Project Description
The new Learning Centre at Archbishop Holgate’s Schhol, York meets the needs and aspirations of learners in the 16‐19 age group by preparing and supporting them for the next phase in life. The aim of the Centre is to both ease the transition from a school environment by promoting a welcoming and caring environment whilst also enabling students to build up skills and confidence within a secure and stimulating learning and working environment. The Centre is designed to deliver a high quality learning experience in dedicated workshops, offering as close to real working conditions as can be obtained. The £4 million state‐of‐the‐art building features cutting‐edge facilities and equipment for a wide range of subjects, including science, business, engineering and information technology. The new facility has been designed to accommodate approximately 1730 m2 of teaching and student support services in a two storey development within an overall footprint of 46m x 19m.
The main elements of accommodation include Creative and Media studios with music, sound and television recording; state‐of‐the‐art Science and Engineering laboratories; specialist facilities for ICT and Business and dedicated facilities for Work Related Learning. The Learning Centre also includes rooms for study and research, conference and business, mentoring and support, and social and recreational use, to provide an outstanding and inspiring learning environment.
A high standard of sustainable environmental design is an integral component within the development, with the Centre achieving a BREEAM ‘very good’ rating. The masonry construction of the external envelope provides high thermal mass as part of the buildings environmental strategy, whilst ground source heat pump in conjunction with underfloor heating provides a low energy solution to space heating within the Centre.
