Sharrow School wins Civic Building of the Year Award

The design of the new Sharrow School provides improved opportunities for development and enhanced learning for pupils and families. It strives to make the most of every available resource, including space, light, views and the environment, to offer every opportunity for these to become an integral part of pupil’s education.

One of the most striking and individual aspects of the building is the uppermost roof which has a 1200m² biodiversity landscape, which helps to control storm water, humidity, noise, heat and pollution whilst at the same time providing a haven for local wildlife, a feature which is complimented by a pond and monitored by the children via a webcam. With the idea of the plants creating dramatic visual impact whilst providing high biodiversity value, volunteers planted 700 plants. A wildflower biodiverse roof was created using a mixture of seeds from Pictorial Meadows, including cornflowers and limestone grassland mix, along with a roof meadow mix including snap dragons and natural colonisation.

Enclosed but sunny terraces make it east to use the outside spaces safely and under good control. The elevation of the multi-storey building makes it possible to reference the landscape and townscape in lessons from the doorstep and there are creative opportunities for classes to colonise these areas later.