Godwin Austen Johnson (GAJ), one of the largest and longest-established UK architectural and design practices in the UAE,  has been appointed to undertake the design of the new Arcadia Secondary School in Dubai.

Designed as an educational facility for secondary grade students, the Arcadia Secondary School will be a new purpose-built school adjacent to the Arcadia Preparatory School located within Jumeirah Village Triangle.

The building, which will comfortably accommodate up to 800 students, will be designed with the majority of ground floor classrooms opening onto open protected spaces to the rear providing children with safe access to play areas from their classrooms.

Reinforcing the school within the community is critical and the building will be orientated to provide ease of access both on foot from the surrounding community and by vehicle with all parking provided in the basement.  

Large sports facilities such as the swimming pool and basketball court will be placed on the roof to allow for a full sized football pitch on the ground level.

The  school will be designed  in line with sustainable  building  practices  to  provide  an optimally  safe,  healthy  and  productive  learning  environment  for  students  and  a comfortable working environment for faculty and staff.

“Education today is a constantly evolving science and as such schools require ever-changing methods and use of space through which their education can develop,” said Jason Burnside, partner at Godwin Austen Johnson. “Keeping in mind this required flexibility, which is crucial to the school today and in the future, spaces will be designed to enable both the children and the staff to use, adapt and develop as they see fit.”  

GAJ will be responsible for the architecture, interior design and MEP (mechanical, elecrical and plumbing) design for the project which is expected to be completed by December 2019. – TradeArabia News Service