Kensington Primary School | Workshop Architecture

This comprehensive re-imagining of an elegant neo-gothic Victorian school house, carefully restores the existing building fabric after the repair of leaking roofs, rising damp and decayed building elements. The entry door was returned to its original location, along with new DDA access ramp and an internal lift, giving DDA access to the upper teaching spaces for the first time. Ad-hoc additions were removed to make way for new reception, administration and meeting rooms along with reconfigured classroom spaces. Wall openings were inserted to expand the pokey existing classrooms whilst a neutral but warm internal finishes palette creates an inviting backdrop to the vibrant daily activities of primary school life. An infrastructural spine was threaded along the west façade linking new toilets, escape stair and AC equipment cages with a continuous canopy that mediates the connection between the heritage building and the lively play areas in the heart of the school.