A New School at the White Lodge Centre,
Chertsey, Surrey

The White Lodge Centre has been in existence since 1963, and was one of the first buildings designed by Broadway Malyan Architects. The original building function, as a special school for children with cerebral palsy, has evolved over the years, and the buildings have become dated. The Charity decided to employ the original architects to restore a sense of order to the buildings and to improve the buiding's performance. A strategy was  devised to create a series of annexes that better suited the changing use of the Centre, and also allowed a more efficient rating under the VAT rules. Sustainability issues were key.

The building structure was conceived as a steel frame creating a flexible system that allows the clients to 'plug on' more units as funds become available. The steel structure is expressed within the Centre, using a closely spaced grid with curved steel beams conveying a feeling of lightness. The lightweight superstructure enabled the use of a thin concrete raft for the foundations, where piles had been used previously. The total project was in the region of £2 million.

Architect Broadway Malyan