Park Mains High School, Erskine Education Building

Park Mains High School Building, Erskine Education Project Development, Scottish Curriculum for Excellence

Park Mains High School

Erskine Education Building Development, Scotland, UK design by Holmes Miller Architects

23 Oct 2012

Park Mains High School, Erskine

Design: Holmes Miller architects

Park Mains High School Building Erskine
Erskine Education Project photo © Andrew Lee

Park Mains High School Erskine Building

Completed: July 2012
Construction Cost: £31m

Park Mains High School Building Erskine
Erskine Education Building photo © Andrew Lee

The innovative new building, accommodating 1400 pupils and 136 staff, was designed through extensive consultation with the Education department and the School to provide a platform for the Curriculum for Excellence to flourish whilst creating a fantastic hub for the Erskine Community. The strong order of the warm orange brickwork grid unifies the building, with raking parapets creating dramatic perspective at key corners.

Park Mains High School Building Erskine
photo © Andrew Lee

A zinc clad two storey management and administration building slots into the three storey teaching accommodation and encourages pedestrian movement into the central social space. The School entrance and Community entrance are unified by the entrance concourse which creates a civic approach to the building.

Park Mains High School Building Erskine
photo © Andrew Lee

One of the most dramatic aspects of the design is a central atrium defined by a strong grid of timber to compliment the rhythm of the external brickwork.

Park Mains High School Building Erskine
photo © Andrew Lee

Flooded with natural light from rooflights and glazing that overlook the external courtyard area, this central space is the thriving heart of the school. Park Mains High School Building Erskine
photo © Andrew Lee

Informed by the Curriculum for Excellence in school design, the plans include a series of ‘break-out’ spaces outside classrooms that help to facilitate different kinds of learning environments.

Erskine Education Building design by Holmes Miller Architects
photo © Andrew Lee

Greater flexibility within classrooms spaces enables teachers to deliver different types of learning, thereby allowing an emphasis on topic rather than subject based learning.

Erskine Education Building Development, Scotland
photo © Andrew Lee

A delighted Michael Dewar, Park Mains High School HS Head Teacher, said, ‘This impressive building has already lifted the morale of staff, the pupils love it and the community are regular users of the tremendous sports facilities now available to them.’

Park Mains High School Building Erskine
photo © Andrew Lee

Park Mains High School Erskine images / information from Holmes Miller

Holmes unveils plans for flagship secondary school in Renfrewshire
Park Mains High School Erskine
picture from architect
Park Mains High School, Erskine, Renfrewshire, PA8 6EY
Glasgow based architects Holmes has submitted plans for a new flagship school in Erskine. Park Mains High School for Renfrewshire Council will not only provide secondary education for the pupils of Erskine and the surrounding villages of Bishopton, Inchinnan and Langbank, but it’s innovative facilities will also be available, and integral, to the wider community.

Holmes Miller

Location: Erskine, Renfrewshire, Strathclyde, southwest Scotland, United Kingdom

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