Winifred Holtby (Tweendykes) Special School

Kingston upon Hull

Overall design quality rating: mediocre

Comments:

The alterations to the design help clarify the internal diagram of the school, but they do not resolve the shortcomings generated by the interlocking wings. The building addresses Barnstaple Road and Midmere Avenue well, but the front appears dominated by car parking and access routes, and the route to the SEN drop off at the back of the sports wing seems torturous. The outdoor areas do not relate well to the building; few classrooms have a direct relationship to external spaces. While the architecture of the building blocks has some sculptural quality, the interlocking volumes create an over-complex sequence of spaces and narrow internal courtyards. The corridors on the upper levels are convoluted and likely to be difficult to supervise. The complicated roofscape and the parapets contribute little to a positive learning environment while the arrangement of the coloured cladding elements could do more to express the interlocking volumes. For a building of this particular form, it is essential to achieve an envelope of the highest quality in terms of material and detailing which also takes into account sun exposure and weathering. The deep plan area at the heart of the school complex gives cause for concern in terms of daylight and ventilation.The complex spatial configuration of the wings seems to rule out any form of flexibility and adaptation.

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