d’Overbroeck’s, a co-educational independent school in North Oxford, was keen to consolidate their sixth-form teaching and recreational facilities, which were dispersed over several different buildings around North Oxford, into a single forum of learning. The new state-of-the-art facilities for Science, Art, Music, Drama fulfils the school’s desire to develop and broaden provision for these subjects. Planning Constraints As part of the planning process TSH carried out extensive consultation with the school, the public and a CABE Design Review Panel. The new arrangement of buildings responds to the extensive tree root protection zones of the historic wellingtonia trees as well as the locally listed Georgian Villa, to allow for views through the open parkland site, whilst ensuring residential neighbours are not unduly disturbed by the everyday activities of the school. Materiality and Construction Method The overall architectural strategy re-frames the carefully refurbished Georgian Villa with three new buildings: the Sixth Form Centre, Hall, and Link building, which adopt a sensitive material palette to complement the historic landscape. The Sixth-Form Centre was constructed with a concrete frame and steel roof. The hall building also employs a concrete frame with exposed LVL trusses supporting the roof. Externally, the palette consisted of buff brick along with Portland stone, precast concrete columns, beams and window surrounds that provide integral solar shading. The L-shaped building which wraps around the Villa, was clad in bath stone and features thin glazing elements that carefully unite new and old.