Education Minister Paul Givan recently visited the site of Mary Queen of Peace PS, a newbuild school for Co Antrim designed by Hamilton Architects.
The Minister was met by principal Malachy Conlon, members of the newly-elected School Council, members of the newbuild Project Board, staff and pupils.
Mr Givan, who toured the old building before visiting the site for the new school, said he looked forward to following plans for the new educational facility through to its construction.
Hamilton Architects have designed a nine classroom, 1,975m2, school for 250 pupils at Glenravel to facilitate the amalgamation of two existing schools, St Mary’s Primary of Cargan and Glenravel Primary of Martinstown.
A bespoke design pays tribute to the building’s rural vernacular. A distinctive barn style multi-purpose hall is prominent in the landscape, with classroom blocks in subtle pitched roof echoing the area’s traditional housing.
The multi-purpose hall, with a full product kitchen adjacent, acts as a formal dining room. There are also three large resource areas and a central glazed octagon which engages the interior of the school with the outdoors. A series of staff facilities is provided, including three multi-purpose rooms.
Included are formal play areas on both hard and soft surfaces and an external play store for equipment, along with 29 parking spaces for staff and visitors and a designated drop-off area for junior school.
A footpath will be created to establish a walking route from the main road into Martinstown, linking the school with its local community.
