February 18 2022

East Renfrewshire Council has backed a bold bid to banish corridors at its newest schools campus by awarding planning consent for a school campus combining Neilston & St Thomas primaries with Madras Family Centre.

Neilston Learning Campus will bring the facilities together on one shared site while retaining separate teaching spaces for each. Designed by BDP the campus will deliver a shared sports hall, labs and art spaces on the site of the existing Neilston primary, which will remain operational through construction.

Post-completion the old school and family centre will be demolished to make way for a football pitch and playing fields. Detailing their approach BDP wrote: "The school design is a learning hub concept, with teaching spaces wrapped around an open central atrium “heart space” which combines teaching, social and dining space and is a focus for the school community. In addition, both schools have their own smaller, more private central space from which the classrooms can be accessed. This allows efficient circulation and minimises corridors while providing a variety of flexible spaces outwith the classrooms for teaching and learning."

Employing patterned and perforated brick walls to define separate entrances the campus will offer a variety of 'inspirational spaces' with open balconies, double-height volumes and bridges replacing standard corridors.

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