Office HEFT Architects

As a direct response to conversations as to how architecture can respond to the ‘dying’ highstreets in Northern towns. The position of the unused department store within the Brutalist Merseyway development offers an opportunity to re-imagine the life of the highstreet. The deep floor plates of the former Next department store, situated within the Merseyway is punctured to form an intimate school courtyard providing area for play, views for all classrooms and daylight. The once oppressive concrete structure forms a perimeter wall around the school, providing both a sense of safety and permeable high street presence.

Similarly to Aldo Rossi’s description of the Palazzo della Ragione, Padova as an example of a primary element that defines the pattern of the city. It has had multiple functions (medieval town hall, Renaissance court, market place) since its construction in the thirteenth-century and remains in full use. For this reason it contains the collective memory of Padova. In a similar vein we see the position of the department store within the Merseyway as an Urban Artifact of the town. Continually developing and evolving the Collective Memory of Stockport. This is reflected through the position of the proposal, the materials used and the functions of the buildings.

Beyond all department stores nearly always lies derelict service space and loading dock areas. These forgotten spaces provide an opportunity to extend the program further to build a network for both makers and schools to interact. This provides an opportunity for schools to be closer connected with local makers, craftsman and artists. This not only allows for active learning, but helps to build local area networks and exciting new opportunities for both makers to share knowledge and for school children to learn new skills through potential apprenticeship style learning.

The proposal creates ground floor teaching spaces within smaller classrooms, utilising the existing concrete structure and timber/hempcrete partitions. Each classroom interior is carefully lined with SterlingOSB Zero. The larger rooms that back onto the Merseyway Highstreet are used for Halls/Dining and PE.

The first floor offers further class rooms along with Admin and Storage spaces, whilst also repurposes the existing walkway to provide a new reactivated walk way to the adjacent service yard studio spaces.

The studio spaces within the tent structure offers further teaching spaces along with lab and workshop spaces. The proposal also looks to repurpose an existing Tudor bank building into a assembly hall for the school.

The proposal suggests a way these buildings can be transformed into comfortable environments for education through the use of natural materials such as Hempcrete & SterlingOSB Zero . Creating a healthy and tactile learning environment.