At Tring Park School, a key milestone has been reached in the construction of new boarding house and teaching facilities, designed by Burrell Foley Fischer. A ceremony has been held at the school to mark the topping-out of their new facilities. Construction company Stepnell was joined by the school's staff and its head boy and head girl.
The £5.9m building, due for completion in spring 2019, consisting of three floors plus a lower ground floor, will contain a state-of-the-art boarding house for 70 pupils, six academic and vocational teaching spaces, a theatre workshop and other valuable pupil facilities.
Jamie White, contracts manager at Stepnell, said: "We're delighted to have reached this significant milestone in the construction of this fantastic new accommodation which will be a great addition to the school. Reaching the topping out is a proud moment for everyone involved in the project as the building really starts to take shape."
Tring Park School is set within the historic context of Registered Parks and Gardens and Grade II* listed buildings in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The new building, is the next phase of the implementation of Burrell Foley Fischer’s masterplan for the school, which began with Park Studios, five new build studios for dance and performing arts. The design of the studios was rooted in the site's Chiltern context, taking a holistic approach, not only to the specific environmental conditions of its users, but the also the relationship between dominant historic buildings and green landscaped setting. The School’s extensive development needs risked upsetting this balance between house and garden.
The new masterplan blends the new developments into the landscape, while forming a more collegiate framework with the existing buildings. The green elevations of the new buildings are dressed in the same informal architectural language of randomly spaced cedar posts as the original Park Studios forming a coherent relationship between old and new buildings and green spaces.
Anselm Barker, deputy principal, says: “The pupils and staff at Tring Park School have been thrilled to watch the new building grow so quickly and we are delighted to have reached the end of this significant stage of construction. We eagerly look forward to moving into the new building and making the most of this new facility which will significantly enhance our community.”