T : +44 (0)20 3637 0027

M : +44 (0)7971 641179

S WILLIAMS ARCHITECTS WORK ON A VARIETY OF PROJECTS IN BOTH THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS

Sarah Williams of S Williams Architects, has experience of nurseries, primary, secondary and all-through schools, colleges and universities, residential and commercial schemes, mixed use projects, arts and civic buildings.
 

Read more Read less

Regional Portfolio, The Crown Estate

Regional Portfolio, The Crown Estate

The Crown Estate has commissioned S. Williams Architects as their RIBA client adviser to assist with delivering their regional portfolio place making framework. 

 

 

The Crown Estate is a £14 billion UK real estate business, which includes some of Central London’s best places to work, shop and visit, brilliant destinations across the country and offshore wind..  All profits are returned to the Treasury which has totalled 2.7 billion over the last 10 years.

Outside of central London, TCE own, develop and manage a £2.4 billion portfolio of prime retail and leisure destinations which attract over 100 million visitors a year.

The Crown estate are focused as a buisness on embedding their corporte aspirations 2030, driving efficiency, climate resilience and creating healthy places and habitats.

The Crown Estate are currently reviewing their public realm and place making strategy across the estate to anticipate the future needs, requirements and anticipated changes over the next 10-30 years.  Working with the client and other professionals, Sarah facilitates and supports TCE to achieve their desired outcomes and helps to put in place design strategies and programmes that can be delivered over the next few years.

Sarah is working closely with the in house placemaking,  asset and development teams alongside professional consultants to ensure that their strategy can be delivered on the ground across the sites

Twickenham Riverside Project, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames

Twickenham Riverside Project, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames

Sarah Williams was selected as the RIBA client adviser to lead and manage the selection of architects and teams with the RIBA competitions office for the redevelopment of an important riverside site in Twickenham.

 

Twickenham and its riverside has an interesting and varied architectural heritage with a particularly attractive shopping street in the oldest part of the town. The wining proposal has the potential to transform the town and percetions of it, drawing visitors towards exploring the riverside area, and making a major economic success of the area.

Sarah has helped support the council members and officers in developing the brief, agreeing the process and  selecting the longlist and then shortlist of architectural teams 

The history of the embankment area dates back to the 1650’s when Richmond House was built. This was demolished in the 1920’s and part of the site was sold for the development of commercial buildings. In 1935 Twickenham Lido opened on the remaining land which then subsequently closed in the 1980’s

The competition site includes the whole of the riverside area between Water and Wharf Lanes including the embankment, which is currently dominated by cars. It also incorporates Jubilee Gardens and derelict buildings.

The objectives for the design includes; providing an exemplar in high quality sustainable design that reflects the riverside setting, a scheme that strengthens the character of Richmond by enhancing the public realm, a project which provides a creative solution and riverfront experience prioritising people over cars, and the creation of an exciting destination for residents and visitors that champions the river and makes a significant contribution to the town.

Bat and Ball Station

Bat and Ball Station

S Williams Architects was commissioned by Sevenoaks Town Council as their RIBA Client adviser to assist with the Bat and Ball station project in Sevenoaks.

Bat and Ball station is a Grade II listed building, built in the latter part of the 19th Century and although still used as a working station, the building has been derelict for the past 25 years. It was the first terminus in Sevenoaks and opened in 1862. The building is representative of other Victorian station buildings from that period, with its distinctive banding, use of terracotta, London stock brick and canopy incorporation.

STC commissioned Theis and Khan to undertake the restoration and refurbishment of the building to make it available for community use and to help revitalise a much loved building in Sevenoaks.  It also formed part of a wider masterplan, contributing to the regeneration of the Bat and Ball area and gives the public full accessibility to the London bound platform for the first time.

The team worked closely with South Eastern and Network Rail to secure the various permissions and agree on the detail and extent of the works. STC lease the building from the Rail network for a peppercorn rent. 

STC also applied for Heritage Lottery funding and were successful in securing money for the project. Working closely with the local heritage officer, the team retained all the original and important features and historic fabric and fittings of the building. These include elaborate architrave panels over the doors, ticket windows, counters and timber panelling on the walls.

The new centre boasts a ticket hall and luggage room that function as community spaces, a new cafe and associated facilities.

Bat and Ball station was shortlisted for the  RIBA  South East Regional awards in 2019 

‘I’m very pleased for everyone involved in this project that it has been shortlisted by RIBA. Now the station has opened it has quickly become a valuable resource for the community. The original design has been delivered, which is not always easy to do with renovations and the feedback from the public has been very positive.

 

The Mayor of Sevenoaks, Councillor Hogarth

Watford Primary School, Watford

Watford Primary School, Watford

S Williams Architects has been commissioned by Berkeley Homes as their RIBA adviser, working with Lifschitz Davidson Sandilands on a two-form entry Primary School as part of a wider residential development in Watford.

The school is located in the North part of the site and is surrounded on three sides by Residential Units.  It is organised over five floors with external terraces and play space.

A ground floor courtyard provides a protected enclosure for Students to circulate prior to the School opening in the morning.  The space will also be used for play and activities and acts as a primary access point into the School.  A nursery with a separate enclosed play space is also provided at ground floor.  The building then stacks up with teaching space, ancillary facilities and external terracing by wide interconnecting stairs and a lift, culminating in a top floor play space.

A podium provides more play space with access to an upper terrace and covered areas provided for the younger pupils.  

A buffer zone is established to the south to the Residential building to the South and will incorporate planted screening.Larger spaces, such as the double height hall is located at ground level with the Learning rescource centre located adjacent to an external terrace on the upper floor.

The plan is efficient and logical and uses the Department for Educations Output Specification and brief as a starting point.

The nature of a vertical school has been considered at length and hence the provision of external play/learning space at every floor. The floor plan has been maximised to ensure that the most vertically compact school has been achieved.

A planning application is due to be submitted mid 2019.

Regent Street, London, The Crown Estate

Regent Street, London, The Crown Estate

The Crown Estate has commissioned S. Williams Architects as their RIBA client adviser to assist with delivering their strategies in Central London and within their regional portfolio.

 

The Crown Estate is a £14 billion UK real estate business, which includes some of Central London’s best places to work, shop and visit.  All profits are returned to the Treasury which has totalled 2.7 billion over the last 10 years.

The Crown Estate is a business driven by a strong set of values.  They are committed to finding better ways to enhance the performance of their assets in a way that makes them fit for the future and helps their customers succeed.

For world class destinations in London’s West End, to retail and leisure in local communities, they believe in working closely with their customers, partners and Communities to create brilliant places to live, work and sleep.

The Crown Estate are currently reviewing their public realm and place making strategy across the estate to anticipate the future needs, requirements and anticipated changes over the 10-30 years.  Working with the client and other professionals, Sarah will help facilitate and support TCE to achieve their desired outcomes and put in place design strategies and programmes that can be delivered over the next few years.

Sarah is working closely with the in house placemaking,  asset and development teams alongside professional consultants to ensure that their strategy can be delivered on the ground.

Coitbury House, Winchester

Coitbury House, Winchester

S. Williams has been commissioned by Winchester City Council as their RIBA Client Adviser for the Refurbishment of a key building within the Central Winchester Regeneration (CWR) area.  The building will sit within the redeveloped CWR site for years to come and therefore must take account of its potential future surrounding both in design and use.

 

The vision for the Central Winchester Regeneration Area is for the delivery of a mixed-use, pedestrian friendly quarter that is distinctly Winchester and supports a vibrant retail and cultural offer, which is set within an exceptional public realm and incorporates the imaginative re-use of existing buildings.

The first task was to select a practice for the project.  Sarah supported the Council by running a small competition with a selected shortlist by working closely with officers and the Winchester design advisory panel.

Henley Halebrown were selected as the winning team and are now working on the design to create circa 10,000-11,000 square feet of office accommodation and other potential ground floor uses, geared towards current and future market trends.

Issues such as the rationalisation of floor plates enhancing the entrance and ground floor facilities, renewal of all services, compliance with regulations and improved energy efficency all form part of the brief.

A planning application is due to be submitted mid 2019.

Regent's Street Windows, London 2018

Regent's Street Windows, London 2018

Sarah Williams, with RIBA competitions office, has been appointed to lead and manage the selection of architects and teams for the 2018 Regent Street windows project which comprises the creation of captivating architectural installations in store windows along and around London’s historic shopping street.

Now an established event in its eight year, the project invites architects and retailers to collaborate and create eye- catching displays that demonstrate the innovation and creativity of architects. This highlights the participating brands as champions of good design. This unique collaboration engages trade press from fashion, architecture, design and beyond as well as national an local press and potential customers.

Sarah will be pitching to retailers having selected 3 architectural practices for each shop. The architects will be selected from a longlist follwing a call for expressions of interest. They will then collaborate with the retailers and their merchandising directors to design, produce and install the shop windows.

The installations will be on display for up to four weeks from April 2018 with the awards presented in May 18.

Broadway Car Park, Maidenhead, RBWM

Broadway Car Park, Maidenhead, RBWM

S Williams Architects has been commissioned by London and Aberdeen on behalf of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead to support them in the development of a new 1400 place, 10-storey carpark and ground floor retail units in the centre of Maidenhead.

The new 1400 place car park will replace an existing smaller facility, which sits at the heart of Maidenhead and is used by shoppers, visitors and commutors. With the current regeneration of and investment in Maidenhead, an enhanced state of the art car parking facility is required in time for the completion of Crossrail in 2019.

Sarah is working closely with Allies and Morrison architects on the scheme which comprises ground floor retail units, public realm, generous charging facilities, accessible spaces, park mobility and 1400  car parking spaces. There is 10 stories of accommodation above the retail units which is accessed by D-shaped ramps. This will be one of the tallest carparks in the UK.

The Quality of the building is paramount and work is ongoing into the facade treatment and maximising the efficiency of the structure and its impact on operational requirements.

Sarah will continue to work with the client and team in delivering the scheme.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Station Approach, Winchester

Station Approach, Winchester

Sarah Williams was approached by RIBA competitions to be part of the panel responsible for selecting a winning team for this very significant mixed-use scheme in the centre of Winchester. She has also been retained by the City council as the RIBA Client advisor for this high-profile project.

Winchester City council were loooking for a design team to work with them and other stakeholders in the city to formulate designs for a £50m mixed-use developments on two key sites. The team was also commisioned to create a public realm strategy which can be implemented as development proposals come forward from other developers in the area.

A successful outcome of the regeneration of the area will achieve the creation of commercially successful developments, create a distinctive local character area and improve the connectivity between the emerging suburb of Barton Farm, Hythe , the station and the city centre

The Council is developing sites within its ownership whilst providing a framework within which other independent development proposals can be assessed. Sarah and the panel, chaired by Roger Hawkins and including council officers and an advisory panel, shortlisted the five architectural teams, interrogated their proposals and interviewed the bidding teams.

The winning practice was Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands

Sarah has since been commissioned by Winchester  City Council to work alongside the winning team in an advisory capacity, supporting and advising the Winchester team and council members during the development of the scheme. WCC have also secured LEP funding for the public realm around the site and are in discussions and collaborating with Network rail about land under their ownership and improvements to the station forecourt.

''As RIBA Client Advisor to Winchester City Council on the Station Approach project over the course of the last 2 years, Sarah Williams has provided the role of reassurance and technical oversight to the process of advising on the design competition, selection and appointment of design team, and continuing now with a reassurance role on the proposed scheme moving forward. She has particularly helped in advising on governance matters to ensure the scheme moves forward in an optimal way. Her professional manner, responsiveness and technical experience all give strong independent reassurance in the steps we are taking for a big project initiative which needs exactly the range of skill sets that Sarah so capably brings to the table, and provides invaluable, respected assistance to the Council.”
 
Ian Charie, Head of Programme, Winchester City Council
 
 
 
 

Highbury Fields, Islington, London

Highbury Fields, Islington, London

Sarah Williams was appointed to help LBI select a design team for this important project in Highbury Fields. The existing buildings are at the end of life and feasibility work had already been undertaken to assess the options available. This considered refurbishment, demolition and new build of a number of buildings on the site.

Sitting within a Conservation area in Highbury East Ward, Highbury Fields is in an outstanding location and provides a hub for the community to relax, play sport and benefit from the many other features of Islington’s largest open space. The Fields extend from Highbury Corner in the South almost up to Highbury Barn in the North and are framed by Victorian Villas and Georgian terraces.

The area to be developed is currently used for tennis and is a location where families with children can relax and play as well as have access to a cafe and a childcare centre. There are significant constraints that need to be taken into account such as TPO’s, adjacent listed structures and Conservation area and Metrolpoltan Open land in which the site sits.

Sarah has led the process in running the competition with LBI and in selecting the winning  team from a long and shortlist of architects. She also assisted in the development of the brief, the procurement process  and the appointment of aother professionals to join the team. Levitate were successful in winning the comsission.

Sarah has also been retained by the client to support in the development of the project with the client and successful architects. A new cafe and childcare facilities will be designed as part of the scheme and there will be a significant  consultation process undertaken due to many interested stakeholder groups.  A series of events and interventions will be planned as part of the redevelopment process.

 

We appointed Sarah to oversee a particularly tricky procurement process and ended up asking her to stay on in an advisory role for the rest of the scheme. Her knowledge and expertise proved invaluable and the fact that she is so reliable and friendly meant that she was an asset to the design team. If you’re looking for a safe pair of hands, an impartial viewpoint and a RIBA seal of approval you’ll get all three with Sarah

Lara Ellington Brown, London Borough of Islington

 

Clore Studio at RIBA 66 Portland Place

Clore Studio at RIBA 66 Portland Place

Sarah Williams was appointed to assist RIBA in producing a feasibility study for a new learning centre within the Grade 2* iconic building in Central London, following which the Design team responsible for developing and delivering the final scheme, would be appointed through an RIBA competition, chaired and led by Sarah.

The Clore Duffield foundation has been driving initiatives in cultural leadership and learning for more than 50 years. Underlying the Foundation’s work is a driving belief that active learning sits at the heart of a successful cultural organisation and informs all aspects of it’s work.

The existing education spaces at 66PP are no longer sufficient to accomodate growing participation and are unsuited to the wide range of activities the programmes must already deliver.

RIBA succesfully applied to the Clore Duffield Foundation for funding to develop the education offer through various spaces within the building ,which will enable the ongoing delivery of a vibrant and creative hands-on learning experience for many different age groupsSarah has led the process in running the competition with RIBA and chaired the final panel which selected the winning architect , after much debate.

The winning practice was Hayhurst and Co.

Work will involve the creation of a new learning studio, improvements to the external terrace , the creation of a study space and the use of exhibition and wayfinding throughout the building.

 

''Sarah has been an absolute pleasure to work with on the Clore Learning Centre project. Her knowledge and experience as an architect and client advisor shine through in every way. She really listened to the project team, understood what we hoped to achieve with our project and helped us articulate that at different stages of the process and to different audiences. We valued her advice and are very happy with the end result"

Elizabeth Grant, Head of Learning, RIBA

Re-imagining 66 Portland Place, RIBA HQ

RIBA 66 Portland Place

Re-imagining 66 Portland Place, RIBA HQ

Sarah Williams has been appointed to conduct the Royal Institute of British Architects strategic review of the options for the future of its headquarters at 66 Portland Place in London. Sarah will help the institute develop a vision for the next 80 years of the building, which continues to be used by the public with its cafe and restaurant as well as exhibition space.

66 Portland Place opened in 1934 as the headquaters of the RIBA. It is a beautiful Grade 2 * building with a magnificant heritage and a landmark building in central London. There is now an opportunity to develop a coherent, substantive and exciting vision for the next 80 years and this will be done in consultation with RIBA members, the staff, members of the public, various institutes and many other stakeholders, over the course of the next few months. The intention is to develop a brief that enables the RIBA to develop a long term masterplan for the building.

''I had the great pleasure of working alongside Sarah for many months at the RIBA, whilst in my role of President.  

Sarah however, was more than up to this challenge.  Her calm and reassuring demeanour and cohesive and considerate leadership was truly a masterclass in advising clients. She managed to keep not only the committee members and staff aligned, but also in her frequent reports to Council (the 60 architect strong policy head of the RIBA) gained a significant reputation for the logic of her approach and subsequent work.''

Jane Duncan President RIBA 2016-2017

Croydon Residential Project

View at entrance

Croydon Residential Project

S Williams Architects has been commissioned to design a £20 million, residential led project in central Croydon of approximately 113 one, two and three-bed apartments with a small retail unit, parking facilities and associated public realm. The proposals respond to the sensitive nature of the setting which includes locally listed buildings and Croydon Minster in the Old Town and an adjacent conservation area. The building is four along its edge along Cairo New Road which comprises smaller scale terraced housing and a 14 storey element that sits centrally within the site.

Sitting on the edge of the Croydon Opportunity Area, this site has the potential to meet the Borough’s ambitious housing targets. It also acts as a threshold and gateway site reconnecting the area directly with the centre of Croydon.

The buildings sit around the perimeter of the site creating a central garden for the residents. There are various existing buildings on the site that will be demolished whilst the longer term masterplan incorporates adjacent buildings to complete a more sustainable development. This includes the potential refurbishment of an adjacent Edwardian building, and the transformation of an open space in front of the building into public use.

Planning permission was granted in 2016 and the project is now on site.

I have to say that I have been very impressed by Sarah Williams and Atomik architects on this scheme. They have been professional, imaginative, thoughtful, pragmatic, positive, open-minded, polite, willing to test new ideas but also to stand their ground and have been responsive to changing circumstances. Rare! I hope they will continue to be involved through the more detailed stages and through to completion of the scheme on site.

Vincent Lacovara, Head of Placemaking team, LB Croydon

Bat and Ball Community Centre, Sevenoaks, Kent

Bat and Ball Community Centre, Sevenoaks, Kent

Sevenoaks Town Council ran an RIBA competition to replace the existing community centre in the Bat and Ball area of Sevenoaks with a new building housing conferencing and community facilities, alongside offices for the Town Council.

Sarah Williams of S Williams Architects, is the RIBA client advisor for this project and has developed the brief and helped to run the competition process to select the winning design team. The project comprises a new 250 seat conference hall with kitchen and bar facilities, a nursery facility to meet OFSTED requirements, offices, meeting rooms and other associated space. The competition was launched in January and Thies and Khan were selected as the winning team in May 2015. 

The scheme puts a Kentish garden at its heart and the buildings wrap around this central space with an option to cite the nursery in 2 different parts of the site, The panel felt that the central garden space put the community at the heart of the scheme and it was felt that the overall master plan was extremely successful in achieving all the requirements and creating a focus. The various approaches from the station and entry into the building work well and it was felt that the building would be very welcoming to all visitors. The building also turns its back to the industrial centre and this was felt to be advantageous. 

 

"We had five very different schemes and some very intriguing and rich proposals from the teams. Theis and Khans winning scheme responded beautifully to the brief whilst fulfilling the aspirations and vision for Bat and Ball."  Sarah Williams

''Sarah has acted as a vital bridge between the world of professional architecture and passionate, but less technically minded, stakeholders; allowing them to feel involved in the design process, and work towards a final design that hopefully the Council and all aspects of the community will feel proud of.

Our project is far from over, and we look forward to working with Sarah over the coming months and years to deliver the project safe in the knowledge that she’ll continue to guide us through the numerous design stages with her characteristic patience and ability to translate complex information into layman’s terms.

We would absolutely recommend Sarah to any client that needs someone to demystify the world of architecture and help to facilitate community involvement in a project''.

Hugh D’Alton, Sevenoaks Town Council

Erith Primary School

Courtesy of SEW

Erith Primary School

Sarah has been assiting the Anderson group, advising on two of their school projects which are required as part of wider housing developments in the South East.

Designed by Studio Egret West, The design inspiration for the masterplan at Erith Quarry is its landscape; its history, topography and ecology. The school is consistent with this approach and uses these elements the basis for a building and landscape that looks and feels deeply rooted in the site. The 3-form entry primary school forms part of the masterplan development which will accommodate 600 new homes, community facilities, reatined ecological areas and new public open space.

The building takes on the form of a circle that gently nestles amongst the new green surroundings. Radiating from the central play spaces are a series of rings that provide circulation, teaching spaces, specialist teaching areas, and learning resource facilities. External balconies and terraces provide dedicated outdoor teaching spacesto each classroom as a transition between the school and landscape.

The Landing, Maidenhead

Studio Egret West
Studio Egret West

The Landing, Maidenhead

S Williams Architects, headed by Sarah Williams, has been commissioned by Ryger Maidenhead Ltd for a key site in the centre of Maidenhead next to the station. The £200 million, 500,000 square foot mixed use scheme comprises apartments, retail units and offices and is due to complete in 2019.

Before the client committed to the investment, Sarah Williams worked closely with them to determine the mix, massing, heights and brief for the development. With the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead’s Planning and Regeneration team (and based on the work undertaken by Sarah), basic parameters were agreed which gave sufficient assurances for the client to proceed with the site purchase. As a result of her advice, the client was able to define their preferred site area and has reached a consensus with the Local Authority on the strategic massing, and mix of uses for the scheme. A letter of comfort has also been received from the RBWM planning team.

Sarah also ran, with the RIBA, the competition to select the architects and Studio Egret West were chosen as materplanners and lead architects. Allies and Morrison were also selected to design and deliver one of the large commercial buildings on the site. Sarah Williams of S Williams Architects, also assited the client in the selection of the wider design team including planning consultants, engineering firms, cost consultants, branding consultants and property agents. S Williams Architects will be retained by the client and will provide on-going advisory services for the project.

The site plays an important role in RBWM’s plans to reinvigorate and strengthen the town centre and is seen as a catalyst for redevelopment in the area. It is identified as a key town centre opportunity area in the Windsor and Maidenhead Area Action Plan.

The proposed development comprises the demolition of existing buildings in a triangular site and the construction of a new high quality mixed-use scheme, which will revitalise the town centre. The scheme is a mix of retail, commercial, offices and residential buildings with associated underground parking and a new public town plaza at its heart. It seeks to improve accessibility and links with the local shopping centre, high street and the Maidenhead railway station, which will become the Western Terminus of Crossrail  in 2019.  

The scheme will be characterised by high quality contemporary buildings, an accessible and vibrant public realm, a lively day and evening economy, successful businesses, high quality apartments and a variety of retail destinations all integrated to form a true mixed use development in the heart of the town.

 

''We have been working with Sarah for the last couple of years and have now appointed her as our RIBA Client Advisor on our 500,000 sq ft regeneration scheme in Maidenhead town centre.

During the early stages of this transaction, before purchase she exhibited great architectural, commercial and diplomatic skills. This included evolving and sketching up the essence of a large scheme in front of Local Authority Officers and Councillors at large meetings. With her charming dialogue and persuasion, she achieved a general consensus and an excellent, professionally-designed development brief. Her tenacity, continuing enthusiasm, skill and energy make her a delight to work with whist adding great value to projects''.

William Higgins FRICS Executive Chairman/London and Aberdeen

Douglas Higgins MSc MRICS Managing Director/London and Aberdeen

Department for Education

Department for Education

With her significant experience in the school’s sector, Sarah was a Design Adviser to the Education Funding Agency and worked on large batch schemes for the department from 2013 until 2019. She undertook the role of an expert client for the Priorities Schools Building Programme.

This included assessing the needs of the schools, ensuring this was clearly articulated to bidders, and making sure the designs met the specifications and the brief. The Design Adviser worked closely with the schools, the Project Director and Technical advisers during the design and delivery process, and undertook this work from project inception onwards, specifically advising on all design matters. She was also involved in the assessment of framework contractors.

Barking, Dagenham and Newham schools.

There were three large projects in the batch, two all-through schools and one secondary school.  The EFA team produced design options, briefs, schedules of areas and adjacency diagrams in readiness for the issue of the Invitation To Tender to Framework Contractors. The size of the schools varied from 1,500 pupils up to 2,800 which includes large primary and secondary school buildings and Special Educational Needs facilities.  Two of the schemes were entirely new build whilst the third was part new build and part refurbishment.

The sites all had challenges: One site was in the green belt, another had to retain PFI estate, and the third had a number of covenants across the site and was very limited in area. All schemes are now complete.

Croydon, Lewisham and Greenwich schools.

There were five primary schools and one secondary school in this batch, and all sites had constraints. The EFA team produced design options, briefs, schedules of areas and adjacency diagrams in preparation for the issue of the Invitation To Tender to Framework Contractors. Most of the schools were increasing in size and are predominantly new build. All schemes are now complete.

Kent and Surrey schools.

This scheme comprised five secondary schools across Kent and Surrey, all on very difficult sites. This included academies and Grammar schools all requiring large new buildings that would be phased over a number of years.

 

Trinity School, Sevenoaks, Kent

Trinity School, Sevenoaks, Kent

S Williams Architects, headed by Sarah Williams, was commissioned by the Trinity school to provide Client Advisory Services for the development of a new £12 million, four-form entry secondary school. An office building in Sevenoaks has also been converted to provide a temporary school, whilst the new building is being developed.

Trinity is a state funded secondary Free school with a vision to be an outstanding, high-achieving Christian School.

S Williams Architects was commissioned by the Trinity school Trust and latterly Trinity school to assist and provide Client Advisory Services for the development of this scheme.

Initially Sarah and the client team were involved in site searches for both the permanent and temporary school sites. Work was undertaken to develop the brief and feasibility studies for both the permanent school and also a temporary school that would accommodate two year groups whilst the new building is under construction.

The school opened in September 2013 in the temporary accommodation.

Temporary School - Riverhead, Kent

After an extensive site search, the school’s team and EFA negotiated the lease on a vacant office building in Riverhead, Sevenoaks and undertook design work to convert the existing building for use as a school. Working closely with the Trust and the EFA technical team, Sarah Williams of S Williams Architects, was retained by the school to provide input into the process and helped define a brief, schedule of areas and layouts for the building to ensure it met the expectations of the Head Teacher and the Trust. The programme was very challenging as the school was due to open in September 2013, having taken possession of the building in May 2013.

The school used the new legislation of ‘permitted development rights’ due to the tight timescales, which allowed the school to move in without going through the standard planning permission procedures. The school is now applying for planning permission to extend for another year.

The buildings have very large, light filled classroom spaces and a large dining/assembly space. The children have external hard play space and use local amenities for sports activities. The building is functioning very well and can be used flexibly.

Permanent School – Sevenoaks, Kent

S Williams Architects was commissioned by Trinity school Trust to assist during the extensive site search early on in the process to help refine their site requirements.  Sarah also helped to define the brief, develop a schedule of accommodation, adjacency diagrams and produced a concept design for a site in Sevenoaks that was the favoured option at that time.

The team was then asked to consider an alternative site in the green belt that was latterly used as a school but is subject to political difficulties. Sarah has remained the school’s client adviser throughout the process and has inputed into the development of the design by Wilmott Dixon and Bond Bryan Architects (on behalf of Kent County Council).

Although different from the original S Williams Architects scheme, the school design proposed by Wilmott Dixon has been reworked to contain many of the critical original design elements that were important to the school. This includes a large central flexible worship space that can accommodate the whole school, and the division of the teaching spaces into four ‘colleges’ or learning areas. The gross floor area of the school is 6500m2 and it sits in a landscaped setting with various external play areas. Due to its location in the green belt, the massing and siting of the building has been very important and the highways issues have been critical. The site is shared with a grammar school annex, and a joint planning application was approved in July 2014. The building was completed in 2016 and is now looking to open their sixth form.

We employed Sarah Williams as a Client Advisor to help us in dealing with design issues for both temporary and permanent sites for our new Free School.  We found her to be experienced, creative, pragmatic and very committed to helping us to achieve our objectives.

Bill Lattimer, Chair of Governors, Trinity School Sevenoaks.