Secondary school extension ready for students

A £12m building at Manchester Enterprise Academy will see an additional 450 students enrolled by 2023.

Pozzoni Architecture designed the 45,208 sq ft storey Durie Building, and contractor Wilmott Dixon began work last September. The 45 ft-tall extension features nine English classrooms and nine Science labs; two Drama studios; an Art and Fashion department; a Music room, and a ground floor 260-seat auditorium.

Prior to the three-storey Durie Building, the Academy had capacity for 830 pupils. This will grow to 1,280 as more students are phased in over the next six years.

Pozzoni also designed the refurbishments of sports facilities, including an installation of a full-size artificial grass pitch with floodlighting, which will be available for community use during evenings and weekends.

The extension incorporates green and grey rain screen cladding to match the colour palette of the 74,260 sq ft main building.

Catherine Mulley, Pozzoni’s director, said: “Twelve months on from securing planning permission for this project, it’s fantastic to see students and staff now using and enjoying the facilities in Durie Building.

“The design is intended to maximise space and allow movement between the two buildings to be as seamless as possible.”

James Eldon, principal at Manchester Enterprise Academy, said: “We faced hugely pressing timelines to deliver the project but this pressure has not compromised on the quality of the design and build we have achieved.”

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