Protective barrier for the Isaac Newton Academy

The architecture firm Pollard Thomas Edwards has conceived an astonishing project for the Isaac Newton Academy in Ilford, in London’s eastern suburbs.
In building this complex, consisting of a primary school, a secondary school and a sixth form, architect Simon Whitley had to fit the primary school into an urban environment that was ill-suited to its young population, with noisy streets and a working fire station nearby.

To overcome the problematic location, Simon decided to insulate the street-facing building as much as possible while conserving some of its overall architectural unity, which included building the ground floor from the same red brick as the facade of the existing secondary school.

Protective cocoon

To achieve this, the architect designed a two-storey building with a primary brick structure, to which he attached a Danpalon^® opal and clear rainscreen cladding with a Softlite finish about sixty centimetres away from the building.

The first floor houses common areas, such as the canteen, but the surprising aspect of the project lies in the architect’s desire to give the Danpalon^® rainscreen cladding a second function as the walls of a sports pitch located… on the roof!

The Danpalon^® rainscreen facades thus extend upwards for the equivalent of an additional storey, enclosing the roof and creating outdoor space.

The first floor houses common areas, such as the canteen, but the surprising aspect of the project lies in the architect’s desire to give the Danpalon^® rainscreen cladding a second function as the walls of a sports pitch located… on the roof! The Danpalon^® rainscreen facades thus extend upwards for the equivalent of an additional storey, enclosing the roof and creating outdoor space.

While perfectly sheltered from the noise and the wind, the children are still aware of movement outside and can make the most of the light passing through the translucent cladding.

When night falls, the Danpalon^® rainscreen facades act as an illuminated beacon, reflecting the lights of the street and the traffic. Far from contenting himself with the austerity inspired by a brick facade, the architect has successfully modernised and brought to life the image of the Isaac Newton Academy and made its pupils’ lives more comfortable.

The project identity