St Edmund Campion Catholic School
Location
Birmingham
Main contractor
Davlyn Construction
Sub contractor
Moran Structural Consultants
Architects
CBP Architects
Products
Facing Bricks
Overview
St Edmund Campion Catholic School in Erdington has undergone a £3.2 million programme of improvements, providing enhanced facilities for teaching, practical learning and dining.
Covering approximately 2,480sqm, the project was commissioned by St John Paul II Multi Academy, with CBP Architects appointed as Lead Designer. The wider design and construction team included GNA Surveyors, Integrated Energy Building Services, Moran Structural Consultants and Davlyn Construction.
The scheme was designed to improve the school's existing accommodation while introducing new teaching spaces and extending key areas of the campus. Works included a new five-classroom teaching block, a two-storey extension to the existing Design and Technology (DT) block and the reconfiguration of practical teaching spaces within the north wing. Extended dining facilities and improvements to the external areas were also incorporated into the scheme.
Appointed by St John Paul II Multi Academy, CBP Architects acted as Lead Designer throughout the project, working alongside GNA Surveyors, Integrated Energy Building Services, Moran Structural Consultants and Davlyn Construction.
Taylor Maxwell supplied two brick types for the development, carefully selected to complement the existing school buildings and create considered transitions between the new and existing architecture.
Concept
A key consideration throughout the scheme was the relationship between the new extensions and the existing school buildings.
The use of brickwork provided an opportunity to create a cohesive appearance across the development while introducing subtle changes in colour and bond to distinguish different elements of the building.
Traditional Brick and Stone Lava 65mm was used generally across the new-build façades in a stretcher bond. The brick's warm, varied appearance complements the surrounding buildings while providing a robust and durable external finish suited to a busy secondary school environment.
A second brick, Traditional Brick and Stone City Black Facing 65mm, was used in a distinctive two-course transition strip between the existing DT block and the new extension. Laid in a stack bond, the darker brick creates a clear horizontal detail at the junction between the two structures.
This simple change in brick colour and bonding creates a visual break between the existing and new elements without compromising the overall cohesion of the scheme. It demonstrates how changes in brick detailing can be used to articulate architectural junctions and add definition to an otherwise consistent façade.
The approach also allowed the new teaching spaces and extensions to feel integrated into the existing school campus, rather than appearing as separate additions.
Completion
The completed development provides a renewed environment for pupils and staff, with the improved accommodation supporting a wider range of teaching and practical activities.
The finished façades combine the warmth and variation of the Lava brick with carefully positioned City Black detailing, creating a cohesive appearance across the development while allowing important architectural junctions to be clearly defined.
For Taylor Maxwell, the project demonstrates the role that brick selection and detailing can play in integrating new educational buildings with an existing campus. The combination of complementary brick types and different laying patterns provide continuity across the scheme while giving the extension its own architectural definition.
The result is a school environment that brings together its existing buildings and new facilities through a consistent, carefully considered material approach.
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