Summer Fields Oxford, UK
Our contemporary design blends within the campus and Oxford’s wider context – thanks to the palette of high-quality, natural materials.
Founded in 1864, Summer Fields is a full boarding and day school for 8 to 13 year olds. It has an outstanding record for winning scholarships to public schools such as Eton, Harrow, Radley and Winchester.
Corstorphine & Wright was appointed to design a new pavilion. It needed to provide new changing facilities along with a flexible teaching facility that would double up for functions and events associated with sports and parent engagement.
The new Salata Pavilion supports the school’s commitment to nurture boys academically, morally, spiritually and culturally – helping them discover talents and values that not only prepare them for the next stage of their education, but stay with them for life.
The building responds to the existing school grounds while generating a striking architectural response strong enough to stand on its own merits.
The Salata Pavilion was completed in 2015, providing essential space for several functions. The downstairs area comprises changing rooms for home and away teams as well as the matron’s room. These facilities were previously housed in the main body of the school. However, the migration to the Salata Pavilion has opened up hugely valuable spaces within the school.
The new rooms are light and airy – a far cry from the old versions. The first floor flexible teaching space, equipped with AV, offers access on to an external terrace overlooking the first team pitches. It also provides an elevated platform to showcase the school’s sporting activity. The bright interior is also designed around viewing the external spaces, with large areas of glazing, external terraces and overhanging eaves to provide both solar and weather protection.
By integrating renewable technologies, the design ensures the building is both sustainable and efficient to run.
Upstairs, we have a stunning reception area overlooking the 1st XI cricket pitch. Finished in chrome and glass with clean white walls, it lends itself to a multitude of uses. In the last 12 months, the room has been used for exams, conferences, an art exhibition, team building, match teas, staff meetings, governors meetings, lectures, workshops, bridge evenings and the end-of-year prize-giving.
The building was financed entirely through the generosity of parents, many of whose names are recorded on the building itself.
Summer Fields is committed to building a first-class environment in which to educate boys of the future – and the Salata Pavilion plays a key role in this endeavour.
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