Award-winning conservation area school project

Staples Road School, Loughton. Vincent and Gorbing carefully designed a proposal to compliment the Conservation Area and acknowledge the site’s location next to the Ancient Woodland of Epping Forest. A sensitive contemporary design incorporating traditional materials proved to be the solution for this extension to a Victorian School.

The site is fraught with difficulties: it is in a Conservation Area and an Urban Open Space on the edge of Epping Forest; the highway is narrow and busy and the building is locally listed.

Extensive consultations were necessary but the scheme was realised in accordance with the Concept Design and, since completion, the extension has won the ‘Loughton Building Design Award’ from Loughton Town Council and was a ‘Finalist’ for the LABC Best Educational Building.