PROJECT 153

"REGENT HIGH SCHOOL"

Walters & Cohen Architects

Regent High School (formerly called South Camden Community School) is a co-educational secondary school on a tight urban site in Somers Town in the London Borough of Camden. Piecemeal development over the years had resulted in numerous disparate buildings, many of which were at the end of their life. The school suffered from various dark, enclosed, indirect circulation routes; teaching and learning spaces that were no longer fit for purpose; and a lack of good quality external spaces for students. As well as addressing these issues, the design needed to allow for an uplift of 488 students and 70 staff.

The design supports a wide variety of teaching and learning methods to suit the school's educational vision for up to 1,300 students. At the heart of the school is the Arcade, a triple height circulation space linking new and existing elements of the campus. The Arcade is the main focus of the school and provides the new main entrance. The school's footprint has been kept to a minimum, with external space maximised to accommodate a variety of outdoor teaching and social spaces.