Harmeny School, Balerno
- Project: New build extension to residential school for children with severe emotional and behavioral difficulties
- Year of completion: 2000
- Client: Harmeny School
- Project Value: £3.0m
- Architect: Richard Murphy Architects
Harmeny School provides support for children aged between 8 and 12 who have severe emotional and behavioural difficulties and who require very special attention. Although nominally one project the Extension to Harmeny School can be considered as three main sections: Two new stand-alone residences, the size of large domestic houses, alterations to and refurbishment of part of the original house form a new residence and the main school extension provides new classrooms, a music block, sports hall sundry facilities for the servicing of the school. Originally envisaged as a load-bearing masonry building, the complexity of the shapes involved and the speed of erection required led to a change of structural concept to a complete steel frame with masonry infill. Expression of the steelwork in the cloister, classroom and music room roofs develop a theme already explored in other collaborations between the Architect and the Engineer. In all cases, but especially in the case of the sports hall, the exposed steelwork and connections required careful detailing. The building forms required a flexibility of approach from both parties and a great deal of understanding!
