Miller Bourne has a long track record in the design and refurbishment of school buildings and educational facilities for local authorities

Each school project has unique local circumstances and offers its own set of challenges and opportunities – which, for us, is what makes our work with you so worthwhile.

We’ve been designing school buildings and educational facilities for the public sector for over three decades, often working as part of a contractor-led D&B procurement route to tight programmes and through key stage signoffs. So, we understand the advantages this can provide you for monitoring costs and addressing buildability and access issues at an early stage.

Schools matter: they shape us into the adults we become

With every project, we strive to generate innovative, sustainable and exciting design solutions to transform learning environments and ensure capital funding stretches as far as possible.

The best schools design, we believe, is about creating inspiring and cost-effective environments that help drive up educational outcomes and enhance teacher-and-pupil well-being, while limiting future running and maintenance costs.

primary school children and building

Designed for learning

Positive project outcomes do not just mean a better use of public money. They have real implications for children’s attainment and teachers’ productivity.

From master planning new campuses to enhancing or increasing the capacity of existing buildings, we aim to produce designs that will stand the test of time and, where required, to integrate futureproofed adaptability for tomorrow’s expansion needs.

Good design is critical to ensuring that the building is inspiring, functional and robust and that is provides good value. The easier buildings are to manage, repair, operate and maintain, the more likely they are to operate efficiently and keep looking good for years to come.

A proud history of schools and educational buildings

We understand the need for close engagement with the school and funding body to provide a bespoke design solution that fulfils their needs whilst also working within the statutory government requirements.

In addition to campus master-planning for historic and sensitive sites, our design solutions comprise primary and secondary schools, academies, multi-purpose educational facilities including performing arts centres, teaching accommodation, sports centres and swimming pools, boarding houses, dining and kitchen facilities, and more.

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What our clients say

  • Miller Bourne have worked with ESCC on numerous schools and community projects. Their design solutions are contemporary, innovative, and exciting and manage to interpret and incorporate the vision of multiple stakeholders. Their expertise with the workings of the local authority – and the broader public sector is highly valued – as is their understanding of the need to achieve financial and sustainable value with their robust, futureproofed and fit for purpose solutions. They’re always friendly, willing to engage, and excellent at collaboration.
    Alice Smyth, Programme Manager, East Sussex County Council
  • "Miller Bourne are pragmatic and practical. They think ‘outside the box’ when it comes to aspirations and produce aesthetic solutions that achieve buildability and affordability. I’ve always found them a safe pair of hands with the detailing and delivery. I value their schools expertise and knowledge of the design guidance, and familiarity with STREIF. Plus, they’re a friendly bunch. In this business, relationships are everything. Their team knows how to develop trust and that in turn engenders confidence."
    Robert Atkinson, Head Of Design, Southern Home Counties, Morgan Sindall

With every school project, we fully understand your need for us as your architects to demonstrate:

  • Clear working knowledge of the statutory design guides and DfE requirements and how best these should be applied
  • Streamlined collaboration via BIM (Building Information Modelling) towards cohesive and transparent design, reduction of timescales and increased cost certainty
  • Extensive experience of modern methods of construction (MMC1)
  • Recognition of the school ethos and philosophy
  • Consideration of the views of all stakeholders: SLT, governors, parents, students and local community
  • Regard for the unique character and spirit of place created by the school’s existing buildings, architectural styles and setting
  • Best value whilst creating attractive, robust and inspiring teaching spaces
  • Out-of-the-box thinking for constraints that need creative and value-added solutions
  • Creative thinking regarding optimal sustainability towards Net Zero
  • Phasing and timing of works to reduce the impact on school day-to-day life
  • Minimisation of the challenges of working within an operational school environment (all staff are DBS)
  • Observance of all health and safety issues during the build process
  • Maximisation of the potential for small and difficult sites
  • Creativity for the reuse and refurbishment of existing buildings
  • Cost and design transparency for your full stakeholder decision-making
  • Our guidance and sensitivity when working on historic sites with listed buildings, protected ecologies and complex planning issues

Expertise

Learn about our approach and expertise for these sectors: