The Bridge Academy

Projects

Statistics

Client:
The Bridge Academy Hackney Limited / UBS

Sectors:
Education
Local Government
Public Sector

Businesses:
Mace Plus
Mace Sustain

Services Carried Out:
Contracting
Social Inclusion Programme

Value:
£33m

Project Dates:
10.2006-06.2008

Architects:
Building Design Partnership

Office:
London

Dimensions:
15,000m2

No. Floors:
6

Information

Mace Plus delivered this new much needed new academy in Hackney, in time for the new school year beginning September 2008. The academy is providing new opportunities and facilities for children in East London.

Procured on a two stage Design and Build form of contract, the Bridge Academy in Hackney specialises in music and maths. The mixed secondary school has 1150 places for students aged 11-18.

Designed by Building Design Partnership (BDP), the iconic six storey horseshoe shaped building is located in one of London's more disadvantaged areas. This mixed non-denominational academy includes a 450 seat performance theatre and dance studio as well as an outdoor amphitheatre, built above the ground floor car park.

The design incorporates an inclined ETFE façade to the central atrium and the central library is suspended from an exposed hooped tubular truss over the open plan central common user space. A separate sports hall is built up to half its depth below ground and incorporates a sports pitch on its roof.

Construction started in October 2006 and was completed in June 2008.

To view a short interview with the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Familes Ed Balls during his visit to the newly opened academy, click here.

Social inclusion
Mace Plus, in conjunction with Mace Sustain, also provided a social inclusion programme as part of the Bridge Academy project, funded directly by Client UBS and Mace Plus. The programme benefitted the local community by providing access to employment and training opportunities within the construction industry, engaging the local community including schools, colleges and community organisations.

During the period we provided:

Access to construction employment opportunities for a minimum of 25 Hackney residents
Access for a minimum of 50 people to construction specific programmes such as the Construction Skills Certification Scheme and NVQ courses as well as bespoke training programmes
A programme of involvement for the community college, local schools and youth clubs to include work shadowing, site visits, career talks and mentoring support
A single point of contact, based on the site, for all local employment and training issues