Hayesfield Girls’ School

Hayesfield Girls’ School is an all-girl secondary school with a co-educational sixth form, located in the Oldfield Park area of Bath. Won in competition, this project replaced the inadequate and deteriorating sports and performing arts facilities with a new building.

Our successful concept was to build on the initial brief for sports and performing arts facilities by introducing a new ‘heart’ to the school. We did this by incorporating a new main entrance, reception and open learning centre at the core of the building. The West Wing includes a sports hall, gymnasium, fitness suite, netball courts and all weather pitch as well as performing arts facilities for music and dance and art teaching.

The preferred location was determined through a careful analysis of the site topography – the school grounds fall some 12m across the site - together with community consultation.

The design also makes use of Bath stone and other natural materials, including weathered zinc, breaking down the overall scale of the building using a contemporary language.

We needed to minimise the removal from site of the extensive quantity of soil excavated from the hillside. This was used to raise the level of the existing dilapidated netball court, which was repurposed as a new MUGA pitch.

The West Wing provides a range of new facilities which enhance the curriculum and are also available for community use, outside of the school day. It was officially opened by Amy Williams, former student and Winter Olympics Gold Medallist.