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Permalink Reply by Charles Humphries on March 28, 2017 at 0:54

Hi Iain,

You can download the proposals from Backslash Architects from my dropbox link here:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/pthof17z4jc9o2b/AAB8VPGEseiP8guPrJ5e2d5f...

The dead space was labelled as a MUGA, or Multi-use Games Area. Basically an open sports pitch with a tall wire fence round it for ball games. We have to watch out because they often want to floodlight these MUGAs, which would be very intrusive. It is common to get planning consent without floodlighting and then apply for floodlighting later.

The video shows the problems around the Sports Hall in the currently proposed location. The architects told us that the Islington Planners, or the Design Review Panel had suggested this location. The grotesquely mis-named "Pavilion". We asked to see the written advice from the planners or the DRP and they have refused to provide this, so we do not know the truth of this, or what options the planners were shown.

In the meantime, since the City's design team have declined to do it,  we have produced a document that looks at five alternative sites for the school hall and examines the pros and cons of each. We will be meeting with the City Education team to present these. I attach a copy of this analysis to this post. We will be making sure this receives as much publicity as possible.

Attachments:

• GLERA Alt Locations for School Hall.pdf, 368 KB

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Permalink Reply by Iain Meek on March 28, 2017 at 14:03

Iain Meek said:

I was actually wanting to know about what I now see is the Nursery play area.  Sorry to see what it is as it is completely blocked from sunlight by the school building.

I support your option 4 for the location of the school hall.  Access can be through the proposed cycle store area, allowing cycle and pram storage for visitors!  A large, rectangular playground makes supervision easier for staff, I assume.

The whole design needs to be looked at again- see above for a quick hack of the current proposals.

Speaking as an architect, I recommend that the new buildings be built along the Northern boundary to:

1.  remove slivers of dead space

2.  visually differentiate the new buildings from the Grade 2 Listed estate 

Why demolish the disability garages on the North side of Basterfield Mews?  Are they not part of the original (inclusive) design by Chamberlin Powell & Bon?  My motto as an architect has always been to re-use as much as possible to keep costs down.

Regarding the planning of the school- 

What a terrible use of space.  The nursery play area is North facing!  Reception classroom  is landlocked.  The hall with its kitchen can only be reached by going outside.  No turning head to the access road.  The entire flats ground floor is given over to faceless service chambers.  

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