Sheppard Robson has won the competition to design Norfolk’s first Academy project, for developer Kier Education.

The £21 million, 9,000sq m Open Academy school in Norwich, which will replace the sixties Heartsease High School, will specialise in environmental and engineering studies.

The main element of the timber-clad building is made up of three concentric bands with an open forum in the centre, classrooms around the perimeter, and corridors and balconies in between.

The cross-laminated timber structure will reduce its carbon footprint, along with a biomass boiler, zoned heating, rainwater harvesting and solar thermal water heating.

Construction is set to begin next Easter, with completion scheduled for 2010.

Topics