Miller Bourne is a leading UK architectural practice specialising in the independent education sector in the Southeast of England

Miller Bourne has been working for over three decades to realise the architectural visions of independent sector schools.

In that time, we have built a reputation for delivering beautiful, bespoke and contemporary learning spaces that are sustainable, technically sound and maintainable for our clients.

We’re passionate about school design and creating inspiring places for learning.

Our portfolio of independent schools architecture clients in the Southeast of England includes: Charterhouse School, Cranleigh School, Christ’s Hospital, Eastbourne College, Hurstpierpoint College, Pennthorpe School, Roedean School, Seaford College, Shoreham College, Worth School, Yehudi Menuhin School, and many more.

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

Independent sector schools v2 — © Image courtesy of Christ’s Hospital

Design by dialogue

No independent school is the same – which, for us, is what makes our work with you so exciting and rewarding.

We understand the transformative role that school architecture can play in shaping the lives of future generations

Our goal is always to add dynamic value to the learning experiences of your students and to the standing and appeal of your independent school for your parent body in the fee-paying sector.

In every case – be it a refurbishment or re-use within a challenging historic campus or site or a new-build project – we harness our in-depth operational knowledge of independent schools to guide you.

Architecture is a collaborative art. Ideas are borne out of dialogue.

Our independent school design projects typically involve the input of multiple stakeholders, ie. estate manager, bursar, senior leadership team, staff, pupils and governors. So we’re used to facilitating effective communication and our approach is never prescriptive.

We offer ‘design by dialogue’. We help you share your goals and vision. We offer you creative solutions to spark debate and illustrate ideas.

We explore, too, constraints and opportunities to inform your choices and ensure the design solutions that we generate will best meet your independent school’s priorities, needs and aspirations.

What our independent schools clients say

"Miller Bourne have produced for us many beautiful buildings with delightful interiors and external elevations that fit well with their settings. I appreciate their attention to detail. They’ll look at a project front to back and back to front and work collaboratively to achieve your goals, rather than ever over-specifying or ‘dictating’. They're pragmatic and practical; they listen; they take your needs on board. Plus, they’re efficient and a pleasure to work with."

Emma Humphreys, Estate Bursar, Charterhouse School
"Once prospective parents and pupils see our facilities now, the reaction is usually ‘wow!’. For us, Miller Bourne have shown us what’s possible and then made it happen. Their design solutions are always clever, always innovative. They’ve worked as our trusted partners across two decades on multiple projects, most recently the opening of the Nugee and Winn buildings, a £33-million strategic development of our teaching, sports, and dining facilities that coincided with our 150th anniversary. Miller Bourne are a team that bring creativity and ingenuity, but also the nuts and bolts of pragmatism and realism with regards to budget and deliver. I’d highlight, too, their strong relationships with local authorities and tacit understanding of the planning."

Nick Chapman, Head of Facilities Management, Eastbourne College
“We’ve worked with Miller Bourne since 2005. As a practice, they’ve got clout and strong relationships with the independent schools sector and they always deliver an excellent service. They created our college masterplan and their strength, for us, is in their understanding of our 150-acre campus, which presents challenges with its listed buildings and setting. They approach it sympathetically, knowing the fabric but at the same time aren't staid and traditional so we don't lose any innovative flair. They’ve designed and built many of our new building projects, including boarding houses, library, science block, sixth-form centre, and currently a new sports centre and swimming pool.”

Dan Higgins, CEO, Hurstpierpoint College

Our experience means we fully understand your need for:

Recognition of your independent 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 landscape
Achieving striking aesthetic designs for your showcase buildings
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
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

BIM for independent schools

Miller Bourne uses BIM (Building Information Modelling), a process that can be used within the design, construction and operation of any building. It is a digital-based process that allows multiple disciplines to plan, design and construct buildings in a more seamless and collaborative manner.

The benefits to independent school architectural projects are that, during a construction project, you are guaranteed a cohesive and transparent design which should reduce timescales and increase cost certainty. But the advantages for you go beyond your construction project…

BIM is valuable for you, the independent school, too.

BIM’s collaboration techniques, environmental analysis, facility management, design, project programming and cost estimation is vital to successful asset management before, during and post-project.

It can support you, too, with the cumbersome financial and organisational matters relating to your independent school’s assets, such as building maintenance, building operations, energy targets and assessing your energy usages and costs.