Anderson High School, in Lerwick on the Shetland Islands, was founded by Arthur Anderson and opened in 1862. Since then it has expanded greatly and comprises the original, now Listed, buildings and boundary walls, main building, sports hall, special needs unit, car park, and a mix of temporary buildings and grassed recreational space. The school currently accommodates about 820 pupils from ages 12-18. In recent years the more modern buildings have been gradually falling into disrepair, have high maintenance costs and are reaching the end of their lifespan. As a result, a new school has been under consideration since 1991.
A number of sites were examined and a design competition held for a proposed new building at the existing location. LUC became involved in March 2008, when the decision had been taken to rebuild within the existing school grounds.
Our involvement began with the undertaking of a landscape and visual impact assessment and the development of design proposals. The design evolved through regular design team meetings and close co-ordination with the engineers (Faber Maunsell - AECOM) and architects RPP.
LUC’s design included the external courtyards and seating areas, an all-weather pitch, informal and prescribed play spaces, formal external space around the main entrance, and the production of grading and planting plans. We worked closely with the engineers to resolve pedestrian and vehicular access, parking requirements and all ability access on this complex sloping site, which also includes a special needs school and a nursery.
LUC completed the contract package, including drawings and specifications, and planning permission was granted in April 2009, but the project is currently under review by Shetland Islands Council. Should construction proceed, LUC expect to undertake site supervision, produce reports and provide ongoing advice.
A considered response to the context of the site was integral to this project, in terms of the need to use local materials (thus avoiding the need to ship to Shetland); to ameliorate the harsh site conditions, where extreme winds are common; to reflect the history and cultural aspects of the site as the location of the original Victorian school, which is near to an Outstanding Conservation Area; and to respond to the existing typology of built form and sloping topography.
This project is an example of the site-specific design that LUC is celebrated for. Our well thought-out approach enabled us to generate proposals for the school grounds which will be suited to the character of the setting, and which will respond to the numerous opportunities and constraints imposed by the site.
