Design Award joy for infants and juniors

We are delighted to announce that Willow Lodge and Junior School have been recognised at the recent Cheshire West and Chester Civic Awards for Design and Conservation. 

Nominated by one of our parents in the category of Community, Health or Educational Buildings, the Willow Lodge building and the Junior School extension were commended on the night in the category of Educational New Build. 

The Award was collected by Head of Willow Lodge and Junior School, Margaret Ainsworth, Deputy Head of Willow Lodge, Jan Callaghan, and King’s School Headmaster George Hartley. 

Willow Lodge and the Junior School extension were designed by London-based architecture firm Child Graddon Lewis, and built by local contractors Anwyl Construction.

Mrs Ainsworth praised everyone who worked on the project and the positive impact that the innovative design has had on pupils and the environment. 

She said: “The design of Willow Lodge really maximises the opportunities for active learning and I see every day how our staff and pupils benefit from the bright, open spaces.

“The Junior School extension allowed us to add to our specialist teaching provision and it is incredibly rewarding to see how much the pupils benefit from the science lab, the art room and our DT workshop.

“The extension also gave us the opportunity to extend the library and move it to the physical heart of the school, which has been hugely popular with both pupils and staff.

“It isn’t only the physical spaces that make a difference; the school team worked hard with the architects and builders to ensure that Willow Lodge and the Junior School extension are as sustainable as possible.” 

The living roofs are amongst the most striking features of both buildings and they serve many practical purposes, including harvesting rain water for the feeding the water flush and insulating the building.

In addition, both buildings are South West facing for optimum nutrition and growth, helping to reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. 

Among its other eco-credentials, Willow Lodge is also fully equipped with motion sensor lighting to reduce energy consumption, LED lamps throughout and air source heat pumps to feed the underfloor heating. 

The awards, which last took place in 2015, aim to raise the profile of good architectural design in our community.

By rewarding the best architectural projects of the last six years, the judges hope to stimulate interest in our built environment and develop a deeper appreciation of both traditional craft skills and high quality contemporary construction.