent Edwardian manor house from which the school was formed. The rise and fall of the roof and the steep pitch contribute to a building which despite lofty 12m high interiors, feels low, intimate and respectful of its setting at the ground. Foundations were developed to retain a backdrop of mature London Plane trees, which complete the composition.
The expressive glulam structure compliments the adjacent trees; however its choice was performance-driven. As the school remained operational throughout the build, it was important to use a structure which could be prefabricated and assembled with minimal noise and disruption. Structural timber components were factory-finished, then installed on site by a team of just three – father, mother and son.
The scheme achieved planning within a year and was delivered through traditional procurement for occupation in December 2019. Floorspace has been trebled on the footprint of the former buildings by adding basement and mezzanine levels and maximizing usable, column-free space. Three linked volumes house a hall, servery and kitchen. The versatile hall seats up to 500 pupils and staff at a time. Hidden away above the commercial kitchens, a sixth-form study room overlooks Richmond Park.
