The Victory Academy
Chatham, Kent
We were selected with BAM to design three new academies in Medway: The Victory Academy (formerly Bishop of Rochester Academy), Strood Academy and Brompton Academy – following the Council’s rigorous selection process.
The Victory Academy is built around a central courtyard with a range of outdoor spaces, including performance and teaching areas. The building was constructed from prefabricated pre-cast components including brick-clad pre-cast concrete sandwich panels for external walls, pre-cast columns and pre-cast floor planks.
The non-selective school was designed for 1500 secondary pupils including a sixth form. The new building united the academy onto a single site, it had been previously been split between two predecessor schools.
The architects delivered a clever project on a challenging site with a tight programme and budget.AJ100 judges - Value Excellence Award
Flexible learning spaces
The learning spaces are grouped in clusters arranged in pairs around the courtyard. Each cluster has a top-lit central space with stairs linking the two floors.
The flexibility of the arrangement was demonstrated by the way it has accommodated changes in the Academy’s organisation: the original brief was for a ‘schools within schools’ structure, but on occupation a departmental pattern was adopted.
Prefabricated construction
Parts of the new Academy had to be constructed very close to the occupied buildings of the old school, before they could be demolished. In order to achieve fast construction and enclosure for privacy, the building was constructed from prefabricated pre-cast components including brick-clad pre-cast concrete sandwich panels for external walls, pre-cast columns and pre-cast floor planks.
Our Team
- Miranda Li
- Marie-Lise Oulmont
- Nicholas Hare
- Juliette Sacher
Project Team
- Client: Medway Council
- Cost Planning: BAM Construction
- Structural Engineer: BAM Design
- Services Engineer: BAM Design
- Landscape Architect: The Landscape Partnership
- Executive Architect: BAM Design
- Planning Consultant: David Hicken Associates
- Fire Consultant: Hoare Lea Fire
- CDM Coordinator: Mace Sustain
- Contractor: BAM Construction
Awards
- Regional Finalist: Civic Trust Awards
- Highly Commended: AJ100 Value Excellence Award
