Projects › Education
Art Studio Conversion
SectorEducation
LocationWoolhampton, Reading
Programme16 weeks, live school
A 16-week project at Elstree School, a prep boarding school, converting a redundant squash court into an art studio classroom. The work combined an internal conversion with an extension, delivered while the school was in use.
The squash court was stripped out and reconfigured, with a new brick-and-block extension finished in monocouche render.
The gable end was altered for new bi-fold doors onto a landscaped area, and a mezzanine with a glass balustrade was added.
New underground foul drainage, an air source heat pump for hot water and underfloor heating, and a fire alarm linked to the main school system.
Sound-absorbing ceilings, feature lighting, bespoke joinery, a pottery kiln and full decoration.
Hard landscaping, new footpaths, external lighting, roof repairs, cross-flow ventilation and an external fire escape stair.
Crittall-style windows, glass brickwork, accessible toilets, and bat and bird boxes to meet planning conditions.
The school stayed open, with an outdoor pool next to the site in daily use. We followed the school’s safeguarding rules, including DBS checks, and planned noisy work with staff.
A disused squash court is now an art studio. The work was completed safely in a live school and met the ecological and planning conditions.
