Channing School
- Client: Channing School
- Architect: Buckley Gray Yeoman, Prime Meridian, NVB Architects
- Contacts: Oliver Coleman
- LPA: London Borough of Camden & London Borough of Haringey
Channing School is an independent girl’s school educating students between the ages of 4 and 18. Located in Highgate, the Junior School falls within the London Borough of Camden and the Senior School within the London Borough of Haringey.
Rolfe Judd have supported the school for over a decade via sensitive adaptation and enhancement of the historic buildings in the school’s care, or construction of new buildings which sympathetically respond to their setting.
For the Junior School, Rolfe Judd secured planning permission for the construction of a new school hall, changing room pavilion, and side extension to the main building to support two additional classrooms. Permission was also secured to alter vehicular access arrangements from Highgate Hill as well as re-landscaping of the grounds.
The planning application had to consider the impacts on Metropolitan Open Land (to which the extensions are located), heritage impacts on the Highgate Conservation Area and the locally listed manor house which forms the main school building and the impacts on the neighbouring Waterlow Park, a designated Site of Importance for Nature Conservation. Prime Meridian was the appointed architect for the project.
For the Senior School, Rolfe Judd secured planning permission for a new indoor sports, music and performing arts facility under proposals designed by Buckley Gray Yeoman. The development was shortlisted for multiple design awards including winning the Surface Design Awards.
Rolfe Judd have recently been re-appointed by the school, securing permission for refurbishment, alteration and extensions to Brunner House. This consent will enable the school to relocate its science department into this dedicated specialist space and offer Design Technology as part of its curriculum for the first time. The additional capacity secured at Brunner House enables the next phase of works to the main school buildings which are Grade II listed. The works to the main school will reconfigure the cores and sensitively restore as appropriate the heritage floorplan for improved teaching and support staff spaces. The rationalising of the cores is facilitated by a modern rear extension to the building. Additional accommodation is also sort with a mansard extension and equal access will be improved by the provision of a lift within the listed building to support access to all floors. NVB Architects have led on the design of the proposals.
The planning applications at the senior school particularly had to consider alterations to listed and locally listed buildings as well as the setting on the Highgate Conservation Area.
