Practice looks to deliver new girls’ boarding house at former primary site

GSS Architecture Oundle Boarding House

GSS Architecture’s proposals for the new boarding house for Oundle School

GSS Architecture has lodged proposals to demolish a former Church of England primary school in Northamptonshire to make way for a new-build girls’ boarding house for Oundle School.

In addition to providing brand new three-storey accommodation for 60 pupils aged from 13-18, GSS said the project would allow Oundle to start a rolling programme of improvement work to its other accommodation by freeing up additional decant space at another boarding house.

Parts of the former primary school in Milton Road date back to the 1840s. It is described as a “non-designated heritage asset” in one document supporting the proposals. Other parts of building were added in the late 20th century.

GSS said in its design-and-access statement for the project that “a number of structural and spatial constraints” made it difficult to adapt the Victorian school building into proposals for the new boarding house.

The practice said that it would not be possible to insert a first floor into the original primary school building that would deliver useable space of “appropriate height and scale”. GSS said that one consequence would be that the new-build element of the boarding house would need to be larger if parts of the old school were retained. It added that the scheme would also be more expensive as a result.

Oundle CE Primary School GM

Source: Google Maps

The former Church of England Primary School at Oundle

GSS partner Anna McTaggart is lead architect on the project. She said Oundle was “rich in quality architecture”, making it a very special place to create a new boarding house.

“The project provides an exciting opportunity to redevelop a derelict site to create a high-quality building which will not only benefit pupils and staff but enhance this part of the Oundle Conservation Area,” she said.

She added that the practice’s proposals complemented and respected the 0.48ha site and responded to Oundle School’s vision for its estate.

GSS Architecture Oundle Boarding House Sketch

GSS worked with Smith Jenkins Planning & Heritage on the proposals.

North Northamptonshire Council has yet to set a target determination date for the application.

Oundle School charges up to £15,411 a term for pupils who board.

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