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Faith Schools’ Joint Campus

Faith Schools’ Joint Campus
© David Barbour

FAITH SCHOOLS' JOINT CAMPUS

BDP

ARCHITECTS
BDP

MAIN CONTRACTOR
Heron Brothers Construction

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
BDP

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER
Blyth & Blyth

FIRE ENGINEER
Jeremy Gardner Associates

M&E ENGINEER
TUV SUD

ACOUSTIC CONSULTANT
Sandy Brown Associates

MANUFACTURERS
Euroclad, Velfac, XAL, Versa Design

CLIENT
East Renfrewshire Council

PHOTOGRAPHS
David Barbour

AREA
5920 m²

YEAR
2017

LOCATION
Newton Mearns, United Kingdom

CATEGORY
Elementary & Middle School

Text description provided by architect.

Located to the Southwest of Glasgow the Faith Schools’ Joint Campus is the first known shared Catholic and Jewish faith campus in Europe with an associated non-denominational nursery.

Faith Schools’ Joint Campus
© David Barbour
Faith Schools’ Joint Campus
© David Barbour
Faith Schools’ Joint Campus
© David Barbour

The given brief asked the Architect to create a primary school which respects and nurtures young people’s individual religious faiths whilst delivering inspiring spaces for learning, teaching, and social integration.

This resulted in an innovative shared hub at the heart of the new campus - strategically located between denominational zones. 

This ‘heartspace’ contains a wealth of interactive activity including performance, drama, music, science, technology, library, art and importantly storytelling.

Faith Schools’ Joint Campus
© David Barbour
Faith Schools’ Joint Campus
© David Barbour
Faith Schools’ Joint Campus
© David Barbour

A series of extensive consultation and interactive engagement with Pupils, Staff, Parents, Education and Faith Leaders was paramount in understanding concerns, challenging convention and establishing a shared vision.

Moreover, it features the artwork created by pupils and art teacher during the collaborative workshop sessions to establish togetherness and promote further collaborations between schools.

Faith Schools’ Joint Campus
© David Barbour

Each classroom has a dedicated space for flexible learning and group work and is enriched by long views of the countryside.

Faith Schools’ Joint Campus
© David Barbour
Faith Schools’ Joint Campus
© David Barbour

 The teaching space extends outside the classrooms and is designed to avoid a sense of enclosure whilst being filled with natural light.

Mood lighting is vital and varied from the diminutive “wall-pocket” snugs to the dramatic halo of natural light and the surprise “sky of tiny stars”- created by the fibre optic lights in the feature timber ceiling of the central atrium.

Faith Schools’ Joint Campus
© David Barbour
Faith Schools’ Joint Campus
© David Barbour

Located on an urban edge with expansive views over the southerly Scottish countryside the landscape strategy intertwines the site’s geological and cultural history.

An archaeological dig uncovered an 18th Century farmstead and the stone was salvaged to create a meeting place in the entrance plaza with pottery shards and reclaimed artefacts incorporated into low walls representing the historical buildings.

Faith Schools’ Joint Campus
© David Barbour
Faith Schools’ Joint Campus
© David Barbour

The stone from the quarry adjacent to the site was used to create an igneous wall which incorporates bouldering, seating, chalkboards and plays spaces.

The building has an overcoat of weathered zinc, glass, western red cedar and copper coloured portals, whilst the white interiors are bathed in natural light with the selective use of glass and timber.

Faith Schools’ Joint Campus
© David Barbour


Faith Schools’ Joint Campus
Campus Delineation Diagram

Faith Schools’ Joint Campus
Concept Diagram


Faith Schools’ Joint Campus
Section
Faith Schools’ Joint Campus
Site Plan
Faith Schools’ Joint Campus
Ground Floor Plan
Faith Schools’ Joint Campus
First Floor Plan

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