Building creates a “calm and thought-provoking environment”

A HOMERTON school has won a design award just over one year since opening.

The City Academy in Homerton Road was designed by Studio E architects and sponsored by KMPG and The City of London Corporation.

It was one of six buildings to be presented with a Hackney Design Award at a ceremony in Stoke Newington Town Hall in Stoke Newington Church Street on Tuesday (November 23).

The judging panel said of the building, which opened for buisiness in September 2009: “The glass walls open up classrooms to corridors and students can be seen and feel safely supervised wherever they are.

“Retaining the mature trees was treated as an asset, with the building snaking around them. This along with the big windows creates a calm and thought-provoking environment.”

The school’s head teacher, Mark Emmerson, said staff already knew the building was excellent and would make a big difference to pupils and the atmosphere of the area.

“The impact the environment and buildings can have on the way people behave and feel about themselves is huge. Clearly this building majorly influences and supports the aims of the academy and it is wonderful that this has been recognised across the community, particularly because there is so much other innovative new build within the borough.”

Rio Phillips, 11, a year seven pupil at the school, showed the judging panel around the academy.

She said: “The building is very spacious, the architecture is unique and I really enjoy being in the building.”