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Architects work on £33m school projects

A Darlington-based architects firm has won four school contracts totalling £33m.

Niven Architects has already been working around thousands of pupils for months as they completed their studies and sat important exams.

The four projects, totalling £33m, saw designers having to blend the refurbishment and partial demolition of existing premises with new buildings to create modern classrooms and sports facilities.

The Darlington practice won the contracts after building a national reputation for education design on the back of successful projects at Middlesbrough College, Cleveland College of Art and Design’s Middlesbrough and Hartlepool campuses and Redcar and Cleveland College.

Work is now well under way on schools in Scunthorpe, including St Lawrence Academy, St Bede’s, Frederick Gough School and St Hughes Special School.

Niven director Simon Crowe said: “The projects have been a real challenge because we have had to work around thousands of pupils and staff without impacting on their education and Ofsted ratings.

“This has required precision planning, phased development and very careful pedestrian control. The experience has been a fantastic opportunity for the practice and cements our reputation in the area of educational provision.

“Working together we have managed to reduce the impact on learning to an absolute minimum but now the children are on holiday we will be able to accelerate progress markedly.”

Simon said working with the special school to provide a special needs unit and art and media rooms had also been incredibly rewarding.

“When the client has very specific needs for people with physical and learning difficulties even more thought has to go into the design process,” he said. “This has helped us hone our architectural skills even further, which is also fantastic experience for younger members of the practice.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Martin Walker .