Merchant Taylors’ Prep School

Ubu were appointed alongside ArchitecturePLB and the Terrell Group to work with Merchant Taylors’ Prep school to create a new reception building.  The now completed scheme will bring together visitor reception, administration and staff facilities to create a welcoming arrival and new entrance into the school.

The school’s historic heritage was a key driver for the project. The whole of the campus sits within the Metropolitan Green Belt, is a designated Site of Archaeological Interest and contains several listed buildings. Visitors will be greeted into the new reception building before passing through a glass link into the remodelled and refurbished listed barn.

The form and materials of the new build element have been chosen to complement and reflect the adjacent listed barn in a contemporary manner. Charred timber clads both the walls and roof, creating a homogenous form reinforced by the simplicity of the detailing. The landscape reflects the form picking up on the building articulation to express key points of access as well as integrating the new building into the broader site context.

Images: Craig Auckland, Fotohaus