Minster School was originally split across two sites, half a mile apart; so the objective of this project was to locate the new school within the grounds of one campus – at Nottingham Road. The £24million development resulted in a single building that complements the scenery of the local area, using natural ventilation to ensure a comfortable environment.

Buro Happold’s expertise in ground engineering was brought to bear during the course of work on this project. Investigations enabled the team to identify the presence of artesian water in the bedrock of the site, leading to a decision to opt for pad foundations rather than a traditional piling solution. Also, a key part of the brief was to ensure the school remained open during construction, with minimal disruption to daily activities.