In 2010, the school appointed John McAslan + Partners as their strategic estate advisors, and it has worked with the school over a number of years as masterplanner and architect. The practice has an established reputation for educational projects including the British School in Rio de Janeiro, the John Roan School in Greenwich and the Oasis Academy in Enfield.

Developing a masterplan

The school is predominantly housed in a fine Grade-II listed building designed by the Arts and Crafts architect Gerard Horsley, but the accommodation had been extended organically over time.

The campus masterplan identified current and future development opportunities for the school’s Brook Green site, and sought to clarify the site’s complexities. 

McAslan developed a rationale that sought to ensure that future developments would work with the existing architecture and enhance this historic site, and to create a cohesive campus that provided technology-rich learning environments and better spaces for reflection and relaxation for students and staff. 

Senior School hub School

Known as the Garden Building), this 1,390 sqm space accommodates the History and Geography Departments, and was recently shortlisted for a RIBA London Award.

The building is constructed of pale limestone with a bronze coloured metal ‘veil’ which screens the upper level and provides some depth to the fully glazed facades. The roofs are flat: the lower roofs are sedum and the upper roof is covered in photovoltaic panels.

Positioned in the corner plot of a constrained urban site, against a listed wall and responding to the surrounding architectural context, the Garden Building has responded to the challenges of creating additional area within a tight school site. 
 

Sports pavilion

The 650 sqm Sports Pavilion provides high quality academic and sports facilities on the playing field site, including an additional activities hall, flexible space, changing facilities and a maintenance building. 

It is constructed of a varied stock brick with timber curtain walling, the roofs are also sedum at lower level and covered in photovoltaic panels at the upper level.

Sarah Fletcher, High Mistress of St Paul’s Girls’ School, explained that she and her team were “immensely proud of the school’s scholarly achievements”, and that they were now able to offer their students “an immeasurably enhanced learning and living environment.” 

John McAslan, Executive Chairman at John McAslan + Partners, added that the practice was “delighted that the first phase of the redevelopment of St Paul’s Girls’ School is now complete”, and commented that it was “already positively impacting the way in which pupils experience their time at the school.”

The collaboration between St Paul’s Girls’ School and John McAslan + Partners is ongoing, and subsequent elements to the recently-completed buildings will include a reconfigured forum building and link space which will provide central staff areas, meeting rooms and offices, as well as a reconfigured Design and Technology block.