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Caldicott School
Location
Caldicott, Buckinghamshire
Year
2001
Architect
Buschow Henley
A new drama and music centre combines a large auditoria with teaching spaces and practice rooms. The bulk of the building is reduced by being partially lowered beneath ground level. The south elevation is fully glazed and opens out towards the extensive playing fields.
The structural design uses a variety of materials to achieve the architectural objectives. A roof of closely spaced glulam beams contributes to the acoustics of the main hall and the fair-faced brick walls are pierced to improve reverberations. The composition is tied together by a laminated timber portal supported on finely detailed timber framing.
A proprietary timber panel system is specially modified to form the practice rooms tower on the north-east corner of the building.
