Work will be starting soon on the delivery of a historic building project for Glenwood Primary School in the Woodvale area of West Belfast.
Hamilton Architects are following in the footsteps of renowned educational designer RS Wilshere by providing a refurbishment and extension programme of work at the Grade B1 listed school.
This will include a modern new 21 classroom educational facility with two learning support centres, as well as a replacement building for the existing 1960s extension.
Project Architect Dominique Megarry said: “One of our biggest challenges has been to deliver a design that meets the requirements of a modern educational facility while respecting the integrity of the original listed building and retaining as many unique historic features as possible.”
The red-brick complex was designed by RS Wilshere in 1928, but the school has expanded greatly since then. Originally, it comprised four rectangular blocks orientated around a central, open-air courtyard. A two-storey extension was constructed in the Sixties, with further additions expanding the accommodation.
Hamilton Architects is leading the team which will refurbish the listed building and replace the Sixties extension to provide two learning support centres and a Special Education Needs unit encompassing 3,563m2.
The aim is for the school to remain fully operational on the existing site until completion of the works, which are being funded under a new £80m capital fund injection announced for schools across Northern Ireland.
Wilshere, who was from Essex, took over responsibility for building Belfast’s schools in 1926 and is remembered for his much-celebrated designs in the 20s and 30s.
His team were skilful in a number of architectural styles and are credited with having built the first modern movement style schools anywhere in Ireland.
Among the 26 schools he delivered are Strandtown, Elmgrove, Avoniel and Nettlefield Primary Schools and Sydenham Infants’ School in east Belfast, McQuiston Memorial PS in Donegall Pass and Botanic PS in south Belfast.