The redevelopment of Raine’s Foundation School in Bethnal Green, East London, has reached a significant milestone with the completion of its brand new building. The £22M school commissioned by Tower Hamlets Council, built by Bouygues UK and designed by Astudio, combines contemporary new build with the refurbishment of the existing Grade II Listed Victorian school building.
Built under the former government’s Building Schools for the Future programme, the new school overcomes the constraints of a compact inner-city site in a conservation area to design a vibrant yet sensitive extension to the Victorian school building.
The new design balances the civic scale and impact of the building on the street with a large range of internal spaces designed to meet modern teaching styles. Large floor-to-ceiling windows run adjacent to the street lined with large London Plane trees, giving the feeling that classrooms are set within the trees and provide shading from the sun. Simple moves during the design have allowed this building to reach a BREEAM Excellent standard.
