Client
Galliford Try
Sector
Schools + FE
Services
Architecture
Structural Engineering
Services Engineering
Landscape Design
Principal Designer
The Swan and Meadowbrook Schools are Oxford’s first new schools in half a century – so it goes without saying that the city had a big stake in their development. The new schools would be sited in the northern suburb of Marston, with the Swan providing secondary education for around 250 children, and Meadowbrook College teaching children who have difficulty with mainstream schooling.
The proposed site for the schools was on green belt land – posing a major challenge for planning. We overcame this by engaging closely with the local community to find out how the development could benefit everyone, and commissioning a Landscape Impact Visual Assessment to make sure the building could avoid disturbing the character of this leafy suburb.
Another key aspect of the project was transport, as two new schools could place a heavy traffic burden on the surrounding area. We worked hard to mitigate this with a sustainable transport strategy, linking our proposals into Oxford’s strong network of paths and cycleways.
When complete, the Swan and Meadowbrook Schools will allow hundreds of children to receive an exceptional education close to their homes, in a safe, welcoming environment. Our collaborative approach allowed us to propose a wide range of sustainable features for the schools – from green walls and roofs to natural ventilation with heat recovery. The result is a pair of schools that complement their local surroundings, support their environment, and lay the foundations for a happy and successful education.
