Set within 31 acres of beautiful countryside on the borders of both Kent and Sussex, Holmewood House is an independent preparatory school, including a listed 19th century Decimus Burton mansion. The school has been extended in an ad hoc nature over the years, resulting in a disorganised plan and compromised appearance of the listed mansion.
Studio Partington were selected to redesign a large part of the building and create new teaching spaces, including a large multi-purpose learning hub and to rationalise circulation throughout the site; by creating a new main pupil entrance and upgrading loose external space. This would link all the circulation between buildings together to give a focus and social heart to the previously disparate assembly of buildings.
The new learning hub, accessed directly from the new cloister, can be reconfigured to suit a variety of uses including conference facilities, examination rooms and a library. The hub has been designed as a multi-purpose space with bespoke moveable furniture and bookcases that can slide into the walls to provide a conference room or arranged to provide a more classic library and learning environment.