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Avanti Architects have completed the Queen Elizabeth II Olympic Park’s first school for the Mossbourne Multi Academy Trust. The school is the latest edition to the new residential quarter being developed at East Wick.

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Jack Hobhouse

This high profile project has a multi-headed client team which includes London Legacy Development Corporation, London Borough of Hackney and Mossbourne Academy as school sponsor. The completion of the school is particularly impressive as the architects had to overcome a number of physical constraints in the building process. The school is built in the path of the HS1 tracks which runs through shallow tunnels beneath the site. This teamed with contaminated land, split levels and the building's proximity to the Lee Navigation canal which posed the risk of flooding and other factors made for a complex challenge. 

Jack Hobhouse

On top of the physical restrictions of the area, Avanti worked within a tight budget established after the Government Spending Review, alongside stringent requirements of Mossbourne and many of LDDC's specific urban design objectives.
However, despite these obstacles, Avanti Architects have managed to deliver a well-designed school which overcame the constraints surrounding it. Avanti was able to do this by adjusting the building plans to avoid building directly over the HS1 tunnel and therefore removing a substantial risk to the project.

Jack Hobhouse

"The challenge at East Wick has been to deliver a high-quality building that can be measured against some of the Olympic venues but with a significantly reduced budget and a myriad of site constraints. A simple, elegant design with an efficient form and a stripped material palette has allowed us to meet this objective," said Amir Ramezani, Director Avanti Architects.

The result is a compact school, comprised of four storeys to accommodate primary school children. The layout of the school reflects the learning progression of the students. Each floor accommodates a different Key Stage. Years one and two will be located on the ground floor, years three and four will be on the first floor and years five and six on the second. Each floor is composed of six classrooms and includes toilets, offices, group rooms and storage. 

Jack Hobhouse

Youngsters at nursery and reception level will attend class in a separate part of the school on the lower ground floor. But it’s not all work and no play; there is an outdoor play space for the younger children to spend their lunch breaks on the lower part of the site. 

Jack Hobhouse

The main hall used for assembly, dining and PE is located on the ground floor and has direct access to the main play area for the older children.

Jack Hobhouse

Teachers needn’t worry about their students getting distracted by noise from the playground as it is completely isolated from the learning areas so the children can learn in peace.

The building is cleverly designed to optimise light. On each floor, the classrooms surround a central light well which brings daylight deep into the heart of the school. Glazed internal screens to the classrooms provide double sided lighting and transparency for supervision purposes, so teachers can see the pupils who are getting up to mischief. 

Jack Hobhouse

The outside of the building has been designed to complement the emerging character of the Olympic Park. Large glazed areas combined with fibre cement panels give the school a clear architectural expression. The building has a natural colour palette accomplished by the use of ‘self-coloured’ ‘materials. At night, perforated metal panels create the impression that the building is built in layers.  A large sign that reads ‘Mossbourne Riverside Academy’ welcomes visitors to the school.

Jack Hobhouse

Phillip Glannville, Mayor of Hackney officially opened the school this week. He said: “It’s great to see another key part of the 2012 legacy come to fruition, and it was lovely to visit the school again for its official opening. Securing real benefits for local people was a crucial part of the 2012 Games for Hackney, so to see this amazing purpose built, state-of-the-art school open right here in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is a very special moment.’

Jack Hobhouse