Aldenham Prep School

New Build Preparatory School | Hertfordshire

Contract Type: JCT Design and Build
Size: 1930m²
Cost: £5,800,000
Client: Aldenham School
Status: Complete
Completed: May, 2021
Main Contractor: Phoenix Construction Services

This commission was won by NVB in 2018 in an invited competition. The new building delivers a purpose built home for the prep school which shares a campus with the senior school. NVB Architects and NVB Landscape designed both the building and the surrounding learning and play spaces which include a range of biodiversity enhancements.
The new building sits at one end of the school campus facing open country and the design had to balance the school's desire for a building which made a strong impact on the visitor with the need to deal sensitively with the Green Belt setting. The building uses the slope of the hill to minimise the massing when seen from the countryside whilst presenting a strong gable form to the arriving visitor. The simple courtyard shape of the building contributes to a sense of calm in the landscape. The brick and zinc palette externally is designed to age gracefully whilst internally CLT soffits improved construction time whilst adding visual warmth to the spaces.