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Derbyshire
£10m to £49.99M
Sited in Greenbelt land
Alfreton Park is a special educational needs and disabilities all-through school, in which all pupils and staff strive to create a secure, welcoming, and inclusive learning environment. The site is located close to a cluster of buildings and institutions that provide care to people of Derbyshire with Special Needs, forming a campus-like family of nurturing buildings within a park setting. From its raised position on the natural ridge of land running down the centre of the tree-lined site, the low-lying, contextual building blends into the landscape by following the natural contours of the site and using subtly coloured treated zinc cladding. A simple and efficient single-storey pitched roof section is used throughout, a generator for elegance in its setting, creating open and light internal spaces for activities ranging from trampolining to physiotherapy. Each classroom has sheltered play space, and carefully placed internal classroom screens allow consistent views of the tree-lined parkland surroundings. These design decisions endeavour to provide an enriching learning environment connecting the pupils to nature.