WINCHBURGH SCHOOL DESIGN

2014

Structural and Civil Engineers, Architectural Engineers, Interior Designers, and Construction Project Managers came together for this group project. In this project, we had to design a high school in a piece of plain land in Winchburgh. Unfortunately, the project was only a week long so the degree of the design was not as in-depth as I would have liked.

There is a number of factors that we had to consider in the designing of the school. My group wanted to design a school that fit in with the landscape of the community. The material used for the school's exterior design was mostly stone with a wooden veneer and glass. This was because the building site was near a nature reserve and giving the school a natural look would make it complement the visual identity of the area. We had to consider the design of classrooms in terms of colour schemes and layout for student's comfort. We had to take into account environmental issues such as drainage and suds due to the site being near a large pond. Sustainability was a big factor in terms of looking at efficient natural lighting, heating, power and water systems.

Thought had to be given to the construction methods and the internal framework of the building which I looked at along with the foundations. Another large aspect that we had to consider was how the project would fit in with the future of the town given its magnitude. We designed a community center near the school with the vision that in the future, the area would be the main social hub of Winchburgh. Similar to the Newington Library project, it was a wonderful opportunity to learn from my colleagues from other disciplines, develop my communication skills and build connections.