Farrans Construction has completed the £12 million build of a three-storey school in central London.
The Belfast firm signed off on the Big Creative Academy in Waltham Forest which will specialise in creative industries.
The development saw the construction of a replacement school for the performing arts, a theatre and ancillary café for pupils, staff and occasional community use.
Big Creative Academy’s curriculum is specialist so the spaces are bespoke designed to these needs, including media studios, make-up classes, music recording, mixing and control rooms, all centred around a fully functioning theatre to bring courses together at the heart of the school.
Cathal Montague, regional director for Farrans Construction, said Big Creative Academy is a unique project.
“We worked closely with the clients to determine and cater for the bespoke requirements to deliver an impressive, modern, fun and creative space for the pupils. As a business we have developed a strong reputation in the education sector and we are currently on site on a number of college projects in England, including Charlton Park Academy and Seahaven Academy Primary.”
The building comprises a three storey ‘L’ shaped teaching block, connected to the theatre. Located to either side of the theatre are two double height performance spaces.
The site was around one hectare in size and included the footprint of a 2,000 metre squared building with around 8,000 square metres of car parking. Outdoor social spaces and a health and fitness zone are covered in porous bitmac with additional social spaces of soft landscaped areas including vegetable and herb gardens.
Sacha Corcoran MBE, Academy Principal, welcomed the completion of the project.
“The Farrans’ team worked really hard in a collaborative way to deliver an amazing space that will be perfect for our students. Our project managers were accommodating and supportive during the build and always kept us up to date on the progress they were making.
“I think that Farrans has a very good understanding of what schools need are and, more importantly than that, what young people need in order to thrive and be successful.”
