Benenden School
Located in the Kent countryside, Benenden is a leading boarding school for girls aspiring for excellence in everything they do. Designed by Guy Hollaway, an award-winning architect and Benenden parent, the new 750 seat concert hall and music hall add to the distinctive legacy that already existed, and cater for the expanding needs of the community there.
Benenden School
Architect
Guy Hollaway Architects
Contractor
Buxton Building Contractors
Quantity Surveyor
Synergy LLP
Employed by the client at stage 2 to deliver a façade strategy, we then continued through the advancement of the design stages, helping to bring to life the reality of the architectural vision.
The scope of the early design works included structural design, bespoke fin design, acoustic, thermal and water-tightness design and development of the construction drawings.
Ensuring the design was progressed alongside the other key interfaces was important, as we worked closely with all stakeholders. A concrete frame building to the school hall required slab infills behind the solid zones, infilled with a conventional glazing system by others. Brick slips and stone cladding complete the wall build up with bronze anodised features tying the different elements together.
The aspiration for the music hall facade was an inclined bespoke fin design, raking out from the primary structure and turning back over the roof line. With varying lengths and a changing inclination line, the setting out and modelling of this package was key to give the desired result. Unique aluminium extrusions with the fixing details designed into the back, enabled a modular construction which reduced site work and ensured quality on the very complex design.
Ensuring minimal disruption to the live school environment, it was an exciting project to be involved in, in a prestigious location, to provide a state-of-the-art facility for both the performers and audience and further complement the exceptional musical talent at the school.
