Westwater Building, Dollar Academy

Compositionally, the approach was to develop a simple, elegant, glass and timber clad extruded volume at the upper level, sitting on a solid brick ‘plinth’ – the latter forming a grounding base for the ‘lighter weight’ structure above.

This character is a result of offsetting the section, creating at ground floor, the covered loggia and sitting space sheltered by the cantilevered floating glazed access galleria to the classrooms above. The lower floor as a result is set into the terraced hillside, with these offset upper classrooms allowing light down into the ground floor rooms. Ventilation chimneys dimensioned to this offset, anchor the streamlined form to the ground, mark the plan extent of each room and provide these lower rooms with fresh air. The upper level classrooms sit under the canted roof framed by the cantilevered access galleria to one side and to the other the ventilation chimneys beyond.

We were commissioned in 2008 to prepare ‘A Framework & Vision for Conservation & Development’. The aim was to produce a masterplan that placed the built development requirements of the Academy into a context of planned and thoughtful overall campus development, preserving and enhancing the existing historic setting of the Playfair Building as well as respecting the immediate context of Dollar.

Like the exterior we were keen to keep the internal materials palette simple, honest and robust. We also wanted the inside to reflect the outside as much as possible.  As such the brick walls flow inside into the entrance lobby and the timber T&G panelling echoes the exterior vertical cladding. The slate like tile on the ground floor contrasts with the timber wall cladding and continues the experience of the solid plinth base.

As you move up the timber staircase to the first floor the building opens up to the front and large panels of glass reveal the view across the grounds to the Playfair building. The large sliding screens open to let in fresh air through vertical louvred slats an echo of the timber to the side and rear. The focal stair, comprises a series of closely spaced vertical timber planks running the full height of the entrance, an echo of the vertical ventilation slats, contrasting with the full expanse of the horizontal vista across the grounds of the school. The flooring on the first floor changes to beautiful warm cork that compliments the timber panelling and bronzed window frames and enhances the ‘light’ and ‘airy’ feel of the first floor.