The UK is currently experiencing the single largest school building investment programme for 50 years and yet the design quality of many schools completed over the last five years is simply not good enough to secure the government’s ambition to transform children’s education. London’s Learning features 30 exemplar case studies, giving a current snapshot of the state of British school design.

The projects shown here will hopefully both inspire those involved in the next wave of school buildings and promote the talents of those responsible for these 30 exemplary schemes.

Exhibition sponsor:


Morning Talks

Every Wednesday at 8.30 am

To book please visit www.newlondonarchitecture.org/talks

Wednesday 7 November    
London’s Learning 
Paul Monaghan, Partner, Allford Hall Monaghan Morris LLP

Wednesday 14 November  
Great Schools by Design
Ronald Bogle, CEO & President, American Architectural Foundation

Wednesday 21 November   
Designing World-Class Academies
Paul Kalkhoven, Senior Partner, Foster + Partners

Wednesday 28 November
Can I have my ball back? New ways of funding and designing schools
Andrew Beharrell, Director, Pollard Thomas Edwards

Wednesday 5 December 
Building the First BSF School  
Stafford Critchlow, Director, Wilkinson Eyre

Wednesday 12 December   
Corporate Space & Learning Space: Learning from Each Other
Stephen Heppell, Heppell.net Ltd

The Morning Talks programme is sponsored by ConstructionSkills

CITB-ConstructionSkills, CIC and CITB(NI) are working as ConstructionSkills,

the Sector Skills Council for Construction, part of the Skills for Business network of 25 employer-led Sector Skills Council

Speaker: Sunand Prasad

Dr Sunand Prasad, a founding partner in the London-based practice Penoyre and Prasad, is currently President of the RIBA. Born and raised in India he trained as an architect at Cambridge University, the AA and the RCA where he gained his PhD with a study of the Indian courtyard house. He has written extensively on Le Corbusier’s involvement with India and its architectural culture, contributing to the Hayward exhibition catalogue on Le Corbusier: Architect of the Century in 1987.

Places are £3.50 for DOCOMOMO Members and Architectural students and £5.00 for non-members and guests

Bookings can be made to Philip Boyle, DOCOMOMO Coordinator on 020 7253 6624

For reservations only please email: dsharp@sharparchitects.co.uk

THE DOCOMOMO Annual Lecture 207 is sponsored by Hanson Building Products     

Wednesday 7 November 2007, 6.30 pm
Concrete Elegance: Loft Inspired Ideas
Speakers: Alun Jones, Dow Jones Architects, Simon Henley, Buschow Henley Architects and John Reid, White and Reid Ltd.

Concrete supported on timber floors seems a bizarre notion, with the dense material being supported by the lightweight material. In two case studies, the architects will explore the idea of forming walls, floors, partitions and self locking precast wall planks using quick, easy to place, liquid stone rather than blockwork or timber. In addition, the use of bespoke, steel trowelled, cast in place workshops and floor interiors will be showcased. Case studies include 57A Lant Street in Borough, St John St. in Clerkenwell and ‘Handmade Perfection’ by White and Reid Ltd.

Click here to book.

Wednesday 5 December 2007, 6.30 pm
Concrete Elegance: Plasticity and Form - Progressive Concrete Solutions
Speakers: Charles Mador, Charles Mador Architects, Craig Downie, Studio Downie and David Undery, Artist

Buildings for every day enjoyment, structures that provide a haven for golfers and art that can bring nature closer to the soul are the focus of the evening’s presentations on Plasticity and Form. Materiality and spatial dynamics are the main ingredients of these three concrete projects: The Cass Sculpture Foundation in Sussex, the “Song from Nature” (an external garden work) and the Playgolf centre in Northwick Park.

Click here to book.

Concrete Surfaces encompass a diverse range of treatments and finishes. This course reviews the possibilities and methods and specifications to achieve the desired surface condition.

This course will also cover key requirements of the visual concrete specification, the essentials of the concrete mix to ensure consistent colour, selection of form face materials, good formwork practice and site workmanship in handling and compaction of concrete plus guidance on achieving a fine concrete finish. Concrete surfaces in context are the focus of a case study of the Cass Sculpture Foundation Centre.

Speakers include:
David Bennett: Course Leader
Director, David Bennett Associates

Derek Smith
Product Champion – Acrow
Ashtead Plant Hire Company Lt

Craig Downie
Craig Downie founded Studiodownie Architects in 1993 and in 1998 and 2001 was included in The Architecture Foundation’s Britain’s Best Young Architectural Practices.

Course Programme

Speaker Biographies

Cost £150 + VAT Includes course materials, a light meal and downloadable copies of the presentations following the event.
Please book here.

This event is produced by the Concrete Centre and The Building Centre Trust