Aedas have been appointed Architect on the £175m Oldham Building Schools for the Future contract.  This follows closely on the heels of their success with St Helens BSF.

Aedas will work with Balfour Beatty to deliver a completely new educational estate consisting of new build and substantial refurbishment by 2015.  Work is due to start on site in early 2011 with plans being finalized for a £30m new build sample school to replace Oldham RC High School.

The new 1,650 place catholic high school and 6^th form features a chapel in the heart of the school and the open plan feel directly contributes to the catholic ethos of the school. A spectacular grillage structure supported off a ring beam defines a volume reminiscent of a cathedral like space. Terraces penetrate deep into the plan allowing in light and ventilation and provide glimpses of coloured light reminiscent of stained glass. The teaching spaces have been designed with as much openness as possible whilst allowing flexibility for different types of teaching. Circulation around the central space promotes passive supervision and adds to the open feel. The civic frontage addresses the community while the rear of the building fits in with the more natural feel to the playing fields. The organic design and clear forms of the elevations and plan combine to give a building that can deliver different types of teaching with a visually stunning impact.

Oldham Council’s vision is to provide tailored education for every child, provide state of the art facilities for the whole community and bring in a more cohesive approach to learning and teaching.