Burntwood School, Wandsworth Winner of Stirling Prize

Congratulations to Allford Hall Monaghan Morris architects for Burntwood School in Wandsworth which has won the 2015 Stirling Prize. Artelia provided Independent Certifier support for this complex project.

Built for Wandsworth Borough Council by Lend Lease at a cost of £40.9m, Burntwood School is one of the final projects to be developed under the Building Schools for the Future scheme that was established by the Labour government in 2004 and axed by the Coalition government six years later.

Burntwood Academy is a huge south London girls’ school; AHMM architects have created a university-like campus building with light-filled classrooms and generous corridors. This project is built to last and adds huge value to the attainment and behaviour potential of its students. This is a model in secondary education design and shows why schools need the best architectural thinking – well-designed schools add long-term value and inspire all those who attend and work in them.

The judges For the Stirling Prize said, “the relationship between the new concrete buildings and the older buildings adds a sense of architectural history and depth to the whole site”.

“The architectural expression throughout is bold, characterful and adds to a sense of this being more like a university than a school.”